Smart Bets: Deer Tick

There’s something refreshingly honest about the way singer-songwriter John McCauley of Deer Tick delivers his unapologetic lyrics. His brazen vocals are backed by upbeat instrumentals. In an interview on NPR’s “World Café,” McCauley said that a lot of personal turmoil provided inspiration for the band’s fifth album, Negativity, released in 2013.  The Providence, Rhode Island-based […]

Healthy discussion­: Panel event highlights community solutions to national health problems

Speaking to about 50 people at the Sherrill Center last night, Executive Director of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition Shellie Pfohl urged audience members to view improving the health of the nation and ending childhood obesity as everyone’s responsibility. (Photo of Shellie Pfohl courtesy of UNCA)

Hoggin’ profits from a Home Ground Treasure

Tell me someone else has noticed that the groundhogs are plotting a takeover. In fact, it may already be underway.  Drive onto Interstate 240 West from Riverside Drive any day, anytime, and they're going hog-wild out there! We've all seen them rolling around on the side roads and in the valleys. I've always been pretty […]

Release and relocate: The metaphysic­s of clutter

I had my carpets cleaned the other day, and it shook up my life like a snow globe. There were reminders of who I was at 2 years old (plastic jack-o’-lantern), at 7 (kids’ books), at 13 (journals — all right, I'm keeping those), in high school (jeans painted with peace signs and shout-outs to Joplin and Hendrix — decades late, but still felt it, man), and who I was some months ago (letters, bank statements, numerous prescription-refill bags). Why all this stuff hanging around, pulling me down?

Maximum fullness

I came to Asheville to kayak the region’s amazing rivers. I came so I could see the mountains from the UNCA library’s steps and look forward to being on them every weekend. I came because, when I found yoga in high school, I realized there were other people as weird as me — and that […]