All of a sudden it seems to some, if not to those of us who are older, that we have an “energy crisis.” We’ve been living on the edge for years, driving larger and larger cars, building larger and larger homes, and pretending the supply of oil and especially gasoline was unlimited. Oops: Now the […]
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The good thing
Early on in my life, someone told me that there was no problem that couldn’t be solved if you asked the right questions. That advice has come to mind when evaluating what to do about the Parkside condominium project. Anytime a subject so controversial and divisive faces the community, I think we are all torn […]
Gang Graffiti
Local Flavor: Tennessee Hollow and Johnson’s Crossroad
It’s not quite the weekend, but close to it. A breezy Thursday night beckons music lovers to West Asheville’s Rocket Club. Several drinks and many songs later, patrons will trickle out into the dark street, fortified for the last workday of the week. But for now, the crowd lounges on brightly colored stools, or stands […]
Gas prices require better solutions
As Americans face the stark reality of skyrocketing energy costs, we must look for long-term solutions rather than short-term fixes that exacerbate the problem. Recently, our Sens. Dole and Burr both supported the new Gas Price Reduction Act of 2008, which proposes to lower gas prices by increasing off-shore oil drilling and enabling fuel production […]
Blowing in the wind
I have heard several of the political pundits yammer about the windfall-profits tax, which ostensibly would penalize oil companies. These folks don’t seem to recall what happened the last time such a bill was passed by our federal government. Jimmy Carter’s keystone national energy policy was a similar windfall-profits tax bill. It didn’t work then, […]
Let states decide on medical canabis
We at Americans for Safe Access of Western North Carolina have been informed by Rep. Heath Shuler’s office that our congressman will not support the Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment coming up for a vote this month. This amendment to the Justice Department appropriations bill would prevent the Drug Enforcement Administration and the federal government from interfering in […]
There are plenty of folks to blame
The government has failed seniors and citizens under the leadership of a mindless president and his administration. Now he is blaming the Democrats in Congress for the oil shortage. Does the man even have a brain? What about the effect of the war on oil prices? I blame not only Bush and Cheney etc., but […]
Can we prevent the foreseeable apocalypse?
Before retiring, I was reading Ideas of Great Philosophers. Socrates believed that the best choice to govern was a benevolent king. He also believed that finding one was impossible. I fell asleep and dreamed that such a benevolent person was elected to govern the United States. He announced that he would dismantle the entire U.S. […]
Renegotiate NAFTA
During his recent visit to Mexico, how significant it would have been if Sen. McCain had met with some of the Mexican people I met on my recent trip there with the group Witness for Peace. I wish he had talked with some of the families of the more than 2 million small farmers who […]
Obamanomics versus supply and demand
Economics 101 teaches that supply and demand describes market relations between prospective sellers and buyers of goods and services. The supply-and-demand model determines price and quantity sold in a market. This model is fundamental in microeconomic analysis and is used as a foundation for other economic models and theories. It predicts that in a competive […]
Weekly Asheville Disclaimer Page: 07/16/08
• Snake-handling
• Kitten handling
• Edgy Mama
Asheville Free Book Exchange
Asheville Free Book Exchange is Asheville’s newest recycling center. It accepts donations for all kinds of books, and gives books away for free. It’s also available as a space for local artists to display their art, or as a space to host events such as movie screenings, benefits, book circles, story times or literacy and […]
The conversation
I was just driving along a country road. No particular place to go—just driving and letting my mind wander. Then I saw it! I slowed down and blinked, but it was still there. I stopped my truck in the middle of the road, and when I came to myself I was standing in front of […]
Automatique for the people
Last year, a wave of post-flannel nostalgia gripped Asheville. The Smashing Pumpkins staged a nine-show residency at the Orange Peel that brought the attention of the rock world to Asheville, if only for a few days. While many locals (including this writer) drank Billy Corgan’s musical Kool-Aid and believed for a moment that the only […]
The Dirt: Orchid man
Jim Rogers and Biltmore Estate are a good fit. On the house grounds, bronze statues run the gamut from a hippogriff to a terrier to a bust of George Vanderbilt in the library. Rogers particularly likes the one of George. “It is so real, it looks like it could get up and walk off,” he […]
Beginnings
“Beautiful.” “Spectacular.” “Gorgeous.” They’re all words I could use again and again to describe my recent nine-day bicycle journey along the Blue Ridge Parkway from Waynesboro, Va., to Cherokee, N.C. Photo By Steve Talevi Indeed, if the sole focus of these articles were the views of mountains and valleys from my bike, you’d get tired […]
Hot air
Several years ago, poet/farmer Wendell Berry penned a controversial essay titled “Why I am Not Going to Buy a Computer,” in which he presented a clearheaded rationale for not buying into this form of technological slavery. His critics countered that computers enable them to follow and respond to the numerous environmental issues we face. Berry […]
Note to Buddy: Why dogs hate mail carriers
As a USPS mail carrier in Asheville, I am responding to “Buddy’s Bad Day” [Letters, July 1]. If the incident regarding Mr. Masters’ dog happened exactly as he stated, then the carrier responsible neglected his duties as a professional. (Postal Bulletin 22101 [states]: Dog repellent should be used as a last resort to prevent a […]
Bin there, done that
In Asheville, we pride ourselves on being earth-friendly, nearly every business has some means of recycling their cans, paper, plastic and bottles. However, when a customer takes something away [from a store] that can be easily recycled, then they either (a) need to carry the recyclable thing or things to their home and/or office [where] […]
Eat and read more!
I wrote a few weeks ago [“Hungry for More Reviews,” May 28] wishing for more restaurant reviews and did I ever get my wish! Thanks for the enhanced food section. Really varied, really interesting, can’t wait to eat and read more. Bon appetit. — Jane Knox Asheville