Fresh Loaf

— For our friend at the Daly Briefing, who has faithfully documented his stay in Iraq, he has 17 days left before he comes home. And on his calendar, X marks the spot.

— DriftGrift started with his Morning Wooten, then lost all inspiration.

— What if they did a debate and nobody showed up? If you live in Atlanta, you probably saw no televsion coverage of Thursday’s debate in the ever-tightening Senate race. Live Apartment Fire, not only notes the lack of coverage, but chides the one station that did cover it (WXIA-TV) for never actually showing footage from the debate.

— Speaking of campaigns, is it all about race in the presidential election between J-Mac and “that one?” At My Urban Report, A.man.I complains the mainstream media is focused on all the wrong things. The other night, he was watching a news show that delved into the question of whether Obama will suffer from the “Bradley Effect,” where white people say they’re going to vote for a black candidate and then lose their nerve in the voting booth. He’s more interested in making an intelligent choice based on what the two candidates will do once elected. Maybe that’s, like, too much work for them.

— And poor Reporter Cub is suffering from information overload. For him, there’s 57 channels and nothin’ on.

— Over at In Decatur, there’s a great parable for the times … all over a parking space in New York City.

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— The polls show we may actually have a race on our hands for Georgia’s Senate seat. There was a debate last night down in Perry and DriftGrift was on the scene. His account is more poetic than reportage, but the headline — Clouds and Clods — gives you a hint.

— Some conservatives get it, argues ATLmalcontent. But others do little more than mouth the agenda offered by the Sean Hannitys of the world. And why is Johnny Mac following the lead of pundits who, just a few months ago, were leading the charge against his nomination? Has J-Mac sold his soul?

— And the conservatives who do get it? Jason Pye contends they are turning away from the dynamic duo. Federal bail-outs equate to socialism and, Pye says, that puts Johnny Mac to the left of his opponent.

— At Politits, Dcup talks back to the mainstream media after she heard a CNBC anchor say that people aren’t shopping these days because they’re scared of the economy. Well, not quite, Dcup answers. They’re not shopping as much because they don’t have money. She’s also worried about the anger that Johnny Mac and Caribou Barbie are whipping up on the campaign trail.

— And Amy at Georgia Women Vote smells a Republican conspiracy. Why else would Karen Handel send 2 million names to the social security administration to check their identity? Funny how the states who also sent in huge lists of names happen to be … wow, what a coincidence … swing states. Ah for the good ol’ days when the voter rolls allowed you to vote from the grave.

— And, finally, on the personal political front — men and women, that is — Amber Rhea has some tips for the male species on showing a little respect.

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— Live Apartment Fire takes a look at the coverage of the voodoo lady that Cobb County Commissioner Annette Kesting allegedly tried to hire to off her opponent. The kicker? South Carolina authorities say they could charge Kesting with solicitation for murder.

— Esquire magazine takes a look at the Congressional races and compiles a list of the 10 worst lawmakers in America. As Lucid Idiocy notes, guess who’s first on that list?

— And speaking of the distinguished senator, JMac at Safe As Houses smells a well-deserved upset in the making and couldn’t be more excited.

— At Terminal Station, B King wonders whether the Obama-effect could spur a series of upsets in local races. There are, he points out, thousands of newly-registered voters who are likely to be Democrat.

— There’s less than a month to go in the presidential race and at Politits, Dcup wants to remind us that there’s a major difference between a smear and negative campaigning.

— What’s a twitter? DriftGrift wasn’t so sure, either until his blog buddy Tessa (who is featured in CL) set up a system that helped Internet-savvy Atlantans find gasoline. Now he’s a believer.

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— The wit and wisdom of Caribou Barbie is still a hot topic around the blogosphere and if you haven’t seen the latest SNL take, it’s a must-view. Amy Morton at Georgia Women Vote gathers some pointed post-debate feedback.

— Meanwhile at Going Through The Motions, the lovely Sara wonders why Americans seem to vote for the person they most identify with rather than the person they agree with politically. When she broached the topic with her Republican father, he dismissed her for using a “liberal talking point.” Ouch.

— Why does it matter? Dcup brings it home at Politits as she details her family’s fight to stave off foreclosure. And their lender gave them a cynical Catch-22. The bank first said they wouldn’t discuss helping them “work through it” until they brought their mortgage up to date. After that happened, the bank said they didn’t qualify for any programs to adjust their rate because they weren’t late anymore.

— TV stations love “gotcha” journalism, but Doug at Live Apartment Fire takes WGCL-TV to task for its report on Atlanta sanitation workers who allegedly lounge around during working hours and then go out when the overtime kicks in. Trouble is, Doug points out, the station never actually got them on camera doing anything wrong. It’s an example of a story rushed out before its time.

— Is anyone in a good mood these days? Edwin, at Chicken Fat, had to pick up friends returning from a trip at the airport and found himself lost and circling Hartsfield/Jackson in heavy traffic. Instead of helping him out, a grumpy cop slammed his fist on the windshield of Edwin’s car and told him to get moving.

— And, finally, the fine ladies at Pecanne Log had an even worse weekend after discovering they had missed the event they’d anticipated for months: the annual bowling showdown between the Furries and the Klingons. What they don’t know is the bowling match never happened. It was a trap. The Klingons ate the Furries, then trashed the bowing alley and took off in search of Spock.

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— Last night was this year’s version of the “If you can’t baffle ‘em with brilliance, befuddle ‘em with bullshit” vice-presidential debates and the blogosphere is alive with reaction.

— The debate, and Palin’s stance on gay rights, left Life On The Q with a four-Advil headache from trying to decipher exactly what she was trying to say and her basic ignorance about the laws that prohibit gays from visiting their partners in the hospital or buying homes together.

— Anyone notice how Palin had to keep glancing down to read from her notes? Lucid Idiocy did and points out that she couldn’t answer any question that wasn’t on her cheat sheets. She reverted back to some talking point that had nothing to do whatsoever with the topic at handle. You know … the befuddle ‘em tactic.

– But Joe Biden took the “baffle ‘em” approach and came across as a tired old hack, writes ATLmalcontent. His plea to whomever is elected president: Please don’t die in office.

— At Georgia Women Vote, Amy explains why the neocons have embraced Palin and why she’s ticked off that an “average, Joe Six-Pack” kind of woman is on this year’s ticket.

— But enough about the debate. We’re finally seeing gas stations with gas, but Dave at Rather Than Working has an interesting point: In July, crude oil was selling for about $145 a barrel and gas costs about $4.09 a gallon. Today, crude is selling for less than $100 a barrel, and gas at the pump is $3.95 a gallon or more. Where’s the corresponding price drop?

— It’s October and what else is wrong with the world? Well, the Braves aren’t playing baseball. On his always enlightening Braves Blog, David O’Brien says the team has to regain its swagger next year or risk losing its reputation as an elite team.

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— As the big debate approaches, is Sarah Palin a sign the apocalypse is upon us? Over at Politits, Dcup wonders how Johnny Mac feels when his running mate is more popular than he is.

— Seeing the latest Katie Couric interview is disturbing. And the lovely Sara at Going Through The Motions makes the case that she’s the more qualified “Sara” to be vice-president because she can actually name some rather well-known Supreme Court cases. Maybe the other Sarah should click through to the list, just to bone up on our country’s history.

— And who wants to bet that the magazines she wouldn’t admit to reading include the National Enquirer and US Weekly? Based on Palin’s lack of reading material, ATLmalcontent hopes that it all turns out to be a bad dream come January.

— Ms. Palin professes to have a gay friend, although his/her identity remains a mystery. But J-Mac did agree to give an interview to a gay magazine, although he dictated that the questions and answers be written out. Can’t ever be too careful, right Mr. “Straight Talk” Express? At Reporter-Cub, there’s links and some analysis.

— As Driftgrift notes, Cynthia McKinney is running for president. No, I’m not kidding. Really and truly. For the Green Party. And based on the video Driftgrift dug up, either it’s the end of the world as we know it or else Cynthia has turned completely psychotic. Dig those bugged-out eyes.

– Going local, Righteous Jackass ponders Karen Handel, who used op-ed space in the AJC to make a vow to protect the integrity of the November elections and yet fights to limit the number of people who actually can vote. It’s the idea of the elite democracy, he says, where only a few are smart enough to lead the rest of us.

— And, finally, going even more local, the fine ladies at Pecanne Log discuss CL’s bankruptcy and stake out their vision for what the paper should be in the future.

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— Now in his second term of office, exactly what has Sonny Purdue accomplished beyond his fishing program? ATLmalcontent ponders that question as gas supplies dwindle while the governor twiddles his thumbs and says, “Crisis? What crisis?” Hell, Sonny ain’t even in the country. This week’s sign of the end of the world as we know it? The malcontent counted 32 cars waiting in line at one a.m. over the weekend at the lone gas station in Cumming that actually had gas.

— The banking bailout agreement is in place, and that worries Jason Pye. He notes that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been generous with elected officials on both sides of the aisle. And that Democrats also blew off the warning signs of the foreclosure crisis. He also notes that no one really knows how deep the financial consequences will be, and predicts taxpayers will never get that money back.

— It’s no surprise our economy is falling apart, Dcup says on Politits. And she offers up a very personal story to illustrate why so many of us owe too damned much money.

— Let’s see. The gas crisis. The banking crisis. The presidential debate. The Nichols trial. Lotsa news out there, right? Not at WAGA. The aptly-named Live Apartment Fire notes that WAGA devoted seven minutes of its newscast Friday to, well, covering an apartment fire live.

— Life is always richer with Driftgrift’s “Morning Wooten,” and the latest edition is especially delicious. DG is certain that Wooten lives in some alternative universe where Ward and June live around the corner, and Eddie Haskell represents the only Democrat in the neighborhood.

— And, finally, Chicken Fat offers a short but very sweet good-bye to Paul Newman. Newman and his wife, Joanne Woodward, owned a condo in Marietta at one point and Chicken Fat notes that he donated money for a much-need facelift to Glover Park. We’re gonna miss ya, Butch.

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— Ah, a fresh “Morning Wooten” from DriftGrift, this time on how Johnny Mac has demonstrated that he is on top of our economic crisis and how he loves us so much that he’s suspended his campaign in order to take personal care of us. DriftGrift, of course, is a little cynical of that explanation. He’s shocked, SHOCKED, that gamesmanship is going on in here.

— At Politits, Dcup isn’t shocked, she’s angry and going all dominatrix on poor J-Mac. She wants a debate tonight and tells him: “You should be spanked so hard your teeth fly out of your mouth and land in the next state. That, my friend, is not the good kind of spanking.” Well, no, it’s certainly not.

— Left On Lanier takes a different, more bemused approach to deliver the same message: Get your butt to Mississippi and talk to people.

— The world may be falling apart, but that isn’t stopping Gov. Perdue from going on vacation … oops … going on a taxpayer-funded junket … oops … going on a fact-finding mission to Europe. As Lucid Idiocy notes, get ready for toll roads everywhere. Except they’ll be empty because no one will be able to find any gasoline.

— The crisis-here-crisis-there-everywhere-a-crisis of the past couple of weeks has Reporter-Cub frightened. It’s the end of the world as we know it, and he doesn’t feel fine.

— Even Duane Moody throws aside his habit of posting lists of favorite songs to go political today. He’s amazed, as are we all, at how many people embrace candidates without even having a clue about what they stand for. He’s so upset that he disses his own mother.

— Perspective, people, perspective! Don’t be so cranky. As Disposable Income reminds us, it’s National Pancake Day. Go find a gas station, sit in line for hours, then go have some yummy pancakes this weekend. You’ll feel better on a full stomach.

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— Chicken Fat made my blog surfing worthwhile this morning with his post about the eccentric folk artist who used to live by the railroad tracks in Vinings before the yuppies moved in. Not only did she pick up garbage tossed in her yard, she hung it from her trees. Whether it was an artistic statement or a statement of protest, he never found out. But upon closer inspection, he did discover that she hung them using chewing gum. Hopefully, he adds, it was her own gum.

— Another gem is at Blog For Democracy, where Juliana notes Barney Frank’s great line about Johnny Mac suspending his campaign to solve the economic crisis. A crisis, by the way, that last week he said didn’t exist. My only concern is that one of her readers doesn’t know what rope-a-dope means. Ouch.

— At the Daly Briefing, our friend in Iraq travels to Najaf to visit a camp for Iraqis displaced by the war. And his trip back to Baghdad sounds absolutely amazing.

— Closer to home, Live Apartment Fire examines how two Atlanta television stations covered the same SE Atlanta shooting and kidnapping. It’s instructive on how a mundane story can be transformed into something memorable on one station. Or … not, in the case of the other.

— There’s always something interesting turning up at the Wren’s Nest. Today, Lain — who is the great-great-great grandson of Joel Chandler Harris (imagine that legacy to uphold) — discovers some vintage campaign material from Brer Rabbit’s ambition to be the Olympic mascot for the 1996 Summer Games. Concludes Lain, considering the reputation of the Atlanta Games, the much-maligned Izzy was probably the proper choice.

— And, finally, with all due respect to Barney Frank, the lovely Sara at Going Through The Motions, has the line of the day, courtesy of Chris Rock.

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 — At Live Apartment Fire, CL gets some props from Doug Richards for the “delightfully evil” cover photo of Bob Barr that was shot by Joeff Davis. And Doug contrasts that with the shadowy photo of John McCain in the Atlantic that made Johnny Mac’s crew go ballistic and forced the magazine’s editor to apologize because the photographer altered the pic to make McCain look sinister.

– Over at Politits, DCup has a little fun with the government’s trillion-dollar bail-out of what seems like every financial company on Wall Street. Since they aren’t paying their debts, then surely they don’t expect her to pay what she owes them. Right?

— A.man.I is concerned by speculation that white folks are having a difficult time voting for a black man. At My Urban Report, he throws in his two cents worth.

— Wednesday is “Car-Free Day” in Decatur. And Decatur Metro isn’t happy because it’s the one day of the week that being carless isn’t practical for him. Don’t worry. Your’s won’t be the only automobile clogging Poncey on the way to downtown Atlanta and then back again on a “car free” day. But at least he’ll feel guilty about it.

—  Dave at Rather Than Working has a new crib. Living up to his blog’s name, he makes a list of all the things he was supposed to do over the weekend … but didn’t. Ah, the fine art of procrastination lives.

— And, finally, at Oh The Joys, there’s a poignant post  where she recalls a visit to the psychiatric ward to see a suicidal friend, and taking with her a tape player cued up to her friend’s favorite U2 song. More proof that music heals.

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 — Reporter Cub writes about the Southern Baptist bookstores that pulled a gospel magazine from their shelves because — OH MY GOD — it had a picture of five female pasters on the cover. Such blasphemy! Bet the same folks will be voting for a female vice-president. You know, so long as they have their priorities in place.

— Some of the folks who banned the gospel magazine must’ve been in Tifton last weekend at the Omega Pepper Festival. As Blog For Democracy notes,  some Obama supporters got the boot because they were trying to register voters. The audacity!

— Amy Morton over at Georgia Women Vote joins the chorus of those who are asking if Obama’s race is the reason he’s not 15 points ahead in the polls. When push comes to shove, will white people vote for a black man for president? Even if the alternative is a ticket with a VP candidate who thinks creationism should be taught in the public schools and conducts public business on her private yahoo email account?

— Over at Decatur Metro, there’s a celebrity slugfest going on: Who’s Decatur’s most famous resident?

— At the Wren’s Nest, there’s going to be a fund-raiser on Sept. 27 featuring Kingsized.  The problem is they’re nervous that no one is going to show up because they were a little tardy in promoting the show. So here’s a plug in helping them get the word out.

— And, finally, with fall temperatures finally breaking through, we can actually sit outside without drowning in our own sweat. But where to go? Don’t fear. The fine ladies at Pecanne Log have come up with a list of favorite outdoor patios to have a brew and drink a toast to autumn leaves.

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— Travis may be in Arizona shouting “Go Dawgs!” until his voice is gone, but that isn’t stopping him from exercising his fingers on Lucid Idiocy. Today he wonders if John McCain is elected president, which McCain will we get? The maverick of the past or the bullshit artist of the present?

— Whichever, and whomever, it is, the next president will have to deal with an economy that may be at its worst since the Great Depression. And with all that’s going on with our economy, Reporter Cub is feeling a wee bit unsettled. He also wonders what we all wonder: Why is gas still over $4 a gallon in Atlanta?

— But Jason Pye is even more unsettled. First, he notes that McCain has flip-flopped on the federal bail-out of AIG. And then he takes us into “deep breath” territory: the feds have spent over $800 billion in bail-outs so far. And that’s on top of a $400 billion federal deficit. Isn’t anyone keeping an eye on the house up there?

— The candidates are finally starting to get it that people are freaked out about the economy. And now that the dust has settled, more and more folks are looking at Sarah Palin and going WTF? She could be a heartbeat away from being our president? Well, not everyone, as Drift Grift notes in an especially sour edition of his “Morning Wooten.”

— Speaking of the paper that used to cover Dixie like the dew, the fine ladies at Pecanne Log poke a little fun at Atlanta at the expense of the AJC and how the paper of record always seems to want to put a happy face on things.

— And finally, Live Apartment Fire has the real skinny on the state of modern print journalism, courtesy of Doonesbury. Again, it’s all about the economy.

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— The New York Times published a scathing report on Sarah Palin’s tenure as governor in Alaska over the weekend, and one item really caught the eye of Amy Morton at Georgia Women Vote: a Palin aide called a blogger and tried to order them not to blog any longer. Hmmm … sounds like someone has issues with criticism. Can we say control freak?

— General David Petraeus is leaving Iran Iraq after five years of commanding forces there to return to the United States. Our friend at the Daly Briefing was given the daunting assignment of preparing a farewell video tribute.

— There hasn’t been a lot of press on it yet — everyone’s focused on the lies being slung in the presidential race — but one of the core issues to consider is the next president will be appointing folks to the U.S. Supreme Court. Decatur Guy at Atlanta Public Affairs delves into the issue and notes that seven of the last nine justices were appointed by Republican presidents.

— Sometimes, the world turns upside down. On the latest “Morning Wooten,” DriftGrift actually finds himself agreeing with the AJC’s resident conservative … but only to a degree.

—WGCL-TV promises to cram together Atlanta’s top stories AND Dagmar Midcap’s weather forecast into the first five minutes of the broadcast. Live Apartment Fire notes that is a little white lie.

– Finally, Carla at Concrete Lace tries to explain something that has confounded modern man, or at least this one: Why are so many women these days so into eating junk food?

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— The clock is ticking as convicted murderer Troy Davis has a date with the death penalty. At Counterpunch, Laura Tate Kagel and Jen Marlowe make the case for clemency — if there was ever someone on Death Row who’s not guilty, it’s likely that it’s Davis.

— The city gets props from B King at Terminal Station for taking on the epidemic panhandling in downtown. He says downtown can’t become viable until the situation is taken care of. And how did begging for money become known as “panhandling” anyway?

— At Lucid Idiocy, Travis notes a survey that shows Southern white evangelicals are more likely to support torturing people for information than the rest of the general public. Must be some kind of Old Testament inspiration.

— They’re also more prone to vote for McCain and Palin, even if the MO of the GOP’s nominees is to not tell the truth about hardly anything. Like Palin’s past. Or saying Obama supports teaching sex education to kids in kindergarten. Say what? At Politits,  Dcup wants to know why the media is so afraid of using the “L” word. As in, “liar, liar, pants on fire.”

— At Going Through The Motions, Sara reminds us there is a big difference between spin and outright lying. Unfortunately, she got into a discussion last weekend with Republicans who didn’t quite get the distinction.

— And, finally, Mingaling  evokes JFK to remind us of what it is we’re supposed to be safeguarding.

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— At Georgia Women Vote, Amy Morton met North Carolina Senatorial candidate Kay Hagan and reports that the Hagan needs no lipstick. Her opponent, incumbent Elizabeth Dole, voted with Bush 92% of the time. But didn’t most Republicans? And didn’t many Democrats who still quiver in their boots at the thought of being considered “liberal”?

— You want cynical? I’ve got cynical. Blog For Democracy notes that Republican operatives in Ohio and Michigan are collecting lists of foreclosed homes so they can challenge the registration of voters who used to live in them. This is what our political process has come to?

— In a belated “Morning Wooten,” DriftGrift gives another prime example of just how much our political discourse has broken down.

— But some folks still keep things real. Arc Of Time has posted a link to last year’s emotional recollection of being on a flight the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.

— From the Daly Briefing in Iraq: “When I got to the office, the lights weren’t working and I had to call someone to come down and work on them. I sat in the dark for a few minutes thinking about all the stuff I had to do. Then the young airman I work with walked in and asked me if I was going to the ceremony. How in the world could I have forgotten? How could any of us forget? Why did it take someone reminding me what today was for me to remember?”

— Now that’s keeping it real. But our society has short attention spans and, thus, short memories. So, finally, a YouTube clip worth remembering. In memory of …

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 — The presidential election approaches. With Georgia now officially off the table for Obama, JMac at Safe As Houses takes a look at the states still up for grabs.

— Is Sarah Palin a bad parent because her 17-year-old daughter is preggers? Dcup at Politits isn’t ready to go there.  But Palin’s family situation has caused her to look back at her own adventures in raising teenagers.

— At Blue Heart of Dixie, Jason takes offense at the AJC’s Jim Wooten declaring that Palin is “one of us.” Not so fast, he writes.  Exactly who is “us?” And why do people who challenge the status quo get labeled as traitors who don’t love their country?

—Over at Chicken Fat, Edwin waxes poetic about his family doctor growing up. Ah, the good ol’ days:  If your were sick, you didn’t make an appointment; you just showed up to be treated.

— Modernism is also stuck in the craw of Max Earnest, a local artist who has created the blog Central Branch Library to raise the question of  why Fulton County would want to demolish a perfectly fine central library in downtown to build another one. In his mind, it’s pimping the public to the tune of $275 million.

— And, finally, WXIA-TV’s Jerry Carnes, a long-time news reporter, has prostrate cancer and is devoting a blog to detailing his fight to beat it.

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— The Republican party is over, the elephants have left Minneapolis and Sarah Palin is the modern day Joan of Arc. What’s left? The same old same old, says Amy Morton at Georgia Women Vote. She also slips in the line of the day, discussing Gov. Perdue’s interest in having the power to take over a school system.

— The graphic of the day comes from Travis at Lucid Idiocy, who has posted a wordle that compares the acceptance speeches of Obama and McCain. What’s a wordle? It shows which words they used the most, and the result is fascinating and in stark contrast.

— And the uppity idiot of the day award, of course, goes to Georgia Congressman Lynn Westmoreland, who is obviously still trying to learn every one of those 10 Commandments. Mel at Blog For Democracy goes off on Westmoreland for perpetuating all sorts of stereotypes.

— DriftGrift’s reaction is sadness because he thinks McCain is a good man, and that his acceptance speech will be his last hoorah.

— There’s more to life than politics. And A.man.I at My Urban Report has posted a video report on his road trip to Myrtle Beach to chase Hurricane Hannah, and how his wife is none too happy with the idea.

— And finally, leave it to the fine ladies at Pecanne Log to keep it real. Take a ride with them on the Bulldog Bounce. Go Dawgs!

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— It was Sarah Palin’s big night and the blogosphere is alive with reaction. First off, Travis at the aptly-named Lucid Idiocy checks in with his “jerk” reaction.

— But ATLmalcontent  says liberals should at least acknowledge that Palin put on a good performance for the faithful.

– Decatur Guy doesn’t agree. He writes at Atlanta Public Affairs that he thought Palin — along with other speakers last night — came across as bitter, angry and condescending about Obama’s candidacy.

— Of course, Hurricane Gustav almost stole the spotlight from the Republicans and at Live Apartment Fire, there’s a nifty critique on how the local TV stations covered the weather event.

— While the Democrats and Republicans bicker, Atlanta’s still stuck in a massive traffic jam. B at Terminal Station takes a look at the state’s commuter rail plan and notes that riding a train will take longer to reach Atlanta than driving. Which leads him to ask: If we’re gonna spend all that money on rail, why in the world aren’t we doing high-speed rail?

– And, finally, the Daley Briefing puts it all into a deeper perspective with a letter from Iraq written to Audrey Marie, his newly-born niece.

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— Is questioning McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin demeaning to women, as conservatives would like you to believe? Of course not, writes Amy Morton at Georgia Women Vote.  The fact that McCain didn’t fully vet Palin before selecting her is what’s really demeaning.

— Palin is also on the mind of Dcup at Politits. She writes that she wants to take the high road on all the Internet conjecture about Palin’s teenage daughter and her pregnancy(s). But for Dcup, it’s personal because it’s about respecting choice and about Bible-thumping hypocrites.

— But leave it to DriftGrift to put Palin’s “issues” in perspective with his “Morning Wooten.”

— Over in Iraq, the Daly Briefing reminds me of what Mark Twain said about Americans: Everyone complains about the weather, but nobody ever does anything about it. Our correspondent in the war zone says Iraqi leaders complain about problem after problem, but never offer any solutions.

— At Lucid Idiocy, Travis takes aim at a state government that shows its appreciation to veterans by closing an assisted living center for vets because of the budget shortfall.

— And, finally, Sara at Going Through The Motions picked the wrong weekend to travel to Biloxi for a poker tournament. She left the Gulf Coast Sunday morning and writes of being swept up in evacuees in the search for food and gasoline while driving 20 mph on the interstate. Gustav missed New Orleans and for that, we can be thankful.

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 — While everyone else is in a post-convention glow, Dave at Rather Than Working proposes that the Dems missed a sure bet when they didn’t go after the Bush Administration for all their assaults on the Constitution. Like Guantanamo, warrantless wiretapping, and the political firings and hirings at the Justice Department.

— In honor of Obama’s presidential nomination, Shelbinator takes us on a photographic trip through Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s old neighborhood.

— And Chicken Fat reminds us it’s the anniversary of one of the defining moments of the don’t-let-the-door-hit-you-on-the-ass Bush presidency. One hint: Brownie.

— One of the truths that emerged from the convention is that, really, the MSNBC talking heads all dislike one another. Left On Lanier has posted a video retrospective of all that hostility.

— At Atlanta Public Affairs, Decatur Guy takes note that his mayor has called out Gov. Sonny Perdue for raising taxes this year. Mayor Bill Floyd reminds Perdue that he has to see constituents every day; unlike the guv, he can’t hide in China.

— And, finally, the fine but ultimately misguided ladies at Pecanne Log post yet another tribute to our own young Mr. Wheatley. But calling him the poor man’s Flip Spiceland?

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— Amy and Lauren are in Denver and blogging from the convention on Georgia Women Vote. They were both moved by a speech U.S. Rep. John Lewis gave this morning to the Georgia and Alabama delegations. Lewis will address the nation tonight before Obama accepts his party’s nomination.

— One person not at the convention is WXIA-TV’s political reporter Denis O’Hayer. As Live Apartment Fire notes, while the Democratic Party goes all historic on us O’Hayer was covering a tree that fell on the house. I’m personally disappointed that WGCL-TV didn’t send Dagmar Midcap to Denver. After all, they seem to have her everywhere else.

— ATLmalcontent has a complaint of a different nature. He’s also watching the convention on television and thinks the three major cable news channels have pretty much dropped all traces of objectivity — they all seem to have a horse in this race.

— Dcup at Politits isn’t in Denver either, but at least that has left her time to bake a very special cake in honor of Hillary. Yum!

— She obviously gave DriftGrift a slice because he has a sizzling Hillary-related “Morning Wooten” for our viewing pleasure.

— And finally, two very different MARTA experiences to share. Jamsmooth writes about a jamming smooth ride. But over at Arc of Time, a loud snorer and the shooting downtown almost sent their bus going the wrong way down I-20.

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Not long after the 5 Seasons brewhouse opened at the Prado in 2001, one of the customers came up with the perfect review: This is fine dining, in denim.

The pub not only features the celebrated beers of brew master Glen Sprouse, it has a menu unlike any other bar in Atlanta, with its emphasis on local produce and natural-fed meats.

But 5 Seasons owner Dennis Lange says he has lost more than $600,000 since the Sembler Company purchased the Prado two years ago and began a big-box redevelopment of the property that will bring in a Home Depot, Target and other retail businesses.

The issue? Parking and public access. “A representative from Sembler assured us they would take care of us,” Lange says. “They started gobbling up spaces during construction. And, suddenly, there was no parking.”

Read the rest of this article here.

(Photo by James Camp)

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 — It’s convention time: balloons, big speeches, inspiring video bios. Bernita is in Denver and blogging for Blog For Democracy. The first thing she does is piss off the Secret Service. Uh-oh.

— Amy Morton from Georgia Women Vote is also in Denver. She has steered clear of aggravating the Secret Service, and managed to have breakfast with Heath Shuler, the former college quarterback turned Congressman.

— Everyone knows John McCain was a prisoner of war, partly because he keeps reminding us. At Politits, the question is asked: Is McCain POWing it into the ground? Perhaps Saxby Chambliss should run against McCain since he could put McCain’s war record into perspective, just like he did with Max Cleland.

— A federal judge ruled in favor of Jim Powell last week, saying Secretary of State Karen Handel wrongfully tried to remove him from the ballot in the Public Service Commission race. But DriftGrift says Democrats shouldn’t gloat just yet.

— Over at Chicken Fat, Edwin has a bigger fish to fry: world peace.

— And finally, Mother Time pays a visit to the Wren’s Nest to claim the Ouija Board she left there decades ago.

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— It’s always seemed a little greedy that Hartsfield/Jackson doesn’t offer free Wi-Fi. Lifehacker has stirred up dust with a post that shows how to adjust the URL to get free Wi-Fi. TOTH to Mingaling, who has her own take on the controversy.

— At last, DriftGrift feeds my addiction to the “Morning Wooten.”

— The folks at Disposable Income (and who has that anymore?) spend an evening sipping sparkling wines at One Midtown Kitchen. Our fav is one from Argentina named “Strip Tease.” Now that I have your attention …

— We’re only in the 8th year of the 21st Century, but ATLmalcontent weighs in with his 10 best movies of the century thus far. I’m so culturally deprived that I haven’t seen any of his Top 10 picks, although I’m a great fan of many of his honorable mentions. But I do know his list is incomplete without Kill Bill, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Spike Lee’s When The Levees Broke, House of Flying Daggers and Momento.

— And, finally, at Live Apartment Fire, Doug offers insight on investigative television news stories and how a lot of legwork can ultimately lead to … well, nothing. Except a quibble over an American flag that was made in China.

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 — Over at Lucid Idiocy, Travis is amused that state school superintendent Kathy Cox has agreed to appear on a game show called “Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?” Let’s hope she does better than Georgia’s students just did on their standardized tests.

— The Daly Briefing checks in from Iraq, where it’s 110 degrees in the shade, the weather forecasts include sand storms and the new commanding officer wants everyone to work longer hours. And so it goes.

— The state faces a massive budget shortfall and Gov. Sonny Purdue froze $428 million earmarked for local governments. Atlanta Public Affairs notes that Purdue essentially just raised everyone’s taxes without telling them since local governments will either have to raise property taxes or slash their own budgets to cover the decrease in state funds.

— We’ve missed our “Morning Wooten,” but DriftGrift delivers a tale from his college days when a philosophy professor put the smackdown on a freshman college student who was unwilling to challenge her religious views.

— Duane Moody is all ga-ga over a new singer named Lady GaGa. And he also throws in his two cents worth at a record executive he ran into who thinks downloading music is evil. Well, of course he does. The Internet, coupled with record company greed and stupidity, has killed the big record labels.

— And finally, love = rings and Maigh just received one and she’s so happy that a trip to Sweetwater State Park seemed almost magical.

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