Bruce's Blog

It's the Most Won-der-ful Time of the Year

2010-03-10T12:57:07Z

Hope you heard what I intended -- that great old Christmas song, sung by Andy Williams, that now serves a dual purpose by signifying it's time for March Madness!

My sports year runs from fall (college football) to March Madness, with a little golf thrown in to tide me over during the summer. Don't like baseball, really, so the NCAA men's and women's tourney is the climax to my sports year. It's also an amazing spectacle, a source of endless debate and wonder, and a great time to live in the center of the basketball universe, Kentucky!

I'm a little different from many of my basketball friends, though -- I follow men and women. This year I've got the UT, UK, and UofL men's teams to follow, and the UT, UK, and NC State women's teams to follow. (I've added NC State to the mix because Kelly Jolly is coaching there.) Both Tenn Tech teams, and the U of L women, are done for the year. (But ... watch out for the UofL women next year; those kids are growing up, and may be a force next year and the next.)

So, as we move through the next four weeks or so, those of you who read this for politics, policy, or faith, will have to put up with some basketball talk as well. It will end when the two National Champs are crowned and we do the post-mortems. In the meantime, I'll try to write a little about other stuff, once in a while. :-)

Think Gays Get "Special Privileges"? Read This

2010-03-05T02:55:48Z

Story currently on the rec list at Daily Kos entitled "My nephew arrived safely after being outed & kicked out of school." It's a heart-breaking story of teenage cruelty and adult betrayal, with some grace and love mixed in. Go read it, and then tell me you think gays are getting all the privileges these days.

Community Quilts -- On A Political Blog?

2010-03-04T02:37:33Z

Here's something I never thought you'd see on almost any blog, much less the leading left-wing political blog -- quilts for people in the "valley of despair" in their lives, made and paid for by members of the community -- and with messages on them from the members of the community.

Called "Community Quilts," these gifts of love are one example of a side of Daily Kos that isn't always evident: the deep sense of community among people who usually only know each other through the user names on the site.

These aren't small or cheesy, either. Click the link to read about the latest one, and look at the pictures.

And, this isn't a one-time thing; it's been going on for a while. So far, the DKos community has made and shipped twenty Community Quilts, with five more underway and six more planned.

You can donate if you want -- there's a link in the story -- to help cover expenses. And, if you're a member, you can leave a message for one of the recipients to go on their quilt.

The latest one, believe it or not, is for Keith Olbermann and his father. Keith's father is dying, and Keith is caring for him. He has written about the experience more than once on the site, and the quilt leader is proposing a lap throw for the father.

Just a really neat idea.

Congrats to UK!

2010-03-03T01:49:42Z

Just saw this headline at, of all places, the GoVols web site:

Kentucky sweeps All-SEC for player and coach in women's basketball

The SEC announced its women's basketball postseason awards Tuesday, highlighted by Kentucky's Victoria Dunlap being named Player of the Year and Matthew Mitchell being named Coach of the Year.

I am thrilled to see Coach Mitchell get the recognition he deserves. And Dunlap is clearly the POY in the SEC this year.

Here's my comment on the story at the GoVols site:

Look At These Stats and Tell Me Who Wins

2010-02-27T20:30:12Z

According to one web site's national player rankings:

Kansas -- #3 point guard, #2 center, #4 freshman, #1 coach
Kentucky -- #1 point guard, #3 center, #6 power forward, #1 and 2 freshmen, #2 coach

And yet both teams come to Knoxville and LOSE to the Vols!

Great win today for the Big Orange. Good game plan, good coaching, great crowd, great heart.

And a great birthday week for me: Lady Vols win the regular-season championship, Gentleman Vols beat Kentucky. "Happy Rocky Top to you, happy Rocky Top to you ..."

:-)

Jim Bunning's Voting Record

2010-02-27T16:05:49Z

The esteemed senator from Kentucky is so concerned about federal debt that he refuses to extend unemployment benefits past Sunday. Because of his single NO vote, millions of people will lose their unemployment on Monday.

So, Mr. Bunning, how concerned have you been about debt, and about everyday people, in the past? Let's take a look, shall we?

Jim Bunning -- Ass

2010-02-27T15:54:55Z

What an ass. What an unmitigated ass.

Jim Bunning sets a new low for even him by being the single vote against extending unemployment benefits. Because of his NO vote, the benefits for millions of Americans -- thousands of them in Kentucky -- will run out Sunday night.

That didn't matter to Jim Asshole Bunning. Instead, he griped about having to hang around Thursday night to cast his NO vote and missing the UK basketball game. No way to buy groceries or medicine? That's nothing -- I had to miss a ballgame!

And when challenged on his vote on Friday, when another senator begged him to change his mind, you know what his response was, right on the floor of the Senate?

"Tough shit!"

What an ass. What an unmitigated ass.

Fixing Kentucky's Tax System

2010-02-25T13:42:21Z

If you were listing characteristics of a well-designed tax system, what would you include? In today's Courier-Journal, Rep. Jim Wayne gives his list, and I think it's a good starting point:

Fairness. The tax code should promote justice, with every Kentuckian paying their fair share, including the wealthiest.

Adequacy. The revenue stream should be stable enough to support schools, social services, prisons, law enforcement, environmental protection and other programs and services people depend on.

Elasticity. Revenue should grow as the economy changes. If a certain section of our economy is expanding, as our service-based sector is, tax revenues should reflect that.

Simplicity. The system shouldn't be too complicated to understand. Taxes should be as low as possible — with everyone paying their fair share — and the tax base should be broad.

I've been yelling for months about the lack of leadership in Frankfort. Why? Because all the people in Frankfort know that our tax system fails ALL of these tests, and has for years -- and yet they have done nothing.

Here's what the cowardice in Frankfort has gotten us:

When "Common Sense" Doesn't Equal Great Legislation

2010-02-24T22:50:10Z

Ever heard this line about some bill or another? "It's just common sense -- why can't these idiots in (Washington / Frankfort / Metro Council / the PTA board) see that?"

I bet you've not only heard it, you've probably said it. Me too. But here's the problem: ideas that seem so easy, so common-sense when said to a friend, sometimes become very difficult to write into a good law.

From Jake over at Page One, here's the latest example -- an example that the Family Foundation says is "just common sense":

Strippers should have at least something on.

Make the jump to learn why legislating pasties is a bad idea.

Pearl Does the Unthinkable

2010-02-22T00:47:04Z

I've been a Vol fan for a long, long time -- over 45 years. As such, I've seen some amazing Vol moments. But one happened this weekend that deserves some recognition, some attention. In fact, it's almost unprecedented. You ready? Here's the first part:

Bruce Pearl's Vol team won 20 games for the fifth year in a row.

I know, I know -- here in the land of Big Red and Big Blue, no one gets excited until it's time to hang a banner. A 20-win season is the minimum that's expected. But at UT, where men's basketball has traditionally been the 3rd most important sport (behind football and women's basketball), those 20-win seasons have been few and far between. Five in a row? Only Don Devoe did it before now.

But here's the real record-setting second part: