Fresh Loaf

Richard Eldredge tweets that the Southern Voice and David, Atlanta’s leading gay publications, have been shut down. Eldredge says staffers came to work today to find the locks changed.

In February, the NYC-based Gay City News reported that the Avalon Equity Fund, a parent company majority shareholder in SoVo, Washington Blade and several other gay publications’ parent company Unite Media, had been forced into liquidation and faced federal receivership. People familiar with the matter recently told CL they were unaware of the company’s fate. (Project Q Atlanta’s been following the story closely.)

UPDATE: “We had been told that essentially we’d be sold down the road,” SoVo Editor Laura Douglas-Brown tells CL. “We had no inclination it’d be this morning. Everyone’s in shock right now.”

SoVo News Editor Dyana Bagby tells CL that a news budget had been prepared for this week’s issue. She covered two events this weekend and was going to write up articles for the publication.

“The thing to keep in mind is that this is not just Southern Voice,” Douglas-Brown says. “This is also the Washington Blade, which has been the gay paper of record for our country for the last 40 years. And David Magazine and the paper in Fort Lauderdale. It’s not just a loss for the employees, but the gay community as well.”

Since its founding nearly 21 years ago, SoVo has been the strongest voice covering Atlanta’s gay community. Bagby, a dogged reporter who offered clear and concise reporting of the recent Atlanta Eagle raid and other LGBT issues, helped bolster SoVo’s online presence. Staff Writer Matt Schafer could commonly be found in the Gold Dome press box covering policy decisions in a state that, by and large, hasn’t exactly been friendly to gay rights. Douglas-Brown says the paper employed approximately 20 people.

“No one was in it just for the job,” Douglas-Brown says. “Everybody was in it for the cause too, in their own ways. People have put up with a lot difficulties over the past year, and have hung in there because they cared. It’s tragic and I’m desperately sorry it ended this way, especially for the people who’ve worked so hard.

She continues: “[The closure] didn’t happen because of a lack of need for our publications. It didn’t happen because of a lack of hard dedicated work by local staff. And that’s the shame of it…It’s a sad tale, how it all came crashing down.”

UPDATE: Project Q Atlanta posts a photo of the one-page announcement that greeted the publications’ staffers.

The text reads:

It is with GREAT regret that we must inform you that effective immediately, the operations of Window Media, LLC and Unite Media, LLC have closed down.

Please return to this office on WEDNESDAY, November 18th, 2009 at 11:00 AM to collect personal belongings and to receive information on your separation stipulations. Please bring boxes and/or containers that will allow you to collect all your personal belongings at one time.

Regretfully,

Steve Myers
Mike Kitchens

Myers is the publisher. Kitchens, Project Q reports, is a longtime Window Media executive. We’re trying to touch base with Unite Media and Window Media. More to come.

UPDATE: Erik Wemple of the Washington City Paper, CL’s sister publication, reports that  Washington Blade staffers will launch a new publication, minus the debt load of its former parent company.

UPDATE: Kristi Swartz of the AJC offers a thorough rundown of Window Media’s financial woes, including quotes from former SoVo staffers about the closure.

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Estimated number of teenage prostitutes working in Atlanta in 2009:  334

Estimated number of teenage prostitutes working in Atlanta in 2007: 251

Estimated minimum number of children at risk for sexual exploitation in the United States: 200,000

Rank of Atlanta among cities with children living in extreme poverty, as of the 2000 census: 1

Estimated percentage of street youth nationwide who engage in “survival sex”: 28

Number of studies that the U.S. Department of Justice has conducted on child prostitution: 0

Price of sex with a 14-year-old Atlanta prostitute profiled in a 2005 study [PDF]: $25

Fine for pimping minors in the state of Georgia, prior to 2001: $50

Maximum for pimping minors after the passage of Georgia’s Child Sexual Commerce Prevention Act of 2001: $10,000

Sources: New York Times, Atlanta Women’s Agenda

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From the AJC minutes ago:

Richardson, in a statement to the media, said he has been suffering from depression for the past two-and-a-half years since separating and subsequently divorcing his wife.

“While depression often seems to be resolved on occasion, when personal trials or tribulations arise, it flares back up,” Richardson said in the statement. “That is what occurred with me. My depression became so severe that I took substantial steps to do harm to myself and to take my own life. I am thankful that because of medical intervention that because of medical intervention I have instead been able to now receive help and support.”

And the reactions are already forthcoming. From the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention:

“We are encouraged by Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson’s willingness to speak out about his battle with depression.  We hope his courage will bring much needed awareness to this public health crisis,” said Christina Owens, area director for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Metro Atlanta.
“Unfortunately, suicide and mental disorders such as depression are surrounded by stigma and misconceptions which prevent many people from seeking the help they  desperately need.”

And from Richardson himself, via the AJC’s Galloway:

“As you know, in an effort to protect my family, I have and will continue to have a practice that I do not discuss my personal and private life. However, in this situation, I feel compelled to speak out in order to possibly help others. For the past two and a half years, ever since my separation and divorce, I have struggled with the disease of depression. Depression is a disease which affects millions of people everyday in this country. Like most people who suffer from depression, I regularly see a physician and take prescription medications.”

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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Scheduled to go on the auction block Dec. 1

Last time it was the water bill. This time it’s the mortgage.

The city’s largest homeless shelter is again in danger of being ousted from its longtime home just in time for the holidays.

The Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless faces foreclosure actions brought by two separate lenders against the enormous old building it occupies at the corner of Peachtree and Pine streets. Barring some intervention, the former automotive parts warehouse is scheduled to be auctioned off on the courthouse steps Dec. 1.

The two delinquent mortgage loans are held by private charities that specialize in low-income housing: the Mercy Loan Fund, the lending arm of Denver-based Mercy Housing; and the Institute for Community Economics, which is affiliated with the National Housing Trust of Washington, D.C.

(more…)

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VLADIMIR PUTIN: Word to your motha

>> While reporting on a Capitol protest about health care last week that only drew a modest crowd, “Fair & Balanced” Fox News’ commentator Sean Hannity showed video of a Sept. 12 rally and said that “twenty-plus thousand people showed up.” After” “he Daily Show’s” Jon Stewart pointed out the editing, Hannity admitted it was “an inadvertent mistake.” Stewart’s response? “It’s not like he disappointed me. I expect that stuff.” (the LA Times)

>> Sarah Palin’s new memoir does not once reference up-and-coming Playgirl model and baby-daddy Levi Johnston but does complain about Sen. McCain and his team. Palin describes being “bottled up” from reporters constantly during the campaign. The advisers didn’t seem to do a good job, however, as I seem to remember her saying stupid things on television all the time. (AP)

>> Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was hailed with chants of “respect” as he presented awards to rappers in a televised hip-hop contest called “Battle for Respect.” If a world leader is gangsta and ballin’ enough to know about hip-hop respect, it’s definitely Putin. (Reuters)

>> A thermal plant opened in the Netherlands on Friday that converts cow dung from a nearby farm into fuel for the plant’s gas turbines, heating around 1,100 homes in the area. If only there was a plant to convert the bullshit from Fox News and Palin into thermal energy. (Reuters)

>> And finally, as the American housing market remains sluggish, home building company John Wieland is downsizing its luxury houses found in many cookie-cutter neighborhoods in greater Atlanta. The development company is finally asking itself the important questions: Do these Southern McMansions really need a fireplace? (Wall Street Journal)

(Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

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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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Reed, flanked by Barnes and Borders

So, as we know, ol’ Roy came out for Kasim Reed today on the steps of the Capitol.

Barnes lavished praise on Reed as a legislator for helping advance the then-governor’s progressive agenda, which included hate-crime laws and changing the state flag.

But the two words he used most often to tout Reed were noteworthy: “competent” and “qualified.”

Nobody — not with the campaign or with the press corps — mentioned Mary Norwood’s name, but it seemed fairly clear those two words were chosen to imply a distinction between the two candidates for mayor. (It’s a distinction we raised ourselves in endorsing Reed.)

(more…)

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HILARY CLINTON: Listen to her, she's powerful

>> Those list-lovers at Forbes first named Hilary Clinton the 36th most powerful woman in the world in August, but just three short months later, she’s now named the 17th most powerful person in the world. You’re no one unless you’re on a list. (Forbes)

>> If you lost your job in the economic downturn, you can always turn your diminished bank account into modern art: Andy Warhol’s silk-screen painting “200 One Dollar Bills” sold for way over just $200. The seven-and-a-half-foot wide canvas, one of the artist’s earliest works, sold for $43.8 million today, four times its estimated price. (Bloomberg)

>> With the money from your art auction, you can invest in real estate like this discounted beauty: Bernie Madoff’s two homes in New York and Florida have been cut by as much as 10 percent after two months on the market and sale proceeds will help reimburse victims of his $65 billion scheme. His new jail cell is much more economical anyway. (Reuters)

>> Catholics usually dip their hands into holy water when entering and leaving the church, but many were becoming fearful of the tradition with swine flu on the rise. Enter the electronic holy water dispenser in the northern Italian town of Fornaci di Briosco that acts like an automatic soap dispenser of priest-blessed water. Catholics don’t have to fear the swine flu any longer! (Reuters)

>> More than 7,000 Chinese women are applying for one of the 40 tickets to a version of Cinderella’s ball where several male multi-millionaires are paying $5,400 to meet their future wife. If only this was in America–we could make a great reality TV special out of it. (Reuters)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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Kasim Reed is racking them up.

On the heels of yesterday’s endorsement from former challenger Lisa Borders, the mayoral hopeful is getting the stamp of approval from former Gov. Roy Barnes, the AJC’s Jim Galloway reported last night. A press conference is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Galloway writes:

Does this endorsement matter? Of course. Barnes has cachet among African-American voters for his 2001 decision to remove the Confederate battle emblem from its prominent spot on the state flag. But it clearly creates a mutual obligation that would benefit Barnes next July, come the Democratic primary for governor.

Barnes has announced he’s making a 2010 bid to return to the Governor’s Mansion.

Earlier this week, Reed picked up an endorsement from former state legislator Jim Martin — whose own endorsement from Barnes failed to give him the edge in the 2006 race for Lieutenant Governor.

Reed will face City Councilwoman Mary Norwood in a Dec. 1 runoff. Norwood was most recently endorsed by former state Rep. “Able” Mable Thomas and state Rep. Ralph Long.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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CNN fixture Lou Dobbs made a surprise on-air announcement today by resigning from the network.

The backlash that followed Dobbs’ outspoken views on immigration and promotion of the delusional birther contingent will be mentioned ad nauseam in the coming days as the reason for his exit.  Liberals and Latinos will cheer.  The Media Matters crew are losing, going on a scavenger hunt for and then losing their shit yet again in celebration.

Everyone will assume a spot for Dobbs is waiting on Fox News alongside Hannity, O’Reilly and Beck. Maybe it will be.  Conservatives will cheer.

But does it matter?  Does Dobbs matter?  Do any cable news talking heads matter anymore now that everyone has gone all-in on their talking head of choice?

Full text of Dobbs’ statement here and video here of his departure.

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Why is it just high-profile Atlantans featured in the 11 Least Influential? Where’s the recognition for all you normal people who feel impotent every day? Because we feel your pain, the CL team hit the Chomp and Stomp Chili Cook-off in Cabbagetown this weekend to ask everyday Atlantans about their moments of shame. From hung-over 5k races to a pantsing gone wrong, these urbanites bare all for your viewing pleasure.

Continue reading the 11 Least Influential.

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Don’t get us wrong, we take our job of highlighting the best of the city seriously. But equally important is shining the spotlight on those Atlantans who just can’t seem to get it right. Today being 11/11, we offer you the 11 Least Influential. From a police chief who can’t convince residents of decreasing crime to a quarterback who can’t maximize penetration, our annual list points out the lows … and lows … of 2009.

Continue reading “The 11 Least Influential”

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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How much does momentum help when you’re running for elected office? Just ask Hillary Clinton and the many other candidates who’ve stalled out after an early surge.

Look, Kasim Reed has a lot of ground to make up in his effort to win the Dec. 1 runoff for mayor against front-runner Mary Norwood, but right now, he’s got the momentum. On Monday, he picked up an endorsement from former state legislator Jim Martin. Yes, Martin has been twice defeated running for higher office, but he was a longtime House member who still enjoys respect as an honorable public servant. I know I’m often dragging race into these matters, but it doesn’t hurt Reed’s image that Martin is white.

But that boost was a lead-up to today’s announcement that former candidate Lisa Borders is endorsing Reed at an event going on at this moment. From the pre-release:

“After many months of campaigning, it is critical for us to come together as a demonstration of strength and unity. Atlanta lies at a critical crossroads and her very future depends on leadership that can unite us and move us forward,” Borders said. “Now is the time to lay aside our differences and work in the best interest of all citizens to ensure each has the opportunity to rise to their full potential. Senator Reed’s ideas for afterschool recreation centers, his focus on public safety and his willingness to work toward increasing revenue opportunities for Atlanta are in line with my policy objectives.”

Having talked to Borders’ campaign folks over recent weeks, it was pretty clear that she wasn’t going to support Norwood. I know this will irk many Norwood followers for me to point this out, but almost no one on the City Council believes Norwood has the competence to be a decent mayor. She simply doesn’t command much respect down at City Hall. I don’t want to put words in Borders’ mouth, but it’s my strong impression that she considers Norwood a lightweight.

(more…)

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SARAH PALIN: Feeling mavericky

>> Maverick Sarah Palin told thousands of abortion opponents at a Wisconsin fund-raising banquet Friday night that if the government would allow abortion rights, then it could also disregard the health of the elderly or special-needs children, like her “retarded baby” Trig. (Politico, Examiner)

>> Televangelist Pat Robertson denounced Islam as “not a religion” but “a violent political system” on the 700 Club yesterday. Those Muslims could learn a thing or two about peace from Robertson, who famously advised throwing “a very small nuke” at the State Department. (Crooksandliars.com)

>> The Vatican, which recently made it easier for disenfranchised Anglicans to convert to Catholicism, may have other converts in mind: The church has called in scientists to study alien life and what it would mean for Catholicism, saying one cannot “put limits on God’s creative freedom.” Galileo is rolling in his grave. (AP)

>> The U.S. Department of Justice subpoenaed the Philidelphia-based independent news site Indymedia.us to disclose the details of all reader visits on a certain day, including e-mail addresses, physical addresses, Social Security numbers and bank accounts. The request also stated “not to disclose the existence of this request.” Oops! (CBS News)

>> And finally, out of eastern India: Hundreds of poor Hindu villagers have claimed that a rare turtle with holy symbols on its back is the incarnation of the popular deity Lord Jagannath. Apparently Lord Jagannath likes to eat seagrass and algae and naps constantly throughout the day. (Reuters)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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Following up on Andisheh’s post from this morning about Lisa Borders endorsing Kasim Reed, an e-mail was sent to Reed’s volunteer list with details about the press conference:

Kasim Reed for Mayor Volunteers,

We invite you to join us on Wednesday, November 11, 2009 at 1:45 p. m., for Lisa Borders’ formal endorsement of Senator Kasim Reed.  We will assemble at Park Tavern, located at 500 10^th Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 (at the corner of 10^th and Monroe).

Please wear your campaign t-shirt as a representation of your continued support of Senator Reed’s mayoral campaign.

We hope to see you there!

Are any of you planning on attending?

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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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With home births facing unnecessary hurdles in Georgia, Sebastian will have to be delivered at a hospital

Welcome to CL’s annual catalog of impotence: the 11 Least Influential. You’ll meet folks who tried to achieve an ambitious goal, but fell short (which happens to be the case with little Sebastian here); people who’ve devoted themselves to a personal mission in near-total obscurity; and ordinary Joes who can’t get anyone to pay attention to them. Every day until the full issue hits the streets on Nov. 11 (tomorrow!), we’ll bring you a new story of failure — some noble and heroic, others abject and pathetic.

Subject: Sebastian Hurst
Failing: Can’t be born at home

Sebastian Hurst hasn’t even been born yet — and yet he’s exhibiting a notable lack of influence. Of course, the root cause of Sebastian’s shortfall is hardly something you’d blame on a young man who’s still seven weeks away from the birth canal.

Like his mother before him — and two of her four siblings — Sebastian was destined to be born at home. Unfortunately, Georgia law makes it far too difficult for women to deliver anywhere but a hospital. In fact, it would cost Sebastian’s mom an estimated $1,600 to give birth at home. Delivering at a hospital, by comparison, is free. And because Sarah Hurst, a 20-year-old Cobb County native who works at a church nursery, subsists on a rather tight income, free is her only option.

“I wanted to be in a comfortable and relaxed environment,” Sarah Hurst says. “I wanted to have a home birth. I wanted to follow in my mother’s footsteps. And all of a sudden I can’t. It was hugely disappointing.”

(more…)

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Not gay-friendly?

And here we thought the mayor’s race was likely to become divisive.

There’s an impassioned open letter making the cyber-rounds in which Charlie Stadtlander, a just-deafeated candidate for Atlanta school board, accuses Council District 6 candidate Liz Coyle as being “not pro-LGBT equality.”

OK, there are worse things to be accused of. It’s not as if people said she runs a meth lab (although that could result in valuable management experience), but being tagged as anti-gay is kind of a deal in District 6, which boasts the city highest percentage of gay voters.

Among Stadtlander’s beefs against Coyle, who is straight: she has favored shutting down gay bars; she pandered to gays by hiring “semi-nude” dancers to accompany her Pride parade float; and she’s used the word “transvestitute” to describe men she believes to be soliciting sex in Midtown. His entire letter can be found on the SoVo website.

Clearly Stadtlander has issues with Coyle. But could any of this hurt Coyle in the runoff against gay opponent Alex Wan? It depends, I’m guessing, on how seriously the community takes Stadtlander. I don’t know the guy. He already endorsed Wan, so I don’t know that his Coyle-trashing is going to sway additional voters.

(more…)

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A MARTA bus driver was suspended over an incident last week in which he insisted passengers hold hands while he led them in prayer.

In the complaint, the passenger told MARTA officials the Route 125 Avondale/Northlake bus was traveling northbound on Nov. 3 when it stopped around 7:30 p.m. at the corner of Northlake Parkway and Lavista Road.

As the passenger, whose name was not released, approached the front of the bus, Matthews, who has been with MARTA six years,  stood from his seat and asked everyone to hold hands for a brief word of prayer.

The prayer lasted  four to five minutes.

What they prayed for or about is unclear, said Harris.

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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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THE NEANDERTHAL: Who could resist this?

>> After being rescheduled twice due to concerns of militant violence, Pakistan held its first-ever Fashion Week in Karachi, just two hours by plane from Al Qaeda and Taliban nesting places. This just in: sequin party tops are the new look of anti-Taliban defiance. (AP)

>> After all this talk of school dress codes comes more fashion news: A 20-year-old Brazilian college student was expelled from school after she wore a mid-thigh red dress to class. Six military police officers escorted her off campus while students chanted “whore.” What is this world coming to — skimpy clothing looked down upon in Brazil? (Reuters)

>> Appearance is important to petty thieves too: Twenty-three-year-old Matthew Maynard of South Wales, on the run from police, sent a picture of himself to his local paper after he disliked the mugshot they ran. Luckily for him it seems he’ll get a second chance to perfect his mugshot look in front of the cameras. (Reuters)

>> The driver of a Boston subway train is being called a hero after pulling the emergency brake just in time before hitting a woman who had fallen onto the tracks. The reward for his heroism? A dozen Dunkin’ Donuts. (AP)

>> And finally: On a dark night 24,000 years ago in a smoky cave, the lights low and the alcohol flowing, it appears that the modern human species did in fact have sex with our closest relatives the Neanderthals, according to scientists. Now that would make for an embarrassing walk of shame. (MSNBC)

(Photo Courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

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Jay-Z's camp tapped Goose's talents as a producer, but ultimately passed on his tracks.

Welcome to CL’s annual catalog of impotence: the 11 Least Influential. You’ll meet folks who tried to achieve an ambitious goal, but fell short (or, in Goose’s case, more than made up for the difference); people who’ve devoted themselves to a personal mission in near-total obscurity; and ordinary Joes who can’t get anyone to pay attention to them. Every day until the full issue hits the streets on Nov. 11, we’ll bring you a new story of failure — some noble and heroic, others abject and pathetic.

Subject: Alex Goose
Failing: Can’t get any play from Jay-Z

Atlanta-based music producer Alex Goose has big dreams, and bigger gonads.

After being contacted this summer by a New York-based A&R rep working closely with Jay-Z, the burgeoning producer jumped at the chance to submit beats for the legendary MC’s album-in-the-making, The Blueprint 3.

He says the A&R rep was so impressed with his work for such Atlanta-based artists as Brittany Bosco and Danny! that he came to Atlanta to hear what the Goose was cooking. “He was telling me, ‘I’d love to get some of these [beats] to Jay, for sure,’” recalls Goose, who estimates he submitted 20 to 25 tracks for consideration. “A few months later he hit me up and was like, ‘Hey, I got word back from Jay that he didn’t really hear anything that he wanted to use for the album.’”

With such name-brand producers as Kanye West, Timbaland, the Neptunes and No I.D. getting first dibs at the highly-anticipated release, a virtual unknown just didn’t have the pull to earn himself a placement.

“You know it kinda sucks,” he says. “Jay would say, ‘It’s politics as usual.’”
(more…)

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On Dec. 1, an abysmally small percentage of Atlanta voters will return to the polls for the city runoffs:

Reed celebrates on election night

MAYOR

As the city saw on Nov. 3, Kasim Reed’s an expert finisher who passed Lisa Borders heading into the home stretch and now carries that momentum into the runoff.

But it won’t be easy to beat Mary Norwood, whose supporters hail from all corners of the city and arguably are more enthusiastic than Reed’s, and thus more likely to flock to the polls on Dec. 1. Last week’s results also confirmed previous polls that suggest Norwood seems to have a lock on north Atlanta’s white vote, which may convince the Reed campaign to try to peel away her strong support among black voters. If Reed decides to employ racial politics, the race could turn ugly and divisive.

“Reed has to increase his black voters, but it would be to his detriment to make an overt racial appeal,” says Emory political science professor Michael Owens. ” I suspect you’ll see his surrogates and supporters do that for him.”

(more…)

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How kooky is today’s GOP? It’s off the deep end — and swimming for open sea.

What other conclusion are we to draw from U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal’s decision last week to solidify his Republican bona fides by casting his lot with the birthers?

Deal has long been the most level-headed of Georgia’s GOP congressmen. But these days, rational behavior and reasonable positions don’t win Republican primaries — just ask Dierdre Scozzafava of New York’s House District 23. If you want to compete with the likes of John Oxendine — Deal’s opponent for governor — you best be prepared to board the crazy train.

As the Tea Parties prove, this is a national phenomenon, but it’s doubly disturbing in a red state like Georgia, where most of the top elected officials are Republicans who now feel pressure to act like loons. (And then there’s Rep. Paul Broun, who really is a loon.)

In other words the GOP’s “big tent” is being reduced to a padded cell.

Lest you think this is more liberal whining, the purpose of this post is to draw your attention to an interesting blog item on the increasingly conservative Peach Pundit:

The real news here is that Deal has done what no other candidate in this race has been able to do thus far: He has taken a position so “out there” that Ox has been able to take a stance that makes him seem sensible and sane.

However, the comments suggest that not everyone on the right sees sanity the same way.

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Alex Wan’s week kicked off on the right note as the Buckhead Coalition announced their endorsement of him in the Dec. 1 runoff against Liz Coyle for Atlanta City Council – District 6.

The influential Buckhead business group rarely gives direct endorsements, instead opting to make their choices known by large campaign contributions through a PAC.  But they held off from making a contribution in the District 6 race, most likely because the district does not fall in Buckhead, and instead went for the traditional endorsement.

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