Fresh Loaf

Tom Thomas is a partner with the HTW&W, one of the largest criminal defense firms in Georgia. He specializes in DUI law and says that drivers pulled over for suspicion of DUI rarely know their rights.

What is a common misconception people have about your clients?

That they are strictly alcoholics and degenerates. They are actually very run-of-the-mill people. They come from different backgrounds — lawyers, doctors, accountants and people from all over the place. They are not your stereotypical criminals.

What’s one thing people should know about their rights during a traffic stop?

You don’t have to discuss where you’ve been or what you’ve done, or give any other information other than your name and license number and other identification. You don’t have to explain anything else, but people always launch into an explanation of why they were speeding or why they were swerving. If they want to check your license to make sure you’re not wanted anywhere, that’s fine, but you certainly don’t need to give any other information. You can respectfully decline.

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After tattooing for eight years in New York and Atlanta, Danielle Distefano recently opened her own tattoo shop, Only You Tattoo, in Grant Park.

How long have you been a tattoo artist?
Eight years, professionally. I was an apprentice for a year and a half before.

What was the first tattoo you gave?
It was a little anchor with a shield that I never finished, because my machine stopped working and I didn’t know how to fix it. That was before I was an apprentice. I got a machine from a friend and was playing around with it.

What’s the strangest tattoo you’ve ever drawn before?
[laughs]. That’s a tough question. I guess a unicorn puking up a rainbow, jumping out of someone’s skin. With lightning bolts coming out of its horns.

How would you describe your style?
It’s based in American traditional classic “tough guy” with Japanese influence. Kind of like sailor tattoos mixed with a Japanese style.

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An usher for the Braves since 1966, Banks is a well-known personality at Turner Field. He’s legendary among fellow attendants for his extensive knowledge of numbers and baseball, as well as for his humble personality.

What is a typical day like for you?

I try to give the fans a real Braves experience — making them feel welcome, talking to them, and just making them feel at home. [Depending on] the way they’re treated, there’s a chance they’ll bring somebody back with them, and then that person will bring somebody back. A real Braves experience is just rolling the red carpet out and making them feel at home.

Can you describe what happened when Hank Aaron set the record?

Of all the big events I’ve witnessed, that was one of the biggest. That was a centerpiece of the Braves franchise. On every aisle seat, there’s a logo of Hank Aaron.

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Since 2002, 78-year-old Schmitt — the former president of Agnes Scott College — has been part of a group of war protesters that congregated weekly at the Colony Square office building in Midtown (formerly the headquarters of then-Sen. Zell Miller). On Feb. 13, the group, held its last protest.

How long have you been coming to the protest here at Colony Square?

Well, I was at the first one, which was six and a half years ago. We came because Zell Miller’s offices were up in the Colony Square [building], so that’s where it started. And I remember one member standing next to me, she said, “We need to do this every week.”

So I’ve been coming except when I was out of town, or I guess maybe I missed once because it really was too cold. But mostly we’re out here —whether it’s, whether it’s cold.

How many times in the last six and a half years have you been here?

Well, I’m sure it’s over 200 times.

(more…)

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If you’ve attended or watched an Atlanta City Council committee meeting, you’ve witnessed the blunt opinions and insight of Dave Walker, a 63-year-old Vietnam veteran and street vendor who says he’s attended nearly every meeting since 1984.

How did you end up in Atlanta?

I was hitchhiking around the country back in the ’70s and I went to Los Angeles. And then I went from LA to New York. And I was standing in my sister’s front yard in New York, and I asked the almighty God “Where do I go now?” And clearly he said to me, “Atlanta.” And that’s how I got here. I came hitchhiking with two pennies.

How does God manifest himself to you?

He can talk. God talks to man’s conscience.

Do you still hitchhike?

No, I am afraid now. And a little too old. (laughs).

Do you like Atlanta?

The thing that I used to like about Atlanta is that Atlanta was a wholesome town. But it’s no longer wholesome. If I left Atlanta, I would starve to death. So I stay here. No other city could I have gone to and become famous. I am famous now, so I like it.

When you say that you are famous, what do you think you are famous for?

I am famous for my quick wit. I am famous for my knowledge of world events, etc. I don’t think there is no council member, no government official, in this state or in this country, who is as qualified to talk about government as I am.

Why do you wear hospital scrubs? [Ed. Walker often wears scrubs to meetings.]

Every great man has to have their notch in history, their notch in the community; the scrubs are part of my notch, part of my identity. Most doctors, nurses, they have on scrubs and I view myself as somewhat of a doctor. And scrubs secondarily are very comfortable. They are versatile and you can wear them anywhere, anytime. And the reason I don’t have them on now is it’s too damn cold. But I tell you, I miss them. (laughs)

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Curtis Clark is the bassist of Atlanta’s heavy metal karaoke band, Metalsome. The group, whose motto is “Everyone’s a rock star … no apologies,” performs behind brave-hearted karaoke enthusiasts every Monday, Friday and Saturday at the 10 High in Virginia-Highland.

Tell me about how and when Metalsome came about.

Metalsome started in 2003. A friend of the woman who used to book the club had gone to New York, and on a Monday night went through a club called Arlene’s Grocery. They were doing a thing called Punk Rock Karaoke. She approached me with the idea and said, “Well, what do you think about this?” I said, “Well, I think it’s cool.”

We started doing it in May of 2003, on Monday nights only. I think the first night we did it, there were roughly 30 people and we had about 20-something songs. It wasn’t long after that that we made contact with the people in New York, and talked to them and realized we were so much like them. It was really pretty strange. Now, every major city in the United States has a live band karaoke thing going.

How did you start in music in general?

You start like everybody else starts. It’s a hobby, and it’s a passion. It’s just a bad habit that you don’t fall out of. I had a friend who in ‘76 got his first guitar, and I started playing it because he didn’t play it. I sort of inherited it. Playing music is something that for some bizarre reason I’ve never quit doing. I’m into my forties now and still making a living, playing bass guitar. You see KISS and it inspires you. That’s what happened to me, and most of the guys in my band are the same way.

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Nyemb, 45, was born in Cameroon, on the west coast of central Africa. He’s been driving a cab in Atlanta since the mid-’90s — and has had his fair share of experiences both in his native land and behind the wheel.

When did you come to Atlanta?

I came here in 1991. I came to go to school.

Did you finish your degree?

No. I had to call it off. Because of some family obligations and financial constraints, I had to look for a job.

What kinds of jobs were available to you?

At that time, the only job I could get was driving. I was delivering newspapers for a while and then I started driving a taxi.

Job opportunities are better here. Unemployment is up to 40 percent in Cameroon. An education will not guarantee you a job. And here, although I could not do exactly what I wanted, I got a job to pay the bills. That is the big difference.

What are some of the cultural differences?

In Cameroon, people live in a family-oriented society. People help each other and you can stay at home until you decide to leave, even if you have a wife and children. People try to help one another.  Here, you are on your own. If you don’t make it, you get evicted. And the food was also a new experience for me.

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James Joyce, underground record keeper

A self-described librarian of rock, 33-year-old Joyce posts long-lost songs, photos, fliers and anecdotes from Atlanta’s underground music scene on his blog, Beyond Failure. He also has played with a bunch of Atlanta bands over the years — most recently with psych-funk collective Noot d’ Noot.

CL: How did you come up with the idea for Beyond Failure?

JJ: I’ve probably been in 20 bands or so. And I’m kind of by nature an archival person. I’m kind of a librarian.

That’s a rare combination for people in bands.

I think it’s because I’m a drummer. I’m just more systematic in the way I think and the way I organize myself. I’m more organized than a lot of my bandmates. Everyone has moved 100 times, and nobody has their old records, their old tapes, old flyers, old pictures. They started contacting me and asked if I had any of the old recordings, because theirs were all gone.

So I started digitizing all these old demo tapes, old records and seven-inches and stuff. And I started posting them up on this blog, rather than just emailing them to everybody.

Then I started posting stuff by bands I was friends with at that time, in the ’90s. I really like their music, and it’s really hard to find a lot of their stuff. Everything local is out of print. It’s good to just collect a lot of that stuff and make it available, for historical purposes. Because otherwise, you won’t be able to find it.

(Lots of links to long-lost recordings, after the jump.)

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Though he’s known to many as one of Atlanta’s first male strippers, 41-year-old Ryder also can be found taking tickets and cleaning up after customers at Inserection’s video booths on Cheshire Bridge Road.

What kind of clientele do you see?

“All walks — young, old, from Nelly to butch to twink to you name it. Even supposedly ’straight’ men who walk in and forget to take their wedding bands off.”

What’s provided to customers?

“We sell condoms to [customers],$2 a piece. If they want larger, they’re $2.50. The napkins, paper towels, hot water and soap is provided.”

When business is slow, how do you pass the time?

“I do my artwork. I draw comic book heroes, like Spiderman, Captain America, Punisher … people like that.”

Do you have a favorite dirty movie?

“I’m the kind of the person who just puts the webcam on. Fuck the movies. I’d rather see a live webcam than watch a movie.”

Do customers hit on you?

“Yeah, of course, that’s going to happen. [Ryder's boyfriend of 15 years] knows it, but he knows I know where home is.”

After the jump, some more of Ryder’s answers. Warning: Some of them are are explicit in nature.

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Annie Maxwell

When did you discover you were blind?

When I was a child, we lived on a farm in South Georgia. My parents were sharecroppers. When I was small, nobody ever said anything about me not being able to see. I assumed everyone had the same situation that I did. I have light perception, and I have some contrast. If the grass is green and the sidewalk is concrete, I can tell where one stops and the other one ends. That’s the kind of sight that I had.

When my brother would see my mother coming — he’d say, “Oh, here comes Mom” — I would think he just knew because he was smarter than me. I didn’t realize that he could see her. When my brother was six years old, he started school. And I was a year older than him and hadn’t started. I was like, “Wait a minute! What is this?” I couldn’t figure out why he was starting to go first. I figured maybe I was just too bad, too hardheaded. I thought maybe I had to do something about my attitude before I could go.

When my brother would come home from school he would teach me how to write my letters in the dirt. So I learned as he learned. I thought when you went away to school they taught you to see.

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Kelly Goff knows what your pets are thinking.

Interview by Mary Moore.

How did you become a pet psychic?

Well, I read cards for people, and pets started showing up in their readings. From time to time they would ask me questions about their pet. It just kind of grew into a side thing from that.

Describe how you communicate with them.

Animals communicate in picture form. I’m intuitive. I’ll get an impression of a situation, and I just have to put together what I’m picking up until it makes sense. Sometimes it won’t make sense to me, but it will make sense to the owner. If I can work with a pet, that’s good. But I can also communicate through pictures or a pet’s name. I work off of energy — reading their energy and their connection with their owners.

Has anything really strange happened in a session?

I was working with a client one day, and I kept seeing this little poodle. I told her, “I keep getting the impression of this little poodle lying right at your feet.” And she said, “I was just having the same sensation. I was feeling pressure on my foot.” I started describing it a bit more, like its personality.  She said, “Oh, yes, that’s my little duchess. She passed away a year ago yesterday.”

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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] That’s him there, with my girlfriend at the time.

I think that’s about all I have for ya.
I wanna just — [Myers pulls out a magazine article about the store titled, "Little Shop of Horrors."]

What’s this from?
That’s Morris Dees’ paper. You know who Morris Dees is? Southern Poverty Unit? He’s a Jew boy that hates the Klan and skinheads and white people. But see what he called it? That’s good. I couldn’t buy that much publicity. I can’t hide, that’s for sure.

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(photo by Joeff Davis)

Spencer Grant, owner of Yule Forest in Stockbridge, has been farming Christmas trees for 35 years. The former WWII, Korean War and Eastern Airlines pilot also drops toys to kids on his farm from his plane.

Grant has about 2,000 trees on 35 acres. He used to have three times that many. He blames artificial trees for lower sales.

Grant once camped on his farm to keep some white pines from getting stolen. When a pickup pulled up and two guys lept out with a saw, he stepped out with a shotgun. “You’ve never seen anyone run so fast,” he says.

Grant sprays his trees for aphids. “They’re dormant when it’s cold. But when someone takes the tree into a nice, warm house, the aphids start running all over. Then I get a call, ‘There’s spiders all over my house!’”

Grant says he doesn’t prefer any type of tree. “Sometimes people will cut down a tree and not like it, so we’ll use it. They all look good to me.”

On what he does the rest of the year: “Sit around and get drunk! No, actually, Christmas trees keep you pretty busy. There’s always something that needs doing — not that I always do it.”

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