They finally meet
What is the biggest shock to me about this story -- of JL & Mohammed finally meeting -- is that they managed to keep this quiet for nearly a month. This report in today's Herald-Dispatch (and a subsequent AP report) is the first I've seen.

Hillbilly Job Possibilities
I've been half-heartedly looking for another job. Perhaps I should follow the route of this ex-Martinsburg mayor who is now a butler for Donald Trump.

State of Denial
Maybe that's where we're living. The State of Denial. Casinos? I don't see any casinos! Where? No, darn it, th sign says Cafe!! That's no casino. Sex shop? Where? NO!

Jerry has issues with a giant plush penis in the Town Center Mall. You know, he has a good point. I've never really heard anyone complain about Spencer's Gifts, not that I really hang with the crowd who would typically be offended by such things, but what if a store opened and advertised itself as the Town Center Sex Toy Shoppe (because Shoppe is much classier than Shop)?? Or the Town Center Vulgar Humor Shoppe?? Bet ya someone would complain.

Ya know - it reminds me of the whole "Let's have casinos but not call them casinos" issue. As long as the store calls itself a "gift shop" it's OK (like the numerous casinos masquerading as "cafes" that now dot the WV landscape).

Random thought
I never want my life to be so busy that I have to talk business on my cell phone the entire time I'm in Wal Mart. I want those few minutes to myself contemplate my toothpaste selection in peace and quiet. Come to think of it -- I don't ever want a cell phone.

How to win friends and influence people...in WV
Dave Peyton gives us an excellent column on WV politics today.

THIS JUST IN -- Virginia also 'hardscrabble'
Apparently there are also hardscrabble locales in ye Old Dominion! Who would have thunk it??! Well, it is western Virginia, but still! (hat tip to Michelle)

I feel compelled to take this moment to explain once again that Virginia and West Virginia (not to be confused with western Virginia) are SEPARATE STATES. This is a ridiculously difficult concept for many to grasp, and I try to be sypathetic, since this whole succession thingy-ma-jig transpired so recently -- oh, what was it? Right, over 140 years. I can see how this bit of history has escaped generations of Americans.

Will she or won't she utter the word 'hardscrabble'?
JL will be the commencement speaker at WVU Tech, or, as the Brooklyn Hillbilly is so fond of saying, WVU TICK.

I've been thinking. You know those "certified business location" signs -- a distinction bestowed seemingly on darn near every county of the state? Well, I'm thinking a similar sign is needed to denote "certified HARDSCRABBLE locations." This would give people -- reporters included -- some guidance in determining which counties are indeed HARDSCRABBLE and which ones are merely masquerading as HARDSCRABBLE.

Abortions and breasts -- oh, it's just the governor's race
It is nearly time to go to the polls to select the best fiddlers to replace those currently in Charleston, and let me tell you, the field is packed with worthy candidates to sit by while the state continues to burn.

I’d been suppressing this rant for about half a week. In fact, I’d nearly convinced myself that the commercial I heard while driving out of town Friday morning was just a figment of my sick mind. But no, here it is in today’s Daily Mail (article is definitely worth a read).

It was the second of two mind-boggling commercials I heard for gubernatorial candidate MW. The first featured almost exclusively the voice of a former chairman of the joint chiefs of staffs, a general whose voice is still familiar to many of us who bothered to listen to the news during the years of 1997-2001. It was an impressive “get” for a WV candidate for governor, I’ll admit that, but what on earth does it prove to us? Yes, I suppose it shows leadership, and I generally admire anyone who serves the country in the armed forces (and the candidate is a West Point grad and does have an impressive record). But radio ad time is expensive. Seems like one could do more with his/her ad budget by actually DISCUSSING SOME OF THE ISSUES.

Well, as soon as I’d gotten that ad out of my head, I was pulling out of the Sheetz parking lot, having just paid a ridiculous amount to fill up the tank, when I hear a voice saying, (I’m paraphrasing, did not have pen & paper or recording device on me) “If elected governor, I will reduce the number of abortions in West Virginia.”

???? Is this a joke??? Now, I’m not, like, a proponent of abortions, eagerly trying to increase the number of aborted fetuses here or elsewhere, but is THAT the most pressing issue the state is facing? The candidate went on to quote some statistics that claimed the number of abortions is increasing in the state. I don’t recall the source of those statistics, but you can can listen to the ads online by going to the guy’s web site. Go to google, type in his whole name, and it’s the first link. Or use his first name, the year 2004, and "dot com."

Anyway, when it comes to the best fiddler in the state, this guy, I thought, had the lead, but then I see a story this afternoon about another candidate (LJ), of the other political party, “unveiling his women’s health platform.” From the brief AP story I read, it sounds like the platform calls for requiring insurance companies to pay for annual breast and osteoporosis screenings for women over 40, in addition to some other requirements for insurers. I’m a woman, and I like being healthy, but sweet Lord, I don’t expect the would-be governor of my STATE to unveiling a plan for the adequate care of my BREASTS. What good does it do if my breasts are the healthiest on the planet but there is no where for me to work? Or I can't buy house or car insurance?

Worse than that stupid Ground Hog Day movie
Just heard on the local TV news that someone has tried to rob Mr. Powerball YET AGAIN!
(Update here)

Spam du jour
Among the hundreds of spam messages I received in my Yahoo account over the weekend was one from the following sender:
"The passion of the christ"

He wants hillbillies to vote naked? (nekkid)
Thanks to Martha in the Bluegrass State, who sent me an AP version of this story, I have just performed what may be the first and last Google news search for the words "ken hechler naked." *shudder*

It seems the 89-year old thought he could appeal to young voters by suggesting, in an ad, that they "vote naked." It's unclear if he plans follow-up ads to appeal to other segments of the WV population, with slogans such as "Vote While High on Oxycontin."

JL, the motivational speaker
Amy from Virginia sent me this article today from the Washington Post (registration required to view article). It describes a recent JL appearance at 'Get Motivated.' The writer says JL is from the "humble mountain hollows," and I can live with that. You know, it occurs to me that I've not seen the word "hardscrabble" of late. Maybe that's why I've been in a funk.

A whole lotta crosses
The Mountain State has the most crosses -- crosses erected by the late Rev. Coffindaffer, that is. Now there's a campaign to preserve the Coffindaffer crosses. If you've driven through WV at all, you've most likely seen at least one set of the crosses.