The consequences of not following Jake’s Ice Cream on Twitter are much like the consequences of dissing Dr Dre:  quite simply, you diss yourself.

Thanks to a congested commute on the southbound downtown connector Friday night, I had plenty of time to catch the following tweet:  “Tonight is Family Fun Night @ Irwin Street Market! Come play games, enjoy ice cream and meet new friends!”

And then, “Secret Password! 10% off your ice cream purchase TODAY ONLY when you tell us ‘Jake’s Ice Cream is seriously cool!’”

Score!

So, we loaded up the Odyssey and headed up Boulevard toward Irwin Street.  The Mrs, the tween, and the toddler gathered around a Connect Four game while I read the required catchphrase off my Blackberry before ordering two double scoops of Chocolate Slap Yo Mamma and Strawberry Fields.  The scooper even agreed to divide the two doubles into four cups, so we wouldn’t have to endure spoon sparring between strategic plastic disk dropping.

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the folks over at sketchworks, the sketch comedy troupe in decatur, are looking for your help. they are getting ready to make a pitch for a tv show and they need assistance rating some of their recorded skits.

they are hosting a free focus session tomorrow night at their theater in decatur, and if you are willing to spend about 90 minutes rating some pretty funny stuff from 1-5, they will give you a free ticket to a live show in the future.

i’ve reviewed sketchworks before, and i found it hillarious, so i think this will be fun if you are a fan of saturday night live style humor. plus, it’s free and you get a free ticket to a future show.

check it out if you can and bring friends….

june 26, 7:30 pm
sketchworks theater
3041 north decatur road
scottdale, ga 30079

I lost 40 pounds last year on the South Beach diet, and I’ve kept it off by avoiding highly processed carbohydrates. This means I rarely eat sandwiches, and I can’t think of the last time I had a potato. I do, on occasion, break the rules.

Today, I ran out of the house and forgot to eat lunch. After my scheduled meeting downtown was over, I found myself on Broad Street with a little bit of time to kill and a gnawing hunger at my belly. Hello, Reuben’s.

These guys make the best sandwiches in town. Period. Now, I love the sandwiches at Elliott Street Pub, too, but Rueben’s is simply the best. Today I had pastrami, turkey, and swiss on some marbled rye. Simply awesome - as is every sandwich i’ve had here. They stack the meat high, I love the shredded lettuce, the tomatoes aren’t too thick, they use the spicy mustard… everything is just right.

And the employees are funny, too. I usually hate New Yorkers, but Reuben is a real nice guy who makes everyone feel at home without being obnoxious (which seems to be a default attitude for most New Yorkers).  The deli used to have a “soup nazi” feel to the line, but they’ve mellowed out.  If you haven’t been here, go!

time’s up…..

for zoo atlanta’s pandas that is. the lease on the giant pandas is up next year and zoo atlanta announced today it needs to raise $500,000 to reach the $2.5 million they need in order to renew the lease with the chinese on lun lun, yang yang and xi lan (mei lan is going back to china no matter what.)

it sucks that zoo atlanta doesn’t have the cash on hand to do this, but you know the drill, economy bad, corporate sponsorships are down, etc. etc. so anyway, the zoo is coming to you and asking for a membership or a donation or whatever you can do. they have set up a web site, give so they can stay, and you can check it out for more info.

i realize there are so many worthy causes hurting for money right now, but pandas, pandas are one of the things that make us big-time, in select company. and they are awesome.

you guys know how much i love these pandas. during the winter when i was going through a rough patch one of the things that got me through the day was pausing for a mintue and watching p-dizzle on the panda cam. i even bought a membership to the zoo so i could walk over there any time and see them. those animals are to me citizens of this city and part of us.

i hate this panda lease game with the chinese, but it is what it is. maybe this is the same kind of blackmail professional sports teams play with cities to get new stadiums, but damn does it work.

i think they are worth trying to keep here.

so who would come to a “keep the pandas here” party if we at the atlanta metblog were to throw one. maybe we could raise a few bucks.

who’s with me?

This is not going to be your “typical” Atlanta Metblogs posting.

A couple of weekends ago I, along with two fortunate Atlanta Metblogs readers, were able to sit in on the day-and-a-half photography workshop offered by Digital Days Photography at Atlanta’s Downtown Sheraton Hotel. I mentioned this workshop in this forum a few weeks before it occurred and this is an evaluation of the workshop.

If you are one of those people who likes to “get to the point,” my assessment of the workshop is positive, I feel that you get what you pay for, and if you are new to photography and Digital Days Photography is holding this workshop somewhere near you (they will be visiting eighteen United States cities in total) then you should consider taking it.

The workshop ran for a day-and-a-half; from 1pm - 5pm on Saturday afternoon, and 9am - 5pm on Sunday.

Saturday was billed as the “Basics” day. The instructor, Phil Mistry, had a lot of photographic experience and enough humorous anecdotes to keep the class engaged as he presented technical details. This day, $69, was all about introducing you to your digital camera (mostly aimed toward DSLR owners, but much of the information applied to point-and-shoot owners as well).

• What is photography?
• What do we mean by the term “Exposure”, and how does one achieve “proper Exposure?
• What is a JPEG file? and a RAW file?
• What is “focal length?”
• What is “aperture?”
• What is this thing labelled “ISO” and why would I ever want to change it?
• My whites aren’t white? What happened?
• My photo is blurry… what went wrong?
• Depth of field? What’s that?
• What are all these modes on my camera? When would I use them?

By and large, the above list of questions were answered in this four-hour session. Saturday’s session was completed with a quick overview of digital photograph retouching using Adobe’s Photoshop Elements.

On Sunday, which cost $99 to attend, Mistry pushed the photographers in attendance further. Not only would this day contain a quick recap of the basics, it would explain why one might use Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority modes instead of the many other modes available, as well as talk briefly about the light and its qualities. At midday the photographers in attendance had an opportunity to move into another large room and practice shooting models (my only gripe — I’ll discuss later). After a break for lunch John Omvik took over the teaching responsibilities for the remainder of the day. Omvik started out by critiquing some of the shots taken by the photographers during the model shoot, and then presented a practical discussion of the digital photographer’s workflow through the use of Adobe’s Lightroom.

My Conclusion
As I stated at the beginning of this critique, I felt that the information presented was worth the money. (Full Disclosure: I attended each day’s session courtesy of Digital Days Photography.) I have been shooting for some years and have taken many workshops so much of the information is redundant to me, which of course meant that I understood it regardless of how it was presented.

The Pros

• The price charged for each session was very fair, and if you registered for both days the cost was only $139.
• Digital Days Photography runs an organized workshop.
• The instructors were highly knowledgeable and able to convey their information well.
• The scope of the information was presented as advertised.
• At the end of each session at least one camera bag was given away at random.
• I learned things.

The Cons

• The seating was less than ideal, especially for the Sunday session. There seats were not very comfortable and there were no tables so it was very hard to take notes. This ultimately may be a fault of the venue, but it’s up to the organizer to guarantee that its participants have a functional workspace.
• Like with almost every mass-attended model shoot, it was tough to get a decent photo. Here is a shot I took of the scene around one of the models at any given time.
  

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all associated with this workshop for making the experience a positive one.

a few days ago i was sitting in a 757 taxiing to a gate at chicago o’hare airport, on my way home from seattle. thanks to the fact that i was traveling on a family member’s frequent flier miles, i was stuck on united and thus the change in chicago.

so as i am sitting there, waiting on the door to open, i started listening to the conversation behind me. it was the usual “see how much i travel” banter, but one thing struck me. the woman who was preening about how much she travels said she “refused to change planes in atlanta.” she said this of course, as she was changing planes in o’hare.

nice.

as background, and not to engage in my own travel preening, but solely so you know i speak with a little bit of experience, i have been in most of the world’s largest gateway airports on 4 different continents including (look this up, it’ll be interesting to you) lax, sfo, sea, den, dfw, stl, msp, dtw, ord, jfk, bos, iad, clt, atl, mia, lgw, lhr, cdg, ams, fco, fra, muc, hkg, pek, pvg, icn, nrt, syd and mel. and here is what i can tell you; of that list up there, hartsfield is possibly one of the nest and easiest international gateway airports in the world to change planes in.

i am not sure why we get our bad rap, but let me give you some rationale for this:

1. all those other airports were designed clearly by 3 year olds with tinker toys. nothing makes sense, there are multiple terminals with multiple levels, insane amounts of walking, confusing terminal and gate sequencing, etc.

2. atlanta, by contrast is very simple. there is one terminal, and all the other concourses are attached to it. the numbering scheme is very easy. also, every concourse is laid out exactly the same. to change planes, all you ever have to do, is walk to the center, go down an escalator, board the train, go up an escalator and then go left or right. try getting from one terminal to another in o’hare, paris, l.a., london or dallas this way.

3. so many of the major international gateways require absurd amounts of walking. i swear to change planes in sydney i logged at least three miles of walking. getting from the international terminal at o’hare to a domestic terminal is a trek that would make henry livingstone blanch. i won’t even get into the monstrosity that is charles de gaulle.

honestly, i have no idea why hartsfield gets the horrible rap it does. maybe it’s because it’s the only major gateway that many people use. honestly of that list i elaborated on earlier, the only one i would choose over atlanta is amsterdam.

am i wrong about this?

As found near Twain’s in Decatur. This would’ve been the highlight of my night, if not for the vodka from a Crystal Head.

I was at Lenox Square yesterday and became transfixed by all the diverse folks walking around. I get this way at Hartsfield-Jackson too. I love to people watch. Sometimes I play a game where I create a story for someone.

The mall and the airport are great people watching locations, obviously. Back in the day when we had festivals and concerts at Piedmont Park, that was also a great place to people watch.

What are some other places in Atlanta to enjoy all the diverse folks that live here?

zoo atlanta is like so many other things in atlanta when compared to it’s bigger city bretheren; underfunded, undermanned, maligned, but ultimately a whole lot of fun when you drop the new york/l.a. envy and just appreciate it for what it is.

i love zoo atlanta. i think they do a great job with the space they have, showing a diverse set of animals in well maintained environments. the staff and volunteers are great and the keeper talks and other programming is top notch. my daughter loves it too, and since we are zoo members we go for an hour here or there whenever we want.

like this weekend, where we went specifically to check out the new parakeet adventure at zoo atlanta. it’s an open enclosure with hundreds of parakeets flying free. for $1 you can buy a seed stick and feed the ‘keets to your heart’s content.

it’s a blast. hundreds of beautiful birds all over the place. you are in close contact with them too, which is always a blast. it takes a few minutes to get oriented though, since the birds will come flying a high-speed right past your head.

they are also still being trained to be cool with the people so they are a bit shy, but patience is rewarded with the opportunity to feed several birds.

the thing i love about the exhibit, is that zoo atlanta has done something cool and fun, that both kids and adults will enjoy in very little space. which is critical when you have as little of that to go around as zoo atlanta does.

i put some more pix up in the atlanta metblog flickr group if you want to check them out.

enjoy.

yeah. i’m going there.

i realize we all have our faves. but here is what got me thinking about this. my 10 year old absolutely loves grant central east so much so that she absolutely insists within a day or twe of rolling into town for spring or summer break that i take her there.

meanwhile i have friends that swear by the grant central that’s actually in grant park.

i used to train with a friend who would drop absolutely everything to eat at a fellini’s.

and my sunday night crew will only order form viliage pizza in cabbagetown.

so it seems there is some disagreement as to what exactly is the best pizza pie in atlanta.

me, i’m voting for villiage pizza, even if it is pricey as hell.

you?

So, you’ve gotten a new camera. Upon looking at the photos you took over the Memorial Day weekend you realize that your shots are blurry, or that those fantastic sunrises just don’t seem to have the same oomph that they did while you were standing on the beach. What to do? Take a photography workshop!

One of the many benefits of living in a major metropolitan area such as Atlanta is that it draws special events to the area. Atlanta will be one of eighteen cities in which Digital Days Photography will offer their two-day photography workshop. The workshop will be held at the downtown Sheraton hotel on Saturday June 6th (from 1pm-5pm) and Sunday June 7th (from 9am-5pm).

Saturday’s session ($69) will be “Learn the Basics — Inspiration, Fun, Cool things you can do with Photography”

• Digital Fundamentals

• Learn about all the necessary digital photography techniques and terms, from scene modes, manual modes, ISO and depth of field, and everything in-between
• Learn how the fundamental settings affect the shot you want to get
• This session builds a strong foundation of digital photo knowledge

Taking Better Pictures

• Explore composition and subject
• Different shooting styles from landscape to macro

After the shot

• Get familiar with a basic digital workflow
• Learn some editing tricks
• Printing and sharing options!
• Create calendars and postcards. And so much more!

And Sunday’s session ($99) will be “Beyond the Basics — Here’s how to make great pictures, and what to do with them”

Expanding the Fundamentals

• Brief review from Day 1
• Examine light & composition, subject, color & movement
• Advanced camera functions
• Exposure modes
• Analyzing the histogram

Live Shooting

• Live model shoot! Lighting is set up and we have several model stations
• Our instructors are available throughout the shoot to answer your questions

Image Critique

• Various attendee images from the model shoot are critiqued live by our instructors

Digital Workstation/Workflow

• How to organize your workstation/color calibration
• Build a foundation of digital organizational techniques
• Tagging, metadata, etc…

Advanced Editing

• Color Management
• Skin Tone
• Digital Darkroom

Sign up to attend both days and the cost of the workshop is only $139.

If you have more questions about this workshop feel free to visit Digital Days Photography’s FAQ page.

Sound too good to be true? Well, Digital Days Photography will sweeten the pot for two Atlanta Metblogs readers. The first two people to correctly email Atlanta Metblogs Contests the names of the two people who will be teaching the Atlanta workshop (pssst, their names and bios can be found on Digital Days Photography’s website) will get free admission to both days! Entries into this contest must include your full name and a valid email address; winners will be notified via the email address supplied. Entries received after 12pm Daylight Saving Time on Tuesday June 2nd will be discarded.

ps- I’ll be attending both days, so if you see me please say hello.

It was one thing when Inman Park started their patrol a few years back - I saw it as people with oodles of loot wanting to subsidize the protection of their Victorians and antiques. They have excess income, why not? I was living on the outskirts of the neighborhood and reaped the benefits of the patrol car drive-bys in the middle of the night. At least, I like to think I did.

The patrols and the need have evolved - or devolved, as it were. Due to demand, there’s now the West End patrol, EAV patrol, the happily named Trolly Patrol, the Druid Hills patrol and others.

It’s got me both riled and inspired.

On the one hand, it makes me happy to see citizens being creative and constructive. While I myself have been the victim of random and tiny disruptive burglaries and have been tempted to go all kinds of vigilante, this peaceful way of dealing with crime soothes the cockles of my hippy drippy side.

On the other hand (the one I wipe with), it chaps my baby smooth bum to know that we’re having to subsidize our own safety due to the mismanagement of city funds, the furloughing of officers, and the general incompetence of one short haired, short startured city official. Blegh. Disgusting.

All that navel gazing aside, I offer you the following resources, prices and snippets. They should be used of course in conjunction with the still new (and kicking azz and taking names) citizens organization: ATAC (Atlantans Together Against Crime). If we aren’t making ourselves heard, seen and smelled, then we’re happily lapping up the fate that’s being dished out at us in big stinky piles.

Inman Park’s patrol has three levels of buy-in ranging from $200-300

NOTE: The main distinguishing aspect of Bronze, Silver, and Gold level membership is access to the patrol officer.

The West End Historic District Patrol

Costs: for residents: $25 monthly or $70 quarterly, for businesses: $40 monthly or $115 quarterly. There is also a $10 - one-time fee for new members.

Druid Hills Patrol dues “are based on one of three payment schedule choices: Annually $480 due in January; Bi-Annually $250 due in January & July; Quarterly $130 due in January, April, July, & October.”

The Trolley Patrol is “Atlanta’s newest private neighborhood security patrol. Serving the neighborhoods of Southeast Atlanta, the Trolley Patrol is open to the residents of Benteen Park, Boulevard Heights, McDonough-Guice, North Ormewood Park, Ormewood Park and Woodland Hills. Membership dues are $90/quarter or $330/yr.”

East Atlanta Security Patrol
“The geographic membership area of EACA shall have a west border of Moreland Avenue, north to I-20. The northern border shall be I-20 to Flat Shoals Road, where the border will go east of I-20 to include that portion of the City of Atlanta east of I-20. From there, the eastern border will be Fayetteville Road to Eastland Road and its intersection with Moreland Avenue.”

“Yes, we already pay taxes and expect police protection, but other neighborhoods like Grant Park have seen reductions in residential crimes of over 50% since starting a similar patrol.”

The options are one year of service for $200, six months for $100 or three months for $50. There is an initial fee of $15 which is added to your first payment to cover operating expenses.

Only loosely related: this morning I caught a frat boy in a baseball hat, khaki’s and a polo peeing on the abandoned building behind mine. I assume he assumed he assumed no one would see him through the privacy fence. Thanks for that, parents of Gen Y’ers.

Please to enjoy and please to add any I missed.

it’s all over.

the cavs swept the hawks at phillips last night to end atlanta’s post season run; a post-season run that saw atlanta win it’s first road playoff game and first playoff series in more than decade.

there will be plenty of time in the off-season to chew over what moves the hawks should make; do they get a big-name coach? do they trade josh smith? resign bibby? all of these questions will be out there.

but today, this fan just wants to say thank you. thanks to coach woodson, and joe, and josh and mike and al and marvin and zaza and flip and mo, even acie and mario and solo and the others that came off of the bench.

it was a great ride. i became a hawks fan two seasons ago because i wanted a hometown team to root for and i loved the idea of following some scrappy young underdogs. i became a fan last season, this season i fell in love.

i watched you guys play so many great games this season. i went to more than 20 and probably watched more than 20 on tv. and you never failed to entertain me and keep me coming back for more. at the beginning of the season no one gave you a chance. they laughed at you because j-chills had decided the greek league was more promising than atlanta. they questioned the off-season pickups of flip and mo.

but a few of us believed and so did you. and you went farther than anyone would have ever guessed. you brought us the fourth best record in the east, a home playoff series, a series win, and a chance to see the best team in basketball.

and last night you proved you could still play with heart and determination even with your backs against the wall.

so thanks. i am sold. most likely a fan for life.

and NOW YOU KNOW!!!!!!

The news is going around. The police have made an arrest in the John Henderson case, and it all turns out to be part of a larger, sprawling story involving gunfights and men in hiding, according to the AJC. It’s a story with a lot of bullets.

With thanks to the Atlantans Together Against Crime (ATAC) blog, here’s a link to Raw Footage Atlanta Police Department May 8, 2009 Press Conference from Grayson Daughters on Vimeo.

Since I wrote a bit about the public reaction to the Standard shooting, I figured I should write something about the public reaction to this news, too. I’ve read comments of relief and comments of revenge. I’ve read lamentations about teenage shooters and I’ve read calls for blood.

Here’s the truth: I don’t know what to say.

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I was on the road this morning, stopped at a light and catching life updates via Tweetie when I saw Andy’s RT that John Henderson’s assailant was in custody, and that the teen had been linked by ballistics to the crime.

Henderson was shot and fatally injured January 7th while closing up at The Standard in Grant Park.

There will be a press conference at 2p, and ATAC will be tweeting live, if you want to follow the news as it develops. Additional information is being posted as it comes in on the ATAC blog.

The arrest was that of Johnathan Redding, a 17 year old.