Some new machines have a little trouble switching votes.

It was apparent to the voters when it happened, evidently. It is very clear who you are voting for when you push the button, unlike the old style machines. You see a big "X" and the area in front of the name becomes orange/red. Even if it did it some, you could not help to notice it. You also have an opportuntiy to review and correct any votes before you submit them. This should not be a problem. If I was mean spirited like most Republicans I would say, "if you cannot see that you a making a mistake, maybe you shouldn't be allowed to vote," like they did during the Florida ruckus. But I am not that mean. I certainly do not see the problem affecting any races. It happened to only a few machines early in the day.

You can see the ballot in this picture. The large red boxes with a "X" show your vote as you push the buttons. If the wrong one lit up, you would see it right away.

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Do you want to know why Bush is President?

A quick and easy lesson by Alterman. Bush was charming, Gore was hated, and the press served us pablum that had nothing to do with issues and consequences of electing either candidate. There is no liberal media, and very little media of consequence. A read for everyone.

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New voting machines in Georgia given thumbs up!

They like them! They really like them!

Turnout appears to be heavy.

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Little Five Points going upscale?

The home for hippies, punks, Goth kids, tattoo parlors, second hand shops, and anything out of the ordinary is facing pressure from developers. As "inside the perimeter" continues to revitalize, property values climb, locals are forced out, and little quaint areas become homogenized. So now Little Five Points may become home to another Wal-Mart and Home Depot strip center, or some such bland suburban combination of box stores.

I venture into Little Five Points periodically to catch plays at the Horizon Theater. It is always a pleasure to see little Goth girls running around, tattooed people parading, lines snaking out of popular restaurants and bars, as well as homeless men humming trash barrels at each other. There are shops with incense drifting out the door, second hand stores featuring clothes like my mom used to wear in the '70's, art galleries featuring anything but, and funky little restaurants. It is Atlanta's most diverse and outrageous are. To think that it can now all be ruined by 800,000 square feet of corporate consistency does appall me.

Now don't get me wrong, I like corporate consistency as much as the next guy. When I am in a strange town, I like knowing that I can get a mediocre meal that is just like the mediocre one I can get in my home town. That is comforting. That is not what Little Five Points is about, however. I hate to see the changes that the winds are blowing.

You Neanderthal Ninnies!

One of the greatest comedic villains to ever appear on the small screen has passed away. I would say unexpectedly, but at 87 years of age, it really isn't unexpected. Jonathan Harris, known to millions as Dr. Zachary Smith, after a blood clot reached his heart while being treated for an unrelated illness. He shall live on in reruns for many decades I am sure.

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