Hiking Nekkid?

Ever seen a Texican blush?! You could have if you'd seen me out this weekend hiking on a nearby strip of the Appalachian Trail. I was on a remote part of the trail when I ran into a man and a woman who were huffing along. I wasn't shocked by the huffing. I wasn't shocked by all the gear they were toting. I was floored by the fact they were, by most definitions, naked!
The knew I was a bit freaked, but they still waved as we crossed each other. Does this happen a lot in VA ? If anyone knows, I'd love to hear from you.

Boaters Speak Out

My previous posting regarding speedboats at Smith Mountain Lake got some great fired-up comments. I just wanted to personally thank each and every one of you who took the time to leave your comments. I realize you took the time to read my thoughts, and I'm very grateful for that.

I read each of your comments and took them to heart. The comments were educational and entertainingly insulting, angry, and generally a great read. Most of all, your comments are PROOF that people really are worried about safety at the Lake despite the lack of attention this important issue receives.

It's going to be a very fine line to walk in order to preserve safety without intruding on people's reasons for being at the Lake.

Thanks a bunch, and keep the comments coming.

I FRIGGIN' LOVE THIS BLOGGING STUFF!!

Lake Claims Lives (Again)

Smith Mt Lake, VA - A few miles from my home is a wonderful manmade body of water many claim to love and enjoy. Smith Mt. Lake is rich with history, proud with accomplishment, and loved by many. Most people who speak well of the lake have invested their money into keeping a boat, a home, or both near the lake. There isn't a day that goes by I don't see someone hauling a boat to or from the lake. Unfortunately, not too long goes by I don't hear or read about someone dying at the lake.

The news today opened my eyes to the fact speedboats are allowed at the lake. I didn't know this. Say it with me - "SPEED-boats". What are they made for? Exactly! Where's the logic in allowing these machines built for speed to part the water at the lake?! Wouldn't that be like allowing race cars on 581? (Oh, we wouldn't do that!) Why not? (They'd speed! That's illegal!) The word here, folks, is - "duh!" - Google it!

Now I read there are little, if any, posted speed limits at the lake. Un-friggin-believable! Aren't we going through the same problem on the curvy roads in Bedford County? Didn't we just lose a carload of kids recently? Is it going to take the deaths of a boat full of old ladies, premature babies and hungry puppies to make this a serious matter that demands immediate attention? How many people have to die? How important does someone have to be to die at the lake and make a difference? Do we have to wait for a political official to die out there?

The deaths this weekend are senseless, stupid, and COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. Unfortunately, the common consensus, (and I include myself in this) is how everyone will "feel so bad" for that couple that just died, then we'll all go about our business knowing "someone else" will take care of the problem.

I grew up by the ocean and despite the occasional drownings, I still love the beach. I've always wanted to visit the lake because I hear so many good things about it. Now that I hear the lake is nothing more than a free-for-all speedway for drugged-up drunks, my interest for this manmade puddle has turned into blatant repulsion.

PEPPERS MUST PAY TO KEEP SIGN

Roanoke, VA - Back in the days of black and white, Roanoke used to be have the largest consumption of Dr. Pepper per capita. Simply put, we drank D.P. until we puked. I guess that's something to be proud of, but for whatever reason it gained notriety, consumption dwindled, and left behind only the big, old-fashioned Dr. Pepper sign. NOW the D.P. company (Coca Cola, is it?) is going to help pay for repair of the sign by "donating" eight cents of every purchase. Oh, drop the crutches, Tiny Tim, it's beef for dinner!

Here's the catch - don't go plopping your quarters into a machine just yet. Don't throw that six pack of D.P. into your shopping basket. Big bad D.P. is generously donating eight cents from EVERY CASE we buy! Wow! Give me a freakin' break!

It's not like the sign mentions Roanoke in any way, but rather, it idolizes a freakin' soft drink. I know there's history there, I've seen it on the back of the can. But I'd still rather give all the money I'd spend to buy a case of Dr. Pepper to the people repairing the sign than have the big company painfully part with eight cents from sales of a case of Dr. Pepper. That just screams of money-hungry cheap-assed big company to me. Tsk tsk tsk.

Yesterday's Current Event

Once again I read the paper to discover another local event I missed. There's never any mention of these events in the mainstream media before they happen, but everyone is sure to hear about yesterday's "can't-miss" event a day or two after it's already passed. I understand the concept of reporting news "as it happens", but can we report "Upcoming Community Events" BEFORE they happen?!

Maybe I'm asking too much for the local media to give everyone a "heads-up" on all this stuff, but I was just under the impression the media was here to inform. Or is that just the obituaries?

Is there a site somewhere that list current events and doesn't require 100 characters of text and symbols to be typed into a web browser? How about a community events calendar that isn't posted on the blue screen of an obscure cable channel or flashed between farm reports at three in the morning? Community events are starting to get as obscure as the link to local bloggers on the front page of the Roanoke Times internet page. (I had to scroll down 8 complete pages to get to the "Local Bloggers" section. EIGHT PAGES! That's a whole website these days!)

I'm starting to get the impression the only events the media will consider worth publicizing are the ones that are going to generate an immediate and significantly large source of income for the media sources covering them. So much for community support. Where are these guys from again?

Looks like its back to the internet papers that cover the news from OUTSIDE of Virginia so I can stay on top of what's going on here at home. Television news is getting just as bad. The more I think about it, I may just ditch cable and watch Weather Channel reruns. I'm sure I'd be just as up-to-date and informed on upcoming events as the local media likes to keep me.

Oh, wait! There's a war going on?! And what's this Hurrican Emily stuff? Kuh-ray-zee!