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October 2007
Is Tennessee River in Ga.?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
An official with the Surveyor’s Historical Society says parts of the Tennessee River should actually be within Georgia’s borders (read the full story).
With our state suffering through a record drought, should we take a cue from our neighbors to the west and file a lawsuit to claim what’s ours?
Tell us your Halloween traffic successes or failures
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s trick-or-treat time again and we all know what that means for commuters: a traffic nightmare.
On Wednesday, parents all over metro Atlanta will leave work early in an attempts to arrive home in time for trick-or-treating. And transportation officials are already advising folks to “brace for the worst.”
Have you been stuck in one those unfortunate Halloween traffic standstills? Or do you have a sure-fire solution to beating the ghoulish traffic? Let us know.
Tell us about your ghostly sightings
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This isn’t designed to creep you out, but ever have the strange feeling that something is peeping at you from a dark corner of the room?
Do you see objects move or lights flicker off and on? Or do you hear the stairs creak when no one is there?
Roughly one in four people say they’ve seen a ghost or felt its presence, according to a pre-Halloween poll by The Associated Press and Ipsos. Read the article here.
Tell us about your other-worldly experiences. Do you believe in ghosts and goblins?
Do you skip out early for Halloween?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For several years there has been a growing perception in metro Atlanta that traffic in the late afternoon and early evening is a disaster, and that parents were getting frustrated balancing the demands of work and taking the kids out trick-or-treating
Have you felt that pressure? Have you cut out of work early to get home to help your children, or even taken the day off just to avoid the traffic hassles?
What are your Halloween/job/traffic/kids stories?
Lender to meet borrowers in the middle
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Countrywide Financial Corp. recently said it will begin calling borrowers to offer workout terms.
The nation’s largest mortgage lender, will offer refinancing or modifications on $16 billion in loans, whose interest rate is set to adjust by the end of 2008.
The company faces increased pressure to help keep people from losing their homes, according to an AP article.
Are you a Countrywide borrower who needs help? Or, do you have a mortgage from another lender and hope to work out a plan? Has your lender been responsive? We want to hear from you.
Burned by Alpharetta’s watering ban?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Alpharetta city officials have pulled the plug on watering of new outdoor landscaping.
On Monday night, Alpharetta’s mayor and council voted unanimously to expand the ban on outdoor watering to include newly installed residential and commercial landscaping, including “overseeding.”
You can read the full story here.
Are you feeling burned by the new Alpharetta watering ban? We’d like to hear from you if you recently had professional landscaping installed that can no longer be legally watered.
“High School Musical’ on Ice
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK, you missed Hannah Montana tickets. Tried to get ‘em, and then like millions nationwide, had to explain to those sweet little tykes that they were not going to be seeing Hannah at Gwinnett Arena because those mean ol’ ticket scalpers and fan-club members cut in line and took all the tickets.
But wait! Could this be a shot at parental redemption? “High School Musical” has opened at Philips Arena, and playing through Sunday. On ice, no less. The really good seats are $90 apiece, but you can get in the building for $15 a pop for nose-bleed seats. Of course, then there’s the concession stand and the souvenirs, but hey, you blew it with Hannah. You have to do something. Right?
Parents, do you recognize yourselves here? Are you planning on going to “High School Musical: The Ice Tour” even though it is quite likely cheesier than a Wisconsin dairy? How much are you willing to spend to give your kids the best in pricey Disney entertainment?
As luck would have it
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Can’t watch the Pittsburgh Steelers without donning your old black and gold jersey?
And that lucky rabbit’s foot in your back pocket really does help Tiger’s game.
One in five sports fans say they do certain things to bring good luck to their favorite team or avoid jinxing them, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll. Read about the poll.
Do you wear certain colors while watching your team play? Do you have a lucky charm? If so, what is it and does it work?
Are we really that ugly?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The website Travelandleisure.com and CNN Headline News have released the results of an online poll of travelers and residents on what they like (and don’t like) about 25 large cities in the United States, and Atlanta is not going to be happy with the results.
There are many different categories, and we do better in some than in others, but what jumped out was that we rank 23rd out of 25 cities for people-watching, and 19th out of 25 for attractiveness of the natives.
What did we do well at? Barbecue. Oh, joy.
You can view all the results here.
Now this is not a scientifically valid poll, just online voting. But still. Is Atlanta really that ugly?
Halloween Hall of Shame
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ghosts and goblins are bad enough, but there’s nothing more horrifying for Halloween trick-or-treaters than getting a really awful “treat.” You know, the mushy apple, the vegan cookies, the (gasp!) sugarless gum!
What’s the worst (if well-meaning) treat you or your child has ever received?
E-mail your horror stories to treats@ajc.com (and please include your name and a daytime phone). We’ll share the best in a story on the Halloween Treat Hall of Shame.
Permalink | Comments (136) | Categories: Halloween
Georgia’s kids tip the scales
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A new survey has found that Georgia’s youngsters are so out of shape that more than half didn’t pass a simple fitness test.
According to an an article by AJC staff writer Elizabeth Lee, about 30 percent of the youngsters were too heavy and 44 percent didn’t get enough exercise.
Are you worried about your child’s weight? What tips do you have to keep children physically fit? Are you a hawk when it comes to their eating habits or are you too busy to cook and let them feast on fast food? Do other children tease them about their weight?
What can schools do to help?
What’s your MacGyver Moment?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
TV fans of a certain age will remember “MacGyver,” that super-resourceful secret agent who refused to carry a gun. Instead, he would take on difficult missions armed only with his creativity and knoweldge of practical science, fashioning whatever he needed from everyday items at hand.
The whole seven-series run of the show has just been released this week as a mega-boxed set on 39 DVDs, retailing for $170. But even if that’s too much, maybe you have a “MacGyver Moment,” a time when you had to improvise something to get by.
One staffer at ajc.com remembers driving her old Volvo in South Carolina years ago when the fanbelt broke. She pulled off her pantyhose, cut one leg off, and used it as a substitute fanbelt until she could drive to a garage.
How about you? Have you had a MacGyver Moment?
What makes you want to boot your TV?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
According to French wire services, a rugby fan in the town of Annecy was so upset when his team lost a game that he threw his television out the window of his second-floor apartment. It landed on a parked car. The man was arrested and will have to pay to repair the car.
Then there’s the famous story that Elvis Presley was once watching a TV show with Robert Goulet and, for reasons that have never been completely clear, picked up a pistol and shot the TV.
Of course we’re not advocating this type of violence. But have you ever felt the urge? What on television tempts you to pick up your set and hurl it out the window?
Taking shorter showers, shallower baths?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Perdue and a host of other have asked Georgians to conserve water. Are you taking a shorter shower? Are you drawing less water for the bath? Which do you believe saves the most water — showers or baths?
Who is the sexiest woman alive?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
According to Esquire magazine, actress Charlize Theron is the “sexiest woman alive.”
Theron, 32, talked with the magazine about growing up on a farm, her political interests and her latest movie, “In the Valley of Elah,” a murder mystery set among U.S. troops newly returned from Iraq. The issue comes out Oct. 16.
Past winners of the title include Jessica Biel, Angelina Jolie and Scarlett Johansson, none of whom have gotten any less sexy since winning.
The problem, as always with these declarations, is that readers didn’t get to vote. The editors just got together and decided on who they were really hot to have lunch with.
So here is your chance. Who do you think is the sexiest woman alive?
Rush Limbaugh’s “phony soldiers”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The political blogosphere has come alive over the latest Rush Limbaugh controversy. Last week, Limbaugh used the phrase “phony soldiers’” to characterize U.S. military personnel who oppose the war in Iraq.
You can hear an audio transcript of the segment here; the comment is at the end of several minutes of talk.
Some Democrats have struck back, demanding Limbaugh apologize to the troops, that the company that airs his syndicated renounce his views, etc.
What do you make of this latest controversy?
Peachtree City named Top 10 place to retire
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
U.S. News & World Report lists Peachtree City among the country’s top 10 places to retire. The golf carts played a large role, the magazine says. But what’s your retirement dream? Making wine in Napa? Strolling the beach on the Gulf? Rocking on the front porch with the grandkids? We’re open for suggestions.
Finding every drop: How to water those plants
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s official: The drought has made outdoor watering essentially illegal.
So, gardeners: Are you toting out buckets of dishwater? Switching to cactus? Watering in secret? How are you dealing with the watering ban?
Tell us your most ingenious ideas for watering your plants, and what impact water restrictions have had on your yard. (An AJC reporter may respond to your comment to ask more about your experience.)
