Jumping the Shark

Ok not like that but you know where the term comes from right?  No, then watch this was definition of  a TV program going down hill, same can be applied to local bloggers.

The reason for this; is that several local bloggers think of themselves as celebrities and the authority of news or opinion.  The biggest issue is they take themselves entirely too serious in the fact they are just a blogger, like your humble writer typing this.  Sometimes a blogger will get a chance to write for a local rag and first start of doing ok because their writing style is just ok, no offense, not everyone can be everyones failure's hero, Hunter S Thompson (yeah I said it, its called free speech get used to it).  So they write for this rag, and suddenly it becomes musings of their children . . . . yeah no one cares about your kids, your favorite beers, the stress of growing old, and how artsy you claim to be with your average B/W photography.

Others have a blog that has entirely jumped said shark in other ways and thats loosing focus of your original message:  Asheville the good and the bad to; Asheville the land of milk and honey where nothing bad happens.  Sad to say lots of bad things happen here and Im just not talking about crime I am talking about the whole city at large and in her wrinkles, the caked on makeup, and some people taking advantage of the still grand old Lady, Lady Asheville.  I live here too and blowing smoke up my ass doesn't help your case or cloud my viewing, and I lived here longer then the lot of them trying to tell me something I missed.   

I know for a fact parts of town are dangerous not just at night but during the day as well, some people don't get this about any town.  All they see is that horrible moniker "Paris of the South" not Asheville the city, or Asheville the largest city in between Knoxville TN and Greensboro NC.  They are blind to the town around them and roll right along unknowing that this cities economy is living off life support, that the infrastructure is on borrowed time and that those in this city with an agenda care nothing for the city is at stake.  

The only care that is given is to the loud crowd and a overrated arts community that wants every nickel and dime of tax money but does nothing for the city, yet they have a District.  A district of ratty buildings in a crappy part of town, thats not a district at all its a couple of blocks that claims to be its own entity just like the colony of Haywood road.  The Colony is one strip of road that looks like its own town that is now being propped up as hip area.  Step outside that area in multiple directions and you will a much different story.

Im not painting a negative picture, but trying to shine a light on the problems, because ignoring problems does not make them go away.  City Hall needs 3 million in repairs and the city is more occupied with building yet ANOTHER park in an area of town that makes no sense to build a new park.  Downtown associations give money freely to a group that gives nothing back to the community then a feel good feeling, a drum circle.  Its about as original and thoughtful as a street musicians spread throughout the world, but some people think they help.  Yeah someone might buy a beer or soda and watch the noise pollution for an hour.  Big whoop, what about the the rest of the community at large here and you think what this brings in is that staggering amount of cash to the downtown area.  They bill this ritual as "Family Fare" but all thats downtown is Bars, clubs, and coffee shops, with a trinket store here and there, wow down town has family written all over it.