Mobile
News
Friday, October 16, 2009
Film / Film Reviews / News Couples Retreat: Screen saver cinema
Posted By Matt Brunson on Fri, Oct 16, 2009 at 2:02 PM
By Matt Brunson
COUPLES RETREAT
**1/2
DIRECTED BY Peter Billingsley
STARS Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau
Regardless of how her career progresses, Kristen Bell at least has had the fortune of heading off to Hawaii to film Forgetting Sarah Marshall and now Bora Bora to shoot Couples Retreat. Those are enviable assignments for any young performer, and it begs the question: Does her Hollywood agent work a second job as a travel agent?
Arts / Today's Top Five / News Today's Top 5: Friday
Posted By Anita Overcash on Fri, Oct 16, 2009 at 10:20 AM
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, Oct. 16, 2009 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
• To Kill A Mockingbird at Matthews Community Center
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Theatre Charlotte
• Comedians DS and Eric Counts at Alive
• Real Estate at Milestone
• Moon Lite Dance Party at Queen City Ballroom
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Arts / See & Do: The Weekender / News Weekender
Posted By Anita Overcash on Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 5:10 PM
Check out these events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area this weekend— as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
Friday, Oct. 16
Theatre Charlotte
Dress-up and sing-along during a special film screening of the cult classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Theatre Charlotte. Audience participation kits will be provided.
• Comedy It’s good to laugh and you’re sure to do so while in the presence of stand-up comedians DS and Eric Counts, who perform at Alive tonight. more...
• Food Turkish delights like chicken, döner, and beef kebabs are plentiful on the menu of Metropolitan Café & Catering. Try the stuffed grape leaves too. more...
Saturday, Oct. 17
Ovens Auditorium
Whether she is mocking celebrities - and she does a damned good job - or doing pure stand-up comedy, actress/comedian Kathy Griffin is bound to get some heated reactions in addition to laughs. Check her out at Ovens Auditorium tonight.
• Music Soul songstress N’dambi hits Charlotte tonight for an intimate performance at Utopia SoundStage. Don’t miss it. This lady can sing, and she’s got one cool Afro, too. more...
• Festival In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, the Second Annual Breastival will be held at Snug Harbor. Scheduled to perform are groups like The Lesser Pauls, Black Lashes, Erika Blatnik and lots more. more...
Sunday, Oct. 8
Time Warner Cable Arena
Metallica is set to perform at Time Warner Cable Arena tonight. That said, you can expect a night of metal mayhem. Opening act is Lamb of God.
• Festival 15 Short Film Festival at The Evening Muse is a little like a box of chocolates, in that you never know what you’re gonna get. Nineteen short films, — lasting 15 minutes — submitted by filmmakers from 15 different countries, will be screened during the fest at The Evening Muse. more...
• Theater Don’t miss Queen City Theatre Company’s final performance of Sordid Lives, a black comedy about white trash, at Duke Energy Theatre. more...
News / Biz It's not safe to fly, now you know it
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman on Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 3:52 PM
For all of you who prefer to say firmly grounded, here's more fodder for your aerophobia.
The Federal Aviation Administration wants to fine US Airways Group Inc. $5.4 million for allegedly flying eight planes that were not in compliance with federal maintenance and mechanical safety rules.The FAA said Wednesday US Airways (NYSE:LCC) flew the planes between October 2008 and January 2009. Some of the aircraft were not adequately inspected while others were out of code with federal safety and mechanical directives, the FAA alleges.
Read the rest of this Charlotte Business Journal article here.
Boomer with Attitude / News Satan denied an NFL team
Posted By John Grooms on Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 3:50 PM
We'll have more tomorrow on NASCAR's picks for the first batch of inductees into the sport's Hall of Fame. It'll be part of our Stupid Thing of the Week, just to give you an idea. Today, though, our sports division is pleased to look into Ragin' Rush Limbaugh, the Evil Overlord of the right wing, being dropped from an ownership group that wants to buy the St. Louis Rams. The Rush Dump came after days of criticism, from within the NFL, of Limbaugh's involvement, including strong statements from Commissioner Roger Goodell, and Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay.
Yesterday, after he was dropped from the ownership group, Limbaugh's massive ego roared into action, claiming his rejection is bad for America. "This is not about the NFL . . . it's not about me," Rushy said, rushing headlong toward paranoia, "This is about the ongoing effort by the left in this country, wherever you find them, in the media, the Democrat Party, or wherever, to destroy conservatism, to prevent the mainstreaming of anyone who is prominent as a conservative. Therefore, this is about the future of the United States of America and what kind of country we're going to have."
As my pithy late father would have said, "Can you believe this shit?" First of all, there are plenty of mainstream conservatives in America. The problem is that it's hard to be "mainstream" while you're a leading spokesman for political extremism, and a racist to boot.
Limbaugh yesterday ranted and raved that he's been misquoted or misunderstood or misunderestimated or something about racial issues. No, he hasn't. In fact, he makes it clear, and on a regular basis, how racist he is, and here are the direct, documented quotes from his show to prove it:
"The NFL all too often looks like a game between the Bloods and the Crips without any weapons."
“Have you ever noticed how all composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?”
“The NAACP should have riot rehearsal. They should get a liquor store and practice robberies."
Said to an African-American caller: “Take that bone out of your nose and call me back.”
When Spike Lee said black kids should take off from school to see his film, Malcolm X, Rush said, “Spike, if you're going to do that, let's complete the education experience. You should tell them that they should loot the theater and then blow it up on their way out.”
And of course, a couple of weeks ago, his coup de grace: “In Obama's America, the white kids now get beat up with the black kids cheering, ‘Yay, right on, right on, right on, right on’.... We need segregated buses . . .This is Obama's America.”
If those statements ever become “mainstream” in America, it’ll be time to move. Even if they did it for purely business reasons, thanks to the NFL for making it clear that Limbaugh and his backward attitudes aren’t welcome. And certainly not mainstream.
Arts / News Cherrystock festival this weekend
Posted By Anita Overcash on Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 2:45 PM
On Sat., Oct. 17, folks can enjoy an array of entertainment, exhibitors, speakers, food, and more during Cherrystock, presented by Charlotte Energy Solutions. For a detailed schedule of the event, click here. For more information on Cherrystock, see the description and flyer (below), taken from the events Website.
Cherrystock is a neighborhood festival celebrating art, alternative energy and DIY culture. Charlotte Energy Solutions originated this event for 2009 with the philosophy of bringing together the neighbors, the city, the world, and we hope to keep it going for many years to come.Admission is free. Donation Stations will be situated throughout the event for your convenience. A generous portion of the proceeds will be given to the Community Charter School and the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church.
Charlotte Energy Solutions is a sustainable retail store embedded in the historic Cherry neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina. The building was finished in 1909 and completely renovated in 2004 using recycled wood for the floors, doors and walls. There is a rainwater collector on the top of the building that uses a solar powered pump to push the water. A small community garden was installed on the sidewalk in front of the store by Instant Organic Gardens. Drop-ins and ” lookie lous” encouraged. Bring us your sustainable problems. We have the sustainable solutions!
Arts / News VIDEO: Mind Artists art show preview
Posted By Carlton Hargro on Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 1:20 PM
Check out this video promo for the Mind Artists art show — hosted by local photographer Moye and visual artist Narada — coming to the Highland Mill Lofts this Friday. Check the flyer below for more details:
News / Biz Screw the shareholders?
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman on Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 12:49 PM
FU BofA, and everyone that looks like you too.
As a key U.S. House committee scrutinizes the role of board members in Bank of America's acquisition of Merrill Lynch, an exchange between two bank directors reveals their reaction to the deal's ripple effect on stockholders."Unfortunately it's screw the shareholders!!" Chad Gifford wrote fellow director Thomas May on Jan. 15 as the two listened in on a board conference call that carried news that the Charlotte bank would slash its once-lucrative shareholder dividend to a penny.
"No trail," May wrote back, probably aware that their e-mails could be made public later.
The clipped, salty exchange between the two longtime colleagues is among the documents provided to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and to New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. Both are investigating whether the bank properly disclosed information to its shareholders about certain aspects of the Merrill deal, including the company's mounting losses. They are also investigating whether the government inappropriately pressured Bank of America to complete the deal.
The Jan. 15 call was on the evening before Bank of America, which had weathered the credit crunch relatively unscathed, reported its first quarterly loss in 17 years. The call was two weeks after the bank closed its purchase of Merrill.
The next e-mail that's provided in the document is Gifford's one-word message to May at 5:51 p.m.: "interesting"
Two minutes later, May wrote back: "WOW"
It's not clear what they were discussing. The e-mails show that Gifford had forwarded de Molina's message to May.
Gifford then reminded his colleague of the conference call that was taking place.
"Concentrate on the phone!!!" he wrote, at 5:54 p.m.
"Screw You," May wrote back.
A minute later, Gifford typed: "Unfortunately it's screw the shareholders!!"
Bank of America, which had increased its shareholder payout for more than 30 years, would announce the next morning that it was slashing the quarterly dividend to a penny. It had recently been as high as 64 cents, though the bank had to cut it to 32 cents the previous October.
"No trail," May reminded Gifford two minutes later, at 5:59 p.m.
"Only stated in the context of a horrible economy!!! Will effect everyone..." Gifford replied.
"good comeback. Holy (expletive) on the people" May wrote.
"Amaaazing..." Gifford wrote at 6:03 p.m. That's the end of the document.
"(The Ken) is a gigantic failure."
Arts / News VIDEO: Artist Radcliffe Bailey at the new Harvey B. Gantt Center
Posted By Carlton Hargro on Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 12:08 PM
Artist Radcliffe Bailey discusses his installment, Between Two Worlds, in the Harvey B. Gantt Center for American American Arts and Culture. The Center, in Uptown Charlotte, will open to the public in the coming weeks.
— Video by Mike McCray
Boomer with Attitude / News What if liberals helped North Korea?
Posted By John Grooms on Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 11:57 AM
God bless him, Rev. Franklin Graham is giving stuff away left and right. First, Rev. Billy’s boy gave away 55 percent of his $1.2 million in salaries after the press revealed that he was receiving full-time pay from both of the organizations he’s affiliated with. “This calling was never based on compensation,” said Graham, whose sacrifice means he will now be forced to get by on a measly half-million bucks a year. And then, Graham headed to North Korea this week to give away $190,000 in equipment and supplies for a new dental center. Since 1997, Franklin’s group, Samaritan’s Purse, has provided $10 million worth of medical and dental assistance to the reclusive communist nation.
Those are the bare facts, but here are a couple of questions:
1. Can you imagine the uproar that would arise from the right — which, of course, would be given lots of airtime by the mainstream media — if a famous liberal preacher, let’s say, oh, Jesse Jackson for example, handed out $10 million in medical help to the North Koreans? Seriously, think about it. You would never hear the end of “giving aid and comfort to the enemy” speeches and comparisons to "Hanoi Jane," whereas reaction from the right to Graham’s project has been largely muted.
2. Since Samaritan’s Purse says it provides aid to, among others, victims of poverty, is there any chance Graham will also set up free medical and dental clinics for poverty-stricken people in the U.S. (his own country, for God's sake) who can’t afford health care?
-
Bank errors continue to cause wrongful foreclosures
Charlotte's Bank of America is all mixed up in this mess.
-
5 Reasons To Buy Home Insurance Policy
-
Question the Queen City: The story of Nellie Freeman, aka 'Razor Girl' 2
She decapitated her husband, was declared innocent, and never hurt another soul.
