The wife and I are headed to Gatlinburg this weekend. We’ll be arriving there shortly.

Driving though Pigeon Forge (OK, riding), I’m pondering this question:

If Panama City is the Redneck Riviera, is Gatlinburg the Redneck Rockies? Hillbilly Himalayas? Kuntry Kilimanjaro? Clearly I have overextended the metaphor.

Look closely at this photo I took recently at Walgreen’s. Who decided where their inventory is stocked, and what was their motive? Dental hygiene products, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss and dentures, are located right next to the colossal rows of candy.

Have dentists quietly assumed control of Walgreen’s to try to shame people out of eating candy? Is this a public service announcement by Walgreen’s to remind you to clean off all of that sugar when you’re done, or is it a diabolical attempt by the candy lobby to sabotage well-intentioned plans for good dental habits by seducing customers with their best treats?

The answer is likely none of the above, but this product placement still intrigued me. Ah, life and its mysteries.

I took the time to park my car and walk across the front lawn of Trinity Presbyterian Church last night to capture the marquee photo in my last post. The walk was well worth it. I thought the moon was beautiful, and the contrast between its silent beauty and the rush hour traffic below it was stark. There’s nothing wrong with being in a hurry sometimes, but there’s plenty to love about taking a moment to slow down and take a look around, either. I’m glad I did.

I’ve already voted in this election, but I thought this marquee had really good advice last night. I’m really tired of the negative attack ads (though I keep hearing that they are effective) and all the hype, and I sure wish that people with various opinions could just calmly, reflectively and compassionately consider the issues. I wish we as a nation could constructively focus our attention on the most critical problems we face and look for real, practical solutions that serve the common good.

I know that’s an incredibly naive and idealistic wish, one that isn’t likely to happen. But I still feel that way.

I think Representative Tom Reynolds (R-NY) needs media training, badly. NPR aired his interview with Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep today, and the interview is a good example of how not to interact with the media. Here’s an NPR brief about about the interview, and the audio clip is expected to be posted later this morning.

I think Reynolds did three things wrong. First, he refused to do anything except repeat his talking points, which essentially insisted that the only issues that matter in his election are local (jobs, taxes and Social Security). Having talking points is fine, and using them to guide your response to questions is fine to a point. Much like many of the Bush administration’s spokespersons and the President himself, though, he refused to acknowledge anything except his talking points. He rebuffed questions about Iraq repeatedly, and his answers came off as insincere and scripted lines, not conversation.

Second, he quickly became defensive when Inskeep continued to try to get him to answer specific questions. It’s a challenge to maintain your composure in an interview, but losing it rarely is successful. Inskeep’s full 20-minute interview with Reynolds was not aired today, but you can bet that NPR selected the most engaging 60 seconds or so of it to broadcast. The selection was the part where Reynolds became increasingly defensive and lashed out at Inskeep. Gotcha.

Third, Reynolds ducked out of the interview by claiming that he was late for a meeting. That may even have been true, but cutting an interview short by blaming your watch only makes you look like you’re running for cover. (I’m pretty sure Reynolds was, by that point.)