filling in the gaps

bakeshoppe is all gone --- lime fresh is in the works --- by spring, we should have four new dining opportunities within a two block radius of the building ---

The language of GOP racial politics is heavy on euphemisms that allow the speaker to deny any responsibility for the racial content of his message. The code words in this game are 'entitlement society' —  as used by Mitt Romney — and 'poor work ethic' and 'food stamp president' — as used by Newt Gingrich. References to a lack of respect for the 'Founding Fathers' and the 'Constitution' also make certain ears  perk up by demonizing anyone supposedly threatening core 'old-fashioned  American values.

you don't say

winter flowers

the helleborus is starting to bloom --- and, no, it's not too early

nuttin to report

the garden

somebody gave my ma the orchid on the right for her birthday last september, but she was killing it due to the fact that they don't believe in sunlight in the house --- it has recovered nicely here and continues to set buds --- for xmas, my nephew gave me, weirdly enough, a gift card to whole foods, which i wasted on the other two orchids --- robert gave me the variegated violet last year sometime, which i repotted, causing it to double in size --- a number of stalks of incipient phalaenopsis are under development in the other room --- orchid daze commences at the botanical garden next weekend ---- there are reports of jonquils blooming out doors --- wheeeeee!

a damp evening

our tax dollars at work

the anti-govt people forget or, more likely, just don't care about things like nasa

leave it to the dutch

this is one of the most wonderful bridge designs that i've ever seen and possibly the all-time best for sensitive design at a historic site

boogering up the bank

i'm not even sure what they're doing to that poor building now, but it looks like they're putting in new, deeper metal trusses, which is not an easy thing to do and still leave a roof on the building --- probably because somebody told them that "it didn't meet code" --- that is one of the bullshit phrases that cost us a lot of historic buildings --- of course, it doesn't meet code, no building does except those built in the last ten years --- even the building codes recognize that, but there is no incentive for an unscrupulous architect or contractor who might be making a percentage off all the work that he directs to do less rather than more ---

longer days?

a loss

built in 1958, itthey pretty much destroyed the interior when it was converted into margaret's museum back in the 90s, but the exterior, including most of the landscaping, was wonderfully intact --- then earlier this year they rented it out for filming a 3 stooges moovie in which the building itself was not seen, being surrounded by a purpose-built set that left only the front doors exposed --- in the process they cut down the old burfordi holly and broke one of the panels of cararra glass that finished the top of the building --- now, all of the cararra glass, the plaster soffit, the aluminum-framed windows, and what was left of the interior are gone --- as a friend pointed out, all that is left is to paint or stucco the brick to complete the defacing of the building ---

fog and light

we've had a lot of foggy nights and mornings the last few days and, this morning, as it was starting to break up for real sunshine, it was intense downtown, with the towers in and out of clouds, clouds pouring over the top of the omni hotel, and a great misty glow down alabama street, but as i got up to the sixth floor, a spectacular, minutes-long display was in progress with the morning sun reflecting off 101 marietta and back through the fog --- one of the best light shows i've seen in a while

new eating opportunities

somebody else is making another go at operating a restaurant in the building on piedmont next to five napkins --- italian, named campagnola

occupy!

i liked the occupy movement from the beginning --- 

It's a stunning turn of events. Last summer, all the Beltway press wanted to talk about was deficits and the Catfood Commission. Today, even the Republican nomination contest is revolving around Occupy's themes of rogue capitalism and income inequality.

atheism 2.0

the march to equality

they've got the votes in washington state and in maryland for same-sex marriage ---

fogtown

i thought the sun might break through this afternoon, and it tried, but the fog was rolling in again as i was walking home --- visibility is now less than a quarter mile --- 

a gray day

an adjective or a verb?

When a conservative audience boos gay soldiers, cheers for letting uninsured people die, cheers Newt Gingrich’s blatant race-baiting, boos Juan Williams, and shouts “string him up” when Gingrich mentions Obama in his SC victory speech, “the base is revolting” is right on the mark.

saintpaulia

this one got a little less light this time around, resulting in the blossoms not being trapped by the foliage --- it is choice

the dog relaxing . . .

. . . after sleeping all day

an unsettled situation

the bank

i can't say much for how the history center has treated this building --- i'm glad it's being re-used, but hate the alterations --- they had already let the movie company destroy the mature holly at the west end of the building and the movie company broke one of the panels around the top of the building, which i guess necessitated replacement of them all --- i always assumed they were plastic, but they were actually black carrara glass that had been overpainted red at some point ---

to add insult to injury they pruned the two beautiful crepe myrtle which had a perfect form, having never before been pruned --- can't have nothing nice anymore

ninety six

one of the best things about ninety-six are the old road traces, especially that of the cherokee path from keowee to congarees

it intersected another trading path to charleston

by the time of the revolution, island ford road was the main road to the north from ninety six




the remains of the star fort (1780-1781) are impressive ---- the fact that they were preserved by the local community for two hundred years is amazing --- the grove of deciduous trees in the distance marks the original site of the ninety six settlement ---



 

what you can't see are the remains of kosciuszko's tunnel, dug by the patriots in a failed attempt to plant explosives to blow up the fort

winter sunset

newtiespeak

“Those who, you know, live in high-rise apartment buildings writing for fancy newspapers in the middle of town after they ride the metro, who don’t understand that for most Americans the ability to buy a home, to have their own property, to have a sense of belonging is one of the greatest achievements of their life, and it makes them feel like they are good solid citizens,” he told the crowd."

the younguns don't understand the continuity from lester maddox and hummun and ol' gene and all the rest here in georgia . . . .

williams street

tbs remains a city landmark

sunday afternoon

sunny and 50s, a lazy dog, and purty flowers --- for what more could one ask of a sunday afternoon in january?

construction update

i'm not sure how much any of these structures will add in a positive way to the overall architectural aesthetic in midtown, and all three will impact the viewshed from the thirteenth floor, but nevertheless they are all three under construction, which means the city's moribund construction industry is lumbering back to life, and they will all bring warm bodies, many of them residents, into the neighborhood, both of which i consider good things at the present time --- the fact that the new residents will be renters is a plus as well

the weirdly dual hilton 12-story garden inn and homewood suites hotels at tenth and williams is actually out of the ground --- as long as i can remember that corner had been a dreary surface parking lots

novare's 23-story skyhouse on twelfth between w. p'tree and spring is notable for being apartments, too, but unfortunately cut from the same cookie cutter as the spire

it is, however, depressing to think about what the stupid parking deck for the development will have replaced, even if the dairy building has been gone for 25 years

part of the 12th & midtown development, the 22-story 77 twelfth street at southwest corner twelfth and cypress will also be apartments --- all and all, the best design of the lot --- it replaces the old c&s bank drive-throughs from the 1970s, which replaced mostly craftsman bungalows and what not ---

no shit

friday the thirteenth

a fine sunset with color all around followed by my monthly dinner with three old friends, this time at nino's on cheshire bridge --- i had never been though it's been there since 1968 --- great place and not the old creaky clientele i was expecting ---

nice recovery from a crappy day at work

charles!

somebody pressed charles barkley for his thoughts on tebow, which he did not hesitate to share:

The national nightmare continues. Hey listen I like Tim Tebow but there comes a point, he had a great game. He’s supposed to have a great game. They want to make it seem like oh the world is aligned correct. I’m like he does play quarterback. He is supposed to play well. (Host: So you’ve had enough of Tebow?) I think the world has. (Host: There’s a lot of Tebow fans out there. I’ve had enough and I’m not a big Tebow guy and they’re just killing me about Tebow.) First of all Mike I don’t know anything you said about Tebow but let’s just say the jury is still out on Tebow. He seems like a nice kid but these ups and downs are so different. The jury is still out on Tebow. Just because he had a great game and made four or five great throws yesterday doesn’t mean he’s gonna be a great starting quarterback in the NFL.

love his mouth, figuratively speaking of course, plus he's (relatively) all slimmed down and shilling for weight watchers

always a sale at drew

why we are in deep doo-doo . . .

“They are,” he says, “simply the 1 per cent of people who have no conscience or empathy.” And he argues: “Psychopaths, rising to key senior positions within modern financial corporations, where they are able to influence the moral climate of the whole organisation and yield considerable power, have largely caused the [banking] crisis’.

plug ugly

but i kinda like it, when i fergit about what it replaced ---

These behemoth structures of Béton brut, most built in the 1960s and ‘70s, are slowly crumbling from wear and disrepair, ignored by communities that no longer want the burden of upkeep of a giant, lifeless rock. But even horrendously ugly and soulless abominations are part of our architectural heritage and need to be preserved for future generations.

romney is a dick . . .

. . . to dogs and to people

drums!!!!!!!!!!!!!

if you liked the drummers at the opening ceremonies of the beijing olympics, you'll love this --- god i wanna see them live ---even if it's not at the odeon of herodes atticus in athens --- thnk tbogg for the link

a canadian perspective . . .

riffing on 1963:

But it doesn’t change the need to fully understand the degradation of a once-ambitious nation that was a moral force internationally. The paranoid style in American politics is full of hate. Hofstadter said that in the right combination of circumstances, it could indeed triumph. I look at the nation south of us and shudder at what approaches.

best gay in america

a lot has happened in the last thirty years, that's fer sure --- according to the advocate's annual ranking, san francisco is #18 and salt lake friggn utah is #1!!!

just as there are no longer one or two "gay" neighborhoods in the city, there are no longer just one or two "gay" cities in the country ---which is a fine, if bittersweet, thing

atlanner is #9

full wolf moon

thnx for the image, allen

the garden

the cattleyas are earning their keep