Photo(s) of the Day: Happy('s) Spring

The guy in the hat is one of my favorites, always courteous and even joyful. Loves what he's doing

A veggie lover's garden spot.

Gulping down a Mexican breakfast.

Grains and pastries and dried peppers and pastas and ...

Shoeboy reads a book, awaiting the barefooted.

The shadows of early-morning Happy's.

On pretty days, you get crowds in stripped shirts.

Studying the goods, avoiding eye-contact until you spot something you want.

He said, "$75 for all." I said, "$3 for this one?" No? OK.

"Want a good picture?" the vendor said. "Yes," I said.

"How big is this one?" the man said. "About 12 ounces," she answered. "That'll do," he said.

Chillies rellenos in the raw. (Recipe.)

Cactus in the raw. First take off the thorns. (Recipe.) This stuff is good.

You eat this. I'll watch. First, remove the spikes.

Beans, beans, good for the heart. The more you eat, the more you want.

Not sure what this is. Looks good, though. Love the color.

I know what this is and I like it. But I don't eat it often. Shame.

Easter is a fine time to celebrate what Jesus stood for (if you know what that is. Hint: "love one another"), but it's also the time to be Happy('s). Yes, Happy's Flea Market and International Food Court (I just made up that last part) way out Williamson Road in Roanoke.

Easter marks a kind of unofficial beginning to the season at Happy's where you can look for the usual flea market junk and treasure and you can also shop for dinner. Most of the food is fresh and sold by foreign nationals, who'll gladly tell you how to cook it. There is some question in my mind always about what the food is and what I'm to do with it, so the advice helps. It is an adventure in shopping and it's a heck of a lot of fun. Give it a try.

And please try to remember what Jesus stood for without all the bullshit doctrine. Simple man with a simple message.

Photo of the Day: Let 'er Go, Oz!

No real reason for this picture today, except to say that being grateful for what we have is always cool. Oz is anticipating his bath and he knows that at some point in the next few minutes he will be able to get a large laugh from everybody by peeing straight up into the air.

Quote of the Day: Attacking the Volt With Lies

"With seven months to go before the election, Cavuto and his Fox News brethren will have plenty of opportunities to denigrate an innovative car [the Volt], employing American technology and creating American jobs, in order to besmirch a president who had nothing to do with it.

"It is, after all, what they do."

--Joe Nocera in today's NYTimes

Remembering Tammy Wynette and Her Greatest Song

Fourteen years ago today, Tammy Wynette died, leaving us--if nothing else--one of the greatest bridges of any song in existence. And one of the best country songs ever. The bridge in question is in "Stand By Your Man" and is accompanied by a remarkable steel guitar played by Pete Drake.

Drake played steel on other memorable recordings (Lynn Anderson's "Rose Garden," Charlie Rich's "Behind Closed Doors," Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay") and there are those who claim Sonny Curtis actually did the steel on "Stand" (doesn't appear to be either of them on this recording.) Whoever did it etched himself into the annals of great music. The best version of the song (and it's not on video, unfortunately) is the record, produced and arranged by Tammy's long-time producer Billy Sherrill.

Tammy Wynette was the bouffant-haired wife of George Jones who defined an age in country and the woman "sophisticates" like to point to when ridiculing the genre. They have no clue. Her four-octave range (same as Dolly Parton's) is that of an upper-level opera diva and her voice was as much a weapon in its raw power as an instrument. Her final note in "Stand," sung with incredible ease, is astonishing. Most singers wouldn't even aspire to that note. (Compare Carrie Underwood's pitiful little version here. But remember, you're comparing an average country-pop singer with a goddess.)

It's the bridge in "Stand" that always slays me. If I'm in the truck, I turn the radio to full volume (which is substantial), crank up the windows and sing in full throat with her--though nowhere near her. It is a spine-tingling series of notes and vocal acrobatics that always leaves me near exhaustion. It's a damn three-minute country song and it is simply as emotional as anything I know.

Tammy spent the last 10 or so years of her life with a worn-out voice (here's her final Opry appearance and it's sad), I guess because she had no idea how to take care of it. Had she been a violin, people would have treated her as a Stradivarius. But she was just a country singer, expendable. Too bad we are so short-sighted.

Photo of the Day: 'Throw the Bum Out Day'

Yard is littered with the poor guy's possessions.

I'm not here to capitalize on anyone's misery, but sometimes misery from the outside is comedy. A few weeks ago I walked into a fistfight at a mall shoe store over some newly-issued Nikes. It was a genuine western-style brawl, but mostly it was hilarious.

This morning, while taking my morning walk (this time through the neighborhood) I passed a middle-aged woman standing on the front porch in her bathrobe, the look of doom on her pursed face, throwing her husband's shoes into the street. The meek husband, a man who looked like the world was on his head, was picking up shirts and pants that had been thrown in the yard and putting them into his truck. All around were what appeared to be his possessions.

It was "Throw the bum out" day in Dorchester Court, I guess.

'Christians' Take Stand Against Discouraging Bullying

It appears the Christian Right has lost its mind again (assuming it had one) over somebody else's sexual expression. This time the Nut Brigade has come out foursquare in favor of bullying, saying legislation against that cruel and senseless act promotes homosexuality. (Story here.)

Not sure how that'd work, but the fact is that most gay kids--an overwhelming 90 percent of them--are bullied at school and they are far more likely to commit suicide than other young people. Life is difficult enough without "Christians" (and I use the quote marks advisedly because Jesus would spit on these creeps) promoting violence.

In Michigan, a bill was passed last year that would have allowed bullying based upon "a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction." So, all I have to do is say Christians are against my religion and I can proceed to beat hell out of them in Michigan, right? This craziness has a tendency to come back and haunt those meaning harm. Let us hope it haunts them into some sense. They don't have any now.

(Photo: athiestnewsbase.com)

BFF Fashion Show: Elegance and a Touch of Humor

Alicia Lindeberg and Susan Ayers pass each other in the "before" segment of the show.

Alicia Lindeberg shows off her transformation from "Before" to "After" in fashion.

Kathy Lamanca produced a quality show.

Models strutted and posed to the delight of the big crowd.

Writer Susan Ayers makes a fine model.

Lovely Alicia gets a last-minute touch-up (which she hardly needed).

Emily and Tom Field (FRONT publisher and the show's organizer, admire Kathy's work with the fashion show.

Kathy interviews Susan.

Elegance personified: Kathy Lamanca and Alicia Lindeberg.

Yesterday's Best Foot Forward style and etiquette conference at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center was not only an opportunity for business people to brush up on their appearance and manners, but it was also grand entertainment, thanks to Kathy Lamanca of Highway25 and her group of models.

Kathy put together a killer fashion show, one that featured a video of the models "before" and a live show with their "after" looks. The video was accompanied by a tune (written and performed by Kathy) based on "Harper Valley PTA" and it had the large crowd in stitches. The show was full of energy, glamor and a lot of very good tips about what you should look like at work--and what you shouldn't.

Tom Field, my business partner at Valley Business FRONT, deserves strong kudos for organizing a classy show that people will remember. If you didn't get there, make your reservations for next year. This thing will become a "must-see."

Lipps, Glover, Dillard Win Kendig Arts Awards

Ann Glover

The Arts Council of the Blue Ridge has selected the 2012 recipients of the Perry F. Kendig Award for Outstanding Support of the Arts.

The 2012 Perry F. Kendig recipients will be:

• Forrest Landon as Outstanding Individual
• Eleanor D. Wilson Museum at Hollins University as Outstanding Arts and Cultural Organization
• ITT for Outstanding Business
• Roanoke Valley Reads for Outstanding Arts Education Program
• Nathan Harper as Outstanding Young Professional
• Exclamations will receive the award for Outstanding Emerging Arts Organization

Nathan Harper

Artist awards will be presented to:

• David Lipps, Outstanding Performing Artist
• Ann Glover, Outstanding Visual Artist
• Richard Dillard, Outstanding Literary Artist

Lifetime Achievement award will be presented posthumously to local artist Sandi D’Alessandro. Sandi, a local art teacher for 36 years, impacted the community with her work as an artist and through her dedication to her students.

Richard Dillard

The Perry F. Kendig Award, named for the late Roanoke Valley arts patron and a former president of Roanoke College, was established in 1985 to recognize examples of support, involvement, accomplishment in the arts, and to inform the community about significant contributions to the arts in our region.

A reception and award ceremony will be held at the Taubman Museum of Art on May 02, 2011. For information on tickets please call 540.342.5790.

(Note: The Kindigs are pretty close to me. I've won two--the first Literary Award shared with my FRONT partner, Tom Field, and another when I was with the Blue Ridge Business Journal.)

Supreme Court: A Ruling for the Totalitarian State

Jack-booted thugs: They're coming for you and it's legal.

Our Bananna Republic Supreme Court is at it again, defying precedent, international law, common decency and presumption of innocence.

Yesterday's ruling that the constabulary at every level can strip search anybody it wants for any reason it deems necessary smacks of totalitarian rule and breaks every consideration of a free society that I can imagine. The test case is a perfect example: the man in question was arrested on flimsey "suspicion," strip searched and found to be innocent. He was furious at the search (he is black).

Here's what The NYTimes news story allows this morning: "The procedures endorsed by the majority [all Republicans, of course] are forbidden by statute in at least 10 states and are at odds with the policies of federal authorities. According to a supporting brief filed by the American Bar Association, international human rights treaties also ban the procedures."

This is not a conservative court and this is not a conservative decision. It is a court full of right-wing nutcase political hacks that would completely overturn the Constitution on a whim and is doing just that. Write off the health care law. That's the least of it. You'll know when the jack-booted thugs show up at your front door.

(Photo: cotocrew.wordpress.com)

Photos: A 'Civilized' Evening at Hollins

Rebekah Manley, who wrote a parody, and your favorite editor in their prom stance.

A nice crowd of boys and girls showed up for the reading.

President Nancy Gray reads from 'Goodnight Moon'.

Our favorite editor read from 'Goodnight Bush" (yes, that Bush).

Christina Koomen reads for Kathryn Echsedy, who couldn't attend.

Actress Amanda Mansfield reads Daphne Huffman's Rush Limbaugh takeoff.

Trubador Greg Trafidlo sang his entry.

Debbie Atkins reads 'Goodnight Party'.

The Goodnight Moon parodies went off nicely tonight at Hollins University with a nice crowd on hand at the Green Room on the college campus. Here are some scenes from a special evening, one we don't have enough of. Somebody called it civilized. Yep, that'd be it.

You'll note that I appear to be dancing with Rebekah Manley, one of the presenters (a recent Hollins grad and a fine young writer). We aren't exactly. When Rebekah asked me the other day what I was wearing, I told her a dinner jacket and she asked if she should wear her prom dress. I said, "sure, but I get a dance." This is the dance. Let me also mention that after nearly everybody had left, Greg Trafidlo broke into his parody of Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler." It is called "The Tumbler" and is about a guy in Cleveland washing his clothes at a laundromat.

(Photos: Christina Koomen, except the one of her, which I took.)

Recycled Electronics Event April 21 in Roanoke

If you've been holding on to old computers, printers and all kinds of electronics waiting for a recycling event, you're up. Cycle Systems will collect your stuff Saturday, April 21 (Earth Day) 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Roanoke Civic Center parking lot.

This includes everything: phones, kitchen and beauty appliances, tools, two-way Dick Tracy wrist radios, ray guns, de-coding wrist bands (from cereal boxes) and the whole array of goods that make your life worthwhile. High tech only. Don't bring your used hammers.

Best Foot Forward: Setting the Style for You

Kathy Lamanca and videographer working on the fashion show.

Wednesday's Best Foot Forward style and culture extravaganza at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center is going to help improve the public image of everybody who attends, but as important, there's going to be at least one knee-slapping laugh involved, thanks to one of the most stylish people I know: Kathy Lamanca.

Tickets are still available and you can register by calling 540-389-9945 or visiting here.

Kathy, whose business is style, has put together the fashion show that will be a featured part of a six-hour program (five classes, elegant Hotel Roanoke dinner and show) and I can tell you, having watched rehearsal, that it's funny. It's also spot-on for those looking for the proper way to dress and carry yourself in a business setting. It's Wednesday, 2-8 p.m.

The conference is organized and presented by Valley Business FRONT and HomeTown Bank, Express Personnel, COTA, Roanoke College and the law firm of Altizer & Altizer and it costs a paltry $89 for the whole shee-bang.

Among those teaching is the popular Kathleen Harshberger, who writes the etiquette column for FRONT and who teaches the same at Radford University, among other places. Kathleen, who is British, is an internationalist and she can show you how to behave in the presence of your foreign visitors (or on your overseas sales trips).

Others on the program include moderator John Carlin, Stuart Mease of Virginia Tech, who'll talk about looking and acting right for the job interview; social media maven Leslie Coty; public speaking expert J.J. White; and Kathy Lamanca.

'Goodnight Moon' Parodies Tonight and It's Free

Greg Trafidlo

Tonight's Goodnight Moon Parodies at Hollins University's Green Drawing Room at 7 p.m. brings together seven writers from this region to spoof the classic Margaret Wise Brown children's book. MWB, as she's affectionately called on campus, graduated from Hollins in the 1930s and this is her year to be honored. Already, Hollins has presented a play based on the book. (Here's the flyer.)

This evening of parody began with the idea that we'd read published parodies and quickly--very quickly-segued into what it is: a celebration of the talent we have in this area. As the entries began to trickle in, it was obvious that what were getting was better than what we had and only one of the published works survived the cut: Goodnight Bush and that was more for the politics than the literature (I get to read it. Heh, heh, heh ...).

President Nancy Gray will open the evening by reading the original work.

The writers include noted regional musician Greg Trafidlo, who wrote a song; Roanoker Magazine editor Kurt Rheinheimer and a collection of others you might not know, but who you will certainly appreciate. One of my favorites is Daphne Huffman whose recently finished novel reminds me--in tone and style--of the writing of Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird). Daph is a nurse who is out of town for the reading, so we brought in professional actress Amanda Mansfield to read it.

One of the entries was from the brother-sister team of Erik Miller and Jessica Muller (her married name and as her dad says, "Go figure"). She wrote the poem, he did the artwork. Two of the entries are extensively illustrated, including one by recent Hollins grad Kathryn Ecsedy who used her red hot camera. She's in Connecticut and hers will be read by journalist and former TV maven Christina Koomen.

It will be a fun hour or so (and it would only be slightly on the "so" end if at all) and you get free milk and cookies. Come join us. You're welcome.

Where Are the 'Students' Among the 'Student Athletes'?

Kentucky's John Calipari: The wizard of 'one and done'

As we look toward tonight's NCAA championship basketball game between two of the marquee names in the sport--Kentucky and Kansas--it is a good time to see what this is all about. We find it is about making a lot of money playing basketball. It is not about college and it most certainly is not about students who can read and write.

The NCAA and the member schools will tell you that their "student ath-a-leets" have a higher graduation rate than the student body as a whole ande will play for the honor of their respective universities on the hardwood. Detractors will point out that the graduation rate for athletes--especially for black males--at the upper end of Division I universities is 33 percent below that of the general population. The hype about high graduation rates you see in the commercials is just so much bullshit.

Those detractors will point to the University of Kentucky's graduation rate, one of the worst in the Southeastern Conference (hardly known an Ivy League-type collection of schools), brings in several basketball players per season for one year or two years in some cases. Six of Kentucky's top seven players--who have lost just once this year--are freshmen or sophomores and few of them are expected to return. In the past six years, 40 freshmen have been drafted by the NBA and eight of them played for Calapari. He also had sophomores drafted during that period.

To Calipari's lasting credit, he pretends nothing wholesome in this. He's following the rules, which he says he hates, and recruiting these players, which almost everyone wants, better than they are.

These superstars are recruited as one-year players by a coach who knows the NBA is foremost in their minds, but they are not eligible until after their freshman seasons. The contracts for these teenagers range in the millions of dollars.

Coaches rake it in, too. Kentucky's John Calipari earns $4.5 million a year (one wag broke that down to $3,000 a minute of coaching) and Rick Pitino of Louisville, which Kentucky beat in the semifinal Sunday, has a contract worth $7.5 million a year (the Kentucky fans are not happy about that).

Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports (TIDES) at the University of Central Florida does a graduation rate study (here) of the NCAA's men's and women's tournament teams every year . This year's study shows that Xavier University, which is best among the men's final 16 (93 percent) would have finished in a tie for 10th among the women's entrants, nine of which graduated all their students in the allotted time. That's a 100 percent rate. Two of the top women coaches, Pat Summitt at the University of Tennessee and Gino Auremma of Connecticut, have career graduation averages near 100 percent.

Women are not recruited as potential "one and done" WNBA prospects because the money--that word again--is not much better in women's pro basketball than it is in, say, engineering or medicine for a recent college graduate with a good transcript.

The major difference isn't that women are smarter (as some would have you believe), but that there is money to be made by one team (men's) and not so much in the other, so coaches bring in ringers, kids with no chance of graduation but with considerable basketball skill. Some go to the pros, others just drift off somewhere else never to be heard from again. Many will argue that being in college "can't hurt" these athletes, but I will submit that it certainly can hurt the notion of amateurism, fair wages (players get scholarships valued in the thousands of dollars while their universities make millions on the sport), and even fair play. The Ivy League and the Patriot League send teams to the NCAA tournaments, but don't give athletic scholarships.

As you watch these "long" men sweat and toil tonight, take note of the great ones. They won't be back. Many of the others won't graduate, but they'll have their moment in the spotlight. That'll have to be enough.

Photo of the Day, Too: Oz Has a Good Day

My little buddy Oz (Oscar the grandboy) has had a tough time with his health lately, but today he let loose with happy. That kid does happy well.

Photo of the Day: 'Get Off That Dragon!'

My favorite grandgirl and I went to the Taubman Museum today for the Roanoke Children's Theatre production of "The Velveteen Rabbit" (which was superb) and afterwards, Maddie managed to find Puff the Magic Dragon in the lobby of the museum. There's a Children's ArtVenture going on there now and it's pretty cool. Mads thought so. The security guard, who made her get off the dragon, didn't much think it was cool.

Quote of the Day: Re-Defining Judicial Conservatism

"There has been no court less restrained in signaling its willingness to replace law made by Congress with law made by justices."

--NYTimes editorial today (This comes in the wake of right wing caterwalling about "judicial activism" among liberals for years)

Goodlatte, Griffith Stand Up for America (Sort Of)

So this morning I get this urgent press release from Congressman Bob Goodlatte (who's supposed to represent me, but doesn't) telling me what he's been up to. Seems he's started a war with Salem, Mass., over where the National Guard was founded. Big issue this, giving the minor things also on the plate (the budget, women's rights, two wars, nutcases with presidential ambitions, health care bills and bills, crumbling infrastructure, and the like).

Griffith, coincidentally, lives in Salem but does not represent Salem. He represents a district he doesn't think enough of to live in. Go figure. Voters constantly puzzle me.

So here's what Bob says: 

Congressmen Morgan Griffith and Bob Goodlatte issued the following statement after voting against a resolution to recognize the City of Salem, Massachusetts, as the Birthplace of the National Guard of the United States (H.R. 1339):

“This resolution asserts that the first militia – thus the National Guard – was formed in Salem, Massachusetts in 1629.  According to William Shea, author of The Virginia Militia in the Seventeenth Century, his research indicates a very different story:

“When the General Assembly met in 1624, during a period of warfare with the Powhatan Indians, the members decided that, although those men who had arrived before 1612 were exempt from active military service, everyone else was to be trained and ready. Shea contends that ‘it is not inaccurate to say that the Virginia militia was established in a very rudimentary form by the general assembly of 1624.’ Moreover, he notes that in 1626, the General Assembly exempted newcomers to the colony, who would be free from military service for their first year in Virginia. But, all other males from 17 (later 16) through 60 (except for the “olde planters”) were eligible for military duty and were taxed in order to support defense. Shea cites the Records of the Virginia Company of London as his primary source.

“In 1629, the colony of Virginia was divided into four military districts to provide quicker response and flexibility. Local commanders were authorized to raise troops whenever they deemed it necessary to defend their lands.  This preceded the establishment of the first eight counties in 1634, at which point, the counties took over administration.

“While we fully support the National Guard, we had to oppose this resolution because of questionable historical data.”

I'm wondering who could possibly have time to worry about this and even if they did not have a life otherwise, who else gives a parson's shit? "Representatives," indeed.

Photo of the Day: Oh, Wow, Nice Rack!

This is an example of the new racks that will house the current and recently past issues of Valley Business FRONT. Just remember, get there early. These little babies tend to disappear very, very quickly (the magazines, not the racks; they're just cardboard)