It's a Gas!

In the 1990's, a popular topic of contention was the Lake Gaston pipeline, miles and miles of piped water crossing many areas before providing hampton roads with more water. City leaders were instigated to fight with the mere mention of the word water. Here in this page of local history are the Fab Five city leaders on unicycles, the wheels of which are the respective city seals - the point was to see if they could get along in a physical activity other than fisticuffs, but it didn't work - someone changed the HOV lane to H2O and all hell broke loose. The Hampton Roadscholar proposed adding the other 4 city seals to mount trashmore alongside the already emblazoned Virginia Beach seal, but naturally he was met with severe resistance.

Summit at Mt. Trashmore Continues

How would we ever justify the payroll of politicians if there was a continuous state of getting along. If things went smoothly, as they could if the powers that be allowed it to be, they would have to fight for their jobs like those with real jobs . Thus, by unwritten law, we must have arguments, battles, and wars. If leadership was effective, with time, there would be continous positive results built on the careers of other leaders, not a constant emphasis on change around voting time. L:ife would become better, not worse. Ill-placed assistance can perpetuate problems as much as deliberate ignorance. It's how it is used. Perplexing, paradoxical, and ironic, but, a well lubricated machine, this is.

Summit at Mount Trashmore

Bringing the Fabulous Five - Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, and Suffolk to a Summit to explore group activities was a good way to entice the respective leaders to at least appear as a team. Mount Trashmore was a good place for this to occur, as it was essentially the only mountain in the area and it made a great photo op for the press. Imagine each leader running up the many steps and then embracing at the top like Rocky climbing the steps of the Philadelphia Museum.

Virginian-Pilot Mascot

It is the nature of a locale to be almost myopically focused on its own surroundings. It's always been challenging to simultaneously focus on the trees and the forest. And thus city leaders should stay focused on their own areas, as they know them best. The mascot of regionalism serves the purpose of reminding the different city sectors of a common goal, a realization that our actions have ripple effects. Jeez, this could get deep.

Downtown Norfolk

Having grown up in Norfolk, I couldn't help but see the many "cart pushers." They could have the appearance of an undesirable, but they were doing something admirable - cleaning the public streets at no cost to the city, of trash that probably on more cases than not was left by the so-called more respectable citizens that could afford the more expensive cans of beer and cigarette packages that lined the curve. So, amidst an area known for its crime and drug pushers, was the cart pusher, a homeless street person that could have one heck of a spirituality beneath that dirty, musty clothing.

Neptune Festival

What's worse than the rising tide in destroying a sand sculpture at the Neptune Festival?

Home Scams

The box to my recliner made a great home for a Cleveland homeless person. I gave him some plastic to put under the box to prevent moisture, but he wasn't content - he wanted not one blanket, but two. I also offered some decorating ideas for the inside of the box, but he wasn't interested, saying he wasn't going to live there long enough to enjoy it.