The Blog of Columbus, Georgia

8 AUG 10: Sunday Buffet

Since Saturday Night Live is on summer break, it's obviously my job to be your source for weekend humor about the news. This is one of those weekends when there are a lot of little things to catch up on - so let's pretend this is a newscast, and take them in no particular order:

1. Whatever happened to the Mediacom fight with WTVM? The deadline for a deal came and went last weekend with no announcement - but an inside source tells me an agreement was worked out on the night of the deadline. I guess that explains the lack of Mediacom commercials on WRBL and WLTZ.

2. The Republicans in Georgia Primary Runoff for Governor held their latest televised debate. Nathan Deal argued you should vote for him Tuesday because Karen Handel doesn't have a college degree. Now hold on here - don't Republicans regret the fact that voters chose a Harvard Law School graduate as President two years ago?

The Handel-Deal debates move to GPB television and radio tonight. In the meantime, Dick McMichael's blog is offering a comparison of the Republican runoff candidates - and calls it "humorless." He may think so, but he DID include a line comparing the candidates' genders.

3. Alabama Republicans held a "Win in 2010 Luncheon" in Montgomery. Gubernatorial nominee Robert Bentley admitted there were primary fights, but added: "On Christmas morning when we open up presents, we're all happy." It sounds like Senator Richard Shelby's reputation for pork-barrel spending is rubbing off.

4. The Alabama sales tax holiday began - and as promised, I spent part of Friday at the Phenix City Wal-Mart. A stunningly large number of parking spaces were empty in the late morning. So apparently Columbus workplaces followed the Chamber of Commerce edict, and refused to give employees the day off.

We posted a link last Wednesday to the rules for the Alabama sales tax holiday. Perhaps this shopper should have clicked on that link....

Richard, The local news media needs to be more specific about the items that you can purchase sales tax free this weekend in AL. They've been saying you can purchase: Clothes & shoes (under $100. per item), school supplies (under $50) and computers and accessories under $750. Not exactly so! I found out the hard way! I had recently purchased a new computer. It came without a monitor as the majority of computers are sold these days. So I thought I would get a new flat screen monitor. I drove to Opelika to a major chain store where according to the internet I could get the cheapest price. When I was charged sales tax, I asked why. I was shown paperwork from the state sales tax division which states accessories to computers (such as monitors, printers, etc) are only tax free if they are sold together with the computer. The state also says entertainment software can't be sold tax free. I'm sure I'm not the only one who experienced this today. I could have saved time and gas by purchasing my monitor in Columbus (from the same chain store) where I usually shop! Additionally, sales tax is lower in GA than AL.

That's not quite how I read the state's list. While monitors are taxable, it specifically shows computer printers as tax-exempt. Perhaps that's just as well -- because if they're like the printers I've bought over the years, they probably won't work correctly by the end of September.

5. St. Mark United Methodist Church held an auction - and I'm told the original seats one and two from the Springer Opera House sold for $130. That's actually a good deal. Season tickets for the Springer's Mainstage series are selling for $162 -- and if you don't like what you're watching in your original seats, you can change TV channels.

6. The Columbus Civic Center began selling tickets for a September rap concert by Gucci Mane. I'm admittedly not "hip" when it comes to hip hop stars - but I'm not sure any store at Main Street Village even sells Gucci handbags.

7. Columbus Northern Little League opened regional play Saturday by edging a team from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 2-1. The Myrtle Beach players obviously are at a disadvantage, as they play in Warner Robins - because there aren't many pancake houses for eating breakfast.

Columbus Northern plays its second regional game today, against a club from Huntsville. Coach Randy Morris won't have to do much to inspire his players for this game. Simply show them a few Cottonmouth-Havoc hockey fights....

There's undoubtedly some tension in the stands, while Columbus Northern plays its games. Supporters no doubt are watching carefully, to see if suspended Parks Department Director Tony Adams shows up.

8. To wrap things up on a very happy note, your blogger went running Saturday night - and made it three miles non-stop! The older I get, the larger a deal this becomes. Especially as it seems my stomach becomes a larger deal, too....

The three-mile run was even more satisfying because I marked a birthday this past week. I'm now officially Air Force bomber age - you know, "be 52."

My T-shirt wound up soaked from the Saturday night run, but a dip in the humidity and a Southeast breeze actually made things feel refreshing. The wind cooled my face at the start of the run, then pushed my back heading home - which beats being pushed forward by the Riverwalk robbers I've heard about recently.

My three-mile run seemed to stun the woman who took my dinner order in Midtown, after the workout. She had trouble understanding what I wanted, and claimed to be fat even though she appeared to be in great shape. If she stays away from the discount burgers she's selling, I think she'll be fine.

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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.

Sunday, August 08, 2010