NYE and CMPD

The police, cops, po-po, 5-0, the man, the law, the people, the fuzz--whatever you call them, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police will be in full force in uptown on New Year's Eve. The city expects about 25,000 people to be attending the First Night celebration and about another 25,000 to be hopping at bars, clubs, and restaurants in uptown, and the police plan to keep the streets orderly. If you're going out there, you should feel safe. But you should also be careful and don't get behind the wheel if you've been drinking. We don't want to see you in...

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Panthers Playoff Tickets On Sale Thursday

The Carolina Panthers have a first-round bye in the playoffs this week so they'll play their first game at home on January 10. Tickets for the game go on sale this Thursday at 10 a.m. on Ticketmaster, and only about 7,000 will be available. Prices range from $62 to $400. Click here for more info. I'm sure there will be a lot of scalping going on for these tickets. Just check out Craigslist. And I bet it'll be even worse on eBay....

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Events for the Week: Dec. 29-Jan. 4

Your best weekly list for parties, nightlife, social, and cultural events in Charlotte, including some of the many New Year’s Eve parties going on. If I learn of more events, I’ll update this post throughout the week.Tuesday, December 30A Peace of Jazz (weekly event)Radio personality Jaye Delai and his wife Monica present this weekly jazz series. In celebration of the New Year, this week features The Company Band with Buff Dillard along with a buffet from La’Wan’s Soul Food Restaurant. 6-11 p.m. $10. Kiss Lounge, 204 W. Woodlawn Rd. www.jayeandmonica.com....

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See Who's Giving Money to Obama's Inauguration

Barack Obama's Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) has created a website to post all of the financial contributions over $200 it's receiving. And the dough is rolling in.I spent a few minutes perusing the site, which lists each donor's name, employer, city, state, zip code, and dollar amount given. I found four Charlotteans on the list. Three of them gave contributions of $250, $500, and $1,000. And the fourth, Robert Perkowitz, who is employed...

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What Chicago Says About Us All

The Chicago Tribune is publishing a three-part series titled "Separate Chicagos" and part one is "Chicago, America's most segregated big city." It's a very introspective look into the racial make-up of one of our country's largest cities, forty years after the end of the Civil Rights Movement and on the eve of the inauguration of our first black president. Some of the info in the article is surprising, but then again it's not. As the article surmises, discriminatory practices and prejudice once spawned segregation, but now that's replaced by personal...

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Random Notes From the Barbershop

I was in the barbershop this afternoon getting my hair cut when I was reminded that the most interesting sights and sounds take place at black barbershops. Here's what I observed:Man, why did I wait until Christmas Eve to get my hair cut? There are a lot of people ahead of me.There's a lot of debate as to who's going to go far in the NFL playoffs. The Dallas Cowboys are the team people love to hate. Not everyone is convinced the Carolina Panthers...

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Events for the Week: December 22-28

Your best weekly list for parties, nightlife, social, and cultural events in Charlotte. If I learn of more events, I’ll update this post throughout the week.Tuesday, December 23A Peace of Jazz (weekly event)Radio personality Jaye Delai and his wife Monica are presenting this new weekly jazz series. 7 p.m. $10. Kiss Lounge, 204 W. Woodlawn Rd. www.jayeandmonica.com. Wednesday, December 24Pop Life (weekly event)It’s the most popular social networking event on a Wednesday night. Starts after work but ends late. Music by select DJs. Presented by Creative...

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I'm A Panthers Fan, Honest

My brother and I went to Fox and Hound, the one near Northlake Mall, tonight to watch the Carolina Panthers play the New York Giants. (Thanks to the new stretch of I-485 we got there in exactly 10 minutes.) The place was crowded. We arrived shortly after the game started and got the last available table. It didn't take me long to realize that I'm not much of a go-to-the-sports-bar-and-watch-the-big-game kind of person. I've always preferred to watch...

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UNCC Students 'Rave' Over End of Finals

UNC Charlotte students celebrated the end of final exams Tuesday with a flash rave. I've never heard of this concept, but apparently it involves young people organizing a rave online, in which they all plan to descend upon one place at the same time. Some also call it a flash mob. Whatever these kids call it, hundreds of them took over Atkins Librar...

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Anthony Hamilton: In Stores and On TV

As the all-important fourth quarter for the music industry nears end, several albums from notable artists were released today. And there's one in particular you should be sure to get: The Point Of It All, by Anthony Hamilton. Support your fellow Charlottean. And you have a couple of opportunities to see Hamilton perform this week. He's on The Ellen DeGeneres Show today (5 p.m., FOX) and on Good Morning America Thursday (7 a.m., ABC)....

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Events for the Week: December 15-21

Your best weekly list for parties, nightlife, social, and cultural events in Charlotte. If I learn of more events, I’ll update this post throughout the week.Monday, December 15Cornel WestThe Princeton University professor and renowned speaker and author headlines this fundraiser for the 2009 Charlotte Literary Festival. Also featuring live jazz. 6 p.m. $15. Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E. 36th St. www.neighborhoodtheatre.com.The Future of American Foreign PolicyFormer Secretary of State Madeleine Albright will lead this live video conference and...

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Trading Players, But How About Houses Too?

As I'm watching the pre-game coverage of the Charlotte Bobcats-Detroit Pistons game, a thought occurred to me: It must suck to get traded during the season. As you may know, the Bobcats shook up their lineup this week with a five-player trade with the Phoenix Suns. The Bobcats sent Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley; the Suns sent Boris Diaw, Raja Bell, and Sean Singletary. And the Bobcats also signed Juwan Howard, who wasn't playing in the league...

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Will Smith's In Town Thursday

We don't usually have superstar actors holding movie premieres here, but Will Smith is appearing in Charlotte Thursday for a special premiere of his new movie, Seven Pounds. More importantly, the event is serving as a food drive for Second Harvest Food Bank. Smith will be donating 300 turkeys, and if you want the chance to see the movie all you have to do is bring a non-perishable food item (and be one of the first 1,000 people to do so). You'll...

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Events for the Week: December 8-14

Your best list for parties, nightlife, social, and cultural events in Charlotte. If I learn of more events, I’ll update this post throughout the week.Tuesday, December 9A Peace of Jazz (weekly event)Radio personality Jaye Delai and his wife Monica are presenting this new weekly jazz series. It promises to be a classy event. 7 p.m. $10. Kiss Lounge, 204 W. Woodlawn Rd. www.jayeandmonica.com. Wednesday, December 10A Warm Winter MingleThe Charlotte Chamber's Black Professionals Network (BPN) is presenting this annual evening of networking and fun....

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Dwyane Wade Dunks On Emeka Okafor

Since most Charlotte sports fans were likely watching the Carolina Panthers run all over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (literally) in the Monday Night Football game, you probably didn't see the Charlotte Bobcats play the Miami Heat. The Bobcats lost a close one, 100-96. It continues to be nearly exact this season that when the Bobcats score more than 100 points they win and when they score fewer than 100 points they lose. Dwyane Wade lit it up for 41...

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MNF In the CLT

Charlotte is getting ready for the Monday Night Football match-up tonight between the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. MNF is one indicator that this sport is more than a game and it's the one game of the week when you know the whole country is watching your team.The city is embracing the national spotlight. The Bank of America Corporate Center and the Carillon Building will turn on their Panther blue lights to illuminate their rooftops....

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Anthony Hamilton Discusses 'The Point of It All'

In this video interview with Ebony Jet, Anthony Hamilton talks about his new album, The Point of It All. The oft-delayed album is finally coming out December 16--you can believe this release date because the record label is marketing it and Hamilton has been on tour promoting it for the past few weeks. Also, this week the Charlotte native received a Grammy nomination for his collaboration with Al Green on “You've Got the Love I Need.”Watch interview below or click her...

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NASCAR's Most Beautiful People

Sports fans or anyone wanting to learn more about NASCAR, here's a publication you should pick up: NASCAR's 60 Most Beautiful People. Published by Sporting News, which is based in Charlotte and is well-known for these types of "yearbooks," this is the inaugural edition and it offers an interesting look into the sport. The issue profiles the drivers, pit-crew guys, mechanics, media personalities, and wives who live the fast-track life. If you read...

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Club 935 Opening This Weekend

UPDATE: Click here to read my review of Club 935. There's a new nightclub opening in Charlotte this weekend and even though several clubs have opened around the city this year (thankfully!), I'm really excited about this one. Club 935 is holding a two-night grand opening and the club is being billed as an "upscale hip-hop and R&B club." There aren't many places in Charlotte that currently fit that description.I don't know much about Club 935,...

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Brooklyn Decker to 'Chuck' It

Swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker is scheduled to appear in an episode of the NBC series Chuck. The episode will likely air in late January or early February. Decker, who is from Charlotte (Matthews actually, but she claims us so of course we'll claim her), has become a staple in Sports Illustrated's annual swimsuit edition, appearing in the coveted issue the last three years. She's also appeared in ad campaigns for Gap and Victoria Secret, and she's...

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Seth Curry Is a 'Diaper Dandy'

It's got to be tough to be Stephen Curry's little brother. Especially considering Seth Curry is just two years younger and plays the same sport and same position. While Stephen has been amazing the college basketball world for more than two years now at Davidson, Seth is quickly having his coming out party as a freshman at Liberty.Seth is Dick Vitale's "Diaper Dandy of the Week." Here's what the legendary basketball analyst writes on ESPN.com: "The...

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Events for the Week: December 1-7

Your best list for parties, nightlife, social, and cultural events in Charlotte. If I learn of more events, I’ll update this post throughout the week.Tuesday, December 2A Cinematic ChristmasThese movies will get you into the holiday spirit. Two short films will be shown, then Miracle on 34th Street. Complimentary hot cocoa and popcorn will be served. Presented by Christ Central Church. 6 p.m. Free. Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E. 36th St. www.neighborhoodtheatre.com.A...

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Crazy Dunk In UNC Charlotte Game

When you dunk like this, it's called posterizing. Because dunks like this often make it onto posters. Every basketball fan has had at least one on his wall as a kid. But you don't want to be on the end that Charlotte 49er's Lamont Mack is on. He got dunked on by Cal State Fullerton's Gerard Anderson in a game Sunday during the final round of ESPN's 76 Classic. Mack shouldn't feel bad; every player gets dunked on at one point or another. And this scene won't likely make it onto a poster. But there's YouTub...

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Staggering Fact About HIV

I was watching CNN one night about a week ago, and I usually can't take my eyes off the scroll at the bottom of the screen. It always has the most interesting headlines. Then there was a fact that scrolled by that startled me: More than one million Americans are living with HIV and more than 200,000 of those don't know it. Those numbers were based on new results released by the Centers for Disease Control. I don't know what's scarier--the fact that...

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