If John Travolta and William Hung had a baby…Johnny Lee is back on stage at Baby Grands Dueling Pianos .  This time with even more dance moves and even more of teh awesome.  Enjoy…

I’ve spent quite a bit of time in San Francisco lately.  It’s an amazing city.

Back in the mid-90′s I started a company with several friends called IRdg (Intergalactic Research and Development Group).  One of the other company founders was a guy named Mike.   I hadn’t seen Mike in many years and recently re-connected with him in San Francisco during the Random Hacks of Kindness event I helped organize.  I also found out that he had recently moved out of the city proper because of the “homeless problem”.

Mind you, Mike was a guy who lived out of his car when he first moved to California, and is one of the most unassuming people I know…so to hear him talk about leaving the city because of the “homeless problem?”…well, it was a bit of a surprise.  He underscored his point as he led 12 or so of the RHoK SF hackers on an impromptu Sunday afternoon field trip down 6th street near Mission, passing block after block of impoverished, homeless and street people.   I never felt threatened, but this wasn’t something I had experienced before.

California (and San Francisco, in particular), has been lauded for their progressive social programs.  It certainly seems they are overwhelmed with this issue.  According to the SF Chronicle:   “The city spends $200 million a year trying to get homeless people off the streets and into a better way of life – but over 20 years, the problem has only gotten worse.

The more able of the homeless find their way into shelters, counseling and housing programs. But the most chronically indigent, called the hard core, steadfastly refuse most help and stay outside. These 3,000 to 5,000 homeless at the very bottom are the most visible, and they give the city its dubious distinction of having what many call the worst homeless problem in the country.”  The SF Gate has much more on the subject:  San Francisco Homeless.

Orlando has had its share of challenges with homelessness.  Anyone who lives or works downtown knows it’s an ongoing issue.  If you can track it down, the Orlando-made documentary film, “My Father’s Son” is an excellent look at the sometimes complex reasons why some people prefer to live on the edges of “modern society” rather than be a part of it (the soundtrack includes music from several well-known Orlando bands).

I met Mark Horvath (@hardlynormal) last year at the 140 Characters conference.  Mark used to be homeless, and now he brings attention to the issue through his site Invisible People:

Orlando is one of the coolest cities in the nation, according to a report in Forbes magazine.

To compile the list, market research company Harris Interactive polled 2,104 adults in July from across the U.S., asking which of the 40 largest metropolitan statistical areas were the coolest.

Forbes stated the coolest cities have one thing in common: There are plenty of things to do. According to Forbes, Orlando has close to 3,000 restaurants, bars and clubs — plus plenty of theme parks.

New York and Las Vegas tied for first place. Here were the other places that made the top 10.

1. New York
1. Las Vegas (tie)
3. Seattle
4. Chicago
5. Oakland-San Francisco
6. Orlando
7. San Diego
8. Los Angeles
9. Miami
10. Washington

http://www.forbes.com/2010/08/02/coolest-cities-metros-lifestyle-real-estate-cool_slide_6.html

It all started in gym class, the basis of so many things in life: Dodgeball.  All the kids line up while two team captains build their teams by selecting the fastest, most agile athletes.  For the kids who get picked first, it’s great.  For those still in line at the end…it’s an exercise in humility…especially for the fat kids, for they always get picked last.

My one saving grace was that I wasn’t fat kid.  But I was skinny as a beanpole.  A light breeze would send me flying down the street.  I never got PICKED LAST…but I was well aware that I was usually still standing in line towards the end of the picking…RIGHT BEFORE THE FAT KIDS.

But I knew strategy. I may not have been the best bladder-ball thrower, or catcher or dodger. But I knew EXACTLY WHO WAS.  Anytime there was a time out, our team captain would inevitably pull me aside and ask, “what should we do?”

I’d survey the opposite team, determine which of their surviving players posed the most danger, point at him and say, “Take out THAT guy.”

Today I’m serving my third time as a Juror in Orange County for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court.  As I sit here in the waiting room, I’m reminded of the previous two times I’ve sat in this same waiting area.  The same blind guy is still serving coffee.  Now they have WIFI (yay…I can blog!).

In 2003 I was summoned and served, showing up 8am. Around 4pm they herded 20 of us into a court room. The Judge arrived and he gave us an overview regarding a case about a grandmother who was pressing charges against her granddaughter for stealing her car.

I don’t know about you, but IF YOUR OWN GRANDMOM is pressing charges against you, you’ve got some SERIOUS PROBLEMS.  I was all ready to serve my duty (and really ready to send this grandma’s car-stealing girl to jail), but I never got the chance.

The lawyers started asking questions of the potential Jury Pool. “Do you have Grandchildren?” “Have you ever had a family dispute?” “Have you ever BORROWED A CAR?”

They posed these questions to 19 people.

I wasn’t one of them.

The lawyers skipped over me, time and time again.  They were going from person to person, asking the same 3 or 4 questions over and over…and each time they came to me, they just skipped to the next person.  It was literally like I wasn’t there.

Maybe they sensed I wanted to be a juror too much. Maybe I was too young, too old, too white…not white enough…too male, too smart looking…whatever it was, they summarily dismissed me without so much as a peep and sent me packing.

As I congregated in the elevator with my fellow dismiss-ees I mumbled, “She was probably guilty”.

An uncomfortable laugh followed.

In 2006, again I was summoned, and again I showed up to perform my civic duty.  That time I never even made it up to the courtroom.  They just dismissed me from the waiting area after I sat around for 5 hours.

Now it’s 2010.  In the time it’s taken me to write this post, they’ve called three groups of people up to court rooms…well over half of the potential pool of jurors that arrived at the courthouse with me this morning.  It’s been two hours, and I’m starting to get the sinking feeling I used to get in gym class….

I never get picked.

The dueling piano community in Central Florida is all abuzz with the announcement of a new dueling piano bar opening on Church Street in Orlando.   Slated to open later this summer, Baby Grands Dueling Piano Bar is taking over the 6,700-square-feet space that was formerly the Olive Garden…mere steps away from where Howl at the Moon used to be.

Howl at the Moon on Church Street was wildly successful, drawing a steady flow of downtown regulars in the waning years of Church Street Station’s glory days.   I know, because I was one of those regulars, and it was my first exposure to dueling pianos as a concept (my mom suggested that I audition, something I actually did many years later).

Baby Grands is opening in a city not without its share of competitors.  Howl at the Moon operates over 10 locations around the country, and its International Drive venue has been one of the company’s flagship stores for at least six years.  Pat O’Briens in CityWalk and Jellyrolls at Disney Boardwalk also do nightly dueling piano shows.  I’ve also heard there are a few bars in the Lake Mary area that have been experimenting with the format on weekends.

To its advantage, the entire 55 West area of Church Street has slowly been making a comeback in recent months.  The area already boasts 377 of the most centrally located apartments downtown, Amura Sushi, Panchero’s Mexican Grill and Gino’s Pizza & Brew.  Now, in addition to Baby Grands, they’ve announced plans for a new bar called Blend in the old Sharper Image space and Mad Cow Theater is moving into the old Hooter’s space.  And apparently Baby Grands will be be serving food…something that most other dueling piano bars (including Howl at the Moon) do not do.

The question on everyone’s mind is:  who is behind this new venture? The Orlando Business Journal reports that the principals own restaurants, bars and other franchises in Florida, New York and Virginia.

More importantly:  Who’s going to be playing there?   There are a limited number of experienced “A” duelers in town (I’ve met or played with most of them) and without exception, all of them have steady gigs at one of the already-established venues.  Will the new bar be able to attract talent from the other clubs?  We shall see.

One thing is for certain…lips are sealed tight.  If anyone is jumping ship, they’re keeping mum about it.  But I peeked in the space, and build-out has commenced.  Banners are flying in the windows and this week’s “Best of Orlando” issue of the Orlando Weekly featured a 1/4 page color ad for the new club.  Baby is on her way.

Baby Grands Dueling Pianos
54 West Church Street Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 849-1911

Update:  10/31/2010 Dueling Pianos Return to Orlando Church Street Station

Piano bar on tap at 55 West – Orlando Business Journal

Baby Grands Dueling Pianos in Downtown Orlando « Pulse of Central Florida.

So it’s been a couple years since Los Diggaz split up, although Johnny Diggz (that’s me) has been continuing to play solo gigs at the Red Fox Lounge in Winter Park, (filling in for Mark and Lorna) and playing for Howl at the Moon, sadly the core Los Diggaz fans have had no home.

Recently I was talking to a friend about how it seems everyone and their brother is promoting some sort of “reunion” show….and she asked me about Los Diggaz and whether or not Carlos (the LOS of Los Diggaz) and I would ever perform on the same stage again.

Truth be told, I have always wanted to continue the IDEA that we started with Los Diggaz…just without the “Los” part of the equation.

After the break up of Los Diggaz in 2008, I temporarily changed the name on our MySpace page (remember when we all used MySpace?) to Lounge Diggaz.  Since then the name has continued to grow on me.  And with the new name, I decided that instead of a power duo, we needed to become power trio.

(Yes, ladies…there are now three of us.)

I’ll be introducing the new band members soon…as well as hopefully a date for our debut live show.

Yes I know I totally stole that logo from Richard Cheese.  But he totally stole it from Las Vegas….so….

It’s actually just temporary until we get the real new one (hopefully designed by the same genius behind the original Los Diggaz logo…Doug Berger at R3M13D Orlando Graphic Design)

For now you can follow us on Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/loungediggaz
Or LIKE us on Facebook:  Lounge Diggaz on Facebook
I’ve also started a blog here: Lounge Diggaz

For the curious, if you want to read about the end days of Los Diggaz…you can check out our no-longer-updated Los Diggaz MySpace Page

I can’t think of a worse week to open a new attraction in Central Florida…the same week Universal Studios opens Harry Potter’s Wizarding World???

Really guys…TIGHT work.  You really couldn’t of held it a week?

Anyway… (In case you missed it…)

Star Trek Live, a new interactive stage show made its worldwide debut at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Friday, June 11, 2010.

“Each 30-minute show will combine special effects, audience interaction and an exploration of real space-age technology. Guests will also see on-screen appearances from Captain Kirk and Spock.

“In the show, the audience portrays new Starfleet cadets assembled for the first day at the Starfleet Academy. As we are introduced to the Academy, the Earth itself comes under attack from a renegade Romulan, leaving the fate of the future itself in the hands of our cadets. The new cadets will have to learn the intricacies of living and working in space, modern space travel and the latest in communication and technology.”

Here’s a gallery of images from the Star Trek Live show

Star Trek Live makes its debut at Kennedy Space Center | Orlando Attractions Magazine Blog.

Crispy Vegetable Rolls - $13

So my vegan girlfriend wanted to get some raw organic vegan food…oh brother.

What are Raw Organics?

Raw organics are foods that are free of animal by product and processed/refined sugars.  These foods are heated below 118 degrees (hence the name of Cafe 118), presumably in order to preserve as much of the food’s natural vitamins, enzymes, nutrients and fiber as possible.   By definition, they’re dairy-free…we’re talking freshly prepared, organically grown fruits, vegetables and nuts.

Lasagna - $18

We visited Cafe 118 in Winter Park which serves only raw organics.   As it was our first visit, our server, Danielle, was super helpful in explaining the menu.   While not inexpensive, it was one of the best dining experiences I’ve had in a long time.

We started with some $8 dairy free “milk” shakes, made with almond milk.  Mine was called “Sundae Drive”, which is basically a chocolate banana sundae in a shake with some hemp protein added.   She had the Divine Cherry, made with cherries, cacao and banana.

Beet Ravioli

Next came the Crispy Vegetable Rolls  ($13).   Carrot, Cabbage in almond dressing with a sweet & sour dipping sauce.  They were delicious and the sauce is fantastic.

For a main entree, I had the Lasagna ($18), which really was quite like real lasagna…minus the noodles.   Sun dried tomatoes, herb pesto with a macadamia ricotta.   She had the Beet Ravioli ($14) made with the macadamia ricotta, arugula and a pear wine sauce.

Smores $8 and Chocolate Hazelnut Tart $8

It’s hard to believe you can feel full from this stuff…but trust me…it’s quite filling.  Especially when you add the delicious dessert.  Danielle was pushing the dairy-free ice cream, but we ordered the Smores (amazing!) and the Chocolate Hazelnut Tart (so rich!).

Cafe 188 is located at 153 East Morse Blvd, Winter Park Florida (1 block off Park Avenue).

You can check out their website here:  www.cafe118.com

I’ll be back for some ice cream next time. 

When space shuttle Atlantis lifts off later tomorrow on what NASA has planned to be its final flight, helping to launch it will be a rocket booster segment that first flew 25 years ago on the orbiter’s maiden mission.

The aft dome on the left solid rocket booster scheduled to loft Atlantis’ STS-132 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) Friday first launched STS-51J, the orbiter’s first flight to space, on Oct. 3, 1985.

The almost quarter-century reunion between Atlantis and its reusable solid rocket booster’s casing is just one of the historical connections between the orbiter and its launch system. Including STS-132, 18 of Atlantis’ 32 flights are represented by the boosters’ segments, underscoring the legacy that NASA’s fourth-to-fly orbiter will leave after it is retired.

SPACE.com — Shuttle Atlantis to Fly Final Flight With Rocket Segment From Maiden Mission.

James King says God led him to 11-year-old Nadia Bloom last week.

In fact, the military contractor from Casselberry says the Holy Spirit moved so powerfully through him that, before he entered the woods, he began speaking in tongues.

Unfortunately he waited 5 agonizing days to do it.  I wonder what he was doing the 4 days before that?

Scott Maxwell: Nadia’s story restores faith on more than one front – OrlandoSentinel.com.