Waldo Jaquith is one of our top bloggers in the state, so since he posted the "Five Facts You May Not Know," I guess I better do it too.
1-I still can't decide on what I want to do with my life. I really want to go into politics, but, in the meantime, I have several choices that I can't seem to choose between. I would like to be a high school government teacher. My Political Science professor at college said I would make a good professor. I had someone recently tell me I should go to one of the tryouts for a Major Leage Baseball team (I'd need to shed a few pounds before that). I also love the idea of pursuing a career in psychology or social work. I'm taking classes this first year of college that are broad enough that I could use them for several different degrees. I'll probably make the decision about 15 minutes before I absolutely have to.
2-I've had Type I Diabetes since 1996, when I was eight years old. I'm very interested in embryonic stem cell research, because I believe it could hold the key that will unlock the cure to this disease, as well as the cures to other deadly diseases.
3-I was born in Sullivan County, Tennessee, about 300 yards from Virginia. The hospital, Bristol Memorial, sat on the state line. Since I didn't have my birth certificate, I had to go all the way to Blountville, Tennessee to get a new copy of it. Blountville has the best Burger King I've ever been to.
4-As you may know, I play the guitar. The biggest highlight of my guitar-playing experience came in 2004 when I got to have a "jam session" with bluegrass legend Jimmy Martin, only a few months before he died. He was weakened by the effects of chemotherapy (he had bladder cancer) but was still the fireball he had always been. For the record, we sang "Freeborn Man," (I actually just sang one verse, and helped on the chorus) and "I'll Fly Away."
5-When I went to Cleveland in 2004 to visit family, I went to Geauga Lake theme park in Aurora, Ohio. I rode a ferry across the lake and back, because it looked pretty fun. About half way across, I dropped my watch in the water. I was fairly upset, since I had just bought it about three weeks before ($12.95 at Wal-Mart!). As far as I know, it's still down there, keeping time for the fishes.
Until 2007.
-Neal
December 31, 2006
Hall of Fame Inductees On January 9th
On January 9th, the National Baseball Hall of Fame will announce the 2007 class of inductees. Among the candidates on the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) ballot are: Steve Garvey (Los Angeles Dodgers), Bobby Bonilla (Pittsburgh Pirates), Goose Gossage (New York Yankees), Andre Dawson (Montreal Expos), Tommy John (Los Angeles Dodgers), Don Mattingly (New York Yankees), Orel Hershiser (Los Angeles Dodgers), Jim Rice (Boston Red Sox), two candidates (Jose Canseco of the Oakland A's and Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals) with major steroid-related question marks, and, of course, the two obvious choices, Cal Ripken (Baltimore Orioles) and Tony Gwynn (San Diego Padres).
You can see the entire BBWAA list here.
I'm sure all of the candidates on the ballot (of which there are a whole bunch I didn't even name) were good players, with varying degrees of success. But, of the big group, I (assuming I had a vote) would vote for: Ripken, Gwynn, Gossage, Hershiser, John, Dawson, and Rice.
I don't think that candidates who either admitted to using steroids (Canseco and the late Ken Caminiti), or are highly suspected (McGwire) of using them should be elected. Use of steriods is tantamount to cheating, and by allowing cheaters in on the basis of what they did while cheating will cheapen the accomplishments of the greatest players who did what they did without using performance enhancers. If Honus Wagner, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Hank Aaron, and Frank Robinson did what they did without steroids, it's completely unfair to compare the steroid users to them.
I enjoy baseball, and I play as often as I can. I'm sure other folks who are reading this also play baseball. And I'm sure they'll agree with me that cheating isn't how you play the game. Frank Robinson, my favorite player of all-time, said that those found to have used steroids should have their records wiped, and I tend to agree.
-Neal
You can see the entire BBWAA list here.
I'm sure all of the candidates on the ballot (of which there are a whole bunch I didn't even name) were good players, with varying degrees of success. But, of the big group, I (assuming I had a vote) would vote for: Ripken, Gwynn, Gossage, Hershiser, John, Dawson, and Rice.
I don't think that candidates who either admitted to using steroids (Canseco and the late Ken Caminiti), or are highly suspected (McGwire) of using them should be elected. Use of steriods is tantamount to cheating, and by allowing cheaters in on the basis of what they did while cheating will cheapen the accomplishments of the greatest players who did what they did without using performance enhancers. If Honus Wagner, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Hank Aaron, and Frank Robinson did what they did without steroids, it's completely unfair to compare the steroid users to them.
I enjoy baseball, and I play as often as I can. I'm sure other folks who are reading this also play baseball. And I'm sure they'll agree with me that cheating isn't how you play the game. Frank Robinson, my favorite player of all-time, said that those found to have used steroids should have their records wiped, and I tend to agree.
-Neal
December 30, 2006
December 28, 2006
Let's Talk 2009
Okay, okay. I know 2006 isn't over, and we've got 2007 and 2008 to deal with first, but, as part of the political junkie that I am, I want to talk about 2009 state races.
So, who do you want to see running? Let me just throw a couple names out, and see what you think.
Governor
Mark Warner
Creigh Deeds
Brian Moran
Lt. Governor
L.F. Payne
Don Beyer
John Marshall
Harris Miller
Attorney General
Um...Anybody got anything?
I think it's important that we field strong candidates for all three offices. It has been around a decade since we elected a Democratic Attorney General. That's a shame, and we'll need to change it in 2009 (and since I can't really come up with anything, I hope somebody can).
It's also very important that we elect a Democratic governor in 2009 to continue the highly successful policies of Tim Kaine and Mark Warner (and if Warner is the nominee, I don't think we'll have to worry too much), and not let Bill Bolling or Bob McDonnell start the disassembling these policies that have been paramount in Virginia's transformation into a top-notch, Class-A state.
If anybody has any suggestions or opinions, leave them in the comments.
-Neal
So, who do you want to see running? Let me just throw a couple names out, and see what you think.
Governor
Mark Warner
Creigh Deeds
Brian Moran
Lt. Governor
L.F. Payne
Don Beyer
John Marshall
Harris Miller
Attorney General
Um...Anybody got anything?
I think it's important that we field strong candidates for all three offices. It has been around a decade since we elected a Democratic Attorney General. That's a shame, and we'll need to change it in 2009 (and since I can't really come up with anything, I hope somebody can).
It's also very important that we elect a Democratic governor in 2009 to continue the highly successful policies of Tim Kaine and Mark Warner (and if Warner is the nominee, I don't think we'll have to worry too much), and not let Bill Bolling or Bob McDonnell start the disassembling these policies that have been paramount in Virginia's transformation into a top-notch, Class-A state.
If anybody has any suggestions or opinions, leave them in the comments.
-Neal
Why I'm For John Edwards
If you had asked me three weeks ago who I intended to vote for in the 2008 Presidential election, I would have said Barack Obama. And I still would. But he's not my first choice.
I'm pulling for John Edwards.
Senator Edwards has, in my opinion, three major pluses that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton do not have:
1-A great populist message-Senator Edwards made his announcement for President from the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, a pretty stark backdrop. He perfectly illustrated the "two Americas" theme from his 2004 campaign. Most folks just assume that since New Orleans isn't on CNN anymore, things must be peachy, but it's not. Senator Edwards can bring the other aspect of America-the America where over 40 million don't have health care and almost 40 million live in poverty-into the spotlight. We have a moral responsibility to help those among us who can't help themselves.
2-The Resume-Senator Edwards served six years in the United States Senate, and, during that time, spent time on both the Judiciary Committtee and the Select Committtee on Intelligence. Senator Edwards ran a highly successful campaign for President in 2004 (not quite as successful as he hoped, though), and was John Kerry's Vice Presidential runningmate. He currently heads UNC's Center on Poverty, and has travelled with Jack Kemp to Russia.
3-Electability-Senator Edwards is the mose electable of the frontrunners (and yes, I believe he is in the top tier of candidates, Obama and Clinton being the other two). He is from the South, an area Democrats can't afford to concede to the GOP. I believe John Edwards could bring West Virginia, Arkansas, Virginia, and probably other states back into the undecided column, not to mention other states like Minnesota, Iowa, and Ohio, where the two Americas theme will resonate.
I'll be doing all I can for John Edwards right up until the day he gets sworn-in as our 44th President. Will you?
-Neal
I'm pulling for John Edwards.
Senator Edwards has, in my opinion, three major pluses that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton do not have:
1-A great populist message-Senator Edwards made his announcement for President from the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans, a pretty stark backdrop. He perfectly illustrated the "two Americas" theme from his 2004 campaign. Most folks just assume that since New Orleans isn't on CNN anymore, things must be peachy, but it's not. Senator Edwards can bring the other aspect of America-the America where over 40 million don't have health care and almost 40 million live in poverty-into the spotlight. We have a moral responsibility to help those among us who can't help themselves.
2-The Resume-Senator Edwards served six years in the United States Senate, and, during that time, spent time on both the Judiciary Committtee and the Select Committtee on Intelligence. Senator Edwards ran a highly successful campaign for President in 2004 (not quite as successful as he hoped, though), and was John Kerry's Vice Presidential runningmate. He currently heads UNC's Center on Poverty, and has travelled with Jack Kemp to Russia.
3-Electability-Senator Edwards is the mose electable of the frontrunners (and yes, I believe he is in the top tier of candidates, Obama and Clinton being the other two). He is from the South, an area Democrats can't afford to concede to the GOP. I believe John Edwards could bring West Virginia, Arkansas, Virginia, and probably other states back into the undecided column, not to mention other states like Minnesota, Iowa, and Ohio, where the two Americas theme will resonate.
I'll be doing all I can for John Edwards right up until the day he gets sworn-in as our 44th President. Will you?
-Neal
Welcome!
Welcome to Southwest Progress! If you don't know, I'm Neal (formerly of Neal 2028). The main reason I've started a new blog rather than using the old one is basically because I wanted a name change, kind of like Sean Combs Puff Daddy P. Diddy Diddy.
Please don't mind the mess that is the template here. I'll be perfecting it in the coming days (including adding many more links, and some more html stuff), and I'll be offering my first honest-to-God post a little later tonight.
I've had people ask me what happened with my old blog. Why did I just all of a sudden stop writing? Well, I've given several answers; I've been busy, I've been preoccupied with college, etc., etc. But the truth is pretty simple: I lost the urge to do it. I intended to come back before the November elections, but I just didn't. Now, I'll be back for all the fun that will be 2007, and of course the 2008 elections.
By the way, any feedback on the template (or anything else at all), please stick it in the comments section. I appreciate anything anybody wants to offer.
-Neal
Please don't mind the mess that is the template here. I'll be perfecting it in the coming days (including adding many more links, and some more html stuff), and I'll be offering my first honest-to-God post a little later tonight.
I've had people ask me what happened with my old blog. Why did I just all of a sudden stop writing? Well, I've given several answers; I've been busy, I've been preoccupied with college, etc., etc. But the truth is pretty simple: I lost the urge to do it. I intended to come back before the November elections, but I just didn't. Now, I'll be back for all the fun that will be 2007, and of course the 2008 elections.
By the way, any feedback on the template (or anything else at all), please stick it in the comments section. I appreciate anything anybody wants to offer.
-Neal
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