Thoughts and condolences to Herb's family and friends. He was a great guy and a great musician. I always enjoyed seeing him and his bandmates perform at the Athens Human Rights Festival. He will be missed by all who knew him.

So sad to see this little restaurant close!

@nowheregirl: Coolest rainbow I've ever seen was one I spotted on a flight back from Washington several years back. Since we were up in the clouds, the rainbow was--believe it or not--a perfect circle. Even the pilot of the plane mentioned it. I also saw a double rainbow in north Georgia near Tallulah Gorge back about 40 years ago. About a year ago, right after my grandson was born, I saw a nice rainbow and took it as a good omen. I hope we both see many more rainbows, nowheregirl.

@theold33: Grump on, "Scoop."

NICE rainbow photo! Looks great in the print edition, too. Thanks, AJ Reynolds!

@theold33: I was talking about you actually trying your hand at writing a column for the editorial page yourself instead of you being interviewed by someone else. Sorry you couldn't figure that out. You're welcome.

@theold33: If you're so tired of "people like" me and think that I'm "buried in the past," just read something else. There should be plenty of stuff in print or online that is more to your liking. Better yet, editor Jim Thompson is very generous at running guest columns. Maybe you should take advantage of that and write some signed and substantiated columns of your own for publication in the ABH. I hope to see your priceless prose in the paper soon. Show us how it's done, pal. Thanks.

@Arnold Friend:

[quote][b]Arnold Friend[/b] - @EdwardLTant:
Here is also a very good Jim Thompson piece from 2004
http://onlineathens.com/stories/071104/new_20040711120.shtml
[/quote]

That is a good piece that Jim Thompson did back in 2004. I remember reading it then and enjoyed re-reading it now. Thanks for the link.

@theold33: I certainly enjoy today and look forward to the future but I also recognize the truth of Santayana's famous quote, "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." I think that learning from and remembering the past can help us build a beautiful future. I also think that some of the same folks who get uncomfortable with remembering the civil rights struggle of the 1960s are stuck in a mindset of refighting the Civil War of the 1860s. Have a good night.

Thank you, Leonard Pitts. Good column as usual.

@Polly1955: Penn was killed outside Athens by white supremacists based in Athens--"local Klansmen," as I wrote in the column--who began tailing Penn's car as he drove through Athens. Georgia journalist Bill Shipp in 1981 wrote a good book about the incident titled "Murder at Broad River Bridge: The Slaying of Lemuel Penn by Members of the Ku Klux Klan." Shipp's book is well worth reading, as is Jack Nelson's book that I wrote about today. Thanks.

@jtsim:

[quote][b]jtsim[/b] - Sounds like a good book to have. I think we need to be reminded that things were not always as they are now.
[/quote]

Right you are. It's a quick and interesting read. Hope you had fun with the grilling and the grandkids yesterday.

@seagra:

[quote][b]seagra[/b] - Ed, thank you for telling this story of a truly real American patriot. The journalism this man practiced is what should be taught at UGA and all Journalism schools across America.
Nancy Seagraves
[/quote]

Thanks, Nancy. Alas, two of my sentences that I wrote at the end of paragraph 6 got left out after my bit about "the greatest matador in Rhode Island." Here they are: "Some of the anonymous comments in the online edition of this newspaper show that there are still those poisoned with the Klan mentality right here in the Classic City. Today they just hide behind keyboards instead of Klan robes."

@theold33: Like the philosopher George Santayana so famously said, "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." If you "wonder if Ole Scoop would tell the truth about what's happening today," then maybe you haven't read this book and maybe you don't know much about Jack Nelson. He was a mainstream journalist, but he had courage and wrote well.

Lucas McCain--"The Rifleman"! Now you're talking, Mr. Huckaby! "The Rifleman" was one of my all-time favorite TV Westerns. The opening scene every week was a classic. The theme music blared brassily as Lucas fired off a fusillade of shots from his trusty rifle, then the camera showed Lucas giving a look like he was saying, "Mess with me, boy, and you'll get some of this, too." Great stuff and take no guff! Gotta love Lucas!

@melmarino: Whatever, Mel. I stated my view and I stand behind it. Hope you and yours have a good day.

@melmarino: Suit yourself. I stand by the comment and I think what's "crappy" is people who, as I said, hide behind fake names to slime others. I was just giving an honest answer to the original question of how to make this site better and I'll always believe that people will abuse anonymity to say things from behind a mask that they would not say to a person's face. You can defend them if you like, but I just believe that if people don't have to take responsibility or face consequences, then this site will never get better. Making AthensTalks better was supposed to be the original intent of this thread before it quickly and predictably degenerated into online whines about me. Like I said, the folks who talk big and bad from behind a fake name just prove my point. Have a good night in your corner of the world..

@jtsim: Thanks. Hug those grandkids, catch some fish, and enjoy those burgers. I've been outside for a while and it's a nice day. Looking forward to sitting outside tonight watching the lightning bugs.

@melmarino: Thanks, but I think the folks who are being oversensitive are some of the "usual suspects" on this site. If you look at my original post on Tuesday, June 11 you will see that I gave my honest feelings in response to what I thought was a pretty good question from "keepitsimple" about how to make this site better. Some of the responses, including one implying that I am homosexual and others in violation of the Terms of Service, kinda proved the point I was making. The alleged person who would try to insult me by implying that I am gay should realize that his sophomoric, frat house jape says more about him than it does about me. Even "keepitsimple" went from asking a decent question to growling at me because my honest and heartfelt answer was apparently not what he wanted to hear. I stated my case and stand by what I said. I don't expect everybody to agree but I won't put up with people who want me to "turn the other cheek" as they hide behind fake names while trying to cyber-slap me. If they fire a shot across my bow, they should expect me to return fire if I so choose. Like I said, they just proved my points. Thanks again and have a good day where you are.

@42roadmut:

[quote][b]42roadmut[/b] - @GroversMill: thank you, glad someone finally said it
[/quote]

Like I've said before, both you boys are welcome to speak to me face to face and man to man. Y'all have a nice day in cyberland but do try to get outside a bit. It's such a nice day in the real world.

@jtsim: In my first post on this thread I just gave my view of what I thought was a good question of how to make the site better. Some folks just proved my point and the person who posed the original question proved to be part of the problem. Y'all may not agree with what I say, but I gave an honest answer and didn't hide behind a fake name to do it. You say that if I don't like the thread that I shouldn't come back. I'm a big believer in trying to change things I don't like rather than turning my back or running away from the problem. The original question was about improving the discourse on Athens Talks, but it's obvious to me that some of the "usual suspects" do not want to do that. Have a good weekend.

@keepitsimple:

[quote][b]keepitsimple[/b] -
I've told you I'd meet you and your well aware our schedules have conflicted. If you'll recall I even inquired if you were attending a car show as of lately. So don't give me the coward crap.
[/quote]

I didn't "give you the coward crap." I said "IF that includes you." You know, like the saying "If the shoe fits, wear it." You started this thread with what I thought was a good question about how to make this site better, but you and some of your buddies here quickly degenerated the whole so-called discussion into your grumps and whines about me simply because I suggested that one way to make the online sites better would be to have the same rules apply for the online and print editions. I just said that I am for equal rights for all and special privileges for none If contributors to the print edition must sign their names, then I see no real reason why so-called "commenters" in the online editions should be given special dispensation to hide behind aliases. You and yours are doing a great job of proving my point and y'all are also confirming the adage that you're either part of the solution or you're part of the problem. Oh--and as far as a face-to-face meeting is concerned, how about the Globe downtown next Friday at 7-7:30? I'll buy you a drink--but first you've got to somehow prove to me that your real name is KeepitSimple. Maybe if I see an actual bear walk into the bar for a beer, I'll believe it must be you, pal, it must be you. Hoping to see you then.

@theold33: Now that's funny! Thanks for the sense of humor. Alas, gotta work tomorrow at my honest job that some on this site would disparage, but I hope you have a good time at Walmart..

@melmarino:

[quote][b]melmarino[/b] - @EdwardLTant: Sorry, it was still coffee time for me. However, after having read all of them, do you not agree that these are much better choices for kids than the Rivera book?
[/quote]

Probably, but I have not read the Rivera book. Of course, the controversy will probably cause more folks to read it than would have happened otherwise. Have a good weekend, Mel.

@keepitsimple:

[quote][b]keepitsimple[/b] -
He's been yapping about anonymous cowards and meeting face to face etc... It's a two way street. What was that reason his columns got every other week status?
[/quote]

My columns have been running fortnightly since long before you and your buddies began posting here. I stand by what I say about anonymous cowards who talk big behind their computers but don't have the gumption to talk to me face to face. If that includes you, then BEAR with it.