Something You Don't See Every Day - Fire Truck On Fire

Credit: Twitter

A Charlotte fire truck crashed this morning on Ardrey Kell Road in the Ballantyne area. After overturning, the large truck caught fire, creating an even more bizarre scene. A passerby captured a short cell phone video soon after it happened, and before emergency vehicles arrived.

Four Charlotte Fire Department firefighters were reportedly injured in the accident. Let's hope these brave first responders make a full recovery.

READ FULL STORY

Charlotte-Area Teen Nash Grier Becomes Vine Star, Goes On National Media Run

I'm hooked on watching Vine videos, those six-second clips that users create on their smartphones, powered by the Twitter app. I don't usually watch the short videos individually, but instead I view the Vine compilations that you can find on YouTube and other sites. People will compile videos made up of dozens, sometimes hundreds of vines--most of them either funny or weird or both--that were created by random people from all over the country (in effect, you're watching a 10-minute-or-so blooper reel). And it's extremely entertaining. I've watched enough of them to where I recognize some of the popular "actors," but I only recently learned (from a Charlotte Observer article) that one of them is a teenager from the Charlotte area.

Nash being Nash. Credit: twitter.com/Nashgrier

Nash Grier is a 15-year-old Mooresville kid who's become a Vine sensation. He now has more than 1.5 million followers on the app, which, according to Rankzoo, ranks him at No. 23 for the most followers. Slightly ahead of him at No. 22 is Harry Styles of One Direction, while Nash has more Vine followers than Wiz Khalifa, Ellen DeGeneres, Kevin Hart, and other top-ranked celebrities on the list (he's way ahead of Justin Bieber). In August, Vine surpassed 40 million users, continuing to grow at a rapid pace even though many analysts thought its popularity would be hurt by the introduction of video on Instagram.

You can expect Nash's profile to rise exponentially because he's currently on a quick national media run. He flew to New York yesterday, appeared on ABC's Good Morning America this morning (he met Sylvester Stallone), and also taped an interview for Inside Edition that's scheduled to air this evening. As is the norm with Internet sensations, I expect for his story to get picked up by many other media outlets in coming days (the U.K.'s Daily Mail already picked up his story from the Observer).

Follow Nash on Twitter @nashgrier, where you'll find links to his Vine videos (which you can view there on the web even if you don't have the app), and Instagram @nashgrier. You can also watch many popular Vine videos and top Viners online and all in one place at vinebox.co (here's the direct link to Nash's).

He's recorded several different "Mr. Steal Yo Girl" videos like this one.

READ FULL STORY

No, GPS. There's a Sinkhole Ahead

Remember back when you would drive to a place that you'd never gone to before, that if you didn't know exactly how to get there you would ask for directions before you left home, and the person giving you the directions would basically guide you there by listing a series of landmarks? (Once you get on such and such street, come down about five lights and turn left by that McDonald's.) Then remember when MapQuest came along on the Internet and you would enter the address of wherever you were going, print out the directions, and take them with you? And remember when GPS devices started to become really affordable, so you bought one, placed it on your car's dashboard or windshield, and would get real-time, turn-by-turn directions to your desired destination? And finally, mobile phones started coming equipped with GPS built in, so now you could just hop in the car, type in or speak the address to where you're going, and get turn-by-turn directions. I've gotten so used to my phone instructing me on where to go. Haven't you?

Well, today I was on my way to a meeting in Concord when I encountered a large "ROAD CLOSED" sign on Harris Road, which is the name the road changes to after being Eastfield Road, near the Charlotte-Concord line. According to my GPS, I was only about five minutes from my destination, but thanks to the road being closed, I couldn't continue on the suggested route. And no matter how many nearby streets I tried turning on so that my GPS could recalculate, in hopes of it leading me in another direction, it kept pointing me back to Harris Road.

I wanted to scream: "I can't go that way because there's a sinkhole!"

I'd seen and read about numerous sinkholes popping up throughout the Charlotte area over the last several weeks, largely caused by all of this rain we've been getting. Today was my first time encountering one in person. It was relatively small compared to some of the sinkholes I've seen on the local news (and pales in comparison to sinkholes seen around the world), but it was big enough to stretch across--and force the closing of--the two-lane road.

In order to get to my meeting today, one of the guys I was going to meet with ended up having to give me old-fashioned directions over the phone, by listing a series of landmarks.

I look forward to the day when my phone's GPS has an "avoid sinkhole" button. #1stWorldProblems.

READ FULL STORY

The DNC's $54K Blackberry and $30K iPhone

The U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance released a report last Tuesday that analyzed the work of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department during last year's Democratic National Convention. The 67-page report is titled, "Command, Control, and Coordination: A Quick-Look Analysis of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Operations during the 2012 Democratic National Convention," and while it highlights what CMPD did right and where the department failed, for the most part the feds believe our boys in blue did a good job. It's estimated that as many as 75,000 people visited Charlotte that week for the convention, and there were no major incidents reported and only 25 people were arrested--a great feat considering the number of protesters and the concern that was expressed by local and federal officials during the months leading up to it (read here and here).

Credit: bja.gov

The same day the DOJ released its report, CMPD released one detailing how it spent the $50 million federal grant (click here for the item-by-item list of expenses) it received to provide security during the DNC (if you'll recall, Tampa received the same grant for Republican National Convention security). Shortly after reviewing the report, several media outlets published articles that focused on some of the billed items, ranging from the $1.76 million spent on a wireless video camera system to the $450 shelled out for horse manure removal.

Then by the end of last week, media became intrigued by the publishing of a police report that was filed last month with CMPD by the Democratic National Convention Host Committee for lost and stolen electronics. Most of the 41 items listed on the nine-page report are things like mobile phones, laptops, and iPads. That's understandable considering the thousands of special personnel who worked during the convention (most of them brought in from out of town) and the thousands of pieces of equipment they were sharing. It's inevitable that some items would go missing.

But where the DNC has some explaining to do is why a reportedly stolen 13-inch MacBook Pro laptop is listed on the report as being valued at $75,537, an iPhone at $30,503, and a lost Blackberry at $54,250. The values of several items are grossly inflated on the report, including many laptops listed above $25,000, and to the extent that the 41 missing electronics are totaled at $465,142.97.

Maybe each of those iPads, MacBooks, and the like had special diamond-encrusted presidential seals on them to commemorate the re-nomination of President Barack Obama?

So far, I don't believe representatives from either the DNC or CMPD have commented on the missing items report.

Bling-bling, ring-ring. Credit: techflyover.org

READ FULL STORY

Video from Charlotte No Pants Light Rail Ride

Remember a couple of weeks ago when the 2013 Charlotte No Pants Light Rail Ride took place, inspired by the annual, NYC-based No Pants Subway Ride? Well, the Charlotte organizers have released the video recapping their inaugural event. I didn't spot anyone that I know personally, but they had a pretty good turnout. I expect the crowd will only get larger if they decide to do it here annually.

READ FULL STORY

Take Off Pants and Ride Charlotte Light Rail Sunday

Charlotte is getting in on a pantless act this Sunday by participating in the 12th Annual No Pants Subway Ride, which was founded by Improv Everywhere in New York City. According to the NYC organizers, last year nearly 4,000 people participated in New York, and tens of thousands more participated in 59 cities in 27 countries around the world.

Credit: youtube.com/ImprovEverywhere

As far as I know, this will be Charlotte's first year. Here's a brief rundown of what's going down this Sunday, January 13 on Charlotte's light rail, if you want to participate.

Meet at the LYNX Blue Line Scaleybark Station (3750 South Blvd.), which is a park and ride stop, at 3 p.m. Bring a backpack or purse to put your pants in, and purchase a light rail ticket. You're advised to wear normal clothes and undergarments (this is not a streaking event), and lucky for you Charlotte's weather for Sunday is forecast to be an unseasonably warm high of 73 degrees. The participants will board the 3:22 p.m. train. When you take off your pants, you're supposed to act nonchalant and pretend as if you don't know anyone else who's taken off their pants or why you all are doing it. After your group has successfully dropped-trou and ridden the light rail several miles to Uptown, you'll hop back on and head to South End to celebrate at Common Market (1515 S. Tryon St.), shortly after 4 p.m.

Get complete details about the 2013 Charlotte No Pants Light Rail Ride at www.tinyurl.com/CLTNoPants. And follow along on Twitter using the #CLTNoPants hashtag.

Below are two videos of Improv Everywhere's successful run in the pantless series. The first describes how the event got started in 2002, and the second video recaps last year's event.
 

READ FULL STORY

Is Pat McCrory Hesitant to Say 'Charlotte' in TV Ads?

Pat McCrory was mayor of Charlotte from 1995 to 2009, holding office for a city-record seven terms. In my opinion, he was an effective mayor and should be credited for spearheading and championing a lot of the successful growth Charlotte experienced during the last decade. His successor, Mayor Anthony Foxx, has done a good job as well and has helped lead the city out of the recession. See what I just did? I complimented two political leaders, one who's a Republican (McCrory) and one who's a Democrat (Foxx). I wish more of you what push your partisan views (and hate) aside and give credit where it's due. But on to my point.

McCrory is in the homestretch of his second run for governor of North Carolina. He lost to Bev Perdue in 2008. This time around, McCrory is facing Walter Dalton, the Democratic nominee and current lieutenant governor of the state. McCrory has a sizable lead in the polls I've seen, but the 2012 NC gubernatorial race will probably end up being closer, influenced by voter turnout and the majority of people voting straight-party. McCrory appears to be outspending Dalton, at least that's how it seems regarding the number of TV ads by him I've been seeing lately, which led to something else I noticed.

Does Pat McCrory have a problem saying "Charlotte"? Check out two of his recent commercials (here and here, or watch below), where he touts his tenure as mayor but doesn't name the city.

It seems odd to me that McCrory doesn't say Charlotte in those ads, which are two of the last three TV ads he's released. In the other one, Charlotte is mentioned, but by someone else, in that not-intended-to-be-funny-but-kinda-is-ad featuring former Wilson, NC Sheriff Wayne Gay, who says McCrory "did great as mayor of Charlotte. He'll do great with our state, or I'll hunt him down."

Perhaps McCrory is concerned about any perceived Charlotte stigma negatively affecting his appeal to voters across this large, diverse state of ours. Plus, former Charlotte mayors don't have a good track record of seeking higher office, such as Harvey Gantt's (D) two failed runs for U.S. Senate (1990 and 1996), Sue Myrick's (R) unsuccessful run for U.S. Senate in 1992 (though she would be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994 and hold that seat until she announced her retirement in 2012), Richard Vinroot's (R) three failed attempts to become NC governor (1996, 2000, and 2004) and McCrory's own unsuccessful 2008 run.

Still, c'mon Pat, represent for the Queen City!

READ FULL STORY

Truck Hop?

Apparently there was a "Truck Hop" event recently in Charlotte. This truck has better dance moves than I do. LOL.

READ FULL STORY

The Charlotte Observer's Baron Davis Oucho Typo!

I wanted to share this really quickly after seeing it pointed out on Twitter by my friend Larken Egleston (@Larken). Apparently, in today's edition of The Charlotte Observer, there's a painfully hilarious typo in the sports section. In the "Bobcats Gameday" brief about the Charlotte Bobcats vs. New York Knicks matchup tonight, there's a short paragraph that reads as follows:

Ex-Charlotte Hornet Baron Davis signed with the Knicks after being cut by Cleveland under the amnesty clause. Davis is recovering from a herniated dick.

In the print newspaper that was distributed today via tens of thousands of copies throughout the Charlotte area, there's a typo that refers to Baron's, err, man part instead of the disk in his back.

If Baron actually had a hernia in his penis, I'm sure getting back to playing basketball would be the last thing on his mind. The oucho typo has been corrected in the online version of the article, but not before someone pointed out the mistake in the comments section.

This photo, which is currently Baron's Twitter avatar, lends itself to a facetious caption in light of the aforementioned news clip.

READ FULL STORY

Halloween, Jay and 'Ye, and Demons

It's Halloween weekend. If you're a kid, you're probably getting your costume ready to go trick-or-treating. If you're an adult, you're probably getting your costume ready to go clubbing. For all you Grown People in Charlotte, I've got you covered. Over on my Dusk Till Dawn nightlife blog on CharlotteMagazine.com, I've compiled a list of 20 of the best Halloween parties taking place through Monday. Since the majority of the Halloween parties are going on tonight (I've listed nearly a dozen for Saturday night alone), I wanted to drop this quick note to direct you to the list.

I probably won't have time to partake in any Halloween fun this weekend because I'm headed to Columbia today to see family, and then to Greensboro tomorrow to see Jay and 'Ye. Yes sir, my brother and I are going to the Watch The Throne concert Sunday. As if it wasn't cool enough that Jay-Z and Kanye West, my two favorite rappers, made an entire album together, now I get to see them in what could be the concert of the year. Since the tour just kicked off last night in Atlanta, we'll be among the first to see it.

This will be my second time seeing Jay-Z in concert--the first was also in Greensboro in 2008 when he toured with Mary J. Blige (I wish he'd start choosing to tour in Charlotte). But this will be my first time seeing Kanye in concert--I didn't see him when he came to Charlotte in 2008 with his Glow in the Dark Tour, but I was lucky enough to go to the official after-party that night at what was then HOM nightclub.

Back to Halloween, if you're looking to be frightened and to get in the spirit (or for the spirit to get in you), check out these short Demon Cam video clips. FOX Charlotte weatherman Reg Taylor created these demonic visuals of his fellow news anchors with the Demon Cam app on his phone and posted them onto his Facebook page. It's amazing what you can do with smart phone apps these days. In the videos below, you'll see Morgan Fogarty (who's also on the cover of Creative Loafing's Halloween-themed issue this week), Ramona Holloway, and Reg each transform into demons.

Morgan

Ramona

Reg

READ FULL STORY

Another Year for Cracked Crowns

One of my favorite year-end lists has been published in the January issue of Charlotte magazine. The 2009 Cracked Crowns recap the year's dumbest and most dubious events in Charlotte. I've had the honor of being one of the contributing writers of the list for the past five years and not only is it fun to write, but it's also intriguing to be reminded of just how much can transpire over the course of a year.


I think my favorite Cracked Crown this year is the one about the two local Domino Pizza workers who videotaped themselves doing disgusting things with food and even more idiotically posted the video on YouTube. If you'll recall, that story made national headlines. Read about that and more by clicking here.

READ FULL STORY

My Dad Had a Catalina but I Don't Think He'd Want to Be Buried in It

Ninety-year-old Lonnie Holloway passed away last week, and yesterday his family carried out his final wishes. He was buried in his 1973 Pontiac Catalina, with him sitting in the front seat with his hat on, $100 in his pocket, and his gun collection in the trunk.

Holloway is from Saluda, South Carolina, and as an S.C. native myself I know my people do some strange things, but this is really special here. My dad had an old-school Catalina, too, and my lasting memory of it was when my brother and I were about six or seven years old and we broke the back window in it from a game we were playing that involved us rolling rocks down the sloping back window. My dad was furious (we wore a good one)--he loved that car, but I don't think he loved it this much.

See the news video below of Holloway being buried in his car.

READ FULL STORY

He Was Doing The Naked Man

Federal authorities are trying to determine why a man took off all of his clothes on a flight from Charlotte to Los Angeles yesterday. The flight was diverted to New Mexico where the 50-year-old man was arrested. But they should've given the poor guy a break--he was simply doing "The Naked Man." I only recently learned what The Naked Man is from a hilarious episode of How I Met Your Mother that I saw last week.

Click here to learn more about The Naked Man. And watch the video below of a newscast about the naked guy on yesterday's flight.

READ FULL STORY

Readers' Comments on News Websites Reveal Bizarre Detail in Craigslist Rape

I'm sure you've heard, watched, or read news reports about a Kannapolis man who a couple of weeks ago allegedly hired a man on Craigslist to rape his wife in their bedroom while he watched. The husband was arrested three days later after a police investigation determined he was involved. Since then, lots of details have come out, including that this was a part of the man's fantasy. The alleged attacker was arrested yesterday. Most media outlets have a policy in that they don't publish or broadcast the names of rape victims. And the local media outlets I've encountered the story on so far have gone a step further by not even giving the name of the husband who has been charged because they believe that would be too close to identifying his wife. That is truly to be commended.

Unfortunately, these anonymous people who love to go on news websites and spew hate and negativity don't have such morals. A few of them have gone onto the Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office website to get information about the case. Even though they're accessing what is indeed public record, they feel the obligation to post this info in the comments section of the articles about the rape case on some of the news websites--the same info, such as the husband and wife's names, that the news sites refused to publish. Some people seem to have nothing better to do with their time or if you think this is your duty as a "citizen journalist," then why don't you post your real name alongside your comments instead of some anonymous listing or unattributable screenname. We real journalists have bylines--and ethics (stuff I was taught in J-school, beyotch).


But throughout the carnage in the comments section, which I admit that I'm guilty of oftentimes reading though I quickly get turned off by the ignorance, a few commenters have revealed an interesting and very bizarre detail to the life of this couple. It appears that the husband and wife who are at the center of this case (which the media has dubbed the "Craigslist rape case") made national news about three months ago for something completely unrelated. The wife made a bold move in her career that garnered the attention of MSNBC, CNN, and others. While this is certainly an interesting tidbit, I'm not going to divulge anymore details here. The careless commenters who uncovered this bit of information actually linked to one of the national news stories from three months ago, and in that story the husband, wife, and their two kids are all photographed at their home. They seem so happy then.

The way I believe the story from March was uncovered and linked to the current news stories is that once one or more of the commenters found the name of the husband who's being accused of planning the attack on his wife, they recognized his name from the earlier story. This certainly wouldn't be hard to do in a small town like Kannapolis. I'm sure residents around there, as well as throughout Charlotte, are buzzing about this bizarre twist. And the major news outlets are probably grappling with how or whether to report on it. But I say let people chatter amongst themselves--that's been going on since the beginning of time. Once you start putting sensitive information onto the Internet, it's out there for the whole world to see. And as our society has shown time and time again, some of us don't have much decency.

READ FULL STORY

Smooth Transition of Power

I'm trying to make GrownPeopleTalking.com the best blog in Charlotte, so nearly all of my posts are about local people, places, and events. But they say all politics is local, too, so that means this image I received in an email this afternoon is relevant. Regardless, I just had to share it (if you haven't received it in an email yet, I'm sure it'll make its way to you). This image represents the smooth transition of power from President George Bush to President Barack Obama.

READ FULL STORY

Bobcats Games Can Be Fun

I know most Charlotte sports fans have their minds on Saturday's Carolina Panthers playoff game, but I attended the Charlotte Bobcats-Boston Celtics game last night and it's one of the few times I've been able to appreciate how entertaining an NBA game can be. First off, I arrived about 10 minutes before tip-off. I've gone to several Bobcats games since I moved here in 2005, but I'd never gotten there that early before (I usually show up some time during the first quarter). Getting there early allowed me to see the singing of the national anthem (I don't remember the lady's name but she sounded great) and the announcing of the starting lineups.

The Bobcats' introduction is really cool. It makes the players look like rock stars. A pre-recorded video shows them in practice, during workouts, at press conferences--shot in black-and-white, with some scenes in slow motion for extra drama, and with Fort Minor's "Remember the Name" providing the soundtrack. ("This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill. / Fifteen percent concentrated power of will. / Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain. / And a hundred percent reason to remember the name.") Then when they cut from the video to the players courtside, Young Jeezy's "Put On" started playing. "I put on for my city. On, on, for my city..." The Bobcats did in fact put on for their city last night by beating the defending champion Celtics in overtime.

In addition to a great game (though I had to leave early), the halftime show was particularly interesting. It was performed by Ioan Veniamin Oprea aka the Human Slinky. My homeboy Lenny and I were watching the performance, trying to figure out if someone was inside the contraption. See for yourself.

READ FULL STORY

The Year-End List You Don't Want to Make

There are several good end-of-the-year wrap-up lists out there. And here's one that is particularly great. Sure, I'm bias because I wrote it, but I think you'll find it amusing. Each year in its January issue, Charlotte magazine presents the Cracked Crowns, an honor that no one actually wants because it means that you did something stupid or embarrassing if you made the list. "From black eyes to DUIs, from pranks to skanks," click here for the 2008 Cracked Crowns.

READ FULL STORY

How Not to Celebrate Your 21st Birthday

Bizarre details emerged Monday in a robbery and kidnapping trial when UNC-Chapel Hill football players testified about how they were victimized last December. Three UNC players got together to celebrate one of the players' 21st birthday. They admitted to drinking a lot that day and night, but you won't believe what they say happened to them.

Here are a few selected paragraphs from the article in The News & Observer (Raleigh) that will have you going WTF?

• The three linemen, by their count, downed dozens of beers before leaving the Chapel Ridge Apartments in northern Chapel Hill shortly before midnight to continue the party downtown.
• First, the players, who all approach 300 pounds, went to Top of the Hill, a restaurant and bar, for at least one beer each and liquor shots.
• An hour later, according to their testimony, they went to the East End Martini Bar, where one player drifted away from the other two. That player met two women in the bar and persuaded them and a male friend of theirs to give him a ride home. The player testified that he blacked out during the ride.
• When he regained consciousness, he said, he was in a chair in his room with his arms bound and one of the women straddling him.
• The other player went down the hall to look for the teammate who preceded them. What he found was Lewis, naked, standing outside a bedroom with a kitchen paring knife in his hand.
• Police found two of the Tar Heel football players in their boxer shorts, bound with belts, shoelaces and sound system wires shortly before 4 a.m. on Dec. 17.

Click here to read the full account of what happened.

READ FULL STORY