Couple of things

- Lord help me, but I just don't think this is a big deal. It appears to be a rather informal gathering, even if business is being discussed, and all the attendees have plainly said they don't object at all to the gathering being advertised or the public attending.

- I've mentioned this to several folks - and a few have agreed with me while others have not - but I strongly believe that crime is going to be a bigger issue in the 2010 mayoral race in Athens-Clarke County than it has been in recent years (if not ever). The surge of crime that has paralleled the ongoing economic crisis is not unexpected, but the persistence and magnitude of it is somewhat shocking. While we're not talking about Athens-Clarke County morphing into Eight Mile Road, there is a significant rise in burglaries, robberies and the like ... and that rise has remained constant for more than a year now. I'm not sure what the immediate answer is, but I would venture to say it includes additional investments in the police force and more targeted actions in troubled areas.

- Our guys won the litter pick-up thing, albeit without my assistance.

- The Legion Pool water is still pretty cold, but The Kid showed no fear in hopping in and letting me drag her all over the place.