Roanoke businesses: panhandlers may keep customers away

Roanoke businesses: panhandlers may keep customers away

Why is it that DBJ is the only station or even media outlet to report on this story consitently? This is about the 3rd story Ive seen on this topic on DBJ. And no where else.

This is a Quality of Life issue, which I wrote about a while back. The only way your going to end this problem, is to either ban them from the Market area or get them jobs in the market area.

And if they refuse - they leave.

Tough Noogies.

Technorati tags: roanoke, downtown, business, homeless, panhandling

Google Base

Google Base

A few short days from the launch of GoogleBase, and allready there are TONS of items listed. THis is just a simple search I did for Home, but I have allready searched basset and had some interesting results, as I did dog.

Hey, its free, and as of right now - you cannot physically purchase anything through google itself. But Im guessing thats next weeks little bit of fun. If they drop Google Wallet/Payment next week, a traditionally upbeat week for the markets, you can best Google will be closing the week above $425, if not $450.

Just my non-Google stock owning $.02 cents worth.

Technorati tags: google, googlebase, shopping, ebay, marketing

Oh baby, its cold outside....

Cold, but somehow sleep inducing. Probably because Im still shaking off the haze of sleep itself, the cold conjuring up the memory of warm blankets.

Probably.

So you've got your podcast, give a listen. It has NOTHING to do with Roanoke, so your all safe this week.

Just this week.

Other than that, not much to report today - thankfully.

Ummm.. Victory Stadium is stupid! City Council eats snails!

Gripe! Gripe!

Happy now?

It was a choice to go with the hot pink button this time. And yes I am calling it hot pink.

I make good on a threat to expose you folks to some music from my past.

Try not to grin too much, or bang thy head (metal health will drive you mad).

but you can always turn your speakers up LOUD, as long as no one else is around.

Pocket-lint.co.uk MIT unveils $100 laptop to the world - PLUS IMAGES news story

Pocket-lint.co.uk MIT unveils $100 laptop to the world - PLUS IMAGES news story

Not only does google breach the $400 barrier, MIT unleashes the $100 laptop.. yes, its lime green.

Lime Green!

Like a Pinto!

goog - Google Search

goog - Google Search: "402.61 +4.46 (1.12%) 17 Nov at 10:25AM ET
Open: 401.80
High: 403.81
Low: 401.20
"

GOOGLE BREAKS $400!!! GOOGLE BREAKS $400!!!

Damn me for not buying in when I had the chance.... grrrrrrrrrr

mind if I go out on a limb here..

This is really really off topic for me. Something I don't often discuss with such abandon.

My religion.

Here ya go..

Im Roman Catholic.

I don't get to church as often as I'd like. I mumble my way through half the songs when I do go. I don't come from a touchy-feely, sing-song, tell the world church. As a matter of fact, sometimes I still get thrown at mass when something I remember clearly speaking is being sung.

I'm probably your basic, run-of-the-mill RC. I think the pope is generally ok, for what he does. I think sometimes he should just keep his mouth shut about certain things. I understand that faith and doctrine sometimes mean he has to open it - but seriously, don't.

I think any preist involved in a sex-scandal should be hung, drawn and quartered. I would absolutely NOT sit through a Latin mass, I don't care how beautiful you think it is. I have sinned, we all have. And I fully understand that my sins will come back to haunt me. Although being saddled with a snoring dog might just be payback.

I have read enough of the bible to know that theres a whole lot of mystery surrounding it, I've questioned what I've read and not recieved decent answers.

But as a whole Im very happy in what I've found.

Now I realize this may come as a shock to some of you, but apparently I'm the first Roman Catholic some of you have met. It happens.

I don't particularly care about the selling of alcohol at the Civic Center.
Quite frankly I think theres better things in this world to spend your time on.

One of those things being making this world a better place. And not in a religious way either. I'm not particularly interested in wether or not you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior. Although I have been asked myself many times. And no, not just here.

Let me tell you of a group in NYC. They call themselves the "Black Israelites." They stand on the same street corner every day, usually with megaphone in one hand, bible in the other. They quote and quote from the book as if it were going to startle you into realizing what an asshat you've been all your life, and maybe you should start following them. Well, its usually the megaphone that startles. But they, like many others, have found a way to interpret the Biblical passages as proof that God (G-d to all my Hebraic brethren out there) never intended man to love his fellow man. Well, let me rephrase that - the races to love the races. They are the biggest race-baiters I have ever met. With megaphone in hand (and permit in pocket, so its all legal) they harass those who walk by with tales of "The Good Lords intent for the White man to be separated from the Black Man."

Yeah, ok... I'll happily separate myself from anyone yelling into a megaphone.

But as far as anyone can tell, theyre fairly nice to those whom they believe they are supposed to be nice to.

And as far as I see it, thats pretty much what it's all about.

We have 10 rules, 10 whole rules which apparently very few people make it past the first 3.

Lets review - to clear up any interpretation problems now:

1. I am the Lord, your God...
Yes, yes you are.
2. You shall have no other gods besides Me...Do not make a sculpted image or any likeness of what is in the heavens above...
Well, to be honest - Im not much of a sculptor, besides - how can you sculpt the unknown, and unknowable?
3. You shalt not swear falsely by the name of the Lord...
Whoops... on a daily.. hourly.. basis.
4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy
I keep tryin, but work does not agree.
5. Honor your father and your mother...
I guess Jesus was one of those easy teens. I wasn't.
6. You shall not murder...
So far, so good. Im not saying anything more than that.
7. You shall not commit adultery...
If I don't want my wife breaking #6 I won't.
8. You shall not steal...
Well, I don't.. anymore.. does a paperclip count? Again, see comment on #5, and deny you were ever young.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor...
Nope, no reason to. They seem to screw up pretty well on their own. Besides - every man (and woman) should stand accountable for what they do, wether to themselves or to the world.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's house...
I dunnknow, dude's living pretty large.. As far as I see it, this one is about being happy with who/what/where you are. And remembering it could always be better, and it could always be worse. Be thankful.. oooh, concept.

So theres your 10 commandments. To me, they seem pretty straight-forward. With the exception of variations on wording in different translations, the song remains the same. And it all goes back to that golden rule.

Do unto others as you would have done unto you.

And because Im just that darn literate, in the Wiccan Rede the words have changed but the song remains the same. "An it harm none, do what ye will."

Its a little thing we used to call Personal Responsibility, which suffered grevious injury when the woman sued McDonald's and won for her own spilt coffee.

Now all Im saying to you folks out there who are non-Roman Catholic, Im here. Im not doing much, Im not eating babies or smearing blood on your doors. (2 things I've heard, the first as a joke; the 2nd as a confusion with the story of the Hebrews escape from Egypt and slavery)

My wife is not wearing a "Jewish Star/Jewish Cross", although she has heard both.

I know all about the history/herecy/lunacy/spoonacy(sounded good) of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. I too have heard tell of the vast resources of wealth and information to be found in the Vatican Archives. I once thought I heard a calling, but realized it was only to be less of a schmuck and more of a mensch. Not a problem, Im doing the best I can.

I don't believe the Pope is the devil incarnate, although the Burger King guy might be. I think your faith is something you live, not talk about endlessly. (again, black israelites - lose the megaphone.) As the Hulk (Hogan) once said, "Train hard, say your prayers, and take your vitamins."

Hey, it worked on me back then. I was in fighting shape.. if I was fighting a battleship.
Where Im from people of all faiths come together at one place, at one time to share in something special. Something almost magical. We call it Bingo.

I have been to Bingo games at Catholic Schools & Jewish Temples, and I can tell you - all the faiths of the world are represented, and when the balls start popping - the hardest thing to remember is the Golden Rule. But in the end, the monies collected go back into the parish, the temple and the community. At my RC school growing up, a portion of the money went towards ministries in 3rd world nations - to provide food and clothing, and a larger portion accomplished the same goals right in my very neighborhood. My parochial school took part in UNICEF fund drives, where a small milk box dedicated for donations was handed out to all students who then brought them home and left them in the family areas. Change was dropped in, but the end result was far greater than the money portrayed.

I have met with, and been instructed by Catholic preists from all around the world, and laughed with ones local to my home. A stand-out happens to be one Fr. Cappuccino - yes, you heard his name right. Long before Starbucks made the name a household word, we were all taught by Fr. Mocha Latte/Fr. Espresso/Fr. Coffee. He made the whole "Be like Jesus" thing seem fairly obvious, easy to do yet easier to screw up. But that was ok, because as long as you could keep trying to do the right thing, someone understood.

Might not be your parents, but eventually you would be understood.

To this day Fr. Cappuccino continues his work in the community (which thanks to Google, I can easily find - The Divine Search Engine?) making the community he is in easier for seniors and those with physical limitations to navigate.

In short, Rome is just a place, the Pope just a man, the Bible a book, the words within just that - words. It all comes down to wether or not you want to be the kind of person you can Google years from now and feel blessed to have even known them.

Yes, Jesus was here. It says so. Not in the book, but in the earth. Call him Jesus, call him Yahweh, God, G-d, or Phil for all it matters. The importat part is that you understand that all whoever is up there wants for us down here is peace and quiet, a life of love and joy, and grief and sorrow in proper proportions.

When we get up there, whatever happens happens. Theres no sense in trying to polish your resume to the diety holding the video camera.

Maybe the Catholics are wrong, maybe the Christians are - maybe the Black Israelites are right. Or the Jews. Does it matter if you've been a decent human being? Probably not, because believe it or not - I have it on good information that there is no Hell.

Yeah - you heard me, no Hell.

Hell is just an endless replaying of your life, over and over and over. Except you get to watch it. You watch the same mistakes endlessly, you see where you went wrong time and time and time again. Hell is regret. Hell is the knowledge that you never became as good as you should have been. Hell is knowing you could have been better.

Purgatory is the same thing, just in a shorter time slot and edited for content.

And heaven is knowing you were as good as you could have been, you did the best you could with what you were given.

Of course there are levels to it all.. I have to belive there is a special place in Heaven for those who are addicted and afflicted. And specialized regions of Hell, where perhaps Hitler sits in a steel showering chamber, with a small window that looks out on a canister of Zyklon B, living the life of one of his victims.

Im not saying Im a great Catholic.. by no means would I even DARE to think it. All Im really getting at is that our wants, our needs, and our reason for the faith are not all that different. It's all in how we interpret the words. But even still - the end result is the same.

I hope this will be the last time I write about this, as it is a topic which seems to set the world afire.

I could have gone on longer, but I don't see the point. With any luck - this will dissapate into the ether and long be forgotten.

Google Base

Google Base

And so the base goes live...

Thanksgiving 2005

Printer Friendly Version

This will be a little unusual, but Im going to crossover this post with the Chef K blog.

We have 2 distinctly different stories here, both of which require hard examination. I'm going to be wearing 2 hats here, so you'll have to bear with me.

Im going to have to sit down with myself to hash this one out.. so "Enter mystery guest and please sign in...."

Chef K: Thanks for calling me in on this one, saves me alot of typing later.

RoanokeFound: Not a problem, besides - once I saw it, I knew you'd want in.

CK: Got that right...

RF: Allright - getting down to it, this article reports on a nationwide trend that is picking up steam here in Roanoke, the purchasing of holiday dinners.

CK: Now we are obviously not talking Swansons dinners here, were talking about turkeys in the 12-14 lb and up range, cooked for your convience, Hams cooked and glazed - sliced on the bone. Some turkeys Ive seen come the same way - they slice it after its cooked, and reassemble it so all you have to do is dish it out.

RF: Now the article says this is both convient and a god-send for those time-pressed families. Convienet, certainly. A god-send for time pressed families? Well thats where I take issue.

CK: Allright hold on a second here, let me tackle the convienence issue first. Yes, its great that you can go and get your turkey with all the trimmings ready to go. I will even admit to having a thanksgiving where we purchased everything pre-made. It's wonderful, but hollow.

RF: Hollow?

CK: Well, look at it this way. Most restaurants and similar places that do it, they have ovens that can easily fit upwards of 10 turkeys at a time. If they are smart they have slow-cooking ovens that can hold them warm too for when you pick them up. The average turkey costs them around 5 bucks, they allready have the spices and seasonings on hand - so theres no real charge for that. And a little secret for you, lest you think those turkeys are sitting in Cambro buckets soaking in brine for 24 hours before they are cooked. Sorry, no - they come packed in the brine.

RF: So what your saying is the turkey itself is probably costing them no more than 10 bucks start to finish to make?

CK: Yep.

RF: Wow.. and Im willing to bet the sides are similar.

CK: All in all, this is a bonanza for a restaurant that might not normally do much business on a monday or tuesday. They spend those two days making the sides, then leave the turkeys in the oven overnight into Wensday, and come Thursday - all they have to do is package it.

RF: Brilliant.

CK: And I might add alot of the stress about making the turkey is a myth anyway. The thing does not have to be in the oven for 8 hours, it does not need to be basted every 30 mins. Dressing only takes a half hour to make, and the gravy is even easier than that.

RF: I know my mother used to bang out cranberry sauce in less than an hour. Water, sugar, salt, cranberries. Thats all she needed to make the sauce.

CK: Thats pretty much all it should be too. Although I do love the gelatinous can-shaped hunk of cranberry sauce, it's not the same as the fresh stuff.

RF: But it is easier to put on a sandwich...

CK: So basically what Im saying is because people feel overwhelmed by Thanksgiving, the restaurants have struck gold.

RF: You mean because people are delusional and lazy...

CK: Wha?

RF: This nonsense about being hard-pressed for time. The notion of the on-the-go family. If you can't slow down to properly do Thanksgiving than maybe you should just eat a Big Mac instead.

CK: Well - it is true that families *feel* more crunched for time these days, regardless of wether or not thats the case. I know I work till 8 at night, and still manage to sit down to dinner every night. Wether I pre-make some of it, my wife makes it.. somehow dinner is being made, and we are sharing it as a family every night.

RF: But you never feel crunched for time right?

CK: Hell no.. Im a cool cat, no pressure kinda guy. It will get done, and done right, when it should be. Don't bring your panic to me because you have little league/soccer/football... I grew up playing in the street. We did not need teams and coaches, we knew how to entertain ourselves.

RF: Yep - I remember that, Two-hand touch football on the front lawn, tackle when it snowed. We would be out from daybreak and not back till sundown. I don't like this organized sports thing, takes kids away from being kids. Maybe instead of playing soccer with coaches and refs and timekeepers - they should just play till they decide to not play anymore. Or maybe they can just play pickup games of baseball, without having a strategy. The adults have brought a list of rules to a place where none should exist except those made on the spot.

CK: You got it. How can you get a ump to call an infield homerun because the trees hung the ball up long enough for you to round all the way home?

RF: You can't, and they would probably have the tree removed anyway.

CK: But aside from all that, what the real issue is - people are spending money for convience. Money which is pure proft for the restaurants...

RF: and would be better spent at home, where they could simply and easily do thanksgiving AND spend time with the family.

CK: The kitchen in any house is a collection point, everyone is in the kitchen at some point during a meal. Thats where grandma taught the kids how to make things, thats where the ancient family secrets were discussed.

RF: But take the kitchen out of the equation and your left with a brief visit to the dining room table, then off to the couch to belch and groan through football. Thereby limiting the family interaction.

CK: Tryptophan, the sleep-inducing compound found in turkey does not make for scintillating after-dinner conversation.

RF: No, but it does make for a nice nap.

CK: Lets talk for a moment about family histories.

RF: Umm.. k?

CK: In my family, there are two places you get to hear about the family history in detail. The kitchen and the table. The kitchen while cooking, and the table while playing cards.

RF: Right. Same in mine, at any gathering of the trible the family seems to come into the kitchen and all matters of discussion break out.

CK: But if you are buying the meals pre-made, where are you having those kitchen talks?

RF: Im going to guess your not, which might be why so many people feel its appropriate to tell you their life story at inappropriate times.

CK: Could be, but you have a habit of attracting the less sane anyway...

RF: Right. Hey, heres another point. Where are you going to learn all those cool tips?

CK: Exactly - my wife learned that a turkey must be fully thawed before thanksgiving a while ago. In her family, theres a tradition of teaching the poor birds how to swim on Thanksgiving.

RF: I have an aunt who has problems remembering to take the gizzards out before it goes in the oven.

CK: Nice.. well at least its halfway to gravy when it comes out.

RF: Never thought of it that way, too busy laughing.

CK: Heres a helpful tip for you to save time "basting" (which does nothing.. NOTHING for the meat of the bird): Take 1 stick of butter and cut in half, allow it to soften for a few minutes. Place each half between sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap. Press or roll butter out till thin and large. Add some seasoning to the top of the butter sheets, and press a bay leaf into each one. Refrigerate wrapped in plastic, but still flat.

Then all you need to do is slide it up under the skin of the bird, you did remember to loosen all the skin you can? Slide the butter up under there, and stick it in the oven. The butter then becomes your baste, pre-seasoned and rich. And you don't have to open the oven door. Period.

RF: Oh, and get yourself one of those digital thermomters with the probe... the less you open the oven door the better. Mine has a remote so I can go wander and take the temp with me.

CK: Choose some appropriate background music, leave some snacks out.. and see how fast your kitchen fills up with people. The smells alone will entice them. And you never know - leave a pile of green beans sitting around and someone might just snap them for you. It's amazing how these things happen.

RF: Or feel free to continue this trend of sterile holidays, where you have not had anything to do with the meal except buy it and eat it. Lose out on the warmth of the family moments, moments that you would have had if you were in the kitchen. And keep promising yourself that maybe next year you'll have the time.

CK: You do have the time. Just do what the restaurants do, make stuff little by little. You could make the cranberry sauce this week and freeze it - it would be fine on Thanksgiving. Stuffing (dressing, whatever) can be made 3 days ahead, then just baked the day of.. but have it laid out in your pan allready. You can even freeze it like that if you wish, just sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top before baking so they absorb any extra moisture.

RF: Or just buy stove top - it only takes, what.. 5 minutes to cook and 10 to sit quietly? 3 minutes for me to eat the whole batch though. Always my downfall.. I love me some stuffin'.

CK: I guess what it boils down to is values. If your going to go the pre-packaged route - then at least be sure to spend time with your family, doing something... anything.. in the kitchen on the holiday. Make a pie.

RF: Don't go shopping... last minute food items fine.. but in NY, people were looking for things to do on holidays - so now stores are open on holidays. There are even stores open on Christmas day. Theres one retailer that takes out an ad every year in the papers, proclaiming their gratitude towards their employees, and announcing that "so they can spend time with their families, we will be closed on Christmas Day." A not-so subtle dig at the others who would open, and open early..


RF: Well thanks for coming Chef K.. hope your holiday is traditional this year.

CK: Well, I'll be celebrating Thanksgiving twice.. a small one on Thanksgiving day, then over the weekend - a larger one with the families. Im working Thanksgiving... working so others have a Thanksgiving..

RF: What a martyr. I will be celebrating a big Thanksgiving this year myself.. Provided everyone leaves my stuffing alone.

Well, thats all this time.. Like I said - I wanted Chef K's opinions on this one, along with my own. You probably wont see a crossover like this again anytime soon. Although if you want, you can always contact me if you have a question for Chef K.

Or Contact Chef K at his blog, Chef K of Roanoke

Anyhow.. put that in your smoker and smoke it.

Breaking news from The Roanoke Times -Motley Crue coming to Roanoke

Breaking news from The Roanoke Times -Motley Crue coming to Roanoke

Yeah - around 1987-1989 I was into Crue. I was also into Quiet Riot, Skid Row... et. al. I was Metal. Although looking at that list, one might think Hair Band Boy.

One would be wrong. I was allready hearing rumblings of Sepultura, Metallica (who I consider a hair band), MegaDeth (who I dont), and countless others you probably never heard of.

I did get a touch excited when I saw Poison (original line-up) was going to tour again. Always a fun show. Im longing for a real Anthrax reunion. Seeing Rush tour again would be extremely fulfilling.

Mind you, I was also listening to Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Biohazard, GnR, Danzig (not a word..).

But most important on that list.. beyond even the local boys of Biohazard and Dream Theatre, beyond the inter-coastal likes of Queensryche and Faith No More... there was the one.

The hardest rock in the world.

The most metal of all time.

The band with the record of 129.5 Db, the loudest concert ever played (and pegged).


















Manowar!!!!

Mideval Viking Warrior Metal!!!

And how could you not love a band whose songs include: "Violence and Bloodshed", "Defender" narrated by the late Orson Wells (!),

The only band to ever proclaim "Other Bands play, Manowar Kills!"

And all this back before Marilyn Manson got his training bra.

To Quote from them from my highschool yearbook:
"Stand and fight
Live by your heart
Always one more try
I'm not afraid to die
Stand and fight
say what you feel
Born with a heart of steel"
(heart of steel, 1988, kings of metal)

You can't argue with that.

But like all things metal - they came and went and are now back again. In the interim, while searching for more music to lift my moods - I had my brief grunge phase, my goth + industrial moment, but always it came back to the metal. And the sense of drama. Thats one thing you can say about Manowar, they were dramatic - the scale was huge. And only one band fit afterwards.












Fear Factory.

Call it NuMetal, call it Tech-metal. Sure the lyrics read like crap, but its not just the lyrics - its the whole deal. 1998's album Obsolete is a movie without the visuals. You just have to actually HAVE an imagination, and the want to let it run free.

Then there was Cop Shoot Cop - who ran along the with my metal era (1987-1993ish). But better than just metal, they were local.
And brilliant.
At its best (and worst, depending on the song - which was the point) CSC was 2 bassists and a tribal drummer. Think of the NY Subways, in the dead of winter. Cold - bitter cold, and yet still smelly. Or the subways in the summer, hot - ugly, smelly, and hot.

Your beginning to tap into what made CSC so innovative. Two thick cords, one tuned high - one low, and some bashing drums to drive it. No different in winter, spring, summer, or fall. The subways call.

"All the clocks are broken" - Ask Questions Later, 1993
"Take off the mask and tell me what you find
Behind the curtain everyone's deaf dumb and blind
Everyone becomes the one, the one they most despise
You're looking through one glass eye (2x)
Well, you can't see me now, but I'm watching over you

All the clocks are broken...
Every door is open....
Take me to the ocean....
And we'll ride on the hurricane...
until were washed away... "

Maybe I'll give you a taste of all 3 bands on this weeks podcast. I'm going to be kind and bump it up a day too. So this Thursday, a new podcast, featuring my youth on display. Joy.

Long story short.. like HELL will I pay $50 for nosebleed seats to see the Crue. And Im gonna guess $79 for the floor. Not when it used to be $30 to see them and about 4 other bands. Sorry, after the Dr. Feelgood disaster album, when they suddenly got all popular with the "Z Morning Zoo" crowd (dont ask, think teen radio circa 1990) I walked out on the Crue, never to look back. Besides - a quick troll through the band news of the website (only $40 bucks to get access to a better version of the website, which will allow you to pre-order tickets for any show in 2005) shows me they might not make it to Roanoke in one piece. Vince - injured. Tommy - injured. Nikki - old. The other guy (Mick? who cares.. )- old.

Looking more like Social Security Crue.

Can't we take the money we were going to pay to see them, and get like - 20 good bands here?

Oh enough...



Technorati tags: sad, metal, motley crue, old, has been, expensive

News from The Roanoke Times -Refurbished H&C sign to perk up city skyline

News from The Roanoke Times -Refurbished H&C sign to perk up city skyline

People, get yourselves downtown from 5:30-7pm tonight and witness the relighting of a legacy. the H&C Coffee sign will be fired up tonight, and blaze coffee goodness out across the sky.

Will I be there? No, Im working. Arent I lucky? But I wish I could be..

And no - do not panic, they are leaving the star off until the sign is lit. Which leaves me with a mental note: Be outside around 7pm, watch star light. Should be a sight to see.

New page up over at Forgotten-Roanoke.com if your interested. All pictures from the basement of the Ponce De Leon

Technorati tags: roanoke, downtown, H&C, coffee, landmark, vintage

Click here now, for your exclusive opportunity.

Go where few have gone! See where a former editor of the Times fell!

Excitement!!!

Darkness!!

Paint peeling!!!

Eerie feelings!!!!!!

yeah - go.. you likely.. we likey.

(special thanks to TAP for the access...)

roanoke.com - Commentary Stories -A vision for Roanoke's future true to its past

roanoke.com - Commentary Stories -A vision for Roanoke's future true to its past


utterly astoundingly speechless.

you just cant battle this kind of insanity.

a hotel atop mill mountain?

Food court/midscale dining at night that revolves?

MOVE THE STAR???

Someone needs help, of a professional nature.

Converse!!!

Well, I guess your gonna have to wait

I guess I'll just have to give you a really good podcast next week, because Im not getting it done this week apparently. Theres still alot going on here at F-R HQ, including the hunt for a new HQ.

We are narrowing down the search however, and are targeting one particular area that would make me a nightmare for anyone looking to tear down a historic structure in Roanoke.

although there might be some interesting news tomorrow - as we go deep inside.. well, you'll have to see

podcast delays

Podcast will be forthcoming, as soon as I return from downtown.

Unless I just audiocast live from downtown..

meh - not so much difference, one has music the other doesnt.

We shall see.

But the podcast will be coming.. eventually.

Oh - and no, I don't care that Mr. Stout has yet another article in the paper.

Or that someone at his office has been poking around my site.

Bring it..

Roanoke Marketplace

Roanoke Marketplace

Just a little something Im launching. Im running it for the next 30 days, and if it doesn't take off - oh well. Nothing lost. If it does, well then.. it might just be something worthwhile.

Give it a poke, try it out a bit. I'll be adding stuff as I can, but I want you to add stuff too. If you have any problems let me know.

If I get a decent enough response to this, I might just have some more fun stuff up my sleeves.

Technorati tags: roanoke, events, commerce, trade, listings, reviews, information

Team VA Military Family Support Center

Team VA Military Family Support Center

Remember that Military Family Support Center on Kirk and 1st I told you about? This is they, and they are us.

Election Results and How to end the Stadium issue.

Someone won, someone lost. And we got more losers.

Kaine beat Kilgore by a touch over 100k votes.

Octavia beat McMillan by 500 or so...

Care? Not so much.

The battle for Governer was kinda sad, and still not one new idea was proposed. Although I did get some lovely phone calls (6) yesterday reminding me to vote.

For the first time in a long time, I sat this election out. I wanted no part of the 3 Stooges' Race for the Mansion considering Moe, Larry, and Curly Joe were running I thought it best to retain the few IQ points I have and put them to good use. Although one has to wonder - if there was a "no confidence" option on the ballot, who would have won?

Would have been a close race I can tell you that, but I think N/C would have won by a hair.

You political folks are gonna have to work a bit harder, get a bit smarter if you want my vote. I am a highly political person - but I refuse to take part in something which does not advance society. This election was a race for the same place we just were.

Kaine seems like a nice enough guy, but has a false enthusiasm for the job.

Kilgore too.. Its like buying the extended DVD of Fantasia, and realizing they just added a "behind the scenes" reel. Nice, but of no use to the casual fan. You had higher expectations than this.


And thats what politics is all about. Higher expectations, you expect that your elected officials will do what is best for you and the community at large. You elect someone with the expectations that they will do a better job than the shmuck you just had.

City Council is a perfect example of advancing without going anywhere. How many times has a new councilman/woman been elected on the promise of better, and better never happens. Usually its different, but the same.

Electing people based on their views on a single issue (VICTORY STADIUM) will only deadlock the council and get nothing accomplished. There still has been no indication as to the direction the City Council will go with Victory Stadium, but plenty of other issues that get confused and waylaid by the ill-feelings between members over the single issue.

Refocus your attention on the future. The Vision 2012 plan, the youth of Roanoke. Stop bickering about the here and now, and start bickering about how the here and now is hindering progress for the future.

Do I particularly care that allegedly Carilion wants the Victory Stadium site for the Bio-Med facility? No, although thinking of it from a business standpoint, it would be in Carilion's best interests to keep the stadium. Think of Wrigley Field in Chicago, a stadium which is in the midst of a residential area. Everyone knows what it looks like, its a national landmark. Everyone also knows if you park your car nearby you might have your window broken by a home run.

To have a similar, but different stadium in Roanoke - one where maybe minor league baseball could be played, or any events really next door to a major employment area, easily accessable from the highway - would be a huge win for Carilion in convincing companies to move to the area. Leave your car at work and take in a night game, or a concert. All you have to do is walk across the road.

So for all you who think Carilion is drooling over the stadium site, maybe they are - but maybe not in the way you think.

And maybe the city council should examine possible USES for the stadium before deciding what needs to be done with the stadium.

And again, I say, CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP would make the whole stadium issue seem like nothing.

Do some research - theres a reason why Enron bought a field, why Keyspan in NY built a stadium, theres money in them there bricks...

But thats just my take on it. As it usually is.

Carry on City Council, keep walking in circles - the trench is just getting deeper.

RoanokeFound's Stuff on SuprGlu

RoanokeFound's Stuff on SuprGlu

This is something new. One stop shopping for everything I use (for the most part). My Flickr photos, del.icio.us bookmarks, blogs, and 43 places and things - which are quirky little social-software things.

I suppose should I really want, I could use it as a reader for all my favorite sites in one place. If I wanted..

But this is for all of you - who stumble across my webpage and wonder, who is this idiot? What does he want? Why is he here?

Im Me, Im here, and I want nothing less than total overwhelming domination.

Not asking much, am I?

Have fun.
Technorati tags: tech, simple, consolidate, information, sources, complie

Conversate | Victory Stadium, 2 high school "stadiums", and a big dent in the wall from my head.

Conversate | Victory Stadium, 2 high school "stadiums", and a big dent in the wall from my head.

This is new technology, like the commenting system you see below each post, but more open. And easier to use.

I chose now to unleash it because this whole Victory Stadium issue is even more fractioned and dysfunctional than it was yesterday. There is no discussion on what the public would like to do, no general consensus on what the next step should be. Some of us were blindsided by the sudden support for the 2 stadium program. Others were expecting such last minute dramatics. But what seems lost in the whole story is the fact that even the 2 stadium idea is not set in stone.

No, beyond the next few weeks of planners and consultants and site plans and re-zoning battles, you still have city council elections coming.
Elections which could overturn the entire program for Victory AND the 2 stadiums.

Someone on the Roanoke Times messageboard for the Victory/School Stadium issue mentioned that "Every high school in America has a stadium for football." Aside from this being the first Im hearing of this, considering I went to high school in America, I highly doubt it. As a matter of fact, I could pull photos of many high schools where they have the space to build a full fledged stadium, but have normal bleachers and scoreboard.

Why does high school football need to be High Tech? Why do we need video-screens? What purpose does it serve? This is high school we are talking about. And yet on the other hand we lament and complain about how kids are not allowed to grow up properly these days. But we are the ones pushing pro-level situations on high school kids.

Any question why the youth sports programs now have to include testing for steroids?

Let the kids play sandlot football, ironman football - where you play both offense and defense. Your 10 year old does not need to learn special teams plays, they will get that later on. The high school kids do not need video screens, nor do they need 4000 seat stadiums. It is more than they need to handle, serves no purpose to better themselves or the game. Its all for the parents to brag about.

And there it is. Thats where all this stadium nonsense comes back to, the parents.

And there is a direct correlation between the parents attitudes today, and the City Council.

Let me hear your thoughts on it.

Technorati tags: victory stadium, roanoke, city council, decisions, future

Breaking news from The Roanoke Times -Breaking NewsRoanoke City Council votes to proceed with two-stadium proposal

Breaking news from The Roanoke Times -

Breaking News

Roanoke City Council votes to proceed with two-stadium proposal



DOH!

3000 seats... why in the name of hell do you need 3000 seats?

I have to apologize

Posting might be a bit light this week, although Im sure I'll have something to say about the Victory Stadium vote when we find out what happens.

Got a busy week on tap, but I promise I will have Kirk finished this week, and possibly a new page this weekend (trying to keep that schedule).

When all is said and done, you folks will have one hell of a read coming at ya.

Forgotten Roanoke is on track to its new HQ.

And its one hell of a fast track.

For those of you out there who have no hope of ever buying a home of your own, don't give up. When this is done, I will show you how you can do it, because its how Im doing it.

We are on our way...

News from The Roanoke Times -Harris supports two new stadiums

News from The Roanoke Times -Harris supports two new stadiums

Of all the stupid, jackassian things to do.

No I don't mean supporting the two stadiums. I mean supporting them NOW, months (possibly years) after the 2 stadium theory was tossed.

And this is the #1 most rediculous thing in the article: "City Manager Darlene Burcham sent out an e-mail to inform the council of the situation Friday. Councilman Sherman Lea, a Wishneff ally and Victory Stadium supporter, sent a one sentence response back: "I do not trust anything you and the mayor put together."

If thats the case Shermy, get some hard facts to present to voters, or get the hell of the council.

A bit more stupidity: Wishneff said he believes the high school stadiums option was thrown back on the table because some council members couldn't accept voting in support of the renovation he and Lea advocated.

"We were right, and they can't stand that," he said.

Did he add "neener neener neener" to that but left it off the record?

People - as of right now not a single one of these people deserve the positions YOU voted them to.

Do I have an answer? Maybe you can be granted an annulment on grounds of fraud.

Maybe not.

But remember - elections are coming next year. Choose wisely.

The Pod #5

Here is is, clicky the buttoni and listeny and enjoyee.

Podcast rising....

Podcast #5 will be up within mere minutes - stay tuned!

1st and Kirk

I know most people don't wander this far off market without good reason. This is the Military Famlies Center at 1st and Kirk. It opened quietly, no fanfare. It provides a place for the families to go and be together. Kids can play, parents can chat. It gives them a place to go to be with the other families.

I know its not a national elections cycle, just local. But this is, to me, far more important than a local election. And I don't recall seeing any of the current canidates near/in/around this place.

It's not just the national canidates who should be kissing the feet of the military and their families, local ones would do well to stop by and say hi.

That's just me though. 

bored at work, and appreciating the world

Pardon me..

But do you have any Grey Poupon?

Forgive the late posting folks - I've got projects working like crazy here. Very few of which will have any impact online. Most of it personal, professional, whatnot.

But you never know. You just never know....

Victory stadium, the beat goes on...

This obsession with inactivity and consultants. You would almost think there is no one in Roanoke smart enough to decide whats best for Roanoke. But then again, that seems to be true with most decisions that come before the City Council. Why not just hire a consultant and stop electing mayors?

Any contractor could have told you how much Victory Stadium would cost to repair - go check with the Chamber of Commerce - they have several as members.

I still don't get this issue with building Stadiums at the High Schools. Perma-bleachers, some lights, a scoreboard, and nice grass and youre done. You seriously don't need an entire stadium. That, more than anything else, would strike me as ludicrous. This is high school, not Notre Dame, VT, heck - even Hofstra University, this is HIGH SCHOOL.

Stadiums should take a backseat to classrooms. Thats like talking about building Yankee Stadium for little league use.

I think what needs to happen is Victory Stadium needs corportate sponsorship. Let Wachovia (or someone else) buy the rights to the name - call it Wachovia Victory Stadium, or Capt. Paul's Victory Stadium for all it matters, but corportate sponsorship will cut the citys costs down. Give the company guidelines to work with, but let them bring in the heavy hitters. If Wachovia has a stadium here, and a stadium there - well, the band that plays the stadium there might just be persuaded to play the stadium here.

If you fill it with the highest-tech, top of the line stuff, your still not assured it will be worth it. But once you land that first big fish, and word spreads to the other fishies, they'll be jumping in the boat.

You think Red Rocks is all that attractive? It's not exactly a convienent spot for a show, but - slowly word had spread that it is a great spot to play, you get a few big name acts who draw crowds - and boom - suddenly your a natural landmark, world renown venue for a concert.

It's either that, or give the Zoo a ton of money to finish that re-design they want to do, and have it include an Ampitheatre somewhere up there. Not many places can boast of an ampitheatre which includes a birds eye view of downtown.

Of course, you'll have to ask them to be quiet - lest the noise roll off the mountains and echo into the valley.

Folks out by 81 might be complaining of the noise.

Then we would need another tribunal of geniuses to tell us what to do.

Video: The Bloom Store

Video: The Bloom Store

Allright - this thing runs about oh.. I'll say 8 minutes. But damned if its not the coolest 8 minutes Ive seen in a while. We need to start leaning on Food Lion to open one of these suckers here. Like pronto.

Ya hear me Food Lion???

NOW

Technorati tags: food lion, brilliant, technology, supermarket, shopping, roanoke, bloom

Don't mind me, Im just a wee bit groggy this morning

All the running around yesterday done tuckered me out.

Remember this?

Straight Street's HQ. on Luck.













From the back, even more interesting... (behind and to the left of the Texas Tavern)

Well, as you probably read - Straight Street was torn down, to make way for a new building... s'cool. Good program and they needed more space as it was.

But..... I happened to be there yesterday with my camera. Sometimes what they uncover is twice as interesting as the building itself was.
This is the wall formerly hidden by the building. You can see the 2-toned concrete slab they poured (rather quickly I might add), and you can see windows. A door. Obviously that funky Straight Street building was a late addition.

Around 1907 (and previously) there was nothing more than a livery stretching between Church and Luck, fronting on 1st. It was not very big, just long.

But around the time the Texas Tavern opened its doors, the large parking lot behind it was a bowling alley (musta been nice, bowling and a bowl with right there.)

The livery was gone, replaced by The Bank of Virginia on Church and 1st, and a Tire Sales shop on Luck and 1st. (of course the GIS is down so I can't verify my findings based on Tax records.)

The back of the Tire Sales shop held a storage building, and an Electrical Supply shop. With what appears to be 8 foot alleyway between the storage and the main building.

So at some point things were connected, causing the windows and door to be bricked over. What point, I cannot say right now.

Thats your Forgotten-Roanoke moment. Go in peace and wonder.

Still bewildered.

I can't find ANYTHING on why the Star was off last night.

Im not the kind to put in a call to SLS or DBJ and let them do the hunting for me, Im thinking of heading downtown and finding an answer myself.

This will delay the Kirk Ave. finale for a few days.

Well, not just the Star, but a few things Im in the middle of.

But rest assured gentle reader, things progress. Swimmingly at that!

Its out.

the star is not on tonight.

rather unnerving if you ask me.

I'd take pictures, but somehow I dont want to.

Haunted Roanoke

Allright, so you folks have not been exactly forthcoming with information on Roanoke's hauntings. What little information I've been able to gather shows me that ya'll don't like to talk much about it.

Curious, especially given that its Halloween, and usually I can't get ya'll to hush when talking about history.

But you know its there. You know with downtowns history of saloons and flea-bag hotels, you know there was bloodshed. You know the Hotel Roanoke has its myths, as does the Patrick Henry and Ponce De Leon.

But you don't want to talk about how saturated Roanoke is with such things.

581 itself displaced countless graves, especially around that horrible Orange Ave. interchange. The excavation for the Wachovia Tower unearthed buffalo bones, as it was once part of a salt lick, in a marsh. Victory Stadium itself is built on the ground of the old Roanoke Fairgrounds, which were also used as staging areas for military use. It very well could have been the last happy place some troops saw before going off to war. The image of Mill Mountain might have carried them through battles, the view of the mountains around.

Mill Mountain itself is alleged to have quite a few, not to mention the small cemetary rumored to be hidden back deep in the woods at the top. Or the Witches House.

In the coming years Forgotten-Roanoke will occasionally be touching upon some of these things. You certainly did not think this was going to be a short term project did you? I have spent countless hours in some of the most haunted spots in all of NYC & Long Island. I have collected evidence, gathered opinions, and put myself into some odd situations to find hauntings.

Im going to be doing the same here in Roanoke.

From time to time you will the the Haunted Roanoke headline, and you can expect objective reporting of situations, as much of the history of the location as possible, and maybe some photos.

But for now, Im being haunted by the BlogDogs.. which means its time to go out..

Happy Halloween.

Hey look! Someone ruined our view!

Ok, so ya gotta look reeeal carefully - but this is the view from Mill Mountain towards downtown. Get your bearings, thats St. Andrews in the back, Hotel Roanoke in the middle, and good god someone dropped a sheet of Mylar. Oh no - thats the AMWV.
 

The Globe and Mail: A Gehry knock-off, but still needed

The Globe and Mail: A Gehry knock-off, but still needed:

Among the competitors for the Art Gallery of Alberta, it was Stout who took the time to hang out in the city and learn its geography as if he were a long-time resident. The plan for the Alberta gallery is solid with an exterior sculpture court that extends the museum into the streets. As well, Stout integrated the city's light-rail transit into the gallery design.

What is unforgivable, however, is Stout's overworked use of the metaphor. Daniel Libeskind, the ROM's design architect, labours under the same pretension. Newly arrived in Edmonton from the hot Californian sun, Stout described his design not in terms of architecture and structure but of finding inspiration in the stacked rock compositions of inukshuks. Nice. The ribbons of stainless steel -- or whatever material they might become -- are inspired from the aurora borealis. Uh-huh. Not even the North Saskatchewan River was left alone -- it helps to explain the need for the building's undulations.

Boy what a lucky find this was today. I think you folks should read the article and ponder the fact that you got scammed by a well-praticed con-man. This all sounds eerilie familiar.

Note: There are still cars parking on the museums future location, and thats probably the way it will stay for a while.
Technorati tags: roanoke, amwv, randall stout, scammed

So much time and so little to do...

Strike that. Reverse it.

Expect delays in the update to F-R.com as I pick and choose my projects carefully now. I have all day Tuesday to get things done, but precious little time in between then and now.

What does this mean to the home viewer? Well, in short, something interesting will appear today, something interesting will appear tomorrow, and something interesting will appear Tuesday. How interesting? Thats for you to determine. Specifically where? I cannot say yet, just keep watching this space.

Of course, this could be it couldn't it? It for today I mean.

Well, it could be. But that hardly seems like my style now does it?

► Open Letter (To A Landlord) - Living Colour song lyrics ♪

The thought for the weekend, and I want you all to think hard about this in relation to Roanoke.


Open Letter (To A Landlord) lyrics

Artist - Living Colour

Album - Vivid

Lyrics - Open Letter (To A Landlord)


“Open letter (to a landlord)'

Now you can tear a building down
But you can't erase a memory
These houses may look all run down
But they have a value you can't see...

This is my neighborhood
This is where I come from
I call this place my home
You call this place a slum
You wanna run all the people out
This is what you're all about
Treat poor people just like trash
Turn around and make big cash

chorus:
Now you can tear a building down
but you can't erase a memory
These houses may look all run down
but they have a value you can't see

Last moth there was a fire
I saw seven children die
you sent flowers to their family
But your simpathy's a lie
Cause every building that you burn
is more blood money that you earn
We are force to relocate
from the pain that you create

Chorus

We live here for so many years
Now this house is full of fear
For a profit you will take control
Where will all the older people go?
There used to be when kids could play
Without the scourge of drug's decay
Now our kids are living dead
They crack and blow their lives away

Chorus

You've got to fight
You've got to fight
you've got to fight for your neighborhood...

You've got to fight
For your neighbor.Technorati tags: roanoke, city council, landlord, business, community, pride, home

roanoke.com - Business Stories -Fulton Motor's era draws to close

roanoke.com - Business Stories -Fulton Motor's era draws to close

You know what? This just sucks. We bought our car at Fulton when we moved down here.

My parents use Midpoint, have since they moved down here. Berglund bought them too.

Berglund is like every sleazy car dealership in NY... and now they are literally everywhere. Im irked, but I realize this is a business deal and theres nothing that can be done. But you'll be hearing more from me as the days wear on.. especially when I get to the era when Fulton first opened its doors at the corner of Franklin and 2nd. When I get into the honest business practices theory.

Bah - what a bad way to start the day.
Technorati tags: roanoke, car, dealership, berglund, fulton

Odeo: Forgotten Roanoke: The Pod

Odeo: Forgotten Roanoke: The Pod


Here ya go! The latest and greatest podcast ever!
Well, pretty good anyway. Allright not so bad..

kinda awful...

Horrible!

BOO!!!



Excelcior! You Fathead!

Do I even need to say it?

It is friday.. which means podcast is on the way.. in about 10 minutes, you will hear my melodious voice again, like you know you want to...

Sign in

Sign in

Well, there it is - the sign in page you have all been waiting for. Does it go anywhere yet? Not particularly. But it will, soon enough. This is how it always begins.


Technorati tags: google, google base

Yep - that did it...

Recorded low last night was 31 at the Airport. Thats cold enough to kick-start the trees changing. All those hold-out trees are about to give up the ghost, even though the next few nights will not be as cold.

Keep your eyes on the mountains, the times - they are a changin...

4 days to Halloween, and 5 to the start of the Holiday Shopping season. I have actually refused to go into Tanglewood lately because I don't want to know how much Christmas stuff they have up. Im hearing that Valley View is allready off in a winter wonderland.

I guess we should all start looking forward to Dickens of a Christmas, the theme of which this year will be "holiday traditions through the ages."

Leaves alot of rooom for interpretation. Im thinking of putting together an "A Christmas Story" float. Can't you just see a 10 foot leg lamp winding its way downtown? Remember though, its a major award!

Last years Dickens of a Christmas was a hit, and Im sure this years will be no different.

But its too early for me to switch gears and go Christmas yet, I still have to get through Thanksgiving - and being a cook - boy do I have alot to get through.

Christmas will kick in about the 2nd week of November for me.. probably about the time when I actually go to a mall. I did go to Walmart and actually did browse the Christmas offerings, but thats ok - its Walmart. They always have stuff before the season... ice on the pond, snow on the ground, go to Walmart and buy your summer bathing suit.

Other than that, not much to report here. If you would like to submit a story for Haunted Roanoke, you can do so here. I've got a few, but not nearly as many as I would like. I know this town is spooked, from the corner of the Courthouses to the streets of Old Southwest, from Sam's Club to Tanglewood - and every place in between. We are not so removed from the past as we would like to think.

Heck - look at 581/220.

If you have any stories, suggestions, ideas or evidence. Let me know.

Halloweeen '05

This years punkin, nice- reasonably sized for a modest Global Domination HQ.

Not nearly as nice as the ones back at the old HQ, but then again - I don't have accidental injury insurance for this pumpkin.

The Killing Frost (oooh.. sounds literary doesn't it)

Take heart Roanoke, your not about to be lambasted with some inane flowery prose reflecting on death, taxes, and the high cost of waking up in the mornings. Nope - this is just a simple weather report.

From the NOAA NWS: "DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

DIMINISHING WINDS AND CLEAR SKIES WILL PROMOTE FROST FORMATION
TONIGHT AS TEMPERATURES SLIP INTO THE LOWER 30S.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

TEMPERATURES WILL DIP INTO THE UPPER 20S AND LOWER 30S BOTH
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY MORNINGS. FROST FORMATION IS LIKELY. MANY
AREAS WILL SEE A KILLING FREEZE."

Frost? Reports from Moneta-by-the-Lake are they have allready had touches of frost, and we all know
snow has been spotted (and photograped) in the area. 

According to the Farmers Almanac, we are right on schedule for the frost as well.

Frost on the pumpkin? Check.

Snow? According to the Almanac - not till December 28-31st - up to a foot.

Yep, I said that, up to a foot. Well, the book said it. But same thing really.

more later...

Editorials from The Roanoke Times -Briefly put...

"White House attorneys recently ordered the satirical newspaper The Onion to stop using the presidential seal on a Web page spoofing President Bush's weekly radio addresses.

Surely the president's lawyers have more important things to do than waste taxpayer dollars undermining the weekly chuckles of millions of Americans.

Then again, at least for a few minutes they weren't writing memos justifying torture and sorting through presidential cronies to nominate to the Supreme Court."

/pounds head some more
//feels bad for the wall
///wonders if the Times can back up that "millions" statistic.
////onions.... mmmmmmm
/////resumes slamming head into wall

News from The Roanoke Times -Convoluted stadium issue may contain another twist

/pounding head against wall
//muttering incoherently


STOP IT ALLREADY

Forbidden

ever see this when you go to a google service?

no?

Well you might not be seeing this much longer..

read more

As overheard on WFIR... (and a ditty)

..."highs in the mid forties today, with some snow showers tonight, lows in the mid thirties..."

WHAT????

Now Im no stranger to snow, I can remember walking all the way around my house as a kid, outside on the snow - over the fence (buried by snow), and being level with the first floor windows.

Of course, that was in February. And in the northeast, you tend to expect such things whenever you have vacation from school, because heaven forbid it should happen during school and they have to close for a snow day.

Up in NY, minimum snow on ground for school to close: 6 inches. 6 inches, 2 inches of solid ice (it happened one year), or imminent threat of 6+ inches, with at least 4 on the ground.

Which meant yes, you could be at school in the middle of a snowstorm. As long as the roads are clear enough in the morning for you to get there - your probably there all day. How you get home afterwards is your issue.

I walked. (Uphill both ways) A round trip to school and back was nearly a mile and a half. But snow before halloween?

Not even a flurry passes my memory. Before thanksgiving, sure - I remember that.. 2-3 inches, just enough to toss a snowball (kids still do that right? without fear of criminal charges?).

Fall was always for cold driving rain, puddles the size of Texas that the high school kids would drive through splashing anyone in the wake. Cold nights, cool days, football, piles of leaves to tromp through, trips to the punkin patch to grab a gourd or two, caramel apples. All that nice stuff.

But not snow.

Sidenote to Ms. Elenaeous' Halloween posting.
As I wandered weak and weary, through Amazon.coms pages cheery;
to the gold box I did wander, last minute deals I did ponder;
sales and savings and deals galore, but something troubling - something more;
CD's appearing by the click, comprehension getting thick;
5 offers for music I'd heard before, innocent enough but something more;
being as its Halloween, gothy feel and gothy scene;
suprise as my past rears its ugly head, 5 albums by The Creatures;
cold feeling of dread, For you see The Creatures is helmed by a gothic queen;
Siouxie of the Banshees, a gothic dream;
my past awoken my ears did ring, redolent in memories of.. something more;
Did I not just write about my gothy history, is Amazon embarking on some kind of mystery;
reading far into the blogs, had I looked the other day - offers for dogs?;
or is it my mind playing tricks again, as we approach this Samhain;
Or could it be the ol' mans going mental again?

The reply on the wind told me the cure....

Something more... something more...

These days are getting me down...

and that aint bad.

I feel my inner goth rising. I mean what with halloween and all, the gloom is just causing it to claw at the walls. Must... repress.. need.. for... The Smiths....

Actually, being fall and all - my musical tendencies turn towards vintage stuff. I start my day highly motivated with alot of big band music - end it with some downtime jazz.

If your astute - you've caught the allusion to my musical tastes in the main page over at F'gotten-Roanoke.

I ran to Kroger the other night, and even though its mere feet away from the temporary HQ of F-R, I till popped in Benny Goodman's Swing Swing Swing.. then it was on...

I have strange dreams - dreams of bombing down say.. Williamson, circa 1951, in a '51 Chevy Styleline Deluxe.. AM radio squalking away with the sounds of Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Les Brown and his Band Renown. Hanging the back end of the car on a turn, powergliding a sharp right and skidding into the parking spot for another night out in Roanoke.
Of course, that used to be NYC, but I think even back then, traffic was too horrible to try it.

I was goth, and Im not ashamed to admit it. But I was goth before it became a topic of constant conversation on Maury. And like any good goth, I never lost my sense of humor. But the style of the 40's always called to me, from the time I was young and spent hours listening to the music, then as I got older - actually knowing the different artists names, and some of the storys behind the songs. I never could swing dance, but a guy 6'3" (formerly - Im shrinking in my old age) and north of 225lbs. probably shouldn't as a saftey issue.

Well, not much of a posting today, but hell - its such a nice day outside I think I'll go mope around a graveyard.. if the hepcat in me will allow it.

Im calling it...

It's over, I've determined that Summer is kaput. No more. Done.

the foreseeable forcast (via noaa.gov) shows no signs of even approaching the low 60's.

The leaves have given up, and are changing as we speak. Tomorrow morning Mill Mountain will look totally different than it did today. We are going to be running a risk of actual frost on the pumpkins before Halloween, and after seeing the little caterpillars runnin for warmer climes today, Im gonna say maybe snow by Thanksgiving. Flakes at the very least.

I hope you all picked out warmer costumes for your trick or treating this year.

It has been a while since I remember Halloween being on a Monday, so it should be interesting to see how it plays out. Although anything has to be better than last years debacle with it falling on a Sunday. Oy Gevalt! What a fuss..

Ahhh.. no one went to hell, no one sold themselves to the devil for a lousy sack of "Fun size" Snickers, and worse than all that - in the name of all that is holy may this never come to pass, Hillary Clinton was not spotted in Roanoke running for something.

Although City Manager might fit her perfectly.

Anyway, hope you all remember the schedule. Blogs every day/hour, podcasts every Friday, website updates every 2 weeks. Next week will finalize Kirk Ave, and possibly introduce Haunted Roanoke (TM, so don't try me sucka!)

Anyway, Im thinking the cat'pillas had the right idea, make swift haste to the warm spots. Sounds like bed to me.

roanoke.com - Business Stories -Plan for CVS at old WDBJ site goes through

You know its funny, but my wife and I were just discussing it the other day. We have not been to a CVS or Walgreens since we moved down here.

Up in NY, you had CVS, Walgreens, Eckerd, Duane Reade, and then you had your supermarket pharmacys.

Here, we either get everything at Kroger or Walmart. Which is nice, because I personally have never been a big fan of CVS. They always seemed to jack up prices a tad bit higher than any of the other drug stores.

We were also just discussing the fact that the building at the corner of Colonial and Brandon had finally been sold. I had no idea it was former DBJ studios. To look at it today, with no knowledge of what it was - you really couldnt guess.

Where the Twin Towers used to stand, before there were Twin Towers, there was Radio Row. Home to countless radio manufacturers, stations, sales shops, and the like. Colonial reminds me of that, with ABC 13, Fox21/27, Blue Ridge Public TV, and the former DBJ everything (except the old radio studios downtown) perhaps we should rename a strech of it Media Street.

Well, yes its another historic building slated for demo (unless CVS does the smart thing and builds as Ive seen them do before, within the historic structure), its probably where Robin Reed made his historic "Just a dusting" forecast.

Although now that Im looking carefully at the building, I can now see similarities to the DBJ studios down on Kirk, and the SLS building downtown. Another "tower" just like the SLS one, standing out high above the building itself.

It will be sad to see it get turned into a CVS, but considering how overgrown and dilapadated the building had gotten - its about time something happened with it. Although it would make a great library. Perfect design.

Forgotten-Roanoke is heading to the Octoberfest today... hopefully see you all out and about. Yes, its a bit grey and chilly, but you'll live I swear - a nice brat will warm you up but good.

here they are

The boys, and girl - BlogDogs of Roanoke.

Such a nice day I almost forgot...

That its Friday! And here in Forgotten-Land that means PODCAST.

Yes, lose another 12 minutes and change of your life listening to me. I can make you one promise - you will never hear any news alerts!!!! or advertisements (unless someone wants to make me an offer) on the Forgotten Pod.

Links from todays Podcast:

Blue Ridge Business Journal

Roanoke WiFi

Worlds Smallest Web-server

WiFi, what you need

(not mentioned but easily integrated)

Neighbornode - the next little big thing in Wifi

Well, you know the deal - have some fun.

With the weekend approaching (not quick enough)

I thought I'd take a moment to let you all know whats on the Market. (From the City Market newsletter for Oct. 20th)

This week find: cabbage, collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, turnips, black eye peas, pink eye peas, crowder peas, butternut squash, acorn squash, sweet dumplin’ squash, zucchini, half runners, pole beans, tenderettes, tomatoes, pears, apples galore, corn, eggplant, chestnuts, baked goods, fresh eggs, grass finished meats, goat cheeses, catfish, jerkey, fresh cut and dried flowers, mums, pansies, Indian corn, and pumpkins. We also have a new Vendor couple, Maria and Eduardo Gallia who make fresh empanadas, churros, and tamales. They are at the Market most every day.


If you have not had a fresh empanada, get thee to the market. I realize growing up in the melting pot that is NY, some of this stuff is pratically a childhood food to me, but a good empanada is like nothing else. It's a handheld meal, and so much more. Oh, and you probably have not had a real tamale, most people havent. Go have one.

roanoke.com - Extra stories -Beer? Not here

Now you've done it.

Not only are you throwing down the gauntlet to Roanoke to stop being so shmucky and have a beer, look what you've done to poor Homie.



Bad people, you make Homer sad....

roanoke.com - Business Stories -Let's get cooking

Well SHEESH, now I'm getting competition?

This is great though, I can't wait to see the end product. I wonder how many students would stay in Roanoke after classes end?

Maybe if the city offer'd assistance to alumni of the school in starting a business, Roanoke could be flooded with good restaurants, and maybe.. possibly.. The Olive Garden could finally lose its Platinum spot as Roanoke's Premiere Italian food.

I feel dirty just saying that.

Although this part: "Head chefs in the Roanoke Valley earn an annual salary that is a little above the mean salary for all occupations in the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area. The mean annual salary for all occupations in the Roanoke Valley in 2004 was $33,330. According to 2004 statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, chefs and head cooks made a mean salary of $43,590 annually in the Roanoke Valley. The mean hourly wage for those jobs was $20.96.

Fast food cooks earned a mean salary of $14,870, and supervisors and food preparation managers earned $26,310 a year, according to the statistics."

Well thats a damn lie. Everyone knows I make enough to keep myself warm in the Forgotten-HQ. I get to eat, occasionally.

But the roaches won't do the laundry no-more. The rats refuse to fix the hole in the floor.

But no, its great being a cook/chef. I personally, for those of you who don't know, am a certified chef. Certified in many ways I can assure you. And I get to play with shiny pointy things. Thats a big plus.

OH, and the fire - did I mention the fire???

It's a hell of a career, as long as your not sane. I look forward to strapping on my uniform every day. There's instant gratification, when you take that moment to peek out of the kitchen and see everyone eating.

The French are finicky, the English regimental, Japanese are obsessed with ingredient and nuance, and Italians are only content when everyone is eating. And eating...

The American chefs have taken the best part of each, and combined them into the worlds greatest job. And as times change, and new cooks and chefs come on the scene - they are coming with a keen appreciation for the amount of work and dedication it takes to be the best. For the first time in history, cooks and chefs are now being offered retirement plans, healthcare plans, and actual tangible benefits. Previously you had to work for a hotel or a corporate kitchen to be offered anything beyond your salary.

Check out Foodservice.com for the best information, hands down on the kitchen. The people on the messageboard are more than willing to answer questions on becoming, being, and breaking away from Chef.

When the first class graduates from Roanoke's own culinary school - they will be entering a kitchen far different than their ancestors did. The job has not changed, its still meat-heat-eat.

But its a far cry from the "Hell's Kitchen" you see on TV. It's nothing like that in your average kitchen, although it used to be. Some of the older guys can tell you stories of full on knife fights, pots and pans being launched across the kitchen, intentional wounding.

But it's nothing like the Food Network either. The top 3 problems in any kitchen are as follows: 1) waitstaff, 2)supplier (Sysco), 3)any cook other than yourself.

And the #1 person you always take care of: The dishwasher. I've seen a dishwasher walk out in the middle of a shift because they were treated badly, and the restaurant lost 2 days worth of business. They do alot more than most think, and with no clean plates - what would you serve on?

I've been rolling around the idea of doing a Chef'sBlog, a hardcore look at the kitchen as an industry. Something to track the comings and goings in Roanoke, franchise news (to keep track of the enemy with), possibly market reports - if any of you other chefs out there would find it useful.

Again, something I've been toying with, but the key is making it accessable to all who read it - not just the pros. Chef's can be like hairstylists. They can have a following, bring a good deal of clients when they move to a new spot.

And should you ever be so lucky to attain the level of Executive Chef, you'll realize how much you miss working the line. The 3-5 hours of intensity, sending out plate after plate of perfection, and the casual banter with the rest of the staff as you sit in your office doing paperwork. Thats when you have to pass the torch to someone else, hire a new guy for the line. Watch as he goes through everything you did, offer him counseling before he kills your waitstaff on the night they drop a tray. And wait for him to move on, just like you did, to find something new.

Well, I'll save the rest of this for the ChefBlog when I decide to run it.

I, for one, welcome my new competition and wish them jobs in places "large enough for service, but small enough for craft." (Tom Collichio) Oh, and ample parking as well..

(update)
Ok, so I lied. Here it is: The new blog I was talking about. LeChaim!

News from The Roanoke Times -Federal authorities investigate landlord

just as a side note - it would appear that overthrow.com has been pulled from the servers. even google's cache of it is limited.

Oh, but from what I can tell of the site that is existing in cache, he has a problem with "Jewish Christianity"

Boy, is he just out to pick a fight with the world or what

I think I woke up in a different world.. anyone else have that feeling?

Clearly this cannot be the same place I went to sleep in. Or, if it is - the Times should be taken out back behind the woodshed and given the "sock full of oranges" treatment.

Although I think I have finally figured out the problem with the City Council.

In the Roanoke Times obsession article on Bill "Don't I look" White, we learn that nobody likes Mr. White.

Shock there, aside from the guy being a landlord (and no one ever really likes a landlord), he's a pseudo-white supremicist. More likely an instigator than an action-taker, he is the geeky kid we all (and I mean all, even the other geeky kids) used to pick at. Nowadays, no one would mess with him in school for fear of him going "Columbine."

He looks like the kind of guy who always had a girlfriend, but she always lived somewhere else. But he is a simple problem, and if you don't know how to deal with a loudmouth jerk, ASK A NEW YORKER. Don't give this man creedence by writing endless columns about him.

But the Roanoke Times must, because its their job to highlight the very worst of Roanoke, with a wink and a nod. They are reporting all the things about Whitey, peoples reactions to them, and reasons he does not represent us. What?

And how do you think thats going to make Roanoke look - everyone trying to back away from this jackass. You would think he WAS some sort of public official the way the Times portrays him and how our top politicos are backing away from someone they literally have NO CONTACT with.

Oh, and take a look over here (Southern Conservative) for more information about Mr. Whitey - the walking talking brainless wonder.

But heres where the City Council becomes involved and we discover why Roanoke gets so little accomplished. (-sidenote, I actually like most of these people and really hope that its just the Times making them look like this.)

"He's not representativeof Roanoke in any fashion," Wishneff said, later calling Whitey a "creep" "punk" and a "coward." He also said he would like to take part in a "community discussion" about Whitey.

I'm sorry, what? A community discussion on one man who is not even from Roanoke and probably won't be here in another year or two? Is that not a little drastic? Dedicate this much time to him, he's going to get an ego.

Oh, and thats to the Times for pointing out that Mr. Wishneff's anger towards Mr. Whitey stems from the fact he is a Jew. Fascinating. Allow me Mr. Wishneff to say to you: LeChaim! It's nice to find people who actually understand me when I say that...

Oh, and no Mr. Whitey is not "inciting violence," as you say Mr. Wishneff. He is just shooting his mouth off - inciting violence would be shooting his mouth off in the South Bronx. Mr. Whitey prefers to do it from afar, therefore he is nothing more than a rabble-rouser.

Moving on, Mr. Alfred Dowe. From what I have heard, a nice enough guy. But maybe a bit too worried. "Dowe said the situation has him worried about his personal safety, and he suggested that the council return to a former practice of securing its meetings with armed law enforcement personnel."

He is one man. With a big ol' mouth. I highly doubt he even has the guts to walk around in public in his "uniform" unless accompanied by either 20 other guys, or a tv camera. Your best bet Mr. Dowe, find out who is living in his apartments. Contact them personally, and offer to move them to different apartments. If you take away his business, then he has no reason to be here. Again, securing council meetings gives this man more power than he has, or deserves.

And now, Vice-Mayor Fitzpatrick. I like Bev, and think he is a man of ideas. Good ones at that, but this.. well - it goes back to the whole "giving Mr. Whitey more than he deserves." "Fitzpatrick said the council should send a letter to its counterparts in Toledo expressing their support and to distance themselves from White." If we really feel the need to distance ourselves from him, what does that say about us? That apparently - we thought highly of him to begin with. We were shocked when we learned of his big ol' stupid mouth. We were duped.

We have known this man was an asshat since he first moved to Roanoke.

Although, big huge round of applause for Shaheed Omar. Mr. Omar had the brains to step up and call it like it is at the meeting. "Omar said that Roanoke's news outlets are giving White too much attention, and that only perpetuates his cause.

White's "really not saying anything," Omar said."

Nope, although you could probably run a very lucrative Hot Air Balloon business off of Mr. Whiteys head.

Oh, wait for it.. waiiiit.. just moments after saying that Whiteys group only has about 300 members nationally, we get this: But according to White, his group has enough supporters in Roanoke that it is considering leasing an office downtown to serve as its regional headquarters.

Ladies and Gentleman, I give you the B*llsh*t artist of the year, Mr. William "My Name is Bill" White.

Let's show this guy the backdoor to Roanoke, and flush him into the river. All you have to do is ignore him, take away his livelyhood (warn people before they rent from him), and most importantly, do not give him a 2nd thought.

And its all perfectly legal. Cuz this little pansyass is a lawsuit serving tool, what he can't get done personally - he turns to the courts to do for him. So I would not be suprised if he tries to sue Mr. Wishneff for slander, or even the city council itself. But if you go through the mere act of warning people before renting from him, its perfectly legit. It's called full disclosure. And yes, what goes for home buying also goes for home renting.

Or, just buy him a one-way greyhound ticket to Hempstead, NY. Make sure he packs his little suit in his Hitler Youth travel luggage, and send him on his way. Or.. well - no. Omerta might be too strong an idea for Roanoke yet.

I did have more to say about the council itself, but thats going to have to wait about an hour now..

Good Monday to you all...

Well, it finally happened. Fall has come to SWVA. This is the WDBJ7 Towercam on Poor Mt. Although the leaves have not changed up there yet, they are starting to change. Bedford is seeing color, as well as Rocky Mount and even Virginia Western CC is starting to change. (If you have weatherbug, its easy to find all these cams. if not - go to WeatherRoanoke.com) The air is crisp and clear. Chill some might even say. I have pulled out my denim jacket for while Im out and about.

Now I can carry my camera on me instead of in my bag. I've started playing more jazz as I work around the house and on the site. We are coming upon the time when Charlie Brown will fill the airwaves. It begins with The Great Pumpkin, and carrys forth.

Now I allready know its too easy to begin harumphing about Christmas. Especially when WalMart is displaying decorations, TV is allready beginning to show christmas-themed ads, and we all know... we dread.. November 1st. Because we know on November 1st, the Christmas displays go up fully in stores, the mall is festooned and construction begins on Santa's pad. And certain stores begin playing seasonal music endlessly.

But we still have time before that happens. Time to gather a pile of leaves and dive on in. Time for a cool hike on Mill Mountain, or a stroll through downtown. Good time for some early morning fishing on the lake, or some flycasting in the river. Good time to exist basically, provided you can forget lifes worries and just be for a while.

And remember, we are probably just a few weeks away from the constant use of the word "windchill".

This full moon is the Hunter's Moon, and has been hanging stunningly near the Star at night. The early morning sky is breathtaking, and the clouds that pass during the day are straight out of a Bob Ross painting. Have your minds set on record, I have a feeling this is going to be a fall to remember.

Remember, new page at Forgotten-Roanoke.com, new podcast at Odeo. And should you be interested, some nice quality Forgotten-Roanoke wear at Cafepress.

Have yourselves a good day.. and take time to stop and smell the leaves.

It's Kirk

It's Kirk

And here you have it, installment 1 of 2. Kirk Ave. Roanoke's backstreet.

See, I don't always break a promise now do I?

Technorati tags: roanoke, history, kirk, streets, wdbj, urbanology

Kirk is coming

Look sharp! Kirk is nearly here. Expect Kirk to arrive tonight, before midnight. (yeah well, its nice out, and I have to work today - so there.)

Otherwise, just another NICE day in Roanoke.