Long time no post!

Things are crazy for me these days. In the last two weeks, really 12 days, I have returned from Asia, helped my mom pack up the house to complete the move back to Erie, (I use the word help rather loosely), start 6th grade basketball at the "H", elect a new president, and prepare for a presentation I am making at the TAIS Conference in Nashville next Monday on teaching China. Whew.

I just wanted to drop two story lines for today.

First, Great column in the Commercial Appeal this morning from Geoff Caulkins, lead sports columnist about Murray Armstrong who is the facilities manger for the University of Memphis football team. He has been heroically been battling lung cancer for the last four years. Here is a link to the column (LINK). Some one has set up a blog for friends and well wishers to keep in touch with Armstrong who has been recently been placed in hospice care. (LINK TO BLOG)

Murray Armstrong

If you are feeling down or have become cynical about college sports and need some inspiration read the column you will not be disappointed. As a colleague of mine and I always warn each as we forward each other stories, have some Kleenex ready, the material will really bother your "allergies".

Second, a small note regarding Obama's pick for White House Chief of Staff, Rham Emanuel, who was recently re-elected as the rep from Illinois 5th Congressional district. After reading up on his bio I found him to be a very interesting pick. His brother Ari Emanuel is the inspiration for the character of the Hollywood agent Ari Fleischer on the HBO series Entourage and Rham, who sometimes is referred to "RHam-bo", was the inspiration for the Josh Lyman in my beloved West Wing TV Series. Can you imagine growing up in that home?

Congressman Emanuel speaing with President elect Obama

Here is a link to a great story in Rolling Stone about Rham Emanuel. (LINK) Until Dick Cheney flexed his political muscles the last eight years I have always felt that the President's Chief of Staff was the least recognized outside of DC, yet most powerful position, in the White House, after the President of course.

The current Chief of Staff is Joshua Bolten, St. Albans grad, and friend of the School of Public Service, who I work for in the summer.