Dogfighting? What's the problem?

I haven't blogged on the open investigation into Falcons' QB Michael Vick's possible involvement in dogfighting. Even though it sounds bad, I thought I'd wait to see if any charges would be filed against Vick first and go from there. But Washington Redskins RB Clinton Portis and Tackle Chris Samuels changed that.

As I was driving home from the NCAA tennis championships in Athens last night, I heard a clip of an interview that Portis and Samuels gave to a Norfolk, VA television station yesterday. When asked about the Vick investigation, Portis said if Vick were convicted of dogfighting and went to jail, that Vick would be "put behind bars for no reason."

According to this MSNBC report, he went on to say:

“I don’t know if he was fighting dogs or not,” Portis said in
the interview. “But it’s his property; it’s his dogs. If that’s what he wants to do, do it.”

As he was speaking, fellow Redskin Chris Samuels was in the background laughing and making jokes about "Animal Planet."

The good thing for Portis is that he has agents and representatives from the Washington Redskins to come in behind him and clean up any mess that his ignorant ass happens to make in public. The Redskins issued a statement for him supposedly clarifying his feelings on dogfighting, saying that Portis doesn't "condone" dogfighting.

Yeah right. His original statement was clear enough for me.

After the clip was aired, there was an interview with an official from the national Humane Society. He estimates that there are over 20,000 animal fighters in our country alone. And there are breeders that breed dogs for dogfighting purposes and ship them to other countries.

So if something good comes out of all of this, hopefully it will be more public awareness about
animal fighting. Tougher laws need to be enacted along with tougher punishments for those that take part in animal fighting, own paraphanelia, or breed for these purposes. And it needs to be started right here in Georgia.

But the Redskins and the NFL could make a real statement of their own and get the message to Portis, Samuels, and any other idiot in their league that thinks dogfighting is funny.

Oh, and Mr. Blank, I wonder what's going through your mind, as well as the social conscience of the Atlanta Falcons organization? **Because, as it is, there are reports that scores of dogs found on Vick's property in Virginia will have to be euthanized or treated for injuries and malnutrition. The people of Atlanta and the entire country are watching to see just what you're going to do about this.

**P.S. May 26th's edition of the AJC contains an AP article quoting Prosecutor Gerald Poindexter as saying that earlier reports saying that dogs found on Vick's Virginia property were injured and malnourished are "erroneous." No charges have been filed in the case yet.

For Tennis Fans

These past few days, the University of Georgia has been hosting the men's and women's NCAA tennis championships. Athens has proven to be, by far, the most successful location for this tournament for the past 30 years. The beautiful Henry Field tennis stadium, the enthusiastic community support, the indominable Dan Magill, and UGA fans (5 to 6 thousand of them) have combined to make this one of the best and well run operations in all of collegiate athletics.

The Lady Dawgs bowed out of the quarterfinals last night to an underdog Cal Bears team that really played well. The Bears will meet Georgia Tech in the semis tommorow. Tech Coach Bryan Shelton has really built a nice program over on the Flats. They have yet to reach the heights of their Lady Dawgs counterparts. But a very nice rivalry is brewing. I like Shelton a lot and respect him a great deal. I can remember seeing him play Connors at Wimbledon in the late 80's. Tech's very lucky that this prodigal son came back to work for his alma mater.

The UGA men's team is in semifinal action right now vs. the University of Virginia. UVA is one of the few teams to have tested the Dawgs this year, as UGA went undefeated for a second regular season in a row.

For those of us who are stuck elsewhere, you can watch the matches live via the internet. Here's a link to live action going on as I type.

With the recent changes in my personal life, I have reached back into my childhood and started playing tennis again. I haven't played a match other than for fun since 1991. Work, life, and higher priorities are my excuses for only playing around 5 singles matches and maybe 15 doubles matches in the last 16 years.

That is until this April. I started playing with a very competitive guy, Chris, that has a nice game. He's also a fitness fanatic as he constantly breaks his personal records for things like most situps (3,420) in one day and miles ridden on a bike (163.5). He's actually better than I am, and definitely more fit. But I'm making some improvements in both areas.

Yesterday we played our 5th match vs. one another and I finally got a set off of him in a 3 out of 5 match. As is usual so far, I'm good for about one good set (usually the 2nd set) against him. But since its warmed up I've been tiring faster than he in the heat. I think we must have played about 2.5 hours yesterday with one long break to change courts.

We started out playing at the intramural courts on the UGA campus. But, after a set and a half, we yielded to the very polite womens coach at Vanderbilt University as our guests, who needed our court for his players to warm up. We wished him well and his players, and went to a different location.

The break must have bothered Chris, because I was able to take the momentum in our new surroundings and win the 2nd set in a tie breaker. Unforunately, I was a little too satisfied with my accomplishment and played very loose to start the 3rd. By the time I got back to playing decently, I couldn't win the big points. I led either 30-0 or 40-0 in FOUR consecutive service games only to lose all of them. And in my last gasp in the 4th set, I came back from 40-0 down on his serve to gain 3 different break point chances only to lose that game too. My goose was cooked, and so was my head in the mid day sun without a hat.

Maybe ole Steve needs to get me back into the gym and train me. And then I need my friend Jeff from Chicago to get down here and groove my strokes and help me with tactics. Because Chris, you're definitely kicking my ass! But it's been fun. Well done.

"The Assault on Reason"

Peter, from Blog for Democracy, gives us some good reasons to pick up Al Gore's new book. He needn't apologize for being a fan of Al's. I am too.

Idealists tend to get blasted these days. But Peter embraces that mantle unabashedly. As for his call for more idealists to get involved in the political process, and make it work the way it should, I wholeheartedly agree.

Here is another good write up on Al's new book.

C'mon Jimmy, don't back off now!

Former President Carter created a huge stir this weekend when he called the Bush administration "the worst in history," because of its lack of diplomacy and foreign policy blunders in the Middle East. Of course, Jimmy's known for saying what he thinks. He's been openly critical of Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, and Bush II while each were in office. He's also usually on the mark, as he was this weekend.

Of course, this puts the right wing spin machine into anti-Carter mode. They've learned their lessons well from the days of the Great Masterbator who was very successful at masterbating the masses by telling them what they wanted to hear while blaming his predacessors for all of his problems. Unfortunately for them, many more Americans, unhappy with what they've seen unfold since 9/11, have caught on to their schtick.

But this morning, Carter is backing off of his statements about the Bush administration. In this day and age when we really need truthful voices, it was refreshing to hear a fellow president tell it like it is about the current president and his administration. Politeness and tradition need not stand in his way of speaking truth to the American public.

Festival of Books puts the big picture together on Iraq and Bush

Saturday afternoon I got caught up in the re-run of CSPAN's coverage of last April's L.A. Times Festival of Books. One segment included a panel of journalists and scholars, each having written books on the war in Iraq or aspects that greatly affect Iraq, came together to discuss the Bush administration's Iraq blunder, the role that corporate America plays in why we're doing what we're doing in Iraq, and our complete lack of dipomacy and lack of understanding of the Middle East. The panelists included Chris Hedges, William Langewiesche, T. Christian Miller, and Robert Scheer.

The highlights of the panel discussion included listening to Langewiesche expound on the notion that someone is indeed benefitting from what we're doing in Iraq, and its not the Iraqis, the American people, nor our soldiers who are fighting and dying for causes that have nothing to do with our national security. Langewiesche did not contain his criticism of our whoring ourselves out to corporate interests to only Bush and the Republicans. He also sent a shot accross the bow of our major Democratic candidates for 2008 as well.

I also thought Scheer's comparisons of the arguments against pulling out of Iraq to the arguments against pulling out of Vietnam in the 1970's. As he pointed out, Republicans argued that leaving Vietnam would be ceding southeast Asia to communism. Instead what happened was Vietnam and China went to war over a border dispute. Communism did not run rampant throughout the region. And, in fact, today capitalist ventures like McDonalds and Wal-Mart are doing quite well in both China AND Vietnam. As for fears that leaving now would mean that American casualties will have been inflicted in vain. As Mike Gravel says, their efforts were in vain the moment we attacked a country that represented little or no threat to us.

Scheer went on to use this analogy for our situation in Iraq. It's like a burgler who needlessly broke into someone's house and then refused to leave because of a fear that his victims can't survive without him. The Iraqis clearly want us to leave. Putting the best face possible on our forray into Iraq, if it was just to take out a tyrant like Saddam, we accomplished that. It's time for the Iraqis to have a chance to go about rebuilding their country and their lives.

But Chris Hedges was probably the most controversial, and maybe the most poignant. Having lived and worked for a long time in the Middle East, he has friends in Iraq and Iran. These friends are not government officials, and they have nothing to do with the military of either country, or any radical militia. They are simple ordinary citizens of their country, just as you and I are here. They are the ones that are caught up in the power struggle involving our governments, which sometimes do not have the best interests of the average American, Iraqi, or Iranian at heart. He says we owe these people an apology. First for invading the region in 2003 without provocation, and secondly for our failure to do anything about it by re-electing Bush in 2004.

Hedges goes on to say that he thinks that Bush should be impeached, despite his short time left in office. It's his opinion that it's the only way that the U.S. can restore its moral and legal authority as a world leader. He says that the Bush administration has broken both national and international law. And he's definitely correct in saying that we have created more enemies in this world since 2003 than we've killed or detained.

Hedges went on to renew his pledge that if we go to war with Iran, he won't pay his income taxes. Lets just hope that it won't come to that.

South Carolina is kicking our ass.............again

Atlanta environmental law attorney, Scott Hitch, has the scorecard on the souteast's race for biofuels supremecy in today's AJC:

"However, Aiken, S.C., across the Savannah River from Augusta, is a great place for a biodiesel plant. South Carolina now offers a tax credit of 20 cents to 30 cents per gallon for production of biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel), for up to 25 million gallons per year, and a five cent per gallon retail rebate. Retailers and dealers receive a tax credit for 25 percent of the cost of biofuels equipment.

These incentives have just attracted a new $1.4 million biodiesel plant from Georgia. Farmers & Truckers Biodiesel's new plant will move into a renovated kaolin warehouse across the state line, and it likely won't build a second facility it had planned for Georgia."

and.........

"There are almost 50 retail stations selling fuel containing ethanol or biodiesel in South Carolina. In Georgia there are only three."


With as much progress as Georgia has made towards being a leader in the biofuels industry, we're still not doing enough. Hitch's simple comparison of what Georgia is doing to what our neighbors are doing reveals that we have some catching up to do. Especially against South Carolina, which is now taking more than just automobile plants away from us.

Republicans like Gov. Perdue, Senator Chambliss, etc. have been showing some support, really just giving more lip service to it than anything. But that's somewhat to be expected considering that the Republican party is the party of big oil and coal.

And we surely do have some Georgia Democrats working hard towards taking advantage of our state's natural resources and byproducts from other goods to make sure that Georgia is in the fight. But what amazes me is we still have some Democrats that either don't realize that we're falling behind, or aren't enthused with the potential investment, job growth, and tax revenue that could result from putting our foot down on the pedal on this now. But then again, who could ever accuse Georgia Democrats of being visionaries?

South Carolina's beating us up and taking our lunch money. Not because they're better, but because they're thinking more progressively.

Young Harris and Cathy Cox both pick winners

Young Harris College has long been one of my favorite college campi ever since I first visited there as a child. Tucked away in the North Georgia Blue Ridge mountains on our borders with Tennessee and North Carolina, Young Harris is almost like a step back in time. With it's cute little 19th century Methodist chapel, its old but well maintained red brick and white clapboard buildings, that's a part of its charm.

But the selection of their next president is a clear commitment to continue moving Young Harris into the 21st century. Georgia's former Secretary of State, Cathy Cox, has accepted the challenge of being their next president.

I was pleasantly surprised yesterday when an alumnus of the school from Dawsonville called me to give me the good news. It's a role befitting Cathy in her now post-political career. I also think that she will find this more fulfilling for herself personally than practicing law, or pondering a run for the U.S. Senate. This kind of job will help her to utilize her knowledge and expertise as an administrator and executive, as well as her fundraising abilities for good cause.

Good luck to Cathy Cox and to Young Harris College. I think you're both in good hands.

Hoops, 2008, and Life Cycle Analysis

I have been watching a little mens and women hoops in the last few weeks. UGA's Dawgs and Lady Dawgs have both seen their seasons come to an end. Overall, I would say that both had successful seasons. Georgia's men continued to improve under Coach Dennis Felton. The number of wins went up to 19 against a schedule rated in the teens in terms of strength. That's a positive step up from last season's 15 wins against a weaker schedule. Coach Felton wins and does things the right way.

Add to that fact that Georgia competed in the SEC east which sent 4 of 6 teams to the NCAA tournament. Each of the 4 teams won at least one round with 3 of them advancing to the Sweet 16. Tennessee and Vanderbilt, both, came oh so close to reaching the Great 8. Vandy got a rotten travelling no call at the end of their game that may have altered the outcome against Georgetown. But if there's any team left in the tournament capable of springing a big upset at the Final 4 in Atlanta, it might just be the Hoyas. Perhaps destiny is calling?

Coach Andy Landers' Lady Dawgs made their usual Sweet 16 appointment. His teams have made an incredible 24 of 26 NCAA tournaments, reached 17 Sweet 16's, 5 Final 4's, and 2 national title games. If there's any justice in the world, one day he's going to win the big one. At any rate, Coach Landers will be inducted into the Womens College Basketball Hall of Fame this year.

Poor Jon and Amy ended up slightly disappointed. Both of their teams went far into the tournament. But when you're a Kansas fan (Jon) or a North Carolina fan (Amy), your standards are a lot higher than most. Don't worry guys. Both of your programs are strong and in good hands. I'm sure you both will be struttin' your stuff with yet another Final 4 appearance soon.

On the 2008 Democratic Presidential front, John Edwards has decided to remain in the race despite his beloved wife's cancer returning. One of the bright spots of 2004 was being exposed to Elizabeth Edwards, a truly lovely woman both inside and out. She's passionate about her family, her husband, and her belief that her husband will do a wonderful job as America's next president. I wish her and her family a lot of strength and the best of luck in fighting that fight.

However, Katie Couric sure tried to make Edwards look bad for not dropping out of the race to concentrate solely on Elizabeth. Both Edwards went on 60 Minutes with her to explain why they are staying in the race.

Couric' tone was surprisingly judgemental considering her own experience with her late husband's cancer. Sadly, he passed away. But Katie stayed busy through that terrible time. It probably helped her. And it probably eased the mind of her husband. I know she's a big fan of Hillary. After all, Katie is one of the few journalists that Hillary turned to when she was feigning ignorance of her husband's affairs back in the 90's. Perhaps that's why Katie decided to play the hypocrite?

It's not just me that noticed this. Dave Sirota noticed too.

Meanwhile, Hillary is rolling right along. She picked up the endorsement of Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, who was previously in the race, but dropped out. Tom Baxter tells us about Barrack Obama's successful trip to Georgia. And Al Gore heated up Washington last week with his testimony on global warming. Rumors of a 2008 run still persist.

Speaking of global warming, Don over at Life Cycle Analyis, has some interesting entries on both that topic and the new unrest in Kinshasa. It's good stuff, so check it out.

Rep. Brooks on the Wrong Side of Payday Loans

I'm not sure why Georgia State Rep. Tyrone Brooks (D) plans to vote for Republican Rep. Earl Ehrharts's HB 163 which would legalize payday lending in our state. According to this AJC article by Carrie Teegardin, he says its because of a past experience that his grandmother had with a local finance company. He says they ripped her off, charging her a "60 percent rate on each dollar."

I believe Rep. Brooks' story. That kind of thing is commonplace within this industry, which is why it is suspect to begin with. However, I don't believe him when he says this is his reason for supporting payday lending. It can't possibly be. Either there's another reason, or he hasn't taken the time to compare payday lending to finance company loans or car title loans. The type of lending he is backing doesn't look like a better option than the finance company loan that he says is bad for consumers like his grandmother. In fact, it might be worse.

Under the provisions of Rep. Ehrhart's bill, borrowers would be able to borrow money that typically would have to be paid back within two weeks. Teegardin's article says the cost would be "$15 per $100 borrowed at rates of anywhere from 195 percent to over 1,000 percent." Then, there are insurance add ons that push the costs even higher.

Brooks says lower income people who can't get a regular bank loan or a credit card need payday loans as an option for unexpected expenses. Clark Howard says find another option:

"This is the wrong cure," said Clark Howard, the Atlanta consumer guru who hosts a nationally syndicated radio talk show. "In my book, [payday lending] just makes people more ill."

Payday loans came under fire when military men and women were being targetted and taken advantage of. In 2004, the state of Georgia passed a law prohibiting payday lending. The problem amongst military families was not limited to Georgia. The Center for Responsible Lending cited a New York Times analysis that same year:

An analysis by the New York Times reveals that at least one fourth of military households (26%) have been caught up in payday lending. Officials at the Army Emergency Relief office in Fort Bliss, Texas, estimate that 10% of the 10,000 active-duty military stationed there have needed financial counseling because of payday loans and other debt problems.

While he concedes that people were being taken advantage of by payday lenders, Rep. Ehrhart says that Georgia's 2004 law was all about finance companies' desire to "push out the competition."

However, Teegardin's article closes with this:

When asked to rate the options, most consumer advocates recommend a finance company loan over a payday loan or car title loan.

"Small loans across the country are expensive credit, but they aren't as hazardous as the design of a payday loan," said Jean Ann Fox, director of consumer protection for the Consumer Federation of America.

Finance company loans are usually paid back over months or even several years. Payday loans must be paid off at the next payday, something that's just not realistic for most struggling borrowers, the advocates say.

PDB Scorches Jack Kingston

The folks over at Progressive Daily Beacon don't like Rep. Jack Kingston (R-D1) very much. In fact, they've pegged him as a "Republican extremist:"


"Kingston is, of course, anti-abortion and opposes stem cell research. He would say his position is based upon good Christian "pro-life" values, but as he is an enthusiastic supporter of the death penalty - "pro-life" seems to be a serious misrepresentation at best. Jack Kingston is a big supporter of extremist evangelical causes like those supported by Pat Robertson. Robertson, of course, is the guy who has regular discussions with "God" and blamed gay people for the attacks on 9/11. Indeed, Jack Kingston has sponsored Pat Robertson-like resolutions calling for the Ten Commandments to be prominently displayed in congressional chambers.

That's the problem with extremists like Jack Kingston. They beg and pray for the United States to attack Iran because it is a theocratic dictatorship...then they turn right round and support ideas that would make the United States into a theocratic dictatorship. Just like Iran is an Islamic Republic, Kingston mistakenly assumes the United States to be a "Christian" Republic. Folks like Jack Kingston believe Christian rulers to be "kinder and gentler" than Islamic rulers, but that rationale completely ignores historical events like the Spanish Inquisition and the Salem Witch Trials to name a few."


That does sort of highlight the Christian fundamentalist wing of the modern Republican party that has lead them to their ruin. It underscores their duplicity in "pro life" issues, as well as their condemnation of nations like Iran. You can't with any credibility call out one theocratic dictatorship when you're trying to establish one of your own. Kingston, himself, has heavily supported an administration that has limited us in our freedoms via heinous legislation like the Patriot Act. And he's used the guise of being a Christian to hide his tracks.

During Gerald Ford's funeral, much was made of his being the last Republican president (he was also very much a Christian) that was untethered to the Christian fundamentalist movement that hijacked the GOP beginning in 1980 with Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority. The Jack Kingstons of today don't realize how extremist they really are. They have truly lost the idea of a seperation of church and state, and why a group of Christians sought to make sure that the two didn't intermingle in the great new world.

Shirley Franklin: One of NPR's Leading Ladies

America's number one mayor, Atlanta's own Shirley Franklin, is one of NPR's "Leading Ladies." This is just the latest honor for perhaps the best current public official in Georgial. She is NPR's 4th featured lady joining such luminaries as Carol Moseley Braun, Geraldine Ferraro, and Debbie Walsh.

Make sure and listen to her interview.

I also noticed that Hostile Takover author Dave Sirota is on NPR today.

Also, catch Gregory Feifer's look into "What Happened to Russia's Democracy?" In light of so many strange deaths and murders involving critics of Putin, we need to be paying attention to what is going on with a country that the Bush administration considers an ally.

So flip the dial to NPR and turn it up!

Shop Progressive! Costco vs. Wal-Mart/Sam's Club

One of the side stories to the 2004 presidential election was the fact that the nation's two largest warehouse companies took sides. Wal-Mart went for Bush and Costco went for Kerry. When you look at how each does business and treats its employees, that should come as no surprise.

Wal-Mart's bare bones minimums in pay and practically no benefits at all for the supposed sake of the consumer (to whom it sells cheap, sometimes unreturnable crap-on-a-stick made in China) which they say they are looking out for. Sounds sort of like how the Bush administration has treated the American public for over 6 years now. Come to think of it, Georgia Republicans operate pretty much the same way.

Contrast that with Costco, whose CEO, Jim Sinegal, supports raising the federal minimum wage. Known to be labor friendly, here's why Costco can afford to support it:

Costco, of Issaquah, Wash., would suffer no direct impact from a higher minimum wage because its lowest-paid employees now make about $11 an hour, Sinegal said, adding that the average worker in the company's 504 stores in the United States makes $17 an hour.

"In my view, some of these industries that pay minimum wage are constantly turning their people," Sinegal said. "They spend more on turnover than they would in paying the additional wages."

The last article I linked to calls Sinegal a "maverick." Maybe, but I prefer to call it "progressive" thinking, both in the sense of thinking outside of the box as well as in political terms.

Perhaps this is all something that we might want to consider when we need to do our shopping. It pays to support businesses that support our values. And it makes no sense to do business with those that don't. It only empowers the Bushes, Cheneys, and Perdues of the world.

I'm not sure how often its updated, but the Pima County Democratic Party in Arizona has an informative website called Shop Progressive! It compares the level of commitment that major companies like Costco, Wal-Mart/Sam's Club, Apple Computers, Dell, etc. have to the two major political parties.

So give it a looksie and see who you've really been supporting.

Gov. Bill Richardson (NM) Democratic Darkhorse?

That's what NYT writer David Brooks (via the Post-Bulletin) says anyway. He also calls Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico the most experienced Democrat running for president. He's probably right about that. It's hard to argue with Richardson's credentials. If we have to roll up our sleeves in the fall of 2008 and get behind Gov. Richardson, I won't be unhappy.

I was told in private by another Georgia blogger last year that my "views" and my blog with a name like "Liberal Lucidity" was probably poison to any candidate that I chose to say anything good about. I don't know if that's true. But I'll risk it and say that Gov. Richardson would represent me and many of the issues that I care about extremely well.

Hat tip to Vivian J. Page.

Ann Coulter Makes Nice With a Gay Porn Star?

Oh this is just too good! Apparently Ms. Coulter, who called John Edwards a "faggot" at last week's Conservative Political Action Conference, on the same night and at the same event had her picture taken with an alleged gay porn star.

Seems the man in question has been hanging out with conservative talk show hosts complaining about his difficulties recruiting for the military around different college campuses, including his own Columbia University. He was at the CPAC event sharing his story, and I suppose he couldn't resist getting his picture taken with the equine-like Coulter. My apologies to horses.

Blogger, Joe. My. God. has scored an interview with him.

Gee, I guess conservatives need to start doing background checks at these kinds of events. After all, close minded exclusionaries can't afford to be hobnobbing with the riff-raff, right?

How did I miss this yesterday?

Conservatives Should Listen to Illai Kenney

Ms. Kenney is participating in a strategizing conference being held by young African American students and professionals on how to harness their power and be a postitive influence in 2008. Her entry on Huffington Post mentioning this conference caught me eye. Not only was it spot on, but it also speaks to my negative feelings towards labels and the general misunderstanding of them that political spinmeisters create.

She's talking about her conservative grandparents. And the fact that politcal conservatives contradict themselves with some of their bread 'n butter issues. I think this country would be a whole lot better off if "conservatives" heeded this message from her:

"Conservatives should support energy efficiency, energy independence, and new technologies that will grow our economy. These political conservatives have words all mixed up and it can be confusing. Some conservatives want to use all the oil we have even if people have to go to war to get it and even if it pollutes the air making it hard to breathe. Their energy use and spending habits are actually very liberal. Some conservatives use the Bible and the Christian religion to make a big deal over the unborn and who can marry whom but they skip the part where they are supposed to take care of God's creation not to mention children and the poor. There is no conservative movement to care for the sick, feed the hungry, or clothe the poor so it makes me wonder what are they really thinking? How can you be pro-life and pro-war or pro-life and pro-death (penalty)?"

Obama and Clinton in Selma

In case you were out of pocket and didn't get to view coverage of the events in Selma, NPR and the Montgomery Advertiser have multiple articles, videos, and audio files available at their websites.

Reviews seemed good for both presidential hopefuls. The only real snafu being that Hillary's folks didn't set up speakers outside of the church so that she could be heard by the masses. Obama's folks made sure he could be heard, causing some to leave the church where Hillary was speaking and make the short walk over to the church where Obama was.

From the coverage I saw earlier, it was good to see "the Dean of the Civil Rights Movement," Rev. Joseph Lowery, out and about. He appeared with Obama at the Martin and Coretta King Beloved Community Unity Breakfast. And later he attended Obama's speech and linked arms with the Senator from Illinois at the march.

Not to be outdone, Hillary made her first public post-announcement appearance with her husband, Bill in Selma. Former President Clinton was inducted into the National Voting Rights Hall of Fame.

I can't decide if appearing with Bill is a good thing for Hillary or not though. He makes her look like a rookie when mixing, mingling, and giving speeches. It's very natural for him, and anything but for Hillary. His coat tails will prove useful, especially amongst African Americans who seem to remain Bill's most loyal constituency. But the comparisons of the two will be inevitable.

Anyone Surprised? It's Ann Coulter After All

Even though America has progressed to the point where public figures using hate speech isn't acceptable anymore, the word"faggot" is still the put down of choice for many teenagers. I'm guessing that no one knows this better than school teachers.

Well, Ann Coulter is no teenager (and looks it more and more every day), but apparently she doesn't mind tossing the word "faggot" around at even heterosexuals like John Edwards. So I guess it wasn't so surprising to see that she went even further into her rant and also used the word "raghead" when discussing homeland security.

To their credit, the Edwards campaign has responded positively. They've set a goal for raising $100,000 in "Coulter Cash" to turn Coulter's hate and willful ignorance into something positive.

Coulter is a shock jock without a radio program. Apparently, some heterosexual men find her too attractive for radio and like seeing her regularly on Fox News with Sean Hannity. They should look a little closer at her next book signing. Because the poor dear could use some masking tape and vasseline. Every time I see her, I don't think of her as an attractive woman. I just feel like saddling up a horse. Then she speaks..........

She has found a comfy little niche of Rush Limbaugh worshipping, Michelle Malkin reading, neo cons in which to sell books to. She caters to simpletons who would probably like to see this country revert back to a time when it was more acceptable to discriminate and string up folks that you don't like from the nearest tree. They're such an easy group to pander to, after all.

Coulter says things for shock value regularly. My standing policy on her has been to simply ignore her. But it really is time to get the point across to more Americans - particularly young ones - that it's not okay to use words like "faggot." To allow people to continue to do it so freely is sending a message that it's still okay to ostracize someone because of their sexuality.

I suppose she also thinks that enough people in this country hate Muslims, so it's okay to use the word "raghead." To do so is to be disrespectful to a religion, a group of people, and a culture.

Honestly, I'm not for censorship. But despite the social progress that we've made, there are still groups of people out there against whom hate and discrimination are still possible without consequences. This needs to change.

Ann, this is the year 2007, not 1987. It's time to let your hate go.

"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.