McKinney supporters file suit asking to have primary overturned and McKinney declared winner

Cynthia McKinney continues to whine and blame everybody but her mouth for losing her primary. Suit is without merit, because in Georgia you do not have to declare your party and are allowed to vote in either primary. I guess the plantifs are trying to say that if you have ever voted as a Republican, you can never vote in a Demoratic primary?

I'm still thinking that McKinney lost her election because of her and her father's mouths. They just run them too much without thinking.

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Soccer the Ronaldo way.

The finer points of getting up for a World Cup, and other important games. Knowing how and when to score.

2. Study the videotape. In the old days it once was enough to rely on knowledge from prior games and advance scouting. Not anymore. Today's game demands that you use all technologies available and that includes reviewing videotapes. One favorite that I've found to be very effective is "Soccer Moms ... And Daughters.''

And don't cheat yourself. I've learned that it takes repeated viewings to pick up all the nuances and tendencies.

Nice to have groupies! Better to have Brazillian groupies!

Ahh, the life of being a handsome, rich, professional soccer player!

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Jeb Bush puts foot in mouth.

"As (Pamela Graham) was being arrested, she told her co-workers, 'Tell my wife I've been arrested.' The wife is the grandmother, and the aunt is the husband," Bush explained, using his fingers to indicate quotation marks to emphasize the word "grandmother."

They two sisters were arrested for stealing $14,000 in public assistance funds, money they collected for keeping Rilya, the 5-year-old who the Department of Children and Families finally realized was missing 15 months after she dissapeared. Their lawyer calls Bush's allegations and comments outrageous and disgusting. Local gay and lesbian advocacy groups were not too pleased either.

"Bet you don't get that in Pensacola," Bush told his guests, a group of lawmakers from Florida's Panhandle.

Yuck, yuck, yuck! I don't know if Jeb was implying that they don't have gays and lesbians in Pennsacola, or if some of his conservative constituents are too dumb to get the poor joke.

Confederate flag flap at school board meeting.

Freedom of speech means that we will not always like what we hear. The speech that we dislike the most is probably the speech we need to protect with the most passion. Therefore, if a bunch of kids in Cherokee County, Georgia, want to be known as ignorant, racist, redneck hicks, then we should let them.

"I'm concerned [about] what students are being taught in the schools. I'm a taxpayer and I think I have a right to know. It bothers me that a flag of honor is considered racist. It's not racist to be Southern."

No, it is not racist to be southern. However, if you are driving around in a truck with a rebel flag on the bumper, wearing a rebel flag t-shirt to your first day of 9th grade for the third time, and thinking your cousin with the big hair is kind of cute, then you could be a redneck racist.

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More on the child who died after being left in a car while her mother was at work.

While I still have to place blame on the mother for doing a very stupid thing, I can understand that she was under great pressure. Her 3-year-old daughter had Down's Syndrome, and sometimes there was no childcare available. She had difficulty holding jobs since she frequently had to take time off to care for the child. She had nobody to watch the girl on this particular day, and had been told to show up for her latest job or be fired. She showed bad judgment, but maybe she felt like she had no other choice. She kept trying to hold jobs to support herself and her little girl, but lack of reasonable childcare was a constant roadblock to a better life.

How hard do we need to make it for people to get ahead in this country? This was a woman who was not sitting at home on welfare, but out trying to make a good life. She was caring for a child with Down's Syndrome, yet still fighting to get ahead. Where is the compassionate conservatism? Where is affordable childcare? Why aren't there accessible programs providing childcare for children with special needs? Why was this lady put in such terrible circumstances? Rather than see another CEO get paid millions a year, I would rather see a company invest in childcare for their employees. Do you want to see employee loyalty? Help provide for your workers what they truly need.

The woman is now distraught. She is being charged with murder. Two lives have ended. I am very glad I am not a judge presiding on this case. There are some very tough decisions here.

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From South Knox Bubba on my comments for the entry below. I felt it needed to be near the letter. A great photo!

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Should they use guns, or swords, or hot air?

Dear Mr. Hussein,

Georgie won't be able to come out and play today, or the next. He is busy with his G. I. Joe and Johnny West action figures. Some days he likes to play Army, other days Cowboy and Indians. Usually he has fun and does not hurt himself.

I, however, will not let him come out and play Duel. Georgie does not like to play games where there is not a surrogate getting hurt. He likes to play with his vibrating football table, but would never play real football. Might get hurt, can't do it!

Maybe instead of Duel, you can play Monopoly? Georgie is good at Monopoly, if he gets to be the banker. I don't understand all the rules he tells me about, but he always wins!

Dick won't be able to play either. He just doesn't have the heart for it.

Have a great day!

Georgie's Mom

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Is he trying too hard to meet the girl next door?

"There's real estate signs, and garage sale signs, why can't there be a girlfriend wanted sign?"

How about because it is not cool?

I believe in new ways to meet people. Online personals have proved successful for many people. The 5 minute date parties seem like they might be fun. Blind dates can even workout. Placing a 'Girlfriend Wanted' sign in your front yard seems a bit desperate, and desperate guys never get the girl!

Shep Slater has said that he tried many other methods of meeting women, and none of them have worked.

"I've been to bars. They don't work. I've done the church thing. I've tried going on cruises and that sort of stuff. I've done the Internet. I spent six months on the Internet. I was the one percent that never hooked up with anybody through the Internet."

While Slater used to be a standup comedian, this is no joke. He now owns his own landscaping business and wants to put down roots, or maybe spread fertilizer. If you may be interested in dating or meeting Shep, you can visit his website and see if a relationship with him can bear fruit.

How many times must we read this story?!

If you leave your kid in a car during the day, you kid can die. Your kid will most likely die if you leave them in your car all day. Then while you are in jail, you can contemplate what a really stupid idea that was.

Bob Barr has been very busy.

Maybe he and Cynthia McKinney can share packing tips. My advice would be to use lots of tape.

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File under "Never piss off your waiter / waitress" category.

One of many reasons not to piss off your spouse, and to clean up after yourself.

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America does not need one party running the government

An article that discusses what truly scares me; Republicans running all branches of the government. From the beating the judicial system would take to the ruined economy, just too much to really comment on. Just make everybody read it. The Democratic party needs to read it also.

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Fathers using DNA to disprove paternity get no relief.

A couple of years ago I read about a court case in Massachusetts involving paternity fraud. A man had DNA evidence that the child he had been paying child support for was not his biological daughter. His ex-wife had been unfaithful, bore a child, and had been racking up in child support. Not only did Massachusetts high court affirm a lower court's decision to require the man to continue supporting the child, it affirmed a large increase in support. I could not believe it

As it turns out, that case was not an isolated case. Paternity fraud has existed for many years, and continue to exist with the government and court's permission. Most states have refused to let DNA testing absolve duped fathers of child support orders. Courts have consistently kept the non-biological father on the hook, regardless of whether the father had any involvement in the child's life.

The biggest argument is that while forcing a non-biological father to pay support is inherently unfair, denying support may hurt the child. While a child's interests do need to be considered wouldn't finding the actual father, enforcing a support order on him, and allowing the child to get to know their biological father prove to be fair for the non-biological father, and in the best interest of the child?

Lowell Jaks, president of the Internet-based Alliance for Non-Custodial Parents Rights, thinks the right for a child to know their biological father is in their best interest:

"You just can't lie to kid. The truth is that this or that man is or is not his or her biological father, period. It is a basic part of your identity."

An interesting article with some emotional discourse. The debate is heated, after all it does involve our two most precious possessions- children and money.

Noooooooo! He's back

Newt Gingrich has signed with Fox News to be an on-air commentator just in time to steal Christmas joy from all the little citizens of Whoville. This short story in the AJC's Buzz column included this dandy:

"I am thrilled to be a part of not only a 'fair and balanced' news organization but the best in the country,'" gushed Gingrich in a Fox News press release Tuesday. It could not immediately be determined whether Gingrich used his fingers to make air quotes when he uttered the phrase "fair and balanced."

I don't think he did use his fingers for the little quotation marks, seeing how two of them must have been crossed behind his back when he said "fair and balanced."

Ari Fleischer and the Bush White House support assassination.

In order to save the United States $9 billion the White House is encouraging the people of Iraq to assassinate Saddam Hussein. Of course Bush referred to it as:

Assa.... assa..... assasa..... They should just kill him!

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T. Bogg takes Sullivan to task.

With his newly designed, lemony fresh web log, Tom Bogg dissects Andrew Sullivan and his latest comments regarding Congressman Jim McDermott. The congressman has suggested that Bush is being deceptive if not outright lying.

First, I am glad somebody reads and tries to verify Andy's work. I can't read the crap anymore than I can read Coultier. Too much spin makes me nauseous and gives me a headache. Second, Tom Bogg is freaking hilarious while actually pointing out the shortcomings and misrepresentations in Andy's work. Finally, his choice of nicknames is inspired.

If you cannot read his whole blog, do read this one entry.

Maroon 5

Tom Bogg also commented on a new band, Maroon 5, a few days ago, getting away from his political beat. I had just downloaded their first single from Salon- as a treat for being a Salon Premium member- and was glad to see somebody else notice them. Yesterday I purchased their cd Songs About Jane and was floored during the first play. I would suggest Adam Levine is channeling Stevie Wonder, except for the bit about Stevie still being alive. The songwriting is centered more on guitar riffs, as opposed to Wonder's use of keyboards, yet the vibe is there. You could sprinkle a little Terence Trent D'Arby and add a pinch of Red Hot Chili Peppers to the description of this R & B / Pop fusion. I would say you should be hearing this shortly on the radio, but with the corporate monopoly dictating playlists, I doubt you will. Just go buy the damn thing.

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What really scares me?

The possibility of Iraq having weapons of mass destruction does not. A person getting on my flight with fingernail clippers does not. The possibility of the New Kids on the Block getting back together does not. Okay, maybe that last one does just a bit. What really scares me is the chance of the Senate having a Republican majority and allowing Bush to pack the federal courts with conservatives.

Torricelli pulling out of the New Jersey Senate election has strengthened  my fear. He waited until 36 days before the election, when state law requires any replacement to be named 48 days in advance. The Democratic Party will have to seek approval from the state general attorney, who happens to be a Democrat also. The Republicans will contest any substitution, which means a lawsuit. I have a feeling the political affiliation of the judge hearing the suit will impact his decision. If Torricelli had withdrawn from the election a few weeks ago, this situation would not exist.

No longer do elected officials care about their constituents, nor their party. They seem to care only about themselves, and basing their decisions on their wants and need is not good for our country. Torricelli did his state and country a disservice.

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Funny that this story should appear today.

Today ends the summer casual dress experiment in my office. We go from khakis to dress slacks, sports shirts to dress shirts, loafers to wing tips. Life as we have come to know it is altered forever.

I did not mind wearing suits prior to this summer. While back in college, I longed for a job where I did not have to wear a nametag or wash my hands before going to the restroom. I liked dressing sharp, and looking like I had a great job like I now did. After a summer of plain front khakis, v-neck shirts, and closed toed sandals I now dread returning to business dress.

My biggest complaint with business dress now is the "suit jacket dance." I carry my suit jacket out and hang it up in my car in the morning; if it is cold I wear it out, and then take it off to hang in the car. After driving to work, I put the jacket on and take the elevator up to my office and hang the jacket on a hanger behind my door. I do not touch or acknowledge the existence of said jacket until I leave in the afternoon, when I put the jacket on, walk to my car, and then hang the jacket up again on the little hook in my car. My jackets last forever, the pants do not.

My and my colleague's new plan of attack is to wear sport coats. Either wear or keep a blue sport coat at the office, and wear nice slacks. That way we do not have to buy a nice suit just so we can wear out the pants. It is not quite as dressy, and it would never do for an important meeting or job interview, but will put us in compliance with out dress code.

They never should have even had this little casual dress experiment. Once a person becomes a crack addict they always think of drugs; once an businessman starts up with casual wear he will always long for sport shirts.

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Famous names from the civil rights era are in the news.

I used to always consider the civil rights era as a special time in America. Very courageous and special people were fighting to throw off the racism of the past and achieve equality. I think of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, the SNCC, Medgar Evers and artists such as Marvin Gaye who wrote about our society and its ills. When looking at racist actions that were taking place, it was an embarrassing time for the United States, yet when you look at the valiant struggle being fought, it was a wondrous era. The documentary "Eyes on the Prize" covers much of that fight, and shows all the civil rights leaders in their prime.

The first name back in the news is John Lewis. This civil rights leader has maintained his legacy and shall always be a respected man. Speaking at Howard University, Lewis blasted Bush on his eagerness to engage in war and to forget about the Americans that need help.

[Bush] ''proposes we invade a sovereign nation [and] go to war unattacked, unprovoked, unilaterally. Instead of helping the poor at home, we will bomb the poor abroad. Instead of educating our children, we will teach Arab children the hardships of war. This, I cannot and will not support.''

Lewis was shouting as he accused Bush of using the war to distract us from our countries problems during the coming elections.

''We cannot look to our president for answers. He hopes that we do not hear the victims of Enron, WorldCom and Global Crossing. He hopes that we do not hear the cries of the homeless . . . or the seniors who cannot afford medicine.''

"It makes me so sad to see the president, the commander in chief, going from state to state, city to city, beating the drums of war. Despite all the progress we've made, too many of us are being left out and left behind. It is a battle we [do] not win with guns, tanks, bombs or missiles --- but with ideas, values and principles. War as an instrument of our foreign policy is obsolete.''

The other famous name back in the news is Ralph David Abernathy. This is not the civil rights leader, but his son who has used his name to line his pockets and deceive people.

On parole for "stealing government money, violating his oath of office, lying to investigators, forgery and influencing a witness," Abernathy is now swindling people. Abernathy told other inmates that for large sums of money from their families he would use his influence to get them paroled. In Georgia only a lawyer can take money to assist people with their parole and Abernathy is not a lawyer, nor did he hire one to help these individuals.

With his parole revoked, Abernathy is back in prison. Hopefully it will be awhile before he can continue to drag his father's name through the mud.

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