madness!

This weekend can be summarized mainly in terms of a) ACC basketball and b) less-than-healthy food. The connection between the two exists because the former was watched in establishments providing the latter. But, we had a great time hanging out with friends while cheering on the Jackets, from the pummelling of Virginia Tech to the nail-biting upset over UNC to the heartbreaking loss to the Dookies in the ACC Championship. Even though GT lost yesterday, I hope the spirit and determination they displayed over the weekend only continues to intensify as the NCAA tourney commences this week.

GA Tech, the no. 5 seed in the Albuquerque region, begins the NCAA Tournament by playing George Washington on Friday.

In other weekend news, we got a nifty birdfeeder for Christmas, and I've enjoyed watching the songbirds congregating on our porch over the last few weeks, as the weather has steadily warmed. This weekend, however, I noticed a couple of larger, uglier birds (of the crow/raven type) hanging out in the area. These unwanted guests have been menacing the smaller birds and claiming the feeder for themselves. I've been trying to figure out a (relatively) non-violent strategy for removing them, and I think I may find my Super Soaker useful in this endeavor. Stay tuned for updates.

On a much more serious note, the courtroom shooting tragedy cast a shadow over Atlanta this weekend. Chillingly, the courthouse is only a mile from my office, and the site of the suspect's apprehension is only a few miles north of our home. At almost every place we went this weekend, steady news coverage of the shootings and subsequent manhunt played as background noise, and police and State Patrol vehicles were ubiquitous. As the initial shock begins to wear off, it is becoming readily apparent that Fulton County is going to be under enormous scrutiny for both the overall security at the courthouse and their (mis)handling of the search for the fugitive. Unfortunately, it seems (to me, at least) that many of the criticisms are quite valid.