Atlanta, GA

If you work downtown, you may have noticed an influx of traffic and people heading to the Civic Center (former home of SciTrek). Atlanta is hosting the 2007 United States Social Forum from June 27 - July 1. Maybe you’re like me and wondering - What is the US Social Forum? Well, luckily they have a website: https://www.ussf2007.org/

However, I will give you the brief explanation. It’s a conference offering workshops and lectures on how to make this a better world - discussing foreign policy, race issues, gender issues, etc. Some workshops for tomorrow include: Justice Movement and Nonprofit, Stolen Lives: Killed by Law Enforcement, Challenging the U.S. Funded Drug War in Columbia, Behind the Walls: Buidling a Broad-Based Movement to Free US Political Prisoners and POWS, and tons more!

From what I can tell on the website, it may be possible to still participate and attend some of these workshops. Please visit the website and look at the registration times or pre-paid registration options. Workshops have limited seating.

If you go or hear anything more on this, please add to the conversation.

Tonight is the last showing for Screen on the Green - Piedmont Park’s summer film fest. The movie will be E.T. How cool is that? Outdoors is the perfect setting to watch E.T. - just don’t forget your Reese’s pieces.

Helpful Hints:

-> The film starts when it gets dark - plan around 9pm
-> Bring a blanket to sit on - no camping chairs which obstruct the view for others
-> Come early! This is a popular event and lots of people will be there.
-> Bring some snacks, wine - make a fun night out of it

Alot of Atlanta theaters offer discount tickets for their preview night. Preview night is the day before the official opening of a play. It’s not a dress rehearsal - so you’ll see the same quality performance you would on opening night. Theaters just like to practice in front of a live audiences and can make minor changes according to how the evening goes. But it rocks for the ticket holder to get to see the show at a cheap price:

Georgia Shakespeare offers $10 preview tickets to Shakespeare’s wild
fairytale, PERICLES, on Thursday, June 28 at 8pm.

Get ready for an adventure-filled odyssey of the spirit as Pericles,
the young Prince of Tyre, sets sail in this soul-stirring
Shakespearean fairytale. Filled with love and loss, shipwrecks and
pirates, Pericles is one man’s magical journey to rediscover lost
lives and lost loves.

Call 404.264.0020 or order online at www.gashakespeare.org. For more info, visit www.gashakespeare.org

Featuring Joe Knezevich, Park Krausen, Chris Kayser, Carolyn Cook,
Brad Sherrill, Rob Cleveland, and Hudson Adams.

Or go see….

The Essential Theatre’s 2007 Power Plays Festival gets started this week with a pay-what-you-can ($5 minimum) preview on Thursday, June 28, at 8 p.m.!

The show? It’s our Southeastern Premeire of Christopher Durang’s musical-comedy MRS. BOB CRATCHIT’S WILD CHRISTMAS BINGE. This hilarious spoof by America’s foremost comic playwright is a take-off on “A Christmas Carol”, “It’s A Wonderful Life” and just about every other Christmas story you can think of. With singing! Dancing! Grown women playing young boys! Grown men playing grown women!

“Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge” is directed by Peter Hardy, and features Alex Van, Johanna Linden, Jeffrey Zwartjes, Fracena Byrd, Bethany Anne Lind, Bobby Labartino, Sarah Falkenburg, Robert Wayne, Jenna Edmonds, Topher Payne, Katie Merritt and Kelly Young.

Clark Howard has a radio broadcast show on AM750 and as much as I hate listening to this station because it makes me think my youth has completely died, this guy gives GREAT advice. His website: www.clarkhoward.com is where I always go when planning a trip because he’s got the best deals out there. I also recently changed my savings account to HSBC because of his advice on their promotional savings of 5.05%. That period has ended, but it’s still a great online savings account.

Pretty much this guy gets my stamp of one of the best resources we have in Atlanta. And there’s tons of other advice too - buying a home, buying a car, insurance, scams, and more.

I’d really like to add him to my personal circle of friends - but he might get annoyed at my nonstop questions and inability to make any decisions till I run it by him.

This past weekend was Pride weekend - and Atlanta was celebrating in full rainbow colors. On Sunday afternoon, I attended the Pride parade and unlike last year it was a HOT sunny day. My only regret was not having a snow cone. Last year the parade was cut short by torrential downpour. Delta was the main sponsor of the event, but the really fun floats go to Hoedown’s, The Eagle, and the deliciously hot,unfortunately mostly gay men on the Swinging Richard’s float. Two things I hate about gay events: 1) Beautiful, very unavailable men 2) Men who look way hot as females. Two things I love about gay events: 1) The continuing support and love of techno music. 2) The beautiful men.

where the players play — I always thought that Ludacris and Jermaine Dupree song should be played as you go up the escalators to baggage claim at Hartsfield airport.

Atlanta: Home of Ludacris, Jermaine Dupree,Outkast, Julia Roberts, Dakota Fanning, Ryan Seacrest, T.I., Raven Symone, RuPaul, Stephen Dorff, David Cross, Spike Lee, Chris Tucker, Jeff Foxworthy, Steven Soderbergh and of course CNN and Coca-Cola