ATL 6/29/08 - Wigs and Peachtree

Wigs with Kyle's on Colquitt
Photo installation proposal for Metropolis Fitness Center

MOVIE/ART/LOCAL/U.S./FRENCH/WEB NEWS

ATLANTA - A FUNNY THING

Walking home from Publix, a man asked me - 'Do you live around here? Do you know where Taco Mac is?'

Ever helpful (and super-pleased to be confronted on the street with a question other than "do you have any spare change?"), I replied "Sure! It's just one block up on Peachtree."

"But I thought this was Peachtree."

"Oh...so you're not from Atlanta. Yeah...funny thing about streets named 'Peachtree' - there are like 30. Back there's the corner of West Peachtree and Peachtree Place, but Taco Mac is up there at the corner of Peachtree Place and Peachtree Street. Simple, right?"

"Um...right."

"No worries, you are welcome to walk with me; I'm headed that way. Are you staying downtown? Did you take MARTA here?"

"I'm at the downtown Hilton, visiting from Chicago. I just wanted to buy a six pack & watch the Sox game in my room..."

"Oh...yeah...funny thing about liquor laws in Georgia. It's Sunday, so you can't buy beer and drink it at home, but you *can* pay to drink in public."

"Um...right...well, since the liquor stores are closed, I figured I'd just walk to a bar. Taco Mac's address is 943 Peachtree and the Hilton is in the 200's, so I was thinking it must be like only 7 blocks away."

"Oh...yeah...funny thing about addresses in Atlanta - block numbers don't really match the street numbers; they aren't very helpful for navigating. I think it's a Sherman thing."

"Um...right...hey, is that Taco Mac there? Thank god...the game has started and I need a cigarette. I can smoke in there, right?"

"Oh...yeah...funny thing about tobacco laws in Georgia..."

MOVIE NEWS - "Screen on the Asphalt" is done and "Flicks on Fifth" is taking a break this week. Do yourself a favor this 4th of July weekend - set up a chair in the backyard and quietly enjoy the fireflies; now that's a light show.

July 2nd is the release date for this week's superhero movie, "Hancock". Will Smith plays a hard-drinking traffic hazard who appears to unintentionally do more harm than good, to himself and to others...I guess Gary Busey didn't fit the suit.

ART NEWS -Sorry...no time for art this week...it's the 4th of July and Pride! I've gotta get my red, white, & blue and red/orange/yellow/green/blue/indigo/violet on!

LOCAL NEWS - TRAGEDY - Teen fence hopper tragically decapitated at Six Flags. Poor choice to cut to the head of the line.

BUDGET - Atlanta City Council approves budget without the mayor's proposed $14M property tax increase. Bite the bullet, Shirley - firing two hundred unneeded city employees will only piss off 200 people/voters ...raising the taxes of 450,000+ Atlantans is another thing entirely.

GUNS - Starting July 1st, it will be legal in Georgia to carry a permitted, concealed weapon on MARTA and into state parks and restaurants serving alcohol. Thank goodness - sometimes tipping isn't enough to get the bartender's attention.

RUNNING - Friday, July 4th - 49,998 folks are joining S. and me in the Peachtree Road Race, the world's largest (warmest? most humid? sweatiest?) 10K!

PARADE - Sunday, July 6th - Atlanta's Pride Parade! For those in the know (and in the building)...brunch at 10 AM! Parade down Peachtree at Noon!

U.S. NEWS -CHANGE - The Obama Campaign's Foreign Policy Advisor is named Susan Rice. Change = First-Name-Not-Condoleeza.

FIRES - Electrical storms spark 1000+ Southwestern wildfires - No huge surprise...lightning doesn't strike the same place twice; it strikes all over the damn place.

MORE GUNS - The Supreme Court ruled that Washington D.C.'s restrictive gun laws were unconstitutional. The 5-to-4 ruling by the judges - who all work in a highly-secure, no-guns-allowed courtroom - now makes it easier to have guns in every workplace other than their own. Thanks, judges! For my birthday, please send me a copy of the 2nd Amendment...printed on kevlar.

FRENCH NEWS - Lemonde is reporting a 4% yearly inflation rate for the euro for the year ending in June, 2008. What does that mean? Other than "Paris ain't gettin cheaper", I have no idea. -euro- - U.S. -

WEB NEWS -