Lynchburg Virginia: 09/01/2005

How to Move IBM to Virginia?: Governor Warner Has A Plan

In a plan to redo Virginia's IT structure, and with billions in play, Governor Warner has laid down the law.

The Richmond Times Dispatch is reporting:

"If one of the competitors for Virginia's big information-technology outsourcing wants to get a piece of the action, they'd better not be sending jobs out of state, the Warner administration says."

Dan has written previously on this issue and you can read more here.

Serenity to Be at the Box Office Tommorow in Lynchburg

For all you science fiction buffs Serenity is coming to the Carmike 8 tomorrow. There seems to be a cult following for the Firefly series on which it was based.

In related News, a landing strip for UFOs in under construction in Puerto Rico, CNN is reporting that the landing strip is endorsed by the local government. Apparently, this has been a fly by site for many UFOs and they are putting the hospitality mat out. Route signs are already posted for extraterrestrial traffic.

Photo: Saucers over the Blueridge, by a photographer known to me and used with permission

A Wake Up Call From The Virginia Child Support Enforcement Division

News 10 in Roanoke is reporting:

There was a surprise this morning for 52 people who lived in the Roanoke area, they found their faces on ad on the Roanoke Times by the Virginia Child Support and Enforcement. In total these 52 people owe nearly a million in back child support. Only the top offenders were listed.

Don't say that we didn't warn you that this will start happening in our area. We have posted about how it has been a success in both Richmond and the Hampton Roads area.

If you owe back child support in Lynchburg, and you are camera shy, you better make arrangements to pay up. One morning you could wake up and see your picture on The Lynchburg News and Advance.

American Journeys in the Words of those Involved

I was looking for some information today and stumbled across this awesome website!

For those of us who get a bit upset with the pc version of history or the whitewashing of events, this is the place for you!

This site consists of articles (we can access for free) that were written by people alive during the time. For instance there is an account by John Smith and his view of his journey to the New World. What an awesome resource!

Also check out

How to Escape Quicksand

Remember in the movies how people step in quicksand and they sink, sink, sink until there is nothing left but the hat on their head? Well according to this study, that is a myth! Phew, now I can breathe easy...because I have always been afraid of being sucked into oblivion by quicksand! Those people in Hollywood should be sued for this misinformation!

However, on the downside, if you happen to get stuck in quicksand near the ocean and don't get out...the tide could come in and drown you! Yikes!

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Behl Taylor: The Clue that Is Not There Could Be the Most Important Clue

In looking at the Taylor Behl case more carefully, a question has come to my mind. Sorry Fawley, as the person who was last known to have been with Taylor Behl it involves you.

Its a question of the abandoned buildings, that Ben Fawley, aka Skulz, was so interested in having a model pose at. A search of Fawley's available pictures does not show any pictures at abandoned buildings with models. Fawley did go on a rampage of deleting posts. Could he have deleted these posts also? And if so, why? The location of those abandoned buildings may be a good place to look in an investigation.

From one of Fawley's many purported websites (this is a new found one), lists his interest some of his many interests as:

sex, shallow graves, shoplifting, siouxsie and the banshees, skateboards, skulls, skulz, smart girls, spikes, stereos, still photography.

To see the full list go to the website, it is a virtual word association venue of a broken mind. It also includes death and destruction and abandoned buildings.

Yet the most important area to explore for finding the missing Taylor Belh could be in what was not found, the pictures of the abandoned buildings and the model posing there.

Previous Posts:

A Place to Look for Taylor Behl

Who is Fawley?

Fawley Altered His Appearance: Before His Arrest

Fawley: Abduction Story

Person of Interest in Behl Investigation Behind Bars

Taylor Behl: The Triangle Theory

Taylor Behl: Mystery Buffs: Do You Wonder About the Ohio Plates?

Taylor Behl: And the Person of Interest

Missing Mystery: Behl found in Innumerable Blogs

New Information On the Behl Investigation Comes to Light

Will Virginia Go Nuts?

The Daily Press is reporting:

There is a move by Suffolk Virginia to add, the Mr. Peanut icon to personalized plates. This from the Daily Press website:

"To celebrate the founding of England's first permanent North American settlement, Suffolk wants state officials to approve a new license plate for Virginia motorists. A plate that features not some scene of the colonists or American Indians, but with the monocle and top hat adorned Mr. Peanut."

Will Mr. Peanut sway the minds over at the Virginia DMV? Your guess is as good as ours.

photo credit: Aerostar Balloons

Welcoming a New Team Member: DL Ennis

Its my pleasure to welcome a new team member, DL Ennis. DL is an accomplished writer, who has provided insightful articles both on his website, and his blog. His subject range is quite vast, and we are sure he will provide our readers with new and interesting perspectives.

Thank you DL, for joining our group.

Giant Squid Captured on Film

Yep, you read that right, the stuff of myths and legends has been captured on film! I have always been enthralled by Big Foot, the Loch Ness Monster, unicorns, the Kraken, and the Abominable Snowman. Being able to see photos of the elusive giant squid in it's natural habit is awesome! Now if we could just find some really good pictures of Nessie! Or capture a unicorn!

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Dwayne Glover Pleads Guilty to Shooting Housemate During Argument

From the Lynchburg Prosecutor's office

On September 23, 2005, Dwayne Eric Glover appeared before Judge Mosby G. Perrow, III, and entered guilty pleas to charges of malicious wounding and use of a firearm during the commission of a felony for the January 17 shooting of his housemate, Eric Mack. Mack and Glover were housemates at 224 Denver Avenue. The two men had gotten into an argument because Mack was using the stove in the common kitchen area to cook dinner and the defendant had turned the stove off. During the verbal argument, the defendant took out a .22 caliber pistol and shot Mack once in the neck. Mack was taken to Lynchburg General Hospital and survived the shooting.

The defendant claimed that he shot in self-defense and that Mack had threatened him with a knife, although police were unable to locate any knives during their investigation. When officers searched the defendant’s room, they located a .22 caliber handgun hidden above one of the ceiling tiles. The state forensic lab in Roanoke matched the bullet which was surgically removed from Mack’s neck to the pistol found in the defendant’s room.

Once in custody, the defendant told police officers that when he was released by the judge he was going to get a .357 Magnum so that the next time he was threatened by Mack, Mack would not be able to get up again.

Glover faces a mandatory minimum sentence of three years for using a firearm to commit a felony and up to twenty years for the malicious wounding. He remains in jail without bond pending his sentencing, which is set for December 9, 2005. The case was prosecuted by Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jeff Bennett.

Hurricane Rita Third Most Powerful Recorded Storm

Hurricanes are ranked in different ways. The wind gusts, the size of the storm, the damage the storm causes and the isobars. Rita, on Wednesday afternoon, was ranked the third strongest recorded hurricane due to its low isobars.

Here is a video from National Geographic that follows her life.

Minefields Protect Penguins

In Kidney Cove in the Falkland Islands, the penguins are mating, happy, safe and secure among minefields planted in 1982. While these areas have been fenced off to protect humans and other larger wildlife, the penguins can rest easy as their weight is too slight to set off the mines. Conservations are thrilled with this unorthodox way of protecting the penguins!

A Place to Look for Taylor Behl

As Ben Falwey, has been removed by the Richmond Police as a "person of interest" in the Taylor Behl disappearance he has however been charged for 16 counts of child pornography. I have been thinking of one of his past entries on his public journal I have made bold the pertinent text from the following passage, for your easy reference. Here is a place that Ben Falwey knew as abandoned. Could it be worth a look? See the bold text from this entry:

I need someone who would like to play Goth/fetish dress up for some photos for use on the web page, nothing “bad”, just fun. The photos will be taken outside @ Hollywood as sort of a silly Goth set. I want to do something in a “Goth dress”, “pointed boots" with no platforms if you have them. The idea is to look sorta “80’s Goth”, the flowing long black dress and that stuff. Then the Goth/fetish look that is more “today” with the same person in the same spots, as I would be making some animated gif images from some of the photos. I have no cash, but you can have all of the photos I take. :-p>

I just want to play with the camera at two (or three) locations (abandoned buildings) I go to. All of the locations are “safe” but yes, they are abandoned buildings just the same. I want a model to be in the foreground as I think it would be a great set. Both locations are a bit off the track but will have to be done in the day for safety. I need to do this before it gets too warm and the bees come out, I am allergic to bees and that is a nuff said about that.

Here again it’s just for fun so I can work some with a model and the camera and get some more photos. If you are willing I will not just give you photos, but if you have a place you want photos in I will do that as well for you. Here it’s dress as you like, but remember it’s an abandoned building set.

Previous Posts:

Who is Fawley?

Fawley Altered His Appearance: Before His Arrest

Fawley: Abduction Story

Person of Interest in Behl Investigation Behind Bars

Taylor Behl: The Triangle Theory

Taylor Behl: Mystery Buffs: Do You Wonder About the Ohio Plates?

Taylor Behl: And the Person of Interest

Missing Mystery: Behl found in Innumerable Blogs

New Information On the Behl Investigation Comes to Light

How to Compete for the Darwin Awards in Lynchburg Virginia?

While driving down Rivermont Avenue the other day, I couldn't help to notice that the Darwin Award competion had reached Lynchburg.

Here you see a man attempting to remove something caught in the power lines. I watched him lose his balance and nearly fall.

Here is advice from the Virginia Tech Utilities:

"Never remove a kite or airplane that gets entangled in overhead power lines, on a pole, or in a tree near power lines. Call the electric service for removal." Unless you feel the need to compete for the Darwin Award, that seems like good advice.

Lynchburg Freecycle Keeps Growing

When I first reported on Lynchburg Freecycle back in late July, their membership was 541, now the membership has expanded to over 800 and it continues to grow. Sometimes I think this is the best kept secret in Lynchburg. I am tempted not to tell you about it all, its like a twenty dollar bill laying on the sidewalk. You may not want someone picking it up before you do.

But luckily, Lynchburg Freecycle has room for more members, and the more the better. Recently, I got a load of wood for a friend, and a metal detector for myself. You know ever since I was a kid I was fascinated with metal detectors. I almost got one when I was a kid, but some things just do not work out. I didn't get a go cart either, or a horse. But the things I did get, like a roof over my head, books to read, and fishing trips, are things that I am now grateful for.

Well now Lynchburg Freecycle has come along, and you can just look through the emails, its almost like a wish list. Computers, cars, metal detectors, 32 inch TV sets, clothes, printers, and you just name it, people are giving it away. Yep, I said giving no charges here.

So what is the catch. Well, everything has a catch, "you don't just get something for nothing do you?"

Well, you have to join the yahoo group for membership, again no charge. And maybe you might just be able to offer something that you no longer use. Maybe something taking up space, or something you are planning to throw away. Is this a requirement? No, its up to you what you do. They do have some simple rules to follow. Not hard ones, just ones that make sense, for everyone to get along.

So if you haven't joined Lynchburg Freecycle, what are you waiting for? Like that twenty on the sidewalk, I told you about earlier are you going to pick it up? And if you are not from Lynchburg, this thing is nation wide and getting bigger all the time. Go here, to find directions to a site near you.

Banned Book Week

We are in the middle of Banned Book Week and DL Ennis has been running some interesting posts about the subject. There is also some interesting discussion going on about the exact definition of Banned Books, so go check it out.

Now in a not so subtle segue to an advertisement...I have recently become the proud owner of a law library of about 1000 books. I am trying to sell these through Ebay, but I am also mentioning it here. If anyone would like to know the inventory I have, email me at melissamarkham@takethemat.com. I will be glad to email you a copy of the list in case are interested in any of the sets or titles. The books are in very good condition and I hope to find good homes for all of them and pay some bills at the same time.

I would just like to add that to my knowledge...none of these books is on the top 100 list published by ALA:)

Visting Around the Internet

There is one thing I enjoy about blogs, you can get diverse views on subjects, learn something new, or just be entertained. Most of the blogs I read center on Virginia.

Yesterday, I went visiting, to a blog that always has interesting content. In fact, I can't keep away from reading it. It is written by DL Ennis from Sweet Brier. His latest post was on book banning, as a person involved in library science, DL Ennis has presented an important view point, in which I am much in agreement. There are other sites I read that I do not agree with, I read them anyway. I listen to their position, and rather than just discarding their ideas, I try to look through their eyes and see how they arrive at their conclusions. If they have a valid point, I appreciate the opportunity to understand it.

Then I ran across this site. A site of pure hate, from Roanoke Virginia. I did read it, and tried to find the logic of his position. And I also learned things. I learned the face of the enemy, ignorance. I learned the falseness of his reasoning, and that encouraged me to improve mine. I learned that some people have defects in compassion, caring, and promote ill will. What I learned most was what not to be, a valuable lesson in itself.

The site from Roanoke, tells me to know my enemy, and hopefully yours. I respect his right to say whatever he pleases. The more he says reinforces my will not to be like him.

Monday, September 26, 2005

Halloween: What's on the Menu?

With Halloween soon approaching, Scare Mare is in preparation to shake your living soul. Now, we are wondering what are your plans? Could they involve a visit to a recipe site that has specialized in Halloween treats? There are many Halloween recipes here, including ones that give new meaning to finger foods.

Photo credit: Halloween Fabulous Foods

What Does the Island of Penang, off the Malay Peninsula Have in Common with Virginia and West Virginia?

Now that is a trivia question. In research for a future post on tornadoes in Virginia, I ran across this unusual tidbit of information: Peter's Mountain Roar. There is a mountain on the Virginia and West Virginia Border that just has the right geography to produce a deafening noise from the wind. There is only one other place in the world that has the same geographic tendency to do the same, the Island of Penang, off the Malay Peninsula.

Photo credit: hangingrocktower.org, used with permission.

An an Example of What Went Right with Katrinia

A Coast Guard search and rescue crew from a St. Louis, Mo., based Disaster Area Response Team drags their skiff to a launching point on South Carrollton Avenue in New Orleans.

Photo credit: U.S Coast Guard

Watching the media, you can help to see all the information on what went wrong when Katrinia devastated the Gulf region. Little has been said about what went right. In an article found on the Daily Press, there was one part of our response that performed admirably, the U.S. Coast Guard.

Some may think that we do not want the military, to be the first responders in an American disaster. But you have to appreciate that the military is trained and is well skilled with a can do attitude in the mist of chaos. In fact the military does love chaos, because when the enemy is fumbling they know exactly what to do, you can look at the beginning of the war in Iraqi to see how our military machine works.

In Katrinia, there was no effective command and control structure, and organization suffered. Its one thing, for a group of well meaning civil authorities to sit in committee to iron out approaches and to also disagree. Its another, to have a clear chain of command, and know that orders will be obeyed, actions will be taken, and results will be seen. And the Coast Guard did just that. This is from the Daily Press:

"Forty-three Coast Guard helicopters from 11 air stations converged on the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to save more that 12,500 lives. Coast Guard small boats and cutters rescued 11,600 more, and combined service units evacuated 9,400 patients from hospitals."

"Most of the rescues occurred from Aug. 30, the day after Katrina hit, through Sept. 3, when an unprecedented swarm of Coast Guard units was joined by units from other armed forces, as well as federal, state and local law agencies."

Who is Ben Fawley?

Not often can we get into the mind of a person accused of a crime, currently Ben Fawley has been arrested for 16 counts of child pornography in Richmond, and was one of the last known persons to see the missing Taylor Behl. He has been described as a photographer, artist, fervent liscence collector, a bi-polar personality, and a 38 year interested in women half his age. Some under the age of 18.

Well, Fawley did keep a public journal I have culled some of his entries so we can see who Fawley was from his own words. Most of these entries are long before the disappearance of Taylor Behl, some contain profanities, misspellings, and bad grammar. But, they all give us a window into his mind. He was a person who dwelled on skulls, women, and who was not unfamiliar with being incarcerated in jail. Now the entries a broken mosaic:

Gee, me a skulls, what's the deal? ...I guess every red-neck with a deer skull is a closet killer? They play with guns, kill things for sport, and have skulls around

What do you do when you have found out you did your best not to, but find you did hurt someone you care about? I didn't see untill it was too late and now the problem is how do I fix this? I can't fix it, there is nothing I can do or say. Anything I do say will only make it worse. I am sorry.

:: Did you ever have that moment of thought where everything that was on your mind came together and you were able to understand it all for that one single split second? ……Well I had this moment where I got a glimpse at the answers. It like you are so use to losing you do something to your self to make sure you lose. You are so uses to not getting it you give up before you get there. And that someone has been telling you time and time again but you just didn’t hear her. I had a moment today, just now past, and I owe a lot of people an apology. I see something, it was right there and one was telling me but I just wasn’t getting it. I think I have it and the person I need so badly to tell isn’t here to tell.

I quit the race and shot my self in the foot this past weekend only to go back to the shop and burn it down with me inside and blocked the exit when I dumped the gas on the floor. My dumb-butt did something very stupid, yet the one person who should hate me the most for it doesn’t. I was so stupid, and it was right there in front of me to see, but I was pissing it away as I was so use to falling flat on my face I went and tripped myself this time. I hope I remember this when I have the chance to tell the person I need to tell. I hope it helps, but as I have noted, once a stupid act is done there is no un-doing said act. So for those who know, I am sorry. All I ac say is I just don’t get why the person who should be the maddest at me isn’t. I will not question this, I will just say that for the first time I did everything wrong, yet something seems to be working out. Not saying I am out of the woods yet. I do think some will be close behind with a foot ready to plant up my ass if I screw up. ::

:: I have had the idea for sometime now but just haven't had the motivation to get to it. The idea is not simple for a beginner but I made one corset already, so now I will make yet another but this time I am making one on my own. I have in mind what I want it to look like. This corset will be for show and not for one trying to make themselves look thinner.I have the idea what I want it to look like but do I lack the skill to make it work is the question. The first corset worked out well in the end. I had one or two areas that I could have done better with. This corset will not be three layers as the first since it will be just for show. I think I can make this idea work and I have an idea that I can mix this project with another in the end. I have the fabric to make another two corsets as is, all I need is the parts and I have some already. ::

:: I have a pile of very spenddy comic books here I now have to read. When some people come into your life thay don't change you but add to who you are because of them. I am not changing, just adding to who I am as I page through the books with great care and wonder what screw was lose in her head to trust me with well over $100.00 worth of comic books? ....gee, I thought she was a smart one till now. :-pSo on the list to read?~ Tank Girl ~ I know as I have the movie, ok, not the comic that I how hold, but as close as I get. :-p~ Death ~ Two here that I think I have the title right, she will kick my butt if I don't. :-p~ The Sandman Preludes Nocturnes ~

****there are two others but my 'bondage bed' is about to see some use as a photo location for another photographer. So I need to clear out the BMX bike, me and other stuff. (EDIT~~ Yea, bondage superheros in my bed :-p ~~ Total hot superbabe action here at the M Street Studio)

:: Out to eat something new, why is Mexican food "new" to me one might ask? ....yea, my real father was "Mexican" but I didn't know him, I am a picky eater, and I am not the best at trying new things. I have had a lot on my mind this month as I have taken a look at things and I am not looking to change who I am, but I could use a tune-up, some adjustments, and an upgrade to Skulz 8.0 now that I am about to be 38.

Change is hard, it can be a scary thing to do as you are going from something you know into something unfamiliar. I don’t fear much as I have been to hell in back in my sorted life. One who knows me pointed out once that there are not many who could have lived my life, done what I have, and gone through what I have and still be standing, let alone taking a chance on some of the things I do. I am me, this is who I am and the people who know me are ok with that. I seem to bother others as they just don’t get it and they could never get through or past the things I have done. I am not finished yet as I am working on something that will take me down another road of chance where the outcome is unknown and uncertain. ::

:: oops I did it again....... I had the stuff here as someone got it for me so I used it. The hair was looking bad and I was thinking of just letting it go black again but I just said what the fuck. So the mop is copper blond again, and I think I will get it cut and use the last of the blue again in a bit. Yea, some won't like it but there is a "why" to all of this, I just cannot post that here. I also took some photos of my ugly mug, almost broke the camera in doing it. I want to take more photos but everyone who said they would has wussed out in one way or another. ::

:: The key is the wireless card built into my laptop and the media-card reader I have. I don't like the laptop much as it is a sux ass Dell but it wasn't the cheap Dell crap. There was a model above, the XPS I was looking at, but I felt just a waste of cash on a Dell. The key is to having the Wireless network in the house. I can move all about and get my shit done now. I have the key and use it on the road as well, both trips to Philly and even in DC the wireless laptop has been handy. I just need to fix it so when this one someone is here visiting, they can get on to the network. I have the sucker password protected, the key just didn't work for one, I have no clue why. ::

I need someone who would like to play Goth/fetish dress up for some photos for use on the web page, nothing “bad”, just fun. The photos will be taken outside @ Hollywood as sort of a silly Goth set. I want to do something in a “Goth dress”, “pointed boots" with no platforms if you have them. The idea is to look sorta “80’s Goth”, the flowing long black dress and that stuff. Then the Goth/fetish look that is more “today” with the same person in the same spots, as I would be making some animated gif images from some of the photos. I have no cash, but you can have all of the photos I take. :-p> I just want to play with the camera at two (or three) locations (abandoned buildings) I go to. All of the locations are “safe” but yes, they are abandoned buildings just the same. I want a model to be in the foreground as I think it would be a great set. Both locations are a bit off the track but will have to be done in the day for safety. I need to do this before it gets too warm and the bees come out, I am allergic to bees and that is a nuff said about that. Here again it’s just for fun so I can work some with a model and the camera and get some more photos. If you are willing I will not just give you photos, but if you have a place you want photos in I will do that as well for you. Here it’s dress as you like, but remember it’s an abandoned building set.

:: Yes, changing the title of my journal was due the stupid people. As they "hate" me so much they visit my journal and web page more then others I know. I must be doing something right to have shit-heads and ass-holes like them spend years milling over how much they dislike me. I will waste this note, but that is all the time I will give to shit like that. Yea, so they are silly enough to say what they did. But the subject in question looks to me like insurance fraud. The only thing I could think that would make them say I had anything to do with it is they are just that stupid, or they are in on the fraud and they did it. ::

:: Yep, and even got some carpet for the place, and a "new" washer. I will not post photos of some things, evidance problems and all ya know.........crime does pay. Someone will burn for this, burn baby, burn. ::

:: "M" Street Studio & some of the people there....... ::

.....Burn baby burn.....we is gonna burn the sucker to the ground ya dirty booger eater !

Previous Posts:

Fawley Altered His Appearance: Before His Arrest

Fawley: Abduction Story

Person of Interest in Behl Investigation Behind Bars

Taylor Behl: The Triangle Theory

Taylor Behl: Mystery Buffs: Do You Wonder About the Ohio Plates?

Taylor Behl: And the Person of Interest

Missing Mystery: Behl found in Innumerable Blogs

New Information On the Behl Investigation Comes to Light

Sunday, September 25, 2005

Rock, Paper, Scissors, Arghhh!

Ever play Rock-Paper-Scissors when you were a kid? Sometimes if you needed to decide something, that was the best game you had. Sure, it used to be eeenie-meenie-miney-moe, but soon you figured out that it was RIGGED! With two choices, it was always the other thing besides what you started with. (Sorry kids. Somebody had to tell you sooner or later)
So Rock-Paper-Scissors it was. Sometimes, people have added extra characters, like Spock and Lizard.
Well. One internet blogger just could not stop at a five-place Rock-Paper-Scissors. He and his step-daughter did a 7-place RPS. Then a 9-place RPS. Soon, it was completely out of hand. There was an 11-place RPS and then, this past week, a 15-place Rock-Paper-Scissors! We've got Rock, Gun, Lightning, Devil, Dragon, Water, Air, Paper, Sponge, Wolf, Tree, Human, Snake, Scissors, Fire. I don't know if anybody could ever PLAY a 15-position RPS, but it would be a hoot to watch.

Portraits of Hope

Lisa Bernhard reports:

Creative Healing

My heart rose, literally and figuratively, thanks to an organization called Portraits of Hope. It gives disabled and low-income kids the chance to dream big by creating giant works of art -- most recently by painting a blimp!

Founded by artist Ed Massey and his brother Bernie, Portraits of Hope offers creative ways for kids to flex their artistic muscles. Even children with no use of arms and legs can participate: they’re given fruit-flavored paintbrushes to use with their mouths. Truly remarkable.

The Massey brothers’ next endeavor is a huge mural at New York’s Chelsea Piers painted by kids. After that, something to make the Big Apple truly shine: colorful patterns adorning New York City taxi cabs.

As for the blimp (or airship, as they’re formally called), kudos should also go to Ameriquest, who sponsored the project through its Soaring Dreams program.

Anyone looking to contribute to funding after-school projects for kids through these wonderful organizations can log onto portraitsofhope.org or soaringdreams.org.

I read about this today and thought it was a wonderful program and I wanted to share the information with our readers. While, the blimp currently only flies in CA and the next projects will take place in NY, I think it is a great project and perhaps it can spread here as well.

Richmond Time Dispatch is Changing

Below is a message I received when trying to access a page from the Richmond Times Dispatch.

Now, if you didn't know, there seems to be always a problem linking to the pages of Media General news sources, which includes The Lynchburg News and Advance. They like to keep you guessing like a shell game, is the bean (story) still under this cup (link)? Then, you find out nope the bean has moved mysteriously.

Well now, expect more problems when you click links to their content. We only hope, that whatever they do will improve their online reporting, and the format that it is presented in. But in the meantime, good luck in finding their stories when cited by others, including this blog. See the message below:

We are in the process of launching a new publishing system, with vastly different web addresses for all pages. If you have any bookmarked or favorite pages saved, please take note and change your settings. The URLs for all main indexes have changed. You can access the new pages through the navigation on the left side of this page.

If you have any problems, please contact us: mailto:webmaster@timesdispatch.com?subject=RTD-NEWSITE_ISSUES.
Some content may be missing for the first few days during our transition to the new site, so please be patient as we move the content. You should find content available in some sections for a much longer period of time than in previous versions of the www.TimesDispatch.com website.
If you typed the URL yourself, please make sure that the spelling is correct.

If you clicked on a link to get here, there may be a problem with the link.
Try using your browser's "back" button or the "return to previous page" link below to choose a different link on that page, or use search to find what you are looking for.
We apologize for the inconvenience!

Earthquakes in Virginia: So Far "Shaken, But Not Stirred"

"Do you hear me Elizabeth, I think it might be the big one," Fred Sanford of Sandford and Sons

After watching the recently disasters from Katrinia, and then the onslaught of Rita, you might think we are lucky to be here in Central Virginia, where we are safe from natural disasters.

Well maybe, while not exactly disaster prone Central Virginia, has had it bouts with floods, tornadoes, straight line winds, and earthquakes. These are some of the forces of nature we have dealt with, man-made disasters are now on the agenda for Central Virginia as well.

On this post, we will just address the issue of earthquakes. A fault line exists in Virginia, and we have recently experienced small small occurrences. We have been "shaken but not stirred," according to Virginia Earthquakes website, but they also report this:

"Virginia is expected to experience a 5+ quake every century or so, and the state is classified as a 'moderate' seismic risk. [In quakes above 4.5 on the Richter scale, buildings begin to fall. The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a 7.9 temblor.] "

I particularly enjoyed reading the Virginia Earthquakes website, it explained in a very engaging narrative form, information about Viriginia Earthquakes. I encourage you to read it. Not only will you find the history of earthquakes in Virginia informing, they provide links, where you can find more technical information.

They also reported this:

"The last "big one" in Virginia (about a 5.8 on the Richter scale) was on May 31, 1897, in Pearisburg, the county seat of Giles County. The judge in the courthouse adjourned a trial, jumped over the railing, and fled outside with everyone else as the courthouse rattled, brick walls cracked, and chimneys fell over. It was Virginia's most powerful recorded earthquake..."

To read the rest of the story go to their website.

But that does make you think though, we might be over due for the next big one.

Saturday, September 24, 2005

Fawley Altered His Appearance: Before His Arrest

The Richmond Times Dispatch is reporting on the arrest of Fawley:

"Moments later, the bespectacled Fawley exited in a black T-shirt. Police said his long, dyed blond hair and matching goatee of a few days ago had been trimmed and dyed black. He was handcuffed without incident and led into a waiting police vehicle."

When a person changes his appearance you have to really wonder what his motive is, could he have been planning to abscond? I have seen pictures of Fawley before on his website. It is apparent he was intending hide his identity. The reasons could be numerous, he knew the police could have had the goods on him for child pornography? But, could he have been more worried about whatever happened to Taylor Behl?

In any case things do not look good for Fawley, his personality seems stretched between morbid interest in death and the relationships with girls more than half his age. A reoccuring theme on his websites are skulls and young women. And if you dip deeper in his sphere of reality, you will find currents that will take you to depths few of us would care to fathom.

So when we read this also from Richmond Times article we are in total agreement with Taylor Behl's mother:

"Yesterday afternoon, Behl's mother, Janet Pelasara, said she was pleased with the arrest of Fawley, a 38-year-old man whom she said had 'exploited" her daughter."'

"'It is only the beginning,' she predicted,' of Ben Fawley's downward spiral into the depths of hell."'

To read more go to The Richmond Times Dispatch, and the previous posts listed below.

Previous Posts:

Fawley: Abduction Story

Person of Interest in Behl Investigation Behind Bars

Taylor Behl: The Triangle Theory

Taylor Behl: Mystery Buffs: Do You Wonder About the Ohio Plates?

Taylor Behl: And the Person of Interest

Missing Mystery: Behl found in Innumerable Blogs

New Information On the Behl Investigation Comes to Light

Websites for the Weather Conscious

With the tornado season still in play and the hurricane season at its peak, here are a few websites for those interested in monitoring the current weather, reading about past events or simply learning more about the science of meteorology.

First off, there is the Blacksburg office of the Nat’l Weather Service at
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/rnk/

This is the homepage of the local office and has many links off to other areas.

If you want to check out the local RADAR, you can go to
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/radar/loop/DS.p37cr/si.kfcx.shtml

RADAR has become one of the most important tools to meteorologists, both for research and for prediction. Modern RADAR relies on the theory of frequency shifts between objects emitting energy waves. This is called the Doppler Effect and this theory was discovered by Austrian physicist Christian Doppler in 1842. You may have experienced this effect when passed by a fire truck or ambulalance with its siren on. As the vehicle passed, you may have noticed the sudden drop in pitch of the siren. This is the Doppler Effect. Police traffic RADAR also uses this same Doppler Theory by the way. To learn more about how this effect is used in Weather Radar, go to
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/radar/radinfo/radinfo.html

The homepage of the National Weather Service is located at
http://www.weather.gov/

If you are more of a hobbyist and want to really get involved in the local weather scene, you may want to join Skywarn. Skywarn was formed in 1971 and is a “neighborhood watch” of sorts for severe weather events. Skywarn spotters attend free classes hosted by the Nat’l Weather Service where they learn about a variety of cloud formations, how to estimate wind speeds, what to look for in a possible tornado type storm and how to report all this to the Weather Service.
Skywarn spotters serve as amateur field agents for the Weather Service personnel, giving feedback and input that RADAR alone does not give. Reprting things like hail, snow depth, wind speed and other events that require someone to actually eyeball, provides invaluable information to Weather Sevice personnel. If you are interested in becoming a spotter, go to
http://www.skywarn.org/

Finally, please be safe. Central Virginia is not the place to stormchase unless you are highly trained. The terrain in our area makes sight distances fairly short. It's not like out in Kansas and Oklahoma, where you can see flat land for 50 miles. Leave it to the professionals and if you see something like a tornado call your local Police or Sheriff's Office.

Lynchburg Virginia’s Technorati Top Ten

We see the world little different here in Lynchburg, and when we read Technorati’s Top Ten, I don’t think we see it quite the same as you. Here is our Lynchburg Technorati Top Ten:

1. Rita: A southern lady that is trying to out do her sibling twin Katrina. Some say she is like a whirl wind with her flying red hair. If you meet a vixen like Rita in Lynchburg, just don’t let her in. Nail the windows shut and lock your doors. Southern ladies like Rita her are worse than the three wolfs that blew the house down.

2. Hurricane Rita: Rita with a true southern attitude. You have heard of us Red Necks, but you haven’t seen nothing until you see Rita turn red. She has been known to pick you up and toss you around. No matter how macho you might think you are, you are no match for Hurricane Rita when she has an attitude.

3. Breaking Benjamin: Contrary to popular rumors Benjamin is not broke. It is doing fine in Bedford. Any attempt to break Benjamin would ire the twin sisters Katrina and Rita, if you don’t know Rita and Katrinia, feel yourself lucky. They will pull your lower lip over your face, and twist you up tighter than a sprung alarm clock. Do you hear those alarm bells yet?

4. Bush drinking: There is a rumor around our parts, that if you are going to take on Rita or Katrinia, you better have a strong drink. In Lynchburg, if you go to a bar and find yourself between Rita and Katrinia drink up. You are going to have to get numb stupid to take on these two ladies. One army guy in New Orlean's called a reporter stuck on stupid, numb stupid is the proper term here when you mess with Rita, or Katrinia, or even White Lightening.

5. Path of Ivan: Like all paths when you run into a fork in the path, pick up the fork. Yogi Bera has the other forks he needs one more to complete the set. In Lynchburg, there is a path to the lynching tree, that is one path we would like to take Ivan down.

6. Filipina: We don’t talk about this in Lynchburg. We have heard this has something to do with switching sexes, or something about an island kingdom where there was a lady who collected shoes. We like our ladies barefoot and pregnant, something you can’t do with a lot of shoes around or men that switched sex.

7. Hunter S. Thompson: In Lynchburg, Hunter Green is a popular remodeling color, on the other hand, if we read gonzo journalistic adventures we keep that well hidden. "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro," not a quote well known here. We do loath Las Vegas, just to be on the safe side, we wouldn’t want Rita and Katrinia to know we gambled away our Sunday donation, that’s where the fear comes in.

8. Kate Moss: Around Lynchburg, moss is found on the other side of the tree. We keep looking for our Kate Moss just on the other side of the tree, but she is never there. We got beauties like her in Lynchburg, but we don’t mess with them. Like Rita and Katrinia, they are red headed fireballs that will knock you out of your socks and off your feet.

9. Able Danger: This is a dare. There is a railroad road bridge that crosses the James near here. If you think you are able to face the danger of crossing the bridge, we will send your remains to your mail order bride.

10. Lost: You are never lost in Lynchburg. If you try to leave you will end up right back here. We have heard of Yankees that ended up here. We tell them they are lost, and give them directions north, but they keep coming back too.

11. Hotmail: This one slipped off the top ten, but we liked it anyway. Hotmail usually comes from mail order brides. In Lynchburg when we are not looking for Kate Moss around the tree, we read our hotmail. Sometimes we send the hotmail to Hawaii, because we hear they love spam.

Fawley: Abduction Story

A few hours before Taylor Behl disappeared Fawley had filed a police report. On one of his web sites, he enters the following as an explanation of what happened. When you read his explanation, we would like to know what are your thoughts of this fantastic tale he claims that happened on the day Taylor Behl disappeared?

:: A year ago friends of an ex-girlfriend came into my apartment and attacked me. One left stabbed with his own knife. Now I got jumped, I am almost sure it was friends of the girl I was having problems with 4 months back. She has people saying I am doing stuff to her when I haven't done a thing. Yet she is placing ads online in my name. She posted messages to my guest book that were far from nice, and more. Now while I( was out taking photos I think she had me jumped. I was out very early, not sure of the time but the sun hadn't been up long. I was heading up to Monument to take photos when 3 to 4 guys jumped me. They got a trash bag over my head before I could see them. Tossed me into a car and dumped me out on some dirt road. I wasn't hurt much, just from where that sat on me. As they never said a word I am sure this was not just a robbery. My one camera and tripod is missing along with the $20.00 I had tucked in the camera. I didn't have my wallet, but I did have my bank card and that wasn't taken. I am sure it was someone who was looking to get a message across. The only person who is giving me trouble is Erin & friends, so I am sure this is another gift from her. So add this to the tally of (profanity removed) she pulled, the worse was getting my web site pulled down. She used VegPorn to kill my site. If I had the money I can sue, but I don't have the cash to pay the lawyer's retainer. So she killed the web page, destroyed a bed I made, posted some ads and stuff that sure didn’t help, and now had me jumped. Gee what a nice girl. I would just leave town, but the day before I was to head to Philly she made sure I couldn’t go. Friday thanks to her I now face more problems keeping me here in this suck-ass town. I have a way out of town. Why must this psycho keep harassing me, why can’t she just let me alone so I can go back to my kids? ::

Previous Posts:

Person of Interest in Behl Investigation Behind Bars

Taylor Behl: The Triangle Theory

Taylor Behl: Mystery Buffs: Do You Wonder About the Ohio Plates?

Taylor Behl: And the Person of Interest

Missing Mystery: Behl found in Innumerable Blogs

New Information On the Behl Investigation Comes to Light

Friday, September 23, 2005

Person of Interest in Behl Investigation Behind Bars

News channel 10 is reporting:

"Police say a 38-year-old man identified as a person of interest in the disappearance of a missing college freshman has been arrested."

To read more go to News channel 10.

This has not been a surprising development. Fawley who has been associated with child pornography, relationships with women under 18, and collecting license plates (stolen plates were found on Taylor Behl's car), appears to be a likely suspect in the disappearance of Taylor Behl. Previously, he had claimed he was abducted hours before Taylor Behl disappeared.

Although, the present charges of why he was arrested were not released. We are hopeful that this may signal a break in the case.

UPDATE 8 News in Richmond is reporting:

"RICHMOND, Va. Police say a 38-year-old man identified as a person of interest in the disappearance of a missing college student has been arrested and was charged with 16 counts of possession of child pornography."

Image of Fawley's website showing part of his license plate collection. As an avid collector, he advertised here that he was interested in all plates no matter of the year, current or not.

Previous Posts:

Taylor Behl: The Triangle Theory

Taylor Behl: Mystery Buffs: Do You Wonder About the Ohio Plates?

Taylor Behl: And the Person of Interest

Missing Mystery: Behl found in Innumerable Blogs

New Information On the Behl Investigation Comes to Light

New Information On the Behl Investigation Comes to Light

Plants can Lure Bug Bodyguards

This is great news for farmers, consumers, birds and the environment in general. Apparently most plants have the ability to produce compounds which attract insects that feed on insects that are attacking the plants. One example would be roses attracting ladybugs that would come and eat the aphids.

As scientists do more and more genetic sequencing, they are learning which genes do what. So now they have introduced the gene into plant A from plant B that enables plant A to produce these compounds in a significant quanitity and protect itself from the insects that are eating it. The applications of this are enormous. If we can genetically modify plants to protect themselves from bugs, we stop spraying chemicals/pesticides to do the same thing. This protects the environment, saves the farmer time and money and helps to protect birds and other creatures that eat on insects.

Sinking New Orleans...flooding again

I know that New Orleans is a long way from Lynchburg, but it will be our tax dollars and efforts helping to rebuild it, so I think we all have an interest in the city. As I watch the waters rise again in New Orleans, I can't help but wonder at the whole rebuilding process. I certainly hope that people don't rush in to rebuild without thinking this through.

It is not that I don't want New Orleans to be rebuilt, but I want us to look at the process and see if we can do it better, if we can create a safer city. Today I found this very good video on the National Geographic website that explains the flooding of New Orleans was as much a man-made disaster as it was a natural disaster. Check out the video. I would be interested in your thoughts as to how we tackle this problem.

Virginia Department of Game: And Chronic Wasting Disease in Deer

While the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries reports this:

"...the Department's surveillance efforts provide a high degree of confidence that CWD is not present in Virginia's deer herd. Also compared to many other states, Virginia lacks several significant risk factors typically associated with CWD; in particular, steps have been taken to address CWD risk factors associated with captive deer in Virginia."

They have previously reported in a news release that CWD has been found in deer ten miles from the Virginia boarder, but that does not appear on the main page of their website. Previously, we have reported on this here, and the possible risks of human transmission.

As can be seen from my previous sited post (on this here, look in the previous paragraph), CWD is a little understood disease, similar to Mad Cow Disease. It has been the tack of the CDC to downplay the possibility of human transmission. However, in their laboratory studies transmission to primates have proved possible. The incubation period in primates can be as long as three years. This means that symptoms would not show up for a great period of time. And the cause of a similar disease in humans may not be easily seen from coming from deer, or eating venison, because of the lengthy incubation period.

Here is the latest release from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries:

VDGIF ANNOUNCES CWD INFORMATION MEETINGS

Richmond, VA — The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) will be holding public information meetings to provide an overview of the Department's response to the report in September of the first confirmed case of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in a white-tailed deer in West Virginia. The deer was found in Hampshire County, West Virginia, 10 miles from the Virginia state line. This prompted the Department to activate part of its CWD Response Plan, which will result in increased CWD surveillance especially in northwest Virginia.

These meetings will provide background information about CWD, and will provide a summary of the Department's planned CWD surveillance activities. In particular, VDGIF staff will be describing how hunters and the general public can assist the Department with this effort, and there will be an opportunity to ask questions.

All interested members of the public are encouraged to attend as well as visit our Web site at www.dgif.virginia.gov for information about CWD and these meetings.

October 3, 2005
Woodstock
Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors' meeting room
600 North Main St., Woodstock
7 p.m.

October 5, 2005
Loudoun County
Town office in the council chambers
130 E. Main Street, Purcellville
7 p.m.

October 6, 2005
Winchester
Frederick County Board of Supervisors' meeting room
107 North Kent St., Winchester
7 p.m.

Taylor Behl: The Triangle Theory

Triangles in crime and love, sometimes intertwine. And as the Behl mystery unfolds, triangulation appears to be emerging that may bring light to the mystery that has surrounded the whole Behl affair.

WRIC channel 8 is reporting:

The police appear confident that Taylor Behl will be found alive and well. We can only hope. They also report:

"...As for the investigation, a police dog tracking scents from Behl's car led police to 22-year-old Jesse Schultz. After searching Schultz's North Sheppard Street home, they charged him with possession of cocaine. "

"Police also continue to question 38-year-old photographer Ben Fawley, who allegedly had an intimate relationship with Behl. 8News spoke with Behl's mother, Janet Pelasara, who tells us she is staying hopeful police will find her daughter."

With a possible triangle emerging, between Behl, Fawley, and possibly Schultz or another player. It reminds me of another crime triangle that I have reported previously. A triangle is the strongest element in geometry, with humans triangles are the strongest element that ends in destruction.

Previous Posts:

Taylor Behl: Mystery Buffs: Do You Wonder About the Ohio Plates?

Taylor Behl: And the Person of Interest

Missing Mystery: Behl found in Innumerable Blogs