Penny: My significant other doesn’t have any tattoos, which I love. But if she did, I’d want her to have an invisible one that you could only see in the black light that hangs over my bed. It would be a little secret between us. I’d get to see them, but nobody else would. It’s sexy she has no ink. I like her plainness. It’s delicious. She loves my ink. She plays with them. I love my tattoos, but I’m not a girl. It’s hypocritical, but that doesn’t change a thing. I’ve seen a lot of girls with a lot of ink and really bad tattoos.

Rhonda: Yes. That shows they’re going to have something in common with me, just like Buckhead people having blond hair. But I’d prefer someone with unique tattoos. A lot of guys have tribal tattoos, and it’s like, "Wow, that’s not original." Then they try to create a deep meaning behind it instead of admitting they got a really stupid tattoo. With Japanese symbols down your back you look like an idiot. It’s been done 5,000 times — not to mention you’re not fuckin’ Japanese.

Number of Chrysler dealerships targeted for elimination nationwide by June 9: 789

Number of GM dealerships estimated to be eliminated nationwide by late 2010: 1,110

Chrysler dealerships set to close in Metro Atlanta: 3

Chrysler's net loss in 2008: $16.8 million

Amount Chrysler has received in federal loans: $4 million

Estimated minimum number of job losses as a result of GM and Chrysler cuts: 100,000

Estimated number of jobs that will be created at a new Kia parts plant in west Georgia: 7,500

Rank of Chrysler among 17 major automakers when it comes to the fuel economy of its 2009 line of passenger vehicles: 13

Rank of Kia: 3

Sources: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, WSB-TV, NBC-Augusta, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

1) Keyshia Cole performs at Fox Theatre.

2) The Shed at Glenwood hosts a Magic Hat Beer Dinner.

3) MondoHomo kicks off at Eyedrum with Mondo Politico and performances by Athens Boys Choir and Gretchen Phillips.

4) KRS-One headlines Hip Hop Appreciation Week at the Loft.

5) The D.A.I.R. Project presents Georgia: Dance, Music, Poetry, Aerial.

(Photo courtesy Shed at Glenwood)

click to enlarge

• Yes, this is the only photo of The Cheetah we have in our database

So Monday's Memorial Day, and everybody's trying to tie up loose ends and meet early deadlines so they can take the day off work to light sparklers, eat barbecue, and watch Short Circuit on ABC Family.

Turns out we're not the only ones.

Atlanta's most beloved family-entertainment megaplex, The Cheetah on Spring Street, has issued a press release to inform field-trip coordinators, sex-positive patriots and wayward frat boys that it too will be closed on Monday.

The National Museum of Patriotism on Baker Street,  however, will be open.

Dancing resumes Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. No cover before 4 p.m. and we're told the lunch menu is actually quite fantastic.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

The AJC reports that more than two-dozen former judges, justices and prosecutors are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that a lower court should hear new evidence in the case of longtime death row inmate Troy Davis:

Among those signing the friend-of-the-court brief were former Deputy U.S. Attorney General Larry Thompson; two former state Supreme Court chief justices, including Norman Fletcher of Georgia; nine former U.S. attorneys, including former Georgia congressman Bob Barr and former FBI Director William Sessions; three former judges from the federal appeals court in Philadelphia; and former state attorneys general from Florida and New Jersey.

Davis has received eleventh-hour stays of execution three times in the past two years and is on the verge of exhausting every available appeal. To date, no court has heard evidence that seven of the nine trial witnesses to testify against him have since recanted their testimony, many of them claiming police initimidation.

(Photo courtesy Georgia Department of Corrections)

Remember how sad it was to watch Sen. John McCain grovel for right-wing votes during the presidential race, such as when he made nice with Jerry "Agent of Intolerance" Falwell? Well, get ready for more of the same here in the State that Time Forgot. Georgia is so far behind the political curve that Republicans running for statewide office feel they've got to act like the ink is still drying on the Contract for America in order to make it through the GOP primary alive.

And maybe they do, but it's still sad to watch. Take Secretary of State Karen Handel. She apparently felt as if her responsible, reasonable stint as Fulton County Commission Chairwoman didn't effectively position her to compete with fellow Republicans for higher office, so she's behaved like a partisan harpy ever since — trying to kick Democrats off the ballot, attempting a wholesale voter purge in clear violation of the Voting Rights Act, publicly reassuring Republicans that a surge in Obama-friendly voters was "a myth, ya'll." Yow.

The latest GOP soul-seller is Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton, another gubernatorial hopeful who reminded attendees of the state GOP convention this past weekend that he was the one who caused the big ruckus the last week of the General Assembly by blocking a resolution by black Democrats to make Pres. Obama an "honorary lifetime member of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus." Said Scott:

In the House, I was proud to lead the charge to kill the Obama Resolution that proclaimed him as a man of unimpeachable character. We are still one nation under God and no Resolution saying the president has unimpeachable character is going to pass as long as I have anything to say about it. In this race our party must be the party that offers the next generation of voters a governor that they believe in.

• May 18, 2009, 12:36 p.m., 1201 Peachtree Street

This photo was taken at 1201 Peachtree Street on May 18. Adam Perdue works as a delivery driver for a local Deli and he stops at Colony Square two to three times a week to make deliveries. On this day his car was booted while he was inside the building delivering someone’s lunch. Jason did not have any money on him to pay for the boot removal, so he had to call the store he worked at and ask them to send over the $50. “Its gonna cost me $50 to get this thing off my car and so far today I have only made $30,” he said.“Unbelievable man, I am just trying to make a living.”

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Two more utilities have backed out of a coalition that wants to build a proposed coal-fired power plant in Washington County, Ga.

From the Macon Telegraph:

Electric cooperatives representing half the stake in a proposed coal-fired power plant in Middle Georgia have pulled out of the deal, electric membership corporations confirmed Tuesday.

The $2.1 billion Plant Washington project is being developed for a site eight miles north of Sandersville by Power4Georgians, which originally consisted of 10 partner EMCs. The two with the largest stakes, Jackson and GrayStone Power, have pulled out, as have the smaller Excelsior and Diverse Power.

All the cooperatives that have stepped away from the plant cited uncertainty about future federal regulation of carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired plants, which seems eminent.

The four EMCs that withdrew represented 50 percent to 55 percent of the total stake in the plant, said Chip Stewart with Cookerly Public Relations, which represents Power4Georgians.

The Telegraph has a thorough report as to why the EMCs are leaving the project. Check it out.

Over 1200 people rallied in front of the Georgia capitol this evening for death row inmate Troy Davis. The rally was part of the "Global Day of Action for Troy Davis." Rallies for Davis were held in 45 states and 28 countries.

One of the speakers at the rally was former death row inmate Juan Melendez who served 17 years on death row for a crime that he did not commit. Melendez was freed in January of 2002 after another person's confession to the murder for which he was on death row was allowed to be heard in court. Just as in Davis' case no physical evidence linked Melendez to the crime. He was convicted on the false testimony of a police informant who was paid $5000 for the tip that cost Melendez 17 years of his life behind bars. "You can never release an innocent man from the grave," said Melendez during his speech at the rally.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Did you know Atlanta has the third-highest LGBT (lesbian, gay and both teams) population per capita of any major U.S. city? San Francisco ranks first, of course. But then, apparently, we're right behind Seattle (not to imply that Seattle's a bottom or anything). Excuse me, Seattle? I could see Miami or San Diego, but why would Seattle be a gay destination? There can't be that many jobs at Starbucks. If you're a straight woman living in Seattle, does that make you a fag hag?

Sorry, it appears I've allowed myself to become distracted by a piece of trivia included on a flier for a bipartisan political forum this Thursday. The local chapters of the Stonewall Democrats and Log Cabin Republicans are teaming up to host a meet-and-greet for the Atlanta mayor candidates.

The three leading candidates — City Council President Lisa Borders, Councilwoman Mary Norwood and State Sen. Kasim Reed — have all confirmed, and you're more than welcome to play a version of road trip bingo using any other declared candidates who show up.

The two-hour event begins at 6 p.m. at the Amsterdam Atlanta restaurant and bar at 502 Amsterdam Ave. There will be light hors d'oeuvres and drink specials. (I recommend the Zima and Red Bull — it's delish.)

BTW, has anyone else noticed the weird construction theme going on with the Stonewall Democrats and Log Cabin Republicans? What's next, the Stucco Libertarians?