The official list has not been released, but via Kleinheider, an unofficial committee roster has been leaked.

The House Education Committee is divided 11-11 between R’s and D’s, with the K-12 subcommittee similarly split, 6-6.  Education will tentatively be chaired by Harry Brooks (R-Knox Co.), with K-12 chaired by Les Winningham (D-Scott Co.), the previous Ed Committee Chair.

I’m in the process of evaluating the committee makeup now — legislative experience, education background, support or opposition to issues of interest (BEP 2.0, elected vs. appointed superintendents, etc.), and will post that later today.  At first blush though, it caught my attention that six of the Ed Committee members are from Shelby County.  That seems a little weighted for one county out of 95, knowing that Shelby Co. and Memphis school systems are quite different than most of the rest of the state.

[Larger PDF version]

Early observations of this unofficial roster:

• 7 of the 12 K-12 Subcommittee members are from the large, urban, consolidated school districts (Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville);
• Average legislative experience of Democrats: 14 years
• Average legislative experience of Republicans: 6 years

I have to admit, it kind of floored me that Bill Dunn was appointed to K-12, since his own five children are home-schooled.  Certainly, there’s more research to be done on this group… prior voting records, issue positions, etc.

*  *  *

The official committee assignments are out now, and the Ed Committee appears to be the same as reported earlier.

Gamma has had a string of successes this week, though she had to work hard for each and every one.

Thursday was one of those infamous hell-days known well to juniors at the high school: the national German exam, an AP Physics test, Major Author due for Jr. AP, and an AP US History paper due.

By the time she got home, she was wiped out.  The good part was, her new iPod Touch arrived, that she purchased with her own earnings from babysitting.  She’s had it plugged in almost continuously ever since — listening to music, playing with the various applications, surfing the web, and checking her e-mail.

On Friday, we learned that she scored an "A" in Physics on her report card.  On Saturday, she went to the All-East Orchestra tryouts, but she seemed convinced that she didn’t make it, having messed up her prepared piece "pretty bad."

Last night, we learned that she did indeed make All-East, so she’ll be playing at the Park Vista in Gatlinburg next month.  This morning, we found out that she was also successful in her audition for the new Oak Ridge Youth Symphony Orchestra, which is pretty exciting.

All told, it was a pretty darn successful first week back in school.  Needless to say, I’m pleased.

If only the rest of us can keep up with her, it’ll all be good.

The kids were all otherwise occupied last night, so Hubby and I had a date night.  Being the manly man that he is, he agreed to forego the movie I refused to see, and took me to what ended up being a serious chick-flick.

I’d already read (and heard, via NewsTalk100) reviews of The Day the Earth Stood Still, which was pretty well panned even by people who like sci-fi as being too AlGore-ified to be very good.  I go to movies to be entertained, not brainwashed.  Hubby though, is a sci-fi addict — even the really bad ones.

7 Pounds was a good, but very serious movie.  I’d rate it as well worth the tickets.

Afterward, we had a romantic dinner at El Cantarito… such a good time!

Rep. G.A. Hardaway, D-Memphis, is sponsoring the current attempt to further lower the sales tax on groceries.

Former Rep. David Fowler, now of the Family Action Council, has a very thoughtful and thorough look at all sides of this proposal.  Although I often disagree with Fowler because of his alliance with conservative social causes, he’s absolutely spot-on with his analysis of what legislators are up against with this vote.

For Legislators, it’s a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t decision.  Those who vote against the reduction will be painted as tax-and-spenders, while those who vote for it will bear the blame for an irresponsible decision leading to further painful cuts in services provided to Tennesseans — education, health care, public safety, etc.

Read Fowler’s piece, and keep it in mind when the issue heats up later on.

I love the snow!

We spent the last week in rural northern Michigan, right on the coast of the big lake.  At right is Portage Lake (connected to Lake Michigan by a short channel), frozen over, and dotted with ice shanties.

I confess that I don’t understand the fascination with ice fishing, but I do appreciate the scenic qualities of the little huts dotting the ice.  Some of those folks are plumb crazy, staying out there until the ice all along the shore has melted in the Spring.  Watching them figure out how to get off the ice is amusing, but that’s a Spring Break story.

We skied a full day at Crystal Mountain on Thursday, having a fabulous time in pristine conditions.  Mostly though, we spent the week visiting HWTFM’s mom and brothers.

The drive is one that I particularly enjoy this time of year; from Indianapolis northward, it’s all rural highway, rather than interstate.  The small towns between South Bend and Kokomo really decorate for the holidays, so the lights against the winter landscape are just beautiful.

This morning, we return to real life — the college kids have gone back to UT, the younger two are back in school.  However, I can dream of snow days, hoping that we see a few  this year.

Sometimes, despite the best of planning, the most organized advance effort for the perfect gift, something goes wrong.  Yeah, that’s how my day has gone.

Back in November, I ordered Gamma’s gift.  You know, that very special jacket with a name embroidered on the front, the school’s letter, a sport emblem (golf, in this case), and the last name in carpet-like letters on the back?

It was due to be ready on December 20, but there was a bit of a delay.  So, when I went to pick it up today, the poor young fellow came out and said, "there’s a problem."

Heck yeah, there’s a problem.  They misspelled her name — front and back.  It wasn’t the local store’s fault; they had it correctly spelled (in several places) on the order form.  The company they get the jackets from messed it up.

The store is making it right, but the problem is, this was a Christmas present.  Cold weather is here, and I know she’d love to show it off to her cousins on Christmas Day (they’re both younger athletes, so this would be impressive to them).  So, it will be made right, but not for a few more weeks.

Dang.  Now what do I do for Christmas?

For me, this is a season of wonder and joy.  My older girls are home from college, the younger two are filled with excitement — baking gingerbread cookies, decorating the tree, looking forward to visits with extended family that we don’t see near often enough.  There have been holiday parties with our friends, and a few quiet evenings to ourselves.

My sister called last night from Houston to ask what I want for Christmas, but I don’t really have an answer.  I have all that I need, and really don’t have many wants.  What I want is to enjoy her visit next week, to play with her children, and be thankful that my loved ones are doing well.

Joy is not a product of economic circumstance, though having one’s basic needs met certainly makes it much easier.   That said, some of the happiest, most joyful, grateful people I’ve ever met live in a little mountaintop village in Mexico; though they live in one or two-room abodes, with a single telephone in the entire village and electricity so scant that they have to choose between powering the refrigerator or turning on a light, they wake up every day praising God for what he provides. 

In that village, a hot water heater is a 50-gallon drum on the roof, pre-heated by the sun.  To take a hot shower, the father builds a small fire beneath the drum filled with rainwater.

In this country, we have so much more, but happiness is more elusive for some.  It’s a choice, I think, but one that some folks simply don’t realize that they have.  As the holidays approach, observing others’ joy can lead to depression and envy; in the worst cases, those attributes can actually drive away the real treasures — love, friendship, sharing, and gratitude. 

Many have noticed in the past few weeks that the online activity over at the dead-tree daily has gotten downright ugly.  I cannot begin to explain why the management of the paper has allowed this, as it’s a poor reflection upon them.  However, the story behind the story is a sad one — of how one individual’s poor choices, bitterness and envy destroyed all that really mattered.

I will not tell Boater’s story to the world, but for my friends who are wondering, log in as a registered user to continue reading.  If you’re not registered, e-mail me and I might send it. 

If you’re loved, if you have food for today and warmth against the cold outside, feel good.  We make our own attitudes, and I choose for mine to be one of joy.
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The day that will live in infamy.

It was, up until 9/11/01, the most horrific day that any living person could remember.  We were attacked, completely without warning or provocation, and gravely wounded.

But we are the United States; we calculated our response and executed.  It may not have been swift, but it was certain and decisive.   So many of our "greatest generation" warriors are gone now, but to those of you who remain, thank you.

You taught America and the world that we are not to be trifled with.  That we are strong, resilient, and capable.   As we navigate these times of great uncertainty, it is imperative to remember what you taught us.

I remember.  I will strive to be like you.

1.      Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me, either. Just leave me the hell alone.

2.      The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and a leaky tire.

3.      It’s always darkest before dawn. So if you’re going to steal your neighbor’s newspaper, that’s the time to do it.

4.      Don’t be irreplaceable; if you can’t be replaced, you can’t be promoted.

5.      No one is listening until you make a mistake.

6.      Always remember you’re unique, just like everyone else.

7.      Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

8.      It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

9.      It is far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help.

10.     If you think nobody cares if you’re alive, try missing a couple of car payments.

11.     Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you’re a mile away and you have their shoes.

12.     If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you.

13.     Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will sit in a boat & drink beer all day.

14.     If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

15.     Don’t squat with your spurs on.

16.     If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.

17.     If you drink, don’t park. Accidents cause people.

18.     Some days you are the bug, some days you are the windshield.

19.     Good judgment comes from bad experience and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

20.     The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it back in your pocket.

21.     Timing has an awful lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

22.     A closed mouth gathers no foot.

23.     Duct tape is like the force: it has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

24.     There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.

25.     Generally speaking, you aren’t learning much when your mouth is moving.

26.     Experience is something you don’t get until just after you need it.

(courtesy of the godfather)