Wednesday, July 1, 2009
News 5 things to do: Wednesday
Posted by Amber Robinson on Wed, Jul 1, 2009 at 4:15 AM
1) Charis Books & More hosts Home Canning Demystified.
2) Beyoncé performs at Philips Arena.
3) Smoke on the Mountain continues at Theatre in the Square.
4) Il Divo performs at the Fox Theatre.
5) Tiny Vipers play 529.
(Photo by Flickr.com)
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Uncategorized Richard Lawson leaving Gawker at the end of July
Posted by Debbie Michaud on Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 10:30 PM
Nooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wednesday mornings/reality TV/time spent dicking around on the internet will never be the same. Gawker's reality TV wrap-up guy Richard Lawson is waving goodbye, and "NYC Prep" just got started! From theawl.com (via Media Bistro's Revolving Door Newsletter):
The Gawker blogger, who rose from the ranks of the advertising department and into editorial, will stick around through the end of July; he will then leave the very popular website a safe space free of gays for the first time in some years.
Man. I'm bummed. His recap last week of "NYC Prep's" season premiere was blogging gold — Jack Kerouac meets Sweet Valley High meets hobo ditty. A tidbit to make sure you know what you're missing:
The girl, who was having the party? Her name is Rags McTattershanty, and she lives under a bridge eating bugs and canned lima beans. Rags goes to a public school called Professor Shitbox's Idiot Academy for Nobodies, where all the trashcans are on fire and hobos teach you Hobo Arithmetic and in gym class you learn how to jump boxcars. Rags really hates it because she wants to be one of the rich kids just like the private schoolers are, plus her mom is a mean old goat (literally, a goat wearing a necklace and carrying a purse) that keeps trying to eat her BlackBerry. It just sucks so bad being her, and being so poor, and having all her best hats can-openered open and all her gloves getting their fingers cut off and sometimes when it's very late at night and one star shines brightly in the tarnished tin sky she fondles her bindle and dreams of Mexico.
See what I'm talking about? No news on where he's headed or what his plans are.
Uncategorized 'True Blood' season 2, episode 3
Posted by Debbie Michaud on Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 9:17 PM
What the ...?! Did you see that thing? That was some Guillermo del Toro shit that sprung out of the misty shadows and ran down poor ol' Sookie like she was dragging a red cape behind her. All libidos point toward Maryann, of course, who's known for wandering the streets naked next to wild hogs in the middle of the night, not to mention the giant mural of the Greek god Pan in her poolhouse, but we'll get to that in a little bit. For now, let's recap.
Bill zips to Sookie's side after the attack and reveals her wounds — a set of three deep gouges left by the creature's claws. When Bill tries to feed her his blood, her body rejects the antidote and she starts seizuring and foaming at the mouth. Bill rushes her to Fangtasia, of all places, where Eric has called the small-in-stature-but-not-in-attitude Dr. Ludwig. (Sookie: "What kind of doctor are you?" Dr. Ludwig: "The healing kind.") The crusty old lady, as well as Eric and Bill, are mystified by the whole thing: Dr. Ludwig likens the scenario to a Komodo dragon attack, referencing the poison embedded in the wounds to slowly cripple the prey. Sookie is likewise poisoned, which Dr. Ludwig treats by dousing with some sort of potion before scooping out bad stuff with her knotty fingers. Sookie can now accept Bill's blood and does so, passing out soon after. With her job done, Dr. Ludwig heads out with a heartfelt "Fuck off!" to Eric. I'd have liked to see the look on Bill's face when she said that.
News Mr. Franken goes to Washington
Posted by Scott Henry on Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 8:43 PM
You watched him on "Saturday Night Live." You listened to him on Air America. You loved him in Stuart Saves His Family. OK, maybe not that last one.
But now comedian-turned-liberal-pundit-turned-politician Al Franken is finally going to join the U.S. Senate. Everyone knew he'd won the race months ago, but incumbent Norm "Douchebag" Coleman had been hanging on the seat by his fingernails.
Well, the NYT has just reported that the Minnesota Supreme Court today returned a unanimous verdict in Franken's favor and that Coleman has conceded. It only took him seven months.
News Toys for Tots leader on Rep. Bearden: He didn't work for us
Posted by Thomas Wheatley on Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 5:45 PM
The City of Carrollton's attempt to clear the air over a controversial "verbal agreement" it made with state Rep. Tim Bearden, R-Douglasville, nearly four years ago just might have backfired.
A recap: On June 15, a Carrollton blogger broke the news that the City of Carrollton had paid Bearden nearly $93,000 since October 2005 to serve as a "consultant." When asked to produce documents that showed evidence of the state lawmaker's work, Carrollton officials said none existed.
Now there's this from the Carrollton Times-Georgian:
The local organizer for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program has come out publicly to refute claims by the city of Carrollton that Rep. Tim Bearden helped with the annual campaign while serving as a consultant for the city.In a paid advertisement printed in the Sunday, June 21, issue of The Times-Georgian, Carrollton Mayor Wayne Garner listed briefly “a sampling of the projects Rep. Bearden has either solely or partially been responsible for.” These include the Police Department’s “Save a Life ... Stop on Red” campaign, the “Fans for Seniors” program aimed at helping the elderly keep cool during the summer and the Toys for Tots drive that occurs every year during the Christmas season. In addition, Garner’s letter says that Bearden has also served in “an advisory capacity on sensitive police issues that are not open for public disclosure.”
But Carlis Baker, the area organizer of the toy drive, said in a letter to The Times-Georgian that his organization has no records of Bearden’s work, and if he were to be paid for his services to Toys for Tots, it would be a violation of the spirit of volunteerism that makes the program a success.
It's one thing to say the fruits of Bearden's labor existed in the "minds of the children," as city officials recently said. It's another to screw with Toys for Tots.
(Photo by Joeff Davis)
News Metromont, Hardin Construction assist in parking deck collapse clean-up
Posted by Thomas Wheatley on Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 4:45 PM
The AJC reports that Hardin Construction, whom we discussed in this space yesterday, is working with clean-up and emergency crews to determine the cause of yesterday's COLLAPSE THAT SHOOK THE WORLD.
From a statement by Hardin President Bill Pinto:
“Although Hardin’s last direct involvement with the Centergy project was in 2002, senior Hardin staff members were on site immediately, joining others in trying to understand what happened. We will continue to make ourselves available to investigators and offer our full cooperation and assistance.
Metromont, the concrete company that Hardin kind of threw under the bus in a released statement yesterday, says it also has workers on scene and will assist in the investigation.
From a statement by Rick Pennell, CEO of the Greenville, S.C.-based company:
“As has been reported, Metromont Corporation assisted Hardin Construction on this project, which was finished in 2002 and is just one of over 500 parking facilities that our seventy five year old company has helped construct. Our last direct involvement with the garage was in 2002.More importantly, yesterday's partial collapse of the parking facility in downtown Atlanta is a terrible incident. We are pleased with the initial reports of no loss of life. Our senior design professionals have been on the site since yesterday afternoon working side by side with fire and public safety officials, assisting them in assessing the structural condition of the building, so that search efforts could begin without further danger to those first responders on the site. I arrived in Atlanta last evening and I am currently on the site with our team. Metromont Corporation is committed to providing whatever assistance, professional expertise or additional resources may be requested in this matter.”
Occupational Safety and Health Administration staffers are also on site. No formal investigation has been launched. The AJC says no one knows exactly whom will lead the investigation into exactly the parking deck collapsed.
News Clermont Hotel foreclosure one week away
Posted by Scott Henry on Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 4:29 PM
Got a few million to spare — in cash? Then you could be Blondie's new landlord!
Next Tuesday, the Clermont Hotel and four other chunks of real estate owned by the troubled Inman Park Properties are scheduled to be auctioned off on the courthouse steps. John Mansour, a local lawyer representing Fairway Capital, the New York-based lender that's foreclosing on the Clermont, told the AJC early last week that his client was negotiating with IPP founder Jeff Notrica. On Friday, however, Mansour told CL he didn't have an update.
Based on recent experience, the outlook isn't good. In fact, it's pretty dismal.
Last week, I called Danny Glusman, sales manager for Inman Park Properties, in an effort to confirm which of the company's many parcels in foreclosure had ended up back in the lenders' hands. I picked addresses at random from a long list I'd compiled by searching through public foreclosure notices, but Glusman was able to indentify only one — the old Hilan Theatre in Virginia-Highland —that had been spared from foreclosure by a last-minute deal with the lender.
News Atlanta Fourth of July events
Posted by Web Editor on Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 3:26 PM
By Sarah Bakhtiari
311, Ziggy Marley, the Expendables 311 headlines the Summer Unity Tour with Jamaican musician Ziggy Marley and reggae-punk band the Expendables. $20-$38.50. 6:30 p.m. Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood, 2002 Lakewood Way. 404-817-8700. www.ticketmaster.com.
4th of July Bash ’80s Style Dress ’80s for this Independence Day event with a dance floor. Bathing suits are also welcome for the poolside party. $15-$20. 7 p.m. DoubleTree Hotel Northlake, 4156 LaVista Road, Tucker. 678-608-8807.
4th of July Punk Rock Extravaganza Local punk-rock acts take over the Masquerade for shows in both Heaven and Hell. Who needs fireworks? 7 p.m. $8. 695 North Ave. 404-577-8178. www.masq.com.
All-American Celebration Family fun, patriotic sing-alongs and anthems, and a fiery post-concert blast! Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, conductor Bridget Reischl and the formidable U.S. Army Chorus perform. $21-$59. 8-10 p.m. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, 2200 Encore Parkway. 404-733-5010. www.ticketmaster.com.
Alpharetta’s Summer Celebration Alpharetta Recreation & Parks Department will host a spectacular fireworks show with food, children's activities & entertainment. 5 p.m. Wills Park, 11925 Wills Road, Alpharetta. 678-297-6140. www.awesomealpharetta.com.
Beer and BBQ for the Fourth Chow down on an all-American Fourth of July three-course dinner. Chef Kevin Gillespie will roast a whole hog using his personal Terminus City barbecue recipes. $35-$40. 5 p.m. Woodfire Grill, 1782 Cheshire Bridge Road. 404-347-9055. www.woodfiregrill.com.
Big 4th in Little 5 Groove to two stages, one indoors and one outdoors. Bands include James Hall, the Constellations, Batata Doce, the Jaguars, F'ing Heartbreaks, Death on Two Wheels, the Whiskey Gentry, the Weeks and El Cobra Negro. $5-$8. 4 p.m. Star Bar, 437 Moreland Ave. 404-681-9018. www.starbar.net.
(Photo by Flickr.com/Pixel Addict)
