Go to your doctor and let them know you may have been exposed to a brain worm that could put you at higher risk of developing a severe disease. They should be able to write you a Rx to get a vaccine. Hey, it's at least worth a try!
Humanist, mensch, husband, father & friend. I love nature, architecture, travel, world history, books, food, wine & craft beer. So fortunate to live in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in cool, quirky Asheville, NC (AVL). Follow mostly people in AVL/NC.
456 followers 220 following 2,596 posts
view profile on Bluesky
Go to your doctor and let them know you may have been exposed to a brain worm that could put you at higher risk of developing a severe disease. They should be able to write you a Rx to get a vaccine. Hey, it's at least worth a try!
Everybody knows that a well mulched yard is one of the biggest deterrents to crime. And weeds, too.
For all those rural hilljacks who want Americans to bury their head in the sand (only in American deserts though) & pretend that we can go it alone, not leading or even participating in the broader world: this path will not end well (for us at least).
Only in America can one man, with no medical or scientific credentials but just a recognizable family name, a tyrant for a boss, a brain worm & a history of drug abuse & erratic behavior, change the course of healthcare for 300+ million citizens! I guess this is what makes America so exceptional?
Question: COVID vaccines are available without restriction if you have one of the underlying conditions that put ppl at higher risk for severe disease. Is one of those conditions having a worm in your head that has eaten away so much of your brain that you believe you are a doctor or scientist?
Current predictions are for a long & colorful leaf season this fall in Asheville/Western North Carolina. So all you leaf peepers, book your trips now to catch the fall colors, along with all the fall festivals & events. www.exploreasheville.com/article/pres...
NC is really wide side-to-side, but pretty narrow top-to-bottom. Yes, someone posted here recently that northeastern NC is closer to NYC than Asheville. The cat museum is cute & has tons of stuff inside, but maybe 1 - 2 hrs to explore it. Not worth a long drive unless you have other things planned.
Not surprising since his look these days is giving 70s porn star. Benson Boone is Dirk Diggler!
Pope Leo is an American. He should know that here in America God & guns go together like, well, guns & school shootings.
Skip that bagel! Go for a local Asheville delight: THE absolute best biscuits in Asheville from Butter Punk in the upper River Arts District, 372 Depot St Suite 50, Asheville, NC 28801
Intimidation is certainly one of tRump's major goals in his push to "militerrorize" Blue cities run by Black mayors. But it's more than that: it's pushing a narrative to rural voters that all US cities are crime-ridden so don't go there. And it's deflecting from tariff-driven inflation & Epstein.
Maybe the power is really in RFK Jr's nose. He's like one of those dogs who can sniff out ppl with diseases. Or maybe it's the brainworm doing it for him? We need NIH to lock him up & study him.
Lots of ppl could look at a sick person with obvious symptoms & judge that they might be unwell, especially someone whose healthy looks & behavior they are already familiar with. But to just look at strangers on the street & make claims about their internal physical or mental state? Pretty weird.
If we could read Shillbilly Vance's mind: "If there's a chance I can exploit any opportunity to get ahead, I'll do it. I have no moral center. Like my current boss, I'm just in it for me."
Image caring more about stopping a memorial for people killed in a mass shooting than stopping mass shootings. #Priorities
You know things are bad with tRump's health when Shillbilly Vance stops going on vacation.
There are lots of ways to deal with the grief of the passing of a loved one. Some people talk to their loved one even when they're gone. Some visit their favorite places or make their favorite food in their honor. But I'm not sure interacting with an AI-based simulation of the deal person is healthy
We need to be supportive of ppl being their authentic self. And we need to be alert when anyone is showing signs of pre-occupation with violence & hate, whether it manifests as self harm or is directed at others. We need to provide better mental health services instead of tax cuts to the 5%.
I'm absolutely not excusing horrible behavior on anyone's part. But I am saying that when people are subjected to trauma, it can manifest itself in lots of ways, including terrible things that ppl do to themselves and/or others.
Her, BTW. I'm not so sure about that ratio. There's a lot of trauma associated with gender dysphoria (although also sometimes great feelings of relief & reconciliation when ppl transition). And that trauma can be made worse by religious dogma & all the recent actions targeted at transgender folks.
There's still plenty of trash at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Our country has fallen so low, so quickly. It's bad enough that we just got rid of a lot of statues honoring traitors who tore the US apart to own other humans as property, but to honor a modern-day traitor who on J6 tried to steal the election for her cult hero? Pardon me, but that's just criminal!
We've walked by Salsa's 100s of times but never eaten there. There are a surprising number of good Mexican restaurants in Asheville. But a lot of them have what you could call the typical, expected set of menu items, whereas Salsa's has some interesting items other places don't. Thanks for the tip!
Shillbilly Vance knows a thing or 2 about gratitude. He's grateful to Peter Thiel for funding his foray into venture capital & making him wealthy, to the NY Times & Netflix for helping him profit off of his largely-fabricated life story, & mostly to tRump for forgiving JD's past comments about him.
Mike Johnson hides behind a facade of being a humble public servant & devout Christian when in reality he is nothing more than a taxpayer-funded lackey for the incompetent, lying, grifting tRump regime. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
But you can only squeeze so much out of the working class. So much wealth has gone upwards since the 1960s that there is not much left to squeeze. At some point, it becomes unsustainable. The Russians found that out in 1917.
Our system of unchecked capitalism is exactly optimized to exploit the working class to maximum effect to enrich the top 5-10%. They are encouraged to buy every cheap item they can, living from paycheck to paycheck or going into debt. It's not just China that has benefitted from this system.
And let's not forget SCOTUS' infamous Citizen United ruling, which allows PACs to buy elections.
For the definition of "sycophant" in dictionaries, they can save text by just plugging in a photo of JD "Shillbilly" Vance.
I'd have to say this might be a new low, even for the NC Republican Party.
Just seeing the tips near the tops of some sugar maples beginning to turn, but yes, we're about a month away from the main show.
Another cute little town between Charlotte & Asheville is Belmont, NC. Jekyll & Hyde Taphouse Grill there has great food & an impressive number of beers on tap, including several from their own brewery located on-site.
Amazing that little Lincolnton has a "social district" where visitors are allowed to purchase a beer, wine or cocktail & stroll around the area while enjoying it. A similar social district is being talked about for Asheville's South Slope, home to many craft breweries & a cidery.
Last year a bear was up a tree in the woods behind our house, hanging on with 3 paws & digging with the 4th at a "Y" in the tree. Squirrels living in those oaks went absolutely crazy, jumping in the trees & making a huge racket. We figured the bear was raiding one of the squirrels' main nut stores.
Here's an idea: with the addition of a new performing arts center downtown, why not repurpose the aging Harrah's Cherokee Center into an indoor soccer stadium? It's big enough. The City could trade off some revenue for a long-term lease of the undeveloped UNCA urban woods as a city wilderness park.
It's a great time to visit Asheville this fall. Things are mostly back to normal and with the summer rains and cool fall temperatures already, the fall colors should be great this year! www.travelandleisure.com/asheville-na...
I think he's always been dangerous, but I think now with his power going largely unchecked, any inhibitions he might have had before have pretty much faded away. Militarizing the policing of domestic US cities is at best an intimidation tactic & at worst a staging ground for future martial law.
I'm hopeful, too. It's our best chance in ages. Although this is the district that elected Mark Meadows, Madison Cawthorn & Chuck "McMogul" Edwards, so it'll still very much be an uphill battle.
Hmmmm. This is beginning to remind me of something, but I can't quite put mein finger on it.
It's not so much about transparency, although UNCA leadership was secretive at best about their plans & deliberately evasive at worst. It's about giving the community in its many forms a real seat at the table. Buncombe Co in their letter offered assistance to better dovetail with other local plans.
This also begs the question: why in the world is the official mascot of UNC Asheville a bulldog named Rocky & not a bear? Seems like a missed opportunity. I've never seen a wild bulldog roaming campus.
And great to see they appear to have signed up Stephen Miller as their new spokesmodel, replacing Uncle Herschel on the logo [the latter has probably died from some cardiovascular disease].
Per RFK Jr, I assume it would be through not exposing us to all those dangerous disease-causing vaccines that are also loaded with nano-scale microchips that track us [not sure who it is that tracks us, maybe the cabal that controls the shadow world government?]. Immuno-therapies are probably next.
Would have been a great time for a lesson on Ursa Major & Minor though.
Praying is about all there is to do because the MAGA-driven GOP will never vote to restrict their overly-broad interpretation of the 2nd Amendment that is now a pillar of their political beliefs, nor will they tax the top 5% sufficiently to pay for more mental health services. Misplaced priorities.
I don't expect the MAGA-controlled GOP to pass any additional gun control laws as a result of this or any other school shooting. I wouldn't put it past them though to pass more anti-trans laws & to continue to erode the protection afforded by the US Constitution for the separation of church & state.
Maybe it's because I've been watching Alien: Earth on Hulu/FX, but I'm now beginning to wonder whether his brain worm may be directing his wacky behavior. Seems like it might be prudent to remove him from his job, quarantine him & conduct a multi-year study to determine whether this is the case.
Honoring an insurrectionist? Horrible! What next, electing someone who incites insurrection as President of the United States? Oh wait, that already happened.
Great idea! Exercising our 1st Amendment rights to freedom of expression by burning the American flag is happily still allowed (for now at least), as long as it's in compliance with applicable fire codes. Best of all, it really pisses off our wanna-be dictator: www.ashevillenc.gov/department/f....
Pink & white gingham seems perfect for a Southern Hausfrau's appearance at an end-of-summer soirée! And we can't wait to see the fabulous holiday looks you'll have in store for your performance with the Asheville Gay Men's Chorus at this year's holiday show (at the new venue at A-B Tech) 12-12/13.
Lots of gorgeous wedding venues (indoor & outdoor) in Asheville & across WNC. But given the potential size of the guest list, few would fit as well as The Biltmore Estate. Spring, summer & fall are all beautiful here, & even the winter can be pretty with snow on the mountains.
Oh, Cracker Barrel, don't go backwards to that old timey version of your logo. Try this one instead, along with the new tag line: "Cracker Barrel, I wish I knew how to quit you".* *Apparently from their declining business, a lot of customers already do know how though.
I think he's a member of the Mein Herr Club for Men.
Walk that runway! That's the way to do it: head tilt to side and work those hips, grrrl!
And they all live together as one big happy polyamorous gay "manfamily" in a log cabin.
Yes, he was exposed to Epsteinite.
You don't need a Golden Ticket from one of their chocolate bars to take the tour BTW. Just $12. No Oompa-Loompas though.
Until I clicked to see the smallish donkey pic at full-size, I briefly saw the fence post above the donkey's head as a horn and thought "Bodhidave has found an elusive unicorn!". Which made me wonder: where does Unicorn Sighting fall on the path to enlightenment?
No, we don't. The 3 I mentioned are all locally-owned, independent producers of chocolate. French Broad Chocolate is the largest of the 3. In addition to a downtown shop, their "chocolate factory" is near the French Broad River between the River Arts District & UNC Asheville. They even offer tours!
We're coming up soon (in a month) on the anniversary of Hurricane Helene. The City of Asheville has put together a resource called Elevate AVL for residents. It includes a climate action toolkit for Asheville's changing climate. Climate action starts locally! www.ashevillenc.gov/department/s...
3 actually! In addition to French Broad Chocolate, downtown there are 2 more, Asheville Chocolate & Gelato and Chocolate Fetish (all good, all pretty much equally expensive): www.avlchocolate.com www.chocolatefetish.com
I'll admit I was imprecise with my statement: he has made some gifts. But my point was that, unlike for example George Soros or even Bill Gates, Gov Pritzker is not noted as being a prominent philanthropist. Several billionaires have taken the pledge to give most of their money to charity. He hasn't
Thank you for sharing that. Good to see they have a foundation (but then every billionaire does, except maybe Musk). Any idea how much they've committed to it? The $25M over 5 years for the early childhood initiative doesn't seem like a lot if you're worth billions, but maybe there's more.
I am sounding the alarm on the real crisis we face today. Donald Trump’s overreach is what our founders warned against – it is unprecedented, unwarranted, and un-American. There’s no emergency here that calls for military intervention.
Russia is celebrating what is happening in the US. Whether Putin was behind tRump's rise or not, tRump's presidencies have accomplished in a short time what Russia spent the better part of 45 years during the Cold War trying to do. The US is crumbling & pulling down the rest of the West in its wake.
"But there's no men in our ladies' rooms, so it's ok!"
We've long had undercover police, but apparently now you can just put on a T-shirt or vest that says POLICE or ICE, carry a weapon but show no ID & do whatever the F you want? How do we know if these ppl are legit? Criminals can dress like this. Is that even impersonating an officer in that case?
Maybe, but when you cook vegan food in lard, is it still vegan?
If gas is so cheap and plentiful, there's surely no good economic reason to drill for more oil anywhere in the US.
And violating a no burning ordinance would typically be a misdemeanor or strictly a code violation that would be a ticketable, not an arrestable, offence.
To be clear: I don't dislike Pritzker. I actually kind of like him & I think he's smart & an effective communicator & campaigner. I just dislike that he's a billionaire who doesn't seem at all morally troubled about being a billionaire.
Agreed. We should be focusing mostly on what we can do today, in 2026 & then 2028. We also shouldn't look at Dems standing up to tRump primarily in terms of their Presidential aspirations (even if that is their motivation). But I also don't think a billionaire should be our standard bearer in 2028.
I think tRump wants to get rid of her mostly because she's been opposed to rate cuts & has proven herself unlikely to cave to his pressures to control the Fed. That said, I think his regime gives themselves bonus points when they can get rid of someone they consider DEI (PoCs, women, LGBTQIA2S).
You know you're a MAGAt if... you actually believe tRump is doing this just to reduce crime.
You know you're a MAGAt if... you actually believe tRump is doing this just to reduce crime.
A reasonably good guy & fairly effective governor, but he's a billionaire who has made no real effort to put his billions into charitable initiatives or anything that benefits the public good (apart from funding his own political campaigns, if you count that). Nobody needs billions.
If the tRump regime really wants to help US cities reduce crime, they ought to allocate some of the billions of dollars being collected in tariffs to block grants for cities to use to pay their existing police forces overtime, implement neighbor watch programs, improve mental health services, etc.
Well, this is an exciting way to start the week... we've been named a finalist in three award categories by the @onlinenews.bsky.social! All three honors – in public service, breaking news and public engagement on social media – pertain to our coverage of Hurricane Helene.
A big part of the decline in the rural Midwest area I grew up in is the growth of massive-scale corporate farming. Family-run farms are being squeezed out (except the Amish) or they have to take on huge debt to survive. Small/mid-sized cities & big cities like Indianapolis are doing pretty well.
If DC has a general no burning ordinance, he may be charged for violating that rather than specifically for burning the flag, an act which is constitutionally protected under the 1st Amendment as a form of "symbolic speech," as established by the Supreme Court in the 1989 case of Texas v. Johnson.
I'm more afraid when I drive through hilljack country than I ever am in any city.
Pritzker: This is not about fighting crime. This is about the President and his complicit lackey, Stephen Miller, searching for ways to lay the groundwork to circumvent our democracy, militarize our cities, and end elections.
Maybe some of those billions of dollars in tariffs being collected could be deployed to help fund useful, economy-building projects like this instead of being used to provide massive tax cuts for big corporations & billionaires or to pay ICE agents & National Guard troops to invade our cities.
Because they either want to privatize them for profit, or undo their protected status & exploit them for their natural resources.
You're almost always smiling. In today's political climate, I kind of love that about you. I'm sure the Right hates it. They're always scowling. The Right is like The Grinch, only orange is the new green.
There is nothing that says we're still a free country like [safely] burning the American flag. It's a 1st Amendment right! If they don't like it, the MAGAts can go back to wherever their immigrant ancestors came from.
It's a red line. Massive peaceful protests & strikes. But if the tRump regime occupies your city, use your 2nd Amendment rights to the fullest extent: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
The US military, in the form of the National Guard, has no legitimate role in domestic policing operations. It's a State & local matter, unless there is violent insurrection. Any National Guard member who obeys an order to invade a city like Chicago is a TRAITOR not just to their oath, but the US.
Did someone say Epstein files???? Are there released yet, or have they not had time to remove all mentions of tRump?
🔥 CHICAGO MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON: "We're not gonna surrender our humanity to this tyrant… Chicago has a long history of standing up against tyranny-- resisting those who wish to undermine the interests of working people. We're not gonna back down.”
"Mr. President, do not come to Chicago. You are neither wanted here, nor needed here." Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker responds to President Trump's threats to send National Guard troops to Chicago.
If tRump sends troops to Chicago, apart from blocking that in court & through all true American patriots taking to the streets (peacefully) to protest en masse, Democrats in Congress must call for tRump's impeachment AGAIN. 3rd time is charm.
To Donald Trump and his administration: If you hurt my people, nothing will stop me — not time or political circumstance — from making sure you face justice under our constitutional rule of law.
Do not come, Donald Trump. You are neither wanted nor needed here in Illinois.
Wasn't the GOP the party of states' rights? I guess only Red states have rights in tRump's America. Federalization of the National Guard & use of this arm of the military as a domestic police force when there is no emergency is a clear violation of presidential power per the Constitution. Impeach!
They also do tours at their distillery in South Slope. The tours include tastings (actually most of the time is tasting - the tour itself is fairly quick). Was really fun to do with a group of friends. Plus I learned some things about gin, vodka, whiskey & other spirits, so it counts as educational!
Whether Hungary, Brazil or South Korea, tRump objects when leaders with authoritarian tendencies are checked in any way and held to account. It's exactly because he doesn't want the same to happen to him. But by the grace of the gods, it will!
Have you tried the Navy Strength Gin from Asheville's Chemist Spirits? Really stands up & stands out in cocktails like a regular martini or vesper. With navy strength, I'm pretty much "one-and-done" though, due to the higher alcohol content! www.chemistspirits.com/navy-strengt...
AVL needs more shelters & Asheville Downtown Improvement District ambassadors need to work with unhoused ppl on the street to connect them to all available resources. It's also very unfair to local business owners to have ppl, sleeping, loitering or relieving themselves in front of their businesses.
His sexual orientation doesn't really matter, although it would make him a self-loathing hypocrite. What does matter is he's a spineless, opportunistic, self-serving piece of crap who does not care about the people of South Carolina & does absolutely nothing for their best interests or benefit.