www.roanoke.com

Dear blog readers:

The blog has been experiencing technical problems on my end for nearly a week. When I try to check the page to post your comments, the server is REAL slow. It takes forever to open the blog, then forever to open a comment and forever to publish it.

My I.T. person told me today that you all are not experiencing the delay when you post. It's just on my end. I wanted to alert you in case you are wondering why it seems to be taking so long for your comments to appear. Because the process is so slow, I'm not checking it constantly throughout the day as I often do.

I appreciate your patience during the setback. I will continue to post, and I ask your cooperation. Thanks,

s

In June, thousands of Roanoke-area high school seniors adorned themselves in colorful caps and gowns and reveled in the pageantry of pomp and circumstance.

At commencements or other ceremonies for graduates, school administrators and principals saluted their students and waved many of them off to colleges and universities across the country.

But as some of those high school students settle into college life, a disappointing reality will wash over them. They'll realize they may not be as ready for college as they thought.

Read more »

A few weeks back, I called John McCain's pick of Sarah Palin for veep a "shrewd" move.

Boy, was that an understatement. Whether or not you agree with the Alaska governor's politics -- and I don't -- she has lit a fuse under the McCain campaign and reignited what had been a lethargic Republican race for the presidency. McCain couldn't beat the rock star politician, so the war hero co-opted Barack Obama's style by going out and creating one of his own.

Over the weekend, Frank Rich of The New York Times brought up a very intriguing point: In picking Palin, did McCain in effect hand her the presidency? I have enclosed a few excerpts, but it's recommended reading.

..if we’ve learned anything from the G.O.P. convention and its aftermath, it’s that the 2008 edition of John McCain is too weak to serve as America’s chief executive. ...A McCain victory on Election Day will usher in a Palin presidency, with McCain serving as a transitional front man, an even weaker Bush to her Cheney. The ambitious Palin and the ruthless forces she represents know it, too.

McCain’s conspicuous subservience to his younger running mate’s hard-right ideology and his dependence on her electioneering energy raise the question of who has the power in this relationship and who is in charge.

Blasphemy, you say? Tell me why -- or why not.

s

Last week marked the one-year anniversary of my introduction into the world of blogging.

My blog, "In the Flow," has been a work in progress, mired in fits and starts, and I've learned as I've gone along. This column is more local; the blog tends to be my two cents on national issues.

Read more »

Bank manager Debbie Burcham remembers taking the call from someone at nearby Stonewall Jackson Middle School one day last spring.

Would Carter Bank and Trust post a message on its marquee to encourage Jackson students taking the upcoming Standards of Learning tests, school employee Jean Thompson asked.

The bank eagerly agreed, joining a car wash, drugstore and other Southeast Roanoke neighborhood businesses to rally the youngsters.

Later this month, Jackson will learn whether students' SOL scores were strong enough to earn the school the state's accreditation. Preliminary data released by Roanoke city schools a few weeks ago showed that Jackson was one of two middle schools to make it, and the only one to meet federal standards

Read more »

I've privately felt John McCain's pain for a long time. But after the events of last week, I needed to speak out.

Read more »

I was annoyed by the disruptive protester during John McCain's acceptance speech Thursday night. I may not agree with the man's policies, but I respect him and his occasion. The guy waving the protest banner up in the corner could have made better use of his time, too, but he didn't bother me as much. As far as I could tell, he didn't say anything. He stood there silently and did his thing and pointed to his anti-Iraq war T-shirt.

Presumably, these people were Democrats or Independents. If so, bad Dems, bad Indies.

s

At last, conservatives have shown compassion.

The pregnancy of Bristol Palin has forced Republicans to publicly concede that "life happens."

Read more »

Bobby Buck posed some interesting points on the "Maverick McCain ..." entry. But since that's getting a little long, I thought I'd create a new file, using Bobby's post as the basis for a new discussion.---s

Now, comes Mrs. Palin... Somehow, deep down inside, I believe Sen. McCain wanted Sec. of State Condoleeza Rice, but just couldn't get her. It makes me wonder why, since she had the proven skills and would have been more of the quintessential opposition to the Dems' ticket, and no need for vetting.

Of course, if the Senator is seriously striving to become the true reformer, as he says, he has yet to speak out against the DC lobbyists, who are the primary cause in federal government mismanagement, i.e., continuing big business tax breaks, (aka federally subsidizing that which counters free market supply and demand),etc., etc.

So, my question is...was his a well-thought out strategy or simply a move out of desperation?

Parenting is no joke.

Moms and dads play the role of heavy, having to be the "uncool" parent who says "No," when everyone else's cool parents say "Yes."

They wield the belt (or bedroom slipper), mete out bedroom detention or get stingy with the car keys to underscore the consequences of a child's infraction.

An emotional teen can cut parents to their core with the words, "I hate you!"

Read more »