Fresh Loaf

Neigeborn, 35, loves his work, which he’s been doing for more than a decade. But it’s stressful right now, because clients are more worried about their investments.

What is your background? How did you get into financial advising?

I am originally from Long Island, New York. I went to school at the University of Albany. Originally I was going to be studying psychology, which became my minor. I fell in love with American history; I studied it at the undergraduate and graduate level. I went on until I was about to complete my master’s thesis and my grandmother talked me out of it. She sat me down and said, ‘Honey, teaching on a college level – you’re going to be broke and you’re going to be unemployed a lot and this is not for you.’ And I said “…OK.” I was about 23. So my background was in academics, and I had not taken an economics class in college. It is interesting to find that many of us have not; we have lots of varied backgrounds. I traveled for a little bit after school, not really sure what I would do, came back. I came back to the states when I was 24. I had spent a little time overseas. I got a job in the telecommunications industry, which at the time was booming. I did that for about a year and this was at the height of the technology boom in the late 90’s. I came down to visit some friends in Atlanta, fell in love with the city, packed my bags and came. This was 1997. At the time, Prudential was hiring financial advisers. I had enough of a push to want to take on a very challenging job at 24, 25. I didn’t quite know what I was going to be getting myself into. It turned out to be a lot more challenging than I fully expected. (more…)

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Short on cash? Can’t get a loan? Want to sell that stereo, television, or peg leg? There’s always the pawn shop. Stop by Jerry’s Pawn Shop on the corner of Prior and Decatur. Dave Adelman owns Jerry’s Pawn Shop at the corner of Prior and Decatur streets downtown.

Where are you from originally and how did you get into the pawn shop business?
Originally from New Haven, Conn. I moved here in the 1970’s. How I got into the Pawn business was I got married in 1975 to my present wife, and her father was in the pawn business. But I never thought about getting into the pawn business — I had never been in a pawn shop before. I was in between jobs, and we were offered jobs in other cities but we wanted to stay here. So he had an employee in the hospital, and he needed somebody in the store just to help him out. So he asked me to come down and help him in between my job search and the rest is history. I kinda just fell in love with it. That was 30 years ago. It will be thirty years in ’09. (more…)

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Charles Knox has been writing orchestral and choir music for half a century, and spent three decades teaching music theory and composition at Georgia State University.

He prefers writing to performing. “I’ve played the piano and the trombone, but I don’t play anything in public.”

Classical is also classic, he says. “Music that has an immediate appeal often doesn’t last very long.”

He got into music while at the University of Georgia, playing in jazz and dance bands, but says he quickly committed himself to writing.

“Yes, there are times when performers add their own interpretations [to his compositions]. They’re not computers; they don’t just read what’s on the page. They add their own emotions. Only on rare occasions have I been disappointed in a performer’s take, and then it was usually just a kid, so you cut them some slack.”

On his least favorite kind of music: “I can’t say. Within any style there are the truly talented ones and there are the ones who are just going through the motions.”

On being called the dean of Atlanta composers: “Basically it just means I’m the oldest.”

He does get writer’s block, he says, but if he has a secret to beating it, he’s not giving it up. “I always manage to find something to get started, and once I get started I can usually write something. Then I just hope it’s good.”

He’s written a few palindromes. “Some people say it’s a lazy way to write music, since you just write half, but you’d be surprised. A lot of music doesn’t quite work backward.”

“Having a visual aspect is something we’ve come to expect with entertainment. Having a group of musicians essentially sitting still on stage, except for bows moving, you have to be very intent on listening.”

“I suspect that rock and hip-hop have become so popular partly because of visual displays. The guitar is one of the only instruments you can play and sing and dance at the same time. If you tried to do that with a flute or trombone you could rattle your teeth out.”

Knox titled a CD of his music Clouds Are Not Spheres. “It’s a quote from a mathematician describing how things are much more complicated than they seem. A sphere is simple; clouds are not. That’s what I was referring to.”

Listen to the three movements of Knox’s “Semordnilap No. 2,” recorded live in Hawaii in January 2006.

First movement

Second movement

Third movement

The first and third movements mirror each other (the third is the first in reverse), and the second movement is a palindrome in itself. Performers for this rendition are Amy Schwartz Moretti (violin), Steve Moretti (djembe), Dorothy Lewis (cello) and Cary Lewis (piano). (Live recordings courtesy Cary Lewis and Lux Nova Press)

He hasn’t written much music in recent years because his wife has been ill, but his latest piece, written to commemorate the 125th anniversary of Druid Hills Presbyterian Church, will be performed there June 22.

(Photo by John Nowak)

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(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Decatur attorney Tom Stubbs represents plaintiffs in consumer law and personal injury cases, and defendants in criminal cases. He’s running to be a Dekalb County Superior Court Judge.

How is running for judge different than running for other offices?

You can’t promise anyone anything except that you’ll be fair and decent to them.

Also, when you challenge an incumbent judge, it’s dangerous to the financial health of people who are often in [the incumbent’s] court to help you. I have a lot of lawyers helping me behind the scenes. A judge’s discretion is enormous, so there are reasonable concerns folks would have [about openly supporting me].

Do you have a gavel?

I do have a gavel, from some of the organizations I’ve chaired.

Do you practice judging with it at home in front of a mirror?

I have three children and don’t have the chance to make a fool of myself like that at home.

What is Superior Court?

It’s the highest trial court in the county. It can hear every case. It’s the only place you can go for family law and felonies. It’s the only place you go for injunctive relief, for example if you want to stop a developer from building something.

You wear a name tag telling people you’re a candidate for judge. You also have a magnet on your car saying so. How often do people come up to you because of those?

Fairly often. A lot of people don’t know you can run for judge.

Do they come up to you at inopportune times, like if you’re at a store buying toilet paper? (more…)

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(photo by Joeff Davis)

If you live in Villa Rica, you know 31-year-old J. Collins as your mayor for the past five years. If you die in Villa Rica, your family and friends might know him as the funeral and embalmer at J. Collins Funeral Home & Cremation Service.

“I’m what you call an old-fashioned country undertaker. I live above the funeral home.”

“Generally winter months are busiest. We’re busy from November through March.”

“I didn’t grow up thinking I would be a funeral director. I worked in a funeral home after I graduated high school as a part-time job. It was just a way to earn some extra money.”

How does funeral directing help him in politics? “Being in funeral services, you deal with people on a very personal level. I’ve always been a people person.”

“Being in such a small town, most of the people I take care of are friends, neighbors and relatives. It takes an emotional toll.”

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(photo by Joeff Davis)

Don’t get mad at Durante Franklin for towing your car from the courthouse parking lot. He’s just doing his job. Franklin has been a driver with A Tow Inc. for five years and is actually a pretty friendly guy.

“We tow from city, state and federal government properties. Also private and commercial towing; if you break down and you have services through your insurance company, then we come get you and bill your insurance.”

As an occupational hazard, Franklin has gotten on-the-job threats. “Maybe ’bout four times. And I also got ’jacked at the courthouse in 2005 by Brian Nichols.”

On the being carjacked by Brian Nichols: “I was at Five Points. A guy walked around the truck with a gun telling me to get out. I said you can have the truck, just don’t shoot me. So he took off with my cell phone, radio and everything down Peachtree.”

“I went to an accident scene where a young lady was killed. Another car had flipped up and came through the windshield. But her two kids were still alive in her SUV.”

On karma: “If you’re doing wrong, it is going to come back and bite you in the butt.”

Occasionally, Franklin is offered bribes by desperate car-owners. “They’ll be like, ‘Uh, man, I give you $300 to let it down,’ and I’ll be like ‘No, you going to jail and I’m going to jail … I don’t think so.’”

On how man can achieve salvation: “First of all he’s got to get himself together with the Lord. If he don’t believe, then he needs to believe.”

On people he admires: “I like a lot of people. I love me some Tupac because he always speaks the truth.”

On what he wouldn’t do for money: “There is stuff you put guidelines on, like that show where they used to have to eat pig guts for money. It’s Fear Factor. How are you just going to eat a hog head, and they just killed it, and they say they will give you $20,000? I will pass.”

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(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Mak Keltner has been poking strangers with needles for four years. An acupuncturist at Tiger Heart Acupuncture in Inman Park, Keltner treats patients using a variety of traditional Chinese treatments.

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is an ancient, comprehensive system of medicine that has helped millions of people and treats a wide range of heath problems. It is safe and addresses a lot of concerns that sometimes can’t be explained by conventional medicine.

Explain how it works.

The body is made up of energy channels that carry out all the functions of the body. When energy channels become deficient or blocked due to injury, diet or stress, pain or illness can result. Acupuncture points are used to move the energy, or qi, back to a normal state, restoring health. Each acupuncture point has a specific function in the body. I might use one point for stopping a cough or another for knee pain that gets worse when it rains.

Have you ever done acupuncture on yourself?

Yes, often. I treated my knee pretty regularly after I had surgery.

What does it feel like?

When the needle is inserted, I feel a tap and a pressure on my skin. I usually feel a dull ache combined with a sensation of slight movement, almost like a tiny muscle twitch. Sometimes there is a temporary pricking sensation, but it is much milder than the feeling of an injection or having blood drawn. (more…)

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(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Jerry “Cowboy” Hill, a former pro bass fisherman, has seen a lot during his 12 years of locksmithing, from dead bodies in car trunks to convertible owners who call him rather than climbing through their open tops.

Hill says his customers gave him the nickname “Cowboy” due to his attire. “Since they’re giving me their money, I go along with it.”

“We do what the average locksmith around here can’t do,” Hill says, due to the $275,000 worth of key blanks, electronic transponders and other equipment crammed into his van.

“You’d be surprised how many people lock their keys in their car at the gas station with the car running, and it turns out the passenger door was unlocked.”

“These elderly people in their big Lincoln Continentals, they never lose their keys. But the college kids, you’ll make them a key and then six weeks later they’ll call you back [for another one].”

“We have people who try to steal cars using a locksmith. We’ll get the story, ‘It’s my sister’s; she’s up at the store.’ And I’ll say, ‘OK, let’s wait for her.’”

Some thieves call Hill after they’ve stolen a car. “They’ll say it’s a rental, but you can tell it’s already been stolen.” He says he then calls the cops and takes his time making a key until they get there.

Hill replaces a lot of electronic car keys that people leave on top of speakers. The magnetic field can deactivate them.

Hill carries a gun, but says he’s only been attacked twice and only had to fire once. “There’s a one-legged crack dealer in East Point now,” he says.

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(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Dermatologist Dr. Scott Karempelis has been a tattoo-removal specialist at Dermatology Associates of Atlanta for 20 years. He uses a laser that breaks tattoo pigment into little pieces that are absorbed by skin.

How would you describe your job?

It’s very diverse and exciting without doing the same thing everyday. Each day I can work with skin cancer, wrinkles, liposuction or eyelids with people choosing to make the changes.

Who is your youngest client?

Thirteen years old, with a homemade knuckle tattoo. A lot of underage kids get tattoos from homemade ways, or by lying, or some unscrupulous person. The parents drag them in to get them removed.

What are some reasons for tattoo removal?

Gravel tattoos are when asphalt gets stuck in the skin from motorcycle accidents. We also remove the powder burns from a firecracker or black speckles from gun shots. These people are really happy that they can have these things removed.

Jewish people who were in Nazi prison camps like Auschwitz have come in for their prison tattoos to be removed. It is like removing a stigma from their body.

Has a tattoo artist ever gotten mad at you for desecrating his work?

Tattoo artists come in, not interested in removing their tattoos, but to change one area of a tattoo with mistakes. Many times we’ll knock out hearts with the name of the lover.

What is the most interesting tattoo you’ve removed?

This girl has the pink panther on her underwear line and it was the cutest tattoo. If you notice some of the African ladies have full ornaments tattooed on their neck and face from African tribes who come in to get them removed.

I removed the word “hot” and “cold” from a lady’s breasts.

What is the weirdest tattoo?
A guy with a gothic look had the devil outline tattooed to his face with the horns on the forehead.

If you could stand outside a tattoo parlor and give advice to someone about what they’re going to get, what would it be?

Don’t get it in the first place. But if you do, get a regular Indian ink outline without making it too deep. If you do get it, at least hide it on your butt or groin.

If you ever got a tattoo, what would it be?
Probably something artsy and small with some family emblem to it.

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(photo by Joeff Davis)

Tea aficionada Carmelle Killick has hosted a Victorian-style tea ceremony at her home every spring for a decade. The Alpharetta resident invites friends and neighbors for a formal sit-down steeped in tradition, with international teas, waltzing and hat contests.

“We make tea every night, practice tea etiquette every night, so it becomes second nature. I try to keep that tradition in the family, and try to keep it as formal as possible.”

She’s a tea-totalitarian. “There’s no such thing as coming here and not having tea. If you come here I’m giving you tea.”

“I went to Catholic school in Haiti. You know how Catholics are. You have to sit straight, can’t talk, can’t laugh. I guess all this stuff stayed with me. I’m not a loose person at all. Even in a relaxed situation, I sit straight and am very formal.”

On sweet tea: “Southern tea is excellent. … But I see Southerners like their tea sweet. To me the sugar kills the taste of the tea.”

Killick’s French grandmother introduced her to tea and to her favorite tea, basil lemon honey.

She’s versed in a wide array of tea etiquettes, including English, French, Iranian, Turkish, Japanese and Arabian. “It’s something that, when you get into the practice, the etiquette, the tradition, the china, the settings, you can fall in love with it.”

“We travel a lot. Everywhere we go we bring tea back with us. Some of them we can’t pronounce, but we know if it’s good.”

Killick says she’s addicted to buying teacups and saucers on eBay, adding that some cost more than $500. “Some tea parties are like weddings. You can go broke if you’re not careful.”

On the tea party’s turnout: “You never know how many people will show up. You send out a lot of invitations hoping not everyone will show up.”

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Prince Prinston wants to get a job, get rich and provide for his family. A recent transplant from West Palm Beach, Fla., the 17-year-old plans to become a lightweight boxer and learn to cook. He lives with his brother and sister-in-law in College Park.

“I wanna be a pro [boxer] in five years. I want my hands to be weapons, so I can’t fight a regular man.”

His favorite boxing movies: “Rocky, of course. The first one, second one and third one. My brother told me Cinderella Man was a good one.”

On leaving West Palm Beach: “There was too much violence there. I moved to get away from it. Ghetto stuff.”

“I’m going to Atlanta Job Corps. It’s just like school, but they pay you to go there. I’m gonna be doing culinary arts. I can’t cook, but they’ll teach me.”

On job prospects. “I ain’t consistent, but I’m looking. Wal-Mart, Publix, places for 17-year-olds.”

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(photo by Joeff Davis)

Better known to Facebook and MySpace users as “Alice the Snorg Girl,” the 19-year-old Mariettan has been an Internet sensation since she first agreed three years ago to be a model for a T-shirt company launched by her brother’s friends. Now a sophomore at Auburn, she’s gotten used to being recognized wherever she goes.

Often, Alice gets that “You look familiar” look from fellow students who can’t seem to place her. “Some days, I’ll wear a T-shirt and people will say, “Oh, that’s why I know you.’”

Alice’s claim to fame is her wide-eyed, open-mouthed expressions of dorky joy. “People always ask me why I’m so happy in my photos and it’s because [company co-owner] Bryan is always dancing and making me laugh. I’m very easily entertained.”

“The worst thing about being recognized is when I’m in a bar and the bartender says, ‘Hey, aren’t you the Snorg girl?’ and I realize he knows I’m underage.”

Modeling has made Alice semifamous but not rich, because she gets paid in T-shirts. But she has gotten other offers. “I’ve gotten messages from so and so agency saying they’d like me to model. But then when I Google the company name, nothing comes up. That’s kind of creepy.”

Although she’s not sure what career to pursue, Alice knows she wants to travel around the world. She’s already got plenty of friends out there. “I was looking myself up on the Internet the other day and found out I have a fan club in Australia. That’s pretty cool!”

While she describes herself as outdoorsy and athletic, Alice is also obsessed with all things Harry Potter and plans to reread all the books. “My favorite new T-shirt says, ‘Wizards do it with wands.’”

The Alice you see in her online photos is basically what you get in real life. “I’m really nerdy and weird, and I don’t mind making fun of myself. The reason I probably appeal to some people is they think, ‘She looks goofy; I bet she’s fun.’”

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(photo by Joeff Davis)

Dent Myers is the proprietor of Wildman’s Civil War Surplus and Herb Shop, a store in Kennesaw selling Civil War, KKK and Nazi memorabilia. He is famous for his beard, his friendly demeanor, his love of guns and his racism.

How long have you lived in Kennesaw?
I was here when Kennesaw was still a real town. Used to be a town with a history. Then all these people came. You know, with more people there’s more crime. Kennesaw is like North Atlanta.

Has your store ever been robbed?
Oh, no. Do you see any blood anywhere?

Do you have regular customers?
Some. A lot of people come here from overseas. They know about the store more than people here.

How did you get the idea to open Wildman’s?
I was into metal detecting and I had a few guns. I opened the store with a few hundred dollars.

Are the guns you carry loaded?
I wouldn’t carry them if they weren’t loaded. If you have a saw, you keep the blade sharp, if you’re going to use it.

Have you ever had to use them?
No, it’s just security. People won’t try to mess with you if they think you can protect yourself. Unless they’re on drugs or something. [He goes into an impression of someone on drugs, tugging on his mustache and waving his hands.] Like, “Hey, man …”

I saw the “No dogs, negroes or Mexicans” sign. Is that enforced?
That’s really old. A friend gave it to me. Anyone’s welcome in here, as long as they’re not causing trouble. I mean, you can see the pictures there. [He gestures toward a bulletin board full of photographs of smiling black customers.]

How do you respond when people call you racist?
I like it. It’s my name. My full name is Racist Bigot Honky Redneck.

Do people ever come in to complain or protest? Or just to insult you?
No, not in here. That wouldn’t be a smart thing to do. They just don’t like me.

Do you have children?
No, I know what you gotta do to get them. It’s just me since my dog died a few years back. I’m always either here or home.

I understand you’re friends with [Led Zeppelin guitarist] Jimmy Page.
Well, he spent a weekend with me once. [Indicating a picture taped by the register