MetaFilter posts tagged with virginia

It all started with Alice...

Ambrosia Voyeur — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:04:32 -0800

Last month, Virginia Davis passed away at 90 years of age. She was the real life (warning: lousy formatting) little girl (warning: teh kyoot) whom Walt Disney sent into the land of cartoons, responding to the popularity of Max Fleisher's Out of the Inkwell series, which used his "rotoscope" and brought cartoon figures into filmed space. Walt reversed the formula, and found his first star.
1923: Alice's Wonderland 1924: Alice's Day at Sea 1 2 Alice's Spooky Adventure Alice's Wild West Show Alice's Fishy Story 1 2 Alice and the Dog Catcher 1 2 Alice Gets in Dutch Alice and the Three Bears 1925: Alice Cans the Cannibals Alice the Toreador Alice Gets Stung Alice Solves the Puzzle Alice Loses Out Alice is Stage Struck Alice Picks the Champ Alice the Jail Bird Alice's Tin Pony Alice Chops the Suey Alice Rattled By Rats Alice in the Jungle

BlogCrime

waraw — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:47:13 -0800

"Uh oh, They're here": A Washington Post editorial about Elisha Strom, who blogged about the Jefferson Area Drug Enforcement Task Force in northern Virginia with intensity and focus, displaying officers' photos, their cars, and in one now-gone entry, one officer's home. For this on July 16 she was arrested. Strom was jailed under a Virginia law that forbids publication of law-enforcement officers’ addresses or photographs with the “intent to coerce, intimidate, or harass.” Unemployed, she has been unable to post the $7,500 bond, and remains in jail until her next court date on September 17. Unfortunately, Elisha Strom and her estranged husband are perhaps not the role models that civil libertarians might prefer.

Polin' on the River

Miko — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:26:33 -0800

Since 1870, the Hatton Ferry in Hatton, VA, has been helping people and vehicles cross the James River - under pole power [ferry is cable-assisted, and poling starts at 3:42]. Before the nation was connected by a network of bridges, pole barges like this were a common means of transportation across smaller waterways. Hatton Ferry is thought to be the very last working survivor of those thousands of the pole-driven ferries; but today, due to DOT budget constraints, it may go out of existence. I wouldn't have known about this without having received an interesting ListServ email from Dr. Jurretta Jordan Heckscher, Research Specialist, Digital Reference Section of The Library of Congress, who provided many of the news and LOC links. Also, best part of the video is when the raft of tubers drifts along, 12-packs cooling in the water and all.

"I was up in those clouds all night."

emelenjr — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:10:47 -0800

"We were having dinner about four months ago and I was showing Clelia some pictures I'd taken in the air, and she said, 'Oh, that's so beautiful. I want to do that,'" Ben said. Easier said than done when you're 95. Be sure to check out the slideshow.

Packing heat and boat shoes

Wet Spot — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:10:10 -0800

Arlington: The Rap (SLYT)

Don't call it a comeback

Joe Beese — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:32:49 -0800

This weekend, at a pizza restaurant in the liberal suburb of Arlington, Virginia, more than 50 people attended the first event held by the National Council for a New America - which is intended to "be a dynamic, forward-looking organization that will amplify the common-sense and wisdom of our fellow citizens through a grassroots dialogue with Republican leaders." The speakers included former presidential candidate Mitt Romney and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, who said, "This is not about messaging, this is not about branding. This is about trying to foster some discussion, because what's going on in Washington right now is not reflective of the mainstream of this country." Also speaking was former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who said, "So our ideas need to be forward looking and relevant. I felt like there was a lot of nostalgia and the good old days in the [Republican] messaging. I mean, it's great, but it doesn't draw people toward your cause." Conservative blog RedState comments, "Until something actually happens with this effort, I am going to have to say no, there is no value in not giving it a chance." [Sarah Palin has not yet responded to her invitation to join.]

Mountain Bluegrass

netbros — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 08:51:57 -0800

Music in the Digital Library of Appalachia provides an unprecedented resource for study of repertoire, technique, lore, and the musical interchanges among the region's traditional musicians. Once you know what you like, it's easy to find the music live with Blue Ridge Music Trails. Meet musicians who have grown up with that music, visit settings in which Blue Ridge folk music thrives, see traditional dancing, and in many cases, take part in the festivities. The Crooked Road, Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, winds through the mountains of Southwest Virginia. Along the trail, the Bluegrass, Old Time, and Traditional Country music is as beautiful and rugged as the landscape itself. [previous 1, 2]

Smoke-free Virginia

MaryDellamorte — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:49:45 -0800

Despite being a tobacco state, Virginia lawmakers passed a smoking ban today. Their ban covers most restaurants and bars, but permits smoking in private clubs and in establishments that construct separately ventilated enclosed smoking rooms for patrons. You can follow the journey of the bill here.

Powhatan's map of Virginia

Kattullus — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:36:05 -0800

Powhatan's Mantle was the emblem of kingship worn by Wahunsenacawh, also known as Chief Powhatan, father of Pocahontas. A deerskin cloak ornamented with shell beadwork, it may at first appear to be only clothing but in fact it is also a map of the Powhatan Confederacy, which ruled most of eastern Virginia when the English first settled there. The mantle was acquired by one of the John Tradescants whose collection was the foundation of Oxford University's Ashmolean Collection and the mantle resides there still today. The first linked article is a fascination article about the mantle as well as a gallery of images of and related to Powhatan's Mantle.

A day at the fair

oneirodynia — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:30:44 -0800

You may remember Stan Brock from as the British anaconda wrangler from Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom (top right video). These days he runs Remote Area Medical, a volunteer airborne relief corps that brings medical, dental, and educational assistance to remote areas of the world. Every year, they go to remote Appalachian Virginia, a one day drive from Washington DC, for a 3 day event at the fairgrounds.

One Hardscrabble Sumbitch

Devils Rancher — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:47:58 -0800

The John Mobberly Story (parts one through four) about a Confederate Guerilla who terrorized Loudoun county Virginia and the Harpers Ferry area, as written by blogger Neddie Jingo. Parts five through fifteen can be followed at the bottom of each post.

RIP Mildred Loving

Morrigan — Mon, 05 May 2008 13:42:08 -0800

Mildred Loving of Loving v. Virginia (1967) has passed away.

Ezra Pound, foreign correspondent to the Richmond News Leader

Kattullus — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 09:45:44 -0800

In 1958, Ezra Pound, after being released from a mental hospital, became a foreign correspondent for the Richmond News Leader. All but one of his dispatches were deemed unprintable by the editor and the one that was printed ran as a letter to the editor. The Virginia Quarterly Review has put scans of the dispatches up on their site. Because the interface makes the letters illegible on some computers, here are links to the actual jpegs. First Impressions 2 European response to American elections 2 French Elections Italian Renaissance The Mind of Europe 2 They Did It Permanent Plebiscit Campaign The letter to the editor And, finally, jpegs of the two pictures of Pound in the article: 1 2

Don't confuse the 9/11 with the 7-11

naoko — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 07:07:39 -0800

On July 10, Prince William County, Virginia voted to begin a major crackdown on illegal immigration. Two local filmmakers have responded with a series of videos covering everything from county hearings to head-on confrontations between white and Hispanic residents. Full collection of 31 youtube videos (with more regularly being added). The Washington Post's coverage.

Swine Before Pearls

digaman — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:48:55 -0800

On ham, with a fascinating (well, unless you're kosher) history of colonial curing methods.

Virginia Drivers - watch your speed

onhazier — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 07:01:22 -0800

Don't speed in Virginia. Want to speed in Virginia? Go ahead if you don't live here. If you're a resident, make sure you know about the new monster fine and additional responsible driver taxes. So, pay attention to the speed limit and know where to look for speed traps. Don't like it? Speak up. Tell Governor Kaine. He defends the fees. Be sure to vote too.

.

phaedon — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 09:38:56 -0800

NewsFilter: At least 20 are dead in multiple shootings at Virginia Tech. Just last week, Virginia Tech closed part of its campus as it was the target of multiple bomb threats.

Shooting Down the Privacy of VA Gun Owners

Dreama — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 00:36:33 -0800

So Much for Privacy (Part II) In another Sunshine Week "exposé" columnist Christian Trebjal of the Roanoke (Va.) Times decided that everyone needed to know the full names and addresses of every Concealed Handgun Permit holder in Virginia. So he got a list from the VA state police and had the newspaper put it in a handy searchable database. In the ensuing blog post regarding the column and database comments quickly got heated and comments were closed for several hours for unknown and unstated reasons (though perhaps due to the publication of Trebjal's home address). Of course, Virginian CHP holders were completely and wholly unamused. Following the outcry, the newspaper has removed the database, with a self-serving statement about concern for public safety but there was no concern for public safety guiding their actions before the objections. Overall, a question is raised: if Sunshine Week is supposed to be about open government why are newspapers aggregating and publishing information about private citizens at all?

Choose your own photo

KokuRyu — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 22:54:05 -0800

Virginia DMV [youtube] "In Virginia you can get a reissued drivers license on the spot if you have lost your license or just want a better photo."

The McMissile Case

smoothvirus — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 12:22:10 -0800

Virginia woman could get 2 years in prison for throwing McDonald's bag - a jury in Stafford County, Virginia has recommended a two-year prison sentence for Jessica Julia Hall, a 25-year-old mother of three, for throwing a bag with a soft drink inside into the car next to her. She was convicted of a felony offense after getting into an altercation with another driver on I-95 between Fredericksburg, VA and Washington, DC - widely considered to be one of the most congested stretches of road on the East Coast. Anyone who drives in the DC area can tell you how overcrowded the highways are. It gets worse in the summer when the tempratures rise and tempers flare. This could be an example of excessive justice, or perhaps juries in this area have had enough.

Jens Soering appeals to documentary makers

zaebiz — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 12:10:12 -0800

Any aspiring filmmakers want to help exonerate a geeky German guy with no legal options left, falsely convicted of murder in Virginia? In 1985, Jens Soering confessed to the murder of the parents of his American girlfriend, Elizabeth Haysom. He claims he was madly in love and confessed to protect her. Since 1995, Jens' very detailed description of events and the flaws in the case against him have been posted on the internet along with the former Virginian deputy attorney-general's (now his lawyer) endorsement. Jens' personal site maintains a list of articles and books Jens has written in prison. Elizabeth also has her own column.

Vote for, er, Jim?

clevershark — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 12:38:51 -0800

Vote for James H. "Jim"? Voters in certain Virginia precincts will see electronic ballots featuring only part of some candidates' names. For some reason this is said to be "unfixable", even though this has been discovered two weeks ahead of election time. This problem only affects voting machines made by... not the one you'd expect, but Austin, TX-based Hart InterCivic, whose motto is "Always Accessible". Senatorial Candidate James H. "Jim" Webb (D) is, one may assume, not amused.

Virginia Wines

SuzySmith — Sun, 06 Aug 2006 15:09:41 -0800

The more than 100 wineries of Virginia are varied and roam the entire state from the Chesapeake Bay to the mountains and back. You can even find wine on the lake created to be a nuclear plant cooler: Lake Anna. Virginia wines are even becoming competitive with California wines. My jaunt through winery links today, though, was inspired by Ingleside Winery, a small winery, right outside my hometown.

I'll meet you on that lonesome dark road / When the sun goes down

ktoad — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 22:26:41 -0800

On January 1st, 2006, Bryan Harvey was murdered along with his wife and two young daughters in the basement of their Virginia home. Smoke issuing from the house was spotted by Johnny Hott, Harvey's bandmate in the terrific, late-80s duo House of Freaks. The fire was apparently started by the killers in an attempt to cover up the evidence. By all accounts the Harveys were a well-liked family whose loss has left a city stunned and saddened. Bryan once remarked, "I have a lot of faith in humans. I believe we're capable of incredibly beautiful things (as well as incredibly evil)." Unfortunately the truth of that statement has become readily apparent. (more inside)

Grizzly Murder

emelenjr — Sat, 25 Feb 2006 23:51:34 -0800

Last Saturday, a woman and her four-year-old son climbed a fence to get a closer look at two black bears in the care of the non-profit Maymont Foundation. Bear bites boy.