A strange black dog is stalking my neighborhood. One of the talkative little cats in our neighborhood, Socks, went missing. A lady down the street had her cat killed in the night. Somehow I slept through it, but my wife thinks she heard her shouting in the dark, “I’ll f**k you up! You f**ker!” or something of the sort.

We have lots of street cats here, which is a new thing for me. I mean, each is really somebody else’s cat, but it’s nice seeing them and having them around. When we thought that the murdered cat was the fluffy bully we call Fat Cat (’cause we don’t even know his or her real name), we were more sad than I expected. I went through that phase where you say, “It’s not fair. This is that cat’s home street, but this dog can just come through and kill whoever it wants?”

One night, out near the Inman Park MARTA station, I saw a handful of stray dogs sniffing their way through the parking lot. Most of them scattered in my headlights, except one. He just stood there, eyes shining, neck turned taut, looking down his raised nose at the floating white eyes of the headlights. I think if I’d driven toward him he would’ve wrestled my car to the ground. But instead he walked down the steps into the neighborhood nearby, looking casually around him at his domain. It might be our city but it’s his night.

It’s been a couple of nights since we heard about the attack, though. No one’s screamed in the night. The cracks in the sidewalk aren’t running red with blood.

And last night, Socks was sitting in our driveway.

I guess we can be proud, but this part is a little disturbing:

A serious O’Reilly fan, she noted her 18-month son, Michael, always calms down when he hears O’Reilly’s voice. “I think it’s because he heard O’Reilly so much in utero,” she said.

Okay, when any political pundit has that kind of effect on an 18-month son it is time to put down the remote and back away from the television.

And, while I’m at AJC.com, it seems that Georgia Power wants to have a user fee to build a nuclear plant that it hasn’t decided to build yet but it might. Okay.
(Note: I would have more to say about this, but I know we have reader(s) who have recently become far more versed in nuclear plant politics/logistics than I am…)

You’ll notice that the design has changed. We hope you like it!

Update: Here’s the official announcement.

Now we all know how much fun this would be! Actually, what would be really great is if the Dems and the Repubs had their conventions at the same time in Atlanta and stayed at hotels across from each other!

“…The Republican National Committee (RNC) has asked 31 U.S. cities, including Atlanta, for bids to host the 2008 Republican National Convention. [] The committee will create a list of finalist cities by mid-summer. [] Atlanta hosted the Democratic National Convention in 1988…”

Story from the Atlanta Business Chronicle

I haven’t posted one of these since September, but then it’s not like I was ambushed with responses back then. Let’s give her another whirl, shall we?

Decatur Envy:

So many — some from as far away as New Jersey — have clamored for time with Lyn Menne, Decatur’s director of community and economic development, that she organizes group tours just for expediency’s sake.

On these occasional “smart growth” tours, visitors walk along Ponce de Leon Avenue, the main artery downtown, where higher-density housing, mixed-use buildings and MARTA tie together to encourage walking.

The plan, roughly 25 years in the making, has helped transform this dusty jewel into a sparkling small city.

The Miller Grove High School Boys Basketball team from Lithonia has made it past the first ground of the Class AAAA basketball playoffs. I teach there once a week so I’m thrilled, but not surprised to see this happen (the students told me they would definitely win the first round, but the second round vs. Cedar Shoals will be a little tougher).

The Miller Grove Wolverines are playing their first year of competition (last year, the school building was only open for the second semester) and the highest grade level they have at the school is Junior (Class of 2007 will be their first graduating class). That makes them even making the playoffs a first in Dekalb County history as I understand it.

Anyway, congratulations Wolverines! We’re all very proud of you. Now, let’s just keep up this tradition of success when it comes to the graduation test…

Because I can’t recall anyone else mentioning this and because I haven’t posted recently, you should be reminded that the Atlanta People With Blogs Who Get Together To Drink will be gathering in East Atlanta (w00t!) tonight. The gang will be drinking at Graveyard Tavern around 7:00pm.

btw- I’m told after six pints that graphic will become perfectly centered.

Look for me, I’ll be the one with a beer in my hand.

Seriously. How was anybody supposed to get that last one? I was killing time until I could get some more, reasonably anonymous photos. (That was the koi pond at the Oakland Cemetery, by the way.)

So now there’s this one. Easy for some, I’ll bet.

DailyCandy Atlanta is launching soon.

What’s DailyCandy? It’s a free daily e-mail that delivers must-know info on the things you love — a new restaurant in Buckhead, a hot jeans depot in the Highlands, the best undiscovered city secrets. (Need a manicurist who makes midnight house calls? We have her number.) Think of us as your plugged-in best friend who always has the scoop on everything.

Yeah. I’m not going to quite think of them like that, but it could be interesting…
(more here – complete with slightly condescending accent and sweet tea references. Or maybe I’m just being a little sensitive…)