Please sign the petition below to remove the statue of Jefferson Davis currently in Kentucky’s Capitol Rotunda, and replace it with a tribute to Muhammad Ali, “the Louisville Lip” and “the Greatest of All Time.”
I just heard from the Ali family: It is the Champ’s belief that Islam prohibits three-dimensional representations of living Muslims. Accordingly, I have adjusted the petition to call for a two-dimensional representation of Ali (a portrait, picture or mural) in lieu of a statue.
UPDATE (Tuesday, December 2, 2014)
In this interview with WHAS-TV’s Joe Arnold, Governor Steve Beshear endorses the idea of honoring Muhammad Ali in the State Capitol (although he disagrees with removing Davis). Arnold explores the idea further on his weekly show, “The Powers that Be.”
Click here to check out WDRB-TV’s Lawrence Smith’s coverage of the story.
And here’s my op-ed in Ali’s hometown paper, the Louisville Courier-Journal.
UPDATE (Saturday, June 4, 2016)
In the wake of the 2015 Charlestown tragedy, in which a Confederate flag-waving murderer united the nation against racism, all of the most powerful Kentucky policymakers — U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell, Governor Matt Bevin, Senate President Robert Stivers and House Speaker Greg Stumbo — called for the removal of the Davis statue from the Rotunda. Today, as we commemorate last night’s passing of Muhammad Ali, there is no better moment to replace the symbol of Kentucky’s worst era with a tribute to The Greatest of All Time.
UPDATE (Wednesday, June 8, 2016):
Great piece by Lawrence Smith of WDRB-TV in Louisville on the petition drive to replace Jefferson Davis’ statue in the Capitol Rotunda with a tribute to Muhammad Ali.
UPDATE (Thursday, June 9, 2016):
Excellent piece on the petition drive by Jack Brammer that was featured on the front page of the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Highlight of the article:
Miller said he has received a few “angry comments” on his call to honor Ali.
“One of them encouraged me to kill myself,” he said. “You can quote me that I have decided not to take their advice.”
UPDATE (Friday, June 10, 2016)
The petition drives continues to show the Big Mo(hammed): check out these stories from WKYU-FM public radio in Bowling Green and WKYT-TV, Channel 27 in Lexington:
UPDATE (Saturday, June 11, 2016):
Still not convinced? Check out this excerpt from today’s New York Times:
By Jonathan Miller, on Thu Nov 8, 2012 at 9:12 AM ET
New Electoral College Map 2012
Even more than the actual tallies of Tuesday’s elections, the world has been anxiously awaiting the results of the First Quadrennial Recovering Politician Electoral College Contest.
Because recounts are very likely, particularly in Congressional races, to calculate the winners, I will use the vote tallies that are listed in the print edition of Thursday morning, November 8 New York Times. While these tallies will undoubtedly be incomplete for many races, and winners will not be declared in several campaigns, whoever is leading as of the Thursday morning tally will be the winner for the purposes of determine our champion.
November 8 has arrived. And according to the latest New York Times tallies, these would be the final results of the 2012 elections, should those who currently lead in the vote tallies prevail:
(Drum roll, please…)
Read the rest of… First Quadrennial RP Electoral College Contest Results
If you spend enough time in a gym, you can hear the most creative questions and mis-truths in any field, anywhere. Any personal trainer that has spent their career in a gym setting, can recite the most compelling stories of clients/members and their beliefs of what is fact. I figure I could write a best seller, just by the sheer volume of misinformation about exercise and nutrition that is conveyed through media outlets and misinformed “experts.” This is not the gym goers fault, rather this is my problem and a problem I tend to overcome through education and factual information. “OK JB what is your point?” My point is there is a lot of information out there I would consider a myth. For example, that is possible to spot reduce. Not possible, next question! Another example, I can eat what I want and still have the body of my dreams. Kinda, sorta possible but depends on genetics and other hormonal factors but for most people, not possible. “Alright enough already, what is THE myth?” The king of exercise myths, the grand puba of misinformation…Lifting weights will make a woman bulky! That’s right, after doing this as long as I have; people, in particular women still believe strength training will make them look like a bodybuilder. Ain’t going to happen!
Now, I am not naïve to think women are not strength training in record numbers. Years ago, most women would join a gym and only perform cardiovascular exercises such as biking or running on a treadmill. Although great for the heart, this alone does not create the lean, sculpted bodies women are wanting and displaying today. It was always thought that women should not lift weights because it would make them bulky and look like a man. The traditional routines would consist of high repetitions, usually 3 or 4 sets with 30-60 second rest periods. Cardio usually would precede strength training. Group fitness classes such as Body Pump or “15 minute abs” would have mostly female attendance. In some clubs you would have “Women’s Only,” areas, full of selectorized equipment and cardio.
Women are displaying incredible results from strength training but the myth still exists. Keeping all things equal, let’s tackle the reason’s ALL women should strength train.
The Differences between Men and Women- YES! I know the DIFFERENCE but I’m not referring to our outer differences, I’m talking about what happens inside the body. As far as muscle goes; a bicep is a bicep and a glute is a glute, whether its on a man or on a female, anatomically they function the exact same. What are different are the hormonal levels that allow our biceps, glutes and all 600 some skeletal muscles to grow. You guessed it, testosterone. Loved by men, feared by women. That’s ok because men produce anywhere from 10-50 times more testosterone than women. YAHTZEE! Men can build bigger muscles than women (in most cases J). Now, does that mean women cannot build muscle, NO! It just means women cannot produce enough testosterone possible to build muscles the size of most males. Debunking the myth has begun!
Strength- Hence the name “strength” training. Picking up heavy things will make you stronger. What does that mean for most women and men for that matter, everyday activities can become easier. Picking up that 20 lb box and placing it on a shelf 2 feet above your head all of a sudden becomes easy. Pulling dog food out of your SUV and throwing it over your shoulder to take in the house suddenly becomes a breeze. Strength training makes you stronger, period. We all could use more strength, everyone, including you!
I am bone-weary and hugely relieved at the outcome of the 2012 election. Some keep asking how a Republican Party so devoid of ideas could mount such a strong Presidential challenge and maintain control of the House. Beyond the simple answer; “It’s the economy, stupid”, something deeper is at work. The deeper issues warrant serious thought and immediate action.
Paul Hodes
My son, Max, is a brilliant out-of the box thinker who has always marched to his own beat. He is 29 and thoroughly disillusioned with our political system. Despite my service as a Democratic United States Congressman, or perhaps because of it, he sees no difference between the two major parties. On Election Day, he cast a reluctant vote for Barack Obama.
My sister-in-law, Trisha is a conservative home-maker who lives in Virginia. She leans strongly Republican, grieves over what she perceives as her loss of any real voice in our political system. I have no doubt that she cast her vote for Mitt Romney.
I am a determined Democrat. I first ran for office in 2004 to try to change the direction of the country which I saw as controlled by ideologues, embroiled in an unnecessary war and headed for damaging deficits generated by fiscally irresponsible tax and economic policies. Having served as a member of the House I developed new respect for the institutions of our democracy. And, from my own experience, I think I have a good idea of why both Max and Trisha are disillusioned.
Our democracy is challenged by the pervasive influence of power brokers and corporate kingdoms which both overtly and covertly seem to hold policy-makers in their thrall. Whether through outsized campaign contributions and spending or playing the inside game in Washington; their influence is undeniable. A central challenge of any political institution, and especially for my beloved Democratic former colleagues, is to accept the challenge of change wholeheartedly. Real change takes commitment and persistence. It takes brutal honesty and probably some discomfort. I hope that leaders in both the House and the Senate are up to the task.
For example, in the Senate, filibuster rules must be changed. In the House, the antiquated seniority system is an impediment to progress. Looking outside the institutions, promoting change in our campaign finance system and, taking aim at influence peddling are fundamental to the future electoral success of the Democratic Party and the country.
The President’s narrow popular vote margin should give Democrats real pause. We re-elected a President but could not achieve a mandate for a unified Government. The President is personally popular. I’m not at all sure that Democrats generally can bask in the same glow. Democrats see the differences between the parties clearly. But, at least half of the America which votes either don’t get what we’re about or believe the brand the Republicans have foisted upon us: we’re the party of high taxes and hand-outs
The antidote is fundamental re-examination and refocusing. We must adopt, pursue communicate and message a progressive agenda for economic growth as the focus of our Party: Education, Innovation and Infrastructure. With a consistent focus and the right messaging we can create a more solid foundation for electoral success over the long haul. Without refocusing and “rebranding”, we will continue to struggle to convince Americans that we can be trusted to govern a dynamic and diverse country in a new century.
The Economic Innovation Action Fund works to focus and rebrand current Democratic issues into clear and potent message about a core economic agenda for growth and innovation consistent with progressive values.
By Bradford Queen, Managing Editor, on Wed Nov 7, 2012 at 1:00 PM ET
President Obama: “Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual. You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours. And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together. Reducing our deficit. Reforming our tax code. Fixing our immigration system. Freeing ourselves from foreign oil. We’ve got more work to do.”
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Mitt Romney: “Like so many of you, Paul and I have left everything on the field. We have given our all to this campaign. … I so wish that I had been able to fulfill your hopes to lead the country in a different direction, but the nation chose another leader. And so Ann and I join with you to earnestly pray for him and for this great nation. Thank you, and God bless America. You guys are the best. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thanks, guys.”
By Jason Atkinson, on Wed Nov 7, 2012 at 11:35 AM ET
It was like praying for a snow-day in the middle of summer. Sure there was a cloud, but….. I was surprised by a few states that were in play early on, but the Obama victory was systematic and executed without reaching for snow goggles.
The real issue is my party. Romney insured four more years of tea party litmus testing from Congress down and according to the lessons of the 1970’s- Republicans don’t win. (Buckley vs. Rockefeller, part two).
We need to be the party of solutions, lead in front of fear, stop scaring women and being perceived as against brown people. Yes, history always gives favor to the incumbent, but my party never got beyond one issue: vote for for me because. A lot of votes were against Obama, but never “FOR” what a Republicans would do. You can’t win in protest only.
By Jonathan Miller, on Wed Nov 7, 2012 at 8:35 AM ET
New Electoral College Map 2012
Please use this as an open thread for your comments. Our new Managing Editor, Bradford Queen, and I will be giving updates in this space, and our Contributing RPs will be posting their thoughts as the day progresses. — The RP
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Fewer than 12 hours after President Obama delivered his re-election victory speech, attention is beginning to turn to the next big task in Washington: the fiscal cliff.
Jonathan Allen writes in POLITICO: “The election hardly amounted to a mandate for change. Instead, it will be the same players gathered around the negotiating table – or refusing to negotiate – as the government tries to deal with a pending fiscal calamity that includes the expiration of the Bush tax cuts, the end of Obama’s payroll tax cut, a steep reduction in defense and domestic spending known in Washington-speak as ‘sequestration’ and a debt that exceeds $16 trillion.”
Will House Republicans, Senate Democrats, and the President be able to work out a deal? In whose court is the proverbial ball? –BQ
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More winners and losers.
Obvious winners yesterday: Barack Obama. In Ohio & Michigan, the auto bailout. Twitter = major win, as more than 31 million tweets were tweeted (twits a’tweeting?) over the course of Election Day and Night.
The biggest winner yesterday? New York Times poll analyst Nate Silver. Or perhaps more fairly, the triumph of math, science and rationality over superstition and biased political prognostication. Silver’s predictions — based on the wealth of polling that was performed every day across the country — were dead on. Polling is not a perfect science, but math teaches us that when there are enough polls to average, weigh, and analyze, an accurate picture emerges as to where the voters stand. This is the sample principle of crowd-sourcing which I believe is the future of news, research, and progress. And it is no irony that those who deny science when it comes to climate change were the same people who were denying the power of Silver’s math. — The RP
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Two of my pet issues — marriage equality and marijuana legalization — had a good night last night, with gay marriage referenda winning in Maine and Maryland and legal weed passing in Colorado and Washington State. I will not be absurd enough to imply that these issues will find popular majority support in deep red states like my old Kentucky home. But I do believe that both issues are soon reaching their national tipping point if they haven’t already. — The RP
UPDATED: Looks like marriage equality passed in Washington State as well, and a gay marriage ban was defeated in Minnesota.
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The winner of the RP’s First Quadrennial Electoral College Contest has to await Florida, and perhaps some Congressional races. According to the official rules, to calculate the winners, “I will use the vote tallies that are listed in the print edition of Thursday morning, November 8 New York Times. While these tallies will undoubtedly be incomplete for many races, and winners will not be declared in several campaigns, whoever is leading as of the Thursday morning tally will be the winner for the purposes of determine our champion.”
Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”-Mahatma Gandhi
Hmmm. I used to think of a million reasons about why I couldn’t be happy until later including but not limited to: losing 10 lbs, finishing that project, finishing this course, earning more money, losing 14 lbs, leaving this job, switching lanes, leaving that job, switching cities, losing 6 lbs, leaving this gathering, switching vitamins, when my husband stops snoring, taking a vacation,
taking a vacation from my family, taking a vacation from my thoughts, leaving this vacation and going home, losing 24 lbs, buying that thing I NEED, eating a pizza….
So there was a lot of getting somewhere else in order to be happy, it was never right now but rather, a destination in the future.
But what happens is that later, when we finally get “there”, we’re still not actually there because there can’t be a here and now for the later thinker, later will ALWAYS be later and somewhere else.
So what did I do?
FOUND A WAY. FOUND A WAY. FOUND A WAY. I had to find a way to be happy in myselfness, even if only for some brief, genuine, constructive (“constructive” does NOT include the deceptive lie of colored sugar and artery clogging fat found in cake and other processed desserts, and bacon) minutes throughout the day.
Read the rest of… Lisa Miller: Perspective & Happiness
Blog this!
