… that is all.

“Newt Gingrich Sued for Using ‘Eye of the Tiger’”

Do you think maybe she wanted to order something from Amazon?

As y’all may have noticed, I like shooting photos and videos of my children.  Mostly, this is a new thing for me, since I got my iPhone about a year ago. Over at Babble, I’m sharing my current list (I say “current” because it will certainly keep evolving over time) of five must-have iPhone photo and video apps for busy, busy parents.

I’m also soliciting ideas for iPhoneography apps I’ve yet to try out, but really should.

UPDATE: Since I published this blog post less than 72 hours ago, a wonderful local small business owner stepped up to offer a chance to this young person. In fact, he’s going out on a job site with her this morning, and he was so excited that you would have thought he’d just won the lottery.

People are good, you know.

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who offered ideas and leads – both in the comments below the original blog post and in messages directly to me.

xoxo -

Katie

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Hey Knoxville-area friends: I have a favor to ask.

I am trying to help a really terrific young man try to get his life turned around. He’s 20 years old, a high school grad, and is currently on felony probation for a non-violent drug crime.

He’s working hard to meet all requirements of his probation, including regular drug screens. He really, truly does want a different life than the one he’s had thus far (which has not been easy, and has included some very tough breaks.) He has no family locally – or any adults at all, really – to give him support or encouragement, although his probation officer is great.

This kid is smart, very polite and articulate, willing to work hard and learn, and he has his GED. But no one will give him a chance at employment due to his criminal record, and the fact that he’s on probation. He would love to learn a craft or trade like carpentry, welding or landscaping because he enjoys working with his hands to solve problems and make things happen.

If you might be willing to meet this young man and consider hiring him in some capacity – just giving him a chance to prove himself to you – I’d love to introduce the two of you at your convenience. He has great potential, and I believe in him.

If you feel moved to help, would you email me directly? I can be reached at kagnotify@gmail.com

And please share this info with anyone else you know in our community who might be able to send a job lead his way.

Thank you SO much!

Katie

Earlier this month, a small town Tennessee boy – a child only 14 years old – killed himself. His grieving parents and grandparents say that their child – who happened to have been born gay – took his own life because he could no longer deal with the bigoted cruelty of some other kids at his public school.

Only a week or so later – Tennessee state Sen. Stacey Campfield – a man without children of his own, and whose salary comes from tax dollars paid into state coffers by the dead child’s parents and grandparents – was asked about this recent child suicide and others like itin a national radio interview.

Sen. Campfield responded by saying, among other equally callous things, “That bullying thing is the biggest lark out there.”

Yes, he really said that.
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Stacey Campfield is a very strange and sad man. Even most conservative Republicans here in East Tennessee – those people he likes to believe agree with him and support his bizarre legislative agendas – actually find him embarrassing, disturbing, and totally irresponsible in his waste of tax dollars on promotion of fringe issues.

But while many prominent East Tennessee conservatives will privately share how they feel about Campfield’s show-offy weirdness, for whatever reason, most have been unwilling to challenge him publicly.

But today, Campfield met his match in conservative Knoxville talk radio host, Phil Williams.

Phil Williams with his producer, Shelley Ellis-Farrell

Now if I had to guess, I’d say Phil Williams’ political and religious views are much closer to those of Sean Hannity than Rachel Maddow.

Gay rights activist, Phil Williams is not.

However, when Stacey Campfield appeared on his radio show this afternoon, Phil Williams proved what he is.

Phil Williams is an intellectually honest and principled man who is not willing to let a politician of any stripe come onto his show and say things that are provably,dangerously false regarding matters of critical public health importance – not without being challenged.

Stacey Campfield has gotten used to being the ratings-boosting, newspaper comment-generating sideshow act around Knox County. He’s been allowed to act like a dangerous buffoon while still being treated with neutral respect by mainstream local media, just because he somehow managed to win a seat in state political office representing our community. But today, Phil Williams became the first high-profile local conservative to say enough, putting Campfield on notice that just because they may belong to the same political party, or even attend the same kind of church, Campfield doesn’t get a free pass to say shameful, cruel or dangerous things whenever and wherever he wants.

Even though he and I likely don’t see eye to eye on various political issues, Phil Williams is a bit of a political hero to me today. And I sure do hope that others in our community from both sides of the aisle also appreciate the backbone and integrity he displayed in standing up to Stacey Campfield the way he did.

Thanks Phil. You’re a good guy, and a good American. And the principled stance you offered this town today knows no political party.
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If you agree with me, go thank Phil William yourself over on his show’s Facebook page.

Y’all already know how much I hate winter…because I whine about it so much, year after year.

So for this edition of STUFF I LIKE, I’ve decided to go with a sunshine & summertime theme – featuring a few items that remind me of a more cheery and bright time of year than these dregs of January have to offer.

First up! I love this particular, sunshiney lullaby and I have sung it to all 5 of my children, so I am really liking this sweet typography print on vinyl.  It’s 12 x 24 with an opening on the back for easy hanging. I think this would look super-happy hanging in a nursery or kid room, kitchen or bathroom.

Marked down to $39.99 from $60.00

Next, in keeping with my summertime & sunshine theme, I am thinking SWIMSUITS for kids!

I am ordering one of these cute suits for G and one for C.  Henry really loved peace symbols, so whenever I see something that integrates the peace symbol into the design, I am drawn to it. Won’t they look cute in these matchy-matchy suits? I’m ordering up a size because I figure they will both be bigger come late April or May when we can first get in the water for 2012.

Marked down to $10.00 from $24.00

And last, but not least, what would sunshine and summertime for little girls be be without….pretty sleeveless frocks?

I have my eye on this one, which is organic cotton and I think could be worn with a hite turtleneck under it in spring and fall, or go sleeveless in the summertime. It could even become a cute tank top once your little girl grew too tall to wear it as an actual dress any longer. 

Organic cotton. Gorgeous print. Marked down to $25.99 from $49.99.

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DISCLOSURE:

About my Zulily posts

About my STUFF I LIKE posts

Tennessee state Sen. Stacey Campfield – the guy who once again made national headlines last week, this time with his uninformed and hate-promoting comments about gay citizens he represents – was last night denied service at a downtown Knoxville restaurant called Bistro at the Bijou (awesome little restaurant, by the way.)

Tennessee State Sen. Stacey Campfield

I will weigh in with my own opinions on this incident when my time permits, but for now, I encourage you to read Sean Braisted’s take. It’s spot-on:

 Stacey Campfield, who I’ve met, talked to, and actually kind of like as a human being, is a person of power in this state who has used said power to promote discrimination, misinformation, and outright hatred towards his constituents and other Tennesseans.  Knoxvillians who wish to eat out have a whole host of different options from which to choose from.  But Tennesseans who want equal representation and rights have only one legislature to look to.  While there are many representatives, theirs, Stacey Campfield has made it a mission in his life to make life harder for those who don’t fit his own personal view of ‘normal’.

There is nothing inconsistent or incoherent about discriminating against those with power who actively discriminate against those without power.  There is no difference between refusing to serve David Duke than there is Stacey Campfield.  

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So what do you think? Should a private establishment like a restaurant exercise its right to deny service to a bigot? Or is denial of service like this a slippery slope that leads to ever-increasing partisanship and intolerance in every sector of our society?

And also, how in the hell does Stacey Campfield keep getting reelected? I mean, East Tennessee is conservative, but seriously, the voters here aren’t generally CRAZY.

In the past few days, I have identified and spoken with a critical new witness in Henry’s case who has very important information. Details over at Justice for Henry.

www.JusticeforHenry.com