An op-ed from frequent DM commenter and some time contributor Scott…

If you’re trying to make something happen that’s contingent on consensus-building, the greatest out-of-the-gate win you can achieve is defining the terms of the conversation.

If you set the terms, you control the discussion. You dictate what is and isn’t on the table and what will or won’t be topics of consideration by decision-makers.

It’s not just a procedural matter. For those skilled in context-setting, it can mean an 80% victory before you even get started. And, for those who enjoy the theatrics and pageantry of the public process as much as I do, it presents a certain irony.

A frequent item of discussion here on Decatur Metro is the City Schools of Decatur’s inability to communicate effectively and yet, in terms of wielding this particular tool of process manipulation, their mastery is unmatched.

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YA superstar Sara Shepard, National Book Award winner Colum McCann, and best selling superstars Jeannette Walls, Lauren Weisberger, and Khaled Hosseini are each here in the same week (and a day)! And those are just the highlights!

This Awesome Week:

Junie B. Jones Bus Tour, Wednesday, June 5th at 4pm, Decatur Library, sponsored by Little Shop of Stories and Georgia Center for the Book, free.

Summer Crush Tour with Sara Shepard (author of Pretty Little Liars: Crushed), Katie Sise (author of The Boyfriend App), and Sarah Strohmeyer (author of How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True and Smart Girls Get What They Want), Wednesday, June 5th at 7pm, Little Shop of Stories, free.

Charlie Lovett, author of The Bookman’s Tale, Wednesday, June 5th at 7:15pm, Decatur Library, sponsored by Georgia Center for the Book, free.

Colum McCann, author of Transatlantic, Monday, June 10th at 7pm, Carter Center, $10 or free with the purchase of the book.

Anton DiSclafani, author of The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls, Toco Hills Avis G. Williams Library, sponsored by Georgia Center for the Book, free.

Daniel James Brown, author of The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Tuesday, June 11th at 7:15pm, Decatur Library, sponsored by Georgia Center for the Book, free.

Jeannette Walls, author of The Silver Star, Tuesday, June 11th at 6:30pm, Ivy Hall, Scad, $10 at the door for the general public and free with a valid SCAD ID, or with the purchase of a book. Books can be bought at the event or in advance at A Cappella Books.

Rick Atkinson, author of The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945, Tuesday, June 11th at 7:15pm, Decatur Library, sponsored by Georgia Center for the Book, free.

Lauren Weisberger, author of Revenge Wears Prada, Wednesday, June 12th at 7:30pm, MJCCA, $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers.

Khaled Hosseini, author of And the Mountains Echoed, Thursday, June 13th at 7pm, First Baptist Church Decatur, sponsored by Georgia Center for the Book, free.

A nice little update/description of Slice & Pint from the Clifton Community Partnership newsletter, coming soon to the old Everybody’s location in Emory Village…

Crawford Moran, the owner and brewmaster of 5 Seasons Brewing Co., is set to open a new brewery restaurant, Slice & Pint, in the space occupied by Everybody’s Pizza for 41 years.

That space will be renovated and open as a new pizza restaurant and beer bar concept his summer. Plans include an on-site brewery completed approximately in six months after the opening.

The idea for Slice and Pint goes back to when Dogwood Brewing Co. closed in 2004.

He sees the Village as a great opportunity in a great neighborhood where his concept will be fun to develop and enjoy.  Moran said he will be hiring a pizza maker and a brewer, and that handcrafted pizza and handcrafted beer will be central to the concept.

The four basic food groups will be served…That’s beer, pizza, chocolate, and other stuff. The restaurant will operate in partnership with small, local, organic farms and chefs will create daily specials with their products.

Didn’t we just have an election?

At Monday’s Decatur City Commission meeting, the commission set the fall election for Tuesday, November 5th, where residents will take to the electronic voting booth and cast their votes for Commissioners Patti Garrett (in District 2) or Fred Boykin’s (in District 1) respective seats.

The qualifying period will be Monday August 26-28th.

So…now you know!

I thought of a REALLY good “for the money” idea in the last week, but alas, it is now lost in the dustbin of my mind.  For now, I’ll steal another of Daydreamer’s excellent suggestions from a week or so back.

It’s definitely a staple in my kitchen.  What’s the best olive oil for the money?