I would like to applaud reader Meredith Hope’s letter “Shame on You, Charter” [Feb. 9 Xpress] for taking [the cable company’s] current idiotic ad campaign to task. I gave up commercial TV in all its forms in 1972. At that time, the average American was watching 39.6 hours of TV a week. Call it 40 […]
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Thank you, Valentine’s Day mystery man
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to an unknown wonderful gentleman who assisted me during a medical emergency on Valentine's Day at the downtown restaurant Tupelo Honey. I'm generally a calm-in-the-face-of-crises sort of person, but your calm clarity — asking just the right questions, being just the right sort of stillness — was […]
The dangers of local Web forums
My attention was recently drawn to a discussion on a local Yahoo group Web forum regarding an issue I had some firsthand knowledge about. I was not surprised that the initiator of the discussion presented the issue in a self-aggrandizing light. But what did surprise me was the number of people without any firsthand knowledge […]
Review of Rent
It’s easy for community theatre to play it safe, and though Rent is a 15-year-old play and its themes may not seem daring to some, it could be very risky for a community theatre whose audience is often assumed to be conservative.
Weekly Asheville Disclaimer Page: 02/23/11
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Review of Women Beware Women
The Warren Wilson audience often responded with laugher at the moments of highest tragedy, especially at the end when more corpses littered the stage than even Hamlet can boast. Such laughter is not inappropriate.
Boaters flock to Cheoah for first release of season
In a scene suggestive of the start of the Daytona 500, hundreds of boaters gathered at the Cheoah River for the first big water of the year this past Saturday, according to the Tuckasegee Reader.
Local Matters: Shuler talks to Xpress and Buncombe Commission get an earful
In this week’s Local Matters podcast, Xpress news editor Margaret Williams talks to reporter David Forbes about his interview with Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC 11), and with reporter Jake Frankel and news intern Forrest McDonald about the recent controversial Buncombe County Commission meeting.
Elitist Bastards: The Hanke’s Tomb
In this week’s Elitist Bastards Go To The Movies podcast, Mountain Xpress film critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther review: The Eagle, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, Just Go with It, Company Men, Barney’s Version, Gnomeo & Juliet and The Illusionist. They also chat about The Mummy’s Hand (1940) and The Mummy’s Tomb (1942)—this week’s Thursday Horror Picture Show—and The Hours (2002)—this week’s Asheville Film Society screening. And to top off the tank, they guess about the quality of Unknown, I Am Number Four and Big Mommas: Like Father Like Son.
So unfunny you’ll forget not to laugh
Neil Hamburger’s self-described never-ending comedy tour is coming back to town. The hack-prince of comedy — who’s released nine comedy albums through the Drag City record label over the last 15 years (“I don’t listen to these records”) and opened for the likes of Faith No More, NOFX, and Bad Religion — will perform his […]
The Profiler
The Suspect: Bassnectar Bassnectar is the performing name for the freeform electronic music artist Lorin Ashton. He specializes in sudden shifts in meter and multiple layers of samples. He calls his tempo-changing style “omni-tempo maximalism”; his legions of fans just call it “Siiiick!” He’s collaborated with Diplo and RJD2, and he’s performed many a celebrated […]
The straight poop
Even as Western North Carolinians continue to battle winter, it won’t be long before the ground thaws and many of us will once again be making our way to local rivers to swim, boat, fish and otherwise enjoy the scenic beauty of our mountain streams. As we wade into them, however, we’ll confront the harsh […]
Another plea for the Merrimon magnolia
Thank you for printing Dennis Hill's letter regarding the planned removal of a 100-year-old magnolia at the corner of Merrimon Avenue and East Chestnut Street [“Save the Merrimon Magnolia,” Feb. 9 Xpress]. I have lived in Asheville for 35 years, but only recently discovered the magnolia. It is remarkable. I encourage everyone to stop by […]
Build jobs, not buildings
Asheville has been getting a lot of new buildings around town, in such places as UNCA, Asheville High, AB-Tech and the courthouse. Where is the money coming from to fund all these? You guessed it: job cuts. The state is also reducing or cutting much-needed mental-health services across the North Carolina. UNCA cut staff or […]
City Council is the last hope for planet earth
In a conversation I had with Rep. Susan Fisher at a Blue Ridge Pride event, she agreed that the contraception funding buck can only stop at [the] city hall [level] because it cannot stop in Raleigh or Washington, D.C. The reason for that is because Fisher, Nesbitt and Gantt are answerable to culturally conservative ex-urban […]
The wheels are turning in the River Arts District
There is a project gaining traction in the River Arts District, born of a collaboration between the Hillcrest Community, Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association, West End/Clingman Avenue Neighborhood and other interested parties. Land currently owned by the city of Asheville and the Department of Transportation is being considered for a high-use urban bike skills park. There […]
2011: A Lifeline for our Southern Forests?
The United Nations recently designated 2011 as the International Year of Forests. Why? Because forests are essential for life on earth — from supporting biodiversity, to filtering our water, preventing floods and removing carbon from the atmosphere. Yet, despite their immense value, industrial logging in the southern U.S. is only accelerating. In fact, in North […]
A party house for every neighborhood!
On Feb. 7, 2011, Buncombe County Planning and Development recommended a change to the county zoning ordinance to permit daily and weekly rental of single-family homes in Buncombe residential zoning districts. This change is strongly supported by real estate agents, property investors and property managers who see short-term rentals as an aid to the sale […]
Weekly Asheville Disclaimer Page: 02/16/11
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Local Matters: City Council updates and budget woes
In this week’s Local Matters podcast, reporter Jake Frankel talks to David Forbes about the upcoming cover story on the City’s budget problems, and freelance reporter Christopher George gives a run-down of the most recent City Council meeting.
Elitist Bastards: From Dusk Till Bieber
In this week’s Elitist Bastards Go To The Movies podcast, Mountain Xpress film critics Ken Hanke and Justin Souther talk about current releases The Roommate and Sanctum, as well as giving a preview of The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2011. They also discuss the early Robert Rodriguez schlock-horror flick From Dusk Till Dawn (this week’s Thursday Horror Picture Show) and the classic Charlie Chaplin film City Lights (next week’s Asheville Film Society screening). And just to keep themselves limber, they also chat about upcoming releases The Illusionist, The Eagle, Just Go with It and Gnomeo & Juliet before working themselves into an infuriated froth over the mere existence of Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.