We feel your pain, PA

It sucks when Hollywood paints you as bunch of racists (see last post).

It sucks even more when your own congressman calls you racists.

"There is no question that western Pennsylvania is a racist area."
--Rep. John Murtha, to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

He, of course, apologized (well, apologized and then went on to say we can't deny race is a factor in the election).

Express Fiction

When you have a compelling TRUE story, why create fictional scenes -- especially ones that portray others in a negative light?

The Express is a movie billed as being "based on the true story," but there are several very untrue things in the movie, including an incident in West Virginia that apparently never occurred. And of course the fictional incident depicts West Virginians as racists.

Thanks for piling on, Universal Pictures.

Stop the presses! This just in: we're STILL obese!

You know, I'm no longer shocked by any of these studies that place WV in top one or two obese states in the nation.

What does shock me is the FREQUENCY of the studies.

Honestly, how many of these are necessary per year? It seems like every other month a new study comes out about obesity. Are they expecting a vast change in a few months, or even a few years?

Come on. Leave us alone for a while.

(um, are you going to eat those fries? 'cause, if not...)

State Getting Into Roadside Memorial Business

When I started reading this article, I thought, "Hoorah! They're going to crack down on the roadside memorials!"

But oh no.

Just offering another option, to the tune of $200 per 3-year term. Huh?

So we get to keep seeing the crosses in the MEDIAN (you know how I love the median memorials), plus "signs (that) would be about 2-feet by 2-feet in size, with white lettering on a blue background."

Wonderful.

This Just In: Tiki torch fluid is NOT apple juice

There's a Darwin joke in here somewhere: Drinking tiki torch fluid is not advised

It's good to know, however, that gnawing on "glow products" will likely only result in only "irritation or burning in the mouth."

Glow necklace...OM NOM NOM...

Super Tuesday Part II

Just when I thought I had figured out what happened today, I read the last paragraph of this article and am utterly confused all over again.

(in an article titled Huckabee wins W.Va. GOP convention)

Of the three Republican National Committee members from West Virginia who each have a vote at the national convention, only one has declared a preference — for Romney.

Ah yes, this all makes perfect sense.

Super Extraordinary Tuesday

Tuesday, Feb. 5, is not just super in WV. It will be kind of eerie because someone is going "to take West Virginia" in Super Tuesday -- yet none of the polls in WV will be open.

That's right. Over 3 months before our primary, Mitt Romney is projected to take WV on Feb. 5, according to the NBC & Fox News analysts I listened to this morning. I'm sitting there thinking, "Gee, but we're not voting Tuesday. That Romney is one sly fox."

Chris Wallace went as far to include WV when discussing various candidates' strategies for Super Tuesday, including WV in a cluster of states where Romney & McCain are launching TV ads because they believe voters can be influenced in those states.

And you know what? I saw a TV commercial for each yesterday. I think I was watching either ESPN or FoxNews at the time. Were they running those for the benefit of WV Republican party members who will be selecting national convention delegates on Feb. 5? Was it a goof? WTF?

And I still don't really get what's going to happen Feb. 5. (perusal of the WVGOP web site didn't enlighten me) Are they endorsing someone? Selecting delegates committed to vote for someone? (Romney, according to the TV political analysts) Or...are the national talking heads just completely off base?

Let this be a lesson to suitcase-obsessed cats of the world

The next time my cat (the one who was napping in my gym bag earlier tonight) insists upon sleeping in the suitcase I'm packing, I'm going to refer him to this story as an example of what could happen.

Of course, I think I would probably notice an extra 14 pounds in my suitcase before I got out the front door.

Tenderloin Thief

Hey, buddy, is that beef tenderloin in your pants, or are you just happy to see me?

Oh, my mistake, eight packages of beef tenderloin.

Texting goes bad in WV drug deal

I don't know what Miss Manners would say about the etiquette of buying & dealing illegal substances with the aid of technology, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's probably wise to let your friends know you've changed cell phone numbers...

...especially if your friends are in the habit of texting you about buying reefer

...and, oh yeah, your old number could be assigned to a State Trooper!

The feud, then oral sex -- what a school trip!

Oh, those frisky hillbilly teens -- studying the Hatfields and McCoys by day and getting it on in the back of the bus by night!

I would guess this happens pretty frequently. I'd almost bet it did when I was in school, too, along with God only knows what else.

So, which is it -- news or a promo for your website?

I was in the land of no internet this weekend. Oh, there is internet access in the land, but not in this particular house. So, I had no connection.

I did, however, have access to 24/7 news, and among the breaking news was the "expanding pet food recall."

Yet it seemed like on Saturday no one would say or put on the screen PRECISELY what was being recalled, nor would they add a PHONE NUMBER for the companies.

Instead, it was, "Check our Web site for the brands!" I get it. This story generates a ton of interest from people like me who consider pets to be part of the family. Right. But how about just putting a little text on the screen with the list of products?!! And then if viewers have any in the house, they can cease using it or call the customer care number that's usually on the back of the package.

It was maddening to keep watching news shows and not get the KEY PIECE of the news story. I thought for sure the 6:30 p.m. NBC newscast would give a list of the products, but no. Didn't see one. "But check our Web site for all the latest information!!!"

It wasn't until the next afternoon that I finally saw a list on one of the cable news channels. Thankfully, it didn't include any of the brands I fed the animals the previous night.