![[Valid RSS]](/images/valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed")
June 30, 2009
You Say It's Your Birthday
The first post on Chattarati is dated June 30, 2008. But it's just a teaser. The official launch entry is dated July 2. So perhaps it's fitting that the site's founders chose July 1,...Posted by joe lance on 10:32 PM | Comments (0)
February 27, 2009
Local Web site maps out campaign contributions
Bloggers at Chattarati say they spent long hours entering contribution information from publicly available disclosure documents into a database that then displays the contributors and amounts on interactive maps. The first campaign finance disclosures...Posted by joe lance on 11:50 AM | Comments (0)
October 5, 2008
This week in Tennessee politics
Here's a short list of events, notable and otherwise, for voters in the Volunteer state this week to peruse: Voter Registration Deadline Do not miss this; and don't let any of your friends miss...Posted by joe lance on 9:44 PM | Comments (1)
August 12, 2008
Bulletin: Tennessee Politics Blog going offline
Someone is taking a chainsaw to the "Groves of comprehensibility":* After more than two years of reporting daily on Tennessee politics, I will be closing Tennessee Politics Blog.[...] This venture has been both a...Posted by joe lance on 10:22 AM | Comments (0)
July 10, 2008
All my blogs
Sometime or other, I got the idea that I should keep TennesseeTicket.com focused solely on politics, elections, and news, and push the rest of the things I like to write about off to other...Posted by joe lance on 9:41 PM | Comments (2)
July 2, 2008
Chattarati.com launches today
Many months of brainstorming, planning, hard work and anticipation culminate in the launch today of a new website that offers news and opinion for the greater Chattanooga area. What is (are) Chattarati? To give...Posted by joe lance on 7:10 AM | Comments (0)
June 4, 2008
@MichaelSilence
Happens to me all the time....Posted by joe lance on 4:15 PM | Comments (1)
May 22, 2008
New blog covers independent/third party politics
Meet the Independent Political Report (IPR). I like it already. (HT: the inimitable Richard Winger, who also brings news that pertinent parts of the Libertarian National Convention will be broadcast on C-SPAN)...Posted by joe lance on 8:27 PM | Comments (0)
May 15, 2008
Congratulations, TennViews
Randy Neal has meant a lot to the Tennessee blogosphere, and this is one way in which that shows: I have just received word from the Director of Online Communications for the Democratic National...Posted by joe lance on 5:52 AM | Comments (0)
May 8, 2008
And now for an historical lesson from one of the experts
Brittney Gilbert sums up Then and Now. (Think I made a tweet about this? You bet I did.)...Posted by joe lance on 7:48 AM | Comments (0)
April 4, 2008
Bob Krumm to report to active duty
Well-respected Tennessee blogger and former state Senate candidate Bob Krumm is an Army Reservist, and is being deployed to Iraq soon, says Bill Hobbs. It sounds like Krumm's responsibilities will focus on helping the...Posted by joe lance on 10:32 AM
March 26, 2008
Former TV station blogger lands new gig
Sean Braisted brings the news straight from the source: Adam "A.C." Kleinheider, who until recently ran the respected VolunteerVoters.com site for WKRN-TV News 2, will on Monday join NashvillePost.com to augment the site’s breaking...Posted by joe lance on 12:59 PM
March 14, 2008
Bad news out of Nashville tonight, but not the last word
A.C. Kleinheider has been relieved of his duties as Nashville TV station WKRN's sole remaining full-time blogger. His last post cites budget cuts as the reason. While I can certainly see this from the...Posted by joe lance on 11:02 PM
March 10, 2008
Meet me in Nashville?
To anyone in the NashVicinity: The wife, boy and I are planning a mini-vaca (ok, yes, I really just typed that) in the state capital this week. The U of T at C is...Posted by joe lance on 7:19 AM
February 26, 2008
Headline of the week
"The Tonya Harding Of The Old Politics"...Posted by joe lance on 8:01 AM
January 28, 2008
A campaign's driving force
A Chattanooga blogger not only hosted staffers for the John Edwards presidential campaign in her home, she was selected as the driver for the candidate himself as he made a quick stop at the...Posted by joe lance on 9:55 PM
November 1, 2007
Bloggers (and traditional journalists) on Open Meetings Law
Here's a roundup of any and all I can find on this very important topic. It will be updated as I go. As you'll see, the opinions come from those on the political left...Posted by joe lance on 4:20 PM
October 29, 2007
Chattanooga political blogs, speak up
I was asked today to provide a list of Chattanooga political blogs. I quickly realized that there aren't many that very precisely fit the description. Here are the ones I listed (er, besides this...Posted by joe lance on 9:46 PM
October 26, 2007
Guest spot
No, I'm not handing over the keys to a guest blogger; I'm too much of a control freak for that. (Just kidding. Sort of.) I was invited to speak to a mass communications class...Posted by joe lance on 1:36 PM
October 25, 2007
New statewide liberal group blog launches
Via Russ McBee: TennViews is a virtual town hall for talking about politics, culture, and life in the great state of Tennessee, with emphasis on state and national politics and a view towards netroots...Posted by joe lance on 9:39 PM
October 2, 2007
Quote of the day
Some say there's a quagmire in Iraq. I'd say it's in Washington, D.C. -- Michael Silence...Posted by joe lance on 10:39 PM
September 18, 2007
New HyperLocal Blog
A well-known local activist has started a federation of Brainerd area neighborhood associations (and other collections, including local businesses, churches, and schools) called the Brainerd Unity Group, or BUG. (I'm guessing that this group...Posted by joe lance on 7:34 AM
August 30, 2007
Let's Have the Candidates for Lunch
Public notice to all Senate District 10 special election candidates: As you may have seen, I recently published some observations stemming from a conversation with GOP candidate Oscar Brock, who is running in the...Posted by joe lance on 12:53 PM
August 29, 2007
Headline of the Day
goes to Marc Ambinder: "The Other Hsu Drops" Seriously, though: does this story have "legs" (or should that be "feet"?), or is it a rehash of the Buddhist temple saga of 2000? Your thoughts...Posted by joe lance on 10:50 PM
August 11, 2007
Blogs Influence Chattanooga Paper's Decision to Publish Crutchfield-Love "Littlefield" Transcript?
Earlier this week, a single-issue blog called Worst Mayor Ever obtained and published a transcribed telephone conversation between Ward Crutchfield and Charles Love, which was recorded during an FBI sting that led to both...Posted by joe lance on 4:22 PM
July 21, 2007
Nashville Is Stalking?
Who are these creepy people who have taken over a once-vibrant blog? [B]ecause I’m perhaps the most un-disciplined person I know, I have to lock myself into a corner in various Starbucks(es) around the...Posted by joe lance on 4:02 PM
July 12, 2007
Differences between me and "real news" personnel
When I went through security at the courthouse this morning, I had to leave my [excellent Tom Bihn] laptop bag [that my wonderful wife bought for me] with the guard, but he did allow...Posted by joe lance on 11:33 AM
July 4, 2007
What We're Blogging About on Independence Day
Newscoma enjoyed a night of face-to-face political conversation (an activity I've recently promoted), and laments the fact that, even as cool as blogging is, we bloggers miss out on some of the in-person advantages....Posted by joe lance on 10:28 AM
June 20, 2007
Project Blog Smart
Uncle says that Project Vote Smart — the very outfit responsible for helping me realize that I'm neither a Republican nor a Democrat, back in 1999 or so — has a blog. TennesseeTicket is...Posted by joe lance on 9:31 PM
June 6, 2007
Nashville TV Station Blogger Calls It Quits
A lot of us do this for fun. For me, it's a cross between enjoying myself and slaking some mental thirst that I don't quite understand. Why I would do that in public is...Posted by joe lance on 9:57 PM
June 4, 2007
When gadgets and the info they bring us are too much
It pays to read down through the comments to a web article, because the collaborative impulse creates a more complete, more complex and, though this is subjective, more interesting work than the original. This...Posted by joe lance on 9:08 PM
May 31, 2007
Expanding My Influence, Part 2
I should mention that I was quoted in Monday's Times Free Press article about the snarky little website called Worst Mayor Ever: Ron Litttlefield. There's a new post up at the WME blog regarding...Posted by joe lance on 7:12 PM
May 30, 2007
Expanding My Influence (relax; it's a joke)
I've "finally" convinced the guys at the Pulse Blog to give me the keys. (UPDATE: to set the record straight, I only now asked.) Watch out. I'm a pulseblogger. I will begin posting over...Posted by joe lance on 10:34 PM
March 6, 2007
I'm Going to Blog on Capitol Hill
By now you know that the once-selective "Blogger Day on the Hill" event organized by the House Republican Caucus has been opened to all Tennessee bloggers. What that means is that I am free...Posted by joe lance on 5:37 PM
February 19, 2007
Chattanooga Government and New Media
Well, check out big sister Nashville and a whole passel of its bloggers sitting down to lunch with mayoral candidate David Briley. I don't remember sitting down in Aught Five with a bunch of...Posted by joe lance on 11:03 PM
February 2, 2007
Why Crib the Goofball Stuff?
UPDATES: After receiving more info on "Erik" the professor from these guys, I received an apology of sorts from the group that operates the site where my post was copied. Furthermore, it appears that...Posted by joe lance on 10:31 PM
January 18, 2007
Investigative Journalism Supply Problem
I'm sure you read yesterday about reporter Michael A. Weber, who's known locally as "the reporter banned by Ron Littlefield from covering City Hall," and his quite short tenure at Gannett outlet The Tennessean....Posted by joe lance on 12:17 PM
December 18, 2006
A Moment of Attribution
I have a writing problem. No, it's not "block," though I often suffer from that. It's the inability to effectively manage writing for a weekly publication such as the Pulse when I also run...Posted by joe lance on 11:34 PM
December 17, 2006
Politicians Sign Up to Use Web, but Do They Know How?
While perusing one of my favorite new feeds, the Political Insider, I came across news that the United States House of Representatives is about to begin blogging. Software has been approved to provide a...Posted by joe lance on 3:04 PM
December 9, 2006
Local Blogmaster Queries Mayor
Josiah Roe, founder of Chattablogs and all-around good guy, had some questions for Mayor Ron Littlefield regarding the latter's proposed homeless campus downtown. The good news is that the mayor responded. Go read the...Posted by joe lance on 1:26 PM
November 7, 2006
The Future of this Blog
So, we've been through the 2005 Chattanooga elections and three decision days in 2006, culminating in today's midterm elections. Even though the next Presidential race will begin in earnest almost immediately, I'm not so...Posted by joe lance on 11:45 PM
September 24, 2006
Why Was It I Read Your Blog, Again?
Someone (I admit having not a small curiosity as to whom) has gotten alice's dander up, and all 10,000 of her monkeys revved up their keyboards for a fine bit of rhetoric. Here's an...Posted by joe lance on 9:51 PM
September 10, 2006
Favicsplosion
Is it just me, or has it only been in the last several weeks that everyone has added a favicon to h/er RSS feed? I use Bloglines, and the first one I noted (over...Posted by joe lance on 6:26 PM
September 6, 2006
I'll Join That Bandwagon
There's a good, brief article in today's Knox daily that illustrates one reason why blogging can be a useful thing. (Admit it: too often it's not.) On the subject of campaign ads that name...Posted by joe lance on 12:52 PM
August 30, 2006
You Could Help Write Dilbert
Scott Adams is seeking input for his painfully funny strip. Be a contributor. Thank me later....Posted by joe lance on 8:03 PM
August 15, 2006
Who Are the 5 Most Influential Political Bloggers in TN?
Don't answer that here; go tell Michael Silence. Also, check SayUncle's reasonable list. And if you wanted to include TennesseeTicket.com in your list of five, you can at least say that 80% of your...Posted by joe lance on 1:17 PM
July 19, 2006
I want a blogging job so maybe I can afford a pedometer
More about that here. Oh, but be sure to read Sam Davidson's comment as quoted in this post. And hey, is Chattanooga not Talking?...Posted by joe lance on 10:27 PM
July 7, 2006
I Confess: I'm Envious of Nashville's Blogging Scene
And, for that matter, I'm jealous of Knoxville's. But Nashville, with its groundbreaking TV station WKRN, is quite the place for bloggers. We Chatty types had a small get-together last year at Greyfriar's, but...Posted by joe lance on 11:55 AM
June 24, 2006
TypePad or MovableType?
UPDATE: I'm leaving this at the top for a while to gather a few responses. Tech bleg time. I'm looking around for new blog digs, I think, and I am sorting through the several...Posted by joe lance on 10:15 PM
June 14, 2006
And the Understatement of the Day Award goes to..
..Nathan Moore. "Voters are at times passive." I found that funny, but Moore makes some good points. Go read. Personally speaking, it insults my intelligence to be so inundated with public signs and billboards,...Posted by joe lance on 3:05 PM
May 31, 2006
Enjoy the Silence
Michael Silence is back, and though his blog has been kept well by his friends, it's good to hear from the man himself. Check in on him, and while you're there, give him fodder...Posted by joe lance on 11:41 AM
April 4, 2006
Fun New Category: Anti-Politician Blogs
As part of my hopeless quest to properly catalog everything, I've separated my Bloglines-driven blogroll into categories for some time now. I even call it a "feedroll" because some of the feeds represented there...Posted by joe lance on 2:01 PM
March 10, 2006
Honorable Mention
This little blog made it into Drew Ruble's Business Tennessee article on Tennessee's rich blogosphere. (It's a cover story, and I'll bet you'll never guess who made the cover.) Well, TennesseeTicket.com is not in...Posted by joe lance on 2:53 PM
March 7, 2006
Now That's A Complement
I just learned (from Vorticity) of a site that somewhat parallels this one. There are a few differences, though. Go check out "Your 2006 Election Roadmap" at http://www.votecoffee.com/ and compare for yourself. I like...Posted by joe lance on 4:51 PM
March 3, 2006
Continuing the TFP Discussion
On the discussion of the Chattanooga Times Free Press "Enhanced Edition" davidm said, in a comment, "I have to see this." I hope this image helps, David. This is today's edition. The red lines...Posted by joe lance on 12:38 PM
March 2, 2006
Yes, the TFP Website Changed, But..
This guy is not impressed. I'm sure a lot of people will read this from the paper, and I want you to understand that I'm not looking to be a critic; I truly want...Posted by joe lance on 2:51 PM
February 20, 2006
Blog Your Local Elections
Via EdCone.com, here's a Kos entry that makes several good points. As Ed Cone points out, the original post's intent is to encourage one party over another; however, the principles apply to anyone. Hey,...Posted by joe lance on 4:26 PM
Promote Your Favorite Blogs to Government Types
Michael Silence is asking for input as to which politics-oriented blogs should be read regularly by our (Tennessee) elected officials, and why. Be sure to make your opinion known....Posted by joe lance on 1:30 PM
February 9, 2006
Wherein TennesseeTicket Is Attacked
Well, now. It seems that I have inadvertently gone and upset a Van Hilleary supporter. That's fine — as has been repeated often in these days of cartoons and protests, in America we have...Posted by joe lance on 10:27 PM
January 6, 2006
Friday Night Ideos
Whoa. Bob is talking. Jay Bush is blogging against Hilleary about the money. Thanks to party leaders like Brian Hornback and Stuart James, I have new candidate info. And don't forget Chattanoogan.com. Four scary...Posted by joe lance on 9:55 PM
January 2, 2006
..and in the Right corner:
Main Street Journal debuted as a blog today....Posted by joe lance on 12:23 PM
December 2, 2005
Friday Blog Blogging
Catching up.. I heard on the news that North Carolina wins the game of "Mille Bones." There were some thoughts yesterday from R. Neal (via Silence). Then there are MooreThoughts. I mentioned it in...Posted by joe lance on 10:09 AM
November 18, 2005
Humor for Yer Friday
Do you ever read ? If your response is "no, Joe, what is that?" then some immedial (immediate+remedial) action is necessitated. If your answer is "yew bet chore AYUSS!" then, well, you know what...Posted by joe lance on 12:37 PM
November 14, 2005
Some Good Local Bloggers
I haven't been able to blog like crazy, due to sleep-deprived madness, or work-induced insanity. There. That's three insensitive references to mental illness in one sentence. I really do have issues. Luckily, other Chattanooga...Posted by joe lance on 10:07 PM
November 2, 2005
I'm Alive
My gracious host (Chattablogs.com) appears to be on the mend, which means I can log in. I know how frustrating it can be to deal with system outages that are beyond one's control and...Posted by joe lance on 10:20 PM
October 23, 2005
Blog Polls Blogs about Supreme Court Nominee Harriet Miers
I Oppose the Miers Nomination. I should, like Bob Krumm, be more patient and wait until the hearings; and I usually am, but I cannot see that far in this case. The only other...Posted by joe lance on 8:22 AM
October 18, 2005
New Kurita Blog
From an anonymous commenter at a Ford supporter's blog, I learned of this new blog. Good. Now all of the "major" Tennessee candidates for U.S. Senate* have unofficial blogs, and a couple of other...Posted by joe lance on 3:23 PM
October 2, 2005
One Step Closer, Yet Miles Away
Hi there. I'm over here posting when I should be doing something else. I'm dealing with a case of writer's block, but not with the blog content. I am constantly debating myself about the...Posted by joe lance on 3:04 PM
August 29, 2005
I've Found Bubba!
..yes, that Bubba. He's temporarily hanging out at Facing South....Posted by joe lance on 1:26 PM
August 9, 2005
New Anti-Littlefield Blog (and I mean Anti-)
Need some extra apoplexy in your diet? Want to know how a certain "lesbian athiest" (give her time, she'll learn to spell it, too) feels about the current mayor? What? Both of those wrapped...Posted by joe lance on 11:50 AM
July 20, 2005
Our RTB Flags Fly at Half-Mast
I have to chime in, too. South Knox Bubba's SKBLOG has been an oft-visited cybertavern during my as-yet-brief blogosphere sojourn. I aspire to blog about Chattanooga and Hamilton County (and our state government) only...Posted by joe lance on 10:18 AM
July 15, 2005
Quinze de juillet
So I didn't blog on Bastille Day? Doesn't matter. I had nothing to say, but here are a couple of posts from friends on the Left and the Right. Latest on Ethics: Blogging legislator...Posted by joe lance on 1:00 PM
July 13, 2005
BlogChattville
Saturday, July 16. It looks like some final details are being ironed out, but I'm sure we'll figure out the place to be [we know we'll start out at Greyfriar's], as Bill prompts, the...Posted by joe lance on 10:14 PM
July 8, 2005
Group Blhug
Finally, in really big news, it looks like a Chattanooga Bloggers' gathering is shaping up. (Don't comment here about that; comment over at smijer's.) I hope someone invites the TFP bloggers....Posted by joe lance on 2:20 PM
July 6, 2005
In the Dark
I'm just putting this out here to ask for your forbearance as I make style changes. I downloaded a free CSS editor, and, well, you get what you pay for. Some classes/IDs just don't...Posted by joe lance on 1:40 PM
June 26, 2005
Knoxville Bloggers Beat Us 'noogans
There has been talk on smijer and 10,000 Monkeys and elsewhere about getting local bloggers together for just some good clean fun (and maybe those who are interested do carry on toward libations, etc.,...Posted by joe lance on 3:47 PM
June 10, 2005
Games without Frontiers; War without Tears; Men without Hats; and "Blogs" without Feeds
I was going to be nice and at least try my hand at a better blogroll, specifically to capture and show the feed titles from the Chattanooga Times Free Press's new blog. (For an...Posted by joe lance on 3:47 PM
June 9, 2005
Blog As Local Media Critic
Okay, it's no "Fire Eason" swarm or anything, but I do find it interesting that a local blogger has decided to somewhat critically examine a piece in our leading alt-weekly, The Pulse (which has...Posted by joe lance on 4:44 PM