A stroll through Chastain Park: Arts Edition

White tents line Chastain Park for the seventh annual Chastain Park Fall Arts Festival.

• The Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces presents the seventh annual Chastain Park Arts Festival.
• There will be 185 artists and artisans.
• Visitors will enjoy fine arts with local food and beverage Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016, and Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016.

By: Lexi Thayer

November 29, 2016

Local and regional artists present their craft to all who wander from tent to tent. One will notice that there is a vast array of unique artistry. There are artists who dabble in charcoal, ceramics and photography. Artist Anastasia Alexandrin has a unique take on her art by creating pieces that tell a story of women empowerment, aesthetic beauty and inner self. She came down to Chastain Park from Philadelphia because she had heard great things about Chastain Park.

                                                                                                  

“If you want more aesthetics everywhere, you need to support the artists who are making those aesthetics,” Alexandrin said. “I think it helps everyone. It helps the artists trying to make it more and it helps the community because there’s more lively art and creativity happening.” The festival, in particular, gave Alexandrin the idea to come down and showcase her work. She said that the event is a great way for local artists and regional artists to showcase their work. 

Anastasia Alexandrin's artwork displayed at the Chastain Park Fall Arts Festival.

With 185 artists and artisans participating, the Chastain Park Fall Arts Festival has a little bit of everything for art lovers. For photography fanatics, one would enjoy natural light photographer, Jennifer Ludlum. Ludlum has traveled all over from Georgia, Punta Cana, South Africa and much more. Her passion for traveling and capturing unique images is what she loves to do as an artist. As a landscape and wildlife photographer, Ludlum has captured images of African lions, sunset beaches and the Atlanta Skyline.

Ludlum said she enjoys Chastain Park because of all the nature and wildlife she captures through her landscape and wildlife photography. “It’s an affluent community and area as well as just nature,” Ludlum said. “The neighborhood and the amount of activities that go on in the area draw the crowd as well as the park itself.” She explained she loves coming to this event because she’s surrounded by beauty.

Why should one support local artists and artisans?

“People who enjoy unique artwork…you can find really nice pieces of art to hang on your walls for not as expensive as art galleries,” Ludlum said. “Those of us here…we do it full-time; some do it as trying to make a little bit of extra money.” She said it’s a great place to find a little bit more affordable, fantastic art pieces.

Chastain Park Fall Arts Festival visitor Jarel Mac explained the festival is a great place for local and regional artists to showcase their work because it’s a great way to network. “You come out here, you have your stuff out and then people come and then they tell their friends about it,” Mac said. “It’s pretty much a word of mouth thing. An individual is doing this because they love to do it and they want to do it.”

Wonderworks Photography Principal Artist Mike Wells said that all of these kinds of events are the way for local artists to showcase their work. He explained he does most of his shows around the Metro-Atlanta area. He is always looking for the right venue within the Metropolitan area. Wells emphasized it’s so important to support local artists to keep them going. “I think art is important in all of its forms. Performing art, visual art and I think it’s really important,” Wells said. “If you don’t support them then it makes it very difficult for them to continue producing art.”

How does the Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces help?

The Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces was established back in 2005 to support the arts community. The AFFPS was formed to establish a way for artists to interact with other artists and set up shop. All the events that the AFFPS manages are to create a “destination” where both public and private opportunities for economic growth can be considered.

“A lot of the artists were looking for a class-a show that they could get into and in Atlanta, we have very limited shows and I used to live in the Chastain neighborhood,” said AFFPS owner Randall Fox. “It’s really about the community. Chastain Park is the perfect setting. There is not a more picturesque setting in Atlanta then this.”

According to the AFFPS website, they work in partnerships with the city of Atlanta and the Chastain Park community to expand public access to art. Fox said that he was an artist and his partner was an artist too. “What people don’t understand is that artists…if the weather is not great, their sales are affected,” Fox said. “So their income is affected. So they need shows they can get to and operate in easily.” 

Why has the arts festival been so successful?

“It’s the atmosphere. You’ve got the change of the leaves, the fall weather, and you’re getting close to the holidays,” Fox said. “Again, it’s about family and getting out and getting to mingle.” Fox said they’re not a ginormous show that everyone is elbow to elbow with. “You’re able to walk around, bring your dog, bring your kids and have a good time,” Fox said.

Regional artist Anastasia Alexandrin believes the festival has been so successful because of the people and the venue. “It’s been a great venue. I like the people,” Alexandrin said. She said that people who run the event, Randall Fox, and the AFFPS, are really great. “They’re really organized, they treat the artists really well,” Alexandrin said. “They bring the people.” 

Will the arts festival be here in five or 10 years?

 “This show has been here since 2009,” Fox said. “This is our inaugural show. This show will always be here.” Fox said the attendance is always really well and the sales are good. “I plan on it being here 75 years from now,” Fox said. According to the festival’s website, the Chastain Park area has the largest and most enthusiastic art buying community in Atlanta.

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Republicans hold down the fort

By: Lexi Thayer

ATLANTA-It all began 14 years ago when Sonny Perdue was elected the 81st Governor of Georgia.

In January of 2003, Perdue became the first Republican to serve as Georgia's Governor since 1872. Perdue successfully ran for the State Senate in the 1980s which led him to become majority leader in just four years. Once majority leader, he quickly transitioned to President Pro Tempore of the Senate. which then led to his campaign for Governor.
Shortly after becoming Governor, Perdue persuaded four Democratic Senators to follow his example and switch to the Republican Party. "He convinced four Democrats to switch and that gave control of the State Senate to Republicans," said State Rep. Joe Wilkinson (R). "Two years later, we won enough seats to take the majority for the first time since Reconstruction." 

According to ballotpedia.org, Republicans currently hold 116 seats while the Democrats only hold 61 and there is one elected independent. The Republicans maintain control because they run unopposed in many districts according to Ballotpedia. 

"People like our philosophy of limited government, conservative principles and especially on the financial side," Wilkinson said. 

The Democrats could gain ground in the 31 districts that have general election competition according to Ballotpedia. "The Democrats are certainly gaining across the state. Which in turn means they are going to pick up some house seats," Wilkinson said. "For example, in Gwinnett County, you've got districts that had been pretty comfortably Republican. But they're becoming more black and Hispanic."

Can the Democrats gain ground in the Georgia House?

"The Democrats positions are not with keeping with mainstream Georgians," Wilkinson said. "Again limited government, lower taxes and social issues have done it."

Although this may be true, the Democrats say they are gaining ground in Gwinnett County according to AJC.com. Gwinnett Democratic Party Chairman Jim Shealey told AJC that the demographics in Gwinnett are the key for Democrats. "The demographics of the county have changed," Shealey said to AJC. “Whether it’s enough to get us over that 50 percent hump, I don’t know."

According to the department chair of Political Science and International Affairs at Kennesaw State University, Kerwin Swint, the Democrats have an advantage with the demographic change in Georgia. "African American voters now make up about 30 percent of the voters statewide," Swint said. "Republicans have to start appealing to minority voters and women voters."

State Rep. Taylor Bennett (D) contends there will be more of a push with particular districts where there are competitive races. "A large part I think is how the districts are drawn," Bennett said. "I am a big proponent of having equal districts. The more equal districts are, the more progress we'll actually have."


Bennett wishes that they could go back and redraw the districts. "Before my time, the Democrats had drawn the districts another way that really had Democrats favorably in the House," Bennett said. "Generally people would like to see equal districts. That would certainly generate a lot more balance in our political spectrum."

He explained the ways the districts are drawn are more in favor of Republicans. This is evident in a 2012 article by gainesvilletimes.com. According to Charles Bullock, a political scientist at the University of Georgia, the redrawing of boundaries is a major reason for the partisan shift as it applies to state legislative races. 

"When the lines were redrawn in the 2004 election, Republicans won the majority in the Georgia House of Representatives," said David Shock, Professor of Political Science at Kennesaw State University. "It used to be all Democrat. But there just aren't enough districts for Democrats to win it."

With the general election around the corner, will there be a shift in the Georgia House?

Republicans believe the Democrats have not put up enough challenger's to have a major shift in the Georgia House. "They could pick up seats of course," Wilkinson said. "You can't keep a majority that large forever.We have enough seats that we should be able to hold the majority again."

With this current election year, Bennett believes the Democrats will see a little more push from districts where there are competitive races. "In rural Georgia-that could potentially yield us three or four seats this year for the Democrats," Bennett said. 

Though the Democrats could pick up three or four seats, there is a huge racial divide in Georgia explained Shock. "About 90 percent of African Americans vote Democratic," Shock said. "White voters vote about 75 percent Republican and that's just hard to overcome for Democrats."

Shock explained that there will most likely be no major shift in the House due to the fact that 75 percent of State Legislative seats are not contested. This means that there is one candidate running on the ballot in certain districts.

"I think it'll be closer in the next few years," Wilkinson said.

Why is it important to vote for your local government?

"I think it's of the utmost importance. I think if people were to realize how much impact their local government has on their day to day lives, people would start to take local government more seriously than the national scene," Bennett said.

Bennet explained that local governments have everything to do with one's school districts, property taxes and development in communities. "In reality, I think 90 to 95 percent daily impact from government actually happens at the lowest level of government," Bennett said.

Wilkinson reiterates the importance to vote for one's local government. "I am just so grateful for the right to vote," Wilkinson said. "We are so fortunate to have the right or to have the privilege to vote."

He explained it's critical to vote because each vote at all levels counts. "A candidate has quite an impact on your life," Wilkinson said. 

A Reflection

I haven't written in a long time, but today I have been giving a lot of thought about how far I have come.

As a little girl, I always had big hopes for the future. I remember being that shy, little, brunette girl walking into my first day of kindergarten ready to take on the world. I had vast dreams of one day being a veterinarian because of my immense love of animals. That dream didn't go quite as planned. But I think I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

As I reflect on my past, I can't help but be thankful for how far I have come. When I was a little girl school had never been an easy road for me. I can tell you that school and I did not mesh well together. Throughout my adolescence, I struggled to comprehend what my teachers were telling me.

Imagine being a little child and being observed by your parents, teachers, and doctors wondering what exactly was wrong with you. On the outside, I was like any other normal child. But on the inside, I just could not grasp the hang of school. I would sit down with hearing and speech professionals and not be able to decipher whether I just heard the word "cat" or "hat."

It wasn't until I was tested for ADHD and ADD that I learned I had a learning disorder. Through countless tests, medications, and tutoring I was eventually able to gain a grasp on what was wrong with me. It wasn't until middle school and high school that I really knew what kind of learning disability I had.

I was diagnosed with auditory processing disorder. Many individuals think "What the heck is that?" Essentially children with APD struggle to process and make meaning of sounds. Hence I couldn't decipher between "cat" and "hat." This occurs frequently when there are a lot of background noises as well.

Through the guidance of my doctors and teachers, I was able to fully accept my disorder. At first, I was embarrassed and ashamed that I had a disorder. But to be completely honest, my auditory processing has made me who I am today.

Of course, I have those days where I'm very frustrated and think why can't I just understand what's going on like my fellow peers. But I have learned that everyone learns differently. Some people just take a little longer to process information.

For example, I am someone who does not quite grasp ideas right away as other people do. It's not easy living with a learning disorder. You have to teach yourself how to manage it and come up with unique ways on how to be successful in and out of the classroom.

This post is dedicated to those individuals who have learning difficulties and are thinking why they can't just have it easy like their peers.

Look: Yes, some people will be smarter than you. But as my mom  always says "He who laughs last, laughs the loudest."

It's important to keep pushing through even when you have those days where you're crying in frustration. I know I have had those days and I'm sure you have too. But you have to look on the bright side and say to yourself  "Look at me. I have made it through the good and the bad to get where I am today."

On a final note: I want to send a huge shout out to everyone who has believed in me to just keep swimming! If it were not for my supportive system I would not be where I am today.

 As Michael Jordan says "I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying."  

34 Places You Should Attend While Visiting Savannah

River Street in Downtown Savannah

Have you been planning a fun-filled summer? Maybe a road trip is on your mind. If Savannah, Georgia is not on that list of yours, you may want to think twice. Taken from a locals perspective, here are just a few spots you may want to hit up while touring the beautiful city of Savannah:

1. Broughton Street

2. City Market

3. Tybee Island Beach

4. Skidaway Island State Park

5. Wilmington Island

6. Dutch Island

7. Isle of Hope Bluff

8. Telfair Museum

9. Forsyth Park

10. Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

11. Juliet Gordon Low House

12. Leopold's Ice Cream

13. Jen's & Friend's 

14. Lulu's Chocolate Bar

15. Drive under the Oaks

16. Elan Bar

17. The Rail Pub

18. Wet Willie's

19. Attend the St. Paddy's Day Parade

20. Spanky's 

21. Kevin Barry's Irish Pub

22. Jepson Center

23. Congress Street Social Club 

24. Tour the Squares

25. Stay in one of the Bed & Breakfast Inns

26. Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room

27. Mercer-Williams House Museum

28. Starland Cafe

29. Fort Pulaski National Monument

30. Bonaventure Cemetery 

31. Oatland Island

32. Ossabaw Island

33. River Street

34. Take a selfie in Downtown 

What are some of your favorite spots to visit in Savannah? Comment below! 

Fire Tablet Gets A Facelift

Amazon Fire Colors
Taken from talkingnewmedia.com

By: Lexi Thayer

ATLANTA, Ga- Amazon Kindle readers are in for a real treat with the release of the Fire with color.

Amazon announced April 21 that their newest Kindle Fire Tablet will come in three new colors with more storage as well. The Fire is available in black, blue, magenta, and tangerine. The new Fire will also offer an 8 GB starting at $49.99 and a 16 GB at $69.99. Customers have the luxury to carry their Fire on the go. The newer Fire will allow consumers to take more movies, shows, songs, books, apps, and take pictures. Alongside the Fire colors, Fire Kids Edition is available with 16 GB starting out at $119.99.

"We're excited to introduce Fire with bright new colors and even more storage-so that customers can enjoy a great entertainment experience on a fun, colorful tablet starting at less than $50," said Kevin Keith, GM, and Fire Tablets. The new Fire won't just have three new colors and two storage options to choose from, it has many new features as well. The newer Fire will have a 7 IPS display that will have vivid and accurate color reproduction that can be seen at all angles. Consumers will also have a faster processor that will allow easier ways to switch between apps, stream movies, and browse the Internet.

Now you won't have to whip out your iPhone to take pictures of your family and friends because the Fire has a front-and-rear facing camera. You'll be able to video chat with friends and family, take and share photos, and save them later on cloud storage. The newer tablet also offers up to 128 GB of expandable storage through a microSD card; a battery life that lasts all day, filters that limit the exposure of blue light so it's easier to read at bedtime, along with 38 different movies, shows, books, and songs with unlimited free cloud storage. If that isn't enough, the Kids Edition also comes in new colors and storage. The Kids Edition comes with one year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited which features 10,000 children's books, videos, and educational apps. There is even a 2-year, worry-free guarantee if anything happens to your device, return it and Amazon will ship you a new one for free.

What more could an Amazon Fire bring to the table? I know the storage sounds small to everyone. But I love how you now have the option to choose a color and it comes with all these new features. The first Kindle version was just black and white, no camera, no Internet, no music or videos. I think the Fire tablet is trying to compete with the iPad. Yes, the iPad has everything the new Fire has; but the Fire is significantly less in price. If I can purchase a new Fire with the capability to roam the Internet, watch movies, TV shows, read a novel, and take pictures why not pay $49.99 or $69.99 instead of $200 or $300 dollars for an iPad Mini.

I'm sure there are still some customers partial to their Apple products, but with the newer Fire, I think more and more consumers will flock because of the newer details. Personally, I do not own a Fire or iPad, but from people I know who own both, they seem to enjoy the Fire. With the cheaper price tag and similar features, the Fire could possibly out rank the iPad in years to come. What do you all think? Will Fire become the new iPad? Check out the new Fire HD 6 on the Amazon.

Layer3 TV-The New Comcast

Layer3 TV box from Wired.com

By: Lexi Thayer

ATLANTA, Ga- A new wave of cable being refurbished with Layer3 TV.

Most Americans today are paying an average of $161 a month to an all-in-one service provider for cable. “The traditional experience we have at home seems really outdated,” said BTIG media and tech analyst Richard Greenfield. Layer3 TV is the new innovation coined by CEO Jeff Binder. According to Binder, Layer3 will make cable better by adding clearer pictures, better design, and stellar customer service. This new service will combine pay TV channels which include traditional broadcasters that Comcast or Time Warner provide. There will also be an Internet-enabled video in a channel guide that allows you to find what you want to watch. Layer3 after a while learn to show you programs you most likely will want to view.

Binder bought the URL for “Layer3” in 2007 before he knew what he’d do with it. (The name is a reference to network protocol architecture, which has seven layers; the third is network routing over which internet protocol travels.) Binder rose to fame as an entrepreneur working for Motorola and later leaving by age 50. His success comes from his video-on-demand startup called Broadbus Technologies. He sold this company to Motorola for $200 million in 2006. 

Binder created a partnership shortly after selling Broadbus Technologies with Dave Fellows, the chief technology officer for Comcast who had just recently left his position. Fellows had created the 'triple play' of bundling cable, broadband and television subscriptions. Binder and Fellows created an investment firm, Genovation Capital that partnered with TPG and Silver Lake to determine startups and cable companies to invest in or buy. By the year 2014, Binder and Fellows thought of a brilliant idea to incorporate not only cable, but also Internet to allow everyone access to their favorite programs. 

Essentially, Layer3 has shrunk bandwidth. Bandwidth is needed to transmit video. According to wired.com, "To transmit typical web video, an Internet connection must support download speeds of 10 to 15 megabits per second. If a lot of viewers are attempting to watch video using this amount of bandwidth, it becomes very taxing on the cables that carry the Internet to a home. "Binder explained Layer3 is able to send high-def video into a home at less than 4 megabits per second. This is on par with Netflix, but using a different video compression technology called HEVC (high efficiency video coding). Binder wants to emphasize this is not Internet TV. Layer3 will not have to rely on public Internet, they have their own Supercomputer. 

Layer3 recently tested out its technology under Umio. Two Texas communities experimented with Umio which offers 300 channels with cable and Internet offerings. The easy-to-use guide uses algorithms that analyze demographic data, time of day, and viewer preferences. Layer3 will eventually be available to customers in Chicago and a few other major cities on the East and West coasts. The cost of Layer3 will be somewhere around $80-150, depending on how many TVs a home has. Personally, I would be interested in testing out Layer3. I know Comcast now has Xfinity X1 which allows individuals to search by voice controlled remotes and use some aspects of Apps as well. I like how Layer3 is not as expensive as Comcast or Time Warner. I think $80-150 is a reasonable price. Right now, I'm paying over $100 for Comcast Internet and basic cable and I could receive faster Internet and over 300 channels for an $80 value. 

Instagram's New Facelift

Noncommerical Instagram Feed

By: Lexi Thayer

ATLANTA,Ga- Instagram changing the game and following in the footsteps of Facebook.

Instagram, which is an image and video-sharing platform that caters to almost 400 million users, announced on Tuesday, March, 15th, that they will incorporate an algorithm that shows theirs users feed by importance rather than chronology. Essentially Instagram users will have their very own personalized News Feed. This new algorithm assumes posts individuals want to see will be shown at the top of their Feed. According to an Instagram blog posting “If your favorite musician shares a video from last night’s concert, it will be waiting for you when you wake up, no matter how many accounts you follow or what time zone you live in." 

Instagram is following in the foot steps of Facebook. Facebook first began having posts rolled out that were "relevant" to each user. According to n4bb.com, Instagram allows you to follow someone and see their posts as and when they post. Facebook however, is a company that controls what you see first. Many avid Instagram users are not happy about this change. One Twitter user, "Any chance of having the option to turn the algorithm on/off ? One of my favorite things about IG was seeing everything." 

Noncommerical Instagram Feed Image

The company stated that the change is being implemented because about 70 percent of photos and videos are missed being looked at by users. The introduction of the algorithmic feed on the mobile photo-sharing app hopes to address issues where people would miss posts because they are bumped down due to newer posts taking their place. Instagram didn't address when these new changes will occur, but within a few months your Feed will look a little different. Social apps continue to face problems of delivering content to the ever increasing user base. News Feeds are essential to social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Personally, I'm a little iffy about the change in the algorithm for Instagram. I understand they're trying to house more users and show their current users what they "think" they want to see. But it's the fun of Instagram browsing all the different photos and videos that you wouldn't normally see if they switch over to the algorithm. I think almost every IG user enjoys seeing posts they wouldn't normally see if their Feed is just categorized to what they usually look at or the individuals they follow on a daily basis. 

I think if Instagram slowly introduces the algorithm more people will begin to adjust to it. No one likes change, I know I don't. But this will allow you to look at posts from your friends and favorite celebrities you may not see on a regular basis if you're not on Instagram frequently. I'm indifferent, but I think Instagram needs a new facelift to their mass media platform.