McCain campaigns for dirtbag Saxby Chambliss

U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)was at the Cobb Enery Performing Arts Center yesterday to to help reelect his Republican buddy Saxby Chambliss (R-Moultrie) to the U.S. Senate.

"Chambliss has been a steadfast defender of the taxpayer's dollar," said McCain. "He's been doing what we Republicans should have been doing the last eight years, and that's restrain spending."

Although Chambliss ended the General Election with a virtual tie against Jim Martain, he must a heavy favorite going into the Dec. 2 runoff. Georgia is a heavily Republican state and the voter turnout will be very different in the runoff.

During the Nov. 4 election, there were record numbers of voters, many of them who turned out to vote against the incumbents on all levels. Many of those voters were first-time voters, or cared only about the presidential race. During the runoff, those voters will be at home and not at the ballots.

I expect a stuanch showing from die-hard voters. These will typically be Republicans and many of them will vote for Chambliss as an anti-Obama/ anti-Democrat vote. It isn't wrong for them to do that. They believe Chambliss and the Republicans will represent their view's best.

I personally am not a fan of Chambliss and it's not because of his political views or how he has performed in office. It is because of his 2002 campaign agianst Max Cleland, which Chambliss won to hold his current office. Cleland, is a war hero that is now confined to a wheelchair and is a triple amputee from his service to this country. During the campaign, Chambliss released a commercial that compared Cleland to the likes of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. Yea, that's right. Don't believe me? Here is the commercial. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKFYpd0q9nE

You can question Cleland's political record (which by most accounts was outstanding) but to compare this war hero to two of the world's most hated men is inexcusable. I find it hard to look past Chambliss' dirty campaigning to ever consider voting for him.

More voting problems

Voting rights groups are trying to stop Georgia elections officials from screening new voters by asking them to prove their identities and citizenship.
Eleventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Stanley Birch has asked the voting groups, the state and the federal government to hammer out a compromise during a long lunch break.
The groups asked a three-judge federal panel Wednesday to stop Secretary of State Karen Handel from matching new voter applications with driver's license and Social Security data.
It comes days after a federal judge rejected their claims.
District Judge Jack Camp said he worried that halting the screenings could lead to "significant voter confusion" before the November 4 election. But he noted the groups still had the option to appeal to the three-judge panel.

Pay up TI

Well, we try to stick to politics here, but TI is an Atlanta homeboy. Check out the latest report:

The mother of two of T.I.'s children has sued the platinum-selling rapper for child support, saying she is having a hard time supporting the boys and now wants a court-ordered arrangement for payment.

Lashon Dixon and T.I. have known each other since they were teenagers and dated before he reached megastar status. They have two sons together, ages 7 and 8.

Dixon says T.I. currently gives her about $2,000 a month to care for the boys, but now she wants to schedule a more stable stipend that is commensurate with his success. Both parties appeared in Fulton County Superior Court on Thursday.

In March, T.I. is expected to be sentenced to at least a year in prison after he pleaded guilty to federal weapon possession charges.

"You can't put lipstick on a pig"

Wow! Barack Obama is already getting a lot of heat from his lipstick on a pig comment. While it isn't a direct shot at Gov. Sarah Palin's comment that lipstick is the only thing that separates a hockey mom from a pit bull, there are some shots that could be implied.

Let's suppose Obama was trying to take an underhanded shot at Palin, what would that message be? Here are a few ideas:

Palin cooks some mean bacon.
She looks like a pig? (hubba hubba)
She is a female chauvinist pig
Palin needs to wear more make up

OK, I know you can come up with better. Please share your thoughts. What was this comment really supposed to mean?

Oh and if anyone cares, here is the actual article. I find it hard to believe this really was a shot after knowing all the facts, but facts don't seem to matter too much in this race.


By NEDRA PICKLER

Associated Press Writer

What's the difference between the presidential campaign before and after the national political conventions? Lipstick.
The colorful cosmetic has become a political buzzword, thanks to Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's joke in her acceptance speech that lipstick is the only thing that separates a hockey mom like her from a pit bull.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama told an audience Tuesday that GOP presidential nominee John McCain says he'll change Washington, but he's just like President Bush.

"You can put lipstick on a pig," he said to an outbreak of laughter, shouts and raucous applause from his audience, clearly drawing a connection to Palin's joke even if it's not what Obama meant. "It's still a pig. You can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change. It's still going to stink after eight years."

McCain's campaign called the comments "offensive and disgraceful" and said Obama owes Palin an apology. Obama's campaign said he wasn't referring to Palin and said the GOP camp was engaging in a "pathetic attempt to play the gender card." Obama's camp also noted that McCain once used the same phrase to describe Hillary Rodham Clinton's health care plan.

Obama followed up by saying Palin is an interesting story, drawing boos at the mention of her name that he tried to cut off.
"Look, she's new, she hasn't been on the scene, she's got five kids. And my hat goes off to anybody whose looking after five. I've got two and they tire Michelle and me out," he said.

In Virginia, a questioner asked Obama to join Republicans and agree that candidates' families and religion are off limits. Palin's pregnant teenage daughter and the teachings of her church, the nondenominational Wasilla Bible Church, have been the subject of scrutiny since McCain picked her as his running mate.

Obama responded that he already has said families are off limits and he's very protective of his daughters, 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha. He said he doesn't want their inevitable future mistakes to become newspaper fodder if he gets to the White House.

Obama also is no stranger to attacks on his religion. He's been the subject of a false rumor campaign saying he's a Muslim, and the racially tinged sermons of his longtime former preacher caused problems for his campaign earlier this year.

He stressed that he's a Christian and "so the fact that Gov. Palin is deeply religious, that's a good thing." He said poking around in her religion or saying it's wrong is "offensive" and he wants to have a debate about the issues.

"But don't give people some sort of religious litmus test because I don't want somebody to question my faith and I'm certainly not going to question somebody else's," he said.

Obama on cable: duel of softballs vs. shout-downs

Here is an interesting piece I just saw. Check it out



By DAVID BAUDER
AP
Television Writer

NEW YORK (AP) _ Barack Obama competed against himself Monday with interviews airing simultaneously on two different networks. They might as well have been two different galaxies.


The Democrat waded into cable TV's blood feud, between Keith Olbermann of MSNBC and Bill O'Reilly of Fox News Channel, becoming as much a bit player as any even-odds presidential candidate can be.

In one interview Obama had to fight — not always successfully — to keep from being shouted down. In the other he couldn't succeed in keeping a straight face at the ease of the softballs tossed at him.

We'll leave you to guess which is which.

Obama sat down with O'Reilly first last week. The Fox News Channel host aired a portion of the interview last Thursday, and it became the second-highest rated episode of "The O'Reilly Factor" ever. He'll spread the interview out over two more nights this week.

O'Reilly came after the senator for an income tax plan that Obama said would lower tax rates for 95 percent of Americans while increasing rates for the richest citizens to Clinton administration levels.

The Fox host complained that Obama wanted "50 percent of my success." They fought briefly over numbers, and Obama said to O'Reilly, "you can afford that." O'Reilly said Obama's plans would promote class warfare. He called him "Robin Hood Obama" and said his tax plan was a "socialist tenet."

"If I'm sitting pretty and you've got a waitress who is making minimum wage plus tips, and I can afford it and she can't, what's the big deal for me to say I'm going to pay a little more?" Obama said. "That's neighborliness."

O'Reilly said he and others he knew would be be making less stock transfers if the Obama tax plan went through. "It's going to come back and haunt you, senator," O'Reilly said.

It was a much different atmosphere at the MSNBC studio in Rockefeller Center. Olbermann interviewed Obama campaign on Monday and will run it in two parts with the second one on Tuesday.

He criticized a McCain television ad that characterized him and Palin as mavericks who can get things done.
What, he asked Obama, could he do to prevent people from lying about his record? "Why do people hesitate to use the word 'lie' about these things?"

Olbermann drew the smile from Obama when he asked whether the candidate should use more "exclamation points" in its statements. "Have you thought of getting angrier?" he asked.

He praised Obama for his use of the word "enough" in his convention acceptance speech and wondered why the Republicans, in his words, were having success muddying the waters of the campaign.

"The Republicans cannot always govern, but they run very smart campaigns," Obama said.

O'Reilly said he had frequently interrupted Obama because he didn't want to let him wander. Olbermann let him wander, lapse into stump speeches, and ducked when Olbermann asked him the most direct question, about whether he believed Sarah Palin had enough experience to be president.

"I'll let Gov. Palin answer that," Obama said with a smile. "I'm sure she'll be appearing on your show."

It's Sarah Palin's turn: What she must say tonight

Now it's Sarah Palin's turn.

Seldom has someone who hopes to introduce herself to a nation gotten such an unwanted introduction by her critics beforehand.

Tonight, she has to define herself. The media has already painted a picture of her, but tonight she can show the country who she is for herself.

So far, we know the personal story of the 44-year-old mother of five and a soon-to-be grandmother. There is the pregnancy of her 17-year-old daughter, Bristol,who is playing a surprising role in the campaign. Tonight the soon to be father, 18-year-old Levi Johnston, plans to join the Palin family at the convention, presenting something of a three-generation tableau on stage.

But tonight should be more the political story of someone who may be highly popular in Alaska, but is largely unknown throughout the nation. It turns out that, as mayor of tiny Wasilla, she hired lobbyists to draw earmark money from Washington - the evil that McCain promises to eliminate as president - raising questions about how much of a "reformer'' this running mate of a self-styled "original maverick'' really is.

It turns out that as a longtime member of the Wasilla Assembly of God - she since has changed churches - she espouses a faith that may carry a lot of appeal to the Evangelical Christian base of the Republican Party but cause pause among independent voters: On the stage of that church this year, she called the war in Iraq "a task that is from God'' and a new pipeline "God's will.''

Supporters say she knows something about foreign policy because Alaska sits next door to Russia. But Palin's own world travels, with a not-long-issued passport, appear to center on her visit to the Alaska National Guard deployed in Iraq. It is said, too, that Palin has more executive experience than Democrat Barack Obama - presiding for less than two years over the government of a state of 670,000, and having run and served on the council of a city that had about 5,500 citizens at the time.

Now it will be Palin's turn to tell her story, and there is a potential for a big audience here at this convention that got off to such a slow, storm-soaked start.

The first real night of the Republican National Convention

I just finished watching Joe Lieberman's speech and I must say the entire evening was very interesting.

As expected, the Republicans really pushed John McCain's history as a POW. And why not? It is a truly magnificent story and McCain is truly an American hero.

Fred Thompson really laid it out well. He went over the story in detail, explaining how McCain spent 5 1/2 years being tortured. Thompson acknowledged that being a POW doesn't make you a good president, but he argued it showed the character we are looking for in a president. Good point.

Another point from Thompson, and later Lieberman, is that McCain voted to send more troops over to Iraq last year and we are now winning the war. That is good, but they failed to mention that Barack Obama also voted in favor of this (oh and everyone in America knew we had to do that to win the war). But, in fact, this seems to show a weakness for McCain. When it was extremely unpopular to vote against the war and the Bush machine, it was Obama who opposed it.

The Republicans are saying how bold McCain was last year, but what about when the war first began? Wasn't Obama the correct one back then? That decision is one of the main reasons he catapulted to the top of the Democratic party.

I was also not surprised to see Lieberman speaking tonight. Throughout his career, his beliefs have strongly favored the Republicans, as we saw when he lost the Democratic primary for his Senate seat. He quickly became an Independent, and after getting the Republican voters, he won. Sure he is/was a Democrat, but it seems like it was just lip service. But it was very smart to put him there as the Keynote speaker. Imagine, seeing a former Democrat debunking his own party.

What is really odd about this convention is the Republicans are running against themselves. In every speech they admit we are experiencing tough times. They are trying to embrace George W. Bush, but not embrace the past 8 years under his control (including many of those years when the Republicans controlled the Senate and the House).

So here they are openly advocating change, when they have been in charge.

Tonight the RNC did a good job of tugging the heart, McCain's story is amazing and his character is unquestioned. He is clearly a leader. The question will be, are his policies different from the past 8 years and will they be effective? That is something he will have to prove to America before the end of this convention.

Gov. Sarah Palin is set to speak on Wednesday and she has a whole list of other issues she could address. She could be the wild card in this thing. If she is impressive, she could bring in tons of votes. On the other hand, if she falls on her face, so will McCain.

The good and bad of Sarah Palin

Well, I admitted I was shocked by John McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. I am trying to keep an objective opinion of her, but the more I learn the harder that is to do. I really get the feeling she was picked just because she was a woman. I am all for a woman being VP or even president, but it can't just be any woman. She would have to have a solid backround.

Anyway here are the pros and cons for her. We'll go cons first, because those are easier for me to make:

Cons:

Palin is a first-term governor who has served less than 2 years. She has governed over Alaska, which has one of the lowest populations in the country. Before that she was a mayor of a very small town, Wasilla, Alaska. She has very little international experience.

Palin is under investigation for her firing of a state official, Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan. She has been instructed to hand over documents and recordings of telephone conversations as part of the inquiry, which grew out of allegations that she sacked Monegan for refusing to fire her former brother-in-law from the state police. But Palin acknowledged that a member of her staff made a call to a trooper in which the staffer suggested that he was speaking for the governor. Palin has admitted that the call could be interpreted as pressure to fire state trooper Mike Wooten, who was locked in a child-custody battle with Palin's sister. She suspended the staffer who made the call.

Her 17-year-old daughter is about to have a child out of wedlock. I don't want to beat up a 17-year-old, but this is a blow for Palin who has touted her triumphs as a mother of 5 children. She has also been a staunch advocate for abstinence.


Pros:
She is a mother of 5, which is hard to do while running a state.

She stood up against Republican leaders and oil companies who wanted to ease restrictions on big oil. It was a corrupt system and she is credited with making a change. She is considered to be an expert on energy policy.

She was a runner-up for Ms. Alaska in 1984. Um, yay!?!

She has "executive experience." She ran a state for almost 2 years as the top dog.

OK, what else am I leaving out about her? What do you think about her?

Barack Obama shows off at DNC

Wow! I just finished watching the Obama speech and I must say I am impressed. He clearly laid out his plan and gave the most inspiring speech I have ever heard.

It is a different ball game now. Barack just took this to an astronomical level. I will post some specifics in the morning, but please post your thoughts. What did you like/hate? What stood out?

HIlary was boring

Well, she did what she was suppose to do at the Democratic National Convention. Hilary Clinton gave a good speech (not great) urging her supporters to back Barack Obama, but I must say it was extremely boring.

There was nothing that memorable about the speech. Sure she is a good public speaker and she was very polished last night, but the speech was missing something. She took a couple of small jabs at John McCain, but nothing worth mentioning.

In fact the most memorable quote from the night came from Bob Casey who claimed McCain voted with George W. Bush on more than 90 percent of all votes. He then said, "That's not a maverick, that's a sidekick!"

He asked why the Republicans deserved 4 more years and began a chant of only "4 more months!"

It was pretty powerful. Agree with him or not, his point was well made and memorable.

The problem is, no one heard this speech. It came on before Hilary and the major tv networks only carried her speech. You had to listen to it on the radio or watch it on GPTV (which I mean, how many people really watch that?). So, it was mostly a wasted speech.

Tonight will Bill Clinton and Joe Biden speak, they should mix it up a little more. I am not for dirty politics and mud slinging, but I feel Obama has to answer some of McCain's recent attacks. Obama doesn't have to attack back, but he has to make his presence known.

The Clintons at the Obama party

Alright here we go. Tonight the Clintons are going to speak at the Democratic National Convention. This should be good. I mean last night with Michelle Obama was great, but now is time to throw some fuel on the fire. This thing is going to cook tonight!

In many ways, the Clintons are the hierachy of the Democratic Party. Bill is idolized by many and Hilary really (I mean really) wanted to be the next president. Will they play nice? Or will there be few jabs in there?

I suspect they will do their best to bring the Democratic party back together after a divisive primary, but I am hoping there will be some sort of slip up. I like Obama, but I also like some good ol' fashion drama.

What do you think will happen?

The good and bad of Joe Biden

By now we all know Barack Obama's pick for his vice president is Joe Biden, but what do we know about him?

Here are the pros and cons of Biden:

Pros:

Biden has already demonstrated an appetite for defending Obama and taking on McCain, particularly on foreign policy issues. In May, he criticized President Bush for attacking those like Obama who favor reaching out diplomatically to regimes like Iran and North Korea.

The senator also offers a compelling personal story. His first wife, Neilia Hunter, died in a car accident in 1972 as she was driving their three children shortly after his election as U.S. senator. Their infant daughter was also killed but their two sons -- Beau and Hunter -- survived their injuries.

Biden, then 30, was sworn in as a first-term senator at his sons' bedside.

Biden has long harbored aspirations to be president himself. He ran this year, but dropped out of the Democratic presidential race in January after he finished fifth with less than a percent of the vote in the Iowa caucuses.

"I'm not a superstar," he said while stumping in Iowa. "People say they like me, people tell me they think I'd be a good president but that they just don't think I can win."

Along with his Senate Foreign Relations post, which recently took him on a trip to Georgia after the Russian invasion, Biden has been chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and has had a hand in legislation on crime, terrorism and drug policy.

He is popular with many Democratic Party activists and may help Obama with less affluent voters who have been cool to him.

Here are the cons of Biden:

As a 36-year Senate veteran, Biden is a Washington insider, an image that is at odds with the theme of change Obama has promoted.

Biden supported the 2002 resolution in favor of military action in Iraq. Obama has made his opposition to the war a centerpiece of his campaign. However, Biden has become a persistent critic of the handling of the war.

Barack attacks Georgia

The Barack Obama campaign announced this afternoon that it would open 15 more offices throughout Georgia this weekend, officially putting the state on notice. Once these open, there will be a total of 27 offices in the state.

“We are reaching to every corner of the state, even areas that maybe haven’t voted for a Democrat before,” said Antwaun Griffin, Georgia state director for the campaign, in a press release.

The campaign currently has offices in Thomasville, Cumming, Albany, Winder, Valdosta, downtown Atlanta, Jonesboro, Augusta, midtown Atlanta, Athens, Hartwell, and Gainesville.

Do you think this could swing Georgia in his favor? (Georgia is generally considered a Republican state)


Here are the locations of the new offices.

NEWNAN
25 E Broad Street
Newnan, GA 30263

BRUNSWICK
1919 Glynn Avenue
Brunswick, GA 31520

WARNER ROBINS
1770 Watson Blvd
Warner Robins, GA 31088

WOODSTOCK
180 Parkway 575, Suite 140
Woodstock, GA 30188

DECATUR
2752 Ponce de Leon, Suite F and G
Decatur, GA 30030

MACON
438 Cotton Avenue
Macon, GA 31201

AUGUSTA
852 Broad St.
Augusta, GA 30901

COLUMBUS
3160 Macon Road, Store 4A
Columbus, GA 31906

JESUP
189 N Brunswick St.
Jesup, GA 31546

MONROE
124 Sorrells St.
Monroe, GA 30655

LAGRANGE
411 South Greenwood St, Suite B
LaGrange, GA 30240

GAINESVILLE
1097 Athens St.
Gainesville, GA 30501

DUBLIN
1505 Rice Ave.
Dublin, GA 31021

SOUTH COLUMBUS
905 Third Avenue
Columbus, GA 31901

EAST POINT (FULTON COUNTY)
65 Main St.
East Point, GA 30344

Joe Liberman to be McCain's running mate?

Former Democrat-turned-Independent Joe Liberman might be the next big thing as a Republican. (You remember he was Al Gore's running mate).

Here is a quote from the Washington Times:

Officials with John McCain’s campaign made a series of conference calls Monday and Tuesday with supporters nationwide to say that Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman may be named as the Arizona senator’s vice presidential running mate, immediately sparking a frenzied effort by some state Republican officials to come up with a strategy to head off such a move….

On one hand, I can understand him switching parties because he is very conservative and tends to vote in line with the Repbulicans. But on the other hand is this a flip-flop? I mean does he change parties at a whim?

Considering Liberman's conservative background, this is a very interesting pick. McCain is considered by many to me a very liberal Republican. Liberman could balance that out and could draw more votes from diehard Repbublicans. Then again, it is also Liberman, the former Democrat that would be one of the leaders of the party.

Obama's text messaging campaign

The AJC recently reported this:

Sometime this week, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has promised to let supporters know via text message who he has selected as his running mate.

It’s a mutual exchange. Texters get the info. The Obama gets their contact information for the fall campaign.



What do you think about this? is it fair to get the info of all these texters like this? Or is it just another type of campaign advertising? Would you have any problem being in a candidate's text address book?

McCain playing dirty or is this just dirty campaigning?

I just found this little number:



Does anyone have any info on this? I would like to get some background on this before I blast anyone (I have recently seen a lot of flat out lies circulating on the internet about Obama). So what is the real story behind this?

I know Ralph Reed was involved in a scandal about two years ago that cost him his campaign for Lt. Governor and part of that had to do with ties to gambling money. Unfortunately I don't know the details other than that. Also, I read the Reed was helping to organize a McCain event in Atlanta next month.

Who gets your vote?

Alright, it's unscientific poll time. If the election where held today, who would get your vote for president and why? I am not just limiting this to Barack Obama and John McCain, If you like Bob Barr, tell us why.

Actually, you don't even have to pick a politician. If you think Puff Daddy/Puffy/P. Diddy would make a good president (though he wouldn't), make your argument.

Captain America and Superman are both quality picks, and hard to argue with, but try to dig a little deeper. Who haven't we thought of and why should they be president?

John Edwards finally admits to having an affair

I don't want to say John Edwards is a douche bag, he pretty much admits to it. He finally admitted to having an affair on his wife (who is fighting cancer!), but he isn't taking credit for the rumored love child.

Edwards told ABC News that he lied repeatedly about the affair with 42-year-old Rielle Hunter but said that he didn't love her. He said he has not taken a paternity test but knows he isn't the father because of the timing of the affair and the birth.

Hunter's daughter, Frances Quinn Hunter, was born on Feb. 27, 2008, and no father's name is given on the birth certificate filed in California.

The National Enquirer first reported on the affair in October 2007, and Edwards denied it.

"The story is false," he told reporters. "It's completely untrue, ridiculous." He professed his love for his wife, Elizabeth, who had an incurable form of cancer, saying, "I've been in love with the same woman for 30-plus years and as anybody who's been around us knows, she's an extraordinary human being, warm, loving, beautiful, sexy and as good a person as I have ever known. So the story's just false."

And to think We almost elected this man president! I know we shouldn't pry into this man's personal life too much, but this brings up some huge character flaws. Edwards was a pretty strong candidate for vice president, now they won't even invite him to the convention.

Well, John, looks like your political career is over! So long!

What if Hilary Clinton was Barack Obama's vice president?

OK, I know it sounds crazy, but a Obama/Clinton ticket may be just the thing the Democrats need. Certainly there would be a power struggle and some awkwardness between the the two, making this idea nearly impossible, but think about it.

The race between Clinton and Obama was ugly and divisive. There is a huge number of voters out there that wanted nothing more than to see Hilary win it all. When she was defeated, it turned many of them away in disgust.

If Obama named her VP, many of these voters would jump back on board. There would be an excitement about not only having a black man on the ticket, but also a woman. Sure Obama's run has been historic for race relations, just imagine adding a woman to the ticket.

It would be a nice set up for Hilary if she accepted the position. Assuming they won, it could keep her near the top of the list of potential presidential candidates down the road.

There are rumors that the Clinton clan is actually very bitter and wants to see Obama lose so Hilary can run again in 4 years. Those rumors should be squashed when Bill Clinton is a keynote speaker at the Democratic convention and adding Hilary to the ticket would help keep the Clintons among Democratic royalty.

Just imagine if Bill ends his speech by calling his wife on stage and introduces her as the next vice president. It would cause a huge media buzz.

For the reasons I stated, there is a very slim chance of this actually happening. Do you think it could work? If not, who would make a better VP for either Barack or John McCain?

Newt pushes for drilling

There has been a lot of discussion about drilling for oil recently. Yesterday, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich spoke at the Capitol to push for drilling.

It seems Barak Obama would rather put air in our tires than drill and John McCain is all for drilling while putting up tons of nuclear plants.

I think the nuclear plants are way to drastic. I certainly don't want to live anywhere near one. The answer is somewhere in the middle. Can't we drill for some oil while we aggressively research alternative fuels?

What do you think the solution is?

Perils of a Pizza Guy

A little cross-promotion here. Check out a new, totally irreverent blog titled Perils of a Pizza Guy. It is an interesting view inside the world of a pizza delivery man.

It would be great if the zero number of readers here could also add the readership there (and vice versa).

Check it out at: http://perilsofapizzaguy.blogspot.com/

Also on the horizon for Impeached is a new podcast. So keep your ears open for that. More info coming soon!

Victor Hill and Vernon Jones lose

The results aren't final, but it looks like two of the states most notable politicians appear to be out. Vernon Jones has already conceded in his runoff election and Victor Hill is losing 49 to 51 percent (with almost all votes tallied) in his bid for reelection.

This is surprising to me. These two men might be standing in the unemployment office tomorrow. Have a suggestion for their next career? Perhaps they could team up for a reality show, or perhaps Hill can get a job working security at the mall. I wonder if Jones has any janitorial experience.....

What do you think these infamous men might be qualified for?

RIP- Skip Caray dies at 68

It is a sad day in baseball. It has just been announced that Skip Caray, the voice of the Atlanta Braves, passed away today.

I remember watching Braves games everyday growing up and that cantankerous style of his became something I grew to love. Now whenever I hear another broadcaster, I always compare them to Skip, and it seems none of them measure up.

Thanks Skip for all you were. You were special to so many people.

If you have a favorite Skip memory, please share it. There are many for me, like the time Sid slid and of course when we won the World Series. Then of course there are the times from the many losing seasons the Braves had. It wasn't uncommon for him to pull out the ol' TV guide and tell viewers what they could be watching instead.

Now, please, if you have one of those Skip moments, let me hear about it.

I am impressed with Obama's comments on reparations

Barack Obama is facing some heat from black leaders hoping to receive reparations from slavery. I personally am opposed to reparations for many reasons. Mostly that just because bad things happen, it doesn't mean you should get a check in the mail. But certainly blacks in our country have been put at an unfair disadvantage. There needs to be something to be done to help level the playing field. Anyway, here are some of Obama's comments on the subject:

Said in July 2008--"I have said in the past — and I'll repeat again — that the best reparations we can provide are good schools in the inner city and jobs for people who are unemployed."

Obama says an apology would be appropriate but not particularly helpful in improving the lives of black Americans. Reparations could also be a distraction, he said.

Said in a 2004 NAACP questionnaire-- "I fear that reparations would be an excuse for some to say, 'We've paid our debt,' and to avoid the much harder work."

The Varsity turns 80

Well congratulations! Yesterday, The Varsity turned 80 years old. The Varsity has been a staple in Atlanta ever since it first opened. I mean who hasn't been there before a Braves or Ga. Tech game? Who hasn't had a smothered dog, the orange freeze or those greasy onion rings.

Here is the history of The Varsity, according to its website:

The original Varsity was opened in 1928 on a 70' X 120' lot with a white picket fence by a man named Frank Gordy; a man with a $2000 nest egg and "million dollar taste buds." Through his dedication to freshness, superior quality, advanced technology and serving the best food fast, he gained a reputation that is known worldwide. The Varsity has hosted well known people from the entertainment industry, the sports industry, the Governor's mansion, the White House, as well as visitors from all over the globe. Through Frank Gordy's determination, the original Varsity has grown into a two-story "Lunching Pad" and there are now 6 sister locations. The Varsity has become an Atlanta institution known and loved by all.

Indeed, it has been loved by all. There have been all sorts of parties, celebrations and even a few weddings at the varsity. If you have a memorable Varsity experience, please post it below!

An example of what's wrong with politics

State Sen. Nancy Schaefer is looking for a boost before the Republican primary runoff on Aug. 5. Schaefer, the incumbent candidate, is even willing to bend the truth in a way that I believe misleads voters. It is wrong in so many ways and is exactly what discourages me about politics.

She recently sent out a flyer with a quote from Gov. Sonny Perdue. It seems like a ringing endorsement. Problem is, it's not. Instead, it is just a flattering quote. When you put it on campaign literature, it seems more like an endorsement and less like a kind comment.

Here is what the flyer says:



The problem is, Perdue isn't endorsing anyone for this race. Here is what he said about it:

“I trust the people of that Senate district to make their decisions. I don’t think they need a governor sitting in Atlanta from middle Georgia trying to tell them how to make those decisions. I know I had a few calls over a mail-out that was done.

“It was unfortunate. I had not had any conversation with either of the candidates - either of the three candidates - in there regarding any kind of endorsements, and some people felt I had chosen sides and it was not the case and it’s not the case today,” he said.

The question was raised a few minutes later in the program by a caller, and Perdue reiterated that he had “absolutely not” endorsed anyone in the race. “If I were up there, I could be a little offended if the governor was trying to tell me how to elect my legislative representative.”

You see, politicians aren't afraid to use things and take them out of context. While they may not be telling a lie, they certainly bend it in their favor. It is frustrating to have to deal with these types of games instead of dealing with honest, up front people.

I hope Schaefer loses her reelection bid and is replaced with someone the voters can trust.

A tough year for the number 7

For years the number seven has been synonymous with success. Perhaps it became popular with God created the world and rested on the seventh day. Or perhaps it had something to do with Mickey Mantle, who wore number seven and had a love affair with the nation as a baseball great. Whenever it started, the number seven has had a powerful aura for a long time.

That is until recently.

Earlier this month, the city of Atlanta decided to close down Fire Station No. 7. The city is facing a major budget crisis and Mayor Shirley Franklin decided closing the city's oldest fire station would help. While the decision might help the financial woes, I wonder how residents in that area are allowed to burn. I mean it is kinda like saying, we're going to save some cents and all of you on fire can just stay on fire. (Note to self, don't catch fire in Atlanta)

But I digress. This is about the number seven, not about mass riots and spreading fires.

Our local Atlanta teams have done a pretty good job of diminishing the meaning of number seven recently. The face of arguably Atlanta's most popular team wears number seven and all he has done is be a disgrace. Of course I am talking about Jeff Francour and the Atlanta Braves. The golden boy that grew up in the metro area, can't hit a lick and is struggling in the field. He was even sent to the minors to get his head straight. How can the future star of this organization bounce between the majors and the minors? Since he has been called up, he hasn't been much better. Just last night, the Florida Marlins walked three batters in front of him. What does no. 7 do? Swing at the first three pitches and strike out at a very very high fastball, There's your star, doing what he has done best this season-striking out.

And then there is no. 7 for the Atlanta Falcons. The well-documented Mike Vick disaster that decimated the team and the status of the number 7.

There is an old and corny joke that asks why the number 6 was scared (because 789, of course). But right now, it appears the number 7 is the one shaking in its boots.

Why I didn't vote

I know I should have, but I didn't. Yesterday was pimary Tuesday and I didn't vote. Now part of that was because I had to work all day. Technically, I could have found time to vote but to tell the truth, I just didn't care that much.

I guess I am like many people that only seem to care about the presidential election. I know that our local politicians are more important to us in many ways, but I really have trouble caring about them. And as much as I have tried to follow the races, it all seems like it is the same ol' BS.

So, I didn't really see a reason to vote. Now, why didn't you vote?

What's inside the giant meat Pinata?

Here is a little beauty I saw while wondering around near Pryor St. So, create your own caption or tell us what you think is inside.

Graffiti artists beware!

OK, this is just funny. A dude jumps out of a tree to attack potential graffiti violators. HILARIOUS!!

By TIM EBERLY
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Cabbagetown has had an ongoing problem with graffiti. Early Sunday morning, resident Rodney Bowman took the matter into his own hands.

Bowman perched himself in a tree to catch vandals who had been spray-painting a concrete wall that runs along a set of railroad tracks and borders his neighborhood.

The Krog Street tunnel, which connects Inman Park and Cabbagetown, is Atlanta's wildest, scariest, free art gallery. The concrete canvas is frequently 'updated' by unknown artists.

Around 2:20 a.m., they showed up.

Two young men, Joshua Ward, 19 and Jesse Jaeger, 21, started spray-painting the wall when Bowman sprang from the tree and attacked Ward, according to an Atlanta police report.

"It took me a few seconds to realize what was going on," Jaeger said Wednesday. "This guy just jumps out of a tree. I was like, 'Did that just happen?' We're still telling people about it. It's one of those things that, when you tell people, they don't believe you."

Bowman, 43, walked over to Ward and punched him in the face twice before the young men ran away and called police, the report said.

When an officer arrived, Bowman told him that "he had been watching the area closely" and "jumped out of the tree" to confront the vandals, the report said.

Ward and Jaeger admitted to police that they came to the concrete wall to spray paint, but they said they thought it was legal, the report said.

Jaeger said he and Ward were under the impression the wall -- just a few blocks from the Krog Street tunnel's famed concrete canvas -- was a "free space" where graffiti is allowed.

Jaeger said that, as they starting putting graffiti on the wall, Bowman sprang from the tree that was about 20 feet from them, fell down and walked toward Ward.

"I told you about [expletive] with our wall!" Bowman said, according to the report.

An officer gave Bowman a ticket for disorderly conduct, and Ward and Jaeger were ticketed for defacing a building, the report said.

In front of police officers, Bowman asked the young men what they were doing out there so late at night, Jaeger said.

"You were in a tree at 2:30 in the morning," they replied, according to Jaeger.

Bowman could not be reached for comment.

Clayton County Schools deserve to lose accreditation

Like many of you, I have read the recent comments by new Clayton County Schools Superintendent Dr. John Thompson. He believes the school system will keep its accreditation.

While it is nice for Thompson to be so positive, it is indicative of why the county will become only the second school system to ever lose accreditation.

Let's suppose Thompson actually believes what he is saying. That means he is ignoring some startling facts in front of him. First of all, the school board members who have destroyed the system are still serving on the board. Many have stepped down, but the main culprits still remain. Then there is an entire list of things SACS expects to be completed by Sept. 1. So far, the school board has been very stubborn. It has refused to work with two aides sent by Gov. Sonny Perdue. The aides found the board impossible to work with and basically left town.

And the board is actually finding ways to dig itself into a deeper hole. Graduating seniors didn't get their diplomas due to a printing error. Shortly before that, teachers didn't get paid due to a banking error. There is nothing to make anyone think there has been any improvement.

Now let's suppose Thompson doesn't believe what he is saying. Instead, he is telling the public what they want to hear--which is even worse.

When he told an audience last week he believed the county would keep its accreditation, they erupted in applause. He is sugar-coating something. Trying to hold off the lions for a short time. But the SACS report will come out soon causing Thompson to look ridiculous. And the families of Clayton will be in panic mode. Instead of accepting the grim state of the school system and moving, families will have to scramble. Can they move their kids to another area with less than a month before classes begin? Or will they be forced to put their children in a school system that offers nothing?

Thompson is misleading the public. He needs to own up to the horrific status of his school system and let families prepare for the next school year. I would rather see these students move to an area and receive some sort of education than spend another moment under the misguided leadership that is Clayton County.

What is Impeached?

I have been trying to define Impeached Magazine for some time. Is it a comedy site, a news site or even a sports site? The focus of Impeached has been cloudy since day one. That is mostly due to financial and time restraints, but it is also just a maturing process all publications must go through.

When this first launched, Impeached was going to report on breaking news and throw in a heavy dose of satire to make readers come back. Sounds great, but rather lofty. I quickly discovered there was just no way we could provide breaking news in a timely and funny manner.

So, I decided we would just be a general interest publication--a place for metro Atlantans to turn to for a quick, fun article. That's fine, but rather boring. Nothing made Impeached stand out from the crowd and our intent has always been to focus heavily on politics. During this time, Impeached grew to cover sports and local scene stories. We know readers want more than just politics shoved down there throat, so here was a little flare. These sections will remain a part of Impeached, but will be altered as we move into another phase.
So, here is the new look of Impeached. We will focus on biting commentary which focus heavily on local politics. We will branch out to cover all things the people are talking about. We will not cover breaking news. There are plenty of local news outlets that do this already. We will talk about these events, and occasionally our articles will open new conversations in the community, but we will not strive to be there first.
I have been studying the Great Speckled Bird (the revolutionary Atlanta paper from the 70s) and Impeached will strive to me like the Bird in many ways. I recently saw this quote which originally ran in the Bird on August 20, 1973:

"In this world of corporate bigness, greed, private interest, exploitation, and cynicism, the BIRD stands in opposition, trying to tell the truth that doesn't fit into the established interests' world and trying to help build a consciousness and a movement to change this country and the world. We think that is something important to do."
This is exactly what Impeached will aim to be.
But how will we do it? The Bird had things like Vietnam and civil rights to confront. What does Impeached have to fight? On the national level, there is a war going on in Iraq and on terrorism. Gas prices are climbing. The president's approval rating is tumbling. There is a historic battle to see who will be the next president. Locally, there are more issues. Why is Brian Nichols' trial taking so long? Has Shirley Franklin really done anything to better Atlanta? Is Bob Barr for real?
Indeed, the world of corporate bigness, greed, private interest, exploitation and cynicism is pressing on us more than it ever has before. In the spirit of the Bird, we will tackle these issues and build a consciousness among our readers.

Just funny

Later today I will post a serious blog about the direction of Impeached and how it will achieve some lofty goals I have. But while I am letting my thoughts completely marinate, check this out. It is just plain funny!

Who Shot Ya?

Kayne West Flashing Lights video with Eric Hudson

I am finally getting some props for the work I did with Kayne. Check it out here. 

They actually named me instead of just giving Kayne all the credit. I mean the guy has won 10 Grammys and hasn't mentioned my name once!

Do you really think he came up with Jesus Walks by himself? Nope, he didn't. We were hanging out at a construction site when our buddy Jesus (pronounced with a H) stood up after a nasty bout with an ingrown toenail. I shouted "Jesus walks!" and the rest is history.

Kayne got all Hollywood on me after that, until finally he asked for some help on this Flashing Lights song. Again, this one was my idea. We were spelunking and the flashlight kept going out. I said something about it and next thing you know, we have another hit.

Kobe vs. MJ

Now, I am not a fan of the Kobe and MJ comparisons. In fact, I think the Lakers loss the the Celtics clearly shows that Kobe never will be MJ.  He simply doesn't have the mindset that MJ had.

You can say, Kobe doesn't have the surrounding cast that Jordan had, but he has a pretty good one. He just lost with Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Derrick Fisher. They seem pretty solid to me. Let's not forget he also lost a finals series with Shaq.

Who did MJ have other than Scottie Pippen? There was Dennis Rodman for a short time. But Rodman never did anything offensively. Other than those two guys, MJ won with a slew of nobodys.

There was Jon Paxton, BJ Armstrong, Luke Longley, and even Ron Harper for a little bit. Point is, none of these players were world beaters. They were good, but MJ lifted them all up and took over. He willed his team to championships and that is something Kobe just can't do.

Now with all that said, here is an interesting video I found. The maker of it claims each of the shots were gathered on the exact same day just 10 years apart. Enjoy....

See more funny videos at CollegeHumor

Atlanta Hawks Mike Woodson gets an extension?

There are very early reports that Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Woodson will be signing a new three year extension.

Now, Woodson seems like a nice enough guy, buy WHY would you want him back?

In the four years he has already been in Atlanta he has garnered a record of 106-222. While he has managed to improve slightly each year, he has constantly failed to get his very talented team to play under pressure. 

Before the Celtics series, Woody was a complete disaster. All the talk was how this team shouldn't be struggling to get in the playoffs, there was simply too much talent for them to play so bad. But they managed to back into the playoffs. They finally played inspired basketball (at home anyway). Until the biggest game. In game 7 they laid an egg. The coach again showed he cannot inspire his team.

Also, he has trouble developing players. Woodson and Josh Smith haven't seen eye to eye for some time. Woodson can't seem to explain to Smith that his strength is in the inside. Smith continues to throw up 3-pointers and ugly jump shots. Woodson has done nothing to improve Smith's game.

So given the fact that Woodson is back, it makes one wonder if the team is also giving up on Smith. He is too talented to let get away and with proper coaching (say anyone other than Woody) Smith could be one of the game's elite.

Woodson, your a good guy, but a sub-par coach. The Hawks need someone to come in here to kick some ass and teach these young players. They need someone with some fire to come in here and set this thing straight. Woody, you're just not that man.

related article Mike Woodson: "I am finally starting to understand this coaching thing"

Will there be rioting if Obama loses?

You probably remember 1991, when Rodney King was pulled over for speeding and beaten by four white LAPD officers. The beating was captured on video camera and caused many to wonder why such force was used.

The matter was taken to court and a jury consisting of 10 white guys, one Latino and one Asian acquitted the police officers and were set free.

The decision ignited one of the largest riots in American history. The black population saw an injustice (rightfully so) and decided to take to the streets.

So now, with Barack Obama making a serious push to be our next president, how will the African American population react if he doesn't win? Will they simply say that is the system and he should have gotten more votes? Or will they feel Obama would have lost simply because he is a black man? Will the hope they now have of seeing a black man in the Oval Office completely turn around on them and make them upset?

If they became angry and disillusioned with American politics, it could send shock waves across the nation. Imagine all these people that were given such hope getting angry. Instead of a three day riot in L.A., there could be a huge nationwide riot.

Now I realize the chances of that are extremely slim, but I do have to wonder what it would do for the psyche of many minorities. They are currently being built with hope. But what happens if that hope gets crushed? Will it discourage them and cause them to think a black man could never become president?

I personally think little will happen. Actually, I think Obama will win, but if he doesn't there will be those who are naturally upset. But instead of taking to the streets, I would hope there would be an amount of pride in the accomplishments Obama made. I would hope minorities would see this not as a set back, but a major step in the right direction.

What do you think?

The iPhone 3G isn't as expensive as you think

Like many of you, I am salivating over the new iPhone 3G. I mean what isn't to like? It just costs $199 and comes with GPS navigation and numerous other new applications. 

So, I marked my calendar and prepared to buy a new iPhone on July 11 when Apple will begin selling it. I should at least consider the monthly cost of this puppy so I did some research and was initially set back. 

According to the AT&T release, the cheapest plan for the iPhone includes a $30 data plan (up from the original $20 plan for the first iPhone) which must be paired with a calling plan. Since the cheapest calling plan is $40, it seems the iPhone would cost me roughly $70 a month.

This isn't an outrageous price, but when I am currently paying less than $60 a month for two cell phones seemed a little steep. In order for me to keep two lines I would either have to have 2 separate  lines from 2 carriers, or buy two iPhones and purchase a family plan. 

The two separate lines wouldn't make much sense for me. I would have to pay the monthly $70 bill and my wife would have to pay about $40 for her phone. 

If we got the family plan, we would have to spend $400 on iPhones and then pay a monthly fee of at least $100.

Either option seemed too pricey for me. But I started to wonder, do I really need that $30 data package? I mean, I am almost always around a wireless internet connection. I have wireless available to me at work and at my house. Would the iPhone work without that data thing?

So, I called AT&T to ask. According to them, I do not need the data package and would not be required to buy one when I purchased the new phone. The data package is simply there so you can connect when you are not in a hot spot. 

That means I could simply buy a voice plan for the iPhone. Instead of paying $70 a month, I am looking at a fee of $40 a month which is much more acceptable.

I certainly hope the voice plan will drop in price, but for all the extras you get with this phone, I don't mind paying a little more. I don't want to double my cell phone bill as I thought I would have too, but I can handle paying a small amount more. 

I do hope that Apple and iPod make it well known that the phone will work with out the data package. But I doubt they will, considering all the money they can rake in from it.

Thursday Thunder and Friday Night Drags

I just got back from the Atlanta Motor Speedway where they had a press event to announce the 11th season of Thursday Thunder and Friday Night Drags.

These are really some exciting race events. I am not a huge race fan, but I have been to a few Thursday Thunder events and they are really quite fun. AMS does a good job of mixing in some entertainment with its racing.  

In some ways, I thought it was more fun than an actual NASCAR event. Part of that is because I am not a NASCAR fan, but part of that is because there is always something going on at these smaller races. There is always some little side show and funny games involving the crowd. Plus, it is very inexpensive. 

Brandon Hutchinson from AMS said he recently went with his son to watch a car racing movie. The matinee cost him $26 after tickets and concessions. He said he could have take his son to watch an actual race at the AMS and gotten concessions for $11.

Certainly, these events don't have the big stars like Jeff Gordon and Junior, but that also means there is a lot more fan access. It is certainly worth checking out, especially for families looking for an inexpensive, fun evening. 

For more info, check out www.atlantamotorspeedway.com. Also, I will post an article on the races later this week.

Hanging with Scotty U.

On Saturday morning, Madden and I hung out with Scotty. He is an old friend that I actually made back in high school. I was about 16 when i first met him. We worked together as ushers at the movie theater. We happened to bump into each other last year at the mall and now hang out on occasion. Scott is a really cool guy. Very very funny and just fun to hang with.

This time we made out way out the the Atlanta Car Show. Before going, i made it a goal to get a picture of Madden with some of the car models. I mean how funny would it be to have baby Madden posing with bikini models like a pimp? But for some reason, the model aren't in bikinis. I guess they want to look respectable. Instead, they are in business suits.

So really you go just to look at the cars. There were a ton of them. Just off the top of my head only the Hummers and the Charger (now the Challenger) made a big impact on me.

The hummer because it looks horrible. All the corners are rounded off now and it looks like every other SUV! When someone gets a Hummer they want it to look like the original army machine it was and if you spend that much on a vehicle (and its gas) it better stand out from the other cars on the road.

The Challenger is basically the old Charger slightly updated. That thing is a good old fashion muscle machine. I love it. It is modern but reminds you of the days when cars were made out of metal instead of plastic.

We spent about 2 hours at the car show and managed to get lost walking over to the CNN center, but all in all it was a blast.

Sometimes journalism is lame

Last night I covered the Fayette County Commissioners meeting. I knew beforehand it would likely be boring, but I desperately needed a story and decided to go.

So, I got down there (a 45 minute drive from my office) just in time and found a seat. As I thought, it was boring and nothing news worthy really happened. Thankfully the meeting was going quick and the main part of it was over in about 40 mins.

Right at the end the commissioners dismissed for an executive sesssion (a private meeting where not even media is allowed to attend) and I was going to leave then. In fact, I was standing in the doorway when I heard one commissioner tell someone else they might want to stick around. "You might want to stick around. The real fireworks will begin later," he said. Hearing that, there was no way I could leave.

So I sat and waited while they had their private meeting. And then I waited some more and then some more. I was there for another hour just waiting.

They said the meeting was about some litigation taken against them, so I figured something big might happen with that, but when they finally returned they didn't bring the hammer I thought they would. Instead, they said they passed some zoning issues and talked about the litigation and that was it. Once they came back out, the public meeting was dismissed within 5 minutes.

All my waiting was for nothing. Journalism can be like that at times. Sometimes you do all this digging and all this waiting to find absolutely nothing. I guess that what makes it fun when you actually do find something.

I remember when I was covering Clayton County and was able to dig up some info on Commissioner Wole Ralph. He was going through a divorce with his wife and had her thrown out of a public meeting. He claimed she was stalking him and interfering with his work. He didn't realize she was at the meeting to make a presentation on behalf of Lovejoy (a city in Clayton).

I decided to look at the divorce papers and I found out he had taken a restraining order out on her. I called the wife to get some info and was told the reason she was calling him and trying to reach him was because he basically walked out on her. She didn't really know where he was or that he was leaving her. Oh yea, another thing I found out from the reports was that he was leaving her for another woman.

So sometimes, journalism pays off. Sometimes, like last night, it doesn't.

5 ways to make the Tour de Georgia better

With the Tour de Georgia racing through town in just a few weeks, I thought of a few ways to make the event more interesting. Let's face it, professional cycling is about the lamest spectator sport around. Even when Lance Armstrong was involved, there was no reason to watch anything more than the Sports Center highlights.

As a matter of fact, all that spandex actually makes it impossible to watch. So here we go, 5 ways to make the sport more interesting:

5. Drive behind a group of cyclers. Tell them to get out of the way by constantly honking at them and yelling that your wife is in the car giving birth.

4. Dig a huge hole in the ground and cover it with leaves. Placement is key here. Putting it right before the finish line is probably the best spot for this.

3. Every specator gets an airhorn!

2. Reroute the course so it goes into a mountain. Paint the mountain so it looks like a tunnel. Wyle E. Coyote would be so proud!

1. Now, I don't know why this isn't already in the race, but they need some ramps so the bikers could make some sweet jumps. Cyclists would get extra points for style and even more points for crashes!

The DMV is lame!

I have to get up at the butt-crack of dawn in the morning to get in line at the DMV and stand in line. All I need is a new license plate for my car which should take about 5 minutes tops. But knowing the DMV, it will get stretched into 4 hours or more. If, by the grace of God, there isn't a long line, there will be some forms I forgot or need to fill out.

Tomorrow won't be fun, look for an interesting post about the entire experience.

What did our trip to the Dominican really mean?

Last week, I had the pleasure of going on a mission trip with my church, Vinings Lake, to the Dominican Republic. While we were there, we played with children in a sugar cane village, visited orphans (some of them severely handicapped) and even did some street ministry.

All of it was amazing and had a huge impact on my family. While I know God worked wonders in our hearts, I wonder what effect we had on the Dominicans? Were we merely some Americans that came to play with them? Did they really hear our message that Jesus loves and accepts them?

I really hope we had a lasting impact on those Dominicans and while it is impossible to fully know the answer to that, it is comforting to know we planted the seed.

Suppose for some reason, we didn't reach a single person. At the very least, we helped introduce and educate them on a religion they may not have heard of or didn't understand. That is the first step.

There are those that think mission trips are a way of pushing religion on others. I think that is nonsense. It is simply educating them. There is nothing we can do to make them follow Jesus without there will. In some ways, it is like someone telling you about evolution or the big bang theory. You can listen and make your own conclusion. Now certain things can persuade you, like facts (Jesus has a little advantage with the Holy Spirit, grace, love and not to mention tons facts and proof). While Jesus may work in the hearts of those people we spoke to, there was nothing pushy about what we did. We merely presented what we know.

So, what if the shoe was on the other foot? Suppose a group of Chinese people came to me to tell me about Buddha. I would sincerely listen. Being a Christian does not mean you should be naive and close-minded. Instead, we should be open to others. We should learn about other religions and theories. We can make our own decisions as to what we believe.

And just as I was informed about Jesus and decided to follow him, now those Dominicans have been exposed to it and can make their own decision.

Isaiah 52:7 says, How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"

So, our trip was a success even if we didn't save a soul. We informed the Dominicans and planted a seed.

If I were president . . .

If I were president I would make a few changes to the White House. For starters, the “White” House sounds kinda racist, so I would mix every color of paint I could find at Home Depot and paint it that color. Then again, since there have only been white men in office there, perhaps the name is appropriate. I would have to talk that one over with my advisors.


Speaking of advisors, I would make sure I had really intelligent, capable advisors — especially if I were an average student that had an alcohol problem and a rumored drug habit.



For instance, I would make sure that my FEMA director had at least volunteered some time with the American Red Cross. If his previous job was at the International Arabian Horse Association, I don’t think I would appoint him.


If for some reason America was attacked while I was president, I would focus all my energy on retaliating against the attackers. Unless of course I found out another country might have some weapons of mass destruction, then I would go after that country too. Then if none of those weapons were ever found, I would tell everyone that I didn’t really want to find them anyway. I was really trying to spread democracy. I mean what is more noble than that? If somebody questioned me about these actions, I would get mad and tell them they were hurting national security.



If I decided to go to war and the United Nations didn’t back me, I would just ignore them. I mean come on, I would be president of the US of A. Then, when I wanted to stop another country from building nuclear weapons, I would beg the UN to sanction and penalize that country. Sure, using the UN only when it is convenient might look bad, but like I said, I would be president of the world’s most powerful country.



I would probably need a pretty good press secretary. Who could deal with the press better than a journalist? Especially one that already agreed with everything I did and knew how to spin things in my favor? Sean Hannity would obviously be my first choice. 

Then I would tackle this whole national debt thing. Seems to me the best way to pay back a debt is to spend money frivolously. What, you want a tax break because you have children? No problem! In fact, here, have some money. See we owe trillions, but what’s a few million more? Perhaps I could curtail spending, but if I kept giving money to the rich, they could put it back into the economy. It worked for Reagan, why wouldn’t it work for me?



If I were president, I would also spend as much time away from the office as possible. I mean being president is stressful. Let me spend some time on my ranch.



Also, I would have Jeff McCord at 4864 Evergreen Blvd. in Nashville, Tenn., eliminated. He knows why. 



Big Momma, big tipper

As some of you may know, I have a second job delivering pizzas. My full-time job as a newspaper editor pays OK, but the money gets a little thin when paying for a family of four.

So, I worked my second job last night and walked into a hilarious little scene.

It was a slow delivery night on Tuesday. Instead of rushing from house to house delivering pies, I was sitting around the store talking nonsense with the other drivers. Then finally a delivery popped up. It was to, (dramatic pause here) The Retreat.

The Retreat apartments, formerly known as the Cresent, is pure ghetto. Every time I go there, I feel the constant need to look over my shoulder. The buildings in the complex are very old, the carpet in the hallways is usually torn up and the graffiti is plentiful. And the worst part, it is known as a place that doesn't tip.

So, I was off to The Retreat. I got there with relative ease and even found the apartment I was looking for pretty quickly. Since the sun was still up, I could actually see the numbers of the usually dark complex.

I got out of my car and walk up to the apartment. After a few knocks on the door I hear some loud cursing from within. I could hear this woman slowly walking to the door, struggling to catch her breath and letting expletives fly when she did.

She finally answered the door and a little embarrassed, the large black woman said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought it was those kids playing at the door."

I handed her her two pizzas, wings and cheesy bread. After telling her the total, she said to hold on and she closed the door halfway. There was a little Border Collie puppy sitting just inside the door, so I petted him some while Big Momma was searching for money. I could see her pull some out of one pocket, then another, then pulled some off a table. It was quite an ordeal, but I waited.

Finally she handed me a wad of cash. I quickly counted it and handed her the change she was due. Big Momma looked at me as I tried to hand her money and said "Oh no, honey that's yours."

She then handed me another wad of cash and said, "Now your getting this big tip, because I think your kinda cute!"

I took the money, thanked her and then quickly walked back to the car. The whole thing felt a bit strange, and I have seen a lot of things delivering pizzas. As soon as I got to the car I counted out the money. She gave me an $11 tip! Eleven bucks from the Retreat is like hitting the lotto, but meeting and being hit on by Big Momma was priceless!

Goodbye Farve

Well, it seems Brett Farve is finally hanging it up. And why not? Hasn't he done everything by now? I mean OK his last pass was an interception that cost his team a win in the playoffs, but otherwise the man has been a godsend to football.

He was originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons and like most involved with the Falcons, he drank heavily. Fortunately, he was traded shortly after to the Green Bay Packers and the rest is history.

He went on to win a Superbowl, get huge endoresment deals and even made some Hollywood headlines (he was great in Something About Mary!)

For the past few seasons he has gone back and forth on his future. I think now is a good time for him to get out-except for that last pass, which I swear won't leave a bad taste in my mouth :-/

Obama's Muslim photo?

OK, I thought I was finally over the flu. I thought I had regained my strength and could return to a normal life, then I saw this....


Even though the Clinton camp has yet to deny or take credit for leaking this little gem, it is a bit of a doosie. The guy practically looks like he is a terrorist in training. But there are a few things we have to consider. First of all, the guy is in Somalia. Last time I checked we were feeding them beans and rice. What ever fell from our helicopters was pretty much all they would eat that month and now we are supposed to believe they have turned it around and are now a powerful terrorist training camp? I don't think so.

And another thing, Hilary has said it isn't really a big deal because she has worn the garb of many foreign countries (for her husband!) in what she said are gestures of hospitality (so that's what the kids are calling it these days?).

But there is another thing to consider that might prove he isn't a terrorist, but opens up a whole new bag of worms--look at how skinny his arms are!

I mean there is no way a stick figure like that could successfully pull off any terrorist mission. That is of course good, and kinda scary. I mean can Mr. Olive Oil there protect the great US of A? I don't know. It's a tough call. I mean George W. isn't very smart, but the man has some gunz (that's right with a 'z').

I mean this Tayshun Prince look-a-like has managed to inspire a lot of voters, whether they are black, white or just anti-Hilary (like her husband!). This photo doesn't prove, or even hint, that he is a terrorist. All it really proves is that he needs to do some dumbbell curls.

So let's face it, this photo has a few implications, but not terrorists ones. What do you think they are?

Having the flu sucks

Well it seems to be that season again--the flu season. And while I thought I was immune to it, I found out over the past few days exactly how untrue that is.

I started to notice it Wednesday night. It was a chill in my neck and spine that kept me from getting warm. It was so uncomfortable, I only got about 2 hours of sleep. But come Friday morning I decided to soldier on. I went into work. Just after lunch time it became painfully obvious I should be at home.

So I drove home, with my head killing me, my throat dried out and scratchy, my stomach in knots and a feeling that my entire body had slowly been run over by a semi-truck.

Once I got home, it only got worse. My temperature was up to 104.

The next few days I laid in bed in various degrees of pain. I drank gallons of medicine and sucked down thousands of cough drops. Though they certainly helped, they didn't help enough. The only energy I could muster was to operate the TV remote or maybe toss the pillow over.

But gradually I got better. The pounding headache transformed into occasional dizziness. My back stopped hurting and my stomach started hurting. My throat, well it just consistently hurt.

My wife was going to work Saturday morning and I was going to watch the kids. When I first woke up that morning, I felt OK. I thought I could manage. But that idea went away pretty quick. After changing a dirty diaper I got this nauseous, dizzy feeling. My wife decided to stay home and I managed to sleep until early in the afternoon,

I continued to get gradually better. Around 2 p.m. I was able to finally get out of bed, which was good because my sides were getting sore from laying around all day. I got enough energy to take a shower and eventually went downstairs to play with the boys and see my wife.

I have dealt with this thing for going on 4 straight days now. Hopefully it is almost over. Other than the sore throat and the nasty junk I am coughing up, I seem to be back on track.

In case you don't already know, the flu is just a miserable miserable thing. Next year I just have to man up, realize I am not immune and get a stinkin' flu shot.

Lindsay Lohan for president!!

OK, let's face it all the presidential candidates are mediocre at best. Sure there is a ton of interest in this election cycle, but it is only because our current president is so unpopular. I mean, George W. Bush is even giving money out and nobody likes him (I'll save that for another post).

But this current batch is only popular because they aren't W. But face it, McCain is too old. As soon as he took office, he would probably drop dead or get Parkinson's disease. The last thing we need is the leader of our nation shaking and mumbling as he spoke to foreign leaders. His State of the Union addresses would drag on and on. But on the plus side, he could find part-time work as the Crypt Keeper. Is that show still on?

Barack Obama is too black. Let's face it, it's a white man's world. Sorry but it is true. Don't believe me? How many black presidents have we had? Oh you think it is finally time for a change. Maybe so, but the problem is as soon as a black man rises to power, the tend to get shot. Now, I personally like Obama, but let's face it, history hasn't been kind to black leaders. Malcom X was shot, Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot. Tupac and Biggie? Shot. The only black that has risen to a national power and not be shot was Colin Powell and he is about as white as it gets.

Now on to Hilary. I will give you one reason why she can't be a good president--Bill. Yea, he was very popular, but if he could cheat on his wife how could any country take her seriously. Plus, Hilary is a mean, manipulating woman that people just don't like. 

But I will tell you who should be president-- Lindsay Lohan. That's right, did you see her in New York Magazine? She looked rather presidential didn't she? It was in that 'hiding under the desk of the Oval Office' way, but still presidential. She has that mystique about her. She can go to rehab numerous times and still not clean herself up. Point is, she is determined. She could just as easily be as stubborn about terrorism as she is about her drug use. And don't think drug use would keep her out of the White House, George W. already showed us that drinking and doing lines of coke only enhance political careers. 

So, screw the other candidates, vote for Lindsay Lohan--the sexiest president ever (sorry JFK)!