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Wednesday, June 25, 2014
News Networks 1, video streamers, 0
Posted By Jerry Klein on Wed, Jun 25, 2014 at 12:47 PM
Calling all early adopters of technology: Your wings just got clipped by the Supreme Court before you really got a chance to fly.
The Internet video streaming video service "Aereo," barely a year old, thought it had found a way to allow you to watch or record any broadcast TV show on your smartphone or tablet, anywhere, anytime - for just $8 a month - which, of course, would have revolutionized just about everything about today's entertainment industry as we know it, and which modeled what most analysts assume is where things are headed, one way or another, sooner or later. But then the networks intervened.
Arts / Today's Top Five Today's Top 5: Wednesday
Posted By Anita Overcash on Wed, Jun 25, 2014 at 10:50 AM
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, June 25, 2014 as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
* Phantogram at The Fillmore
* Birthday Fiesta at Chuy's
* Melt at Snug Harbor
* Summer Outdoor Cinema Series screening Hotel Transylvania at Kenton Place
* Napa vs. Sonoma Wine Tasting at Villa Antonio
First Drip First Drip (6/25/14): N.C. lawmaker considers pedophilia a sexual orientation, the case of the biting soccer player, more
Posted By Ana McKenzie on Wed, Jun 25, 2014 at 9:31 AM
Rep. Paul Stam, R-Apex, apparently includes pedophilia and incest in his definition of sexual orientation. "In a debate over charter schools, a legislator offered an amendment that would have prohibited discrimination, including over sexual orientation. Rep. Paul Stam, a Republican from Apex, questioned the amendment and passed out a two-page paper titled, 'What is Sexual Orientation?'" "I've never gotten an answer from people who use the term 'sexual orientation,'" he said.
Less consumer spending, including less spending on health care, led the U.S. economy to shrink as much in the first quarter of this year as it did during the depths of the last recession.
If Uruguay's Luis Suarez is found to have intentionally bit Italy's Giorgio Chiellini in a recent soccer game, he could be banned from playing for up to 24 games. "FIFA, football's governing body, has opened disciplinary proceedings against the striker following Uruguay's 1-0 group win on Tuesday. Chiellini claimed Suarez bit him on the left shoulder, but Suarez said the defender 'bumped' into him."
Here's a scary way to illustrate the health hazards of smoking: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will begin running ads of toothless longtime smokers.
News / Opinion Moral Monday a success? Only November will tell
Posted By Jerry Klein on Wed, Jun 25, 2014 at 9:30 AM
In case you haven't been paying attention to the latest Moral Monday headlines, things have been getting just a tad testy lately. Are protesters headed for real trouble, as many in other states have faced over the past few years (I'm looking at you, Wisconsin), or has this whole thing about run its course?
If it's up to the Rev. William J. Barber II, lead organizer of Moral Mondays and the head of the state's NAACP, as impressive as some events have been, including one in February that was compared in size to marches from the 1960s, they're just getting started. As he sees it, just as the Republican majority passed measures in early May restricting the size and sound of what the protesters could do, this movement is in keeping with the grand tradition of other civil disobedience efforts in this country's history. And he's got the arrest record to show for his efforts, including an incident June 15 in which he went head-to-head with Lieutenant Marvin Brock of the General Assembly Police.
Arts Arts openings/events this week
Posted By Anita Overcash on Wed, Jun 25, 2014 at 5:00 AM
Check out these new exhibits and arts events, happening this week in Charlotte and the surrounding area.
Zimsculpt at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden: The plants at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden are in bloom and there's a compelling new exhibit to complement them. It's a showcase of African sculptures, specifically from Zimbabwean artists Passmore Mupindiko, Patrick Sephani and dozens of others. The sculptures have been paired with plants of Zimbabwe's contrasting ecosystems, from arid savannahs to lush tropical forests. The works are contemporary yet reflective of traditional elements. Joseph Croisette, managing director and curator of the exhibit, describes the sculptures as "powerful works of art that depict the stories of the natural world and the culture and traditions of the artists' homeland." Reception on June 26, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Exhibit continues through Sept. 28. $25 for reception; $6-$12 admission fees on other days. 6500 S. New Hope Road, Belmont. 704-825-4490. www.dsbg.org.
Artpop at Bubble: At this event, artwork - designed to be displayed on billboards across the city throughout the year - by 20 local artists will be showcased and mini versions of the designs will be for sale. The Arts & Science Council's Young Donor Society hosts the artsy shindig to raise money for its ArtPop program, which promotes local artists' work through billboards (see Jonathan Graeul's public art on the pic above). Free admission; $5 donation (includes appetizers and a glass of champagne). June 26, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Bubble, 210 E Trade St. 704-733-9427. www.bubblecharlotte.com.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
News A small victory in the fight for clean air
Posted By Jerry Klein on Tue, Jun 24, 2014 at 3:24 PM
Anyone paying attention to the General Assembly knows that their work can sometimes feel scattered and confusing. What happened Monday was a singular example of that process in action, with party-line alliances breaking down and the unlikeliest of people changing anticipated outcomes.
Fortunately before the day was over, the residents of this state who are concerned about the air they're breathing won - at least for the time being.
It started with good news in the form of a new report from the International Journal of Cardiopulmonary Disease (yes, that's a thing) showing a substantial decline in deaths from respiratory illnesses, such as asthma and emphysema, in North Carolina over the past few decades as air quality standards were tightened in accordance with the federal Clean Air Act and the state's 2002 Clean Smokestacks Act.
First Drip First Drip (6/24/14): Charges could be dropped against former head of scandalized UNC department, more
Posted By Ana McKenzie on Tue, Jun 24, 2014 at 9:53 AM
Citing the defendant's cooperation in the investigation, the Orange County DA is considering dropping felony criminal charges against the former head of UNC's African and Afro-American Studies department. Julius Nyang'oro led the department, which a public records request showed essentially fabricated classes to pass some of the school's football players.
Tragedy struck Miami early this morning when a gunman or gunmen - investigators still aren't sure what happened - opened fire in a neighborhood, killing two and injuring at least 10. "The sidewalk was littered with dozens of spent shell casings marked by blue police cones and shattered glass by mid-morning Tuesday. Some relatives standing nearby said they were afraid to talk about the shootings."
Rebekah Brooks, the former head of Rupert Murdoch's newspapers in Britain, has been found not guilty on charges that included hacking the phones of tabloid subjects. Other defendants, including Brooks' husband and her former assistant, were also found not guilty. Andy Coulson, a former tabloid editor and one-time head of communications for Prime Minister David Cameron, was found guilty of at least one charge. Murdoch closed his tabloid, The News of the World, after reports surfaced in 2011 that investigators hired by the paper had hacked the voice mail of an abducted teenager.
Apparently the story of the girl who got kicked out of a KFC because of her facial scars was totally made up by her family. You stay classy, Mississippi.
News Airport visitors, don't freak out: The welcome sign is gone
Posted By Kimberly Lawson on Tue, Jun 24, 2014 at 9:10 AM
If you're visiting the Charlotte airport anytime soon, try not to freak out. The "Welcome to Charlotte" entrance sign has been removed to make way for construction of the new exit lanes that will connect drivers to Wilkinson Boulevard, according to a very important update Charlotte-Douglas sent yesterday.
The 16-by-21-foot sign now sits sadly in a storage facility, waiting to be repainted. No plans have been made on where the sign, which, according to the press release, "has been a staple at CLT since the early nineties," will be relocated once construction is finished, in December.
Hopefully no one feels slighted driving down Josh Birmingham Parkway. No big blue sign offering a note of Southern hospitality? The horror!
Arts / Today's Top Five Today's Top 5: Tuesday
Posted By Anita Overcash on Tue, Jun 24, 2014 at 9:00 AM
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, June 24, 2014 as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
* Counting Crows at Uptown Amphitheatre
* Ethan Uslan Show at Petra's Piano Bar & Cabaret
* Almost Famous Comedy Show at The Comedy Zone
* Eric Lindell at Double Door Inn
* Charlotte Knights vs. Louisville Cardinals at BB&T Ballpark
Monday, June 23, 2014
sports / Culture Courtyard Hooligans video shows fans going crazy during U.S./Portugal game
Posted By Ana McKenzie on Mon, Jun 23, 2014 at 5:16 PM
Americans are a simple people. Just give us a ball, a lot of sweaty dudes and a chance at world domination, and we'll love you forever. Or at least until the season's over.
Yesterday fans of the U.S. national soccer team - or people just looking for an excuse to take off their shirts in public and drink a lot of beer - gathered at Courtyard Hooligans in Uptown to watch our boys narrowly miss a victory against the much-better Portugal team. And the smart folks at Charlotte's favorite soccer bar caught all the insanity on film.
But as one commenter and likely communist said, "Aw, it would have been better if you showed the reaction of the Americans to the 95 minute goal of Portugal :P."
