by TROY SPURLIN “The sky is falling!, The sky is falling!,” warned Henny Penny. Dudes, I think that damn chicken may be right! Face it, our economy is in the gutter and my bank account ain’t fairing much better. Add to that, I am turning forty in five months, trying to keep my head above water during my first year in business, and my car’s engine just died to the tune of five thousand dollars. I am not a happy guy. So with that said and my article due, here I sit at the Mac wondering how in the hell …

by KELLIE ABRAHAMSON Success in the TV business is, like high school, one giant popularity contest: the series with the best ratings always wins. In honor of this sad but true fact, we decided it would be fitting to award this fall’s new shows with superlatives. Which new network shows will be social butterflies and which are doomed outcasts? Read on to see our predictions. Best New Comedy [by default]: Worst Week (Mondays on CBS) My money for the true winner of this award is Aussie import Kath & Kim but because NBC has yet to share its upcoming pilots …

by BRENTON CROZIER October is largely associated with Halloween, the ushering in of autumn, Columbus Day if your city or town is not overtly politically correct, and in these parts, the Florida vs. Georgia game. All great things, granted, but allow me to expand your October horizons. For example, the 2nd is the International Day of Non-Violence, the 5th is International World Teachers’ Day and the second Monday of the month is Thanksgiving in Canada. Okay, wow, those days are way too boring for me too. I was surprised and far more interested to learn that October 16th is World …

by JON BOSWORTH In 1984, when he was just 24 years old, Philip Pan finished his master’s degree and went straight to work in what he called a “neighborly town” with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. Music Director at the time, Roger Nierenberg, was trying to fill the concertmaster vacancy left by David Davidson, who had left to go to Nashville. Nierenberg, conductor Fabio Machete and Pan were all classmates together at Julliard. From academia Pan went straight to work, not taking the usual graduate’s path of meandering through all the sparkling things that piqued his interest before landing the steady …

by ERIN THURSBY       Getting a meal isn’t always easy, especially in these tough times. Right now Second Harvest Food Bank of North Florida is experiencing a severe shortage in donations and demand is at an all-time high. Five hundred fifteen agencies depend on this food. You can donate food Second Harvest at Winn-Dixie, Vystar Credit Union and select Curves locations.       On a happier note, all throughout the month of October, St. Augustine’s Wildflower Cafe (4320 A1A South, 904-471-2691) will be celebrating. The Oktoberfest menu will include time-honored German dishes; Sauerbraten, Jaeger-style Pork Loin with Nuremberg hunter sauce and …

by ERIN THURSBY When I first heard about Shula’s 347 opening, I immediately got nostalgic. I grew up near the first Shula’s, opened inside the Miami Lakes Inn. My father owned an autograph shop on Main Street called History in the Writing just a scant block away from the upscale sports bar, where he met his cronies and watched football games on the big screen. Since the first Shula’s opened in ’89, they’ve opened about 30 across the country. It’s named and owned by Don Shula, who’s best known for coaching the Miami Dolphins. He’s one of only 5 coaches …

by ERIN THURSBY You’d think pomegranate had just been discovered from all the hype it’s received in the media. The main reason for this is because it’s been classified as a superfruit. The superfruit title is part marketing hook and part nutritional value. Fruits that can deliver nutrients your body needs, particularly rarer combos of these nutrients in their most complete form, are said to be superfruits. The more exotic (or expensive) a fruit is, the more likely it was be called a superfruit. Strawberries, for example, could be classified this way because of their nutrient value, but they’re far …

by ERIC STANIFORD       Lisa Lampanelli’s standup is hard-hitting, raw and brutally funny. Her appearances on Celebrity Roast and audience-jabbing standup earned her fast growing fame and an upcoming one-hour HBO special. Her newest tour brings her to the Florida Theatre on October 3. We were lucky enough to talk with Lisa before her arrival. EU: Thanks for taking time for this interview. LL: I guess we’ll see if it’s worth it. EU: So did you find this style of comedy or did it find you? LL: I think it finds you, but you have to listen and look for …

by KELLIE ABRAHAMSON halloween horror nights at universal, orlando September 26-November 1 (select nights)      We’ll start our theme park terror tour with the reigning king of scares, Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando. This year marks their 18th anniversary and promises to be the most frightening yet. The theme this time around centers on everyone’s favorite slumber party story, Bloody Mary, who will suck you into a world filled with unspeakable terror if you chant her name in front of a mirror. Just after dark the entire park is transformed into that world, with over a half a dozen haunted …

by KELLIE ABRAHAMSON       If you’re planning on staying close to home this Halloween, here are the area’s haunted hotspots: Adventure Landing’s Hall of Terror and Haunted River Ride 1944 Beach Blvd (Jacksonville Beach), 246-4286 October 10-November 1 (select dates), beginning at 7 pm       This Jax favorite has a little something for everyone. Get freaked out in the always spooky Hall of Terror or the brand new Haunted River Ride at Shipwreck Island. Meanwhile, little guys will enjoy the not-so-scary fun of the HalloWEE Zone. Admission: $10/per attraction, $16/combo ticket for both Evergreen Cemetery: Tales of Our City Tours …