The Joey's Blog

“Come, gather ’round people…”

thejoey4 — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:17:29 +0000

Rally for Wisconsin Workers: Pack Square Park, Asheville, NC.

February 26th, 2011

The Asheville PARC (People Advocating Real Conservancy) held one of many national assemblages in support of a national movement of solidarity to salvage what remains of the vanishing middle class. If ever there was a time for all fringes of political parties to come together, surely this new breed of robber-barons’ blatant and hostile takeover of what remains of an American Dream qualifies as a moment to heed a universal struggle to gnaw at the leg-trappings of corporate greed.

thejoey4 — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 03:57:47 +0000

What sadly may be the last of the Silver Drummer girl photos for quite some time. She is a photographer’s blessing in face paint!

Barista

thejoey4 — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:11:18 +0000

The Double Decker Coffee Company in Downtown Asheville.

Cowgirls gather before the start of the parade

thejoey4 — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:34:09 +0000

Asheville, North Carolina’s 62nd Annual Holiday Parade, The Art and Heart of Giving, November 20, 2010.

Bill Clinton: Pack Square Park, October 21, 2010

thejoey4 — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 01:21:25 +0000

Having missed several opportunities to see President William Jefferson Clinton over the years, I was not going to make that same mistake again! What can I say, Bill and I have not been able to sync our schedules. BUT–this time I managed to make it the Pack Square Park in Downtown Asheville, North Carolina with camera in hand to record the event!

Mr. Clinton came to the area to help Democratic incumbent Heath Shuler retain his hold on his Senate seat in the 11^th district of North Carolina against Republican challenger Jeff Miller. Weathering the wind and sun was not really an arduous task as several thousand supporters waited since 8 a.m. to see the former President. The real test of endurance was waiting for the notoriously late President to make his appearance (his plane came in late according to reports). Several times over the crowd was promised that the President would be out any moment, but alas, we were instead treated to several rounds of sing-a-longs lead by our elected officials (Woody Guthrie’s This land is your land—kitsch, but effective!) as well as several encores by local favorite Kat Williams who sang the National Anthem. Kat’s rather inspiring acapella rendition of Stand By Me made up for the long wait. Kat really was quite the pro in handling the rather impatient crowd (chants of “Bill, Bill!” permeated the air). Her improvised banter bordered on standup comedy (Kat as a write in?!). Overall, the initial proceedings were a test of a crowd’s patience and tolerance worthy of 70’s icon Andy Kaufman!

At one point after the pledge of allegiance, the larger than life U.S. flag that hung in the background tumbled to the ground. Okay, the words “that’s not good” ran through my head as if witnessing the onset of some bad omen. But the rally continued without a hitch. And once Clinton did make the stage (around 2 p.m.), as hoped the event delivered on its promise.

Yes, Mr. Clinton came to aid a candidate who has some tough competition this year; let’s not gloss over that fact! But the crowd was in a positive mood. Families came; some children seemed in awe of a historical President who was in office before they were even born. Overall, the crowd was very attentive to the message being delivered. Clinton expressed what I felt to be genuine concern for the economy and the future of education in this country. Several times he stressed the importance of furthering one’s education and staying in school—maintaining that commitment! You didn’t really get a sense of hatred towards conservatives from the largely Democratic crowd, but rather an understanding that the new paradigm shift in the Nation’s consciousness must be well nurtured and allowed to develop. And most importantly, not to prematurely abandoned new ideas based on fear of an uncertain future and a misguided adherence to comfortable notions of the past. This goes for both political camps.

Memory of a Corner Concert

thejoey4 — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 04:15:52 +0000

How many childhood memories fade and recede in our lifetime?

Shindig on the green

thejoey4 — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 01:06:31 +0000

Every Summer in Downtown Asheville, NC, musicians gather to engage in impromptu jam sessions of Bluegrass and Appalachian folk styles bringing a tradition of musical and mountain heritage to the purists and uninitiated.

Spike

thejoey4 — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 23:11:01 +0000

Downtown After Five.

Asheville, NC, August 20, 2010.

Perspective

thejoey4 — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:06:33 +0000

Even in the two-dimensional realm, I can’t stray from my years of studying sculpture and embracing the idea of the figure in the round.

Taken at Bele Chere, June 24, 2010, Asheville North Carolina. Photo is part of Scott Kelby’s World Wide Photo Walk 2010.

Bele Chere 2010

thejoey4 — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:39:21 +0000

The DEFiBULATORS

Country/Rockabilly/Bluegrass….Part of Bele Chere band lineup, June 24, 2010, Asheville North Carolina.

Photo is part of Scott Kelby’s World Wide Photo Walk 2010.