Six school buses bound for a metro Atlanta amusement park were involved in a multi-vehicle crash Saturday, sending 65 people to the hospital, including a seriously injured driver, Georgia authorities said.

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Six school buses crash on way to park

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the New York Times restaurant review. We're honoring the art of criticism in a series on the subject. It took Jay Rayner around 700 words to lay waste to a Russian empire. In a blistering review of famed Moscow restaurateur Arkady Novikov's eponymous London outpost this past February, the Observer critic pronounced the establishment so “astoundingly grim you want to congratulate the kitchen on its incompetence” and compared its cuisine to cheap Chinese food. He was just getting warmed up. “And so my advice to you. Don't go to Novikov. Keep not going. Keep not going a lot,” Rayner wrote. “In a city with a talent for opening hateful and tasteless restaurants, Novikov marks a special new low. That's its real achievement.” Harsh words, but for a professional restaurant critic, this was par for the course. As with any creative medium, the culinary arts are subjected to critical judgments. With the good, comes the bad. Or in the case of Novikov, the “very, very bad.” While some readers might think restaurant critics write with sharp knives, a poison-dipped pen and a particular appetite for disdain, those in the field argue otherwise. Their mandate is to be objective, to give an honest appraisal of the restaurant to their readers. “You still have a basic job to do; you’ve got to get it right, and that’s what people expect,” says Rayner, whose eBook “My Dining Hell: Twenty Ways To Have a Lousy Night Out” will be released on June 1. And part of getting it right means occasionally dropping, what the restaurant industry calls, the “goose egg” – a zero-star review that in essence says, “Take your hard-earned money elsewhere.” “With the negative reviews, I once said they were like chest infections and car crashes – they were things that happened to me, not things I went out looking for,” says Rayner. Hanna Raskin, the restaurant critic for Seattle Weekly , also agrees critics do not go to a restaurant because they know it’s going to be abysmal. “Not only is the writing not fun, but the research isn’t fun either. We’re the ones that have to eat that bad food again and again and again.” But before pen is put to paper, critics must get to the marrow of the matter and decide if the lousy restaurant is even worth a review. With a new hot spot opening nearly every week in major metropolitan areas, it’d be an unfeasible – and stomach-straining – task to conquer them all. “I’ll review it if it’s a restaurant that people are serious about because of a prominent location or well-known chef or local restaurateur behind it. Basically, if it’s something that my readers really want to know about,” says John Kessler, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's dining critic . Raskin and Rayner also cite the prominence of the chef, location and media campaign. If the venue in question is a little mom and pop place, it’s simply not reasonable. “The times when I haven’t written about a restaurant at all is when I realize the restaurant is not one that deserves the attention of a national newspaper,” says Rayner. To put it in stateside perspective, he compares it to reviewing a dreadful restaurant in Boise, Idaho. If no one is planning to go or already going there, the review won’t be entertaining – or more importantly, serviceable to the reader. A large part of that entertainment value is drawn from how the reviewer crafts the language of “the slam.” That means letting people know how things taste and how much things cost; a full sense of the harrowing experience often with a side of relatively good-natured snark. “We don’t want to sound like the disgruntled Yelper,” says Kessler, who maintains he’s always a half a grade nicer in print than if he were talking to a friend. “You don’t want to sound offended or bent out of shape if the restaurant is bad. You want to be a nice person about it but you also want to go to town.” Raskin also says that, in her negative reviews, the reader should infer “that it was probably even worse.” Rayner, however, serves it in the raw: what he says in the review is what he thought. “The ability of people in the restaurant business to screw things up and find unique ways to screw things up never ceases to amaze me,” he says, adding he’s in the business of selling newspapers, not restaurants. Kessler admires this cultural candor. “The English people are great because they take such glee in their snarky locution. Americans will never do that. We just can’t. It’s not in our culture to be poetic a**holes.” But, U.K. critics aren’t the only one finding glee in negativity – the audience relishes it as well. Raskin says she actually gets more positive comments from readers when she prints negative reviews. “Almost every time I wrote something negative, I get the feedback, ‘I’m so glad you’re telling it like it is. I’m so glad you said that.’ And nobody ever says that when I write a good review,” she said. To this point, Rayner cites a Leo Tolstoy quote: “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” What makes that particular restaurant bad also makes it unique – and uniqueness makes a much more compelling story. There's also a touch of schadenfreude, or pleasure derived from others' misfortunes. “You start your Sunday morning reading a terrible review of somebody’s restaurant and as long as you’re not the chef’s mother, you’re probably going to feel slightly better for the rest of the day,” says Rayner, who at one point spoke with a clinical psychologist about readers’ penchant for social comparing. “I often say that my column is read for vicarious pleasure or brackish displeasure,” he adds. Yet, for every disparaging word written and read, these critics realize the pen is mightier than the fork. In 2003, master French chef Bernard Loiseau took his own life following a bad review of his restaurant, the Cote d'Or, by GaultMillau and reports that he would lose his third Michelin star – the highest rating a restaurant can attain by the Michelin Guide . While Loiseau already suffered from depression, some felt the reviews may have been his breaking point. In 2007, after former New York Times critic Frank Bruni awarded zero stars to restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow’s Kobe Club, Chodorow fired back. He ran a full-page ad in the Times attacking Bruni’s assessment , citing the review as a personal attack and questioning Bruni’s qualifications to be in the critic’s post. When Raskin was the food critic for the Dallas Observer, she said she received death threats. And Rayner has been invited outside for a go. “I think most critics realize it’s not just the chef or the owner you’re addressing here, but the careers of the cooks in the kitchen, the dishwashers and the servers all ultimately depend on what you say,” said Raskin. “We take this responsibility very seriously.” As journalists, they know how it feels to be subject to an outsider's opinion. “To be a writer is an act of great arrogance – to think that anybody would give a damn about what you have to say. You, therefore, have to take what anybody wants to say about you – and it’s not fun,” says Rayner. Ultimately, critics are paid for how they write, not how they eat – and for restaurants on the receiving end, that’s the bitter truth. Take Our Poll Do you have a favorite “bad” review? We'd love if you'd share it in the comments below. Previously – For restaurant reviewers, are health risks at critical mass? and Everyone's a critic, some just call it their day job

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Written in the stars: the art of the bad review

A three-alarm fire broke out Tuesday night in one building in the Tyler Perry Studios in southwest Atlanta, a fire official told CNN.

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Huge fire at Tyler Perry’s studios

Sink your teeth into today's top stories from around the globe. Meet the newest peacekeeper in the fork vs. chopstick battle: the chork. – Gizmodo Nicholas D. Kristof asks you to consider whether your eggs in the morning are worth jamming 11 hens into a 2 feet by 2 feet cage. – New York Times So, y'know that Kobe beef slider you've been raving about? It's not real Kobe beef. In fact, nothing in the United States legally is. – Forbes For bakers, recipes are a source of immortality. – Gilt Taste D'oh! Beer makes men smarter…sort of. – Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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Box lunch: Chorks and beer-fueled brains

When Jennifer Clardy Chalmers was little, she left her teddy bear on a flight from Texas to Louisiana. At least one of them was inconsolable. While the 10-year-old tried to readjust to life without her stuffed companion, Preppy Bear was traveling the country — to Atlanta and then to Florida before winging it back home to Shreveport, La. A small squadron helped recover the bear: Jennifer’s parents, who immediately called the airline; Delta crew members, who located the toy and rerouted it to Shreveport; and a neighbor, who collected Preppy Bear at the airport and gave him a lift to the Clardy residence. Read full article > >

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Lost and found in the travel industry: Not necessarily a lost cause

Chocolate is one of life's greatest pleasures, but for the children working in slavery conditions in cacao fields across West Africa's Ivory Coast, the reality behind it is anything but sweet. Some 70 to 75 percent of the world's cocoa beans are grown on small farms in West Africa, including the Ivory Coast, according to the World Cocoa Foundation and the International Cocoa Initiative . The CNN Freedom Project reports that in the Ivory Coast alone, there are an estimated 200,000 children working the fields, many against their will, to satisfy the world's hunger for chocolate. The average American eats around 11 pounds of chocolate each year, and the weeks leading up to Easter show the second biggest United States sales spike of the year next to Halloween – 71 million pounds according to a 2009 Neilsen report. A recent press release from Kraft claims that worldwide, more consumers purchase chocolate during Easter than any other season. So how does a chocolate lover ensure that the treats filling their family's Easter baskets are not supporting a life of slavery for a child half a world away? Opt for organic Gene Tanski, a supply chain expert and CEO of Demand Foresight says that the most basic way to ensure that you don't purchase chocolate that is made with slave labor is to insist on organic. “There are no organic growing techniques, capability, or much interest in West Africa or the Ivory Coast or Ghana. Most of the trees there were planted about 25 years ago and they're on the downside of their productive life,” Tanski says. “If you're buying organic chocolate or cocoa you're nearly ensured that there is no slave labor involved in the growing or production of that chocolate, and you can track the chain.” Consider the origin Tanski says to pay attention to where the chocolate is grown and produced. Because of measures like the Harkin-Engel Protocol or “Cocoa Protocol” which was enacted in 2001 to enlist companies to voluntarily certify they had stopped the practice of child labor, as well as some of the components of free trade, consumers are starting to be able to track where cocoa comes from. “If it comes from Africa, there is most likely slave labor involved. If it comes from South America or Asia, chances are that there is not. That's not to say there aren't poor conditions, but it's not the slave labor that's highlighted in the CNN report. The tracking is getting better and better all the time,” he adds. Look at the label “You should be looking for chocolate that's a bargain for you, that's delicious for you, and that's good news for people who took part in the production,” Stop the Traffik founder Steve Chalke tells CNN's Richard Quest. He says to look for a Fair Trade or Rainforest Alliance symbol on the packaging, because it shows that there was no slavery involved in the production of the bar. Later this year, chocolate consumers will be able to purchase a new version of Hershey's Bliss brand, which will be 100 percent made from Rainforest Alliance-certified farms mostly in Ivory Coast and Ghana, according to a press release from the company . Click to watch video “It'll still make you fat,” Chalke jokes, “But you'll be ethically fat.” Go straight to the source Kristen Hard, the owner of Cacao Atlanta , puts her money where her customers' mouths are and travels to farms in places like Brazil and Venezuela to deal directly with the growers. For her, it's a matter of quality control – both for her product and the lives of her producers. “Whatever you're purchasing is funding something; it's a choice that you're making every day,” she says. “Buying fair trade can benefit the environment and the social status of the farmers. Or, you can do the opposite and promote child labor.” While Hard believes that fair trade is better than the commodity system, with the recent rise in small-scale chocolate production, direct trade is a better solution, and pays off for customers in the form of a better product. She says, “We purchase beans from farmers at a much higher price than commodity, so they can value what they do, stay happy, and not just put food on the table. What we negotiate is quality and a schedule, and all of the things that should be important to a consumer.” Develop a taste Hard knows that people form a passionate bond with the flavor of chocolate early in life, and it's most often the inexpensive and widely available kind. Still, she believes, people will be willing to pay more once they taste the difference. “Once they taste the quality product, they'll understand,” she says. “A lot of times when people are farming a commodity, they'll cut corners because they want to make their money faster and it can can destroy the flavor. But, if this more premium chocolate is not what you're used to, the initial reaction can be, 'Oh, I don't like that.' It's like having fresh juice rather than sugar water. Whatever you grew up with programmed to like, your body is going to say, that's unfamiliar; I don't like it. Once you try it, you'll wonder where it's been your whole life.” More resources for buying ethically produced chocolate Stop the Traffik Slave Free Chocolate Fair Trade Finder App The CNN Freedom Project sent correspondent David McKenzie into the heart of the Ivory Coast – the world’s largest cocoa producer – to investigate what's happening to children working in the fields. Watch an excerpt of “Chocolate's Child Slaves” and see all Freedom Project coverage on the topic . Once you've gotten the goods, try these delicious recipes from iReport's Fair Trade Chocolate Challenge Take Our Poll

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The bitter truth behind the chocolate in your Easter basket

Sink your teeth into today's top stories from around the globe. “Can you imagine walking 100 feet with the bucket, which weighs 32 pounds, full of tomatoes when the temperature is 105 to 108 degrees?” A look at the tough conditions in which tomatoes are picked. – Perennial Plate A look at the new breed of restaurant-goer, also known as “young people spending 25% of their paychecks on pickled lamb’s tongues.” – New York Magazine Georgia restaurant, Chops & Hops, has removed its Chris Brown- and Rihanna-themed “black and bleu” sandwich. – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution John Nicholson was overweight and ill … until he started eating meat. – Daily Mail Ready for summer? Try a tiki-licious Painkiller for good measure. – Globe & Mail

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Box lunch: Tomato pickers and a ‘black and bleu’ controversy

Four years ago, the Giants rode a late-season wave to an unlikely championship, and now — after beating Atlanta — they are three wins away from a title that would be even more of a surprise.

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Giants 24, Falcons 2: Giants Beat Falcons in N.F.C. Wild-Card Game

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. —The New York Giants began the postseason just as they ended the regular season, with a solid performance — and a victory — under win-or-else circumstances. They used three touchdown passes by quarterback Eli Manning , a significant contribution by their running game and dominant defense to beat the Atlanta Falcons, 24-2 , in a first-round NFC playoff game here Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Read full article > >

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NFL playoffs 2012: New York Giants crush Atlanta Falcons, 24-2

ATLANTA — The number of twins born in the U.S. soared over the last three decades, mostly the result of test-tube babies and women waiting to have children until their 30s, when the chances of twins increase. In 2009, 1 in every 30 babies born in the U.S. was a twin, an astounding increase over the 1 in 53 rate in 1980, according to a government report issued Wednesday. Read full article > >

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Older mothers, fertility treatments driving a big increase in twin births, new CDC report says

A sellout crowd was quickly quieted by a dominant Atlanta Hawks team that romped from start to finish, with the Nets struggling mightily out of the gate for the second straight night.

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Hawks 106, Nets 70: Nets and Crowd Silenced in Home Opener

The NBA released its lockout-shortened 2011-12 schedule tonight. Here is the schedule for the Washington Wizards: DECEMBER Dec. 26, Monday, vs New Jersey 7:00 Dec. 28, Wednesday, vs Atlanta 7:30 Read full article > >

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Wizards to open season Dec. 26 vs. New Jersey

Oh, to have been in the next room when Herman Cain arrived home Friday to talk with his wife, Gloria, about what he called a longtime “friendship” with Ginger White, the Atlanta woman who claims the two had a 13-year affair. “He should come with security,” said Queen Aishah of Bowie, who performs at the Riot Act Comedy Theater in the District. “He should wear a helmet, and he should not speak because he’s said too much already.” Read full article > >

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What should Herman Cain tell his wife? Ask the comedians.

Embattled presidential candidate Herman Cain is inviting his top supporters and donors to Atlanta on Saturday for a meeting in which he will give them advance word of whether he intends to continue his campaign , sources close to the campaign said Friday. “Tomorrow in Atlanta, I will be making an announcement. But no one is gonna get me to make that prematurely,” Cain said Friday at a town hall event in South Carolina. Read full article > >

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Herman Cain nearing decision on candidacy

Update. 1:12 p.m : According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Long’s wife has withdrawn her divorce petition. Bishop Eddie Long’s wife had filed for divorce , according to a statement released Friday by Vanessa Long’s attorney. Read full article > >

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Report: Eddie Long’s wife rescinds divorce papers