Monday, May 20, 2013
The federal government is proposing a drop to a .05 percent blood-alcohol level.
The National Transportation Safety Board wants to reduce deaths caused by drunken drivers, and one of its ideas is to change how states measure drunkenness. The board has proposed reducing the blood-alochol limit to .05 percent, down from the .08 percent states enforce now, according to Fox News. That limit could mean one drink for a lot of women, and two drinks for a lot of men. "Our goal is to get to zero deaths because each alcohol-impaired death is preventable," NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman said in the Fox story. Among those who oppose the idea: Groups that sell alcohol. "Moving from 0.08 to 0.05 would criminalize perfectly responsible behavior," American Beverage Institute Managing Director Sarah Longwell said in a statement quoted …
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Mixed reviews on J.J. Abrams latest Star Trek epic, with at least one critic raving about the film.
See the new movie, 'Star Trek Into Darkness' playing at GTC Cherokee 16 at 355 Cinema View Drive. For more theater information, show times and pricing, click the links above. The premise, courtesy of the film's official website: When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be …
Saturday, May 11, 2013
'Great Gatsby' is playing this weekend in Woodstock.
Leonardo DiCaprio stars in Baz Luhrmann's take on "The Great Gatsby," which is at times more style than substance – just like like the novel's main character himself – say some critics. "The Great Gatsby" is rated PG-13 and runs two hours and 22 minutes. It is now playing at Cherokee 16 Cinemas in Towne Lake. For more theater information, show times and pricing, click the link above. Here's what else the critics are saying: Baz Luhrmann’s new film version of The Great Gatsby is stylish, slick, funny and entertaining—a bit detached at points, a bit overblown at others. That should be all that matters. — Jeremy Mathews, Paste Magazine Just because a film looks like it was dipped in 18-karat gold doesn’t mean it’s rich in quality. Take this 3…
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Do we move ahead as if nothing has happened? Where to do we go from here? Tell us in the comments below.
In the days since the Boston Marathon bombing and the firefight that ensued to capture the men suspected of planting the twin bombs, the national conversation has once again turned to the horror of attacks like the bombing and 9-11 as we try to process the tragedy. While some are reminded that for all the darkness in times like these, there are those who shine a light by running toward destruction to help. Others, however, process the mayhem differently and tend to become somewhat anxious about recurrences and potential vulnerability.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
A nonprofit organization is taking Gov. Nathan Deal to task for his neutral position on teens in Wilcox County, Ga., organizing an integrated prom.
Better Georgia, a progressive nonprofit organization, is criticizing Gov. Nathan Deal for "not taking sides" on an effort by four teenage girls to organize its first integrated prom in Wilcox County, Georgia. Gov. Nathan Deal was asked last week whether he'd supported the high school students' efforts, which he declined through a spokesman. "This is a leftist front group for the state Democratic party and we're not going to lend a hand to their silly publicity stunt," Spokesman Brian Robinson said
Saturday, April 13, 2013
A federal judge has ordered the FDA to make the pregnancy preventative available to women of all ages without a prescription.
A recent ruling by a federal judge in Brooklyn has renewed controversy on reproductive rights. U.S. District Court Judge Edward Korman overturned a 2011 decision by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius that the morning after pill only be available to girls under 17 years old via prescription. Sebelius' ruling went against a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommendation that the pill be available to all women and girls over the counter. The U.S. Justice Department is likely to file an appeal of Korman's ruling. Reaction to the ruling has been varied. "Today science has finally prevailed over politics," Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said in a statement. On the other side of …
Saturday, April 6, 2013
One critic calls the 3D release, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the film, "an absolute must-see."
Editor's note: You can see "Jurassic Park 3D" at Cherokee 16 Cinemas in Towne Lake or Carmike RiverStone 15 Cinemas in Canton. From the film's official website: With his remastering of the epic into a state-of-the-art 3D format, Spielberg introduces the three-time Academy Award-winning blockbuster to a new generation of moviegoers and allows longtime fans to experience the world he envisioned in a way that was unimaginable during the film’s original release. Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson and Richard Attenborough, the film based on the novel by Michael Crichton is produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Gerald R. Molen. The film's premise, courtesy of IMDb: During a preview tour, a theme park suffers a major …
The Georgia General Assembly was not able to pass a sweeping firearms bill that would have allowed gun owners to carry in churches, bars and on school campuses.
A proposal that would have allowed firearms to be carried in churches, college campuses and in bars died on the vine as the 2013 legislative session ended on Thursday. House Bill 512, which garnered much support across the state, sailed through the Georgia House of Representatives. However, its upper chamber counterpart, Senate Bill 101, could not muster enough support to pass before the close of the session. The issue over whether or not to allow firearms on the state's nearly 50 colleges and university campuses brought down the bill. However, supporters of the bill and the campus carry provision are confident the bill will return in 2014.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Employees who don't disclose information will pay a $600 penalty.
Is it fair for companies to ask employees to divulge their weight as part of their benefits programs? CVS pharmacy chain has informed its employees they must reveal their weight, height, body fat and blood pressure to the company's insurance provider, or face a $600 annual penalty. Some say this is an invasion of privacy and unfair, while others say it's common practice for employers to encourage employees to take part in incentives programs. CVS spokesman Michael DeAngelis defended his company's position in an email to The Huffington Post, saying that the company will not have access to the information, which instead will be reviewed by the firm overseeing CVS's benefits program. “Our benefits program is evolving to help our colleagues …
Saturday, March 16, 2013
This week's question centers around public funds going towards private schools that have explicit, severe anti-gay policies.
Earlier this year a group called the Southern Education Foundation (SEF) released a report indicating that some scholarship money generated through a Georgia tax credit program has been used at religious schools that ban gay, lesbian and bisexual students. The report states, At least 115 private schools participating in Georgia’s tax-funded scholarship program have explicit, severe anti-gay policies or belong to state and national private school associations that promote anti-gay policies and practices among their members. While SEF did not take issue with the policies of private religious schools, it did have a problem with tax dollars going to schools that discriminate against some people. Tax money, the group said in its report, should…
Woodstock
8:52 am on Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Follow the money...First DUI offense is $5,000 attorney's fees, $1,500 cash fine, $65/month probation fee for 12 months, $600 DUI class, $500 alcohol evaluation & treatment, employs a dozen workers and adds money to State court system - a serious reason to view the casual social aspects of alcohol. Take a cab, way cheaper and according to the NSTB, a safer choice (cough, cough) more ›