Just when I think I’m in tune with what’s going on around me, I miss something like this.

Christopher Hitchens in conversation at Emory on Salmon Rushdie, freedom of expression, poetry, literature, and star dust.  With the added bonus of a recitation of Wilfred Owen’s Dulce et Decorum Est.

Many thanks to Emory for making it available.

h/t: wpdarling

Following up from last month’s shopping event.  From the Decatur Minute…

Thank you to everyone who came out to support Decatur for Haiti night last month. We raised $4,500 for the cause with help from the following businesses: Cakes and Ale, Chick-Fil-A, Decatur Business Association, Decatur Downtown Development Authority, Fleet Feet, Hairwerks, The Iberian Pig, Little Shop of Stories, The Marlay, Mingei, Nectar, Palate Cafe and Bar, Peggy’s Boutique, Saba, and Yogurt Tap.

Did you hear about the pillow fight in Piedmont Park last weekend?  No?  Me either.

Lucky for us, local photog Josh Weiss did, and with his camera in hand jumped headfirst into the chaos.  The results of his labor can be seen in an excellent series of shots over on his website.

h/t: AsianCajuns

Photo used with permission

The Pencil Lofts were one of the many construction projects being built around Atlanta just when the real estate market fell off a cliff.  And while it may be just one of many such projects, the future of this project has been particularly interesting, since it sits in a slot along Decatur Street in downtown Atlanta with many, MANY different influences in each direction.

To the east: the King Memorial MARTA Station.  To the west: Georgia State.  Across the street to the north, the old location of the Grady Homes, still under construction.  To the south, Memorial Drive.

As a result, it’s been interesting to observe the ongoing fate of this late-to-the-party, mixed-use project.  And though it’s hard to determine the current residential occupancy rate, two of the properties’ commercial locations were just recently occupied, with an Intown Market and a hair salon.

The Lofts finally seemed to be showing signs that it might be able to hold its own in a very transitional area.  Then last night, this happened…

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11Alive’s Doug Richards contacted me yesterday to get some background on this story and asked whether I was interested in giving a wrap-up of events on-camera that led up to the changes in the booting ordinance.  I declined, in large part, because of the wider controversy I helped create surrounding it.

But I did suggest he talk to Peggy Merriss and I’m happy to see he was able to get a couple quotes from her about the situation.

Also I love how Doug pops-out from behind the various parking signs during the segment.  Who knew a booting segment could be so humorous!?