Book the Brick

From the decatureducationfoundation.org

http://auctions.readysetauction.com/decaturbookfestival/catalog/view

JD Isaacs of Rose Squared has released a New Children's Book "Cinder Elephant"

From JD Isaacs of Decatur's Rose Squared Gallery

Hello Rose Squared friends and customers... I have just released my first fully illustrated children's book on Amazon.com ebooks...Cinder Elephant. Please take a look and see how I take an old classic and bring it up to today's standards with new messages and a brand new outcome... thanks, JD Isaacs of Rose Squared Gallery & Framing.
Buy at Amazon below.
 http://www.amazon.com/Cinder-Elephant-ebook/dp/B008PJWGKUCinder Elephantwritten and illustrated byJD Isaacs

On Her Majesty's Secret Service Opening

On Her Majesty's Secret Service performed by the John Barry Orchestra

Arnold Schwarzenegger to film "Breacher" in Atlanta

 From: blogs.ajc.com

 He'll be back: Arnold Schwarzenegger, shown here in 2010 with the Woodruff Foundation's Russ Hardin, left, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, will shoot a movie in Atlanta later this year. Photo by Denis Reggie
 by Jennifer Brett
Arnold Schwarzenegger will film a movie called “Breacher” in Atlanta later this year. The Hollywood Reporter describes the project as a thriller about “10 DEA agents who pull off a heist during an enforcement operation, then start dying one by one” and notes that Terrence Howard and Dawn Olivieri have been in talks about signing on.
read more

Trethewey's Book Festival Keynote Address Tickets

Trethewey Tickets Now Available for AJC Decatur Book Festival
From VAHI.PATCH.COM
Free tickets − limited to two per person— are available for Trethewey's keynote address at the 2012 AJC Decatur Book Festival.
Want a chance to hear U.S. Poet Laureate and Emory University professor Natasha Trethewey read at Emory?

Free tickets − limited to two per person— are available for Trethewey's keynote address at the 2012 AJC Decatur Book Festival.

Trethewey, the Charles Candler Professor of English and Creative Writing at Emory and incoming director of Emory's Creative Writing Program, will deliver the festival’s keynote at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 31.

This is her first public reading since being named the 19th U.S. Poet Laureate in June. The address will launch her newest collection of poems, “Thrall.”

A Decatur resident, Trethewey is the first Southerner since Robert Penn Warren to be named Poet Laureate and the first local author to deliver the book festival's keynote remarks. She received the Pulitzer Prize in 2007 for her collection, "Native Guard."

The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required for admission and should be picked up in advance.
read more

FOX BROS. Bar-B-Q Update

from:  http://blogs.ajc.com
UPDATE, 8/5/12 10:45 a.m.: Fox Bros. posted an announcement on its Facebook page this morning with the news that it will begin offering full service again today but will have limited indoor seating at this point.
UPDATE, 8/3/12 6:30 p.m.: Fox Bros. will reopen for to-go orders only. In an online update, owners said, “You are welcome to sit down outside and enjoy it, but we won’t be offering full service just yet!” The restaurant is working on permitting issues to proceed with reconstruction.
UPDATE, 8/3/12 1:15 p.m.: Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q posted a statement on its website with an update indicated that the restaurant’s “main structure, kitchen and smoke house are still very much intact.” Fox Bros. will be serving its pulled pork today at Big Tex Decatur (308 W. Ponce de Leon Ave, Decatur).

2ND Annual Madison Ave Soapbox Derby is Sept 29th

--

Entry Form click here
more info at www.madisonavesoapboxderby.org --

Here is a photo from last year's event. (Team Wildcats 2011 Champs)

We're About to Lose 1,000 Small Theaters That Can't Convert to Digital.

We're About to Lose 1,000 Small Theaters That Can't Convert to Digital. Does It Matter?
Small theatres like The Pal in Louisville GA.could be a thing of the past.

From indiewire.com
Michael Hurley owns the Colonial Theatre in Belfast, Maine as well as the Temple Theatre in Houlton, Maine. He runs a website for movie theater owners and is a member of the National Association of Theatre Owners. And he's desperate.

Like many theater owners, Hurley sees a very real possibility that nearly 20% of all theaters in North America will disappear because they can't afford digital projection -- but what he doesn't see is anyone talking about it. He wrote Indiewire recently and asked if we could help and we're hoping that this editorial will be a start.

We also want to know what you think. In a VOD world, does it matter if we lose up to 1,000 theaters? And if it does matter, we're in also in a Kickstarter world  -- so what could be done to change it?  -- Indiewire Editors
read more

Missing sweet dog, in Oakhurst, Her name is Molly

 UPDATE: FOUND AND IS HOME SAFE AND SOUND.

Missing sweet dog, in Oakhurst, Molly - Looks like a small version of a golden retriver.

 Sent in by Kerri.
Our dog, Molly got out (without her collar on, unfortunately) at about 5:30PM 8/3. She is a very sweet, friendly, non-aggressive dog, but is very scared of storms. She will come if called.

We live on 2nd Avenue in Decatur (inside the city limits) but are right at the border with Eastlake and Kirkwood (we live one block north of the Hosea Williams/2nd Ave. intersection), so neighbors in Eastlake and Kirkwood, please be on the lookout for Molly, too.

Molly's description:

25-lb., very blonde color, medium length hair. Looks like a small version of a golden retriever. Has a scar near her right eye that is in the process of healing.

She is microchipped and the contact information is current.

If you find Molly, please contact Kerri as soon as possible:

Kerri: 404-307-1069!

Thank you very much!

 FOUND

 Kristin Ebersold says:
August 4, 2012
Yeah….home safe & sound thanks to some great neighbors in Oakhurst!!!

Storm Damage at Fox Bros Bar-B-Q

 FROM FOX5ATLANTA
(photo by Julia Reynolds/MyFoxAtlanta).
Fox Bros Bar-B-Q on DeKalb Avenue tweeted a picture of a downed tree in their restaurant.

"It's not good, it's not good. The two dining rooms are going to have to be rebuilt," said Justin Fox.

The tree fell over at dinner time. No one was injured.

"Fortunately, they saw it happening and were able to get out before the tree came down," said Fox.

UPDATE:
 Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5

Walmart at Suburban Plaza Protest Planned for Aug 10

from http: neighbornewspapers.com
Good Growth DeKalb is organizing the last of its summer rallies at the six-way intersection at North Decatur Road, Scott Boulevard and Medlock Road Aug. 10 to protest the planned construction of a Walmart at Suburban Plaza shopping center, in unincorporated DeKalb County near Decatur.

Based on a recent meeting between developers and a contingent of residents, the furor raised by the plans does not appear to be dying down.

The July 13 sit-down involved representatives from Selig Enterprises, the development firm handling the project, and multiple grassroots organizations advocating local residents’ interests.

Read more: NeighborNewspapers.com - Walmart at Suburban Plaza issue heats up

TAKEN 2 OCT 5

The Art of Japanese Knife Making at The Cooks Warehouse

From Cook's Warehouse

The Art of Japanese Knife Making
8/15/2012	Decatur
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM		Tadashi Enami, Akimasa Oe, and Yuzo Tani		$35
Join us as we host three Japanese knife masters from Sakai city - Tadashi Enami, Akimasa Oe, and Yuzo Tani - for a special event that will allow you to observe the art of Japanese Knife making, first hand. You’ll see a live demonstration of steel knife forging, assembling, sharpening and engraving, then sit down to enjoy a sampling of Japanese hors d’oeuvres and sake tasting hosted by Mary Moore and Don Hackett. You’ll have an opportunity to talk with the knife masters and learn first-hand about the centuries old tradition of knife and sword making. We’ll have special offers on Kikuichi knives and you can have yours engraved on the spot by the engraving master. Register today for this unique opportunity to meet these knife masters and witness the time honored art of Japanese knife forging.

Sally Kellerman performing at Jerry Farber's Side Door

Special/Alan Mercer
From  accessatlanta.com

Sally Kellerman will be here this weekend, performing her cabaret act at Jerry Farber's Side Door in Buckhead and talking about her Academy Award-nominated role in "M*A*S*H" at a screening of the influential Robert Altman movie Sunday morning at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema.
See full story

Changes for Downtown Avondale Estates

--

Decatur Firm Buys Downtown Avondale Estates

 From Decatur Patch

Oakhurst Realty Partners of Decatur purchased 26,000 square feet of retail space. 

People have been wondering for years when something would happen to change the rundown look and feel of downtown Avondale Estates.
It may have happened, with landowner Newburger-Andes selling all of the downtown property it owns to Oakhurst Realty Partners of Decatur, according to the commercial real estate website Bisnow.
David Andes, chief investment officer and owner of Newburger/Andes, said the sale includes virtually all of the Tudor-designed downtown Avondale Estates. Many of those stores have been vacant for years.
read more at the Patch 
more here

--

Maybe they will restore the Theatre to show movies. Below is my vision of how it might look.

Tom Jones sings Thunderball theme song for James Bond's 50th Anniversary

Jayne Mansfields Car Official Trailer

--
Remember some of this was filmed  in Decatur.

12 Annual BBQ Blues & Bluegrass Festival AUG 18

From: decaturbbqfestival.com.
Mark your calendar for August 18, 2012, and don’t miss the 12th Annual Decatur Barbeque, Blues, & Bluegrass Festival, at Harmony Park in Decatur. The gates open at 4:00pm and there will be live music until 10:00pm. Kids 10 and under admitted free.

Please note that no outside coolers will be permitted on the site.

Decatur’s 12th Annual Decatur Barbeque, Blues, & Bluegrass Festival is brought to you by three non-profit groups: the Community Center of South Decatur, the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association and Decatur Active Living. All proceeds of the festival will be invested directly into the Decatur community.
When: Saturday, August 18 – 4pm-10pm
Location: Harmony Park in Oakhurst, south of downtown Decatur
Scrumptious Food: BBQ by Fox Brothers and Black Tie BBQ
Cold Beer: Fat Tire Amber Ale, Ranger IPA, Somersault Ale and Shift Pale Lager

Entry Fee:
21 & up – $10 (‘Day Of’ ticket price)
Under 21 – FREE!

Japanese Band Plays Sing Sing Sing

Crazy Car Crash Caught On Red Light Camera

Latest on Suburban Plaza Redevelopment

--

From : www.medlockpark.org

from Theresa Same, MANA Zoning Chair

Our cross-neighborhood committee met with Selig on June 27th for our first design and redevelopment meeting. As a result, I have some new design concepts to share with you as well as some general updates on the project.

Design – Selig has hired Associated Space Design (ASD) to design the redevelopment of Suburban Plaza (SP). ASD recently designed the Shops Around Lennox near Lennox Mall. The redevelopment at SP will have some similar design concepts that you see at the Shops Around Lenox and yet will have a unique look as they attempt to blend the many different architectural styles found in the Decatur area.  ASD began this design process by studying the architecture of the surrounding areas (which varies greatly). They identified the following as dominant styles in the area: Modern-retro Industrial, American Traditional, Modern Deco, Urban Chic, and Italianate Classical. ASD then began creating a plan for SP that attempts to incorporate design elements from all of these styles. The attached renderings are preliminary design concepts for the façade renovation at SP.  The design process is always mutable, and changes should be expected as the plans are further refined.

read more

---

This stop Walmart sign can be seen all around surrounding neighborhoods near Suburban Plaza.

Farm to School Symposium

From:oakhurstgarden.org All those interested in are invited to attend (teachers, educators, parents, businesses, etc.) to learn more about farm to school, share lessons learned, and meet others who share the same ideals to enhance future collaborations. Register today!

Neighborhood Watch Coming Soon

Krog Street Tunnel

--

--

The Krog Street Tunnel is a tunnel at Dekalb Ave and Krog St. known for it's Street Art.
I still have not seen what I would call great painting since the Robert Mitchum painting several years ago.

Sidewalk Sale July 6-8 Downtown Decatur

To see a complete list of stores for this Sidewalk SALE! visit The Decatur Minute

Dress Code for Dekalb Court

Great Finds at Decatur's Kudzu Antiques

--

--

Vintage ELVIS 45

--

LEMMY Lemonade Since 1939

--

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24391992@N00/7491857382/in/photostream/lightbox

--

--

Ringo Starr Stop Poster

-- Kudzu Antiques 2929 E. PONCE DE LEON AVE. DECATUR GA 30030 / 25,000 SQ.FT./ OPEN 7 DAYS 11AM-7PM / VOTED ATLANTAS BEST SINCE 1979 /404-373-6498 --

website:  http://www.kudzuantiques.com/

Decatur Book Festival 2012 Labor Day Weekend

Read all about it at: http: decaturbookfestival.com

Thumbs up if you have ever wished you were on that bus.

---

11 Alive visits Decatur

 11 Alive visits Decatur

 
see all related video links after this is played.

Local Arts and Crafts Festival in Piedmont Park Aug. 18

From Kathy Fox:
The Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces “brought back” the local arts and crafts festival tradition to Piedmont Park in 2011. This event “knocks it out of the park” for local painters, potters, and hand crafters! Not a typical fine arts show, this one is for local crafters and the people in our community including our neighbors and friends to “show off” at their favorite park. The best way to describe it is Inman Park meets Yellow Daisy, meets Indie Craft, meets Buckhead Arts Festival, complete with arts, crafts, a children’s area, and local foods and beverages. And watch out for some surprises, like last year’s “Flash Mob!”

Location: 1071 Piedmont Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30309
Times: Sat., August 18, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Sun., August 19, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Music: Acoustic music only
Admission: Free to attend

CONTACT INFORMATION
www.piedmontparkartsfestival.com
www.affps.com

Farm Burger and Morelli's Ice Cream to Team Up.

--  From: http: accessatlanta.com
By Jenny Turknett
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Farm Burger and Morelli's Ice Cream expanding O.T.P.

We have exciting news for folks outside the Perimeter. As first reported by Tomorrow's News Today, Farm Burger and Morelli's Gourmet Ice Cream are teaming up to expand to Dunwoody. George Frangos, owner of Farm Burger, confirmed the news. Farm Burger and Morelli's will move into a spot in the Georgetown Shopping Center off Chamblee Dunwoody Road. According to Frangos, the new location should open close to Labor Day.

The size of the Dunwoody space prompted the Farm Burger/Morelli's collaboration. Frangos says, "This is a larger restaurant for us, which dictated a partnership." Frangos connected with Donald Sargent, owner of Morelli's, through a real estate broker, who became familiar with both parties through their (unsuccessful) airport bidding packages.

You can expect the Dunwoody Farm Burger menu to be similar to that of the Decatur and Buckhead locations. As for future plans, Frangos says they have "no grand plans" for expansion but they are "always looking."

http://www.accessatlanta.com/atlanta-restaurants-food/whats-new-farm-burger-1466506.html

11 Alive on the Square this Friday Morning.... Be There.

From The Decatur Minute Catherine posted this:
Calling all Decaturites – who are morning people! 11 Alive is filming its morning show on the square this Friday morning from 4:30-7 a.m. Yes, you read that correctly. That’s 4:30 AM! And we want you to come out and join us on the square. Wear your Team Decatur shirt, make a fun welcome poster, dress up in costume, roll out of bed and come in your pjs, bring your cup of coffee in your favorite travel mug, bring your dog (he/she will appreciate the early walk), or just stop by and wave to the camera. If you don’t plan on getting up to the square until, say, 5:30 a.m., that’s fine too. Just make sure to stop by before 7 a.m. Need some incentive? How about this:

• The first 25 people to come to the square on Friday morning will get a free Revolution Doughnuts doughnut.
• The first 20 dogs to come to the square (on a leash with their owners of course) will get a free Taj Ma Hound biscuit.

We can all have a sugar-high together at 4:30 a.m. on the square! If that doesn’t sound like a fun way to start your Friday, well then, I have nothing more to say to you. Except that Bookzilla will be there too!
You can’t turn doughnuts AND a giant lizard with a book for a head, right? See you there!

Creature from the Black Lagoon @ The Plaza Theatre June 30 and it's in 3D

--

From plazaatlanta.com CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON in3D Saturday June 30th @ 1pm and 10pm Presented by The Silver Scream Spookshow! WHAT IS THE SILVER SCREAM SPOOKSHOW? Audiences of all ages are getting the “yell” scared out of them at Professor Morte’s SILVER SCREAM SPOOKSHOW, a unique brand of eerie entertainment. With a cast of creepy, colorful characters, the SILVER SCREAM SPOOKSHOW mixes classic spook show scares, comedy and horrifically hip hijinks. Morte --the ghost host with the most-- presides over this twisted variety show featuring magic tricks, dance numbers and fun-filled frights! Think “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” meets “The Munsters.” A classic horror film follows each show. From “Frankenstein” to “The Creature From the Black Lagoon,” the SILVER SCREAM SPOOKSHOW shares its love of scary cinema with a new generation. And this monstrous double bill and interactive movie-going experience gives guests more boo for the buck! www.silverscreamspookshow.com

1049 Ponce De Leon Avenue Northeast  Atlanta, GA 30306

(404) 873-1939

Decatur Library Gets a New Roof

Decatur, GA: The Decatur Library gets a much needed new roof.

Modern Creative Office Space in Decatur

Decatur GA.
-- 115B N McDonough St, Decatur, GA 30030. Description Modern Office Building located one block from Decatur Square. Newly constructed building w/ hardwood floors is approx 3,500 sf with roof terrace. Perfect for design firm, professional office, or live work. Spaces include studio, loft, kitchen, bedroom/office, 2 baths w/ tiled showers. Kitchen has fridge, range, and dishwasher. Street signage is available. More images at http://lightroom.tv/projects/architecture_commercial/lightroom/lightroom.html Located on N. McDonough Street in the heart of downtown Decatur, one block from Decatur Square.
info from:http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/17038400/115B-N-McDonough-St-Decatur-GA/ --

Georgia Perimeter Layoffs

 From ajc
When Georgia Perimeter students return to campus in August they'll have fewer tutors and less people to answer questions about financial aid or what courses to take.
The college laid off 282 people Monday -- nearly 9 percent of its employees -- and 92 of the cuts are in student affairs. This division includes admissions, financial aid, student life and advising and counseling.

The job cuts are part of a plan to close what could be a $25 million deficit next year. Interim President Rob Watts said eliminating jobs was unavoidable because about 90 percent of the budget is spent on personnel.

"Our first priority in making the reduction-in-force decisions was protecting classroom instruction for students," Watts wrote in an email announcing the layoffs. "Our goal is for these staff reductions to have the smallest possible effect on students."
Tenure and tenure-track faculty were exempt from layoffs. Still, the cuts mean tutoring, advising and recruiting will be reduced at the two-year college. Tutoring is crucial for many of the nearly 27,000 students, especially those who are older and haven't been in school for a while.

"When I first came here I used the tutoring center and I don't know if I would have done well without it," said Jennifer Freeman, 25, who is in the sign language interpreting program

The Teen Advisory Board presents Zombie Night

From: dekalblibrary.org --

		The Teen Advisory Board presents Zombie Night at The Decatur Library
Date: Friday, June 22 2012, 6:00 pm—9:00 pm Location: Decatur Event Type: Fun Activities Series: Own the Night Age Group: Teen (Ages 13—17 years) Dress up as the "Walking Dead" and join us for a night of games, movies, and terror.

Walmart Opens First Georgia Neighborhood Market

From ajc
The Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market at 3059 Lawrenceville Highway in Lawrenceville will be open 24 hours, and will open its doors at 7:45 a.m. The company has at least two other such stores in the works in metro Atlanta, and will open between 80 and 100 of the grocery stores nationwide this year.
The stores have on average 29,000 items and are less than a quarter of a Supercenter's size. This store is opening in a former Publix space. It will have a self-serve deli, produce, prepared and frozen foods, a pharmacy and an organic section.
Wal-Mart is opening eight Neighborhood Markets nationwide this month, and has a total of about 200 such stores. When the grocery stores were first announced in metro Atlanta last year, executives described them as part of a fill-in strategy, to capture small grocery trips that wouldn't ordinarily go to Wal-Mart.
The store will employ 80 people.

Decatur's new Slogan

-- From The Decatur Minute:
Do you remember when we kicked off the Go Local Slogan contest here? And then needed your help selecting from the top four here? If you don’t, here’s the gist: we’ve been looking for a slogan to encourage people to shop, dine and support local businesses in Decatur and decided to reach out to the community for help. Well, after receiving more than 250 entries, creating a Go Local committee made up of local business owners, narrowing down the entries to the top four, we’ve got our winning

slogan>


  Read more at decaturminute.com

Chastain Park Summer Movie series every Thursday night in July.

From Kathy Fox
AFFPS announces Chastain Park Summer Movie Series

The Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces, which produces the on the Chastain Park Arts Festival and Festival on Ponce, among others, will host the Chastain Park Summer Movie series every Thursday night in July.

The movies will be screened at sunset on the hilltop meadow just off Park Drive in historic Chastain Park. Local food trucks will be on had to provide food and beer and wine will be available. The film line up includes:

The Artist: This homage to the silent film era won Best Picture at this year’s Academy Awards. (July 5)

Mirror Mirror: Julia Roberts stars as the evil queen in this live-action version of the telling of Snow White. (July 12)

Letters from Juliet: A young woman dreams of becoming a writer and travels to Verona, Italy for some Shakespearian inspiration. The film stars Amanda Seyfried, Gael Garcia Bernal and Vanessa Redgrave. (July 19)

Breakfast at Tiffany’s: Audrey Hepburn stars in this classic film based on Truman Capote’s novella about the free-spirited socialite Holly Golightly. (July 26)

Blankets are welcome, but no lawn chairs allowed. Free to attend.

Drive-In Theatre Memories

Beach Party 6/15/12

From thehttp://thedecaturminute.com/
The weather forecast looks beautiful and Yacht Rock Schooner is gearing up to give us one heck of a show!
The Decatur Business Association puts on the Beach Party every year as our biggest (and only) fundraiser. Money raised tomorrow helps to fund all of our free events for the rest of the year including the Concerts on the Square, the Bonfire and Marshmallow Roast, the Easter Egg Hunt, and the 4th of July Fireworks.
Tickets are $7 in advance for adults, $10 at the gate. Kids 3-12 are $5 and that ticket includes all of the boardwalk games and fun. Click here to purchase your tickets.
Please remember that no outside food or drinks are allows inside the festival gates-also no coolers or pets, sorry!
Finally, our Decatur Fire Department will be collecting canned goods and other non-perishable items for our local food banks. The summer is a tought time for those organizations so please bring us supplies to help stock the shelves. Drop your items in the big red barrels at any of the entry gates tomorrow.
See you tomorrow on the Square!

Downtown Decatur building sells to Boston-based fund

From ajc
Downtown Decatur building sells to Boston-based fund
By Greg Bluestein

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A downtown Decatur building has been sold to a Boston-based investment fund.
Cushman & Wakefield said Monday it represented Pope & Land Enterprises in the sale of Decatur Plaza to an affiliate of REIT Management & Research. It was not immediately clear how much the deal was worth.

The 112,000-square-foot building, located at 101 West Ponce de Leon Avenue, is fully leased through 2021 to Emory Healthcare.

Stop Work orders issued for Soapbox Derby Track

From: ajc
   
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

By April Hunt



The DeKalb County Commission voted unanimously on Tuesday to halt construction of a soapbox derby track favored by CEO Burrell Ellis, a project the commission insists it never approved. Ellis' reply: not so fast.
“This is as clear as this board can be: stop what you're doing,” Commissioner Elaine Boyer said of the 6-0 vote (with one absentee) demanding the county halt any work being done at the site on Rock Chapel Road near Lithonia.

An Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation revealed last week that county taxpayers have paid $91,819 thus far on clear-cutting trees and other work on the track that Ellis authorized without commission consent.

Despite growing controversy over the project,estimated to cost $1 million, Ellis said he was blindsided by the resolution and was unclear on his next step, other than asking county attorneys if the board had the power to stop construction. He stopped short of saying he would immediately halt work in the meantime, saying that the board’s 2011 vote to add the derby track to a potential projects to be completed with parks bond money was tacit approval of the track.
read more: here

The Forgotten 1976 Neil Diamond Negative

This image of Neil Diamond is from a old 35mm negative which was a result of bad exposure and bad lighting when I shot it that night (May 14, 1976) at The Fox Theatre, I never thought about it again until now. It turns out that now I think it's one of my favorite images that I have taken of Neil Diamond.

After playing around with photoshop I turned that old negative which I had almost forgot about into this image above, also this is the first time I merged two pictures into one using a old Fox Theatre photo. click image bottom and just listen. and/or click here for a one hour story of Neil Diamond.
-- ---Diamond Show Real Sparkler. Reprinted from AJC. May 15, 1976 Singing Just For You. By Scott Cain. The Neil Diamond concert was one of those events that leaves everybody happily drained. Both artist and audience gave far more to the occasion than was required by mere politeness. Diamond has the knack of making an audience feel it is the most important crowd that has ever heard him perform. His Friday show at the Fox, the first of three he is giving this weekend in the grand old theatre, could not have seemed more tailor made for the occasion if he had spent six months working up a special performance. He turned the Fox's mighty organ into a supporting performer for a routine that was comic highlight of the concert. While an organist ground out a "Phantom of the Opera" style tune, Diamond recited a witty dialogue about Jimmy Carter's unlikely rise from peanut prince to would-be occupant of the White House. This number may prove to be the funniest comment anyone will make about election-year aspirations. Diamond also took advantage of the Fox organ's ability to crank out the unlikeliest sounds--auto horns blaring and whatnot. He made this serve as sound effects for the title number from his soon due album, "Beautiful Noise". Except for this song, Diamond's show was a greatest hits collection. Many of the numbers he rendered exactly as they were recorded, but in the most important intervals in the concert he revealed a commendable flair for expanding on familiar material. He turned Song Sung Blue into a audience sing-a-long. Sweet Caroline had such a reception that he sang it several times in mid-concert. He opened the show with a bang, the pulsating "Soolaimon." From there, he ran through a long collection of his hits, "Solitary Man", "Play Me", "Morningside", "Hot August Night," "The Last Picasso" and many others, taking care to present each one as if his reputation would rise or fall based on its interpretation. The show was a reminder of the broad range of material that Diamond has used to advantage. His intensity as a song stylist is such that each person feels Diamond is singing just for him. The evening had plenty of light moments too. Aside from the traditional addled blond in the aisle, Diamond cast a especially hypnotic spell on one young woman (wearing a luminescent green necklace,yet), who was unable to restrain herself and bounded onto the stage to tell him how adorable she considers him to be Gallant to the end . Diamond assured the dazed creature that he returned her deep feeling. To say that the audience ate up the show would be a monstrous understatement. Diamond indicated that he was overwhelmed with the response and it is easy to believe he was. He gave a long encore consisting of selections fro "Jonathan Livingston Seagull." When even this did not satisfy the crowd, he gave two more encores, each one to thunderous applause. The End. Reprinted from AJC. May 15, 1976 -- --

Little Shop of Stories in the Round

.

Click photo to enlarge

 --From Little Shop of Stories website. We're the best children's bookstore in Georgia! All right, in the the entire Southeast! In this big 'ol United States! In all of North America! In the entire western hemisphere! Okay, we're the best one on the planet Earth! In our solar system! Would you believe in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy?! No, no, no. Little Shop of Stories is the best independent bookstore for kids & the grownups they become in the observable universe!!! (which, according to Wikipedia, "consists of the galaxies and other matter that we can in principle observe from Earth in the present day, because light (or other signals) from those objects has had time to reach us since the beginning of the cosmological expansion.") address: 133A East Court Square Decatur, Georgia 30030

60 Years of Music

Jerry Andrews sends this in.

This is neat. It's sort of a "Jukebox Time Machine" of music. Each of the years below connects to the best 20 hits of that year via a Jukebox. Click on a year, wait a few seconds, and a Jukebox will appear showing you 20 hits from that year to select from. You can play all 20 hits, or.. click on just those that you like. Enjoy the ride! > > > 1940 > > > 1950 > > > 1960 > > > 1970 > > > 1980 > > > 1990 > > > 1941 > > > 1951 > > > 1961 > > > 1971 > > > 1981 > > > 1991 > > > 1942 > > > 1952 > > > 1962 > > > 1972 > > > 1982 > > > 1992 > > > 1943 > > > 1953 > > > 1963 > > > 1973 > > > 1983 > > > 1993 > > > 1944 > > > 1954 > > > 1964 > > > 1974 > > > 1984 > > > 1994 > > > 1945 > > > 1955 > > > 1965 > > > 1975 > > > 1985 > > > 1995 > > > 1946 > > > 1956 > > > 1966 > > > 1976 > > > 1986 > > > 1996 > > > 1947 > > > 1957 > > > 1967 > > > 1977 > > > 1987 > > > 1997 > > > 1948 > > > 1958 > > > 1968 > > > 1978 > > > 1988 > > > 1998 > > > 1949 > > > 1959 > > > 1969 > > > 1979 > > > 1989 > > > 1999

One-tank trips close to Atlanta

Vacation close to home

From ajc

Too busy to take a “real” vacation? You don’t need a full week and plenty of dough to enjoy these smaller towns. They’re easy to get to, within a short drive (a tank of gas or less) from Atlanta, and full of undiscovered Southern charm. For instance, in Georgia, historic Dahlonega has a pre-gold rush history, wineries and home-style restaurants. The Chattooga River offers beautiful scenery and exciting rafting. In western North Carolina, the city of Asheville beckons with the magnificent Biltmore house. Adventure is only a short drive away.
ALABAMA
• Birmingham, Ala.: for art lovers
• Fort Payne, Ala., offers natural beauty • Vintage motorcycles in Leeds, Ala.
• Selma: Revisit civil rights history
• Tuscaloosa, Ala.: More than football
GEORGIA
• Albany's revived waterfront
• Athens, Ga.: a classic college town
• A James Brown fest in Augusta, Ga.
• Raft and ride in Blue Ridge, Ga.
• Cartersville, Ga., home of Western-theme and cowboy art
• Chateau Elan (Braselton, Ga.) resort/winery
• Chattooga River rafting
• Golf in Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee (Eatonton, Ga.)
• Dalton, more than the carpet capital of Georgia
• Dahlonega, Ga.: Where wine is the new gold
• Gainesville, Ga.'s history, trails and more
• Helen, Ga. is a "little Bavaria"
• Howard Finster Vision House (Pennville, Ga.)
• LaGrange, Ga.: Southern heritage, French twist
• Amicalola Falls State Park near Dawsonville, Ga.
• 19th-century architecture in Madison, Ga.
• Wild animals in Pine Mountain, Ga. | Callaway Gardens
• Presidential history in Plains, Ga.
• Better than Rome, Italy? Rome, Ga.
• History, beauty and art in Savannah, Ga.
• Pebble Hill estate in Thomasville, Ga., worthy of a movie set
• Vienna, Ga., has cute cotton museum and the Big Pig Jig
NORTH CAROLINA
• Biltmore House in Asheville, N.C., is a year-round destination
• Blowing Rock, N.C.: mountain beauty
• Cashiers, N.C. is the serene heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains
• DuPont State Forest (Cedar Mountain, N.C.): a once-private territory
• Popular Atlanta getaway: Highlands, N.C.
• Hot Springs, N.C.'s working farm, Briar Rose
• Ski close to home at Maggie Valley, N.C.
TENNESSEE
• Chattanooga, Tenn.: train is a treat | Chattanooga riverfront
• Manchester, Tenn.,may be nicer without the music
• Elvis is forever at Graceland in Memphis
• Beale Street in Memphis is home to the blues, brews and barbecue
• Knoxville: More than just the gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
• Nashville is country music’s capital and home to the Grand Ole Opry
• Lynchburg is the birthplace of Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey
• Pigeon Forge is the the perfect family getaway and the home of Dollywood