Put down the smartphone and pick up your license and registration please.

Georgia’s texting-while-driving ban goes into effect today, which means that police officers can now pull over multi-tasking drivers and slap them with a $150 fine and 1 point on their license.

“But how will they know I’m texting and not reading ancient parchment scrolls?!”, you ask distractedly, glancing down at your Blackberry.

Well, basically it starts by observing that your vehicle looks like it’s being driven by a couple capuchin monkeys, that’s how.  From NPR…

Sgt. Robert Moody of the Georgia State Patrol says it’s easier than you might think to figure out whether someone is typing a message behind the wheel. Texters often weave in and out of lanes, and drive more slowly.

“If you’re looking down, and you’re not paying attention to the road, you may let off the gas and instead of running 55 or 60, you’re running 35 or 40,” Moody says. “Those are the kind of things law enforcement can look for. Once we see those violations, why did that violation occur?”

Oh, and from there, they can also subpoena your cell phone records.  So, there’s that too.

As DecaStan noted on Twitter yesterday afternoon, NPR’s All Things Considered featured a story by WABE’s Jim Burress yesterday, about Agnes Scott’s long time popularity as a filming location and it’s recent controversy surrounding the filming of the low brow straight to DVD film, “Beer Pong.”

The local blogs even got a shout out!

“They recognized we were upset, but I don’t think there was any policy change that they were considering because of it,” Hill says. “I think that making this public and being transparent about our concerns put some pressure on the administration.”

And pressure did come, in the form of blog items and newspaper editorials. Eventually, some alums withheld contributions – even swore off campus visits.

Sweet.

Wow…this story sure has legs!

Thanks to Carl and romanlily for pointing out that All Things Considered did a 4 minute piece on Wordsmiths fund-raising effort yesterday. Zach Steele was interviewed by phone.

Over on the store’s blog, Zach says they’re closing in on the halfway mark in terms of donations….