THE FRESNAN

Today On The Fulton Mall: A blogger will die

LATEST UPDATE: The challenge is over. Ed Stewart has won and even finished his Megazone. This blog did not...only half...coming in third...out of four. Death Watch is still on as it seems it will be a couple days before the Megazone is done with us. Check out Ed's blog for pictures and a rundown of the event. Thank you to Milano's for possibly killing us.

PREVIOUSLY:

Alright, so, maybe there won't be a death, but it's a damn fun headline. Why do we suspect a blogger will die today? A eating contest. Being more specific: The first ever Milano Megazone Challenge. It's happening today, starting at 5:00 inside Milano's on the Fulton Mall. Four victims people each get their own bigass calzone to see who can finish first...or at least be still standing at the end.

The Fresnan is a part of this, along with fellow Fresno bloggers, Famous Whitewater, Edward Stewart and stellar blog commenter and roller girl badass, Lola (MsJoey) La Chola.

Why the hell are we doing this? Just trying to raise more awareness for Milano's - holding down the fort for something cool on the Fulton Mall - that's actually open after five. We need to keep these kinda places going, so that means we'd love people to come hang with us and have a drink or some food at Milano's today.

Find plenty of pre Megazone Contest smack:

• Mike Oz's Beehive post about it.
• Ed Stewart's multiple posts.
• Abe's Fresno Famous post.

If you're unsure about Milano's, check out The Guy's Who Like To Eat's tutorial (of sorts) - including Megazone content:

The Things You Find Reading Your Mom's Magazine: The Tower District

Do you ever read Sunset magazine, the national mag that's all about "Living In The West"? Yeah, probably not. Maybe at the dentist or your mom's or something. Did you notice the nice two-pager, in the new May issue, on the Tower District? Pretty cool.

The article is billed as "Day Trip: Fresno's Tower District." It's geared to entice the So Cal and Bay Area folk to come to our humble "...indie 'hood brimming with vintage flavor." Writer Kate Washington does a favorable job even if there is a backhanded complement about our current nice weather.

Check out the full article at your favorite place to steal magazines from or by taking a jump (pics will enlarge when clicked).

UPDATE: Moms aren't the only ones who read Sunset, local blogger LuLu does to. Check out her take on the article. Also, thanks to Tori and Sara for their magazine tips.

Focused On Fresno: What is this building a part of?

Answer after the jump...

Fresno Poll: What can I say? It's awesome

What makes Fresno so damn special anyway? Is it the bloggers? No way. But you can put that if you want when you take the poll of what makes Fresno so special. Suzanne Bertz Rosa will explain:

The Fresno City & County Convention & Visitors Bureau is partnering with The Fresno Bee and Decipher to find out your perceptions of our community.

For years, the Fresno Area has lived in the shadow of the larger metro areas in Northern and Southern California. Often, mislabeled as a "cultural desert," it’s time to figure out what we are good at and tout it to the World. But first we want to get the pulse of the community. It’s important that we are honest about who we are. Do we have issues that we need to overcome? Certainly. But we also have assets.

What are your favorite things about living here?
What do you brag about?
When friends and family visit, where do you take them?

We want to know your thoughts and ideas.

The survey will be up only for a short time, so please take the survey today at http://www.FresnoCVB.org/survey to give your opinion.

So take it. This blog only left off: Business Friendliness, Job Opportunities and Healthcare as things I think are [not] special about Fresno.

What did you leave off? What was your top three? What don't you like? (If someone says "Not enough things to do." this blog is gonna swine flew their ass!)

Happening Tonight: Poetry In Motion II at Starline

It's the second annual gathering of Fresno coolness with some Arkansas thrown in for down home-y goodness:

Follow Up: They Did It! Those Bastards Pulled it off!

Remember last week when we didn't think it was going to be possible for Fresno's A Current Affair to play inside Hot Topic? Well, it can be done (even if you apparently need to play with a music track):

Why can't Fresno get a rooftop show going?

No, it's not happening from a rooftop (more on that later) but there is a good show tonight at Audie's Olympic; on a Monday night no less. Coming to town is LA band, Voxhaul Broadcast, with Fresno's Santonie’s Revenge and the always awesome, Same Shape.

Now, here's a video of Voxhaul Broadcast playing on a LA roof. That begs the question: Why can't some Fresno band have a show on a roof?

What Fresno rooftop would be good for a show?

A Fresnan Public Service Announement: Send your girls, Gavin is coming to town

This Wednesday, Mayor of San Francisco and California Governor hopeful, Gavin Newsom, will be coming to the Wawona Middle School Gymnasium in Fresno to talk about, I dunno, stuff, I guess.

The ladies seem to like him. Power, looks and...well, that's all he really needs.

So we advise you to send your wife, girlfriends or boyfriend - heck, why not all three? Because, you know seeing Gavin in person, with all his hotness and what not, will get them all "worked up" - if you know what we're saying.

You want that.

Because then, when they come home, still all horned-up from seeing Gavin, you capitalize on that. You capitalize on that, big time.

>Check out the Event details.

Bloggiest Moment of the Week: Is Timmy T's Show Swede-able Yet?

Nothin' really jumped out this week. The "moment" could be the B.O. Games (nah, too self-blogserving). Or, Timmy T with his tweeting and reality (too cheese filled). Or, how everyone seems to have an opinion about The Public House. Maybe Mike Oz's 100th Post No Bills, post. How about the call for a Fresno tourism video?

Screw all that, we're picking: The call for more Swedes. Simply because it was all over the blogoshpere and this blog really likes that Fresno is the only known place that has a Swede Festival - and we love a good festival. Having folks come in from out of town to show their Swedes would be the ultimate - hope it happens soon.

Now, as this blog tries to figure out how to make a Swede that isn't filled with cussing and nudity, lets look at one of the best from the last festival:

Timmy T: Bar Fight Guy

We've been telling you about the Timmy T "reality" show being taped around town. Oh, and that he possesses a Twitter account that Mike Oz has pointed out, contains waaay to much info'. Well, now there's proof that Timmy's show, actually exists.

Yes, it's exactly what we thought it would be: Balls awesome! (in a fun trainwreck-y sorta way)...

**Credit to James and Mindhub for finding the vid' first.

FresGeek: Push Push and Pull Into Some Music

It's the go-to post for what's happening in Fresno's music scene this weekend (alright, well, mostly Friday), it's The FresGeek:

KUPPAJOE: Hailing from the end of Highway 99 (also known as Sacramento), it's Push Push Pull with Fresno's Greener By Color, Omotola and out of Redmond and doing a West Coast tour, The Roe. [Doors: 7 Cost: 6]

AUDIE'S OLYMPIC: Black Sabbath tribute band, Mistress Of Reality, returns to Audie's. Playing along is The Dead Garden and Rites Of Retribution. Check out the flier. [Doors: 9 Cost: 8]

STARLINE: From Visalia, the best city that starts with a V, Thirteen Arrows, Tribute To War, and From The Fallen [Doors: 9 Cost: ?]

THE LUCKY 13: Rock people. It still exists. Proving this, Fresno's South Of Sanity with Dark Horse and Park Layne.[Doors: 9 Cost: ?]

CHINATOWN YOUTH CENTER: Holdin' down in Chinatown will be: All the way from Brooklyn is Slingshot Dakota with Fresno's It's An Icicle, Viewers Like You, Pinky Swear, Wizard Conference and The Escorts.[Doors: 5 Cost: 6]

BABYLON: One big ol metal show and it's free: Six Ounce Gloves, The Fusion Porn, Last To Die, Space Hooker, The Boy Of Mischief and morrrre. [Doors: 7:30 Cost: Free]

SATURDAY

Some thoughts, HateFX is at Crossroads, Fresno State football team is having their Spring Game and Yoshi NOW is having their flea market:

There Is More Stuff Going On, Need Your Help: What are YOU out to do this weekend? What band are you seeing? What was missed here? Leave a comment and promote yourself or your friend's junk, or come back and give a review of a show you saw. Kick some ass!

Happening On Fresno's Roads Tonight: Critical Mass

The weather is good enough, so get your bike out tonight, head over to Fresno High and ride your ASS off with a large group of people. That way, if some asshole car tries to push you off to the side of the road, you've got some back. You can catch up to the car at the light and be all like "What what?! Yeah, what now, mutha toaster?!" (or maybe say something less nerdy)

For more information on this event and Critical Mass, continue below:

BrodieMash Needs Some Swedes! (Don't We All)

The deadline to enter your Swede film is looming. Brodiemash explains:

2009 Fresno Swede Festival Promo One from Roque Rodriguez on Vimeo.

Fresno has the only known Swede Festival around. Wouldn't be awesome if this keeps growing? Is Fresno becoming the festival capitol or what?

How's This Going To Work, Exactly?: Live from Hot Topic

Friday at six, Fresno teen-alt rockers A Current Affair are playing at Hot Topic - Fashion Fair.

The question we all ask is: Ummm how are they going to fit a whole freaking band inside of Hot Topic? There's not enough room to fit a blogger's ego in there let alone a band.  Walking through an isle there is like driving on a single lane road; you have to wait for the person to drive through before you can go.

I dunna, maybe they'll play in front of the store or something...but that would mess up the whole premise of this post, so we aint hearing that.

Somebody get some video and send it to us - we need to see proof that this can be pulled off.

SIDE NOTE: The woman that started Hot Topic is from Fresno...just a little FresKnowledge for ya.

Everyone is cool with Thursday nights at Tokyo Garden

Mike Oz knows Tokyo is cool. Yeah, and so does Famous and Ed Stew and Gustav and Blake and Conlan and Other People. So why not go tonight?

I mean come on, there will be three big Fresnan favorites in the Fay Wrays, Brother Luke and Nillo Smeds. Plus, Ted Nunes and Joe Lally - yeah, THAT Joe Lally. And, there will be a special guest (side note: this blog thinks you're always the special guest).