Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Former Atlanta Hawks player Jason Collins, most recently with the Washington Wizards, recently came out as gay. Tell us what impact, if any, you think his announcement will have.
"I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay," says Jason Collins in a story set to be published in the May 6 issue of Sports Illustrated. The pro basketball veteran has been a member of six teams in 12 seasons in the league, including three in Atlanta—he last donned a Hawks jersey during the 2011-2012 season. But many are likely to deem his coming out as something bigger than his on-the-court career, as he has become the first male U.S. athlete in a major professional sport to declare that he is gay. "I didn't set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I'm happy to start the conversation,” Collins told Sports Illustrated. Collins’ announcement was lauded by several of his …
Friday, April 26, 2013
Unaware he was already on air, A.J. Clemente muttered the infamous F-word before being introduced during his first day on the job with an NBC affiliate in North Dakota.
It was his first day on the job—and his last. According to ABC News, A.J. Clemente didn’t make it far past his awkward introduction on KFYR television when he was fired. The reason: Before uttering his first words as a rookie news anchor, Clemente dropped the “F-bomb,” apparently unaware his microphone was already on. All this happened Sunday evening. By Monday, the clip had hit YouTube [Editor's note: Graphic language in clip] and Clemente was looking for a new job. The television station quickly apologized for the mishap and promised it would never happen again. But viewers, ABC reports, were more forgiving of Clemente than his now former employer. The video clip went viral, as did support for Clemente's rookie mistake. After all, didn’t…
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
If so, you could be saving money, according to GoBanking Rates. Tell us your typical family dinner habits.
- OPINION
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Wednesday, April 24
GoBankingrates.com put out an article recently noting that the monthly cost of feeding a family of four has risen from $601.50 in 2003 to $830 in 2013. That would be a 38 percent increase over the last decade. It doesn’t cost quite as much, however, to eat out, according to GoBanking rates. “When comparing the cost of a 10 oz. rib-eye dinner (with soup, salad and asparagus) from Outback Steakhouse with that of the homemade version, Outback was $2.53 cheaper,” GoBankingRates expert contributor Stacey Bumpus said. “And comparing seafood alfredo (with unlimited salad and breadsticks) at Olive Garden to making it at home, Olive Garden was $3.79 cheaper.” While it may be healthier to eat at home, it apparently is no longer cheaper. Share what’s…
Monday, April 22, 2013
Experts say FAA furloughs could delay some travelers by up to three hours. Tell us if you’re worried about a potential impact on your air travels.
Got plans to travel by air? You may need some more time on your hands. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sunday reported that airline passengers could see delays of up to three hours due to furloughs to air traffic controllers. The furloughs, which took effect Sunday, could potentially delay when flights take off or land. A lawsuit has been filed to stop the furloughs, the newspaper reported, but the earliest a hearing could be held is sometime next week. Share what’s on your mind with us, and then return here to see what your neighbors in Paulding, Douglas and Cobb have said.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
It has been rolled out slowly since October 2012, but those who hadn’t converted voluntarily since then are being switched over now anyway.
- OPINION
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Saturday, April 20
The LA Times reports that not everybody is happy with the new compose feature on Gmail, but the product manager for the company, Phil Sharp, says it's faster and easier to use. If you haven’t seen it already, it is a pop-up screen, a little “like G-chat, only larger” Gmail claims. In explaining the new system, Sharp says it helps when you’re writing a new e-mail and have to reference another one. In this new system, you don’t have to save it as a draft, open the old one, then go back to your draft. You can do a search or be watching new mail come in as you’re composing a new message. The problem is, as we’ve learned with Facebook, we don’t like change. Once we’ve gotten used to a system, we like it to stay that way. So what do you think of…
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
A nonprofit organization is taking Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal to task for his neutral position on teens in Wilcox County organizing an integrated prom. Tell us what you think, if anything, Deal should do.
Better Georgia, a progressive nonprofit organization, is criticizing Gov. Nathan Deal for "not taking sides" on an effort by four teenage girls to organize its first integrated prom in Wilcox County, Ga. Gov. Nathan Deal was asked last week whether he'd supported the high school students' efforts, which he declined through a spokesman. "This is a leftist front group for the state Democratic party and we're not going to lend a hand to their silly publicity stunt," spokesman Brian Robinson said. Share what’s on your mind with us, and then return here to see what your neighbors in Paulding, Douglas and Cobb have said.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Depending on whom you ask, spring break just ended or happened weeks ago. Are the staggered spring breaks a good thing, or should schools aim to schedule their breaks at the same time?
It’s back to school today for students in Cobb, Douglas and Paulding counties. Spring break for the three county school districts was held last week, and pupils are returning to the classroom for the last remaining weeks of school. But students in these three districts didn’t get to enjoy their time off along with all their peers from other school systems. For instance, nearby Bartow County held its spring break the first week of April. Spring break also varies for students at local colleges. While those attending Chattahoochee Technical College got their break from classes last week, students at Kennesaw State University and Georgia Highlands College took their break the first week of March—no classes were held at KSU March 2-8 while …
Sunday, April 14, 2013
In 1946, Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) put himself at the forefront of history when he signed Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) to the team, breaking Major League Baseball's infamous color line.
Hero is a word we hear often in sports, but heroism is not always about achievements on the field of play. "42" tells the story of two men—the great Jackie Robinson and legendary Brooklyn Dodgers GM Branch Rickey—whose brave stand against prejudice forever changed the world by changing the game of baseball. In 1946, Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) put himself at the forefront of history when he signed Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) to the team, breaking Major League Baseball's infamous color line. But the deal also put both Robinson and Rickey in the firing line of the public, the press and even other players. Facing unabashed racism from every side, Robinson was forced to demonstrate tremendous courage and restraint by not reacting in …
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Would you be comfortable having the IRS as a Facebook friend? Or maybe even a friend of a friend?
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Saturday, April 13
As procrastinators rush to file their tax returns before Monday's deadline, reports surfaced that the Internal Revenue Service could use social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, to check up on tax cheats. Mediabistro.com shared a report that the IRS will be checking into individual Facebook and Twitter accounts for improprieties. The report does say that, according to the IRS, it would only be in cases where a tax form raises a red flag. It is not clear, though, just how far into social media sites the agency intends to go. However, it might not be a good idea to display your Caribbean vacation photographs on your Facebook page if you've reported a big loss on your tax return. Social media sites have already contributed to the …
The Obama administration says it is necessary in order to make home loans available to more people.
- OPINION
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Saturday, April 13
A story in The Washington Post has some economist scratching their heads. It reported that the Obama administration is urging banks to ease up on credit requirements and make home loans more available to people with weaker credit. Wait, isn’t that what caused the problem in the first place? Many experts think so, including Ed Pinto, a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and former top executive at mortgage giant Fannie Mae. He told The Washington Post, “If that were to come to pass, that would open the floodgates to highly excessive risk and would send us right back on the same path we were just trying to recover from.” Nevertheless, the Washington Post reports that the Obama administration is engaged in efforts to push …
KJL
1:42 am on Monday, May 6, 2013
(Continuing from my previous statement) Homosexuality is considered an acceptable practice by many in our world today - even by some churches. But society does not set the standard for God's law. Christians also need to read Romans chapter 2 about judging. Paul told the Christians "you are just as bad, and you have no excuse!" So, I do not judge but only point out scripture for those who may be … more ›