Inside The Perimeter

Buckhead Meets Ghost town
On Friday night I went to see The Zutons and Keane perform at The Roxy in Buckhead. With my extra ticket I dragged my friend Melissa with me since she has talked about her love of live music, and I took a chance that she had never been to The Roxy. The plan was to eat some pizza at Ray’s and head up to The Roxy for the show. Let me preface this next statement by saying that it has been a good five years since I last “went out” in Buckhead. Holy fucking shit! Buckhead has become a ghost town! When I moved to Atlanta ten years ago Buckhead was the destination (even then I was too old, 30, to be out in Buckhead). I am not naive, I have heard the stories about Buckhead residents hating the bars, and have sat in a traffic jam or two on a Saturday, so I expected “change”. What I didn’t expect is the bars to be gone, they have not changed names, they are nonexistent — vanished! Here’s a short list

• Rio Bravo
• Have A Nice Day Cafe
• BAR
• Lu Lu’s Bait Shack
• World Bar
• The Dog House
• John Harvard’s (and whatever it became after this)
• Bier Garten (and whatever it became after this)

This was just walking along Peachtree; I didn’t bother wandering on to the side streets.

Where does Atlanta’s youth go to hook up these days (other than Moe’s & Joe’s). Seriously, I’d like to know…

That’s The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia
I live in the worst power grid in the city of Atlanta. I must, since in the last twelve months I have lost power no fewer than five times (this excludes the time my neighbor’s tree fell, and the numerous times I have returned home to see my microwave blinking 88:88). I was one of the lucky 300,000 to lose power on Saturday night — for five and a half hours. Now, before I bitch too much, kudos to the people who repair power lines. I may have sucked for me, but certainly it was worse for them. What can you do with no electricty? I managed to cull twenty t-shirts from my collection, almost clear my bed of stacks of clothing, read two magazines, imagine how romantic it would have been if I had someone there with me, drink beer “before it went bad”, listen to music on my iPod, think how fortunate I am not to be homeless or outdoors like my feral cat-friend JFK. And then the power returned…

From Fine Beers To Decent Movies
One of my big activities planned for Saturday was to partake in the tasting of newly opened cask-conditioned ales at Sweetwater Brewery (why can’t I find a link to them?). Being the beer snob that I am, I signed up for the event two months ago to make sure I could get a ticket. Unfortunately Mother Nature’s annual end of January Atlanta ice storm postoned the event a day. There is something to be said for anticipation and the disappointment when it does pan out, since come Sunday I just couldn’t get up for drinking.

Luckily, Melissa was suffering from a case of cabin fever and convinced me to go to the movies. Neither of us had seen Sideways, so that was the movie of choice. I’m no movie critic, but here is my score 8/10. The acting was excellent, and the story well crafted although I want to leave theaters happy, not down which is how I felt. Was I supposed to take away that the loser wins? I don’t think so.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - nervous: Super Bowl Party ‘T Minus Six Days’
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 26 playing Belle & Sebastian
Current Read - iPod & iTunes Hacks

Monday Morning Weigh-In
Starting weight - (approx since I didn’t have a scale) 198 lbs
Target weight - 178 lbs
Current weight - 196 lbs (one month down, missed my target, no time to panic)

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Steam Blowing, Log Entry Version 2.0
I am all for non-Microsoft browsers. I cut my Internet teeth using NCSA Mosaic, was a huge Netscape supporter until they got snapped up by AOL, and eventually succumbed to the Evil Empire’s Internet Explorer. Right now I am typing this entry using Firefox. I want to love Firefox, however it needs to stop crashing under Mandrake Linux, and stop creating zombie processes under Windows XP Home. This can be done, the world needs it to be done.

[UPDATE 12:30pm: Of course this story about another developer leaving Mozilla for Google won't help.]

Self-absorbed
Last night saw my return to the Red Light Cafe for Thursday night bluegrass. As I have mentioned before, bluegrass is a relatively new music style for my ears. My past history with bluegrass consists mainly of bands on Hee Haw and the constant replaying of “Rocky Top” by the University of Tennessee marching band. The band last night was called Chatham County Line, who I am told are neighbors of my friends in Raleigh, NC. From what I heard of the band they were quite good, and I was quite amused how they kept huddling around their one microphone as if they were posing for a group photo. I would have heard more if not for the couple on a date at the table next over who refused to stop talking (folks, you are at a music venue shut the fuck up!). Kudos to my friend Bill who waited until the girl excused herself before asking the guy to keep his voice down.

Found Money
Twice this week I found money, or at least things which could be used like money. Yippee! I found a $50 Green’s Package store gift certificate given to me on my birthday last year and a $50 rebate from Amazon arrive in the electronic post this week. Gentlemen, start your eCommerce engines!

Garanimals
All I am missing from looking like Timothy Busfield from thirtysomething is a tweed jacket with suede elbow patches. Combine my current beard and slightly-longer-hair than I have sported in years with the burnt orange turtle neck sweater I am wearing today and you get “pseudo intellectual english professor Paulie” — which I have been trying to get Mattel to produce as a replacement for Barbie’s pansy-ass manfriend Ken.

Websites Of The Week (my name is Paulie and I have endorsed this message)
Here are some websites that I have visited during the week

• YongFook: Japanese food. Don’t ask, just go.
• ALS Ride: If you are up to the task of riding a bike in North Georgia, consider doing this; it’s for a good cause.
• Smart Playlists: still trying to learn how to use my new toy better.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - “off”, coffee + mexican + beer = bad combination
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 26, playing Modest Mouse
Current Read - nada

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

My officemates kill me sometimes. Our breakroom table has become the land of the “free to a good home”, and I am afraid that I am one of the people who started it.

I am notorious for bringing in party leftovers — pretzels, chips, etc — so that they get out of my house before I can eat them all. As was to be expected, other people started doing the same. I used to joke that I could bring in chocolate covered turds and by noon they would all be eaten.

But then something happened…

Food someone how turned into “Whatever I don’t want, I’ll bring into the office. Certainly, someone will want it.” Over the last six months our breakroom table has seen the following items offered up
- drinking glasses
- a wreath made of sticks
- headphones
- computer games
- an executive desk dartboard game
- deodorant, thankfully unused
- diapers, thankfully unopened
- expired aspirin (yes, expired!)
- a sheet of paper (ok, this was a joke by me. I wrote “Free piece of paper, please take” on a sheet of paper just to see if anyone would take it. I think someone threw it away)

Amazing! Anyone have suggestions as to what I should try putting on the table? I’d love to hear them. Keep in mind I am not willing to do anything that will get me fired.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - dazed and confused
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio channel 26, playing The Faint
Current Read - looking for a new read

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Before I begin, I forgot yesterday’s Tuesday’s Toy segment
The toy for this week is one I currently own, my Samsung A680 cellphone with Sprint PCS service. Normally I’d gripe about my phone, and Sprint’s normally crappy cell service (especially in the hood), but this time it made my life tolerable. With some network issues recently my cellphone was the only tool I could use to check personal email, aka “my lifeline.” Now if I could only figure out how to Instant Message better…

The Big Rip
No, it is not my pants ripping due to weight gain! I have finally finished converting my CD collection to mp3s. All Ye who want to rant that mp3s are evil and should be illegal can relax, I own all of the CDs that I ripped. The final tally? Nearly 20Gig of music. My iPod holds 20Gig of music as well? Coincedence? Could be….

Second Spins
Because I had time to kill before going out for yesterday’s birthday celebration at The Patio, and because I apparently needed more music to rip, I went to one of my favorite used CD stores, Ella Guru last night. I can never seem to leave there with fewer than two purchases. Last night being no different, saw me purchase “Who’s Next” by The Who (replacing one of the CDs that went “missing” when my car was stolen last year) and “Give Up” by The Postal Service.

Where The Boys (And Girls) Are
Upon leaving The Patio (did I mention that they have all-you-can eat pizza and salad, and $2 draft beers on Tuesdays?) we headed over to Moe’s & Joe’s in Virginia-Highlands. Anybody need a twenty-two year old, or a pitcher of PBR for less than $4? Moe’s & Joe’s on Tuesday night is the place for you — I couldn’t get out of there quickly enough. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the human anatomy in its 20-25 year-old period as much as the next guy, but at this point in my life (read “age”) looking at women of that age range is only window shopping.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - I *still* need a fortune cookie
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio channel 26, playing Keane
Current Read - my PDA User’s Guide

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Last night may not have been the actual evening of the full moon, but it was mighty close…

Zu Fuss Gehen
In English this German phrase loosely translates to “to go on foot.” This was one of the few German phrases that my father, who was 100% German but spoke virtually none, taught me. As a child my father and I walked together occasionally — kind of as our father and son time. I love to walk; it provides a view of the world you just can’t get from your car. I decided that last night’s exercise was to be a one hour walk prior to playing trivia.

Bad Boys What You Going To Do?
Ok, by “Cops” standards it was lame, but I did see Atlanta Police in action. When I left the scene the police were knocking on someone’s door and a dog was barking loudly. I’m sure nothing more than a warning was issued.

Look, Up In The Sky
Last night’s crystal clear sky meant that even with Atlanta’s overuse of artificial lights you could see many stars. I used to know the constellation names, I think that I will try to learn them again.

Is That A Fuel Pump In Your Car Or Are You Just Happy To See Me?
As I walked past a gas station I heard two guys talking. “Over there, by pump number six.” said one of them. I turned to look, looking for a cat, opossum, or some other animal. The other guy then chimed “I wonder how long it will take them to realize that it is still in their gas tank?” It was then I realized that someone had driven away with the fuel pump still inserted into their tank! How fucking clueless do you have to be to do this? Ok, I can see driving away forgetting to put the cap on your gas tank, but to leave with the pump still inserted? Shit!

I Bow In Your General Direction, Sir
It’s official, Glenn knows too much shit. I’d call it worthless shit, but since it helps us finish in the money at Team Trivia it has a monetary value. The question last night dealt with an actress who starred in the tv shows “It’s A Living” and “Wings”. Both Glenn and I knew the answer was Crystal Bernard (hello, I was a teenage boy back then….), but when Glenn proceeded to name the other actors, and the fact that “It’s A Living” later changed its name to “Living It Up” because waitresses complained that being a waitress was more than just “making a living”, I realized that I had been served.

Happy Birthday
One my newest friends here in the Atl has a birthday today. So, Happy nth Birthday, Melissa. Take this bit of sage advice from a person who is ten years your senior, always keep in mind that you must grow old, but you do not have to grow up.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - I need a fortune cookie
Current Music - none, it’s a quiet office this morning
Current Read - back to the land of user’s manuals (I swear that I am going to finish something this week, although every night is already booked)

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Whew, it was a whirlwind weekend…

Goodnight Johnny, Goodnight
If you are old enough to remember “Bicentenial Minutes”, Pet Rocks, and the first time my blue-suede Pumas were in fashion, you might have had an emotional moment when you found out that Johnny Carson passed away yesterday. I know I did. In my youth Johnny Carson defined late night television. He was a legend, dominating the genre and opening up avenues for comedians for thirty years. When he retired it was with style and class, no great fanfare, a simple “thank you” monologue — never to be seen again.

I didn’t get to watch many Tonight Shows in the 1970s (remember children, VCRs were almost non-existent in the household then), and by the time the 1980s rolled around the Tonight Show had lost some of its clout, thanks in part to the new kid on the block, David Letterman, whose show “Late Night” was geared to the young “Gen Xers.”

Oh, So You’re Paul
Since my carjacking last August I have met a lot of people who know about me without ever meeting me. I assume this is what it’s like to be a minor celebrity, or maybe not. This weekend while doing my civic duty of planting trees with Trees Atlanta a very nice young lady who lives in East Atlanta came up to me and said “Oh, so you’re Paul…” Flattering? Yes, but I hope that in the future it occurs for completely different reasons.

Weekends Were Made For Michelob
Unless you are a beer snob like me. I attended a great birthday party this weekend — Little Easy’s 38th. It’s an annual combined cajun food festival, birthday party with quality beer. And as the old song goes, “these are a few of my favorite things.” The only thing that would have made it better was if it was my birthday party — selfish bastard that I am. Well, there is something else that would have made it better, but I digress.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - fresh, interpret this as you wish
Current Music - none
Current Read - back to the land of user’s manuals

Monday Morning Weigh-In
Starting weight - (approx since I didn’t have a scale) 198 lbs
Target weight - 178 lbs
Current weight - 197 lbs (oops, perhaps too much beer and food this weekend)

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

It’s Fridaypalooza!!!

“So, Why Do You Want To Hire Mexicans?”
Because I was running late this morning; because today is Friday (and I miss my Fridays off); because I needed coffee; because I wanted to say hello to the lovely Ellen who works there, I stopped in at Joe’s Coffee Shop on my way to work.

While leaving I heard a man ask the question which inspired the title. It made me laugh. I only wish the other man’s answer was “Because I am opening a Mexican restaurant, stupid.”

Re-nauguration Day
The word “freedom” was included twenty-five times in the President’s Inaguration speech yesterday (and “liberty” was used seventeen). [thanks to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart for supplying those stats] It’s no secret that I have never been a fan of the Presidential Bushes. So, my one shot is “Hey Mr. President, I’d like the freedom of knowing that there will be Social Security for me when I retire (around 2030). Get this country’s shit together!” *** stepping down from soapbox ***

All Wound Up With Nowhere To Go
It would have been the perfect night to go out and run, pounding my frustrations into the ground with every stride, except for one thing — I really didn’t want to be around anyone.

It would have been the perfect night to get plastered, except for one thing — I really needed the exercise.

It became the perfect night to ride indoors, unfortunately I could only muster up thirty minutes of riding.

Must See TV
Staying at home does provide ample quality time for watching the telly. Here are some shows that I enjoy.

• Look Around You: This is a bizarre 10-15 minute program on BBC America. My best description of the show is that it mimics the 1950’s - 1960’s science films shown to me in elementary school, with the exception that the ‘facts’ in Look Around You are completely whacked. For some reason it didn’t air last night. Rats!
• Good Eats: Having met and worked with Alton Brown (sorry for the self-promotion, I needed the pick-me-up) this has long been a favorite ITP. Alton’s science is far more reliable than that of Look Around You, and the results are edible. Yum!
• TV Funhouse: A short-lived “variety” show on Comedy Central. It was an expanded version of the segments that were on Saturday Night Live.

That’s Incredible!
You would think that by now I would have seen The Incredibles in the theater. Hell, I have referenced this movie at least twice in the past two months. Nope, instead I have gone and done a complete 180 and have pre-ordered it for when it comes out on dvd in March. I’ve waited this long, what’s another two months, right?

Websites Of The Week (my name is Paulie and I have endorsed this message)
Here are some websites that I have visited during the week

• Equifax/Experian/TransUnion: You have ordered your credit report, right?
• Ipod Lounge: Guess what came in this week? You so smart!!!

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - frustrated
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 26, playing The Mooney Suzuki
Current Read - nothing today (still — starting again tomorrow)

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I get an electronic Newsletter from Las Vegas (or at least from LasVegas.com) monthly. New York and Las Vegas are perhaps my favorite cities in this country to visit. I’ll give secondary nods to New Orleans and Boston. Chicago is the city that I would like to travel to, but have not.

Viva Las Vegas!
Why Las Vegas? First, I get an energy there that I get nowhere else. Perhaps it’s all of the oxygen they pump into the casinos, perhaps it’s the near-constant daylight brought about by the neon lights, I don’t really know. Second, I like to gamble, low stakes. I stink at gambling and get frustrated with my bad luck, but like to do it nonetheless.

Today’s newsletter made me laugh — here are some highlights.

In a week’s time you can see the following two shows

• Cher with the Village People at MGM Grand on Jan 29th
• I’m sure that all of the queens will be wild at this show
• A Flock of Seagulls at Mandalay Bay on Feb 4th
• The only thing better would be to see a “A Flock of Seagulls” cover band, “A Flock of Doves” perhaps?

BRILLIANT! Did I ever mention that I saw A Flock of Seagulls in Florida circa 1983? Yeah, I was as cool then as I am today.

That’s not enough to sell you on Sin City? How about these fantastic star sightings, also courtesy of the newsletter, that you could have experienced

• Vince Vaughn was spotted at Tabu at MGM
• Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and cyclist Lance Armstrong (sans Sheryl Crow apparently) were spotted at Light
• Anna Nicole Smith was levitated by Steve Wyrick during a recent show. (ed note: I know she has lost weight, but I still find this to be impressive)
• Conan O’Brien dined at Nobu in the Hard Rock

And they say what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. I think not.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - deflated, I’ve got some issues to work through today
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 26, playing Mercury Rev
Current Read - nothing today (still — taking the week off)

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I declare today to be “National Inside The Perimeter Do Something For Yourself Day.” Hell, I’ve already done something for myself this morning…

I ordered a credit report. You thought what?!? Get your mind out of the gutter!!

Did you know that in seven states you are entitled by state law to a free credit report (hell, in Georgia you are entitled to two) every year? The Big Three credit agencies (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) make it hard to follow up on this, but I say it’s worth the effort. If going directly to one of the Big Three is too much work for you, go to the web site www.AnnualCreditReport.com, a site set up by the Big Three in accordance with the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, to get one. Be forewarned that this method may take a little while longer than going directly to one of the Big Three.

Along with swearing that “This year I will meet ‘Ms. Right’”, getting a credit report has been an annual January task for me for some time. If you’ve never done it before you may have ’shock and awe’ with the number of credit accounts you have open (eventhough you told those companies to close them!) as well as the number of agencies that have inquired about your credit rating. Remember that knowledge is power, so educate yourself! This is especially true if you have been turned down for credit, or are planning on taking out a loan.

Happy Birthday!
Today is the nth — where ((n greater than 35) and (n less than 40)) birthday of my good friend Little Easy. Happy Birthday buddy!

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - frigid
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 26, playing The Thrills
Current Read - nothing today (still)

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Who thought that this space could be educational???

You may want to sit down for this one. No, I am not giving up drinking, it’s the only vice I have left! I’m going to tell you a story children…

What seems like a lifetime ago I was once “dry”; I did not drink alcohol. It gets better, this occurred during my college years. It gets even better — wait for it — I attended college at the University of Florida (UF is usually on Playboy’s “Top 10 Party Schools” list — yes, I really did set a link to Playboy). And in case you were wondering, I am old enough to have been legal to drink when I was eighteen.

Why? It was a extremely painful New Year’s Eve somewhere around 1985 that forced me into non-drinking mode, followed by a neverending desire to pay off my student loans which kept me in it through my final days of college.

What changed me? New Orleans. Seriously. During a trip to the Big Easy to attend Lollapalooza in 1993 I decided enough was enough. To my friends astonishment they exclaimed “What is that in your hand? You don’t drink!” My reply, “Incorrect, you’ve just never seen me drink.”

The microbrew craze of the DotCom 90’s also helped me continue my appreciation of beer as I learned that all beer didn’t have to taste like Budweiser. And while I have slipped a bit, desiring the occassional Iron City, Lone Star, or High Life, I still contest that I am a dyed-in-the-wool beer snob — just like Michael Jackson. NOT THAT Michael Jackson, THIS Michael Jackson.

As Paul Harvey would say, “And now you know the rest of the story. Good’ Day.”

(by the way, love is also a four letter word and boy do I love beer)

Tuesday’s Toy Of The Day
I don’t have one! Booo! Hisss! I’ve not seen anything over the past week that has geeked me up enough to refer to it in this space. The closest thing to attaining Geekdom was the announcement of the Mac Mini. More investigation is needed for me to figure out if I really want to dive full-on back into the Apple world.

And now for some ideas stolen from LiveJournal…
Current Mood - frigid
Current Music - Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 26, playing The Thrills
Current Read - nothing today (still)

Cheers!
Paulie [eatl/ga]