Fresh Loaf

Some CL staffers on weekends have been known to occasionally step away from eBay, where they troll for vintage copies of Chairman Mao’s Little Red Book, to stop and giggle at the spectacular moments in Zee World of Sports©.

We love Hail Mary passes. We’re crazy about caber tosses. Between-the-legs tennis shots? Indeed! But the fan reactions are sometimes the best. And when those fans are hardworking state employees celebrating a home team victory with the terrorist fist jab, that’s a bonus. Hence this poignant moment between two Georgia State Patrolmen at Saturday’s UGA-USC football game.

Hell yes.

(H/T to FuckYeahGeorgia via Matt-T)

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Number of Georgia Tech students suspected to have contracted swine flu in the first two weeks of classes: 150

Number of cases confirmed: 12

Number of cases confirmed at the University of Georgia in a 12-day period in August: 20

Percentage of swine flu cases that end in death: 0.4

Percentage of regular flu cases that end in death: 0.1

Percentage of the 1918 Spanish flu cases that ended in death: 2

Percentage of swine flu cases in pregnant women that end in death: 6

Number of people who have died from swine flu in the U.S., since April 2009: 500

Number of people who have died from being hit by a car, truck or bus in the U.S., in 2008: 4,378

Sources: Associated Press, AJC.com, Reuters, MedicineNet.com, USAToday.com, Fatality Analysis Reporting System

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President Sonny Perdue. It’s got a nice and rather frightening ring to it, dontcha think?

An Insider Advantage piece that says the governor’s rumored to be lining up a post-office position as  University of Georgia president recently caught the eyes of those rapscallions at the Marietta Daily Journal. Here’s some of what the MDJ cribbed from the IA article, which is now available only for subscribers:

As the storyline goes, Perdue — who is joined at the hip with UGA President Michael Adams — would consider being named by the Board of Regents as president of the University of Georgia at the end of his term. In exchange for the creation of an open seat via the resignation of Adams, Adams would then be in strong consideration to become the system’s new chancellor. Sound crazy? Well … so did borrowing $21 million in the middle of a world financial meltdown. But Perdue pulled that one off didn’t he?

A commenter at the AJC’s Political Insider column speculates that Perdue’s recent appointment of former House Majority Leader and Georgia Department of Transportation board member Larry Walker to the Board of Regents could help the governor transition from one mansion to another. The two are old buddies.

Perdue’s a UGA alum and would probably be delighted to be one of the few university graduates lucky enough to find a job in the Classic City after throwing his cap in the air. Even if it’s 40 years after the fact.

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Hardin construction — the big-name firm that has come under scrutiny for having been involved with the construction of both the Atlanta botanical garden walkway that collapsed in December 2008 and the partially-collapsed Centergy parking deck in midtown — has had two lucrative contracts cancelled by the University of Georgia.

Cars being pulled out of the Centergy parking deck in midtown last month after it collapsed.

In April of this year Hardin received a contract to work on two new parking decks planned by UGA, for a grand total of $18.6 million. Since then, however, Hardin has been fined $6,300 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for inadequately installing scaffolding towers to support the Botanical Garden walkway.

(more…)

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Good to know our elected officials are thinking big when it comes to dealing with a recent ruling that says metro Atlanta’s use of Lake Lanier as a source of drinking water is illegal.

SOCIAL CIRCLE – State Sen. John Douglas is poised to take the water wars between Georgia, Florida and Alabama to a new front – the football field.

…

Douglas said this ruling comes just as the contract between the University of Georgia and the University of Florida to play the annual football game in Jacksonville, Fla. – which has been called the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party – is set for renewal.

“But if the state of Florida wants to play hardball, then as far as I’m concerned, the vendors in Jacksonville can frankly pay the price,” the Social Circle Republican said.

Douglas said he traditionally “doesn’t have a dog in the fight,” but with the recent ruling in the tri-state water wars, he’s ready to work with UGA’s Athletic Association to bring the Georgia-Florida game to Georgia at least every other year.

…

“Now is the time for us to use economic leverage,” he said when contacted by the Citizen on Wednesday. “This is one of the few economic tools we have at our disposal, and I don’t think we should ask the people of Georgia to spend their money in Florida and then have them use that money against us in a courtroom.”

Never mind that the annual Georgia-Florida game is a boon for South Georgia, particularly in the areas of St. Simons, Sea Island and Savannah. Hotels, condo and restaurants along the Golden Isles are packed to capacity during the event. We’re sure business leaders there won’t mind at all.

(Courtesy Senate Press Office)

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UPDATE: Investigators a body discovered earlier today in a heavily wooded area near Athens, Ga., fits the description of George Zinkhan.

The AJC reports that investigators in the case think Zinkhan dug a grave, covered his body with debris, and then shot himself in the head.

Zinkhan is the UGA professor accused of killing three people — including his wife, Marie Bruce — at a community theater retreat near downtown Athens two weeks ago.

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UGA Liberal writes that William “Bill” Ayers — remember him? — will be the featured speaker at the Athens Human Rights Festival in downtown Athens, Ga., on Sunday, May 3. Ayers will take the stage at the free event at 7 p.m.

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Not exactly a blog, but it deserves a shout out. Staffers at UGA’s student-run newspaper the Red and Black worked overtime to provide coverage of Saturday’s shootings. Read their follow-ups here, here and here.

Ben at Terminal Station rips into state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine’s idea to consider privatizing MARTA.

Jim Walls of Atlanta Unfiltered uses the words “Tyler Perry,” “Tupac Shakur,” and “comp time” all in the same blog post as he delves deeper into the firing of former DeKalb Police Chief Terrell Bolton.

Christa at Pecanne Log spots the hottest trend in spring fashions during historic economic collapses! Recycled ethernet cables! Yay!

Garrett Vonk fires back at Twitta-hatas.

Jason Pye, who says he’s never taken a puff, says decriminalizing marijuana should be on the table. Also: Legalizing marijuana is now more popular than the Republican Party.

Veteran TV journalist and Live Apartment Fire blogger Doug Richards today will pull the tarp off the magical news van to pull a one-day shift in the 11 Alive newsroom. Here’s exclusive video of him training for the adventure.

Travis Fain at Lucid Idiocy wonders if lawmakers have already been forgiven for failing to make progress on transportation funding this year.

Decatur Metro. Leon’s Full Service. And late-night drunken bocce. Discuss.

FlackAttack bids adieu at Tondee’s Tavern.

Other exciting links feel free to post them in the comments.

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The Georgia chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws has gone and gotten itself incorporated. No, that’s not new slang for getting baked – the group filed paperwork with the Secretary of State’s office and is now an official, dues-paying corporation, with a new website and everything.

Here’s an excerpt from the group’s press release:

Georgia has technically had a medical marijuana law on the books since 1980, but it only covers glaucoma and cancer. There is presently no active program distributing medical marijuana, even to those patients, at this time. NORML seeks to bring a medical marijuana program to life in Georgia and expand its reach to AIDS patients and others who find relief from illness by using marijuana.

Now, there was already a NORML chapter in Georgia, called Ga NORML, based at the University of Georgia. In fact, that group held a day-long music festival just yesterday — on 4/20, as coincidence would have it — in Athens to spread the “message of responsible marijuana use.” Righteous, dude.

(more…)

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…in 2018 or 2022. That’s a long way out, sure, but it’d be incredible for Atlanta to host some of the games.

From the Atlanta Business Chronicle:

The Georgia Dome and The University of Georgia’s Sanford Stadium are among 70 U.S. stadiums that could host soccer’s World Cup in 2018 or 2022, the USA Bid Committee said Wednesday.

The committee mailed letters last week to public officials and stadium operators in metropolitan markets across the United States in a first step toward preparing a formal bid to play host to the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022.

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For years the Leo Frank murder case and lynching had been seen through its more obvious prisms of racism, anti-Semitism, class, socioeconomics and crime. For decades historians have sifted through Frank’s conviction for the 1913 rape and killing of Mary Phagan, the 13-year-old girl who worked at the Atlanta Pencil Factory that Frank managed.

The story’s legend was cemented with his death-sentence commutation courtesy Georgia’s outgoing governor and Frank’s subsequent lynching in Marietta after being kidnapped from a Milledgeville prison. It became the source of countless writings. But even just a few years after the publication of what many believe is the definitive examination of the case, the story remains compelling with issues yet unexamined. Emory film professor Matthew Bernstein deftly proves this with his exploration of the case through the media lens, so to speak, with Screening to a Lynching: The Leo Frank Case on Film and Television (University of Georgia Press). (more…)

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After the AP’s recent revelation that Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin was on the short list for a cabinet post she didn’t get, the Politico adds insult to injury by pointing out that Pres.-elect Obama hasn’t chosen any Southerners for prominent administration appointments. Unless, that is, you count the most thankless of White House gigs.

To be fair, the official voice of the White House will come with a Southern drawl: Robert Gibbs, Obama’s soon-to-be press secretary, is an Alabama native.

Why have no Southerners been selected? UGA’s Charles Bullock hazards a guess:

“Who comes to mind immediately?” asked Bullock. “No one, really.”

“The leading politicians in the South at least for the last generation have been active as Republicans,” Bullock added. “You just don’t have Democrats that come to mind as the go-to person or the expert. It highlights the thinness of the Democratic bench in the South… The skill set is so depleted.”

Sad, yet true. Who are his choices: former U.S. Rep. Ben “Cooter” Jones? Zell Miller?

(more…)

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In September, Gov. Perdue asked state agencies to give him three prospective budget plans for their departments — reflecting a 6-percent, 8-percent and 10-percent decrease in appropriations — so that he’d be prepared to deliver a state budget early next year that best reflects the current economic conditions.

Well, according to InsiderAdvantage’s Dick Pettys, Sonny has already dashed the hopes of optimists who had hoped Georgia could skate through the recession with minimal belt-tightening.

Gov. Sonny Perdue said Wednesday that upcoming state budget cuts may be nearer the 8 percent mark next year than the 6 percent he’s been holding back from state agencies.

(more…)

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OBAMA’S SECRET: The Democratic presidential nominee has picked a running mate. But he’s not gonna tell you who it is.

NO-SHOW REED: After hyping John McCain in anticipation of last night’s Atlanta fund-raiser (and after the GOP candidate allegedly told him ‘no thanks’), baby-faced former Christian Coalition prez Ralph Reed decides not to grace the event with his presence.

COUNCIL HEARTS TADS: Late last night, Atlanta City Council green-lighted controversial Tax Allocation District funding for the $125 million Center for Civil & Human Rights museum and the multi-billion-dollar Beltline transit-and-trails project. More than $200 million was approved — which marks the first infusion of government funds for the Beltline.

NO PRESSURE: The Georgia Bulldogs are the top-ranked college football team this year. It’s the first time the UGA team has started a season with the top ranking. Last year, the Dogs finished No. 2.

DESPERATE DEPOT: Atlanta-based Home Depot Inc. expects profits to tumble 24 percent in this weakened housing market year. Still, the world’s largest home-improvement company reported unexpectedly high profits this quarter.

SICK VITAMINS: A Marietta man claims his daily vitamin caused his hair and fingernails to fall out. Apparently, he’s not the only one.

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HOPE FOR THE 1 PERCENTERS: UGA scientists want to make a better peanut, one that won’t spark reactions in the 1 percent of Americans who are allergic to certain proteins in the nut.

CRAZY LIKE A FOX: A Kennesaw State professor has written a book that goes inside the Dark Genius of Roger Ailes and Fox News.

POLICE ACCOMMODATION: The new police headquarters downtown isn’t the Ritz-Carlton, it’s more like a “clean, comfortable” Holiday Inn.

T-SHIRT KILLER: A man walked into a convenience store in southwest Atlanta yesterday and asked for an extra large t-shirt. When the clerk turned to get it, the man opened fire and killed the clerk, then calmly walked out.

WHAT MORE IN THE NAME OF LOVE? While Dr. Martin Luther King’s kids fight over their inheritance, organizers are behind schedule in raising $32 million to bring his papers to Atlanta.

FAST CAR: Something else in Clayton County that’s not working is the C-TRAN bus system. Too many people are using it now and there aren’t enough buses to meet the demand.

LAST WORD: The candidates for U.S. Senate in tomorrow’s Democratic primary square off in the final debate.

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Say you’re a college student. And you’re assigned to do a project on the history of Georgia’s poultry industry. You want to go inside a poultry plant to see how chickens are processed, but every plant says no. So, instead, you stand outside a poultry plant and snap a few digital shots to show your teacher that you did try.

What’s next?

How about a visit from the FBI?

UGA student Jim Diffly was first stopped by a Hall County deputy sheriff who not only asked him about the photos, but also allegedly asked him about his dreadlocks and his beard. Yes, that’s certainly suspicious, especially on a college student.

According to the Gainesville Times:

Hall County Sheriff’s Maj. Jeff Strickland said the deputies responded to a report of a suspicious person and that Diffly was questioned not because of his appearance, but because he was photographing a potential terrorist target.

Authorities believe that large industries in the nation’s food supply are at risk of what officials term “agriterrorism.”

“We regard all calls that could possibly involve agriterrorism as serious,” Strickland said.

Yes, if I’m a terrorist, I’m going straight for a chicken plant. Hit ‘em where it hurts.

But that wasn’t the end of it. The FBI called Diffly and asked for a sit-down. At first, he thought it was an April Fool’s prank by one of his friends.

Except it wasn’t. An agent actually drove to Athens to meet with him. As a sign of protest, Diffly wore a camouflage t-shirt with a yellow AK-47 on the front. He also brought his professor.

Sleep well, America. Your safety is in good hands.

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PEABODYS: Winners of the 67th annual media awards are announced at UGA, including “60 Minutes,” “The Colbert Report,” “Planet Earth,” and CNN, ABC News, CBS News and NPR. Not among the winners, as Spacey Gracey notes at Peach Pundit, is FOX News.

TED TURNER: Tells PBS’s Charlie Rose that global warming could kill “most of the people” in 30 or 40 years, and “the rest of us will be cannibals.”

DOG WILD: Screaming Chinese schoolchildren swarm visiting Georgia poultry official when he pulls out a photo of his dogs.

YELLOW JOURNALISM: WSB-TV Action News covers the pollen onslaught, including this insightful “explanation” from meteorologist Karen Minton: “The skies are filled with pollen as we move into spring.”

GUNS: Bill to allow guns in public transit and restaurants passes the state Senate.

SANCTUARY CITIES: House passes bill outlawing “sanctuary cities” for illegal immigrants in Georgia, even though none exist.

CLAYTON COUNTY: “Bleeding,” according to school board Chairwoman Ericka Davis, who, along with board Vice Chairman Eddie White, announced Wednesday that they’re stepping down in June.

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OAKLAND CEMETERY: Still waiting on federal evaluation to begin cleaning up most tornado damage, including smashed Confederate monuments and uprooted 19th-century trees with roots tangled around coffins.

CHASE TATUM: Former WCW wrestler found dead in Buckhead home after apparent drug O.D.

CLINTON: It depends what your definitions of “ducking” and “sniper fire” are.

TYRA BANKS STALKER: All the way from Dublin, Ga.

BASKET CASE: Federal inmate Jonathan Lee Riches alone has filed 39 percent of all cases filed this month in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. Among his March “defendants” are Eliot Spitzer, Tom Glavine, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Cyndi Lauper. Last August Riches filed a $63 quintillion suit against Michael Vick for selling his pit bulls on eBay to buy missiles from Iran.

UGA EARMARKS: Surprisingly, the recipients of earmarks like earmarks.

YELLOW JACKETEERING: Another Ga. Tech employee charged with racketeering for allegedly abusing state p-card. (According to AccessNorthGa.com’s news graphic, she is an elf and was arrested in miniature handcuffs much smaller than a dollar bill.)

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DISBARRED: Scooter Libby.

CITY SEARCH: Dunwoody will likely get to vote on becoming a city. Gov. Perdue will have to sign off on that first, though, and we know how he feels about Georgians’ enfranchisement.

UNDERDAWGS: Fourteenth-seeded Georgia plays No. 3 seed Xavier today at 12:20.

CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE: Chinese government, Emory and Atlanta Public Schools open Chinese cultural institute at Coan Middle School.

DEARTH OF PENALTY? GOP leaders are split over a House vote to let judges sentence a convict to death despite up to two jurors protesting. For now, death-penalty cases are stalled across the state, anyway. (Also, btw, I love AccessNorthGa.com’s news graphics.)

FALLING GLASS: Several downtown streets still closed as broken glass rains down from skyscrapers.

SIREN’S SONG: Not heard before downtown’s twister.

HIT PARADE: Hull woman pleads guilty to requesting three murders from an undercover cop.

COLLEGE TRY: Study projects 70,000 more students at metro Atlanta colleges by 2020.

SENATE RACE: Chambliss campaigns, Jim Martin enters the race.

GOOD SUPERINTENTIONS? Two Clayton interim superintendent candidates lay out salary and contract demands.

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