Tonight's the Night!

This post will be short since I have to rush off to pick my tuxedo up from the cleaner's before the Asheville Bloggers' Autumn Cotillion and Freedom March. We've gotten oodles of confimations of attendance, and one especially saddening regret from she who would be the belle of the ball, Edgy Mama. The orchestra will be arriving this afternoon, so if your have any waltzes you'd like them to strike up, just grease the conductor's palm. Who's tonight's debutante? You'll have to come and see.

Info HERE.

Right Now

Go Read The Hangover Journals, and send your best bloggy wishes.

Asheville Skyline

By Jeff Zimmerman

BlogAsheville Street

The picture below was taken from a page in the book that my little Bee had chosen for a bedtime story last night. I found the resemblance of Oscar the grouch to one of our resident commenters too facetious not to share...

Autumn Cotillion and Freedom March

Modern Peasant wonders if you're coming to the Autumn Cotillion and Freedom March at The Usual Suspects on Friday, September 30 at 7pm. Actually, go read his site to find out what he is wondering in this picture. Or just ask him when you see him.

When You're Feeling Blue About Merrimon Avenue...

... Come on down Patton toward West A! We have a stunning array of architectural landmarks, a festive lineup of fast food chains, miniature golf, pawn shops, dilapidated shopping malls and fascinating billboards. My all-time favorite feature being, none other than, Harry's American Indian statue, poised upon the hillside, ready to greet all passersby with a warm welcome...

photo presumptuously borrowed from... billemory.com

Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-dissidents

Crossposted from Scrutiny Hooligans.

The folks at Reporters without Borders report, "Blogs get people excited. Or else they disturb and worry them. Some people distrust them. Others see them as the vanguard of a new information revolution. Because they allow and encourage ordinary people to speak up, they’re tremendous tools of freedom of expression.

Bloggers are often the only real journalists in countries where the mainstream media is censored or under pressure. Only they provide independent news, at the risk of displeasing the government and sometimes courting arrest.

Reporters Without Borders has produced this handbook to help them, with handy tips and technical advice on how to to remain anonymous and to get round censorship, by choosing the most suitable method for each situation. It also explains how to set up and make the most of a blog, to publicise it (getting it picked up efficiently by search-engines) and to establish its credibility through observing basic ethical and journalistic principles."

Download the Handbook here!

Read a good BBC article about the handbook here.

Stoop Doggy-Dog

Mela Indian Restaurant

Last night, we ate at Mela, the new Indian restaurant on Lexington. I have three words to describe the food: yum, yum, yum.

How long, o, how long have we been waiting for good Indian food to make its debut in downtown Asheville? Way too long, folks. Way too long.

So, Mela: great atmosphere, gorgeous decor, delicious food, serious bar (Allagash White on tap--mmmmmmm). Only caveats: it's hip, which means crowded and loud (I like, but it was too much for my slightly deaf mom-in-law); still working out service kinks, in that service was, initially, too slow, then too fast, as three people tried to whisk my plate away BEFORE I finished eating.

Supposedly, the time to go is for the $6.95 buffet lunch: a huge sampler wafting of cardamon and curry.

I forgot to pick up a menu, so I'm just going to throw out some words for you--words that you can roll on your tongue, drool over, practically smell: Tikka Masala, Rhogan Josh, Tandoori, Vindaloo, Pakora, Naan.

Now I need to go walk five miles to appease Shiva.

Now what?

Asheville Bloggers Autumn Cotillion and Freedom March

Friday, September 30th
7pm at The Usual Suspects
{directions here}

By unanimous declaration of the assembled bloggers at the First Annual Blogapalooza BBQ and Freedom March, the last Friday of each month was chosen for everyone who's got a pretty red link on the BlogAsheville sidebar to come together and jawbone the crux of the biscuits. That is, it's time to get together, drain a few pints, and see where the tangents take us.

Here's a list of every blog to represent themselves at our past gatherings: Modern Peasant, 1000 Black Lines, Edgy Mama, AV, The Syntax of Things, DEMbloggers, Sweet Tea, The Hangover Journals, Lowell Allen's Serial Photo, The Avant Garden, Bad Ass, Tingle Alley, Bird on the Moon, The Stars That Usher Evening Rose, The Penguin-Driven Life, blogophile Jim Jenkins, and Scrutiny Hooligans. If I left you off the list, show up and whack me in the head please.

I hope to see you all again, and I really hope to meet some of you folks who've been biding your time. Waiting for the right venue, the right night, the right mood, you've hung back and deliberated long enough. BlogAsheville is all of us, so claim your seat at the table this Friday.

I'm looking to hearing about Flashville, Drinking Liberally, the Asheville 2006 International Blogorama, the Greensboro bloggercon, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Cultural Wasteland, Janus Watchers, Future Baby, online music, your art, your music, and so on and so forth.

Email Uptown Ruler (who is fast speeding into a birthday) with any questions, suggestions, hesitations, or inspirations. See you there.

Political Pub Party at the Westville Pub

Last night I spent a couple hours at the Bryan Freeborn Political Pub Party at the Westville Pub. Local bands Speed Square, Pierce Edens & Rod Murphy were the house bands for the evening.

I know one of the guys who performs with Rod Murphy and I know one of the emcees of the event and fercryinoutloud--it's a community pub event!

Rod Murphy:
performed well with his band and reminded me of well... let me put it this way. "Eye of the Tiger" played on a ukulele is something you've got to see. And the use of a toy piano (one of those 10-key plastic clinky sounding things) and a hand mixer (kitchen appliance) textured each song with unusual giddiness. Rod Murphy is a very cool/hip/gotta-see-them-live band!

Bryan Freeborn:
running for City Council, gave a brief speech. He touched on a few issues concerning Asheville transit system, building a stronger community and supporting a sustainable economy.

Speed Square:
amazed me with their set-- real funk/jazz/pop/groove/whatnot. The crowd danced, bopped, moved and grooved (I'm still tapping my feet as I write this). Can't wait to see them perform again.

Newcastle Brown Ale:
Yea, and it was very good...to the last drop. I vote for more Newcastle!

Pierce Edens must have closed out the evening, but I left before they took the stage--something about having to go to work in the morning.

[cross posted by request from 1000 Black Lines]

Autumn

Autumnal Equinox - one of two times a year when the sun crosses the equator, and the day and night are of equal length.

At the autumnal equinox (Sept. 22, 2005, 6:23 P.M. EDT), the sun appears to cross the celestial equator, from north to south; this marks the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere.

Vance, then and now

If you've never been to the Vance Birthplace, you need to go. The Reems Creek Valley delights, especially in autumn.

3rd Annual Chimney Swift Watch

From PARC (People Advocating Real Conservancy):

"It's time for the Chimney Swift Watch. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 23, 24 and 25, at 7 P.M., we will gather on O. Henry Avenue to watch as the chimney swifts soar high above the city until they swirl into the chimney at dusk. Please join us near the Asheville Citizen-Times building and see the swifts go into the Grove Arcade chimney.

The show starts at 7 P.M. and will be all over around 8 P.M. The swifts go in slightly earlier if it is cloudy or raining, later if the skies are clear."

Our Beautiful City

By Jeff Zimmerman

Quote 4 Edgy Mama

Edgy Mama, has a collection of some of her favorite quotations. I thought this would be a great addition.

Last night, I attended a candidate forum for the City of Asheville mayor-hopefuls. The following question was asked.

Moderator: "Who is your major contributor?"

Candidate Bill Branyon ,after deep thought, pulled the microphone closer to him, leaned forward into the microphone with his right index finger pressed firmly against his forehead as if contemplating; and replied, "Uhhhh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ME!"

Then, after all the other candidates had replied with more intelligible answers, Branyon used his 30 sec. rebuttal and advised all members of the audience, "It only costs $100 to run for mayor and they give ya a bunch of money to use for advertising, plus you get to know all the candidates real well. I encourage all ya'll to give this a try at least once in your life!"

This guy was great! Throughout the forum he had me laughing so hard that I was in tears. His response to one question was "I don't know anything about that, but once I'm mayor and ya'll are paying me for it, I'll learn it! I'm a quick study!" At one point he even said that Asheville was much like the Greenwich Village.

He sat between Terry Bellamy and Joe Dunn. While Terry tried to remain all professional (she would roll her eyes at him every now and then), everytime he said something Dr. Dunn would laugh and pat him on the back. Branyon smiled real big and said, "Dr. Dunn used to be my Dentist. He's real gentle. See I don't have any cavities. He'd make a good mayor."

Uptown's New Blog

I've launched my new blog, Free Radio America. Ya'll check it out and let me know what you think! I'm still looking for RSS feeds related to music, music news and reviews, podcasting, internet radio, etc. Let me know if you run across any cool stuff!

Choices, choices, choices

It's a busy Monday night in our mountain town.

At Port City Java on Merrimon Ave. at 7:00 p.m., developer Greg Edney will present his plan for the redevelopment of the Burger King site to interested parties. Expect a full house. Get there early, or bring your own chair if you're going to be late. I'll be there, giving my spiel, as I'm so moved, on the city's Smart Growth policies and planning for the future.

Also at 7:00, at the Renaissance Hotel, is the Asheville City Primary Forum: a meet-and-greet the Asheville City Council candidates and a moderated forum for the Mayoral candidates. I think the Mayoral forum will be interesting (personally, I'm not impressed with any of the candidates yet, so I'd like to be swayed one direction or another). Future Daddy is planning to be there. And if the stars are aligned, I may make it to this one late.

Expect full reports tomorrow. Happy Monday, fellow Ashevillians!

Goodbye, Beanstreets

Who Are The Candidates?

I hope all my Asheville/Buncombe County neighbors have registered because today was the deadline for voter registration.

Election Schedule

Here's a list of the Asheville candidates!
(Please note: when the "Q and A" window opens; scroll to the bottom of the window!)

Candidates for mayor

The following four individuals (in alphabetical order) are running for mayor.

• Terry M. Bellamy
Official Website (under construction)
Q and A

• Bill Branyon
Q and A

• Joe Dunn
Q and A

• Charles R. Worley
Official Website

Candidates for City Council

The following 10 individuals (in alphabetical order) are running for City Council.

• Dwight A. Butner
Official Website
Q and A

• Robin Cape
Official Website
Q and A

• Bryan Freeborn
Official Website
Q and A

• Matthew Hebb
Official Website
Q and A

• Jan Howard
Q and A

• Holly Jones
Official Website
Q and A

• Carl Mumpower
Official Website
Q and A

• Chris Pelly
Q and A

• Selina D. Sullivan
Official Website
Q and A

• Keith Thomson
Official Website
Q and A

Become an active member in our community! Don't just voice your opinion by blogging; get out and vote!

The Incomplete Guide to Blogs

Seth Godin's free e-book, Who's There? Incomplete Guide to Blogs... is available for bloggers everywhere. In his e-book he discusses clutter & quality, what you say, who you are, and qualities of a good blog:

1. Candor
2. Urgency
3. Timeliness
4. Pithiness and
5. Controversy

No. He's not an Asheville blogger, but he does have some great ideas bloggers everywhere can utilize. The e-book, Who's There?, is a downloadable PDF here:

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2005/09/whos_there_the_.html

and requires Acrobat Reader.

Distinctly Asheville

From Lowell Allen's Serial Photo

The Redundant Theatre Company Theatre

Speaking of birthdays, ya'll help me to welcome the The Redundant Theatre Company Theatre to the BlogAsheville family and to celebrate their 1 year anniversary!

"The Redundant Theatre Company Theatre is made up of five young, innovative, Asheville-based actors and theatre practitioners. By day we work in publishing, youth development, high school drama, and shoe sales. By night we converge in abandoned art galleries and storage units, creating and experimenting with the form and nature of the theatrical event."

We look forward to seeing more theater from you crazy theater folks!

City of Asheville Calling All Netizens

I've been receiving a weekly update of city council agendas and current news. This is a concise mailing that keeps you up-to-date without having to sit through those interminable meetings in person or on the gubmint channel. Every agenda point has a link to accompanying documents. It looks like the city government is working hard to inform and include the citizens of Asheville. They're asking you to get involved or at least stay up to speed. Take them up on it.

This go-round I've learned that Council will take up the following (excerpted):

Public Hearings
- Resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into an agreement with the N.C. Dept. of Transportation to install ADA compliant ramps in conjunction with the Haywood Road resurfacing project.

- Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute an Addendum to the Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development for enforcement of fair housing by the Asheville-Buncombe Fair Housing Commission.

- Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with Orion Bus Industries Inc. for the purchase of buses.

New Business
A. Ordinance to increase taxicab fares.

B. Resolution amending the Fees & Charges Manual to delete the fee for taxicab inspections.

C. Wireless Internet Network Service for Asheville City.

Click Here to see this week's agenda via the Asheville City Government site.

Click Here to sign up for city E-news.

Blogger Birthday

Everyone bop on over to Ashvegas' place today and wish him a Happy Birthday!

Dangerous fun

After a few nights of scheming, a friend and I dreamed up a wacky, wet, city-wide game of epic proportions. In mid-October, a city-wide water gun assassination game will keep many Ashevillians on their toes for two weeks of suspense, all for a good cause. Register for Operation Moist Target (more info at Ashevillegames.com) beginning October 1st and you'll help benefit Loving Food Resources as you avoid getting 'hosed,' while keeping your water gun holstered for that chance encounter with your opponent. So, BlogAsheville peeps, what say you to this strange proposition?

My Take on Merrimon Avenue Rezoning

Here’s the issue: developer Greg Edney wants to put a bank and office space on the former Burger King property on the corner of Fenner and Merrimon. According to neighborhood activists Mike Lewis and Sarai Rightmeyer, this would be a good use of the property. I agree. The problem is that Edney, and his agent, Gerald Green, want to put two drive-throughs in, and that part of Merrimon is not zoned for additional drive-throughs. So, these guys are petitioning the P&Z for a rezoning, despite having already had a variance bid rebuffed by the Board of Adjustment.

Supposedly, drive-throughs generate higher volumes of traffic, and if you’ve driven down Merrimon between about 11:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., you’ve realized that the street is a big, gnarly traffic mess. Particularly between Weaver Blvd and Gracelyn Ave. Which is where the old BK property sits.

Merrimon is one of those roads, that, although it runs through the city, has a number (25), and therefore, is designated a state highway. Which means that, although the property on either side is controlled by the city, the road is owned by the state. So it’s like moving heaven and earth to get a light put up, a crosswalk drawn, a bit of sidewalk added or repaired. And I’ve never figured out the need for those magnetic telephone poles—one at Fenner and one at Coleman—that seem to pull a car into their force fields weekly. In fact, whenever our electricity goes out, we know the Fenner t-pole has bitten the dust—again.

I’ve lived off Merrimon for almost eight years, first on the West side, now on the East. In that short time, I’ve seen, in addition to the magnetic T-pole phenomena, a dramatic increase in traffic and the advent of big-box retailers, many crushing local businesses in their quest for hegemony. How ‘bout that humongous Staples that’s in the process of being erected on the corner of Merrimon and Orange? It’s going to block out the fricking sunlight for a number of renovated Victorian/Craftsman cottages on both streets.

So, while I don’t want to be a “not in my backyarder,” I’m feeling a bit protective of my backyard. And my quality of life. The Toy Box moved, and was ultimately, replaced by a Subway, which shines neon up the hill into my kids’ bedroom windows—all night long. Daily driving on Merrimon feels like, and probably is, the most dangerous thing I do. So, what’s the answer?

If you’re interested, there will be a Neighborhood Meeting, hosted by Edney, at Port City Java at 7:00 p.m. on September 19th. Good contentious fun. You can visit www.ourasheville.com for more information on who to contact and how to contact them. The P & Z Commission meeting will be at 5:00 on October 4 at the Woolcott City Building on South Charlotte. Oh, and the ‘hood just had some bumper stickers printed up that read: “Merrimon sAve. www.ourasheville.org.” If you want one, e-mail me: janusatannefittenglenndotcom. And I’ll get in touch with the proper people, who will get in touch with you, and if you fork over $2 and a box of doughnuts…just kidding. It’s not that complicated. Thanks for listening.

Four Years Later

Brian posted this over at DEMBloggers and I asked permission to post the whole thing here rather than crosspost it.

Four years ago today events happened that changed America forever. September 11th will serve forever as a point in history when the country was united. Though that has changed since that day.

Most people will remember where they were on that day. I for one can remember sitting on my couch and watching everything happen. I can see it as clearly as if it had happened yesterday. I remember feeling grief and horror and wondering if my friends and family were ok.

Today will be used by some as a day to forward their political ambitions or firm up their base. I would rather remember those who lost their lives. This is my tribute to some of those that lost their lives.

These individuals usually don't receive all the credit they deserve. But, we will never forget them for what happened that day. Fighting fires is a job we all sometime take for granted. But it takes a special individual to run into a building while everyone else is running out.

This is my tribute to the Firefighters that lost their lives on September 11th, 2001.

WMV Link
Quicktime Link

March to the arch

You guys need to check out the rock artistry going on at the Avant Garden. Good stuff.

Feel the love

Want more Organicfest '05 love? Drop by Ashvegas. Meantime, can I just say - I love you guys.

The New Orleans Blues

THE MINUTE YOU LAND IN NEW ORLEANS, something wet and dark leaps on you and starts humping you like a swamp dog in heat, and the only way to get that aspect of New Orleans off you is to eat it off. That means beignets and crayfish bisque and jambalaya, it means shrimp remoulade, pecan pie, and red beans with rice, it means elegant pompano au papillote, funky fik z’herbes, and raw oysters by the dozen, it means grillades for breakfast, a po’ boy with chowchow at bedtime, and tubs of gumbo in between. It is not unusual for a visitor to the city to gain fifteen pounds in a week—yet the alternative is a whole lot worse. If you don’t eat day and night, if you don’t constantly funnel the indigenous flavors into your bloodstream, then the mystery beast will go right on humping you, and you will feel its sordid presence rubbing against you long after you have left town. In fact, like any sex offender, it can leave permanent psychological scars...

She sipped. She studied the circle of shellfish, each ritzy blob glistening upon the lustrous floor (or ceiling) of its own intimate architecture, the solidified geometry of its desire. The oyster was an animal worthy of New Orleans, as mysterious and private and beautiful as the city itself. If one could accept that oysters built their houses out of their lives, one could imagine the same of New Orleans, whose houses were similarly and resolutely shuttered against an outside world that could never be trusted to show proper sensitivity toward the oozing delicacies within.

Tom Robbins
From Jitterbug Perfume

On the hustings

Folks, it's that time of year in Ashvegas - time for local politicians to make a lot of promises and ask us for our money and our vote. Once again, from Mountain Xpress, a nice roundup of some events, edited by Ashvegas:

Campaign Calendar

• Sept. 8 fish fry (Thu): Asheville City Council candidate Keith Thomson is holding a free, open-invitation catfish-fry dinner, 6 to 7:30 p.m., at the Randolph Learning Center on Montford. Contact info@keithforasheville.org for more information. Who is Keith Thomson again? And isn't usually barbecue these guys are supposed to be serving. I mean, we are in the South, here. C'mon Keith, get your campaign food act scrait.


• Sept. 12 town hall meeting (Mon): City Council candidate Dwight Butner invites the public to a town hall-style meeting at noon in the Haywood Park Hotel atrium. Hmmm. Noon. Town Hall meeting. Yawn. Dwight, you're the restauranteur - what kind of eats are we gonna get???

• Sept. 19 mayoral forum: From 7 to 9 p.m. at the Renaissance Asheville Hotel, the League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County will present a forum. Don't eff with these ladies. They will eff you up.

• Sept. 21 community forum: The West Asheville Business Association is sponsoring an open community forum for candidates for Asheville City Council and mayor at 6:30 p.m. The forum will be held at the West Asheville Community Center (970 Haywood Road, behind the fire station and West Asheville Library). This is usually a spirited forum. Some good questions. But I'm from West Ashvegas - what do I know?

• Sept. 21 pub party: City Council candidate Bryan Freeborn is hosting a "Political Pub Party" featuring "music, fun, and progressive politics," starting at 9 p.m., at the Westville Pub. Finally, a candidate who knows how to throw a party. A PUB party, no less. Way to go, Bryan.

• Oct. 5 candidate forum: The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce's 2005 Candidates' Forum, highlighting Asheville mayoral and city council candidates, takes place from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Resort. For chamber members only. But this forum comes at a critical time, just days before the Oct. 11 primary. What will the hot issues be?

• Voter deadlines: To vote in the Oct. 11 primary election, you must be registered by Friday, Sept. 16. Absentee voting by mail for the primary begins Friday, Sept. 9, and ends Monday, Oct. 10. One-stop absentee voting begins Thursday, Sept. 22, and ends Saturday, Oct. 8, at 1 p.m. For more, contact the Buncombe County Board of Elections at 250-4200 or go to www.buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/Election.

The "Filthy Hippies" Asheville Blog

This is the funniest gag blog I've read in quite a while."Car" is an absolute genius. His ability to sound and act like a complete ass is astounding. I can't believe nobody knows it's a joke, but it obviously is, and it's great - and about my home town, no less!

Some friends thought it would be fun to take me to an Arts and Crafts festival. I enjoy the Winter Park sidewalk art festival and usually by a scenic paining or animal sculpture. I thought it would great to find a few nice knick knacks for the new condo, so off we went walking to the Lexington Arts and Fun Festival.I could not believe my eyes!!! I have not been able to post to my blog again until today I have been so shaken and sickened by what I saw--WALL TO WALL FITHY HIPPY DEGENERATES! There were booths down the middle of Lexington for 3 or four blocks with nothing but filthy hippy trash--anti war slogans and stickers, degenerate art works, music stages filled with hippy performers with weird instruments and dress.And the people! girls dressed as guys, guys dressed as girls.

Open display of public affection by homos, anti war slogans, hippy doctrines on the sidewalks, people using chalk everywhere to draw commie doctrines and pictures. It was horrible--the horror made worse by the fact that the street was filled to capacity throughout the blocks with these people with hair (and beards) down to their knees. Knotted hair everywhere--not on colored only but on many of the whites as well!!

Thank you, car, for a much needed laugh!UPDATE: There seems to be some disagreement as to whether or not it's a joke, and there also seems to be some disagreement as to whether or not it's funny. My answers are yes it is, and yes it is.

Here's why I think it's definitely a joke:The photo of "Car" on the site is hosted here: http://www.outdoorjournal.org/images/me.jpg

Go check out OutdoorJournal.org. And, the guy who runs it posts as "Cat," so they're pretty likely the same guy. The site is owned by Jack Moe, who also runs this site, Jack Moe's Outdoor Adventure.

A whitewhater rafting site... by the old, cranky conservative guy who supposedly rants about hippies? No, it's a joke. Also, yes, it's funny. Damn funny. If you can't laugh at yourself, what kind of a hippy would you be anyway???

Bloggers, Opinions, and this Amazing Blog

This is a partial response to Uptown’s post from a couple days ago. He said: “Last week, in an emotional moment, I posted a picture of Bush playing guitar during Katrina--it was incredibly partisan and inappropriate for BlogAsheville. After an hour or two, I realized my mistake and took it down. My apologies; it won't happen again.

We created BlogAsheville to blog about our fair city, and despite our many differences, we have maintained focus and purpose since the beginning. I hope we continue to do so.” Nicely said, Uptown, and yet…

In addition to Uptown’s photo (which I, personally, got a kick out of), there was some drama over the weekend on BlogAsheville during a debate around Katrina. The particularly offensive comments were removed, some apologies were made, and everyone moved on (I think).

This morning I noticed that there’s some feistiness going on in the comments from yesterday’s post about a letter from the Mountain Xpress.

Okay, so here’s what I think. We, as bloggers, are opinionated, intelligent folks who like to spew forth our ideas, thoughts, and reactions. Those of us at BlogAsheville, for whatever reason, seem to be a fairly liberal group. I think this is okay. Unless you are a trained journalist, it’s difficult to write without slant (and, as we all know, even trained journalists screw up—a lot). And, for me, at least, blogging is about expressing opinions. I like writing about controversy and promoting healthy debate. The key word here, however, is “healthy.” That means: disagree with me, give me counter-arguments, send me links to other sites, but DO NOT be nasty, or rude, or inappropriate.

For example, I’d like to post here about the Merrimon Avenue Rezoning Issue. BlogAsheville is the perfect forum for such a post; most of my readers on Edgy Mama have no interest in or knowledge of this issue. But I’m slanted. I live just behind the Merrimon “corridor,” and what happens on this road directly affects my family’s quality of life.

So, all this is to say that I think we can be partisan, hopefully, without being offensive. We can spark healthy debate about what we want to see in our beautiful city. We can agree to disagree every once in a while. What do y’all think?

more praise for asheville bloggers!

i happened across this little tidbit from the letters section in the new mountain xpress that just hit "newsstands" today:

Bloggers, unite!

The Aug. 17 issue of Mountain Xpress included an excellent example of what makes Asheville truly unique ["Into the Blogosphere"]. Sure, I was aware of blogs; however, I was never really in (sic) them. Steve Shanafelt's reporting on the local blog community was truly enlightening. I have visited and bookmarked many of the blogs presented in the article (in fact, I visit the AshVegas site daily for a hilarious look at our local news.)

I have visited the Matt Drudge site daily for several years and was not aware that I was keeping up with a blog until I read Shanafelt's article. Every citizen has a passionate voice about something. Don't rest on your hindquarters! Let your voice be heard! Bloggers, unite!

– Phillip Bullard
Asheville

thanks, phillip!

Big Beers In Asheville

Over the labor day weekend in Asheville, I sampled the following at Bier Garden, all in bottles:

Flying Dog Horn Dog Barleywine
Chimay Blue
Chimay Red
(They have Chimay White as well, but I'd already had it before).
Ommegang Hennepin (Which I didn't really like)

Bier Garden also has:

Ommegang Abbey Ale (25 oz bottles for $12)
Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter (Hunter S. Thompson Tribute Beer)

At Jack in the Wood, I tried:

Green Man Dragon, which was quite tasty.

Remember, these beers are high in alcohol content (The Chimays are 8% or so, and the others are 9-12 or so), so be safe with them. Sip slowly, and be sure not to drive drunk! These beers are to be savored, not chugged.

Friends, Bloggers, Countryfolk

Last week, in an emotional moment, I posted a picture of Bush playing guitar during Katrina - it was incredible partisan and inappropriate for BlogAsheville. After an hour or two, I realized my mistake and took it down. My apologies; it won't happen again.

We created BlogAsheville to blog about our fair city, and despite our many differences, we have maintained focus and purpose since the beginning. I hope we continue to do so.

AshVegas Has the Goods

Go to Ashvegas right now! This guy's all over the place. I saw him at the Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival, and - WHOA! - he's not what you might expect. He's more like a superhero, Asheville's secret superhero. With X-ray vision and supersonic hearing, Ash keeps reminding me how much I love this town.

New Orleans Live Journal

I should have posted this earlier! Don't know what I was thinking???

I've been following a group who has been hunkered down in an office high-rise (they're on the 10th and 11th floors) in downtown New Orleans since last Sunday.

The Interdictor

They have been keeping a live journal via blog and video feed. Pretty interesting reading!

Candlelight Vigil and Dove Release Tonight

As the cataclysmic events of the past week have unfolded with increasing horror and dismay, I realized that while the flow of funds to the Red Cross have increased, there is still something missing in our national response. We recall that after 9/11, there was a tremendous national outpouring of compassion and sympathy for those who were killed or traumatized by the events... flags were at half-mast, ribbons were worn, and the nation unified (at least temporarily) to rally around New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. Candlelight vigils were everywhere, and the nation was told to pray.

This time, this hasn't quite happened... yet. The wave of compassion that overtook America after 9/11 and the Asian tsunami is beginning to form, but it needs a push. I've heard many reasons why our compassion is only on first or second gear right now, but what matters now is that we push all of that aside for now and stand in solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of new American homeless. They are our sisters and brothers, without the beds, the food, and the community that we so cherish and sometimes forget we have.

So, we'll take some time with a candlelight vigil and dove release on Sunday, September 4th at 7pm at City/County Plaza to honor the fallen, and those struggling to survive. We'll honor New Orleans, Mobile, and Biloxi with a light of appreciation for these cities and hope for their rebuilding. We'll honor the children whose lives have been upturned. We'll honor all these with a flickering flame, a few words, and silence. I would deeply appreciate you spreading the word on this... and, despite the great temptation, the goal is to stand as one. While inaction to help the victims has turned the situation political, I'd like this gathering to remain apolitical. This is about people, the ecology, and the nation as a whole. This is, first and foremost, about compassion, and doing something powerful with it.

***

I have been instructed by APD to ask people to refrain from carrying signs on sticks, and to assure that the lit candles do not drip wax. We do not have a permit but are being allowed to gather in a First Amendment capacity. Please bring your candles in a votive form or in stick form with some kind of "wax catcher." I've never organized anything like this before. Any logistical help from 'old hands' would be great! If you have any music or spoken word you'd like to share, please do.

How WNC can help Hurricane Katrina victims

Staff writers at The Citizen-Times report:

Call the Red Cross at 258-3888. Help victims by contributing to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund by calling (800) 435-7669 or (800) 257- 7575 (in Spanish).

Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may also be sent to the local American Red Cross chapter at 100 Edgewood Road, Asheville, NC 28804 or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

Internet users can make a secure online credit card contribution by visiting www.redcross.org. Blood donors are also requested to give.

The Red Cross is providing Gulf Coast evacuees with food, clothing and medicine. Agency officials said they cannot accept donations from the public of used clothing or canned food.

Salvation Army
The Salvation Army Corp. office at 204 Haywood St., Asheville, NC 28801; mailing address is P.O. Box 1778, Asheville, NC 28802; call 253-4723.

Hearts With Hands
The Hearts With Hands warehouse is at 951 Sandhill Road in Asheville. Call 667-1912, (800) 726-9185 or go to the Web at www.heartswithhands.org.

America’s Second Harvest
America’s Second Harvest — The Nation’s Food Bank Network, Development, 35 E. Wacker Drive, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60601. (800) 771-2303. www.secondharvest.org

Samaritan’s Purse
Call (800) 665-2843 to donate. Visit www.samaritanspurse.org for information.

Park Ridge Hospital
Naples Road, Fletcher. Collection boxes for cash and check donations are in the hospital’s main lobby at the information desk. Check should be made out to Hearts with Hands, indicating hurricane relief.

Baptist State Convention of North Carolina
Call (800) 395-5102, Ext. 341, to volunteer. Send a check to N.C. Baptist Men, P.O. Box 1107, Cary, NC 27512. Designate your check for Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief Efforts. You may also give online at www.bscnc.org.

UNITED WAY
Visit http://national.unitedway.org to donate.

Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse
Collecting in-store customer donations or online at www.lowes.com for Lowe’s Disaster Relief Fund to help those affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Professional Paddlesports Association
Send donations to Professional Paddlesports Association, 7432 Alban Station Blvd., Suite B-232, Springfield, VA 22150. Visit www.propaddle.com, call (800) 789-2202 or e-mail ppa@propaddle.com for details.

MANNA FoodBank
The drive has been extended until Sept. 15. Financial donations for Hurricane Relief are being directed America’s Second Harvest. MANNA still needs only the items listed, and for even more efficiency, is asking people to pool their resources, if possible, and buy cases of those items.

Requested items:

Peanut butter and ready-to-eat meals (beef stew, chili, etc.) plus disposable diapers, paper plates and cleaner/disinfectants.

Drop-off locations include:

• The American Red Cross (Edgewood Road, Asheville)

• U.S. Postal Service offices in 16 Western North Carolina counties

• All Ingles stores in the 16 WNC counties MANNA serves

• MANNA FoodBank (Swannanoa River Road near the WNC Nature Center)

• Earth Fare in Asheville

• Bank of Asheville — 665-3998 (Asheville, Candler, Leicester, South Asheville)

• Charlotte Street Computers — 779-8305

• Grove Arcade — 225-3050

• YMCA, downtown — 210-9652

• Asheville Chevrolet — 281-9603

• Thrill of the Hunt Antiques — 274-7711

• Gallerie Salon — 684-3004

• Southeastern Fitness & Rehab — 274-2188

• Asheville Citizen-Times

• Asheville High School

• Asheville-Buncombe United Way, 50 S. French Broad Ave.

• Sylva — Nursing Network — 631-9735

• Hendersonville — YMCA Youth Center — 693-7669

Call 299-3663 for more information on items needed or to arrange a pickup.

Response to the Truth About New Orleans

Due to the response of the "Truth About New Orleans" post. I have written a new post; however, it is rather lenghty and I did not want to take up that amount of space here. Therefore, I have posted it on my website. If interested click here.

Apple Festival '05

Monkey Business....

My sweet little brother, who has just celebrated his twenty first birthday in Spain, has been keeping the family updated on his adventures as a tourist. I'm green with that sort of loving, sibling envy. I'm thrilled that he's off having the time of his life, as well I have been concerning myself day and night for his safety. God help him...


yo! yo! yo!

I saw monkeys yesterday! We drove to Gibraltar. Elizabeth and I went to the top of this mountain and sure enough there was a monkey waiting on this wall on the side of the road. I drove up next to the monkey and was holding a casual conversation and despite the warnings about feeding the monkeys decided it might like a french fry. *Shrug*

So I reached in the bag and it jumped about four feet from the wall onto my window and grabbed me! Startled, I drove away quickly and it jumped off, unharmed but in a state of obvious and ferocious hunger. Woof! Later, we came to another stopping point and guess what, more monkeys. Two little buggers jumped on the car making it difficult for Eli to get out. Not that it was the brightest idea for us to exit the safety of our vehicle, but what the heck! We're tourists!

I was able to get out but reluctant to help poor Eli elude the unwelcome guest off of it's perch above the passenger window. It got off eventually. Poor Eli. I had to convince her to get out of the car.

More monkey talk....

Later this little monkey stole a piece of candy from another non-suspecting tourist and proceeded to hop on our car and enjoy his sugary treat. Admittedly, I walked over to the car and stood next to the little bugger who then jumped on my head. I entertained a crowd of onlookers by balancing my new found friend and walking in circles. I thought the monkey would hop off but I think he kinda liked me. He perched awhile and the notion struck me to start luring more of the teethy critters onto my body. Again, I'm a tourist! What could happen? Right?

At one point I had three monkeys on me. Somehow I managed not get bitten, pooped or urinated on. Fun! Fun!

We also saw some historic World War Two tunnels that were carved into the side of the rock of Gibraltar. We couldn't explore them all because there are thirty miles of tunnels. We did what we could.

Anyway, long story short we had a great time. Gibraltar is owned by the Brits and they are crazy! I'm going to Seville tomorrow to see the Plaza De Espana. Awesome stuff. I´ll keep up with y'all. I've got the monkeys on film so ill prove it! bye bye

adios,
J

The truth about the Truth of New Orleans

With all due respect to the previous poster:

-There's plenty of blame to go around, but in times of crisis, we look to the leader of the free world, not the governor of some pissant state. You're going to have to explain to me how the federal government can't do anything unless the state authorizes it - I'm not a lawyer, but the federal government can move in and take over whenever it damn well pleases (and whenever it is politically expedient.)

-Sure they knew it would happen. We've all read about the newspaper report of a few years back. So what's your point?

My point is that somebody should have been ready. The Federal Emergency Management folks, the Homeland Security folks, they're supposed to be ready for shit like this. That's what they've been training to do, especially since Sept. 11, 2001. But the response was pitiful and woefully slow. Why? Where are my tax dollars going? I'll tell you why - nobody was ready because nobody cares about lower middle class people with no political donations to make and no political clout in Washington. If this had happened in Florida, would we even be talking about the response at all? Hell no!

-Why isn't this like 9/11? Why isn't there a national moment of silence? Why are major league baseball players and professional football players suiting up? Why didn't everyone swarm the Red Cross to give blood, instead of jamming gas stations for their own good? Why? Because most Americans don't know what it's like to grow up in a project. Because most Americans are lazy slobs. Because of money and politics and this country's inability to care for the lowest of its residents.

-The blame certainly extends beyond Louisiana, into every hall of power, every home of the priviledged and lazy, every notebook of an inept media, every heart of an uncaring American.

The Truth About New Orleans

I am a former resident and law enforcement officer of New Orleans (1998-2004). I have spent the last week flipping back and forth between FOX and CNN. While most of America is shocked by what has happened. I, on the other hand, am not!

My employment in law enforcement during my years as a NOLA resident taught me a lot! And ultimately led to my leaving! While most people are shocked at the lack of leadership, I am not! While most people are shocked at anarchy, I am not!

WHO'S TO BLAME!

As for the leadership, most of the blame goes to Gov. Blanco! I remember her lack of understanding of policies and planning during the gubernatorial debates. She often appeared confused and rattled when asked a question. Many times she would simply answer a question by stating, "I agree with him (Bobby Jindal)." or "I think we should do what he (Bobby Jindal) said." Of course Jindal lost because of his political party and youth. While many people want to lay the blame at the President, we must understand that the federal government can not take charge of a situation until the Governor of that state provides authorization.

THEY KNEW IT WOULD HAPPEN!

The total destruction that we see in New Orleans was expected. Several years ago, an Times-Picayune reporter did about a five-part series with LSU clearing reporting what would happen to NOLA during a CAT 5 hurricane. The report included a full-color graphic showing how the levee holding back the lake would break. This graphic also clearly showed what parts of the city would be flooded and by how much water.

On Saturday (8/27/05), I told my wife that Katrina would hit the heated waters of the gulf and become a major hurricane and slam into NOLA. I then went to the Times-Picayune website, found the report in the archives and showed her what would happen.

Several years ago, when the article was first published, I downloaded the graphic as a PDF file on my laptop, brought it to work, and asked our leadership, "What are we going to do when this happens?" The response has allows been, "Well, we hope that never happens." (click here for report)

BRING IN RUDY!

Everyone wants to bring in Rudy! However, this is an entirely different disaster. The 9/11 terror attack did not effect the entire city of New York in the same manner as Katrina. The actual disaster was in a "section" of the city. The city of New York was not under water. The complete infastructure of the city was not destroyed! Rudy would not have made the relief efforts any better.

The blame does not go beyond the leaders of Louisiana!

Hurricane Relief

The girl child and I spent the afternoon at Wal-Hell buying supplies to give to various churches and charitable organizations for the hurricane victims. It was helpful for both of us to have something tangible to do. She doesn't understand much of what has happened, and because she's a concrete little being, she's focused her concern on our family who live on the Virginia coast. Not surprisingly, I spent much of my day answering her "What ifs?"

At the moment, thankfully, you can't throw a rock in Asheville without hitting someone or some organization collecting monetary and in kind donations for hurricane relief. So I'm not going to give you a list. But I'm going to encourage you to do all you can. Glad we're all in this together.

Mayor Worley on the Fuel Shortage

September 2nd edition of the city's e-news by Charles Worley:

"As the work week comes to an end and we head into a holiday weekend, I want to first ask you to keep our fellow citizens in Louisiana and Mississippi in your thoughts. They are facing a devastating catastrophe and are in need of America’s support. Governor Mike Easley yesterday encouraged North Carolina citizens to help recovery efforts by donating to the NC Helping Neighbors Fund, which is managed by the governor’s office. You can also provide resources or donate blood through the Asheville Mountain Area Chapter of the Red Cross.

During the week, our community has faced a fuel supply disruption caused by the effects of Hurricane Katrina on fuel pipeline infrastructure. According to the latest announcement issued by Colonial Pipeline, the company that operates the pipeline feeding suppliers in Western North Carolina, fuel capacity is expected to be restored to about 85 percent by the end of the weekend. Plantation Pipe Line Co. today reported that electricity has been restored to its pump station in Collins, Miss., giving Plantation the capability to operate at approximately 95 percent capacity. In addition, the federal government has indicated it is taking steps to help solve the problem of fuel availability.

While the information we are receiving from the federal government and the fuel industry is encouraging, we still expect fuel supplies throughout the state to be inconsistent for some time. President George W. Bush, Governor Mike Easley and local officials are urging citizens to continue measures to conserve fuel. Throughout the weekend and into the next work week, please make plans to carpool, ride share, take public transportation, walk, ride a bicycle and limit unnecessary vehicle travel.

City bus service will be available to all regular routes, including trips to Black Mountain and Weaverville, all day Saturday and until 5 p.m. on Monday. Special service has been added on Labor Day to help citizens conserve fuel during the holiday. Information about Asheville Transit and bus routes can be found at www.ashevilletransit.com. You can find more information about ridesharing at www.sharetheridenc.org. You can also visit the city’s web site to reference a list of frequently asked questions and important phone numbers..

Thank you for your efforts to help conserve fuel in our community and for your patience as we work together during this disruption. Asheville has a tremendous community spirit, and I appreciate everything you are doing to support our economy, our neighborhoods and each other. Have a safe holiday weekend.

"

the first official syntax high-gravity beer test

i knew i should have printed out the list of high-gravity beers that george posted after the 6% cap was popped, but thankfully a "helping phriendly person" at greenlife gave me a couple of recommendations, and i ended up settling on a six-pack of victory golden monkey tripel ale.

not that i'd call this settling by any means; it's great stuff!

golden monkey has a much more playful and complex flavor than most beers of this nature that i've tasted, deceptively light with a strong malty start and a warm, spicy finish reminiscent of ginger or cinnamon, maybe both. plus, it's a 9.5% brew, which makes for the perfect end to an unexpected 12-hour day @ work.

of course, as mentioned before moderation should be exercised when consuming high-gravity brew.

but since i don't have any plans to drive anywhere tonight, i don't plan on exercising that moderation... ;)

On The Road Again..

In the midst of my search for a bicycle I ran across one tiny little issue. My toddler. The thought dawned on me that if I'm out bicycling, I would probably have to take him with me. I asked a few friends about the bike seats that they use for their little ones and my friend Jan made a wonderful suggestion. I had never seen it before and am thrilled that such a product is out there.

The Wee Ride Centric Carrier

It's predecessor being the rear mount child seat...



It makes so much more sense for the child to be cradled safely in front of the rider.

Since searching for the seat online I've found it being sold from $59.99 - $120.00 for the

Kangaroo by Wee Ride.

This place seems to have the best deal going online. I have not left my house and searched local bike shops or called to see who might have one hereabouts so feel free to comment if you know of a local place that carries this particular centric seat.

Where The Gas Is

This city website has a listing of stations who report still having some petrol. The list has addresses and phone numbers, so you can call ahead to make sure.

Click Me For Gas.

{via the inimitable Ashvegas}

Hurricane Relief And The Liberal Blogosphere

As most of you know I am a member of the Liberal Advertising Network. Last night with the help of Chris Bowers we started a campaign to raise $1 Million for the disaster relief. I hate for my post here at BlogAsheville to be about money but I find myself compelled to write about this. We are all uniting in order to get this money raised and anyone that would like to donate please do so.

Chris Bowers had this to say about this effort:

Hurricane Katrina has devastated thousands of lives. Today, we're announcing a coordinated effort by the liberal/progressive blogosphere to help the victims of the devastation. Together, we're going to raise $1 million for the American Red Cross - and prove that the liberal blogosphere can help our fellow citizens in need. Make a donation for hurricane relief.

As President Clinton once said, "There's nothing wrong with America that can't be fixed by what's right with America."

The most prominent lefty blogs in the nation, represented by the Liberal Blog Advertising Network, are leading the way by running donated ads and asking readers to join us in making a difference. Combined, these blogs will display their ads over 12 million times each week over the course of the campaign.

course, we invite all progressive bloggers to participate in our community-wide campaign - both BlogAds subscribers and non-subscribers. Get the HTML to post the ads on your own blog or website.

Again sorry that my first post has to do with money but we are just trying to help out however we can.

Gas prices soar with manufactured panic

A Fox News TV truck pulled up to the BP gas station as people swarmed the fuel pumps in this spirit of manufactured panic. I guess this breaking news. I don't understand why it is so urgent to fill up vehicles now as opposed to tomorrow or next week. Most people have at least three or four days' worth of gas in their fuel tanks. Maybe this is only happening in Western North Carolina [UPDATE: a reader of 1000 Black Lines commented that it's happening in Texas too] (thanks to a television station who preys upon public fears to boost low ratings). I stopped watching television years ago.


Oh, look the sky has fallen, but not the gas prices. This CitiStop is closed with regular gasoline topping $3.09 as advertised by its sign which has been turned off. Is this really a crisis? Or are people really this... (well, I'll let you fill in the blank) _______?

When I first moved down South I laughed every time the local television channel forecasted a snow or "blizzard." The population of the city seemed to be at the local BiLo or Winn-Dixie "stocking up" on bread and milk. I'm from the Upper Midwest. I doubt anyone up there would get off the couch for that kind of announcement. In fact, tornado warnings often drew people to the front porch with camcorders in hand.


Oh, look! It's not the end of the world--Exxon is still open with regular at $2.84 per gallon of fossil fuel. I wonder if they have any beer and cigars left?

I remember when I could fill up my car's tank for six bucks. An older friend said he remembers when twenty-five cents bought half a tank of gas at full service. Do gas stations offer full service anymore? Oh, the times they are a changin'... but nobody likes change. At least not this quickly.

I guess I grew up in a place and time where personal responsibility was more important than personal autonomy... where a community was family and didn't try to run over their neighbor in a desperate rush for another tank of gasoline.

My advice, from one neighbor to another, wait a few days. This will all blow over soon. We'll be okay. We're family.

[by request, cross posted from 1000 Black Lines]