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One Spark - David Vandygriff

Publisher/Executive Editor: David Vandygriff

publisher@cityxtramagazine.com

Editor In Chief: Harvey Carr editor@cityxtramagazine.com

Creative Designer: Jason Smith designer@cityxtramagazine.com

Sales Department: Carlos Martinez sales@cityxtramagazine.com

cityXtra Magazine is published by

cityXtra Magazine, LLC. 2941 Plum Street Jacksonville, FL 32205

(904) 410-9592 www.cityxtramagazine.com Like us on Facebook/cityxtramag

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Contributing Writers

Laura Riggs, Dr. Harvey Carr, Attorney Gordon Nicol, Meredith O’Malley Johnson, Tina

Vaughn, Jake Moore, Tyler Curry Editor HIV Equal Online, Sebastian Fortino, David Vandygriff, Joey Amato Publisher Unite

Magazine

Legal: Immigration Part 2 - Attorney Gordon Nicol

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night life

content

Supreme Court Gay Marriage - James Smith

Florida Bakery Receives Threats - John Jacobs

Artificial Intimacy - Dr. Harvey Carr

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One Spark One World Line-Up -David Vandygriff 17

JACKSONVILLE

Boot Rack: 4751 Lenox Blvd. (904) 384-7090 bootrack.com

Bo’s Club: 201 5th Ave. N. (Jax Beach) (904) 246-9874 bosclub.com

Club Jax: 1939 Hendricks Ave. (904) 398-7451 clubjax.com

Hamburger Mary’s: 3333-1 Beach Blvd. (904) 551-2048 hamburgermarys.com/jax

Incahoots: 711 Edison Ave. (904) 353-6316

Park Place: 931 King St. (904) 389-6616

Metro: 859 Willow Branch Ave. (904) 388-7192 metrojax.com

Norm’s Alibi: 2952 Roosevelt (904) 384-0029

ORLANDO

Parliament House: 410 Orange Blossom Trail (407) 425-7571 parliamenthouse.com

ST. PETERSBURG

Flamingo Resort: 4601 34th St. S (727) 321-5000 flamingofla.com

Sporters Bar: 187 Dr. MLK St. N (9th St.) (727) 821-1920

TAMPA (Ybor)

Bradley’s on 7th: 1510 E 7th Ave (813) 241-2723

Liquid Tampa: 1502 E 7th (813) 248-6104 liquidtampa.com

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12 10 Celebrity Icons of HIV -Tyler Curry

In many cases, the relationship existed only on what I call “artificial intimacy.” True intimacy—that sense of “oneness” that we all seek—has to be pursued and built rather than simply discovered and felt. Artificial intimacy is sustained by the common events of life, but usually comes to a huge crash as soon as the couple enters changes in their individual development.

Artificial intimacy begins with the onset of infatuation, a “grab your brains with a vengeance” neurochemical reaction that makes us virtually blind to our partner’s faults but is notoriously short lived, with a shelf life of about 12 to 18 months.

Early relationship “compatibility” is also enhanced artificially via sexual chemistry. When infatuation and sexual chemistry are strong, compatibility, or incompatibility barely even register. You both feel crazy about each other, you can barely keep your hands to yourself—how could you not be compatible?

When a couple begins to move toward commitment or marriage and set a date, even though the initial artificial intimacy may be on the decline, planning the ceremony gives them something in common and keeps them going. They plan it, talk about it, and divide up tasks to make it happen. This is “intimacy” of a sort, but it is superficial intimacy, the intimacy of co-workers, not life-mates.

Once the couple “calms down” from the honey-moon, they start actually living the day-to-day life of a couple and try to join two lives. That also joins them in a common task and gives them something to talk about.

As life moves on, just when things could get bor-ing again, the couple is likely to buy a new home, begin a new job, adopt or birth children, change cities, plan for retirement. Those are big things to have in common and require a lot of communication. You raise the kids, and then you have to communicate to get the kids to the right

places. You share your kids’ failures and success-es.

Eventually those kids repay you for your faithful service by growing up and leaving the two of you alone together.

That’s when you find out how much intimacy you really have. In days past these life events could take relationships to the doorstep of death and eternity, but modern couples can blow through these stages of life in two and a half decades, often leaving another 30 years or more of commitment to follow.

Some couples have to wake up to the reality that they’ve been living relationally on shared tasks, not shared intimacy. They haven’t shared their dreams. They haven’t carried each other’s burdens and then built that all-important empathy for each other.

When couples get divorced and start over with someone else, the second relationship initially feels more fulfilling than the first because, once again, it’s existing on artificial intimacy: infatuation and sexual chemistry retake their place on center stage, the two once again enter the relationship building of sharing past histories, planning a cere-mony, setting up a new life together…

A good relationship isn’t something you find; it’s something you make, and you have to keep on making it. Just as importantly you can also begin “re-making” it at any stage. The level of maturity it will take to rebuild a stale relationship instead of killing it and moving on can lead to some of the most transformative growth of your life. It will require hope, courage, patience, honesty, understanding, and perseverance—all key virtues for a Godly life.

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ARTIFICAL INTIMACY By Dr. Harvey Carr

America is the “melting pot.” Especially, in Jacksonville, we have seen changes in the population within the last few years. Immigration is one of the more complex areas of law. This series of articles will help you understand the process to protect yourself and your loved ones. Our last article addressed the start of the immigration application process. At www.yourjacksonvillelawyer.com my role begins with helping file the application packet. Following now is additional information. The government’s immigration officer will question you, as a couple, on the validity of the marriage, bringing up any apparent discrepancies in the paperwork, or the interview. I have had client interviews that are more than two (2) days long. Please be sure to have legal representation. This is not for the faint of heart. Next the immigration officer will investigate your ability to support a loved one. This involves a citizen’s ability to provide for both yourself and the applicant financially. This is more than just asking for information; it involves substantial legal evidence and documentation. The standard is very high. Finally, the government will especially review the applicant’s own qualification for permanent residency. I had a client describe this as “living under a microscope. The review and investigation process takes time. Interviews of neighbors and co-workers can be part of the process. You will need to know your rights for this part of the legal process. The above article is general in nature and should not be relied upon for specific legal advice. Every legal situation is different. Gordon T. Nicol, Attorney at Law www.yourjacksonvillelawyer.com 7545 Centurion Parkway, Suite 108 Jacksonville, FL 32256 Phone: 904-384-4911

LEGAL: IMMIGRATION PART 2 By Atty. Gordon Nicol

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10 CELEBRITY ICONS OF HIV

By Tyler Curry

In the three decades of the HIV epidemic, many celebrities have lent their talents and support to help raise awareness and to help those who suffer from the virus. But there are a few people who will forever stand out as the icons of HIV activism. Through their passion, commitment and support, these people have used their star power to impact the lives of millions living with HIV and will forever be remembered for their efforts to fight AIDS. Madonna: The “Material Girl” was anything but that when she first lent her support to HIV patients in a time when most people treated a person with AIDS like a pariah. Madonna’s dance teacher was one of those HIV-positive people, and when he publically divulged that he had the virus, the two appeared together at a 1989 Dance-a-Thon to support AIDS Project LA. Dame Elizabeth Taylor: Dame Elizabeth Taylor is a true cinematic legend. But when the film phenom began her humanitarian work in the fight against HIV/AIDS in 1984, she became a global icon of activism. Bono: The U2 front man and rock legend founded the (RED) Foundation in 2006 with Bobby Shriver to engage millions of people from around the world in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa, where an estimated two-thirds of the world’s HIV-positive population lives. Alicia Keys: Alicia Keys has been a part of the fight against HIV/AIDS for years through the work of her organization, Keep a Child Alive, which pro-motes prevention and treatment in Africa. But when the R&B songstress teamed up with the Empowered project, she became the new voice of HIV awareness for women in the U.S. President Clinton: Although it may not have been his main priority while in office, President Clinton has spent his time post presidency fighting the AIDS epidemic in Africa and around the world.

Joan Rivers: Joan Rivers was many things: a co-medic legend, a feminist trailblazer, an uproarious fashion critic and an unconventional but devoted mother and grandmother. But with all her zings, slings and punch lines that made up the persona of Joan Rivers, she was also a relentless HIV ac-tivist with a lion’s heart. Elton John: Sir Elton John has always been out-spoken, which is why he wasn’t afraid to fight HIV/AIDS in a time when many celebrities were afraid to be attached to the disease. In 1992, he founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which supports HIV prevention, education, and the care and sup-port of people living with HIV. John was inspired to start the organization by his young friend, Ryan White, who died from AIDS complications in 1990 after being infected through a blood transfusion. Rihanna: Even though Rihanna is new to the world of HIV activism, we have a feeling she is going to bring the same passion and strength in her music to the fight against AIDS. The Umbrella singer has partnered with MAC Cosmetics to raise awareness and educate people about the virus. She also walked the red carpet for a new docu-mentary called “It’s Not Over,” which is about three young people who are affected by HIV. Annie Lennox: Annie Lennox brings passion and tenacity to everything she does, and her work in

HIV activism is no different. The vocal power-house has championed many causes and is a celebrated social activist who has tirelessly worked to give a voice to women and children liv-ing with HIV in Africa and throughout the world.

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One Spark”, The World’s Largest Crowd funding Festival, announced the headlining bands: Ha Ha Tonka, SUNBEARS!, Somebody Else & the Ko-pecky Family Band for One Spark 2015 After Dark presented by Brumos Automotive (Brumos Por-sche, Brumos Lexus and Brumos Motor Cars & Mercedes-Benz of Orange Park) a returning spon-sor.

DJ Lil’ Boy has also been named One Spark 2015’s official DJ. One Spark After Dark takes place 8:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. outdoors nightly at the JAX Chamber lot, 22 E. Bay Street in down-town Jacksonville, during the April 7-12, 2015 One Spark festival.

“One Spark After Dark”, in addition to live music, will feature limited edition One Spark Brews by Intuition Ale Works, late night food trucks and the exclusive One Spark After Dark Lounge for VIP

pass holders. One Spark After Dark is free and open to all. An estimated 20,000 people attended last year’s One Spark After Dark, also at the JAX Chamber parking lot.

ITINERARY: Wednesday, April 8, 2015 9:00 p.m. Canary in the Coalmine 10:00 p.m. This Frontier Needs Heroes 11:00 p.m Ha Ha Tonka 12:00 a.m. DJ Lil’ Boy

Thursday, April 9, 2015 9:00 p.m. DJ Lil’ Boy 9:30 p.m. On Guard 10:30 p.m. Empire Theory 11:30 p.m. SUNBEARS! 12:30 a.m. DJ Lil’ Boy

Friday, April 10, 2015 9:00 p.m. DJ Lil’ Boy 9:30 p.m. Wilder Sons 10:30 p.m. Domino Effect 11:30 p.m. Somebody Else 12:30 a.m. DJ Lil’ Boy

Saturday, April 11, 2015 9:00 p.m. DJ Lil’ Boy 9:30 p.m. Gold Light 10:30 p.m. Sleepwalkers 11:30 p.m. Kopecky Family Band 12:30 a.m. DJ Lil’ Boy

“Sponsoring the One Spark After Dark Lounge was such a success for Brumos last year, we ex-panded our sponsorship for 2015. Brumos Auto-motive will sponsor all four nights of One Spark After Dark,” states Charlie Tomm, president and CEO for Brumos Automotive. “Brumos fully sup-ports entrepreneurs, innovators and all creative participants of this unique crowdfunding festival and look forward to the next big thing One Spark inspires.”

“Our team has booked an incredible line-up for One Spark After Dark presented by our friends at Brumos, and it will be the place to be each even-ing at One Spark this year,” said One Spark Co-founder and CEO Elton Rivas. “Featuring both hometown favorites and international acts, it’s free and open to everyone to come and experience.”

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Nov. 18, 2014 -- One Spark, The World’s Largest Crowdfunding Festival, today announced the lineup for their 2015 Speaker Summit presented by Community First Credit Union scheduled for April 7, 2015 at the Florida Theatre. Headliners for this year’s One Spark Speaker Summit presented by Community First Credit Union include Jeff Hoffman, founder of Priceline.com, and Daymond John, founder and CEO, FUBU, star of ABC’s Shark Tank, and CEO, Shark Branding, and Tamara Mendelsohn, vice president of marketing, Eventbrite. Local artist and TEDxJacksonville leadership team member Daniel Austin will serve as emcee and past One Spark music creator Flagship Romance will perform for attendees.

The One Spark 2015 Speaker Summit presented by Community First Credit Union tickets go on sale today at a limited time early bird price of $55. Ticket prices go up to $75 on Dec. 1, 2014, and increase to $95 Jan. 31, 2015. Group pricing is also available for groups of 10 or more. The reduced ticket price for the Speaker Summit this year is made possible by Community First Credit Union’s title sponsorship. The reduced pricing makes the Speaker Summit accessible to more small business owners, students and early stage creatives. For the first time, admission to the Speaker Summit is also included for registered One Spark 2015 creators. To purchase tickets, visit OneSpark.com.

“Community First Credit Union is proud to continue our support of One Spark and its 2015 Speaker Sum-mit,” said John Hirabayashi, CEO and president of Community First. “This year’s event features a prem-ier lineup of speakers sharing their expertise, experi-ence and tips with our incredible community of entre-preneurs.”

The One Spark 2015 Speaker Summit presented by Community First Credit Union also features talks by:

John Boitnott, Serial Entrepreneur and Col-umnist, Inc. Magazine, San Francisco, Calif.

Nick Cicero, Director of Client Strategy, Ex-pion and Editor, Social Fresh, New York, N.Y.

Ryan Feit, Founder & CEO, seedinvest, New York, N.Y.

Drew Hendricks, Founders Space, Audience-Bloom and Contributor, Forbes, Inc. and Entre-preneur, San Francisco, Calif.

Ted Murphy, Founder, CEO & Chairman, Izea, Orlando, Fla.

Maya Penn, Founder & CEO, Maya’s Ideas, Atlanta, Ga.

Joy Randels, Serial Entrepreneur and Found-er/CEO, New Market Partners, Tampa Bay, Fla.

Jason Surfrapp, Founder, IWearYourShirt, Jacksonville, Fla.

Following the Speaker Summit presented by Commu-nity First Credit Union on April 7, the One Spark Opening Ceremony in Hemming Plaza at 6 p.m. will feature Echosmith, named by Rolling Stone as one of “10 New Artists You Need to Know,” and special per-formances by DJ Lil Boy and Mates of State. Food trucks and limited edition One Spark brews by Intui-tion Ale Works will also be on-site. The One Spark Opening Ceremony is free to attend and open to all.

“We are proud to have attracted this caliber of accom-plished founders and creatives from around the coun-try to share their knowledge and inspiration at the Speaker Summit presented by Community First Credit Union,” said One Spark Executive Director and COO Joe Sampson. “When we expanded One Spark from five to six days, we wanted to use this day to add value for our community while attracting more visitors to Jacksonville, and we’re confident we’ll accomplish just that.”

Complete details about the One Spark 2015 Speaker Summit presented by Community First Credit Union, including the full schedule and speakers’ biographies, and the Opening Ceremony is available online at OneSpark.com.

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In less than a month the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on four cases that could lead to the freedom to marry nationwide. The plaintiff couples in these cases are just like any other couples. They know the joy of finding someone to spend their lives with, to share laugh-ter in times of happiness and comfort in times of loss. But they also know the pain of being denied the freedom to marry or having their marriage disrespected in their home state, which leads to daily injustices that place their families at risk. Their stories are our stories—family members who love one another in ways big and small, and who only ask for the legal protections and respect enjoyed by so many others. “We do exactly the same things as everyone else does,” Matthew Mansell, a plaintiff in the Tennes-see marriage case with his husband Johno Espe-jo, told USA Today this year. “We teach our kids to ride bikes, we mow the lawn, we do laundry, we argue about money.” The Tennessee plaintiffs are represented by National Center for Lesbian Rights, Tennessee attorneys Abby Rubenfeld, Maureen Holland, and Regina Lambert; William Harbison and other attorneys from the law firm of Sherrard & Roe PLC; and Douglas Hallward-Driemeier and other attorneys from the law firm of Ropes & Gray LLP. The plaintiffs are veterinarians from Tennessee who struggled to find a single health insurance plan to cover themselves and their baby. They are married couples filing separate tax returns. They are a Kentucky couple with one partner unable to make medical decisions for the other after a frightening diagnosis. The denial of marriage presents very real and tangible harms for them and hundreds of thou-sands of same-sex couples living in non-marriage states.

It's time for the Supreme Court to

rule in favor of the freedom to marry nation-wide. Read the stories and show your support for the cases that could end marriage discrim-ination once and for all. The refusal to issue (and respect) marriage li-censes between same-sex couples is not simply a refusal to issue one piece of paper. It’s a heinous act by the state that forces same-sex couples to face complications and roadblocks at every stage

in their lives together — the birth of their children, their decision to move to a different state, the death of a partner. It’s time for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule in fa-vor of the freedom to marry nationwide and to end marriage discrimination once and for all.

The US Supreme Court Gay Marriage By James Smith

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FLORIDA BAKERY RECEIVES THREATS By John Jacobs

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Days after the anti-gay pizzeria controversy rocked Indiana, former televangelist Joshua Feuerstein went after a Longwood, Florida, bakery for refusing to put the words "We do not support gay marriage" on a cake. Feuerstein made the request himself, and when Cut The Cake owner Sharon Haller refused, she said threats started pouring in. “He wanted us to put a hateful message on a cake, and I said, ‘We’re not gonna do that,’” Haller told Orlando news station WKMG Local 6, adding, "We started getting some hundreds of phone calls and making very nasty and negative gestures towards our business, towards us." As for Feurestein, he believes he's teaching a lesson about tolerance. “I believe that tolerance should be a two-way street," he said in a video posted on his Facebook page. "But now it is that there are news outlets around this nation that are trying to paint me and others like me -- because we’re Bible-believing individuals -- to be bigots and full of hatred, when we’re simply pro-freedom.” "For me, this is not about gay people; it's about religious freedom," Feuerstein said in the nearly 4-minute video. Feuerstein told Local 6 over Skype that this was a social experiment following Indiana's new and controversial religious freedom law. "I wanted to see if it was actually a double standard; if a gay-friendly bakery and one that advertised themselves as so on pro-LGBT wedding sites would actually bake a cake that went against their principles," said Feuerstein. Haller said the experiment came at her expense. "We started getting some hundreds of phone calls

and making very nasty and negative gestures towards our business, towards us," said Haller. "I never asked people to call, be hateful or boycott them," said Feuerstein. The video depicting the request has gotten more than 1 million views on Facebook. Feuerstein said he took down the video after the bakery asked him to do so, but then the bakery shared it. "If anything, I think this is going to help their business," said Feuerstein. Haller told Local 6 she has been losing business as people are putting bad reviews online, so she is weighing her legal options not only over her losses but the recorded phone call, which is illegal in Florida. There has been a GoFundMe page set up by the

shop to help recover losses.

Shockingly,* hundreds of Feuerstein's viewers decided

to take this as an opportunity to leave Cut the Cake hateful or threatening messages, calls which at last

blush were still ongoing. It's at the point where Cut the Cake owner Sharon Haller has had to file a police re-port, and police have apparently offered employees

escort to and from work if they feel unsafe.

Picking a random bakery, placing them in an unwinna-ble position, then encouraging your followers to threat-

en their lives over it: totally what Jesus would do!