11 Alive just reported that the five people who died last night during and following a shooting spree at Su Jung Beauty Health & Sauna — the shooter, who turned the gun on himself, was among them — were all related, either by blood or marriage ...
Investigators said the man shot his two sisters and their husbands before taking his own life at the Su Jung Beauty Health & Sauna at 6005 Buford Highway.The couples co-owned the spa. Neither their identities nor the gunman's have been released, but court documents identify the spa's primary owner as Kang Byong Ok, the shooter's brother-in-law.
The pastor of Ok's church told 11Alive News money problems may have played a role in the rampage.
Biggie Smalls said, "Money and blood don't mix ..." I won't include the rest of the lyric.
An outdoors enthusiast and nature lover, Benfield has been a vocal environmental advocate during her 14 years as a member of the Georgia House’s Natural Resource Committee. Her commitment to clean water and clean air issues grew even stronger after her son was diagnosed with asthma. “When I learned that Robert has asthma, it really hit home that pollution can hurt our most vulnerable citizens, our children,” said Benfield. “For the past 20 years, GreenLaw has been a leader in protecting Georgians from pollution, and I am excited to be able to focus my attention on cleaning up our air and water for our families.”“Stephanie was picked from an impressive pool of candidates due to her outstanding legal and public service credentials,” said Greg Presmanes, Chairman of GreenLaw’s Board of Directors. She received both an undergraduate and law degree from the University of Georgia. She graduated cum laude from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1992. Benfield served as a public defender and then went into private practice before being elected to the Georgia General Assembly in 1999. Benfield was given the Outstanding Lawyer in Public Service Award by the Atlanta Bar Association in 2011.
Stuckey Benfield replaces Justine Thompson, the quick-witted and straight-talking attorney who led GreenLaw in a successful 10-year battle against a proposed southwest Georgia coal power plant. She's moving to Florida to be closer to her family but will remain a staff attorney.

2. Besides conspiring to make us all fatsos, the Girl Scouts of America are destroying traditional family values by promoting homosexuality, sexualizing young girls, and operating as a tactical arm of Planned Parenthood, says smart/sane Indiana State Rep. Bob Morris. After the "small amount" of Internet research his wife did on the Girl Scouts revealed that they're a "radicalized organization" (his words — no joke), Morris made it his noble mission to stop the Indiana House from approving a non-binding resolution celebrating the Girl Scouts centennial anniversary. So, basically, that box of Samoas you just ate in one sitting ensured that some special little girl will become a lesbian who enjoys getting abortions in her spare time. Nice work.
3. DOOM LOOMS.

1. Come to CL's Political Party, with a panel discusion about APS redistricting, at our new offices
2. Drink and Doodle at ABV Gallery
3. R. Ring, Kelley Deal's new band, plays 529
4. Georgia Public Broadcasting screens More Than a Month
5. Mike Cooley of Drive By Truckers plays the Earl
Images and photography issues that caught our eye last week.

US Marine drinks cobra blood, must launch fullscreen
This is what a 20 million-mile an hour wind coming off a black hole might look like (Pictured above)
If you lived in your car for a month this is what it would look like
The story behind the top press photo of 2011 from the subject's point of view
How to distract the opposition
This should also include websites, newspapers and magazines


Let this serve as yet another warning: If you threaten other commenters and basically ramble like a racist bait-shop owner, you will be banned. We also plan to act on some of our most notorious sock puppets as well. Now, before you scream about the First Amendment, please realize that we're not going to ban people who disagree with us — just those who can't maintain some level of decency.
We love our commenters. We really do. But if you can't follow these simple rules, there are other websites where you can hang out.
If you have any questions or comments, please send us an email.
HB 954 — which would ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy versus the 24 weeks the law now allows for, and would make fewer concessions for the health of the mother — goes before the House Judiciary Committee today. In response, House democrats are having a little fun and proposing legislation that would completely ban vasectomies.
In a press release, House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams said, “The Republican attack on women’s reproductive rights is unconscionable. What is more deplorable is the hypocrisy of HB 954’s author [Doug McKillip, R-Athens]. If we follow his logic, we believe it is the obligation of this General Assembly to assert an equally invasive state interest in the reproductive habits of men and substitute the will of the government over the will of adult men.”
Wouldn't that be CRAZY? For the government to tell men what they can and can't do to prevent unwanted pregnancies?
Thank you, Dan Savage, for noticing this ...


2. Atlanta-based Home Depot 4th-quarter net income rose 32 percent, capitalizing on good weather ("chore time!") and "improving services such as online shopping and customer service." Well. That's innovative.
3. The Atlanta strip club Magic City is worried that its reputation will suffer because of a fatal shootout at a teen club by the same name in Augusta last month. I know this club, by reputation. I was running downtown last week about 6 a.m. with a homeless vet (BOMF Atlanta, good cause, join up). We were finishing up our morning walk-run, and the gentleman I'm running with points at the busses unloading at the MARTA Garnett Station, and then points across the street at Magic City, and says, "First place you go when you get off the bus! That's just good marketing!" Point being, they have a brand, and I agree this incident is responsible for some brand leakage.