This Just In: Virginia Women (and Smart Men) Are Pissed

Enthusiastic women in Richmond show more class than their antagonists.

The Richmond Times Dispatch reports that more than 1,000 people showed up today to protest the war on women that is being waged by a group of knuckle-dragging Cro-Magnon Republicans in the General Assembly. They are attempting to take away a woman's right to control her own bodily functions and to even stop birth control.

What we're seeing all around the state--and the nation with similar legislation pending elsewhere--is women and everybody else with some sense of propriety--reaching a boiling point. My guess is that we're just this close to violence breaking out (oh, please, please). These pond scum feces hiding behind wild-eyed Biblical mis-representation (remind you of some bat-shit-crazy Moslems, do they?),  trying to suppress and repress our citizens are coming to the end of their windbags. If you think a burqa is out of the question in their world, think again.

In any case, it is encouraging to see evidence nearly everywhere of an awakening giant who is going to make a greasy spot out of these crazies (and don't forget that some of them are our own representatives: think Sen. Ralph Smith and his cronies).

(Photo: Richmond Times-Dispatch)

VTC Research Institute on 'Today' Thursday

Mike Friedlander

NBC's "Today Show" was in town recently to put together a segment on the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, which will run Thursday between 8 and 8:30 a.m., I'm told by a board member.

The same board member said that CBS "This Morning," its equivalent of "Today" had inquired about doing a piece on VTCRI, but Executive Director Mike Friedlander "blew them off because 'Today' is so much higher rated."

 Nice position to be in.

Photo(s) of the Day II: Maddie and Pampa Have a Wreck

Maddie and Pampa get ready for a run down Memorial Hill.

And they're off ...

Pampa bounces off the sled and Maddie chases after it.

Maddie checks Pampa's pulse. He's not quite dead. yet.

 OK, so I'm convinced: God made little kids and grandpas so they could go sledding together. Give me another reason that makes that much sense. She needs an adult to go and I needed a kid to make it possible. Made for each other. This morning--about 8 o'clock (grandpa/kid time)--we took the first run down Memorial Avenue Hill over in Wasena/Raleigh Court and that amounted to the sled getting away from Maddie, who had to chase it down the hill without riding. But things settled after that and we had some good runs, including this one, which was a killer for the old man and a hoot for the kid.

Photo(s) of the Day: The Freshness of New Snow

First light on the weeping cherry tree in the front yard at La Casa Edinburgh (my house).

The old green rocker looking fancy.

The large oak at the edge of my back yard gets first light.

My buddy the frog having fun.

Back fence in black and white.

Edinburgh Drive view, complements of ApCo.

How deep is it? This deep.

How pretty is it? This pretty.

We're sitting on probably six inches of snow this morning in Northwest Roanoke and I don't remember a snow being prettier with the bright freshness and the azure sunlit sky. I'm taking Grandbuddy Madeline sledding in a bit--before reading proof of the magazine the rest of the work day (isn't it great to own your own business for days like this?).

Season's First Snow: They're Out and Having Fun

Photographing the snow creators.

Finding snow for the snowwoman.

Mother-daughter snowwoman.

Sleds and sledders on Memorial Avenue sledding hill.

Dad watches little one sled down Memorial Ave. hill.

Father-son snowball fight ...

... and it looks like the son is winning.

Sisters put together a snowman near Patterson Ave.

On the way to a movie ("The Artist"; worth seeing) at the Grandin Theatre a while ago, I ran into people all over the place frolicking in the first snow of this winter. Spirits were high, but I didn't want to be too intrusive, so I didn't get names to go with the photos. Frankly, I don't think it makes much difference who the people were. They were among a lot who were enjoying themselves.

Photo of the Day, Too: Disruptive Force? Hardly

There has been some question whether protesters from the Plowshare Peace Center in Roanoke should be allowed to use the sidewalk in front of the Roanoke City Market to stage their anti-war protests. The building's managers say they are disruptive. Today--permit in hand--they proved that is hardly the case, even in the middle of a parade.

they were quiet, peaceful, and thoroughly un-intrusive. Fact is, they were quite pleasant and those owning the building are quite wrong to have believed otherwise.

Photo of the Day: The Day Before the Snow?

These two lovely people sat outside a yogurt bar in downtown Roanoke early this afternoon enjoying a cool delight after the Marginal Arts Festival parade. The forecast for Sunday is abut eight inches of snow. Unsettled weather, I'd say.

Marginal Arts Festival Parade: An Inside Look

Marginal Arts Festival's official orchestra.

Botticelli Baby arrives with her cupcake ...

... and the blue thing followed.

Marginal Arts Festival  Founder Brian Counihan.

Modern transportation.

Cat Woman ... of a sort.

The beautiful Viking Charisse Surayya.

Community High leads the parade.

Pepper-spray cop John Pike and his Chicken.

Artist Eric Fitzpatrick and Pearlie Mae Fu.

Kara, Evan and Oscar Smith photographing my granddaughter, Madeline, riding with Pearlie Mae.

Bugle boy.

The queen and his wife.

Viking Jeffrey Rigdon and his pretty daughter Kimberly.

Katherine Devine finishes off her mermaid.

Kimberly Rigdon toots her horn.

Crochet girls.

Grandbuddy Madeline and her buddy Pearl Fu (that'd be Pearlie Mae to some of us).

Jeff Pulls Madeline and Pearl.

Robin  Barnhill and a head celebrate "Occupy."

Vikings, Queens and Princesses.

We all smelled a rat.

Hitching a ride on mama.

Tracy Wassmer and Alisa Downey look fetching.

An irresistible young dancer.

Today's Marginal Arts Festival Mardi Gras Parade in downtown was an exercise in artistic chaos and anarchy and it was lovely.

The parade had about 30 entries, mostly creatively decorated people and occasionally a large animal, political poster, Queen of Hearts and her Princess and even Vikings. It was the kind of event that has marked MEF as one of Roanoke's premier goofball events, full of art, fun and laughter.

The little girl having so much fun in the photos with Pearl Fu is my grandbuddy Madeline. We both had a grand time.

Petition to Our Virginia 'Leaders' for Women's Freedom

So now, we have to petition our 12th Century leaders in Richmond to stop their Republican colleagues from removing a woman's right to birth control, abortion and god knows what else.

These people have slid off the right side of the planet and landed in the filthy pond where they began as scum. Now we have to say "pretty please" just to get back what belongs to half our citizens.

It is time to start throwing these crazies in jail. But the first step is to go here and overwhelm them with a huge number of signatures demanding they stop acting like damn fools.

Sign the petition. You're either a woman or you love one and by god they deserve every single right you have.