Return to Index Page
Old News: 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998

Stefan's News
2017 Year In Review

December

Pitch Perfect 3 was very cute - As expected. I think the franchise is fun and I enjoyed the singing, especially Anna Kendrick. The plot was silly and I really don't think the big name DJ added anything to the movie. He didn't perform and I'll bet his fans didn't turn out; So - Big Waste! Much of the movie was filmed in Atlanta and it was fun to see local areas in the movie. Overall it was enjoyable.

Sunday was cold and rainy so I ventured to the movies for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. I can't say I was disappointed but I certainly wasn't thrilled either. The whole thing seemed pointless and without direction. The rebels are trying to get away from the battleships but every plan fails. Rey and Luke don't really do anything and she doesn't seem to grow under his mentorship: Actually, he doesn't really do any teaching. In the end, well did anything really happen? Except maybe for a lot of people dying actually I don't really didn't care about that either. Does the next movie have anywhere to go?

Catfight! put on a short notice show at the Star Community Bar. I hadn't been back there since their last show in 2015. Their set was a lot of fun. Apparently Katy hurt her foot the night before but the show must go on! She was rolling around on a cart which was funny. They were joining something called the All Star Mangle Tangle; I have no idea what that was about. The other bands were Sit-N-Spin and Tiger Tiger but it was late and I didn't stay. I didn't bring my camera and had not planned on taking pictures but was still disappointed when my phone refused to cooperate. I guess I'm getting a new phone for Xmas.
Playlist - Frustrated, Get Outta My Face, Whipped, Syphilis, Back of My Blue Truck, Best I Can, Pussycat, Mustang, Mamie, Hypocrite & Backseat Baby

November

Once again i purchased a Popeye's Frozen Cajun Turkey for Thanksgiving. It was glorious. I had Stove Top stuffing, Bean Caserole and Corn soufflé. It took five days to eat it all. I still have a leftover turkey casserole for another few nights.

Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman really made Justice League watchable. Otherwise is was just fair. I, again, was disappointed that the Amazon women were just there to lose. Why are they so weak that they lose every battle even though they've been preparing for years? The villain comes out of no where but has a back story 5000 years old; that makes no sense. Batman and the Flash are mostly normal but take hits that should break every bone in their body? Again - Ridiculous! But it was entertaining. Kal Drogo (Jason Momoa) as Aquaman was awesome - We need more of that!

I saw the movie Kingsmen: the Golden Circle and thought it was fun. Totally preposterous but fun. The Trump bashing was nice.

It's been a few years since I've been to Stone Mountain so I drove over for the Native American Festival and Pow Wow. It was pretty much the same with a few crafts vendors, dancing and displays. I got my usual frybread and bought another blanket. It was also my first time seeing the Crossroads Park and I was very overwhelmed.

October

The Little 5 Points Halloween Festival and Parade was crowded as usual. The parade was fun but I really wanted to partake of the food but there were few choices and really long lines. So I didn't stick around afterward. There's some controversy these days about appropriating other cultures for dress up - It's becoming taboo. But I thought this group from Disney's Muana was great and the crowd seemed to love them. I suppose a few years down the road I will be forced to take this picture down but I thought they were great too.
To celebrate the opening of Deer Season here in Georgia, Arby's offered a one day only Venison Burger. In 2016 it was only one restaurant and they ran out before I got my chance. This year it was all the locations and I got there early and was fifth in line at 10am. It's hard to beat those true southerners. The sandwich was a fillet not a burger and it was chewy and not very tasty. I'm glad I got to try it but it's not something I would do again. My hunting friends say it is a very lean meat and they usually grind it up with pork when they make burgers or chili. I think more of the berry sauce would have helped too.
A coworker joined me for the opening of Blade Runner 2049 on Thursday. It was very good. Like the original it was pensive and confusing. I think some questions were answered and more created.

Overall I thought it was very good. People may not remember that the original took a while for people to embrace and I'm afraid that will happen again. The initial news is that it won't sell as many tickets as expected. Still, I think they did a good job and it will be talked about for years also.

What makes us human? Where is the line if they are both flesh and blood? And when robots think, what will we do? What rights will or should they have?
The Sunday in the Park at Oakland Cemetery was most enjoyable. It was a beautiful day and lots of people were out. The Victorian costumes were delightful. I wasn't impressed with the food trucks but stayed for a few bands. Oakland Cemetery 2017

September

Six Flags made me an offer I couldn't refuse and now I have a season pass. Who wants to come?

British Car Fayre 2017 The British Car Fayre was fun. The weather was perfect for a wonderful day outside. Due to bad weather in Florida many regular attendees didn't come and maybe that deterred some of the visitors. The crowd was definitely a little light. I was happy that I finally got one coworker to participate and another to attend although I didn't get to spend time with them. I had wings from Chase's Grille which were good. I'll probably do that again next year.

As suddenly as it started, Game of Thrones is over. I was impressed with the story but disappointed with the speed: Too much too fast. I think they should have allowed more time to pass between episodes. But they did use the dragons to their full potential. Wow!

August

    Clouds weighed heavily on me, so didn't really get excited about the Total Eclipse of 2017. But as the event approached I caught the bug and got very excited. I ordered glasses and a sheet of filter film for my camera and told the boss I would be out if the weather was nice. It was very nice!
    So the morning of the eclipse I drove up toward the centerline of the path in North Georgia. Traffic wasn't awful but my first few destinations were full. I settled down in downtown Clayton and set up my chair.
    The first hour was very cool. Watching the moon pass slowly across the face of the sun was amazing. But then the clouds rolled in. I got in the car and raced down the road to find clear skies just in time for Totality. I didn't bother with pictures: I just enjoyed the moment. It was amazing! Traffic on the way home was terrible but it was all worth it.
    Seeing a full eclipse is an awesome experience that should not be missed.
Solar Eclipse - Aug 2017

July

Game of Thrones is back. I really think Euron is a crappy character and I was rooting for Yara. Oh well. Let's see those dragons do some damage.


Click on picture for obituary
Joshua Atkins
Sep. 20, 1974 - Jul. 17, 2017

My cousin Josh got a raw deal and now he's gone. He was soft spoken and gentle. Whenever we got together and I invited him to join in the trouble making he'd just look at me with a confused look and smile. The concept just didn't make sense to him. He was a brilliant kid and even graduated from Yale. But Mitochondrial disease slowly drained the life from him, leaving him unable to even eat at the end. His parents were amazing and did everything they could to provide him a great experience. It was an honor to be his pallbearer. His loss is a tragedy.

Rest in Peace Cuz.

It was nice to see my sister and niece even under terrible circumstances. Pepe'a Pizza is always wonderful. Visiting with the Freewalts was a plus too.

LUST was performing at the Basement so I went over to East Atlanta to check it out. There was confusion about the starting time so I had a beer in the Graveyard Tavern while I waited. It's pretty cool with couches, pool tables and dart boards. Then I went around back and entered the unmarked basement. I didn't like that space because there's no where to sit and in a short span my feet we sore. The acoustics are horrible and the sound system is awful. LUST was cute in their shark costumes and the lame jokes were par for their shows. I didn't stick around for Vag Religion, Joy Kills, or Aggravated.

I rode over to Cabbagetown to see my artist friend Eva Connelly and her friend Noè Alarcon painting a mural for Forward Warrior. It's an art project where local artists paint the walls along Wylie Ave. It was really hot but also really fun to watch all the artists come together to beautify the area. There were many helpers and visitors around to support the project. (Alternate link) Painting the wall - July  2017

June

I got sneak preview passes to Atomic Blonde and had to venture across the perimeter during rush hour. Traffic was terrible crossing 285 and we arrived very late. We managed to get in but had nearly front row seats. Still, it was a lot of fun.
 
The movie is set in 1989 Berlin as the Berlin wall came down; So it is filled with 80's fashion and music which was awesome. The action is very intense and gritty as we watch Lorraine (Charlize) kick ass and get her butt kicked too. It's very violent and real: people bleed, fall down, and get tired. Its hard to imagine getting back up after some of the hits but you see her taking drugs throughout so at least it could be plausible. The twists and turns are awesome and, typical of cold war spy movies, you never know who to trust. I was very impressed with how the music directly tied into the action. Go see it.

It's been a while since I went to a Burlesque show and was curious about Wasabassco at City Winery Atlanta. I read that Sadie Hawkins was performing and I really like her aerial act, so off I went. The winery is in the new Ponce City Market with it's expensive parking. I looked around at all the yuppies/hipsters spending too much money on designer food and drink; Then crossed the parking lot to the winery. It was expensive and pretentious; just as I'd expected. The mistress of ceremonies was Sapphire Jones with Lux LaCroix from NYC, Nashville's Evelyn Vinyl, along with Gigi La Femme, Candi LeCoeur, Desta del Carmen, and Sadie Hawkins from Atlanta. The show was fine but the atmosphere was uncomfortable - Nobody would talk to me, it was stuffy and humid, and the service was poor. So I won't be going back. Which is sad because Shawn Colvin is coming in the Fall.

The new Wonder Woman movie was very good. I enjoyed the acting, the story and the action. Gal Godot was awesome. I was confused why the Amazons stayed on the island when it was their mission to defend the world and even more disappointed the Diana couldn't return. If she was right, how would she be able to tell them their mission was complete? Maybe that will be explained later. I was glad to see her strong both physically and emotionally. I was sorry Steve Trevor died.

I enjoyed my annual trip to the Georgia Renaissance Festival for my regular turkey leg, mead ale and roasted corn. The shops and shows were fun though I didn't take any pictures. There was a new Ded Bob which was strange - Good but strange.

May

The Slingin Wings Festival at Brookhaven Park was pretty weak. The variety of wings wasn't great and mostly chain wing places. I did enjoy a couple of restaurants and may check them out later but I won't return to that festival. The park is awful with terrible parking plus the music wasn't very exciting.

April

Colossal looked like an interesting movie and I really like the idea of fans funding a movie they want to see. It was okay but I think the writing could have been a little better. The photography and acting was fine so maybe this will work. I hope Legion M considers making an Anne McCaffrey Pern movie.

March

I went to the Game of Thrones show at Phillips arena and was disappointed. It was basically a highlight reel with a live symphony. Since I'm not into the symphony that part was lame. How exciting is it to watch people sitting down and playing instruments? And that guys dancing around with a violin? Not really action. I was really excited about the show but I could have watched reruns and been equally entertained. That would not have cost me over $100.
 
  What was I expecting? They had advertised it as an immersive experience with action and cool effects. While the lighted screens from the ceiling were cool it wasn't action. Confetti and paper leaves falling were also cool but no worth the price. I was really expecting people to talk about the making of the series or behind the scenes stories not just a highlights put together showing the evolution of each character. I had bad seats and really couldn't see the big screen anyway. But really it was the conductor trying to act like he was some kind superstar that just made me laugh in a bad way.

You can still visit the news archive: 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, or 1998.

Back to the Index or Visit the sitemap

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.


Website Created Oct. 10, 1995
Updated 11 Jan 2018
© 2018 SpunByStefan.
All rights reserved
Spun By Stefan