You are here: Home - Archives for

Natural beauty forgotten in the face of commercialism

On a sunny afternoon a few weeks back, I drove around my native city of Atlanta on my way to a friend’s apartment. In the past, while on the way there, I usually passed by a mid-sized grove of bright trees that provide a serene and picturesque distraction from the commercial buildings that clutter the [...]

Finding faith, respect for religious foibles

You’ve seen them everywhere. They’re the Tate Plaza preachers who bemoan mankind for committing every sin under the sun. They’re the guys lugging a giant cross around downtown Athens proclaiming that those who don’t profess faith in Christ will burn in hell. They’re the ones outside of football stadiums who shout at you in the [...]

Debating the death of rock music

Is rock music dead? The quick and simple answer is no. Obviously, there are still rock bands out there that make music. And they’re selling albums. So it can’t be completely dead, like the Latin language. But the longer and weightier answer is a bit more complex. If you take a glance at music history [...]

Cigars retain the glamour of smoking

Tobacco gets a pretty bad rap these days. Scientific research has proven that chronic consumption of the plant can lead to cancer. Most ways of consuming it are now frowned upon by the general populace. Cigarettes smell terrible and make smokers cough stuff up.  Dipping and chewing are seen as gross habits — apparently, spitting [...]

Home brewing a ‘science experiment you can drink;’ drinking playlist a must

The most prevalent argument I hear is that “good beer is just too expensive.” To this I say, “Make it yourself.” People save money on all sorts of things by doing it themselves — learning how to fix their own cars, plumbing, computers, grow their own food, even roll their own cigarettes. Why not make [...]

Local performer plays country powered by Christ

It’s not hard to tell that Jeremy Duggins is a family man. While speaking to me he was flanked at various times by his kids Charley, Kasen, and Caraline. “A lot of people tell me they want to get away from their family; that’s my rest,” Duggins said, with daughter Caraline propped up on his [...]

Al’s No. 1 Italian Beef serves sausage to Athens masses

Take one bite into its signature beef sandwich and you’ll realize why this restaurant is called “Al’s No. 1 Italian Beef.” The slow-cooked top sirloin is filled with zesty flavor and pleasant textures. The peppers within the hot giardiniera impart just the right amount of crunch and spicy kick. And the bread, dipped in their [...]

Band plays ‘everything else that’s good rock ‘n’ roll’

The Sunlight Alchemists sound like it fell out of the ’90s. “Contemporary grunge with a hint of everything else that’s good rock ‘n’ roll,” said guitarist Christian Gerner-Smidt of the band’s sound. Formed a year ago, The Sunlight Alchemists rose out of the ashes of an Atlanta-based band called Revo. “[Derek Terry], the bass player, [...]

listen up! ‘Blue Room Afternoon,’ Ingram Hill

Is alternative rock band Ingram Hill’s upcoming release a new album?  Well… kind of. “Blue Room Afternoon,” the Memphis-based trio’s newest record is the band’s attempt at an acoustic album. Like an episode of MTV Unplugged, the band has taken its most successful songs and fan favorites from its previous catalog of songs and repackaged [...]

read up! ‘Everybody Loves You When You’re Dead”

Have you ever wondered why Lady Gaga decided she was going to be a famous singer? Or wondered how Chuck Berry feels about being a washed-up rocker in a genre he helped define? Did you know that in reality, Stephen Colbert is actually a soft-spoken person who is active within his church? How about that [...]

Next Page »