"How You Doin?"

Last week was a tough one in terms of dealing with the double loss in my family two weeks ago. I needed a haircut badly last Wed. (the funeral was a week ago on that day), so I went to get one. The lady who normally cuts my hair was closed. So I went to a place where I had never been before.

I wasn't in the mood to wait, so I told the young lady at the counter to sign me up for the next available stylist. I drew a new stylist who was trying to impress her boss. Her chair was right next to the boss' chair. This is probably why I got the full treatment - cut, chat, and shoulder massage.

Anyway, she was a very nice lady, even though she seemed to be trying a bit too hard. She asked the normal questions a stylist that is good with customers might ask, "Are you married?" And, "No? Where is your family from?" And, "How are they?" The whole time I had my eyes closed and was hoping and praying that she would stop with her questioning. Overall, I've done very well with my grieving. But I hate to cry in public. I was trying my best not to.

Sure enough, I couldn't fight them off, and I couldn't hide the tears rolling down my cheeks. Of course, she was horrified. I explained to her what had happened. The whole salon grew quiet with my stylist, her boss, a woman who looked as if she could star in a show called, "The Real Housewives of Gwinnett County," and a Vietnam Vet cradling my head and patting my back to comfort me.

My stylist did a great job on my cut. But when I stood up from the chair she started crying too. So, I gave her a hug and ended up spending about 5 minutes consoling her. Bless her heart. She probably got a little larger tip than normal because of this.

I did salvage that day by going to Hon Yeh and treating myself to Hunan Chicken with white rice for lunch.

I'm so fortunate to have so many wonderful friends acting as a support system for me. A couple of them thought I needed a good laugh. This weekend, we went to see Eddie Murphy's new movie, "Norbit." It was silly funny, but funny indeed. So, for those of you who haven't met Resputia Lattimore yet, you really should go see the movie. It's good for a few laughs.

Dick Cheney's "Dangerous" Son-in-law, PALS Bingo, and a Little of This 'n That

Art Levine has an interesting piece in Washington Monthly on Dick Cheney's "stealthy" son-in-law. Seems that Elizabeth Cheney's husband is the chemical lobby's very best friend, even to the possible detriment of homeland security. Levine goes as far as to say, "A flippant critic might say the father-in-law has been prosecuting a war that creates more terrorists abroad, while the son-in-law has been working to ensure they’ll have easy targets at home." Make sure you give this one a read.

Notice the steep stock market drop yesterday? The Gun Toting Liberal sure, and he blames Wal-Mart shoppers. He closed by firing this shot, "Just a couple of miles down the road from nearly every home, there lies a Wal-Mart, where you can shop at midnight with your hair sticking up in all directions in your slippers, and since everybody else in the building is in the same shape; there’s nothing to feel “uncomforatable” about, right? After all, it’s “convenient”, and “capitalistic”, and that’s what is MOST important; the “bottom line”, right?"

and.......

"But, HEY… you’ve saved a nickel on that can of Pork And Beans by shopping with China’s NUMBER ONE CUSTOMER, right? Proud of yourselves? How’s that portfolio look NOW? Thanks so much for crashing that 401-K I worked my BUTT off to grow…"

Human Rights Watch talks about being "disappeared" in secret prisons. It goes into the rare inside view given by former detainee, Marwan Jabour.

Here's part of their scary description of his story:

"His clothes were taken from him when he arrived, and he was left completely naked for a month and a half, including during questioning by women interrogators and filming. He was chained tightly to the wall of his small cell so that he could not stand up, placed in painful stress positions so that he had difficulty breathing, and told that if he did not cooperate he would be put in a suffocating “dog box.”

During the more than two years that he was held in this secret prison, Jabour spent nearly all of his time alone in a windowless cell, with little human contact besides his captors. Although he worried incessantly about his wife and three young daughters, he was not allowed even to send them a letter to reassure them that he was alive.

“It was a grave,” Jabour later told Human Rights Watch. “I felt like my life was over.”

On the 2008 Democratic Presidential front.........

Presidential hopeful Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) says we're on a "Collision Course with Iran" in a piece picked up by the Progressive Dems of America blog. He's questioning the Bush administration's use of "anonymous sources" for its information on Iran's nuclear program and its influence in Iraq.

As we all know, Hillary Clinton is attempting to become America's first female president. And Barrack Obama is attempting to become America's first African-American president. So here are a couple of interesting items.........

Ari Melber from the Huffington Post wonders why a new poll showing big numbers for Barrack Obama amongst African-Americans has been largely ignored. After all, mainstream media was all over an earlier poll that suggested that Hillary Clinton had a huge lead in this category. Hillary's husband is still immensely popular with African-Americans. So polling of this group will probably be used frequently as some sort of gauge for this race.

Meanwhile, Courtney Martin of Alternet asks "Does Being a Feminist mean Voting for Hillary?" Judging by her comments and the comments of AlterNet's reader's, Hillary's support from femininsts isn't as secure as one might think. Still, polls continue to show that Hillary is the front runner with the help of huge support from single females.

Sarah Wheaton of the New York Times blog, "The Caucus," says that Hillary is "playing the Gore card." Until recently, environmental issues have not been a big priority for Sen. Clinton. But she's making a smart move by participating in the Apollo Alliance's attempt to bring unions and environmentalists closer together. However, she's being accused of pandering by progressive commenters.

Not that I put much stock into the comments section of any blog, but could this be another sign of trouble for Hillary from the left wing of the party? If so, we know this wouldn't matter in a red state like Georgia where most Democrats are centrists or conservatives. But on a national level, could this be something for her to worry about?

Closer to home.........

The NYT talks about Paula Deen's soon to be released memoire, "Paula Deen: It Ain't All About the Cookin.'" Paula's from my neck o' the woods in the Albany area. And, of course, many of you are familiar with her wonderful restaurants in Savannah. So I'm always buying her cookbooks that feature many dishes that were common in my mother's kitchen like "copper pennies" and "pecan tassies."

Paula is an excellent role model for many people including those suffering from agoraphobia, single mothers, and those who must lift themselves up by their own bootstraps. And since the recent, almost simultaneous, passing of my own mother and grandmother, her mantra of the kitchen being the heart of the home and constant preaching of food, families, and memories ring very true for me.

And I would like to remind those looking for a way to do some good and have fun at the same time that PALS (Pets Are Loving Support) Bingo will be going strong once again this year. Atlanta's wonderfully entertaining Bubba D. Licious (Ms. Tammy Wynnette's long lost twin) will be back in her role as M.C.

Georgia's largest monthly bingo game usually attracts several hundred players a month and benefits one of my favorite charities, which helps support the pets of people who are suffering from critical illnesses and disabilities. Sometimes these pets are the biggest daily support system that these people have to count on. Make sure to peruse the PALS website for other opportunities to help.

Thoughts on Hillary/Obama/Geffen and the 2008 Dem. Primary

For the past few days, we've been witnessing the first serious bruhaha amongst the perceived top two Dems, Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama. Former Clintonista and gay rights activist, David Geffen, is supporting Obama for president and taking shots at the Clintons' honesty and integrity. Perhaps the chickens of the Clinton compromise on "don't ask, don't tell" have finally come home to roost?

According to Andy Ostroy, this might be the possible opening for Al Gore to eventually step into the race. And it's true, I've heard from a lot of Gore supporters that they would love to see a Gore/Obama ticket in 2008. Should Obama's bid ultimately fail, thoughts of this fantasy ticket sounds pretty good to me. It would also provide Obama a serious platform in which to continue his own political career and run again in the future.

And, no, I'm not underestimating Hillary. The revamping of her image over the past 10 years has been nothing short of amazing. She's still the odds on favorite.

And I'm sure John Edwards and another favorite of mine, Bill Richardson, will have plenty to say before it's all said and done.

And the Academy Award Goes to..........

............."An Inconvenient Truth!" Al Gore's film won the Best Documentary category last night. It has to be a gratifying moment for my fellow Sierra Clubber who has taken his fair share of shots over the years as probably America's premiere environmentalist.

So take a bow, Al. Why not?

And Peter from Blog for Democracy calls for us to "come out of the wilderness."

Carter and Reagan on Energy: Revisionist History or Good Ole Hindsight?

With the recent news of former President Carter helping to attract a biodiesel plant to his hometown of Plains, Georgia, the AJC's Dan Chapman takes a look back at Carter's influence in the development of alternative energy as president in an article titled, "Ahead of His Time."

For Carter's proposals and their mostly brief existences, Chapman provides a backdrop of what was eventually to happen during the two terms of Carter's wildly popular successor, Ronald Reagan. He also draws parallels between Carter's energy policy and what is happening today both within the George W. Bush administration and America today in general.

Some experts today feel that this is a comparison that clearly comes out in Carter's favor. The fact that none of his successors, Democrat or Republican, have done anything of significance to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil rankles Carter, who was a major proponent of taking the oil industry out of U.S. foreign policy, solar energy, and controversially nuclear energy. He was also the first president to ever mention "ethanol."

Carter's energy policies, call for conservation on the part of Americans, and the supposed "malaise speech" he gave in 1979 were fodder for his opponents and eventually helped push him out of office. But given the fact that politicians from both major parties, today, have joined the push for alternative fuel sources and a move towards lessened depenedence on foreign oil, the former president feels sowewhat vindicated.

From Chapman's article:

"As president, Jimmy Carter installed solar panels atop the White House. He championed coal and nuclear power. He taxed oil company profits. He created the U.S. Department of Energy. He introduced America to ethanol.

Oil imports plummeted during the Carter administration. Renewable energy research skyrocketed. Cars got more miles per gallon of gas. Thermostats were lowered to 55 degrees at night.On Feb. 2, 1977, Carter donned a wool cardigan and asked a national TV audience to conserve energy. Two months later, he likened America's struggle to reduce Middle Eastern oil imports to the "moral equivalent of war."

Was it all for naught?

Today, the United States imports almost twice as much oil as it did during Carter's final year in office. Ethanol, biodiesel, solar and other alternative fuels supply no more energy than they did in 1980. Americans drive Hummers that get 10 miles per gallon.

Pollution from cars, trucks, factories and power plants is widely blamed for endangering the climate. Conservation, according to a dismissive vice president, "may be a sign of personal virtue." U.S. troops are involved in a war in oil-rich Iraq.

Carter's call for conservation was spun as him blaming the American public for the energy problems of the 70's and for Congress' "lack of action" on serious energy policy changes. It was actually Teddy Kennedy, Carter's Democratic challenger in the 1980 election, that first dubbed Carter's "crisis of confidence' speech the "malaise speech." It was a caustic lable that stuck in the craw of the American electorate.

Even after Carter routed Kennedy in the Democratic primaries, the Repulbicans led by Reagan, picked up the "malaise" mantra and told voters what they wanted to hear, not what they needed to hear. In this instance, the "Great Communicator" also proved to be the "Great Masterbator" of the American voting public.

Again from Chapman's article:

"In early 1980, with the caucus in corn-rich Iowa upcoming, Carter called for $1 billion to stimulate ethanol production.

But Ronald Reagan, with his "morning in America" mantra, won the election. His administration soon began killing off many of Carter's energy initiatives.

Reagan halved the Energy Department's conservation and alternative fuels budget, according to Hakes. Spending on photovoltaic research dropped by two-thirds. Yet tax breaks for ethanol actually increased, prompting a surge in ethanol plant production.

Reagan's anti-tax, anti-government credo kicked into high gear during his second term. Energy tax credits for homeowners disappeared. With oil prices dropping, more than half of the nation's ethanol producers foundered.

Reagan rolled back fuel-efficiency standards for cars. And, in the summer of 1986, the solar panels atop the White House were taken down.

Reagan "ignored, even derogated, everything I had done," Carter said. "He spent eight years convincing people every problem in the country was my fault and that I was foolish and naive."

and.....

"We would be in much worse shape today without Carter, especially [regarding] the level of oil imports, greenhouse gas emissions and research on alternative fuels," Hakes said. "But we live in an age now where people want something for nothing. It remains to be seen whether we have the stomach to make the hard [energy] choices."

I'm often amazed by the way that Carter was criticized for speaking agaisnt Reagan policy during the Reagan presidency. After all, Reagan made a living off of repeatedly distorting Carter policy and blaming Carter (and sometimes even Nixon and Ford) for many of America's ills. Anything to deflect sound criticism of the long term effects of a popular snake oil saleman's miracle tonic.

I've already heard one Republican call Chapman's article "revisionist history." Looks like to me it's good ole 20/20 hindsight.

Chapman's article closes by asking Carter about George W. Bush's call for increased spending on alternative fuels:

Carter said the White House won't ever ask Americans to sacrifice.

"I haven't seen this administration do anything that would dramatically reduce demand for oil in this country," the ex-president said.

What should Bush do?

"Abandon Exxon and Halliburton and do what's good for this country and good for the American people," Carter responded.

And the likelihood of that happening?

"Zero."

That Dreaded Phone Call

A week ago this morning, I got one of those phone calls that you dread, but you know will come eventually. A loved one has died, and it's time to go home and face it. With my beautiful 96 year old grandmother, challenged with Alzheimer's, it was no surprise. To also find out on the same day that my mother had collapsed and was on life support was a terrible shock. I was the last of the four children to get there, and it's as if she hung on until we were all together once again. Twenty minutes after I arrived, she passed too.

The eulogies at the double funeral were of great comfort to us all. Listening to personal stories of my grandmother sewing the Easter dresses of her best friend's children back in the 30's because her friend had to have eye surgery and couldn't do them herself. And I was reminded of how so many people from around our small community often sought comfort in my mother's kitchen, because they knew that's one place where they could find lots of love and understanding. My older brother said it best, "If you needed to know how to do something, you went to Mimi's. If you were in trouble, you went to Mama's."

It's funny, but when I think about the conflicts about being from conservative, baptist southwest Georgia and holding the "liberal" views that I have and express here on this blog, I realize that I got those views from my Christian background and from these two country conservative women that led by example.

They were blood relations of past Georgia governors, a secretary of state, and several senators, representatives, bootleg millionaires, and others of more noble means. Yet, I doubt either of them ever had more than a handfull of paychecks in their bank accounts over what they needed to pay their monthly bills. But they were as "rich" or blessed as any of their relations. That was evident at their funeral.

They cared about other people. No one around them ever went without a meal or a place to sleep. They treated everyone the same. And it was my mother who taught me to never accept discrimination, and to never use racial slurs or to think in bigotted terms, or keep company with those that do.

They thought in terms of how things affected the world around them, not just themselves or only their family. They practiced on a small community scale, what some of us think should be done more around the world. Anything given by them was given freely with no expectations of anything in return. Yet, they received a lot in return for being the gracious ladies they were, mostly in the form of love.

Having been a caretaker and having watched my mother be a caretaker to my dad's mother, my father, and her own mother, this is something that will always be important to me. She constantly gave of herself to others. And her's was the most self-less soul that I've ever known.

My mother had a massive heart attack about 12 years ago. But her concern was not for herself. It was of Mimi. She said on several occasions that she asked only to live long enough to take care of her mother and not a day more. And so she did. Last Monday, that debt was paid in full.

If there are angels in the sky above, two more have joined their ranks.

Bravo and Snickers

Sovo links to Zach Hudson's Washington Blade article about Bravo network receiving criticism from GLAAD. A recent episode of the network's "Real Housewives of Orange County" aired a heated confrontation between two teenage brothers. Their curse words were bleeped out. But their frequent use of words like "faggot" and "homo" were not.

Even though I hate them when used this way, I'm not the type to flinch every time I hear those words. Unfortunately, they are still the put down of choice for guys - particularly younger ones. I'm not even sure if they are fully conscious of what they are saying. It's so ingrained that it's probably just a reflex. But, therein lies the problem. They should be conscious of the meaning and context of those words. And it shouldn't be just a reflex. Perhaps bleeping those words out would help just a little bit.

Perhaps this sort of thing is the reason why so many people are upset over the Snickers commercial that aired during the Super Bowl featuring two men accidentally kissing and then acting disgusted by it. Snickers pulled the ad. But it was a commercial done in poor taste and judgement. And I can't help but feel that it re-inforces negative stereotypes about gay people and the fact that gay people do sometimes like to show their affections just as straight people do.

Though I do take exception to the commercial, I liked what A Typical Joe had to say about it. He says he "didn't find it homophobic." He just called it really bad.

Speaking of Bravo, when's Kathy Griffin's show bringing out the new ones? I miss her!!

A Little Inspiration from an Obit

An obituary? Surely, Button's fallen off his rocker this morning, right? Well, maybe not exactly. I didn't know Ms. Natalie Cohen, the 94 year old Atlantan, who was a former local tennis champion and an umpire for 50 years. But I wish I had. She's gone now. But there are still things to be learned from her life.

Okay, so she's not that famous. But read her AJC obit. She died with no immediate family. However, she clearly had a wealth of friends, and made a lasting impression on many people. Not least of which was the fiesty, sexist, egomaniacal, wildly talented showman tennis player, Ilie "Nasty" Nastase.

Nasty, the exotic Romanian, was known to be charming in the best of moods and perfectly willing to embarass anyone in the worst of moods. Nastase's antics were so bad that the calm, serene, and graceful Arthur Ashe once quit during a match and refused to shake Nastase's hand.

Yet, he met his match in one Natalie Cohen. According to the obit, she apparently gave it all right back to Nastase and impressed him so that he returned to the tennis tournament the next day with a bouquet of flowers for her.

Ms. Cohen also made an impression at her alma mater, Cal-Berkely. Here's an excerpt from a Georgia Trend article about Ms. Cohen:


But one of Cohen's greatest feats had nothing to do with tennis. It had to do with firing up her alma mater's football team in its game against arch-rival Stanford. At age 74, she burst into the locker room of her California Golden Bears at halftime and delivered a pep talk that would have rivaled one of Knute Rockne's.

The Bears were so motivated that they raced back on the field, overcame an eight-point deficit and upset the heavily favored Stanford Indians, 17-11.

As a student at Cal, Cohen had changed the way women were treated at home football games. It was 1930 when she went to the opening game at Cal's Memorial Stadium.

"I sat with my friends, a bunch of women in Section RR next to the men's rooting section, where women were not allowed. As soon as the Cal team came on to the field, I stood up and let go with a beautiful 'Rebel yell,'" Cohen remembers.

"Immediately, a male student grabbed my arm, pulled me down in to my seat and said in a voice louder than somewhat, 'Sit down and be quiet!'

"Imagine the nerve of that guy! I asked why should I sit down and he said, 'Women don't yell.' "This guy is telling me I am going to be here for four years and I am not going to be allowed to yell for my football team. I'm thinking, he does not know Natalie Cohen.

"Well, for the rest of that first game, I did not stand up or yell again. But the next Saturday I arrived early at the stadium and brought a bunch of women with me. We sat in Row 30, Section RR, across the aisle from the men's section.

"When the men yelled, we would yell, almost in perfect unison. More and more women began to yell with us and by the next season we had cheerleaders stationed on platforms in front of our section to lead us in cheers."

She may be the only woman to have a seat dedicated in her honor. Seven years ago, in section RR, at the Cal home opener, Seat 1 was named the "Natalie Cohen" seat.

That's just too good of a story not to share.

Happy Birthday, Blog for Democracy!

Well, looky here! BfD is now three years old. Even from my own limited time roaming the blogosphere, I can tell that BfD has been THE virtual lighthouse for Georgia Democrats and Progressives. We're blessed with an abundance of great political blogs and thoughtful bloggers of various orientations in our part of the world. But for me, BfD is the "go to" blog for information and insight into all that encompasses Georgia and Democratic politics.

Even when I disagree with some of their contributors, I always remember that we're still on the same team. And I admire and respect the work that many of them do for our candidates and causes. It seems that sometimes they are criticized more than what's fair (usually when a contrarian whines about some supposed "freedom of speech" guarantee that they're owed when they clearly have a false or negative agenda), and don't get enough credit in general. So just let me say to them "congrats" to all of the people that make that blog what it is. You set a high standard for us all.

Now with the niceties out of the way, there's only one question to ask: Who wants to take the birthday licks? ;-)

The War for Women

History shows us that men are much more apt to start wars than women. Perhaps that's why more and more voters find supporting female candidates more appealing than ever before. But there have been wars started over women. And I think battle lines are being drawn for yet another one - this time for Georgia women voters.

This morning, Cracker Squire refers to an article written by UGA's Dr. Charles Bullock, perhaps Georgia's most respected political scientist, in Insider Advantage. Dr. Bullock talks about the challenges that lay ahead for Jane Kidd, newly elected chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia.

This paragraph in particalar caught my eye:

"By selecting a white woman to lead the party, Democrats put at the helm a representative of the key swing group in Georgia politics. When Democrats won statewide contests in the 1990s, white males gave significantly larger shares of their votes to the GOP than did white women. Women continue to display more loyalty to the Democrats making up almost 58 percent of those asking for Democratic ballots in the 2006 primary but only 48 percent of the Republican primary voters. However in recent general elections, white women have given the same levels of support as white men to the re-elections of George Bush and Sonny Perdue."

I found this interesting because of two reasons.

First of all, back in the 90's, almost 100% of the local elected officials that I worked for and with ran as Democrats, even though they supported and voted for Republicans nationally. They did this for their own political survival as the GOP had been so irrelevent in local politics for so many decades, running in the Republican primary would've left them vulnerable to a primary upset where fewer voters would participate. Or, locals used to voting for Democrats in general elections, may continue the trend and vote those party-changing incumbents out in November.

I think Jane's going to work hard on this. For those that still run as Democrats locally but vote for Republicans on the state and national level, she's going to try to find a way to bring those people back into the Democratic fold. It really starts with them. Voters in rural areas need to look at these Democratic officials as more than just DINO's (Democrat in name only). Rural voters need to be reminded that the Democratic Party is still the party of the people. And Democratic principles are their principles too.

And secondly, a lot of Georgia Democrats recognize the fact that women need to play an increasingly important role in DPG. We've had many to take all sorts of roles within DPG and run for elected office. But I think it will only help Georgia Dems to put more vibrant and talented women (like Jane Kidd) out front for the voters to see - particularly female voters whose numbers are undeniable in recent trends.

Perhaps some in the Georgia Republican Party have noticed. I find it interesting that the Republican-leaning blog, Peach Pundit, has broken with its own policy and endorsed a candidate for Georgia GOP chair. And their endorsee just happens to be a woman.

Personally, I think electing her Georgia GOP chair would be a smart move. From what I hear, she's bright, talented, and someone that can work with anyone. Like Amy from Georgia Women Vote, I hope they screw this one up and elect someone else.

Some Sierra Club of Georgia News

Sierra Club's next Beer meet n' greet will be on Feb. 21st at the Radial Cafe in Atlanta. These get togethers serve as a social event for Sierra Clubbers and folks that might be interested in joining the Sierra Club. The beer will be freely flowing courtesy of the Sweetwater Brewing Co. Come talk a little biodiesel, public transportation, and other issues that Sierra Club is focusing on here in Georgia.

The Gwinnett Chapter will be hosting a free Global Warming Film Festival all Feburary long. I missed the Feb. 3rd film. However, there is plenty more to come on the 10th, 17th, and 24th:

Films:

Feb. 3 – Earth to America, 6:30pm
Feb. 10 – Too Hot Not to Handle, 6:30pm
Feb. 17 – Kilowatt Ours and Power Shift, 6:30pm
Feb. 24 – Power of Community and French Fries to Go, 6:30pm

Place: The film festival will take place at:
St. James Lutheran Church 4845 Jimmy Carter Blvd Norcross, GA 30093

Time: The doors will open at 6:30 and the films will begin at 7:00 pm.

For more information, please contact Annette Gelbrich, apgelbrich@yahoo.com, or 770-923-0905.

Also, the Sierra Club is endorsing a group called No New Coal for Georgia. From their website:

Georgia has the know-how to move us away from our dirty and dangerous over dependence on coal-power. Unfortunately, instead of tapping into this entrepreneurial opportunity an energy company, LS Power, based out of New Jersey, has proposed a giant 1200 MW coal-fired power plant in Early County. The proposed plant will further endanger public health, pollute our air and water, and contribute to global warming.

The fact is Georgia does not need this dirty power, LS Power representatives are on record stating that most of the electricity will be sold out of state. Instead, Georgia could tap into our abundant, homegrown, renewable resources like pine trees or the sun and use our energy more efficiently. This direction would provide jobs for Georgians too.

Fortunately the Governor and Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division (EPD) have yet to grant a final permit to LS Power. Join our coalition today and help us urge the Governor and the EPD to stop this dirty coal plant before it starts.

Who We Are:We are a coalition of concerned residents, groups and businesses from Early County and beyond.

In the coming months we will:

1. Educate the Public about the negative impacts a coal-fired power plant will have on our state and readily available alternatives.

2. Call on the Governor and the EPD to refuse LS Power’s request for a permit to build a coal-fired plant in Early County.

Click here to join us!


Ahhh, my old stopping grounds. As a teenager, I once suffered the indignity of waking up from a drunken stupor in the backseat of a car in the parking lot of the Quail Motel in Blakely. But that's a story for another day.......................

Lots of free stuff here, people. Come take advantage and do some good for Georgia.

Progressive Blogosphere Feeling Kind of Punchy

Making my rounds, it seems like everyone has something to complain about. Not that I'm blaming them mind you. Just an observation..........

The Rude Pundit puts the "Rude" in "R-rating" on a regular basis. His latest entry is on global warming and the UN report recently released. Pretty much, we're all waiting to be rescued before we're "a crisp." Check him out. A little snarky humor about an earth-altering topic never hurt anyone.

Jon from Peach Pulpit will be happy to know that Georgia's two GOP senators made Evil GOP Bastards' Hall of Shame for their votes against raising the minimum wage. Almost immediately after Mark Taylor went down like a bloated whale against Sonny Perdue, Jon took the donkey by the ears and pointed us towards our next big opportunity in 2008 - picking off Sen. Chambliss. He created the Saxby Files so that we could keep up with one of Georgia's biggest embarassments. I'll have to look around in the Evil GOP Hall of Shame archives to see if there's anything about ole Saxby's record that should be added to Jon's site.

The punchiness isn't only towards the Republicans...............

OpEdNews.com has an article by Joshua Frank of brickburner.org where he expresses some doubts about Hillary, Edwards, and Obama. He says that they haven't done anything to really "distinguish" their positions on Iran from Bush's. I assure you, how candidates plan to deal with Iran will play a major role in who I decide to vote for in March 2008's Georgia Presidential Preference Primary. Tough talk for the sake of tough talk won't win me over. It'll make me run the other way.

Christopher of From the Left opines that the GLBT community may not exactly be enamored with Hillary. She might want to be careful. Because a group that at one time seemed to love her could become a major road block to winning the Democratic nomination, if she's not careful. She might want to have a talk with Cathy Cox (perhaps Georgia's Hillary) about the effects of a defection of gay voters and their political dollars.

Looking for Something to Read?

Ever since I started this blog, I've been meaning to do a monthly book review. I like to read a couple of books a month (mostly non-fiction), but lately I haven't had as much time for reading. And as time marches on, my book list grows. In fact, I've probably got 5 or 6 books that I've ordered from Amazon in the last few months that still haven't been read.

But if you're not like me and you're looking around for ideas on what to read, here are some blogs that you might want to check out..............

Danny Yee's Book Reviews covers just about everything under the sun. Danny's an Aussie world traveller and he seems to have wide interests in both fiction and non-fiction categories. He's extremely organized as you can search for books under just about every category and subcategory that you can think of.

But one category I didn't see listed on Danny's site was horror. But don't despair! A Pensecola blogger named Tony has it thoroughly covered at The Horror Fan, a blog I found via the Aging Hipster. Horror is a dangerous genre if you aren't familiar with an author or his/her style. I usually only read these books in October (surprise, surprise).

Tony even points out a site where you can find free book downloads, SpecFicWorld.com. I've already downloaded a compilation of short stories that I'll read one night when I'm in the mood. Although, I readily admit that I'm far too tactile to do my reading via electronic means. Guess that's just one of my little personal quirks.

Closer to home, the Atlanta Media Bloggers lists both books and movies that they've experienced recently. The talented Spacey Gracey, who seems born to blog and be creative in general, has a hand in this, as do the folks at the Georgia Podcast Network. Though not blessed with an abundance of creativity myself, I do appreciate those who are.

So during these cold winter months, curl up with a good book. Be prepared to take a peek inside someone else's world. And hey, if that's not your thing, a new Survivor starts Thursday night. That's right.........another one!

The American Enterprise Institute Offers to Buy Scientists' Opinions

.............that is, as long as they agree to criticize and refute the U.N's report (due to be released today) issued by 500 of the world's leading scientists saying that global warming is happening and is most likely influenced by the activities of humans. If you're a scientist and are willing to be bought, the think tank, sponsored by Exxon Mobil, will pay you the princely sum of $10,000.

So instead of encouraging further debate, AEI wishes to purchase debate. Somehow, I can't help but think that they are doing this for their own interests and the interests of their sponsors , not for the welfare of our planet.

Meanwhile, leading Democrats have been quick to respond to the UN's report:

"Although President Bush just noticed that the earth is heating up, the American public, every reputable scientist and other world leaders have long recognized that global warming is real and it's serious. The time to act is now," said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who with GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe (news, bio, voting record) of Maine crafted one of a half-dozen competing bills to address global warming.

Rep. Edward Markey (news, bio, voting record), D-Mass., a senior member of House panels on energy and natural resources, said that "for those who are still trying to determine responsibility for global warming, this new U.N. report on climate change is a scientific smoking gun."

Catch John Edwards' Speech Friday Morning

From the John Edwards campaign..........

Tomorrow morning, John Edwards will be addressing members of the Democratic National Committee at the DNC's Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C.

I wanted to invite you to watch the speech live online beginning at approximately 10:40 AM ET on Friday, and to join us on the campaign blog to talk about Senator Edwards' address and his vision for changing America.

Simply come to the blog at 10:40 AM ET tomorrow for links to the live webcast.

North Georgia Wakes Up to Ice and Snow; Al's Nobel Nomination

The picture above is actually from Asheville, NC. But you get the point. Georgians north of the Rome-Athens line woke up to a winter mix of ice and snow. Here, just a little south of that in Gwinnett County, we have a little bit of ice. Today just might be my designated day for some hot tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. :-)

Elsewhere..........

From ice in Georgia to another report saying that global warming is "very likely" due to "human activity." Someone might want to make Georgia US Senator Saxby Chambliss aware of this. Although, I have a feeling he already knows this and just hasn't found this stance to be politically expedient.

Don't look for anything positive on this from certain Christian evangelicals either. Quite a few of them have taken the "dominion of the Earth" thing to the point that humans should be encouraged to rape and pillage Mother Earth. After all, for them, it's all about making life hell on earth for us heathens as they await a new earthly kingdom. Oh yeah, and homophobe Sen. James Inhofe (OK) might still be the biggest fundamentalist dunce in the US Senate.

In somewhat related news, MSNBC says that Exxon "posts record annual profit." Of course, it shouldn't be forgotten that in 2005 and 2006 many Americans suffered heavily at the gas pumps.

Al Gore has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Norwegian Parliament member, Boerge Brende, says, ''Al Gore, like no other, has put climate change on the agenda. Gore uses his position to get politicians to understand, while Sheila works from the ground up."

There is still a push from some progressive groups to talk Al Gore into running for president in 2008. But, in his New York Times blog, Bruce Barlett says to look out for the "future President Clinton."

Last, but certainly not least, the irrepressible Molly Ivins has passed. She was a Texan that tried to warn us about "Dubya." That makes two strong Texas women (Gov. Ann Richards) that have died in the last few months. That's not just a loss for Texas, but a loss for us all.