The truth is here!

Rod Lurie and his truthy film crew have arrived in the Bluff City. They've taken over the Commercial Appeal, as this morning's story notes, with our small-city Memphis reporters rubbing elbows with the likes of Beckinsale, Wyle and Dillon. Exciting and all, let's just hope such fraternizing won't color their movie review down the road.

Looking hard for any hint of politics in the story we find only this:

"I wrote Bob (Redford) that I was going to commit grand theft larceny with 'All the President's,' and he told me, in his atheistic way, 'God bless.'"

In the film, Beckinsale plays a reporter who is jailed after she writes a story that "outs" a CIA agent, played by Farmiga.

"It's a movie that puts journalism in a very positive light, and a movie that deals with the issue of the First Amendment," Lurie said. "I can't imagine any newspaper wouldn't be eager to be part of that."

Ironically the nominee for Attorney General was just yesterday asked about a possible shield law for real journalists and provided a less than enthusiastic reply:

he echoed Bush administration arguments that such a law could be used to protect journalists who are acting as spies or terrorists.

As to the real-life subject of the film (oops, sorry--it's not actually about Judy Miller, wink, wink) we await something more than gossip.

x-posted at Fore Left.

Memphis Muslims in the news

National blogospheric news, that is. DeSoto's Muslim Eid celebration got mentioned by Little Green Footballs, mainly for the picture below:










The knives are kind of strange, especially with a guy in what looks like business attire. Turns out he's just following the custom set by Mohammed to wear nice clothes. I tried to find information about waving large knives at Eid celebrations but couldn't locate anything. Maybe it's a local custom--trying to pass it off as a gun and knife show. This is the mid South, after all.

Lots of Muslim news going around the country other than Memphis. The Empire State Building in New York was all lit up in green this weekend to mark the Eid thing. That's not a particularly major issue since they already do it for Christmas and Hanukkah and a bunch of other dates, although The Religion of Peace's description of it elicited a guilty chuckle. Only in America.

But THIS is unacceptable, if true. The dirt clearing with flags and mementos would be much better.

Strip Joint in Cordova?

I know that's the rumor. I finally saw the place last evening and it definitely has that look--no windows, gaudy looking front, well back off Fischer Steel Road. To be fair, another well-known Italian joint off Appling Road doesn't have windows, either. But as the story says, if it quacks like a duck, it's usually a quacking duck.

Let's see, since it's an Italian restaurant wonder if they'll feature Italian strippers? Are there any Gina Lollobrigida look-alikes around? Sorry, a momentary lapse. She's still around--just married a man half her age.

Flag burning now illegal

When it's the Mexican Flag.

Apparently San Antonio has a law against burning rubbish without a permit in front of the Alamo. Hopefully an ACLU go-team is en-route.

Missing legislator found

Remember Rob Briley? The "Springtime for Hitler" guy? Well, he was reported lost last night. Praise the Lord, he's been found!

Apparently what happens in Tunica doesn't stay in Tunica.

Crunch Time

Well, V-day is here. My vote has been cast at one of the rigged, early voting Diebold cheat machines. That probably means I voted for Herenton. Who's going to win, most likely.

He's right--there's really no statistical way that two challengers can defeat his highness unless most of the black voters bail out on him. Unlikely, since many are on the payroll. And I've seen a lot of yard signs touting Herman, saying only he can win, which I doubt, but that only means the white voters are heading for splitsville, which the Mayor wanted. But I'll be prayin' for Morris anyway. And Chumley. Sorry, Chumney.
The soap lady.

Just hope there's no blood in the streets after this is all over. We've already had enough around here this year.

THE BLUES 10/04/07

I have no faith in ethical politics anymore. W.W. Herenton is going to be so full of himself in this next term he's liable to explode. He has been and will likely remain a liability for this city.

Yes, I did predict it right. Big whoop, so did many others. It wasn't rocket science to figure out Herenton could not be beat when all those "Morris can win" yard signs came out in the white neighborhoods.

Besides, Herenton represents this city. He's proud of his rough and tumble roots and will kick your ass if you doubt it. He came up being harassed by the man and he's the popular icon representing rising above that oppression. He boxes, ya know. Golden Gloves. Since he was about 3. That resonates in many hoods.

I suppose some folks just couldn't bring themselves to pull the lever for a woman, too. But when it gets down to it race and money played their normal parts. And the status quo is our reward.