Sunday, April 29, 2007

Good Time. Good Cause.

We had tons of fun yesterday at the book-signing benefit held in Roanoke for Kevin Jamerson, the Moneta firefighter who was injured on the job and who is facing staggering hospital and medical bills. I took quite a few photos of the event. I'll share a few.






You can see we had a huge turnout of fire equipment from area departments. The response is greatly appreciated.



Author and Roanoke firefighter Lt. Rhett Fleitz is seen here talking to one of the many people who came in to buy his autographed book and chat with him. As you can see, (click on the image to enlarge it) Rhett also pitched in and helped sell some of the merchandise there at the First Due Gear store.


Here, left to right, are the sponsors of the benefit drive, Jarrod and Sarah Fuhrman, and the man of the hour, Kevin Jamerson.

Thanks to everyone, and especially to Sarah and Jarrod, for making this a success. Hopefully we helped pay a few of Kevin's bills.

Thanks also go out to all of you who stopped by. My greatest reward was in being able to chat with you and get to know some of you I've only communicated with via email in the past. Such is the America we've created for ourselves ...

Again, thanks from the bottom of my heart.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

A Definition

Earth Day: A calendar date that is set aside for really smart, privileged, affluent white people to assemble and provide instruction to those without intelligence or wealth on how the latter are to be sacrificing in order to save the planet's resources.

Monday, April 16, 2007

The End Of An Era

Roanoke firefighter Jarrod Fuhrman will soon be moving from Fire Station 3, which is set to close next month, and will be moving a few blocks to nice new digs. The celebration of fond memories has begun:
Roanoke firefighters celebrate Station 3 
About 150 recalled the past before the station's staff moves to a more modern building. 
By Ruth L. Tisdale, The Roanoke Times

Battalion Chief Bobbie Slayton remembered Fire-EMS Station No. 3 as one of the busiest of all the Roanoke stations.


"It was central in locations," said Slayton, who had worked on and off at the station since 1965. "Some of the finest firefighters Roanoke had to offer have come through these doors, and the same ones have gone out."


More than 150 firefighters gathered Sunday afternoon to share memories, laughs and celebrate the closing of the 98-year-old station on Sixth Street Southwest.


The station, which opened in 1909, is scheduled to close when the new station on Franklin Road opens in early May, said Roanoke Fire Chief David Hoback. 

Saturday, April 07, 2007

You Need To Get a Life

First Law of Weblogging: When entering this arena, never take yourself too seriously.
--
I received an email the other day announcing the fact that, according to BlogNetNews, From On High is the seventh most influential weblog in the state of Virginia. I couldn't tell you why, nor how that opinion was derived. I made note of the fact that I was ranked just behind the kids-with-keyboards over at Raising Kaine and just ahead of Ben Tribbett at Not Larry Sabato.

I gave the news cursory thought, and I then deleted the email and went about my life.

But I got to thinking this morning that, as much as I don't care about such things, I know someone who does. I resolved to see what Ben has to say about this affront to his very being. From on High is more influential than that which he devotes his every waking moment, his very existence to? That can't be sitting well.

As I suspected, his undies are in a major bunch:
BlogNetNews has a new ranking for most influential Virginia blogs. Here's the top 10:
1) Virginia Virtucon
2) Black Velvet Bruce Li
3) Mason Conservative
4) Ward View
5) Bearing Drift
6) Raising Kaine
7) From On High
8) Not Larry Sabato
9) VB Dems
10) Below the Beltway

Lowell has some thoughts up- including the fact the guy doing this ranking used to be a Bush speech-writer. Unbelievable. Like Lowell, I'm mad- this is bordering on an outright lie-and I feel personally smeared.
By the way only four of the "Top 10" use Sitemeter, but here are the traffic levels in the last week:
Not Larry Sabato 15,979 (40,958 page views)
Raising Kaine 12,877 (36,057 page views)
Black Velvet Bruce Li 4,390 (10,063 page views)
Bearing Drift 2,517 (7,979 page views)

I don't appreciate this guy lying and misleading people. That's f***ed up.
Whew. This over a silly weblog ranking. I wonder how he'd react if I had stolen his bicycle.

Ben, three things:

1) You accuse "this guy" of misleading people and, at the same time, you mislead people by suggesting that I don't use Sitemeter. I do. I see your error as a simple oversight, however, not some plot against our democratic way of life, and certainly not an attack on my manhood.

2) The ranking is accurate. Deal with it.

3) Get your arms around the concept of influence: A power to affect persons or events, especially power based on prestige, etc.

You write gobs of stuff each day. And you have a sizeable teenage following. It can probably be said with confidence that you even influence them to want to vote some day when they are old enough. But when it comes to the power to affect adults and to affect events of consequence, well ...

... some got it and some don't, big guy.

Here's hoping you can move out of the "also ran" category when the next ranking comes out.

In the meantime, I'm seventh and you're not. Bummer.

Oh, and (4) Don't forget The First Law of Weblogging.

Friday, April 06, 2007

And I Get Paid To Do This

Had the opportunity yesterday to check out the war-readiness of our United States military. I was given a tour (albeit whirlwind) of both our Naval Air Station Oceana and the Navy Amphibious Base in Little Creek, both in and around Norfolk (which the locals pronounce Nah'fuck). I was hoping to get to Portsmouth as well but time didn't permit.

Actually I was conducting business with the Navy.

Still, I can officially report: All is in mighty good hands. Key word being mighty.