theCLog

It’s Earth Day, whatever that means anymore. The unofficial holiday — which started during the early days of the modern environmental movement in the 1970s — has largely become a collection of half-assed events held around the country, loosely crowded under a pro-environment umbrella. They often feature neat little displays that tell citizens “what you can do” to “help the environment,” while a local band plays in the background. Many Earth Day events are even sponsored by some of the heaviest polluters in the world, namely American utility companies. But hey, we won’t notice that today, we’re too busy celebrating our own enlightenment about environmental issues. Celebrants will vow to quit buying bottled water and start using curly light bulbs, and then they’ll go home to eat vegetarian meals and watch TV.

(more…)

Bookmark It

Georgia turns to U.N. after saying Russia shot down spy plane: The Georgian air force released a video that it says shows a Russian jet shooting down a Georgian unmanned aerial vehicle over the region of Abkhazia on Sunday. They have asked the U.N. Security Council to discuss Russia’s “military aggression.”
Full story: CNN.com

American charged with giving secrets to Israel: From 1979-1985, a U.S. Army mechanical engineer allegedly slipped classified information on nuclear weapons to an employee of the Israeli Consulate. The arrest of Ben-ami Kadish was detailed Tuesday by the U.S. attorney in Manhattan and FBI officials
Full story: MSNBC.com

Ken Thompson faces calls for resignation: After Wachovia reported a first quarter loss of $393 million last week, shareholders at Wachovia Corp.’s annual meeting today demanded the resignation of chief executive Ken Thompson.
Full story: Charlotte.com

Bookmark It

88 Minutes

Read the review in the film section.

Bookmark It

Philly suburbs key to state primary win: If Sen. Barack Obama is going to create an upset in the April 22 Pennsylvania primary he is going to have to look to Philadelphia’s western suburbs. Clinton holds the lead in statewide polls.
Full story: CNN.com

Marines trying to recruit fit women: The Marines are now looking for more than a few good women. It is getting harder and harder to recruit during such unpopular war times. To up recruitment levels the U.S. Marine Corps is now blatantly marketing to women for the first time. They are running ads in female health magazines like Shape, Self and Fitness, and others with a unisex appeal, instead of the standard macho man spin.
Full story: Charlotte.com

Impact of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to US to be seen: First impression is said to be very important, and Pope Benedict XVI left the United States the impression that he is a compassionate and candid leader transitioning seamlessly into the makings of a true pope. His six-day visit lasted until April 20.
Full story: Charlotte.com

Sex offenders living at child care facilities, audit says: Nine home child daycares and foster cares are being shut down in California after an audit found registered sex offenders living at these homes among the children. This was in strict violation of the state law. These violations were discovered after state auditors compared the addresses of 75,000 licensed foster family homes and in-home day cares to the state’s database of registered sex offenders.
Full story: CNN.com

Bookmark It

A gallon of regular gas in Charlotte is (at press time) about $3.34. For driver Tim Burgess, that’s too much.
He stopped at Sam’s Mart on Central Avenue and filled his mini-van for $60.
“This is ridiculous,” he laments.
Burgess says that since gas prices have jumped up, he’s changed his driving habits and vacation plans.
“We’re going to stay around Charlotte and take advantage of Discovery Place,” he says of his now thwarted vacation plans.
In hopes of saving gas, Burgess says that he tries to consolidate trips. He does his shopping, dropping-off and picking-up his daughter from school at the same time.
“It saves a little but not much,” the east Charlotte resident says. “My wife and I don’t know how we’re going to budget the rising gas costs. I’m still thinking about times when I was in high school and I could put $10 in and go all week. Now I put $10 in, and I’m lucky if I can get to work on it.”
Nate Beam, who drives a Honda and not a Cadillac, which is more of his style, says that he’s been in the house for two days because his tank has been on “E.”
“It’s killing me,” he says of the gas prices. “It’s hard times right now. And [motor] oil is high right now. It used to be $2 for the cheap oil, and now it’s $3.”
Beam says even though times are hard, he’s not going to take public transportation.

(more…)

Bookmark It

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission wants to preserve a pre-World War II fire station in the Fourth Ward, but its consulting director said it ran into some powerful opposition.
Last week, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission’s consulting director Dan Morrill said the commission wants to designate Fire Station No. 4 a historical landmark, but temporarily tabled the idea after Bank of America voiced its disapproval to City Manager Curt Walton. The bank owns the building, which now houses a firefighting museum.

(more…)

Bookmark It

The McGlohon Theatre in Spirit Square was almost filled to fire code capacity by poetry lovers and onlookers. The “Grand Slam Finals” poetry competition was held last Friday, April 18.  The lower level filled quickly, and late arrivals made the drudging hike to the balcony. The balcony has never been used during a SlamCharlotte competition, said Bluz, Slam Master.

The finals determine the members of the SlamCharlotte team, who represent the city in local, regional and national poetry competitions. The 2007 SlamCharlotte team took first place at the National Poetry Slam last year.

The top 12 poets with the highest scores from this year’s past slams placed in the finals. They were CP Maze, Filmore, Tavis Brunson, Q, BlackSwan, Ocean, Blaqbaree, Lovo, Norris Guest, Mike Simms, Carlos, and Starr.

Round one, all recited  passionate poems filled with content, body language and voice usage. Competition was fierce, and the passion the poets displayed on stage leaked into the audience as the crowd responded verbally to words and gestures of the poets. Roaring “Boos”echoed throughout the theater if a score of nine or less was given by random audience member judges (based on a 1 to 10 decimal point scale.) Q, Lovo, Ocean, Filmore, Norris and Tavis were eliminated.

Round two, six poets left waiting anxiously on the wall for their opportunity to unleash their words on the stage. These poems were even more meaningful and personal, referencing determination, child soldiers, devastating results on the minds and bodies of post Vietnam Vets, always blaming problems on “the man,” and broken relationships. Blaqbaree and CP Maze were eliminated.  “Clearly that was a devastating blow to some of you,” said Bluz, after the crowd realized Maze was gone.

Our 2008 SlamCharlotte team is Mike Simms, Swan, Carlos and Starr.

Round 3 was just for bragging rights and the 2008 “Grand Slam Champion” is Starr.

Bookmark It

This morning as I watched the local news, I was floored by a Chesterfield County teenager’s plot to blow up his high school. As a native of South Carolina, I’m familar with this county and this school. I’ve always been the type of person to say “why are these people on TV saying stuff like this doesn’t happen here?”
Now, I can understand why they say things like that. Bomb plots don’t usually happen in rural South Carolina. Chesterfield is the type of sleepy S.C. county that usually deals with kids hanging out at Hardee’s after a Friday night football game, not some confused kid willing to kill a bunch of high school students.
According to The Charlotte Observer:

“The parents of 18-year-old Ryan Shallenberger became concerned after 10 pounds of ammonium nitrate were delivered to their house Saturday, authorities said. They then found a lengthy journal with maps and details of a planned attack the teen called “Columbine III.” That’s when they called police.The senior at Chesterfield High School, about 65 miles southeast of Charlotte, was arrested and jailed, charged with making bomb threats. Authorities say more charges could come today.

Classes are scheduled as usual this morning at Chesterfield High. Authorities said bomb-sniffing dogs have been used overnight at the school, but there are no reports of any explosive devices being found.”

Kudos to the parents for doing something before the plan of attack was put into action. Here’s more proof that one of the biggest security threats to America isn’t just militant outsiders, but our own homegrown terrorists.
I’m sure this kid thinks his life sucks, but that doesn’t give him the right to try and take other people down with him. I hope he gets counseling or something.
The Observer says, “Officers believe Shallenberger planned to act alone – all the journal entries and descriptions of plans are written with singular pronouns. Still, investigators interviewed friends and casual acquaintances of the teen, sending tremors through the town of 1,500 on Sunday, the nine-year anniversary of the Littleton, Colorado shootings that ended with 14 dead and 24 wounded. April 16 was the one-year anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre, which left 33 dead.

“People are rattled,” Lear said, adding that fear was amplified because Shallenberger’s actions never hinted at something like this. “We never had a problem with him, as far as I know. He never even had any school discipline. He didn’t wear black clothing.”

As a precaution, officers took bomb-sniffing dogs through Chesterfield High School Saturday. Principal Scott Radkin said Sunday night he had communicated with the 60 members of his staff and the school district was making an automated phone call to parents. “
Hopefully, this event that almost was won’t spawn any copy cats.

Bookmark It

“I hate to be the one to break up a love affair, but the John McCain the media and independent voters fell in love with in 2000 — the straight-shooting, let-the-chips-fall-where-they-may maverick — is no more. He’s been replaced by a man willing to say or do anything to win the affection of his newfound object of desire, the radical Right … Yet many in the media can’t bring themselves to stop acting as if McCain is still the dashing rebel who made knees buckle back in the day.”
— Right Is Wrong: How the Lunatic Fringe Hijacked America, Shredded the Constitution, and Made Us All Less Safe (And What You Need to Know to End the Madness), by Arianna Huffington (Knopf; $24.95; available May 1)

Bookmark It

Obama unenthusiastic about N.C. debate: Sen. Hillary Clinton has agreed to an April 27 debate in Ralaigh, N.C. However, Sen. Barack Obama sounded less than thrilled April 17 about holding another debate in North Carolina this month. “I could deliver Sen. Clinton’s lines,” he said. “I’m sure she could deliver mine.”
Full story: Charlotte.com

After intimate meeting, pope turns to global audience: Pope Benedict XVI has put the country’s clergy sexual abuse scandal center stage for three days. On April 18 he then turned his attention to the reason he came to the U.S. in the first place, which was to deliver an address to the General Assembly of the United Nations. He focused on ethical and moral principles as a guide for pluralistic societies, a human rights agenda that holds religious freedom and sacredeness of human life in high regard and the responsibility of first world nations to help developing nations.
Full story: Charlotte.com

Attacks force U.N. to cut Darfur food relief: The hungry of the waring Darfur region are about to be cut from the U.N. World Food Programmme because there have been attacks on humanitarian convoys. The cut will start in May. Josette Sheevan, WFP’s executive director, said 3 million people are depending on them for their survival in the coming rainy season, and keeping the food supply line open is a matter of life and death
Full story: CNN.com

Bookmark It