Make a Statement: Skip the Tolls

Despite public outcry, the WV Parkways Authority, with the support of Governor Manchin, exacted a 60% toll increase on the West Virginia turnpike: a highway that runs through some of the poorest regions in the state. Thus, the same people who are struggling the most in this recession will feel the brunt of the increase. Tax the poor because they can’t afford to fight back.

There are three toll booths on the turnpike. On this post, I will give you directions to get around all of them.  Skipping some of the booths is surprisingly easy, while avoiding others can be a little troublesome.  If you know of an easier way, please comment.

Coal Cowards Take Name Off Dead Resolution

As you may have read in my post “Strange Goings-on in the WV Statehouse,”  a resolution  in support of a windfarm atop Coal River Mountain was tabled (killed) by the speaker before its sponsors could even speak on its behalf.  Amazingly, things got even stranger yesterday when four delegates stood in session and requested that their names be removed from the dead and rotting resolution.  The four dishonorable misrepresentatives were Jeff Eldridge (Lincoln), Ralph Rodighiero (Logan), John Ellem (Wood), and Tom Louisos (Fayette).

What could possibly be the reason for all this quirky behavior over an innocuous resolution?

$4 Dollar Gas: A Good Thing?

I know watching the dollar meter on the gas pump go up faster than your eye can register can be a painful experience, but Time.com has written an article on 10 Things You Can Like About $4 Gas that may help alittle.  It’s a positive look on an issue that seems to be having such an adverse effect on many Americans.  It seems to me that the less we use fossil fuels for energy the better off we are going be now and in the future.  It really is a shame that we have to base our standard of living on something as arbitrary as money and that we have to wait for something to be cost effective to make changes that would help us and the people around us.  Let us know how the higher gas prices are affecting you and your take on the Gas Prices below in the comments.

Bored on Christmas?

Do you find yourself back on your RSS feeds after opening all your presents and eating your Christmas dinner?  Well heres some Christmas stories for you to enjoy on other blogs that I have enjoyed over this holiday season.  If you have any interesting Christmas stories please link in comments.

•  Kayakdave has a couple good Christmas stories over at the Appalachian Greens.  Ones a touching story about the shopping season and another good story about everyones favorite actor for Christmas Jimmy Stewart.
• Here’s another story about dogs at Christmas from Daily Kos.
• Buzzardbilly has a great story about Christmas under the influence of Reagonomics.
• Still Hungry?  Check out this blog over at SagaciousHillbilly to see what he’s got cookin over at his place.  (Not recommended for the Vegetarian)
• Got a new computer for Christamas? Lifehacker has some good suggestions to get your computer set in top form.

Well I hope those Christmas posts were entertaining and curbed your boredom a little.  I know I enjoyed them.  Now get back in there and visit with your family.

The Spark

The fire has been lit. I have considered starting this blog for about a year and have finally decided to let’er rip. The question remains what could have pushed me so far as to finally take the leap in to the blogoshpere? Well it was simply sitting down and thinking about a comment I made on another blog in response to one of their posts. I found out something in the process of writing that comment and that is I enjoy writing. I’m still not sure if I have anything relevant to add to the blogoshpere but I guess we will find that out in due time. In fact that is why I have called this blog A Mountain Journey because it should be quite an experience to see what will come of this. In the meantime, to whomever is reading this blog, I hope you will join me in this journey into the great Appalachian Mountains to experience a unique culture and history.