Alabama state senator and author Hank Sanders (pictured right) recently wrote up a bill that passed the legislature in which the Senate apologized for slavery.

The Montgomery Advertiser interviewed 7 African-Americans and got their thoughts on the apology. Here’s my favorite…

ROSEMARY RAMSEY, 44

An apology for slavery isn’t something she would have encouraged her legislators to spend their time on, said Ramsey, who lives near Alabama State University.

“I ain’t heard nothing about it that makes any sense to me,” said the outspoken Ramsey. “Half of them in the Legislature don’t really mean it noways, and you sure can’t make up for putting people in slavery by signing a piece of paper saying you are sorry.”

She said lawmakers’ time could be better spent working on race reconciliation than worrying about what happened more than 100 years ago.

“I’m not going to waste any time studying the issue because it’s all just a bunch of bull. Things are different today. Most white folk treat us all right, and a few still act like these are slave days, but they better not try that on me.”

Senator Sanders wrote his first book, “Death of a Fat Man,” a fictitious novel written in the form of a letter to a four-year-old granddaughter. The 415-page work, written in vignettes, describes the “fat man’s” struggle with obesity and the impact of his weight on every facet of his live.

Another note on Sanders, his Senate webpage lists his home address as “One Imani Way” in Selma. I wasn’t sure what Imani meant so I looked it up and found that it means “faith” in Swahili, but it’s also the seventh and last day of Kwanzaa.

“If you believe that a good education is the greatest gift you can give your child, you’re probably pretty unhappy with what’s being taught in most classrooms these days.”

“You shouldn’t have to compromise on your children’s education. Get Homeschooling For Dummies and find out how to turn your home into a school and raise smart, well-adjusted kids.”

I think it’s safe to say that you’ll be compromising your kids education if you don’t know what in the world you are doing and you think Homeschooling for Dummies will give you the edge.

$14.99 from Amazon.com

The Birmingham News has posted on al.com a copy of Birmingham City Councilman Joel Montgomery’s arrest report. It’s pretty amusing to see his comments to the officers despite the fact that the curse words have been blacked out.

The News writes: “Montgomery’s lawyer, Tommy Spina, did not dispute the report. He said Montgomery fell and suffered a serious concussion, which caused his impaired judgment.

Montgomery was arrested for public intoxication, but he is still recuperating from injuries.”

My favorite quotes from the officer’s report:
“I haven’t been this drunk since before I ******* went to Iraq”
“Do you know who I am?”
“**** this. Go ahead take me to jail. I want to go to jail.”
“**** all you police and fireman, you owe me, I got you your ******** raise *****.

View PDF version of the arrest report.

Note: The first version of the report they posted contained Montgomery’s SSN clearly displayed, but Festville notified the columnist and it has since been blacked out.

Recently USC held a “Swim for Mike” event and raised about a million bucks for physically challenged athletes.

“The comedic highlight of the day was Will Ferrell letting USC football coach Pete Carroll back into a victory. Ferrell had a big lead on Pete, when he suddenly switched to Butterfly or Breast stroke, letting Freestyle Pete blow past him to the finish line.

Will said that he got complacent with the lead, looked up at the crowd, and just stopped. Any way you look at it, the fix was in. Ferrell didn’t want to show up the Coach in front of all the trojans. If only Ferrell could have taken mercy on the SPECTATORS… by sparing us all the sight of HIM IN A SPEEDO!”

From the Cecil Whig news…

A Calvert, MD woman claims her 2-year-old golden retriever saved her life Friday by giving her the canine version of the Heimlich maneuver.

“The doctor said I probably wouldn’t be here without Toby,” said Debbie Parkhurst, 45, a jewelry artist who lives near Rising Sun High School with her husband, Kevin, and their two dogs. “I keep looking at him and saying ‘You’re amazing.’”

Parkhurst said she was home alone with the dogs Friday afternoon when she decided to snack on an apple.

Suddenly, she said, a chunk of the fruit became wedged in her windpipe.

“It was lodged pretty tight because I couldn’t breathe,” she said. “I tried to do the thing where you lean over a chair and give yourself the Heimlich, but it didn’t work.”

Parkhurst said she then began beating her chest, an action that might have attracted Toby’s attention.

“The next think I know, Toby’s up on his hind feet and he’s got his front paws on my shoulders,” she recalled. “He pushed me to the ground, and once I was on my back, he began jumping up and down on my chest.”

Toby’s jumping apparently managed to dislodge the apple from Parkhurst’s windpipe.

“As soon as I started breathing, he stopped and began licking my face, as if to keep me from passing out,” she said.

A friend soon arrived and, after witnessing the canine rescue, drove Parkhurst to the doctor’s office.

“I, literally, have pawprint-shaped bruises on my chest,” Parkhurst said. “I’m still a little hoarse, but otherwise, I’m OK.”

At first, Parkhurst thought Toby was simply trying to play.

Now she believes the golden retriever that she and her husband rescued from a Dumpster knew exactly what he was doing.

“I know it sounds a little weird, but I think he had a sense of what was happening,” Parkhurst said Monday. “Of all the dogs in the world, I never would have expected this goofy one here to know the Heimlich.”

As strange as Parkhurst’s story might sound, Toby’s actions actually followed the emergency measures recommended for choking victims by the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross.

Both agencies recommend first aid responders use a series of five back blows followed by a series of five abdominal thrusts, otherwise known as the “five and five.”

“I have no idea where he learned it from,” Parkhurst said. “But can tell you that I’m going to peel and mash my apples from now on.”

There are some comments left on the Cecil Whig news page that would lead you to believe that some aren’t so impressed with Toby. I must add that I really like the name of the newspaper, Cecil Whig.

• Barbara wrote on March 28, 2007 8:28 AM:”My husband and I have a golden retriever and while I find this story interesting, I cannot imagine a golden performing the Heimlich. More than likely he thought his owner was motioning for him to jump up on her and that’s what he did. Also, he prob ably wanted the food for himself!”
• Diana wrote on March 28, 2007 6:53 AM:”I loved your story! My first thought was “I’ll bet Toby was trying to get the apple to EAT.” I have 4 Golden’s who love apples. If they aren’t chasing them they are eating them. We have apple trees in our back yard and in the summer they get their fill of apples. Golden’s are very smart and loyal dogs who what to please their owner and take care of their them. I love them alot. You have a wonderful dog and friend in Toby!”

Remember Festville’s feature on Richard Scrushy’s Kingdom Builders? Well this weekend, Kingdom Builders dream of building a Bible college took another step towards reality. I urge you to read click the link before if you aren’t aware of Kingdom Builders.

From today’s Birmingham News…
“HealthSouth founder Richard Scrushy has been a financial supporter of Trinity Life and has been a frequent guest speaker and visitor. He and former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman were convicted last year on bribery and conspiracy charges. A sentencing date has not been set.

In 2005, the Richard M. Scrushy Charitable Foundation gave $151,075 to Project One, a sports and educational program headed by Moore and run by Trinity Life Church. Trinity Life also received a separate $37,000 donation.

In 2004, Scrushy’s foundation donated $300,000 to Trinity Life and $11,000 to Project One.

In 2005, Moore and Scrushy co-founded the Kingdom Builders Institute, a coalition of nondenominational churches that includes Scrushy’s Grace and Purpose Church. The institute plans to build a Bible college on Trinity Life’s new 40-acre campus.

Moore said construction on that project will begin May 1, 2008, and the college could open that fall. It will offer specialties such as praise and worship songwriting, Moore said.

Moore said he doesn’t believe Scrushy’s continuing legal problems will hinder the project. ‘Paul (the apostle) had legal problems,” Moore said. “Dr. Scrushy’s got a divine purpose.’”

No doubt we have a winner for a movie here.

Former NBA player Dennis Rodman plays the coach of a little people (aka midgets) basketball team in “The Minis” with Verne Troyer as one of his players. It was being filmed at a Venice Beach court on Wednesday.

“Me and Mini-Me,” Rodman says. “It’ll be wild.”

It is set to be released on October 7, 2007.

I love it! “Won’t bind your legs!” I guess when you are about to give someone a round house kick to the face, you don’t want any jean binding.

From the September, 1988 issue of Inside Karate magazine…

Click pic for full beauty.

I think this was taken in Barcelona.

This is one my all time favorite COPS episodes. The quality is poor, but this is the funniest part of the episode. I love the alcoholic confessions as well as forgetting about the kidnapping.