charleston

i drove over to charleston this week for a site visit and some meetings, mostly on forts sumter and moultrie---i was a surprised at how little of the 1861 sumter remains---it got bombed to rubble during the war and only partially rebuilt after that, so the walls are only about half their original height---the city and the drive over were beautiful, it being spring and all----and the city's architecture kept me gawking a lot---during the day-long meeting in a conference room downtown, my view was out this semi-circular window with a view of the old courthouse and st. michael's, which has got to be the most beautiful church in america--

crank mail

the midtown beautification committee has scored its first major victory---after a cranky letter to Silk about the dead shrubbery on their patio and how it all was such a mess and did they ever go out on the street and all, two days later, the dead cypress were gone, the patio swept, and the pots and chairs straightened up---then today there are all these flowers and vines in some of the pots and it actually looks inviting----maybe they will give me a meal or two or something when they see how much it helps their business---nothing like crank letters to get some action--

how to honor one's confederate heritage

that crazy legislature of ours is debating a permanent declaration of april as "confederate heritage month" and the south's "war for independence"---

"Of course, certain people have issues with this display: Robert Hurst, the leader of the local Sons of Confederate Veterans group, calls the display "tasteless and offensive," and demanded the museum remove it."That display is extremely offensive. It's very tasteless," Hurst said. "What they've told us, as Southerners, as sons of the Confederacy, is that it's okay to offend us."

awwww, we done hurt its feelings----

Postcard depicting the lynching of Lige Daniels, Center, Texas, August 3, 1920. The back reads, "This was made in the court yard in Center, Texas. He is a 16 year old Black boy. He killed Earl's grandma. She was Florence's mother. Give this to Bud. From Aunt Myrtle."

it did it again

the sun set, that is--

mars

he presence of water would raise the possibility of at least primitive life forms existing there.... Two craters in the southern hemisphere that were originally photographed in 1999 and 2001 were examined again in 2004 and 2005, and the images yielded changes consistent with water flowing down the crater walls, according to the study.

remember this?

i'm sure you are all aware of the extremely grave potential for cultural shock and social disorientation contained in this present situation if the facts were prematurely and suddenly made public without adequate preparation and conditioning--Dr. Heywood Floyd in 2001: A Space Odyssey

i am convinced that we will find evidence of extra-terrestrial life in my lifetime (unless i die day after tomorrow or something)---which will give fundamentalists, creationists, and southern baptists a whole lot to think about---not that they would arrive at any kind of rational conclusion if they did, but at least everybody else would at last have clear and irrefutable proof of the stupidity of their beliefs---

dogs

so what is it with dogs?

flowers and cnn

took off work a little early and went down to the southeastern flower show---they always stick it at the far end of the congress center, which is almost to simpson street----i wasn't all that impressed with the landscaped gardens that they installed for the show---the individual plants and flowers are the best---
saw a side of atlanta i don't see too much---what all the conventioneers see, i guess---i didn't know that the westside of phillips arena has a gigantic cnn entrance---and i've noticed that they had done something to the top of 101 marietta but didn't know exactly what until tonight---ten years ago they post-modernized the building, which was a perfectly good glass box before, and called it centennial tower---gave it a stone base and this little doilie thing hanging over the top---well, now they have given the doilie colored lights that change in this pleasant little sequence---kinda cool---

creepy

A team of world-leading neuroscientists has developed a powerful technique that allows them to look deep inside a person's brain and read their intentions before they act.

dead people

nothing but anna nicole smith for two days---who gives a fuk if there's one less useless person in the world----oh, but she died like marilyn monroe, they say---bullshit---she was a money-grubbing harlot----meanwhile the 3,115th american soldier's life was wasted in iraq yesterday---who cares about that?

Even in Iraq, she was managing to take a course at the University of Maryland, the Baltimore Sun relates, adding: "Helping others was routine for the Marine corporal. She sponsored an African child through a mission charity. And when Pakistan was devastated by an earthquake last year, she and others in her unit were dispatched to the scene. She earned the Humanitarian Service Medal for her efforts.

and gary died 39 years ago today, another life wasted in war---

hahahaha

"Well, it seems that the military has gone around and fired a whole bunch of people who speak foreign languages — Farsi and Arabic, etc... For some reason, the military seems more afraid of gay people than they are against terrorists, but they're very brave with the terrorists ... If the terrorists ever got a hold of this information, they'd get a platoon of lesbians to chase us out of Baghdad," - congressman Gary Ackerman, to Condi Rice yesterday.

light

i hung the little hangy thing angela made for me on one of my bookcases---this time of year, the sun just before sunset catches it and throws an amazing array of shapes on the paper behind it---there are rainbows here and there in the dark areas, but it's the squares, triangles, and trapezoids that are so great---

thanks angela

the republican legacy

A New Orleans in rubble.
A Constitution in tatters.
A carefully cultivated international reputation in ruins.
A debased media.
A proud legacy of science and inquiry kneecapped by roving bands of Conservative theocrats.
A debt that will hag-ride us for a generation,
And an Iraq ablaze for the next 20 years.

a ruined climate

Scientists from 113 countries issued a landmark report Friday saying they have little doubt global warming is caused by man, and predicting that hotter temperatures and rises in sea level will “continue for centuries” no matter how much humans control their pollution. [emphasis added]

we pretty much knew this was going on ten years ago, but have done nothing about it---corporations paying for disinformation campaigns on global warming and goddamned republicans shutting down our government scientists, who have known what was going on for years----oh, for a hell in which these people could pay for what they have done to the rest of us----

a big fat idiot

we have officially passed through the looking glass into an irony-free universe with this:

A press release issued today by the Landmark Legal Foundation . . . announced that the group has nominated nationally syndicated radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh for the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.

The group's President, Mark R. Levin, said Limbaugh had been nominated for his "nearly two decades of tireless efforts to promote liberty, equality and opportunity for all humankind, regardless of race, creed, economic stratum or national origin."

kinda leaves one speechless, don't it? surely it's a hoax---

al gore's nomination is certainly not a hoax---and al franken announced he's running for the senate in minnesota----i actually think he would make an excellent u.s. senator===

and rest in peace, molly ivins---gonna miss her----

1964

check this out: cassius clay (remember him?) and liberace doing a duet on the jack paar show---excellent

the house passed a budget today i hear, which might let us continue working---they apparently have cut out all of the earmarks, aka pork, which i guess will allow us to set our priorities for a change---typically some congressman gets some $ for some pet project, which we then have to do, regardless of what we really need to be doing----

walmarting

i like this guy's perspective----

other news

today is the birthday of mozart and of lewis carroll

just missed the anniversary of the first public demonstration of teevee, by scotsman john logie baird, 23 january 1926---we got our first teevee in 1954----

sonny say sonny do sonny dum

so last year, when the fulton co. superior court threw out the state's anti-gay marriage amendment, sonny was all about "ensuring that the will of the people will not be thwarted.” So when it comes to legalizing sunday sales, surely the people should say, right? wrong----sonny don't want no selling booze on sunday----and said in a radio interview "think of it this way: it really helps you plan ahead for the rest of your life — buying on Saturday, rather than Sunday. Time management"---he really said that--- meanwhile the last lemon is ready for harvest----brought it inside today and being full of buds, it oughta be stinking up the house soon---

giving it a rest

wonder what the homophobe-in-chief will do now to make herself feel all righteous? and what is it with these colorado springs people anyway--- "vatican for evangelicals"? ye gads----

Allard and Musgrave bail on hate amendment

but thank god for small favors, huh?

the neighborhood

walked over to atlantic station today and back through home park---there's a lot more to look at when you're on foot--


saw the new al-farooq masjid, which i can see from my bedroom




and this wonderful wood-framed barn just off tenth street---it must be a hundred years old and apparently had been converted into a residence at some point, but had clearly been abandoned for decades---

and a fine 1956 cadillac on state street in home park

i forgot

i always forget birthdays ---yesterday was the bicentennial of the births of the confederacy's greatest hero, gen. robert e. lee, and of the twisted edgar allen poe---for the 58th straight year, some one left Martel cognac and three red roses on Poe's grave in Baltimore---sure beats a vase of plastic carnations.

friday night

another great american

he liked fart jokes, but knew five languages---today is Benjamin Franklin's 300th birthday.

“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety,”

amen

holiday

ML was born today of course, but did you know this:

As we do every January 15, today we solemnly commemorate the completion of the world’s most awful structure, The Pentagon. . . . the very first demonic office building.

it's also the feast day of the virgin st. ita, who died 15 january 570---to the irish, she is second only to st. bridgett.

now listen to this---one of the truly great events of our time----

1962

i been scanning slides again---love this one of mikey at his 7th grade party

the lemon

i harvested my first lemon from the balcony last night, sliced it up, and had it with some cocktails---robert agreed that it was an outstanding addition to the drinks, adding a subtle flavor of oranges that is entirely agreeable---it probably contains heavy concentrations of lead and other heavy metals from having been grown on the balcony, but since bush is in charge of the epa, it's guaranteed not to hurt you---

dominionists

"commanded to rule" is the title of the cover story in today's ajc editorial section---and a great interview with chris hedges and his new book american fascists---he calls it a "theology of despair," which is what always gives rise to fascism---we all need to pay attention to this---falwell and robertson and their ilk are not just harmless buffoons---

Q. What do you mean by "theology of despair?"

A. It's a theology that has no hope in the life around us, that there is really nothing in this world that is worth saving other than committed Christians, and that all else has to be destroyed. That gives you a horrible kind of mind-set that spreads out in many ways. For instance, the callous disregard of global warming, for what we're doing to the environment, a belief that chaos, mayhem, violence and war in the Middle East is a good thing, because it is hastening Armageddon. These are the byproducts of this theology of despair, which for me is the best way to define this belief system.

the orchard

almost time for lemonade

w

i thought he looked awful the other night----and did anybody else notice that, for once, he did not close by saying "god bless amurica"?

Adding to the evidence that George W. Bush was recently replaced by a hologram, the White House didn’t allow still photographers in the room where Bush read his surge speech Wednesday.

the view

fog disappears the world sometime--

arabia mountain

it was spring today

oh my

this bit of art just leaves me speechless---

more buildings

now all of the mid-twentieth-century stuff is being torn down for high-rise office and condos, a trend begun at colony square in 1969---here's a little update on the new stuff, except for onyx, which is really not out of the ground yet---

buildings

midtown developed as a residential neighborhood in the early 1900s along with a commercial district that began developing at peachtree and 10th in the 1890s---in the 1940s and 1950s, the houses were gradually replaced by office and small commercial buildings, like the ones that are now condos on peachtree at eighth and at fifth---on west peachtree, a few of the buildings from the early post-war era are still there, although not for long---the exception is the academy of medicine at seventh street and its champion cottonwood tree---it's been designated a city landmark and, at least theoretically, cannot be torn down---across the street at 866 is a small neo-classical building (c. 1950) that's about to be knocked down for another condo/hotel project---north of tenth street is a great commercial building (also c. 1950)---they just tore down a much bigger buildng in a similar design over on spring street---another nice oak tree opposite twelfth and west peachtree---

.............................................

good evening

nonviolent protest---

happy new year, y'all

i feel a little disoriented, or hung-over, i can't remember which

---

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,

A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

yeats, 1921

so much for peace and good will

so they hanged saddam last night and good riddance i guess----but there's something so totally barbaric about executing somebody like that, nevermind what he did to the kurds or anybody else---but it's just like the rest of this "war," where we have allowed bush and the rest of his wretched cohorts to drag us down to their level---meanwhile we are far along with the ruination of our planet, the latest signs being the collapsing polar ice caps and even the bush administration admitting that the polar bear is an endangered specie---

a while ago

so i picked up j.c. and iris at 11 this morning, i drove them to my place, stopping at the chik fil a on the way to get chik fil a for our lunch----got them up to the 13th floor, where we ate and fed the dog----then i drove them around atlantic station and buckhead and lenox then back down through west end to see where his daddy had a produce business which wasnt there anymore and down lee st. and out campbellton rd to show them wells drive and then back through east point and college park and eventually back to their house where i took the plastic christmas tree to the basement and hemmed and hawed, said goodbye and got back home about 4----that is a total of 7 hours, i think, that i have been with them in the last five days----a record

the future

kuala lumpur, boxing day, 2006---from andrew sullivan---i am impressed

baby

i finally got to see andrew yesterday---purty worthless, like most babies, but will probably amount to something one day---looks like a tadpole version of daniel, which i guess he is---iris likes him---

christmas trees

a friend sent me this image of the "great tree" on rich's "crystal bridge," c. 1960---looks real christmasy, don't it---

dogs

in today's ajc: sam-i-am, a golden retriever that got lost during one of the Tampa hurricanes in 2004, showed up in illinois the other day, none the worse for wear and tear---he'd been microchipped, so his owners got him back---"When they were reunited, Sam stepped on her feet and then sat on them, just like always, and still answered to Sam."

meanwhile, hershey enjoys wallowing around in bed till 10 o'clock in the morning

images

iris has been talking about getting her slides from the 1950s digitized, so i have started on that myself, since wolf charges like $1.25 per slide and she's got hundreds and hundreds---some are pretty good, others not so much---

a devil food

they don't call it world-nut daily for nothing:

Soy is feminizing, and commonly leads to a decrease in the size of the penis, sexual confusion and homosexuality. That's why most of the medical (not socio-spiritual) blame for today's rise in homosexuality must fall upon the rise in soy formula and other soy products.

little known fact

some people believe that squirrels look both ways before they cross the street, but a recent study showed that, if they did, they weren't looking for cars----fully 80% of radio-tagged squirrels in an urban area were flattened by cars and trucks.

not just another baby

holy shit---mary cheney is pregnant! the christianists' heads are currently exploding---

euphorbic holiday tree

as it has for years, the euphorbia turicalli makes a great christmas tree, although it's probly un-amurican to use anything but a douglas fir or scotch pine or, if desperate, a crappy old cedar----

jon's orchid is blooming, too, which is pretty nice---