Archive for Open Thread

Aug
30

Hey, Hey, Busy, Busy

Posted by: Gordon Smith | Comments (3)

Here’s a quick note to mention the City Council meeting in East Asheville tomorrow night and also my imminent departure for parts unknown.

Tomorrow night (Tuesday, 8/31) at 6:30pm, the Asheville City Council will convene at Groce United Methodist Church in east Asheville for a special meeting. You’re invited. I talked about taking Council “on the road” during my campaign, so I’m thrilled to have been one of the advocates for this event. Chris Pelly is an east Asheville neighborhood leader and has been instrumental in getting this meeting scheduled.

East Asheville residents are making it abundantly clear that they want more multimodal infrastructure, particularly sidewalks. A study showed that E. AVL has only 9% of the city’s sidewalks. This is due largely to post-war construction and the love affair with the automobile, but it’s time these neighborhoods got retrofitted for better and safer pedestrian mobility. We know that all of Council is very interested in seeing more sidewalks across the city, so I’m hoping east Asheville residents will show up with their ideas about how we ought to pay for them.

A comprehensive multimodal transportation system is vital to Asheville’s health and economic development. Sidewalks, bike lanes, transit, greenways, and roadways must work together to offer maximum safety, convenience, and choice.

On another note – I’m going away for a week to celebrate my 40th birthday (it’s on September 5th). I’ll be cruising out of town on Wednesday morning and returning a week later. Thank goodness for good friends willing to house-sit and look after our two big hounds while we’re away.

More upon my return. Consider this a week-long open thread for your amusement.

Comments (3)
Jul
30

Open Thread

Posted by: Gordon Smith | Comments (9)

Crack them knuckles. Hunch over the keys. Get your eyes wide. Fire freely away, and let the others know what gallops across your neurons.

Categories : Open Thread
Comments (9)
Jul
25

Poem for a Sunday Evening

Posted by: shadmarsh | Comments (2)

The White Room

Charles Simic

The obvious is difficult
To prove. Many prefer
The hidden. I did, too.
I listened to the trees.
Read More→

Comments (2)
Jul
10

Catastrophe and Social Change*

Posted by: shadmarsh | Comments (12)

So now that the big oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is over and we are onto more important things like hot Russian spy on spy action I would like to take a few moments to reflect back on what we learned from this most recent spill. Other than the fact that most sea birds and fish are not, unfortunately, oil resistant not much. Sure it made great television for a few weeks, lots of attractive news correspondents furthered their careers (I am assuming this, I don’t actually have a TV), We all felt that special bond that only comes from ritually and communally tarring, feathering and then executing some BP executives. We had boycotts and vigils, people cutting their hair and mailing it to the Gulf. We had outrage and then more outrage, conspiracy theories and a glimpse into the corrupt world of our fabulous corporate suzerains government. But other than that what did we have? Oh, we also had suspension of 1st amendment rights, but really the 1st amendment is quaint, and was always a bit overrated.

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Jul
07

Well Hello There

Posted by: shadmarsh | Comments (22)

Before I go all Medieval on yall  I would like to take this opportunity to formally introduce myself. Hi, I’m Shad. It’s pronounced as it is spelled. I am new here (well at least here ). In the coming weeks, months, and years I will be bringing you a variety of informative blog posts about a wide variety of topics.  But for now let me take this opportunity to get share with you a few things that really annoy me about Asheville:

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Comments (22)
Jun
23

Open Thread

Posted by: Gordon Smith | Comments (46)

I’m head down in billing paperwork at the office. What’s going on in the world?

Categories : Open Thread
Comments (46)
Jun
08

Overlooked

Posted by: Gordon Smith | Comments (1)

This past Sunday, June 6th marked Scrutiny Hooligans’ sixth anniversary/birthday.

Categories : Media, News, Open Thread
Comments (1)
May
26

Open Thread: Interactive Dynamism

Posted by: Gordon Smith | Comments (5)

Your bloggers are busy raising kids, reporting news, counseling families, engineering systems, and killing rats.

Make something happen.

Categories : Open Thread
Comments (5)
May
21

Friday Open Thread

Posted by: Gordon Smith | Comments (10)

‘Cause it feels like y’all need one.

Categories : Open Thread
Comments (10)

You can watch the results roll in here.

Leave your insights, victory dances, and facepalm grief in the comments.

Categories : Open Thread
Comments (12)