Another Lovely Day in Hell at Tysons Corner

Looking west toward Vienna from one of the shopping mall parking garages.

Railroad track pylons marching across the Beltway at Rt. 123

Rt. 123 and the Beltway

Tysons Boulevard and Rt. 123, where the new rail line will interface with the shopping mall.

1:30 pm traffic at a stand-still on the outer loop of the Beltway, Sept. 14, 2010.

 

For those of us who remember that this area was nothing but a cow pasture and a lone gas station and ice cream store back in the 60's, welcome to the new 'Edison New Jersey South.' I wanted to get pictures of it before we're totally imprisoned in concrete and re-bar. Pity those poor suckers stuck on the Outer Loop. Pity the people who work here and have to deal with the daily sign-changes and nightly shut-downs. I only wish I would have gotten photos of this mess during the Big Blizzards of the past winter season - but who could move? Who in their right mind wanted to go near Tysons Corner? Abandon all hope, ye who enter . . . .

First Day of Kindergarten, September 2010

That's My Girl!

Grasstowne in Myrtle Beach

Happening upon the Unexpected is always a treat. I took this picture on either the 22nd or 23rd of May, 2010 in Myrtle Beach. It was hot as hell, and my brother and I stopped off at this plaza after hearing the sound of some good bluegrass music drifting over the concrete and asphalt. It was Grasstowne playing at the annual "wine festival." Nobody was drinking wine in the heat of the afternoon. Hardly anybody was there at all except a bunch of Grasstowne fans and a contingent of fans from the local bluegrass community in and around Myrtle Beach. The promoters of the wine festival ended up giving away tickets for some of the afternoon's events. Talk about paying your dues to be heard. That afternoon I heard some really great music. Just goes to show you that the Hardcore will show up anywhere, any time for good bluegrass music.

Latest Update on the Brunswick Roundhouse Concert Series

Jill Hossler, from Brunswick sent me the latest update on the newly-formed Brunswick Roundhouse Concert Series that I had talked about in an earlier entry. Darren Beachley and the Legends of the Potomac kick off this concert series on Sunday, 21 November, 2010 at 3:00 pm. Tickets are now up for purchase by contacting Jill's organization. I'll leave all the pertinent information at the end of this posting. I've sent for my own tickets because I know the demand will be high once Halloween is on our doorstep. Yep, we're getting into the Fall Season already. I see a remark I made in my daily diary on September 28, 2009: "Saw my first Thanksgiving Dinner advertisement on Channel 7 tonight." There is no let-up on American commercialism brow-beating us into pounding down more food than we need.
This is exciting news for Brunswick, Maryland and especially good news for Brunswick High School ("Home of the Railroaders"). Evolving out of Darren's past two benefit concerts for the Brunswick Junior Baseball League, Jill Hossler (and the whole Hossler Family), Darren Beachley, and the various Booster groups of the school and community have banded together to raise funds for the extra programs at Brunswick High School. It's a win/win for the school and bluegrass fans. Expect that Darren will elicit the help of friends in the business and bring in the best in quality music and performers. He's done it in the past two events and he'll continue with the premier event and those planned into 2011. For starters how about this: Darren Beachley and the Legends of the Potomac and the Dry Branch Fire Squad. If you missed the first two benefits I have only pity in my heart for you. Here's your opportunity to atone for your sins and at the same time support a magnificent cause up in Brunswick, Maryland.
On the nuts-and-bolts administration side of this Jill and Darren have created a foundation, a new website, and everything is easily reached by keeping up with Facebook. It's obvious everyone involved is in it for the Long Haul. Now it's time for the huge bluegrass community here in Virginia and Maryland to come forth and support what Darren has taken on as a cause. Jill Hossler added that each event will support a different in-school Booster group, and have been timed specifically to not interfere with some of the other popular bluegrass venues and bluegrass events that go on in our area. In essence, we the fans will have the opportunity to enjoy a richer and broader bluegrass offering here in Northern Virginia and Western Maryland.

Tickets are on Sale now: seats are $20 (and) $25, make check payable to "Brunswick Roundhouse Concert Productions" or simply, "BRCP." Mail check to: BRCP, 4210 Wallingford Court, Jefferson, Maryland, 21755. For additional information or inquiries about the series the new e-mail address is brcpbluegrass@aol.com The Brunswick Roundhouse Concert Series is also available on Facebook and is connected to Darren's Facebook page, the Brunswick Railroaders and a few other pages. Become a friend today and link up.

Darren Beachley and the Legends of the Potomac with special guests The Dry Branch Fire Squad at Brunswick High School, Sunday 21 November 2010, 3:00 to 6:00. Admission $20 or $25, tickets must be purchased in advance.

Bin Hogs: Your Day is Over!

The Airlines are finally getting smart about flying more efficiently. Now I wish the public would do the same. Bin Hogs: Your day is up. I've spent a life time flying around the world, in and out numerous times at luxurious state-of-the-art airports and those in the Third World that the average American tourist would have an immediate anxiety reaction. I've been there, done that, and bought the tee-shirt. There is nothing I haven't seen, nothing I haven't experienced, so I speak with a lot of authority. I loved George Clooney in "Up in the Air." I said to myself "Aha!" -the guy who wrote this funny movie script has experienced my real life in check-in and security lines and like me, knows exactly who NOT to get behind in a security checkpoint. Today I want to talk about Bin Hogs. Or Bin-Pigs. Or selfish people who have no regard for anyone else's space other than their own and then have the audacity to take another one that doesn't belong to them.
You know who you are. You know your Big Rollie won't fit, and you've broken the rules by carrying an extra purse, a lap-top bag, a shopping bag from Trader Joe's and a bag that contains a big stuffed toy for your grandchild. I'm on a flight back from San Francisco on Virgin America Airlines and watching the fun as you try to argue your way into carrying all this crap on to the flight. God bless the watchmen at Virgin America. Thank God they've commenced the crack-down on this exemplification of American rudeness. After shaking her down and telling her to stow all that crap, she kept up an argument when she got to her seat and demanded to speak to the on-duty Gate Manager. Give him the Medal of Honor. He didn't budge. Put her in her place and told her the argument was over. Next to me was a young kid with a shaved head. He looked at my (single) (small) military style backpack (laying at my feet) and asked me if I was a veteran. "Yes," I said. He replied, "Can you believe this? All I want to do is get this plane off the ground so I can get home." We both had a good chuckle. "Tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and The Wicked Witch of the West holds up our plane in San Francisco!" You got it son, we've got some really rude, selfish, self-centered whining cry-babies in our population. What they don't understand is Virgin America Airlines is one of the best Airlines flying the skys currently. Thanks, Virgin America for sticking to your guns.