I love this song.

OK, so apparently my eyes have indeed deceived me.

I drove by the other night and thought the back building was down.  But it still stands, though both back buildings are still draped in plastic in preparation of demolition.

Any day now.

Zach over at Wordsmiths’ blog gives his 2008 State of the Business a couple weeks early, ruminating over the the book store’s past year of start-up and looks to the future, promising on-site coffee and a used book section in the coming year. Both get a big thumbs up from me. [h/t: InDecatur]

But even local-loving Decaturites shouldn’t become complacent about supporting our independent book stores. They need our business. Outside (and probably inside) our little independent shop haven, writers, publishers and sellers all worry about the future of the medium.

A recent overview of the book industry in the L.A. Times (“A Dismal Year for Books“) summed up worries for the future of independent book shops nationwide and the solvency of the industry as media and publishing evolve into the digital space.

The article ultimately concludes with the uneasy feeling that many a book-lover with his/her wallet on the line must be dealing with these days.

Overall, as the publishing world looks back on 2007, it’s hard to reconcile the unease people feel about the business with the excitement they feel about the books themselves. When he goes to publishing dinners, bookseller Doug Dutton said, the conversation swings between lamenting the state of the business and exclaiming joy over a new novel or history.

“It’s about as murky a picture as I’ve seen,” said Dutton. Then he amended that slightly: “Sort of like last year and the year before.”

Buy local.

Sounds like Atlanta’s got itself a recycling problem.

[Take to] Task has received so many complaints about the need for [recycling] boxes that CityLife recently solicited readers’ comments on residential recycling programs overall.

Of 37 responses received, all but one came from residents of the city of Atlanta, which contracts with Dreamsan Inc. for collection and processing services in the city’s voluntary recycling program. The common thread: an inability to get new or replacement bins in a timely manner. Numerous e-mails described waits in excess of six months.

Meanwhile, I am awash with City of Decatur recycling bins and strive to find a cardboard box big enough that the recycling service will not take.

I also recall that Alvin McNeely couldn’t drum up enough local support for his commissioner-at-large campaign with his “my city garbage bags keep tearing” initiative.

So is everyone out there happy with Decatur’s recycling/garbage program? Anything you want clarified or changed?