Couple of things

- We've been spotty the past few days, for which we apologize. A daughter with a terrible chest cold that won't go away will do that to you.

- The North Oconee High School parents are motivated, so there's that. And passion is good, but ... it doesn't erase the fact that John Osborne was openly and publically insubordinate over something that, in the grand scheme of things, doesn't matter. If you talk to any other manager out there, they'd tell you in a heartbeat they wouldn't want an employee working for them who would go around and poormouth the very entity they work for in such a cavelier fashion.

- I would question, also, why raise money for Osborne's legal defense fund when, you know, you could raise it for the weight room he's so passionate about?

- Not a bad list for the 'most influential' in the community, though I'd argue that Sen. Bill Cowsert needs to be on there. He's a floor leader for the governor, which means he holds a tremendous amount of sway under the Gold Dome and, if pushed, can use that influence to better the area.

- 'Cost aren't driven by insurers' profits' ... says the president of Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Because, you know, it ain't like Monye Connolly has a vested interest in keeping profits as high as possible.

- The localized version of '40 Under 40' is out, and it's another strong list. Very heavy on freelance writers, which probably says something about the state of the local economy, and I have a lot of respect for Jeff DeLoach who listed Shane as his favorite movie.

- Not to say anything bad about Mercy Health Clinic, but ... it's not the most accessible clinic in the area for low-income individuals. It's open for only limited times, screens its potential clients and often just redirects folks to other public or non-profit clinics. Again, that's their business, but I'd encourage folks lend a hand to Athens Nurses Clinic which has no pre-screening requirements and is open longer. It lacks the fundraising support of Mercy, but I'd argue does more with less.

- Good luck Matthew.