I got this from a source close to the Tennessee Valley Authority:

Anne Paine, Reporter for the Tennessean in Nashville, asked if there has been an increase interest in the Green Power Switch Program because of news stories about Al Gore’s electric bill for his Nashville residence and his use of green power to meet most of his energy needs. She also asked about TVA’s generating sources of green power and when Gore first signed up for GPS. We said there has been a significant increase in GPS signups for the month of March 2007 over March of 2006. We provided information on the GPS generating sources and referred her to our web site. We confirmed that the first request from Gore officials about GPS was August of 2006. We told Paine that TVA completed the GPS process for the Gore residence in August 2006, but she would have to ask Nashville Electric System when the first electric bill with GPS charges was sent to the Gore residence.

FYI – Gore bought the property in ’02, so it’s not like he just moved in and wanted to do his part to save the world nor did the Green Power program only begin in August 2006 – It’s been around for awhile. The timing of it all – the request in August 2006 – I’m sure it had nothing to do with him thinking about running and wanting himself to look good or with his movie that is going to save the world.

– The TVA “Insider”

Rob, a Middle School Teacher, sent me an email regarding the difference between the parents at his new School verses the more, uhm, urban School where he worked last year:

Well, the parents here are a little different than say Tony’s mom last year (the 250 pound woman with 3 inch red fingernails, that came to school, yanked tony out of his seat by his collar, with a barage of profanity, pulled him into the hall, pulled off his belt, and popped him 3 times with his own belt).

I caught a kid stealing his lunch yesterday. I had him write a confession, "I, Kevin xxxxxx stole my lunch on 1/9/07" and sign it. our Discipline Principal told me that his father came in to a manditory meeting, very upset that the school used and continued to use the word "stealing" to describe his sons actions. He felt his son merely, "circumvented procedures" end quote. Even after, showing his son had clearly understood procedures the previous 15 days that he bought his lunch, according to computer records (they can buy lunch using a pin number). the father still refused to say that his son "stole." Yup. This is for real. Unbelievable.

Thanks Rob

Attorney James Bopp Jr is on a crusade. A crusade to free Judges to actually say what they believe, so that voters have some idea of whom they are electing. All judges are elected either directly (through the polls) or indirectly through appointment by an elected official. Here are the high points from a recent ABA Journal Article (November 2006):

"I think there is a limit on what judicial candidates can say, that does not apply to the other braches of government," [Bopp] says… Judicial candidates can be prohibited from saying ‘I’ll throw all drunk drivers in jail’ or ‘I’ll overturn Roe v. Wade if given the chance’, but they should be able to say ‘I’m pro-life’," [Bopp] says.

Bopp says that while his clients want to know a candidates personal values on issues such as abortion, they expect judges to follow the facts and law whereever they lead. He also knows htat judges make common law. And their personal values cannot help but influence them in those endeavors.

"Anybody who tells you it doesn’t matter what judge you get is a fool," Bopp says. "Judges have discretion. Their personal opinions matter and their views matter."