Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, May 29, 2009 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
Metamorphoses at Carolina Actors Studio Theater
Mark Kano and Mike Garrigan at The Evening Muse
Opening reception for Making AIDS Work: Stories of Beauty and Affliction exhibition at Warehouse 242
Comedians Julie Scoggins and Roger Keiss at Alive
Ssshh Fridays at Happy Hour
Scientists are trying to figure out what leads to environmental action and, conversely, environmental apathy. Since climate change is slow-going and relatively invisible, and since we must rely on the word of scientists — spread by the media, less than 20 percent of those polled are actually doing something about climate change.
Even though global temperatures are rising, the Arctic ice cap is melting, scientists are offering increasingly urgent warnings about climate change, and polls show Americans acknowledging that the threat of global warming is real, we’re still not doing very much about the problem.
Scientists are exploring new theories about what affects behavior concerning global warming, such as people’s decisions to give up their SUVs, weatherize their houses, or support tougher environmental legislation. This research has moved beyond the old theory of rational action that predicted we would make logical changes in our behavior if we were given the right information about a problem.
Here’s what they’re finding:
The most proactive group, which his researchers call the “Alarmed,” represent 18 percent of the public. These are people who believe that the threat of global warming is real and already are doing something in their lives to address climate change. The largest group, the “Concerned,” is 33 percent of the public. They also are convinced global warming is a serious problem, but have not done anything about it and do not seek information to do so.
The “Cautious” at 19 percent, the “Disengaged” at 12 percent, and the “Doubtful” at 11 percent, are by steps increasingly less trustful of scientists, environmentalists, and the mainstream media, more reliant on information from friends or family, and more likely to believe the television weatherman, acquaintances, and religious figures when it comes to climate change. Only 7 percent, “the Dismissive,” flatly disbelieve in human-induced climate change and actively work against global warming measures. This group reads newspapers at half the national average and gets its news from commentators like Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly.
Read more from Yale’s Environment 360.
Everyone can save the environment:
Though Prop 8 is a hot button issue in California, gays around the country have a vested interest in the outcome of the California Supreme Court’s recent ruling not to overturn the anti-gay measure.
The Charlotte Rainbow Action Network for Equality will hold a rally this evening to bring awareness to equality issues.
Here’s their press release:
The Charlotte Rainbow Action Network for Equality (CRANE) will hold a Friday rally at Marshall Park and march through Uptown to the Government Center, to raise awareness on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) equality issues. The event is a direct response to the May 26, 2009, California Supreme Court ruling upholding the anti-gay Proposition 8. The rally and march will feature several local speakers, including a lesbian couple married in California prior to Proposition 8’s passage in November.
During the Friday event, CRANE will urge supporters to sign a petition in support of a resolution to be presented at the June 1, 2009 City Council Citizens’ Forum. The resolution asks Charlotte leaders to go on record supporting the right of same-sex couples to enter into legally-recognized, civil marriages. Similar resolutions have already been approved by the Chapel Hill and Carrboro Town Councils, and the City Council of Durham.
CRANE members will be present to show their support of the resolution at the Citizens’ Forum. Supporters will wear red shirts or other articles of clothing to signify their support. The full text of the proposed resolution can be read at www.rainbowaction.org/taking-a-stand-bringing-it-home/
FRIDAY RALLY & MARCH SCHEDULE
5:30 p.m. : Rally at Marshall Park. Speakers include CRANE members, local LGBTQI and straight ally leaders.
6:15 p.m. : March through Uptown.
Route: West on 3rd St. from Marshall Park, North on Tryon St., West on Trade St., South on Davidson St., ending at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center at 600 E. 4th St.After march rally and picket at Government Center and plaza (4th St. side). Includes speakers.
Remember, about six weeks ago, when I told you not to hold your breath about Verizon’s promised 4G network, that it would be a while?
If you’re placing bets on who’s going to remain king of the cellular biz, put your money on AT&T. Not only are they planning to upgrade their 3G network, with a special boost for urban areas, they’re also going to beat Verizon to the 4G punch by about a year. That’s the prediction from my husband, Mr. Cell Phone.
AT&T today announced plans to upgrade the nation’s fastest 3G network to deliver considerably faster mobile broadband speeds. The network upgrades are slated to begin later this year, with completion expected in 2011.
…
With its network built on the 3G UMTS technology that is commonly deployed throughout the world, AT&T can boost the speed of its mobile broadband network and offer a wide variety of devices to take advantage of it well in advance of 2011-2012, when most industry observers expect 4G LTE networks and device availability to scale. AT&T plans to begin LTE trials in 2010, with deployment beginning in 2011.
In addition to the planned speed upgrade, AT&T is enhancing its mobile broadband coverage by nearly doubling the wireless spectrum dedicated to 3G in most metropolitan areas to deliver stronger in-building reception and more overall network capacity. Also, AT&T is adding thousands of new cell site backhaul connections to support the higher mobile broadband speeds enabled by HSPA 7.2 and LTE.
More from Unstrung.com.
iPhones are magic:
Check out these events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area this weekend— as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
Friday, May 29
Art: The Making AIDS Work: Stories of Beauty and Affliction exhibition at Warehouse 242 features a series of photographs Stevan Talevski snapped while visiting South Africa with folks from Warehouse 242.
Theater: Performances of the satirical play Day of Absence – acted in a reverse minstrel show format with African-Americans playing the parts of Caucasians – will go down at the Afro-American Cultural Center.
Music: Mark Kano, front man of the now defunct Greensboro-based band Athenaeum, will rock out solo with Mike Garrigan at The Evening Muse tonight. (more…)
The older and probably-should’ve-known-better woman involved in a fatal car crash police say was a result of an illegal street race, had her bond reduced today, according to News 36.
A judge has reduced bond for a driver allegedly involved in a street race that killed three people.
Carlene Atkinson is now being held on $900,000 bond. Before the court hearing on Thursday, Atkinson’s bond had been set at $3 million.
Atkinson is charged with three counts of second-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Cynthia Furr, Furr’s 2-year-old daughter and 13-year-old Hunter Holt.
In court Thursday, Holt’s father argued against a lower bond for Atkinson, saying that she was a risk to the community.
The judge said if Atkinson posts bond, she will be under house arrest and not allowed to drive.
Also during the court hearing on Thursday new details came out about the alleged street race.
Atkinson is accused of racing 20-year-old Tyler Stasko. Prosecutors said Stasko and Atkinson apparently began racing at Carowinds. The race reached speeds up to 100 mph, according to a passenger in Stasko’s car who survived the crash.
Atkinson, her 13-year-old daughter, Hunter Holt and the second passenger in Stasko’s car had all been at Carowinds before the racing began.
Do you follow conspiracy theories? Do you believe them? Do you think, like this writer, that 99 percent of them are probably wrong? No matter, everyone likes to at least hear about the latest conspiracy theories, whether it’s the one about Obama being a communist (wait, that’s considered “news” on Fox), or Susan Boyle’s supposed true identity as an illegitimate child of Prince Philip. The Divine Caroline Web site has a great story that helps you stay on top of the most talked-about conspiracy theories, here in which writer Vicki Santillano lists the most durable, popular (if that’s the word) conspiracy theories — and she doesn’t even go into the whole DaVinci Code thing or flying saucers coming from inside Earth. Here’s the top 5 on the list, to get your started:
1. Lee Harvey Oswald didn’t act alone (or possibly at all).
2. Princess Diana was killed on purpose.
3. AIDS is a man-made disease.
4. The government was involved in 9/11.
5. Elvis is still alive.
I realized recently that many current Charlotte residents don’t know too much about one of the candidates for mayor. In the interest of voter education, then, let me introduce you to Republican candidate Martin Davis, also known as No. 8 on Creative Loafing’s 2001 list of “10 Scariest People In Charlotte.” Davis, who is also known as “the Dirty Book Guy,” recently requested that the County Commission censor the play Southern Rapture, which dealt with the 1997 controversy in Charlotte over another play, Angels In America.
Around 1997, Davis began to raise hell about the content of some of the books at the library, particularly selections of gay fiction. When he was unsuccessful in attempts to get the library to ban the books, he … well, I’ll just quote from the “10 Scariest People” story: “Martin then appointed himself Charlotte’s official moral watchdog, and began reading excerpts from certain books during televised County Commission meetings, ostensibly to shed light on what he claimed to be lewd and objectionable material. Finally, [then]-Commission Chairman Parks Helms had enough of Davis’ sex-filled readings, and ordered police to eject him from a commissioners’ meeting” before he had a chance to start reading choice excerpts from a book called Women On Top.
“Before he started his one-man crusade to rid our libraries of dirty books, the UNC-Chapel Hill graduate was a struggling actor in New York, where he apparently indulged in plenty of debauchery and promiscuity. Eventually he tired of New York’s party scene and his failing acting career. He moved back to Charlotte in the mid-1980s, found Jesus, cut out his wild ways, joined the NRA and started picketing abortion clinics.” Soon afterward, he was browsing through the library one day, and, as they say, the rest is history.
So if you’re looking for a mayoral candidate who combines obsessive fixations on gay pornography in public libraries with the views and temperament of say, the Church Lady mixed with Sean Hannity (Dirty Book Guy was a prototype of today’s Teabaggers when, in 2001, he ranted in the Observer about the evils of the New Deal), then Martin’s your candidate.
Just thought you’d like to know.
Want to avoid the toxic goo? Bottom line: buy organic, buy local.
Whether you got it at a rock show, thrift store, vacation spot or trendy boutique, chances are you own a favorite, well-worn T-shirt. Soft, comfortable and cool, the tee is the ultimate laid-back attire, but can just as easily be dressed up with a sports coat or simple skirt and accessories. But there’s more to the T-shirt than wearability—the wardrobe staple leaves behind a serious environmental impact.
Why should you buy local?
Enough with the hate already. Sonia Sotomayor is clearly qualified and is one of the most interesting Supreme Court Nominees in history. The Bronx. Princeton. Yale. Married. Divorced. Appointed by H.W. Bush. Promoted by Bill Clinton. Nominated to be the H.L.I.C. by the H.B.I.C. English. Spanish. Nuyorican. Boricua. What? I cannot wait to see what this phenomenal woman does on the court.
