December

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was disappointing - Not because it was bad but because it wasn't extraordinary as hoped. The movie is manic with long slow scenes and long intense scenes. The characters, especially the dwarves are not likable which is important if I'm going to enjoy a movie. Bilbo was especially disappointing because when I read the book I pictured him as being adorable and funny: Apparently that's not the way Peter Jackson envisioned him. He seemed unhappy the whole time which is not they way I remember the character. Also, if he's not happy how can I be? While the actor did a fine job I suspect the writers were the real problem. I never really got into this movie I just sort of watched as if on TV. I'm sure many people will look at the box office receipts and claim it's a big hit but I don't think the fans will agree - They will pay their money but they won't rave about it.

Every year Fate plays nasty tricks on me for the holidays. This year my strategy was hiding - I had planned on not leaving the house. But fate got me anyway and I spent the day on the road to nowhere: For nothing. I'm going to have to develop new plan for next year.

The Bourne Legacy was playing at the cheap theater, so I dragged myself out of bed to see it. Thankfully I didn't pay full price because it was terrible. How many times do they have to shut-down the same program? And how convenient that there's another program and group of agents to call-up when they do? It was totally ridiculous from the start which was disappointing. I didn't even recognize Rachel Weisz. Did she lose half her body-weight for the part or was she just really sick during the filming?

Historical Note: 21 Dec. 2012 - The world DID NOT END. In case you missed it.

I had a wonderful night at Oni's Ritual Party: Xmas Evil. The people were exciting with great costumes and adventurous attitudes. Someone even brought Krampus cookies. Making candy-canes was outrageous fun. I was disappointed many of the people I expected to see didn't turn out, but I met some awesome new people. Thanks to Oni, DJs Jennocide & Caz10 and to the staff of the Shelter for another awesome event. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code).

November

I had a great time at Mon Cherie's Chamber Reunion party at the Masquerade. There were excellent performances and awesome people for an exciting night of entertainment, socializing and voyeurism. There were beautiful hoopers, sexy burlesque and naughty performances. I was very impressed by a few vendors, especially Grease Monkeys. Parking was a challenge due to the new city park that eliminated most of the area parking: I will try to use the bike next time. I am very excited that many of the 700 pictures I took came out well. Paring them down to a reasonable gallery was difficult. They are now posted. (Write me for the entry code) Thanksgiving was low key for me this year. After the extreme drama of last year I decided to take a pass and spend it quietly this year. No drama, no stress and lots of leftover Cajun fried turkey was awesome.

I was very bad at Kink Patrol 121116. Maybe is was the fun and curious crowd that kept encouraging me, maybe be it was the high energy of the event or maybe it was something else. But when the lights came on a 3am many of us were still going full throttle and were shocked. Thanks to Tsubasa and the staff of the Shelter for an awesome night. Thanks to Alia and Athena for the excellent performances. And thanks to Robyn and Jojo for corralling such naughtiness. I had a wonderful time. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code). Attendance at Armory: Oni's Nov. Ritual Party was light, I'm not sure why. Maybe it was too close to Halloween or the cold weather. But several of us had a good time at the Shelter. Oni herself looked awesome as a sexy military general while most others wore some combination of camouflage. I didn't take pix of people who made little or no effort. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code).

Rumors abound that this is Daniel Craig's last turn as James Bond: I hope that is true. While Skyfall had all the sex, action and style of previous films, it was still bad. This guy just isn't believable as 007 and that makes everything seem fake. It wasn't a great film. The major character changes, while I'm sure necessary, were very disheartening too.

The Motorcycle Show at the Cobb Galleria Centre wasn't very exciting but I did get to meet Brittany Morrow, the Road Rash Queen. She was very cool and inspired me to buy true motorcycle jeans. Her Rock the Gear campaign is pretty cool too.

I drove up to Sandy Springs to see Jennifer Daniels and Jeff Neal play at Steve's live music. It's a new venue that strives to be a blues & Jazz listening room and also singer/songwriter friendly. The decor has old radios on a shelf and banjos and other antique string instruments on the walls. As usual, Jennifer put on a great show. She said she liked the place because it has a green room. She was also impressed that Paul, the sound guy, was running the sound system from his IPAD. But I wasn't so enamored. First of all they assign seats, so single guy me got put in back, behind a post, with a terrible view. It appears that large groups get the best tables and couples are placed between. Secondly the wait staff pretty much ignored me all night. And thirdly the menu is very limited, only frou-frou fare that will make me stop at McDonald's if I every go back. The opening act was marginal.

October Saturday, I had a fun time chillin' with friends at a private Halloween party. Friday, I was very disappointed after the first Halloween party of the season. I got good pictures but didn't have a good time. The bar's recent renovations are a catastrophe. There are choke points that make moving around impossible, the sound is way too loud and the lounge space is horrible. That, combined with some really bad decorations made picture taking a struggle. I got so fed up I left. That's really a tragedy because some of the costumes were amazing and I missed the final contest. Write me about the gallery.

I spent the weekend fighting with my new IPAD 3. Apple has really made it complicated for photographers to load and organize large numbers of pictures. I tried and failed using the sync function then failed using several free apps. I finally made some progress with dropbox and an album application but it's taking a lot of time to transfer all my pictures, one folder at a time. But at least it works. I dumped the android tablet I bought because it crashed at 4,000 pictures. It was fun to get out to the Little 5 Points Halloween Festival and Parade on a beautiful day. The costumes on the street and in the parade were great. Unfortunately, just like last year, the organizers screwed it up and we only got to see half the parade. In the middle there was a delay and the crowd, thinking it was over, poured into the street halting the action. So we only got to see half the floats. Still, I enjoyed myself with good street food. Pictures are posted.

I had a great time at a local convention. I met some exciting people, attended some interesting seminars and had took advantage of the opportunity to buy some specialized products. The evening social gatherings were quite fun which was unusual because I usually don't enjoy those events. A week later though, I'm disappointed: I haven't heard from my “New friends“ - Even though I sent several of them great pictures. Why are people such jerks?

Got together with a few friends at the Shelter to say good-bye to Rayvan Payne - We raised a glass to her memory. She was loved and we miss her.

September

I had a fun night at Oni's Ritual Party. The theme was Trouble in Tokyo, meant to bring out a collection of geishas, anime fans and anything Asian. While there were some pretty people it wasn't the photo rich night I had hoped. The big attention maker of the night was one of the guests who took off her kimono and danced wearing just a little glued on fabric. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code)

This doodle from Google to celebrate the 46th Anniversary of Star Trek's 1st Broadcast was very cool. Click on the front console a few times to hear different sounds.

I didn't go to DragonCon but some really cool videos about it and filmed there are now available. I know several people in the first one. Congratulations to Deena and Andrew on a great video.

I made my first outing to Eddie Owen's new music venue, the Red Clay Theater, to see Jennifer Daniels. She and Jeff Neal put on their usual great show but, since they were the opening act, it was short. RCT really is a theater with movie-style seats, high stage, and no food. The beer selection was very limited. I was somewhat disappointed because I didn't see Jen and Jeff until after their performance; The new place is more rigid and less friendly. Music from a concert across the street was distracting. I didn't stay for the main act.

August

Click to visit memorial

Bradford L. Smith Dec. 5, 1964 - Aug. 28, 2012 I'm shocked by the unexpected death of my good friend Brad. He and I worked together at Lockheed for almost 14 years. We've been to so many movies, concerts and restaurants together. Brad was my go-to guy for help as he was a master at fixing anything. He struggled with many physical problems but was always there to help out a friend. I'm glad he got the chance to travel the world and collect amazing memories and souvenirs. I will always remember his crazy shoes, the incredible turtle tanks he built, and his tireless devotion to physical fitness. (Official memorial) Rest in Peace buddy

I rode down to Paris on Ponce to check out Le Maison Rouge with David Stevens. He was doing the puppet show thing and I wanted to check out the place and the food. I missed the food but the show was cute. I also ran into Chuck, Amy and the chillens. They had a good time.

Killer Creek Harley-Davidson's Rock N Rumble was really fun. It was a beautiful day to ride up to Roswell and seeing all the bikes and bikers was cool. I didn't know who Jasmine Cain was but she was really belting out the tunes. Lynn Cole's body painting artistry was especially nice to see. Thanks to Katy and Bre for posing for a few pictures.

Tsubasa's August Kink Patrol art party at the Shelter was great. The eye candy was wonderful. Dwen Stuart was the guest artist of the month and was pretty cool. Hada Pixie and Syryn put on the first show which was a sexy insane asylum theme performance. Their show was very hot. Later Kellie put on a particular disturbing and bloody piercing show. Kellie is deadly sexy but likes to shock people during her performances. Even her assistant was nervous. I had too much fun playing with some toys, people were very adventurous that night, and may be in several pictures. I will have to make an effort to find them before anyone sees them. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code).

I saw the Hunger Games movie again after reading the books. I spotted 40 differences between the book and the movie. Anyone want to discuss?

Camping in Maine with friends was wonderful. We played cards, I read the Hunger Games books, we watched the stars I did some swimming and I ate several lobsters. There was some drama: I got a flat tire, blew a headlight and got rained out. My tent totally failed me and had to spend my last night in a friend's camper. I road tripped over up Auburn to check out the Lufthansa Constellation project which was very cool. The drive from Atlanta to Maine was long and there were some bad spots but overall not too bad. I had a great time.

I enjoyed the Hunger Games movie. It wasn't great but it was very good.

July

I thought the Hunger Games was very good. I thought the acting could have been better, they all seemed nervous in their acting abilities, but I think that's because they were inexperienced and the director wasn't a strong leader. But the plot was good even if it appeared to be rushed. I'm confused as to why the capital district submitted tributes if it was a punishment for the districts who rebelled? I haven't read the books but after reading the movie commentary I think I will.

Snow White and the Huntsman, as expected, was poor. I'm going to blame the director because the actors were so stiff that they had to have been told to act that way. The dialog, what little there was, was so stoic it put me to sleep. There's was almost no action or suspense which made it long and insufferable. I'm not sure what the studio was thinking when they let this be released.

The Jungle was filled with school girls and nerds for the Secretroom: NSFW party. Gun Party started the night with raucous rock music. Several of my friends were missing, which was disappointing, but overall the night turned out well. The shows were entertaining and very hot. Congratulations to Nadia for winning the sexiest School Girl contest. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code)

I had a really good time at Oni's Tiki Party at the Shelter. Surprisingly, the Hawaiian Luau theme attracted a huge number away from several other events that night. Guys dressed up for a change: But it wasn't much effort for them to break out the Hawaiian shirts. I was impressed by the number of women that dared to wear the coconut tops and grass skirts. I think everyone getting leid also helped to set a positive mood. Oni did a great job decorating the club. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code).

I'm tired of attending funerals for people who die needlessly - There's been too much death in my life lately. It's almost more than I can bear.

Rayvan Payne (Stephanie Marie McDonald) Oct 3, 1985 - Jul 10, 2012 I've lost another friend. Rayvan was a sweet, wild, beautiful bundle of energy. She was a dancer and a model and I had the pleasure of photographing her at many events. How could this happen? She had so many friends and so much to live for: It breaks my heart. She will be missed. There is a Facebook page where friends can submit comments and pictures. There is another memorial on Find-A-Grave.

Went to the Ga Aquarium. The dolphin show was so lame.

June

Bill and Andy's Kink Patrol Art Party at The Shelter turned out really well. A delightfully fun crowd came out for a truly exciting night. Bill and Vivica put on several hot shows and I got some fun pictures. The artwork was awesome and well received too. I gave Tamala my toys and she went wild arresting people - They loved it! The Shelter also did some renovations to the parking lot which relieved several of the parking issues. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code)

The Secretroom Super Heroes vs Zombies dance party at Jungle Club Atlanta was fun. Lot's of people dressed up in a variety of costumes including heroes, villains, zombies and just plain sexy. DJ Catt Ninetails played good tunes and everyone had a good time. The suspension show had Supergirl pounding zombies which was very funny. There were some seriously sexy zombies. Afterward a birthday spanking entertained the crowd. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code)

Oni's Ritual Party at the Shelter brought-out so many naughty school girls, priests and nuns that Jesus stopped in to check it out. Several people also celebrated Aly's birthday with a huge cupcake spread. Oni passed out wafers and the cardinal blessed many in attendance. There were lot's of new faces and new friends to be made. Several people brought paddles and rulers which got well used throughout the night. I had a great time photographing the mayhem. Everyone had a great time thanks to Oni and her friends. If you missed this party, you really missed-out. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code) The picture of Maria and Jules on the Guzzi is not in the party pix. But it is on my Tumblr site.

Do NOT go to the theater to see Prometheus. Don't Rent it, don't buy it, don't wait for it on the movie channel. Imagine it NEVER happened. It was so disappointing. It was nothing more than the commercial. It explains the origin of the alien but really, it's so bad, I wish I didn't know. I regret seeing it. Please, erase my mind!

John Carter was playing at the cheapie theater so I took a chance. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't good either. It's very slow. I did like Lynn Collins. She was quite beautiful.

I rode over to Stone Mountain Harley-Davidson for their grand reopening because I really like Hotrod Walt and the Psycho-DeVilles. They put on a fine show. Then I stuck around for the Pin-Up contest which was fun. Pictures are in process but you can sneak a peak at CK.

May

Men in Black III was good, not great but entertaining. The plot was more shallow than the other two films and much less character development made the film harder to get into. The bad guy and 5th dimensional being didn't make much sense.

The Pelvis Breastlies played Killer Creek Harley Davidson's Cruise & Blues event. The body painting by Lynn Cole was very popular. I posted a few pix. The pix are both dangerous and HOT !

Tunes from the Tombs at Oakland Cemetery was fun though very hot. I specifically went to see Catfight! perform but stuck around for a few other bands. Jen made a funny that they were “Back from the Dead,” since they haven't played together in years but they did play in March and will play again in June. So I'm hopeful that they will be playing more often in the future. To complete the event, I had a serious corn dog from Pallookaville and delicious shrimp from Six Feet Under. See pix from the event.

I really enjoyed the Pancakes Booze Art Show at Gallery 1526. There was some incredible artwork. I especially liked the pieces by Jeremy Worst. The music by Zruda was excellent. And the body painting was lovely. I even enjoyed a strawberry pancake too - Delish! I posted a few pix for those that missed it.

The NFDC performance of William Shakespeare's The Tempest was awful and I don't think I'll bother with another of their shows, ever. They didn't tell people with chairs they couldn't sit in the front row, so all of us on blankets couldn't see anything - And I got there an hour early! The actors were speaking so softly that I walked out at the intermission. What's the point of going to a play if you can't see or hear anything. The people around me were playing with their phones or sleeping. It's too bad because the sets and costumes looked nice.

I really enjoyed seeing the Pelvis Breastlies play the Art-B-Que in Avondale Estates. I stopped by for some barbecue and to look at the arts & crafts too. It was very hot but I enjoyed myself. I posted a few pix.

Mon Cherie's May the 4th Be with You Star Wars Burlesque Show at the Shelter was fun. There were lots of good costumes and performances. Siren Screams brought her friends to celebrate her birthday and a fun time was had by all. I really enjoyed seeing the Star Wars characters doing burlesque or singing which was very cool. Between the shows various people took the stage to Hoola Hoop with lighted hoops. In a few of my pictures, it looks like they are standing in coloured pools of light - Way cool! On the right is Katy dressed an a sexy Ewok. She did some awesome hoops tricks too. I had a fun time taking pictures and posted a few online. (Write me for the entry code.)

Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Thor and the Hulk really made The Avengers movie great. Yes, the action and special effects were over-the-top and at times unbelievable, but there was tremendous drama, character, feelings and just good plot development that made it a rich experience not just action. The Captain America character was used throughout as a social barometer or conscience to bring the fantasy back to the emotional and thoughtful level. Joss Whedon done good.

April

The Kink Patrol Art show and party at the Shelter brought out an interesting mix of people for a fun night. There wasn't as much art as in previous events and no performance which was a let down. The music was definitely hit-and-miss but there was enough people there to make it worth while. I have high hopes for their next event in June.

I promise never to go to the Plaza Theatre again. It's okay with me if it closes.

I posted a few pictures from the Cyberaver 6 Year Anniversary party at the Jungle.

We went to opening day of the Georgia Renaissance Festival and had a good time. The weather was sunny, cool and perfect. We saw a few shows, ate some food and did some shopping. But mostly we were there to people watch - The costumes were awesome. There were dragons, fairies, knights, rennies and gargoyles. I even ran into a few friends which was really nice (Shout out to Bob, Jil & Tommy) Unfortunately I was the odd person and my second ticket went unused - Totally lame.

March The Secretroom Tim Burton / Aries Birthday Bash at the Jungle Club was a huge success. The dance floor was maxxed-out with sexy people dancing right up to closing. There were lots of people dressed from Tim Burton movies: Peewee Herman, Batman, Beetlejuice, Alices, Queen of Hearts and several Sallys. There were a few problems: the head performer had to cancel and Evil Sarah's show was delayed until almost 2am. Evil Sarah, dressed as the Mad Hatter, threw an awesome tea and cake for Jason's birthday which was celebrated on stage with all the March birthday peeps. It was a fine performance and the Neo-Victorian steampunk couture Fashion show by House of Canney that followed was very cool. DJ Nemesis, DJ Omac and DJ Anthony played some great tunes. A fun time was had by all. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code)

Colin Hay put on a fun one-man-show at the Variety Playhouse. Mostly he played songs from his new CD Gathering Mercury and his other solo work. But he did perform three from his Men At Work past: Overkill, Who Can it Be Now, and Down Under. His guitar playing was impressive. Many of the songs are now about his family and are very introspective. But what made the night great is his wonderful sense of humor and story telling. He's got wonderful stories to tell of dinner with Paul MaCartney, performing around the world, growing up in Australia, and his appearance on Scrubs. The stories of writing music with Men at Work in Melbourne and the recent legal issues were very interesting too. The stories have a bitter tone as he wishes he was more famous and made more money but he's come to terms with his place in the world and seems more content than during his last visit. The goat story is still my favourite but I'm not sure which part: the goat song or the stoned goat on the sofa. I'm pretty sure the place was sold out. Lindsay Rakers opened but was easily forgettable.

The Catfight! reunion show at the Star Community Bar was pretty cool. It was really great to hear them play again. Of course things didn't go smoothly. The problems started when Jen changed into these wicked high-heels - Then kicked her beer over on the set-list. After a few shots, Katy forgot the words a few times and Jen's guitar strap kept breaking which made it hard for her to play. But the crowd was fun and we all enjoyed good time. I didn't stay for the X-Impossibles but I enjoyed the Kentucky Bridgeburners and Los Meesfits. I posted a few pictures.

Oni's Ritual Party at the Shelter was wonderful. The pirate theme brought out some great costumes. Oni did a fine job decorating the bar and several people brought props to make the event more exciting. I'm disappointed I didn't get a group shot. DJ Catt Ninetails and Caz10 played good music for a fun night. Parking continues to be a problem. Pictures are posted.(Write me for the entry code).

February

In a great “Return to Form,” the Secretroom Valentine's Day Fantasy Fairytale Ball at the Jungle Club was amazing! The music, spun by DJs Evil-Z, Jennocide and Anthony kept the dance floor packed and rockin' until the law came out at 3am. Shows by Emerald Dove and Coco Katsura and a fashion show by Virgin Iron had the audience clapping their hands raw in praise. Many in the audience dressed as sexy fairytale creatures and looked outstanding. The side play area was well used too. All this fun and naughtiness was captured in an eye-popping gallery of the fantastical. (Write me for the entry code)

It's fun to be sophisticated and go out to art shows, but the Lost Girls Art Show did not live up to my expectations. The back room used at the Southern Mills Art Gallery was unpleasant and the entrance was dark and creepy. There was no seating and honestly, the art just wasn't good. I did enjoy talking to Lithium Dreams, some of the other artists, and a few guests, but didn't stay very long. The parking really is pretty scary too.

I went over to the Famous Pub in Toco Hills to watch the Cornell vs RPI men's hockey game with some alumni. There were about fifteen Cornell alums and six from RPI. We talked and watched the game: They were very friendly. The Cornell folks were a little upset when RPI came back to tie the game. There was a recent RPI grad there and we talked a bit about what RPI is like now versus what it was like then. I'm glad to hear they are going to change the bricks on the CII: My generation never liked the look of it. I thought the chicken wings at the Famous Pub were very good - I had a good time.

January

The Chinese New Year celebration at the Atlanta Chinese Cultural Center was very crowded as usual. But it's always fun to see the Lion dance, eat some food and watch the shows. I ran into Matt and Eva which was nice too. This year they had a Dragon dance in the parking lot. The crowd really enjoyed it.

The Cyberaver Chinese New Year party at the Jungle was fun though I was disappointed more people didn't dress up. There were several different DJs playing music but most people were just sitting which really didn't make for an exciting party. Once again there wasn't a big show. Jsin said the performers canceled at the last moment which was disappointing. I did take a few good pictures of the cyberdancers and the few that dressed up. The gallery is now posted. (Write me for the entry code). On the right is Laura - Doesn't she make an adorable China Doll? I think she has Dragon horns too.

The movie Haywire was also good. The action was similar to the Jason Bourne movies but the editing made it slower and more about the intrigue. I really liked Gina Carano. Some very big name actors were under used which was strange and Ewan McGregor was the bad guy. I'm not sure it's worth movie theater price but will be just fine on the home screen.

The new Underworld Awakening was good. It was darker yet more family oriented than the other movies. It's hard to describe without spoilers but the action, bullets, werewolves and explosions were all there. I liked it because Kate looks great in a corset and watching her in action is worth the ticket.

Anne McCaffrey Apr 1, 1926 - Nov 21, 2011 I am greatly saddened to learn that a wonderful person and author, Anne McCaffrey has gone between. She touched my life and for that I was truly blessed. I cannot express how much she inspired me and changed my life for the better. Her books got me through the most dangerous period of my life. Later, visiting her at DragonCon 1999, sparked my interest in photography and changed the direction of my life. Thank you Anne and bless you.

I was not impressed with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol which should not be surprising. It was over the top unbelievable with totally ridiculous stunts. The plot had needless twists that just made it more silly - but I was bored and needed to get out. Definitely not worth seeing in a theatre or paying for a rental.

I celebrated New Year's Eve with friends at the Shelter. The silly string battle was anti-climatic.

You can still visit the news archives from: 2011, 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.

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