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Wednesday, August 26, 2009
News People are just too damned sensitive
Posted By Cheris Hodges on Wed, Aug 26, 2009 at 2:54 PM
You know the old saying, the only thing sure in life is death and taxes?
Well, in South Carolina it seems the people want to bury their heads in the sand about death. Their heads are buried so damned deep that a man was kicked out of a flea market for selling hand made caskets. Caskets that are thousands of dollars cheaper than the ones funeral homes sell.
According to The Charlotte Observer, Merritt Eggleston was asked to leave Trader Marc's, a new flea market in Fort Mill.
When the market’s owner, J.R. Pettus, noticed Eggleston was selling caskets, he pulled the plug on the booth.“We studied a lot of flea markets before we opened this one and we didn’t see anyone selling caskets at any other flea market,” Pettus said.
Eggleston, who builds caskets in the back yard of his Rock Hill home, said he was approached by several interested people while manning his booth at the flea market.
Sure the market owners gave Eggleston his money back -- actually twice what he paid for the booth rent. But the reason the owners offered for booting his was just plain stupid.
Shoppers at the market had complained, Pettus said, adding that the sight of caskets forces onlookers to think about death.“It is a difficult subject,” he said. “We’re all going to die. We just don’t want to be promoting it at the market.”
We're all going to die and if people who shop at this flea market can't handle that fact, then they should lock themselves in the house, turn off all the lights and crawl into a ball. Stop living so that you don't have to worry about dying.
Boomer with Attitude / News Right's knee-jerk reaction to knee-jerk liberals
Posted By John Grooms on Wed, Aug 26, 2009 at 2:38 PM
Before he left office, Pres. George W. Bush came up with the idea to link the 9/11 anniversary to volunteerism — something victims’ families had been recommending. This was widely hailed as a great notion, and the bill to make Bush’s idea law was passed this spring with bipartisan support. Apparently, no one told right-wing pundits about it.
One of the conservative bloviators’ favorite new topics is how “Obama’s idea” to celebrate volunteerism with a National Day of Service on 9/11 is an attempt to shove “socialism” down the country’s throats. Pundits like Michelle Malkin and Matthew Vadum have decried the National Day of Service idea, claiming, as did Vadum in American Spectator, that “The plan is to turn a ‘day of fear’ that helps Republicans into a day of activism called the National Day of Service that helps the left. In other words, nihilistic liberals are planning to drain 9/11 of all meaning.”
Um, guys? You might want to check the facts (remember those?) before your knee-jerking tendencies make you seem like, well, knee-jerk morons. Oops, too late.
Boomer with Attitude / News Ted Kennedy's health care legacy
Posted By John Grooms on Wed, Aug 26, 2009 at 12:47 PM
Sen. Ted Kennedy died last night of brain cancer, just as health care reform, the issue he called “the cause of my life,” is wending its way through Congress. Kennedy championed many progressive causes during his long tenure, with an admirable tenacity that earned him political power equal to at least five “regular” senators — and belied his early image as a shallow playboy.
No matter his myriad accomplishments, his memory will probably forever be tainted by the Chappaquidick scandal, after he walked away from a fatal accident in which he drove off a bridge. He escaped the car, but his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne — whom he was driving home after a party for former Bobby Kennedy campaign workers — drowned. Kennedy called his actions that night “indefensible.” After the tragedy, he redoubled his efforts and worked for decades — often in the face of a stiff, reactionary wind — for the poor, peacemaking, civil rights, and improved health care.
Many Washington insiders have said that if Kennedy had been in the Senate during the health care reform debate, his influence and parliamentary skills would have moved the legislation along more surely than has the current Democratic leadership. Democrats have finally figured out that they won’t get any help from Republican members of Congress on health care, and are moving toward a strategy of using their strong majority to ram through reform whether the GOP likes it or not (you know, like politics has always worked in the past). I say ram it on through, even rename it the Edward Kennedy Memorial Healthcare Reform Act if that’s what it takes. Now’s the time for Kennedy’s party to refocus on the basic, underlying issue the late Senator saw so clearly: in a civilized, advanced country, decent health care is a basic human right and should be treated as such by the law.
Arts / News Arts Flash: Comedian John Heffron
Posted By Anita Overcash on Wed, Aug 26, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Comedian John Heffron is one funny guy. He can twist everyday occurrences - like bar encounters, marriage and getting older - into humorous stories and rants that you just can't help laughing at. That's probably why he won the second season of NBC's Last Comic Standing in 2004. Originally from Detroit, Heffron's latest DVD, titled Middle Class Funny, was released on Aug. 4. It will re-air on Comedy Central on Sept. 10. But, screw that - the wait is too long, don't ya think? Why wait for it when you could just go see the man himself when he is in Charlotte. The Comedy Zone and Blumenthal Performing Arts Center will present a performance by John Heffron tonight at McGlohon Theatre. For more information, call 704-372-1000 or visit www.blumenthalcenter.org.
Creative Loafing: How did you come to be on NBC’s Last Comic Standing?
John Heffron: There was a taping before me and it was something that I never was into or thought I would do well at. I happened to be flying from Florida to Michigan and they had the auditions in Nashville, so I kind of just stopped and auditioned for it, just going “Well, if I audition I might get on that one episode.” Then I kept getting further and further ahead and before I knew it, I was knee deep in it.
And you were doing comedy before that?
Yeah, I did stand-up for 15 or 16 years.
Did you always want to be a comedian for a living?
Yeah, but I never said, “This is what I’m going to do.” I’m not much of a planner. It’s just something that I sort of fell into. Now, looking back, I almost have a panic attack if I think of what would have happened if things didn’t work out for me.
What did you get your college degree in?
I have a degree in communications and psychology.
So, maybe if comedy had not worked out, you would've been a psychologist?
That’s something or I was into like advertising, something creative. That may have been the route I went. Now, it seems as a comic you need a PhD in online marketing and that type of stuff now. It’s actually work to be a comedian. In the old days, you could just show up at a comedy club and hit on a waitress and that was your week. But, now you’ve got to build your email list, twitter every five seconds, check your Facebook page, and it’s a whole thing.
Since Last Comic Standing, have you been doing a lot of tours?
Yeah, you’re pretty much going non-stop. It’s one of those things where I think whatever level you are at there is always something new you have to overcome or there’s a new fear. Like when you are new as a comic you were afraid “What will happens if nothing ever happens for me.” But then when you have a bunch of stuff happen, you equally have a fear or losing it all or going backwards. I think that’s the law of the land.
News / Biz Expect to pay more for beer
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman on Wed, Aug 26, 2009 at 10:37 AM
You'd think the "Great Recession" would have people drinking more, but breweries say that's not the case. You know what that means: In order to keep their profits up, beer companies have to dip into the pockets of their loyal customers who are still drinking.
Gotta love "free" markets, eh? On the bright side, (don't tell the Republicans, they'll cry) "free" markets are a myth. (In order for the markets to be "free" we have to leave them alone. We're incapable of doing that as a society and have never experienced truly free markets.)
The looming price hike comes as sales volumes in the brewing industry have declined. Anheuser-Busch InBev said earlier this month that total beer volumes were down 1.5% in the second quarter versus the same period last year.Heineken, based in Amsterdam, said Tuesday that price increases helped the company offset the pull back in consumption. Heineken makes and brews 170 international beers and ciders, but is best known for its brands Heineken and Amstel.
"The economic and trading conditions remain difficult, and there will be continued pressure on volumes in the second half of 2009," CEO Jean-François van Boxmeer said in a statement.
At least you don't have to worry about being beaten for drinking like this Malaysian woman:
Arts / News Brittney Cason on Holidate tonight
Posted By Anita Overcash on Wed, Aug 26, 2009 at 9:41 AM
News Like-thinkers at last night's town hall meeting
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman on Wed, Aug 26, 2009 at 9:35 AM
If you missed last night's town hall meeting in Weddington, don't despair. There is another meeting tonight and a third on Thursday which means you have two more opportunities to share your thoughts with Rep. Sue Myrick while she's on her town hall tour.
Tonight: Cornelius' J.V. Washam Elementary School at 7 p.m. Here's a map.
Thursday: Gastonia's Gaston Day School at 7 p.m. Here's a map.
More that 1,200 people crowded into Weddington High School Tuesday night for a boisterous town hall meeting that evoked passionate sentiments not only about health care, but also immigration and the Obama administration.“It's not about covering the uninsured in this country, it seems to me it's all about control,” Union County businessman Tony Mangum said, voice breaking. “I get emotional because I fear we're losing this country.”
A crowd that filled the school auditorium and overflowed into the cafeteria came out for the first of three town halls this week hosted by U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick of Charlotte.
Myrick, a Republican, opened the gathering by outlining her own opposition to Democratic health care bills and support for alternatives, including tax credits and continued reliance on the markets.
Arts / Today's Top Five / News Today's Top 5: Wednesday
Posted By Anita Overcash on Wed, Aug 26, 2009 at 8:00 AM
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, Aug. 26, 2009 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
• Young-Fresh-New exhibition at Elder Gallery
• Comedian John Heffron at McGlohon Theatre
• Asphalt Blaster at Snug Harbor
• Hot Tuna at Amos' Southend
• Pop Life at Apostrophe Lounge
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Boomer with Attitude / News It's Squirm Time for foes of same-sex marriage
Posted By John Grooms on Tue, Aug 25, 2009 at 5:03 PM
You know how sweet it is when you've got solid statistical evidence to back up your arguments? Well, here we go, fellow progressives. There is now concrete evidence that shows how wrong opponents of same-sex marriage have been.
One of the main arguments from those who oppose allowing same-sex marriage is that it would “destroy marriage,” or at least weaken it as an institution, leading to widespread divorces, polygamy, dogs marrying cats and what-have-you. WRONG. The National Center for Vital Statistics has new information about the divorce rates in all 50 states. So, guess which state has the lowest divorce rate in the country. Yes, it’s Massachusetts, where same-sex marriage has been allowed since 2004.
Not only has same-sex marriage not wrecked the institution of marriage in Massachusetts, the divorce rate there has gone down every year since 2004, until now it stands at 2.0 per thousand. Some perspective on those numbers: 2.0 per 1,000 was the annual divorce rate for the United States in 1940. In other words, five years after allowing same-sex marriages, Massachusetts’ divorce rate has dropped to the level of the U.S. more than a year before Pearl Harbor. Talk about old-time values! By comparison, North Carolina’s divorce rate is 4.0 per thousand. I’d say if NC is to have any hope of lowering its divorce rate to decent levels, the General Assembly better hurry up and legalize gay marriage pronto.
Film / Film News / News This Week's DVD Releases
Posted By Matt Brunson on Tue, Aug 25, 2009 at 3:48 PM
Following is a list of some major DVD releases debuting today. For a complete list, go to www.amazon.com.
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5 Reasons To Buy Home Insurance Policy
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Battle of the Hoods: Round 2 55
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Is this it for the Outer Banks?
European scientists now believe Global Warming is accelerating faster than they originally predicted.
