Name your holiday now

Looks like the next bloggy meet-up is set. Yikes, that's, like, soon. And since we're actually going to be forced to use cutlery and act like grown-ups at EM's posh North Ashvegas villa, there'd better be some manners shown. syntax, sit up straight. Screwy, no more flicking those little marshmallows at Republicans at the table. ModPeas, napping is not an option this year.

Anyway, forget about the food thread thingy, it's time to name it now. Let's get things started in proper fashion- we need a name. Here's a few:

The Blog Pimps' First Annual All-Purpose Potluckery
Gobbler Groaning Board and Big Bird Extravaganza
Beer Guzzler and Gobbler Dish Give Thanks Party
Freebird

Things That Go Bump in the Night

Uptown Ruler and Screwy Hoolie of the Scrutiny Hooligans hold forth on the publication of Screwy's collected posts, The Hunting of the Blog Snark.


Modern Peasant, Theseus of Being & Nothingness, and Felicity of the Hangover Journals wax poetic whilst quaffing the good ales of the Asheville Brewing Co. Edgy Mama's Enviro spouse lurks in background. =)


Group shot of Theseus, Sweet Tea and Uptown Ruler (as demons), and Edgy "The Whip" Mama, whilst Syntax ponders the digital.


Uptown Ruler, Screwy Hoolie, Ashvegas with book, Edgy Mama, and Syntax in background.

Asheville Bloggers came together last night for some costuming, pizza slices, good ale, and fun at the Asheville Brewing Company on Coxe Avenue, downtown Asheville. Blog talk and general randomness of thought abided; a good time!

We welcome all Asheville/WNC bloggers to come to our gatherings!

"Here’s to the best words in the right place at the perfect time to the human mind blown up and refined. To long conversations and the philosophical ramifications of a beautiful day."
-Sekou Sundiata, from The Blue Oneness of Dreams.

Twas The Night Before All Guzzler's...

We arrived just in time for squash soup and salad, French baguette, wine, and ghost shaped tortilla chips with cheese dip. The ambiance was candlelight and festive Halloween decor. All of the guests gathered in the dining room for a lovely meal. We chatted about work, bars and redneck jokes - somehow the topics all weaved together and bounced around, until Bee showed us all his belly button, which spawned a whole new topic of conversation.

Poor Jackson spent a miserable hour in a back bedroom on account of Bee's terror of excitable doggies.

Uptown, Bee and I ate and sat for a bit, but then we had to go . Though, we had a wonderful time. Little Bee was sleepy and the party was only just about to begin...the story of a new parent's life. We said our farewell to those at the dinner - who should still be chatting, drinking wine and carving pumpkins at this oh-so-late-hour of almost ten.

Thank you for the invitation, Felicity. The food was out of this world delicious. Hopefully we'll see you out on the town tomorrow night!

Milestone

Go Celebrate With the Scrutiny Hooligans

All Guzzler's Eve is Upon Us

The CB&BG is tomorrow night.

I'll be dressed in resplendent orange irony. So if it's your first time to a BlogAsheville gathering, and you're a'feared you'll miss us, just look for the goofy dude in the orange duds behind the Dell laptop.

What are you wearing? Not right now, silly. What are you wearing to the Guzzler?

Election Commentary at AshVegas

Here's the opening paragraph:

"Ashvegas' local Libertarian Pary sent out one of those questionnaires to Ashvegas City Council candidates and had the folks seeking office send back their answers. Usually, no big deal. Only these questions were stupid and the cowardly politicians, not wanting to upset any constituency, no matter how marginal, answered."

Go read the rest.

Costume Ball and Beer Guzzler

Any combination of these words is acceptable, though any pairing with the word 'guzzler' instantly carries one into the caravanserai of the crude.

Calling All Asheville area Bloggers! Yes, you! You've been blogging up a storm and reading BlogAsheville for months now. Nearly dozens of local pajamahadeen have been coming together to bounce from one rhetorical lilypad to another since long before our 15 minutes of Mountain Xpress fame. Join us. It's fun.

Asheville Bloggers' Costume Ball and Beer Guzzler

Costumes and Guzzling optional
Imaginary Prize for Best Costume
Ride Home for Biggest Guzzle
Wireless Internet Available
Friday, October 28th, 7pm - midnight
Asheville Brewing Company on Coxe Ave. in downtown Asheville.

Interestingly...WPVM, 103.5 FM, the Progressive Voice of the Mountains, will be celebrating the end of their fall fundraiser at the Brewing Company, too. That's two parties for the price of one.

Come early, stay late. See you there, bloggas.

Putting the grass in Brewgrass

The Lucky Otter Band was one highlight at this weekend's Brewgrass festival. Anyone go?

Parkway, Asheville, NC

From Twinfin's Flickrstream.

Unsubstantiated Rumor

As we've all been grieving the sudden, unexplained closure of Beanstreets, I thought I'd throw in the latest rumor on the street. I hear that the person who owns Asahi (and possibly another sushi bar, though I don't know which one) bought the building in which Beanstreets resided. Will there be yet another sushi bar downtown? Will it be something else exotic but yummy? Regardless, I lay my bet on a new restaurant. Anyone else heard or actually know anything?

Last Minute Idea for Your Evening

Open Reception for progressive city council candidates Robin Cape, Bryan Freeborn, and Holly Jones

Thursday October 20^th, 2005

9pm-12am

Sky People Gallery, 51 N. Lexington Ave.

Car, this is your chance to go hang with the hippie candidates.

DEMRadio Announces Its Launch

For Immediate Release

DEMRadio Progressive Talk Coming to the Blogosphere

DEMBloggers.com and The Revolution To Air New Talk Radio Online and Over the Air

(ASHEVILLE, NC -- Oct. 19, 2005) -- DEMBloggers.com, one of the most influential progressive blogs in America, announced today that it is partnering with The Revolution 880AM radio to launch progressive talk show, “DEMRadio.”

The program will launch at DEMBloggers.com on November 19th, with a launch date on The Revolution 880AM to be determined. DEMRadio features lively and dynamic political conversation led by three co-hosts, Brian Hopkins, Gordon Smith, and John Fletcher. Topics will touch on affairs at the national, state, and local levels with the three friends and progressives using the platform to represent the Democratic Party as they envision it.

“The voice of the online movement continues to grow louder and we are thrilled to break new ground in bringing blogging sensibility to the airwaves,” said co-host and co-producer Brian Hopkins. “Progressive talk is one of the fastest growing new segments of talk and we are ready to lead the call for change on the air, over the radio, and anywhere people will listen.” New DEMRadio broadcasts will be available in podcast and Mp3 format every Saturday. The Revolution 880AM will air the show live on 880AM every Saturday from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. EST.

Contact: Brian Hopkins
Email: Brian.H.Hopkins@gmail.com

Uptown Ruler and I will be co-hosting DEMRadio with Brian and are very excited to bring the voices of reason, snark, and donkey sense to the airwaves...

World's Edge Hike...

Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy
Invites You To An Exclusive, Members-Only
World’s Edge Hike

Hike Dates:

Saturday, October 22nd at 10 AM (filling up fast!)
Friday, October 28th at 2 PM
Tuesday, November 1st at 10 AM

Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy is offering our members a glimpse of sparkling waterfalls, sheer cliffs, forested slopes, and stunning overlooks at the World's Edge, in Lake Lure, NC. The 3-mile hike is moderate with strenuous sections. We will stop for a lunch/snack break at the 70-foot waterfall that Lake Lure Mayor Jim Proctor describes as “the most beautiful waterfall in the state.” Become a CMLC member today and reserve a spot on our hike! Space is limited, so call 697-5777 or e-mail outreach@carolinamountain.org for details.


BlogAsheville was contacted by the CMLC and asked to post this message about this hike. We agreed. =)

Now Accepting Nominations

BlogAsheville's monthly somethin'-somethin' and Freedom March is coming up on October 28th. As of now we don't have a proper title or a proper venue for the gathering. Use this as a thread to figure out what's what. Also, try to answer the following questions:


Will Edgy Mama have yet another out-of-town engagement?
Will Brian Hopkins arrive before nine?
Will Johnny Lemuria, the orange-shirted blogenthusiast of Temple of the New Flesh, come again even though the last try was fruitless?
Will the groupies that attended last time grow or shrink in number?
Will we finally see some of the lurking wallflowers on the blogroll?
When are you going to be able to go into a store and get what you want with your good looks?

New Blogs on the Block

There are some new additions to our BlogAsheville blogroll. Surf for yourself to find them all, but here's a snippet from the well-attended Theater Ideas:

"I think artists, as a group, tend to share the mistaken generalization about the middle class that Lerner outlines above. We think that exhaustion symbolizes apathy, and that a seeming unwillingness to be "challenged" is the result of intellectual apathy rather than emotional and spiritual rawness. There is a TV commercial for car insurance with the tag line "Life comes at you fast," and I think this could be the slogan for the last twenty years. We are daily bombarded with more and more information delivered in ever louder and more intense voices; we run from place to place, trying to keep up with everything that is happening; we work longer hours and at higher speeds, and when we come home we are tense and tired and drained. So my question is: just what does such a person need?

My tentative answer is: he needs meaning. He needs an artist to sort through the avalanche, slow down the onslaught, and make sense out of something in his life. Perhaps he needs someone to imagine the world another way, perhaps a world that values something more meaningful, more fulfilling, more human, where contemplation is encouraged and where serenity is a possibility. He might need to see the mystery in life, the holiness of a person or a piece of nature, the grandeur of the human endeavor."

My, That's an Awfully Large Election You're Having!

As I've said before, while holding my tongue and swatting away at the angels of my better nature, BlogAsheville is not in the business of advocating for specific candidates. We're here to inform and encourage folks like you (yes, you) about the goings-on in our local political scene while extolling the many virtues of blogging / online diary writing / online magazine publishing / bloviating cyberinvective.

In the spirit of all that is good and right in politics here are some fun facts about our two candidates for Mayor, Dr. Joe Dunn and Terry M. Bellamy:

Dr. Joe Dunn does not have a campaign website up, but he did a Q&A that's readily available here. I'll post some highlights for you:

"What are your top priorities?

1. My number one priority is to reestablish good relations with the county and state delegation.

2. Continue the war on drug problems in Asheville by adding sufficient resources in manpower to do the job.

3. Return more tax dollars to “basic city services” for which they were intended.

4. Make our city staff become more “user friendly.”

5. I set up a task force to streamline development processes in the areas of permitting, inspections, and design review. Staff has been slow to follow up. This is still a top priority to reduce as much red tape as possible.

6. I championed setting up a task force to think “outside the box” to see what avenues we could explore for affordable housing. We need to press forward with common sense solutions.

7. Create a candid dialogue between the Chamber of Commerce, State Delegation, county, and the city to resolve the civic center issues.

8. Protect our air and water quality.

9. Take a closer look at “Smart Growth” policies and any potential downside to this kind of development.

10. Set realistic budgets that reflect the needs of our community.

11. To continue to be sensitive to neighborhood issues.

12. To continue to recruit new jobs and industry to our area."

"What are your views about growth and development in Asheville?

My voting record is very clear that I support good development in Asheville. Good development must be encouraged by our city staff. City staff must become more “user friendly” as well. I set up a task force to begin looking at ways to streamline the development process and remove as much red tape as possible. Staff has been slow to react to some of the changes. A task force was set up seven years ago, but many of their ideas still have not been acted upon. Our UDO still needs streamlining as well."

"What should be the City’s role in helping businesses succeed?

The city staff needs to “listen” to the business community. The “listening” needs to then produce “action.” I am not convinced city staff has reacted quickly enough. We need “one stop shopping” for building, permitting, and design review."

Terry M. Bellamy has an extensive website up (link), and here I'll cull just a few pieces that parallel Dunn's above Q&A:

Top Priorities:

"Economic Development & Diversification

Accessible Health Care

Improved Schools for our Children

Growth, Development, and Air Quality

Affordable Housing"

Views about Growth and Development in Asheville:

"Work to create additional small area plans that are created by neighborhood residents in collaboration with business owners, property owners in and around the neighborhood, city staff and other interested parties. These plans will serve as a neighborhood’s vision for their area. The West End/Clingman Avenue neighborhood residents created a plan that is a guide for development in their neighborhood. The developers wishing to develop in the WECAN area or any other neighborhood with a neighborhood plan will have an understanding of what the neighborhood envisions for their area, while at the same time neighborhood residents will understand that the vacant lots that are in their area today may not always remain undeveloped. The plan will be a guide but not a mandatory tool for a project. This could potentially reduce a significant amount of negative response to development in and around neighborhoods.

The best thing we can do to improve air quality is focus growth in the areas of our community that would benefit from redevelopment, rather than on the farms and forests that surround Asheville. We need to create pedestrian oriented developments and multi-modal transportation. We should support preservation of our historic buildings. Additionally, I would like to see us focus on implementing our Greenways Master Plan to preserve open space and create places where people can walk and bike in Asheville."

City's role in helping businesses succeed:

"Companies who are looking to move to the community or expand need essential support from local government – good infrastructure, including streets, sidewalks, access to quality air and ground transportation and high quality water and sewer service. In addition, they need an educated and trainable work force and quality office space with access to broadband internet service. As Mayor I will lead City Council in working closely with the City Manager and City Economic Development Director, Advantage West and Chamber of Commerce to assist in recruiting major industry and small businesses, while continuing to provide economic incentives to new and expanding businesses already located here."

BlogAsheville will continue to bring you information on the race for mayor as well as for city council seats. We invite all candidates to contribute writings here at BlogAsheville (blogasheville@hotmail.com) or to send us graphic ads you'd like to see on our sidebar. Thanks to all the candidates for making the sacrifices necessary to serve the public, and we wish you the best.

{so how'd I do with the non-partisanship? it's really, really hard. if you want to advocate for a specific candidate, feel tree to do so in the comments section. BlogAsheville is a safe, dynamic place to do that.}

Bonfire

Reposted in full from Jaybird at Bird on the Moon:



I have a deep need for a bonfire.


Raging, competing with the stars,
Tickling the moon's belly with flickers
From the dry, dead wood, like so many bones,
Thrown in to be proxies of our own little deaths,
Drinking wine from the bottle, passed hand to hand,
Songs of elegy to the late phantasmagoric summer, so full of
Glitter, fancy pants, and whimsy, gone now...

This little match is honest, and we blow on the fire...

I need to see the embers aglow from
My own misgivings, and be warmed by them,
As they transform amid smoke and sacrifice into
Light, in the friend-huddled midnight, wine spilled
For those gone, tears hissing on the coals, the mysteries
That rustle around us in the leaves and in our weighted thoughts
Are fine to be, to thrive, to follow.

I'll write a letter, and toss it in.

And we'll leave one by one, as windblown ashes, from the fire pit.
We'll smell of smoke, we'll have danced with those plumes,
We'll have made a silent peace, burnt our offerings,
And carry somewhere within a little flame back,
We'll burn, in private ardor, for the sake
Of what we won't tell a soul,
Yet kindle so deeply
Within our own.

C'mon, grab the matches, and let's do this.

Lake Eden Arts Festival: scene

The Hangover Journals

I just had to pass this along:

"The usual coterie of elderly ladies in wheelchairs were sitting there motionlessly and it occurred to me that decorating a nursing home with skeletons and ghosts is a little macabre, to say the least. I mean, why not just string a few purple and orange lights on some of the residents? Okay, I'm going to hell for that sentence, and I know it too. Yesterday when I was visiting Mom the pastor came in. He was all nice and sincere and he said something about the Road to Hell, which, as we all know, is paved with what else but Good Intentions? So it was all I could do not to ask him if he thought good intentions were slippery, since when my bucket hits them I would like a nice quick ride on down."

friends of the library book sale - this weekend!

just a quick fyi: the annual buncombe county library friends of the library book sale starts this coming friday!

if anyone needs me i'll be in the media room digging through boxes and crates of old lps and 78s! :)

http://www.buncombecounty.org/news_Detail.asp?newsID=1936

The Results Are In

AC-T:"Asheville Mayor

Terry Bellamy 4,383 45%

Joe Dunn 2,905 30%

Charles Worley 1,697 18%

Bill Branyon 672 7%

The top two vote-getters in the primary, Terry Bellamy and Joe Dunn, will face each other in the general election in November.

Asheville City Council

Holly Jones 5,718 22%

Robin Cape 4,156 16%

Carl Mumpower 3,864 15%

Chris Pelly 3,010 11%

Bryan Freeborn 2,629 10%

Keith Thomson 2,157 8%

Dwight Butner 1,533 6%

Selina Sullivan 1,449 5%

Matthew Hebb 1,049 4%

Jan Howard 933 4%

The top six vote-getters in the primary will face each other in the general election in November to fill three vacant City Council seats."

So there you have it, Asheville. Bellamy v. Dunn in what promises to be one of the oddest, most polarized mayoral races in city history.

The Council seats will be as hotly contested, but not nearly as contentious. Holly Jones will likely retain her seat, leaving two chairs for the other five candidates. BlogAsheville isn't in the business of advocating for a particular candidate, but Screwy Hoolie is in the business of tossing out baseless prognostications. Here's one blogger's call:

Bellamy by a whisker for mayor.

Jones in with ease.
Mumpy will get the Dunn voters and come in second.

The last seat will be a dogfight between Cape, Freeborn, and Pelly. Three friendlier dogs you'll never meet, but it's going to be tight. I'm calling it for Freeborn.

If you didn't vote, shame on you. And if you did, then BlogAsheville gives you the Good Citizen award. Go out and do it again. Learn all you can, and cast your ballot in the city's best interest.

I love this town.

Lung Cancer

Circe over at Breathlessly Simple has gotten some very bad news:

"I have small cell lung cancer. I see an oncologist today."

Go over and send your best wishes.

Vote: Tuesday, October 11

Just a reminder to get out and vote in the Primary Elections for Asheville City Council on Tuesday, October 11.

Voter turnout is typically low in the off-year City Council elections, so every vote will count.

According to incumbent Holly Jones: "This election represents your opportunity to elect progressive, effective leadership for Asheville's future."

Okay, I admit to being biased.

If you have any questions about voting, you can contact the Board of Elections at 250-4200.

Just do it. Thanks.

Asheville Film Festival Tickets On Sale

From the City of Asheville Enews:

"With 75 percent of the screenings set to sell out, it’s important to reserve your tickets early for the third annual Asheville Film Festival presented by The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa to be held October 27-30.

Tickets are available for sale now online at www.ashevillefilmfestival.com, the Pack Place box office located at historic Pack Square or by phone at (828) 257-4500. Individual tickets for film screenings cost $6 in advance and $7 at the door with multi-screening packages available.

Feature film highlights at this year’s festival include Good Night, and Good Luck written, directed and starring George Clooney. The film was recently shown at the Venice Film Festival, garnering wins for best screenplay for George Clooney and Best Actor for David Strathairn. Night, and Good Luck will be featured at the closing night film and reception at 6 p.m. on Sunday, October 30 at the Diana Wortham Theatre presented by Sonopress.

This year’s competition is once again filled with provocative and fascinating films shot in North Carolina including the documentary Donor, chronicling the struggles of a 46-year-old man after his diagnosis with bone cancer.

For more information about the Asheville Film Festival including tickets and schedule, visit www.ashevillefilmfestival.com, or call (828) 259-5800. A full film guide will be available in the October 19 edition of Mountain Xpress."

Is Greensboro Showing Us The Way?

Greensboro just hosted a weekend long bloggerama called ConvergeSouth, "the South’s first free conference focused on moving North Carolina toward breakthroughs in creativity and diversity on the Internet. Exploring the digital revolution in publishing and expression, ConvergeSouth focuses on radical digital publishing and entertainment. A two-day event on the campus of historic NC A&T State University, ConvergeSouth will focus on journalism and multimedia “web blogging” for everyone. Additional ConvergeSouth features include a nationally-known keynote speaker, multimedia and music in multiple downtown venues to which the entire community is invited."

Atrios says, "Greensboro, where I was over the weekend, is notable for its thriving blogging community. There are a lot of local bloggers who focus a great degree on local issues, and there's interaction with the local paper and candiates. Greensboro101 is the aggregator, and they're even trying (and succeeding) to sell ads to local businesses, something not all that appropriate for a "national" blog."

These folks have been getting their online act together for going on four years now, and it's starting to come together in a big way. Our own Brian Hopkins attended ConvergeSouth, but I haven't heard his reviews yet. Anonymoses Hyperlincoln points the way to a number of area blogs with coverage.

Take a look at Greesboro 101 - and think about it. It's an aggregator that, once started, is automatically updated whenever any of the contributor blogs are. Imagine a BlogAsheville that does the same thing...

"Howl" at 50

HOWL turns 50 today. "When Allen Ginsberg hurled his shattering poem at a San Francisco audience in 1955," writes Heidi Benson for the San Francisco Chronicle. "[I]t proved to be the depth charge that started the Beat movement."

"Oct. 7, 1955 -- at the Six Gallery on Fillmore Street ... the moment of conception of the Beat movement.

No photographs of the evening have turned up, but by all accounts, when 150 to 200 people showed up at this low-ceilinged former auto-body shop in response to hastily printed postcards, the size of the crowd astonished everybody."

--From the San Francisco Chronicle

I've written about this event recently regarding the fact that it was a rarity. Maybe that is as it should be. Maybe that's where poetic movements should be born--away from cameras and microphones. The first time I read HOWL I thought: "What absolute madness." Yet, it compelled me as:

"I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked,..."

--HOWL, 1955, by Allen Ginsberg

Allen Ginsberg took the coals of poetry from the halls of academia, brought it to the streets, fanned it into a flame and scorched the ears of any one willing to listen. Most Americans avoid the dark corners of our nation like dead rodents on the highway. Not Ginsberg. Most people try to steer out of the way, and hope someone else will confront that horid thing. Ginsberg runs to the scene of the roadkill and howls...

"What sphinx of cement and aluminum bashed open their skulls and ate up their brains and imagination?

Moloch! Solitude! Filth! Ugliness! Ashcans and unobtainable dollars! Children screaming under the stairways! Boys sobbing in armies! Old men weeping in the parks!

Moloch! Moloch! Nightmare of Moloch! Moloch the loveless! Mental Moloch! Moloch the heavy judger of men!"

--HOWL, 1955, by Allen Ginsberg

It was the dawn of the Cold War. The Korean War had recently ended. Albert Einstein, who encouraged American intellectuals to sacrifice their comfort to protect freedom, died that year. Americans left rural communities to become city dwellers. Allen Ginsberg observed all this and howled and howled and 50 years later his voice can still be heard.

[cross posted from 1000 Black Lines]

Write a Novel in 30 Days

It's that time of year again and the good people at NaNoWriMo are challenging you (yes, you. The one in front of the computer screen. Come on. You have too much time on your hands anyway - we know. Stop reading about Tom Cruise and downloading dubious quality MP4s and do something.) to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. 30 days which include Thanksgiving, yo, so that's actually like 28 real days since 2 days are taken up with cooking, eating, and dozing in front of the TV. So give it a try, and 28 days later you too could be an actual real live Writer. Or a zombie. Or both. Whatever.

Here are your simple instructions. I signed up, I'm going to try it, and while it's way possible that I'll give up in a fit of alcoholic despair after 500 words, you can probably keep it going.

For the Language Geeks Among Us

{lifted from our comrade in Greensboro, Anonymoses Hyperlincoln}

"Hey kids! Loopy about linguistics? Ready for some rhetoric?
Here goes a page with many fun greek terms for oblique ways to tweak what you speak...and make knees weak with wonder.

Here is a sample of what you will learn:

adnoun
the use of an adjective as a noun. Blessed are the merciful. See also: adnominal.

anadiplosis
rhetorical repetition of one or more words, particularly a word at the end of a clause. "Men in great place are thrice servants: servants of the sovereign or state; servants of fame; and servants of business." -- Francis Bacon. See also: anaphora, epistrophe, symploce.

anastrophe
transposition or inversion of normal word order; a type of hyperbaton. "Once upon a midnight dreary..." -- Edgar Allan Poe. "The helmsman steered; the ship moved on; yet never a breeze up blew." -- Samuel Taylor Coleridge. See also: hyperbaton, synchysis.

antanaclasis
repetition of a word whose meaning changes in the second instance. "Your argument is sound...all sound." -- Benjamin Franklin.

apophasis
mentioning something by declaring that it shall not be mentioned. Same as "paralepsis" and "preterition." "I need not remind you to get your Christmas shopping done early." See also: autoclesis, parasiopesis.

aposiopesis
a halting or trailing off of speech caused by the speaker seemingly overcome by an emotion such as excitement, fear, or modesty; a form of brachylogy. "When your father finds out...." See also: brachylogy.

asyndeton
lack of conjuctions between coordinate words, phrases, or clauses; a form of brachylogy. "But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground." -- Abraham Lincoln. See also: brachylogy, polysyndeton.

...and those are just some of the A-list."

Revoluticon 2005

Fellow Blogashevillian, Johnny Lemuria of New Flesh Temple has organized an event in ole AshVegas, ya'll listen up!

"Revoluticon is a Science Fiction and Fantasy convention for Asheville, NC on October 8th and 9th, 2005.

We will be featuring roleplaying, card, and minatures games, plus special guests and events. There are also art, fiction, movie, minature,and costume contests. We are also working on a Subgenius devival for Saturday, and a masque ball on Sunday. Also, while you are here, don't forget to visit our store.

Revoluticon will be held at the Asheville Army Reserve Armory, at 224 Louisiana Avenue, off Patton Avenue. You can find the Yahoo! map here.

The convention is only a few weeks away. The deadline for all contests has been extended until October 6th, so there is still time if you would like to enter.

Tickets will be sold at the door each day until 2 PM."

Just when you become familiar with my sig-pic and name,

I go and change it.



Alas, I will no longer go by the name, Mountain Faerie. Just simply Sweet Tea as the name of my blog.

Same blog, same title.... same great flavor!

I'm just in a mood for things to change today, and the one thing that's so beautiful about having a blog is that we all have the power to change our world with our words, and sprinkle it with images that, we feel, represent the inner workings of our minds .

This is called clogging your ass off

Cotillion Eye Candy for the Reticent Bloggahs

Rather than a sign or funny hats, I thought we should just out ourselves with a picture from last night so that we'll be easily identifiable next time. Our waitress graciously snapped this pic at the Cotillion. I had to hide Ash's identity as he's on extra double super secret background.

Ashvegas Fall Ball and Cotillion: Inside the Velvet Rope

Cross-posted from Edgy Mama

The Usual Suspects rolled out the red carpet for Ashvegas blogger glitterati Friday night, and the Fall Ball and Cotillion did not disappoint.

Screwy and Uptown ushered in the guests, all groomed and natty. Uptown was accompanied by the lovely Mountain Faerie, while syntax and I held our own with Jim and his sunny daughter, M. The Modern Peasant held court, as usual, with a couple of Scrutiny Hooligan groupies, while DEMbloggers arrived a bit later to the party.

Clearly, the paparazzi had expected a much bigger turnout. Joan and Melissa Rivers seemed a little slack-jawed during the run-up. But alas, it seems that this core group remains the most we can muster. That's quite all right. There's clearly a difference between those who blog the blog and those who can do that and then some.

The drinks - from a classically refreshing New Orleans Pimm's Cup from Screwy to Uptown, to heady Omegang for yours truly, to a couple of whiskey/bourbon shots for Screwy - flowed as freely as the conversation and the ideas.

Some of what we learned ... well, let me stop.

I'll close the velvet rope here and encourage you to pop over to Edgy Mama to read the rest. For those of you who did not attend, you missed another chance to make your champagne wishes and cavair dreams come true.