3 JUN 05: CARTER COUNTRY

Remember the TV comedy with that title? It was on in the 1970's when Jimmy Carter was President, and was about a southern sheriff. I don't recall the Carter family ever appearing on that show - not even Billy, who was at least good for a laugh from stand-up comics.

Could the torch in our area soon be passed to a new Carter? As Jimmy Carter gets up in years in Plains, Antonio Carter is trying to gain attention in Columbus - although there admittedly are some differences between the two. For one thing, Antonio Carter looks much more stylish in a suit....

I didn't realize until the other day that Antonio Carter of the National Action Network now has his own web site. You might be surprised to learn it's NOT filled with propaganda about the Kenneth Walker case, local civil rights issues -- and it doesn't even have transcripts of his fiery speeches.

If you didn't know better, the home page of Antonio Carter's web site might make you think he's a news reporter. It's filled with links to current news stories, mostly with an African-American theme. Where else would I have learned Janet Jackson will play a stripper in a movie? And we all know she has experience at that....

If Al Sharpton makes news in some way, Antonio Carter's likely to put it on his home page. After all, Sharpton leads the National Action Network overall - so for all he's said against the Columbus establishment, Carter DOES know how to toe a company line.

The only real mention of Kenneth Walker on Antonio Carter's web site is a link which lets you watch the dashboard camera video of Walker's shooting. There's no online petition drive against David Glisson, Gray Conger, Ralph Johnson - and of course not the Democratic Georgia Attorney General.

Antonio Carter's web site is so new, several of its sections are "under construction" and practically empty. They include a section for his speeches, and one called "Coach Carter." Surely he's not going to claim that movie was his life story....

There's also an intriguing section with the initials "NJG." Those letters stand for "New Joshua Generation" - but Antonio Carter is really asking for it here. Some smart-aleck redneck is going to take those initials, and add an "-er" on the end.

Antonio Carter's web site DOES have a complete section of "cool links." They include news outlets from coast to coast, including Columbus TV stations and newspapers. But Mr. Carter, aren't you forgetting something? You haven't linked to any blogs (ahem)....

Believe it or not, Antonio Carter's web site has a link to the Drudge Report. Who knows -- maybe after all those calls to WRCG's "TalkLine," Robbie Watson is starting to change his thinking.

But one of Antonio Carter's news links left me asking questions. Remember "The Courier" and "Eco Latino," the multicultural weekly paper which started in Columbus in March? Its web site hasn't posted any news in a month. Don't tell me the prosecutors of Jose Ricci went after them, too.

We called the main phone number for The Courier Thursday, and left a message on the paper's answering machine. Perhaps it's a positive sign that there still IS an answering machine, which named the newspaper. It hasn't turned into the office of a title pawn shop.

BLOG UPDATE: Thursday's biggest news for Columbus was buried inside the Ledger-Enquirer -- a freestanding Starbucks coming to town! We've mentioned here how embarrassingly untrendy it is for Columbus NOT to have one - yet the Chamber of Commerce keeps working on more trivial stuff, like new brigades at Fort Benning.

Realtor Ed Adams told the newspaper a deal is in the works for Starbucks to open a coffee shop near Columbus Park Crossing. Of course it would be in that part of town. Many people around Cusseta Road can't spell latte, much less be able to pay for one.

(This Starbucks would be near Krispy Kreme doughnuts -- which could lead to the worst morning traffic jams in Columbus, getting from one drive-through lane to the other.)

Now more nourishing information, as we wrap up the week:

+ A severe thunderstorm knocked out power for 15,000 Columbus customers. It also knocked WLTZ and WXTX off the air for hours - but because it's summer rerun time, that was really no big loss.

+ Greyhound confirmed it's eliminating bus service to several area communities. One of them is Phenix City, which really doesn't have a Greyhound station - just a spot along U.S. 80 where people stand and wait for a bus to come. How they put 70 dollars of exact change in a coin box, I have no idea.

(For some reason, Greyhound is keeping a bus station in Opelika - but is closing the one in Auburn. More college students must have cars nowadays than I realized....)

+ Preparations were made for this year's Children's Miracle Network telethon. We alert you to this because during last year's telethon, President Reagan died - and during the 2003 telethon, Eric Rudolph was arrested. Maybe you should play it safe, and call in a pledge from a storm shelter.

+ A Carroll County, Georgia grade school teacher was accused of making a fourth-grade student lick her toes. When I was a boy, we did a kindergarten elephant walk and imitated the rat taking cheese in "The Farmer in the Dell" - but I don't recall us ever imitating dogs.

Your PayPal donations can keep this blog ad-free and independent-minded. To make a donation, offer a story tip 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.

© 2003-05 Richard Burkard, All Rights Reserved.