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R.I.P. Teddy Pendergrass. You and your music will be missed.

The son of Frank, Dweezil Zappa has been doing his father proud in recent years, going on tour with the ZPZ outfit to bring his father's music to the masses. Check them out tonight at Neighborhood Theatre.

To brighten up your day ... who doesn't love The Muppets? Aren't you glad they're finally making a comeback?

Funny shit — but true:

It pays to be green, just ask top eco-execs:

During his more than three decades in real estate David Pogue played many roles, but environmental expert was never one of them.

That didn't stop his company, Los Angeles real estate brokerage CB Richard Ellis, from naming him the company guru of all things eco-friendly nearly two years ago. Pogue suddenly found himself in charge of making the firm and its projects more energy efficient and environmentally conscious, an abrupt switch from his previous property-management responsibilities.

"I'm an outsider, a real estate guy trying to become an environmentalist," said Pogue, the company's national director of sustainability. "But I believe in what I do, that it's something bigger than myself."

Positions such as Pogue's often are placed in the upper echelons of companies, where they are highly visible and directly overseen by the chief executive. At Coca-Cola Co. and Mitsubishi Motors North America Inc., chief executives Muhtar Kent and Ryoichi Ueda, respectively, have adopted the sustainability officer title as well.

Other firms bundle in extra duties, such as dealing with the supply chain. At Levi Strauss & Co., Michael Kobori works on labor standards and general green issues as vice president for social and environmental sustainability.

"Ten years ago, the position I have didn't exist," Kobori said. "Now, we are seeing a new generation of business leaders who have grown up with sustainability. There is actually a career path in this field for someone at a corporation."

"This isn't just a job on the side," she said. "It really influences everything we do. It goes beyond compliance and into long-range planning and preparing the company for a broader view."

Bank of America's on board, too:

After Bank of America Corp. announced a $20-billion, 10-year commitment to sustainable operations, products and services in 2007, it took on several eco-officers. Among them: a manager certified in green building standards who works on environmental compliance for the company's 96 million square feet of space, an "electronification of paper" executive and several investment strategists focused on renewable energy.

Read the rest of this L.A. Times article, by Tiffany Hsu, here.

Some people talk (a lot) about what needs to be done to give area students a boost. Others — like Dr. Michael Friedland — stop talking and start doing.

With Qcity billionaire C.D Spangler handing out millions of dollars last week to various education-related causes, the efforts of Dr. Michael Friedland may have gone unnoticed.

So, for those who missed it, here’s a recap:

Friedland is a doctor of internal medicine who lives in Charlotte. He grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y, attended public schools and graduated from Vassar College.

Of all the things his parents instilled in him, he said, what he appreciates most is a love for learning. Friedland said he wants all children to have that thirst.

A few years ago he started brainstorming ways to encourage learning in some of Charlotte’s poorest and lowest-performing schools. That’s how the Friedland Foundation was born.

Last week at a CMS media briefing, Friedland introduced three middle school students who will receive the first round of college scholarships from the foundation. All attend Title 1 schools – schools that receive extra federal funding because of high rates of poverty and low test scores.

Read the rest of this Qcitymetro.com article, by Glenn Burkins, see a photo and learn more about the students here.

"You must be the change you want to see in the world." -- Mahatma Gandi

Wow. We've come a long way since the days when we thought AIDS was a gay-man's disease. Well, maybe ... did you hear about Uganda's plan to execute HIV-positive gay men (and how some American conservatives are pulling the strings)?

Anyway. Happy World AIDS Day. Let's celebrate our progress while preparing to continue the battle.

Q-Notes has the low-down on events in Charlotte and HIV and AIDS statistics in our area:

RAIN (Regional AIDS Interfaith Network) will commemorate World AIDS Day 2009 by reading the names of individuals that have died of AIDS in the Charlotte region on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 beginning at 12:00 pm. The event will occur in Polk Park at the corner of Trade and Tryon streets in uptown Charlotte. The public is invited to attend and participate by remembering persons they have known that died of this disease. RAIN will be joined by other local ASOs (AIDS Service Organizations) such as House of Mercy and Rosedale ID Clinic that day.

And you can catch the band live tonight at The Fillmore:

Megadeth performs tonight at The Fillmore, with Machine Head, Suicide Silence  Arcanium

Local makeup artist Jami Svay, as featured in the Charlotte Observer, Blu Magazine, and today on waxMaMa.com, has made it big (and I don't say that just because we're mentioning her here on Klepto). Her line of lip balm, Tastee Cosmetics, was recently the star of the show on QVC. Check out the video.