Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants, by Otter at Grasping For The Wind:

I never thought of pain as a gift, at least not until I read the book Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants also entitled (in more recent editions) The Gift of Pain but Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey.

Legend, also by Otter at Grasping For The Wind:

It is said that good authors only become great authors after they die. Whether or not this is true, I do know that I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a great fantasy author only after his death. David Gemmell...

Spring and Southerness, by Belle Ah at Southern Somedays:

Am I Southern? That is a question I do not ponder. It only took relocation to New York for my deeply southern genes to become blaringly dominant.

Raven Symone Is Looking Svelte!, by La La at Tra La La:

Atlanta's own Raven is one of the nicest people! She's actually genuine and kind!

Ayllón in Georgia, 1526, by Another History Blog:

What was the first European settlement in Georgia? James Oglethorpe founded Savannah in 1733. But over two centuries before Oglethorpe reached the Georgia coast, another settlement existed here: San Miguel de Gualdape, established in 1526.

The Best Wildflower Walk in Georgia, by Terrell at Alone on a Limb:

If you have an interest in the flora of Northwest Georgia, find a way to get to the Pocket Trail on Pigeon Mountain near LaFayette in the next few days.

Sunday Seven...Being Thankful For My Southern Heritage, by Elisheva at Got Bible?:

Here in the great state of Georgia it would seem that we are still trying to come to terms with our ugly past regarding slavery and our secession from the Union.

Mr. Edwards' Matter, by Grayson at The Spacey Gracey Review:

I can't stop thinking about John Edwards' decision to continue his campaign for President with a sick wife to worry about and care for. Warning: I am not going to sugar-coat this blog entry.

Did You Know? Shift Happens!, by Elementaryhistoryteacher at History is Elementary:

I must have missed this back in August and in subsequent months as it became viral. I guess I stay immersed in the past a little too much and sometimes miss the present.

A Georgian Gave the Lone Star to Texas, by Elementaryhistoryteacher at Georgia On My Mind:

The little of town of Knoxville, Georgia is so small you wouldn’t have heard of it even if you drove right through it. It’s the county seat of Crawford County, but it only has about 800 people living there.

Much a-twitter about nothing?, by Shelbinator:

So the first thing at the top of my Google Reader list over coffee this morning was a post by a self-titled Web Strategist that sings the praises of Twitter and relays the suggestion of another technophile that Twitter has eclipsed Dodgeball, ’cause Twitter is the more excellent and cool.

The following posts weren't submitted to the Carnival, but they are some of my favorites from our blogroll, and seemed in keeping with the mostly Southern theme:

Rusty Tanton's flickr photos of small town Georgia. I love these photos and keep going back to them again and again. They remind me of road trips to visit family in tiny towns like Bunkie Lousiana and Picayune Mississippi.

The Response, by Grift at Drifting Through the Grift:

It's one of those of driving off a cliff moments. It's a statement you never expect so you never plan. Birth, marriage and even death carry stock responses stored in the brain for years in expectation they will one day be used. But even the most careful planner spends no time pondering what to say when a loved one tells you they have cancer.

Speakers of the House, by A.man.I Channel at My Urban Report:

I just completed my first official freelance video project in Atlanta. The video is promoting a book called "Speakers of the House" written by Morehouse College graduate John Eaves, Ph.D. He wrote the book to highlight the importance of education, and the legacy of 30 Morehouse grads.

Finally, there's a new blog aggregator that everyone is jazzed about, called BlogNetNews. Go check it out and help us stay in the top five by giving us a high score. Be sure to add your blog while you're there. If you blog mostly about Georgia politics, are liberal/progressive and would like us to include your link to our blogroll, please leave it in the comments here.

Have a great weekend everyone, and consider this your Friday Open Thread.