Fresh Loaf

I’m not sure why I care, but did you know Cherokee County has the lowest percentage of diabetic residents of any county in the state, followed closely by Cobb and Gordon counties?

Well, now you do.

Did you also know that diabetes and diabeetus are actually the same disease?

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In a move that threatens to make emptying your spam folder much less amusing, the Nigerian government recently launched a big crackdown on so-called “419″ scammers.

The 419 scam, named for the section of the Nigerian legal code outlawing it, reportedly rakes in billions of dollars annually. It works thusly: You know those weird, obsequious, all-cap business proposal e-mails you delete (e.g. GREETINGS OF THE DAY TO YOU KIND SIR: I AM THE WIDOW OF FORMER ASSISTANT UNDERSECRETARY OF PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT PETER KUMBAYA-MYLORD-KUMBAYA AND IT IS MY GREAT PLEASURE TO WRITE TO YOU AND PRESENT MY BUSINESS PROPOSAL FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION)? It turns out lots of people actually believe the e-mails are real.

The 419 is an advance-fee scam, meaning “guy promises to send you $800,000 if you send him $1,000 to take care of the paperwork necessary to obtain the money.”

But the 419 will forever be associated with Nigeria because it’s the best-known Nigerian export: corruption.

Continue Reading “Don’t Panic: Is Nigeria finally cleaning up its crooked ways?”

(Photo illustration by Andisheh Nouraee)

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A new 11 Alive/Survey USA poll of the Atlanta’s mayor’s race shows State Sen. Kasim Reed with 49 percent, and City Council Member Mary Norwood with 46 percent. Reed’s three-percent advantage falls within the poll’s 4.5 percent margin of error.

In other words, according to this poll, it’s a dead-heat.

Norwood and Reed finished first and second in November 3’s mayoral election. They will face one another in a run-off election December 1.

Assuming it’s an accurate snapshot, of course, this poll suggests Reed has been far more successful than Norwood at winning over the 9,829 Atlantans who voted for third-place finisher Lisa Borders.

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The New York Times‘ always-entertaining Ethicist was extra-entertaining yesterday, thanks to a letter from Atlanta husband and father Chris Altman:

“I have a very attractive wife. When she is out with our two cute baby girls, she often receives free groceries, free fast food — the guy at Dunkin’ Donuts loves her — and free clothes. Frequently she does not realize she has the gifts (or stolen goods) until she is in the car, driving away. Is it ethical for her to keep these gifts, or must she return them (which may get the giver fired)? Chris Altman, Atlanta”

Repeat: His hot wife keeps bringing home extra donuts. Someone rescue this man!!!

I’m not accusing Altman of deceit, but I nevertheless can’t help but wonder if the letter wasn’t, in-part, a clever, romantic ploy to get America’s Paper of Record® to publish a tribute to his wife’s hotness.

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Disappointing news from the AJC:

The treasurer of a Cabbagetown nonprofit has been accused of bilking the organization of some $78,000.

Robert Wood, 42, turned himself in to the Fulton County jail on theft by taking charges, according to jail records.

The non-profit Cabbagetown Initiative Community Development Corp. earns most of its money from the Cabbagetown Chomp & Stomp chili cook-off and neighborhood festival.

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A previously unseen object – a white sky heat disc of some sort – floats ominously above Atlanta today.

What could it be?

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Several of my Facebook friends are members of a “Murder Kroger” fan group; the marketing-unfriendly unofficial nickname for the Kroger on Ponce DeLeon Avenue next to City Hall East.

I’ve heard people refer that Kroger as “Murder Kroger” since I moved to Atlanta in 1997, but cannot recall any notable violent crimes at the store.

Does anyone here know the origin of the name? Is it called “Murder Kroger” because of a specific crime? Is the name a grim comic riff on Buckhead’s so-called Disco Kroger?

Anyone?

(Photo Courtesy Flickr)

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WSB-TV reports Lisa Borders plans to endorse Kasim Reed today for Atlanta Mayor. Reed and Mary Norwood face each other in a Dec. 1 run-off election.

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Georgia will ban smoking in all prisons starting next year.

This should work out well.

After all, Nicotine isn’t very addictive and prisoners are usually really good at controlling their urges. Besides, nobody does anything illegal in prison.

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At the GOP rally/Tea Party at the U.S. Capitol yesterday, Rep. Paul Broun (R – CrazyPartsOfGeorgia) had a stern warning for Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi:

“Go tell your Congressman you’re not going to eat this rotten, stinking fish that is . . .  [awkward pause] Pelosi health care!

We’re going to put a stop sign in front of her steam roll of socialism! Go to it, patriots!”

I haven’t played Rock-Paper-Scissors in a while, but I’m pretty sure steam roller beats stop sign. Here’s a video. Broun’s comments begin at the 4:35 mark.

While we’re on the subject of gratuitous dumbassitude masquerading as steadfast patriotism, at the same event yesterday House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner’s held up what he claimed was his copy of the U.S. Constitution and read aloud from the section he described as its preamble:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Those words are not from the Constitution, but from the Declaration of Independence.

Doh!

The video:

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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Before we get sucked into a “Buckhead vs. Southwest Atlanta” narrative for the run-off, consider this: the spreadsheet users over at the AJC say Mary Norwood won a significant number of votes yesterday from predominantly black precincts.

Political Insider Jim Galloway posted results from Atlanta’s top five predominantly black districts, and the top five predominantly white districts. Norwood received an average of 21 percent of the votes in the top five mostly black districts, while Reed received an average of just under six percent of the vote in the top five mostly white districts.

Norwood clearly has stronger appeal outside her geographic base than Reed does outside his.

She’s the cross-over candidate.

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Relentless list-generating machine Forbes.com now ranks Atlanta the most toxic city in the U.S. because our “combination of air pollution, contaminated land and atmospheric chemicals.”

Not good.

But not all bad.

It’s our best excuse yet to permanently discard our lousy, Brand Atlanta theme song “ATL” and replace it something catchier and more appropriate.

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Even though polls will stay open in Atlanta for another five-and-a-half hours, Fox 5 is already reporting Lisa Borders and Kyle Keyser finished first and second in today’s Atlanta mayoral election, with 100 percent of precincts reporting.

Here’s the screenshot:

Either Ken Cook’s Doppler Radar doubles as a time machine, or someone at Fox 5 posted the wrong information online. I’m guessing the latter.

Just to be clear, the polls are still open and no results are available. The chart you see above actually appears on Fox 5’s web site, but the numbers are ARE NOT the actual results.

UPDATE: Fox 5 has fixed the chart on its web site. No votes have been counted. Keyser and Borders haven’t won. Ken Cook does not have a time machine.

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In an essay published on Huffington Post, Emory University professor and Democratic messaging consultant Dr. Drew Westen slammed President Barack Obama as a thus-far failed leader.

Leadership is a quality Barack Obama showed on the campaign trail. It is a quality he has failed to show as president.

Westen calls Obama’s handling of the health care legislation the “prototypical” example of how Obama has failed to lead the nation as he promised:

Obama could have told members of Congress when the health care fight began, “If the average American doesn’t have the same quality and range of options at the end of this process that you do, I will not sign any appropriations bill for next year that includes health insurance for federal employees, your family and mine included, because if it’s good enough for us, it’s good enough for the people we serve.” Had the president done that, he would have had populist sentiment at his back, not with its back up against Democrats over “death panels.” [. . . ]

Am I sure that he could have mobilized populist sentiment to mobilize support for health care reform, or is that armchair, 20-20 hindsight punditry? Yes. I polled it 18 months ago, and the idea of the public getting the same quality of care as their elected representatives was wildly popular with everyone, right, left, and center.

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From CNN’s Political Ticker blog:

“I’m going to vote for [Kasim Reed]. I think he has the best set of skills. He has really been there to do some tough things over the state. He has Republican and Democratic support. . . . even though there are other candidates who have obviously some strengths, I think, through it all, he has the best chance of working in the region and the state.”

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From Macon City Councilman, Peach Pundit main guy, and ‘69th Most Influential U.S. Conservative‘ Erick Erickson:

Just sent fake dog poop to Earl Pomeroy: http://bit.ly/3saIti You should too to protest him betraying his constituents. #TEAPARTY #TCOT #RSabout 2 hours ago from TweetDeck

• Reply

The Party of Lincoln, Eisenhower and Reagan is now the party of Beck, Palin and plastic poo. Congrats, Erick.

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Ringeth thine patriot bells and proclaimeth this day Teabagger Day throughout The Land!

So declareth Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), who co-introduced a flowery resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives today honoring the people who participated in the September 12, 2009 so-called 9/12 tea party (official name: Taxpayer March on Washington).

Price, who represents East Cobb, North Fulton and the Dunwoody-bits of DeKalb, describes the 9/12ers thusly:

“[H]undreds of thousands of American patriots, who refuse to sit idly by as the Federal Government advances skyrocketing deficits, taxpayer-funded bailouts, pork-barrel projects, burdensome taxes, unaccountable policy czars, command-and-control energy policy, and a government takeover of health care, came to Washington, DC, to show their disapproval.”

Nevermind actual media reports of the event estimate 75,000, not “hundreds of thousands” to “1,700,000″ as Price’s resolution claims.

Who cares though?

When you’re trying to save America from IslamoCommuHomoFascistTyranny™, facts are an unnecessary luxury.

The resolution has 76 Republican co-sponsors.

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Atlanta Business Chronicle reporter and mega-Twitterer Urvaksh Karkaria has more good news from Research in Motion, the company that makes the BlackBerry phone:

Research in Motion investing $300M in Atlanta – Jim Balsillie. More details on his talk in upcoming @Atlantech post.#TAG

In May, Karkaria reported the Canadian tech giant’s plans for 200 RIM jobs in Alpharetta. Does the $300 million investment Karkaria reports today mean we can expect even more RIM jobs? Let’s hope so. With the metro Atlanta unemployment rate at 10.5 percent, there are plenty of people around here who could use a good RIM job.

Details forthcoming on Urvaksh’s AtlanTech blog.

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National Review columnist John Derbyshire doesn’t like that women vote.

No, that’s not a joke. I’ll repeat and rephrase just so there’s no confusion.

A leading columnist for the nation’s leading conservative magazine thinks the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gave women the right to vote, is a bad thing.

He wrote a book about it.

And National Review, which I repeat is the nation’s leading conservative magazine, is helping him promote it.

I really don’t know what to say other than, um, wow, this maybe explains why a recent poll shows only 20 percent of Americans identify themselves as Republicans – fewer than at any time since 1983.

Georgia State University student Emma Harger is less tongue-tied than I.

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The mighty and garlanded Decatur Metro hosted a live online debate last night featuring candidates for Decatur City Commission. The debate was in writing; with questions and answers typed into live blogging software. For those of us you who spent the early evening binge-drinking, it’s archived.

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Atlanta City Council President and mayoral candidate Lisa Borders said today she’d use eminent domain to take blighted properties away from their owners.

Within minutes of Borders’ comment showing up on AJC.com, typically even-tempered local political bloggers Jason Pye and James “Griftdrift” Williams expressed outrage.

Wrote Pye:

“If you give a damn about private property rights and you live in the City of Atlanta, do not vote for @lborders.”

And quoth the Griftdrift:

“I suppose give Borders credit for blunt honesty, but advocating the government deciding who has blighted property and who is all lilies and roses is shocking. Hell, it’s frightening.”

It’s worth noting, neither Griftdrift nor Jason live within the city limits. I wonder how Borders’ position will be/has been received in parts of Atlanta where derelict or abandoned properties are real-life Honeycomb Hideouts for drug addicts, drug dealers, and gangs.

As a former Southwest Atlanta resident who attended more than a few neighborhood meetings, I don’t recall fear of eminent domain ever being publicly discussed.  The dominant theme of every neighborhood meeting I ever attended in Southwest Atlanta was “Hey city government, why can’t you do more to help us clean up our neighborhoods?”

I’m only guessing, but if city residents think eminent domain is gonna help clear their neighborhoods of rotting, abandoned homes, I believe many will support it.

UPDATE: Jason Pye has written more on the subject on his blog.

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On Ga 400 this morning, I saw a billboard promoting Cavalia, the Cirque Du Soleil-ish equestrian show currently occupying a giant tent at Atlantic Station.

The billboard consists of the Cavalia logo and a solitary quotation: “The greatest show I have ever seen.”

In smaller letters below those words are the attribution: “Larry King.”

For perspective, here’s a sampling of some of the veteran CNN host’s other recent likes and dislikes, as found on his Twitter feed:

“The remake of the Taking of Pelham 1,2,3 is a topnotch thriller. The best is years… Denzel Washington & John Travolta are superb.”

“last night’s show with Ashton was probably the most exciting we’ve done since the Nafta debate.”

“Danny [Gans] was one of the best entertainers I’d ever seen. he was a great impressionist, singer and comedian. did you ever see his show?”

“one of my new favorite foods is peanut butter.”

On Angels & Demons: “Mystery meets excitement with a real surprise ending –it was a true thriller!”

“They never get the credit they deserve, but jockeys are the best athletes in all of sports.”

“Just saw Woody Allen’s new movie “Whatver Works” It’s his greatest movie, even better than “Annie Hall” I can’t say good enough about it!”

“Not usually into these things, but MJs memorial exceeded my expectations. I loved when Brooke Shields quoted “Smile” then Jermaine sang it.”

“Had lunch w Nancy Reagan. She mentioned her recent visit to DC & said the Obamas were terrific to her. She’s 88 and looks sensational.”

“I love black licorice, but you can have red licorice.”

“Saw Mickey Rooney today at Spago. He’s 88 and still being Mickey. Laurence Olivier once called him the ‘greatest american actor’”

I don’t know why, but I don’t like short sleeve shirts.

There isn’t a better crime writer alive than Michael Connelly — I can’t wait to read his latest book “9 Dragons” — I got it today!

I loved “Law Abiding Citizen” — I don’t know what the critics were watching! It’s a cracker jack thriller from start to finish!

“Of all the muffins, corn is my favorite.”

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Yesterday the Atlanta city council approved a plan to hire 50 new police officers using federal stimulus funds.

In January, Mayor Franklin announced her intention to grow the city’s police force to 2,000 officers. The city had 1,633 officers at the time, meaning Franklin was promising to grow the size of the force by 22 percent in a single year – nevermind the department’s net loss of approximately 200 officers between October 2007 and January 2009. When critics called her proposal unrealistic, cranky Franklin lashed out.

According to the AJC, the city now has “more than 1,700 sworn officers.” I’m no math whiz, but I’m pretty sure 50 plus “more than 1,700″ does not equal 2,000.

The critics were right. Franklin’s January 2009 proposal was ridiculous.

Correction: In earlier version of this post, I incorrectly described APD’s overall size during Franklin’s two-terms. I apologize.

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Early Saturday, Atlanta Police raided the 24K strip club on Cheshire Bridge Road. 29 people were arrested, many for drug violations.

One detail in the story jumped out at me.

Undercover spent five months purchasing drugs from employees and others at the club, which helped them obtain a warrant, police said.

Hats off to investigators for their determination and persistence. Going undercover as a strip club patron for five months can’t have been easy.

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Wednesday night’s mayoral debate at Emory University’s Glenn Memorial Auditorium was hugely disappointing.

Sponsored the League of Women Voters Atlanta-Fulton County, candidates were given only 60 seconds to answer big questions about subjects like finances, public housing, education, crime, jobs, and water management. The format almost forces candidates to give numbingly vague answers. All of the candidates oppose crime, child prostitution, and fiscal mismanagement while supporting education, jobs and affordable housing.

I’ve been Googling for video or audio, but can’t find it. If you know where I can find some, please post a link in the comments.

And if you’re feeling masochistic, I live Tweeted® from the audience.

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