2008: it's been a year alright.....

So, my original plans were to blog once a day in 2008. 366 posts minimum.

Ah, didn't work out so well.

It's kinda like when you start to do to many little projects around the house; six months later, none are completed, but everything looks like a "work in progress" instead.

Well, that's me. I need to update my PH football blog to wrap up 2008 and prep it for 2009, finally really get REW Sports Online up and going (as it looks like I'll be doing all tape delay broadcasts this season), return to MySpace long enough to say hi to my friends there who think I'm dead, and, keep rolling on Facebook (my one success right now).....

.....because if you look at this blog lately, you'd think I was simply a fed up, bitter Republican. I'm really none of the three, but we're not here for that.

When little ol' Rob looks back at 2008, I'll remember the following:

CURRENT EVENTS:

---Barack Obama (congrats to the President-elect)
---Sarah Palin (see you in a couple of years....)
---The loss of ALOT of our 401K.....you know the feeling.....
---SUPER BOWL CHAMPION NEW YORK GIANTS!!!!
---The loss of even MORE of our 401K, et al.....
---2,923 Democratic debates......
---The REAL bear of Russia beginning to rise from its self-imposed Communistic slumber of the past 15 years or so.....
---How nasty the air was in China during the Olympics....
---How many Christians got bullied in China during the Olympics....
---The horror of Mumbai on Thanksgiving Eve and Day.....
---The Puerto Rico primary (c'mon; did you know they had one? I didn't!)
---The Hillary Clinton pantsuits
---The Barack Obama lefty jumper
---John McCain
---Joe The Plumber
---Facebook and Twitter......
---The end of Fannie Freddie Bear Mac Morgan Stearns almost AIG Mac
---Car executives who come to Washington in.....not cars.....private planes.
---Superdelegates, delegates, half-delegates....where were the diet delegates?
---Memphis won the NCA.....oh, that's right, they let Kansas back into that one, didn't they?
---The Phillies beat the Rays for the World Series title and the celebration goes into a three-day rain delay when water leaks into the Phillies' clubhouse.
---The youthful Penguins were flying toward the Stanley Cup....until the old guys from Detroit taught them a thing or two.

AROUND HERE?

---The end of the Wilder Administration
---The ongoing struggle of the Times-Dispatch to survive the media world changes
---The arrival of "radio layoffs" to local TV....
---The buildup of Short Pump is almost maxed out....for the fifth time....and then they'll find more land somewhere....
---The end of the Richmond Braves
---Goodbye to A&N, Shevel's, and we're warming up the fat lady for Circuit City, unfortunately...
---2008 National Football Champions--THE RICHMOND SPIDERS!!!!


2008 FOR THE WITHAMS:

---Goodbye elementary school! Rachel turns 11, ends fifth grade
---Hello middle school! Rachel starts sixth grade, keeps growing like a tree
---Back to school! Two years at Hermitage down, two to go for Mr. Witham, who can't wait for NEXT New Year's Eve! :)
---Mom continues her success with her Lapband, in the best shape of her life, and still helping people with their money at Virginia Credit Union
---Two wrestling events at the Coliseum, with Rachel's dream of touching Jeff Hardy's hand coming true!
---Robbie's second choral trip, this time to Chicago, complete with a game at Wrigley Field!
---Goodbye to our good ol' large van

and....the event of the year for the Withams, BY FAR:

The Trip to New York City!!!

---first time the four of us flew together since 1997
---Mom, Robbie, and Rachel's first trip ever to NYC; Dad's first in 22 years
---our first time in a NYC taxi!
---LOTS AND LOTS of walking in and around Times Square
---BROADWAY! Mary Poppins and Spamalot!
---The world-famous NYC bus tour! Nighttime in Brooklyn, the skyline from across the river, and a funny trip through lower Manhattan and the East Side with a GREAT hometown tour guide (complete with the accent).
---The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
---Rockefeller Center and Observation Deck

AND the two biggest events:

2) Dad's 28 year dream to see David Letterman live comes true!
1) The Withams' first trip to Ground Zero. It revolutionizes the way you think about, not just 9/11, but everything.


Rob? Me?

---dealing with unemployment
---dealing with interviewing
---becoming a first-time ever substitute teacher! I thoroughly enjoyed my work at Hanover schools, especially my adopted "home" school of Pole Green Elementary. I met so many wonderful teachers, made friends, and was moved by lots and lots of incredible boys and girls.
---my short time at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, a WONDERFUL group of people that I would recommend to everyone for employment, networking, and friendship! KD, Tad, Blair, and about 15 other wonderful people.
---my work at Robinson Radio; christening a new position with a relatively new company, reconnecting with some radio friends, making new ones around the country, and much, much more.
---sleep apnea
---lack of sleep
---lots of time in bed

BUT.....

---the demise of my depression from 2002 on (not far left until it's GONE!)
---meeting new friends at work and chat friends online
---reconnecting with old friends (thank you, Facebook!!)
---another GREAT season of Patrick Henry football, even though they didn't make the playoffs.

----------------------------------------

2009? Well.....

---I'm learning more answers (FINALLY) in my ongoing physical battles, so I hope there is MAJOR progress (FINALLY) in 2009, so I don't spend days in bed out of complete inability to operate.
---Helping my employer continue to grow into a major player in our industry in the years to come.
---Watching my son off to another choral trip and wrap up his junior and begin his SENIOR year of high school!
---Working on the beginnings of REW Sports Online
---Hopefully watching the Giants repeat as Super Bowl Champs!!!

Who knows what else may come? Well, we will. About 365 days from now. And I would REALLY like to ring in 2010 in Times Square.

You never know....... :)

KB Toys---RIP

This hurts for me personally because KB Toys was based in a place near and dear to my heart, Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

I'm sorry to see this happen.

GLOBAL WARMING INVADES BEAUMONT, TEXAS!

The snow is here, for a short time
By AMY MOORE (Beaumont, Texas "Enterprise")
December, 11, 2008

From half an inch of snow in Jasper to three inches in west Beaumont, Southeast Texans woke up to a white Thursday.

But with the sun and the temperatures rising, Lance Escude with the National Weather Service said the snow won't stick around much longer.

"The temperatures at the airport are at 34, but I suspect with the sun breaking through the clouds, the temperatures will warm up to get the ice off the ground," the meteorologist said.

Estimates of snowfall at 7:30 a.m. were two inches at the Southeast Texas Regional Airport, Beaumont and Groves, and one inch in Nederland, Port Neches and Orange, Escude said.

This is the earliest measurable snowfall at the airport since the late 1800s, Escude said. It is also an all time record of snowfall for the area for the month of December.

The last significant snowfall in the area was Dec. 22, 1989 when just 7/10 of an inch fell.

Despite the record breaking snowfall amounts, Escude said the snow will be melting very soon.

"It will melt in the next hour or two," he said.

And don't think that more will come. Escude said the forecast doesn't call for precipitation again until Sunday.

Michele's Curtain Call

One of my favorite blogs (and a fixture on my favorites list to the right for a long time) has been Michele Agnew.

Her blog has been a great place for fun, meeting people, and most importantly, getting to know and enjoy her.

As I discovered tonight, she has written her final post. Make sure you click on the title and read, but then take five minutes and skim through the archives. Her blog will be a great read for some time to come. I hope it stays available, at least for awhile.

Thank you, "Michele Agnew"! Until we meet again.....

Joe Pa----gotta love him!!!

Now, If Sarah Palin Had Ordered This Ring of Rhodium.....

.....Olby and the likes of the MSM would be peeing in their pants, trying to get on the air with SPECIAL BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE!!!!

You'd see these "headlines" on the bottom chryon:

"PALIN RING PURCHASE RINGS HOLLOW WITH ALASKANS LOSING THEIR JOBS"
"WHAT WOULD SARAH DO? IGNORE THE PLIGHT OF JOBLESS AND BUY A BIG RING"
"PALIN TO GIVE HUBBY CATALYTIC CONVERTER....FOR HIS FINGER!"
"GOP NEVER LEARNS---OUT OF TOUCH PALIN BUYS FIVE-FIGURE RING"
"SHOULDN'T A THANK YOU NOTE AND SOME MOOSE CHILI BE ENOUGH?"
"HEY SARAH! EVER HEARD OF ZALES?"
"PALIN PANDERS TO HER RICH STREAK, CUBIC ZIRCONIA LOBBY FURIOUS"
"A THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLAR RING? YOU BETCHA!"

Instead, the man formerly known as Senator Obama (how much DO Senators make anyway?) gets a pass and this will be a "feel-good" story.

He can give his wife anything he wants if he's got the $$$, but...as libs would say:

"What kind of message does this send our nation, at a time when people making $30K are losing their jobs, The President-Elect elects to spend as much on one gift?"

I guarantee you, that would be headline fodder had a GOP'er been the one purchasing.

FOOTNOTE: For those who read this and still think I'm just furious over an Obama Administration, I've never been furious. I have been (and am still) quizzical over who he really is.

This post goes out to the media wonks who can't get enough Sarah Palin, and would do the very thing described above.......

What? I Won't Need Pliers, Industrial Scissors, and Band-Aids Christmas Morning??

Well, whaddya know? Some companies have realized that, we, as a people, are just not into clamshell packaging. :)

We Don't Want West Virginia

So, if this Russian's theory becomes reality, let it be known that we in the Mid-Atlantic have little in common with, say, West Virginia. Heck, it's been 145 years since Virginia let 'em go their own way, things have changed!

What "smaller" country would you live in?

VMI!!! Keydets Baby!!!

The Chicago Tribune must not have thought VMI had a chance to beat Kentucky at Rupp Arena tonight on opening night of the 08-09 college basketball season. They didn't take the time to look up the correct spelling of "Keydets" (click title to read story and see typo).

Sorry, couldn't resist.......

VMI??!!!??? WHOO HOO!!!!

70 years ago today......hatred personified......

May we never see the likes of this, ever again.

"Billy Graham Doesn't..." What??

Note to author: Who you pray "for" is more important than who you pray "with".

How dare you insinuate this about Billy Graham.

On the other hand.....

A great deal of thanks to "hek", who commented on my Olbermann post of last night, and offered excellent insight into Olbermann's reasons for using the term, "What do we do now?"

I share.....

Greetings, Mr. Witham: At the risk of engaging in some kind of non-productive firefight with someone I don't really know, I just want to correct your record about what Mr. Olbermann is speaking of. He is making reference to the 1972 political film, Michael Ritchie's "The Candidate," in which Robert Redford convincingly plays a vibrant young candidate whose ideals are twiated and turned on the punishing road to high office, across bridges built of compromises. Toward the end of the film, on the verge of his U.S. Senate election, and just ahead of a clamoring crowed, he hustles his campaign director into a hotel room and asks, "What do we do now?"The film is more about the absurdities of running for high public office, and how any candidate is a cipher into which the public project their expectations which he/she then cannot possibly meet. At least not for all of them, all of the time. As Olbermann uses the phrase, it is through a sense of facetiousness. It isn't that Obama doesn't know what he must do, but that considering all that confronts the nation at this juncture, what priorities will go to the top. No matter what happens, whether the trends existed before he showed up, Obama is going to get blamed. For everything. The weather, you name it. Such is the pathetic shambling wreck that is the practice of politics.I'm watching Rachel Maddow more these days, anyway. Carry on.

Now I better understand the background behind it. And I THANK this poster for their comment!

I do still find incredible irony in Olbermann's decision to use this question on multiple occasions, as he positioned Obama as the one to answer all of our questions and meet all our needs. It would seem plausible that he should be able to handle multiple issues at once. At this juncture in our nation's history, he's gonna have to.

FDR didn't want to fight a World War on two fronts, but had no choice.

But I can assure you one thing, Obama is not being blamed on this blog for anything happening prior to the night of November 4th, except for what can be tied to his Senate voting.

But.....now that he has a title other than Senator, he now is fair game. For example:

Wall Street always gets jittery when a Democrat is elected. And the Dow went down 900 points combined on Wednesday and Thursday. With the horrible unemployment report this morning, one would think the trend would continue.

The Dow went up about 250 points today. All I've heard in the media the past two days is how the Dow is tanking because of the economy. Sure it is. But there's another thing: The Democrat factor. No one spoke to that.

With the Dow rebounding on the same day as bad economic news arrives, one wonders now exactly how many of those 900 aforementioned points can be attributed to our economy, and how many are attributed to how people view our "economy yet to come" under an Obama Administration.

Now, let's see what he can do.

Again, to those who comment.......

Since I've received one reply to my "comment" post of yesterday, let me reiterate to simply explain what I ask anyone to do to explain a point or offer proof to show the point as truth. Doesn't have to be political. In fact, I might ask you to prove a point with which I am in agreement. Why? To make sure people are informed, and not walking around saying they want to vote for someone because he/she will bring "change"....but the voter has no clue how to explain what the change is. And if I'm offering an opinion and cannot back it up, then SHAME ON ME!!!!!

Here's my quote from yesterday's post:

Ask my kids; when you come to me attempting to prove your point of view correct and/or mine incorrect, have specifics and facts to prove them. Don't use terms that make you sound enlightened, when in fact, Katie Couric might have a field day with you on follow-up questions.

With this in mind, I receive this today:

I was the one who left the "there" comment. I'm sorry if I didn't write you a 20 page essay explaining each basic idea point by point. I was under the foolish assumption that you had payed attention to politics, or maybe had read a book, at some point in the last 6 years. Considering the way you parse my every word, I'd expect you to be a bit more literate. One thing I really don't understand is how Obama's plan to provide health insurance for citizens is so often described as OMG GOVERNMENT RUN SOCIALIZED HEALTHCARE!! 1nazis!Seriously, with nearly every response you act like the Democrats are going to throw you into a concentration camp.

Did I get any answers to the question I posed, which was done for the expressed and sole purpose of having the commenter explain and defend their positions and beliefs? Not one.

But, I did learn that I don't pay attention to politics, don't read books, I'm not very literate (certainly less so than he/she), and finally, the obligatory accusation of using inflammatory terms, this time related to the health care issue, rather than answer my questions and helping me understand how, if my health care is going to be the same as Congress', it's going to still be part of the free market. Congress' insurance is government-paid. I'll get the same. Therefore (a little postulate/theorem throwback to 9th grade Geometry), I get government-paid insurance, correct? And nothing paid for by the Federal Government comes without, well, some rules and regs.

Then, as we would do in geometry, we would go off on the search to prove this either right or wrong. I didn't get any answers as to whether my concern is justified or not.

But I was told, in so many terms, that I'm spreading the words of fear.

----------------------------------------------

So, so glad I don't have Alex Trebek's job. All day I would say, "The answer is......", and I'm concerned that all I'd hear in response would be crickets........

Oh, it's MANDATED change.......

There's something just not quite right about the concept of "mandated volunteerism".

After reading this post, please, click HERE and enjoy the future of volunteering in "Obama-Land".

At first, the way the paragraph is written, it reads that ALL Americans would have to serve either 50 hours in middle or high school, or 100 hours at a college. I later learned that this program is simply for the students, thanks to one of those evil blogs.

Note to self: Send the Obama transition team an English teacher with excellent grammar skills.

But, BEFORE you click the link (which is to HIS OWN site, BTW, not some hack right-wing blog....), PLEASE read how this "program" was presented to the American people during the campaign.

From BarackObama.com:

Obama and Biden will set a goal that all middle and high school students do 50 hours of community service a year, and will establish a new tax credit that is worth $4,000 a year in exchange for 100 hours of public service a year.

--------------------------

Now, go click on the link to the President-Elect's site and see how "set a goal" was code-speak for mandatory volunteerism. And my post here focuses on the middle and high school student portion (which offers no dangled carrot of a tax credit, BTW)...

Obama wants to dictate to my two kids (and yours, too) HOW and WHEN to volunteer in their community! MINORS! I know there's gotta be something in the First Amendment that would, well, expose this for what it really is......

When you see the wondering volunteer.........

Teacher Lovingly Explains McCain Platform.....NOT!!!

Click on the blog post title and watch a North Carolina school teacher scare one of her students to death over the fact the girl supports John McCain.

Her father is in the military. And this "educator" thinks her Dad will live well into his 120's, I guess.

This is cruel, and the teacher? I post, you decide.

Olbermann equals "Obama-bot"

As the kids type today......"OMG!!!!"

This is TOO funny.......

Keith Olbermann is now using this question to lead his sheep....ah viewers into that new spiritual realm of "change" that he and so many of his friends desperately yearned for during the Presidential campaign.........

"What do we do now?"

Keith, you, ah, don't know? Two quick points to help you, Mr. Sheepherder:

1) There have been dozens of prior transitional periods between outgoing and incoming Presidents where you can learn the basics of what needs to be done and how our nation's wonderfully seamless transitional tradition has developed and proven how incredible this nation truly is.

2) Ah, you voted for Obama (don't tell me otherwise); you've been singing his praises, begging the world to vote him in as savior, while personally attempting to tear apart people who get in your way. Of ALL people I see on TV.........YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR MAN, YOUR CANDIDATE, YOUR PRESIDENT-ELECT IS GOING TO DO???????

Well, I guess that's what happens when America elects a President that offers a one-word mantra, and not a heckuva lot else.

This reminds me of Robert DeNiro's strangest movie role ever......."Fearless Leader" in "Rocky and Bullwinkle".

It's a wonder Olbermann didn't end up sounding like the minions in that movie once RBTV had put all Americans into the "trance with a directive".....

"We will vote for Fearless Leader....."

The Left has not "Left" those talking points.....

WOW! They know me; they really know me!

I've gotten comments from those on the other end of the political spectrum who do two things:

1) Criticize my postings, each of which were NEWS reports or INTERVIEWS with a comment or two from myself.

2) Get in their "left" jab. Look, just because their guy is heading to the White House, did you actually think they'd stop talking?

I only quote some of them to prove that, well, they prove my point without my help.

ITEM: Commenting on my reposting a news article on Obama workers not getting paid.....

Well it's not like his campaign doesn't have the money. And it's not like he didn't run a rock solid campaign. So by all means, let's make a big deal out of some stupid payroll mistake.

With all due respect, the headline from that story was not a payroll mistake, it was how some Obama workers were already demanding what was theirs and got mad at their guy's payroll team. The final guy quoted doesn't even expect to ever see all the money due him. The PEOPLE and their subsequent reactions were the story here, folks. Dang, the polls hadn't been closed 24 hours and they were already up in arms.

I've worked in independent contractor, et al situations on many, many occasions over the years, and let me tell you, you don't go to your "payer" and DEMAND payment in 18 hours. Makes me wonder how many of these people truly understand the economic system. Getting paid twice a month, or once a month.......

Were they told to come that day and get their money? Yep, so shame on the campaign for not being ready. The people's reactions take center stage here, though, which is why I closed with my comment on being anxious to see their response when they realize Obama won't be paying every bill they have (Peggy, calling Peggy in Florida??)

ITEM: One comment on my Brokaw/Rose post asked for attribution on my "claim".

I should have been a bit clearer, as I did have issues posting the You Tube Video. Click on the blog post title, and Tom and Charlie will answer your questions themselves.

ITEM: My favorite comment, coming on the post where some loon celebrated in D.C. Tuesday night with the fashionable Soviet flag....complete with a pole to use to wave it! But this comment is to my question which will stay at the top of my blog for the foreseeable future:

WHERE IS THERE?

Here's the comment in its entirety..........

"There" is a few places. There is back where we were before Bush messed everything up and left America on the brink.There is being in a position to truly show that we value life by allowing people to seek medical care without fear of financial ruin. There is where we can all be proud of America because we're not doing Godless things like torture, and carrying out needless wars just so billionaires can profit from the destruction and nation-building.And we'll get "there", with or without your help.

------------------------------------

BTW, my comments below are in the smaller font, so people don't think I'm belittling the poster.

"...back where we were before Bush messed everything up....."

Messed up "what"? What did we "have" prior to that? Define "everything".

"...left America on the brink."

The "brink" of "what"? Nuclear war? Economic collapse that can never be fixed? Change?

"....we value life by allowing people to seek medical care without fear of financial ruin."

Allowing? I agree there are people don't have a way to get necessary care; absolutely true. But by letting the government take over health care, how does that justify the use of the word "allowing"? When I get "there", am I gonna need the government's permission to get health care? I thought Obama believed it was a right......

"....where we can all be proud of America because we're not doing Godless things like torture, and carrying out needless wars just so billionaires can profit from the destruction and nation-building."

What's your definition of torture? What do you know about international law and the Geneva Convention regarding this? I wonder if the hundreds of innocent Americans who slowly burned to death in the World Trade Center towers on 9/11 considered that a tortuous way to die? Do you know the difference between a "defendant" and a "war criminal"?? If so, give me some explanation.

Name three billionaires who have profited. Some may have! Name them, prove it, and let's go after them! But.....to accentuate your line of thinking, if this were the end game, with many more countries worldwide without democracy, why have we not invaded at least two or three more nations, like in areas much easier to invade (you know, countries without legitimate military protection) so we could rake in a few more billion in the name of democracy?

"And we'll get there, with or without your help."

Now THERE is a clue as to what we'll find at "there". In other words, "we will get it the way we want it, whether you help or not", which also concludes, if I or others get "in the way", gee.....what becomes of us? Simply a dissenting point of view......do I pay a penalty for having one in this place called "there"?

I thought the days of "partisan bickering" and "divisive politics" were over. Well, this comment, plus "Go F*** Themselves" Emanuel prove that those days are not going away.

----------------------

So, friends, let's review some facts of the last 48 hours:

1) Some Obama supporters already think they won't get what Obama owes them.

2) Tom Brokaw and Charlie Rose were dumb enough to actually admit before the election that they don't "know" Barack Obama on many fronts. You know, when it comes to those who influenced him, his views on CHINA, etc.......(psst....guys, it's your JOB to find these things out).

3) Obama's Chief of Staff is partisan and "Chicago Machine politics" head-to-toe, and we all know how the Chicago Machine respects "bipartisanship".....

4) George W. Bush will be blamed for everything in everyone's lives for the next 25 years. Including the paper cut some unknown Obama supporter in Colorado will get in 2011 opening a ream of paper.

5) Oh, and America is on the brink.

The "brink" of what? I don't know. My commenter wouldn't get specific.

He/she didn't get specific about alot of things. Which is exactly what we "heard" from Barack Obama. Change. Change. But NO clue as to what kind or how it's done.

------------------------------

Ask my kids; when you come to me attempting to prove your point of view correct and/or mine incorrect, have specifics and facts to prove them. Don't use terms that make you sound enlightened, when in fact, Katie Couric might have a field day with you on follow-up questions.

If I don't know something, I'll tell you. If I'm wrong, I'll tell you. But note, much of what you'll see posted here politically, especially between now and January 20th, will be NEWS. All of the above comments were posted based on NEWS items.....and a very simple question.

EVERY American, no matter who they voted for, should now assume the role of the lovable but tired kid in the back seat (or the middle seat of the SUV or minivan).....and just ask:

"Are we 'there' yet?"

Ut Oh.......

Ah, didn't take long for Team Obama to make some of their faithful unhappy. From Indianapolis yesterday....

Obama campaign workers angry over unpaid wages

Posted: Nov 5, 2008 3:38 PM EST
Updated: Nov 6, 2008 10:47 AM EST

Indianapolis - Lines were long and tempers flared Wednesday not to vote but to get paid for canvassing for Barack Obama. Several hundred people are still waiting to get their pay for last-minute campaigning. Police were called to the Obama campaign office on North Meridian Street downtown to control the crowd.

The line was long and the crowd was angry at times.

"I want my money today! It's my money. I want it right now!" yelled one former campaign worker.

A former spokesman for the Obama campaign said 375 people were hired as part of the Vote Corps program and said people signed up to work three-hour shifts at a time. Three hours of canvassing got workers a $30 pre-paid Visa card.

The workers showed up to get their cards Wednesday morning at 10:00 am.

"There was a note on the door saying 1:00 pm and then at 1:20 pm everybody was like why is nobody here. They just got here and they're trying to get it organized," said Heather Richards, a former campaign worker.

The large gathering of around 375 people prompted police to call in extra officers and set up temporary barricades. The barricades helped keep the crowd from spilling out onto Meridian Street. Police say the several hundred people in line were for the most part orderly.

"No arrests. Some of the people were upset at first because the line wasn't moving as fast as they thought it should. But we really haven't had any problems," said Major Darryl Pierce, Metro Police.

Eventually people did start getting paid, but some said they were missing hours and told to fill in paperwork making their claim and that eventually they would get a check in the mail.

"Still that's not right. I'm disappointed. I'm glad for the president, but I'm disappointed in this system," said Diane Jefferson, temporary campaign worker.

"It should have been $480. It's $230," said Imani Sankofa.

"They gave us $10 an hour. So we added it. I added up all the hours so it was supposed to be at least $120. All I get is $90," said Charles Martin.

"I worked nine hours a day for 4 days and got paid half of what I should have earned," said Randall Waldon.

Some people weren't satisfied with filling out a claim form for money they felt was still due to them.

"They say that they gonna call you or they going to mail it to you, but I don't know. We'll see what happens," said Antron Grose.

"Talking about they'll mail it to us. I ain't worried about that, man. They're not going to mail nothin'," said Martin.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Wait until they find out they won't be getting lots of tax cuts, either.

The end of the press.......more proof

Tom Brokaw and Charlie Rose don't know about Barack Obama.

No commentary necessary.

Well, except I'm sure they made everyone aware that Sarah Palin really couldn't see Russia from Alaska. You know, the important things.

Aren't We Still the Nation of the Stars and Stripes??

Apparently not to one Obama celebrant last night. Good Lord.

Election Night 2008----Live Blog

A rolling blog entry of thoughts, facts, and whatnots on this 11/4/08:

1) Jessica Yelin "via hologram" from Chicago into the CNN HQ in New York talking to Wolf Blitzer.

"Help me, Obi Wolf Kenobi, you're my only hope!!"

---------------------------------

2) PMSNBC gives us the word that McCain will win South Carolina. That's a "whew" for the GOP.

---------------------------------

3) Looking now at the huge stage in Grant Park, Chicago, where some 90 million people....ah, one million people are expected to celebrate with the.......winner? I think he will be.

---------------------------------

4) Here in Virginia, former Governor Mark Warner won (yawn) the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring John Warner (no relation) in a cakewalk over another former Governor Jim Gilmore.

I've never seen two Virginia politicians fall so quickly than Jim Gilmore and George Allen. Before Allen's stupid "macaca" moment, there were many that thought he could have become the next President-elect tonight. As for Gilmore? Happy retirement and don't worry, he'll get a job. He's an attorney.

--------------------------------
7:54pm ET

5) The BBC World News guy says South Carolina is the start of "the real Southern U.S.". Ah, buddy, there's this other place called North Carolina. Apparently you are placing way too much emphasis on the word "North".

Shouldn't BBC America be worried about telling us about Gordon Brown??

--------------------------------

6) 2008 brings a whole new meaning to "Wall-To-Wall Coverage". John King, the incumbent at CNN, versus Bill Hemmer at Fox, with Brit Hume saying if he tried to run the wall, he'd "set the place on fire"......

8PM ET:----------------

Well, here we go; this should change the night.......

Obama gets Dukakis-country
Obama gets Maryland
Obama gets Illinois
Obama gets DC
Obama gets Connecticut
Obama gets New Jersey
McCain gets Oklahoma
Obama gets Maine (must have gotten past that 2 to 1 vote total they've been showing for the past hour or so....)

It's now 77-28, Obama. McCain won't see the electoral lead again.

Now, about that U.S. Senate........

We know Warner gets the vacant one here in Va........

--Inhofe wins in Oklahoma
--Joe Biden wins in Delaware......
--Frank Lautenberg is still alive, and will be shipped back to DC......(he's 84; if McCain is too old, then explain THAT one!!!)
--Susan Collins, the Republican in name only, survives in Maine.......

805pm ET-------

McCain gets Tennessee, cutting the lead to 77-39. Sounds like a fantasy football score! The GOP sure hopes Philip Rivers and Kurt Warner can help cut into the lead.......

808pm ET-------

Mitch McConnell survives in Kentucky and will most likely become the senior Republican in Washington come January.....period.

809pm ET-------

Kay Hagan ends the Dole Political Era. Elizabeth Dole goes down........long live Chiquita! Wha???
North Carolina's Senate seat goes from GOP to Dem......

BULLETIN-------------

Pennsylvania is called for Obama.....on NBC and ABC only.

CNN, CBS and Fox News are holding off......

Meanwhile.......

Obama wins New Hampshire, and it's 81-39 (102 for Obama if you watch ABC or NBC.....)

Vote totals (WOW!!!!!)

Ohio, less than a percent
West Va, less than a percent
Georgia, four percent in
New Hampshire, five percent in, but CNN hasn't called it yet.

Also in New Hampshire, Jeanne Shaheen takes a seat back for the Dems, beating Sununu II.

--------------------------------------------

Point by CBS-----with Elizabeth Dole defeated, 2009 will be the first time in 50 years that neither a Bush nor Dole will be serving in Washington.

--------------------------------------------

Fox News gives Pennsylvania to Barack Obama at 8:29pm.......and at 8:30?

Fox News gives Arkansas to John McCain.......

So, it's now 103-45, Obama.....

WE BREAK to help Rachel prepare for her P.E. test on basketball history tomorrow!!

-------------------------------------------

John McCain says, "Roll Tide!" Alabama goes to the GOP.........

THE LATEST ELECTORAL SCORES BY NETWORK AT 8:41PM:

CBS: Obama 102, McCain 54

ABC: Obama 102, McCain 49

Fox News: Obama 103, McCain 69

CNN: Obama 102, McCain 34

BBC America: Obama 103, McCain 49

NBC: Obama 103, McCain 58

NOW at 9pm----

Obama gets Minnesota (God, PLEASE not Al Franken!!!)
Obama gets New York
Obama gets Michigan
McCain gets Wyoming
Obama gets New Mexico
Obama gets Wisconsin
Obama gets Vermont
McCain gets North Dakota
McCain gets Kansas

Let's go with Obama 183, McCain 81.........from Fox.....
Let's go with Obama 174, McCain 100....on CBS....
Let's go with Obama 174, McCain 76....on ABC, the Stephanop....the Stepha....George's network.
Let's go with Obama 175, McCain 70....on NBC (The Obama Network)

Kevin Tibbles of NBC says Grant Park reminds him of Woodstock. I see people wearing coats, rather than nothing......and they seem orderly, too.

Oh, and there's CNN-------Obama 174, McCain 49. 49??!!??


918pm: Ohio does go to Obama, according to Fox News. 183-81 now the score.

Obama up 174-115 on CBS right now. I can't wait to see what kind of confetti they throw over on MSNBC when it's 270, which should be at 11pm when California falls.

Meanwhile, BBC America continues to show its ignorance with some dumb reporter saying Palin was a drag.......maybe Romney would have been better, blah, blah, blah, and former U.N. Ambassador Bolton SCHOOLED her.

"I think you show a fundamental ignorance of the Republican Party", says Bolton to the idiot reporter. Palin energized the base. McCain NEVER did. Romney NEVER did. For one independent she may have created a question mark in their mind, there were more conservatives than came aboard.

They quickly ended the live shot with that reporter at McCain HQ in Phoenix, tried to switch to another, couldn't, and the anchor (OOPS!) admitted the truth......

"Maybe we did that just to stop the argument....."

Meanwhile, of ALL PEOPLE, Larry Sabato (??!!??!!) was sitting there?? On BBC America???

-------925pm: Wolf Blitzer teases a big projection! Fox News says 200-81........

AND?????? La dee la dee da..........nothin'.........

Thanks, Wolf. Go teleport somebody.......

CBS says 194 to 124 now.
ABC says 195 to 90 now.
NBC says 200 to 85 now.
Fox now 200-90.

Fox gives Louisiana to McCain.
Fox gives New Mexico to Obama.

Rob breaks to show stupidity........

Brian Williams, thank you for reminding us that I live in the area of the former "Capital of the Confederacy".........as my county, Henrico County, was featured by Chuck Todd as a Republican suburban area of Virginia now taken by Obama.

A Democratic operative told Brian today about how bad they want to win there!

Yes, because obviously there are people who STILL THINK we're the Capital of the Confederacy! Sorry, but that makes me MAD; thanks, Brian!

Oh, and Brian-----we elected the first-ever African-American Governor......he lived in the Capital of Richmond......NEARLY 20 YEARS AGO??!!??!!

We now return to live blogging, hopefully without stupid interruptions......

9:42pm------Tavis Smiley discusses dividends with, that guy, on NBC. He says dividends about nine times in two minutes. Interesting perspective; think I'll keep an eye on his show going forward, even if it is on PBS (hee hee.....)

9:45pm------On Fox, Sen. Bill Casey of Pa. thinks that 51 percent of the vote for Obama in the popular vote means a broad victory. Heh?

The Democrats are already spinning a "mandate". Hold up a sec.....

1) The Dems are only getting more seats in Congress because of such an unpopular President. The President creates "coattails" or "drags", Congress never does.

2) Guess who has a LOWER approval rating right now? Bush? NO---Congress!!! Led by the Dems.....but that doesn't matter right now.

3) Finally----51 percent of the electorate is NOT a mandate; never. Ever. 1996, when Clinton was re-elected 49 to 40 over Bob Dole is the closest we've had to a mandate in the past 20 years. Still, Clinton never won 50 percent of the vote in either election to the Presidency.

Real mandates? Try:

1984: Reagan wins 58.8 percent of the popular vote.
1972: Nixon wins 60.7 percent of the popular vote.
1964: LBJ wins 61.1 percent of the popular vote.
1956: Eisenhower wins 57.4 percent of the popular vote.

10pm ET--------

Obama gets Iowa (switching from GOP, like Ohio and New Mexico)

McCain gets the token prize of Texas (did anyone remember Texas??)

Fox News says 207 to 129
CNN says 206 to 89
BBC America says 207 to 135

Speaking of......the BBC America anchor now asks Larry Sabato if this will be a "mandate". Sabato reminds the Brits that the last Democrat to get more than 50 percent of the vote was Jimmy Carter in 1976.........LBJ gets the last Democratic "mandate", he reminds them. In a nice way, Sabato says, NO.

Now, from Times Square, another BBC blonde, this one with cleavage, who wasn't ready for her live shot, talks of the "cheers in Times Square" when Obama wins a state, then interviews the elder statesmen, comedian Eddie Izzard.

Oh, dear. Now we welcome Erica Jong. "We've been through so many stolen elections", she proclaims. What? Reagan screwed Mondale?? Bush stole it from Dukakis?? Heh???

I thought Ted Koppel was supposed to be part of their coverage. Maybe he thought the better of it at the last minute.......and RAN!

Jong believes Obama has "serenity". Yes, that'll solve the economic crisis. That should bring Osama Bin Laden out to be arrested, too.

Kum by yah........

----------------------------------------

It's hard to watch ABC News' coverage. Not the bias.

They're constantly showing Times Square. WE WERE THERE!! I WANNA GO BACK!! I LOVE NEW YORK!!!!

ABC says 207-135.
NBC says 207-135.
CBS says 206-135 (where's that other vote?? Dan Rather stole it!!!)
Fox News says 207-129.
CNN says 207-95. Wow, being hard on an old guy, aren't they?

OH!

BBC America says 207-135. On their screen. Anything said on the channel, other than John Bolton and Larry Sabato..........and sometimes Sabato is.......well.........

Bolton just SCHOOLED them again over their Colorado reporter, who Bolton says, should be fired for not interviewing, but arguing with the state Republican committee head.

John Bolton rocks!

--------------------------------------------------

Heading to the bedroom for more.....tired of sitting in Rachel's foldout chair. I once had a recliner. Then I got a mother-in-law in-house temporarily.........so long, recliner! :)

--------------------------------------------------

SPECIAL NOTE!!!!!!--------------I passed an African-American woman, probably over 60, in the parking lot at my voting precinct today and thought to myself, I'm sure she never thought that in her life she would have the chance to vote for an African-American who really had a good chance to win the Presidency.

I thought that was really cool. I thought to myself, "I don't want your guy to win, but...", my feelings have nothing to do with race.

I wish my first friend from elementary school, Darrell, were still here to see this; he went home to be with God in April.

--------------------------------------------------

Back to the hilarity of BBC America, we see they've shown John Bolton the door, and I don't see Larry either. New people and the first I see is some old Clinton crony. They don't show names on this channel, apparently; I've seen two I think tonight.

We're all just waiting for the final dominoes to fall here......

OH WAIT!!!!!! A HOLOGRAM ON CNN!!!!

Anderson Cooper (the gray Darth Vader????) has teleported the sage political scientist.....

Will.I.Am

who is really in Chicago.......

.....had McCain upset Obama, would they have hologrammed Joe The Plumber??

Ewwww......does he have the butt crack thing going on? Didn't think of that.....

OKAY-----back to the Electoral College......

CNN: Obama 207-135
ABC: Obama 207-141
NBC: Obama 207-142
CBS: Obama 206-141
BBC America: 207-141
Fox News: 220-138 (220 because.......)

ALERT-----------------FOX NEWS says OBAMA wins VIRGINIA.........

Wow..........what else can be said?

This-----FOX NEWS is the first media organization to call the Virginia race.

---------------------------------------

Well, as it was when I was on the air live in 1992, when California closed at 11pmET, I led into the news that William Jefferson Clinton would become the 42nd President of the United States.

16 years later.......Barack Obama does the same, about to become #44.

---------------------------------------

CNN gives Virginia to Obama.......

---------------------------------------

Fox News has a blinking 297 on the screen at 10:59ET. Oops......

And at 11pm, the victory.

Lots of people going nuts......Times Square, Chicago.......they're hugging in Times Square, like it's New Year's Eve.......

Well-----LET THE MEDIA PARTY BEGIN!!!

First........good live camera shot on MSNBC of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta; MLK's church.

CNN just showed the church, and good ol' Al Sharpton is there. Well, everything can't be perfect.

---Chris Matthews says the world will wake up tomorrow and say, "Damn it, they did it!"
---Eugene Robinson says American history goes back 389 years. Jamestown was pretend.

McCain has called Obama. Classy to the max. Didn't wait for "the rest of the rest".

---David Gregory says this election wasn't about race. Does that go with or against all we've heard the past many months. Just throwing that one out to y'all.

---Chris Matthews: "The best is yet to come tonight!" referencing Obama coming forth soon to speak to us.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, a moment to say.....

This is a wonderful moment for the United States of America. It's about time. Black, woman, Hispanic......whichever, this is good. Very good.

Now, let's get the rest of the hatred crap out of us (the collective us) and out of the way. Also, those who have used race politically, from both sides, lay it down. It's over.

I must confess I have doubts about much of this. Electing Obama President does not magically make hate and "the race card" disappear. But they should make them SO DULL, that they die of irrelevancy.

-----------------------------------

John McCain, as always, first class as he congratulates Obama.

And that's it from this election headquarters.

HEADLINES AS I LAY ME DOWN:

1) Obama wins historic election, becomes first African-American President
2) Watershed day as youth make impact
3) "Race Card" blunted
4) One more BIG shovel of dirt dumped on top of the grave of an ugly portion of American history

Well, we'll see what happens next. :)

The Interview KYW-TV was "embarrassed" about!

Those Who Hang Palin Don't Hate Her......Or So They Say.....

Imagine, if you will, the uproar had Hillary Clinton been "hanging around" West Hollywood....


"Hillary Victim of Hate Crime!!"

What would Keith Olbermann say? OMG!!!!

Here is what Hillary would say:


More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes.

Clinton co-sponsored the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act:

Title: To provide Federal assistance to States and local jurisdictions to prosecute hate crimes.

Summary:

Provide technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or other assistance in the criminal investigation or prosecution of any violent crime that is motivated by prejudice based on the race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability of the victim or is a violation of hate crime laws.

Award grants to assist State and local law enforcement officials with extraordinary expenses for interstate hate crimes.

Award grants to State and local programs designed to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles.

Prohibit specified offenses involving actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.

Increase criminal sentencing for adult recruitment of juveniles to commit hate crimes.
Collect and publish data about crimes that manifest evidence of prejudice based on gender.

Source: House Resolution Sponsorship 01-HR1343 on Apr 3, 2001

My comment to KYW-TV, CBS3 in Philadelphia, regarding their "embarrassment" at their Biden interview....

"Please, please tell me you have not bowed to the demands of the Obama/Biden campaign and have attempted to pretend the interview with Senator Biden didn't occur.

I cannot find it on your site, and, with the exception of the Breaking News at this hour on the alleged assassination plot against Senator Obama, it should be at the top of your news.

Your station's interview is making headlines nationwide, yet you ignore it?? Your management says it is "embarrassed" by it? Why? It was honest questions to a public figure, something the media is SUPPOSED to do!

I could care less whether the interview had been with Senator Biden or Governor Palin or Mickey Mouse for that matter, I cannot believe the power of the press, in your case and in this instance, has bowed to the strong-arm of the government.

You're supposed to keep them honest, not let them shut you up. When the tough questions aren't asked, people like Richard Nixon stay in office.

Please remember that, no matter WHO occupies the White House in January, 2009. Thank you."

YOU MUST WATCH THIS REPORT!!!!

Now the "bully pulpit" of Obama/Biden has "banned" KWY-TV in Philadelphia from future interviews.......

.....all because they have two anchors not afraid to ask the tough questions.

Which of course means it's "ambush journalism".

KYW has completely sanitized their Web site, acting like the interview never existed. Station management says they are "embarrassed".

Next post is my comment to KYW-TV.

What The??? Rewrite the rules???

It's one thing to push the ultimate reset button for global economics after a catastrophic event like World War II.

But NOW??

This sounds SO MUCH MORE like a secret agenda here. I can't say, as an American, I like the idea of my economic future and hopeful recovery pinned to a program whose mouthpiece is the Italian Prime Minister! I'd like it in the hands of America before we go holding hands with the rest of the world. (Let the idiots begin to accuse me of hating Italians now.....Good Lord!)

Watch this folks, watch this CLOSELY! This would be NOTHING like Bretton Woods. I smell an anti-capitalist rat here.

Here's where I've been.....

I've been hard at work on a new blog dedicated to our radio coverage of Patrick Henry Football on WHAN-AM in Ashland. The blog is actually much more than just about PH football. Check it out by clicking the title above!

Tom Brady didn't die, he's just hurt!

Good Lord, you'd think they were gonna shut down the NFL for the season and award the Lombardi Trophy for Super Bowl 43 to the New England Patriots because the whole world is in mourning over Tom Brady's knee injury.

Headline I saw this morning:

"Will Tom Brady's injury mean to football what Tiger's injury means to golf?"

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Golf is almost irrelevant to pop culture without Tiger.

NFL without Tom Brady? No offense, but, it'll be just fine. I've never once turned on the TV to watch a football game because "I wanna watch Tom Brady".

Had I felt that way as a kid, in 1980, after Dan Pastorini got hurt, I would have been like, "Well, I won't turn on the Raider games with Jim Plunkett at quarterback, I tune in for Dan Pastorini!!"

And I would have missed Super Bowl XV.

NFL equals TEAM SPORT. No offense, but no Brady is no problem. Please welcome Matt Cassell.

OH, and, from the how quickly we forget department, do you remember how we were all introduced to Tom Brady in the NFL??

That's right--the LONG-TIME quarterback of the New England Patriots, Drew Bledsoe, (gasp!) got hurt!!!

Bledsoe never goes down, and who knows where Brady would be today, or if we would have ever heard of him......

So, to all the TV commentators who acted like Brady died Sunday rather than just suffer a season-ending injury, take heart.

There are well over 1500 other players in the NFL. Some pretty good ones, too. We'll be just fine.

And besides, it gives you more time to fixate on Brett Favre, and you media guys LOVE to do that, right??

I Saw The Late Show!!!

Go Sarah!!!

I cannot wait to hear Sarah answer her critics in a few minutes!

Not that any of them (PMSNBC, CNN, Keith Olbermann, Daily Kos, Pravda, et al) will listen....they'll all dismiss her as "not ready".

And Barack Obama's two extra years in the Senate puts him over the top? Show me his administrative experience.....

She has no foreign policy experience, they say! Ah, how much did Bill Clinton have in 1992?

Go Sarah!!!

Home from New York City

I tried to blog from the Big Apple, but couldn't get on Blogger for some reason. The internet connection at our hotel wasn't exactly lightning fast, either, but nonetheless......

Pictures and highlights to follow!!!

Post #900----July's Winning Numbers....

3, 15, 22, 26, and 30.

Vote for Robbie!!!

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

Thank you to "barbie2be" for today's math lesson!!

LIVE BLOGGING: Big Brother 10, Eviction II

Day 16, and it's either a Catholic schoolteacher or a gay rodeo champion who'll leave the Big Brother house in this hour. Only on Big Brother......

805pm---Heard "kick Jerry out" for the first time (Libra)

Dan and Steven take way different routes to "convince" the houseguests. Steven lobbies, while Dan is continuing to lay as low as possible.

809pm---Well, Keesha, Libra, April, Kukla, Fran, and Ollie are faced with an interesting scenario. They think maybe they've been "boxed" in by others. Didn't see those thoughts coming.

On day one, I never would have seen Michelle lowering herself for Jessie. But I digress......

Hey! Angie's sitting on the couch! What else is new?!?

811pm---Memphis mentions "the alliance" and "a huge upper hand"....not knowing the others are figuring them out.

813pm---RACHEL caught it! Keesha is wearing Steven's hat in the diary room. Well, we know there won't be a 4th couple if Steven survives......

Welcome to commercial break.

BREAK ONE RANDOM THOUGHTS: I hope we get some rain overnight, we need it!......pray for the people in South Padre Island, Texas who've had to endure hour after hour after hour of heavy rain and LOTS OF WIND today......

817pm---Jerry sticks up for his right to compete, though he won't be winning any bodybuilding competitions against Jessie anytime soon.

818pm---Libra was truthful, then when Julie brings back the "age" part of the question, she begins to backpedal.

821pm---We're bringing in the families in the "Jessie/Rennie" feud!! Next thing you know, Richard Dawson will make a guest appearance in the house!!

....oh, and by the way, Jessie is ALL about Jessie.

823pm---Is there a "WOOOO" light above the "APPLAUSE" light in front of the BB house?

BREAK TWO RANDOM THOUGHTS: I am so glad to hear my son does NOT want to go see the Pixar-like Star Wars Clone Wars yadda yadda yoda......my brother and I have a live fantasy football draft Saturday night and I have yet to do any studying. Nothing new there! Go with the gut, baby! BTW, we have a guy at work who actually did NOT KNOW about fantasy football until a conversation we had a couple of weeks ago.

Now there are only eight people left in North America who don't know about fantasy football. :)

826pm---Jessie in his room to speak his mind. Does he have one? Sorry.

Ut oh, time to vote!! We hear from Dan first in the "last gasp", gives a pretty good speech. BUT DO NOT EVER TELL JULIE CHEN SHE LOOKS GREAT!!! She is MARRIED TO THE BIGGEST BOSS OF ALL! Then, Steven....what an "inside" speech! Double entendre to the max. Well, at least they understood it. Julie was stunned.

Memphis forgot how to say "I vote to evict....", so he must think Julie is stunning, too. :)

831pm---The vote is 4-nil at the break.

BREAK THREE RANDOM THOUGHTS: Can't wait for "Stepbrothers" to open Friday in theatres nationwide, and promptly close on Saturday. Good Lord, what a waste of cinema. The money spent to make that crap should have been donated to aid the crisis in Darfur!!!

Am I doing alot of complaining tonight? Sorry.....must be the unacceptable temperature condition here in the Big Witham House. It's not under 70 degrees!!

834pm---Libra seals the fate! Steven leaves the BB house in just moments. The first two votes have been very decisive.

836pm---SMART MOVE by Keesha to vote for Steven, lest she be the "Dan" of this past week (be the only one to vote for someone and pay for it....at least Dan didn't pay the ultimate price.)

A quiet goodbye from Steven, and then there were 11.

838pm---Big Brother beats the bull!!! 24/7 versus eight seconds. I don't think Steven could have lasted much longer no matter what. He's shaky.

The goodbye messages were cool, especially Dan. Good job, Dan. We shouldn't label. "You're not gay Steven." Good call.

BREAK FOUR RANDOM NOTES: Wifey speaking to her Dad on the phone and gives him cat claws when he asks if our trampoline "can hold her". Remember, she's down over 70 pounds. Only makes her quicker to the punch. I oughta know. :) :)

BTW----not to be negative, BUT I HOPE the first show cancelled this fall is "The Mentalist". I'm SICK of the commercials. Bring back "The Tudors", or as we called them, "The Putins"! That's for another post.

845pm---OH NO!! It's the "HUGE BIG BROTHER ALIEN OF GREEN-NESS!!" Rennie was HILARIOUS! April, then Jessie, and now Rennie. Next?

848pm---The "Alien Abduction" begins.

Goodbye, April.
Goodbye, Rennie. (Rats)
Goodbye, Angie. (double rats!!)
Goodbye, Jerry.
Goodbye, Michelle.
Goodbye, Dan.
Goodbye, Memphis.
Goodbye, Ollie.

Keesha or Libra?

KEESHA, MY FRIENDS!!! Rachel and wifey applaud happily. Libra remembers to act happy and congratulate her, albeit on a four-second delay.

BREAK FIVE, AND FINAL, RANDOM THOUGHTS: When you take a second look at a woman on TV that's definitely in her 50s.....what does that say about me?

It says I'm simply maturing. YES!!!

855pm---What would Julie do without the cord and "thumb-puncher"?

FINAL THOUGHT: Oh, Julie, technically, Keesha isn't the first lady to reach the HoH Bedroom. Just ask Michelle.

GOOD NIGHT!!!

Lots to mention, part one......

I know I'm in the minority, but Billy Packer deserves a better send-off than this.

1) If he was as deplorable as the blogosphere said he was, how did he last 34 years? At the top of his profession?

2) As for the "it's over" declaration during the Kansas/UNC game, what everyone fails to mention is......HE WAS RIGHT. UNC didn't come back, Kansas disappeared. Once they woke up, the Heels were back to being the 'Hawks punching bag.

3) I have a feeling many of the people hooting the loudest over this announcement probably don't remember the team of Jim Thacker and Billy Packer calling ACC Basketball in the 1970s, or his teaming with Dick Enberg and Al McGuire to make the best three-man announcing team in TV sports history. I know, I hear you...."I didn't grow up in ACC Country!!". Sorry for you! :)

I salute Billy on a great career, and, except for some regional work with the ACC, I suspect he's done. He seems like the kinda guy that closes a door and moves on.

Kinda like that quarterback kid from Mississippi.

Oh, sorry.

Some tweaks to the ol' blog here......

.....certainly nothing of worldwide importance. Some new, or should I say updated and better-worded bio information. I found today doing searches that another Rob Witham is now more prominently featured in results.

That's fine; he and his content seem to be great, so props come from here. But I want to make sure, especially on the Rob Witham Media business side, that I'm getting some good placement. Time for a crash course on SEO. :)

The new tagline up top and new version of my profile I think better reflect what's going on with us right now, and more a synopsis of "us" rather than "that which we speak of". Duh, I should promote our voices by, ah, blog posts! :)

I want to do at least one "live blog" event this weekend, but I'm not announcing it yet, knowing that lately my blog plans have fallen victim to my exhaustion. I will say this much, hope to talk to you Sunday night. :)

We Salute Another Flintstones character: 88 Fingers Louie

When asked why he sells his pianos out of a van in an alley, 88 Fingers Louie says, "I eliminate the overhead and pass the savings on to you!"

I'm White, But Have A Question......

Quite a few of my friends and neighbors growing up were black.

Big deal. I never once thought to myself, "How black do I have to be to be accepted by them?"

So, having ZERO experience understanding this apparent dynamic, I ask Jesse Jackson and his friends.......

"How black does Barack Obama have to be to be an "acceptable black" candidate? Or person, for that matter?"

His off-color comment about Obama was childish (not knowing a "mic was live" is no excuse for a man who's made a living talking into microphones), but the whole "talking down to black people" thing.

Telling men to be fathers. That's not talking down, that's just speaking the truth.

I wonder out loud when Bill Cosby went into the "not black enough" category by raising the same issues??

We'll never be a colorblind world until EVERYONE stops looking through their "insert color here" colored glasses.

Big Brother 10 Houseguests! Meet 'em!

Hanover Tomato Festival Goes Worldwide!!

Before we delve into the media news, a salute to the Hanover Tomato Festival, going on today!

At 11:30am, the term "Hanover Tomato Festival" was #18 on Google's Top 100 Hot Trends search for that hour!!

#18! In the entire world!! MORE PROOF there's no tomato better than a Hanover tomato.

Avalanche of Media News......

There is SO MUCH to blog about......

....that it must wait until tomorrow afternoon. I need sleep tonight to make it through my half-day of work tomorrow, followed by a BBQ at work (a place of employment that likes to have families together! Wow!!).......

....then I'm coming home to say ALOT, because I have alot to say about the LA Times, Rush Limbaugh, Less Is More, when a TV station should NOT announce layoffs, and more!

And did I hear Brett Favre might be thinking there's more to life than NFL Sunday Ticket?

Happy almost 4th, everyone!

Dear Lara Logan.......

.....how about lunch? You are stateside now, in DC, which is only two hours from here. I'm willing to drive three-quarters of the way and meet at Potomac Mills!

Of course, my kid, kids, wife, or any combination thereof will be with me!

I can only imagine the types of stories you have from the front lines. I'll also bring a dictionary, for I could listen to you read the dictionary with your accent. It rocks!

When you have a free midday, let us know. The Withams would love to meet you! And, yes, it's true, it's that Rob guy most interested. :)

June's Winning Numbers....

....1, 15, and 30.

Oops.....in advance.......

Have you ever made a mistake before officially "making" it?

Sure you have. You hate the feeling as your time-space continuum approaches the moment that it's going to happen, because you've already pushed the button, so to speak, and you're just waiting for the explosion.

I did just this today. And though I know I'll make more in life, I won't make this one again.

I'm so happy that God heals our pain in life. But sometimes I get annoyed by how incredibly LONG it takes for the healing to take place. I still have more of this "road of healing" to travel.

Have a good weekend, everyone. :)

Wow.....another newspaper bloodletting.....

.....the layoffs in newspaper are everywhere, but this one, percentage-wise, is unreal.

Read the bad news here. I pray for all those who are let go; I've been down that road, and didn't enjoy a minute of it.

I only worked at the Times-Dispatch four weeks, but this still hits close to home. Too close. :(

CBS6/Fox Richmond Sale Update: "Carma" is a wink-wink LLC.....

....so, basically, Sinclair owns two TV stations in Richmond, isn't suppose to, but uses a loophole. I must admit chuckling to myself with some disdain regarding the comments of Sinclair's CFO David Amy.....

....kinda like when your kid has chocolate around his mouth and when you ask if he ate the chocolate chip cookies, he answers, "I dunno....", and shrugs his shoulders at the appropriate time.

When asked about Carma, he said,

"'I don't know where they're located," Amy said of Carma. "They're a [limited liability company] in Virginia. As far as their address, I don't have their address."

In fact, forms filed with the State Corporation Commission list Carma's address as 1925 Westmoreland St., the same address for WRLH. A search of the FCC database did not yield any information on Carma.

WRLH General Manager Steven Genett is on vacation and could not be contacted for this story."

---------------------------------------------

You know, kinda like, "I just sold my car!" "Who bought it?", the neighbor asks. "I dunno!", you reply.

Read the details here, and kudos to the Times-Dispatch for digging into the story to discover that the "Carma" in this story just didn't feel right.

Sinclair Swaps Signals, Buys CBS6; Who Is Carma??

And the winner of the CBS6 Ownership Sweepstakes is Sinclair Broadcasting!

Today they announced the purchase of the "Wagon Train" station for $85 million, while selling off WRLH/Fox Richmond to the broadcast powerhouse, Carma Broadcasting, LLC.

What? Who? Didn't find a corporate site on Google. Maybe I'm missing something.

Oh, well-----those who feel Sinclair has politically "meddled" in its station broadcasting will, I'm sure, be watching the CBS6 News Department like a hawk. In the meantime, Sinclair says it will continue to provide "sales and non-programming services" for Fox Richmond.

So will they still utilize NBC12 talent for their News at Ten? Wouldn't seem to make sense.

Don't be surprised if the gang at CW News at Ten becomes Fox News at Ten at some point in the future, and vice versa.

I can hear the new slogan for Curt and Diane if they're on CW:

"We've got all this news, but only half the time!"

See? Naps ARE a good thing!

Read on, my friends!

41.......

Coming home from work today, I realized there's not alot of cultural references to the number 41.

Bush 41? That's only applicable to one man. It's the 13th smallest prime number. It's the atomic number of niobium. Montana was the 41st state admitted to the Union.

In Christianity, it represents the 39 lashes given to Christ, plus the spear thrust in His side, and the crown of thorns placed on His head. This is definitely the meaning to revere.

So, now 41 can add another meaning; for the next year. My age.

As The Who once said so well:

"...this is no social crisis, just another tricky day for you."

A Tribute To "The T-Man": Terry Sisisky

In my radio career, I have logged many an hour behind the console in a studio running the board for sports broadcasts. My first-ever airshift on commercial radio was running a University of Massachusetts football game in 1985.

I've "board op'ed" (as we used to call it in radio) for UMass Football, the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Bruins, Virginia Tech football and basketball, William & Mary football and basketball, VMI football, James Madison University football and basketball, and the "original" Richmond Renegades hockey team of the 1990s.

But my best experiences, my best memories of spending an evening in the studio listening for cues to play commercials or the famous "station identification" are from my years running VCU Basketball broadcasts back on "the real" WDYL back in the late 80s and early 90s.

Why? Because of the man at courtside behind the mic: Terry Sisisky.

There is no one quite like T-Man. He is an never-ending explosion of energy, usually a nervous wreck, and one of the greatest conversationalists I've ever had the pleasure of shooting the breeze with.

For example, if you're a true baseball fan (meaning you appreciate the history of the game, not just what's going on now), I dare you to ask Terry this question:

"Should Bert Blyleven be in the Baseball Hall of Fame?"

You've automatically triggered a 30 minute non-stop conversation of information and fascination. I know, I fondly remember spending that time and more debating that very question with him in my office at WDYL, lo those many years ago.

But, back to VCU. He'd call the station to hook up and be scared stiff we wouldn't get on. And we would. And he'd display his nervousness during breaks, in a positive way. And then he'd call the game with a style and personna that no one else has. Why? Because they're not The T-Man.

Terry Sisisky is passion on two legs. He absolutely loves VCU and their basketball program. That's why it came as a huge surprise to me when I read online today of his decision to hang up the headphones at the Siegel Center after nearly three decades at courtside.

What I appreciate the most from Terry is he is that rare combination of what some people refer to when discussing sports announcers as a "homer", defined as someone showing bias for "the home team" when describing the action, reacting to calls, etc., and a good old fashioned realist.

Time after time I'd hear Terry, in his voice, urge the Rams on to victory. Nothing wrong with that. But if they simply just couldn't hit the shot, but played well, he'd tell you that. And, frankly, if they sucked and couldn't hit the broad side of the barn, well, he'd tell you that, too. He never had a problem telling the home fans of the troubles and failures of their home team. And I always appreciated that.

Read THIS ARTICLE where Terry explains his decision, and reveals which of his two broadcasting passions he is continuing to allow to burn.

I'm starting my 7th season soon covering Patrick Henry High School football (my alma mater!) on WHAN Radio in Ashland, and hardly a Friday evening goes by where I have to stop myself from opening the broadcast with:

"Once again a very pleasant good evening everyone and welcome to Patrick Henry High School Football."

Because up unto the "welcome to...." point, I would be blatantly stealing Terry's opening line from VCU broadcasts.

I did, though, borrow his closing.

Which is why I sign off by saying either:

"We bid you a good night from Ashland, Virginia!", if it's a home game, or:
"We bid you a good night from " " High School, if it's an away game.

I hope T-Man doesn't mind a bit of him sticking with me.

The final T-Man story I'll share is from April 25, 1997. After nine years, I was leaving my management post and on-air broadcast position at WDYL. That morning, while cleaning up some last things in my office....who stops by to say hello?

Yep. He sure did. And I've never, ever forgotten that.

Terry, maybe, just maybe, the Good Lord will let Petersburg and Patrick Henry meet in the Division 5 Regional Playoffs this year. We'd get to share a booth and finally call the same game together, albeit it on opposite sides and on different stations.

But there's no doubt who would offer the best play-by-play.

And it definitely would not be me.

Circuit City-----one step closer to the "final fizzle"

I think it might even be too late at this point to "rewind" this company and take them back to the days of:

"The Loading Dock" or even "Wards"!!!

Get back to your roots, eh? I think it may be too late for even that. And that makes me sad, because I NEVER want to see a homegrown company fade away.

The latest bad $$$ news for Circuit City here.

WHEW!!!!!

I've had new jobs, but I've never been the first person ever to hold a position with a company before. It brings its own set of challenges, exciting mind you, but still challenging!

So, these past several days have been spent doing the following:

1) Getting settled at Robinson Radio! Getting to know the clients, new contacts, get my brain around the current systems and what efficiencies are needed to better them (as well as me!!) It's fun and NOT boring, that's for sure! I don't know what's coming from day to day, and that's cool by me.

2) The end of the school year! Robbie was ready to get out of school in, well, at Christmas Break. Rachel, meanwhile, ended her elementary school years last Friday, called me at the office crying, which made me cry, and she is ALREADY bored. And there's 10 1/2 weeks of summer vacation left! Go ahead, sing the Phineas and Ferb theme song now if you'd like......

She's missing her friends more this year than ever, and I think it has to do with going up to middle school next year. I also think the struggles I had for months losing my friend connections at Clear Channel had somewhat of an effect on her, too. Mom told her, "It's part of life, get over it." Rachel answered, "I'm like my Dad, and I can't just get over it." I'm proud of her. If you "get over" being with a friend hours a day, five days a week in a quick manner, it makes me wonder if you really, really enjoyed being around them in the first place, or if they were just "convenient friends". Know what I mean?

3) Sleep. Need I say more?

4) ANOTHER PET!!!! Starbuck Rock Witham, a new teeny-tiny Siamese Kitten entered the Witham Nation over the weekend. I come home from work this evening, and he's in my recliner. He's already taking over. :)

--------------------------

Then there's all the news and events I've been REALLY wanting to blog about, but didn't have time!!!

---The Death of Tim Russert: I heard the news from Sean Hannity on his radio show on an Internet stream, who actually announced it before it was posted on MSNBC.com, by about two to three minutes. Many "TV Heads" were right in saying the tributes to Russert got to be a bit much after awhile. I could understand NBC's coverage Friday afternoon/evening, and their prime time special was well done. I also understood Sunday's Meet The Press (wow, what a moving show!) and today's funeral coverage. But there was lots more than that, and it was somewhat overboard. I think part of it was because NBC News was so stunned, they didn't know what else to do at that moment, and subconsciously used coverage to help cope. Though the coverage was too saturated over the weekend, I can't fault their emotional state.

And I'm SURE if Tim Russert were here to see it, he would've put a stop to it about four minutes after the death announcement. What a shame that a man who loved politics and Presidential years (especially this one) won't be able to cover the November election.

---OIL!!!! I love the ignorant Democratic mantra:

"Even if we start drilling today, it wouldn't affect the price of gas for five to ten years."

Okay, then. You then admit had we started drilling TEN YEARS AGO, our prices would be LOWER today!

Are there Republicans in bed with oil? I'm sure. But Democratic thinking on this issue simply boggles the mind. They want conservation! It'll bring price relief quicker!

Good Lord, AL GORE's electric usage doesn't hold water!

So, why is it that we, Americans, you know, the innovators, the hard-working people of the world, for some reason, according to "insert politician name here", can't go after:

---Conservation
---New Oil Drilling Offshore AND in Anwr
---AND, AND create new energy sources!! More nuclear plants, more wind energy, more solar energy.

Why don't we, as Americans, go for it all!!! We settled the land, won our independence, got to the moon, got the nuclear bomb first before Hitler (imagine had he gotten it first)......we can do it all!

If the idiots who clog up our 6:30 newscasts would just get out of the way and shut up.

WHEW! There's other stuff in the world to discuss, but I'm all oiled out for now. Back soon. Sooner than 10 days. Honest!

Follow the bouncing Rob!

Rob has updated job news!

It's coming soon.

Until then, I haven't disappeared; today for example, I sacrificed myself for the kids at Busch Gardens. It was horribly hot. No other way to describe it.

May's Winning Numbers.....

.....9, 11, 22, and 31.

Considering all the strangeness that May contained, that's not bad.

FUTURE BREAKING NEWS: THE YEAR 2019

Groundbreaking took place earlier today outside Chicago for the Barack Obama Presidential Library, just three years after the one-time Illinois Senator completed two terms in office as America's first African-American President.

In a related story, former New York Senator Hillary Clinton announced she has not conceded the 2008 Democratic Primary race just yet, and will be meeting with her advisers and other party leaders later this week to see how the groundbreaking will affect her future role in the party, and her future personally in politics.

I am alive!!!

It's been a whirlwind last few weeks. Training and starting my new job, plus some substituting, dealing with routine changes here at home (as I work 4p to midnight now instead of days), the kids' winding down school, and the usual ups and downs of life.

OH, and a great holiday weekend with my bro and sis-in-law, including lunch at Roy's Big Burger!!

I'll be around more soon. I have lots I want to talk about, though the train has already left the station on most of the current events that made me wish to comment.

That's okay, I'm sure there's more where that came from!

Now, to remember to feed the fish when I get home!

So, exactly what has come to pass in these past six months......

Random thoughts now on things which have happened, people I've met, things in general that are in my life now that weren't there on 11/5/07 when I was advised to leave the Clear Channel Hotel.....

---the TV writers went back to work before I could....
---but, no new episode of "24" to be had....
---Henrico elected a practically new School Board....
---NFL fans went nuts when they couldn't see Dallas/Green Bay on NFL Network
---NFL fans went nuts when they couldn't see New England/Giants on NFL Network when the Patriots were going for 16-0, so they brought NBC and CBS in to broadcast it, too.
---the almost complete disappearance of Michelle Malkin from cable news.
---I'm glad I didn't own a radio station in town and had earlier come to agreement on a four-year deal to broadcast Richmond Braves baseball games.....
---Hanover beats PH, part deux, ending the Patriots' season at 7-5 in the Regional Final.
---Phineas and Ferb ("MOM! PHINEAS AND FERB ARE MAKING A TITLE SEQUENCE!!!")
---The ridiculous loss of Sean Taylor
---Michael Vick to jail....
---The death of Benazir Bhutto
---The shooting at New Life Church in Colorado
---The shooting at Northern Illinois University
---On a better note, my first salad at Chili's
---Mitt Romney's hair
---Mike Huckabee's guitar
---Ron Paul is still running for President somewhere
---Fred Thompson's Emmy winning performance as Best Actor Who Ran For President But Really Didn't Want To....
---No snowstorms in Richmond this winter (shut up, Gore)
---The New York Giants. Enough said. :)
---Geico's string of mediocre ads ends thanks to Mrs. Butterworth
---Led Zeppelin played their first concert in 25 years. 20,000 people suffered minor burns on their thumbs living in the past by using their lighters instead of their cell phone lights.
---The Fed cut interest rates 64 times to its current negative five percent.
---Queen Elizabeth just won't die.
---Some State U. beat some Tech in some sort of Bowl game sponsored by a company who just laid off a few thousand workers. Tens of people cheered from the stands.
---Wifey thinks constant throwing up and severe pain is a great way to get attention. It also got her gall bladder removed.
---My daughter fell in love with Jeff Hardy.
---My son keeps the faith to get in shape and become the next big WWE Superstar.
---Harry J learns quickly when it's time to go onto the front porch to greet Rachel off the bus.
---Oil prices eclipse $100, $105.....$768.....whatever.
---Gas prices eclipse the numbers found on your paycheck.
---We are introduced to John King and the CNN Magic Wall, the CNN Election Center that looks like the old Match Game set with the rows of three pundits each....
---Keith Olbermann committing the kiss of death in Liberal-land, that is, up until late 2007, by trying to push Hillary outta the way ever since, oh, I don't know....Iowa, maybe?
---"Senator Obama.....can we get you anything?"
---"Senator Obama.....are you sure, because it's not a problem."
---Mom sees wrestling live and survives.
---John McCain and Mitt Romney have the only fireworks of the Republican campaign at a debate at the Reagan library. Nancy kicks 'em both in the groin and tells them to grow up.
---Bill Richardson suspends his Presidential campaign, immediately begins growing the Obama beard.
---Bill Clinton single-handedly provides You Tube enough "blow-up" moments to teach the next generation how NOT to handle themselves during pressure situations.
---John Edwards ends Presidential campaign, completing a five-year, two-election cycle with every hair on his head in place at every single public function.
---Parts of China paralyzed for days by huge snowstorm (what about it, Al??)
---Tim Russert officially taken off Hillary Clinton Christmas card list
---Super Tuesday.
---Super Tuesday II.
---Sicka Tuesday III.
---Roger Clemens equals Cy Young total with mistress total.
---Fidel Castro retires and enjoys his new-found love, cable TV.
---Earthquakes everywhere...Peru, Sumatra, Nevada, Illinois, China.......
---Groundhog saw his shadow, gave us six more weeks of Clinton/Obama and said, "so long, suckers!" before burrowing back home.
---Brett Favre announces retirement
---The fall of Eliot Spitzer
---The Atlanta tornado during the SEC Tournament.
---Davidson to the Elite Eight.
---Kansas in overtime.
---Price of "Love My Bear Stearns!" t-shirts go into freefall
---Blow out the Olympic torch anyone???

(editors note: In 1996, I covered the Olympic torch coming through Richmond, live, on the radio. In retrospect, I'm not sure how the flame came out on the dial.)

---Ric Flair retired. Honest. I think. :)
---Pope Benedict to America. In a little known fact, the night before he celebrated Mass in Yankee Stadium, he got the save for the Cardinals. Get it?
---Robbie gets to Chicago, sleeps thru an earthquake, and sees Da Cubbies!!
---Danica Patrick gets off the shnide!!!
---BIG BROTHER!!! My TV haven in lieu of no "24".

Highlights?

---Sheila and Adam, the hatin' couple, end up in the final three. They were my favorites anyway.
---Sharon was on the block for 74 weeks before being evicted.
---Ryan got SO lucky on day 28 when they split up the couples.
---James, could you just leave already?

And let's not forget Big Brother After Dark, featuring:

---Joshuah playing bowling with objects I cannot remember
---Watching Ryan and Adam play golf with plastic toys
---The night Sharon saved the snail and had Sheila "snail-sit" it while she had to report to the diary room
---When it was only Ryan and Adam left, Bonnie enjoyed one night where they showed both of them.....sleeping.
---Chess games.
---And, occasionally, some interesting conversation.
---And, 15,204 promos for "The Tudors". Good Lord.

We lost....

---Evel Knievel
---Jim Beauchamp
---Don Chevrier
---Dan Fogelberg
---Beverlee McKinsey
---Eight Belles
---Lynne "Angel" Harvey
---Jim Hager
---Paul Davis
---Stanley Kamel
---Charlton Heston
---Richard Widmark
---Ivan Dixon
---Gary Hart
---Eve Carson
---William F. Buckley
---Larry Norman
---John Shand
---Johnny Weaver
---John McWethy
---Suzanne Pleshette
---Lois Nettleton
---Allan Melvin
---Bobby Fischer
---Ernie Holmes
---Sir Edmund Hillary

....and a trip to Virginia Beach, a flirt with Big Brother 10, and lots of naps.

I CANNOT WAIT to get back to work! :)

April's Winning Numbers.....

....are 9 and 27.

Oh, dear.

Oh, well........

.....welcome Darren McFadden to the already crowded backfield in Oakland.

BTW, who gave Justin Fargas a new contract anyway?? WHAT?????

Quick last-second draft thoughts......

1) To the Oakland Raiders----PLEASE do NOT take Darren McFadden. That's all we need; most of our $$$ tied up on two "rookies" as catalysts of the offense. We need to replace Warren Sapp. We need a defensive stud. And since it looks like Howie's boy can't make it two generations in Oakland, we'll welcome Ghoulston, but DEFINITELY would welcome Glenn Dorsey!!!!

2) To the New York Giants----get a linebacker and a DB. And, in round 7, grab a kicker to scare Lawrence Tynes!!!

Muslims, Christians, Apostasy, Death Threats, and the British MSM.....

....the church I pastored supports a missionary family whose work has been/is to evangelize to Muslims in and around London, England.

Doesn't sound too tough when you think of the stereotypical "missionary" picture that comes to your mind. You know, jungles, dirty bare feet, strange people with piercings speaking a language no one knows, and you, the missionary, enjoy life in a hut.

Think again.

It's not the clothes or the shelter that often determine a degree of "difficulty", to the human eye at least, when it comes to the life of a missionary family.

I know that for my friends in England, 9/11 changed their entire lives, ministry focus, purpose, reactions.....everything.

So, when you read THIS article, note how the tide of "theocracy thought" amongst younger British Muslims is rising. Many believe, don't throw the book (secular laws) at them, throw the Quran. And they DON'T live in a country run by a "religious" faction, et al.

But note even moreso, how HORRIBLE the persecution is on those who choose to believe Christ, leaving their Muslim faith behind.

I know if one of my kids ever came to me and announced they were converting away from Christianity, I would be wounded to the core, but I would LOVE them, and BE with them, and, least of all....I wouldn't try to KILL them!!

And I add my thanks to the British media for finally showing their countrymen how some of their own wish to discard the government and begin to rule Britain in a totally different light.

My TV loss is Dallas' gain......

Jennifer Lopez has exited the Weather Channel. She is going to the NBC affiliate in Dallas, Texas.

For me, she ranks with Jeanetta Jones and Jill Brown as my all-time favorite Weather Channel ladies. Good luck to the REAL J-Lo! :)

Mourning the loss of another lifelong friend.....

I lost my first best friend in 2003, eight months after my mama died. He was only 36.

Saturday I shockingly discover that the first friend I made in first grade, another lifelong friend, had died suddenly at age 40. Arrangements are pending.

If I'm not around for awhile, I just wanted to let the world know why.

It's Official: MY SON CAN SLEEP THROUGH AN EARTHQUAKE

Yep. He's tried to tell us for years he was a heavy sleeper. And we knew that, as he sleeps nightly in his bedroom while his TV blares away for all the animals to be annoyed by (and yes, his sister's TV is the same way....).....

Now we have concrete proof. The 5.2 earthquake that hit Southern Illinois at 4:36AM CT was centered about 230 miles south of the Windy City, but it swayed the skyscrapers there. Didn't sway Robbie.

Neatly wrapped in his sleeping bag somewhere in his hotel room with who knows how many guys and chaperones.....he never felt a thing.

When he called this morning, his focus was on the fact he'd lost his good sunglasses.

Sure is good to write about my son and a surprise earthquake, and be able to humor about it.

------------------------------------------------------------------

GENERATION ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!

This afternoon after a half day of substituting a marvelous group of third graders, I sat my keyster in front of the TV to watch a Cubs/Pirates baseball game.

Why in the world would I do that?

Because a Witham would be there. :)

Robbie made it to Wrigley Field today, and we talked twice by phone. After our call just after the game ended, I realized the following.

1) I remember my Dad talking about going to Fenway Park in Boston when he was young and he saw the great Ted Williams hit a home run during a game.

2) So, in 1985, when I made it to Fenway Park, I couldn't help but use the pay phone, call back home to Virginia, just to tell my Dad, "Guess where I am? I'm at Fenway!"

3) In 2008, my son, no sports fan, calls me at home twice from one of the three baseball stadiums I want to visit before dying, Wrigley Field. He got there before I did. And that's fine with me. :)

Had I pondered it another 20 seconds, I would have blubbered. :)

THIS HAS BEEN A WITHAM GENERATION ALERT.......