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Tampa's airport is Tampa Intl. Some examples that do support you are St. Petersburg-Clearwater Intl., Sarasota/Bradenton Intl., Gulfport-Biloxi Intl., Springfield-Branson Regional, Kalamazoo/Battle Creek Intl., Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Intl., Elmira/Corning Regional, Laughlin/Bullhead Intl. and Pullman-Moscow Regional.

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Thoughts on the INDY: it has been very Durham/Chapel Hill centric for a long time, but I do think it is getting better at giving Raleigh a look, and not just from a gubmint bashing standpoint.

It has gotten much better at including Raleigh's indy music venues like the Pour House, Lincoln Theatre, Slim's and Martin St (now something else), whereas it used to be Carrboro (Cat's cradle, cave, 516) focused.

I like the INDY's exposure of off the beaten path things, illustrated well in last week's issue of Best of. e.g. the mill town hidden inside downtown Durham, and urban exploration of Raleigh's drainage pipe near Cameron Village.

What I think INDY does best is bring to light the differing cultures of the triangle. Differences are a good thing - who wants to live in a community like the Truman Show? Not moi. Carolina Theatre in Durham puts on some fantastic events (Joan Armatrading was outstanding, and Full Frame is making its own mark), and although the Rialto in Raleigh really REALLY should dump the precambrian Rocky Horror staple, it shows good non mainstream movies. BTI center is a terrific place to hear the symphony, and Shaw U has a cool flavor for downtown. And UNC has the most beautiful campus in the triangle.

I don't understand why it has to be this competition crap of Raleigh's better, no Durham's better. Why can't they just be different and appreciated for it?

The INDY has guts to publish things that would never grace the pages of the N&O - like the Chatham County shakeup, and the What's So Scary article. The fact that it gets people talking and thinking is what we need more of in this world. It has the chutzpah to look at what's been swept under the rug, not just buzz around on the surface ot the latest "trend".

*plink, plink*

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Basically, I am pretty much done with this conversation anyway, because it seems you are dead-set and determined to see Durham as a dangerous, drab, dreary boring place, despite what anybody says otherwise.

If you live in Raleigh, read the Independent, and still don't know what's going on in Raleigh, then "the Triangle's Weekly" is to blame. You wanted a list of free things to do in Raleigh, I gave them to you, and then you gave an unsolicited list of things to do in Durham, many of which cost money. You said everything you went to in Raleigh costs money, then mentioned something that you went to that was free. The fact that you "don't get into" something does not mean it does not exist.

If the kids who picked berries to the point of having their arms coated in juices and had their picture taken were with their parents who just watched it all, is that better or worse? There is a difference between kids that are unsupervised for a couple of hours a day and parents who forsake their role in the development of their child and expect/demand the community takes on the role of parent.

You only heard what you wanted to, and then *told me* how I see Durham. That is *not* a conversation.

If only I had said

"I lived in Durham for two years (NCSSM) 15 years ago and have seen it evolve (for better or worse) into Chapel Hill East. They have about as much culture as Raleigh, but the Indy does whatever it can to portray Raleigh as a cultural wasteland and Chapel Hill, Durham, and now Chatam county as the only places worth doing anything in for completely selfish reasons."

But what do I know about what I think? The Independent (and DurhamDiva) are dead-set and determined to see Raleigh citizens such as myself as Durham hating, SUV driving zombies, despite what anyone says otherwise.

In other Indy "reporting" Bob Geary can't keep straight the Central and South Central CAC chairs. Or the fact that Nicole Sullivan has nothing to do with the visioning process, other than when it starts in South Park in the near future. Crime and neglect have done a much better job of fighting gentrification than any person or committee ever could. How do you consider someone the best and not even keep track of who the represent? I know! It is because you can make a list of "the best" while admitting you don't even know all the city's neighborhoods. Wow.

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I have to agree with capitalapts' comments for the most part.

The only ties the Independent has to Raleigh is Eichenberger (who appears to hate Raleigh and everything in it with a passion) and Bob Geary "reporting" to folks on the other side of RDU airport about how bad Raleigh is. No TTA train? Blame Raleigh. Soleil sucks? Blame Raleigh. Hotel design 104-B headed for the new convention center? City Council has no imagination.

Only the Indy would pair a picture of a young African-American with what appears to be blood on his hands and a smile on his face with the caption "Why We Love Durham" underneath. Wow. That image is why Raleigh and Cary *don't* like about Durham -- blood on your hands? no problem! The women's lacrosse team wears "innocent" armbands? You go girls! The "pnly the national media made the lax scandal a race/class issue" completely ignored the New Black Panthers, alleged incidents between Central and Duke students, and relentless "if they were black, they'd be in jail already" comments.

I lived in Durham for two years (NCSSM) 15 years ago and have seen it evolve (for better or worse) into Chapel Hill East. They have about as much culture as Raleigh, but the Indy does whatever it can to portray Raleigh as a cultural wasteland and Chapel Hill, Durham, and now Chatam county as the only places worth doing anything in for completely selfish reasons.

Chapel Hill East? How so?

I like having a Triangle paper, or the idea of one. The Indy I rarely read, except for the film stuff, and sometimes the music or letters sent in. I think they'd love to be a mix of muckracking and culture (like The Village Voice), but I don't see the depth, breadth or investigative skills there. The relative lack of attention to Raleigh (or the entire eastern half of the Triangle) has less to do with snobbery IMO, and more to do with being out of touch - not enough staff living in Wake, or getting out to do things in Wake.

My own politics are pretty left-leaning, and I don't mind a slant if it's backed up with serious depth and comes from something other than hysteria and reactionary responses to things, and I think those might be the real weaknesses of this paper. That to me is an indication of a publication that is behind the curve, and isn't a leader in advocacy journalism, or investigation, or digging out dirt that needs to be dug out. They have had their successes, but in light of what I think they are going for, I think the occasional reflexive hipness and posturing, and the intraregional sniping is a crutch that (is intended to) camouflage weaknesses.

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Like I said, I'm pretty much done with the issue--I'm really not here to argue with you or try to change your opinion, because as I said before--you are determined to see Durham in a negative light, and little I say contrary to your opinion seems to matter. It seems you misconstrue or twist everything I say--or make it into something negative. Anything I say positive about Durham, you bring up something negative. I am still shaking my head over the fact that little kids' sticky fingers=bad parenting.

As for blaming the Independent for not knowing what's going on in Raleigh, that's a stretch--being that I also read the N&O, live in Raleigh, work here and talk to coworkers, neighbors and others.

The only reason I mentioned the list of things to do in Durham is to respond to your comment that:

And Durham has what for free other than the American Tobacco concerts? Who is playing that? The Independent will play up Bimbe and the Bull City Jazz festival, but did they even cover Durham's version of Artsplosure/Apple Chill?

I simply responded. And nothing in that list of things I mentioned cost anything to attend (with the exception of the Scrap Exchange).

Basically, you and I do not see eye to eye on this issue, so there's really no for us discuss it any further. Just chalk it up to a difference of opinion.

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