Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2007 > March
March 2007
Song of the South
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Walt Disney Co. is considering releasing on video its 1946 movie “Song of the South,” a landmark film long criticized as racist for its depiction of Southern plantation blacks. Is the time right to release this film, or should Uncle Remus, Brer Bear and Brer Rabbit remain hidden in Disney’s archives?
Ready for pollen season?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You know it’s springtime in Atlanta when your car looks like it’s been dusted with poultry seasoning … attractive and oh-so-easy to see through.
Have you reached your pollen limit yet?
Permalink | Comments (28) | Post your comment |
Happy birthday, Elton
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Elton John is celebrating his 60th with a concert at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. In this package, he talks about why he loves Atlanta and how he never thought he would even reach this ripe age, nevermind enjoying it so much.
How do you feel about Elton and what greetings would you send him?
Permalink | Comments (18) | Post your comment |
Bear vs. Bear
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
 |
| Knut (left) and Mei Lan. |
Atlanta has Mei Lan, the adorable panda. Now comes the Berlin zoo with Knut, the cuddly polar bear cub. Put aside your hometown bias and tell us which one is cuter.
Permalink | Comments (50) | Post your comment |
Name your Final Four!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We’ve given you our Sweet 16 of books, TV, movies and Georgia tunes. Now it’s your turn.
What would your Final Four be in any (or all) of those categories?
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Reaction to the Edwards’ announcement?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What response do you think the voting public will have to the news that Elizabeth Edwards’ cancer has returned, and that John Edwards, with his wife at his side, said he will continue his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination?
Permalink | Comments (44) | Post your comment |
Pet food recall
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Have your pets been affected by the food recall?
What’s the real secret?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“The Secret” is a self-help book that’s tearing up the charts, thanks to a boost from Oprah. But some experts worry that books like this one that focus on the power of positive thinking can lead the gullible astray.
(You can read the whole story here.
What do you think? Where do you draw the line between helpful and destructive self-help?
Who’s your favorite news anchor?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ABC’s “World News Tonight,” with anchor Charles Gibson, was the No. 1-rated newscast last month. (If you missed the story, click here.)
Who’s your favorite news anchor? (Locally and nationally)
You think that’s stupid….
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What’s the dumbest thing you’ve done at work?
Music for the fountain
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The fountains at Centennial Olympic Park are being worked on so they will be in tip-top shape for Final Four weekend.
What music should the fountains be synchronized with for the long weekend of basketball?
Steve Beatty, reporter/daredevil
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AJC reporter/daredevil Steve Beatty has blacked out in a Blue Angels F/A-18 and taken an eye-rolling ride in a NASCAR racer, but he’s just getting started. The thirst for thrills, risks, adventure or unconsciousness isn’t easily slaked, so we’re looking for ideas for his next life-threatening or gut-wrenching stunt. Help us out — what would you like to see Steve try next?
Permalink | Comments (10) | Categories: Steve Beatty, daredevil
Auto Show Has Something for Everybody
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There’s more to do than car-gazing at the AJC International Auto Show at the Georgia World Congress Center.
It’s open daily through March 18, opening at 10 a.m. on weekends and noon on weekdays. Admission is $10 for adults; $5 for children 6-12, free for kids under 6.
Speaking of kids, plenty of them were getting the feel of driving in two different driving simulators on Saturday. One in the Volkswagen area is a video-game style simulator, a guaranteed wreck a minute.
In Suburu country, kids were lined up for a driving simulator that looked a bit like a carnival ride. It simulated the motion of a very bumpy trip.
New cars, trucks, SUVs, crossovers, minivans and the like rule the floor, but there is also a healthy share of classic cars, muscle cars, and a roped-off dreamland of five classic Corvettes.
There was a commemorative edition 1953 Corvette convertible, sitting near a drop-dead gorgeous 1960 Corvette convertible that sold that year for just $3,978.
To put things in perspective, and 2007 dollars, this year’s Corvette Z06 listed at $75,700, though you may find a t-top that lists at $55,635 before you start adding on the goodies you want.
There are even boats at this year’s auto show — pontoon boats, a speedboat, even a well-equipped fishing boat.
Reader participation time, subject, classic cars: Name your all-time favorite car. It can be the “best car ever made,” the car you loved the most, the car that always got you there, or maybe the car you always wanted and never had. Maybe it’s a brand new car on display. Feel free to tell the story behind the wheels.
Permalink | Comments (41) | Categories: AJC Auto Show
Noteworthy Things at the AJC International Auto Show
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The AJC International Auto Show started its nine day run Saturday at the Georgia World Congress Center.
Among the noteworthy or eye-popping observed during a day wandering the carpeted mega-showroom:
• Mortgage the house and buy one or more of the following: The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorang F1 hardtop, stunningly beautiful and listing for only $310,899.
• The show’s most stately upscale convertible had to be the 2007 Bentley GTC, a black four-seater with a tan interior. Manufacturer’s Suggested List Price (MSLP) — $189,940.
• The Maserati QP Sport GT, a classy four-door sedan, lists for $128,175.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the tracks, there are plenty of new car bargains for the budget-minded:
• The Scion XA 5-door is a bit boxy like the earliest of the new Toyota-affiliated line, but much more pleasing to the eye. Its MSRP is just $14,331.
• The 2007 Chevy Aveo is a bit minimalist, but almost unbelievably cheap, a car Clark Howard would love. Its base price, before add-ons, is just $9,430. The four-door Aveo hatchback, which comes with a five-year, 100,000-mile drivetrain warranty as do all Chevrolets these days, came in at $14,360. The Aveo LT 4-door sedan on the floor listed for $16,175.
• The Mini Cooper, still an eye-grabber in the style of the old MG, carries a list price of $18,700.The Mini convertible, very sporty with super cool fog lights, lists for just $22,600.
Permalink | | Categories: AJC Auto Show
Nissan Rogue Is A New Breed
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Nissan Rogue, to debut this fall, is part of the small, crossover segment, designed to appeal to married male Generation X’ers with one child, said Nissan’s Kelly Hamilton.
The Rogue looks like the result of a mating between an SUV and a coupe.
“You get a nice sports car feel when you get into it,” he said.
Two things on the Rogue are oversized and earned special mention from Hamilton: its cup holders and its glove compartment.
“It’s a true glove box,” he said. “It is big. I have not seen a glove box that big in a long time.”
The Rogue has another unique option — a manual transmission that shifts from the steering column. One downshifts with a lever on the left, and upshifts with one on the right, said Hamilton.
The Japanese-built Rogue carries a standard 2.5 liter, 170 horsepower engine. Nissan hasn’t announced pricing, but says it will be in the 20s.
Permalink | |
Jeep Patriot May Win Allegiance
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jeep has a new entry-level model that is starting to turn heads.
The Jeep Patriot is kind of a junior Wrangler. Starting at just $14,985, a wide range of people will find it affordable and sporty.
It has a lot of safety features drivers rarely find on lower end vehicles, including side air bags and electronic stability control.
Lisa Barrow of Daimler Chrysler said the Patroit has three drive nodes - four-wheel drive, “Freedom Drive 1” for use in ice and snow, and “Freedom Drive 2,” which makes it off-road capable.
“It’s not a Wrangler but you can take it off the road and have fun with it,” she said.
Permalink | |
Car Wars At AJC Auto Show
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Once upon a time, you loved Fords or Chevys.
That was before the Japanese, the Germans, the Koreans, and everyone else jumped into car wars.
At the AJC International Auto Show, 40 automakers are represented. Now you can go down the alphabet and love anything from Acuras to Volvos.
On the spacious Georgia World Congress Center floor, the biggest spaces are taken by Ford, Nissan, Toyota and Chevrolet. The smallest space is being shared by three exotic makes, Ferrari, Maserati and Aston Martin.
What car maker do you love the most these days? Or is brand loyalty something confined to NASCAR and those bygone days of just Chevys and Fords?
Auto Show Reflects a Changing Environment
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The 500 shiny vehicles on display at the AJC International Auto Show send a message about the changing culture of the American car buyer.
In past years, the displays were dominated by big sports utility vehicles and hefty pickups. They are still there, but in smaller numbers. The major automakers seem to be pushing remade 4-door sedans, smaller coupes and transitional models that seem part SUV, part car.
“We traditionally had a lot of SUVs and now you’re starting to see a lot of smaller cars and trucks,” said Lisa Barrow of Daimler Chrysler. “Trucks are more fuel-efficient and cleaner.”
She said the automaker is also “trying to focus on making the bigger vehicles a little bit lighter.”
All that means better fuel economy, a welcome development as gasoline prices again creep toward $3 a gallon.
There are also more hybrids. The gasoline-electric dual drive train segment was once dominated by Toyota and Honda. Now, American automakers are starting to make hybrids as well. The Chevy Malibu will have a hybrid model in 2008.
Even cars with bigger engines will soon have features designed to improve fuel economy. Honda’s Sara Pinessaid said the Accord Coupe Concept vehicle on display at the World Congress Center has what is called variable cylinder management.
The Accord Coupe Concept has a V-6 engine, but when conditions allow for less power, the car can cut off the rear bank of cylinders to save fuel.
“If you need to step on it, your six cylinders will step back in,” said Pines.
Permalink | | Categories: AJC Auto Show
Chevrolet Makes A New Malibu
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Perhaps one of the more impressive redesigns on display at the AJC International Auto Show is the venerable Chevrolet Malibu.
The 2008 Malibu, which debuts in the fall, will offer three models, an upscale LT2, an LT and the economy model LS. This is a roomy, yet compact 4-door sedan that catches your eye.
A distinctive two part grill and a tastefully rounded front end give the Malibu a surprisingly powerful look.
Chevrolet’s Jim Brown said kids riding in the back seat will love the 120-volt AC power center that’s capable of powering DVD players and other electronic gear.
Available for music lovers is a six-channel, eight-speaker audio system.
The Malibu’s standard engine is a 2.4 liter, 4-cylinder good for 175 horsepower. A more powerful 3.6 liter engine is available on the higher end that generates 252 horses.
The Malibu will offer an optional a 6-speed automatic transmission Brown said is exclusive to its class. And, like an increasing number of automakers this fall, Chevrolet will offer a gas-electric hybrid version of the Malibu.
Permalink | | Categories: AJC Auto Show
Dodge Viper Might Bite You
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Dodge Viper, already one of the hottest cars on the road, will get much hotter this fall.
The 2008 Viper will have an additional 90 horses under the hood, bringing the eye-popping total to 600 horsepower, according to Lisa Barrow, spokewoman for Daimler Chrysler.
“Needless to say, it continues to be a really wild ride,” she said.
The Viper carries a hefty 8.4 liter, V-10 engine.
Due out this fall, pricing is not yet available, Barrow said.
Permalink | | Categories: AJC Auto Show
AJC Auto Show Open For Business
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Picture yourself on a huge, carpeted showroom, surrounded by 500 new cars, SUVs, pickups and minivans.
Unlike traditional auto showrooms, where you can see two or three makes at the most, here you can see the best work of more than 40 manufacturers.
Welcome to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Auto Show, which opened just minutes ago at the Georgia World Congress Center. Forget traffic — there is none this morning. SEC basketball is later.
There are concept cars that may or may not be made down the road. There are 2008 models you won’t be able to buy until this fall. There are classic cars from the past. Even Spider-Man will be here later today.
There’s no pressure to buy. You just window shop, put yourself behind the wheel, check out the specs, look under the hood, kick the tires. It’s great fun for whole family. There’s no need to wander around town to all the dealerships — you can see everything that will be on the road in one stroll of the floor.
We’re touring the floor today to give you some ideas on what you can see. Come join us.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: AJC Auto Show
R.I.P., B.I.G.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Believe it or not, Friday marks the 10th anniversary of the death of the Notorious B.I.G.
His “Greatest Hits” CD came out Tuesday (you can listen to it for free on AOL music). What songs would you have included on it? What are your favorite Biggie Smalls songs?
And as we sit here blasting “Warning,” Canibus’ line in “Second Round K.O.” comes to mind: “The greatest rapper of all time died on March 9th.” Does that claim still hold true? Are there any other rappers whose lyrical skills have surpassed Biggie’s?
Six Flags turns 40
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hard to believe, but the park right down the road with the big rollercoasters is turning 40 this year. Naturally, they’ll be celebrating in style.
In honor of the park’s birthday, I thought it’d be fun to share Six Flags memories. I remember coaxing my dad onto the Dahlonega Mine Train, thinking it was a pretty tame ride. Not so, as far as he was concerned. I don’t think he ever forgave me for that!
Do you have a favorite time you visited the park? A favorite ride?
What would you do with all that money?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tonight’s Mega Millions drawing is up to $370 million, the biggest ever in the multi-state game’s five-year history.
If you won, would you take the $370 million as an annuity, or the estimated cash option value of $221.1 million, before taxes?
And what would you do with all that money?
Against the grain
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Indie rock labels are finding ways to succeed in a challenging music industry climate. (To read AJC music writer Nick Marino’s story about the trend, click here.)
Will independent rock labels continue their success with bands like Arcade Fire and the Shins, or is the current indie boom just a fad? And who are your favorite (or not so favorite) independent label bands?
Crackdown on bars in Lilburn
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
No karaoke or card playing allowed. No trivia contests can be held. No pool can be played.
Lilburn establishments that serve alcohol are no longer allowed to offer the above pastimes.
What do you think?
Who’s your favorite cheapskate?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Metro Atlanta commuters now have a choice when it comes to getting penny pinching advice. Dave Ramsey has joined the airwaves, offering a different style than Clark Howard.
Who’s your favorite? What do you like or dislike about him?
Northside Drive exit design a problem?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Are you familiar with the Northside Drive exit of I-75 southbound? Do you think its design may have led to the accident that killed six in Friday morning’s crash?
Have you had any problems with this exit yourself? Share your thoughts.
Also, please e-mail your thoughts to reporter Ariel Hart, including a phone number so she can contact you.
• Continuing full coverage
How did you cope with the traffic Friday morning?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
How long did it take you to get where you were going Friday morning?
Did you find a good route to get around the jam caused by the bus crash on I-75?
What should happen to the young bandits?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What do you think should happen to the two smiling young women who allegedly held up a Bank of America branch in Acworth earlier this week?
