I wrote in reference to East Tennesseans: "they didn't even want to
succede from the Union" -- what they did was fail to succeed in not
seceding. Sometimes them letters mix me up.
Mike Geary
----- Original Message -----
*From:* Mike Geary <atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*To:* lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
*Sent:* Friday, May 04, 2007 3:11 PM
*Subject:* [lit-ideas] Re: Six degrees of separation
I couldn't get your URL to work. Don't know what it was about. But let
me guess an answer: I'm not ashamed of being an American, but I sure was
ashamed to admit that Bill Frist was one of my senators (ditto still for
Lamar Alexander). I've never been ashamed of America, not the America of
our "mission statement", but I've all too frequently been deeply chagrined
by the leadership.
Is that what you wanted to hear?
Michael Geary
who is related to several people in Tennessee -- mostly reprobates though.
P.S. East Tennessee is beautiful mountainous country. Hillbilly and
Thoroughly Republican (they didn't even want to succede from the Union) --
Knoxville's the capital of East Tennessee. Middle Tennessee is lovely
rolling hill country. Probably the wealthiest part of the state, at least
per capita. Nashville is the capital of Middle Tennessee (and of the
state), and West Tennessee is mostly flat land, rather poor, not so pretty,
but...uh...you know...hmmm....interesting, yes, that's it. Memphis the is
capital of West Tennessee (and, some say, of Mississippi).
----- Original Message -----
*From:* Lawrence Helm <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*To:* Lit-Ideas <Lit-Ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Sent:* Friday, May 04, 2007 12:06 PM
*Subject:* [lit-ideas] Six degrees of separation
I had occasion recently to think of my connection with Tennessee.
Someone was talking about the culture shock of moving into that region and I
recalled that I considered moving to Eastern Tennessee after McDonnell
Douglas hired a flock of ruthless young managers to make the corporation
"leaner and meaner"; which included getting rid of not only deadwood, but
the higher-paid older workers. Since I fit the latter category and didn't
get along with my manager I began looking into where I could afford to live
if I were forced into early retirement and hit upon Eastern Tennessee.
Susan and I both have connections with that state; although hers are closer
than mine. Her maiden name is McWherter and not only was her father's
family from Tennessee, but her father was related to a former governor of
Tennessee. In my case my mother's grandfather, William Leander Sparks was
from Tennessee. And on my great-grandfather, Schyler Helm, was a Sgt in
Illinois Engineering unit that spent the end of the war stationed in
Tennessee. He turned down a promotion to lieutenant to take his mustering
out pay and his new wife and rush off to Iowa where he bought some land.
And then a lurker sent me another "six-degrees of separation" story about
Senator Bill Frist and General Petraeus: Pretty interesting if you're
American and not ashamed of it:
http://www.volpac.org/index.cfm?FuseAction=Blogs.View&Blog_id=670
Lawrence
