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Monday, December 28, 2009
News CMPD's big bash
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman on Mon, Dec 28, 2009 at 1:52 PM
Our police department threw a very nice party for themselves this year. Personally, I would rather they put those thousands of dollars toward something more in line with — oh, I don't know — protecting our community from criminals.
And, whatever happened to the good ol' fashioned bring-a-dish deals? When did we decide we have to pamper everyone so their morale won't get bruised and so they'll continue to be good li'l workers? I'm gonna go ahead and call bullshit on that outmoded way of thinking. The only thing your employer owes you at the holidays is your regular pay check for your regular work.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department spent about $23,000 for a white-tablecloth, holiday gala this month - an expense questioned by one City Council member as potentially excessive in these tough economic times.Police Chief Rodney Monroe, who approved the spending, says the party was valuable for department morale and offered a chance for CMPD employees and volunteers to get together and celebrate their hard work.
"I've learned one of the best ways to boost morale and cultivate a culture of motivation and teamwork is to take time to recognize and show appreciation ...," Monroe said in a written statement to the Observer about the event.
Councilman Edwin Peacock said the council and "the public would want to know what he's doing having a party like that. I'm concerned. (These are) tough times. None of the CMPD employees even received pay raises this year."
Read the rest of this Charlotte Observer article, by Christopher D. Kirkpatrick, here.
For those of you, in the real world, planning a party on a budget:
Friday, December 25, 2009
Film / Film News / Film Reviews / News Best & Worst Films of 2009
Posted By Matt Brunson on Fri, Dec 25, 2009 at 11:55 PM
By Matt Brunson
The movie year began with bumbling mall cops and ended with singing chipmunks, but rest assured that signs of intelligent life could be found in between.
Still, the decade certainly could have ended on a better note. After an extremely strong celluloid crop in 2007 (led by No Country for Old Men) and a fairly decent roster last year (with Harvey Milk and an '80s wrestler — to say nothing of a certain caped crusader — standing tall), 2009 simply didn't offer as many big-screen pleasures as previous years.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Arts / Today's Top Five / News Today's Top 5: Thursday
Posted By Anita Overcash on Thu, Dec 24, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, Dec. 24, 2009 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
• Travis Porter at Alive
• Christmas Town USA at McAdenville
• WBT Holiday on Ice at The Green
• Home Away from Home Holiday Party at Buckhead Saloon
• Christmas Eve Bash at The Dirty Martini
Arts / See & Do: The Weekender / News Weekender
Posted By Anita Overcash on Thu, Dec 24, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Check out these events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area this weekend— as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
Friday, Dec. 25
Halo
Tonight Halo will present its “Christmas Champagne Jam,” featuring $4 champagne all night long. Folks can bring a can of food and get in free — not to mention this is the perfect getaway for those of you trapped in a house full of relatives
• Music Spend “An Extreme Christmas” with Benji Hughes, who will perform his marvelously moody rock harmonies, at Snug Harbor tonight. more...
• Special Event Stroll through Christmas Town USA: McAdenville for lights and holiday-themed displays galore. In its 54th year, this neighborhood extravaganza is big, and bright too. more...
Saturday, Dec. 26
Booth Playhouse
Defending The Caveman performances at Booth Playhouse take emotions to a whole 'nother level, as it highlights the sometimes complicated interactions between men and women and offers a bedrock of insights into the world of relationships.
• Music The South Carolina-based act Blue Dogs are consistently writing new material and lapping up new fans alike. Check em’ out at Neighborhood Theatre tonight when they perform their Americana song crafts. more...
• Comedy Every Saturday, Charlotte Comedy Theater presents a series of improv comedy at Prevue Music Hall. Stop by tonight, if you’re in need for a good laugh. more...
Sunday, Dec. 27
Amos’ Southend
An early '90s band that's been rocking to the present day, Clutch, will visit the Q.C. for a performance at Amos' Southend tonight. You can expect to hear unstoppable heavy guitar rhythms and gritty grinding Southern blues undertones, as the band plays songs from its lengthy catalog history. With Doomriders, Lionize, and Never Get Caught.
• Exhibit Discovery Place’s newest exhibit, Cool Stuff, explores science and physics through hands-on interaction. Visitors can launch objects into the air, lie on a bed of nails, and more, all while increasing their own brain activity. more...
• Special Event The adventurous, and those who aren’t afraid to brace the cold for activity, unite at WBT Holiday on Ice, an outdoor ice skating rink set in Uptown’s The Green. more...
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Film / Film Reviews / News Film reviews in brief, part 2
Posted By Matt Brunson on Wed, Dec 23, 2009 at 11:55 PM
By Matt Brunson
On the heels of covering last week’s seven new releases, here are four more films opening in time for Christmas. OK, five movies are actually debuting, but I didn’t screen Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. I suspect no jury on Earth would convict me. So here are brief blurbs for the other four, listed in preferential order.
Boomer with Attitude / News STEM, or Stupid Thing of the Week?
Posted By John Grooms on Wed, Dec 23, 2009 at 4:33 PM
It’s both! Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, overreacting to the silly ruckus over the naming of Hough High School, is taking the timid way out when it comes to naming another school. Rather than just going ahead and naming the damned thing like a normal school system does, CMS wants you to take time out of your busy life to vote online for a new name for John Motley Morehead Elementary School.
Here’s the deal: The school is a math-science magnet that will add middle-schoolers starting next August, so "elementary" will need to be changed. Some at CMS want to include the trendy educational acronym STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) in the school’s name — you know how bureaucrats love them some acronyms — but being the timid, reactionary souls they are, the Hough High silliness has led them to call for a public vote. For a school name. Yes, it’s stupid. That’s why it’s our Stupid Thing of the Week.
It gets better. If you decide to vote , you’re given three choices: John Motley Morehead STEM Academy, John Motley Morehead Mathematics and Science, or — this one’s classic — John Motley Morehead Academy of STEM.
Academy of STEM — kind of rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? Plus, what a bonus for our STOW competition. Not only did CMS stupidly pass the buck on a completely stupid, minor issue, they also provided one of the stupidest names possible for any school anywhere. Academy of STEM — so clunky, silly and, yes, stupid-sounding, you just know that'll be the winner.
Deliver Us From Weasels, a collection of articles and columns by John Grooms, is available at Borders-Morrocroft, Park Road Books, Paper Skyscraper, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, and Literary Bookpost in Salisbury, or directly from the publisher at www.mainstreetrag.com/store/NewReleases.php.
News Friedland Foundation awards three scholarships
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman on Wed, Dec 23, 2009 at 3:53 PM
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
Boomer with Attitude / News Same-sex benefits for city workers?
Posted By John Grooms on Wed, Dec 23, 2009 at 3:19 PM
Maybe Bill James will show up at a City Council meeting to complain. Just a week after County Commissioner James made an ass of himself — *there’s a shock — during debate over the new county policy offering same-sex partner benefits, he’s being given another chance to shine. Mayor Foxx has let it be known that the City Council will soon begin discussing a similar policy for city employees, probably as early as next month.
It’s unclear at this time whether the council will also discuss benefits for heterosexual domestic partners, but we certainly hope they will, considering that such a policy, combined with same-sex partner benefits, would, you know, reflect present-day reality and all. Seriously, don’t put it past James to show up before City Council to argue that public policy should be a reflection of his own archaic, *Leave It To Beaver-based views. It ‘d be quite a show.
Arts / News Holiday-themed parties at Halo
Posted By Anita Overcash on Wed, Dec 23, 2009 at 1:48 PM
There’s nothing like a good party to get you in the swing of the festivities that await you during the holiday season. With that in mind, Halo, the first nightclub to take over the NC Music Factory, will be hosting two holiday shindigs for your partying pleasure. “Pure Mistletoe,” an 18-and-up party, will go down tonight, with DJs Frenzy, R Wonz and Fotizo and drink specials galore (like $2 domestics, $3 shots, and $4 Absolute Madness).
And, if that’s not enough, the “Christmas Champagne Jam,” featuring $4 champagne all night long, will take place on Christmas night. Folks can bring a can of food and get in free — not to mention this is the perfect getaway for those of you trapped in a house full of relatives. Halo is located at 820 Hamilton St. For more information, call 704-246-1752.
News / Biz Millions in stimulus for going green
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman on Wed, Dec 23, 2009 at 12:48 PM
It's been said before, and I'll say it again: Green is the new black.
The North Carolina Green Business Fund will hand out more than $8 million in stimulus money as part of an initiative to help small businesses statewide develop and commercialize promising green and alternative energy technologies.The fund is seeking proposals for the competitive grants, which are worth up to $500,000 each, Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco announced in a written statement issued Tuesday.
Read the entire Charlotte Business Journal article, by Chris Baysden, here.
Can a "green" business be a profitable one? This successful business man says "yes."
