You know, as much as I love Portland, every once in a while, I miss my wariness and constant edgy feeling I had while living in Atlanta. I got this email a little while ago from a college friend who lives/works in Atlanta.

I got back from a late lunch a little while ago and about a block from my office, I passed a car load of guys who looked like BATF guys getting suited up in all of their Kevlar gear. Yeah. They're all right outside my door with a SWAT team and a SWAT helicopter. There are guys running around with guns drawn. All of the folks from Big Cat studios (across the parking lot) are outside, handcuffed on their knees.

Big Cat is a local studio catering to rap artists, although I've never really heard anyone from their label before. I think I read an article recently about one of their artists getting arrested in Buckhead though... you know, the usual...

The funny thing about Atlanta though is that you periodically waver between safety and danger while unknowingly befriending the "bad guys." Same friend who sent email said she has been told several times by aforementioned neighbors that she should call them to escort her to her car when she works late at night, because they've seen her on the security cameras leaving sometimes near or after midnight by herself.

Shit, I just had some carjacking motherfuckers fuck me up a couple of weeks ago, yet I still have no reservations about rolling in the ATL.

Its a city with that duality.

YOU CAN GET KILLED WALKIN YO DOGGY!!

The Bronx made me immune to shit such as worrying about personal safety, gunshots, fire/police alarms etc, etc, etc. My wife gets pissed when she finds out I've takin our dog for a walk at like 3:00 am.

Damned if these thunderstorms every day don't freak me out though.

Steve

Funny book I just got done reading: Bleachy Haired Honky Bitch: Tales from a Bad Neighborhood by Hollis Gillespie. Interesting insight into buying a home in Atlanta's more "sketchy" neighborhoods.

http://www.hollisgillespie.com/

In a really serious one right now.

Yesterdays round fried my security gate controller ($535 to replace the board) on one property and f'ed up my new and recently installed camera system (nothing permanent) on the other.

And yes I use top of the line surge protectors but lightning is lighning.

Jesus, this shit is shooting through the office.

Ive lived in GA for 30+ years and this is the worst/rainiest summer EVER.

These do suck. Seems like they've been going all summer.

Nice! I bet she mentioned the Little 5 area or the East Atl Village once or twice.

She writes a weekly column in Creative Loafing also. She's a staple around the two above mentioned neighborhoods.

Atlanta is just experiencing growing pains I think. It's been growing a lot in the last 5 years. Not like the late 70's but still.

Actually Ben, she seems to speak more about the fringe areas in the West End of Atlanta -- Peoplestown, Capitol View, etc. And also, several comments on the gentrification of Cabbagetown, Kirkwood and Grant Park areas.

Rains EVERY DAY like clock work here. Sometime between 2-5 starts at one end of the city, and ends at the other.

Streets flood, people forget how to drive, run to their cars with newspapers over their heads or wait under awnings. I just stroll. I'd rather be wet than run..it's undignified.

As long as it doesn't rain this Tuesday, I don't give a fuck if Noah's Ark comes through this fucker in the ensuing weeks.

Just had this convo with the gf after we came out of the movies on Sunday to a pretty decent storm: I dont run in the rain.
A. You still gone get wet
B. You're right--its undignified
C. Your chances of slipping, falling and busting your ass multiply 10,000x