Thursday, September 10, 2009

Weekender

Posted By on Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 5:58 PM

Check out these events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area this weekend— as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.

Friday, Sept. 11

Yiasou Greek Festival

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral

Prepare to go Greek, as the 32nd Yiasou Greek Festival goes down this weekend at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral. The festival offers Greek cultural exhibits, tours of the cathedral, entertainment and last but not least, food (including yummy baklava!).

Festival Blues, Brews and BBQ, a two-day event with music, beer and, of course, barbeque, kicks off today. Are you squealing yet? more...

Special Event Fashion alert! During Charlotte North Carolina Fashion Week at the Mint Museum of Art, you can enlighten yourself with stylish attire by emerging designers, boutiques, models and fashion students. more...

Saturday, Sept. 12

Master Class

Carolina Actors Studio Theatre

Carolina Actors Studio Theatre is stretching to hit the high notes in performances of Terrence McNally’s Master Class. The play highlights the life and lessons of opera legend Maria Callas.

Art The 5th Annual Potters Market Invitational at Mint Museum of Art will show off a hoard of skillful handmade pottery and sculptures by potters across North Carolina. more...

Comedy Phil Hogan knows how to sings songs that make folks laugh. The comedian blends music into his stand-up act. He’ll perform at Alive tonight. more...

Sunday, Sept. 13

The Derek Trucks Band

Belk Theater

Get your groove on with roots rock, topped with a touch of blues and soul, when The Derek Trucks Band performs at Belk Theater.

Theater Seussical, a musical happening now at Theatre Charlotte, captures the classic tales of Dr. Seuss and characters like Horton the Elephant and all of the Whos of Whoville. Music in the show ranges in styles from Latin to pop, swing to gospel and R&B to funk. more...

Special Event Car fanatics unite for the Food Lion Auto Fair. Whether you’re into vintage cars and trucks or mechanical upgrades, this event has it all. more...

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Ding dong, the recession (may be) dead

Posted By on Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 3:33 PM

Finding out economists are cautiously optimistic is way better than the drama we went through last fall when everyone was sure Wall Street would implode.

Though, it goes without saying that we have a long, long way to go before we'll be back on our materialistic consumer-driven high horses again. (And, do we really want to go back to greedy-ville anyway?)

The recession is ending and the economy is finally growing again. That's the message implicit in the Federal Reserve's latest survey of businesses around the country, which found economic activity stabilizing or improving in most regions.

Economists warn the expansion is fragile and will have staying power only if consumers start spending more money. Rising unemployment that keeps Americans cautions could make for a plodding recovery in the months ahead.

All but one of the Fed's 12 regions indicated economic activity either was "stable," showed "signs of stabilization" or had "firmed," according to the Fed's survey. The one exception was the St. Louis region, which reported the economic decline is "moderating."

Businesses in most Fed regions said they were "cautiously positive" about the economic road ahead. The survey, known as the Beige Book, does not include precise figures.

More from TIME Magazine.

Here's a look back at how we got here:

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Census data shows 1 in 6 in N.C. without health coverage

Posted By on Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 2:01 PM

With much of today’s news attention going to Rep. Joe “Old Yeller” Wilson of South Carolina, it would be easy to forget what health care reform is all about. As the Prez said last night, “In just a two-year period, one in every three Americans goes without health care coverage at some point. And every day, 14,000 Americans lose their coverage. In other words, it can happen to anyone.”

Luckily, the NC Justice Center isn’t focused on Joe Wilson. This morning they released information showing that one in six North Carolinians lacked health coverage in 2007 and 2008, according to Census Bureau data. The group also accurately points out that job-based coverage is weakening everywhere, which means 2009 figures will almost certainly be worse, due to the Great Recession, in which North Carolina has lost 218,000 jobs through July.

One in six North Carolinians without health coverage. And those who have it could lose it at the whim of their insurance companies. What is wrong with people who want this insane system to continue?

Rep. Joe "Old Yeller" Wilson (left) and friend
  • Rep. Joe "Old Yeller" Wilson (left) and friend

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Way to waste a bunch of chocolate and wine

Posted By on Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 1:25 PM

I kid. This race car is sexy. Wonder when we'll see it, or something like it, at the (what are we calling it these days) track in Concord?

A racing car built partly from vegetables and powered by chocolate is to make its track debut next month.

The Worldfirst - described as the greenest car of its kind - is expected to reach a top speed of 135mph when it hits the track at Brands Hatch.

Built from recycled cars, plastic bottles and off-cuts from aeroplanes, the Formula 3 vehicle has a steering wheel made from carrot fibre and can run on biodiesel made from waste chocolate and stale wine.

Its creators at Warwick University say their invention may be green - but can reach 60mph from a standing start in less than 2.5 seconds.

Project leader Dr Kerry Kirwan said the car was proof that 'green cars don't have to be boring'.

'We'll be disappointed if it doesn't do well,' he said. 'We believe this is the greenest car in its class. It's the first car of its kind built from waste material, recycled material and natural materials, but it has the same performance levels and looks just like a Formula 3 racing car.

Read the entire article, and investigate the car's stats, in this Daily Mail (U.K.) article.

Check it out:

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Where was this outrage over invisible WMDs?

Posted By on Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 12:49 PM

Never thought it could happen, but there is a bigger ass in South Carolina than Mark Sanford.

His name is Congressman Joe Wilson. You know, the idiot who called President Barack Obama a liar during his speech last night. Here's my question: Where was this truth fighter under eight years of former president George W. Bush?

Let's start with the war in Iraq. If a president ever deserved to be called a liar, it was then. Yet, Wilson was silent — along with the Democrats.

Weapons of Mass Destruction were the cornerstone for invading Iraq in 2003, but there were none. Did Wilson call Bush a liar?

Now Wilson is doing the "contrite" thing after making an ass of himself and disrespecting the President of The United States.

"This evening I let my emotions get the best of me," he said in a statement. "While I disagree with the president's statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the president for this lack of civility."

He then tried to call Obama to apologize personally, but ended up talking with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel instead, Wilson's office said.

Biden said today that he hadn't spoken with Obama, but, "knowing the president, I'm sure he accepted the apology."

Here's another issue I have with the Democrats: Why are they taking this disrespect as if it is OK? Someone from the other side of the aisle should call Wilson out. Not in the media, not during a presidential address, but on the floor. Someone in the Donkey party needs to grow a pair and tell those Elephants that enough is enough. If you guys want to be dirty and disrespectful to the Commander in Chief, then expect the same treatment.

But Will Moredock from the Charleston City Paper says it best (and what I'm sure many people are going to deny):

What we saw last night was racism, pure and simple. Republicans did not treat Bill Clinton with such disrespect even when they impeached him.

It's time to draw the line on this behavior and one way to do it is to call for Wilson's censure by his House colleagues. Go to http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5649/t/4997/content.jsp?content_KEY=2825&tag=pof_e1 and say it's time to censure Joe.

I concur.

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Today's Top 5: Thursday

Posted By on Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 12:11 PM

Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, Sept. 10, 2009 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.

Jason Mraz at Uptown Amphitheatre

jason-mraz

Charlotte North Carolina Fashion Week at Mint Museum of Art

Subaru River Jam at US National Whitewater Center

• Author Pat Conroy at Park Road Books

Brit Price at Amos' Southend

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A crude politician from S.C.? I'm shocked!

Posted By on Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 11:39 AM

It’s no big surprise that it was a Congressman from South Carolina who, to use a term popular in that state, “showed his ass” during President Obama’s speech last night. Acting like a drooling, knuckle-dragging brute is a pre-existing condition for many politicians in my lovely home state. Just because yelling at the President during a speech to Congress is considered comparable to farting loudly in church, that doesn’t bother a certain breed of arrogant, white South Carolina politicians. You can look it up. Don’t forget, this is the state that gave us Lee Atwater, the undisputed modern king of vicious political sleaze — heck, he's the guy who trained Karl Rove in gutter tactics. It was S.C. that gave us Strom Thurmond, who once filibustered a civil rights bill for 24 straight hours in order to keep African-Americans “in their rightful place,” i.e., in his bed, if you're a black woman ... And it gave us Preston Brooks, a Congressman who, in 1854, nearly beat anti-slavery U.S. Sen. Charles Sumner to death with a walking stick. So, yelling at a president? Especially when you apologize for it right away? Pfftt — that’s nothing for politicians in our nearby sister state. Apology or no apology, you can bet Wilson's taking a few high-fives from his buddies today.

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Thank goodness for the 1st Amendment

Posted By on Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 11:14 AM

Did you watch the president's speech last night? If you did, you probably noticed he had a brief encounter with a heckler. Who was it? No, not a protester.

The president was heckled by Rep. Joe Wilson, a Republican from South Carolina. In obvious disagreement with President Obama's statement about how health care reform will affect undocumented immigrants, the Associated Press reports that Wilson yelled, "You lie!" while stabbing the air with his finger.

Rude? Yes. Classless? Yep. Was he wrong? Dead wrong.

While undocumented immigrants will be able to buy private health insurance, under the House bill, it won't be provided for them at taxpayers' expense.

*shrug* Guess Wilson didn't read the bill.

The First Amendment never said you had to be classy or in-the-know to speak your mind. And, if you look back in history, the floor of the Congress isn't like an old-fashioned library -- it's historically a rowdy place. (Although, he did violate his own party's rules of decorum.)

Sure, it's a bit embarrassing for South Carolina residents who aren't on the same side of the political fence as Wilson. (As an Alablamastan native, I know that feeling you get as you wince when your elected officials make the news for being a dumb ass all too well.)

But, it's his right to speak up. It's his right to put his ignorance on display. Bully for him for being brave enough to stand his ground.

Of course, now that millions of people are bombarding his Web site and office phone line with the facts, maybe he'll read the bill he's so opposed to before he makes a decision that could impact everyone in the country.

Let's hope. Even dumb asses can learn new tricks every once and a while.

In other, more important news, did you notice how the Republican side of the house was acting like snotty children, determined not to participate?

What in the hell are they in Washington for if they're not going to work to make our country a better place? Get over yourself, Party of No. You lost the election. Now it's time to get to work. Got a better idea? Spill it.

Read more about what happened from The State.

Here's how it went down:

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Rep. Joe Wilson should not cast stones

Posted By on Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 9:40 AM

No one should ever call the President of the United States a liar, especially during a live speech. S.C. Rep. Joe Wilson lost his mind yesterday when he did just that, which would have made sense if in fact he had said that to Gov. Sanford, Lt. Gov. Bauer and former Chair of the State Board of Education Kristin Maguire -- all proven liars. The only difference is that they happen to be Republican and white. It is so sad when a Congressman can't keep his racism in check.

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Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Opening Friday

Posted By on Wed, Sep 9, 2009 at 11:45 PM

Whiteout
  • Whiteout

My One and Only - Renee Zellweger, Logan Lerman

The September Issue - Documentary

Sorority Row - Briana Evigan, Rumer Willis

Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself - Tyler Perry, Taraji P. Henson

Whiteout - Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Macht

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