What's that you're breathing?

Plenty of people living in North Carolina's rural counties instinctively support Republican candidates. Years of frightwing propaganda about freedom, family values and taxes have filled their brains and their cups with the bright red free-market Kool-Aid we've come to expect from North Carolina conservatives.

I wonder how long those delusions will hold out? I wonder how long these hard-working folks will vote for candidates who want to pollute the air they breathe and the water they drink.

Fresh country air just isn't what it used to be. So concluded more than 300 agricultural scientists at a recent conference outside Washington, D.C.

Ken Lay Dies of Massive Heart Attack

It happened yesterday, but news is just now breaking on CNN. Go here for the story.

More on Pope Purge

This from today's News and Observer. Some people say you need a scorecard to keep track of all the power-grabbing in the Republican party. From where I sit, though, what you really need is a Puppetshow Playbill.

Republican vs. Republican

The House Republican civil war continues to be fought in the legal system, nearly two months after the May primary was held.

Dumb and dumber

John Hood is back from vacation, but the rest didn't do much good. Today he's decided that the world of public education can't survive with his brilliant insights. At least in this particular case, he acknowledges that his opinions are uninformed and biased.

RALEIGH – Just about everyone has an opinion about how to improve education, and it’s usually an opinion passionately held and forcefully argued. Schools are the single-largest expenditure of state taxpayers’ funds. Educational mediocrity is the common denominator of many other social maladies. Most folks have spouses, siblings, parents, or other family members in the teaching profession. And everyone has been a student.

Meet Doug Jones - Democratic Candidate for NC House District 116

Meet Doug Jones, schoolteacher and Democratic nominee for the NC House. He won 52% of the vote in a four-way race for the nomination back in May, and he's a bona fide progressive. The 116th House district encompasses southwest Buncombe County, including part of Asheville.

Doug ran against perennial winner, Republican Wilma Sherrill, back in 2004 and came awfully close. When Sherrill announced her retirement this year, a window opened, and Doug jumped in.

I Met Red America Last Night

When my Republican husband proposed that the family go to Lowe's Motor Speedway to watch some racin' and fireworks last night I checked my list of things to do before I die and sure enough it wasn't on there. After a little bit of eye-rolling from the girls, who also had not added the event to their lists, I did my best to portray the "good wife" and build enthusiasm for this event.

We all dressed and ate an early dinner. The dog was walked and my younger daughter was doing her best to show some enthusiasm for our new adventure. The 12-yr-old daughter was bemoaning the fact that she might actually be seen and this was obviously not a desirable thing. I was making sure I grabbed my Kissell stickers. I was going to be in the heart of Hayes country, so wanted to display my loyalties.

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Collaborative Weekend Roundup

I missed just about everything that happened around here this weekend except for the 120+ dirty spam comments that wormed their way through the filters and that had to be deleted one by one by one. But it looks like there have been quite a few active threads!

I'm not sure I'll be able to go back and read everything, but if anyone wants to point me to the better posts and comments, you'd be doing me a favor! Also, happy 4th! Also, exclamation point!

BlueNC