Tennessee, aka the Republican Law Incubator

So Tennessee's latest crazy Republican-created law

prohibits students from exposing “underwear or body parts in an indecent manner that disrupts the learning environment.”

A law for this? Really?

OK, I'm guilty of poking fun at the way kids dress, and think saggy pants are silly. I also think sweatpants and Uggs look bad on a girl (or guy, for that matter). But in my day, we wore blue jeans with all kinds of holes in them -- the more holes you had, the cooler they were. How dumb was that?

This is just another case of picking on what is thought of as "thugs." Guys who were saggy pants are stereotyped, and now we're bullying them with laws.

The best part of this actually was Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam taking the media to task for focusing on some of these silly laws instead of more "substantive" issues. But if it's worthy of spending time debating a passing a law, isn't it substantive.

The GOP is the Great Wizard of TN....pay no attention to the man behind the green curtain.

Stupid things Tennesseans do...

So this Gibson County High School student decides to wear a Confederate flag dress to her prom, and it denied admittance. She is, of course, shocked at the controversy. They always are.

Oh, and her name? Texann. She was born for this role.

There are other names for folks like this, none of them good, however.

Turning back the clock

The Tennessee legislature continues turning back the clock while it's in charge. The latest to become law is a bill allowing the teaching of creationism.

It always works this way

Isn't it interesting how traditionally red states always rank lowest in things like birth rates among teenagers?

The list from 2010 is a who's who of traditional poorer, mostly Southern states (New Mexico is second, which was a little surprising to me).

What's not surprising is that the highest traditionally blue state is Illinois -- coming in all the way down at 25th. And bringing up the rear -- where you really want to be -- are solidly blue states from 42 to 50.

So, how are them family values working out for ya?