Why I'm supporting Hillary (for right now)

I was at a counseling conference for the last two days (which I really thought was worthwhile, but I'll get to that in another post) and had a chance to interact with some colleagues that I rarely see because they work at another school. One of them used to work with me at my present school a few years ago, back when I was a Republican (or RINO - Republican in Name Only - as I was later informed by another blogger, but I digress). At any rate my friend was surprised that I had changed political allegiances, but she didn't seem upset until the subject came around to Hillary Clinton. "There's no way I could vote for her!" When told that I'm supporting Ms. Clinton for the moment, my friend burst out "What does your wife say?!"
For the record, my sainted spouse is not a Hillary fan either, nor is my teenage philosopher son. My daughter voices the possibility that she might could possibly support Hillary under certain circumstances, but as she finds politcs boring (and can't vote for Pres until the 2016 election) I find myself pretty much alone in my own household.
My support for Hilary up to this point, basically rests on her Senate career. It seems that she is a good Senator, willing to do the work needed to get legislative results and find common ground with those across the aisle. To me this indicated a pragmatism that I think our next President will need. Of course, it could also be a good argument for keeping her in the Senate and electing someone else, such as Obama...

Gimme 5: Things to know about Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff

AJC article on New England Patriot vice President Scott Pioli interview in which he tells 5 important things to know about Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff.

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Another 'Morehouse Man' reaching for the stars

Good article by AJC columnist on Genarlow Wilson starting his college education at Morehouse.

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Cynthia Tucker | ajc.com The myth of color blindness

The myth of color blindness: Cultural biases are embedded in us unawares - op ed article by AJC columnist Cynthia Tucker.

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Of Rants Never Written

For the longest time (or so it seems) I've been remiss in actually posting any personal thoughts to the blog. Plenty of DIGG story links, but nary a opinionated peep. Lots of reasons (excuses really) - the blues, work and home responsibilities, the trouble of having one computer in a four person household, - the list could go on.
It's not like there hasn't been a lot out there to raise my ire and blood pressure. Here are just a few that I should have spoken out on:
(1) The failure of the NCAA and division 1 colleges to consider hardly any minority candidates for head coaching positions in college football, a travesty that continues seemingly unabated.
(2) The fervent desire among a certain segment of Republicans who want to self destruct over the immigration issue, even to the point of refusing to nominate anyone remotely electable. Of course, as my son the teen age philosopher pointed out, this will probably be good for us Democrats in the next year.
(3) The chaos of the Atlanta Falcons and their search for a new head coach.
(4) Facebook vs. Myspace - what does your preference say about you?
(5) Life with cats and teenagers, also crazy dogs...
Stay tuned, perhaps the muse will return...

Players are partners in Rex Ryan's Ravens 'D'

Profile of Baltimore Ravens Defensive coach Rex Ryan.

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Commentary: Fantasy Christmas gift: Self-deporting immigran

SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- For Christmas, nearly a dozen readers sent me the same gift, an article about goings on in the Southwest: "Illegal immigrants packing up and leaving Arizona."

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John Woodruff, 92; Won A Gold in Hitler's Berlin

John Woodruff, 92, who helped refute Adolf Hitler's theories of Aryan racial supremacy with his dramatic gold-medal victory in the 800-meter run at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, died Oct. 30 at an assisted living facility in Fountain Hills, Ariz.

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George Orwell's supressed preface to Animal Farm

I know that the English intelligentsia have plenty of reason for their timidity and dishonesty, indeed I know by heart the arguments by which they justify themselves. But at least let us have no more nonsense about defending liberty against Fascism. If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.

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Mississippi State's defense, late TD beat Central Florida

Mississippi State wins Liberty Bowl, beats Central Florida 10 - 3.

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Al Oerter, Olympic Discus Champion, Is Dead at 71

Al Oerter was a discus thrower who became the first modern track and field athlete to win four consecutive Olympic titles in one event.

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John Woodruff, an Olympian, Dies at 92

John Woodruff’s halting, come-from-behind victory in the 800-meter run in the 1936 Berlin Olympics astonished the sports world and helped embarrass Adolf Hitler.

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Group hopes to find mass grave of 1905 lynching victims | ajc.com

In Watkinsville, Ga. a group hopes to find the mass grave of victims of a 1905 lynching.

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Croom has Mississippi State on track this season

Defying critics, MSU football coach Sylvester Crooms has found success for this team this season.

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A famed detective reaches the end

When the world first met Easy Rawlins, he was 28. It was post-World War II Los Angeles -- a city full of opportunity and without a long history -- not a bad place to be for a smart, confident black man. Fired from his job, Easy was in need of fast cash to pay his mortgage. So he agreed to find a missing blonde, and his adventures began.

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The Birth Order Predictor Test

You Are Likely a First Born

At your darkest moments, you feel guilty. At work and school, you do best when you're researching. When you love someone, you tend to agree with them often. In friendship, you are considerate and compromising. Your ideal careers are: business, research, counseling, promotion, and speaking. You will leave your mark on the world with discoveries, new information, and teaching people to dream.

The Birth Order Predictor

Some Random Thoughts

One of the main reasons I left the Republican party and eventually joined the Democratic party was that the conservative wing of the GOP just became meaner and meaner over the years. When they complained that George Bush was too liberal I knew it was time to find a new home. The same crowd is now attacking GOP Presidential contender and hopeful Mike Huckabee because he's not hateful enough for them, and because over the years when he was Governor of Arkansas he actually worked in a bipartisan way with that state's Democratic legislators to sometimes use government to help others (gasp! didn't he know government never did anything good!). Here's a good article by Roger Simon on how the rabid right wing doesn't like Huckabee because he's not conservative enough. For the record I disagree with candidate Huckabee on several issues, but he seems a decent human being who actually stands on principle, which puts him way ahead of the other GOP candidates.

Now that Missippi State University's football team is only one win away from being bowl eligible, due in no small part to Coach Sylvester Croom's coaching in the face of multiple injuries and a killer schedule, what are all those Croom haters with their "fire Coach Croom" websites going to do now?

Thank God the Georgia Supreme Court saw fit to free Genarlow Wilson, even if it was only by 4 - 3 vote. Now how about the other people unjustly in jail due to Georgia's draconian idiotic sex offender laws?

I thought I'd seen everything in a lifetime of playing, coaching and watching sports. But this play with 15 laterals used to score a last second touchdown in the Trinity - Millsaps collegiate football game is one of the most amazing things I've ever seen in sports.

In closing have a happy halloween tomorrow. I plan to give out candy and reread H. P. Lovecraft's "The Call of Cthulhu" myself.

Coaches Sylvester Croom and Rich Brooks winners both.

Both MSU Coach Sylvester Crooms and Kentucky Coach Rich Brooks have proven themselves winners.

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Genarlow Wilson is free ... but others are not | ajc.com

Georgia law still punishes teens for consensual sex, with long prison sentences and lifelong listing as a sex offender, making no distinction between teen agers and older predatory molesters. AJC op ed article asking for the Georgia legislature to start making distinctions and retroactively freeing other "Genarlow Wilsons".

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Genarlow Wilson released | ajc.com

The Georgia Supreme Court voted 4 - 3 to release Genarlow Wilson today. He was a serving a 10 year sentence and facing life as registered sex offender for having consensual sex with another teenager when he was only 17 and the other teen was 15.

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