December

I'm off to the Cyberaver New Year's Eve party - See you next year.

I went to the Artwork of Salvador Dali exhibit at the High Museum and was impressed. I'm not an art major but the paintings and photgraphs were beautiful, thought provoking and just amazing to ponder about. He certainly was a pioneer in many art forms including the use of 3D and photo-editing. Reading the information boards was also enlightening about his life. I was surprised to see that his most famous piece, The Persistence of Memory is actually very small. Even though it was midweek there was a long line to get in but I'm glad I made the trip - It was worth the wait.

My laptop got the HDDoctor Virus which corrupted the operating system and the disk partition - The unit is completely non-functional. I was looking at buying a new laptop anyway but I will miss many of the programs I had on there. My machine was backed-up so I didn't lose anything important but it really is aggravating. It's going to cost $100 to fix it so I can give it away too. What a joyous way to end the year.

Quorra

I really enjoyed Tron Legacy. As expected the visuals were beautiful and I thought the plot, action and characters were very good too. I didn't see many of the flaws the critics are citing: Yes, the bar scene did hint of Star Wars or the Matrix and yes, Jeff did seem to use a few Lebowski lines about zen but I think the stealing accusations are exaggerated and unjustified. Overall, I thought the movie was great. The story moved along at a good pace and the action was part of the story and used appropriately. The lightcycles, light runner and lightjets were very exciting. The costumes and setting were very cool and the cyber babes were totally hot! Quorra was with her goth/cyber black hair and extreme eye make-up was very sexy. I thought Gem in the rain scene with her cyber/geisha look was awesome: Where can I buy that umbrella? The 3D wasn't special, a recurring critique for all 3D movies, but seeing it on the big IMAX surely added to the experience. Play the classic game here.

Gem

I had a really good time at the Clermont Lounge for the Holiday Music Smörgåsbord. It was a music event with with Uncle Daddy & the Kissin' Cousins, Lust and Grinder Nova. They put on a great show and the audience really had a great time. LUST was deck out in Seaseme Street Costumes. In the middle of the show Susanne, dressed as the Cookie monster through cookies to the crowd. Barb even made a silly Big Bird costume look good. As usual, Sammi ended the show drunk on the floor. There was also a huge spread of snacks (Cookies, meatballs, cheese and crackers) that made the party fun. I'm sure the rain scared a few people away though. Cameras aren't allowed but I got a few pix anyway - Cause I'm like that!

Mon Cherie's Club Fetish party at the Heretic, called the Night of Misfit Toys, was very well attended and fun. There were lots of boys and girls dressed in their holiday outfits and several exciting performances. There was body painting, hula hooping, two naughty show in the main room as well as a few others on the sides. I was a little late but caught both HOT shows - I really enjoyed watching Evil Sarah. They had Santa set up in a huge chair surrounded by balloons and many people took a turn on his lap. Pictures are posted (Write me for the entry code).

Jingle HELL Rock, the theme for Oni's monthly Ritual Party, at the Shelter was a lot of fun. The room was well decorated with hanging stockings and shiny wrapped presents. There wasn't a huge crowd but the costumes were awesome. Several people dressed as demons with horns and body paint while others were angels or just wore their Christmas red. It was very festive. Unfortunately I left early to attend another party and may have missed some good stuff. Pictures are posted.

I survived a trip home and Thanksgiving with the family. My sister did a great job making the turkey and along with my dad and my uncle we had a very lovely dinner. The rest of the trip was uneventful: I put 2,100 miles on the car, saw the new Harry Potter movie and stopped briefly to visit with friends.

November

Oni relocated her monthly Ritual Party to the Shelter with a Speakeasy: Gangster Style opening theme. It's not easy moving an event and with an unusual theme and most people still recovering from last month's Halloween parties I had lowered expectations. But since the previous club was small and had terrible parking a move was definitely needed. I was overjoyed when several hundred people turned out for an exciting night of drinking and dancing. The guys who dressed-up wore black shirts and solid red or white ties. Many of the women were also dressed as men with sexy button down shirts showing ample cleavage and sporting fedoras better than any man could. There was one outstanding flapper girl complete with feather-boa. I had a tough time with the girls in latex pin-stripes and other non-period materials and pretty much ignored the folks in the modern gang-grunge style. There were a few folks who claimed to be in the Soprano's style but I don't watch the show and wasn't convinced. Overall though, I have to say Oni and Jody were the best dressed: Although Cat and Courtney looked dead sexy. In line with the theme, the bar was littered with playing cards and dice while scenes from Bonnie & Clyde, images of 20's burlesque stars and newspaper headlines about gangsters played on the TVs. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code)

I had a successful business trip to Dallas and although it was very short I had a good time. The work was interesting and rewarding - I got to see interesting work sites, meet new people and even had a little time to be a tourist.

Mon Cherie's Club Fetish party at the Heretic was fun as usual. The performances were more abstract than normal but still entertaining. The crowd was very heavily male this time around which I found disappointing but I talked with friends and made the best of it. I guess right after Halloween isn't the ideal date for a party. I took pix but not sure there's enough to make a gallery. I may just send them to the performers: I'll decide later.

The art opening for the Ikaros Art Collective was fun. The artwork is very impressive. I finally got to meet some of the other local photographers whose work I've seen around. There were also several models in attendance which made for enjoyable eye candy. Evil Sarah, Starphoenix and Katzen put on an entertaining performance piece. I hadn't planned on taking pictures but when they asked I couldn't refuse. I didn't post the pix myself but, not surprisingly, the images have already found their way on the web.

October

The Secretroom Haunted Warehouse Party at 2 High Studios was fun. It wasn't as well attended as last year but there were many more parties this year to choose from. There was also another party in the adjoining building which caused much confusion. There were many great costumes and music inside and outside ensured everyone had a good time. The costume contest was won by a couple from the Corpse Bride, three women in awesome “Day of the Dead” make-up and a guy dressed as Max from Where the Wild Ones Are. My Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code)

After the Tron Legacy preview we stuck around to watch the action flick, The Expendables with all the action stars. It was a very formulaic mercenary movie. A band of paid mercenaries goes into a tiny nation to kill the evil leader. There's explosions, chase scenes and a love story. It's interesting to see all these older action heroes playing their real age for a change but most, like Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger just have minor speaking roles. It was all about Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham. It was fun but nothing special. I was lucky enough to get invited to Tron Night, a sneak preview for the movie, and really enjoyed it. We saw 5 scenes from the movie on the giant IMAX screen with full 3D effects and sound. The movie looks great with an interesting story and wonderful visuals. The cyberbabes (Gem & Quorra) were totally delicious! Free posters were a major bonus. The 3D wasn't great, but it never is, while the music and sound was amazing. I'm really excited about this movie. My only WTF moment though was Sam's Ducati motorcycle that sounded more like a Honda lawn-mower that a powerful Italian superbike. I wonder how Ducati feels about that?

The Secretroom Black Cat (Pre-Halloween) Party at the Jungle Club was awesome. The kitties really came out dressed to impress. Great music, lights, and shows kept the energy high all night. The folks from Saw 3D were also there to promote the upcoming movie release and gave away shirts and swag. The costume contest was very entertaining: Especially when the prom kids bum-rushed the stage. It was mayhem for a while but Dax and Jsin got things back under control. Wendigo (Elise n Craig) won, the Latex Pirate (Siren) was second and David Bowie and Danger Kitty (Ladee Danger) came in third. Rebecca, from Florida, performed a very sexy show in her black catsuit and ended up taking an on-stage milk-bath. Hot! Hot! Hot! Throughout the night several people approached me to take their picture and many more posed outrageously for me: It made me feel like a rock-star, for little while anyway. Click on Danger Kitty to the left to see a few samples or click here for the full gallery. (Write me for the entry code)

I swung by the Smyrna Fall Jonquil Festival for a beer, bratwurst and to watch a cool band in the nice weather.

The first HeXxt Halloween Spooktacular at the Shelter was pretty cool. Shows by Syrens Of the South and Chaotic Suspensions kept the crowd entertained. There's was free candy and Snow, in a great Bride of Frankenstien costume, gave away a lot of stuff including very awesome pumpkins. I was a little disappointed that more people didn't dress up but there was great music and spooky/sexy fun was had by all. Pictures are posted (Write me for the entry code)

I scored tickets to the Dos Equis Most Interesting Show in the World and was really excited. Unfortunately the show opened very late with a really boring act: A guy in a water tank pretending to hold his breath for twenty minutes. I called it the Most Boring Opening in Show Business. The next act was a juggler that was good. A burlesque dancer, Mandy Lauderale, was introduced, pulled a guy from the audience and did several sexy costume changes. The next act, Bubble Man was awesome with cool lighting, effects and stunts: Giant balloons filled with confetti floated across the audience and popped to cheering crowds. But I had another party to get to and had to leave at that point. The free Dos Equis beer was very nice.

Mon Cherie's Fetish & Fantasy Halloween Ball at the Heretic was fun but not enough people wore costumes. That's always a problem with costume parties but it was worsened because Halloween was still two weeks away. People don't have their costume ready or afraid they will be the only one dressed up. Still, there were some cool people and I enjoyed the performances, especially Paul Mercer and Evil Sarah. Pictures are posted (Write me for the entry code)

I enjoyed the Little 5 Points Halloween Festival and Parade though I thought there were too many zombies. The crowd was overwhelming and I took a break from the action before returning later in the night for the Hot Toddies performance. Unfortunately that was ruined by drunks and rude people and I left. Still, I got some good pictures.

This year's version of the Yard Dogs Road Show was more musical than sideshow with a lot more singing and a lot less freaks. It seemed everyone took a turn singing and only the sword swallower performed a trick. Also different was the Black & Blue Burlesque that didn't strip - They looked and danced beautifully as they waved their feather fans but they never took any clothing off. It wasn't crowded either probably because it was a Sunday and $18 plus parking. The Awalim Dance Company opened the show and did a fine job.

The Beltline Lantern Parade was pleasant but I was under whelmed: About 200 people showed up but only 50 had lanterns and a good portion was the band. As we walked, and it got darker, there really wasn't anything to see. Only a few people lined the parade route which was very dark: I got bored and turned back. Maybe it got great at the end but I wasn't sure how I was getting back to my vehicle and it was getting late. I may post a picture or two later.

I caught Salt and the cheapie movie theater and am very glad I didn't waste my money on that ridiculous movie. Everything was over the top impossible: From her unbelievable escape of the CIA fortress to killing the Russian president to the final shoot-out in the White House bunker. The BS flag was thrown down constantly.

September

Mon Cherie's party at the Heretic was crowded but fun. Not a lot of people dressed-up which I didn't like but the entertainment was top grade. I especially liked Rebecca the demon hula-hooper and the performance by Scarlet Page. The body painting and side shows were quite nice too. DJ Jennocide and DJ 313 spun good music all night. The conditions weren't great for pictures: Besides being very crowded the place has a lot of mirrors on the walls and other shiny surfaces. The back hallway has a nice setting with interesting walls and some couches. The porch isn't bad either. Pictures are posted (Write me for the entry code)

Company night at Six Flags wasn't bad. The lines for the rides were very short and free food was nice but nothing special. The Batman ride was very cool while Ninja battered my head and knees. The monsters were too chicken to ride Goliath. I only went on a few rides but I enjoyed myself. There was a little drama too but I ate a funnel cake and let it pass.

The Atlanta Skin Two party (AKA Skin Two USA) hosted by Secretroom was great! The meet and greet social at Club Halo wasn't impressive but I did enjoy reconnecting with Goddess Shae and DVNT & maramoon and the chance to meet some new folks. It's a cool looking bar but very pretentious with expensive drinks. I thought Nicki, one of the bar tenders, was adorable and she has the sexiest ink. The main party at the Jungle was so over the top it's hard to summarize. The fashion show by Rubber Fucker was both sexy and fun as latex wearing aliens kidnapped pretty girls in latex - At least that's what I think was happening. Rubberdoll - Spectacular!!. Special guests Trystan and Krystan did terrific side shows involving sword swallowing and balloon swallowing while the Hot Toddies Flaming Cabaret did exciting fire dancing and bed of nails stuff. Hot toddies Jaime and Emerald were awesome! Master Dvnt and mara moon of Chicago put on several shibari performances that had the crowd spellbound. I brought some toys and got to introduce some newbies to the scene which was a lot of fun. The audience was especially wild and everyone was eager to pose for pix and do naughty things - What a Blast! I found out later that the line to get in stretched around the building which is really impressive when you realize this is a huge wearhouse with a huge capacity. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code.) Special shout out to Billy Liner who saved my ass when my flash batteries died - Thanks Billy!

Nine years ago today (Sept 11, 2001) I was sitting in my new office in the clock tower when Brint announced a plane had hit the World Trade Center. As a native New Yorker I was in disbelief that it could have happened again. A plane had hit the Empire State building years before and I knew no pilot could be that stupid. As the story emerged, I was shocked and horrified - My home town had been attacked - My family was under attack. Years later there's still an emptiness in my heart for who and what was lost. I will not be whole until the towers are rebuilt: A fitting memorial to those lost and a sign to the world that we, as a nation, will always persevere.

I finally saw Cloverfield last night for the first time. I knew it was going to be awful and waited for it to come to free TV. Yes! It was as bad as I'd always thought. The shaky home video for the whole movie was really annoying. The utter lack of information about the monster, it's source, and the inability of the military to stop it was ridiculous. Surely a flesh and blood monster would be hurt by weapons long before the nuclear option was needed. And in the end, was the helicopter that stupid to fly low directly over the monster or was the monster that crazy to leap at a little flying thing. Either way I thought the movie totally sucked.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World was very funny. It had a lot of goofy video game affects which was very amusing. The story was simple and the characters were very strange but overall the movie was cute and worth watching. Maybe a rental when you want a laugh.

No DragonCon for me - Way too crowded.

I had forgotten that Suzy Bogguss was playing Eddie's Attic but as I prepped to go home from work I remembered. So rather than go home I went straight there. The room was already crowded but not full so I found a seat on the bleachers. She played many of her hits, mostly because the audience requested them, but she also played several from he new CD of traditional songs. She kept the show very light, telling several jokes and making fun of her husband Doug who joined her for a few songs. There were jokes about Eddie's food and she made reference to her macaroni behind. She also did several sing-a-longs. It was hard not to have a good time because she was so happy and it was so infectious - She too kept breaking out in laughter throughout the show. Everyone had a fun.

August

The Ritual - Vicar's Tarts party was totally lame and a sad reminder how totally awful a club the Spot truly is. I keep saying I won't go back: Maybe this time I'll take my own advise.

Faerie Escape Atlanta was cute though not well attended. I'm not totally into the whole Mother nature/Earth goddess thing but girls in skimpy fairy costumes caught my interest. Pictures are posted.

July

I had a great time at the Secretroom Superhero Rooftop Party despite the heat and the crowding. The view from the top of the Glenn Hotel was lovely and made for great pictures. Most of the people at the bar were attending a Microsoft convention and had no clue why there were costumed superheroes around. But once they saw the sexy babes they called their friends and filled the bar. It got so crowded that had to stop letting people in and, unfortunately, several costumed people got turned away. A special bonus for me was free parking since the parking attendant had gone home when I left at 3am. Several people wore great costumes that really amazed the mostly unsuspecting bar patrons. There were lots of sexy costumes including several wearing the Silk Spectre II costume. Alisa, the hostess, started as Supergirl but did a costume change to Ms. Marvel later in the night. Evil Sarah was my favourite for the night and looked amazing as Black Cat. Both were very gracious, posing for several pictures which are posted on my Fotki page. (Write me for the entry code) I did have some problems with the staff, who didn't like people posing on the railing, but there was no trouble.

I enjoyed watching the Sorcerer's Apprentice but it wasn't as exciting or entertaining as it should have been.

Jennifer Daniels put on a fun show at Eddie's Attic with Martha's Trouble. She played more heartfelt than intense this time around which was nice. Once again Eddie's changed their seating policy which upsets me. The tables are still reserved but now NOT assigned. It used to be the were assigned in order the reservation was received so early people got the front row - Not anymore. Now they hold your name tag at the front and you pick the table yourself - Great, except I arrived a little late and got a crappy table even though I made the first reservation four months earlier.

We stopped by the The Seen Gallery to check out The Pete, The Whole Pete, and Nothing But The Pete art show by James Dean. It was funny and awesome.

The She & Him concert at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens was terribly disappointing. Thunderstorms rolled in and the staff made us evacuate to cramped and suffocating building for an hour. The show may not have been canceled but after two hours waiting in unbearable heat, I walked out.

Ipoh Kuching Aug 24, 2003 - July 4, 2010 Ipoh Kuching, my beloved kitty of the past seven years, is gone. Ipoh was beautiful with golden eyes, adorable white gloves & boots and incredibly soft fur. Often, she would follow me from room to room: laying next to me in front of the TV, lying on the desk while at the computer or curled up by my side in bed. A soft, furry, bundle of love: She was a wonderful source of comfort and companionship. I will miss most the way she greeted me with her demure mews in the morning and when I got home at night. Ipoh was an amazing huntress with 156 documented captures. She would meow loudly, proclaiming her hunting success, as she came down the hallway with her conquest. There is no doubt she was a very happy kitty. She lived life on her own terms and did as she wanted. Ipoh was even spoiled with her own door for complete freedom. In the early morning of July 4th, she left my bedside and never returned. I'm grateful she came into my life and chose to spend so many years with me - My greatest sorrow and only regret is that we didn't have more time together.

June

I wanted to check out the Drunken Unicorn. I'd been to MJQ years ago and was curious about this underground/indie place. The videos from Hypernova looked and sounded cool so off I went. It was very hot on the ride over at 9pm - Still over 90 degrees. Parking was a hassle but I squeezed in and went down the stairs to an empty room. FYN had already started and wasn't bad. I checked out the room and bar - Nothing special. The beer selection was minimal so I passed and found a place to chill - Not an easy task since the A/C isn't very good and you have to find the few cools spots. Eventually The Debutaunts came on and sucked so badly that they forced me to leave. Sure it was late and I was tired, but my ears hurt from their horrible, out-of-tune crap. I left at 11:30 having never got to see Hypernova - What a waste.

It was deadly hot for the Art-B-Que, the Avondale Estates street fair, but I still went and watched a few bands. The place was deserted, maybe because of the heat and the main stage was to exposed for comfort but I sat at the acoustic stage for Third Lobby, Tone Star, and Underhill Rose. Unfortunately the barbecue wasn't special or worth the trip.

Mon Cherie's Va Va Voom burlesque show at The Shelter was okay but not well attended.

I always enjoy Craig Carothers, but his show with Angela Kaset at the the Swallow at the Hollow lacked its usual energy. The AC wasn't working and the place was only half full but it was the bad food that pushed me into the realm of disappointment.

It was nice to get the chance to see the fan movie Star Trek Phoenix with other fans on a large screen instead of home on the PC. The production quality was really first rate but the script needed work. Several people gathered at The Shelter, a few in costume, for the showing. Hopefully we will do it again with more publicity and better participation. The popcorn was free and delicious.

This year's Rock and Roll Monsterbash was very disappointing. For the first time I planned ahead and was all set but there was no action. Maybe I'd set my expectations too high. I signed up early for the Model Shoot-Out expecting the chance to photograph several models. But instead I was only given the opportunity to fight with 20 other photogs for the six models that showed. I didn't enjoy waiting all afternoon to shoot the few models I was really excited to see and gave up when I realized I wasn't going to get a chance. The bottom line is you're much better off bringing your own models - Which basically happened as a few of the photogs monopolized the models, taking them off for hours. It's like being told you won the Grand Prize only to find out all you only won entry to another raffle. So while I took a handful of nice pictures of random people and enjoyed listening to the the Luchagores, I didn't really have a good time. I never got to shoot any of the participating models, I'm not sure the burlesque show ever happened, the horror stuff was very weak without Professor Morte, and the audience energy was at a record low. I'm going to have to rethink ever doing the Monsterbash again.

On the Topic of the flotilla controversy
“If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence. If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would be no more Israel” – Benjamin Netanyahu. So what real options are there when no one is willing to compromise?

It was hot and humid on the Marietta square but still fun for the 97.1 Wing N' Rock Fest. I enjoyed good wings from Keegans Public House, the Mist Lounge and the Tilted Kilt. They need to get rid of the stupid reserved table crap. Reserved seating is a farce as the tables remained empty while everyday people squeezed around the periphery looking for shade and a place to sit. The music was good but I didn't stay for long since I was so uncomfortable.

May

Before I get to my review of the wonderful Lower 40 Records CD Release party with Today the Moon Tomorrow the Sun (TTMTTS) and Night Driving in Small Towns (NDiST) I want to send a big F-YOU to the staff at the Highland Inn Ballroom and photographer Dave Batterman. You are a bunch of A-Holes!

I missed the announcement that the theme for the CD release party was Zombie Dance Party so I was unprepared when I walked in on dozens of the bloody undead. Shane Morton from the Silver Scream Spookshow was doing make-up: Amazing stuff! The audience really looked great. The room was well decorated with spider webs, tombstones, skulls and candles. The bands were all made up too which was great. TTMTTS played an awesome set, as always, though I was surprised they didn't do an encore which the audience cheered for quite loudly. NDiST played well but it was my first time hearing them and I think they need more work on their stage production. Unfortunately I missed Oryx and Crake.

Back to the rant - I got there a little late and the second band NDiST was performing. As I watched the zombies dance, I got the idea for a group zombie photo while the bands did their change-over. The lights were still on in one corner of the room so it could be done. I mentioned the plan to a few of the professional photogs and zombies and waited. But just as NDiST finished, the lights went out. I asked one of the band members to make an announcement but the sound was already turned off. I asked the sound guy to let us use a mic and he said I'd have to wait a minute. So while waiting for sound guy I asked one of the staff to turn the lights back on for a minute and he bluntly told me to piss off. I went back but still no mic. No amount of polite asking on my part could get the staff to cooperate - without lights to focus and frame the picture and an announcement to get the zombies together it was going to be very difficult, and the staff photogs didn't care: Buttheads! Eventually I wrangled several of the zombies into a semi-lit corner for a photo but since it was very dark and I didn't have my good camera, my pictures are only fair. And the pro-photogs? Useless! How short sighted of Lower 40 Records to throw such an awesome party and then not make the effort to capture an audience shot! Yes, pictures of the bands are priority but a great audience shot would have made the papers and inspired the fans and demonstrated how popular their company and bands are. A-Holes!

Ded Bob’s Shakespeare Comedy Spectacular at the Shakespeare Tavern was good. I was a little disappointed that is was nothing more than his usual show at the Renaissance festival but there were several other acts to fill up the two hour show. There was a magician, bawdy singers and acrobats. I saw it on the preview night and it was pretty silly with errors and mistakes. We had fun but I can't really rave about it.

I was bored, so I went to the dollar theater to see Valentines Day. I'd heard it was terrible but I had nothing better to do and I like Jessica Alba and Jessica Beil. OMG was it torture! The situations are so painful to watch I wanted to leave several times. Who needs to see a dozen relationships go down in flames? Julia Roberts spends the entire movie, I'm not kidding, in the window seat of an airplane. McDreamy and McSteamy from Gray's Anatomy as well as the Jessicas are all losers. Making this movie was a crime against Hollywood! It deserved the horrible ratings it got and should never be allowed on DVD.

Iron Man 2 was very good. Maybe not better than the original since the action is the main star while the plot definitely weaker. But the experience was fun and exciting. My disappointment was with the new element crap which is technical wrong - It should have been a new compound. There no way Daddy Stark cold have predicted the exact properties of a theoretical new element - But he could have described the desired properties of a new compound and left it too his son to find that compound. Obviously they ignored their scientific advisor's objections.

Secretroom threw a much larger Halfway to Halloween Party at the Jungle which was well attended. I was a little put off by the conversion of the side room into a vending area but the decorations and music were top notch. Shows by the Succubus Sorority and Gigi Lemore were great. Everyone danced and had a good time. It was the usual crowd so photo opportunities were plentiful and easy. I caught two performances but I guess I left too soon and missed the third. Betty Boop won the contest but she had serious competition from two Lady Gagas and a very sexy bunny. But since she knew how to shake-it, she won the crowd over. Pictures are posted. (Write me for the entry code.)

April

The Helter Shelter Halfway to Halloween Party at the Shelter was pretty cool. About half the attendees wore costumes for a fun dress-up party. Screamin Rachael came in from Chicago and was full of energy and fun. Unfortunately she played a lot of disco music which sent me home early. The costume contest was actually pretty small but there were some totally sexy entrants and some interesting guy costumes. Amanda won sexiest costume as a Viking while Chris won worst costume as the Dick-Tater. I was very impressed with Lauren as the Wicked Witch (Shown to the right). There was an unusual number of guys dressed up as women, and I don't mean the usual suspects. Andrew, who was dressed as Santa Clause, celebrated his birthday with a girl in the cake. December did a very entertaining lap dance that everyone enjoyed. Everyone was very cool about posing for pictures and I even got a mini-shoot with Kortney which was very cool. She's both sweet and beautiful. I think everyone had a good time. You can see the pictures here.

As usual, the annual Inman Park Festival was crowded but fun. I stopped at the Euclid Ave. tent to watch Today the Moon Tomorrow the Sun put on an awesome show for a very excited audience. I also had a gyro and spent some money on dip mixes and artwork. My only disappointment was the very poor turnout for a flashmob event that was a total failure when only three people showed. Otherwise it was a beautiful afternoon.

Tiger Tiger's Chicken Ranch Showcase at the E.A.R.L was fun but poorly attended but that's expected for a weekday show. The Clutters and We Were the States, both from Nashville, opened to an empty room but about 50 people had shown up by the time Tiger Tiger took the stage. My fav local band put on a great show!

I had tremendous fun at the Das Bunker EDM party at the Shelter. It was an exciting and fun crowd that danced the night away with sexy dancers in a cool setting. Several DJs took turns spinning EDM music for a dark mass of goths, emos and others dressed in black - The uniform of the night. On the right is Rayvan, one of the dancers who entertained most of the night. She and Adryana danced in the cage and on the bar, but there were lots of other attractive people that took turns in the cage including Scott and Tryskyl but unfortunately the owners wouldn't let anyone else up on the bar. The Shelter is a nice medium size bar just north of Piedmont Hospital across from the Benihana. Parking was pretty good and there's a coat rack, several sofas and a carousel. A second outside room offered a quiet refuge for some. I enjoyed taking pictures of people that, for a change, wanted their pictures taken. The party was still going strong when I left at 3am. See the pix here.

The Runaways was the gritty behind the scenes story of Joan Jett's first band I expected. Written by Cherri Curry it was very kind to Joan Jett and very self-depreciating to Cherrie. Unfortunately Lita Ford and the other band members were barely mentioned and had very minor roles in the movie. Overall though I enjoyed it, but I'm a big Joan Jett fan - I would expect most people would have little interest in this story. Big congrats to Kristen Stewart. She did a great job. Her mannerisms and expressions imitating Joan were very accurate.

I went down to Turner Field to catch the Southeast Drift Association car drifting. It was very cool to see the cars skidding around the parking lot track accompanied by smoke and screaming tires. Many cars spun out, totally out-of-control but (As far as I know) there were no accidents and nobody got hurt. They weren't as good as I've seen in the movies or on TV but it was a lot of fun. I will go back but I'll bring sunscreen and a chair next time.

I rode out to the North River Tavern to catch Today the Moon Tomorrow the Sun play with Royal Thunder, but after an hour of waiting I gave up and went home. The venue absolutely sucks for music with the stage stuck in a corner behind a few tables that make standing cramped and provides no seating. The place is a major sports bar and there were a lot of people with no interest in hearing music. Because it was so crowded, standing around and waiting for the 10pm show was really uncomfortable. I waited until 10:40 but the bands were still sitting around drinking, making no effort to get started. What a waste of time and gas that was - I don't ever need to go back there.

A big shout-out and thank you to Criminal Records for the Kick Ass movie passes, posters and T-shirt. Very cool!

It's been a long time since I've been to the Horizon theater and I'd forgotten about the huge parking lot in the back, so I needlessly found street parking when I went to see The Show by the Out of Hand theater company. They put on ten short skits that were amateur but entertaining. It was worth the $10 but only because that included your first drink. They offered this thing about peep-sticks ,that was suppose to allow the audience to vote, but it was definitely not worth the extra $5 because it was not a serious voting opportunity. The six actors for this show were: A Contortionist who never contorted, a Nudie/stripper that had the body of a 13 year old boy, an Escape artist (The Living Dead Boy) who was actually a good entertainer, a Voodoo priestess (Haitian Witch Doctor) that was boring, the popular Rubber boy that was just a crass comedian, and a Bearded Lady that did the bed-of-nails thing. There were others running around too, like the Giant woman, the half man-half woman and a single-browed punk Cro-magnum woman furry that looked really cute. It was fun but kept me out very late.

March

I caught the new Dreamworks movie How to Train Your Dragon. It was very cute but nothing spectacular. I'm sure the kids will love it because all the dragons were adorable and it was entertaining. However, unlike Shrek and other movies in that genre, there was nothing for adults: No double entendres, no hidden references and no adults puns. I didn't think the 3D was worth the extra money either - The effects just weren't there. Overall it was entertaining, but for me, nothing special.

The Silver Scream Spookshow presentation of H.G. Wells' First Men in the Moon at the Plaza Theatre was fun. Lot's of people turned out and the pre-show entertainment was delightful.

The Secretroom Alice's Wonderland Cirkus and Jsin's B-Day party was a huge success. The place was maxxed out with cool people, entertainment by Dances in Air and a sexy performance from Alisa Kiss. Music was provided by DJ Nemesis, DJ Omac and DJ Jennocide. It was an interesting mix of old time Lewis Carroll with a touch of Tim Burton and a dash of Tom Petty. Many of the men and women were dressed as hatters, like the very sexy Squid on the right. There were also a variety of rabbits and bunnies hopping around the dance floor. After her striptease show and as the night's finale, there was a tea party for several people who had recent birthdays and Alisa was placed on the table as a human birthday cake. Asterid lit the candles, Jason then blew them out and sliced the cake and served those at the table. The audience loved it. It was a lovely homage to the Tom Petty video I had a great time. I took the opportunity to use the giant mushrooms on the stage as a backdrop for a few photos with Cat, Minuit and Kara which I think came out really well. Pictures are posted. (Write for the entry codes.)

Up In the Air is a depressing movie with George Clooney. What I found most amazing is that they took a dark subject and almost pulled off a happy and inspirational movie. The film is about a lonely man who travels the country firing people: His job is to do the face-to-face terminations, during corporate down sizing, in place of the regular managers who are too spineless or whatever. We see many angry, scared, frustrated people get abusive when they realize their company is cutting them out. Ryan Bingham (Clooney) has become insensitive to this horrible duty and everything else in his life. His sole joy is accumulating air miles and the perks that go along with that. He revels in all the airport executive lounges and luxury hotels in stark contrast to his bleak apartment and home life in Omaha. His world gets thrown into turmoil when events show him the life he's missed and his job eliminates his ability to travel. Several supporting characters brighten the mood until the end which is truly awful. Several very depressing plot conclusions spoil what was building to be a lovely, happy and satisfying ending. Suicide in a romantic comedy can really bring down a film quickly. People in my theater walked out like zombies. I understand completely why and how this picture failed at the box office.

Tim Burton's version of Alice in Wonderland was really enjoyable. They took great liberties with the story but were true to the characters and the ideas in the books which I loved. The colors and the visuals were awesome. The human actors weren't great but the animals were very entertaining and overall I have to highly recommend the movie. My only disappointment is that I wasn't impressed by the 3D effects (I saw the IMAX 3D) so I'm going to suggest you save the extra money for going out afterward and see the regular version if it's less expensive. For those that don't know, the story is basically Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (the first book) but with the addition of several characters from the second book (Through the looking Glass) and an original plot premised on the poem Jaberwocky. There is some violence but the plucking out of eyes is what makes this move less than child friendly.

Once again the Agoraphobia party was disappointing. Even there was a decent turnout, it was too cold to be outside inside they played movies which sucked. Since most everyone kept their coats on, it was neither fashion nor photo friendly. The performance wasn't really exciting either and few were used the playroom. All these factors resulted in a marginal event. Also, the city has put up numerous one-hour parking signs all around the venue making parking much more expensive. I expect to skip this event from this point forward.

I had high hopes for the new TV show Parenthood on NBC. I like Peter Krause and Lauren Graham and the movie was very funny. I was especially taken with the promo which included the Lenka song “The Show.” But I was so disappointed. The show was over the top depressing and overly dramatic. If I lived in that family with all those problems I'd have killed myself long ago! Hated it big time.

I had jury duty: Nothing particularly eventful. The first day hundreds of us sat for hours in a waiting room. It was crowded and boring. The second day I was dismissed but told to call-in for the third day. I called in: The message said I was dismissed - All done. One day wasted: That's my experience! Wanna see my certificate?

February

January

Despite the poor reviews and implausible geology I thought the movie 2012 was enjoyable. Just like disaster movies of the past, the action, once the disaster started, was continuous and exciting. There were several characters to root for and some tears to shed at the end.

Quills at the Push Push Theatre was interesting and entertaining though I could have used less of Stephen Banks' full Monty. The play is a fictional account of the Marquis De Sade's incarceration at the Cheranton Asylum, their attempts to stop his writings, the corruption and political intrigue and a little theological debate. De Sade is compelled to release his thoughts in lascivious writings of debauchery which delights his readers, especially the laundry maid and her mother, but embarrasses his wife and the asylum administrator. The administrator orders his staff to stop the marquis' writings which sets off the conflict and main part of the play as the marquis finds more imaginative ways to get his stories out. Funny in parts, morbid in others, but entertaining throughout. There is serious male nudity but it's not pornographic and unlike the protagonist would hope, nobody gets spanked or whipped. The theatre is very small so the audience is up close to the action though no audience participation is involved. Arrive early and avoid the front row if you don't want to be very close and staring at Mr. Banks' dangly bits for two hours.

I met some friends at Atlantic Station for the preview screening of Legion. It wasn't great but it was just what I expected for a low budget horror movie. I was surprised to see Kate Walsh (the main star of Private Practice) and Charles S. Dutton (Where has he been hiding?) Dennis Quaid did a great job and new comer Willa Holland was very sexy. I can certainly see how some religious people might take offense with the movie's premise that GOD is fallible. The plot of the movie is that God has lost faith in man and sent the apocalypse but the Archangel Michael thinks God is mistaken and fights to save mankind. The finale is a battle between the Archangel Michael and the Archangel Gabriel and, as you may have guessed already, Michael wins because God realizes he made a mistake. It was fun to watch but maybe not worth $10.

I caught Where the Wild Things Are and must admit I was disappointed because I really didn't understand it. The costumes were great and looked just like the book. The book was too short for a movie so I expected them to add something and am very disappointed they didn't. True to the book - Yes. Worth seeing - No.

The Hellzapoppin Side Show & Revue at the Masquerade was pretty weak. Big City Burlesque opened with a great performance and beautiful women. The Hot Rods then performed their music which wasn't impressive. Finally at 11:30 the main show started. I thought Penguin boy was special, watching Lil Miss Fire Fly roll in glass was impressive and Lady Diabla was attractive but overall the show was pretty lame and not worth the wait. Maybe I've just seen this stuff too many times before. I mean how many times do you need to see Zamora (The Torture King) put a meat skewer through his arm? Then again, it was only $10. A big part of the lameness was the layout: The stage was too low and the speakers were too tall so most of the stage was blocked making it really hard to see the show. It was also a publicity event for the movie Legion and I got several free movie passes.

I dragged myself out of the house to see the Sherlock Holmes movie. It wasn't bad but wasn't great either. It was very slow at times and needlessly complex. Conversely lots of money was spent on elaborate scenes that flew by in a split second. I'd recommend you wait for the rental.

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Created Oct. 10, 1995 Updated 4Aug 2017 © 2017 Stefan Oestreicher. All rights reserved

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