She Preaches! -- "Tebow's Passion"

I have a confession to make. As much as I detest the Gators I cried when they lost to Alabama. It was only for like half a second -- I promise. Please don't revoke my FSU alumni card. I couldn't help it. For a small moment, something in me identified with Tim Tebow -- it was his passion.

I approach everything I do with passion. It determines what kind of jobs I take. It determines who I CHOOSE to love. It dictates what direction I will take in any given situation. If I don't have a passion for something, if I don't have a burnng desire to work as though my life depends on what I'm doing, then I won't be doing it long.

If I am not committed to a person or a relationship, you will know because anything I commit to, I commit to it wholeheartedly. I don't know how to give half of myself to anything. Either I'm in it or I'm not. Anything else is a waste of time.

Passion is vital to one's success. Without it, you will never know what it is to be successful. Passion will make you stay up late and study.

Passion will make you fight for a marriage or a relationship that others tell you to walk away from.

Passion will make you stand by your wayward children.

Passion will make you pray for your enemies.

Passion made Jesus go to the cross and die for sins He didn't commit.

Passion will make you play hard and leave it all on the field.

I don't understand why but it was always Tebow's dream to play football for the University of Florida. And when he got the opportunity to do just that, he didn't approach it like some others often do. He didn't have a sense of entitlement. He didn't behave as though the University owed him something. No. He played as though he owed the University something. He sacrificed his time, his talent and even put his body at risk just to gain a few more inches so that he could get his team closer to the goal line.

Tebow always played with passion. Yet on the night of December 5, 2009, despite how devoted he was to his team and to Gator Nation, and despite his desire to lead them to victory, he failed -- miserably. I understood his pain.

I know what it's like to love and lose.

Iknow what it's ike to give my all and come up with nothing.

I know how it feels to fight so hard and still suffer defeat.

That is a pain that is indescribable.

But passionless people don't get it. They laughed at Tebow. They ridiculed him. They posted pictures of him on Facebook making fun of him. (Though even Gator nation must admit that the "CRYING" Tebow pic is funny!).

Show me a person who lives life without passion and I will show you a person who is doomed to a life of mediocrity. They will never be great. They will always be average. Average makes me itch.

Passionless people won't work hard for anything because they don't care about anything.

Passionless people can't sustain relationships because they won't invest themselves into them.

They will never live life to the fullest because they would rather sit on the sidelines where it's safe. They won't have to take a hit and no one will blame them for any failures.

Not caring about anything or anyone is a defense mechanism. If you don't care about anything then you can't get hurt if things don't work out. The problem with that mindset is that you won't take a risk for something or someone you don't care about. No risks, no returns. That kind of life is BORING!

Tebow still gets on my nerves though. Mostly because he didn't go to FSU, but also because I think he's one of the most overrated quarterbacks in the history of college football. He doesn't have the strongest arm in the world and he's not that accurate of a passer. The absence of Percy Harvin revealed who the real star of that team was. But there was something special about ol' Timmy. He had two things going for him. He had passion and the favor of God is on his life.

Favor is what made him a star before he ever played a down for the University of Florida.

Favor is what gave him the opportunity to win the Heisman Award even though he really isn't all that.

Favor is what allowed him to play for and win two National Championships back to back. (Though Chris Leak had a lot to do with the first one...Gators ought to be ashamed of themselves for how they treated Chris. Make me sick....but I digress.)

Favor is what makes people love Tebow while others hate him because favor ain't fair!

Oh, Timmy! It's okay to cry. Even with that horrible defeat you suffered at the hands of Alabama (and boy was it bad...lolllll), you still accomplished more than your critics. I don't think you'll be that successful in the NFL but you will be successful at something. Keep living your life with passion. Your passion, your prayers, and your love for God will take you further than you have ever imagined.

For the rest of you, if you aren't passionate about something you need to ask God to give you something to be passionate about. A life without passion is a life that isn't worth living.

Til next time, may the Lord God bless you real good!

She Preaches! -- Positioned For Purpose

Judges 11:1-11

In Judges Chapter 11, we read about a named Jephthah. The Bible says he was a mighty man of valor AND he was the son of a harlot. His father married another woman and had children from her. Those children, Jephthah’s half brothers, thrust Jephthah out of their father’s house and said, “You will not inherit in our father’s house because you are the son of a strange woman.” In other words, they didn’t want Jephthah to inherit with them because his mama was a ho.

But that’s not the real reason they put him out. The real reason they put him out was because they were jealous. Though his mother was a woman of indiscretion, Jephthah still managed to become a MIGHTY man of VALOR. He overcame his questionable lineage and family history, pulled himself by his bootstraps, worked hard, refused to be a victim, and turned himself into what the Bible calls a MIGHTY man.

And that’s why people don’t like you and that’s why they can’t stand me. You and I have overcome trials, tribulations, persecution, bad credit, unemployment, traumatic relationships.

And it seems like no matter what life throws our way, we keep getting up. Sadly, the people who keep knocking us down is not always strangers in the street. Sometimes, it’s people who should have our backs. People we grew up with. People we’ve known all of our lives. You know...so called FAMILY.

Jephthah was rejected by the ones who should have accepted him. And the Bible says that Jephthah fled to the land of Tob. Tob means good. So when people reject you, it causes you to flee in search of better surroundings. And the place that you flee to is the place of good. In the beginning, it may not feel good. It may not look good. It may not sound good, but before it’s all over, God is going to make it good.

Later, we find that Jephthah’s brother’s got in trouble. They were being threatened by an enemy. So they sent for Jephthah and asked him to help them fight. LOLLLLLLL…I love how God does things.

Jephthah got smart with them. He said, “Didn’t ya’ll hate me? I thought y’all didn’t like me. So why are you coming to me now when you are in distress?”

His brother’s replied, “Yeah, yeah, yeah…we need you now. We need your skills, your expertise, we need your favor. And if you come and fight with us, we will make you our head and our captain.”

Now, his enemies have become his footstool. Now, Jephthah is the head and not the tail. The very thing they thrust him out over is the thing that positioned him for his purpose.

Can I tell you something? The thing you are crying over. The thing that is keeping you up at night, that is the thing that is going to propel you into your purpose.Stop running behind people begging them to love you and begging them to see the gift in you. I wish I would -- after everything I’ve been through – I wish I would spend my energy trying to change people’s minds about me. If you don’t want to be bothered with me, I been didn’t want to be bothered with you. It’s just not that serious.

What people say about you may or may not be true, but what God says about you, that’s what matters.So if you’ve got some haters that don’t want you in their little clique or their little club, REJOICE! It means that they are too low for you. It means that you were not meant to be in fellowship with them. It means that God is taking you to higher heights, deeper depths and to places where they can not go.

If you’ve got haters this morning, wave at ‘em and say, “Hi haters. I sure do appreciate everything you’ve done to me. You meant it for my evil, but God has made it good!” ‘Til next time, may the Lord God bless you real good!

Sherraye Speaks -- What About The Children?

She said she couldn't breathe. I thought she just wanted to get out of washing the dishes. Later that night, she got worse. I put her in the car and headed to the emergency room. As I was about to hit the entrance ramp to I-95, I thought about the bill. Money was already tight and because I was in the middle of a career transition, I didn't have health insurance. I told my daughter that I would just stop by CVS and get some anti nausea medicine. I thought she just had a stomach flu. She stopped vomiting, but something worse was looming.

The next day, when I got home from work, my daughter was lying in a pool of urine, she was breathing laboriously, and she was non responsive. Still, I thought she was just really, really dehydrated and needed to get some fluids in her system. I called 911, they took her to the ER, I got there a few minutes later and a doctor escorted me to a private area. "Your daughter has diabetes," he announced. "She is in a coma."

I was in shock.

He explained that they were giving her insulin to bring her blood sugar down. I felt so bad and the gravity of the situation had not sunk in. But it was about to.

A chaplain came in to pray with me. That's when I knew something was wrong. I summoned the doctor and asked him why I needed a chaplain. He told me that normal blood sugar is around 140. Your daughter's is 1200. He said that he didn't expect her to make it through the night. She was transferred to Nemours and the prognosis was no better over there. They told me she had 4 maybe 5 hours to live. If she lived, she would be a vegetable because of the swelling of her brain.

It had come to this.

I didn't get her to the Emergency Room sooner because I was worried about the bill. My child almost died because I was worried about how I was going to pay the bill.

Those of you who claim to be Christians but oppose universal healthcare, let me ask you a question. What would Jesus Do? Didn't he say, suffer the little children to come unto me? Doesn't the Bible that you claim to believe in say they who give to the poor lendeth to the Lord? Or did you skip that part? Some of you need to check yourself. You say you are a Christian but you have no compassion for the less fortunate and you have none of the attributes of Jesus. There is no fruit blossoming in your life. You are cold, heartless, and devoid of love. You're not a Christian because you are nothing like Christ.

I looked that doctor in his eyes after he told me my child, my first born, had 5 hours to live and I said to him, "She will be fine." And she was, thanks to the prayers of REAL Christians and the compassion of those wonderful nurses and doctors. My baby is a walking miracle. But you know what? She shouldn't have needed a miracle. I should have been able to take her to the doctor before the crisis hit. In a country as rich as ours, the fact that any man, woman, boy, or girl has died or may die because of lack of finances is ridiculous. If we can spend a billion dollars a month fighting a war then so what if we spend 900 billion dollars to give every American access to quality health care.

So I support MY president in his efforts to provide health care to every American regardless to their financial prowess or socioeconomic status. No one should die or go broke because they can't afford healthcare. If you don't feel the same, then shame on you. Take that cross from around your neck and throw your Bible in the garbage. You obviously don't believe in it.

A War For Our Souls

 

A War For Your Soul-Birmingham version from Erisai Films on Vimeo.

This is deep.  I don’t have the words right now

The Grio: Debating race is a true American pastime

Cheo Tyehimba writes:

Ever since Henry Louis Gates, Jr. was arrested last week for disorderly conduct after breaking into his own home, I've been thinking a lot about Rodney King, who was brutally assaulted and arrested in 1991 by four L.A. cops. Of course, Gates' arrest pales in comparison to King's, but it nevertheless peels back another layer of America's obsession with race. Right now, I'd venture to bet that a producer at some network is booking King for a talk show where he's likely to weigh in on the Gates arrest. His likely comment: "Can't we all get over it?"

Nope. With a black man in the White House and people of all racial and ethnic categories hanging on his every word and reaction to any race-related issue, these are truly "mid-racial" times with no sight of a different hyphenate to describe race relations for years to come. And while the Obama White House is taking steps in the right direction, until our obsession with race gets satiated (can it?), no amount of Obama's playing Twister with his sound-bites will make a difference to the American people. Why? Because debating race is, and has always been, the true American pastime. Like an itchy scab, we just can't leave it alone. The media won't let us.

The media loves a good fight, especially across color and class fault lines, and so it never takes much for a story like this one to elicit a reporting spree. Every day since the Gates story broke, it has consistently ranked as the number one or two positions on Google's "Top Stories" page. Meanwhile, according to Center for American Progress Action Fund, approximately 14,000 Americans are losing healthcare coverage each day, and millions more around the world are clamoring for their stories to be told.

The networks will continue to regularly weigh-in on, counter, and spin headline-grabbing stories at the expense of reporting on more imperative news such as the global economic meltdown, two wars, the threat of an nuclear arms race in the Middle East, mounting terrorist forces, the swine flu pandemic, domestic social issues, and more. When you look at the bigger picture, one must ask: While the Gates incident is certainly a barometer of how far we still have to go with race relations, how much airtime does a small town quarrel really deserve?

For far too many folks, the media continues to dictate what we discuss over dinner, at the barbershop, and nowadays, more than likely, on Facebook. And despite the shuffling of the new media deck, the rule "if it bleeds, it leads" (read: divides, angers, causes controversy) still dominates from far-flung blogosphere outposts to mainstream social networks. Still, putting the race-baiting sensationalism aside, the media can't be singularly blamed for highlighting the inherent flaws in our democracy.

Until we really come to grips with the ever-widening racial and social-economic disparities in America, stories like the righteous black professor versus the power-wielding white police officer will continue to be exploited and used as grist meal for the distracted, media-hungry masses.

Sherraye Speaks – Stop Hatin’

As she walked down the aisle of the grocery store, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She saw me looking at her and she gave me a look like, "B*$#@, what are you looking at?" I wasn't offended. I ignored her obvious annoyance with me.

I simply smiled at her and said, "Your hair is beautiful!"

And with those four words, her entire expression changed. Her face softened and she returned my smile. Her eyes lit up as she said "Thank you!"

Women are so hateful towards each other. We laugh, snicker, giggle, gossip about each other and we are in constant competition. Some of us have attitudes towards women that we don't even know. We often encounter the sideways looks and snooty glances of other women. How sad.

And what is it all about? Why do we do it?

<b1. Because we don't love ourselves.

It is difficult to see the beauty in others when you feel so bad about yourself. So if you feel inadequate, for what ever reason, it seems to be human nature to automatically criticize others to bring them down to your size.

<b>2. Tick, Tock...Waiting on Clocks

I'm ashamed to admit it but I watched the Flavor of Love fiasco, One, Two and Three. It was...entertaining. Full of what I expected. Women cursing and behaving unseemly, breaking their necks to win the clock from a man that they wouldn't give loose change to if they saw him on a city sidewalk. And I watched the show, laughed at their antics, heck...I even DVRed it in case I missed something.

Anyway, as entertaining as the show was or as pathetic as it was, the truth is, most women, not all, but most women have experienced their own Flavor of Love moments. We may not have played that drama out on TV for millions to watch, but we have all starred in a very similar show.

Don't think so? Well, let's see. If you have ever argued with a woman over your no good cheating man, then you've had a Flava moment.

If you have ever watched your man kick it with another woman in your face and he become indignant when you question him about it, then you have had a Flava moment.

If you've ever had sex with a man, or cleaned his house, or washed his clothes, or paid his credit card bill or lowered your standards, went against your better judgment, turned your self inside out and upside down to make him give you a chance, then you have had a Flava moment.

The circus called "Flavor of Love" and subsequent shows after it, is a microcosm of what women experience on a regular basis. We mostly hate on each other because we are after the same man. So we will claw another woman's out, belittle her, lie on her, start rumors about her, because we want the clock.

<b>This is how we can stop hatin' on each other.

Recognize that you are fearfully and wonderfully made and you are a jewel. When you recognize that, you will stop being intimadated by other women who are fabulous as well. In fact, you can celebrate who they are. You can tell them they are wonderful, beautiful, gifted, talented...

You can also get the revelation that you don't have to compete. What's yours is yours and nobody can get what's yours. And if anybody tries to take it, you go to the One who gave it to you and say, "Look, God. You gave me this and Sister Watermelon over there is trying to take it. Let her know it ain't happening and bless her what her good thing so she can leave mine alone."

Uh, but you can't do that if it's not yours. So make sure what you are trying to hold on to is what you are supposed to have.

Sistas and "Sisters", let's stop the hate. Let's build each other up and stop letting petty differences keep us at each other's throats.

The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. Let's use our hands to build each other up, not tear each other down.

Sherraye

Derrick Brooks Looking Towards the Future

Former FSU linebacker and current FSU Board of Trustees member, Derrick Brooks is keeping a watchful eye on the process of hiring a new president as well as FSU's appeal of an NCAA sanction that could cost his former college coach, Bobby Bowden, 14 victories.

"We're going to try to do what we can to get the best guy in here," Brooks said about the search to replace T.K. Wetherell. "I've known leading up to his announcement he was leaning that way. We as trustees have to do our due diligence really to find someone to replace (him).

"The president has committed to us he is going to give us the time that we need as trustees to find the right person to lead us."

Brooks supports FSU's appeal in an academic-misconduct case that involved 61 student-athletes and an online music course. Ten sports could be affected by the sanction that covers the 2006 and 2007 fall semesters and the 2007 spring semester. FSU football coach Bobby Bowden, with 382 victories, trails Penn State's Joe Paterno by one victory as major college football's all-time winningest coach.

"We have to (appeal)," Brooks said. "Everyone is making about Coach Bowden's wins. It's much more than that. It's other things that are involved outside of football wins that we're trying to hang on to."

Read the entire article.

Dems Say No to Publicly Funded Abortions

Five centrist Democrats --Reps. Tim Ryan, (OH), Dale Kildee (Mich.), James Langevin (R.I.), Artur Davis (Ala.) and Kendrick Meek (Fla.) -- have written a letter to Nancy Pelosi urging that health reform maintain the "status quo" on federal abortion funding. Here is their proposal:

...we believe that a common ground solution is to include language in the final legislation that makes clear that no insurance company will be required to pay for an abortion except in extraordinary circumstances -- nor will they be prohibited from paying for an abortion, so long as health insurance plans offered in the exchange that choose to provide abortion coverage pay for those services with funds that are separate and distinct from any federal subsidies.

This solution maintains the current status quo in the private market – where insurance companies can choose whether to include this coverage in their plans and individuals can choose which plan (and what sort of coverage) fits their individual needs and values while ensuring that no federal funds are used to pay for abortions.

Lastly, we believe that health reform legislation should not preempt constitutionally permissible state laws that establish pre-requisites that a patient must satisfy before obtaining an abortion, such as parental consent and waiting period laws.

The letter contains no mention of the public plan. But by opposing "federal subsidies" for abortion, these Democrats align themselves with Republican abortion opponents, whose goal is to prevent abortion coverage under any new public insurance options, just as the Hyde Amendment currently prevents Medicaid from funding abortion for poor women.

None of the health reform bills in Congress would repeal Hyde, meaning that as Medicaid is expanded to cover all Americans within 133 percent of the poverty line, the poorest women will still need to pay out-of-pocket for abortion. (A first-trimester abortion costs between $300 and $400.) What reproductive rights advocates are hoping for from health reform is that the new public insurance option will offer some abortion coverage, just as most private insurance plans currently do. But with increasing numbers of Democrats allowing abortion opponents to frame the health reform debate, little short of an intervention from the White House can slow the roll of the abortion grandstanding. So far the administration has shied away from the issue. Here's hoping that in his televised speech tonight, President Obama indicates that he won't allow anti-family planning ideologues to delay reform.

Chris Brown’s apology…

 

No comment. 

Youth in the backfield for FSU

Jermaine Thomas has been thrown into an important leadership role just a year into his Florida State football career.

It helps that the newest Seminoles learning from Thomas are eager and attentive. True freshman running backs Lonnie Pryor and Chris Thompson are also talented.

"I have to do a little extra for the guys sometimes, sharing some of things that maybe other people may have not told me so that they are comfortable with the system," said Thomas, just one of two scholarship tailbacks on roster who participated in games for FSU. "I love their personalities – both are down to earth. Chris is pretty quick and I can't wait to see him get on that field this year.

"Pryor gives us size and he's picking it up quickly too."

Pryor finished with nearly 2,300 rushing yards as a senior at Okeechobee while earning Class 4A all-state first team honors.

Thompson, a two-time member of the Tallahassee Democrat's All-Big Bend team, was hampered a bit by injury in 2008 but rushed for nearly 2,300 yards and 33 touchdowns as a junior at Madison County. Thompson immediately impressed FSU strength and conditioning coach Todd Stroud when he reported for the second half of FSU's summer workout program last month.

"Thompson is an extremely physically mature young man," Stroud said. "He's beyond his years from a physical standpoint. He would be right up there with (true freshmen Jajuan) Harley, (Bryan) Stork and Greg Reid as far as being a guy who looks like he is physically ready to endure the challenge.

"The biggest adjustment for a running back here is the volume of running that we do in training and adapting to it. It's very hard on the lower back. Neither of the guys have really adapted yet so it's been a tough adjustment for them."

True freshmen are not allowed to talk to the media until they make a significant contribution. That shouldn't take long in a backfield that lacks depth following the departure of leading rusher Antone Smith and now Marcus Sims, who in addition to fullback also played some at tailback. Tavares Pressley, who sat out his first season after tearing an ACL, and Ty Jones return with Thomas.

"It is good to have some numbers back there," Stroud said. "You have a big back in Pryor who is a very physical kid and is very smooth and very athletic. Then you have a slasher in Thompson. Very dense, very muscular. Very good change of direction. You have two changeups with a 6-footer who is over 200 pounds (in Pryor) and a compact guy who can make you miss."

Noteworthy

Thompson and Pryor are part of a 2009 recruiting class that now numbers 18. Lineman Aubrey Phillips, who recently left FSU, is headed to Auburn according to AuburnSports.com. The offensive lineman reported to FSU last month weighing 342 pounds and had not participated in FSU's afternoon workout with his new teammates prior to his leaving

Seeking Attention Much, Shaq!

The NBA superstar will star in "Shaq Vs.," a TV series where the All-Star center will challenge top athletes in their respective sports. During one episode, which debuts on Aug. 8 on ABC, Shaq will swim against Olympic superstar Phelps.

O'Neal, now with the Cleveland Cavaliers, also will try his football skills against Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, box retired world champion Oscar De La Hoya, trade tennis volleys with Wimbledon champ Serena Williams and play volleyball against Olympic gold medalists Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor.

O'Neal will negotiate a handicap with his opponents and train for one week leading up to each challenge.

My response:

Get somewhere and sat down. He makes me soooooo sick. The only Omega I can’t stand.

Oh, Michael Steele…

The chairman of the Republican Party on Monday called President Barack Obama's plan to overhaul health care "socialism," accusing the president of conducting a risky experiment that will hurt the economy and force millions to drop their current coverage.

Michael Steele, in remarks at the National Press Club, also said the president, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and key congressional committee chairmen are part of a "cabal" that wants to implement government-run health care.

"Obama-Pelosi want to start building a colossal, closed health care system where Washington decides. Republicans want and support an open health care system where patients and doctors make the decisions," Steele said.

Asked if Obama's health care plan represented socialism, Steele responded: "Yes. Next question."

Obama has repeatedly said he does not favor a government-run health care system. Legislation taking shape in the House envisions private insurance companies selling coverage in competition with the government.

Even so, numerous Republicans in Congress continue to level the accusation at Obama and congressional Democrats, and Steele did so in sharply critical terms.

"Many Democrats outside of the Obama-Pelosi-Reid-Waxman cabal know that voters won't stand for these kinds of foolish prescriptions for our health care. We do too. That's why Republicans will stop at nothing to remind voters about the risky experimentation going on in Washington," the party chairman said. Harry Reid, D-Nev., is Senate majority leader; Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

The Republican chairman is making his speech at a time when Obama is struggling to advance his trademark health care proposal after a period of evident progress. Two of three House committees have approved their portions of the bill, while one of two Senate panels have acted.

But conservative Democrats have raised objections to some elements of the legislation, and efforts in the Senate to reach a bipartisan agreement have yet to bear fruit. Obama's attempt to impose an early August deadline on both the House and Senate for passage of legislation is in jeopardy.

A Washington Post-ABC News survey released Monday shows approval of Obama's handling of health care reform slipping below 50 percent for the first time. The poll had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

The president, who spent most of last week making his plea for health care overhaul, planned another pitch Monday at Children's National Medical Center. Health care also tops his agenda for a prime-time news conference Wednesday and a town hall in Ohio on Thursday.

Republican officials said they were supplementing Steele's speech with a round of television advertising designed to oppose government-run health care. The 30-second commercial, titled "Grand Experiment," criticizes recent government aid to the auto industry and banks as "the biggest spending spree in our history" and warns similarly of "a risky experiment with our health care."

The GOP ads show children who presumably would be burdened as adult taxpayers with the cost of the health care overhaul. The commercials are being broadcast in Nevada, home of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, as well Arkansas and North Dakota, states represented in the Senate by moderate Democrats. The ad is also being posted on the Internet, in coordination with a grass-roots campaign.

Separately, the insurance industry, which challenged President Bill Clinton's health care effort in the early 1990s, launched a $1.4 million ad campaign, its first TV ads of this year's health care fight. The multimillion-dollar campaign, being aired nationally on cable stations, restates the industry's support for an overhaul that provides universal coverage and its offer to cover people who are already sick. The ad campaign does not mention the insurers' strong opposition to creating a government-run insurance option.

An official disclosed the cost of the campaign on condition of anonymity as the numbers have not been made public.

In his speech, Steele broadened his attack beyond health care to question Obama's truthfulness.

The president "tells us he doesn't want to spend more than we have, he doesn't want the deficit to go up, he doesn't want to live off borrowed money. But he also told us he didn't want to run an auto company. President Obama justifies this spending by saying the devil made him do it. He doesn't want to spend trillions we can't afford, but he says he just can't help it," Steele said in the prepared excerpts.

White House officials spent Sunday defending Obama's health care proposals and stressing that Congress has not yet written the final draft of legislation that would dramatically reshape how Americans receive health care. Instead, they said, Republicans — and even some Democrats — should wait until a final bill takes form.

The Three Greatest Athletes In Seminole History

3. Walter Dix, Track
Quite simply, the most decorated athlete in Florida State history. Dix dominated his sport like no other Seminole ever has. An eight-time national champion, a 17-time All-American and an NCAA record-holder in the 200-meter. Spurning pro contract offers, Dix led Florida State to back-to-back-to-back national titles as a sophomore, junior and senior. He then went to Beijing and collected two bronze medals in the 2008 Olympics.

I’m going to be honest. I had a hard time with Dix. A part of me wanted to put him at the very top of this list. After all, has anyone won more trophies for Florida State University than Walter Dix? He was the key figure in a dynasty run by the men’s track program and stayed in school to get his degree when he could have left much sooner. He might deserve to be No. 1 of all time. But when you see the two guys ahead of him, maybe you’ll understand.

2. Charlie Ward, Football/Basketball
I wish someone could look this up for me, but I don’t know that it would matter. Because I think I know the answer. Has anyone ever quarterbacked a team to a national championship and also played point guard on a basketball team that earned a spot in the Elite Eight? I’m thinking probably not. Charlie was just that special.

He brought Florida State its first national championship and its first Heisman Trophy. He was clutch. He was calm. He was almost impossible to sack when he saw you coming. The signature play of his college career was of course the little flip pass to Warrick Dunn to sew up a 33-21 win over Florida in the Swamp. But remember, he also had to lead the Seminoles down the field in the final minutes to beat Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. Charlie was, without a doubt, the best football player in the nation in 1993. And yet he went pro – and was a first-round draft pick – in an entirely different sport. And he was clutch on the hardwood, too. As a freshman he sank a 30-footer to beat Louisville in the Metro Conference Championship game. He was just an amazing talent. Part of me wishes he would have given the NFL a try, because he was such a treat to watch in football (and the joke when he was a rookie with the Knicks was that he was the best quarterback in New York). But I understand the decision.

By the way, before he became a star under center as a junior and senior, Ward spent his freshman season as the team’s starting punter. That’s how insane an athlete he was – he could, almost literally, do anything. But then again, so could this last guy.

1. Deion Sanders, Football/Baseball/Track
Seriously, who else could it have been? Not only is he perhaps the best cornerback in football history (certainly no defensive back ever altered more gameplans), a two-time consensus All-American, one of the best punt returners who ever lived, an NFL Defensive MVP, a two-time Super Bowl winner, a eight-time Pro Bowler and a soon-to-be Hall of Famer, but he was pretty good on other fields as well.
What gets lost in Deion’s two-sport days during the 1990s was just how good he was at baseball. No, he wasn’t an All-Star and he won’t be in Cooperstown, but he was a very serviceable major leaguer for a number of years. He wasn’t a carnival act (hey, look at the football player trying to swing a bat!) at all. He was a legit major leaguer.
In 1992, he led the NL with 14 triples while hitting .304 for the season. In the World Series that year, Deion hit a stunning .533 with five stolen bases and likely would have been the World Series MVP if the Atlanta Braves had won.
In 1994, he stole 38 bases in just 92 games. In 1997 with the Reds, he stole 56 bases.
As we all know, he is the only person to hit a home run in the major leagues and score a touchdown in the NFL in the same week – will that milestone ever be reached again?
But that’s just his professional career. What Deion did in college will never be forgotten by Florida State fans (the responses to my last blog proved that). From “calling his shot” before returning a punt for a touchdown against Clemson, to terrorizing Andre Rison and the Michigan State Spartans, to intercepting a pass in the end zone against Auburn on his final collegiate play, to returning a pick 100 yards as a freshman to returning a punt for a touchdown against the hated Gators later that year to starring for the Florida State track and field team (he was an All-American in that sport, too) to helping the Seminoles to the College World Series as a starting outfielder. He did it all. He was confident. He was brash. He was unbelievably fast and undeniably talented. There will never, ever, be another Florida State athlete like Deion Sanders.

Sunday Sermon -- The Price of Fame and Fortune

I didn't cry about Michael's death until I heard that there was a possibility that he may have committed suicide. There was talk about how much debt he was in and how much he still suffered from childhood trauma. He was so misunderstood, yet seemingly had such a good heart.

I cried because I could identify with the pain. I understand what it's like to be misunderstood and to be lied on, criticized, ostracized by people who don't even know me. They just HEARD something about me and took it as gospel.

So, I wept for Michael and I wept for me.

There is a high price one must pay to walk in the places that a man like Michael Jackson walked in.

There is a loneliness, a feeling of isolation, insecurity, low self esteem that no one understands. You learn how to smile when on the inside you are dying. You learn how to laugh and tell jokes to mask your pain. Instead of confessing that you're hurting or you're weak, you become combative and argumentative and down right mean to keep people from walking over you. So people think you're tough...but if they only knew.

If they only knew the nights you cried yourself to sleep. If they only knew how many times you contemplated suicide. If they only knew how many notes you taped to the night stand because you made up your mind that tonight is my last night.Me and Mike are not alone.

The Prophet Jeremiah suffered from the spirit of depression and suicide like no other Prophet. When Jeremiah received the call from God, he didn't respond like some of us may have. When we go to service, and someone calls us out and tells us that God has called us to ministry, we feel special. We feel honored. We think it's a wonderful thing.We meditate on the accolades we will receive.We have visions of people applauding when we walk into the sanctuary.We think about world-wide ministry and the notoriety that comes with that.We start looking at airplanes and private jets.We imagine the entourage that will travel with us.We see ourselves living the life.

But Jeremiah saw something different because he knew that the life he was being called to would not be easy. He knew that his ministry would be the object of ridicule, disdain, and persecution.

In fact, God didn't even tell Jeremiah like he told Abraham that "in blessings I will bless thee." No. God told Jeremiah, "And they shall fight against thee..."Jeremiah's whole life was a fight. One battle after another. Not from the ENEMIES of Israel but from the PEOPLE of Israel. He had to fight the people whom he had been called to serve. Now I could stay right there all day.

So Jeremiah suffered from depression and you know how depressed people do. They start talkin' crazy. Jeremiah cursed the day he was born and cursed the man who told his daddy he had a son. He said he wished he had died in his mother's womb and questioned why he had been born in the first place. (Jeremiah 20:14). He lost his will to live.He got mad with God and said, "God you deceived me!" Anybody ever felt like God tricked you into obeying Him? Imma leave that alone.

But Jeremiah and Michael should have studied the life of King David. David also suffered from rejection afer rejection. He was hurt many times but you never read where he became overwhelmed because one thing David knew how to do...He knew how to pray!

He knew how to praise and worship his way into the presence of God.David took his isolation as an opportunity to get to know God. David was not accepted by his family so he would find himself on the side of a mountain, alone with the sheep and he took that time to fall in love with God.

He wrote songs that only God would hear.
He read poetry to the Lord and wept in His presence.
He sang to the Lord and blew Him kisses.
He danced in God's presence when no one was around.

If only Michael had known how to do like David.
Michael could dance his fanny off but if he could have only danced like David danced!
If only Michael had known that in His presence there is fullness of joy.
In His presence, He will give you strenghth for the struggle.
In His presence, He will speak a Word in your spirit that will carry you through.

So when trouble knocks on your door, and it will. When you feel overwhelmed by the troubles of this world, run into the presence of God. Cry in His presence. Weep in His presence. But don't give up in the face of a fight. For the suffering of this present time is not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.

Til next time....Sherraye

That’s right, Charlie. Take the money and run!

Ending months of dire predictions of a state on the edge of fiscal collapse, Gov. Charlie Crist signed a spending plan on Wednesday that minimizes drastic cuts in state programs by relying on billions in help from the federal government.

The spending plan also raises more than $2 billion with a $1 per pack increase on the state's cigarette tax, increased tuition at state colleges and myriad hikes in fees for everything from driver licenses to court costs.

The $66.5 billion spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1 has been cut more than 10 percent in just the past three years as the state's collapsed real estate and construction markets have dried up tax revenues used to pay for schools, universities, prisons and hundreds of other programs.

But Crist was characteristically optimistic Wednesday, saying that the worst-case scenarios of the early release of prisoners, cuts in education spending and massive layoffs of state employees were averted.

Flanked by lawmakers from both parties at a Wednesday morning press conference, Crist, a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2010, said the economic forecasts earlier this year were "disheartening, to say the least."

"Many predicted dark days for our state. Today, I am happy to say that the budget I'm about to sign is not nearly as dismal as many expected it to be," said Crist.

Crist said the state's economy has bottomed out - a prediction borne out by tax revenues that seem to have steadied after years of dropping. But the infusion of nearly $6 billion in federal stimulus money, and billions more for the following fiscal year, has stalled any discussion of revamping Florida's boom-or-bust tax structure that relies heavily on tourism and real estate transactions to pay for basic services.

Rep. Keith Fitzgerald, D-Sarasota, said there is "great irony" to having the Democratic administration of President Barack Obama bail out a state facing historic budget cuts after 10 years of Republican administration.

"The Republican Party who has been responsible for ruining the state is really getting bailed out by President Obama, who they turn around and continuously criticize," said Fitzgerald.

And Fitzgerald, a political science professor at New College, said it is not clear whether there will be any political fallout for the increases in tuition and fees that Floridians will almost certainly notice in the coming months.

"When they get that speeding ticket and it's now $350 or a tuition bill that makes your eyes pop out, they're not going to say 'Darn that Gov. Crist for signing that budget bill,'" said Fitzgerald.

Crist vetoed two items in the budget. He bowed to National Rifle Association concerns and reversed a $6 million transfer from a savings account set aside to pay for concealed weapons permits. That money will now stay dedicated for that program instead of shifting to paying for other state programs.

And in a possibly unconstitutional move, Crist vetoed budget language that mandated a 2 percent pay cut for state employees making more than $45,000.

While the state's constitution allows governors to veto line items in a budget approved by the Legislature, it does not allow the governor to veto "proviso" language that spells out how the executive branch shall carry out certain spending decisions unless he also vetoes corresponding line items.

"It's clearly unconstitutional," said Senate budget chief J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales.

Asked whether he thought the Legislature would sue over the issue, as it has done in the past with a successful challenge of a 2000 veto by Gov. Jeb Bush, Alexander said, "If it was up to me, I certainly would just out of principle. I don't have any personal issue with the governor, but it's against the constitution."

Still, a legal challenge seems unlikely. Lawmakers didn't challenge Crist's 2007 veto of proviso language that allowed for limited tuition hikes at state universities, a position Crist reversed in 2008.

Crist said Wednesday he thinks he has the legal authority to veto the salary reduction for state employees. And his veto will not affect the state's budget picture, because he asked agency heads to make cuts in spending equal to the proposed salary cuts.

"I believe now is not the best time to reduce state employees' pay, especially as we are seeing many signs that our economy is beginning to turn around," Crist said. "It has been my hope that we would not have to take millions of dollars out of the pockets of 28,000 people throughout our state."

Gov. Crist to deploying troops: 'You are truly heroes'

Tallahassee will soon be a distant memory for the more than 200 men and women of the Florida Army National Guard 779th engineering battalion. But the city and the loved ones within it will never be far from their hearts.

Members of the Forward Support Company and Headquarters Company, two of the six units that make up the 779th, boarded two planes Tuesday headed to Fort McCoy, Wis., for a final bit of training before deploying to Iraq for a year.

A ceremony commemorating their departure was held in the Capitol courtyard Tuesday morning.

Tears flowed as dignitaries offered words of thanks, praise and well wishes.

"You are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters and friends," Gov. Charlie Crist said. "Always ready when called upon. You are truly heroes."

"I'm proud to be deployed with a great group of soldiers that have trained hard and are ready," Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Dwayne Jarriel, also deploying, said. "Do right, fear nothing. That's what we live by. That is what we are."

After the ceremony, friends and family gathered around their beloved soldiers, hugging, kissing, reassuring each other that everything is going to be alright.

"I'll be waiting around for her," Nick Litvin said about his fiancee, Pfc. Heather Hebert. The wedding will have to wait for now but Litvin is planning on visiting bridal shows and sending photos of wedding gowns to his bride to be.

For most, this won't be the last time they see their family members pre-deployment.

Several family members have plans to visit Fort McCoy next month, but that doesn't make the separation any easier.

"We haven't been apart since the day we met," Pvt. Jolina Lawson said. Both she and her husband were headed overseas together but then she found out she was pregnant. Unable to hold back tears, a fellow soldier reminded her that she has a bigger mission: delivering a baby.

The Patriot Guard Riders, a group of motorcyclists and drivers who seek to support veterans and soldiers, escorted the four buses to the airport.

"We are proud to stand for them as they go off to protect what we stand for," organizer Mike Donohoe said of the Patriot Guard Riders.

The group included 18 motorcycles and three cars.

As the guardsmen and women boarded their planes, Lt. Col. Jarriel shook each of their hands, reminding them that he'd be seeing them soon.

"We believe in the Florida National Guard," Jarriel's wife, Penny said. "Our goal right now is for them to all come home safe."

My response:

The young lady in the picture is my law school classmate. Melonie is one of the sweetest people I have ever met. All I can do is cry…and pray.

Polk Schools Hiring New Teachers Soon

Here's something that didn't seem certain not long ago: The Polk County School District plans to start hiring teachers soon.

Prospective teachers should start checking the district's Web site today, said Ron Ciranna, assistant superintendent of human resources. The Web site is www.polk-fl.net.

"I would start checking on a daily basis after the Memorial Day weekend," Ciranna said in an e-mail.

Next school year, Polk County's largest employer, with about 6,500 teachers among its nearly 13,000 employees, plans to hire between 200 and 300 new teachers.

Last week, after months of financial uncertainty, the district filled 160 positions for displaced "priority one" teachers who have more than four years in the district. Once spots for the remaining 36 "priority one" teachers are found, the district will begin looking for jobs for 85 annual contract teachers.

Those teachers have three or fewer years in the system, received good reviews, but will be terminated because of low enrollments at their current schools.

All of those teachers are expected to be rehired, Ciranna has said.

New teachers will replace those who failed to meet the mission and vision of the school and the district, and those who do not receive their certification.

Akindele Unleashed: Moving Historically Black Colleges and Universities Into The Silver Rights Era by Akindele Akinyemi

Akindele Unleashed: Moving Historically Black Colleges and Universities Into The Silver Rights Era by Akindele Akinyemi

He writes:

There is STILL a need for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. However, the way we run and support these institutions need to change for the better.If you take a look at the Catholics they support Georgetown and Notre Dame. The Mormons support BYU. The Seventh Day Adventists support Andrews University in Berrien Springs, MI. The Lutherans-Missouri Synod support Concordia University. Most White Americans support and give back to the public institution they graduated from. However, when it comes to Blacks in this country we do not support our own institutions. After all, here in Detroit, most of the businesses are owned and operated by Arabs and Chaldeans even thought Blacks make up 90% of the total population in our city.However, HBCUs can serve as an incubator to develop 21st century leadership through a silver rights perspective.

The main problem is that we still have HBCU presidents that operate on a 20th century civil rights perspective. For example, why do we continue to beg the federal government for money to run OUR institutions? This is OUR responsibility to fund and manage first. Our ways of innovation must be creative.An example of innovation for these HBCUs is creating a social business incubator that will help divert funding to the HBCU of our choice. A social business is one which aims to be financially self-sufficient, if not profitable, in its pursuit of a social, ethical or environmental goal. Speaking of social business HBCUs do not offer social entrepreneurship programs to help eradicate poverty in our community. Our way of thinking must change and our way of doing business must be global.

For private HBCUs like Howard and Morehouse we have not done a good job in holding our faith based and non-profit communities accountable for not supporting quality education in these HBCUs. The major fund we have for the HBCUs is the United Negro College Fund. I dislike the term "negro" because it is outdated. Again, this is the Silver Rights Movement not the Civil Rights Movement. Our way of thinking must change and our way of doing business must be global. We need more than just the UNCF and Coca-Cola giving out scholarships to poor Blacks going to a HBCU. We need public-private partnerships working on improving the financial status of these HBCUs, creating a financial mechanism that will bring in billions to these universities by developing new global initiatives that will place these HBCUs in direct competition with other traditional colleges and universities.

The K-12 educational program at the HBCUs must be different also. They should offer teacher certifications in areas such as African-American History (which should not be looked upon as an elective), financial literacy and physiology to go into the most distressed urban areas to prepare our children for the 21st century.In a silver rights perspective we are in the business of generating wealth on these HBCUs by developing challenging programs, curriculums, and research facilities that will prepare our students in the 21st century. Some HBCUs are already doing this such as Tenneessee State University.HBCUs serve as the custodians of the record of the struggle of Black people in this country to achieve the very highest levels of contribution to our society. There are many ways to ensure these institutions are preserved.However, American society has written off HBCUs as irrelevant. More importantly, Black people has written off HBCUs off their list as well. This is why it is important to know your history before you write anything off. These HBCUs can very well be the change agent in urban communities across America.

My response:

I actually agree with Akindele on this one. Click the link above to read the entire blog post. Good stuff.

Powell Takes on Cheney, Limbaugh in Battle for Republican Party

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said the Republican Party needs to break free from the grip of conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh and forge a more inclusive identity.

Powell responded to comments by Limbaugh urging him to become a Democrat, and by former Vice President Dick Cheney that he had abandoned the party. Powell declared his loyalty to the Republican Party and said he is trying to boost its electoral prospects.

“Rush Limbaugh will not get his wish and Mr. Cheney is ill-informed,” Powell said on CBS News’s “Face the Nation” program. “I’m still a Republican.”

Powell said the party must be “more inclusive” to expand its electoral base or risk losses similar to those suffered in the November elections, when Barack Obama won the White House and Democrats seized control of the Senate.

“On almost every demographic indicator the Republican Party is losing,” Powell said. “The Republican Party has to take a hard look at itself and ask, ‘What kind of party are we?’”

Cheney said on “Face the Nation” on May 10 that Powell, 72, “had already left the party” when he endorsed President Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign. “I assumed that that is some indication of his loyalty.”

Asked if he would “take Rush Limbaugh over Colin Powell,” Republican Cheney, 68, said, “I would.”

Powell Backs Obama

Limbaugh criticized Powell’s endorsement of Obama, suggesting during his May 6 program that considerations of race had trumped politics. Obama and Powell are black.

“What Colin Powell needs to do is close the loop and become a Democrat, instead of claiming to be a Republican interested in reforming the Republican Party. He’s not. He’s a full-fledged Democrat,” Limbaugh said, according to a partial transcript of the program on Limbaugh’s official Web site.

“The only reason to endorse Obama is race,” Limbaugh said.

Powell said Limbaugh ignored the reasons that Powell enumerated in his decision to support Obama.

“Mr. Limbaugh saw fit to dismiss all those reasons and put it into a racial context,” Powell said. “That was very unfortunate.”

Powell said Limbaugh holds too much sway over Republican officials, citing recent incidents in which Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele was forced to “lay prostrate on the floor and apologize” for criticizing the radio personality.

“He shouldn’t have a veto over what someone thinks,” Powell said.

 

City leaders Thursday told a congressional subcommittee that they would be open to discussions about extending the D.C. school voucher program past the point recommended by President Obama.

Testifying before the House Committee on Appropriations' financial services subcommittee, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray both noted their support for Mr. Obama's intention to allow students enrolled in the voucher program to remain in it until they graduate, but not to grant any scholarships to new students.

But when asked by Rep. Jo Ann Emerson - Missouri Republican and ranking minority member on the subcommittee - about whether the "younger brothers and sisters" of the current voucher students should be allowed to enroll in the program while the city continues its school reform efforts, Mr. Fenty said he would welcome discussions on the topic.

"I think that has tremendous merit, Congresswoman," the mayor said. "I think [the Obama proposal] is a great foundation to figure out just how much stronger you make the program. And so we're open to it and we'd be glad to discuss it further."

Mr. Gray, who is personally opposed to vouchers but supportive of the Obama proposal, also told the Mrs. Emerson he'd "be happy to have any discussions you would wish around this issue."

"I certainly, like the mayor, am committed to having the strongest possible public education system we can have in the District of Columbia," the chairman said.

The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program was created five years ago and provides scholarships of up to $7,500 for students from underprivileged families to attend private schools.

Students eligible for the program come from households with an income that is no more than 185 percent of the poverty line, which is about $39,220 for a family of four.

Funding the D.C. scholarships has been a point of contention between political parties, with Republicans generally supportive of the program and Democrats generally opposing it.

The omnibus spending plan signed by Mr. Obama in March cuts the program in 2010 and makes its future contingent on the approval of the D.C. Council and Congress. However, the president's fiscal 2010 budget calls for the program to be extended for current students only.

On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs also held a hearing focused specifically on the voucher program.

Sen. Joe Lieberman, Connecticut independent and chairman of the committee, is an ardent supporter of the scholarships and said he has a promise from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, that the program's reauthorization would be brought to a full Senate vote before it expires.

Travis Henry Arrested On Bond Violation

Former NFL player Travis Henry will remain in federal custody after his arrest Tuesday by U.S. Marshals and Polk County sheriff's deputies in Auburndale for a bond violation, a U.S. magistrate judge in Tampa ruled.

Henry tested positive for alcohol, which is prohibited under the terms of his release, the judge said.

Adam Allen, a public defender representing Henry at the hearing, said in court that Henry consumed the alcohol before a U.S. district judge in Montana set the conditions of his release.

Henry, a Frostproof High graduate and former running back for the Denver Broncos, signed a plea deal with prosecutors in April admitting to a single cocaine conspiracy charge to possess at least 11 pounds of cocaine with intent to distribute the drug.

Tampa U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Pizzo called it "unusual" that a defendant facing a minimum 10-year prison sentence would be granted bond after a guilty plea.

"Mr. Henry, you will have to answer to the district judge in Montana for release if you are to be released," Pizzo said, remanding him to the custody of the U.S. Marshals.

Allen said Henry's private lawyers presented "special circumstances" to the Montana judge to secure his release.

Henry has three court hearings scheduled this month concerning child support, court records show.

"Once he is incarcerated it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to arrange for his presence at these various hearings," defense lawyers said in court filings in Montana.

Henry, 30, and co-defendant James Mack, 29, of Bow Mar, Colo., were arrested in Denver in October, after authorities in Montana found 6 pounds of marijuana and about 6.6 pounds of cocaine that the pair allegedly supplied.

Federal investigators said Henry trafficked cocaine between Colorado and Montana and that one of his associates had delivered 6 pounds of cocaine to Billings on prior occasions.

Henry was also arrested March 3 on charges he owed $16,600 in child support payments.

Henry tested positive for alcohol, which is prohibited under the terms of his release, the judge said.

Adam Allen, a public defender representing Henry at the hearing, said in court that Henry consumed the alcohol before a U.S. district judge in Montana set the conditions of his release.

Henry, a Frostproof High graduate and former running back for the Denver Broncos, signed a plea deal with prosecutors in April admitting to a single cocaine conspiracy charge to possess at least 11 pounds of cocaine with intent to distribute the drug.

Tampa U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Pizzo called it "unusual" that a defendant facing a minimum 10-year prison sentence would be granted bond after a guilty plea.

"Mr. Henry, you will have to answer to the district judge in Montana for release if you are to be released," Pizzo said, remanding him to the custody of the U.S. Marshals.

Allen said Henry's private lawyers presented "special circumstances" to the Montana judge to secure his release.

Henry has three court hearings scheduled this month concerning child support, court records show.

"Once he is incarcerated it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to arrange for his presence at these various hearings," defense lawyers said in court filings in Montana.

Henry, 30, and co-defendant James Mack, 29, of Bow Mar, Colo., were arrested in Denver in October, after authorities in Montana found 6 pounds of marijuana and about 6.6 pounds of cocaine that the pair allegedly supplied.

Federal investigators said Henry trafficked cocaine between Colorado and Montana and that one of his associates had delivered 6 pounds of cocaine to Billings on prior occasions.

Henry was also arrested March 3 on charges he owed $16,600 in child support payments.

HE HAS 11 CHILDREN BY 10 WOMEN.

After a successful appeal of his jail stay in the 2nd District Court of Appeal in Lakeland, Henry was ordered released March 18.

He's scheduled to be sentenced in Montana in the federal drug case July 15.

After a successful appeal of his jail stay in the 2nd District Court of Appeal in Lakeland, Henry was ordered released March 18.

He's scheduled to be sentenced in Montana in the federal drug case July 15.

Dumb. Just dumb.

Poll shows Crist way ahead of Rubio in U.S. Senate race

A week after Gov. Charlie Crist announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate and threw the state's 2010 political season into high gear, a new public poll shows him with a big lead over the competition.

Ron Sachs Communications, a public relations and consulting firm, commissioned the Mason-Dixon Polling & Research survey of registered voters.

Respondents said they'd vote for Crist over Republican primary opponent Marco Rubio 53 percent to 18 percent, with 29 percent undecided. Rubio is a former House speaker from Miami.

Against the leading Democrat running for the U.S. Senate seat, Crist is also ahead with 55 percent saying they'd vote for Crist over U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek of Miami. In that matchup, 21 percent were undecided.

In the race to replace Crist as governor, the poll showed Republican candidate Attorney General Bill McCollum leading the state's Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink 40 percent to 34 percent, with 26 percent undecided.

"Bill McCollum has just begun to unite the Republican Party behind his candidacy," said Matt Williams, McCollum's campaign manager in a release. "We are overwhelmed by the positive response we have received since his announcement yesterday."

The poll's results reveal that the biggest dog isn't in any race. Former Gov. Jeb Bush, who declared he would not run for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Sen. Mel Martinez's retirement and then publicly dismissed suggestions he run for his old job, had the highest approval ratings of the dozen politicians included in the poll.

Crist came in with a 49 percent approval rating, highest among declared candidates for any statewide seat. But Bush polled a 53 percent approval rating.

The poll was conducted among 625 registered voters from Thursday through Monday. It has a 4 percent margin of error.

FAMU fires men's, women's track coaches

FAMU fired its men’s and women’s track coaches, according to a release from the university Tuesday evening.

Both head coach Rey Robinson and Maicel Malone are currently preparing five athletes -- thee men and two women -- for the NCAA East Regional championships next weekend in Greensboro, N.C.

The release said that contracts won’t be renewed for either coach after this season.

Robinson, a former Olympian, has been the men's track coach since 2000. Malone, a former coach at FSU, took over the women’s program at FAMU in 2005.

NCAA denies Surrency's eligibility to play for FSU football

There will be no second year for Corey Surrency.
The NCAA notified Florida State on Tuesday that it denied the school’s appeal for another year of eligibility for the wide receiver, who transferred to FSU after two seasons at El Camino College in California.
Surrency, a Miami native, was initially ruled ineligible in April because of a ruling in the NCAA Division I Manuel entitled “Participation After 21st Birthday.” The rule stipulates that if an athlete participates in an organized sport after his 21st birthday, but before he enrolls in a college, that participation will count as a year of varsity competition.

For two years before enrolling in junior college, Surrency played for the Florida Kings — a South Florida team that tries to help troubled athletes get a chance to play in college. Though it helped him earn a spot on the El Camino roster and eventually a scholarship at Florida State, his last year with the Kings (when he had already turned 21) wound up costing Surrency one last year in the garnet and gold.
“We are disappointed that Corey has lost his appeal,” head coach Bobby Bowden said. “But I appreciate our administration going to bat for him. I hope that Corey can continue to play on the next level and we will do all we can to help him get that chance.”
In 11 games last season, Surrency had 12 catches for 237 yards and four touchdowns.

The Black Divide on School Choice

The Black Divide on School Choice

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Kitchen makes game-winner, defense gets final stop, FSU heads to semis

When it mattered most, Derwin Kitchen wasn't going to be denied.

Three times during Florida State's white-knuckle thriller against Georgia Tech on Friday, the sophomore guard had a layup rejected by a Yellow Jacket defender.

But with just 9.9 seconds left in the ACC Tournament quarterfinal game, Kitchen took an inbounds pass from freshman Luke Loucks, sped toward the goal and hit a game-winning reverse layup while being fouled in the Seminoles' 64-62 win at the Georgia Dome.

It was just his third basket of the game.

"I was struggling the whole night," said Kitchen, who finished with eight points, five assists and four turnovers. "To make a big play like that for my teammates, for Luke to have confidence to pass it to me (and) just to bounce back from a terrible game — that was big."

The whole world — or at least the 26,352 in attendance Friday — expected FSU star Toney Douglas to take the game-winning shot. After all, he had 25 points in the game (on 11 of 15 shooting) and has taken, and made, virtually all of the Seminoles' big shots in conference contests this season.

Instead, the pass went to Kitchen, who attacked the basket despite his earlier struggles.

The Rev. John Hagee to Speak at Rally for Israel

The Rev. John Hagee, founder and national chairman of Christians United for Israel, will speak at "A Night to Honor Israel" at 6 p.m. Sunday at Without Walls Central Church in Lakeland. He will be joined by Ofer Bavly, Israeli Consul General in Miami.

Members of a Lakeland synagogue will participate as well. Cantor Victor Geigner of Temple Emanuel will sing the Israeli national anthem near the beginning of the service and a member of the temple will blow the ceremonial shofar, or ram's horn, Geigner said.

The rally is intended to demonstrate solidarity between Christians and Jews, said the Rev. Scott Thomas, pastor of Without Walls Central. It is the third such event hosted by the church.

"We want to let the Jewish community know we are standing with them and praying for them. ... The Bible tells us as Christians to stand for and with Israel. It's a scriptural mandate," he said. "Christianity could never stand without Judaism. The founding fathers of the Christian faith were the founding fathers of the Jewish faith."

Hagee is pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, a large Pentecostal congregation. In books and sermons, Hagee has stated that Israel is at the center of a scenario that will include the end of the world and the return of Jesus Christ to Earth, a theology known as "Christian Zionism." He has expressed unequivocal support for the policies of conservative Israeli political parties in Israel's land disputes with the government of the Palestinian Authority, and his organization also lobbies the U.S. government on behalf of Israel.

Last year, Hagee was forced to withdraw his endorsement of Republican presidential candidate John McCain because of previously published comments that charged the Catholic Church conspired with Adolf Hitler "to exterminate the Jews." Hagee subsequently issued an apology.

My response:

Humph...

Not All Schools in Poverty Areas Fail, FCAT Shows

Blanton is among the poorest schools in Pinellas. Tucked along a humble stretch of 54th Avenue North between St. Petersburg and Pinellas Park, it sits next to an apartment complex offering $150 move-in specials, and backs into Copher's U Pull It, an auto salvage yard stacked high with clunkers.

Three in four Blanton students are eligible for free or reduced lunch. A growing number speak more Vietnamese or Spanish than English. Earlier this year, administrators discovered a student was coming in late because her family doesn't have an alarm clock where they live - in their car.

Shocking? Not at Blanton. The same thing happened last year.

And yet, when it comes to academics, Blanton's results are as loud and impossible to ignore as Copher's car crusher.

Six years after its F (which was changed to a D upon appeal), Blanton has earned two A's in a row. It's expecting a third after this year's Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test season, which kicks into high gear Tuesday.

Blanton's scores outpace nearly every other high-poverty school in Pinellas. And better yet, they stack up well next to Perkins Elementary, the highly prized arts magnet in St. Petersburg that has half Blanton's poverty.

POVERTY, ADACEMICS CO-EXIST

It's commonly assumed there is an iron-clad correlation between poverty and academics. Poor school? Bad school. But in Florida, a growing number of high-poverty schools are defying public perception.

Case of 7 Killings Is Back

Seven children poisoned by insecticide.

Their father charged with murder.

A white sheriff and a white prosecutor who, the story goes, framed a poor black fruit picker and brought shame to this town.

All those lawyers making a show at the trial and all those reporters asking questions about Arcadia, a small town in southwest Florida, that no one wanted to answer.

Nobody talks much about James Joseph Richardson or those seven dead children anymore.

It all happened more than 40 years ago, and just about anybody who had anything to do with it has died or moved on.

But suspicion lingers about Richardson, even after it was proven that the murder case against him was built on lies. Some still wonder whether it was Richardson who poisoned the children's lunch in October 1967 and finessed the legal system to avoid the punishment he deserved.

And now, the case that underscored the upheaval of the civil rights era in this small town is back in court.

Richardson is the first person to apply for a settlement under a new Florida law that awards money to the wrongly convicted.

Jailed for more than two decades, he stands to gain more than $1 million - $50,000 for every year he spent in prison.

Opposing him, just as they did in 1967 and 1989, when he was set free, are prosecutors with the State Attorney's Office. They are pointing to a provision in the new law that says the wrongly convicted must prove their own innocence to receive a payment.

It is nearly an impossible standard, especially in a case this old. Evidence was destroyed years ago and most of the witnesses are now dead.

Richardson's lawyer, Robert Barrar Jr., wonders: "How do you prove a negative? How do you prove that something didn't happen?"

You can start with the baby sitter.

Read the rest.  Really interesting story. 

Fla. Hopes For Better Schools Are Erased

Gov. Charlie Crist's promise to boost money for Florida's schools has been shattered by the state's worsening economy.

New forecasts show that the values of homes, businesses and condos continue to slide dramatically, especially in Southwest Florida.

And with the slide in real estate values comes less money in property taxes for school districts - as much as $1 billion less.

That all but wipes out Crist's pledge to spend $183 more on each student next year.

And it is one more sign that Crist's optimistic budget is crashing against economic realities, rendering his proposed $66.5 billion spending plan irrelevant to the GOP-controlled Legislature.

My response:

I just refuse to give in to the doom and gloom. We'll be ok. Most of the stuff we spend money on is stupid anyway. The first thing we need to cut are those ignorant teachers who can't string a decent sentence together but have the nerve to try to teach English. Get rid of low performing teachers and pay high performing teachers better. Then tell these Teacher Unions to kick rocks.

Man Up, Michael Steele

Over the weekend, Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele called Rush Limbaugh's rhetoric "incendiary" and "ugly" and insisted that he, not Limbaugh, is in charge of the GOP.

Steele rejected the idea, saying, "I'm the de facto leader of the Republican Party."

"Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer. Rush Limbaugh's whole thing is entertainment," Steele told CNN. "Yes, it is incendiary. Yes, it is ugly."

Um huh...and today he apologized to Rush like a big sissy. Michael Steele makes me sick. Man up, Mike. Seriously.

Parks & Crump Win A Big One In Imperial Polk County

A civil court jury this week found that Mike Cochran, a Lakeland police officer, was negligent when he shot Reginald Jackson in the neck in 2001.

The jury awarded Jackson $550,000 in the case Wednesday.

Jackson's lawyers said the city would be liable only for $100,000 under the state's sovereign immunity clause. Lawyers hadn't decided Thursday whether they would file a petition with the state Legislature for more money.

"I think the verdict reflected the recklessness of officer Cochran," said Daryl Parks, one of Jackson's lawyers. "It was a tough case. They did everything in their power to stop us."

The Lakeland Police Department did not return calls for comment.

The incident began in the parking lot of Church's Chicken restaurant, 213 W. Memorial Blvd., in October 2001, when Jackson was issued tickets by Cochran for a tag violation and for not placing a passenger younger than 3 years old in a child restraint device.

Cochran told Jackson to make a phone call and get a child seat before leaving the parking lot of the restaurant.

About 15 minutes later, Jackson left and headed west on Memorial Boulevard.

But he was stopped by Cochran about a block later.

Jackson got out of his car and ran, despite Cochran's orders. The two ran around a building and Jackson got back in his car, according to Ledger records.

Police said Jackson repeatedly "lurched" the car toward Cochran, who yelled for him to stop.

At the time, a police spokesman said Cochran feared for his life and fired a single shot, striking Jackson in the neck. The child, the son of Jackson's girlfriend, was not injured.

Jackson was treated at Lakeland Regional Medical Center and taken to the Polk County Jail.

Jackson was charged with attempted murder of a police officer, but the State Attorney's Office later dropped the charges.

Parents of former FSU football player seek state compensation for his death

A claims bill for the family of Devaughn Darling will make another attempt to get through the Legislature this session, eight years after the Florida State University linebacker died during off-season drills.

So far Wendy Hunter, Darling’s mother, and Dennis Darling, his father, have been paid $200,000, the most allowed under state law. The state’s sovereign immunity requires legislative approval for payments greater than that.

The parents and FSU settled a lawsuit in 2004 that would pay them $2 million for Darling’s death, but each year the claims bill has been brought up it’s been pulled before a vote could be taken. This year could be especially challenging for claims bills in general since lawmakers will have to make severe cuts to balance the budget.

“This has been lingering for quite a while,” said Sen. Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee, sponsor of the Darling claims bill (SB26). “It’s an issue of fairness to the family.”

Lawson said despite the state’s poor financial condition, claims bills such as this one should pass because “they are nonrecurring dollars.”

Hunter, who has long criticized the fact the bill hasn’t gone through the Legislature, could not be reached for comment.

Yolanda Jackson, who is lobbying for the Darling claims bill, said she is hopeful the bill is passed, but has yet to know what Senate and House leadership plans to do with such bills this session.

“With the budget the way it is, I’m not sure,” Jackson said.

Both House and Senate leadership spokeswomen said how the claims bill process and what claims bills will be voted on this session is still under discussion.