Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Here’s some of what’s going around:
Asheville Disclaimer Radio: Loving the Asheville Disclaimer Radio update. Funny stuff! The latest installment riffs on zombies and the Canton church that’s planning the Halloween book burning.
Newt’s visit: Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich spoke at Montreat College on Saturday night. Hetalked about the role God played in the founding of the U.S., according to the Asheville Citizen-Times.
KISS FM wins: WKSF of Asheville was named radio station of the year for a small market by the Country Music Association. Congrats!
Running news: The Shut-In Ridge Run will go on next month, despite a rock slide that’s closed part of the Blue Ridge Parkway. So says the Asheville Citizen-Times.
Sandburg home gets notice: Did you see the Chicago Tribune article on Connemara a few days ago: http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/chi-1011-sandburgoct11,0,1435964.story. Thanks to loyal reader AM for pointing me to it, and noting that our area might be getting more Chicago-media play now with the new flights at the Asheville airport.
Memorials for your calendar: There will be a memorial for Picnics restaurant “pie lady” Minnie Smith from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 23 at the Merrimon Avenue restaurant. Yes, they will be serving pie. And there will be a memorial for famous mountain moonshiner Popcorn Sutton at 1 p.m. on Oct. 24 at at the Resthaven Memorial Gardens in Dandridge, Tenn. Yes, they will be serving white lightnin’. (right?)
Parties for your calendar: The Mountain Xpress will publish its annual Best of WNC issue this Wednesday, and I hear it’s a 128-pages whopper filled with reader picks for the best of everything here in the mountains. The Xpress will celebrate with an Oct. 25 party at the Orange Peel featuring the Firecracker Jazz Band and Skinny Legs and All.
The other big party to put on your calendar is the Oct. 30 Spookyblogapalooza, the annual gathering of Asheville blogger and social media types. It’s going to be a blast, and you’re invited. You can also vote for your favorite bloggers and Twitter-ers here.
Blog Asheville has the most all-inclusive list of area bloggers. Have you checked out Blog Asheville lately? You should.
Q-Notes: Q-Notes says “Queer acres is the place for me,” and mentions WNC.
Martin and his banjo: Funnyman Steve Martin and his collaboration with Asheville’s Steep Canyon Rangers continues to garner lots of press attention. Here’s the latest, from the Chicago Sun-Times.
Bears, bears, bears: I’m kinda over bears. They’re like vampires — you see them everywhere, they’re a little scary, and if you love one, you’re taking your life into your own hands.
On the local Right Wing beat, Ash, I see you mentioned the Newt Gingrich appearance at Montreat College, and his explanation of the role God played in the founding of the U.S., as reported by the Citizen-Times. Glad you did not waste your own time going there.
But here is another story both you and the Asheville newspaper missed, that long-anticipated Tea Party protest against WLOS and the rest of the Mainstream Media, outside the entrance to Biltmore Park. It happened.
Here is a quote from my October 14th post here on ashvegas:
"So I wish the Tea Party idiots the best in their “patriotic” effort to force the so-called Mainstream Media into line – their crazy line. And speaking of followers, I am certain they will keep getting all the “truth” from FOX and Rush. I hope they all take a minute to look around on Saturday, while they spew that spoon-fed garbage. There really aren’t that many of them. To that I say “’God Bless America’."
No surprise that I was correct. Protestors waived American flags, a symbolic gesture of patriotism, not to mention doctored photos showing President Obama in Nazi uniform – some of the soundbites and signs praised FOX and Rush as the only ones speaking the “truth” – participants did spew spoon-fed garbage – and it would be an understatement to say there really weren’t that many of them.
The television station targeted by these crazies did cover the demonstration. ABC 13 estimated the number in attendance at about 60. Judging from the station’s own news video, that is giving the Asheville Tea Party way more than its due. Ashvegas readers, please judge for yourselves:
http://www.wlos.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/wlos_vid_1069.shtml
It is clear these people are nothing more than circus freaks – simply an angry sideshow – one that will never catch-on with intelligent Americans in the big tent. I hope I am correct once again.
dempol