^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
24 JUN 04: DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
It's late June. It's Columbus. And it's a refreshing change. The last two evenings, I've come home from work and NOT needed to turn on my air conditioner. I'd like to thank each of you who sweated outside during the day, and created cooling afternoon rainstorms.
I'm doing my part for those storms -- because my schedule has allowed me to run outside in the morning, shortly after sunrise. The distance was up Wednesday morning, compared with Tuesday. I think this is because my body wasn't asking what on earth it was doing outside so early.
Other people who have been outside during the morning and midday hours tell me it's been quite muggy at that time of day. That make it sound like it's stickier than a Post-It note factory....
Did you see the videotape from Japan, of the world's first air-conditioned shirt? Some former executive at Sony created a shirt which has something like a little fan sewn in, to cool off your skin! I challenge Buck Ice to top this - by making T-shirts which slowly melt.
The lack of a whirring air conditioner won't please Georgia Power. And it may not please Columbus gas stations to learn several Phenix City stations have a lower price for unleaded these days. Now this is the RIGHT way to fight a way against Middle Eastern terror - with a price war.
I've spotted two Phenix City gas stations this week with regular unleaded at $1.76 a gallon, while the lowest price on the Columbus side seems to be $1.79. One of the discounters is the Crown station on 13th Street - so perhaps it's part of a deal to keep the prices down at nearby used car lots.
Wednesday's "Albany Herald" reported gas prices in the Albany-Columbus area are among the highest in Georgia right now. Macon's average price is about a dime cheaper. Hmmmm - are local gas stations expecting THAT many visitors for the Miss Georgia pageant?
E-MAIL UPDATE: Several people have been asking about it, so here it is - the latest shot in a flaming e-mail exchange which has us feeling a bit like Kofi Annan at the United Nations. This is an excerpt from a longer message:
And oh by the way, tell producer boy, that [17 Jun] is one of the saddest rebuttals I've ever seen! REALLY! Tell Justine to work on a better product and stop trying to attack the messenger! I can't tell you how many times I've bit my tongue Richard. I remember when I did sports, each reporter had a beat and we had all the bases covered....
Robbie
All the bases were covered Wednesday night, in fact - at Golden Park, because the Catfish game was rained out.
(This e-mail went a bit farther in its reply - but I see no reason to bring an innocent, formerly kidnapped two-year-old boy into this discussion....)
I'm yawning as I'm typing, so let's put this blog to bed with a few nightcaps:
+ Columbus police officer James Itturalde appeared in Recorder's Court, charged with climbing over a wall and peeping through a window at Aloha Tan on Milgen Road. Apparently this man is new on the force. If he passes the exam to join the Vice Squad, he'll see things like that all the time
+ Columbus Police reported someone broke into a Spectrum store on Fort Benning Road through the roof - all to steal 12 cell phones and some lottery tickets. Apparently someone is VERY anxious to tell the world he's won $500.
+ The Georgia Lottery announced it will drop the "Change Game" next week, because few people are playing it. Does this mean it was a change for the worse?
(But then again, maybe this proves the Mega Millions jackpots are getting too big. People are spending so much money on that game, there's no spare change left for a Change Game.)
+ Auburn University interim President Ed Richardson confirmed to WRBL the campus police force will merge with Auburn City Police next week. I somehow have the feeling the number of students parking in faculty lots is about to increase.
+ Ed Richardson also announced Auburn University's chief lobbyist will be dismissed at the end of the year. If this keeps up, A.U. eventually will be down to one campus building - which Richardson will name after himself.
+ Georgia's baseball team was eliminated at the College World Series. But I was irked about something else - an online report that the CWS might be moved, to end in the middle of July. What's the point of this? To increase summer school enrollment at universities?
To offer a story tip, make a donation or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post a reply.
If you quote from this in public somewhere, please be polite enough to let me know.
© 2003-04 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.