A couple of things that always struck me about the writings of Asimov et al is the inherent optimism each of these authors showed in their writings. It seems, in their “future histories” that there is/will be a dystopian interlude that humanity has to struggle through, maybe even more than one. I have always found these to be optimistic that we will reach the stars and do so before we kill ourselves and all living creatures.

As disgusting as it may be to see Tennessee revisit one of its historical low-lights, I guess any time spent on this does keep their legislators from pissing in their pants about Sharia law or salivating at the thought of mechanical rape:

It is Super Tuesday with 10 states voting: Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia. You can find my primer for tonight here and find part one of the live blog here. Real time results can be found at Politico or Google. To recap: So far Newt Gingrich won Georgia. [...]

It is Super Tuesday in the Republican presidential primary. This is the single biggest day in the primary with roughly 20 percent of the delegates at stake. People are voting in ten states today: Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia. You can find my primer for tonight here.

Today is the all important Super Tuesday. Ten states with nearly 20 percent of the total delegates are voting in the Republican presidential primary: Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia. Here’s a summary of what to expect in each of these states and what the polls are saying.

It’s nice to see a bigot get a taste of his own medicine. As you may have heard, the “don’t say gay bill” legislator in Tennessee, State Senator Stacey Campfield, was booted out of a restaurant in Knoxville, The Bistro at the Bijou, by the owner for his recent remarks about gays and the origin of AIDS.

An epic portrait of one community’s long-time battle to take on Massey Energy lawlessness and their Big Coal sycophants in the Coal River Valley of West Virginia, The Last Mountain just might be one of the most timely and game-changing films in years. Beautifully filmed, at once provocative and disquieting, The Last Mountain wonderfully captures the inspiring resistance and indefatigable campaigns of coal mining families — and their outside supporters — to stand up and defend their land and lives.

I have family in Tennessee. Tennessee is home to lots that is good about America: barbecue, blues, jazz, Elvis, the St. Jude Memorial Research Center/Children’s Hospital, not to mention some gorgeous scenery and important history. But gods have mercy on us, they are crazy there. And it is just getting worse. …

A pending law in the Tennessee legislature would prohibit teachers from discussing homosexuality in the classroom, the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

So George Takei is helpfully offering Tennesseans who might feel constricted by such a law to use his name instead.

Now maybe the EPA will get more coal plants retired as soon as possible. This, incidentally, is why you don’t want their regulatory authority curtailed.