Category: Life in General

Virginia’s Self Serving Rural Interests Hamper Transportation Infrastructure Upgrades

Posted on by chappyshi

According to the Washington Post editorial, “Virginia: Congestion Ahead,” dated 23 June, 2008, Virginia’s “…funding for new road and rail projects will, at current projections, all but disappear within a decade as available money is sponged up by maintenance needs…” Republican leaders are blocking state-wide tax increases in favor of regional increases for Tidewater and Northern Virginia.

Don’t these narrow-minded twits realize that Tidewater and Northern Virginia are the economic engines of the state? Sure they suck up a good percentage of the tax revenue for roads and such but they certainly generate a huge percentage of the tax revenue. Without Tidewater and Northern Virginia, Virginia would be just another struggling Appalachian backwater like West Virginia and Kentucky.

If rural Virginia wants to continue to benefit from the prosperous regions of the state, it needs to sit down at the table and ante up.

Summer Is in the House

Posted on by chappyshi

As is fairly common, the DC hot and humid summer is upon us with a storm…no pun intended. We had a very wet, relatively cool spring which of course makes the transition to deep summer very uncomfortable. Memorial Day I was camping under clear skies at which time the temps were in the low 80’s at the highest.

Since the previous Saturday we have had torrential rains, including one with strong winds, up to 65 MPH, skies as dark as I have ever seen them in the daytime, tornado sightings, one death, and, in the past few days, temperatures in the high 90’s. The previous Saturday I got drenched walking 50 feet from the grocery store to my car. Last Tuesday I got soaked from the waist down riding home from work on my motorcycle.

And yet, the previous Sunday, I was fortunate enough to meet up with my friend Buz and a few of his friends at Jack’s Boathouse on the Potomac River in Georgetown. We kayaked up river for about an hour and then eased back on down. The weather, early in the day, was perfect. We saw a number of Great Blue Herons and Mallards and at least one Kingfisher.

Buz and Amanda upriver from Jack’s

Buz and Amanda Upriver from Jack's

View from near Jack’s of the Key Bridge with the Washington Monument in the background

View from near Jack's of the Key Bridge with the Washington Monument in the background

Yesterday paddling up the Potomac from the boat landing at Algonkian Regional Park in Sterling, VA was nearly as good. Had I been other than by myself and had the weather been a bit cooler, it would have been perfect. Once again a saw a few Great Blues, Mallards, and Kingfishers.

Love That Dirty Water, DC, You’re My Home…upstream fm Algonkian Park boat landing

Love That Dirty Water, DC You're My Home...upstream from the Algonkian Regional Park boat landing

The hot weather continues today…I am not sure what the future holds…afraid to check. Suffice to say that the conditions are likely to continue for the foreseeable future and wreak havoc on my energy bill!

Pictures from Memorial Day, 2008, Camping at Val and Lawrences on the Shenandoah River

Posted on by chappyshi

I messed up the aspect ratio on a batch resize of these photos.  Everything seems to be a bit wider than it should be.  I am too lazy right now to fix them…

Pictures from Memorial Day, 2008, Camping at Val and Lawrences on the Shenandoah River

Lucian’s Landing, Memorial Day, 2008

Posted on by chappyshi

I am going to say that this past holiday camping weekend at Val and Lawrence’s, Lucian’s Landing, was in the top five car camping experiences I have ever had. It is great that we are camping on the Shenandoah River. We swim and paddle in it. We kayaked. I sunburnt the crap out of a leg or so…see the last picture. The weather was perfect. No rain, no humidity, not too much sun, and not too much heat.

I heard that there were between 70 and 80 tents up there! I am glad I had a relatively secluded spot. I spent three beautiful nights in my tent up there and would not take it back for anything. No planes, no trains, and no automobiles…
Cornhole practice.

Looking across the Cornhole field. I at least recognize Dan Elbon and Julie Davidson.

I haven’t see clearer weather than this in Virginia for years.
Crystal Clear Skies. No Humidity. No Rain. 80 for high at the most. Low 50's for sleeping.

Dan Elbon. He is wearing a t-shirt from one of last year’s tournament. I am not sure if it was from the Memorial or the Labor Day tournament.

Dano Wearing the Lucian's Landing T-shirt.

Scott’s kayak, car, and drying rack.

Scott's Kayak, Car, and Drying Rack.

Scott’s campsite. Device to the left of my tent is the high water marker… Actually it is a Cornhole scoreboard with a two beer holder built into it. Perfect!

Scott's Campsite. Device to the Left of My Tent Is the High Water Marker

Seven of us got two drivers to take us up river about six or eight miles. We put in there and floated/paddled back down to Val and Lawrence’s. It took about 2.5 hours. The water was much higher than it was last Memorial Day when Buzz and I ran it.

Here are Doogie and his sister Catherine on the way down the river with us.

Here are Doogie and his sister Catherine.

What happens when I don’t put sunscreen on my legs before going kayaking. I am lucky that leg did not wind up in the box with the pig that Lloyd was roasting for the group dinner.

Food for Thought, If You Can Afford It…

Posted on by chappyshi

As I am sure everyone is aware, the price of most food items is rising. This is due to few issues, none of which I believe, are easily remedied.

U.S. and EU countries unreasonably subsidize agriculture operations including those that make $150,000 per year. Asian countries countries with recently booming economies such as India and China are increasingly consuming more meat, rice, and soy products. Poor harvests in Europe and Australia compounded by Russian satellite states such as Kazakhstan banning exports have made wheat that much more scarce.

U.S. farmers are producing less wheat due to “climate change” and the fact that wheat is more susceptible to disease than corn. More corn is being produced due to “climate change” and the fact that the price has risen dramatically due to the demand for fuels such as ethanol that emit less carbon dioxide when burned for energy. The growing of corn for bio-fuels is also largely subsidized by the U.S. government, again artificially increasing the desirability of growing corn and, unfortunately also, increasing the price of products based on the consumption of corn such as many meats and milk.

Due largely to government mismanagement of agricultural research to increase crop yields and of continual agricultural subsidies, many countries haven’t increased there crop yields per acre in years. The Philippines reportedly can’t even grow enough rice to feed their own people let alone export it. Top that off with an official policy against birth control and you have a dramatically increasing population and not enough rice to feed it.

My last note for the day will touch on the fact that contenders from both parties for the presidency have suggested that the government suspend the gasoline and diesel fuel taxes for the summer, “Truckers Rally to Protest High Costs for Fuel.” Now there’s a fucking brilliant idea. We are in enough trouble as it is with our national debt…let’s cut taxes some more. Where is the benefit? The price is likely to rise enough to cover any reduction incurred by eliminating the tax. And finally, why should we reward people for driving more at less cost all the while producing more pollutants?

Eat and Runs

Posted on by chappyshi

There was a fairly interesting article in the Washington Post Travel section, “Spud Mountain or Bust: A Jersey Diner Diary,” on 13 April 2008. The author, John Diener, took a drive with a buddy and reported on gourmand experiences at at least four diners on Rt. 130. He noted that New Jersey was the “diner capital of the world” having about 600 state-wide.

Interesting that his name is Diener and he is reviewing diners. Bizarre that his name is “John Diener.” Does that mean he eats at toilets? Even stranger was the Travel section “Message Center” submission titled “High on Diners” by Maribeth Lombardo Hobgood dated 20 April 2008. She notes that her family is from central Jersey and she returns on a regular basis.

Apparently, they used to refer to the diner visits as “eat-and-runs.” Doesn’t sound too nice to me! I wonder if those places are anything like what the Greaseman used to refer to as “choke and pukes?”