it could only mean one thing: It’s time for the Womenless Beauty Pageant! Yes, the “Divas of the Night” aka the police, deputies & firemen of Martinsville and Henry County gathered tonight in a fierce competition for the coveted crown as well as to raise over $10,000 for The American Cancer Society.

Never again can Martinsville/Henry County be accused of not having a sense of humor… I’ll post more pictures tomorrow - if I can stop laughing by then!

“About” 250 more jobs will go “poof” in the next two to four months as Stanley Furniture undergoes more restructuring.  Despite this latest disappointment, we ARE still open for business.  We have properties available in both HUB and Enterprise Zones, a low cost of living and very affordable housing.

The quality of life here is excellent, especially if you’re sick of traffic and urban sprawl.

Come see for yourself!

While Virginia is known as the Mother of Presidents, she is also the Mother of Heroes. Today we mourn the passing of two of her heroes. Rep. Jo Ann Davis paved the way to the U.S. Capitol for other daughters of the commonwealth to one day tread. Her first piece of legislation, passed by the House, increased the life insurance benefit paid to survivors of military members killed on duty.

Pvt. Daniel Fisher, of Henry County, was preparing to also serve his commonwealth and country. He also lived by the motto, not self but others. We are truly blessed to live among such great Virginians.

Godspeed.

“Shame on him,” said State Senator Roscoe Reynolds, D-Ridgeway, of caption entries posted on a blog by Will Vehrs. “If I were him, I would resign,” Reynolds said. “Or if I had the power to fire him, I’d fire him.” ~Martinsville Bulletin, May 5, 2006~

“As far as I know, the only thing that Joe has done for me is to design a website,” Reynolds said. “I don’t know much about blogs, and I am not aware of what this is about. I am just not into blogs.” ~The Franklin News-Post, Sept. 3, 2007~

Soooooo…. Roscoe Reynolds knew enough about blogs a year and a half ago to call for a bloggers resignation. NOW, after attending a blog conference, Roscoe doesn’t even know enough about blogs to comment. Roscoe may be sellin’ it but I ain’t buyin’ it. Roscoe’s a HYPOCRITE. Or must we now be forced to say HYPOCRITIC to be acceptable in this new age climate of panty-waisted whiners who want to pick apart syntax because they don’t have any real progressive ideas?

Hypocrisy: Calling for the resignation of a conservative blogger for making fun of a stupid picture but then sticking your head in the sand when your liberal blogger buddy pulls a “prank” involving advocates of pedophilia. The only thing worse than a hypocrite is a cowardly hypocrite.

Roscoe may be a member of a special genus of hypocrites. The Richmond Times-Dispatch calls him homo hypocriticalis because he boasts about fending off a rate increase after he voted for a considerably larger tax increase. Does anyone else notice a pattern here?

I don’t think I’ve ever been prouder of my buddy, Alton Foley, than I was last Thursday night when he appeared as a guest on a local call-in show. In simple terms, he patiently described how members of the Old Dominion Blog Alliance had promoted YouTube videos of Roscoe Reynolds in all his glory, his arrogance and condescension displayed for all to see. Joe Stanley punished them by reserving a website in their name and linking it to NAMBLA. He later removed the NAMBLA link and replaced it with his rambling Mea Culpa complete with some links to blogs that don’t even belong to the ODBA.

It is complicated. Watch the video of Alton and decide for yourself. Send it on to Roscoe - maybe then he’ll finally stop flip-flopping and take a firm stand on something.

Or maybe a homo hypocriticalis can’t change its spots.

Earlier today, I was discussing the economic situation of this area with a friend of mine (let’s call him “Bob”). We were both pissed and disappointed but mostly pissed about the decision for a Volkswagen factory not to come here.

“Bob” is truly amazing - I’m honored to have him as a friend. He’s endured tragedies most of us couldn’t even sit through if they were displayed on a movie screen and despite it all, he’s the most upbeat and positive person I know. Growing up, being bounced around in orphanages and foster homes, he learned not to expect much at Christmas. His analogy was brilliant and I’ll do my best to relate it here:

You know from the past not to expect much at Christmas but you still have that hope that maybe this time will be different. You even make yourself a bigger Christmas stocking, just in case. (Shell building?) Christmas comes and you sit to the side and watch kids who already have more stuff than they can handle (Fairfax County?) get more and more. Over time you learn to just be happy with the little token gift you receive, but you still wonder - what did I do wrong? Am I not good enough?

So why didn’t we get the Volkswagen factory and the 400 jobs that came with it?? It’s not because our housing is too expensive or that our roads are too crowded or that we couldn’t use the revenue… So, why?

Or why not? Why not Henry County?

I haven’t read this book but I hope it has a chapter on what you should do when:

Your guy asks you to do something foolish for him (like patron a Senate bill which authorizes the state to collect abusive driver fees.)

You gladly fulfill his wishes thinking he’ll like you more and maybe do something nice for you in return (like use his Opportunity Fund to buy you a Volkswagen factory.)

Heartbreak sets in when you realize your guy isn’t really your guy - he’s giving gifts to someone else (locating your Volkswagen factory in HERNDON!!)

There’s no Herndon in your district, so don’t bother looking. Roscoe, although it hurts, it’s time to realize that He’s Just Not That Into You.

I know you’re in denial and you don’t want to believe me so I have proof of the “affair”:

Accompanied by Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, Jacoby made the formal announcement this morning. Kaine noted that the Ford plant in Norfolk, Va. closed after 80 years. “We would love to make the best case for why (a VW factory) would be best in Virginia,” Kaine said.

Timmy’s even using the “l” word. (that would be “love,” Roscoe) and they’re exchanging tokens of affection. Need more proof?

Jacoby was presented with a state flag of Virginia that had been flown over the state Capitol in Richmond. He spoke in front of three gleaming new vehicles — a new Beetle, Eos and Audi and gave Kaine a miniature VW Beetle.

Looks like the attraction between Timmy and his new interest is mutual (the book says that’s a bad sign for you.)

Pictures say a lot - they both look happy. (I KNOW it hurts but it’s for the best. Trust me.)

All couples are happy in the beginning but it’s only a matter of time before trouble rears its ugly head: But the area faces severe traffic snarls and local TV reporters asked Kaine what 400 more motorists would do to already monstrously long commutes. In a sign of the problems, one of the featured speakers at the press conference was 30 minutes late — held up by bad traffic.

But that’s not your worry, Roscoe, by then you’ll be LONG over him.

I used to love to have people come stay at my house but something very, very, almost indescribably tragic happened here and now I have to be more careful. I still enjoy having company but I have no choice but to set down certain rules to insure my safety and more importantly, that of my children. If you want to come stay with us, we’d love to have you! It’s important for my children to be exposed to as many different people from all different walks of life and cultures. I want them to experience and embrace as many different people as our house will hold. The global marketplace they will one day enter is so much larger than it was when I was their age and will keep growing.

So come see us - just follow some simple “House Rules.” First, please call or write (or e-mail) my secretary. She’ll need your full name and some other information like how long you plan to stay, who you’ll be bringing with you, etc. She’ll give your information to my security people who will do a background check and make sure that there’s nothing in your past that indicates you might pose a threat to my children and me. Loads of people have already come here after going through this process, and although it may seem extreme to some, we all agree that once they get here, we have a more enjoyable time. We trust each other more when our intentions are made clear.

These are MY rules and they will be ENFORCED. You are not welcome in my home any other way. I promise I’ll have you arrested for trespassing and sent back to your own home. That’s the way it is and I’m sorry if things are bad in your home - I understand why you want to come here but I just refuse to take any more chances.

If you decide to ignore my rules and come anyway, then guess what! I will pay to send your kids to school with my kids. If you or your family gets hurt or sick (I hope you don’t) I will pay for that, too. You can drive my car. I want you to feel like my home is your sanctuary. Feel free to help yourself to my wet bar. I hope you don’t drink too much and then drive my car but if you do, and you happen to get pulled over for DUI, don’t sweat it. You won’t be arrested because I want you to feel safe and welcome while you’re here enjoying your sanctuary in my home. Besides, it’s too much trouble for me to contact proper law enforcement to deal with a person who came here against my wishes but I’ve allowed to stay.

If you get drunk and drive my car and eventually kill one or both of my children, well, that’s unfortunate. I should’ve seen the warning signs and I should’ve been more careful. Maybe I’ll be more careful in the future. Oh, I almost forgot! If you stay here long enough, Roscoe Reynolds wants to further reward you with in-state tuition for college! What a guy!

Isn’t this absurd? Does anyone else feel like I do? Yes. Jeff Evans does and that’s why he has my full support in his bid for a seat in the Virginia Senate. For 24 years, he served us as a Virginia State Trooper and knows full well the importance of having AND ENFORCING laws. It’s laughable that the majority of our law-makers are lawyers themselves. I’d prefer having more people like Jeff, with experience in putting their lives on the line enforcing the laws.

Take this to the bank: Some of the most honorable, upstanding, bravest and wisest people I know are currently in law enforcement or have been. If men or women like Scott White, Marshall Farley, Richard Brown or Darrell Bowling ever seek a seat in the VA General Assembly, regardless of their party affiliation, they also will have my full support.

Vote Jeff Evans. I am.