Sub-Prime Karmic Debt

To the driver, with a grey goatee, driving the light tan, Ford truck with the elk stickers on either side of the back window, who rear-ended my friend's family, who then hit my car and my family, on the off ramp on Long Shoals road, and then drove off:

Shame on you!

Blue Ridge Pride Poster Contest

Blue Ridge Pride presents… Blue Ridge Pride Poster Design Contest.

The contest is open to everyone!

Entries accepted: June 1 – July 31, 2009. Winner will be notified on August 10, 2009.

Winner’s name or company logo will be included on the event poster/website and will have Blue Ridge Pride VIP access privileges during the event and recognition online and in the event program.

Please follow these guidelines carefully: 1) Design can be in either Mac or PC format. 2) Submit final design on CD and be sure to INCLUDE a hard copy along with your contact information (name, phone and email address). 3) Art must be in a vector-based program or encapsulated postscript. SORRY, NO EXCEPTIONS ACCEPTED 4) Convert all fonts to paths, or submit font suitcase with art. 5) Blends, tones, gradients and combinations of spot colors permissible. 6) Submissions become the property of Blue Ridge Pride and cannot be returned. Content Requirements: Include the words: • “Blue Ridge Pride” “Asheville, NC 2009” • and Blue Ridge Pride logo (available for download at www.blueridgepride.com under the media tab). Additional Information: Blue Ridge Pride would like to look outside the box and utilize ideas that my not be obvious symbols of pride such as rainbows. Submit by Mail: PO Box 2044 Asheville, NC 28802 Blue Ridge Pride 10/10/2009 at 12 noon, MLK Park in Asheville, NC. Good Luck to everyone! blueridgepride@yahoo.com

Press Contacts:

Amy Huntsman PO Box 2044 Asheville, NC 28802

Come to the Vortex Cabaret

The Vortex Cabaret is a series of biweekly variety shows at the Boiler, 11 Grove Street. They feature an eclectic mix of entertainment, drawn from the bleeding edge of the performing arts community in Asheville. It is hosted by the Rev. Johnny Lemuria, host of URTV's the Pleasure Saucer.
The next Vortex Cabaret is this Wednesday, June 3rd, at 10 PM. It features stand-up comedy by Jack Eagan, Valerie of the Hellblinki Sextet, the sexy song-and-dance of Spycey Spyce, and Asheville's own premiere bellydance troupe, Baraka Mundi. Admission is only $5.
The Vortex Cabaret- the show that must be seen to be believed. Come early, drink often.
For more information, please visit the Pleasure Saucer.

Tomato Tuesdays at New French Bar

New weekly comedy event in town. From a press release:

Tomato Tuesdays

big HONEY Entertainment brings a community interactive stand-up comedy open mic show to The New French Bar located at 12 Biltmore Avenue at 8pm every Tuesday night.

“Tomato Tuesdays” is not the typical open mic forum. The organizers have created an audience interactive show, which mixes the traditional comedy open mic night with “The Gong Show”.

Every comic is given a certain time frame to perform. Should the comic extend over the allotted time given the audience then has the option to toss a (stuffed) tomato at the gong to get the performer off stage. The lit gong will notify the audience on stage when the time is appropriate. Should an audience member want to gong a comic early they may however, if the comic is gonged early the person who threw the tomato must buy the performer a drink.

Every person who attends will be charged a $3 door cover and in return will receive a basket with three stuffed tomatoes. Tomato Basket Refills are $2 and are available all night.

Come join Asheville’s only comedy open mic and get out of the house for a change! All are welcome to come out and tell a joke or tell several jokes to the fully fruit armed audience. See you at the New French Bar.

big HONEY Entertainment Presents Tomato Tuesdays

Where: The New French Bar

12 Biltmore Ave.

Asheville, NC

(828) 225-6445

When: Every Tuesday night @ 8:00 PM

Cost: $3 Door Cover Charge

Why: We like throwing fruit at comics

Recommended for mature audiences 18+

Asheville Screening & Discussion: Immigration, Women's Rights, Consumer Consciousness

WHAT: Film screening and discussion of Made in L.A.

WHERE: Firestorm Cafe & Books - 48 Commerce St., Asheville, NC

WHEN: Thursday, May 28^th – 7:00 – 9:00

DETAILS: Open to the public

BLOGGERS: Please feel free to copy and post on your blogs

Local leaders are putting a human face on the issue of immigration at a screening and discussion of the Emmy-winning documentary Made in L.A. at Firestorm Café & Books on May 28^th from 7:00 – 9:00. This screening is part of a national campaign to spark dialogue around issues of immigration, low-wage work, women’s empowerment and consumer consciousness. The documentary touches on consumer consciousness, women's empowerment, low-wage workers and immigration.

The documentary follows the remarkable story of three Latina immigrants working in Los Angeles garment sweatshops as they embark on a three-year odyssey to win basic labor protections from a trendy clothing retailer. Made in L.A. is a very personal, human story that puts a face on the immigrant experience and draws parallels between today’s immigrants and those whose families came to the U.S. generations ago.

This screening is sponsored by COLA – Coalición de Organizaciones Latino-Americanas a regional network uniting and empowering organizations that work with Latino communities throughout Western North Carolina.

The film will be screened in English and Spanish with bilingual subtitles. $5 suggested donation. This event is the film’s Asheville premiere.

Announcing: Two June Howard Street Handmade Events!

Lets start at the beginning.
On June 6th, from 8am to 7pm, Short Street Cakes Presents the newest incarnation of Howard Street Handmade: The Crafty Supply Sale and Swap Bonanza! Here's the rundown from one of our organizers (and resident HSH logo artists, ass-kicker, and all around awesome mama, Katie Elkins of Scrumdidlyump fame!
One June 6th Howard Street Handmade will host a fabulous day of low-cost
workshops and a Crafty Supply Swap + Sale Bonanza. Howard Street Handmade
takes place at 227 Haywood Road in East West Asheville, next to our lovely
sponsor, Short Street Cakes.

The day will progress in three acts, (eat your heart out Ira Glass):

*Part I - *8 am -10:30 am

- *A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words - But you Need a Few of Those Too*

Low-Cost Photography and Writing Workshop
Bring your work and we will do a hands on photo shoot! Learn how to take great
photos of your work with minimal equipment. We will play with props, lighting and help each other write great descriptions of our work, and gain skills to sell more of your work! Great for Etsy or for building a portfolio to approach galleries and shops!
cost - *$5 *
brought to you by scrumdidlyump
*All proceeds from this class will go to the Howard Street Handmade marketing fund!*

*Part II - *11:00 am - 1:30 pm
- *That Felt GOOD!*
Felting basics workshop
Learn how to make your own felted soaps with needle felted designs!
cost -* $10 *+ supplies
brought to you by MellowKnee

- *Yo Mam**a Likes Prints*
Low-tech Printing basics workshop
Make your own stamps and learn how to print on paper and fabric.
cost - *$10* plus supplies
scrumdidlyump + special surprise guest

*All classes are first come, first serve. Reserve your spot today by emailing howardstreethandmade@gmail.com.

*Part III - 3:00 pm - 7 pm

The Crafty Supply Swap + Sale Bonanza*

- *The Sale - Downstairs*
Vendor Table fee - *$10*
3 ft tables available to sell all those crafty supplies you've been making/hoarding.

- *The Swap - Upstairs*
Bonanza ticket -*$3*
Buy a ticket, bring some crafty stuff you don't want, take away some stuff you do.
BYOB. (Bring Your Own Basket)

Sign up quick, because spaces are going to fill quickly!

Now, the second event, is the monthly tradition we have all come to know and love: The Howard Street Handmade Craft Market! This month's HSH will take place on June 20th, and will feature the usual awesomeness from returning and new vendors, as well as Music! Outdoor Vendors! A Cake Walk! and maybe BEER!

For more info, visit the Howard Street Handmade Blog!

we love you.
xo
jodi and short street cakes and the Howard Street Handmade organizing team.

Spring has Sprung: New Bloggers Welcome!

It's springtime in Asheville. Time to add new bloggers to our roll! Welcome new folks!

Get RiverLinked!
"RiverLink is a regional non-profit spearheading the economic and environmental revitalization of the French Broad River and its tributaries as a place to work, live and play. Since 1987 we have engaged in simultaneous efforts to address water quality concerns throughout the French Broad River basin, expand public opportunities for access and recreation, and spearheaded the economic revitalization of Asheville's dilapidated riverfront district."

NC Stage Co Blog
The blog of North Carolina Stage Company co-founder and Artistic Director, Charlie Flynn-McIver. There is no particular theme or subject matter to which this blog is devoted, save for the musings, observations and thoughts of me, Charlie Flynn-McIver

Castaspark
"live from beautiful downtown ashvegas"

Asheville Rocks
Both local musicians, as well as musicians from around the world will agree that Asheville is a mecca for live music. Photographer and commentator Alissa Whelan documents Asheville's exciting music scene, exploring the bands, venues, and resources that make ASHEVILLE ROCK!

Full Gastronomic Tilt
"The place:
Asheville, North Carolina

The scene:
Semi-controlled chaos
in the kitchen

Full tilt:
To proceed at top speed; with maximum energy"


Dry Ridge Inn Blog

The Mindful Kitchen

Octobia's Blog

Taking My Walk

Artist Blogs
Carpenter Pottery Blog
"A Potter's Journal"

Julyan Davis, Artist

Kitchen Concepts
You dream it. We’ll build it.

Michael Tracey, Photographer

Changes
FYI Barefoot Society is now Slum Dog Lake

Nice Marmot now found here

Jason Bugg's Blog has a new address, The (bugg) Blog



-------------------------------
Y'all welcome these newest bloggers and artists to BlogAsheville

Jason Bugg has moved!

Since the admins here don't check their email, it's up to me to announce that my blog, The (bugg) Blog, has changed locations and is now located at www.jasonbugg.com/blog .

Thanks!

Click here to go to my blog.

"Y Commute Pass"

Whether you walk or bicycle to downtown Asheville, you now have an opportunity to shower before heading into the office.

The YWCA of Asheville at 185 S. French Broad Ave. is introducing a trial program called the “Y Commute Pass” which will be offered during the months of June, July and August 2009. This program will allow bicycle commuters and walkers access to the locker room, a locker, and shower for $50.00 for the three months.

For more information, contact Carol Severance at the YWCA, 254-7206 x 105.

The mission of the YWCA is eliminating racism and empowering women. Find out more about the YWCA's programs at www.ywcaofasheville.org, or on the YWCA blog, www.ywcaofasheville.wordpress.com.

Green Opportunities

If you work with teens or know someone who does, please turn them on to this excellent organization, Green Opportunities. GO "is dedicated to building a strong and just green economy in Western NC from the bottom-up through green-collar job training, community education, and green microenterprises.":

Member applications for the 2009-2010 Asheville GO Training Team are now available on our website at www.greenopportunities.org/join. Hard copies may be picked up at our office at 378 Haywood Road, Suite E, in West Asheville.

Keep in mind that ideal Asheville GO candidates:

* Are between 16 and 24 years of age
* Are under-employed and not attending school full-time
* Come from low-income communities
* Have one or more barriers to employment

If you haven't already done so, be sure to check out our new website! It has lots of pictures, blog entries, news articles and background information about the program. Thanks to our friends at 828 Design and ThePermaWeb for their efforts, and to Sara Kinney for her work on the blog.

Finally, don't forget about our Arts 2 GO! fundraiser at the Phil Mechanic Building in the River Arts District on May 28th. There will be tons of great food (One Love II), local beer and wine, live entertainment and art--both to view and bid on. Tell your friends! For details, visit the events page of our website.

Thanks for your support!

Dan

Asheville's Transportation Future: Design Forum Tonight

From the Asheville Design Center:

Design Forum: Asheville's Transportation Future

Wed., May 20th from 6-8pm
Asheville Design Center
8 College Street

Please join us as two transportation planning specialists lead a discussion concerning Asheville's transportation future.

The speakers are Joachim Bruder, a prominent architect from Germany, now living in Asheville, and Dr. David Johnson, an Asheville resident, Board member of the ADC and Professor Emeritus at the University of Tennessee.

The speakers will address a series of questions regarding future transportation options for the Asheville Metro area, including:

* Asheville has a fairly extensive bus system and a new plan to make it better. Will the improved bus system fulfill future public transportation needs?
* Should we consider a new fixed route technology in the foreseeable future?
* Is Asheville too small to support a tram or similar system?
* How might a small metro like Asheville's pay for a tram system?
* Are there examples in the US or Europe of successful use of electric tram systems in cities the size of Asheville Metro?
* What technologies are available and what construction requirements do they involve?
* Are the technologies compatible with existing traffic flows?
* Would people use a tram system? Which people?
* What would a possible route configuration for Asheville look like?
* Could the system be put in place in stages or phases? What might these look like?
* Can we learn any lessons from Charlotte's new light rail system?
* Would a proposed tram system qualify for federal stimulus funding?

Ample time for questions and discussion will be provided at the end of the presentations. We'll have wine and cheese available as well. We hope you can join us.

For more information, contact Chrisl Joyell, ADC Executive Director at chris@ashevilledesigncenter.org or call 828.782.7894.

$450/month

Seen at AskAsheville:

CHEEEAAP RENTAL RATES!!!!! ONLY THE NEXT 30 LEASES!!!!!! The Grove Apartments

Wed May 13 at 10:00 am until Mon May 25 at 9:00 pm
The Grove Apartments
600 Bulldog Drive 8282546237
infoasheville@gogrove.com

The Grove is celebrating the end of the year with 30 LEASES for a HUGE DISCOUNTED RATE: $450/month

Haywood Road Market: Everything Must Go

From the Haywood Road Market:

EVERYTHING MUST GO SALE *AND* GOING AWAY PARTY

Friday, May 15th starting at 1pm

Dear friends and owners of the Haywood Road Market,

The time has come - the last day the West Asheville co-op will be open is this Friday, May 15th. Let us leave our community not with lament, but with a celebration. Come join us for a big store sale and then a potluck in the evening.

We're having an "everything must go" sale, and we mean everything! All the food and health products on the shelves, the shelves themselves (including some locally crafted beautiful wood shelving), various signs and equipment, even the kitchen sink :) *The store will be open from 1:00 to 7ish on Friday.* Many of you have expressed interest in certain things throughout
the store, so please know that this sale is on a first come, first serve basis. All property of the Market must be out of the store by the end of this sale, i.e. bring your truck if you want a piece of furniture.

Last but not the least part of this email: *we're having a going away party on Friday night starting around 6:00pm.* We will have our last (and fast) member meeting where we'll share some news from the French Broad Food Co-op as well as facilitate a discussion for those interested in forming a buying club. For the potluck, bring a dish to share, your own plate/silverware, and a chair or blanket. We're having this outside between the Co-op and Bakery, on the lawn where the Tailgate Market is each Wed.

Come enjoy some conversation, food, and music with your fellow owners and supporters of this community-owned business one last time!

All the best to you and our loving community,

your co-op, the Haywood Road Market

Howard Street Handmade this weekend!

We've got a great mix of returning and new vendors. Go to Howard Street Handmade's Blog for more info. See you tomorrow!

Image from one of vendor Journal Junkie's handmade journals:

Downtown After Five is Back Downtown

After Five returns to Lexington Avenue at the I-240 overpasson Friday, May 15 from 5-9pm. The event lineup includes CadillacJones, DJ Williams Projekt and featured local Asheville band, Wilsin.Always free, this year, DTA5 is stepping up with an "EntertainmentStimulus Package" and offering three great bands for one great price -FREE. Local band, Wilsin, is the opener hitting the stage at 5:15pm. Foundedby Asheville's renowned singer/songwriter Will Hartzog, Wilsin blendsa variety of musical backgrounds.

The band brings innovation andexperimentation to the stage and the result is a soulful sound. Hailing from Richmond, Virginia, the DJ Williams Projekt mixes soul,jazz, R&B and hip hop to produce an unforgettable live showexperience. The band’s members have shared the stage with DaveMatthews, John Legend and Karl Denson. The Projekt will start about6:20pm. Headliner Cadillac Jones, a funk-jazz band from Atlanta, Georgia,takes the stage at 7:45pm. Making music together since 2000, the bandtakes its influences from Herbie Hancock, James Brown and theBlackbyrds. Mixing driving rhythms, tight melodies and improvisationaljams, the group creates a sound sure to get crowds moving. May’s Downtown After Five marks the official CD release party forCadillac Jones’ fourth album titled Rhythm Method. DTA5 gives back to the community by partnering with local non-profits.

The charitable organization mans the wristband sales tents and splits the money with the Asheville Downtown Association whichproduces the event. May’s wristband recipient is the Asheville AreaArts Council. The mission of the council is to enrich the community byeducating all people in the Asheville area about the arts, advocatingintegration of the arts in all aspects of community life, andsupporting artists and arts organizations. Other 2009 beneficiaries include Arts2People, Asheville GreenWorks,Downtown Asheville Residential Neighbors (DARN) and Asheville SisterCities International.

Downtown After Five is committed to continuing reducing its carbonfootprint. The concert series features biodegradable food and beveragecontainers, staffed compost and recycling stations, a solar-poweredmain stage and a complimentary bike corral. DTA5 has decreased itscontribution to the landfill from more than 600 bags of trash in yearspast to just 13 bags in 2008.

Food vendors for the 2009 Downtown After Five Series are The LobsterTrap, Nick’s, Anderson Davis Hot Dogs, Ultimate Ice Cream, One World,Rolling Stone Pizza and Sugar Momma's Cookies. DTA5 features a wide selection of beers including local favorites:French Broad Brewery, Highland Brewing Company, Green Man Ales, PisgahBrewing Company and Asheville Pizza & Brewing. Regional breweries forthis year’s events are Magic Hat Brewing Company, SweetWater Brewery,Big Block and Starr Hill Brewery.

Attendees will also find nationalbrands Budweiser, Bud Light, Shock Top, Kona, Bass and Guinness.

Downtown After Five is a production of the Asheville DowntownAssociation, a membership organization committed to being the voice ofdowntown. For more information, visit ashevilledowntown.org.

McCloud Protects Ephemera Blogger From Bear

The story is at Ephemera.

Beer City USA

Update: as of 9:09 pm 5/6 we are down by one percentage point...

vote and recruit!


Listen up People!

Only two days remain to crown Asheville as the best beer city in the USA. We all know this to be true, so go vote. As of this post we are just behind Portland

Vote Here!

My Life In Cake on the TeeVee

Jodi had a fantabulous interview with WYFF.

Click here for Part One


Click here for Part Two

International Children's Festival!

International Children's Festival Update:

Because of the impending rain, the festival will be INSIDE TODAY at Vance! Our rain date got kiboshed, so it is happening today, rain or shine!