Fresh Loaf

Ben at Terminal Station tries out a new banner image that actually makes Atlanta look cool. Good posts on how Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington should examine the leadership skills of Los Angeles’ chief, who recently stepped down to become a consultant, and whether small grocery stores can survive.

Jim Walls at Atlanta Unfiltered reminds 19 state lawmakers that they need to stop playing coy and file their personal financial disclosure reports — which were due on July 1. See if your elected official is on the list.

Decatur Metro’s now bursting with headline-y goodness.

Doug Richards from Live Apartment Fire returns to the airwaves. Mrs. Live Apartment Fire notes the different ways this will change her life.

Watch this space for GriftDrift’s take on ConstableGate.

Jim Galloway has returned from his well-deserved two-week vacation. Politicians immediately wig out.

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Lots of goodies out there today.

• Jim Galloway sends word that Ralph Reed, the posterchild for suburban Bible beaters, is back with some new sort of coalition. It’s supposedly not “your daddy’s Christian Coalition.” In 2006, former Loafer Doug Monroe and artist Josh Latta produced an eye-openin’, form-bustin’ graphic comic about the David Cassidy doppelganger. It’s always good for a guffaw.
• Sarawara explains why a Gwinnett County mall made the right choice not to allow a July 4 Tea Party protest.
• Griftdrift explains how bloggers and traditional media need one another.
• Decaturite posts the list of authors and events scheduled for this year’s Decatur Book Festival.
• Jason at Peach Pundit hypes the latest Rasmussen poll, which says state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine enjoys a “commanding” lead.
• Jim Walls at Atlanta Unfiltered reports on the bizarre turn of events in the drama surrounding state Rep. Pam Stephenson, D-Decatur, and former Grady Hospital CEO Otis Story.

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I’m late getting to it, but local blogger B King — who, if you haven’t read it yet, writes one of the smartest urban-development blogs in the metro region — posts Majestic Diner owner Tasso Costarides’ response to King’s online petition that called for a time-out to the legendary restaurant’s recent renovation.

In it, the restaurant owner says King’s blog posts about the renovation are “misguided” and responds to each grievance — in depth, too.

Costarides’ letter is too long and detailed to cut and paste — were I to do so it’d seem like I’d be knocking either one. I suggest you go check to King’s post and check it out yourself.

King responds with class — he says he respects the staff, will miss the joint, and admits he thinks his notes were “whiny, petulant and immature.” I’d say it’s more like some honest engagement with a legendary landmark, and that this kind of open discussion — while it can be difficult to watch — is all too rare these days. Bravo to both men.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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Lovers of the late-night patty melt and mindblowing chocolate pie now have a place to go where they can bow down before the gods of grease. Local bloggers Rusty Tanton and Amber Rhea visited the just-opened Waffle House Museum in Avondale Estates — the popular chain’s original location — and have photos, trivia and thoughts about the joint. View Rusty’s musings here. Amber’s photos and thoughts are here and here, respectively.

(Photo courtesy of Rusty Tanton’s Flickr)

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The Atlanta Press Club recently launched a blog for the local journalism community. Let ‘em know what you think, and what you’d like to see on the blog. You can leave them a comment or email me at mara.shalhoup@creativeloafing.com and I’ll pass the info along to the APC’s board, of which I’m a member.

Seems like there’s plenty of media news these days — and a genuine need for a blog that’s singularly devoted to the city’s journalists.

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— Our buddy over at ATLmalcontent delves into the outrage over the satirical cover for this week’s New Yorker, which depicts Barack Obama as a Muslim terrorist and his wife, Michelle, as a ’60s radical complete with an assault rifle and ammo belt. He also whips off my favorite line of the day: “Must we always play down to the audience, sanitizing cleverness so as not to confuse the stupid?”

— What does it take to be a male feminist ally? Glad you asked because over at Being Amber Rhea, the burning question is answered. And, as it turns out, it’s not so easy. In fact, there’s a whole list of qualities it takes to be a proper male feminist ally, and giving mere lip service isn’t nearly enough.

— Can the quest to become a male feminist ally cause an existential crisis? Perhaps. But Maigh’s existential crisis seems caused by a move to the burbs. Her hope is that her purchase of a new loft/condo in Downtown will make her feel whole again. I hope so, too, because she has the best mission statement I’ve ever read: “I ramble. You read it. It’s a clean and simple relationship.” Ah, if only all relationships were so simple.

— Juliana at Blog For Democracy takes a break from politics to note the passing of the world’s oldest blogger, an 108-year-old woman from Australia.

— Over at the Bitchslappin’ blog, there’s a theory that calculating our Carbon Footprint is already yesterday’s news. The new catch phrase here in Georgia is our Water Footprint, self-sufficiency vs. dependency, as in: Hey, we’re running out of the stuff.

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With the once mighty ATLBloggers.net seemingly kaput, many of the local bloggers who fed it with their content have migrated to APWBWGTTD.com.

Local bloggers and blog readers are encouraged to join the site and attend the group’s monthly happy hours. APWBWGTTD stands for Atlanta People With Blogs Who Get Together To Drink.

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Before I get to those other bills, let me briefly talk about the plan to reduce the commission from 7 members down to 5. One of the reasons I believe that legislation hasn’t been introduced yet is the legislators behind it haven’t found a way to get the bill written as a general bill in order to by-pass the Atlanta-Fulton delegation.

— Andre at Georgia Politics Unfiltered provides a succinct summary of legislation at the Capitol that will most impact Fulton County.

1. Take my little, yippy dogs to a children’s playground after dark and let them run around off-leash.

2. Get stupid drunk at Shawn Mullins’ 40th birthday bash and, with his family in the audience, yell out “You went to college Shawn?!”

— Decaturite at DecaturMetro weighs in on two things he witnessed this weekend and, upon reflection, wouldn’t do himself.

Over the years, as I built up a good clientele and found myself spending more and more time in the space, I have been working to make this room warmer, more inspirational and better organized. Right now, the space is cozy (dimensions to come) and the walls are what could best be described as a putty color. As a result, I find myself throwing open the blinds, turning on the lights and begging the sun to move just a little bit that way, no…that way…yes, that’s it…to liven things up in here.

— Paige at the Avery Lane Experience gives us a glimpse into her freelancer’s lair and asks for suggestions as to how she can improve it. (My advice is on the way, Paige.)

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Yet the [Buckhead] library is a likely casualty of the ongoing movement to transform Buckhead into Alpharetta. Seems you can’t have enough mixed-use developments.

– ATLMalcontent has an excellent piece about Atlanta’s stagnant architecture scene posted at his wicked den of diatribes. He, like several others, bemoans the possible loss of the Buckhead Library.

I just don’t get it. We’ve got the Republican leadership wanting to raise taxes on 174 services, increase the sales tax and essentially nickel and dime us to death. Imagine being a small service business owner and having to deal with collecting taxes now. What a mess. I see NO focused opposition to this from the DPG, caucus or the county parties.

– sndeak at Tondee’s Tavern wonders why the Democratic Party of Georgia and local parties haven’t shown a little outrage and backbone over the outlandish tax hikes businesses and customers across the state would see with the More-Subpar-Than-GREAT tax plan, the mutated dungeon baby of House Speaker Glenn Richardson.

Even if you are not an avid biker looking to further personalize your dangerously cool lavender fixed-speed vintage bike, this will probably be a neat place to pick up tiny original works of art for your desk or elsewhere!

– Christa at Pecanne Log spreads the word about a call for art from Octane, a great coffee shop and office-away-from-the-office for one editor of a local alt-weekly. The java joint will auction off “spoke cards” April 12 to raise money for a bicycle-maintenance shop on a coffee farm in Rwanda.

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People, be careful. Especially women. Which I really hate saying because fear really sucks. Just be smart and be careful and maybe you can avoid being afraid.

– Christa at PecanneLog writes about a friend of hers who was robbed outside her Kirkwood home. The police officer who responded to the call told her friend that there has been a “rash” of these types of crimes, including break-ins and robbers forcing people to withdraw cash from ATMs.

Remember this budget is about choices. If we can give Delta a 30 million dollar tax break on jet fuel, we can restore 30 million in education cuts to our poorest counties.

– FlackAttack of Tondee’s Tavern points out Gov. Sonny Perdue’s recent reductions in education funding. Update: The House Appropriations Committee reinstated the funds.

Least shocking statement of the day:

I have high regard for Limbaugh.

Of course you do, dear. After all you are brothers in the belief that facts matter less fury.

– James at Drifting Through The Grift, writing about Jim “WootDawg” Wooten, Atlanta’s most favorite Orville Redenbacher impersonator.

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Contrary to a blog rumor we read earlier today, the Plaza Theatre is not on the brink of closure.

“We are definitely not closing,” says Jonathan Rej, owner of the 69-year-old art deco movie house on Ponce De Leon Avenue. “We’ve had a couple of slow months, but it’s gonna take more than that for us to close up shop.”

Rej says he suspects the closure rumor might have been started by a disgruntled former employee. He also says the bloggers who’ve repeated the rumor have neither telephoned nor e-mailed him. Rej’s e-mail address is on theater’s website.

(Photo by Jim Stawniak)

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It also makes you wonder, if they were looking for a viable excuse to get rid of the festival in the first place, and the drought made for the perfect scapegoat?

Duane may be on to something.

The mayor also told the Dogwood Festival people that they couldn’t have their festival in Piedmont Park. What color are Dogwood blossoms? WHITE! Think about it.

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The Speaker claims the Senate “shirked” its responsibilities today. I say we did exactly what we were sent here to do – to carefully and thoughtfully decide which actions benefit the people of Georgia.

— Sen. Eric Johnson, R-Savannah, blogging for Peach Pundit, calls B.S. on fellow Republican Speaker Glenn Richardson.

Long story short, the House voted yesterday to override 12 of Gov. Sonny Perdue’s vetoes from last year. The Senate is constitutionally required to “immediately consider” the House vetoes. Speaker Richardson is claiming “immediately consider” means vote now. Sen. Johnson says “immediately consider” means start reviewing it carefully.

CL’s Scott Henry explains more here.

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I think that shows the difference between Clinton and Obama. Bill & Hillary Clinton have displayed an interest in civil rights as well as the larger African-American community even when they weren’t running for office. Obama on the other hand, well…he needs the black vote…enough said.

— Andre at Georgia Politics Unfiltered thinks Clintonic interest in civil rights and African-Americans is sincere, but Obamanian interest is just political.

I wonder if he laughed when he wrote that, because I laughed when I read it.

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Dale, come down. I know you want high name identification so you can beat Snuggles. But when people talk “high name id,” they don’t mean 300 feet in the air. They mean the number of voters who know who you are.

— Erick at Peach Pundit jabs at former TV reporter and Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Dale Cardwell. Cardwell is drumming up publicity for his campaign by perching atop downtown’s 300-feet-tall Corey Tower. Voters interested in learning more about the three stages of human hypothermia can watch Cardwell on his live webcam.

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Now, yes, I know her kids have been involved in some nasty stuff, but it’s time for the Mayor to stop skiing and get back to being a leader for Atlanta. She can overcome any negative publicity her family may bring her by being the kind of Mayor she was in her first term!

— Bloglanta would like Mayor Shirley Franklin to pay a bit more attention to the city in 2008.

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The difficulty of being a micro in Georgia is actually one of the reasons why we feel compelled to do it.

— Monday Night Brewery amens a recent AJC story about the challenges of brewing in Georgia.

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I know everyone has better things to do these last two days before Christmas, so why don’t we all take a two day time-out from politics and spend some quality time with our families. At this time of the year, family comes first.

— Georgia Politics Unfiltered’s Andre Walker, writing at Peach Pundit, and requesting a cease-fire on all things politique in the run-up to Christmas.

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My two-year-old threw a kaleidoscope at Santa Claus today.

The holiday misanthrope in me is somewhat proud of that.

— Paige at the Avery Lane Experience, remembering that one of the true joys of Christmas is letting your babychild just be a babychild, eyeballs of part-time shopping mall elves be damned.

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Late last night in the Ponce Kroger parking lot, a white-haired man approached me and told me Shirley Franklin would arrest him if he asked me anything. When I told him I didn’t have any cash, he told me he could have found me a better black mayor in 1969. He then said some other things I couldn’t really understand but I think implicated me in Mayor Franklin’s ascendancy to office and her subsequent vendetta against this man. “She ain’t my mayor,” he said a few times as he wandered off.

— Christa at PecanneLog. The white-haired man — we hope — was not Jim Wooten.

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Nothing in the Atlanta blogosphere has been more enjoyable this week than Duane Moody’s 31 Best of 2007, his daily December countdown of his favorite albums of 2007.

Some highlights.

31. Some Mad Hope by Matt Nathanson:

I downloaded it before a trip, and was determined to give it a go while I was traveling. Unfortunate choice or not, the first song on the record is Car Crash, which isn’t really something one wants to hear while flying (the imagery was just too uncomfortable). So the CD went on my back burner.

30. Tangled Up by Girls Aloud:

When the first single, Sexy No No No! was released, my suspicions were confirmed; this was going to be a record that moved fast, and rocked the pop . . . It is masterfully produced, and the manufacturing couldn’t be more pristine, which must have you wondering why I couldn’t give it a perfect 5 star rating. The fifth star is missing first and foremost, because of the strength of previous Girls Aloud hits that unfortunately, greatly overshadow more than a few of the tracks on Tangled Up.

29. Katharine McPhee by Katharine McPhee:

Given what is going on throughout the rest of the world with regards to pop music, I have to say it: America doesn’t have a great track record for doing proper pop. Fortunately for us, Katharine McPhee’s debut is a huge check in the plus column of what good pop should be.

27. Wincing the Night Away by The Shins:

For whatever (stupid) reason, the Shins’ latest album initially wasn’t even in the running for my favorite records of the year; but then I listened to it again, and was like, “WTF? It totally should be!”

And the best one so far . . .

26. Dignity by Hilary Duff:

. . . she doesn’t seem interested in the parties and paparazzi like other stars her age, and she is here to sing about why . . . She seems more intent on finding love, living her life, and just having a good time; all without the flash bulbs, problems, and pitfalls that afflict other girls her age that experience the same fame that she has found. . . Hilary hasn’t been to rehab, and isn’t flashing her cooch on the cover of a magazine, and that is because she has made a conscious effort to avoid it (unlike many of her Hollywood peers). Making it a main theme of her record is her way of saying how she feels about the whole thing, and I say good for her.

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A report created for the U.S. Conference of Mayors shows that Atlanta’s GMP (Gross Metropolitan Product) will decline 0.6 points to 3% (a loss of $954 million) thanks to the current correction taking place in the real estate market.

– Decatur Metro on the drag real-estate and mortgage markets are having on the local economy

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This is a good AJC article showing Doraville as more than a good-ole-boy haven and immigrant wasteland, which is how we’re usually depicted.

– BubbaRich at Dora-Blog on an AJC story about new Doraville Councilman Brian Bates, the state’s first openly gay Republican elected official

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Five skinny women tell you how to stay thin during the holidays. If they’re skinny, they must have all the secrets, right? Not just skinny parents.

– Christa T at pecanne log is less than pleased about an obnoxious feature on AJC.com about staying skinny during the holidays.

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The sad truth is that there probably is no solution that can be put into effect in time to solve the problem unless the rain returns and soon.

– Wilson R. Smith on What Is Goin’ On? summarizes his radio interview with James “GriftDrift” Williams.

Smith isn’t on the radio in Atlanta, but, fortunately, he podcasts.

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I’m also curious about where the people who voted for Tom Hart will go — will they vote in the run-off election at all, or will they swing their votes one direction or another?

– Joseph G at Dora-Blog mulls the results of yesterday’s election.

Among the losers yesterday was Tom Hart, who was featured in last year’s Atlanta’s 11 Least Influential People issue.

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Lillian reports that The Pipettes are playing a free in-store show at Criminal Records this Friday at 7PM. Woo!

– Rich at Cable & Tweed makes me very happy.

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At first I was optimistic to see a proposed action against these young, foolish boys who brandish their boxers. But if I put myself in the shoes of a teenager, I would strongly appose [sic] this legislation. Don’t misunderstand me. I hate the “baggy pants” fashion. But we are the land of the free.

— Anthony Moore at job-hoppers-haven on a proposal to ban saggy pants in school. If the city does ban baggy pants, I hope they make an exception for people showing off their dramatic weight loss.

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They weren’t specifically told anything about a ban on water for the use of the rink, but officials “felt it would be better if the water came from a place where it isn’t in such short supply.”

— Atlanta Water Shortage on the decision to use imported water to fill Centennial Olympic Park’s ice rink.

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Though she wrestled primarily as a heel, I’m glad to have found a picture of her with a smile on her face…because that’s how I’ll always remember Moolah.

— Mike-El at Here’s Your Holiday pays tribute to the Fabulous Moolah, who died last Friday. If you’re a fan of or simply intrigued by the Fabulous Moolah, I recommend checking out the documentary Lipstick & Dynamite: The First Ladies of Wrestling.

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We live in an old house that still has a 5 gallon toilet. But you know what? I replaced mine in my bathroom (separate bathrooms: the key to a long and happy marriage) with a 1 gallon toilet and I like it soooo much better. The water jets out with more force, fills up quicker, and I think does a better job.But my plumber loves the 5 gallon one. He tells me you can still get them in Canada.

— Erick at PeachPundit discussing the benefits of separate bathrooms, low-flow toilets, and why Canada is not just cheap drugs, funny accents and Dave Coulier.

If I promise to support Glenn’s tax pony, will he grow back his mustachio? Because he would be taxed if his barber shaved it off for him.

— Flack Attack at Tondee’s Tavern poses a question to state House Speaker Glenn Richardson about the new website advertising the speaker’s pet project, the GREAT tax plan. The site, FA says, is paid for with taxpayer dollars.

You know, I thought we’d hit the bottom of the barrel in politics with the year of the outing of the gay Republicans–Mark Foley having dirty IMs with male teenage pages, Larry Craig trying to get gloryholed in an airport bathroom, etc. but the truth is we apparently have seen absolutely nothing yet. The Australians have actually shocked me in a way I never thought possible with the scandal that is sweeping their Parliament.

— Sara at Going Through the Motions catches us up on the latest scandal keeping all of the Land Down Under atwitter — a politician caught on videotape eating his earwax.

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But I like my long, water wasting hot showers

– Erick at Peach Pundit on a proposal by Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Decatur) to require water-saving plumbing fixtures in homes

I feel his pain. Listening to my favorite radio program in the shower is one my favorite ways to relax. Damn you, drought! Damn you, local leaders who don’t know the meaning of planning! Damn you, mussels.

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I have a big problem. I care too much.

– EskimoKiss has a big problem. EskimoKiss cares too much.

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Too bad his dimwitted principal doesn’t get it. Pitts seized 500 undistributed copies of the school paper and, according to the AJC, told the student journalists he wanted more “positive and uplifting stories.”

– ATLMalcontent berates East Coweta High School Principal Derek Pitts for confiscating copies of the school’s student newspaper. Pitts was upset about a satirical essay in the paper by student Justin Jones.

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Birmingham loves to compare itself to Atlanta. We used to be envious. Now I think many of us believe bigger isn’t always better.

– Birmingham blogger Charles Buchanan, on his recent visit to Atlanta

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Behold. The knitters of Atlanta! (and surrounding areas.)

– Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, the self-proclaimed Yarn Harlot, showing off photos of her recent knitting-themed trip to Atlanta. She was here for a big knitting event that drew 700 participants.

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Tired of all the exposure that she gets in L.A (aka Land of the Stars), Britney and her crew (Allie Sims and Sam Lutfi) got inside of a private jet and went for a few days of much deserved relax and rest.

– BritneyFans.org is reporting that Britney Spears is in Atlanta. And by “reporting” I mean “typing.”

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With all due respect, fellas – horseshit. The GlennTax is a direct, and probably gut-busting, shot to home rule and local control, because it takes the primary revenue stream for cities and counties and throws it in the trash. Instead, your county government is going to have to go to Atlanta, hat in hand, and beg the Stache (aka Speaker Richardson) for money every time you want to buy a fire engine, hire some new first grade teachers, or pick up the latest Jackie Collins pageturner for your local library.

-Publius at Athens Politics on the state tax overhaul proposed by Speaker Glenn Richardson. CL’s Scott Henry, who, unlike Richardson, actually has a mustache, wrote a story in our current issue about the proposed scam scheme.

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But, I think, sitting for three hours in her hair stylist’s chair listening to the (barbers)(hair dressers)(hair stylists) bitch about having to withhold sales taxes, is going to start weighing on the soccer moms of Georgia, who in turn are going to start having issues.

-Erick at Peach Pundit thinks passage of Richardson’s tax plan is threatened by the pervasive influence of nagging hair-stylists.

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I think it would be a bad idea to send your pet to this man for veteranary [sic] services.

-DecaturGuy at Atlanta Public Affairs on a Duluth veterinarian who clearly doesn’t understand the concept of public relations.

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Saturday night at about 2115 hours, 2 subjects began shooting into the residence at 992 Dekalb Ave. The homeowners were home along with 4 guests. They fled out of the rear of the home jumping from the 2nd story to flee these perpetrators. One of the victims was injured when she jumped and fell on her face. Others sprained their ankles when they jumped. No one was shot which was a miracle since the perpetrators fired more than 30 rounds in the home.

– Maigh at Metroblogging Atlanta, reprinting an e-mail about a home invasion on DeKalb Avenue Saturday night

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There is a bloodbath going on on Peachtree Street today. Earthlink (my former employer) is laying off almost 50% of its workforce.

– Chris Farris at Peach Pundit

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Here is a word of caution for Georgia politicians. When you are outed it is much better to just fess up to it, rather than get caught red handed a year later. Yeah, I’m talking about you …

– Decatur Guy at Atlanta Public Affairs has a problem with purportedly straight politicians having illicit (and illegal) gay sex in public toilets.

Then why’d you call your blog “public affairs?”

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Turns out that Jeff Francoeur found their video on YouTube (shouldn’t he be practicing or something?), and then somehow the Braves PR department got a hold of it. The Auburn boys were invited to play it at Turner Field.

– Annie at Metroblogging Atlanta on a YouTube musical tribute to Mark Teixeira, who’s been an a hot streak since joining the Braves Aug. 1. Annie links to the video.

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I didn’t think they could make this whole situation smell even more like BS, but somehow the Doraville 3 managed it.

– Joseph G. at Dora-blog, responding to a statement by three Doraville city councilmen explaining why they fired the city’s police chief.

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God, Speaker. Can you make it through a single interview without sounding like the meanest man in Georgia?

– GriftDrift, on Georgia House Speaker Glenn Richardson’s interview with Peach Pundit Poobah Erick Erickson. The interview can be heard on Peach Pundit.

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We got a friendly homecoming suprise [sic] last night in Atlanta when Lockett and I got robbed at gunpoint after our show at Lenny’s last night.

-Bradford Cox, of Atlanta rock band Deerhunter, was robbed outside Lenny’s early Sunday along with bandmate Lockett Pundt.

What is the message here? If you live in a poor or immigrant community and are a victim of a crime, you’d better not call the police, or you will probably spend the day down at the jail while they run a background check on you, regardless of whether you are here legally or not.

-DecaturGuy at Atlanta Public Affairs on local police policies that may discourage Latinos from reporting crimes. (Note, I think the arrest DecaturGuy mentions was in Carrollton, not Cobb County.)

Pimp implies in the Ozone interview that R&B singer Ne-Yo is gay, claims that Atlanta is not in the south because “Atlanta is on East Coast time” and accuses certain unnamed rappers (fans are guessing Young Jeezy) of turning his back on powerhouse label BMF after drug charges.

-The HipHop Cosign on Houston rapper Pimp C’s in-print dissing of Atlanta

That settles it. If Pimp C doesn’t like it here, I’m moving.

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