9/26/07

If I may

Please direct your attention to the right side of the page, and scroll down a bit. You will find an Odeo podcast jukebox, which is currently set for the podcast "Shepcast" brought to you by the Brass Figlagee.

Why this addition? I happen to be a big fan of Jean Shepherd, and figure that some of you might want to listen too. Now you can, from anywhere you might be.

I trust that you will find it as enjoyable as I do, and if you don't - well, sorry. It will probably be up there through the fall.

You might also notice I removed the link for the chatroom, which no one had used in 50+ days.

Anyway, just some of the "smoke and mirrors" to distract you all from the work behind the curtain here.

9/24/07

Just something interesting

Don't know if any of you are watching it, but on PBS now - and all week it seems, is The War, by Ken Burns.

It's an amazing thing to see.

It is also followed by Virginia Veterans recollections of WWII.

Not only does it make you think, it makes you thankful.

Although it should be required viewing for all school children. 5th grade at the earliest, but it needs to be shown.

My 2 cents.

125 years

The city celebrates it's 125th with an Arts festival, a housing symposium, and a botched kick-off parade and expo at the newest jewel in the Civic Center.

Wayne Newton is playing the Civic Center for the first time in ages, and it's not even associated with the 125th (it was booked outside the 125th celebration scope). No, instead Crystal Gale is the featured performer for our 125th.

Now word on the street comes that there is nothing else planned of any consequence for the 125th.

No, even though 100 years ago this month, the Great Roanoke Fair was just winding down - a tradition which lasted many years (held on the old Fairgrounds, recently home to Victory Stadium). Why did we not renew this tradition? Why is this the best we can do?

Could it be the ego-tastic CEO of Roanoke's doing? The woman who publicly screwed over Bob Dills, yet now sweetly wants him to be part of YET ANOTHER oversight board?

In 125 years, the City of Roanoke has seen a great many things. The winter of 1887, when snow buried the entirety of downtown and land values fell like stones. The Flood of 1892. The great Roanoke Fairs of years gone past, not to mention the boom of industrious growth, and the vacuum of industrial vacancy. And yet the City has survived.. endured.

We are now a medical mecca (regardless of weather or not you wish to like Carilion), a great attractor for retirees who move to the general area, and a simmering hotbed of creativity (again, you might not want to see it, but it's true).

All this after 125 years of surviving layoffs, downturns, floods, fires, con-men (no one recently, eh Warner?), and the Commonwealth's insane "Independent City" rule.

And apparently this 125th celebration is worthy of all that. This 125th reflects the struggles, the triumphs of this history that is Roanoke.

Everyone, Quick! To the History Museum of Western Virginia - where we might actually glean something about the past!

Before that Juke Joint Jezebel erases that too, and replaces it with her version of things.

Who would have thought that Roanoke would have it's own Hillary Clinton?