• Joanne Spataro
• Ross Matthews and Me at Buffalo Wild Wings

Would Ross Matthews ever walk into a place that sells hot wings? Well, that’s exactly where I found the bubbly TV personality, who is usually found sparring with comedian Chelsea Handler on her late night talk show Chelsea Lately. This fixture on the awards show circuit for E! Entertainment television had big plans during DNC week: interview FLOTUS Michelle Obama, former speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi, and more-petite-than-you-ever-imagined MSNBC news anchor Andrea Mitchell.

I caught up with Ross outside of Buffalo Wild Wings at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, where we talked about Charlotte and his role in the LGBT community.

While President Obama and his cool first lady Michelle are in town, it’s important to make sure you’re putting your most fashionable foot forward. Delegates and attendees of the convention tonight, please leave the Vibrams in the hotel room. Feather earrings should stay packed as well. And if we catch you in plaid anything, please believe you will be tripped in the street.

We talked to some influential people in Charlotte’s fashion scene to find out what else one should not wear during convention week. Heed their advice, we beg of you.

• Joeff Davis
• Making a, well, fashion statement in the convention

For the Out-of-Towners
“If you are not used to the Southern humidity, dress in cool breathable fabrics, but don’t use it as an excuse to slob out like a cheesy tourister. Be fabulous. Show us and America what you are working with! And certainly, do not wear anything with Romney/Ryan on it — unless you are traveling with someone who owns an “I’m with Stupid” tee and they are planning on walking next to you.”
— Scott Weaver, makeup artist

For those familiar with the protest movement in Charlotte, ActionNC organizer Luis Rodriguez has been noticeably absent from all of the marches and rallies held downtown since the Democratic National Convention started on Tuesday.

On Thursday morning, however, he was spotted standing alone at the intersection of Trade and Tryon streets with a microphone and a large speaker, speaking on the banking crisis, Wall Street and big banks' foreclosure practices.

Had Rodriguez had gone rogue?

ActionNC executive director Pat McCoy explained that Rodriguez had simply been biding his time while waiting on the Sanchez family to arrive. Thursday's noontime rally would share their story.

"He might as well be up there preaching what he believes," said McCoy. "We got enough angry white men out here preaching about 'Jesus is your savior' and they're all saying the same thing."

When the Sanchez family arrived, Rodriguez kicked off the rally with introductions. The family consists of Sylvia and her two children, Jessica and Israel. Sylvia's husband, Gonzalo, was not in attendance. The Sanchezes were told recently they have to vacate their home off of Sugar Creek Road after falling behind on payments when Gonzalo lost his job.

• Ryan Pitkin

• Natrice Bullard
• The convention crowd on Wednesday night

On Wednesday night, small business owners — like a brewing company guy — took to the stage at Time Warner Cable Arena to show that not all businesses support the other guy. Though North Carolina delegate Frank Deaton of Charlotte wasn’t in the spotlight, he agrees.

Deaton, 39, is the owner of Cunningham Cleaners and has been a Democrat since he reached voting age. He gets a little sick of the “I built that” rhetoric, the theme of ads that paint President Obama as believing owner initiative has nothing to do with business success. “The president was obviously not trying to say that,” Deaton told me. “The media and Republicans ran with it.”

He said businesses need government-built infrastructure, and he thinks industry regulations are reasonable. A few years ago, Cunningham Cleaners converted to a clean, zero emissions facility, Deaton said, with biodegradable, non-toxic solvent. “In some ways, it lowered operating costs.”

Not that he doesn’t have some disagreements with Obama policies. “Some things he could have gone more in a different direction, or less in a different direction,” Deaton said, but “when it comes down to issues, we see eye to eye.

On the world stage, American respect has soared since he’s been in office.”

Some of the opposition to the president is — at its “very core” — based on race, said Deaton. “The disrespect to him is off the charts, to the point of questioning if he’s an actual American or not. It’s pure ignorance, calling him a Muslim terrorist.” Deaton said he’ll be closely watching the voting trends in North Carolina.

Maybe not this week.

Mary C. Curtis, an award-winning Charlotte, N.C.-based journalist, is a contributor to The Washington Post's “She the People” blog, The Root and theGrio. Her “Keeping It Positive” segment airs Wednesdays at 7:10 a.m. on Fox News Rising Charlotte, and she was national correspondent for Politics Daily. Follow her on Twitter.

CL Atlanta photographer Joeff Davis brings us another batch of photos from the DNC.

• Joeff Davis
• This time of year, figs and pears are abundant.

• Joeff Davis
• The police let a small group of protesters gather in the middle of the street at the entrance to the secure zone of the Time Warner Cable Arena. Here, despite being surrounded by police, they were able to get their message to passing participants of the convention.

The Quasimodo Project presented a variety of events on Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012, at the 7th Street Market including live music, spoken word, art and dance. The group's mission is "to create, enable and showcase the best, most innovative, challenging and accessible cultural offerings of the region during the DNC."

(Video by Jeaumane McIntosh)

Performers return today at 4 p.m. to 7th Street Public Market for more Quasimodo madness.

Schedule
4:00 - 4:15 WORD - Slam Charlotte
4:15 - 4:30 DANCE - Sarah Barnard Dance
4:30 - 5:15 BAND - Bart Lattimore & Alex Kastanas
5:15 - 5:30 THEATER - Rough Trade - Taste Test
5:30 - 5:45 WORD - On Q Productions
5:45 - 6:30 BAND - Mark Holland