Idle Hands Are The Devil's Workshop
The hardy members of The Pseudo-Melangaic, Not Quite Axially Oriented Network of Tangentially Interconnected Alabama Blog Cells ("We're an anarcho-syndicalist commune. We take it in turns to act as a sort of executive officer for the week, but all the decisions of that officer have to be ratified at a special bi-weekly meeting by a simple majority in the case of purely internal affairs, but by a two-thirds majority in the case of more major...")--otherwise known as the Axis of Weevil, have begun turning in their homework assignments in which they nominate potential recipients of the Croix de Grits for actions over and above the call of duty in promoting the eventual domination of the world by Southern Culture. In no particular order, we have:

From Lee Ann Morawski of Spinsters.com I received the following nominees:

The aforementioned Florence King for her literary and cultural achievements. See Memoirs of a Failed Southern Lady, Southern Ladies and Gentlemen, and the Florence King Reader for supporting evidence. Her "Misanthrope's Corner" in National Review On-dead-tree is great, too.

Clarence Thomas for his political and intellectual achievements. He is also a burr under the saddle of liberals everywhere. He's from Georgia I believe, or SC. [Born in Pin Point, Georgia, for the record. Possum]

The black voters of Mississippi, who are nominated for sheer all-fired cussed orneriness. Klan don't want us to vote? Screw 'em. NAACP wants to take away our flag? Screw them too. 66% of black 'Ssippians voted to keep the state flag with the Stars and Bars. If that isn't the Southern piss-ass tradition, what is?

Charles Austin, producer of Sine Qua Non Pundit sends in the following:

Howell Raines is an Alabamian who has made good. The problem in this case is that made good is relative. After distinguishing and polishing his liberal credentials on the op-ed pages, he is now the editor of the New York Times. Of course, if a native Alabamian can become the de facto leader of the Northeast liberal establishment, that's quite an accomplishment.

My favorite character in Alabama was the Benedictine Monk Brother Joseph Zoettl, O.S.B., who built the Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman out of marbles, cold cream jars, etc. If you haven't been there, you need to go sometime. It really is amazing ... and it's in Cullman!

From Mac Thomason, War Liberal:

"The list of baseball players from Alabama is probably the most impressive of any state, per capita. Birmingham produced Willie Mays, but Mobile... Wow. Hank Aaron, Satchel Paige, Willie McCovey, Billy Williams, Tommie Agee, Cleon Jones, Amos Otis, and Ozzie Smith. Early Wynn was from Hartford, Don Sutton from Clio -- I don't even know where that is!" [For the record, Clio is in Barbour County, and is the birthplace of George Corley Wallace. Possum]

Elizabeth Spiers at Capital Influx has a good'un (and a nice take on the Axis of Weevil):

My nomination is going to be Birmingham native Edward O. Wilson.
A world-famous biologist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, named by Time magazine as one of America's 25 most influential people of the 20th century, this mild-mannered, courtly southerner has been raising hackles for much of his career

[I'm all for hackle raising.]

Lost My Marbles guy Ray Mikell reports as follows:

"Will get back to you, I think, but I'm freakin' insane busy right now. Goin' to be in New Orleans Friday, though, to present a conference paper and blah blah and then go do some very southern things, besides look out at St. Charles from a place with an actual veranda: 1) See a Tennesse Williams play, 2) Eat way too much creole food and 3) See a real jazz show, downtown, by a real New Orleans outfit. Oh, and I'll drink too. But I don't think I really needed to mention that.
It's a rough life.

Danged if it ain't.

So, there you have it...for the moment, at least.
posted by Terry at 10:12:00 AM