West Virginia: The New Underground Railroad.

[Lee]

From WSAZ:

The mountain state could be the evacuation path for about five million people if there is ever a catastrophic terrorist attack on our nation's capitol.

And if an event like that were to happen, West Virginia's Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety is leading the nation in emergency management.

This comes after emergency management officials in Washington, D.C. were shaken up by Hurricane Katrina's effect on New Orleans.

Right now, the plan is to encourage displaced people to continue evacuation until they reach Ohio.

[David Paleg]

Now that the underground bunker at The Greenbrier has been exposed to the public, where is the new shelter for the windbags of DC? Or is it a secret?

[fearpeddler]

God know they're not welcome in my house...... or secret mountain hideaway...

[AmpedNow]

From WSAZ:

The mountain state could be the evacuation path for about five million people if there is ever a catastrophic terrorist attack on our nation's capitol.

And if an event like that were to happen, West Virginia's Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety is leading the nation in emergency management.

This comes after emergency management officials in Washington, D.C. were shaken up by Hurricane Katrina's effect on New Orleans.

Right now, the plan is to encourage displaced people to continue evacuation until they reach Ohio.

WV is one disaster away from having its population double or even triple virtually overnight. This is where almost everyone from the DC/Baltimore metroplex will be heading to as fast as they could get here.

Hopefully they'll bring some much needed jobs and money with them...

It would also be great for the real estate market.

And, the state's rated radio markets would actually go up in rankings for a change.

In the short term, though, it would be another humanitarian disaster, because there's no way that the state's already crumbling infrastructure could handle such a rapid population increase. Also, there's just not enough food and necessity supplies available for that many people... Not even a Wal-Mart Supercenter could handle all of that.

It seems fictional, but there's indeed a very real possibility that it could happen sometime in the future.

[Zak Tyler]

From WSAZ:
Right now, the plan is to encourage displaced people to continue evacuation until they reach Ohio.

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It would also be great for the real estate market.

careful what you wish for there... we had a real estate BOOM here a few years back. it ended about a year ago or so, and here's what's going on now. House prices are too high for most middle incomers to afford. wages didn't rise with the house prices. now the "luxury item" purchases are WAY down. which has caused the automotive advertising budgets to all but dry up. radio revenues in this market are way down. luckily we were still planting our feet revenue-wise the last few years so ours is flat. our direct competitor is down 40% from last year. most other stations are down 5%-40%...

the real estate boom was exciting at the time, and i'm sure very lucrative for some, but the after-effects here have SUCKED!!!

[cgarison]

God know they're not welcome in my house...... or secret mountain hideaway...

I would say the bunker would be the Arx Obscurous a.k.a the home of Jet Black. Now we know why he is not on the board.

[Big Media]

Right now, the plan is to encourage displaced people to continue evacuation until they reach Ohio.

Good plan. When Brian Williams gets here, he find him a good 'ol boy from McDowell county. "Wez all be sittin on our porch chewin some beech nut chooin backer and shinin our scatter guns when dem folk from up north showed up and tried to steal my maters."

[Arp2]

When Brian Williams gets here, he find him a good 'ol boy from McDowell county. "Wez all be sittin on our porch chewin some beech nut chooin backer and shinin our scatter guns when dem folk from up north showed up and tried to steal my maters."

That would be seriously entertaining!

...especially if some northeasterner got himself killed, and, then, at the trial of the good ol' boy, the good ol' boy is found innocent.....

....'cause he was being tried in front of a jury of his peers, and the other good ol' boys understood completely and agreed that the guy deserved it!

[Bob Loblaw]

....'cause he was being tried in front of a jury of his peers, and the other good ol' boys understood completely and agreed that the guy deserved it!

or better yet: "He needed killin'"

[AmpedNow]

It would also be great for the real estate market.

careful what you wish for there... we had a real estate BOOM here a few years back. it ended about a year ago or so, and here's what's going on now. House prices are too high for most middle incomers to afford. wages didn't rise with the house prices. now the "luxury item" purchases are WAY down. which has caused the automotive advertising budgets to all but dry up. radio revenues in this market are way down. luckily we were still planting our feet revenue-wise the last few years so ours is flat. our direct competitor is down 40% from last year. most other stations are down 5%-40%...

the real estate boom was exciting at the time, and i'm sure very lucrative for some, but the after-effects here have SUCKED!!!

Since WV has pretty much managed to isolate itself from the booming national economy, its real estate market is not as subject to the erratic booms and busts in other parts of the country, either. Prices are relatively stable with slight increases over time.

Another place that has fallen victim to its own success is Fairfax County, VA. Even though the DC area is growing fast, FC has lost over 50,000 people between 2000-2006. The main reason is the outrageous real estate prices. This is a place where run down townhouses are going for $300k. Typical older homes are going for $450-$500k. Luxury homes go for over $1 million. And one bedroom roach apartments rent for $1,200 per month.

FC has managed to price out many long time residents who could no longer afford property taxes, and has also kept many would-be residents out because housing is no longer affordable. It is one of the primary reasons I left the area. Money just doesn't go very far there.

I know a couple whose combined incomes were over $100k, and they still couldn't find a decent place to buy... So they moved to a booming southern city, bought some land just outside the city, and are having a 5 bedroom house built for the same price of a run down townhouse in FC.

When upper middle class people can no longer afford even a basic home within a certain real estate market, that market is heading for some rough times.

The upside is that it will eventually become more affordable again.

[Zak Tyler]

Another place that has fallen victim to its own success is Fairfax County, VA. Even though the DC area is growing fast, FC has lost over 50,000 people between 2000-2006.

and still has the highest public school enrollment in the state. even ahead of the largest city VB.

[Dave Loudin]

FC has managed to price out many long time residents who could no longer afford property taxes, and has also kept many would-be residents out because housing is no longer affordable. It is one of the primary reasons I left the area. Money just doesn't go very far there.

That's why we're living and working east of Fredericksburg.

I know a couple whose combined incomes were over $100k, and they still couldn't find a decent place to buy... So they moved to a booming southern city, bought some land just outside the city, and are having a 5 bedroom house built for the same price of a run down townhouse in FC.

Uh, yep! We essentially exchanged a '50s-vintage 3-bedroom brick rambler in Vienna for a 4-bedroom 4,000 sq ft home built in the '80s here.

[Zak Tyler]

Uh, yep! We essentially exchanged a '50s-vintage 3-bedroom brick rambler in Vienna for a 4-bedroom 4,000 sq ft home built in the '80s here.

HOLY CRAP!!! sweet!

[Bob Loblaw]

Jeez.

MoGoCo is having the same probs. People moving to Fredneck just to get affordable housing.

I want a 3 bedroom condo. But I want to stay in the county and close to work. I think I'm screwed.

[Zak Tyler]

Jeez.

MoGoCo is having the same probs. People moving to Fredneck just to get affordable housing.

I want a 3 bedroom condo. But I want to stay in the county and close to work. I think I'm screwed.

unless you can double your salary somehow... maybe you could start wearing your thongs hanging out the back of your shorts.. that might work

[Big Media]

I recently took my mother-in-law to tour Loretta Lynn's homestead. Literally, it was 3 hours of driving for 20 minutes of looking at old stuff.

Anywho, while we were there, there was, and I am not making this up, an incident involving:

a pack of wild dogs
several mules
a good sized woman who bares a striking resemblance to a man
a pistol



I swear, I am not making this up.

We are standing in Loretta Lynn's living roomand apparently Crystal Gale's living room, too, when we hear what can only be described as loud yelping coming from "'round the ridge."

The woman (tour guide) shouts "oh lord" and runs out on Loretta Lynn's porch. She then yells "theys after my mules."

Shortly thereafter, she determined that it was just a couple of the neighborhood dogs (and not a pack of wild dogs) harassing the mules.

She reenters Loretta Lynn's living room and apparently Crystal Gale's living room, too, and says the following:

"guys, yalls gonna have to give me a minute to catch my breath... I though those dogswas after mi mules again and I don't have my pistol"

I swear. I am not making this up.


POST 1300

[SPIKE NESMITH!]

And to think just the other day I was talking smack about Scotland for being full of people like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scNLfr1EP08

Now I know... weirdos are worldwide.

[Zak Tyler]

And to think just the other day I was talking smack about Scotland for being full of people like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scNLfr1EP08

Now I know... weirdos are worldwide.

did he say "i'll get you for stealing my wheat"??????

[SPIKE NESMITH!]

"that'll teach you for stealing my weed"!

Here's the lyrics and translation: http://spikenesmith.blogspot.com/2007/0 ... tters.html

[Jay Nunley]

That would be seriously entertaining!

Keep in mind that the following are proper legal defenses in West Virginia.

"He needed killin'."

"He looks better dead."

"He talked bad about my mama."

"He fucked with my vehicle."

"He kicked my dog."

"He was a yankee."