Irish Trojan in Tennessee

As promised...

By Brendan Loy

...my photos of today's snow squall in downtown Knoxville:

Full gallery here.

You know you live in the South when...

By Brendan Loy

...every time somebody comes to visit you, you take them to a country/bluegrass concert.

When Adrienne came to visit us in August, we went to the Bluegrass in the Smokies festival in Sevierville. Aside from meeting the WDVX chicken, the big revelation of that concert was the wonderful Bradley Walker, a singer with a voice so rich that it seems like only a matter of time before Nashville picks him up (if he wants to go "mainstream," that is). We bought his album Highway of Dreams, which you can get on iTunes here; my favorite tracks are Should Have Took That Train and Price of Admission.

Then, when Andrew and Bea came to visit us in October, we went to the Foothills Fall Festival in Maryville (which, if you didn't know, is pronounced "MUHR-vul"). No new musical revelations there, as the acts were big-name commercial artists (Trent Tomlinson, Big & Rich, etc.), but the concert was memorable -- and not just for Andrew's and my shock and awe as we constantly hit "refresh" on our cell phones to get the latest football scores on the evening that #1 LSU and #2 Cal both lost to unranked opponents. :) The most memorable moments of the concert were the thunderous ovation that the crowd gave to a group of soldiers in Iraq during a live satellite-phone conversation with their commander (nobody does patriotism like the South), and the moment when Tomlinson introduced his cover of Ring of Fire with the utterly unprovoked statement, "If you don't like Johnny Cash, you can kiss my ass!!"

Well, the country/bluegrass trend continued this past weekend with my parents' visit. I took them to Sunday afternoon's special weekend edition of the WDVX Blue Plate Special, the wonderful daily event in downtown Knoxville that I often attend on my lunch breaks. This particular show featured Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time, and man -- they were good! Here's a clip, though it doesn't do them justice:

I knew in advance that they were at least decent, based on their current hit, '67 Chevy Malibu, which I'd heard several times on the radio. But I was definitely impressed by the consistent quality of their songs at the concert. Great performers, too! And if you've heard the song Murder on Music Row by George Strait and Alan Jackson, well, Cordle wrote it, and he and his band performed it Sunday. Great stuff. Anyway, I once again came away with a new album, Took Down And Put Up (again, iTunes link here). I haven't had a chance to listen to it all the way through yet, but I think my favorite song from that album that they played at the concert was Hole In the Ground. Then again, I have a soft spot for mining songs, for whatever reason. (I blame the Barra MacNeils.)

In any event, tomorrow I'll again take visitors to a bluegrass concert (well, half bluegrass, anyway), as I'm meeting up with Becky's parents for the Blue Plate Special featuring a "twin bill" of the bluegrass band Balsam Range and the jazz band Silver Lining. I don't know much about them, but I'm sure it'll be worthwhile; the Blue Plate Specials are almost always good, and quite often great.

The biggest musical revelation of recent weeks for me, though, came not from a concert I attended, but from a song I heard on the radio -- on WDVX, the same station that puts on these Blue Plate Specials (not to mention that chicken). The song is Wicked Twisted Road by the Texas alt-country band Reckless Kelly. It's an absolutely haunting tune; when WDVX played it during my afternoon commute, I actually made a point of pulling out my cell phone at a stoplight and texting to their studio e-mail address, "GREAT song!" A few days later, I found it on iTunes, and I've had it stuck in my head ever since. You get it from iTunes here; it's Track 1, the title track. I haven't bought the whole album, but I may have to, if that song is any indication of its quality.

Gurule backs Romney; Kucinich bows out

By Brendan Loy

Notre Dame Law School Professor Jimmy Gurule has signed on as a member of Lawyers for Romney.

In other news, Dennis Kucinich has dropped out of the race. Also, recently-departed Duncan Hunter has endorsed Mike Huckabee, causing Michelle Malkin's head to explode.

P.S. Another NDLS professor, Gerard Bradley, has endorsed McCain.

Fred never wanted to be president, only veep!

By Brendan Loy

Fox News's Carl Cameron reports that Fred Thompson's dearly departed presidential campaign actually began as a trial balloon for a possible vice-presidential bid, then spiraled out of control as the intensity of the "Draft Fred" movement took Thompson and his people by surprise:

[Back in March 2007,] several insiders told me OFF THE RECORD that [the murmurs of a possible Thompson presidential bid were] largely a trial ballon to guage his popularity and float his name as a possible vice presidential nominee. I was sworn to silence.

Those insiders have now lifted the conditions on our conversations. From March to August of 07 -- through postponed announcement days, staff changes, firings, resignations and general disarray -- the Thompson camp was stunned by the incredibly positive response and didn’t really know how to manage it. The trial balloon soared mighty high and he found himself being dragged into a race that he was not even sure how to run.

If true, that explains a lot. (Hat tip: Top of the Ticket.)

Leopard 10.5.2 coming out today?

By Jay Johnson

On the phone with Apple Care, and got a message that said that an update to Leopard is out, but it's not showing up with Software Update.

Here's a link, though 10.5.2 imminent?

If this works, I also recorded about a minute of the automated call with AppleCare, which seems to confirm the availability of the update:

Download apple_care_leopard_update_call.m4a

Let it snow!

By Brendan Loy

A pretty decent snow squall is moving through downtown Knoxville right now. (See also here.) I ran outside a few minutes ago and took some pictures, including several of snow falling in front of the Sunsphere. You don't see that too often. :) I'll post 'em later. Anyway, a light dusting is accumulating on some grassy surfaces, but the roads look fine.

UPDATE: Here's an article about the afternoon snow. And here are my photos.

Bush, Dems agree to send me money

By Brendan Loy

The White House and Congress have reached a tentative deal on an economic stimulus package:

Pelosi, D-Calif., agreed to drop increases in food stamp and unemployment benefits during a Wednesday meeting in exchange for gaining rebates of at least $300 for almost everyone earning a paycheck, including low-income earners who make too little to pay income taxes.

Families with children would receive an additional $300 per child, subject to an overall cap of perhaps $1,200, according to a senior House aide who outlined the deal on condition of anonymity in advance of formal adoption of the whole package. Rebates would go to people earning below a certain income cap, likely individuals earning $75,000 or less and couples with incomes of $150,000 or less.

People would have to have earned at least $3,000 in 2007 to receive the rebates, the officials said.

I don't know whether this is economically or fiscally sound, but I could certainly use $900. The big ugly red number on my budget spreadsheet thanks you, President Bush and Congresswoman Pelosi. :)

UPDATE: It sounds like some of the information in the original article was incorrect, or I misunderstood it, or some combination of the two. Money quote (literally):

Under the deal, nearly everyone earning a paycheck would receive at least $300 from the Internal Revenue Service. Most workers would receive rebates of $600 each, or $1,200 per couple. Families with children would receive an additional payment of $300 per child [up to a cap of $1,200, i.e., you can get credit for at most four children]. Workers who earned at least $3,000 last year -- but not enough to pay income taxes -- would be eligible for $300.

So, at least in theory, Becky and I should be in line for $1,500, not just $900. Sweet!

But, hmm... I wonder... are the earning floors for married couples calculated jointly or separately? Also, can we somehow make the IRS aware of Loyette's existence, which they normally wouldn't know about until April? :)

The article doesn't specify when the checks are to go out, except to say that it will happen "quickly."

In any event, this isn't a done deal yet:

Congressional aides cautioned that it was too early to say that a deal had been finalized, and the finishing touches will be made over the next day or so as party leaders try to get their rank and file to buy in on a deal. ...

With both sides conceding on issues important to their base, there is potential to upset the delicate bipartisan truce prevailing on Capitol Hill, which is why leaders of both parties want to quickly advance the package before partisan rancor tears down any negotiations. ...

There are indications already that the Senate — the world's most deliberative body — may slow things down when the stimulus package passes the House.

"There are reports that a deal may be close on the House side. The Senate will want to speak, as well," said Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. "We want to ensure that Congress does its utmost for the American economy and for the American people.”

P.S. The L.A. Times notes that party leaders "have set a deadline of Feb. 15 for passing the legislation."

Good lord

By Brendan Loy

Baylor 116, Texas A&M 110 in quintuple-overtime. (That's five OTs.)

Yet another top QB commits to 'SC

By Brendan Loy

USC has had an awfully impressive track record on the recruiting trail in recent years, especially in the area of quarterbacks. John David Booty was the top QB recruit of the Class of 2003; Mark Sanchez was the top QB recruit of the Class of 2005; Mitch Mustain was the top QB recruit of the Class of 2006. All three went to USC (after a brief sojourn at Arkansas, in Mustain's case).

Well, the embarrassment of riches continues: the Class of 2009's top quarterback recruit, Matt Barkley, announced yesterday that he will go to USC. (Hat tip: Andrew Leyden.)

Sweet.