Media Resource Website for Asheville

Found a new media arts resource site for asheville. This seems to me to be a good idea. There are many film festivals, grants, presses, and galleries devoting their efforts to the media and film arts. A site like this might help us locate them and have access to their events in one place.

Asheville Literary Press Accepting Manuscripts

Hey for all your writers in the area, check out our literary press as a possibility for getting published.


The Black Mountain Press is dedicated to promoting work of emerging authors of literary poetry, novels and short stories. As cinema, art and story telling has plummeted in literary quality to appeal to the lowest common denominator in recent years, the Black Mountain Press strives to find and publish works that aspire to a higher ideal, many times written by unknown, first time authors, without agents representing them. All too often their works are ignored By the corporate publishers who are more interested in serving up their chain store consumables for a public lost in our mass produced fast-food induced art world.
url: http://www.TheBlackMountainPress.com

Get the Destination Tee Shirt You Forgot to Purchase

Internet merchants are offering unique tourist tee shirts from those destinations you loved but didn't want to spend money on shirts at the time. Remember that last spectacular out-of-town trip you had? Chances are, you took home some souvenirs like destination tee shirts. But what if you forgot to pick up some memorabilia before heading home?

In the past, your only chance to buy adventure tee shirts was at gift shops located in the area itself. However, all of that has changed. You can now purchase destination tee shirts online after you've gone home!

No longer do you have to worry about getting souvenir destination tee shirts. There are plenty of websites that offer a selection of destination tee shirts featuring popular tourist locations.

Most of the time, you'll find destination tee shirts with the usual "I went to ___ and all I got was this lousy tee shirt." But there are more and more quality stores that offer something better than this.

For instance, some destination tee shirts are intentionally kitschy and feature a popular landmark from the location. Examples of which are mountains, lakes, well-known establishments and historically significant locations.

On the other hand, some tee shirts humorously incorporate an inside joke or catchphrase that's appreciated by tourists and locals alike. These destination tee shirts convey a certain attitude or state of mind that many of the residents share.

Others depict a warm and touching aspect of the location's cultural heritage. Since the appeal of many tourist spots comes from their natural environment, most destination tee shirts feature animals such as bears, moose and wolves. You'll also find destination tee shirts that are cleverly laid out with a postcard design complete with a postage stamp.

Additionally, there are some designs that include the map of the area to really help familiarize yourself with your destination of choice. You'll even find some tee shirts that have a list of the popular trails and rivers in the area.

Select tee shirts that are made of cotton. The natural properties of cotton make it easy to wash, dry and iron. It also allows the wearer to stay cool because the fabric absorbs moisture that helps the skin breathe.

Online stores carrying destination T-shirts offer you the convenience of having your items of choice shipped to you so you don't have to wait for your next road trip just to get a souvenir.

To ensure secure payment and fast delivery, look for stores that accept major credit cards and deliver within 24 hours. However, shipping could take anywhere from 2 to 10 business days depending on where you are.

For your own benefit, make sure that your merchant has a good return policy so you can have your money back in case you're not satisfied with your order. Most merchants ask for a copy of your receipt with a short description of why you're returning the shirt. Some also ship internationally while others don't.

Whatever destination tee shirts you fancy, make sure to pick one that captures the essence and spirit of the place you visited. Best of all, you have the option of ordering the tee shirt of your choice after your trip.

Top Floor Studio Moves in Asheville

Hey, looking for TopFloorStudio.com, they moved. I just got a notice from my friends at this quality web design group and SEO masters. Check out their new location---it rocks!

Hey Guys,
We've recently relocated business operations to 9 W. Walnut St. and we are looking forward to starting the New Year off in our new home. All contact information will remain the same; you can still reach us by phone at (828) 225-8124 and check us out at www.topfloorstudio.com.

Thank you for your continued support!
Jessica Stouder

Project Manager
TopFloorStudio, LLC.
9 W. Walnut St., Suite 3D
Asheville, NC 28801

Asheville Simplifies Book Buying Through Social Media Technology in Response to Amazon Attack

Amazon’s most recent divergence from good corporate citizenship, asking customers to spy on local stores, outraged bookstores nationwide, and now has local businesses crying foul. Local Publisher and Bookstore Grateful Steps at http://www.GratefulSteps.com a non-profit publisher and bookshop with a focus on local and regional authors, is using Twitter technology to fight Amazon’s new scanning intelligence software and to make ordering books much simpler for everyone.

Grateful Steps at 159 S. Lexington Avenue, with 40 titles of their own and the ability to order any book, is asking their clients and the community to simply order books from them using their twitter address @gratefulsteps. “The $5.00 you might lose with Amazon would support local business and goes back in supporting the local economy through our real brick and mortar stores that pay taxes that benefit the public at large,” explains Laura Hope-Gill, Marketing Director for Grateful Steps, “ The Amazon move is a go-for-the-jugular marketing move. Our twitter idea is a way of demonstrating that people need people, they don’t need apps that hurt other people.”

Amazon’s newest ploy to undermine local economies consists of convincing consumers to download a bar-scanning application to their phones., then go to local stores and scan the store bar code on the items they are interested in purchasing. The application displays the cheapest price that item is available for on Amazon encouraging the customer to leave the store and order online, while also providing Amazon intelligence on local prices and consumer interest trends. Amazon apparently feels that providing a $5.00 reward pays for this consumer marketing study.

Book stores nationwide are viewing this as an attack on Mom and Pop businesses by a technology driven giant. Oren Teicher, the CEO of the American Booksellers Association, (ABA) recently wrote the CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos stating, “…despite your company’s recent pledge to be a better corporate citizen and to obey the law and collect sales tax, you created a price-check app that allows shoppers to browse Main Street stores that do collect sales tax, scan a product, ask for expertise, and walk out empty-handed in order to buy on Amazon. We could call your $5 bounty to app-users a cheesy marketing move and leave it at that. In fact, it is the latest in a series of steps to expand your market at the expense of cities and towns nationwide, stripping them of their unique character and the financial wherewithal to pay for essential needs like schools, fire and police departments, and libraries.”

Bookstores, Publishers, and individuals around the nation have mounted a new “Boycott Amazon” campaign with some offering “Occupy Amazon” buttons, and others offering discounts to customers showing that they have cancelled their Amazon accounts.

Grateful Steps prefers to fight technology with technology. Hope-Gill says, “In this tech age, it comes down to keystrokes, using Twitter is faster than using a website, particularly Amazon technology, and has the added advantage of allowing people to immediately order a book upon learning about it in a conversation with a friend, in a newspaper review, or while watching a TV talk show, without worry of losing the information before placing an order with an online store.”

This Twitter concept was originally conceived by Gary Charles of G Social Media, to be used in restaurants allowing a simple method for dining rooms and customers to connect directly with the kitchen for orders, questions, and status on their dinner. Charles recently ran with this idea that will premier at Latin Flavor Restaurant next month. Then, inspired by a wish for new reading material, Gary Charles tweeted a few orders to Hope-Gill and picked up his books the following day. Upon meeting with Hope-Gill, the new idea of tweeting for books, and turning the tables on Amazon’s tech-heavy attack on small business, came to life.

Incidentally, Hope-Gill lived near Seattle when the online giant first put out a call for jobs, “Some of my friends applied and went on to make a lot of money, I couldn’t do it. It just felt kind of evil to me. I love bookstores and love the experience of touching books, of having a good book handed to me by a human being.” To participate in this movement Twitter Grateful Steps at @gratefulsteps, or use the old-fashioned, call for orders or information at 828-277-0998 or email laura@gratefulsteps.com

Asheville Green Plumbing--Are they just after your hard earned green?

I've been hearing bad things about Asheville Green Plumbing. I talked to a friend that has a solar system, well, on demand heater, and other environmentally friendly devices. As you can imagine, he has a lot of plumbing needs.

The other day his pressure switch went out on the well and he decided to call Asheville Green Plumbing in order to support Green thinking and businesses. "This was a bad mistake,"he said, "the green they are talking about is the green in your wallet, they are anything but a green company."

What was the problem? "They came in and told me I needed an oddball part and would have to replace it--that involved him driving around his oversized gas guzzling van for an hour and a half. Returning he cut out my valve and replaced it with a new one, then put in a new T for the pressure switch. To my astonishment, he charged me 2hours 45min for labor and $100 for parts. Over $320 for what should have been a simple 1 hour job."

I thought about what he said and asked, "Well if it was an oddball part, maybe that wasn't such a bad deal."

"Riggght," he said, "The next day I drove to Lowe's and found the exact value they replaced for $35.00, for $15.97. Worse, I found a 1/4 plug that could have been inserted in my old valve without replacing it for $0.88. I bought the plug and returned back to my house in my small car in less than 1/2 hour. As I had demanded he give me the old valve, I screwed the 1/4 inch plug into the threaded tap where the old pressure switch used to be and solved the problem for less than a dollar, with a part they should have had on their truck! Calling Asheville Green Plumbers to complain was even more painful, I was informed 'we treat our customers very well.' Thinking back on the call, maybe he really said 'we cheat our customers very well'--that certainly would be more accurate."

I don't have any experience with Asheville Green Plumbing, but if you have had experiences, good or bad with them, please leave a comment!

Buying the Right Furnishings for your Home

Walking into a nicely decorated home is like meeting a well-coiffed person. Everything is in place, each room is carefully arranged, and the furnishings seem to accent rather than overshadow the home's design.

Quality furniture should bring out your home's best features. But attractive furnishings don't happen by accident. A homeowner or apartment dweller must take time to shop for just the right arrangement of pieces in an effective period style that will suit both the home and its occupants. A single person or a young couple just starting out may not have the luxury of buying matching pieces. They may pick and choose what they need from yard sales or second-hand stores. But those with steadier incomes and discretionary funds to spend may wish to purchase roomfuls of furniture that create an ambience that is soothing and aesthetically appealing.


When you are ready to shop for fine furniture, you may want to first browse newspaper ads or online websites to get an idea of what's available. With numerous styles like Mediterranean or early American to choose from, you will want to match the furniture design to your home for a coordinating effect. Contemporary furniture in a Victorian home is not perhaps the blend you want. Shop for a variety of pieces and suits that fit your home's theme or style. Compare wood grains and hues as well as fabric styles and types in finding the best fit for your living room or bedroom.


Another thing to keep in mind is functionality. Will a white sofa in the family room hold up against three kids and a Dalmatian? You may want to find another piece of the same style in a different color and a sturdy fabric. Find out if you can vacuum or hand-clean certain pieces of furniture, or if they must be dry-cleaned periodically. Either of these cleaning methods can entail cost or time that must be budgeted.


Don't forget to consider auxiliary pieces, like end tables, coffee tables, lamps, and so on. These should work well with the prevailing theme and furniture design to create a cohesive theme, not a jarring one. You also will want to choose appropriate décor, such as framed artwork or corner sculptures, to complement your furniture arrangements. A Ming vase might look slightly out of place in a rustic log cabin but an oriental rug may be the perfect match.


Remember to include furnishings for your porch and patio, as your budget permits. While these are less important than household furniture, they also help to create an impression about your property, and they provide comfort and respite from daily chores and hassles. Shop for comfort and appearance, as you would for other types of furnishings. Even family portraits can be framed in the same type of oak wood that comprises your china cabinet or kitchen cupboards.


Have fun decorating your living space, and don't hesitate to ask for help from one of Townhouse Galleries sales associates. They also can offer custom help through their in-house interior design services.