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Before there was Will Ferrell or Sarah Jessica Parker, there were real movie stars like Cary Grant and Julie Christie. Hearken back to the days of yore with the ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES NIGHT Saturday, Aug. 16 at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. The program, hosted by TCM’s Robert Osborne (pictured), features the ASO will performing musical selections accompanying scenes from classics like “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Dr. Zhivago,” “Citizen Kane” and more. The show begins at 8:30 p.m. Ticket prices range from $21-$64. 404-733-5000. www.vzwamp.com.
Photo: Katy Winn/Getty Images ( Full article and comments) 1. Dahlonega: Believe it or not, Georgia has its own wine country: Taking off to this northeastern corner of the state promises barrel tastings and the absence of traffic—not a bad combination. 2. Sweetwater Creek: Nothing like a little green space OTP: Take along your mountain bike and your Nikon for an afternoon of awesome trails and breathtaking scenery. 3. Stone Mountain (pictured): A newly revamped set of activities and attractions offers families a chance to experience some fun before summer ends. Sky hike, anyone? 4. Lake Hartwell: Camping, fishing, boating—all just close enough to the South Carolina border to not seem like you’re vacationing two hours from home.
Photo courtesy of the Georgia Department of Economic Development ( Full article and comments) Wrestler and Augusta native Hulk Hogan (pictured) is 55 on Aug. 11. Hey, thanks for springing Brooke and Nick on us, dude. Ever-radiant new mom Halle Berry takes her second step over the hill, turning 42 on Aug. 14. Basketball legend and business tycoon Earvin “Magic” Johnson is 49 on Aug. 14. Enjoy a nice, juicy Whopper in his honor, won’t you? Onetime funnyman and movie star Steve Martin is 63 on Aug. 14. Was anyone really dying for a sequel to his “Pink Panther” movie? Well, you’ve got your wish. Actor and “Gone Baby Gone” director Ben Affleck, who turns 36 on Aug. 15, is doing pretty well these days. But it’s still hard to forgive him for “Paycheck.” Funny man Steve Carell is 46 on Aug. 16. Hey, Steve—you wanna explain that whole “Evan Almighty” thing? A marriage on the rocks, an unflattering tell-all penned by her brother—even bad publicity is a good birthday present for Madonna, who turns 50 on Aug. 16.
Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images ( Full article and comments) Less than two weeks after our cover story on Sugarland (pictured), the Atlanta-based country duo’s third album, “Love on the Inside,” claimed the top spot on the latest Billboard 200 album chart—the band’s first No. 1. (Another first for an Atlanta act: Christian rock band Third Day enjoyed its highest sales week ever—its new album, “Revelation,” debuted at No. 6 on this week’s chart. That’s right: A Christian rock band from Atlanta scored the sixth highest-selling album in the country.) The chart, from the Billboard issue dated Aug. 16, reflects the first week of release of the regular edition of “Love on the Inside,” which was released on July 29; a “special edition” with extra songs, released July 22, captured the No. 2 spot the week of its release. It’s worth noting (at least to us) that the album only went to No. 1 after our July 27 cover story. We’re not claiming all the credit for this exciting milestone, exactly—we’re just sayin’.
But it's not all good news for Sugarland this week: Founding member Kristen Hall has filed suit against remaining members Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles, claiming she's been excluded from her share of profits. The lawsuit says that the three musicians entered into an agreement in 2002 in which they would equally share in all profits and losses, and that since Hall's exit in 2005 the duo has "acted in bad faith." Hall is reportedly seeking $1.5 million in profits, plus interest, attorney's fees and an accounting of all partnership affairs and businesses.
Photo: Kate Powers ( Full article and comments)
Regator, the blog aggregator that acts like a mix between a standard RSS reader and Digg, has launched in public beta. Check it out at regator.com. ( Full article and comments)
Wordsmiths Books in Decatur, which in its brief existence has molded itself into a cornerstone of Atlanta's literary arts scene, announced a campaign yesterday to raise awareness and funds to keep the store alive through a current rough patch. (The Sunday Paper named Wordsmiths one of the best things about Atlanta in our annual SP100 issue last September.)
On the store's blog, owner Zachary Steele writes: "We need your help to save our bookstore. Beginning today, August 4th, and leading through a weekend fundraising event August 15th-August 17th, I am opening myself to your assistance. It doesn't matter how small your contribution is--with enough help it will all add up in the end. If you want to offer $25, $50, $100, $200, anything at all, it can help."
Steele cites steep rental costs at the bookstore's former location and a massive up-front financial investment for an event with a big-name author that didn't pan out as factors in the store's current financial bind. "Business has been steady, walk-in traffic consistent, sales are up and costs are down" at the new location, he says, although he notes that it's not enough to offset its debt.
The fundraising event begins Friday, Aug. 15 with an appearance by local author Jack Pendarvis, a performance by local band Sealions and a "silent robot auction" of "artisan robots of varying shapes, materials and forms, handcrafted by local businesses, entities, celebrities and individuals."
On Saturday, Aug. 16, the store will host a "pay what you can" performance by Poetry Atlanta, and a performance of local musician/poet Kodac Harrison's "Reach for the Moon."
For more information on the fundraising event as details become known, visit the store's Web site at www.wordsmithsbooks.com. ( Full article and comments)
1. Mr. Belding in Vegas: The gossip Web site TMZ’s pics of 57-year-old “Saved by the Bell” alum Dennis Haskins partying down with a bevy of tanorexic table-dancer types is the most troubling collection of drunken photos we’ve seen in many months. 2. The new Facebook: As if you’re not spending enough time on the social networking site already, a beta version of its new look means you have to figure out how to use it all over again. 3. Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog: We can’t get enough of this online musical created by “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” guru Joss Whedon, starring Neil Patrick Harris (pictured) as a not terribly menacing supervillain. 4. Outer space snapshots: Since we can’t really see stars ITP, try browsing NASA’s brand-new space archive to get your interstellar fix. www.nasaimages.org. Photo: Hulu.com ( Full article and comments) Ubiquitous homemaking magnate turned jailhouse decorator Martha Stewart is 67 on Aug. 3. Illinois’ own Sen. Barack Obama is 47 on Aug. 4. How about sending him a nice “Obama Fo Yo Mama” T-shirt? “The Happening” director M. Night Shyamalan is 38 on Aug. 6, but he definitely peaked several years before that. “Happening,” he ain’t. Spice Girl Geri Halliwell is 36 on Aug. 6. Make it last forever, Ginger Spice: Friendship never ends. Hey, David Duchovny (pictured)! The “X-Files” movie totally tanked at the box office. But the good news is, you turn 48 on Aug. 7. See? Life ain’t all bad. Broken-hearted banshee Whitney Houston is 45 on Aug. 9. Don’t be frightened: She just wants to feel the heat with somebody—somebody not named Bobby Brown. Hey, pouty “X-Files” star Gillian Anderson! “I want to believe” that you turn 40 on Aug. 9. But it seems like another crazy conspiracy theory to me.
Photo: Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images ( Full article and comments) - Paris Hilton Tosses Dwarf on the Street
- Attack of the Zombie Negroes: Dick Cheney
- RuPaul: Ron Paul is my Brother!
- Spider man helps James Bond!
- Unemployed to be Used for Soup
RuPaul: Mark Mainz/Getty Images
Ron Paul: Eric Thayer/Getty Images ( Full article and comments) Oh, it’s on. Another hip-hop feud involving an Atlanta rapper has set the Internet aflame —and thankfully, this one has nothing to do with 18-year-old “Crank That” performer Soulja Boy. A spokesman for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign issued a stinging rebuke to A-town heavy hitter Ludacris last week, in response to “Politics (Obama is Here),” a mixtape track by Luda and DJ Drama. In the song, Ludacris notes that Obama has named him as one of his favorite rappers. Apparently not content with his lot in life as a restaurateur, Grammy-winning rapper and respected actor (“Fred Claus” notwithstanding), Luda throws his hat into the ring for consideration as a running mate, drawling “put me in office/make me your vice president.”
He then leaps into attack-dog mode against President Bush and Senators Hillary Clinton and John McCain, with such lines as “Hillary hated on you so that bitch is irrelevant” and “McCain don’t belong in any chair unless he’s paralyzed.” (Our favorite, in response to Jesse Jackson: “If you said it then you meant it/Where you want it, head or gut?”—a clear reference to the immortal 1991 Bruce Willis/Damon Wayans action vehicle “The Last Boy Scout.”) Obama spokesperson Ben Burton was quoted as saying that “while Ludacris is a talented individual, he should be ashamed of these lyrics.” At the time of this posting, Ludacris had not responded to the statement, and rumors that Sen. McCain was composing his own diss track with Luda’s “Battleground Earth” co-star Tommy Lee were unconfirmed.
But the news wasn’t all bad for Ludacris last week: On July 28 it was announced that Chris Bridges himself is slated for induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame next month, along with Athens jam-rockers Widespread Panic, songwriter Keith Sweat, guitar makers Fred and Dinah Gretsch, deejay Hamp Swain and the late singer and songwriter Dottie Rambo. The Georgia Music Hall of Fame Awards will take place Saturday, Sept. 20 at the Georgia World Congress Center. Tickets are $75-$1,000 (for a table of 10). For more information, please call 770-491-9494, ext. 15, or visit www.georgiamusic.org. ( Full article and comments) |