Confessions of a Futon Revolutionist

2010-01-25T18:26:00.000-08:00

2009-12-28T11:36:00.000-08:00

Reject Apathy and World AIDS day

2009-12-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

December 1st is World AIDS Day. Check back on the ONE Blog for more on the global fight against HIV/AIDS. I'm a day late, but none the less, this is still worth re posting about.

Check out this Issue of Reject Apathy my wife Amy did!
http://bit.ly/2ubncp

http://www.one.org/us/about/
www.rejectapathy.org

Reject Apathy and Relevant partnered w Project One,(a grassroots campaign and advocacy organization backed by more than 2 million people who are committed to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. Cofounded by Bono and other campaigners, ONE is nonpartisan and works closely with African policy makers and activists.)

By Susan Smith Ellis { CEO of Sister Organization (RED) }

On World AIDS Day, we don’t celebrate with fireworks or champagne. We take note of what has been accomplished and we resolve to keep at it. We are proud of what our partners have accomplished. We like to say that they have gained market share for life (and for themselves) and in so doing they have changed the course of a part of human history.

In 2006, it was estimated that only 8% of HIV-positive pregnant women in Ghana received the antiretroviral medicine necessary to reduce the chance of transmitting HIV to their unborn children. Without the medicine, the chances of HIV transmission were (and are) roughly 50-50. With the medicine, the chances of HIV transmission drop to between 1 and 2%. By the end of 2008, nearly 40% of Ghanaian women in need received the medicine that will transform the lives of their children. That is market share for life. And it is growing year-over-year.

On this World AIDS Day, there is improvement in HIV detection across sub-Saharan Africa. The percentage of pregnant women who were able to take an HIV test increased from 17% in 2007 to 28% in 2008. We have every reason to believe that the percentage figure will increase substantially again this year (the final data are not yet available). The goal obviously is to keep ramping up testing until the chain of HIV transmission from mother to child is one day broken altogether. That day is coming, if we keep after it.

http://www.one.org/us/about/
www.rejectapathy.org

Relevant Magazine. My wife handles their Graphic Design. Check em out!

2009-11-22T08:30:00.000-08:00

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life at bursts of 140 characters

2009-08-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

life at bursts of 140 characters, I feel like its high-jacked my entries and It's become one more thing that has been reduced to a nano seconds worth of attention. Oh well.. Here it is, lol.

ibleedrocknroll tweets

1.
Stoked about inglorious basterds today, riding my bike up to the Plaza6 minutes ago from web

2.
@stephistication your tweets aren't so bad yourself, from motorcycle gangs, to lemondrops karoke, mariner games,vacations & brand new in atlabout 2 hours ago from TwitterFon in reply to stephistication

3.
Flight of the concords + coffee + hanging with the wifey = awesomeabout 2 hours ago from TwitterFon

4.
Hanging out at parkave listening to music http://twitpic.com/fly24about 21 hours ago from TwitterFon

5.
Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived & how he died that distinguish one man from another. -Hemingway10:26 AM Aug 28th from web

6.
One class down today, one more to go2:21 PM Aug 27th from TwitterFon

7.
@DanielHollywood feel better homie9:46 AM Aug 27th from TwitterFon in reply to DanielHollywood

8.
@DanielHollywood WTF? We hung a day ago, Was this planned?9:45 AM Aug 27th from TwitterFon in reply to DanielHollywood

9.
@daniellekick yea, let me know when you go on vaca9:24 AM Aug 27th from TwitterFon in reply to daniellekick

10.
@daniellekick good luck with the deck!! what's your number homie?7:16 PM Aug 26th from TwitterFon in reply to daniellekick

11.
@DanielHollywood what??9:57 AM Aug 26th from TwitterFon in reply to DanielHollywood

12.
Walking the dog then off to first day of class9:56 AM Aug 26th from TwitterFon

13.
About to see "The Hurt Locker" I've heard good things7:31 PM Aug 25th from TwitterFon

14.
Drinking coffee jammin out to I & I Survived - Bad Brains10:35 AM Aug 25th from web

15.
Hanging out at the laundrymat making a playlist for tonights run4:17 PM Aug 24th from TwitterFon

16.
Izze = awesome2:25 PM Aug 24th from TwitterFon

17.
Time to catch up on Entourage from last night.9:36 AM Aug 24th from web

18.
@daniellekick vacation eh?nice9:10 AM Aug 24th from TwitterFon in reply to daniellekick

19.
@ibleedrocknroll and school starts this week, stoked9:09 AM Aug 24th from TwitterFon in reply to ibleedrocknroll

20.
I'm beat, g'nite12:20 AM Aug 24th from TwitterFon

21.
@DanielHollywood what are you talking about?9:59 PM Aug 22nd from TwitterFon in reply to DanielHollywood

22.
Watching MLL Boston vs. Denver Game1:21 PM Aug 22nd from web

23.
@daniellekick yeah, off colonial10:47 AM Aug 22nd from TwitterFon in reply to daniellekick

24.
@jimmyfallon "Kevin Devine is great you should have him on your show" #johnhughesquotes2:44 PM Aug 21st from web

25.
@daniellekick weird.. So I just ran into Sarah simpson @ the bux5:46 PM Aug 20th from TwitterFon in reply to daniellekick

26.
Stoked about the new David Bazan album coming out9:35 AM Aug 20th from TwitterFon

27.
@KevinDevineTwit just sent the word out, goodluck9:20 AM Aug 20th from TwitterFon in reply to KevinDevineTwit

Stoked about my new path in life

2009-06-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

Going to school to become a Physician Assistant, This requires 4 years premed 2 years field experience + 2 years med school. I found a blog for a PA student currently running through the program and I am stoked. see below. It is a post from pastudentlife.blogspot.com

Surgery
I think the reason why I haven't written much is because I experience so many different things every single day that I just cannot find the words to articulate these experiences. It's also hard to express the excitement and befuddlement (is that a word?) at the FACT that I will be graduating soon.

Really soon.

I just finished my first week in Surgery at a hospital in Queens. I have to report to "Sign In" at 6:30am every morning. From 6:30- 7:45am 20 surgeons, residents, interns, and med students meet in a conference room to discuss every patient that has been admitted to the surgery department. From 7:45 to 9:00 we do rounds. The entire team (20 of us) walk to every patient's room and check in on them. From 9-noon we work in a clinic...either surgery, orthopedics, or wound clinic. And from noon to whenever...we can go in and assist in surgeries.

In the surgery clinic, my job is to examine a patient that had surgery within that last few weeks. I examine them and then present the patient to the head attending. In the othopedics clinic, I examine the patient and determine whether or not they are a candidate for surgery. Then I present the patient to the attending. In the wound clinic, I remove bandages and inspect patient's wounds. Most are diabetic ulcers and the smell is unbearable. One of the other students started gagging the hallway. Some of the docs put Vics under their noses for certain cases. I've seen some nasty wounds...

I participated in my first surgery on Friday. I was second assist on an inguinal hernia. Turns out the guy had a direct AND indirect hernia. I really had no idea what was expected of me and I left the surgery completely surprised by the amount of responsibility I had during the surgery.

There were three of us working on the patient. The surgeon, the resident, and me....the student. The surgeon made the first cut and pointed out all of the landmarks. He handed one retractor to the resident and the other retractor to me. I stood to the right of the surgeon. The resident was on the other side of the patient. I held the retractor with my left hand and was surprised when the nurse handed me a pair of scissors. I grabbed them and when the surgeon said, "Cut"....I cut! I would cut the internal stitches that the resident made under the instruction of the surgeon.

After the surgeon repaired the hernia, he closed the deepest layers of the wound and left the resident and myself to close the wound. The resident did the second layer and I closed the superficial layer under his close supervision. I'm glad I had my ER rotation otherwise I wouldn't have known what to do. There was a medical student in the room with us and she had never sutured before.

The curious thing about this rotation is that I am treated EXACTLY the same as the medical students. There are 4 medical students and 2 PA students. The interns and residents really don't know the difference. The majority of the interns and residents are from overseas and are male. Out of the 20 surgical staff...only 4 are female (including me!). I am asked the same questions as the med students. I've had doctors, nurses and patients address me as Doctor. I explain I am a PA student. So then I'm called "student doctor".

Once a week I am required to do 24-hour call. I work a normal day: 6:30am to 5pm...and then I stay in the hospital with a pager and wait to get paged until 8am the next morning! So technically that's 25.5 hours...but who's counting? Either way, I still don't get paid!

I can sleep in between pages. I do have a call room. It's a small room with a desk and a bed. I don't think the room has been cleaned since the 70's...but there is a door and I get to close it and have some "alone" time. I slept about 3 hours during my first call. I could have slept more but since I was in a new environment and was paranoid that I'd sleep through the pager beeping...I woke up frequently. It is the student's responsibility to update a list of patients. We have to update their conditions and treatment plans and make sure they haven't changed rooms. So, at 5am, I have to run around to the different floors and check up on the patients and their status. Then I have to type up the new list and make copies for everyone at the 6:30am meeting.

So, these days, I wake up at 5am...leave my house by 5:15am. I arrive at the hospital at 6:15am and change into scrubs before the 6:30am (sign-in) meeting. The sign-out meeting is usually between 3-4pm and can last up to two hours. I'm usually home by 7pm. I try to get to sleep before 10pm.

I have to say that I do like surgery. As demanding as this rotation is....I like the challenge and the responsibility. I also like the team approach and the dynamics involved. I would like it even more if I were actually getting paid to work all of these crazy hours!

Less than 4 months to go

2009-06-11T14:23:00.000-07:00

2009-06-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

The Porter Beer Bar
Categories: American (New), Pubs
Neighborhood: Little Five Points

6/4/2009
First time at the Porter, and I'm kicking myself for not going here sooner. The place has a great selection of beers you won't find most places, and the atmosphere made me feel like I was a station or stop in Wes Anderson's Darjeeling Limited. The luggage and suitcases everywhere add to its great feel. I had an amazing burger and a ridiculous amount of fries to go with it. Check this place out now!
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63 E Pine St
Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 843-1559 Breakfast Club of Orlando
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Downtown

4/18/2009
The cornbeef has was good and the service is good. I feel a little bias coming from ATL and comparing against our breakfast spots, but this is a nice little gem in the downtown jamlando area. The staff was nice and helpful. Interesting mix of downtown hipsters, business men and women, and locals. All and all, if I'm downtown again looking for some good breakfast I will be back.
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1235 N Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32804
(407) 228-3898 Ethos Vegan Kitchen
Categories: Vegan, Breakfast & Brunch, American (New)
Neighborhood: Park Lake/Highland

4/18/2009
A great addition to the vegetarian/vegan restuaruants in Jamlando. Staff is great, food is good and the atmosphere is awesome.There are some rad paintings in the back in the hallway to the bathrooms, random traditional american tattoo flash influenced paintings, misfits paintings etc. I highly recomend reading the horoscope book in by the couch in the back, its strange how dead on it was for me. All in all, The food is amazing, check it out.
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1245 Glenwood Ave Se
Atlanta, GA 30316
(404) 622-8686 Graveyard Tavern
Categories: Bars, American (New)
Neighborhood: East Atlanta Village

2/28/2009
good times, good food, good people.

And apparently, from what I've been told, there is a vegan night I need to check out.
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465C Flat Shoals Ave
Atlanta, GA 30316
Sopo Bicycle Cooperative
Categories: Bikes, Fitness & Instruction
Neighborhood: East Atlanta Village

2/28/2009
SOPO Represents how East ATL Village does it, they are down to earth and about helping out while having a damn good time. I've been down here several times and have learned how to work on my bike and in the process have been able to return the favor and help others learn how to work on theirs too. I highley recomend getting plugged into your local bike community if you haven't yet.

If you don't have a bike you can put together a bike for $25.
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982 Memorial Dr
Atlanta, GA 30316
(404) 254-5955 Wonder Root
Categories: Recording & Rehearsal Studios, Community Service/Non-Profit, Art Galleries, Adult Education
Neighborhood: Reynoldstown

2/28/2009
Wonder root is a non-profit community arts center, they provide classes and arts facilities to anyone in Atlanta who is looking for a place for a creative outlet. It is either $10 a month or $60 for the year and you gain access to an amazing place to grow. They have a recording studio, a computer lab with all the toys you'll need, a editing suite for all you film kids, dark room, etc. It is also a venue that has amazing Basement shows for artists of all kinds from thrash grindcore bands, to folk indie acoustic rock. They offer open mic nights and have a good thing going on here for the people of Atlanta who want to get plugged into the art and music community on another level. They have portfolio center vibe upstairs with all the art on the wall and the caliber of talent they are rocking here. SCAD kids frequent here when they don't want to make the drive in and I have to commend WR for the amazing job their doing.
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142 Flat Shoals Ave SE
Atlanta, GA 30316
(678) 528-9901 ParkGrounds
Categories: Pets, Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Reynoldstown

2/28/2009
Why are there not more of these around?? This place is perfect for those who have a dog who need a place they can get out all of their energy and get work done at the same time. The staff is great, the people who hang there are all down to earth, and this is the best part - the coffee is good and they care about the integrity in a good cup of joe. That is a rare commodity in the over abundance of coffee shops around Atlanta.
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100 10th St NW
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 874-5158 Buddha Restaurant
Categories: Chinese, Vegetarian
Neighborhood: Midtown

2/28/2009
Let me break this down and keep it simple.

Good Parking ( Parking garage available )
Open Late ( open to 6am ) for all you late night SCAD kids down the street.
Great Vegetarian Menu ( highly recommend the General Tso's )
Reasonable Pricing ( standard NY Chinese food prices )
Good atmosphere inside ( Nice interior with some ambiance, and a huge outside patio for when it warms up )
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617 N Highland Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30306
(404) 885-1117 Videodrome
Category: Videos and Video Game Rental
Neighborhood: Poncey-Highland

2/28/2009
Great Movie Selection , definitely a must for anyone who considers their self a film buff. I'll keep it short since everyone pretty much nailed it on the head.
Great place to find movies you can't find anywhere else, when you can't wait for netflix and you've gotta have it now. Ask the guys behind the counter for a sleeper film, They have a pretty good amount of knowledge on all those films we let slip through the cracks.
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52 B N Main St
Alpharetta, GA 30004
(770) 569-7511 Slice Cafe
Category: American (New)

1/17/2009
Ok Kids, So its been a while, Lets kick off the new year with some crazy sandwiches. This place feels like it belongs somewhere tucked away in the highlands or the square in Decatur, its a small two story house they transformed into this hip fusion experimental lunch/sandwich spot. The menu is filled with sandwiches or stuff that seems like someone would think of if they had a culinary background and smoked a lot of weed. I mean come on... Who else would come up with a chocolate brownie cake that was prepped by soaking it in coca cola that is described as a coke chocolate cake? Our server said that the chef was experimenting with some new stuff that day and came up with a Guinness BBQ sauce and wanted to know what we thought. What did I think?? Amazing... Why didn't I think of this? Well when it time to make a decision between the corn bread stuffing posed as two pieces of bread with Pancetta gravy as the sauce with roasted turkey as your meat or ahi tuna salad with egg salad on top between some type of amazing bread, I went with the bleu cheese mayo Chicken Salad, b/c lets face it.. I'm a sucker for bleu cheese. The place gets busy at lunch time so come early or later. The staff is very helpful and the food is as good as it gets when trying get away from your "everyday boring sandwich from subway I need something new for lunch" routine.
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Red Robin
Categories: Burgers, American (Traditional)

10/5/2008
OK, so I have been told that this place has the best burgers in Georgia. Being that I've never experienced a red robin burger, I had to check this out for myself. So Amy and I took a road trip out to Lawrenceville with some friends and put this place to the test. First off, I highly recommend the onion rings as a starter. Holy wow. I think if anything the onion rings are worth the drive. The burgers were good, but not ATL's best. I still think the vortex has them beat on this one, but as far as experiencing some good ol' fashion Midwestern style American food. Check it out.
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1101 N Main Street
Jacksonville, FL 32206
(904) 791-4499 The Pearl
Categories: Dance Clubs, Bars

10/3/2008
Karaoke in the back full bar in the front or back. A OK! Great selection of music from the 80's and 90's and umm there are trees inside. not too shabby.
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1025 Museum Cir
Jacksonville, FL 32207
(904) 396-7062 Museum of Science and History
Category: Museums

10/3/2008
Ok here we go. The place in its true JAX form is the acronym MOSH.
You can go here and get photos from the photobooth with MOSH all over it.
If your into dinosaurs and wheelchairs that say MOSH. Go here. Its awesome.
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231 W Packwood Ave
Maitland, FL 32751
(407) 539-2181 Maitland Art Center
Categories: Museums, Art Schools, Venues & Event Spaces

10/3/2008 First to Review
Awesome little art gallery with some cool live in studios they rent out to artists. Across from the gallery they have an oldschool celtic style out door church with amazing statues and stonework. The entire garden/church is enclosed by stone walls and the walk ways are brick with passages and quotes carved in. A great secret for the city of Jamlando.
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1197 US Highway 82 W
Tifton, GA 31793
(229) 387-0011 Chick Fil-A
Category: Restaurants

10/3/2008 First to Review
As far as Chick Filas go, this is my favorite. I stop here on all roadtrips going to FL and Leaving FL. If your passing through this is a must stop. Here are some reason why.
1. Their Chicken is 10x better than the average chick fila
2. Cleanest bathrooms ever.
3. Not a sketchy Chainsaw Massacre Pit Stop
4.There is a coffee house across the street with your next cup of go juice.
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1842 E Winter Park Rd
Winter Park, FL 32789
(407) 623-3393 Stardust Video & Coffee
Categories: Videos and Video Game Rental, Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Winter Park

10/3/2008

5 stars because it's the only place in Orlando where I can see a show, eat a plate of hummus, surf the internet, drink a St. Peter's Golden Ale, smoke a cigarette and rent a good movie all at the same time.

P.S. They organize their movies by directors, and don't forget to check out the sleeper section.
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1300 S Orlando Ave
Maitland, FL 32751
(407) 629-1088 Enzian Theater
Categories: Cinema, Pizza, Sandwiches

10/3/2008
One of Jamlando's best kept secrets. But it appears all of these yelpsters have let the cat out of the bag. :) Great movies. Best place to see any indie film worth watching. I've seen City of God, American Splendor, A very long engagement, and mirror mask here, just to give you a taste of its flava. Its best known for combining its great movies with great food and drink selection. You can down some Stellas or Black and Tans or have glass of wine or two. Which ever you prefer. Don't forget to come back when the film festival is in town.
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1569 N Decatur Rd
Decatur, GA 30030
(404) 371-0606 Starbucks Coffee
Category: Coffee & Tea

10/3/2008
So this place is as close as it gets to what Sbux used to be. Back in the day they had great layouts like this that created the coffee shop hipster atmosphere it oozed in the late 90's. Since then the company has decided to replace the craft of making an espresso drink with a machine that mfg the experience for you. Good thing Howard Shultz is back in charge and making things right. The kids here are allright and seem to have that barista charm I miss from back when. All and All if I'm by this sbux I'll drop in. Good job
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1556 N Decatur Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 378-8188 Doc Chey's Noodle House
Category: Asian Fusion

10/3/2008
So I recently Doc Cheyed it up with some friends out at the Emory Village with some friends and discovered that you can mix the tofu veggies and your choice of steak or chicken together. This made things a little more interesting than my last couple of visits. The staff here is great and the food is pretty good. They have good options for vegetarians and the price point is fair.
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377 Moreland Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 523-1973 Zesto Drive-In
Categories: Burgers, Fast Food, Southern
Neighborhood: Little Five Points

10/3/2008
As a first timer walking through the doors, I gravitated towards a Chubby Decker b/c of all of the pictures of this burger throughout the place. I figured it was a staple for Zesto. The burger was great, but I felt that I gave up on my original reason for venturing out this way for a corn dog. With that said, I guess I'll be planning another trip back sooner than later. I hear they have great ice cream too.
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Filter by: Location Category
426 W Ponce De Leon Ave
Decatur, GA 30330
(404) 270-9950 The Grange Public House
Categories: Pubs, Irish

10/1/2008
This place is great. First I wanted to touch on the beer selection. They have a all the classics and then for bolder people they have the beer that was imported in from the UK made by monks that's 12%. All the people who work here are either from Ireland or some part of the UK. Its great. If you're into a meat pies and , a pint and maybe some sports on the TV, go to the The Grange.
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1425 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd
Atlanta, GA 30318
(404) 418-9072 Bone Garden Cantina
Category: Mexican

9/21/2008
The food is decent, nothing spectacular. The sign on your way in said Authentic Mexican food, but its not. I think that's why I felt a little deceived. However.... The food was good, the service was meh, but the place is awesome. I love the day of the dead theme, and the artwork is amazing. Definitely a one time try at least. My only other gripe is that this place is in the middle of nowhere, by an industrial park. Oh yea... one more disclaimer... They are not open on Mondays.
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4895 S Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32806
(407) 859-8991 East-West Compact Discs & Tapes

9/21/2008
Hanna and Roman are the best, I remember back when I used to work here and we had a store cat and there were 2 East Wests, one in the Winter Park Village area, and The first on S. Orange Ave.

Great Selection in Music, They have access to a lot of cds you wouldn't normally get your hands on. This Place is the epitome of an indie mom and pop record store. I wish there were more of these around still. Please go in and support your local record Shop.
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7559 University Blvd
Orlando, FL 32806
DIY Records
Category: Music Venues

9/21/2008 1 photo First to Review
diy records was a record store that opened in 1997 in Winter Park, Florida. Soon with the help of notable locals like Toby Brown and Chris Sapone it became a haven for both local and touring bands.

Each of the top eight on here played an integral role at diy. Ikky ran the place for most of the time the doors were open. Lance, Brian and Keith all helped run the store when Ikky weren't around (susan did that also).

Lastly, while they didn't work there diy wouldn't have been the same without Chris (who booked lots of shows at the early diy and was the reason DIY started doing shows)

Bands that have played here: Alabama Thunder Pussy, Alkaline Trio, The Ataris, Atom and His Package, Automatic 7, Beefcake, Catch 22, Coldspot 8, Dismemberment Plan, Drexel, Elliot, Further Seems Forver, Gabriel, The Gadgits, Hot Water Music, Kill Your Idols, Lawrence Arms, Le Savy Fav, Legends of Rodeo, Mustard Plug, MUG, MU330, My Hotel Year, etc...
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54 N Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 246-1599 The Social
Categories: Music Venues, Bars
Neighborhood: Downtown

9/21/2008
Ah... What can I say about The Sapphire Supper Club, er.. The Social? It use to have a bigger floor space back in the day, but the remodel they did a couple years back is not bad either. Since the change with the place I feel The Social is probably a better fit for the place. It's a great place for shows. I remember going to see shows here quite regularly ranging from the likes of the Slackers to Terror, from Modest Mouse to Every time I die, It brings in a great variety of music, with all different styles. It also provides a great home for local bands to open for some larger up and coming acts that are on their way to selling out the House of Blues and Hard rock. It's little brother would probably be Back Booth down the road providing the same atmosphere for bands on their way up here.
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80 Elizabeth St
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 223-0095 Ella Guru - CLOSED
Category: Music & DVD's
Neighborhood: Inman Park

9/21/2008
So these guys just moved in down the street and I feel like I just stumbled onto a secret here. There isn't a sign up announcing their arrival, but it is on the way. The store layout is great, they have a great selection of indie rock and classic rock. From Young Jeezy to The Smiths on Vinyl. They have a listening station which earns high points for me, I hate it that some shops around here don't. I think I was spoiled from living in Orlando and having Park Ave Cds. I walked out with a steal which will definitely bring me back. Ben Kweller DVD and 12 Tribes album for $5 . Can't beat it.
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755 Hank Aaron Dr SW
Atlanta, GA 30315
(404) 249-6400 Turner Field
Category: Stadiums & Arenas

9/21/2008
So, let me preface this by saying that this was my first Braves game, and I loved it. I saw the Braves play the Mets last night and we won. The field doesn't seem to have a bad seat in the house, and I was surprised when I found out I could enjoy some Stella, and a ginormous hot dog together. The Wifey had some pretzels and we did it up in true blue traditional baseball fashion. We drank to our hearts content and participated in the wave with everyone by us. We screamed and shouted and had a blast. I think the golden moon pavilion is pretty nice. No lines for the restroom, plenty of bars and concessions with no lines. And it only took us 5 mins to get out of the parking lot and pull into ours at our apt. Crazy times. My only regret is that I missed $1 hot dog night this season, but I will back to experience that and the all you can eat seats since Deanna put it so nicely that you can enjoy BBQ and beer there.
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931 Monroe Drive NE
Atlanta, GA 30308
(404) 815-9210 Trader Joe's
Categories: Grocery, Beer, Wine & Spirits
Neighborhood: Midtown

8/29/2008
Awesome store to re up on your frozen foods and get that higher quality food for decent prices. They have killer Mexican and Thai frozen food. The pizzas are pretty good to. TJ's not too big, but it has everything you'll need.
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914A Austin Avenue NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 522-4544 Inman Park Pet Works
Categories: Pet Groomers, Pet Stores
Neighborhood: Inman Park

8/29/2008
IPPW is great. Nice mom and pop feel, great selection of dog foods and toys. Just be warned all of the awesome toys are on the floor in baskets and dog browsing level. I always seem to walk out with a new toy for Tally our dog, when we visit. Its nice not to have to go to a Corporate Big Box Pet store anymore.
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2008-12-06T10:41:00.001-08:00

Shows

2008-09-12T09:54:00.000-07:00

Shows!

For More information go to http://ibleedrocknroll.yelp.com

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Jonzetta, Gasoline Heart 6pm/$10
Tomorrow 6:00 PM
The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA

Sat 13 MASQUERADE - HELL: jonzetta, gasoline heart all ages 6pm/$10

Mars Volta
September 24 7:00 PM
The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA

The Mars Volta Wednesday, September 24, 2008 The Tabernacle Doors: 7:00 pm | Show: 8:00 pm 152 Luckie Street Atlanta, GA 30303

Tegan and Sara w/ City and Colour, Girl in A…
September 30 6:30 PM
The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA

Tegan and Sara with City And Colour, Girl in A Coma Tuesday, September 30, 2008 The Tabernacle Doors: 6:30 pm | Show: 7:30 pm 152 Luckie Street Atlanta, GA 30303

jenny lewis
September 30 8:00 PM
Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA

JENNY LEWIS Tuesday, September 30, 8pm $18/ $20 day of show Onsale Fri, Aug 1.

The Raconteurs with special guest The Kills
October 1 7:00 PM
The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA

The Raconteurs with special guest The Kills Wednesday, October 1, 2008 The Tabernacle Doors: 7:00 pm | Show: 8:00 pm 152 Luckie Street Atlanta, GA 30303

Against me!, ted leo & the pharmicists and…
October 1 7:00 PM
The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA

Wed OCT 01 MASQUERADE - HEAVEN: against me!, ted leo & the pharmicists, future of the left all ages 7pm/$18

The Black Keys
October 2 7:00 PM
The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA

The Black Keys Thursday, October 2, 2008 The Tabernacle Doors: 7:00 pm | Show: 8:00 pm 152 Luckie Street Atlanta, GA 30303

FIXIE ATL

2008-05-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

Amy and I are getting bikes, and this is the style bike I'm going to get. A Fixie. or lets tuff that up a bit. a fixxxie. I'm pretty stoked about it though. I was able to get some photos off of flickr courtesy of twotone and nobrakes atlanta. Watch this video below, to get a better idea of what I'm talkin' bout.

Liam Finn @ The Earl EAV ATL

2008-05-18T21:48:00.000-07:00

Artist to Watch: Liam Finn
New Zealander makes stellar one-man band
By: CARYN GANZ
Photos by: ISAIAH DUTY
WHO Liam Finn is such a dynamic performer that a biker gang once forced him to play all night. When the New Zealand singer-songwriter was in his first band at age sixteen, some brawny motorcyclists invited the group back to their clubhouse for an after-party gig. "We were like, 'OK, we're going to stop playing,' and they were like, 'No, you're not!' " Finn recalls. "All of a sudden it was seven in the morning, and they were all off their faces." Luckily, his more recent gigs have been less intimidating: The twenty-four-year-old has toured with Crowded House, his dad Neil Finn's band, over the past year while also recording his gorgeous folk-rock solo album, I'll Be Lightning.

SOUND Recorded with a mixing deck that once belonged to the Who, I'll Be Lightning melds Elliott Smith-style melodies with loosey-goosey execution and the big, airy harmonies of yacht rock. Finn plays every instrument on the album — and during live shows. Triggering loops he creates via pedals, he'll riff on guitar, go nuts on theremin and pummel a drum kit for a one-man-band extravaganza. "The aesthetic is DIY, leaving the woolly edges," he explains.

KEY TRACK "Second Chance" A tightly coiled low-fi tune that explodes into a psychedelic swirl of purring loops and frenzied drumming.

IN THE NAME OF . . . During his decade-long career, Finn has learned a valuable lesson about band names. His first one was Betchadupa. "I got a T-shirt that said 'Betchadupa I'm Polish,'" he says. "I later found out it meant 'Bet your ass I'm Polish.' It wasn't a wise move because we were forever asked what it means." Things have been smoother as plain old Liam Finn, he says. "Plus, it's a lot easier to stay alive when you're only looking after yourself."

gtfuradio.com

2008-05-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

Some work I did for GTFU RADIO when they started podcasting.

Get the Fuck Up Radio is an internet-based radio program located in Los Angeles. The program is run, primarily, by Aaron Farley and Jeremy Weiss, although Annie Hardy, Curtis Mead and Devin Foley have helped to produce multiple airing episodes. GTFU Radio has been on air for five consecutive years as of 2008. The show airs from 8:00-11:00pm PST every Monday night.

GTFU Radio has been featured in LA Weekly,^[1] LA Record and Swindle Magazine.^[2] Some past guests of GTFU include Franz Ferdinand, Giant Drag, The Libertines, Mars Volta, Rilo Kiley and former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash

Does anyone else miss the beach in the morning?

2008-05-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

The Weakerthans @ The Exit In ( Nashville TN)

2008-05-18T09:15:00.001-07:00

I'm an oldschool LJ owner, but I felt the need to try out this fancy blogspot. I don't know how to do a LJ cut in here yet, but give me time :) These are some pictures I took when Amy and I went to the NASH to see the weakerthans. The show was amazing.
Read Matts review of their latest album reunion tour

The Weakerthans
Reunion Tour

by Matthew Fiander
Photos by Isaiah Duty

John K. Samson seems to have figured out what his band, the Weakerthans, are all about. After leaving politi-punk outfit Propaghandi, Samson formed the Weakerthans and released their first album, Fallow. Unfortunately, that album suffered from a pop-punk hangover that dragged down more songs than it propped up. But since then, with albums Left and Leaving and Reconstruction Site, Samson and his band have settled into a brand of heartfelt guitar pop that works for them. The music is straightforward and full of power chords, but it is also smart enough to get away with simplicity.

On Reunion Tour, their first new record in four years, not much has changed in the Weakerthans’ approach. The music is still direct while the songs often depict people trudging through a life that is anything but simple. Reunion Tour is heavy with the snowy Canadian landscape, with people who fill the dark, fleeting winter days with brown liquor and existential conversations with their pets. Loneliness and disconnection run deep through these songs, and most of the time Samson is great at assembling the minutiae of a day into a melancholy laundry list that invites you to belly up to the bar with these solitary creatures and feel what they’re feeling.

“I can’t stop finding your face in their faces all rearranged” Samson sings about passing commuters on album opener “Civil Twilight”. It’s a fitting start to the record, as the narrator sings from the side of the road while the rush hour traffic passes by. This is one of many instances on Reunion Tour where someone is on the outside looking in, left alone to brood over their heavy thoughts. “Hymn of the Medical Oddity” finds a child wishing to be remembered as “more than just a queer experiment” and wishing he didn’t know all the medical terms the doctors keep using to define him. The scant, falling guitar notes accent the patient’s isolation until the song rises at the end, the child finding all its strength in a plea to be remembered as a human being and not a footnote.

“Tournament of Hearts” is the best track on the album. It is pure Weakerthans, Samson using verses to get to a chorus that sounds anthemic but never really comes out of its narrator’s head. The guy in this song is a former athlete, stranded at a bar by his old teammates, and now he’s alone and surrounded by a group of farmers. He takes stock of the thing he forgets the more he drinks ("All the championship banners, going yellow on the wall / And my name as it gets closer to last call"), and wishes all the while that he could, just once, “stop where he wants to stay”. By the end of the song, team pictures are staring at him from their frames behind the bar, and he’s not going home to someone waiting by a silent phone, and while all this could come off as sad-bastard and romantically defeatist, Samson’s lyrics are too well-wrought and honest in the way that these characters almost break out of their mold, almost remember what they drunkenly figured out when they awake hungover the next day. Almost, but not quite.

For most of the record, the Weakerthans play to their strengths. Even “Virtue the Cat Explains her Departure”, narrated by a cat (first introduced to Weakerthan fans on Reconstruction Site), works because the cat becomes anthropomorphized, something for the owner to hang his troubles on. “Sun in an Empty Room” drops the distortion and fully embraces guitar pop, starting off the second half of the record on the perfect foot. However, the end of the record has a handful of missed opportunities.

Chief among them could be the title track. With its military-march drums and Samson’s syncopated cadence, it lends itself to stretching out and sustaining its built-in tension. But Samson and company bail out on the track at just over two minutes, and it sounds rushed. If they gave it the time it needed, it’d be one of the great tracks they’d done to date, but instead the tension of the song is wasted when they arbitrarily cut the song short. The same problem pops up with “Big Foot!”. At first, it is just Samson and his acoustic guitar, waiting for the day where “the visions that I see believe in me”. It is a simple enough song to get in and out as a shorter vignette than some of the other tracks. But, at the end Samson brings some trumpets in and the song rises and expands in its sadness and opens up some space. But, instead of taking advantage of that space, the song fades out, making it feel as rushed as “Reunion Tour” does. Luckily, closer “Utilities” finds the ghostly winter atmosphere the whole album has been chasing down, and uses it to make the album’s biggest sound, full of wisps of noise and guitar solos all used with perfect restraint. When Samson sings “Make me something somebody can use”, he doesn’t make his nasally vocals plaintiff and strained. Instead, his delivery is fragile, even a little beaten down.

By the end of the record, these people seem at the end of their rope, begging some benevolent force to help them out and it provides enough movement to Reunion Tour to make it a cohesive, solid album. Excluding the spoken-word “Elegy for Gump Worsley”—which sounds like an arch attempt to be taken seriously—the Weakerthans do what they do best, and the result are solid. Could they perhaps be faulted for a lack of ambition? Sure. But they know what sound they want to make, and they make it here without re-treading their previous albums, and have given us something long-time fans and newcomers alike can enjoy.