yes, folks, its is now officially ‘hip’ to celebrate the 4th (okay, let the elitism comments come, i know they will, but c’mon, you know what I mean.)

so if you are still looking for something to do this fourth of july i have two suggestions to offer. first for those of you who are into the ‘hip’, seen-and-be-scene kind of thing, or are looking to impress that person in the office you have had you eye on, let me suggest the 4th of july bbq at TWO urban licks. according to the email they sent me, the bbq promises to be quite an experience -

Listen to the live band while taking in TWO’s view of the city skyline
or play bocce ball with your pals.
Chef Scott Serpas will be grilling up some 4th of July favorites
like TWO’s famous “Big Ass Burger” and homemade andouille sausage.
Call to make a reservation.

for those of you who have ever had scott serpas’s lamb lollipops, you will know that when the man puts meat on a grill amazing things will happen.

and imagine how chic you will sound in the cube farm when you casually drop the line about hanging out amongst the hip of the hip.

more of an indie kid? looking for something to establish your cred of eschewing everything mainstream or midtown-y?
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There’s been considerable talk on them there internets about this ad campaign, it’s buzz and it’s viral and someone should be very proud of themselves.

That said, I’m not as baffled by the “I pooted” or it’s equally clever brethren as I am by this one:

Does it mean they’re hot and they pick toes? Or does it mean they’re hot and they pick toes? Or does it mean they pick hot toes?

Sure the title is a blatant dig at Ryan Seacrest‘s infamous (and now former) catchphrase, but I have a serious question: How many of you realized that Ryan was a native Atlantan?

Born and raised here (Dunwoody anyway, by way of Chamblee High School) and educated, briefly at UGA.

Seacrest even hosted a show on Star94, though I never heard it.

Still, I wonder how many folks knew he was an Atlantan. Even more interesting, how many of you want him to be an Atlantan (mean, I know)?

I think Seacrest’s case brings into question something that Annie blogged earlier today, which is what exactly is Atlanta. Is it the suburbs?

It also makes you think about our celebrity class here in Atlanta. Everyone thinks of the Ted Turners, Evander Holyfields and Sir Elton Johns of the ATL, but I doubt most folks would mention Seacrest (again, editorially, Thank God).

Here’s another question: do you think Ryan Seacrest is a good ambassador of metro Atlanta and her people or is he just another glib airhead, something we specialize in as well (see all three of those dudes I mentioned above).

And, just to clarify, I realize a ton of people not from the city or the state still see us as the home to all the great Civil Rights leaders of the recent past and I mean no disrepect to those folks or their families, I’m focusing more on pop culture figures of the very late 20th and early 21st century.

Discuss.

Seth out.

My boyfriend is convinced someone at the DOT is secretly in love with me – and that they read my blog.

Why? Because 10th Street is finally being resurfaced! Let’s just hope it’s the same squad that ripped Scooby on Virginia Ave. last November.

Can I get a w00t!? Or is it too early in the week for that?

I recently discussed Atlanta with a couple of friends. Two of us are native Atlantans, and one is from out-of-town. During the discussion, one of us Atlantans mentioned the term OTP and the out-of-towner said, “What’s that?” And the debate began!
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the reasons why atlanta should be grateful for shirley franklin continue to pile up. The new york times has an incredible piece about how the mayor saved martin luther king’s papers from going on auction and ending up god-knows-where.

from the article:

“She [The Mayor] said, ‘How much?’ I told her the price, and she said, ‘O.K.,’ ” recalled Phillip Jones, a King family representative who met with the mayor that day, June 18, to discuss the impending auction of the bulk of the papers belonging to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

shirley then arranged for private financing for a loan of $32 million and saved the papers from going to auction. the papers are headed to morehouse college for now, where they rightly belong.
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This morning my wife dropped her father off at the Chamblee Marta station so he could make his way to Hartsfield and fly home. This being his first experience with Atlanta’s rapid transit system (or any rapid transit system for all I know), we gave him simple but precise instructions on how to buy a token, where to go once he passed through the turnstile and where to get off. He was to ride Marta all the way from the northern-most station on the line until the end. How difficult could it be? A few hours later my wife tells me over the phone about his journey on Marta.
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The first issue of “Atlanta Dog Life Magazine” hits the free newstands on July 1 with former 99X DJ Jimmy Baron, his wife Lisa, and their dogs on the cover. Since the magazine targets the “affluent” dog owner, I wonder what kind of ads we’ll see inside since dogs can’t get plastic surgery? I’m always amazed by how many ads for nose reshaping and spider vein removal I find in those free glossy publications you find in places like the doctor’s office. Since the new publication touts itself as “The Magazine for Atlanta’s Dogs and Their People,” it will certainly be interesting to see if the advertisements lean heavily toward spending Barbie and Ken’s money on fake boobs and laser hair removal or on luxurious doggie daycare and Louis Vuitton pooch porters.

Can’t wait to get your copy? Here’s a list of places the magazine will be distributed around town, which includes spots known for their popularity with affluent dog owners like Eats. Heh.

yes, folks the atl was blessed with a visit from none other than the miss jamaica festival queen. c’mon who need prince charles when you have her majesty queen sashane mcdonald.

according to this report, filed yesterday in the clayton daily news , queen sashane won some sort of beauty pageant and is now touring airports and meeting with mayoral flunkies as part of her ‘official duties.’

after her tour of hartsfield-jackson, the queen apparently pronounced it ‘very user friendly.’

sure, maybe compared to charles de gulle, or kingston i suppose.

the real question is who the hell did jeffery whitfield at the clayton news-daily piss off to get assigned to cover this story. sure the new york times it ain’t, but this has still got to be the bottom of the journalistic heap.

at least right ahead of sarcastically commenting on local news in a blog.

A friend asked me what I thought was the best Atlanta history book out there and I said without a doubt Atlanta Rising by Frederick Allen. Be warned, though, it’s a history of Atlanta from WWII until 1996 (the Olympics). It’s good though and has a distinct pro-Atlanta feel (I’m in favor of that sort of thing) and the book as a strong readability that other Atlanta history books just don’t (it also doesn’t focus on the Civil War, pre-inteeresting era of Atlanta history).

I read the book a couple years ago and had been meaning to get through Allen’s other Atlanta-based book Secret Formula. I finally finished it and can say that it is as enjoyable as Atlanta Rising. And gives an interesting look into Atlanta’s most famous product.