8 FEB 08: LATER, DUDES?

The announcement was supposed to arrive Wednesday, but it didn't. So I figured the letter carrier would put it in my mailbox Thursday, but it still didn't show up. I mean, this is getting annoying - WHERE is my invitation to the Britney Spears Valentine party?!

OK, I'm kidding - that's NOT the announcement I'm waiting to see. I'm waiting for one of about 100,000 fliers that supposedly are being mailed across the Columbus area. They're promoting a series of meetings which begins this weekend at Columbus State University - but they might come across as a bit more judgmental than those "continuing education" pilates classes.

The Elizabeth Bradley Turner Center at C.S.U. will be the place for a series of presentations on "Creation and Evolution," beginning Sunday night. But please don't be fooled - this is a rare time when an event on a public college campus probably will be biased in favor of the creation side.

The series on the creation/evolution debate is being presented by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. The C.S.U. campus was selected as the location because it has a hall big enough for the expected crowd. Those Christians at Beacon University don't seem to have enough faith to build one.

I've been attending a Seventh-Day Adventist congregation for about three months, so I've picked up some behind-the-scenes details about this big project. The main presenter will be an evangelist named Hiram Rester -- and of course, that means people will hear from a Sabbath Rester.

Hiram Rester reportedly asked for an over-the-top budget for his campaign in Columbus -- and was stunned when the regional conference of the Seventh-Day Adventists approved everything he suggested. Between church denominations seeking converts and politicians seeking votes, we might spend our way around a recession without government checks.

If you know anything about Seventh-Day Adventists, you know they're big on Bible prophecy. But Hiram Rester says people are more interested these days in the creation/evolution debate. Why look ahead to the end, when we're still not sure how we began in the first place?

The largest Seventh-Day Adventist congregation in Columbus has prayed a lot about this campaign. But some members have expressed concern about the publicity for it, and it goes beyond those 100,000 fliers. Some nearby Adventist groups apparently didn't even know the meetings were coming -- so maybe a prophetic message is needed more than ever.

I've also noticed the Hiram Rester campaign hasn't been mentioned at all on the Seventh-Day Adventist radio station in Columbus, WURY-FM. It's as if church leaders took that Bible verse about "let not your right hand know what your left hand is doing" a bit too seriously.

So if the 100,000 invitations to the big meeting reach mailboxes late, will anyone show up at C.S.U. Sunday night? That will be a lousy time to lure in Columbus State students -- not because the Cougars are playing basketball in the afternoon, but because the Grammy Awards are on TV that night.

But perhaps you've been waiting for something else to arrive in the mail. We're a week into February, and Georgia income tax forms still haven't come out. How many taxpayers are missing out on refund checks - not to mention how many businesses are losing big interest charges, from not offering "refund anticipation loans?"

Women with the Georgia Department of Revenue explained the delay to me Thursday. The state had to wait, until questions about the federal "alternative minimum tax" were resolved. Yet my federal tax book reached my mailbox a month ago - so does Washington have superior printing presses to Atlanta?

I should have asked the women from the Georgia Department of Revenue if the state is going to make up for the delay in mailing state tax forms. Shouldn't we automatically have an extra month to file returns, with the deadline pushed back to May 15? Peoples' schedules will be thrown way off, if they don't have their usual amount of procrastination time.

BLOG UPDATE: WLTZ presented an interview Thursday with the celebrity divorce lawyer we mentioned here recently [26 Jan]. John Mayoue said he wrote the new book "How to Survive a Georgia Divorce" because the state ranks among the five highest in divorce rates. And they say Alabama is filled with dysfunctional families....

Now for other legal (or perhaps illegal) briefs from Thursday's news....

+ The late-night news revealed several Columbus nail salons are about to have their licenses revoked, for violating state rules. One of them is Star Nails at Cross Country Plaza -- which means another storefront there is about to become empty for several years.

+ Reggie Richards revealed to WRBL she's resigned as Executive Director of Columbus South Inc. She promises to remain involved with the area, in an undisclosed new job with a steady paycheck. Oh no -- please don't tell me Richards is going to start dancing at the Pussy Cat Lounge.

+ WLTZ showed the sixth birthday party for Phenix City's Brackan quadruplets. They marked the day in kindergarten -- by dressing like rats to celebrate Chinese New Year. This may explain why most adults in Columbus skip this event, and mark Cinco de Mayo instead.

+ A second executive at Southern Union Community College entered a guilty plea in court. Joanne Jordan admitted lying to a federal grand jury. Some graduate needs to set up an endowment for an ethics major quickly....

+ The deadline passed at midnight to apply for work at the new Kia plant in West Point. If you still want a job there, you'll have to fly to South Korea and beg for it out of your own savings.

+ Jazz pianist Freddie Cole performed at Columbus State University. He's the brother of Nat King Cole - who, had he lived, today would have earned the nickname "Old."

+ The Georgia Senate voted to outlaw "sanctuary cities" which might provide safe haven to illegal immigrants. Countless ministers will respond carefully to this, by calling the places where they preach "worship centers."

+ Georgia basketball player Billy Humphrey was arrested in Athens, for underage drinking. It's Humphrey's second arrest of the season - and under college rules, you foul out on the fifth arrest.

BURKARD'S BEST BETS: Gas for $2.86 a gallon at Dolly Madison on Victory Drive.... FREE inspirational concert by singer Damaris Carbaugh, Saturday night at Evangel Temple (offerings welcome).... but where are the TV commercials offering sales on Chinese New Year fireworks?....

COMING SOON: A personal victory which took 11 years to achieve.... and a man's bisexual confession....

This blog had more than 43,000 visitors in 2007 -- up 53% from 2006! To advertise to them, offer a story tip or comment on this blog, write me - but be warned, I may post your e-mail comment and offer a reply.

BURKARD BULK MAIL INDEX: 1236 (+ 26, 2.1%)

The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author -- not necessarily those of anyone else in Columbus living or dead, and perhaps not even you.

© 2003-08 Richard Burkard, all rights reserved.