Reading is a great form of entertainment.

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Hello Asheville. I’m a book blogger and a librarian and wanted to introduce you to my blog and maybe even help you find your next read.
In this economy reading is a cheap source of fun, especially by visiting your local library. If you want a great hobby and a way to travel anywhere in the world then pick up a book.
If you are needing some ideas for what to read then check out my website http://asthepageturns-page.blogspot.com
I’m also looking for other book bloggers in the area and maybe trying to get together and meeting each other. Thank you for your time and I hope to meet some new book lovers/

A Timely Message Every American Needs to See

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When I was young, I used to enjoy long, cross country road trips. When I say cross country, I am speaking literally, coast to coast, and several points in between. That was back when gasoline, oil, tires, food, and the general cost of living were reasonable. The average American could freely embark upon such adventures without incurring insurmountable debt or financial hardship in the process.

In my youth, I was also an avid private pilot. I spent my high school days flying small, single engine airplanes. There were some airplanes I could rent for as low as ten or twenty dollars per hour of engine run time, wet rate. That included fuel and oil. I could rent high performance airplanes with retractable landing gear and a constant speed propeller for less than 100 dollars per hour, wet rate. Try that today. It’s been over two decades since I’ve been in a cockpit. And not for lack of passion.

As a young man, I worked summer harvest as a wheat truck driver and a combine operator. The farmer who hired me paid me cash. He fed my country and fueled my dreams. He offered me an honest wage for an honest day’s work. That is my America. I had never felt more freedom in all my life.

I recently came across a brilliant video production on YouTube that was inspired by legendary ABC Radio commentator Paul Harvey and his 1964 essay titled If I Were the Devil. The recently released video is titled If I Wanted America to Fail.

I have included this video in my new ConspiracyParanormal blog site, along with several other eye-opening and heartfelt articles I feel are imperative for Americans to consider before going to the polls for the 2012 presidential election. More is at stake now than ever before.

I share this because I love America, and I hope and pray that those who also love America will take these things to heart. We still have many beautiful places to visit in this great land of freedom. Asheville, NC is one such place.

Please help me get the word out. Make this go viral. Let’s keep America free, and make her prosper once again. Let’s make it once more possible for the common citizen to embark upon youthful journeys that span the continent from sea to shining sea.

Best regards, and may God bless America!

Ilyan Kei Lavanway

Beautiful Spring Vacation in Asheville

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Asheville is one of our favorite places for a quick getaway. Whenever we want a jump-start on Spring, my husband Greg, our 2 traveling cats and I head south to the spectacular Biltmore Estate in the Blue Ridge Mountains. A few weekends ago, we took our trailer down and stayed at the Bear Creek RV Park. Bear Creek overlooks the Estate and offers a 2-for-1 discount on Biltmore admission tickets. Click here for other great places to stay.

Opened in 1895 by George Vanderbilt, the 8,000 acre Biltmore Estate is America’s largest home. You can spend the whole weekend there and not run out of things to do. We love going in the Spring to see the kick-off of the Festival of Flowers with their amazing tulip garden, orchid conservatory and more. There are bike trails, horseback riding, a farmyard and plenty of shopping. And of course, the main attraction – a tour of the impressive 250-room chateau complete with bowling alley and indoor swimming pool.

Besides the gardens, one of the main reasons the Biltmore draws us back time and time again is the amazing food – much of which is grown right on the Estate. We’ve had delicious fare and sweet tea at the Winery’s Bistro and at the Stable Café. The afternoon tea at the Inn on Biltmore Estate is a real treat. And we always end our Biltmore experience with the elegant weekend brunch at Deerpark. The Easter brunch is phenomenal. At Christmas, the restaurant is decorated with ice sculptures. This time, we enjoyed our first fried green tomato eggs benedict!

Because we spend so much time at the Estate, we don’t venture out into town as much as we’d like. But we always make sure to have dinner at the wonderful, vegetarian Laughing Seed Café with its healthful, innovative food and drinks menu. And we always stop off at the flagship Earth Fare store to stock up on tasty items (like chicken curry salad and live kale salad) for the road. (We’re excited that a new Earth Fare store recently opened up near us in Cleveland.)

If you haven’t visited Asheville before, we highly recommend you go and experience the peaceful mountains, Southern hospitality and gracious living for yourself.

By Candice Lee

Photos by Greg Slawson

We love traveling to beautiful, natural areas in North America to find inspiration for our videos, music and photography. Travel with us at GCCreativeStudio.com.

 


The Curtain Rises on ScriptFrenzy! 2012 in Asheville

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ScriptFrenzy 120x240 The Curtain Rises on ScriptFrenzy! 2012 in Asheville

Ever said to your friends, “I’ve got a great idea for a movie!”? Well, during the month of April, there’s a great excuse to take that movie playing in your head and  get it down on paper. ScriptFrenzy! is a month-long event during April in which communities of writers and writers-to-be get together sponsored by the non-profit The Office of Letters and Light, the same people who brought you National Novel Writing Month.

The object of ScriptFrenzy! is to write 100 pages of a screenplay, stage play script, teleplay, or graphic novel script in 30 days. That 100 pages can sound daunting, but it boils down to 3.3 pages per day. You “win” ScriptFrenzy! if you reach that self-reported 100 pages by the end of the month. How much of your script is read for critique by other Frenzies (as participants are called) is completely up to you. If you just always wanted to get that guilty pleasure Soap Opera that is your secret pleasure on paper, you can and it will remain your secret forever; and if this is the screenplay of the Hollywood Blockbuster that will shoot you to stardom, you can get a lot of help from professional writers, enthusiastic amateurs, and the cheerleading squad of fellow writers that is your Home Region–and Asheville has a brilliant Home Region of its own.

According to the ScriptFrenzy! website, 189 people in the Asheville Home Region have signed up to participate in this year’s event so far, but it’s not too late to join in on the fun. After creating an account and joining Asheville as your home Region, your daily page count is added to the Region’s total, which is then compared with other participating regions. There are also message boards and pep-talks from the Municipal Liaisons who organize the region and help to keep you on track.

But perhaps the best aspect of ScriptFrenzy! is the change to get together with those Frenzies at the regular Write-Ins. Each Wednesday evening of April (with a last minute Frenzied Write-In on the 30th) the Asheville Frenzies get together at the fantastic French Broad Chocolate Lounge in Asheville to share quality writing time with people who share the same passion and interest and writing as you, not to mention fuel that writing with quality coffee, desserts, wine and beer. The Asheville Frenzies are a particularly dedicated group of writers and wonderful company to simply BE with and write, huddled together over laptops or writing pads.

So why not Fade In, Raise the Curtain, Start the Theme song and participate in ScriptFrenzy! with the Asheville Frenzies and write that brilliant screenplay you’ve always wanted to.

The Asheville Home Region of ScriptFrenzy! meets every Wednesday night during the month of April at the French Broad Chocolate Lounge from 6:30 – 9:30 pm. Please contact Municipal Liaison, Jess [jess@ashenowrimo.org] for more information.

Asheville’s ActionFest 2012!

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action fest manonfire Ashevilles ActionFest 2012!

Photo from Last Year's ActionFest 2011

Dear Asheville,

Hello. Doing well? How’s your uncle? Take care of that ninja infestation?

Well, ActionFest 2012 is winding up for another year of BAMF!, WHAM!, and PTOW-SPROING-oops, and we just wanted to, you know, get in touch, let you know what’s going on.

This year is numero three for us, so we’ve got all our teeth and are ready to do Asheville proud. As the cradle for one of the only film festivals in the country that celebrates the feats of stuntmen and stuntwomen, we want to make sure Asheville and her native denizens who’ve supported us get extra special treatment and Fest in style.

For starters, our official ActionFest jury includes no less than two Asheville locals: proprietor of independent movie renters Orbit DVD, Marc McCloud, and 105.9 The Mountain radio DJ, Sadie.

We’ll kick things off early with rollicking Pre-Fest activities:

  • Thursday April 5: Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co. is screening the action comedy Super (starring Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page) at 4:00 for free. Grab your buddies and a brew and enjoy some quirky head-busting!
  • Monday April 9: Head down to Broadways at 9 p.m. for an ActionFest edition of Kipper’s Totally Rad Trivia.
  • Tuesday April 10: The Wedge Brewing Company in the River Arts District will host an outdoor screening of the gritty Hobo With A Shotgun (starring Rutger Hauer) at dusk by the train tracks (where else?).

Like the official ActionFest Facebook page to keep up on the Action and news on upcoming giveaways from our local sponsors like free tattoos from Liquid Dragon, professional acting class from NYS3, a guitar, outdooring gear and more!

Crash the Opening Party Thursday night after Solomon Kane and the Closing Party Sunday night after Wu Xia at The Arcade. VIP Badgers get to enjoy exclusive catering by Asheville Indian cuisine favorites Chai Pani.

Get to the LaZoom Bus for a special ActionFest-themed booze cruise painting the town red Saturday night 10 p.m. – 3 a.m. Plus: it’s FREE! Seating limited, reservations strongly recommended (sign up at The Carolina).

Of course ActionFest wouldn’t be a bona fide Asheville event without its own blend of hops, yeast, and frosty ass-kicking. The brewmeisters at Asheville Brewery Co. have concocted a special ActionFest Pale Ale on sale only at The Carolina.

And don’t forget the exclusive panels at ActionFest itself featuring our honorees past and present: rising MMA action superstar, Gina Carano; veteran stuntman and fight choreographer, JJ Perry; and fellow action film insiders and stuntmen, Mickey Gilbert (Ben Hur, The Wild Bunch) and Jack Gill (Pearl Harbor, Fast Five). Come and ask them tips on getting started, who makes the most durable camera lens out there, or what it’s like to smash through windows for a living.

VIP Badges are just $100 for access to all events, all weekend. Single tickets are $8 General Admission | $6 for Students/Seniors | $7 for Military Service Members, and will be available online as well as in person at The Carolina.

WANTED: FILM MAKERS OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES. ALSO, MUSTACHES. The 30 Seconds of Action Challenge is making a reprisal, friendos. Bring unto ActionFest the most finger-twitching, neck-shearing, hair-mussing adventure crammed into a half minute can by April 6th and thy efforts shall be rewarded. Finalists will receive free VIP Passes and their mini-pieces shown before various screenings all Fest long (with a grand prize yet to be determined).

If you’re looking for bubblegum, we can tell you we’re all out of bubblegum…could be wrong about that actually, we’ll back to you on that. But what we definitely do have are a very particular set of movies, movies we’ve acquired over a very long year. Movies that make ActionFest a Valhalla for people like you. If you don’t read on, that’ll be the end of it. We will not look for you, we will not pursue you. But if you do, ActionFest will look for you, ActionFest will find you, and ActionFest will thrill you.

KA-POW,
ActionFest

P.S. Look behind you.