Of Helicopters, Hell and Help

I've been thinking a lot about heles lately (as Jim Long calls 'em... see dude in photo below with Chinook in background). I once had this whole plot for a novel about this chick who, in a post-apocalyptic setting in Georgia/SC, manages to convince some dude working for the only people left with licensed chopper "priviledges" outside of law enforcement, the local news stations, to set her down behind "sanctioned territories" so she can help save her family trapped there.

Of course she has to give pilot-dude a blow job to get there, but then she comes back, later in the book in the action part, and ties up the dude and punishes him real bad, while stealing the station's chopper out from under him, of course.

(NOTE: If you're some greasy little screenplay "writer" and try to steal this plot line, I will come and get you. Note Creative Commons licensing logo now on this site. And I'll come to get you in my hele too. Send my lawyers in one at least.)

Anyways... enough from the depths of my little mind, and post-apocalyptic has soooo been done to death lately. See Children of God, Cormac Mac and Charles McNair for instance. It's soooo last-century male really.

But if one was the paranoid kind, a chopper would really be the way to travel, likely the only way to travel, if our interstate system is somehow destroyed. Airspace would be under heavy, deep shit rules and regs, but if you could commandeer your own hele and bribe the shit outta the right people, well... off you go to save the planet!

Cindy T. got me thinking again about the value of chopper time with this great column of her. Maybe she'll want to go halves-zies on a JetRanger III? (Damn that's a pretty thing.) I know she must have plenty of rural people too.

We can always land in Bernita's yard!

Activists To Converge On The ATL

The U.S. Social Forum, think G8-style protest crowd kinda theater-esque activism, is scheduled to hit the ATL in late June. Atlanta City Council is already running scared and writing-up rules and regs and ordinances as fast as they can for increased crowd-suppression techniques for APD to freely make use of.

Bloggers are organizing as fast as they can. Stay tuned to this unfolding event as we head to June 27th.

HT: GD

War On Drugs Dangerous - For Our Wallets

Is hunting down redneck weed growers in million dollar machines with millions of dollars of OUR state revenue really worth all this utter nonsense? Especially when law enforcement resources are so desperately needed elsewhere? Get what you go looking for I suppose... mere crash and burnage. From the Georgia AP:

CEDARTOWN, Ga. -- A helicopter being used to spot marijuana fields for the Gov.'s Task Force for Drug Suppression crashed Tuesday afternoon in northwest Georgia, injuring three people who managed to escape the wreckage and hobble away just before the chopper caught fire and exploded, the Georgia State Patrol said.

Polk County chief deputy Al Sharp said the helicopter, one of several choppers used by the patrol for the joint state-local task force, was based at McCollum Field in Kennesaw. (Larry) Schnall (GA State Patrol) said Polk County and neighboring Haralson County are "hot spots" for marijuana growing.

Oh There He Is!

That's our Twitter boy, Newmediajim! His full blog post about the press trip to Afghanistan here.

We Don't Need No F-ing FCC

From Reuters:

A U.S. appeals court on Monday (June 4, 2007) overruled federal regulators who decided that expletives uttered on broadcast television violated decency standards, a
major victory for TV networks. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York, in a divided decision, said that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission was "arbitrary and capricious" in setting a new standard for defining indecency.

Full story here, but the best analysis and conversation taking place right now, in terms of new media useage too, is over at new media guru Jeff Jarvis' blog, BuzzMachine. As one commenter points out, the 1st Ammendment reads, "The Congress shall make NO laws..."

"It also does my heart good to see babyfaced FCC Chairman Kevin Martin having a hissy fit of cursing over the ruling.

No, Mr. Martin. What you say is bullshit. (Click to BuzzMachine here for all the bullshit.) It’s fucked up. It’s fucking stupid. I wish you would stay the fuck away from our First Amendment.

There is absolutely nothing sexual or scatological in what I’ve just said — first, because I can’t imagine saying anything involving Kevin Martin that is in any way sexual (though I guess some might say he’s kinda cute), and second because what I have just made is a political statement.

Here is my defense of bullshit as political speech a year ago. It’s just plain wrong to say that these words are sexual. And it’s worse for a government official to put himself in the position of judging our meaning, motive, and context to see what he will allow as a government censor. They’re just words, Mr. Martin. And the world did not collapse when you used them."

So FU, FCC... seems no one wants your "arbitary and capricious" governernment oversight anymore. Another blow to the dinos. And takes a little wind out of the sails that WSB-TV so puffed out about having to bend over so to the FCC that there's no way they could seriously entertain genuine citizen journalism, or letting in Joe Public so to speak, when we last met up with them.

Free Book At APC Event Thursday!!!!

Come get your free book and jump into the New Media, uh, discussion. Lord knows what this event will end-up looking like. Hopefully nothing like the WSB one last week. I promise to be on my best good girl behavior... for at least the first 10 minutes. Lemme dupe over the APC press release for you:

It's no secret that the way news is gathered, reported and disseminated has changed in recent years. What is not clear is the impact of these changes. Do "new media" trends have staying power? Could they eventually lead to the decline of traditional reporting?

The Atlanta Press Club will hold a series of monthly programs in 2007 that examine the way traditional journalism is changing with the times.Join us for our first program in this series on Thursday, June 7. We'll look at the phenomenon of citizen journalism.

So far confirmed panelists include: Lea Donosky, Atlanta Journal-Consitution; Mark Bauer, WSB; Grayson Daughters, Way South Media, Inc. More panelists will be listed soon.

This is an evening program that is free to APC members and $10 for nonmembers. Networking will be 6-7 p.m. and the program 7-8:30 p.m. The program will be in The Commerce Club building, 18th Floor. Go to http://www.atlantapressclub.org/ to register.

People who attend this program will get a free copy of Manning Selvage & Lee's 2007-2008 Atlanta Media Guide.

Chaos In The 'Burbs

This is appalling, children shooting children at a pool party. I'm sure social media tools helped swell the crowd at this particular event, too. And expect cell phone video and pics to surface. Get to Facebook now, AJC and local TV stations. Now's not the time to be wondering WTF is Facebook all about. Duh...

Social media -- embrace it for better or for worse. In good times and very bad times. I really feel for the families who should be commencing a summer of fun instead of a summer of grief. For all the most stupid, stupid reasons. From today's AJC:

Eight other youngsters were wounded in the 'total chaos" that broke out at the party. "People were just peeling out of here. They were running, screaming, carrying on," said Pete Cox, 38, who saw teens scrambling after the melee at the St. Ives Crossing apartment complex in Stockbridge. Cox lives near the apartments' clubhouse, where the graduation party was held. Police said attendance may have swelled to 300 teens before a fight broke out and shots were fired. Police said the two slain teenagers were shot.

Full story here. There's a link to a WSB-TV video package too, but who knows where that lives at the AJC. Not on the story page I see

Another angle for local media and bloggers to work that could incorporate citizen journalism is how will, if at all, Grady Hospital factors into this chaotic crime scene? This is a great opportunity to put the face of immediate reality, particularly in the 'burbs, onto the ongoing story about Grady.

The Soda Fountains Are All Gone Now

A goodbye podcast for Doug Monroe, or Peachtree Screed, is now online. Comments within are from Rusty, Amber, TrackBoy1, Catherine, and DriftGrift. And me.

Trackboy referes to Doug as "our Yoda." It's true. I seem to be constantly calling him for advice or emailing him for an answer to a, typically, Atlanta-based question you weren't exactly going to find by Googling around for it. Doug always knew the insider answers.

At one point, I tried to get him to install IM-ing so I'd have even more instant access to The Mind of Doug Monroe. He never was keen on techno stuff, but it wasn't necessary as he never failed, at any point in time, to make himself 100% available and accessible to, well, anyone who needed his time, mind or attention.

What is kinda funny though is that I'd just bought a gi-normous Yoda Pez dispenser for Doug's going-away present. Only thing is, I've become so attached to it, I think I'll just keep it here by the computer. That way, when I need a fast answer to something Georgia-oriented, I'll just ask Yoda The Gi-normous Pez Dispenser. I ain't Doug, but that's what I'm left with.

I put a milk carton next to it so you can get some perpective on the size and scope of this dazzling Pez dispenser.

Why We Heart The WWW. Reason #7692

Jesus might have died to save us from our sins, but Al Gore invented the Internets so that site like this one, Abovethelaw.com A Legal Tabloid, can now exist for pleasuring us little peoples. Their subsite, Legal Eagle Wedding Watch, which evaluates the marriage announcements, found exclusively in the NYT's infamous society Weddings section, of attorneys betrothing to other attorneys, is sheer clever clever clever fun at its snarky-delicious finest. Frighteningly delicious lines of withering copy such as this abound:

Although Eve and Richard have apparently eschewed kitchen-related wedding booty, Google reveals that you can make a donation in the couple's honor to MassEquality, an organization working for marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples. (Isn't that a bit like joining Augusta National and asking your friends to make a commemorative donation to NOW? We're just sayin' -- we can think of more impressive displays of commitment to the cause.)

Abovethelaw.com rates the happy, over-achieving couples by which associate is obviously marrying up and which one is really marrying down, according to not only their pedigrees, but their law degrees. You don't even have to be Jewish, or a lawyer, or even a Jewish lawyer to appreciate the fun to be had.

Site comes complete with happy couples' gift registry links, and even takes you to the very homepage for certain select couples' personal wedding planning sites. They've thought of everything at Abovethelaw.com -- so you don't have to. Right down to the finest detail of the wedding announcement for the ATL's precious TB lawyer, Andrew Speaker. (Guess that "extended" European honeymoon got a little de-extended, eh?!)

Since Our ATL Media Love Lists...

Here's one the local papers won't want to miss. If I haven't totally scared away local broadcasting by now, just insert "Big TV" where you see the word "newspapers." Just jam it in there good if it won't fit exactly the way you want it to.
10 obvious things about the future of newspapers you need to get through your head.

The Goo Gone Days

Once, I needed only hair-splitting levels of sex, drugs and rock 'n roll to make it through a rough day. My how things change. Now all I need is coffee and my Goo Gone.

I first encountered Goo Gone when my camera-wiz pal Allen recommended I get some for a piece of lovely gear I'd just purchased and then immediately managed to trash with gunk. It worked like a charm.

He reminded me, "You've got a kid, you'll need some around the house anyway." Boy, was he right. I've used the stuff almost daily. For instance, this morning I woke up with my arm literally stuck to the bed sheets. But no, it wasn't pinned under some snoring drunk I barely knew.

Since I'm a responsibility-laden soccer mom now, I woke up, alone, again, with my arm hairs adhered to the sheet by chewing gum. Somehow, I'd slept in gum. (If you have kids, this will come as no surprise.)

So I didn't roll back over, but fell back asleep. I knew the Goo Gone was going to help me work it all out, at some point in another long day.

Intro To Street View

Bloggers Are Everywhere

Here's a fave Twitter King, Jim Long of NBC News and Verge New Media, blogging at 35K feet with the Pentagon press corps. What a dude!

Street View

Of course this isn't in Atlanta yet, and since our local media fails to grasp that technology like Google Maps exists, but if we did have Street View, and I'm just saying if, then everyone could see what I look like when I go to the window for the zillionth time and yell for my kid to come inside and take a bath. It ain't pretty either.

Better yet, I could see right in the window of that boyfriend who didn't have any curtains on his windows at all and see who he's boinking now.

Soon though!

WaySouth Media Production Assistant Ops

WaySouth Media needs a PA for Georgia-based shoots:

June 9th and 10th

The shoot on the 9th is for the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper's annual Chattahoochee River Race and Festival. Come prepared to work, play hard and get wet. Duties include holding mics, corralling interviews, and having new media fun. Dress accordingly.

Shoot on Sunday the 10th is in Gainsville, GA at the North Georgia Democrats For The People Rally. Duties there include: communing with lots of Georgia Dems, holding mics, corralling interviews, and committing new media fun, including doing live, broadband broadcasting TV. Dress accordingly.

These are both non-paying gigs since they are for the non-profit/public community. I can provide transportation and lunch and a reference source though.

If interested, call WaySouth Media at 404-216-0387 before June 8th. Thanks!

Still Ze Party Rages On Into The Night

Day Four of the Second Battle of Atlanta, or the First Cyber Battle (of Atlanta), seems to have moved here.

Things Change

Let me recount a little story a dear friend of mine told me about when she was a reporter for the AJC and used to cover technology, back when they actually cared about technology...

Friend said she had "sent herself", late nineties I assume, to a biggy music industry conference, just as the music industry was starting to have some serious shifts in their tectonic plates. Napster was running loose through the industry, and the industry was fighting back hard... in all the wrong places. At some point in the Biggy Conference, the head of the RIAA stated that the industry would go digital and drive themselves totally off the industry farm via the MP3, and I paraphrase here, over her dead body.

At that point, a young indie music techno type stood up and yelled towards the titans at the front of the room, "You're a fucking dinosaur, lady." Others took up the chant. All hell broke loose, and my friend, always the intrepid reporter, ran off to call the AJC desk in excitement to say things were just completely in chaos in, gee, of all things... the little 'ole recording industry, and that she needed a LOT of room, like maybe the front page even, to tell this kind of story the way it should be told.

The utterly disinterested (editor) voice on the other end of the phone told her, "You can have 10 inches."

I recount this tale only to warn of times here in a town long run by Cox Plantation Enterprises, and one other alt publication, that the music industry fought and raged against the new, digital machine, and they lost. Their entire industry is in turmoil. And as we move towards what the APC so quaintly calls "New Media" here in the news biz, don't be surprised if we too experience a few You're a fucking dinosaur moments of our own. It's not so much "New Media" as it is an industry-smashing tsunami.

As I mention over at Radical Georgia Moderate, it is a sorry day in hell when journalists like Doug Monroe, who at this point in a fine career should be running papers, are run out of town, and the papers are left to be run into the ground by the likes of Ken Edelstein and Julia Wallace.

Then again, with arrogant, clueless jerks in charge of papers, we have nothing to fear. They’ll only help steer an entire industry right into the ground… just like a lot of aging dinos did with the music industry. As if all the people watching ‘em crash and burn, here on the ground going digital, could care less.

I hope they don’t ask us to come and haul their derisive, dismissive, divisive, arrogant butts out of the wreckage either… we’ve got new media product to keep on cranking.

Je Suis Tres Peturbed

Wonder me this… if I sent Sonny a podcast of my precious little APS rising second-grader speaking French with that fabulous tres authetic accent she now has, thanks to her brief stint of foreign language training with a real teacher, would he consider returning funding for elementary school foreign language classes back to the budget?

Precious Angel really did learn a ton of French last year, more than I ever did as a high schooler in the South Carolina public education system, I can safely say. (Yeah, yeah. I hear ya… “that’s not saying much!”)

I promise to make Sonny’s podcast more, uh, respectable than this one here. But it only comes in English because I, again, was a product of the public educational system, and I never did learn me up no foreign languages. But hey, at least I can blog.

On The Wings Of A Gulfstream Full Of Poodles

Silly me, I've been so wrapped-up in my fantasy world of committing new media, I completely and utterly failed to acknowledge the passing of a Cox Media Plantation belle, Barbara Cox Anthony. Hon, Mrs. Cox Anthony could "do boards" like nobodies business!

My favorite Mrs. Cox Anthony story is how she had one of the numerous family jets fly a load of her poodles over to meet up with her in Paris. Men may come and go, and Lordy how they came and went from Mrs. Anthony's splendid life, but a real lady knows the value of a snappy little lap dog to an aging, weary heart. And Dear Reader, ladies' hearts, be they rich or poor ones, all get a little saggy as the years go by.

Thinking on the Cox's bags of billions, I do have to laugh a bit when people wonder if new media is "monetizable." Honey, all information is pure gold... to those who can make it come to life. Just ask a Cox heir. I think there are still a few left around this town.

The Perfect Going Away Present

PS, you might not need a car in Brooklyn, but you will want to have those nice Yankee folk over for some good southern-style BBQ. Trust me, you'll be the first brownstone on the block with one of these cookers in the back yard. Click on picture for more info.

If I Crawled Through Glass

Paging Peachtree Screed! Paging Peachtree Screed! I doubt there's much I can do to hold you back and convince you you're making a terrible mistake to uproot your entire being as a Southerner and move amongst those Yankee people. I'm only one weak little whiner of a hard and bitter woman with a chip on her shoulder the size of Stone Mountain.

BUT... I think I've found the perfect position for you that will keep you here to lead us as we good bloggers face the onslaught of the Old Media forces who rage on through the dark and stormy night against us Little Media folk.

Click here for dream job!

Baby Snot All Around!

Ok... I'm finally ready to crawl out of my nasty little rock I buried myself under over the last 24 hours. I've got to surface for FINALLY being able to find the funny in all of this nonsense (see below), when I get the last of the mud off of me.

I just want to make sure we all show up at Doug's going away party at the Red Light on Saturday at 6:30pm, drink buckets of booze, and see who flies their redneck, fucked-up upbringing, stupid ass flag first. My money's on Grant!

Blogger 24

I'm coming up on hour 24:00:00 in my trip down the old media vs. new media Atlanta rabbit hole. I feel as battered as Jack Bauer! Apparently Rusty does too.

Follow the threads here, here and here. If you're strong enough to survive the strange bad vibe negativity that is.

When all is said and done about this 24 time frame, we're the only ones who cranked-out podcast product before the clock struck midnight. Did we win? Or are we just dead and don't know it yet?

I need to get to work on the screenplay.

What Planet Did I Land On?

So I went to see this man about a dog. A Social Media Club dog. And came up with a not so nice pat on the head. I am still feeling like the dirtiest whore on the planet for having sitted through the whole mainstream media "presentation" at WSB just smiling and nodding. Just like a good, stupid southern girl is taught to do.

Rusty, Amber and my post-spin rooftop podcast on the utter and endless bullshit is here. I am still shaking my head with astonishment that I let myself be led so far down that yellow brick road.

Pretend Voices Carry

Couple of magical thinking ops for "the public" coming up...

1.) The DNR is solicitous of your thoughts on our state park system. More info here. My only wish is that they reinstate Sally Bethea to the developer-skewed board. But you likely already know that if you read this blog.

2.) Atlanta Press Club wishes to dismiss, excuse me, discuss new media. I'll be there to help facilitate the stoning of -- myself. Or to mangle a line from Life of Brian: "Crucifixion? Excellent! Just ahead on your right."

3.) Neither here nor there, but it needs to be said to Creative Loafing:

I hope you (CL) are happy with your smug, arrogant, snotty-ass, pompous, over-inflated selves and sense of media importance now. You’ve managed to really
hurt and confuse a lot of hard working, indie bloggers by playing favorites, first time out of the cover story gate, with a piece about the Atlanta blogosphere.

You might as well be 17-year old cheerleaders at Wheeler High for all the maturity you’ve shown towards our new media community. We’ve worked so long and so hard and created such amazing bonds and systems of support, only to have you announce to the world that not only do you not understand social media, you want to trample on it at every given opportunity.

I’m so angry right now, I can hardly see straight. I hope I calm down enough by the time we ever cross paths again. You’re no better than Newt Gingrich with your divisive, derisive ways.

So there. Got that off my chest I suppose. It's not yet noon and I need a drink and a smoke. Plenty of that, and hot air too, all around.

Of White Boys, Beer, Legs and Lipflap

Despite my best effort to screw-up this first attempt to broadcast live broadband TV, I managed to make a few minutes worth. Alert the media! They're not going to be happy to hear that you don't need networks of TV stations, staffs herded by a megalomaniacal hierarchy, microwave trucks, satellites, 100K cameras and a 401K plan to make live TV occur anymore. Heck, I just borrowed a mic from Rusty, used my kid and Shelby The Rocket Scientist for PAs, and voila... live shows and a pony for everyone!

If you're into white guys' pale legs sitting around rapping about GA politics, this is the show for you. It's all up hill from here at least.

I Should Have Guessed!

One of my daughter's favorite DVDs is Barbie 12 Dancing Princesses. While I can't stand most of these animated Barbie offerings, this story is adapted from one of my favorite childhood Grimm Bros. fairy tales, Twelve Dancing Princesses, in which assorted princesses would sneak out at night and dance so much that their shoes would be worn to pieces by morning. (I could always relate to sneaking out at night to dance.) Of course there would be hell to pay the next day, but that's to be expected in fairy tales of any kind involving females.

Back to the point... I just love the voice-over work for the evil Duchess Rowena in Barbie 12 Dancing Princesses. (There's always an evil Queen/Duchess/Psychotic Control Freak character in any fairy tale, naturally enough.) Sometimes I wander the house practicing one favorite line, "Don't tell me your King has no monkey!" Ava says I sound exactly like the evil Duchess Rowena. What a compliment!

I finally remembered to look-up just who voiced the fabulous Rowena character, and it's the adored, beloved Catherine O'Hara from all the Christopher Guest comedies! Delightful...

"Don't tell me your King has no monkey!" Rainy day project: Make podcast of me being Catherine O'Hara being Duchess Rowena.

The Real Georgia Gang

I know you're itching to survey the political scene in Georgia, but you sure don't want to turn on that icky TV and have Dick Williams' little bow tie annoy the bejeezus out of you. Try a Georgia Politics podcast with your morning grits and iPod, instead. This podcast episode includes -- me! And chatter about: Sonny, GA Republican squabbling, The 10th Congressional special election, and New Media impacting the local political process. Enjoy.

Blog entry about New Media turned into quickie column for Georgia Political Digest too.

Clone Your Blog Posts! Make Millions Doing It! Work From Home! Easy Money! HaHaHaHaHa!

The Multimedia ATL

I am just freakin' constantly blown-away by the cool multimedia shit being done by folk here in the ATL. Whether political ads, political campaigns, podcast parties, excellent blogs, videoblogging, music, film, Twitter happy hours, you name it... I am proud as a momma bear to call so many of these creative wonders friends. One dear old friend and colleague, Home Depot TV days, who keeps pushing his own envelope and impressing me on a daily basis is Chilton. Here's something steamy from his world to ours. Where Chilton sees that bad moon a'rising, I see only creative blue sky.

"A Divorce On Paper Only"

(This post cross-posted at Peach Pundit too)

Rest assured, some folks' worlds are getting ready to get severely rocked. And when Alan Judd's through with this story, a lot of people who thought they might have slipped quietly out under the radar, Kai Franklin for instance, may just be headed to the pokey instead.

Judd's extremely effective investigative work just overturned, thankfully, the inept, lethal anthill that was our state mental health system. (A shame Dr. Andrea Bradford there was allowed to resign; she should be prosecuted for murder, same as the legislators who have continually slashed funding to the state system of mental health care. But that's another story I suppose.)

Expect the same treatment with the Graham case, as Judd picks up where CL left off. From today's AJC cover story:

Franklin and Graham remained in regular contact, according to evidence presented during his sentencing hearing. Graham's co-defendants testified that while he was a fugitive, he sent drug money to Franklin: one bag of cash holding $25,000, another with $20,000. She also got portions of $150,000 that Graham invested in her father's business, King testified. David Franklin said last week that the investment never occurred.

In California, King said, Graham bought a pre-paid cellular telephone to call only his wife, thinking it would be difficult to trace. King referred to the device as "the Kai phone." "They would talk about different things," King said, "but sometimes about paying bills."He said Franklin regularly sent bills to Graham at the house where he was hiding in suburban Los Angeles.

King said Graham told him "he still had responsibilities to take care of for Kai."Graham used postal money orders to pay Franklin's bills, an Internal Revenue Service agent said. They apparently took pains to make the transactions difficult to track.

Franklin, agent Wayne Wright testified, bought the money orders in a "structured fashion" to avoid scrutiny. She had each money order issued for less than $3,000, the amount that triggers reporting requirements designed to detect illicit transactions. And she allegedly bought multiple money orders at multiple post offices on the same day, or in different lines in the same post office.

Wright said authorities have obtained about 60 such money orders. Other alleged discussions between Franklin and Graham during his time as a fugitive were of amore personal nature. When Graham wanted to see his child from a previous relationship, Rivera testified, Franklin picked up the boy from his mother and dropped him off for a flight out of DeKalb Peachtree Airport on a chartered jet. Rivera said he ferried drug money back to Graham in California on the same flight.

The visit troubled King."I just told Tremayne that he has to tighten up," King testified, "because he can't let something like that let the authorities track him through his son." Rivera said he accompanied the boy back to Atlanta several days later. He left the child with Franklin, he said, in her Cobb County home.

Sunday Sports Page

Why do I do this to myself? Wake-up and turn right to the NYT Wedding section every Sunday? It's never a good thing when you allow other people's seemingly preposterous, yet quite real fairy tale romances to set that tricky-to-manuever winsome yet bitter tone for the day. Here's today's installment of "I Must Have Been A Hideous Person In A Previous Life To Be Stuck With The Cracker One I Have Now"...

The couple traveled to Biarritz to surf. “We would surf three times a day, have a big lunch, eat moules frites, and go back,” Ms. Mortimer said. And then, there was the light.

“It was incredibly cloudy,” Mr. Gaghan said of one evening the couple went surfing. “Then the clouds dumped two-inch raindrops, and the silver raindrops are backlit. And Minnie drops into a wave and disappears — the biggest wave of the day. She pops up surfing this wave, just flying, with incredible courage. Then she’s standing in the sand, holding her board, and behind her, from one end of France to the other, this rainbow appears. ”

Full torture here. Back to getting the hound dog out of the neighbor's dumpster for me.

SGR Turned Two

My my my... I've been so immersed in the consuming importance of being Grayson, I forgot my own two-year blogging anniversary. Oh well, they didn't call me Spacey for no reason at all. Here's the first post, No Money Changed Hands, the one where I talk about how I got stuck with being Spacey Gracey. Here's to the journal I always wanted to keep and never did... until two years and two days ago. Doing so has changed my life.

Why I Hate Folk Art

Sarawara's Tweet about her cat possibly being stung by a wasp reminded me of how I can't bear the sight of folk art. (Although I loved the movie June Bug, but that's another story.) The only time I went to Howard Finster's wacked out world 'o kiddie crayon art up there in North Georgia, for a news shoot circa 1988, the crazy MFer looked me in the eye and started raving some barely lucid lunatic babble about the Bible and harlots... then I got stung by a wasp on my left hand. (See photo.) I spent the rest of the shoot in a really bad, painful mood, then had to go find a doctor because my whole arm swelled up like a blister in the sun.

Paradise Garden my ass...

Old Media Noticing New Media In Georgia Politics

(This post cross-posted at Peach Pundit too.)

With the 10th Congressional being one of the few political shows in town, in the country for that matter, won’t be long before Big Media notices all our Little Media efforts here in Georgia, just as the Athens Banner-Herald has. Especially if Marlow makes it to a runoff on June 19th. Then the big guys will be all over us, trust me, because we can then, and only then, say that New Media is likely impacting the political process in the Peach State. Likely.

I caution anyone to use extreme caution when believing a word out of a political advisor’s mouth right now about new media. Not only do they tend not have a clue about new media as a whole, they don’t have a clue about the impact of new media on voter behavior. So when people make statements like this from the OnlineAthens story:

Unless a (newspaper) story’s written about it, the people viewing it (an online video) probably know how they’re going to vote anyway,” (Emil) Runge said.

…trust that they’re pulling statements out of their as* book of facts.

No one, at this point in time, has a clue whether a “traditional” print story about a YouTube video will impact voter behavior or not. Just as no one has a clue whether watching a YouTube video will translate into feet to the polls. There simply is no data right now to support any kind of “new media” political reality.

Let’s hope that some of our fine Georgia (national?) pollsters will seize the momentum of this special election on June 19th to get out there and gather us up some good, hard data on whether or not “new media” influenced not only:

a.) how people voted.
b.) But also did new kinds of media get folks off their butts and actually out of the house to vote at all?

In the meantime, don’t believe any hype coming from “traditional” campaigns on any side about what the Internet vs. traditional media will or will not do for them. They simply don’t know. Anyone trying to dazzle you with statements about the impact of any kind of media on politics right now is simply flying by the seat of their (old media advice) pants.

One For The Civil War Folk

Check out more great offerings from EggMan Films here.

How Lovely!

Gawd Forbid You Talk About Politics!!!!

Michael hon, I love you to pieces, but you are one way-gay sexist pig.

Blame The Liberal Bias Of The Internet

I am not making this up… Now conservatives are saying that YouTube has a liberal bias. Not getting enough hits to your crappy videos, like this hate-filled slop from angry little Jordan Greene, son of 10th Congressional candidate, Bill Greene?

No prob, try QubeTV. It’s Internet TV for the people not smart enough for… YouTube! I am seriously ROFLing.

Save The Date - June 7th

To all my ATL blogger peeps... please mark June 7th, two week from tonight, on your calendar. The Atlanta Press Club has... gasp... discovered social media. Weirder things have happened I suppose. Anyways... getting to the point here, I'll be moderating a panel of whomevers for this APC event that night, at the Commerce Club downtown I believe.

And yes, this is something of a Big Deal for me, and I REALLY need all my blogging bretheren there for support. (Besides, if only six people show for the event, I'll get really bummed and have to go get drunk or something.)

More importantly, MSM in the ATL need to not only hear about new media, they need to see it up close and personal. We have got to put an end to the this is a silly, unimportant trend that will surely pass mode of thinking by traditional media while we're at it.

So please plan to be there for this historic event on June 7th. I'll post more details as they become available from APC. Their forums usually start around 6-7pm.

Word.

Forget Cannes... Bubba Auteurs Got It Going On

This Video Belongs To You And Me

To piggyback on Buzzbrockway’s post at Peach Pundit about YouTube warriors, consider the case of Congressional floor (speech) video…. who owns that material, and why has only C-SPAN had ownership and rights to that material… up until now?

Others are at least getting into the biz of selling back to us something that really should belong to us in the first place, least I feel that any and all video generated from the floor of OUR Congress should belong to us — and it should be free to access for any and all YouTube Nation tribal members to use as they see fit.

As the mighty media blogger, Jeff Jarvis says, and I fully agree:

Just as with the presidential debates, that democratic discussion should belong to the people and to truly give it to us, Congress should be doing everything CQ (Congressional Quarterly) is doing — for free.

Jarvis’ post in full is here. Times like this, we need to remind ourselves that we are now The Media.

And if we are, then why are more "traditional" journalists not acting as if they are now The New Media, rather than just waiting around for their bosses to tell 'em how to behave? (Jim Long is just about the lone exception to this sorry state of affairs, bless his new media heart!)

Matt Waite, a reporter for the St. Pete Times, tells it like it is. Preach on Brother Waite, preach on:

I can hear people I know gnashing their teeth already. Why should I do something that costs me time and maybe even money to benefit my employer when I don’t get paid for it? Here’s my response, and it’s two-fold: If you don’t, you run the risk of being first up for layoffs (so you’ll REALLY be uncompensated) and the more skills you have, the better off you are for whatever newspapers evolve into.

Or even if they go away completely. Let’s play fantasyland for a second: newspapers collapse, and all that content goes away. Someone is going to step into that void. Let’s pretend it’s Google and Yahoo and MSN. Do you think for a second they aren’t going to want new media skills? That they’ll be impressed with your paper clippings and your stubborn insistence that you can only write a story for a printed publication?

Come on. Wake up.

Snake Done Gone

When Bernita isn't stalking the halls of the Gold Dome, inspiring us with her amazing brand of politics, and her hilarious, dead-on writing, she's busy wacking monster rattlers in her gram's back yard. Now there's a woman who's not scared of Jack or shit! She recounted the adventure in an email:

My Grams and I were driving from town (Augusta) and I spotted it as it was headed into my cousin's yard. I wouldn't have cared but my cousin's house is the site of the big ol'e Ritter family high school graduation gala - got 6 of them graduating on Friday night. So a big cousin has to do what she has to do!! Hell that's my graduation present to them all.

I probably would have been scared as all hell if my grandma wasn't standing next to me and giving me tips. She's done the snake warrior thing a good many times in her day.

As Garrison Keiller once said, "Well, I reckon Southerners are fine people, and I've met plenty of good Southerners, but sooner or later they all get around to talking about snakes."

Now those are true words.

Georgia Dems Meet New Media

The Georgia Democratic Party's annual Jefferson-Jackson dinner was a place to not only see John Edwards' hairdo up close and personal, it was also the place to find out just how Georgia politicians are using social media.

Even Uga Gets Rotated Out Of There

Do we really need another aging, out of touch geezer headed to Washington to puff himself up with visions of representational glory for all? Whitehead's best benchwarming days were long, long ago.

Suck The Chrome Off That...

Here's the ATL's own Michael Alvear (the guy I'd give up being hetero girly-girl to become a gay man for) on why oral sex IS the relationship.

About The J-J Dinner Last Night

The Georgia Democratic Party’s annual Jefferson-Jackson party last night was a blast, especially with Presidential hopeful, pretty boy John Edwards offering rock star, red carpet glitz to the evening. (And yes, he is adorable in person, but Jon Flack is right, the hair is overrated.)

Heck, Edwards’ had TWO drum lines to give him that big ‘ole ATL welcome. And 1,700 gushing fans crushing on him, quite literally, to get the money shot with their camera phones. Working the crowds, Edwards’ charming, tanned face would reveal a flicker of tiredness, then in the blink of an eye, it was gone. You wondered if you’d just imagined such a thing.

Edwards worked the crowd like the champion show-jumper of a lawyer he is. He’s no Bill Clinton; he’s just “too white” to get on that one-of-a-kind wavelength, but Edwards is quite charismatic in his own right, and a beautiful, engaging orator.

Besides Edwards, the entire evening was a Georgia politico and media Who’s Who. I was at the dinner table alongside Jim Galloway of AJC’s Political Insider; bless their hearts, they were live blogging! (Guess I can’t call ‘em old farts now.) Galloway was a seasoned journalist on a mission… to unearth just WHO produced that anti-Whitehead YouTube offering! Blogger Jon Flack of the new Tondee’s Tavern blog sat next to Galloway and fed him tantalizing tidbits, but no names, all night long.

I shot loads of great video myself, asked a question at Edwards’ presser alongside the Big Broadcasting TV guys, and hope to package some of the DV goodies over the weekend for you folks.

My personal highlight? Interviewing Vernon Jones about blogging! Heck, Vernon had more signage there than Edwards. All in all, a fabulous time was had by many Georgia Dems, despite the icky, remora fish lobbyista swarmin’ over the place too. Lordy, do they EVER go away?

Look for good things to come all around with GDP, especially with Martin Matheny running some new communications operations and strategies for them. Their website is really heating-up under his guidance, with blogging too!

WABE Alert!!!

Lois playing something "I'm A Lumberjack-y." It ain't funny though. Here's your funny!

Should Have Gone To Law School

Wow -- if I'd taken my Dad's advice to heart years ago, I could have ended-up with a gub-mint job! See, a long long hazy time ago, when in college, I first expressed an interest in broadcasting and production. My dad, who was quite close to the Pat Robertson family (with Pat's brother Tad, who lived here in Atlanta until his death a few years ago), very much wanted me to go to wherever Pat Robertson's TV ministry was and learn TV production (and some kinda "values" too presumably) there.

However, not being terribly interested in All Things Evangelical at the time, nor am I now or will ever likely be, I politely declined the generous and well-meaning offer from Daddy "O" to try and help me get a foot in the door of that kinda TV biz. Back then, being young and impetuous, and just stupid and stubborn a lot of the time too, I mostly wanted to go my own route, and according to my own ability, into secular news coverage.

Had I gone the Pat Robertson route though, who's to say... I might have ended-up at his law school, and thereby almost guaranteed a job in the current Justice Department! Weirder things have happened I suppose, but the weirdest of all is the tale of the Christian law school, Regent University, founded by televangelist Pat Robertson, "whose graduates have become influential in the Justice Department."

The whole story, as told by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Charlie Savage of the Boston Globe, was on Fresh Air yesterday. Listen here. Fascinating. Scary too.

Your Podcasts Are As Icky As Aspic

Aaaaaggghhhhhhhhhh. In the ongoing theme song of the AJC, When Will They Every Learn, the online "thing" they're attempting is now offering hideous, voice recognition, robotic-sounding podcasts alongside their op/eds.

This one is mauled almost beyond recognition, which is a shame, because the editorial (in text only) is a good one. Click-2-listen only at your own peril.

As for the content of that editorial... my comments, duped over from Peachtree Screed's comments, since of course there is no commenting available (aaaggghhhhhhagain) on that op/ed, go something like this:

Episcopalianism is rampant in my family, for the ones who aren't agnostic at least, and that would be most of 'em. And while I am deeply fond of and grateful for the the liturgical and historical comforts of the Episcopal Church, I've been drawn to more, uh, down to earth modes of worship too, particularly the Baptist Church, being mostly a southerner when it comes down to it.

However, I've never been able to ever seriously consider making a break and worshipping at a Baptist Church because of, well, a lot of things, particularly their inability to separate church from partisan politics. If they could begin to do that, I'd begin to think of Southern Baptist as a viable option to (too Church of England-y) Anglicanism, which is undergoing its own severe identity crisis... but that's another topic altogether.

Besides, I've always preferred the more Baptist-like Jello congealed salads with marshmallows to those hideous tomato aspics Episcopalian church ladies are so fond of.

Oh Please Just Stop

In the ongoing saga to attempt a sequel to GWTW, I can only quote my dear cousin, Ms. Rheta Simons Barnes, of the "one S" Simons (pronounced as you would the more common "Simmons") of Charleston, of course... "Oh, this is so misguided."

I Hear Detroit Emoting

My new BFF in Detroit, Vergel Evans, has thrown himself into the briarpatch of one hot v-log deathmatch. Click here to hear, see and vote. I did. (For Vergel of course.)

Moral Majority (Quite Literally) Dead

I felt a moment of sadness, again... a moment, at the passing of Jerry Falwell. Never has a nicer, kinder person hurt so many people, nor divided a nation quite so well -- all with a perpetual smirk on his face. RIP, Mr. Falwell. That's some legacy you left.

Stop That Extremist Whitehead

Wow... we've got some very clever, very motivated people cranking some anti-Whitehead spots for YouTube. Two in one day. Here's Rusty's first. Then Tondee's Tavern. I hope Marlow appreciates all this (free) hard work put in by people who would like to send him to Congress and not that wacked Whitehead.

Something To Be Desired

Ahhhhh those precious twenty-somethings. New Something To Be Desired now up, guest starring -- kids I've never heard of, but who are of course precious.

Pork, Get Miss Pitty's Smelling Salts

I'm on Vernon Jones' blogroll. What will I wear? Amber, you're there too... any thoughts on this weirdness?

Blogger Ennui

I don't know what's gotten in to me. Is it yoga? Or does it have something to do with a culture that glorifies huge plastic animals nailed to billboards in our faces, and then throwing them out, as some kinda perfect world economic order we should all kiss more ass to have even more of? Beats the fuck out of me. I don't know when I'll return to my senses. I could care less really.

Your Morning Coffee Snort

Get a paper towel ready... the AJC discovers the Clermont Lounge, some twenty-odd years after the fact. Are they the cutting edge of this town or what?!

Great, Now Please Go Away

Seriously Mediocre Artists' Mother's Day news I could care less about here.

Mayor Franklin's Not So Great Mother's Day

Given that CL is stirring the investigative pot with Atlanta's top journalist Mara Shalhoup at the stove, my thoughts are with Mayor Franklin. I know what it's like to have a really really bad Mother's Day. From CL this week:

In addition to the allegations about the killings, the April sentencing hearing also offered insight into whether Kai Franklin Graham (Mayor Franklin's daughter) had anything to do with her husband's crimes. According to the Greenville News, IRS Criminal Investigations Special Agent Wayne Wright testified that she's currently under investigation by his agency and the U.S. attorney's office.

Once again, Shalhoup's investigative journalism, right here the ATL, reads like a crime novel you cannot put down. Just remember, she's getting her information from police reports, indictments, court docs, etc. Papers of public record that all those reporters over at, say, Cox Plantations just kinda sorta missed somehow.

We Are All A Work In Progress

Ha! Just turned over my over-sized Mother's Day card to read the following inspirational message:

Heathens For All You Heathens

Holy shit... this is some wild-ass trippy episodic TV. Twin Peaks goes west. WARNING: For adults-only viewing. Click-on and thank me later. Click here for more episodes or for better viewing as I have some issues with embedding Blip.tv in Blogger.

Click To Play

1846. The town of Freedom, Texas. The local men, in an attempt to bolster their egos and prove their manhoods, exchange precious ivory for carnal pleasure with a mysterious savage woman.

Never Knew That About You

Whew... I can talk about this now that I know I'm not the only one.

Flannery O'Connor's Writing Place

Photo courtesy Victor Jones

Happy Mother's Day

This is really, really cornball, I totally understand. One of those things moms circulate via email forwarding, so who knows who to attribute it to. But it's also so very true and so very touching, every word of it. And having just had a too-much-pizza hurling incident all over the sofa, well...

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, "It's okay honey, Mommy's here." Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted. This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse. For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes. This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors. And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at football or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me, Mom?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner. And for all the mothers who count to ten instead, but realize how child abuse happens. This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the (grand) mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't find the words.

This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat. For all the mothers who read "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And then read it again. "Just one more time."This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot. This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home -- or even away at college.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomachaches assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away! This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them. This is for all the step-mothers who raised another woman's child or children, and gave their time, attention, and love... sometimes totally unappreciated!

For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 14-year-olds dye their hair green. For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TV's in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely. This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.

What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time? Or is it in her heart? Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time? The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby? The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M. when you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in your home? Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?

The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation... And mature mothers learning to let go. For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Single mothers and married mothers. Mothers with money, mothers without. This is for you all. For all of us. Hang in there. In the end we can only do the best we can. Tell them everyday that we love them. And pray.

End of Soccer Season Commemorative Video

Click To Play

Great season!

Back On The Chain Gang

I have a friend I think about every day. I shouldn't say "friend" because she "de-friended" me a long long time ago, 1986 I believe. I did something terrible to her, stiffed her for the rent I think, mooched her drugs, I can't remember, something of that nature, the details of that particular year are very very hazy, and she lost her place while I was busy losing my mind. (No worries though; I've long since found it.)

Things were kinda crazy back then. Oh to hell with that half-truth; things were very crazy... from about 1979-1987 for me. It's a miracle I survived any day of those particular eight years, come to think about it. But I did, thanks to the self-centered discipline the shark tank of corporate America requires. And here I am, 2007, where I've worked for so long and so very hard on all my issues, improved, learned responsibility and discipline and self-control and hard work a long long time ago. Full adulthood essentially, and I like it that way.

I can't remember anyone being more holier than the next back then, though. We were all pretty deranged and wild. My friend certainly was. But she didn't need trouble like me, so she jettisoned our friendship at the first sign of the fun coming to a screeching halt. She hasn't spoken to me since.

She's lived literally just a few miles from me ever since 1986. The only time I ever crack open a phone book is once a year when they arrive, and I check to see if my old friend is still at the same place nearby. She is. I've never once, in over twenty years now, laid eyes on her, despite us both having lived around Buckhead all this time.

I doubt there's a day that's gone by where I haven't thought about her. I once tried to make amends and repair the friendship in 1987, but I was too tainted, too destructive in her mind to every be anything but an object of her hatred and scorn. I can understand; we all need to have our little squirrely places to go to loath and hate and resent someone, create our little enemy base of operations in our minds and hearts, least we ever start stumbling towards the divine and learn to seriously forgive.

Lord knows I have ugliness in me sometimes I can't begin to describe, and it comes around and worms its evil way into my best and brightest moments even. Just like in some White Stripes song. I have a certain stone I sleep in, when I remember to, that seems to keep the worst of the worst dreams at bay though; I've not a drop of Russian blood in me, but I once read that Russian women, back in the good 'ole imperial days, used to require that their jewelers loan them pieces so they could sleep in the jewels first; only if they had good dreams while they slept would they consent to purchasing a particular gem.

Anyways... back to the story. I can't help but wonder if I'll ever have the opportunity to repair this friendship. I doubt it, as this person made it quite clear that she hates me with every breath she takes. But that doesn't stop me from remembering what wonderful, marvelous friends we once were, and how we met... in a philosophy class...

Sunburned and hungover, my usual condition for classes, when I bothered to show up for any that is, I plopped down in a seat next to her the first day of the term and first day of that class. When I straightened up enough to look around me, I glanced over at __________ and to my utter delight, saw that she had that dyed-black punk hair that was the fashion for about four of us at the Greek-laden, prep-nation school we endured for so long. Mine was sometimes pink. She was also wearing bizzaro Flannery O'Conner cat-eyed glasses. I leaned over and mouthed, "Love those glasses!" We were inseparable from that moment on, until we moved to Atlanta... where all the dark times began.

To be continued...

Apprehensive, Nervous Mother's Day Weekend

Given that I spent last Mother's Day at Children's Hospital praying for the life of my precious, precious, sweet child while she endured unimaginable terror, hell, pain, trauma and emergency surgery, having had her perfect, heavenly face ripped apart by a dog belonging to very very stupid people/grossly irresponsible pet owners, I'm trying really hard to stay calm and focused (yoga, litergical comforts do help) on other things this weekend.

It's gonna be a little tough, but I can do this! (The pychological impact of witnessing such violent trauma to one's own child being still as painful, quite literally, and acute as it ever was.)

The case has just been settled, so I can now blog about dangerous dogs (and irresponsible pet owners) and how they terrorize and maim millions of our children every year. The ones they don't just outright kill that is. And yes, I plan to get down to it soon.

Please think about donating to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta for Mother's Day... given the numerous childrens' lives they save there every day.

But what about the grownups?

Redneck Literati Underground

Slim and his boys have quite a honky-tonk weekend lined-up, with a special ticket-price nod to mommas on Mother's Day.

Friday May 11 at Smith's Olde Bar - Slim Chance & the Convicts will be playing at approximately 8:55PM as part of the 500 Songs For Kids event. Come early to see all the other cool acts, each doing one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (as determined by Rolling Stone Magazine). We are doing #79, a tune about a guy with a tambourine. Music starts at 7PM, Cover is $7 and it all goes to a children's charity group. (SGR staff may try to make this one.)

Sunday May 13 at Smith's Olde Bar - the Wrights with opening act Byrd's Auto Parts, featuring the amazing Jon Byrd. Showtime is 9PM, I think the cover is $12 adv, and Mothers get in for half price.

PS: Mark your calendars for June 23, when Honky Tonk Meets Heavy Metal at Lenny's. Slim Chance & the Convicts will perform along with Dark Overlord!

He Really Is A Rocket Scientist

Photo courtesy Steve Garfield

I Need Nokia Product

Someone, New Friend Who Must Not Be Named, showed me a totally cool brand new Nokia product, with every doo-dad you can imagine on it. The things this blog would do with one of those. Hint Hint Nokia! Guaranteed to put it through its paces if you send me one. Video posts every day! A pony for everyone! Flat taxes! Free money!

Pulver Show!

Aptly Named In The 'Hood

I love the weekly crime report I get emailed to my household for my zip each week. This item provided a nice morning chortle:

Evening WatchCommercial/Off Bldg
Other Larceny
5/2/2007 The victim placed her Apple laptop computer (# W8709448W0G) between a wall & couch to conceal its whereabouts while at Grand Hustler Studio. Upon return her laptop was missing. No suspects.

Takeaway: Read shingle before entering building.

Party Tonight!

The annual fundraiser and mega-fun party for Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, River Revival, is this tonight at Park Tavern on Piedmont Park! Tickets are $45. at the door. More info here.

Let's all party down, save rivers, network, schmooze, eat, drink and make merry at the park... dancing, bluegrass, and even Dames A'Flame!

Thinking Blogger Award

One of my absolute fave bloggers, Tania Rochelle, just tagged me with a Thinking Blogger Award! What Internets tomfoolery will they come up with next? How about Republicans for Hillary? I kid you not.

Thanks Tania. Coming from a real writer/poet like you, I am quite touched. Now I have to tag 5 other bloggers with my own Thinking Blogger Award. Send me your nominations. But they have to all be metro Atlanta, okay? I take care of my homies first.

Fear and Loathing For Women in the Blogosphere

There's a lot to be scared of out there if you're a female blogger. From Slate today:

Sierra was a powerhouse blogger who in March shut down her blog, Creating Passionate Users, about the highly gender-charged subject of metacognition and computers. Sierra stopped bloging after anonymous critics posted graphic and sexually threatening material about her, both in the comments section of her Web site and on other blogs.

The posters (read them here) somehow confused death threats with debate on the merits of Sierra's views and policies. Some suggested that Sierra deserved to have her throat slit and to be suffocated, sexually violated, and hanged. Among the things Sierra wrote as she folded up her blogging tent: "I have cancelled all speaking engagements. I am afraid to leave my yard. I will never feel the same. I will never be the same."

Then again, I bet some of the stuff that's said and sent to bloggers scares the total bejeezus out of men bloggers, too.

So guys, you tell me -- have you been totally unnerved by something in the blogosphere that targeted you? I know I have had my nerves rattled bad on a couple of, uh "postings," and I'm not afraid to admit that it set me to worrying... for about a day. Then I got over it and went right back to blogging.

Still, I don't have the kind of high profile that some women bloggers like Michelle Malkin do. Just good to know what's waiting for you around the great corner of success though. I soooo can't wait to get there.

Blog on ladies, blog on.

I Got Your Eco Correctness

Jeez... And folks at PP think I'm some kinda wacko socialist greenie because I think that Sally Bethea should still be on the DNR board.

In Britain, if you think your neighbor is using too much energy and not insulating enough, you can have 'em Hot Mapped!

In Red Georgia though, you'd likely just be wasting your time and money, since most of the infared imagery arising from "geo-rectification" (the process of aligning graphical data on a two dimensional surface so that it accurately corresponds with a map projection system) would be just Republican hot air.

Buckhead Betties and Power Moms

I wish I had a picture... the route I take at least 2X a day through Peachtree Battle over to Peachtree, the one where I pass through on over to the other side of the tracks on the way home, must have more Buckhead Betties per square foot than any other piece of real estate in America!

The droves of ladies along the way are literally all highlighted blonds (like I'd know a thing about that), perfectly fit (sure wouldn't know a thing about that), jogging in the least skanky workout attire you will ever lay eyes on (not a ripped "The Only Bush I Trust Is My Own" tee in sight), and of course prancing alongside a Golden Retriever or behind a MacLaren stroller. It is soooo out of central casting, for some production I hear, that it's a genuine hoot.

I hope to snag some snaps or vid for you soon. Or tool along Peachtree Battle yourself for a stroll these fine spring days. But you gotta catch a sighting now. School lets out soon, and then it's off to St. Simons for the lot.

Sure gets hot and empty around Buckhead starting first of June.

Georgia's DNR Board Count Important - To Floridians

From the Jacksonville Times-Union, about our Sonny stacking our DNR board with developers and builders. Sally Bethea was also on WABE this morning too, with an excellent interview in which she said Georgians surely want more diversity on a Natural Resources board than just developers and building interests. Got that right.

The ouster of three of the most pro-environment members of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources board has critics concerned that the department's mission of safeguarding the state's rivers, streams and estuaries will be compromised.

Environmentalists became particularly worried last month when the Senate rejected Gov. Sonny Perdue's reappointment of Sally Bethea, the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and one of their main allies on the Board of Natural Resources.

That move followed the ouster of two members of the panel whom Perdue did not reappoint because a 2005 round of congressional redistricting left them in the same district as another board member, the governor's office said. Thirteen of the board's 18 members are appointed according to their congressional districts.

"The board is just way out of balance," charged Gordon Rogers, executive director of Satilla Riverkeeper. "And it's been systematic."

Take A High Priestess Moment

Because we all need to be reminded of our strengths and beauty from time to time, go re-read the Marianne Williamson prayer over at Being Amber Rhea. It'll re-shift your focus for the day.

Then We Baked A Cake

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Aquarium Sunday Afternoon

Had to go pay my respects to dear departed Gasper and Ralph... RIP dudes. You guys were awesome in Atlanta while you lasted, which wasn't very long. Sorry things didn't exactly go, uh, swimmingly for you here.

Fierce beast above does not reside at Georgia Aquarium; rather, she guards my house, a job she takes very seriously.

Note weird yellow scabby stuff on head of one of the Belgugas above. Hope that one's not going to croak soon too. Note new summer purse below found at yard sale yesterday for $5.00. Think I paid too much?

River Revival Party This Thursday!

Folks, the annual fundraiser and mega-fun party for Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, River Revival, is this Thursday May 10 at Park Tavern on Piedmont Park. Tuesday the 7th is the last day to buy tickets online for the amazingly low price of only $40. (They go way up to $45. at the door.)

Order online here. Let's all party down, save rivers, network, schmooze, eat, drink and make merry at the park... dancing, bluegrass, and even Dames A'Flame!