outskirts: life and times in charlottesville

Every since day in this village becomes a bit more depressing. The rest of this country continues to improve conditions for non-smokers. States are banning smoking at eating/drinking establishments. Cities are banning it. Individual establishments are banning here.

Here in the historic heart of Virginia the smoking rages on at every restaurant. People love to smoke. Friday night I was out and people would say, “I don’t smoke, but can I light up?” She would quickly respond that it was fine. She was about six months pregnant. I guess she doesn’t care about the smoke, since she probably was out back grabbing a puff anyway.

This morning at a popular breakfast spot there are a variety of people. Those reading the Daily Regress are all smoking right now. Those reading the NYT are not smoking. Do you see a trend here? I wonder if they go to the local CVS to buy the Regress while picking up a pack of sticks.

Eventually my depression will get me out of here to a place where smoking is not the state hobby (since people can then deduct it on their taxes…they love that feature).

How long will that be? A year? A year and a month? Nine months?

Puff, puff. Gang arrests. Pastors having sex with kids in the parish, McCain hanging out with Jerry Falwell, jeepers creepers – alleged peepers set free. All the fun of the village. Puff.

Many people are shocked that the American Idol Chris something got the boot last night. I wasn’t particularly surprised, and actually made a little money on the outcome.

He is from here in Virginia and for the past N weeks of this season, the Daily Regress would cover his story every week. Since he got the boot today he got the front page. I guess that is far more important than the other fun stuff in town like gang activity, housing developments (although that did make the corner of the front page), and arrests made for the student that died at UVA in March due to alcohol poisoning.

Sounds like someone in the area got a new banjo. The hideous hillbilly sound won’t go away. I’ll bet some whiskey and a cousin are involved, and probably some chicken legs.

When I head out running there are a few major intersections where I often get a chance to rest a bit while waiting for the lights to change. While waiting I tend to watch people as they drive. SUV’s and cars zip on by. One person in almost every vehicle. No one thinking about the concept of carpooling despite the constant complaints of gas costs. A good chunk of people sitting there with a cig dangling from their lips. The funniest view of them all was so typical of C-Ville…

A woman in a big SUV was sitting at the light. In the back seat was the small kid all strapped down in a safety seat (did you ever notice those are similar to torture devices from older civilizations?). The country music discussing cousins getting married was blaring. As she sat there she reached over to the front passenger seat. A second later a cigarette was in her mouth and the lighter flared up. The first puff of smoke must have been thrilling. She seemed pumped. I’ll be the kid strapped down in the back seat was also loving every second of it. As the slogan says: Virginia is for lovers [of tobacco].

What is it about HDTV here in Virginia? Why can’t this state that seems to think it is modern broadcast a signal in HD? WRIC didn’t produce!

WRIC is the ABC in Richmond, and the only ABC HD signal that can be received in the village. I used to write them quite often last year when their HD was exceptionally flaky. It has slowly improved since then. They recently changed their system so that all content fills the screen, even when it is low def. That would be fine, but the problem is shows that are supposed to be HD are often getting left in LD mode, but zoomed.

Does WRIC think HD viewers won’t notice a difference? Did someone forget to flip a switch? Is the switch broken? Did Richmond really get taken out by the bird flu? Last night I wanted to watch that breaking news about the bird flu destroying our state, but it was low def and zoomed to fill the screen. It was unwatchable. After that Boston Legal was in low def as well. All I can say is it isn’t the same watching that blonde lawyer in low def.

This primitive state where counties must issue warnings that movies on TV are fiction, and can’t produce a high def signal is killing me. Why can’t the stations modernize (not just WRIC…all the other C-Ville stations should be included) and broadcast in a modern fashion?

I want my HDTV!

Costs associated with 4th Street continue to mount. Currently a group of eight are scraping the “temporary road markings” on 5th street. I guess they don’t want people using that as a spare road as well. I still laugh when people begin driving right down the mall and ask for directions to the hotel. On 4th there is a kind officer who stands there to help out with the lunchtime crowd. We don’t want anyone getting run down after getting a salad from the Country Store.

The stop sign for cars passing northward under the bridge has been removed (the base is marginally visible in this photo), as well as the gigantic DO NOT ENTER sign along the southward direction. With no stop sign heading northward I think the impact will be just a bit greater as trucks roll right through there and get pinned under the tracks due to excessive truck height. That seems to happen about once per week based on casual observations. I wonder if a truck will finally knock something loose?

Nothing like the local authorities taking control of a situation.

In an attempt to head off a War of the Worlds-esque panic, complete with suicides and mile-long traffic jams down evacuation routes, Albemarle County has released a list of tips to help residents differentiate between bird flu fact and fiction.

I know I worry about such things here in the outskirts of America. If bird flu was going to hit, this would be the ideal location. Here little birdie. Would you like some cracked corn?

For true panic, C-Ville is no longer the best town in America according to a pointless ranking. As a matter of fact, we aren’t even tops in the commonwealth. Richmond and Virginia Beach are both ranked higher. Locals are up in arms. When the village was considered good the rankings were considered valid. For some reason locals no longer believe the rankings. Let’s face it, the village is a village, at least until it gets a theater with stadium seating.

I’ve been reading The Hook ever since they got started when several radical DMB-loving staff members from the C-Ville decided to leave and start their own paper. The very first issue showed that it was the best local paper in town, and it has won far more awards than the other local press put together.

The most recent issue of The Hook may have been the best yet. The cover story focussed on the fact that the village has jumped the shark and goes in to the fact that the decline seems to be related to the rise of the DMB (aka dump bowel movement band). The village isn’t what it used to be. I personally think the village jumped the shark when TJ and his whorehouse were shut down back in the old days. Others think the opening of yet another street across the “historic” downtown mall represents the moment.

As for the exact moment when the shark appear…I don’t really know. I try to blog about the village from the point of view of a single person (I think there are approximately 12 that live in the village) and the continued downfall (that season after jumping the shark). While blogging, I’m proud to say I have been appointed a nickname. Rather than being called the Drudge of the village (my own personal favorite), I’m now known as DocMultimedia, the most ornery¹ resident of the “village.” This is almost as good as being knighted by the queen.

Looking back on the history of the word it dates back to 1816 and was originally slang for ordinary. Since American’s hate being called ordinary, it rapidly became a negative connotation. I would agree that I’m not ordinary, but cantakerous (difficult to handle) seems to fit pretty well.

I hadn’t noticed the appointed nickname myself, but luckily a reader pointed it out. Thanks for letting me know that fame has arrived. Even with my new nickname I’ll continue to report the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth of the final season of the village.

—-
¹ Definition: Mean-spirited, disagreeable, and contrary in disposition; cantankerous.

The last survivor of the Titanic tragedy with actual memories of the sinking on 15 April, 1912 died at the age of 99. She was five when the ship went down. Not a happy story.

She lived in Worcester, which is where I was the speaker at a colloquium many moons ago.

I popped up to DC yesterday to catch the Cezanne in Provence exhibit. It was packed. The exhibit closes Sunday evening and is then heading to Europe, so it was the last chance to see it (at least without leaving the country). More than worth the drive. I snapped a shot on The Mall and made a few tweaks for fun.