BiddiesInMyBrain

Willie's World With a Wisp of Whalum

Oh now this pisses me off on so many levels. First of all, Kenny, it is discriminatory and ILLEGAL to predetermine your candidate based on race or sex. Second, this man, Willie Herenton, our Hizzoner, was forced into early retirement by the school board LAST time he was in office as Superintendent due to his inappropriate conduct. Is your memory REALLY that short? And finally, um, yeah, publically-traded, Fortune 500 companies DO stick to their search firms and the DO meet with other candidates... otherwise that's got a potential for nepotism, discrimination and a whole other host of EEOC repercussions and lawsuits.

Good grief Whalum. What's Willie been doing for (with? to?) YOU lately? Do we need to look into YOUR affairs now, too??? Because this is a little too cozy for comfort, and looking all too suspicious. Maybe we need to go to clear glass tables in the board rooms, because the fondling under them is getting to be a bit too much, IMO. 

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This article was reposted from the Memphis WREG Channel 3 News Website on 3/29/2008. News Channel 3 retains all rights and permissions. A link to the article on their website is in the title of the article:

Posted by Stephanie Scurlock
Whalum Calls for School Board to Meet Herenton

Posted: March 29, 2008 01:21 PM

    FAST FACTS:

• Memphis City School board trying to fill superintendent's position vacated by Dr. Carol Johnson
• Mayor Herenton offers to resign mayor's job to take on superintendent's position
• Board Commissioner Kenneth Whalum, Jr. wants meeting with Herenton

stephanie.scurlock@wreg.com

MEMPHIS (03/29/2008) - One school board member is calling for his colleagues to step up and "quote" do what's right. Kenneth Whalum, Jr. has made it clear he believes the Memphis City School District needs to hire an African American male to fill the vacant superintendent's position. Memphis mayor Willie Herenton who's held the position before, has said he will resign his position as mayor to take on the job. Whalum pleas it's time to stop procrastinating and hear what the mayor has to say.

Whalum said, "I think it's the height of disrespect for the school board who has no money, who's begging for money, not to even listen to the man who's been giving them a $100,000,000 a year."

Whalum is pleading with his colleagues to meet with Herenton. Whalum says in a letter to board members Herenton didn't ask for the superintendent's job but he did say he wanted to help in anyway possible. Whalum says it's time to hear the mayor's vision.

"We owe it to the mayor of Memphis to see what he has to say about the condition of our schools," said Whalum.

Whalum says he sent emails to fellow board members asking for a meeting but hasn't heard back. This week they're set to meet with a search team hired to find qualified superintendent candidates. Despite concerns from other board members Whalum says a meeting with Herenton could mean calling off the search and saving tens of thousands of dollars.

Whalum said, "You can't find a Fortune 500 corporation that would go through the silliness of a so called search if they had the perfect executive sitting at the table with them."

Whalum says hearing from the mayor doesn't mean they have to hire him as superintendent. He just believes they should at least listen to how Herenton thinks he can help.

The chair of the Memphis City School Board, Commissioner Tomeka Hart, tells News Channel 3 the school board has a process to follow in selecting a superintendent. When it comes to meeting with Herenton to hear his ideas, she says she'll call for one if a majority of the board members request it.

Today's Choices

Choices, choices, choices...

Somehow our choices have been dredged down to this.

I think the picture itself is a total giggle - I've been laughing all night since P sent it to me - but what does it really mean when it comes to the political process and the choices we have?

It's a three-ring circus out there and nobody's leading anybody except in circles. Well, Hillary and Obama seem to have McCain by the ears, but that's not saying much for the next move in the skit...

We're being led by the nose though a political performance - a gag routine - by three otherwise intelligent, articulate, and mostly sane people. I disagree with some aspect of each of their policies and positions, but I have come to respect (as much as one can respect a politician) one of them more than the others. Still, I feel as though Busby Berkeley (or Moe Howard - take your pick) is still somehow running the whole show from behind the scenes.

Every day we are bombarded by some new stupidity. My own husband was born in a foreign country but has been a citizen of the US since the moment of his birth. There should be no question as to his right to run for the office of the President - same with McCain, much as I despise him. This is a straw man argument, put out there to rile folks... and to distract us from the real problems out there - poverty, racism, environmental degredation, economic disaster.

Instead of this, I would like to see one of these characters help out the Joads (the main characters in The Grapes of Wrath) and do something substantive to solve the Steinbeck-esque problems facing us today. We don't need another Herbert Hoover being served 6-course meals by butlers and keeping up appearances while the nation struggles to get by.

Sorry to end on a gloomy note when the doctored photo is so hilarious, but it really bothers me that politics *is* a three ring circus - at the expense of a populace which is laughing all the way to the bread line. Is this *really* what we want in a presidential race?

Picspam

Here are some random pictures to round out the day... it's gorgeous here, by the way.

Looking a bit windblown, but better than I have in weeks.



The infamous rosemary bush that will not stop thriving! LOL It grew ALL WINTER and threatens to take over the driveway.


The front of the house. To the left is where the ground was all dug up for the sewer and the fresh water piping... and in the foreground is the redbud from my grandma's that is *finally* growing after only 8 years in the ground (long story) ... I miss the crepe myrtle at the left side of the house, but it had to come down - it was right on top of the sewer AND gas lines. Hello.


Tugboat and Boots through the open window. Such happy kitties.

My Favorite Mayor (To Hate) - With Addendum

Well, well, well. Hizzoner is full of it. Again.

Take today's Memphis Business Journal's article on Willie's interpretation of a study that was done of the city and city services a year or so back (actually, they were working on the survey when I left the system, so they've been collecting data for several years and the report came out last year. Big diference. Anyway...). The MBJ reports that, "What Herenton did not say is that the study said problems at the library system and other city divisions were the result of his administration's lack of vision and strategic planning."

Of COURSE not. Hizzoner would never steer us wrong. It's always someone else! The MBJ continues, "Herenton, who tends to delegate responsibilities to his division managers, explained his management style to council members last week: 'If I have to get into your business, I've got the wrong person. That's how we manage it here.'"

So truly, it's the fault of the people he hired, not him.

So explain to me Willie, how the Library ran a balanced, effective budget under its own fiscal authority until you took it over three years ago? And how, under Ms Drescher, it became one of the best library systems in the nation... something you are pillaging now? And how we *always* had a short-term, and long-term, community-by-community plan of action for every single branch and for the system as a whole in place, ALL THE TIME, updated every other year. That was a case of the wrong people? The wrong vision? Poor strategic planning? Oh, bite me.

You just couldn't stand the competition of someone else in your quasi-government winning award after award that you didn't earn. You thought - you, with your narcissistic self - thought you could do better.

I hope they take you in cuffs from your office and MARCH you all the way to 201 Poplar in front of all and sundry downtown. You deserve that sort of shaming.

Too bad the rotten tomatoes aren't in season. Yet.

ADDENDUM: I've finally gotten ahold of a copy of the Deloitte Consulting report which was given to Hizzoner LAST SPRING. And OH, is it damning to his administration's lack of long-term planning and strategic vision, his antiquated budgeting processes... the list just goes on and on. The worst thing is that he SAT ON THIS REPORT through the November elections and only just now are people finding it in an obscure place on the City of Memphis website... frankly, had this come out before the election, Willie would have been out - it would have been huge fodder for the other candidates, and WIllie knew it. Isn't it election fraud - or something along those lines - when you use taxpayer dollars to order a report like this only to sit on it through the election cycle just to make sure you get reelected??

Here's the website for the report, by the way: http://www.memphistn.gov/pdf_forms/efficiencyStudyMemphis.pdf

Willie's Narcissism

I know, I know... I am back to Willie's World.

Several people on the Commercial Appeal (our local birdcage liner) have made the comment that Hizzoner is narcissistic - and clinically so. So I looked up the traits on Wikipedia:

The following traits are commonly found in narcissists:

• The narcissist feels the need to have a lot of attention, adulation, admiration or subservience from others.
• The narcissist is preoccupied with himself/herself, his/her preferences, needs and aspirations and with his/her fantasies of unlimited success.
• The narcissist appears to be devoid of empathy (although it is sometimes suggested that the narcissist can, to some extent, empathize with other narcissists).
• The narcissist is inclined to lie or deceive.
• The narcissist often criticizes others, sometimes to the extent of damaging their reputation.
• The narcissist often behaves very differently in public situations from private situations (i.e. his or her public persona is very different from his or her private persona).

The public persona is typically very charming (perhaps designed to generate admiration) while the private persona can appear to be quite aggressive.

Most people only witness the public persona and do not see the private persona, and therefore have a very distorted perception of the narcissist's true character.

• A narcissist is generally an adult; between a half and three-quarters of narcissists are men, the rest being women.
• While a narcissist might criticize others the narcissist strongly dislikes to be criticized by others.
• While a narcissist might interrupt others in conversation the narcissist strongly dislikes to be interrupted by others.
• A narcissist feels entitled to special privileges.
• While a narcissist will often ask favors of others, he or she will feel no obligation to return favors and may strongly dislike it when others ask too many favors of the narcissist.
• A narcissist will often expect others to fit in with the narcissist's plans.

Some narcissists may try to modify the plans of others, but will often use charm to obtain the necessary consent to change their plans.

The narcissist reacts badly when any aspect of his/her freedom is threatened or when his/her plans are thwarted.

• Many narcissists will subject family members to his or her shouting and verbal abuse, and this is likely to include the narcissist shouting at and verbally abusing his or her children.

The shouting and verbal abuse will tend to be confined to private situations since public displays of this behavior could damage the narcissist's reputation, leading to loss of the adulation and admiration from others which the narcissist craves.

• A narcissist will often have a shifting morality.
• When a narcissist is interrupted, confronted or contradicted, he or she may suddenly develop narcissistic rage

In private situations this rage may be overt, but in public situations, the rage may be hidden (since the narcissist will be eager to protect his or her reputation and not reveal his or her aggressive side).

• A narcissist will often have a sense of time urgency or appear to be impatient.

Yup. Pretty much on all counts. He *hates* being contradicted - and despises criticism while he hands it out right and left, his morality seems to shift with the wind, he is always impatient, he expects other to fit in with his plans or else, he interrupts and feels entitled to special privileges, ditto on the first five points listed, too. And on and on. He's clinical, in my opinion (though I am not qualified to give a diagnosis). And it would make a lot of sense as to why he feels as though he is anointed by God to save the City of Memphis (another Willie-ism from a few years back).

Further - and this is a goodie - the deadline for applications for Superintendent of the Memphis City Schools was last Friday. The hired outside search firm is firm on the deadline and has been instructed not to take any latecomers to the scene - the School Board set the rules and made them firm and binding - they had best not be going back on them, in my opinion. Willie, on the other hand, seems to think he is going to waltz in there and get an interview right off the bat; he did not then - and has not yet - turned in an application for the position.

Hizzoner may have made a fatal misstep, though. He expressed to the City Council members with whom he congregated last week that he was tired, and really wanted to move on... and handed them this ambiguous letter, stating he wanted to resign on July 31. We're hoping the City Council will hold him to it based on his lack of desire to complete the job and his original intent of the letter. It's a long shot, but worth a balloon.

Hizzoner is just ... unstable ... and I want nothing more than to see him GONE. I have a lot of friends who are politicians, or are in the channels of local politics, and they are totally embarrassed by this fool's behavior. And then you have the average citizen - most of whom cheered loudly at the news of his "resignation" and who are now mad as hatters over the baffle-'em-with-bullshit crap that is going on now. Blackmail is what I think they call it in the court system, actually.

To quote Revelation (which, as a secular humanist I don't do often... this may be a first for me)... I want him to be as the lilies of the field: "gone gone gone and the place thereof shall know him no more."

Still looking to sign that Recall Petition, y'all. Where is it??

Bathroom Before and After

Here are the before and after pics of the bathroom. :::grin:::

ADDENDUM: Before is on the left, with the black and white linoleum that was coming up, the crummy baseboards, and the torn green wallpaper (and the 64-year-old potty).

The After shot is on the right with new non-skid white tile on the floor (though I miss the vintage look of the black and white linoleum), my own handiwork white tile on the wall, a brand new potty, and all new paint and caulk on the baseboards and new quarter-rounds all the way around the floor where it meets wall.

Now all I need to do is accessorize in nice bright colors and I'll be one happy camper!

Willie's Wishful World

Well, Willie's at it again. The ne'er-do-well Mayor of Memphis has decided he is the only person who is man enough to run this city AND this city's schools. THE BALLS!

Hizzoner has decided that his July 31st departure letter was just foolin' with us, that he only intends to stay in office until he gets the Superintendent's job - and if he doesn't Superintend, he will be with us for a long time to come. ::shudder:: He further stated that he only ran for re-election this last time to keep people he thought were unqualified out of office, to keep them from undoing all the "good" he has done for the City of Memphis, that this is *his* town. The ego on this man astounds me. And really, if we have any more "good" from this man, it will be the death of us.

What do we hear from City Council? Well, nary a peep yet - at least nothing substantive... Willie has the ball in his court at the moment and is running away with it.

All I can say is that I hope the federal indictments catch up with him before July 1 so we can wash our hands of this mess and start afresh. He *is* under active investigation in not one, but SEVERAL cases... but, of course, he believes himself invincible and above the law.

After all, this is HIS town and HE makes the laws. </sarcasm> Pillage all you like, Willie. It'll all bite you in the ass in the end. You're NOT above 1100 neighborhoods of pit bull citizens who are finally so outraged they can't take it anymore. Where's the damn recall petition???

Power to the People, y'all.

Scrubbed on the Stones and Shoved Through the Wringer

Oh my goodness. This is going to be a whiny post about my tummy, so skip it if you don't want to hear about it.

Ever since the endoscopy/colonoscopy, I have had some really wonky things going on: blood pressure drops (down to 80/60, etc); extreme diarrhea followed by extreme constipation; terrible stomach pain (like 5-6 and sometimes 7 out of 10); my bouncing baby staph infection... all that sort of stuff.

At first I thought it was just stress and the sewer stuff, so I cleaned like a fiend. But over the past week it has gotten much, much worse, and this weekend I resorted to lortab left over from when I had shingles in January just to take the edge off the pain enough to function (because I'll be damned if you could drag me to the ER AGAIN, especially on a holiday weekend!).

Well, I saw the cardiologist first thing this morning and he wants to keep me off the bp medication indefinitely... everything looks good right now, and my bp is at least over 100 systolic, if barely, today. EKG looked great.

The GI doc?? Well, not so good. Saw his nurse practitioner (couldn't get worked in with him at such short notice) and when she palpitated my tummy I about came off the table in pain - I honestly thought I was going to hit her in the head with my knees when they came shooting up. Listened for bowel sounds and heard nothing. Not even crickets chirping (I normally have a hyperactive tummy that can be heard from across the room - not hearing *anything* even with a stethoscope is ominous). Had an x-ray and while I am not impacted, things are clearly backed up. Blood pressure had actually gone down from the time I saw the cardiologist and the time I got the gastro, but still 101/74. Am home for the rest of the day for two reasons: awaiting a phone call from the doc himself after consulting with partners and nurse, and, am on lortab for the pain and they don't want me going to class today. No idea what will come of the consult, and I must admit to a bit of nervousness.

Anyway, that's the long and the short of things for the moment. ::shaking head:: I keep hoping things will get better - and the upper GI tract stuff seems to be on the mend (I haven't vomited in a week, and while I still have nausea, I am at least gaining some measure of control over that for the first time in a YEAR). It's just the lower GI that is killing me in fits and starts right now.

::sigh:: I WANT RESOLUTION TO SOME OF THIS!! NOW, DAMNIT!