I'm back sorta...

It's been nearly 11 months since I've last posted.  I'm back and hopefully on a regular basis.  Life happens, but I'm working on moving back into Intown areas of Atlanta since I'm starting a new gig in my career field.  Hopefully, I can continue to deliver my analyses of the things occurring in Metro Atlanta, Greater Birmingham, everywhere, and some life/social issues.

I will say this...why are there so many obtuse black gay and bisexual men or males in Atlanta.  Let me be more specific, I was just reading a post by another blogger than mainly focuses on porn, yeah the gay kind.  He was in shock or thrown off by a) how many people but particularly gay and bisexual males that are two timing backstabbers and b) how few people are truly your friends.  I was like, "Uh, I've learned years ago from sheer observation but also some quasi-personal experiences that most of the guys that tend to migrate here are thirsty, whores, attention whores, narcissistic/sociopaths, and finally, the come-up artist aka "stunt queen".  The few that do not fit these narratives are usually homebodies, low-key, or too busy with their careers to be caught up in the shenanigans.

I mean, I have a few friends that happened to be gay or bisexual males, but most of them are not.  It's hard enough as it is to encounter and befriend decent people in general in any major city.  However, befriending one that falls into the gay/bisexual fold is even rarer.  Let's not pretend there aren't thirsty mofos on Adam4Adam, BGCLive and/or Jack'd, (and if you are foolish enough to be on these following ones then the joke is on you) Grindr and/or Manhunt that have profiles based in Atlanta to know what is going on.  The thirst in real in this region and I can log onto any of these websites and look at how quick somebody is looking to fuck you before getting to know you.  So the porn industry is a dog-eat-dog world for sure.  I cannot even begin to tell you how warped the sense of reality because they are already not paid well because it is (black) urban gay porn.  Then you have the come-up-artist and "survival" mode mentality then you will likely not find many whom are really a friend.

*le sigh*

I'm not saying, but I'm just saying...

This has gotten ridiculous

I swear the movement to municipalize all of Dekalb County has gotten to the point of ridiculous. This is the proposed "City of Stonecrest":

What is up with the donut hole in the center? Wouldn't it make sense to just let Lithonia just annex all of this and create a new city that would be a merger between the "old city of Lithonia" and this Stonecrest addition?

GEEZ!

I am still around

I am currently contemplating if I will be shifting to the WordPress site I own or continue to hold this domain to blog.  As more free time and renewed dedication to expressing myself comes clear to me in the coming weeks I will decide.

Oh yeah, let's me say this.  I am annoyed with Beyonce and her hype machine, but that is all.  I have never been a fan like that rather appreciative of the artistry.

On the planning front, it looks like the Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham is under fire again by Alphabet Soup but this type using a lobbyist firm.  They accused RPCGB of aiding environmentalists in sabotaging their pet project that leads to nowhere and goes through nothing but ecologically sensitive environs.  Those assholes stay trying to force the Greater Birmingham area to continue to sprawl out into the hollow ground of northern Jeffco with their multi-billion dollar boondoogle.  I do mean hollow ground considering I know how many abandoned mines are located in that portion of Alabama's most populous county.  Can you say sinkholes?

In Metro Atlanta, the rush to municipalize all areas within the two core counties that are economically viable and thriving continues.  Now the aversively racist white suburbanites (whom are actually urbanites) within DeKalb County are pushing for the creation of the "City of Briarcliff" in North Central DeKalb County.  This initiative is another imagination-gone-wild creation of upset over the shift in demographic suburban white Georgians that DeKalb County is no longer a white-dominated haven of years past (see the creation of the "City of Dunwoody, Georgia" for proof).  The Briarcliff group will release a "feasibility study" about their imaginary "city" so it can become reality.  The true gag is the conflict with the better organized (terms in developmental patterns and actually having a "main street business district") "City of Tucker" initiative over the Northlake Mall commercial and business district.  Apparently, there is a battle royale over whom will claim the Northlake Commercial District.  Yep, Atlanta is trying to catch up with Birmingham over which Southern major metro has the most balkanized urban core.

'Tis is all for now.

I'm moving to a new place

In other words, my life has me in an upheaval mode at the moment, thus posting has been scarce at best.  Well, I will be somewhat back to posting on a semi-regular upon me getting fully established into my new place.  I'm excited yet anxious about this move because it's going to involve a lot of shifting my stuff.

Tell us something we didn't know...

Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) brings in the big bucks for Atlanta!

I guess it took 2 studies by my fellow planning/economic development professionals on the academic side to affirm this to be true.  The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government Study conducted a study from 2007 and this year and the findings confirmed this:

MARTA’s spending — its 2011 capital and operating budget was $617 million — supported between 20,000 and 37,000 jobs in Georgia between 2007 and 2011. The fluctuations were caused by differences in annual capital expenditures.

Nearly 150,000 workers in the Atlanta area, including car owners, use MARTA for their daily commute.

Of the 18 fastest growing industry sectors, 14 employ workers who rely heavily on MARTA.

Jobs supported by MARTA’s capital budget provide $500 million to $1 billion in personal income each year.

The economic activity of the nearly 100,000 MARTA-dependent workers support another 80,000 additional jobs.

It's quite amusing that 2 studies had to be published to reaffirm what most of us suspected although the majority of Metro Atlantans rejected the T-SPLOST on the 31st of July.  I guess you have to dress it up in a pretty bow and ribbon and then say "See it does work".  However, we are in the South were the car is king and the way things are developed and funded around it.  At the end of the day, Atlanta and Georgia politicos know that MARTA is the reason why so much of the city's prominent existence depends on this public transit system.

Yeah, another one of these situations...

When will the deranged and white males stop gunning down black male youths because they think they are a threat?  I honestly don't know but this incident in suburban Jacksonville will go down as another one of those situations.

Jordan Davis was gunned down last Friday (November 23rd) at a  gas station on Jacksonville's Southside while in a car with friends.  Apparently, the music in the vehicle was "too loud" for Michael Dunn's tastes.  In return, Dunn confronted the teens in the vehicle over the music which led to Dunn getting his gun and shooting into the vehicle hitting Davis.  Davis suffered multiple wounds from the gunfire and was pronounced dead on arrival to the Shands Hospital on Jacksonville's Southside.  *SIGH*

Dunn was arrested in Brevard County at his condominium and charged the following day.  While arraigned before a Brevard County justice as his reason for shooting up the vehicle was him feeling threatened by the black teens. (WTF?)  Dunn was extradiated back to Duval County (which is the City of Jacksonville) and had the audacity to say "the teens had a shotgun in their vehicle".  (WTF?) 

Jordan Davis will be buried in Marietta, Georgia in the Metro Atlanta area.

I knew something was up when actual study showed that anti-black animus was up.  This is just more prove that some white Americans have to slow their groove on anti-black & brown racial animus because this nation is becoming more and more racially diverse with time...

Links and photos courtesy of WJXX/WTLV.

Chick-fil-WHO?

That's my response to the above caption of Atlanta-based, Chick-fil-A president, Dan Cathy's comments on marriage equality in the US.  He wants to say "NO" then I have to say "uh yeah, I haven't ate at your restaurants in years...".   The Monotheistic God/Allah/The Creator/Holy One would be cosigning on your ignorance because it doesn't affect you personally, so why would you are so bothered by marriage equality coming to the forefront?

Also know that the "friends" will be out in full force to shut down your 11 "Dwarf House" locations in Metro Atlanta. ;)

THE END AND THAT IS ALL HE WROTE ABOUT THAT NON-MUTHAFUCKIN' FACTOR!

Oh goodie, New Birth is coming to Birmingham, well sorta...

Well, Refiner's House is going to become "New Birth Birmingham".  According to Monday's edition of the Birmingham News, the church housed in the old auto parts building in the Huffman area that was founded in 2001 but located there in 2007 will become affiliated with the embattled New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia in Metro Atlanta.

"We'll no longer be the Refiner's House; we'll be New Birth Birmingham," said Elder Kesia Webb Dailey, a spokesperson for the church. "We'll receive benefits of mentorship, resources, relationships."

Also the church's elder Kesia Webb Dailey said,

"That's our bishop and we love him," Dailey said. "We thank God what transpired is over. We're moving ahead."

Really Kesia?  You don't think the settlement of allegedly $25M with the 4 accusers of sexual coercion of Eddie Long had no effect on your views of him.  That is interesting to say the least, but you make your bed so lay in it, my dear.

Oh yeah, New Birth also wants to open a Denver church as well.  Ironically, where one of the accusers, Jamal Parris, now resides...

(links courtesy of the Birmingham News)

Just when I thought Eddie Long couldn't get anymore ironic

This deeply-closeted bisexual splaboo is now inviting the male members of the dwindling in enrollment church to "late night prayer meetings".  This statement alone is PURE IRONY.  Now what are they going to be "praying" about?  Something tells me that he is trying to recruit more closet cases and "extra discrete" men in the Metro Atlanta area to partake in "extracurricular activities" in the late night hours...

Oh where is a nice hidden camera when it is needed...

Oh while I was away taking care of business...

I was taking care of some graduate school business, but did have my ear to the blogosphere and the news...

Kudos to Charles Barkley for speaking his mind about Bernice...Bernice King, whom is the current sitting president of the SCLC, for her lack of regard for LGBTs of color yet want to take claim to "carrying the torch" of her father.  Speak the truth and shame the demons amongst us...

Auburn University QB soon to be NFL draftee, Cam Newton giving away his education for something as unstable and unpredictable as a career in professional football.  Now very wise at all if you ask me, and Dr. Boyce Watkins agrees with me on that.  As a matter of fact, Watkins went even further and said that his giving away a paid for education is just further the "plantation mentality" for black Americans.  WOW, WOW, WOW!  I don't wholeheartedly agree, but he has a some strong points about them taking advantage of these talented individuals.

Then there was the Over-the-Mountain Democrats forum of last Tuesday (January 18th) about "How Will the Democrats Rise Again?" at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.  My buddy, Mooncat at Left in Alabama, covered it quite well links here, here, and here.  The truth is the Alabama Democratic Party is screwed because white Democrats are too busy trying to "chase after rainbows", i.e. "the elusive rural white vote" while running away from being associated with President Obama (whom isn't popular with a faction of white Alabamians) then the "Joe Reed Problem".  The man that is the human equivalent to "a runaway train from hell" while playing up the Bojangles angle.  I've covered that thing for awhile now and have nothing else to say about it...

Finally, the incident in Carroll County, Georgia of the Metro Atlanta area.  According to the Times-Georgian of Carroll County, 43-year-old Chris Staples was residing at his mother's residence on disability since he had injured himself on the job many years ago, and has been openly homosexual for nearly 20 years.  WSB-TV reports that on Sunday, there were two incidents that occurred at the residence, first a rock thrown through a bedroom window with a message from the assailant conveying their knowledge of Staples' sexuality and he was going to hell then a fire set to the residence.  One has to wonder who in the hell in 2011 still spins their time worrying about what some low-key individual especially a homosexual does with their life?  Nuttiness

I should be back to somewhat regular posting later on this week after getting caught up with other things I'm handling involving my Masters' program...

CORRECTION: According to last Friday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Bernice King turned down the role of president of the SCLC, but that doesn't excuse her track record on LGBT rights...

Uh-oh, Chick-fil-A! The gay bloggers are about come after you!!!!!

Well, it didn't take long for me to hear about this, and the gay blogs to follow up with a pressure-cooker campaign to get them to drop their co-sponsorship with Pennsylvania Family Institute of "The Art of Marriage" on February 11th & 12th in the Harrisburg area and Reading in Pennsylvania.  Although the event isn't about being "anti-same-sex marriage", it speaks on biblical marriage and the support for it.  However, the Pennsylvania Family Institute, is the largest organization against LGBT rights in Pennsylvania.  So it's guilty by association because Chick-fil-A hasn't made it known they are overtly anti-LGBT rights.  Interestingly, they did sponsor Colorado-based Focus on Family and some golf tourney in Ohio led by Ohioan based group, which supports the usage of reparative therapy to change sexuality, which many experts equates to mental torture.  Official at Atlanta area-based Chick-fil-A hasn't made any official comments or stances on anything public involving LGBT rights.  (Maybe it has to do with them being based in the metropolitan area of one of the largest LGBT cities in the nation, so it could be chalked up to guilty by association.  On the other hand, they do close on Sundays for their employees can be with their families...  ***KANYE SHRUG***)

Well, like the Target fiasco, I'm going to remain ambivalent because I shop and eat at places that are cheap and offers quality products and services.  I'm on a fixed income while working on my Masters' degree, and don't eat out often anyways so this fiasco doesn't affect me.  However, it is interesting what's going to go down in the next few days.

UPDATE: Advocate, Towerload, Queerty, Change.org have swooped down on it.

Oh look at what DeKalb County is doing now...

The employment carnage that is known Dekalb County, Georgia has yet to truly see an ending.  Since late 2009, the various governmental agencies from the county government to county school district has been shedding jobs left and right like it's going out of style.  According to this past Wednesday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution, they are planning on outsourcing custodial jobs. Although these are the lowest ones on the totem pole of functionality of a school district we knew who holds most of these positions... (***HINT*** It's folk ***HINT***)

Outsourcing is one of several suggestions that came up earlier this year as part of budget cuts. Facing an estimated $50 million shortfall in next year’s budget, the proposal is back on the table.

I'm more perplexed how a rapidly growing county in Metro Atlanta has been able to function over the past 15 years since they've seen the county population jump by 100,000 new residents.  The county itself has been in the spotlight of mismanagement from the cost-of-living pay raises that occurred for outgoing county commissioners staffers last fall in the midst of massive deficit while refusing to give county police officers raises  to the former county superintendent being indicted for racketeering to 430 school district employees being laid off to  the recommendation to close 14 declining enrollment schools to now this.  Chaos at its very worse in DeKalb.  Unfortunately, it's the one jurisdiction aside from Atlanta proper that I would prefer to reside in Metro Atlanta... ***SIGH***