Blogs List
Methods of Distraction
 Jolene Craig |
All things oldThu, April 3, 2008 @ 12:53PM As the saying goes, all things old become new again. That appears to be the same with music. Don't get me wrong, I still have a very soft spot for the songs of my childhood. There's not a time I hear "Karma Chameleon" I don't smile. Also, I do own the two disk George Michael's Greatest Hits. But do we really need a resurgence of New Kids On the Block? I will say, as a grade school girl, I had a love of their up-beat tempos and dance rhythms. Now, I think they need to say goodbye to their popular days. For those of us who want to have a flashback to big hair, acid wash and high-tops, the boys are making the rounds and appearances and are apparently going to release a comeback CD later this year. I'm not sure how I feel about this. By the way, anyone been Rick-rolled, yet?
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Wood County Delegation visits Japan
 Cam Huffman |
Day 3 - Hino VisitMon, May 12, 2008 @ 6:38PM Today was all about the real reason we made this trip. We came to Japan to thank Hino for their investment in Wood County and to talk about their future with us. Plus we wanted to learn more about Hino Manufacturing. The day did not disappoint. We were transported to Hino Motors, in the heart of Hino City, by a brand new Hino Bus. It was very attractive and comfortable and took us to our destination in style. Upon arrival we were greeted by a large delegation of Hino Executives including Mr. Shinji Fujimoto who is the Senior Managing Director. An old friend was among the group. Mr. Harada was the gentlemen we met in January 2007 and whose appreciations for our community ultimately lead to our selection. Mr. Harada was who told us during that January day what we needed to do so that he could recommend our site.
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Business Savvy
 Rachel Lane |
Politics and gas pricesTue, May 6, 2008 @ 4:54PM Voting in West Virginia occurs May 13. Everyone go vote. You can visit the presidential candidates websites to learn their views on issues like the economy, but don't forget to check their voting record at a location like votesmart.org. If you don't think politics has anything to do with business, stop and consider the possible summer gas relief plan supported by Clinton and McCain. Economists say it will say the average gasoline used about $33 a year. While the money would be helpful for some people who have trouble getting to and from work, there's nothing to stop station owners, or the higher ups in the gasoline chain, from increasing the cost and pocketing the difference. Well, nothing but competetive rates with other stations. With gasoline prices and food prices, I don't think $11 a month will be much help to the families that have trouble driving to work in the morning. Many people will just drive more if prices are lower.
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Mancini's Commentaries
 Jess Mancini |
Living and dying by the political swordWed, April 30, 2008 @ 6:53AM I was wondering when someone was going to cut to the chase. The Wood County Board of Education Tuesday rejected a local pay raise for teachers and service employees. "If you don't consider this issue an important one for the employees of Wood County, then I hope all of you enjoy the remainder of your board term, because I am certain the WVSSPA, the AFT and the WVEA will join together to see that we elect future board members who care for and about all the employees in Wood County,' said Vicki Squires, president of the service personnel association. Then this from Bob Mortgenstern, regional representative of the West Virginia American Federation of Teachers: "We're very upset with the direction the school board has chosen to go. We believe there has been a breakdown in trust. Unlike a bruise, this cut will take a long time to heal." The implication is watch out for the next election.
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Amy's Book Nook
 Amy Mendenhall |
Guest Blogger, Shanna SwendsonMon, May 12, 2008 @ 11:10AM I'd like to welcome guest blogger, Shanna Swendson. Shanna is the author of "Enchanted, Inc.," "Once Upon Stilettos," "Damsel Under Stress" and most recently, "Don't Hex With Texas." She is here to talk about how she came up with the idea of her series. SHANNA SWENDSON: Perhaps the best bit of writing advice I've ever heard (and I don't recall where I heard it -- probably lots of places because it's very good advice) is to write what you want to read. Don't try to anticipate what other people will want to read or what trend you think will be hot. If you're writing for others instead of for yourself, your heart won't be in it. Trends change quickly, and what publishers are buying today may have nothing to do with what's on the shelves today. But if you're writing what you want to read, then your passion for the material will be genuine, and that may capture the imagination of someone else.
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Five minutes in a Verbal Tsunami
 Jody Murphy |
True measure of devotionTue, May 6, 2008 @ 8:59AM Daily readers should be well aware of this weeknd's burial serivce fo Cpl. Robert Mason, an 18-year-old Parkersburg man who perished in the Korean War. Mason was killed in action, but his body wasn't recovered until 2003. He was laid to rest in Belpre Saturday morning. Mason died in battle near the Chosin Resovoir in late 1950. Unlike Pat Putnam a famed boxing writer for Sports Illustrated who claimed to have fought in Korea, been a P.O.W. and earned numerous medals, including the Navy Cross, Mason was actually there. Guys like Putnam give men like Mason a black eye. It is disgrace Putnam, who died in 2005, wasn't exposed for the liar that he was. It also a shame the Boxing Writers Association of America has an award honoring Putnam. The Pat Putnam Award, launched in 2005, honors perseverance in overcoming adversity.
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An Elk River Boy made good
 Dave Payne |
Jason Ricci back in Pburg, May 29Thu, April 17, 2008 @ 3:01PM I know people who have driven across two states to hear Jason Ricci play. People won't do that for just anybody. When Ricci performs, it's more than just the energy and drive his performance, Jason Ricci is, simply put, one of the most innovative musicians alive. He is on the razor edge of harmonica innovation and certainly one of the most unique players today. At age 33, Ricci has already become a legend. By the time he was 21, he had won the Sonny Boy Blues Society contest, had performed on the main stage at the King Biscuit Blues Festival, been featured on the Memphis evening news, and had worked with Susan Tedeschi, Billy Gibson, and Bobby Little. As a dynamic teenage prodigy, he was relatively new to the instrument, but developed his skills quickly through hard work and practice. The bluesman/rocker from Portland, Maine, started playing harmonica at the age of 14 and soon began studying the work of the harmonica masters, especially Little Walter.
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It's your internet
 Art Smith |
From space, Parkersburg is still a little fuzzyMon, April 28, 2008 @ 4:45PM A few months ago I wrote a blog about how fuzzy the area was when viewed through images used by Google Earth and Google Maps. With some areas of the country you can zoom in with the popular software so tight that you feel like a peeping tom. Not so with the Mid-Ohio Valley. It was a blurry mess. In the January blog I used Marietta as an example and displayed the blurry images of downtown that were generated by the program. Since then, something has happen. I really doubt that Google pays any attention to what I write, but the images of Marietta are now clear. In fact they are stunning. You can read MARIETTA on the football field. You can see fences in yards. You can tell what color the cars on the roads are. You get the idea. Parkersburg is still a fuzzy mess.
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Editor's Log
 Jim Smith |
Back from the Deep SouthMon, May 12, 2008 @ 9:44AM After a seven-year lapse, my wife and I returned to the sunny, humid, hot Deep South of south Louisiana last week. The 1,100-mile, 17-hour trip was well worth it, though, to see old friends and visit old haunts, including my favorite diner while I once again enjoyed Cajun-style fried chicken (which undoubtedly did not help my cholesterol count). Sunday morning we went to church and had friends greet us with open arms, as if we had just been to church the week before. Sadly, at least one of our church friends had died and a couple others were not in attendance due to ill health. My wife and I had lunch that afternoon with one of her quilt club buddies with whom she has kept in touch via e-mail and then had dinner Tuesday evening with he entire club. I went to The Daily Iberian Monday to see newspaper friends while my wife tracked down some of the women she worked with when we lived in New Iberia, La.
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