AsheVillein --The Electronic Mountain Serf--

resting my eyes

2011-07-12T13:45:00.001-05:00

resting my eyes, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

cheers asheville drink up

2011-02-17T11:38:00.001-05:00

cheers asheville drink up, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

day 4 of water that looks like this

utterly ironic

2011-01-15T17:22:00.001-05:00

utterly ironic, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

now what do I do with this little gem?

One Million Dollars

2011-01-12T10:53:00.004-05:00

According to a post on his blog and website, Peter Lik claims this photograph, entitled "One," sold to an anonymous buyer for One Million Dollars.

US? Or Zimbabwe?

Does not say. Could be any number of currencies which use the term dollar.

Maybe he paid himself that much to give the photo to his mom?

I don't know. I think it is a fine photo of implied fall colors and white birch trees.

But, $1,000,000? Does the buyer think it will appreciate in value?

And the whole story is kind of strange. This is the "only" print. Did he destroy the negative? Is it film? Digital? Obviously he scanned it.

Hey, if I paid 1mil for this, I would want to know there were not a million idiots blogging my picture all over the place.

Sour grapes, you say? Nah. I wish him all the best. Just more proof that photography is all a mind game, like selling air, or internet service.

Just find the right buyer... and Bob's yer uncle.

asheville 20110106

2011-01-06T09:29:00.001-05:00

asheville 20110106, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

just another icy morning in the mountains

Kodachrome Gone... big deal.

2010-12-30T11:43:00.004-05:00

Sentimental BS. Kodachrome is gone because Kodak did not evolve it. The development process is straight out of mad science, each run prone to color shifts, the machines were beasts to calibrate, and let's face it, Fuji has been making better color film for 20 years now. And they do it in everything from 35mm to 8x10.

Most of the people waxing poetic about Kodachrome are photojournalists who did some amazing work with it, and at the time, it was the best for 35mm.

When I worked at a lab that did pro work in NYC in the 80's, most of the Kodachrome we got was from tourists wanting "that look" the pros in advertising and fashion had already moved on to E6 because they were shooting 120, 4x5, and 8x10s. Those that did ran test strips to see what the process was like on that run. They would then come back and ask for the next run to pull 1/2 or push 1/3. It was a nightmare.

When your whole world is black and white, like it was for newspaper photographers like me in those days, shooting color was special. You might get one color Sunday supplement shot in, maybe 4-5 times a year, if you were motivated you could freelance to a magazine in those days, or shoot stock--but Tri-X was where you lived, how your mind worked.

Over the years I took some memorable shots on Kodachrome. The cracked wood and daises is, I believe, one of the first kodachrome pictures I took while I was in High School in 1973. The photo of the USS Belleau Wood in San Francisco is from 1979. I have a whole box of slides, mostly Kodachrome here, every now and then it is fun to go back and look through them.

Maybe that might be more fun now.

So as Kodachrome sails off into the sunset, let's keep it all in perspective. It was market share and Kodak's hubris that killed Kodachrome, a failure to recognize and respond to years of demands from working professionals to make the film in larger sizes, make development more stable and recognize that Fuji was closing the gap.

Vivian Maier, Photographer

2010-12-27T01:59:00.004-05:00

I recently discovered that someone has discovered a fantastic, unknown photographer named Vivian Maier. She lived in Chicago, was a nanny by profession, and a photographer by passion. Her works were accidentally discovered at a abandoned property sale and became an obsession for the man who discovered them.

He has made this blog http://www.vivianmaier.blogspot.com/ which has all the links you need to learn more.

I advise you to do so.

So, This, Is Christmas.

2010-12-25T10:25:00.003-05:00

Indeed it is.

I know it is from the litter of wrapping paper on the living room floor, the contented children off in corners admiring/using/reading new things. The dogs completely confused with all the weird activity. And this year, snow outside our windows.

Of course we all know, those of us who think for more than a second about things, that is, that this is not when Jesus was born. Emperor Constantine took this date from the Pagans to mess up their winter holiday and declared it Christmas.

So, technically, when the wingnuts tell you "Jesus is the reason for the season," they are wrong. But they are right too.

Far right. (but that's another rant)

They are right about that Jesus guy. You remember him? He got nailed to a tree for telling people they were not living right.

Ouch, huh?

All he did was tell people to love each other more. Give to the poor. Forgive your enemies. Understand things you had not understood before.

Take joy however you want today. Try to be kind. Smile at a stranger. Help someone.

Merry Christmas.

crossing 26

2010-06-29T21:03:00.001-05:00

crossing 26, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

4 people crossing 26east at the 240east exit, near where several people have been killed recently.

strive not to drive

2010-05-21T07:37:00.001-05:00

strive not to drive, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

vance plant sale

2010-05-14T09:37:00.001-05:00

vance plant sale, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

Plant sale today at Vance Elementary in West Asheville to benefit PTO programs.

pluto vs eris

2010-03-26T07:29:00.001-05:00

pluto vs eris, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

ABOUT THE PLAY: Pluto v. Eris: The Trial of Discord was written by an Asheville local in response to the conflict over the change in Pluto’s planetary status and in celebration of the human drive to discover. The one act play will be performed in the Vance Planetorium in West Asheville by 17 local actors ranging in age from 13 to 74. Performances will be on Friday & Saturday, March 26 and 27 at 8pm with a suggested donation of $8. The multi-media play is a fund-raiser for Vance's NASA program.

The performance coincides with the 400th anniversary of the publication of Galileo’s book, The Starry Messenger.

Haumea and Makemake, a Polynesian god and goddess (and also two of the newly discovered dwarf planets), introduce the play and comment on the Greek/Roman gods and goddesses as they gather for the Council of Celestial Beings. The Council assembles to hear charges against Eris, goddess of Discord, who is accused of treason and general mayhem by Pluto, god of the Underworld. Jupiter sits as judge, but is soon rousted by unexpected visitors. Is all the trouble really over past wrongs committed by Eris in long ago family lore? Or are more recent, non-mythical discoveries at the heart of the conflict? Who will decide Eris’ fate?

There will be several surprises at this Council—in fact, one could say a bit of Discord is in the cards for all who are gathered—gods, goddesses, planets, and humans all.

Though being performed at an elementary school and involving life-size puppets and shadow puppetry, Pluto v. Eris is definitely NOT a children’s play, but a humorous and playful look at ancient myth and timeless human anxieties over the role of innovation and change. Older children, youth, and adults, especially those who love myth, theater, and/or astronomy, are encouraged to attend this unique theatrical adventure.

http://www.pluto-v-eris.org/

pickin up kids in ice

2010-02-09T15:35:00.001-05:00

pickin up kids in ice, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

Fat Tuesday Approaches

2010-02-04T12:33:00.001-05:00

Fat Tuesday Approaches, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

A public service announcement from me.

Do you think they mean that?

2010-02-02T16:14:00.001-05:00

english optional, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

well, this bunch just might.

asheville high qb proclamation

2009-12-16T08:50:00.001-05:00

asheville high qb proclamation, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

Brandon Whiteside receives the City of Asheville's proclamation honoring him for his fund-raising efforts for cancer research. As the quarterback for the Asheville Cougars, Mr. Whiteside pledged $1 for every yard gained passing. His total for the year was nearly 2,000 yards.

zombie road

2009-11-21T23:38:00.001-05:00

zombie road, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

yes, the zombie walk will be back in Asheville in 2010... spread the word, take the next day off work, and come join the fun

Mo... my cat... hit by car today

2009-11-19T22:11:00.006-05:00

but, injuries are apparently minor. scrapes and a small pelvic fracture.

did you say you wanted pictures

well...

okay

The wonderful Dr. Osborne gives her a once-over before x-rays which show the small fracture.

then Mo got to sit in a cage, which she did not enjoy, neither did she enjoy leaving it

go figure

Maybe she is smarter than we think. Because next was the old "finger up the butt trick" with predictable results....

Veteran's Day.

2009-11-10T13:45:00.002-05:00

Veteran's Day.

Not Memorial Day. Please, if you feel the need to "thank a veteran" make sure to remember this day is for living. It's roots are in the END of the WWI, a celebration of the survival of the horrors of that mud-filled toxic nightmare.

The dead have their day.

Thank you.

fall church

2009-11-06T07:51:00.001-05:00

fall church, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

Fantastic turnout, Asheville

2009-11-05T10:11:00.003-05:00

Really. I mean, pat yourself on the back. But I expect 80% less complaining about city government

Do we have a deal, non-voters?

Has anyone else seen this?

2009-10-05T18:01:00.001-05:00

last letter home, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

and what is your opinion?

the statue part of Asheville's new Veteran's Memorial depicts a woman reading a letter, i guess from a son who died?

human cannonball dude flying

2009-09-18T13:16:00.002-05:00

human cannonball dude flying, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

It's a bird, it's a plane...

And down to the net, like .6 sec later

rip patrick

2009-09-15T13:07:00.003-05:00

"Nobody puts Baby in a corner."

rip patrick, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

took a trip to Lake Lure on the bike... like I need an excuse to take a ride on twisty roads?

The beach across from the hotel has these guys hanging out all winter.... weird

iss over asheville

2009-09-07T20:29:00.003-05:00

iss over asheville, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

great bright transit of the ISS at about 2050local SW to NE or so, nearly straight up

If you missed it, there will be another bright one like this on Wed Sept 9 at 8:04-8:09p.m. local time.... email me or call 828 423-0028 if you want help spotting it or need info taking pictures of it.

It is fun to see this.

day after day

2009-09-05T15:28:00.001-05:00

mountain jesus moom, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

alone on the hill....

you get the point.

old biltmore tractor

2009-09-02T20:25:00.001-05:00

old biltmore tractor, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

makes me wonder a lot of things... who parked it there? when? the day the dairy closed? or the driver was fired/died? or is the water pump on the bench nearby why? and did people have harder butts back then?
So, say a year after the dairy closed, this valuable tractor still sat there. No one thought to, uh, like sell it?
For that matter, it is in pretty good shape now, even after sitting in a barn for years and years.
I don't get it.

Now this is some funny stuff

2009-08-28T15:57:00.002-05:00

from the Seattle PI

my daughter is in high school

2009-08-25T22:02:00.001-05:00

my daughter is in high school, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

oy. help me.

reflections of jackson

2009-08-25T09:56:00.001-05:00

reflections of jackson, originally uploaded by BillRhodesPhoto.

This is the centerpiece of the new Pack Square? Sorry, not impressed.

Bad News. Lenses Stolen

2009-07-18T21:25:00.004-05:00

If you want to lecture me about security and photo equipment, save it. I know. I know. I know. I know.

Anyway, I am currently down several lenses and a strobe thanks to some light-fingered humanoid.

Among the confirmed missing:

nikon 14-24 2.8 serial number 247093 value about 1800
nikon 28-85 3.5 serial number 2109348 value about 300
nikon 50 1.8 serial number not known right now value 150?
nikon 105 1.8 serial number 236510 value... 600
nikon sb600 serial number not known right now value 300

So, why does this big dummy not know the serial numbers? Because the memory card with all the serial numbers was IN THE STOLEN BAG, thankyouverymuch.

All these were in a light blue Mountainsmith fanny pack with a gold carabiner on the top, and my last name, RHODES written in sharpie on the strap. Also my business cards are in there and assorted cables, remotes, batteries and pocket lint. Maybe a roll of film or two as well.

A report has been filed with APD. I am sans insurance right now, of course. I am hoping my good karma will come through, but failing that, please get the word out to any photographers in the Asheville area, I WILL make it worth their while to get any of these items back, and a good lead for the police.

If you are in possession of these items, and don't know what to do with them. Listen, dude. I just want the stuff back. I will ask no questions with a return. No cops. No baseball bats. None of my wacked out Roller Derby friends visiting you after dark. I promise.

Okay, Posner... so conversely then

2009-07-01T12:30:00.002-05:00

that would mean that newspapers would have to stop quoting wire servivces?

Yes, I know they pay to use them, but... sure seems like the same thing... So Posner wants to ban links? Yeah, that will work. here is the whole screed.

Sez Mr. Posner

Warren Buffett, who is a wit as well as a multibillionaire, said with reference to the fact that Bernard Madoff's long-running Ponzi scheme came to light during the financial collapse of last fall that until the tide goes out, you don't know who's swimming naked. A year ago Becker and I blogged about the decline of the newspaper industry. A year later the decline has accelerated. The economic crisis has hurt the newspaper industry as it has so many industries. The question is whether it will recover (or at least rejoin its slower downward path of last year) when the economy as a whole recovers; or has the economic crisis merely revealed the terminal status of the industry.

I am pessimistic about a recovery by the newspapers. One reason is the current economic situation. A serious, protracted economic crisis can result in changes in consumer behavior that persist after the end of the crisis. A change in consumption, even in some sense involuntary, can be a learning experience. People make what they think will be merely temporary adjustments in their consumption behavior to reduce financial distress but may discover that they like elements of their new consumption pattern; and businesses too, which have reduced their newspaper (and other print-media) ad expenditures drastically. They may never go back.

Never mind that since he is a blogger, and many of the facts he cites are from newspapers. I guess that makes him a hypocrite, and, dare I say it? A moron.

News Obit... Kodachrome, killed at 74

2009-06-22T15:41:00.002-05:00

Well, it made it two years longer than David Carridine was alive.
Seriously. This was THE film for color back in my newspaper days. All serious stuff was shot with Kodachrome, stuff you hoped would make the Sunday Magazine, stuff you bothered to light, or had to travel to shoot.
In those days there was a Kodachrome lab in NY FilmWorks on 23rd street. National Geographic had their own line. You could send it to Kodak. And There were only a few others in the world.
In recent years, the only ones were NatGeo's and one in Kansas.
Even Kodak did not develop it anymore, at least publicly.
So, I guess it is not a big surprise.
Kodak's tribute page.

Dedication Today a 10am

2009-06-09T06:33:00.002-05:00

cob shed at night, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

After 2 years, 1000's of volunteers, sometimes insurmountable obstacles, Vance Elementary School has a cob tool shed ready to use. Come join many of the people who made it what it is, members of the Asheville Board of Education, Asheville's Mayor and other dignitaries for the 10am dedication of this amazing building.
Come see what is really "green" in West Asheville. I will have 30 pictures displayed of the whole history and building process.

faces of asheville

2009-06-05T18:22:00.001-05:00

faces of asheville, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

Exhibit opens tonight. 55 Broadway, the Satellite Gallery.... great show, go see yourself, Asheville

Congrats to Jen Bowen. Good work.

Grove Corner Market

2009-06-04T07:57:00.003-05:00

Now open in West Asheville!

The Grove Corner has opened on the site of the failed Co-Op in the Bledsoe Building on Haywood Road. For my first visit, I had the breakfast burrito with sausage (they had veggie ones, for those so inclined) and a sample of awesome fudge.

Not everything is up and running, as the HVAC man was there tweaking air flow, and the required licenses to sell beer and wine are close to being finalized, but it is clearly a grocery store. Entering through the produce section and winding around to the dining space, even though there is not as much square footage as the old store, the selections are broad.

Dave rang me up and we chatted a while. Foot traffic has been really good for them so far, so keep it up West Asheville!

Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 10p.m.

Why not?

2009-05-21T09:44:00.002-05:00

And in other news, that hideous sign is coming down!

mo lick

2009-05-11T07:59:00.002-05:00

mo lick, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

I don't usually pimp my cat shots here, but this one is so weird, I thought I would.
For those who don't know Mo... we got her about a year ago, rescued from a drainage ditch near Advance, NC
Since then I have taken a dramatic photo of her a day... this one is number 307

jamie birthday gang

2009-05-09T20:46:00.001-05:00

jamie birthday gang, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

Jamie is 10

stick shells

2009-05-06T20:25:00.001-05:00

stick shells, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

shells on sticks... odd décor at the beach house... made better with good light

beach lighthouse

2009-05-03T20:37:00.001-05:00

beach lighthouse, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

My photos up in new McDonalds

2009-04-27T14:54:00.003-05:00

The Patton Avenue McDonlads has been completely rebuilt and is now open, and displaying 5 photos from yours truly.

Stop by and take a look.

omegathree

2009-04-23T14:10:00.001-05:00

omegathree, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

Great put down on the men's room wall up near the ceiling in the West End Bakery.

Ouch.

Hope he gets the message.

she looks dangerous to me

2009-04-22T07:46:00.002-05:00

she looks dangerous to me, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

Several hundred people marched to Duke Energy HQ in downtown Charlotte, NC on Monday, April 20 to protest the construction of a new coal-fired generator called Cliffside. Cliffside is to be located in a watershed and heavily agricultural area of Rutherford Coutny.
44 people were arrested at Duke Power Offices for trespassing. The Charlotte Police were very accommodating, and there was no violence or unfortunate incidents.

many more at my website

new chicken

2009-04-16T00:32:00.001-05:00

new chicken, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

There seems to be a new chicken on the streets of Asheville. Will this one get plucked by the city's code enforcement squad?

If not, why not? Are there different rules for Patton Ave and Merrimon Ave?

Guess which country this is....

2009-03-23T22:55:00.003-05:00

Second in Per Capita Income:
First (meaning worst) in Income Inequality:
Highest Overall Poverty Rate:
Highest Child Poverty Rate:
Highest Elderly Poverty Rate:
Highest Infant Mortality Rate:
Lowest worker Leisure Time:
Lowest Maternity Leave:

want some choices?
okay...
is it
a. France
b. Japan
c. Russia
d. USA
e. Finland

if you picked d, the United States of America... you are correct. Who says? Well, these numbers are from the government itself, published recently here, The State of Working America.

Makes you wonder, don't it?

ladder working Richmond Hill Inn fire

2009-03-19T23:42:00.001-05:00

ladder working Richmond Hill Inn fire, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

Asheville Fire Department Ladder 1 sprays water in the effort to prevent damage to adjacent buildings during the fire which destroyed a historical portion of the Richmond Hill Inn.

3rd floor roof giving way

2009-03-19T23:41:00.003-05:00

3rd floor roof giving way, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

Cupolas on the 3rd floor slide down to the second floor during the fire which destroyed a portion of the Richmond Hill Inn.

hauling hoses

2009-03-19T23:41:00.001-05:00

hauling hoses, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

An Asheville firefighter hauls hoses up the driveway of the 1887 Richmond mansion. The historic mansion, which was in foreclosure and due to for sale soon, was destroyed in the fire.

villages on haywood

2009-03-18T02:10:00.001-05:00

villages on haywood, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

sold to the community as a "green project" i guess the only green was the money used to grease the wheels and tear down the lovely old church building that was once there.

Newspapers on the ropes

2009-03-16T00:20:00.003-05:00

and how they got there... a great point of view, here

Back in 1993, the Knight-Ridder newspaper chain began investigating piracy of Dave Barry’s popular column, which was published by the Miami Herald and syndicated widely. In the course of tracking down the sources of unlicensed distribution, they found many things, including the copying of his column to alt.fan.dave_barry on usenet; a 2000-person strong mailing list also reading pirated versions; and a teenager in the Midwest who was doing some of the copying himself, because he loved Barry’s work so much he wanted everybody to be able to read it.

One of the people I was hanging around with online back then was Gordy Thompson, who managed internet services at the New York Times. I remember Thompson saying something to the effect of “When a 14 year old kid can blow up your business in his spare time, not because he hates you but because he loves you, then you got a problem.” I think about that conversation a lot these days.

The problem newspapers face isn’t that they didn’t see the internet coming. They not only saw it miles off, they figured out early on that they needed a plan to deal with it, and during the early 90s they came up with not just one plan but several. One was to partner with companies like America Online, a fast-growing subscription service that was less chaotic than the open internet. Another plan was to educate the public about the behaviors required of them by copyright law. New payment models such as micropayments were proposed. Alternatively, they could pursue the profit margins enjoyed by radio and TV, if they became purely ad-supported. Still another plan was to convince tech firms to make their hardware and software less capable of sharing, or to partner with the businesses running data networks to achieve the same goal. Then there was the nuclear option: sue copyright infringers directly, making an example of them.

I don't have the answers, just an observation... newspapers need to make themselves relevant again, stop chasing stories better covered by TV, radio, and websites and get back to showing us our lives as they are, as they should be, and as they could be.
Will that take money?
Yes.
It always has.

And to do that, they have to be LOCAL. Ownership, employment, and coverage.
Will they do that?
Probably not.

Huh. Wow. The Right Wing does not like being called...

2009-03-15T23:50:00.002-05:00

Terrorists.

Who would have thunk that? Maybe they are not as keen on the Patriot Act now it is being applied to them?

Funny how things can change, ain't it?

Oh... link here... and excerpt

COLUMBIA, Mo. | A new document meant to help Missouri law enforcement agencies identify militia members or domestic terrorists has drawn criticism for some of the warning signs mentioned.
The Feb. 20 report called "The Modern Militia Movement" mentions such red flags as political bumper stickers for third-party candidates, such as U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, who ran for president last year; talk of conspiracy theories, such as the plan for a superhighway linking Canada to Mexico; and possession of subversive literature.
"It seems like they want to stifle political thought," said Roger Webb, president of the University of Missouri campus Libertarians. "There are a lot of third parties out there, and none of them express any violence. In fact, if you join the Libertarian Party, one of the things you sign in your membership application is that you don't support violence as a means to any ends."

Very interesting.

NPR explains entire meltdown, sweetly

2009-03-13T07:23:00.002-05:00

All right. Confused by the whole concept of the "Ponzi Scheme?" What is it? How does it happen?
Listen to this, then.
From NPR, Chicago Public Radio and This American Life producer Alex Blumberg, a 5-minute primer on why the whole economy is going down in flames, illustrated by an incident in a primary school in the early 1980's.

Today, Josh Bearman has gone straight. He's a successful writer in Los Angeles. But he was briefly a criminal mastermind — in 1980 — when he transferred to a new school in Minneapolis and joined the third grade.
It was a fancy school where all the kids had fancy snacks like chewy granola bars and Rice Krispies treats.
Bearman himself grew up in a spartan home with no sugar.
To make matters worse, kids wouldn't just eat their lunches — they'd flaunt them. Every day, a brisk trade in lunch snacks would take place. Kids would pile all their best items onto one main table and start bartering.

This is 5 minutes of your life you will not regret. Or forget.

Villiage Voice Nails Economic Melt-down Causes

2009-01-31T12:46:00.003-05:00

Finally, someone has put together a good overview of this economic mess, and ties it (no surprise to me) to historical criminal financial schemes. This article in the Village Voice should be required reading for all.

From James Lieber's concluding page,

To say the bailout hasn't worked so far is putting it mildly. Since the crisis broke, Washington's reaction has been chaotic, lenient to favorites, secretive, and staggeringly expensive. An estimated $7.36 trillion, more than double the total American outlay for World War II (even correcting for inflation), has been thrown at the problem, according to press reports. Along the way, banking, insurance, and car companies have been nationalized, and no one has been brought to justice.

Combined unemployment and underemployment (those who have stopped looking, and part-timers) runs at nearly 20 percent, the highest since 1945. Housing prices continue to hemorrhage—last fall's 18 percent drop could double. Holiday shopping fizzled: 160,000 stores closed last year, and 200,000 more are expected to shutter in '09. Some forecasts place eventual retail darkness at 25 percent. In 2008, the Dow dropped further—34 percent—than at any time since 1931. There is no sound sector in the economy; the only members of the 30 Dow Jones Industrials posting gains last year were Wal-Mart and McDonald's.

First week 2009 Flu from CDC

2009-01-18T22:58:00.003-05:00

I do not know where the cases in NC are, they sure are not in the western counties, at least not yet. Of course, since VA seems to be getting hit, stand by everyone.

But I think this is pretty much where we were this time last year. The big stuff happened in late January, early February.

Pritchard Park Holiday Lights

2008-12-02T21:32:00.001-05:00

Pritchard Park Holiday Lights, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

first snow

2008-12-01T20:50:00.001-05:00

first snow, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

Anatomy of Economic Disaster

2008-11-23T23:39:00.002-05:00

Highlights of a really long read in Vanity Fair, whole article here, by Niall Ferguson. If you are into economics at all, it is a brilliant piece. If not, here are my highlights, and for what it's worth some comments.

Not so long ago, the dollar stood for a sum of gold, and bankers knew the people they lent to. The author charts the emergence of an abstract, even absurd world—call it Planet Finance—where mathematical models ignored both history and human nature, and value had no meaning.

In the intro, he outlines what he calls "Planet Finance" and where it came from, postulates that it is a dying planet, and then gives some history of banking.

Before the 1980s, such things were virtually unknown. In the space of a few years their populations exploded. On Planet Finance, the securities outnumbered the people; the transactions outnumbered the relationships.

This hunt for scapegoats is futile. To understand the downfall of Planet Finance, you need to take several steps back and locate this crisis in the long run of financial history. Only then will you see that we have all played a part in this latest sorry example of what the Victorian journalist Charles Mackay described in his 1841 book, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds.

Okay, but scapegoat hunting may be futile, but the criminal portion of this crisis HAS to be pursued.

Had it not been for the frantic efforts of the Federal Reserve and the Treasury, to say nothing of their counterparts in almost equally afflicted Europe, there would by now have been a repeat of that “great contraction” of credit and economic activity that was the prime mover of the Depression. Back then, the Fed and the Treasury did next to nothing to prevent bank failures from translating into a drastic contraction of credit and hence of business activity and employment.

True enough. And of course let us not forget that Wall Street fought every single regulation which (so far) has saved our repeating the 1930's Depression exactly. And furthermore, it shall be seen, this downturn was most likely spurred by excessive deregulation in the Bush mis-Administration.

Back in 1952, the ratio of household debt to disposable income was less than 40 percent in the United States. At its peak in 2007, it reached 133 percent, up from 90 percent a decade before. Today Americans carry a total of $2.56 trillion in consumer debt, up by more than a fifth since 2000. Even more spectacular, however, has been the rising indebtedness of banks themselves. In 1980, bank indebtedness was equivalent to 21 percent of U.S. gross domestic product. In 2007 the figure was 116 percent.

and

It was not unusual for investment banks’ balance sheets to be as much as 20 or 30 times larger than their capital, thanks in large part to a 2004 rule change by the Securities and Exchange Commission that exempted the five largest of those banks from the regulation that had capped their debt-to-capital ratio at 12 to 1.

so the confusion of economic activity for an economy is a natural one, but a false one. Money needs to have a basis of value, or it loses all value.

Discussing the roots of our current mess, is this interesting factoid...

Why did the Fed allow euphoria to run loose in the 1990s? Partly because Greenspan and his colleagues underestimated the momentum of the technology bubble; as early as December 1995, with the Dow just past the 5,000 mark, members of the Fed’s Open Market Committee speculated that the market might be approaching its peak.

Funny. I have heard that 5k number bandied about by some as the true value of the current Dow. Is it possible? Could be that is the actual value of our money/economy intersection. If so, we still have some sledding to do.

...one of the key concepts of the 20th century: the notion that property ownership enhances citizenship, and that therefore a property-owning democracy is more socially and politically stable than a democracy divided into an elite of landlords and a majority of property-less tenants. So deeply rooted is this idea in our political culture that it comes as a surprise to learn that it was invented just 70 years ago.

Oh boy. Real Estate. The joy. The road to riches. The American Dream. If bank profit were not in it, would we have it? Seriously, think about that.

Once there had been meaningful social ties between mortgage lenders and borrowers. James Stewart’s character(in It's A Wonderful Life) knew both the depositors and the debtors. By contrast, in a securitized market the interest you paid on your mortgage ultimately went to someone who had no idea you existed. The full implications of this transition for ordinary homeowners would become apparent only 25 years later.

which brings us to derivatives.... wtf is a derivative? well, when I took econ some 30 years ago, it was hardly even mentioned in the books, so...

For a farmer planting a crop, nothing is more crucial than the future price it will fetch after it has been harvested and taken to market. A futures contract allows him to protect himself by committing a merchant to buy his crop when it comes to market at a price agreed upon when the seeds are being planted. If the market price on the day of delivery is lower than expected, the farmer is protected.

Okay, makes sense. We are betting on actual goods to be delivered here. So futures are derivatives and vice-versa. Fine, so we are betting on the return on investment of a said fund, mortgage, or bond then.

But how exactly do you price a derivative? What precisely is an option worth? The answers to those questions required a revolution in financial theory. From an academic point of view, what this revolution achieved was highly impressive. But the events of the 1990s, as the rise of quantitative finance replaced preppies with quants (quantitative analysts) all along Wall Street, revealed a new truth: those whom the gods want to destroy they first teach math.

Working closely with Fischer Black, of the consulting firm Arthur D. Little, M.I.T.’s Myron Scholes invented a groundbreaking new theory of pricing options, to which his colleague Robert Merton also contributed. (Scholes and Merton would share the 1997 Nobel Prize in economics.) They reasoned that a call option’s value depended on six variables: the current market price of the stock (S), the agreed future price at which the stock could be bought (L), the time until the expiration date of the option (t), the risk-free rate of return in the economy as a whole (r), the probability that the option will be exercised (N), and—the crucial variable—the expected volatility of the stock, i.e., the likely fluctuations of its price between the time of purchase and the expiration date (s).

or... and I am going to lose even the bravest soul here...

Uh huh. Frankly, although it won the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Economics, seems like BS to me. And turns out, it is. It was based on a faulty assumption that there was only so much money which could be lost on a given day, which allowed huge loans to be made with minimal money on hand.
Duh.

So, if all this played out the way it did... why did we have to suffer the mess we are in now? Simple. Greed.

The root of all evil, the love of money. Oldest story in the world.

mo o lantern

2008-11-22T12:33:00.003-05:00

mo o lantern, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

Oh, just a few short days ago, my life so short, but so rewarding...

But now, I sit. Old and ignored. Cold and rotting.

As you are, I once was
As I am you shall be

Cheney, Gonzales Indicted in Texas

2008-11-19T08:44:00.002-05:00

But you would never know it from reading newspapers. Funny, though this article is online at the Citizen-Times, but there is no link to it from the home page. You have to find it through search.

The New York Times has this, but waaaay at the bottom in the "News from the AP" section.

Closer to the action, the Houston Chronicle has it on the front page, here.

USA Today (don't worry, I looked, so you don't have to) has nothing. But they do have a hard-hitting expose on the 30th anniversary of the Jonestown Massacre. Yaaaaawn.

Let's see... who else....?

Wall Street Journal? Nope. Above the fold puff piece about Hil for State.

Anyone else find this amazing? A sitting (even lame-duck) VP and a former Attorney General of the US have been indicted by a Grand Jury and you have to go out of your way to read about it.

leaves down lights up

2008-11-16T20:56:00.001-05:00

leaves down lights up, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

Pritchard Park is Christmas Central this year for the City of Asheville, it remains to be seen what the usual denizens of that concrete triangle think of this.

elephant without message

2008-11-12T23:59:00.001-05:00

elephant without message, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

seems like a great metaphor for the gop, don't it?

mobama

2008-11-03T21:32:00.001-05:00

mobama, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

zombies try to find sarahs brain

2008-10-27T18:59:00.001-05:00

zombies try to find sarahs brain, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

10 Questions for Govenor Palin

2008-10-26T22:59:00.002-05:00

That you will not hear asked on the mainstream media. From Nieman Watchdog.

1. What are the reasons that you only released your tax returns for 2006 and 2007 -- and not from your years as the paid mayor of Wasilla?

2. How did your family build up more than $1 million in assets, given that as mayor you made $64,000 and your 2006 and 2007 income tax returns show that you and your husband together earned $128,000 in 2006 and $166,000 in 2007?

3. How did you finance the construction of your home, which you value at a half million dollars?

4. Will you show us the invoices from the contractors who built your home and copies of the front and back of the checks with which you paid them?

5. While you were running for state-wide office, your husband told Fox News, he "built" the home with his "contractor buddies." Will you make available your husband's travel records during the campaign?

6. How many hours between the start and completion of construction did your husband spend in physical labor such as pounding nails and fitting pipes while he "built" your home?

7. As governor you charged taxpayers for travel by your children, so as vice president would you also expect their travel expenses to be paid by taxpayers and, if so, what is your rationale?

8. Since you did not report these travel funds on your tax return as income, which a number of tax experts say is required, what is your rationale for this? And have you checked, since the release of your tax returns revealed this, whether you made the proper decision and, if so, with whom did you check? If you did check with a tax advisor will you authorize them to speak about this matter?

9. When elected Wasilla's mayor you announced you were taking a pay cut, from $68,000 to $64,000, and then hired the city's first professional city administrator at $50,000; what are the reasons that you hired a professional to do the work that previous mayors had done?

10. During your term as mayor a Wasilla sales tax was begun and the city went from being nearly debt-free to owing more than $22 million; please explain how this squares with your describing yourself as a fiscal conservative.

Wow. These questions sure seem more important than the crap they ask Senator Obama.

fog on the riverbend

2008-10-20T14:16:00.001-05:00

fog on the riverbend, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

gotta love fall

mountaineer inn

2008-10-14T00:38:00.001-05:00

mountaineer inn, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

An Asheville landmark. Endangered? Possibly, if the rumor I hear is true.

get your 2009 mo calendar

2008-10-11T09:11:00.003-05:00

Hey, come on, you have to get one anyway, don't ya? Might as well make it mo!

mo calendar screenshot, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

yep, and they are even on sale this weekend here

http://www.zazzle.com/mo_calendar_2009-158052078839879630

looking glass falls in rain

2008-10-09T16:59:00.001-05:00

looking glass falls in rain, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

It was worth it getting wet. Printed this at 16x20... looks great.

Oh, by all means give AIG more money

2008-10-08T18:45:00.003-05:00

You have got to be kidding me.
AIG, the insurance giant bailed out last month for $85 billion of our tax dollars. The same AIG whose executives ran up a $400k week at a swank resort a week later.

Yep, according to the AP, the NY Federal Reserve is loaning them an additional $37.8 Billion dollars.

From the article...

Under the new program, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York will borrow up to $37.8 billion in investment-grade, fixed income securities from AIG in return for cash collateral. These securities were previously lent by AIG's insurance company subsidiaries to third parties.

Wow. What a time to be a failure.

AIG Bailout.... Ah let's party!

2008-10-07T12:11:00.002-05:00

According to ABC and the Washington Post, less than a week after we (the taxpayers, that is) bailed out the AIG Insurance company, a number of the executives of this company went for a week-long retreat at the St. Regis Resort in Monaco Beach, CA. The tab fo this soriee?
$440,000, according to reports.
As much as $23,000 for SPA fees alone.

And to think what Wall Street and the Treasury can do with $700 billion.

The Day Hank Paulson Lied

2008-10-03T15:29:00.000-05:00

you know the tune... sing along

A long, long time ago...
I can still remember
Seeing houses used to make me smile.
And I knew if I got a loan
That I could call some house my own
And, maybe, we’d be happy for a while.

But the predatory lies and fees
Left me shaking on my knees
Locked out on the doorstep;
I couldn’t take one more step.

I can’t remember if I cried
When we first had to sleep outside,
But something touched me deep inside
The day Hank Paulson lied.

So bye-bye, oh America why?
For jobs, health, and education,
All the wells have run dry.
And friends of Henry Paulson, not a tear in their eye
Singin’, "nothing kills as good as a lie.
Now watch this old democracy die."

Now did you write the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008?
And is your soul filled up with hate?
My family has no place to go.
Do you believe in trickle down?
Did the speaker buy you a plastic crown?
Where should my children sleep when there's snow?

Well, I know that you’re in love with cash
I saw lobbyists shoving it up your
As soon as you're done playing the fool
Man, can you try to recall the golden rule?

I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck
With two jobs, a mortgage, and a pickup truck,
But I knew I was out of luck
The day Hank Paulson lied.

I started singin’,
bye-bye, oh America why?
For jobs, health, and education,
All the wells have run dry.
And friends of Henry Paulson, not a tear in their eye
Singin’, "nothing kills as good as a lie.
Now watch this old democracy die."

Now for eight years we’ve been on our own
Living in a Bushville, missing our home,
But that’s not how it used to be.
When the Congress sang for the beauty queen,
Palin jumped into the scene,
And nobody gave a damn for you and me,

Oh, and while the king was looking down,
The Alaskan stole his thorny crown.
The Republic was adjourned;
The Kingdom was returned.
And while wars happen with a spark,
There's lighter fluid in the park,
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day Hank Paulson lied.

We were singing,
bye-bye, oh America why?
For jobs, health, and education,
All the wells have run dry.
And friends of Henry Paulson, not a tear in their eye
Singin’, "nothing kills as good as a lie.
Now watch this old democracy die."

Helter skelter in a summer swelter.
There ain't no bankers in the homeless shelter,
Stock market's high and falling fast.
It landed foul on the grass.
The Congress tried for a forward pass,
The Constitution on the sidelines in a cast.

Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While the sergeants played a fascist tune.
We all got up to dance,
Oh, but we never got the chance!
`cause the people tried to take the field;
The ninja turtles wouldn't yield.
Do you recall what was revealed
The day Hank Paulson lied?

We started singing,
bye-bye, oh America why?
For jobs, health, and education,
All the wells have run dry.
And friends of Henry Paulson, not a tear in their eye
Singin’, "nothing kills as good as a lie.
Now watch this old democracy die."

Oh, and there we were all in one place,
Pinnned in by cops from outer space
With tasers, guns, and pepper spray.
So come on: Jack be nimble, Jack be quick!
The blood and smoke have made Jack sick,
Cause fire is Dick Cheney's only friend.

Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage.
No angel born in hell
Could break that Fuhrer’s spell.
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite,
I saw Cheney laughing with delight
The day Hank Paulson lied.

He was singing,
bye-bye, oh America why?
For jobs, health, and education,
All the wells have run dry.
And friends of Henry Paulson, not a tear in their eye
Singin’, "nothing kills as good as a lie.
Now watch this old democracy die."

I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news,
But she just smiled and turned away.
I went down to the barren shore
Where I’d heard the truth told years before,
But the man there said the truth just didn't pay.

And in the streets: the children screamed,
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed.
But not a word was spoken;
Democracy was broken.
And the three men this delighted most:
Dubya, Poppy, and Prescott's ghost,
They drove their limos to the coast
The day Hank Paulson lied.

And they were singing,
bye-bye, oh America why?
For jobs, health, and education,
All the wells have run dry.
And friends of Henry Paulson, not a tear in their eye
Singin’, "nothing kills as good as a lie.
Now watch this old democracy die."

They were singing,
bye-bye, oh America why?
For jobs, health, and education,
All the wells have run dry.
And friends of Henry Paulson, not a tear in their eye
Singin’, "nothing kills as good as a lie.
Now watch this old democracy die."

-david swanson, afterdowningstreet.org

saluda range sunset

2008-10-03T14:02:00.001-05:00

saluda range sunset, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

A field of Cosmo with the massif of the front of the Saluda Mountains at sunset yesterday.

Asheville NC at dusk

2008-10-01T20:13:00.001-05:00

Asheville NC at dusk, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

first color 08

2008-09-28T20:16:00.001-05:00

first color 08, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

with a little backlight, some big drama... fall promises to be gorgeous this year

starting to change

2008-09-28T20:15:00.001-05:00

starting to change, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

Flanks of Waterrock knob.... color just starting to peek through

Relief from GA?

2008-09-23T16:38:00.001-05:00

Relief from GA?, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

This thoughtful tourist brought his own gas with him.

Ain't that nice?

Or is he going to sell it to the highest bidder here?

goldenrod redbarn flag

2008-09-23T15:58:00.001-05:00

goldenrod redbarn flag, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

Ah, the glories of a nice fall day.

Liddy Is an Oil Addict

2008-09-15T07:24:00.001-05:00

let's help her quit the habit this November...

New must-have bumper sticker

2008-09-05T09:49:00.003-05:00

get your very own here

Jesuswas a community organizer by brhodes522
make your own bumper sticker at www.Zazzle.com

Old St. Joan of Arc

2008-09-03T15:27:00.001-05:00

last of the church, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

no more cute cottage on Haywood Road

I believe

2008-08-28T22:26:00.003-05:00

Word cloud of Barack H. Obama's speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

PACK FAMILY LAWSUIT PREVAILS

2008-08-28T12:41:00.001-05:00

according to the Citizen-Times, here

more later as details become available

Oh man. How true... how true

2008-08-25T20:56:00.003-05:00

How Dry We Are.

2008-08-13T09:37:00.001-05:00

The little yellow triangles are the AVERAGE of 112 years of observations at the Asheville French Broad River station. The little red smashes are actual measurements taken this week.

incongruent? but real

2008-07-23T14:07:00.002-05:00

incongruent?, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

Apologies for the dirty windshield.

But this is a real Hummer H3 which, when I took this photo, was cruising through Old Fort, NC.

The stickers read clockwise from top... Who Would Jesus Bomb, Imagine Nothing to kill or die for, Well behaved women seldom make history, Coexist, Globalize Peace, Karma, and Unite against racism.

And, yes, those are air horns below the bumper.

I would love to hear the story behind this one.

Something not to forget

2008-07-20T05:22:00.002-05:00

As we move into yet another election cycle. This is a tailer for FREE FOR ALL! Yes, I know it is almost 7 minutes long, but it is worth it.

Do you suppose they have designs on the 2008 elections?

Nah.

Go back to sleep.

Carl of the People

2008-07-16T07:09:00.001-05:00

Carl of the People, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

well, as long as the Police are around anyway

no, seriously Carl has been the most responsive city councilman to the Parkside issue

who would have thunk it?

Man Arrested for.... "Illegal Photography"

2008-07-14T22:18:00.003-05:00

Yep, that is what WJHL reports here.
Apparently the officer felt the perp's iPhone was a threat of some kind, and arrested him for taking his picture.
Ah, Tennessee.

shady deals? or shade?

2008-07-12T14:01:00.002-05:00

Which side are YOU on?

shady deals, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

The Buncombe County Courthouse on a wonderful summer day. What a lovely building.
But wait.
What is that coming from the second floor commission room?

Magnolia Watch Day5

2008-07-12T13:56:00.002-05:00

Magnolia Watch Day5, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

Day 5, Saturday, July 12th is a lot calmer than the weekdays. Mid-day brings a few people to hang out and chat while a seemingly endless stream of motorcycles head west through downtown. Below, Lady Passion gives Jamie Rhodes a Stop Parkside sticker.

Magnolia Watch day4

2008-07-11T02:04:00.001-05:00

Magnolia Watch day4, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

Stewart Coleman says "get off my lawn" in a sign near the city hall magnolia tree. Lady Passion hovers over him.

Magnolia Watch day 3

2008-07-11T02:03:00.001-05:00

Magnolia Watch day 3, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

Checking email and weather forecasts under the magnolia tree in front of Asheville City Hall.

Take it. Print it. Spread it. Be there

2008-07-09T17:07:00.003-05:00

Magnolia Day2 Laughing Singing

2008-07-08T23:28:00.001-05:00

Magnolia Day2 Laughing Singing, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

On the evening of the second day of 24-hour tree sitting, several families came and sang songs and played in and around the tree.

Meanwhile, a few blocks away, plans were hatched for a big party for Tuesday, July 15 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. between the tree and City Hall. Music, Food, and Fun for all.

More to come.

magnolia sitters day 1

2008-07-07T21:48:00.001-05:00

magnolia sitters day 1, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

Today the Asheville City Technical Rules Committee ruled in favor of the Parkside project which directly threatens this 100-plus-year-old magnolia tree in front of city hall.
A 24-hour-a-day vigil has been established for defense of the tree.
First watch this night is Lady Passion and Lindsey Simerly (left to right) in front of the tree.

steel magnolias will not bend

2008-07-01T19:16:00.002-05:00

steel magnolias, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

Gene and Mariahsage chat under the endangered 100-year-old magnolia tree in front of Asheville City Hall this afternoon.

The land on which the old tree sits was sold under questionable, at best, practices of the county commission to a former business partner of one of the commissioners.

A gathering is being held every afternoon from 4-7 p.m. under the shade of the tree. All are welcome.

Come, join the people of the tree.

George Carlin, 71... RIP

2008-06-23T00:31:00.002-05:00

Thanks for all the laughs, man.
You will be missed.

Too bad you did not make a couple more weeks to destroy Ann Coulter on the Tonight Show.

Take that, gecko!

2008-06-19T07:14:00.001-05:00

time-lapse photos of a gecko being devoured by ants... too cool!

Life in Rutherfordton

2008-06-18T21:55:00.001-05:00

Girlfriend/Wife Dispute Special, originally uploaded by Bill in Ash Vegas.

well, at least seen there...