I just spent a little time reading other weblogs that contain links to Hogg's Blog.  Some are "national" blogs with high readership, some are truly diaries.  One of my very favorites is Allied (Jeanene Sessums) who makes me laugh and/or cry and/or think everytime I go there.

It occurs to me that the reason that I keep going back to Jeanene (and her friend Halley) is because they amuse me, enlighten me, inform me and I get the feeling that I know them better and better each time I visit and am the better for each visit.  Their blogs are the soul of blogging as opposed to Instapundit et al which, in comparison, are dry, look-at-me-I-have-something-important-to-relate-to-save-the-world stuff.

Don't get me wrong.  I appreciate the male-dominated news blogs, but go read Jeanene or my neighbor frograbbitmonkey for real life.

I just browsed through my posts of the last couple of weeks and found little that tells the occasional non-Greensboro reader that I am anything but a guy who belly-aches everytime he doesn't agree with something that happens in Greensboro's local political circle.  I have decided to lighten up... when there is nothing to belly-ache about... which is not often... but I promise to try.

I have an amazing family, neighborhood and community and it is important for me that you know this.  I will start letting you in on my non-political life that, in reality, occupies 95% of my real time.

Keep checking back.

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N&R reporter and fellow blogger Lex Alexander grabbed the front page this morning with his report on the impending death of Project Homestead.

While it appears that the taxpayers of Greensboro will lose a bunch of money because of Homestead's Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing, we are not alone.  The City of Goldsboro was heavily involved with the non-profit and the News-Argus (borrowing heavily from the N&R's coverage) is letting it's readers in on the issue.

When interviewed by Lex, Goldsboro City Attorney W. Harrell Everitt Jr. made the type of statement I wish we were hearing more of from our city governement: "I can assure you the city of Goldsboro will be aggressively seeking the return of the property".

In a letter (scroll down) to the editor printed in this morning's N&R, Norman L. Rider makes the first of what will probably be many calls for complete accountability over what is shaping up to be an obvious lack of oversight surrounding the Homestead debaucle on the part of somebody.... anybody.  Rider calls for the appointment of an independent commission to determine which City official's heads should be sent rolling... be they elected or hired.... "The commission must have the power to recommend disciplinary action, including dismissal of employees and public reprimand of elected city officials."

I agree with Mr. Rider.

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While I am kinda neutral, leaning "leave it alone", on the issue of the Guilford County School's adopting a policy banning American Indian names and images as school mascots, I also believe that we need the correct information to make an informed decision.

The last line in an article in Thursday's N&R's states, "District officials have said switching mascots at Andrews and Southern would cost about $125,000 per school".  When I read this I questioned what the system would have to replace to account for $250,000 so I decided to watch the televised meeting when it became available Friday evening.

Friday's N&R again stated the $125,000 per school amount when it reported that the board had voted to adopt the policy.  The article says the amount includes replacing sports and band uniforms.

I watched the replay of the mascot related portion of the Board meeting last night.  When board member Marti Sykes asked Superintendent Dr. Terry Grier about the what changes would need to be made to re-mascot the two high schools, he stated clearly that there has been some confusion and mis-reporting about the amount.  The changes would require $125,000 total, not per school.

This morning's editorial section included a letter to the Editor from a concerned parent entitled, " Mascot change money could be better spent"  that picked up on the reporting.  I seems to me that the N&R could have made a comment below the letter to correct the mistke instead of perpetuating the dissimination of incorrect information.

Perhaps reporter Bruce Buchanon stepped out of the room during Grier's explanation of the expenditure and simply missed it.  Either way - the N&R stands corrected.

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