•Roy Barnes returns to capital after post election vacation.

Losing the election because he had the courage to tackle the tough issues, Barnes is done with politics for good.

"I am so tired of bland leaders that tell us what they want us to hear, rather than saying -- these are tough issues, but we can work through them together. But I think the lesson that ought to be learned is that this is what leadership is about. Sometimes you pay the price," Barnes said.

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•The bets are that the Republican government will soon reintroduce a rewritten bill that sets up a new draft.

The bill, known as HR 3598, would require that young men, age 18-22, serve 6-12 months in the armed services for basic training, education, and service. There would be very few deferments, unless your name is Bush, Cheney, or you have bad knees like Saxby Chambliss. Conscientious Objectors would be required to serve in non-combat positions, unless the local board decides that you do not have a valid reason for being a CO.

This is very scary. Do all the soccer moms who voted Republican realize that not only will they losing reproduction rights over their body, but that they soon maybe losing their soccer sons?

A .pdf file of the bill in its December 2001 form.

Interesting comments on the December 2001 form of the bill from Y & M Online. While the viewpoint is slanted, there are some valid points. The short length of inscription is pretty much enough time to get through basic training, and a short bit of advanced training. Basically you can learn how to shoot a gun, and how to die for your country.

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•Midwest families compared to mine.

This past week I spent some time with my girlfriend, a co-worker of hers, and his brother. All are from the Midwest. Talk went around to families and how we were all raised. These three people are from the Midwest, I was raised in Georgia and around the Southeast.

On Education and Career:

Girlfriend's Parents: "You will go to college at a Jesuit school, and you will choose a career path that serves the public. You can be a public defender, a social worker, or perhaps a professor."

Co-worker's Parents: "For a career you may be clergy, a doctor, or perhaps something like a social worker or teacher."

My Stepfather: "You know, if you go into the Army when you are 18, you can move out of the house!"

On Discipline:

Girlfriend: "I remember getting in trouble, and having to walk home to see my father. I would stand out in the yard and cry. My dad would never hit me, but I would feel so bad that I let him down."

Co-worker's Brother: "Mom was who to fear. She did the discipline. You did not want to make her mad."

Me: "Okay dad, I understand. But look, I have to go. I am hanging up the phone now."

The co-worker's brother left a good-bye message on my girlfriend's phone. One of his comments was about me, "I never expected to meet a white, straight, liberal male in Georgia." We had shared many views on the election season.

I am amazed by the people from the Midwest. Their upbringing tends to be more family oriented. The families I have seen or talked about are more giving to each other, and seem to be more connected, even when some move out of state. The children also seemed to be raised with a view of contributing to more than taking from. I can see why the Midwest seems to be stronger liberal territory. I am scared that hanging with such people will make me a better person. My friends would really be worried then.

•Thrasher's game.

I was at the Atlanta Thrasher's hockey game last night. That is such a blast. I don't even watch football anymore, as it bores me to tears. Hockey is fun and exciting. In person it is great! Not as many fights as a NASCAR race, but enough to keep it interesting. The speeds are incredible. Surgical shots can score instantly and without warning. The puck vanishes, and then it is in the net. The hand eye coordination of a good goalie makes Major League batters seem a little slow. The checks a player receives can be harder and more physical than NFL tackles.

The Thrashers won. A small crowd for the Veteran's Day afternoon game. However the crowd was vocal and at times very loud. The young goalie put up quite a battle with, I believe, 31 saves. He has been hearing rumors of a free agent signing if the Thrasher's goal tending does not improve. He may be able to stop that talk. The game was pretty much a must win. The Thrashers started out the season with a 9 game winless streak. The coach could be canned at any time. That only adds to the excitement!

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