December

The Secretroom Popsicles and Pajamas party was pretty weak. The main show never happened and with only a moderate turnout and not-great music (say No to Dub-Step) the night wasn't very exciting. But it's hard to throw a good party this time of year when most people have left for family gathering and those that remain are split between events. At least I got out of the house and I did take some fun pictures which are now posted. (Write me for the entry code). I did some shopping at Twisted Toyland but mostly enjoyed the demos and socializing. Pictures were prohibited but I saw some photographers shooting there so I expect to see a few online in the future. I had a little fun on the side with TJ and Firix when they borrowed a jacket from me. Can't wait to hear how that story ends. The Cyberaver White-Out Christmas was fun despite the terrible music. I don't know how that was allowed to happen, but I took lots of pictures of cool people and managed to have fun anyway. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code).

Oni's December Ritual Party, Jingle Hell Rock was good fun. Many elves dressed up for a fun night of music and dancing. The Shelter was nicely decorated and Santa was in the house: Many took the opporunity to sit in his lap - A few even made wishes: But I think he had more fun using his oversized cane on the naughty. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code). I went tree hunting with some friends. They always go for a big tree and need extra hands to wrangle it on the car and then in into the house. On the way over we reviewed the rules to ensure everyone's safety - People forget how dangerous an activity it can be. Luckily no one got hurt though getting it in the house and upright was proved very difficult.

My friend Bill threw a small holiday party at his studio. It was fun to hang with friends for a while without any loud music or distractions - just friendly conversation. It was very nice.

November

Secretroom and Eros Society teamed up for Spanksgiving at the Jungle Club. The night started off slow but eventually grew to the dance extraviganza I expected. I was let down by the lack of appropriate furniture for the theme but I managed to make my own fun with some new friends. The shows, which had Pilgrims and Indian misbehaving, were fun and messy. The picture gallery is up. (Write me for the entry code)

For Thanksgiving I ate fried turkey from Popeye's, sweet potatoes from Trader Joe's, and Stove Top stuffing. There was some other stuff but that was made it special for me.

I enjoyed the yearly art gathering by the Ikaros Art Collective at Art Space International. There was beautiful art, nice performances and the opportunity to talk to artists and models. I had a good time.

The 2nd Annual Mechanical Masquerade at Blue Mark Studios was very cool. The strict dress code made the event a visual smorgasbord of Steampunk and formal wear that was impressive. I enjoyed listening to a few ghost stories out by the fire and a lovely fashion show. The chamber music was perfect. My biggest complaint was the venue was much too small and crowding a major problem - That's why I left long before I got my fill of pictures.

Oni's November Ritual Party: WOW! The theme, Quarantine - Medical madness brought out a huge crowd of naughty doctors and nurses for an amazingly fun time. Even though there were no performances, the night had an amazing energy as everyone danced and “played doctor” with a wide variety of medical devices available. Even those that didn't dress up were brought into the mayhem as patients and joyfully abused: It was great! I'm only going to mention the flavored tongue depressors and rubber gloves to give you an hint. I was a good doctor myself, handing out lollys to all my patients. The Shelter crew should be very proud it was so much fun. Scandalous pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code)

I saw the preview for Immortals and if it were up to me it would be rated NC-17 for the barbaric and excessive violence. People being decapitated, cooked and butchered for entertainment is rampant throughout the movie. King Hyperion makes Freddie Kruger look amateur. It was a good and entertaining movie but the gore level puts it in the horror genre more than the drama group. There were some new effects that were very good and I did enjoy the movie.

Mon Cherie kicked off her Bon Voyage, World Tour Destination Party at the Shelter with a Hawaiian party. There were island themed performances and a bathing suit contest. It was a fun night.

I was a movie extra for Neighborhood Watch being filmed around Marietta. GA. They advertised for people to fill a high school stadium so I took the day off and went out. It was cold and boring but I had a book and enjoyed watching how a big-budget movie is made. It took two nights as they filmed from the visitor's side of the field the first night and the home side the second night. They filmed five different camera angles each night five times - So Ben Stiller had to do the scene 50 times. The poor cheerleaders were very cold and shivering and I really felt sorry for them. On the plus side, they did provide pizza, snacks and free stuff like T-shirts and DVDs. Ben did pose for a few pictured and signed a few autographs. As directed, I did not take pictures.

October

The Secretroom Halloween party at the Jungle Club was awesome. They really decorated the room well with lots of ghosts, cool sculptures and well done lighting. The night opened with a musical performance by Starbolt 9 which the room didn't appreciate. The two burlesque performances that followed by Streetzie Desire and Madelina Horn were, on the contrary, very well received and awesome! Streetzie Desire took the stage first, wearing a devilishly red costume, with a lovely Voodoo burlesque routine that utilized a coffin and red feather fans: It was beautiful to watch. Madelina Horn, wearing all black, took her act to the next level with a burlesque striptease that climaxed with aerobatic work using a ring suspended above the audience: The crowd went wild. Later, the night concluded with a costume contest that had the stage full of both scary and naughty boys and girls. There were many excellent costumes but in the end it was the villain Scarecrow, from the Batman comic, that stole the prize. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code)

Like most things in my life of late, the Little 5 Points Halloween Festival and Parade was disappointing. Although I got there way early to get a good spot, the parade was messed up and my strategy failed. The crowd kept moving further out into the street making photos very difficult. Then several gaps made the crowd break up halting the parade before it was over and I missed several floats: What a mess. But I had fun and ran into a few friends. Best of all I was introduced to two new bands that I hope to see again: the Pelvis Breastlies and Siberia My Sweet. Pictures are posted.

Hey Pops! Happy 75th

Mon Cherie Cirque Debau’ Cherie ~ The Sexiest Show On Earth was also a fun night with a variety of exciting acts. The Wild Kitty Show was my favourite. I had a fun time taking pictures but was disappointed at the end of the night when my camera's memory card failed. I'd taken some great long exposure shots of Rebecca DeShon's lighted Hula hoop, several group shots of friends and lots of people having a good time: Losing those shots was very disheartening but fortunatly I found some recovery software and saved the pictures. I also won several of the raffle prizes and passed them out to my friends making their night a little brighter. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code). Oni's Ritual Party at the Shelter was good fun. The Vampire theme brought out an eclectic collection of goth and Victorian garb with some people taking it in another direction. Specifically the two folks in white gowns were amazing. To the right is my favourite Mistress of the Dark - Mary. Many at the ball offered themselves to her. There are two glaring omissions from my gallery: Siren Screams and Von Helsing. I have no idea how that happened - Sorry guys, you looked great! Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code). I finally made it out to Netherworld and had a good time. It wasn't as scary as I thought but the darkness and effects were very cool. We did both houses. Easily worth the money.

September

The Skin Two USA Party by Secretroom was fun. There were lots of beautiful people wearing outrageous fashions which was fun to see and shoot. There was a chainmaile fashion show, a latex fashion show and a naughty performance before the doors finally closed at 3am. Sparr set up a suspension station and had several takers, but it was way too small. Nearby someone was giving electrical demos for the brave. Mostly though, the night was about dancing and socializing. The name of the bar has changed but everything I dislike about it hasn't: Too small, too expensive, terrible drinks and really lousy staff. The doorman harrassed me and was a total jerk. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code).

Jennifer Daniels & Adam Levy played a very good show at Eddie's Attic. The place was filled and everyone had a good time. Baby news: The twins, Colin and Kate have started potty training. Jen told the humming bird story, the bat story and the rattle snake story. Also funny was the commentary about her graduate school class on gender and how she's observing it in the twins' development. Service at Eddie's was very good - Shout out to Laura at the bar for being cool.

I enjoyed a night out at the Das Bunker dance party although the music wasn't a good as usual. Neither I Parasite, Android Lust, or Roughhausen were impressive. The night started out badly as a new places next door had a grand opening party amd the parking lot at the Shelter was packed. But I ran into a few friends and still had a good time.

Even though I skipped DragonCon, I still went to Oni's D*Con-Pression Costume Ball at the Shelter. There weren't as many costume as I'd expected but the place was very crowded with people having a good time. I met a new person called JJ who was showing-off her big gun. Needless to say, an impromptu photo shoot followed. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code).

I really enjoyed opening night of the Blast-Off Burlesque World Tour. They were funny and sexy as the did skits as a travel log around the world. I'm always thrilled to see Sadie Hawkins do the aerials. I brought the camera but without using a flash I'm not sure they are web-worthy.

It was raining, so the Temple Kol Emeth Nibble & Noshfest of Jewish food and entertainment moved inside. There were several booths of local jewerly and arts but the food wasn't very jewish: Just kosher. I did get some traditional brisket and enjoyed the music for a while.

It's been a while since I went down to the Shakespeare Tavern and caught a show but I was in the mood. So I went down and saw the preview showing of The Comedy of Errors. Traffic was bad and I arrived late so I missed dinner which was upsetting. I also had a warning light come on on the bike which kept me distracted though the show. The show wasn't bad and I think it will do alright. I made it home without drama too.

August

I'm disappointed that so few people came and dressed up for the Metropolis II: Sci-Fi Carboard Robot Costume Party at the Shelter. It was a great idea, inexpensive and easy to do. I guess people were just too busy with DragonCon coming up. Still a few people did an awesome job and we had a good time. Pictures are posted. Congrats to the winners - Ferne, Oni, Amiee n Gracie

My unplanned trip home went about as well as can be expected. Though a sad occasion it was good to see the extended family. I did my best to be supportive and help out as much as I could. We also took the opportunity to visit several family graves which will help my sister with her ancestral tree project. A thunder storm rolled through and we spent the evening in a blackout. I was at the airport when the earthquake hit and it was chaos for a while as they evacuated the plane and told us we'd be grounded for at least two hours. That completed the misery hat trick.

This month's Ritual by Oni party at the Shelter had more people but less fun. Not too many people dressed the theme: Heavenly Warriors - Gods and Goddesses which I found disappointing. The music was more pop and disco than usual which kept the dance uncrowded. I was told there were several events that weekend which may explain why most of the usual suspects weren't there. But there were a few surprises: People who I haven't seen in a while that made appearances and I met a few new people which made it a worthwhile night. I'm not too exited about the Sept. theme and may skip. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code).

I should have made this rule a while back - No more Daniel Craig movies. The guy is a boring waste of film. The latest evidence: Cowboys and Aliens: A mannequin would have been just as good in his role. And while I liked the idea of old west cowboys fighting off ET the story was not very good. All the characters were outlaws which I didn't appreciate. In the end, all the criminals get away with their crimes. And the icing on the cake was the inexcusable waste of the beautiful Olivia Wilde. Not even worth renting.

Tsubasa's electronic book release party at Jill's place was very nice. Jill mixed up a punch and Bill posted his art work for a relaxed evening of comraderie. Lot's of people showed and everyone had a nice time.

The movie Captain America wasn't bad. They followed the comic book closely enough and the special affects and acting weren't bad. Simple but fun. Yes, there was something after the credits for those who waited.

July

I went to the The Shelter For The Shelter Benefit and had fun dancing and socializing for a good cause. A fun evening was had by all and a few prizes were given out too.

Christmas In July at the Shelter did not have a good turnout though I did have a good time. The decorations were very nice and a few people dressed very well.

Gilded Trash:A Night of Glam Rock at the Masquerade was epic fun as a few hundred people put on the glitter and boa scarves for a night of Glamtastic fun. I had a good time taking pictures of the beautiful people. It really wasn't my kind of music but the eye candy was delicious. See my pix here.

I went over to the Shelter for this month's Das Bunker dance party. It took a while for the crowd to arrive but the performance by Dismantled was worth the wait. Pictures are posted.

This month's Ritual Party, hosted by Oni and Jody, was themed Twisted Fairytales: Snow White's Revenge. There were classic fairytale characters like Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood but many more modern fable characters like Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. There were several knights and Oni was dressed as the evil queen. DJ Ghost and DJ Spin Monkey provided the music. Fun was had until the wee hours. During the party, we got a sneak peek at the upcoming play, Snow, Glass and Apples based on the Neil Gaiman story. In this version, Snow White is an evil vampire. Visit In By The Eye for more information. As usual, most of the men in the room didn't dress up. There were a few in Ren-fair clothing and a couple with wolf hats but only a few with serious costumes. One outstanding costume was a man in body paint and another of note was DJ Ghost as a full on French prince. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code).

I'm going to put Steal the Show: A Body Paint Art Show/Contest at Studio 484 in the FAIL category. The announcement clearly stated that the event started at 5pm but when I got there at 5:30 it was empty. But let me not skip the part where the main entrance on the street was locked with a sign telling me to walk around the block to a back door where it took three tries to find the right door. Further disappointing me, the doorman said he didn't expect anything to start until eight or nine. Inside two models and Carl waited in a small dirty room which I think is the extent of Studio 484. I walked outside and decided to kill some time at Edgewood Pizza. The place was dirty and hot but the pizza was crispy and although salty not too bad. Since I still had two hours to kill, I went next door to the Corner Tavern. The place was tiny and the bartender gave me attitude when I asked about a wheat beer: Something about only having American beers. I sampled the two white beers on tap and ordered the less bitter one. But as I slowly drank it I noticed two more appealing wheat beers in the fridge. I watched Scrubs on the tele for an hour and decided it was time to bail. It was only 7pm and I couldn't convince myself that the show was going to be worth the heat and cramped space. Luckily I hadn't wasted $10 on parking or paid the entrance fee.

I took a few personal days to catch up on home projects and “Me time” which included walking the Silver Comet Trail. I was delighted to discover the trail is shaded and clean though constantly being buzzed by speeding bicyclists detracted from the experience. I went three or four miles each day and was surprised how few people could be bothered to return a simple greeting.

Looking for something to do, I went back to the the Shelter to check out the Art League of Atlanta's Friday Night Art Fight. The event posting said my friend Megan would be painted, which made me grab my camera with enthusiasm. Upon arriving I was delighted to discover a nice crowd and a cold room: The Shelter's A/C had been fixed. A little later Meg Golding and Jon Hiler went head-to-head painting on canvas while , Allison Kellar body-painted Ashlie. Although I was disappointed my friend Megan was there and her substitute wasn't anxious to pose for my pictures, it was still a fun night.

June

Once again, the heat of Atlanta made a good event not-so-good. The Celebration in the Lair of the Serpent Queen should have been a great event at the Spot Gallery: Instead, the place was like a sauna and most people struggled with the heat. There was no bar, little seating and the music wasn't dance friendly. As much as I wanted to have a good time, it just wasn't possible in such a cramped place. I'm sure the late venue change and people loitering in the parking lot didn't help attendance either. Still, I have to congratulate Neon Armour for the great job painting several people - It was amazing to see. The serpent queen, with her full body golden paint job was amazing. The yellow dragon-guy was also unbelievable. Several other models were beautifully done. I truly enjoyed Sadie Hawkin's fire performance, as well as Monet's wonderful belly-dance. Paul Mercer and Evil Sarah's performance was lovely and the two other fire-performers were fun to watch. I got some good pictures of the stage shows but wasn't thrilled taking the same pictures as the numerous other photographers: I've already seen several posted so I don't see a need to post another gallery.

I went to see Green Lantern and it was exactly what I expected. The special effects were good, the story was solid and the acting was good. It's not going to win any awards but it was fun to watch. I enjoyed going out and being entertained for two hours: I got my money's worth.

There's good news about Anne McCaffrey's Dragon Riders of PERN movie. They picked a writer. Keep your fingers crossed. I hope it happens this time. I've had my own fan page up for a while now.

Oni's Ritual party at the the Shelter was a lot of fun. The theme of The Vicar's Tarts brought out a wide variety of people dressed to the extreme for a good time. Oni did a great job on the confession booth. The air-cond wasn't working well and many people, obviously not the school girls, were wearing too much clothing for comfort. Corsets and frocks don't work well in sweltering rooms. I heard many complaints and have also seen several negative comments about that on the web - I hope they fix that soon. The music was off too, which is unusual since DJ Jennocide and DJ 313 are usually on the money. Still, it was a popular theme and wonderful party. Pictures are posted (Write me for the entry code).

X-Men: First Class was weak on acting and plot but okay on special effects. Worth watching but not at full price in the theater. Emma Front was especially bad: Both the actress and the character. Most of the X-men were under-developed and the movie seemed very very long.

Lust played Kavarna with Gently to a very small crowd. The band was costumed as Yeti and Bigfoot which was very cool. Several people stopped in the street to look through the windows as the band performed. It was quite amusing.

Movie night at the Shelter showing The Watchmen was very disappointing. First and foremost only three people showed: Pathetic!! Here I was expecting a crowd and a few costumes. I was very disappointed. Secondly the big screen isn't very good, I was actually better off watching the little TVs. And thirdly, the sound was horrible. I wanted to stay and watch it but was so disappointed I walked out halfway through. I was very tired all day at work on Thursday for no good reason. I won't be doing that again.

May

I didn't have big plans for the holiday weekend but was looking forward to a Star Wars party: I even got a special outfit. But it was moved to a small bar downtown at the last minute and I decided not to attend.

Blast-Off Burlesque's Taboo-La-la film series showing of Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill at the Plaza Theatre was pretty cool. Their pre-show was very good and several audience members dressed up for a Tura Santana Look-a-like contest. The movie is very rough but it was a good night.

Leaving Dakota: Photo exhibit by Kyle Cassidy wasn't very interesting but the body painting by Neon Armour was very cool. The Mint gallery is very small and their art was bizarre. They posted a few pictures.

I had a very exciting weekend. I pushed myself and explored activities a level above that which I normally have the courage to try. It was fun and rewarding.

It's been a while since I visited E.A.R.L over in East Atlanta. It hasn't changed but the area seems to be more popular. There were a lot of people all around after the show. The show being the CD release party for Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun. The place was packed for their show which was outstanding. They've changed slightly in that now Lauren is most definitely a their lead singer. She sang most of the songs and concentrated on vocals only occasionally playing the guitar or keyboard. They've also matured as a band and know how to put on a really good show. They are ready for to play bigger venues. I wasn't impressed with Sealions but Moonlight Bride was good.

The new CD is a little disappointing. Unlike their shows which are at 200mph and 150 dB, the CD is half speed and melodramatic, It's okay if you crank up volume but still too slow compared to their live music - Very poor mixing in my opinion.

I went to see Thor and wasn't thrilled. It wasn't bad, but nothing special either. Natalie Portman was wasted in her ditsy role and too much time was spent on a lame side-plot. But I think Chris Hemsworth as Thor did a good job and I look forward to seeing more of him in the Avengers.

April

Scarlett's Web was very entertaining at Dad's Garage. This twisted and bloody variation of the children's book Charlotte's web will surely give everyone nightmares or at least a few visits to a counselor. The puppetry was very exciting with a talking pig, goose and spider. Blood splattered freely in the second act forcing the audience to wade through puddles of blood on the way out. The theater, in the back of Dad's Garage only seats 50 people: Sit near the entrance for the best views of the notes in the spider's web.

Das Bunker brought Everything Goes Cold, Faderhead & Aesthetic Perfection to the Shelter for an entertaining night. The goth/darkwave crowd showed up ready to dance and the music kept everyone bouncing until closing. Faderhead was the draw for me, and I really enjoyed hearing Dirtygrrrls/Dirtybois live but was disappointed they didn't bring a guest singer for their new hit “P*ssy Rules” Also they ran out of tour T-shirts and I'm sad I couldn't get one. But I did get a CD and some fun pictures. My friend Emily has some great shots posted.

Oni's Ritual Party at the Shelter was, in my opinion, the perfect party. The place was full but not too crowded, there were fun people who dressed-up for the “Geisha Dreams” theme: There were lots of kimonos, silk robes, cool dresses and several guys in karate robes and ninja outfits. The music by DJs Jennocide and Catt Ninetails was really pounding and kept the dance floor busy all night. Keeping with the Japanese theme, there was an impromptu shibari demonstration that had volunteers lined up to give it swing. Watching them walk around afterward with that glazed look of joy was amazing to behold. My thanks to Chris, Sharice, Amanda and Sheena for giving me such great material to photograph. Pictures are posted (Write me for the entry code). The Waymores: Sally Barris, Don Henry, & Tom Kimmel put on a fine show at Eddie's Attic. While not well attended, I assume because so many events are happening this weekend and everyone being away on spring break, they sang beautifully from their past songs and upcoming CD. It was a very relaxed, living-room type atmosphere with plenty of jokes and audience participation. The room, obviously made up of long-time fans, excitedly sung along and everyone had a good time.

I was disappointed by the movie: True Grit. It wasn't very enjoyable, Josh Brolin was wasted and Jeff Bridges was over the top. He was often unintelligible which was accurate as a drunk but lame as the lead in a movie. It's sad because I like westerns and usually like him. I especially didn't like the extremely dark tone of the movie that never really got exciting. I don't remember the John Wayne version very well but I'm sure it was better.

I'm note sure who came up with the idea for the party theme for Fame Asylum at the Five Spot but it was pretty awesome. The insane asylum theme brought out a variety of sexy nurses, zombie doctors and just plain crazy people. Oni and Yokai put on a seriously hot performance. Helltrash took the stage just after midnight and put on a great show. The party was hosted by Scary Talent and the emcee for the night was Circus Envy who both entertained and scared: Fear of clowns is called - Coulrophobia and it was both interesting and entertaining to see some people actually afraid of the two hell-clowns walking around. Or maybe that was just me hallucinating. Something unusual that we usually don't see at these events: people in Straight Jackets. I've been to several medical themed parties before but never seen them used or worn. But this party had several not only being being used but passed around and shared: Which made for hilarious scenes as people put their friends in it and then had a little fun. The jackets were in a variety colors which was interesting. It was a lot of fun to photograph. Pictures are posted (Write me for the entry code).

March

My friend Bill threw a grand opening party to celebrate his new align="" studio. It's in an old church which has some interesting features and excellent photo-locations like the alter and the back staircases. Bill made everyone pose for a pictures holding a piece of sports equipment of their choice. I look like a hoodlum. Food was catered from a restaurant in the building and was delicious but align="" with salt and butter. It was a nice party with nice people. Best of luck Bill!! William David Studio.

Thunder storms passed through last night and the tornado sirens were sounded. That was not pleasant.

The movie Sucker Punch was under whelming. The story was very dark and I was disappointed in the disheartening ending. The sexy chicks with guns was nice but they were so young it was creepy. I don't think it will do very well and will never make it to regular TV.

Mon Cherie's Alice in Wonderland party at the Shelter was very popular but not all that great. Most people made little effort with their costumes and despite wonderful performances the night just wasn't exciting. I took pictures but am not sure there's enough for a gallery.

For all the hopeless romantics out there, The Adjustment Bureau is for you. It's all about the star-crossed lovers trying to get together when the forces of the universe seem to be trying to keep them apart. The character are underdeveloped and the story is complex and contorted but it's still exciting and captivating. It may not do great at the box office but it is a very good movie. I really enjoyed it and think you should see it too. But if you want to wait and watch it at home, that's okay.

I went to see Battle: Los Angeles and was not disappointed. It's an intense movie with non-stop action, explosions and good characters. I especially like the lead, Staff Sergeant Nantz, who is just a good guy. We don't get the whole story but he's troubled because he lost his entire squad on a previous mission and has survivor's guilt. But when the invasion starts he rises to the occasion and get's the job done. Unlike most other movies, he doesn't break the rules or get insubordinate - He's just a good marine. Further on the plus side, he's not a gung-ho killer - just a man fighting to save his home. I liked the movie and the characters: Very well done. See it in a theater!

Jsin & the Cybergirls

Cyberaver was excellent. There were lots of fun people with glow-sticks though I hoped more would have dressed up. Ladee Danger and Diamond Friendly were joined on stage by numerous random peeps which was truly entertaining. Djs played upstairs, downstairs and in the front room for a variety of music styles that had the kids jumping. I took many pictures of the revelry including a few inside the inflatable bounce house set up on the patio. The night prior, Secretroom had thrown a Superhero's party at the same venue and the rooms will still decorated with from that event. It took me a while to figure out what all the ThunderCats posters were about. A few people even reused their costumes. MomoCon was taking place up the street at GT and as I drove down I was surprised to see costumed people on many streets. As I got closer I saw a few entering the Quad and I got very excited but alas not too many came. Those that did fit right in and made for excellent pictures. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code)

Oni's Ritual Party at the Shelter was really fun. The Wild Wild West theme brought out a variety of sexy cowgirls, saloon girls, Indians and a few dapper cowboys and guys in long coats. DJ Sin and DJ 313 played a wide variety of darkwave and punk that had the crowd sometimes filling the dance floor but often sitting it out. It wasn't as well attended as some other Ritual events but there were a lot of competing events this month. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code)

Colin Hay put on an enjoyable but bittersweet show at the Variety Playhouse. He opened with Down Under then told the story of audience members getting angry when he played it late in the show because they had babysitters and had to get home - A clear reference to his aging audience and own mortality. He's very funny. He told stories about his drinking problems, smoking marjiuana during the Men At Work days and several childhood stories about Scotland and Australia. The goat story was outrageous! He was more introspective when he told about his bout with cancer and about loosing his father last year: He played some new songs he wrote from the sorrow. He's still bitter about not being famous and living the life of luxury but he's developed a sense of humor about it that is enjoyable to hear. Mostly though, he talked about the cycle of fame: being in Scrubs, the bounce from being on the Garden State soundtrack, and the other ups and downs he's been though. There was also a very funny story about recently playing a convention to a very old crowd but the money being too good to refuse. He didn't play many songs from his Men at Work days either and when he did, he purposely sang them with varied inflections and speeds that made it impossible to sing along. I really enjoyed the show. I also ran into some friends I hadn't seen it a while which was nice. Chris Trapper opened and was nice. I did not bring a camera but others have video posted.

February

The Secretroom Dark Valentine's Day party wasn't as much fun as I'd hoped. Maybe it was the horrible events of the week, or the bad music, or the ban on picture taking in the cellar. It should have been a great event: the place looked nice, there were plenty of people and two fine shows. But at the end of the night I left disappointed. I think my biggest let down was that very few of my friends were there. Second to that, the picture contest never happened and it was the first time I'd entered one and thought I had some fine entries. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code)

After all the publicity we decided to see the King's Speech. It's a lovely movie but slow and anti-climatic. I wasn't expecting an action adventure but I was hoping for more suspense. The editing was choppy and made it seem as if the movie was stuttering too. And the end the credits said that King George VI and the speech therapist were friends for life: That friendship definitely didn't come across in the movie.

Spending the morning of Groundhog Day with General Beauregard Lee at the Yellow River Game Ranch was good fun. Lot's of kids were there to cheer Beauregard as he emerged from his house and looked for his shadow. He did not see it which bodes an early Spring. Waffle House was there providing hot cocoa and Krispy Kreme doughnuts gave out coupons. Also on hand for the event was Chopper, the mascot for the Gwinnet Braves baseball team, who is also a groundhog. He and the ranch owner were happy to announce an early Spring is coming. I was late for work but that's okay. I posted a few pictures.

FFF returned to Atlanta and made a big splash. Once again it wasn't well attended but it was still very enjoyable. I met new people, made new friends and got to play with some amazing toys. Pictures were rare but turned out spectacular. I can't publish any because they are too extreme for my web hosts but they can be found around the web on numerous social media pages. Cecilia and Danny and Brian really made it fun for me and I hope I returned the favor and supported them.

January

Megamind, from Dreamworks, was very cute and put an interesting spin on the superhero story. It had many of the same story elements as the Monty Python movie, The Life of Brian

The Blast-Off Burlesque: Holidazed & Confused! show was really enjoyable. They did spoof skits of several holidays with cool costumes and performances. Lot's of props, like a guillotine for Bastille Day and a giant metal Star-of-David for Purim added to the already amazing visual buffet. There were a few holidays I'd never heard of which was also funny. The theater was crowded with an amazing variety of people. A few audience members even dressed up.

Made it in to work on Thursday even though all schools and state offices were closed where I learned: Saftey does not come first at Lockheed Martin: Otherwise they would not force people to drive to work under icy conditions when the state has declared an emergency. It was one of those “Do as I say, not as I do” moments.

Wednesday was another snow day - The streets were just too treacherous around my neighborhood to risk it. Some folks that did make it in to work said the place was empty and the parking lot was a death trap. I have serious cabin fever and would rather be at work than sitting around the house.

Did not go to work Tuesday - My driveway is beautiful and clear but the streets still have several inches of frozen icy ruts. It's too dangerous to drive so I'm staying home.

Monday - With 4 to 5 inches of snow all around my house and ice building up due to the continuing rain I decided to stay home today. That was my first snow day in a long time. Later I spent two hours shoveling my driveway with my toy shovel. It was really hard since the driveway was covered in heavy ice and slush. Eventually my neighbor loaned me a better shovel and helped, which is fair since he uses my driveway too. Now I can go to work on Tuesday. Maybe

Oni's Ritual Party at the Shelter was fun. Lot's of people dressed up in the military theme and there was one awesome Rosie the Riveter. There were several sailors and WW2 Army guys but mostly the folks wore camouflage. Much to my surprise, several women dressed in vintage 40's and 50's. I guess it was an homage to military wives. The music was great and the dance floor was packed most of the night. There were light dancers this time around which is unusual for Oni's parties. But I've been reading up on technique and got some really good shots of them. We all had a good time. To the left is Autumn who's been the subject of many great shots lately. Doesn't she have great guns? Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code) I saw the Bruce Willis movie RED and was thoroughly entertained. I really don't understand why the critics were so cruel. It was action packed and funny. I did see it at the dollar theater, so maybe it wasn't worth full-movie price, but I think it should do well on DVD and on TV. I have to admit I was very surprised to see Mary-Louise Parker and didn't recognize her at first. I hadn't seen any of her recent movies or TV shows and thought she had retired. She looked good.

I celebrated New Year's Eve with Cyberaver at the Quad at Spring4th. It was well attended and fun. There were lots of pretty dancers to photograph and everyone was very cooperative. The party had a dozen DJs in four rooms and the tunes were almost deafening. Lot's of go-go dancers really added eye candy as not many of the guests bothered to dress up. The outdoor patio was the most popular spot with many people lounging about. Once again the actual count-down was pathetic but most people didn't care. Defenzmechanizm, Ladee Danger, and Spider B put on a brilliant grinder-show that sprayed everyone with sparks. Luckily they didn't burn the place down or blind anyone so it's all good. A special shout out to Ensanguina and Kat for being such good sports and James for supporting such ribaldry. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code)

You can still visit the news archives from: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, or 1998.

All pictures are the property of Stefan and are not to be posted on other websites or published in any medium without express written permission. Questions, comments, and corrections are always welcome.

Created Oct. 10, 1995 Updated 16 Dec 2017 © 2017 Stefan Oestreicher. All rights reserved

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