6/10/06

Perhaps someone could explain this to me

I'm finding a good number of homes with central air, and oil heat.

If your home allready uses electricity in the summer to cool it, why would you pay to heat it with oil? Especially considering you are allready using electric power to run the fuel pump to the boiler.

Just a question, as the Forgotten-Roanoke.com street team makes ready to invade downtown Roanoke. Be down there by 1pm.. see you around.

6/9/06

New! For Summer 2006!



The summer series of Forgotten-Roanoke.com will be brought to you courtesy of Studebaker. Yes, Studebaker - makers of fine cars and trucks. Over 75 million miles of happy customers can't be wrong. See for yourself, test drive a Studebaker today.

And here's the podcast for today (wow - 2 in one week!)

What Duck?

6/8/06

What in the name of Bob?

Shocked! Shocked I tell you..

All this time, hiding in plain sight for those who would seek it. The Hollywood Video located on the upper level at Towers Mall contains, well, the Holy Grail of Life, the Universe... and Everything.

The original BBC-produced "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" on DVD.

All episodes, 2 discs. And no, you cannot have it. I am watching it right now.

The only thing more froovy than this would be the original radio show, also BBC produced.

Ahh the memories this brings back..

And those it scurrilously hides away, as it pushes out useful information (ie: the rare Jelly donut Munchkin at Dunkin Donuts is best enjoyed all at once, and possibly in pairs.) for such trivial things such as the word froovy.

(6x7)

I know you havent heard from me in a while

And theres good reason, I assure you. But way before I get back to normal mode, I want to share something with you I never knew about..

I was digging through the Mill Mountain Theatre's website (millmountain.org), just poking around - looking at the schedule and such.

A link attracted my eye - Free CenterPieces.. and I was thinking "Well, maybe they give away unused props, or even floral arrangements from time to time." Being the cheap kinda guy I am, I had to click.

"Every month, on a Wednesday, Mill Mountain Theatre presents a 45 minute one-act play on the Trinkle Main Stage.
CenterPieces are always FREE,
and they begin at 12:15, so you have time to bring your lunch, bring a
friend, and we will have you back at the office by one o'clock. "

Well now how damn cool is that?

Plus, its a nice break from the "long block" programming they run. I mean, sure - I'm no Beauty and the Beast hater, but its not high on my list of things to see. So to run it for nearly a month straight.. well.

Maybe 2 different plays a month. Or even one main one, and one only done on weekends for one showing. I don't know - Im not the guy with all the theatre answers.. I'd just like a little more variety..


6/6/06

What am I thinking?

Some of you wonder why I bother taking photos of a granite ediface downtown, which clearly has no historic value - or railing against the building of yet another "downtown condo loft" thing..

Well, for once - Im going to let someone else do the explaining.

"Burly men with anchor tattoos worked here once,
moving things from one place to another. They ate their lunch from
buckets, hit the bars on Washington Avenue for a beer and a shot after
work, then took the clattering trolley cars home. Soon soft-handed
number wizards will sleep among the pillars.


The
views of downtown will be nice, but given the number of empty lots
around, it’s likely someone will build structures around it." Read more, at Lileks.com (today only, tomorrow this link will go to a different story)



Early morning head-scratching...

"I can and I will have you shot."- R. Gravely to the Roanoke City Council.

    Wow, seems now the City Council is finally attracting more nuts than just it's members. *rimshot*


On the future re-purposing of the Victory Stadium site:
"The council will use the study to help develop a long-term master plan
for the land the city owns on the south side of Reserve Avenue between
Jefferson Street and Franklin Road, he said. In coming years, the city
plans to demolish an existing parks and recreation building and a
school operations office, along with the National Guard Armory, once
the guard relocates its offices."
    Well thank goodness, I cannot tell you what an eyesore that Armory is, and certainly I have never heard of anyone using a former Armory for anything. Well, actually there is that one in New York which is used for antiques shows, trade shows, and other things. And the one in Providence, RI which was turned into upscale apartments.. but no, no uses at all for a massive building with tons of storage space.

On the City Market plan, in which it was considered to move the vendors into the street:
"I think we have a pretty unanimous decision that we want to improve
the area that the vendors are in," said Vice Mayor Bev Fitzpatrick,
"making it a little wider and also considering whether or not there's a
permanent structure that both would give it a signature look but also
would protect the interests of the farmers and vendors while enhancing
the looks of the buildings."
    There is one simple, easy solution to this problem: shut down Market Street to motor traffic between Church and Campbell. Make it only accessable by vendors, city services and utilities, and important deliveries.  Oh, and move the Wertz outdoor dining area to Kirk, the Trio area to Church (they own those storefronts too, let them use those and stop taking space from the vendors). And as for a permanent structure, well - thats a tough one. How do you make awnings and beams look better? Perhaps asking the business owners if they would allow for installation of permanent roll-away awnings on the buildings, ones that would roll out to cover both the sidewalk and the vendors - I could see that being a big plus.

Maybe it's just too early and Im not thinking clearly. Must be, if I can figure this stuff out for less than it takes the city to do surveys and studies...

6/5/06

And here it is, as promised.. (finally!)

The Pod #12

a nice re-introduction, or introduction for all you first-timers out there, into the weekly (when possible) podcast.

Have fun

A precursor to the podcast


Originally I intended to include this in the podcast, but time ran out - so here it is.

Think this is why the bear was loose in Old SW last week? Listen now