During my stay in Kentucky I have once again been impressed by Southern politesse. While it is not always accompanied by genuine affability, it certainly is much better than what one finds in Boston or California. I found the bailiff who was present during the hearing to be friendly and jovial. He is what I imagine a typical older Southern man to be like. And then there's the accent... At first thought, learning Southern manners might be easy, but slipping in and out of different codes of conduct, both word and deed, seems more like play-acting than a genuine way of life. Shouldn't Southern manners require more of a commitment and training? A more conscious cultivation involving the establishing of a real relationship with others?

Cadiz reminds me of Front Royal. What sort of local economy exists in those two areas? There isn't much to "downtown" Cadiz. It's a rather depressing sight. (And this afternoon, the air smelled very bad for some reason, like something was burning. Pollution?) Is it the case that obesity is more prevalent in the South? The Local Harvest search results for Cadiz seems to reveal a bigger market for local agriculture than I had expected. Then there are the bad hairdos... what else could better represent the supposed cultural backwardness of the South? (Trailer parks and white trash.) Still, does the greatest hope for traditional conservatism really lie in the South? (See Dr. Wilson's latest, It’s True What They Say About Dixie.)

I was considering visiting the Jefferson Davis State Historic Site, but the monument isn't open yet. Once again I won't be able to see much of Nashville, even though I am flying in and out of its airport. Station Inn and Layla's Bluegrass Inn might be of interest. Historic and Civil War sites too. Where is Julianne Hough these days?

Rebellion pokes fun at Chronicles -- or is the author of that post exhibiting a more hostile attitude?