NA Social's about to be dead, so "Long Live NA Social."

Surely my favorite of all Vaclav Havel quotes is this one.

“You do not become a ''dissident'' just because you decide one day to take up this most unusual career. You are thrown into it by your personal sense of responsibility, combined with a complex set of external circumstances. You are cast out of the existing structures and placed in a position of conflict with them. It begins as an attempt to do your work well, and ends with being branded an enemy of society.”

Closer to home than Czechoslovakia, there's this.

"This is the end of New Albany Social as Beth and Kelly."

Well, damn. Several friends have asked me to explain why NA Social is winding down its operations, if "operations" is an appropriate way to describe a couple of local women on a fun and instructive "journey discovering all the awesomeness there is in downtown NA."

I've directed them to Kelly's post (below), and since my opinion doesn't matter, I'll offer it anyway.

There comes a time when you realize the fix is in, that others have more power than you, and no matter how you play your hand it's doubtful you can win. At this juncture it seems pointless. It's not exactly like resigning from a chess match, although "resignation" is one aspect of the way it feels.

Never mind that NA Social did it better than that other organization, because the latter had the official stamp from approval from the "cool kids," and NA Social didn't.

By extension, an under-appreciated fact of life in New Albany after eight years of a civic governing clique is that gradually, almost imperceptibly, downtown's previous spirit of improvisational cooperation and egalitarianism has been supplanted by a nervous calculation: whose "side" do I need to be seen supporting?

That's a calculation unlikely to be friendly to NA Social or any other genuinely independent organization similar to it, and it's yet another sad testament to the current money/power/control imperative pursued on a daily basis by City Hall.

Regular readers know that as time passes, it's becoming increasingly harder to do what I'm doing here. That's why I'm an unrepentant fan of what Kelly, Beth and their socialites have been trying to do at NA Social, because swimming against the tide is damn tough.

That's my two cents, offered as a dissident who struggles with Havel's personal sense of responsibility on a daily basis. NA Social's about to be dead -- Long Live NA Social.

SUNDAY, APRIL 7, 2019

Although we’ve come, to the end of the road...

Prepare yourself folks, there’s going to be a lot of cheesy quotes, quote memes, maybe some curse words, maybe even some politics. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. This is raw. This is real. This is me.

Deep breath.

If you have followed the page for a while, we have said it before, but this time we mean it. This is the end of New Albany Social as Beth and Kelly.

Last week was rough for me (Kelly). And it was the last straw for me. Last week a very rude lady said my daughter was dressed as a prostitute.

Beth and I get nothing out of this page. We only get the enjoyment of seeing our socialites out there trying new places. That really brings us so much joy. But when it starts affecting me and more importantly my children, that’s when I have to step back.

The same day that the woman insulted my daughter, a local business owner posted a gif on his personal page taking a stab at me. Calling me the most dramatic, hypocritical, victim playing individual he knows. This was after I posted my blog about the taco walk.

SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2018

What’s today?

Today is a difficult day for me. I still carry around a lot of hurt feelings from what happened to me last August. But I also carry around a lot of gratitude from what happened last August. I have debated on writing this because I preach almost daily about how my page is a positive page, but I have also been completely open and honest with everyone. So here we are...

(snip)

So, enough of the negativity

I have gained so much from this page. I’ve met people that I have impacted my life. I’ve eaten foods that have rocked my world. I have grown. I have gained.

There are so many amazing women in this community. So many strong women.

Beth and I talked about this one day after I came up with #wwyd (What would Ysha do) Ysha is one of the most level headed, loving, kindest people I have met. Whenever I get angry I say to myself, #wwyd. But then I usually do it anyway lol.

So mottos to live by:

Be kind like Ysha (owner of MESA)
Be fierce like Stephanie (owner of Salon b)
Be pure like Kim (owner of Sukhino)
Be supportive as Susan (Countryside Insurance)
Be as fun as Mara (gm at The Earl)
Be as sexy as Scott (chef at MESA) sorry, I had to add that 😂

I could go on and on.

Speaking of Beth. She came into this knowing she would be spending her own money. Spending her own time. She has been my rock. I get crazy y’all. And she has had to listen to it all. So can we give her a huge pat on the back?

So I’m closing, thank you socialites. Our socialites are a force to be reckon with. I don’t think people get how strong our army of over 6k on Facebook and almost 3k on Instagram is. #socialitesforever (not even two years!!)

We are going until the end of the month, so let’s finish strong! We are going to really focus on those who have lifted us up. Forget the haters!

Help us go out with a party! Buy tickets to our MESA event! And maybe we will go to The Earl afterwards ...

"What and who is New Albany Social?"

New Albany Social has been mentioned here a few times, and it seems appropriate to drop the name again.

Kelly's and Beth's grassroots enthusiasm is contagious. It's pleasingly non-corporate, and comes spontaneously. What they're doing is great, and let's hope for many more posts.

Go to Facebook, like the page and pay attention. I've learned a lot just by reading New Albany Social's posts, and you can, too.

WHAT AND WHO IS NEW ALBANY SOCIAL?

So here we are... Kelly on the left, Beth on the right

New Albany Social started as a page to showcase all of the wonderful places we have in downtown New Albany.

Kelly started the page in August of 2017 with the hopes to bring people downtown and maybe have a couple events to help the cause.

Kelly is a mother of three humans and three dogs. She works at Schmitt Furniture on the furniture corner of State and Main in New Albany 😉. Kelly has always been in love with downtown New Albany, even before it was cool. She remembers the excitement of seeing the purple florescent Wicks sign going up on State Street.

Beth joined New Albany Social in April of 2018. Her first post about the lavender tea from Roadrunner Kitchen was so popular that Roadrunner ran out of cups.

Beth is a single mom of a man child and a cat. But we don’t judge her because of the cat. She works at Chase Bank here in downtown and also lives downtown! She walks a lot. So if you see a post about walking, it’s her. Definitely not Kelly.

So how can you help our cause?

Like! Love! Comment!

The more you do that, the more it spreads. The more it spreads, the more people see of our New Albany awesomeness.

If you are a downtown business and want to be featured, let us know! We don’t charge to feature you. We do this in our free time with mostly our own money. We do get a wonderful gift every now and then that we appreciate so much.

If you are a business and you want to sponsor events or posts, please let us know!

You can reach us by messaging us on Facebook or by email.

With Taco Walk a week away, isn't it time for Develop New Albany to publicly take the cultural appropriation pledge and ditch the sombreros?

Did you know the Frito Bandito character was created in the late
1960s by the Foote, Cone & Belding advertising agency?

To casual observers, it might not make sense to wait until May 12, a full week after Cinco de Mayo, to spotlight an article about cultural appropriation in the context of this annual exercise in derivative marketing.

But in New Albany, very little makes cultural sense and almost everything is derivative, including Develop New Albany, our own peculiar institution, currently functioning as an appendage of Mayor Gahan's re-election effort, and thus beholden to a succession of 1:00 a.m. mobile phone directives.

As long as DNA continues to evade its "Taco Walk" ramifications of stereotyping and cultural appropriation, we'll keep bringing it up.

Which is to say, what you do on your own time is your burden, but shouldn't we expect a higher standard from organizations tied to municipal government?

Who'd have guessed? William Anthony Nericcio's "aggressive, relentless, and, at times, pathological interrogation of Mexican, Latina/o, Chicana/o, "Hispanic," Mexican-American, and Latin American stereotypes."

We've pointed to Nericcio's work on several occasions in the hope that the DNA board's daily reading is not restricted to the Collected Exhortations of Dear Leader (indeed, futility is this blog's constant and lamentable companion), but with a week to go until the renewal of Taco Walk, we'll offer another point of reference.

First, to recap, last year citizen volunteer Kelly Winslow brought the Taco Walk idea to DNA, unaware that she needed a lawyer, because from the moment DNA's "leadership" cadre arrived on site bearing sombreros, maracas and printed lyrics from the Frito Bandito's infamously demeaning ode to corn chip hucksterism, the event careened off the rails in terms of cultural awareness, leaving Winslow with little choice except to take back her idea and politely excuse herself -- but no such luck, because not only is Mexican culture ripe for appropriation, so are intellectual property rights, DNA reminding Winslow she could get out any time she liked, but her idea could never leave, and to be perfectly blunt, DNA has been nickel-and-diming and bullying her ever since, which is peachy keen according to well-scrubbed community pillars like DNA's city council liaison David Barksdale, who can't seem to grasp that if appearances in fact are everything (they're not, but we're on a roll now), then the appearance of a sombrero situated atop a middle-aged white person shaking maracas and chanting a 50-year-old advertising ditty, who is representing an organization that benefits from taxpayer dollars, is precisely the wrong one, now and forever.

Consequently, here's a slightly less academic explanation of the overarching point.

Put down the sombrero and back away slowly.

Think we might talk about it during the Tuesday morning merchant meeting this week? It's at 8:30 a.m. at the Pepin Mansion on Main Street.

And don't forget: Let's all eat at Israel's Delicias de Mexico Gourmet on Saturday, May 19.

Here's why your Cinco de Mayo celebration is problematic, by Katie Dupere (Mashable)

Today is Cinco de Mayo, one of the most widely celebrated Mexican holidays in the United States. But all the taco eating and $5 margaritas can cloud what you're actually celebrating — and lead to some nasty cultural appropriation.

That sombrero you're wearing, for instance, is never appropriate, unless you're of Mexican heritage.

But cultural appropriation is more than just a cheap, straw imitation of the wide-brimmed hat. It's parodying a culture without knowledge or respect of its roots. Many non-Mexicans are guilty of this on May 5, knocking back margaritas but totally oblivious to what they're even celebrating.

"In Mexican culture the sombrero, 'ponchos,' the music, the dancing, and even the tequila that was first made by the Aztecs have several cultural struggles behind them that a lot of people don’t understand," Melissa Nuno wrote on Medium earlier this year. "It can be offensive to some when people from other cultures try to own it, especially without at least trying to understand what it means to the people of that culture."

THE BEER BEAT: A Pints & Union preview video at New Albany Social ... plus the new Falls City taproom and a Michael "Beer Hunter" Jackson birthday greeting.

Kelly and Joe. This is not a link.

Joe Phillips did a live Facebook video earlier today at Pints & Union, courtesy of Kelly Winslow and her New Albany Social juggernaut. Embedding seems a challenge, so here's New Albany Social video link -- as well as a couple of interior shots (below) from when I ambled past this morning and chatted for a bit with Resch's crew.

Joe says it all, which means I can turn to beer news from Louisville, courtesy of Kevin Gibson at Insider Louisville.

Falls City Brewing set to open new brewery, taproom on Friday

Falls City Brewing Co. announced today it will open its new brewery and taproom on Friday, March 30. The newly renovated facility will be dedicated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Mayor Greg Fischer at 11 a.m. that day.

The new complex, which was built nearly a century ago, is located at 901 E. Liberty St. — in the NuLu/Phoenix Hill neighborhood — and features a seven-barrel brewhouse set in a roughly 5,100-square-foot space, as well as a taproom area that is nearly 4,000 square feet, and an outdoor beer garden that tops 3,000 square feet. For the last several years, Falls City had been part of the Over the 9/Old 502 Winery complex on 10th Street near Portland ...

In closing, today would have been the legendary beer writer Michael Jackson's 76th birthday (he died in 2007). I can say without a shade of exaggeration that if not for Jackson, I probably wouldn't be in the position of shepherding Joe's beer program at Pints & Union.

For more, this story from last year. My misplaced copy of the Beer Hunter's first great book recently turned up, and I'm absorbing some timeless wisdom.

THE BEER BEAT: Michael "Beer Hunter" Jackson's epochal book at 40, his 1994 visit to Louisville, and the color red.

Ironically, given the book's influence on me, I seem to have lost my copy of it. But no matter. As the years pass, it's ever clearer to me that Michael Jackson's World Guide to Beer perfectly captured the beer world at a crossroads between old and new.

Furthermore, having been inspired by the text, I had the first-hand opportunity to experience the historic European side of this tableau before modernity began to alter it irrevocably, then to apply all these lessons at my own pub to what became the American beer renaissance.

I've been very fortunate in these instances, and I was even more fortunate to meet the man himself ...