Richmond off-topic postings

[Cadeho]

You mean what some people think is overturning Brown Vs Board of Education?

[journiyin]

You mean what some people think is overturning Brown Vs Board of Education?

In essence yes.

[mclawsdrive]

You mean what some people think is overturning Brown Vs Board of Education?

While I am not endorsing the recent Supreme Court decision, I do not think it will affect school district boundaries. Kennedy, (the swing vote) stated that overtly using race in individual admission decisions, (as was done in Seattle and Louisville) was unacceptable. But other means of encouraging diversity were still desireable. After all, boundaries that take race into account do not assign an individual to a school based on his or her race, they only make predictions about what race that child might be, and attempt to create a more racially balanced school district.

Completely eliminating race as a factor in designing school districts would create de-facto segregation, and would imho effectively nullify Brown Vs Board of Education. Of course one could make an argument that because Virginia cities' school disctricts are completely separate from other counties and cities, certain localities in VA have already found a loop-hole around Brown v. BOE (most notably Colonial Heights).

[ShadyGrove]

Hi,

I'll through my two cents in here - I've heard all kinds of crazy stuff about this lately. First of all, the ruling wont affect Richmond at all - have you checked the demographics of city schools lately? I've got two kids in the city system (with another one on his way) and have been very happy with our experience. We should all recognize that our society has a compelling interest in fostering community cohesiveness and breaking down racial barriers. There is absolutely no better place to do that over the long term than in the schools and it seems perfectly appropriate to actively promote this through various strategies. There are still significant racial issues in Richmond, but anyone who really knows our history can appreciate the tremendous progress in this area. For example, I give some credit to the "rainbow curriculum" that I remember during school here in the 70's and 80's for having a cumulative effect on a whole generation of public school attendees. Like mclawsdrive said, strategic borders for school districts also make sense. But you can't do it by denying a kid the right to go to his neighborhood school because of his race, can you? That sounds to me like a much more direct assault on the spirit of Brown. Applied here in Richmond wouldnt that mean denying a black kid the right to go to the school on his block so a white kid could be bused in to acheive a particular level of diversity! Call me crazy, but I think the Supreme Court got this one right.

[journiyin]

Thats the kind of discussion I was looking for.

And I will agree that Richmond is buffered from the decision in the sense that it is more diverse than mose communities. But what about the outlying counties that are not so diverse? I do also agree that no one should have to travel further to a school when there is one right next door... that doesnt make sense at all, people have chosen to live where they want, and if that is de facto segregation, the government has no say in that. They can only adjust boundaries to somehow compensate for that fact. But monetarily it makes sense to focus on geography then demographics for school boundaries.

Id say the Supreme Court did us a favor, now people will think twice about redistricting because of population dynamics. Let well enough alone.

[ric75]

Thought perhaps some of the budding photographers in here would be interested in submitting something to this survey

America's Favorite Cities

[burt]

Thought perhaps some of the budding photographers in here would be interested in submitting something to this survey

America's Favorite Cities

This is a great opportunity for our ace photographers, Wrldcoupe4, Cadeho, TBurban and others, including our newest contributor JSI, to coordinate a terrrific display for CNN. Maybe it should be a group effort. What do you think, guys?

Coupe and Tommy, I know you guys are on vacation this week, but, I know both of you will have ideas.

Edited July 3, 2007 by burt

[Cadeho]

A group effort sounds like a good idea. Anyone have a video camera?

[Cadeho]

Happy Independence Day!

And by the way... other than Plan 9.. what else is a music store? I know Fye is in a couple malls and I can't find BK Music... where else?

[BGW]

Happy Independence Day!

And by the way... other than Plan 9.. what else is a music store? I know Fye is in a couple malls and I can't find BK Music... where else?

BK Music is right across Midlo from Cloverleaf Mall. Used to be a Peaches way back when.

Mall stores like FYE are a waste. Prices are even more expensive and selection is limited to only the most popular items. If you can't find it at Plan 9, order it online from Amazon, Insound, etc.

[Cadeho]

Thanks. I was looking around the wrong mall for Bk!

And boy, Richmonder's love their fireworks. Around the Diamond yesterday, people were camped out for blocks... Brook, Westwood, Hermitage, Broad, Leigh, Brookland Pkwy etc... all for 15 minutes?! Come on... they need to have at least a half hour! I should have just gone back home and watched them from my window like I normally would, but they're still close up is nice. Also I caught the tail end of Henrico's display at RIR... and why can't we have riverside fireworks again?

Thanks. I was looking around the wrong mall for Bk!

And boy, Richmonder's love their fireworks. Around the Diamond yesterday, people were camped out for blocks... Brook, Westwood, Hermitage, Broad, Leigh, Brookland Pkwy etc... all for 15 minutes?! Come on... they need to have at least a half hour! I should have just gone back home and watched them from my window like I normally would, but they're still close up is nice. Also I caught the tail end of Henrico's display at RIR... and why can't we have riverside fireworks again?

[Downtowner]

Well everyone I got my license today and get my hard copy next month since im 18. But my mom said no downtown for a while untill I get used to driving and get more experience. But you will definitly see more pictures from me downtown.

[Icetera]

Thanks. I was looking around the wrong mall for Bk!

And boy, Richmonder's love their fireworks. Around the Diamond yesterday, people were camped out for blocks... Brook, Westwood, Hermitage, Broad, Leigh, Brookland Pkwy etc... all for 15 minutes?! Come on... they need to have at least a half hour! I should have just gone back home and watched them from my window like I normally would, but they're still close up is nice. Also I caught the tail end of Henrico's display at RIR... and why can't we have riverside fireworks again?

Thanks. I was looking around the wrong mall for Bk!

And boy, Richmonder's love their fireworks. Around the Diamond yesterday, people were camped out for blocks... Brook, Westwood, Hermitage, Broad, Leigh, Brookland Pkwy etc... all for 15 minutes?! Come on... they need to have at least a half hour! I should have just gone back home and watched them from my window like I normally would, but they're still close up is nice. Also I caught the tail end of Henrico's display at RIR... and why can't we have riverside fireworks again?

I flew in in time to catch the finale at the Diamond from the plane. Wish I could have gotten back earlier to see the full show

I was not aware BK was still open? Also, FYE can have a nice selection of certain genres of music depending on the individual management. For a while, the FYE in VA Center was the only place to get metal albums not available any where else in the city. It would be nice if we could get a nice stand alone music store in the area, as I am still irritated about the buyout and liquidation of Tower Records. I like Plan 9, but they neglect many genres I like.

[burt]

Thursday night's game at The Diamond was delayed about an hour and a half by rain. Two results of the delay were:

A near full house was reduced to about 9,100.

The game went into a tenth inning (the Chiefs defeated the Braves) and the pre-programmed fireworks blasted off a half hour after midnight for the remaining 5000 spectators. Surprisingly, only one neighborhood activitist officially complained; others took it in stride.

Once in Atlanta at the end of a delayed post Independence Day game in 1985, the fireworks didn't begin until 4:01AM.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ice, what airline(s) did you fly, and at what size would you estimate the passenger loads?

Edited July 7, 2007 by burt

[burt]

Well everyone I got my license today and get my hard copy next month since im 18. But my mom said no downtown for a while untill I get used to driving and get more experience. But you will definitly see more pictures from me downtown.

Congratulations, Joey. Looking forward to more of your downtown photography. But on your picture-taking jaunts, don't neglect Short Pump and other suburban developments.

[Cadeho]

What's to see in the suburbs and Short Pump Burt?

Congrats Joey and tell your parents the best driving experience can come from driving downtown! It's so easy!

Ice, I notced that about Plan 9 compared to Tower, they had barely anything for my tastes. Tower was grand and I'll miss her... we need to lure Planet Music.

I heard the late night booms from the Diamond (I'm still at my aunt's house in Henrico). I wasn't expecting it and thought something was happening in the neighborhood, then I thought it was thunder. It started after 12:30 and ended just before 1AM and boy I wish I had been dressed or at home. If I were at home, I'd been watching.

[Icetera]

Thursday night's game at The Diamond was delayed about an hour and a half by rain. Two results of the delay were:

A near full house was reduced to about 9,100.

The game went into a tenth inning (the Chiefs defeated the Braves) and the pre-programmed fireworks blasted off a half hour after midnight for the remaining 5000 spectators. Surprisingly, only one neighborhood activitist officially complained; others took it in stride.

Once in Atlanta at the end of a delayed post Independence Day game in 1985, the fireworks didn't begin until 4:01AM.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ice, what airline(s) did you fly, and at what size would you estimate the passenger loads?

Since I fly nationwide, I find USAir to be very convenient. Usually I see flights near full or overbooked (more often overbooked) on A319s (sometimes CRJ-900s) to Charlotte and CRJ200s, ERJ-175s, or Dehavilland Dash 8-300s to Philly or Laguardia. I think there may have been 5 of us on the Canadair from Philly to RIC late night July 4th. The airport was basically closed when I arrived. Overall, I have to say RIC seems busier every time. RIC is definitely the most impressive airport I have seen thus far on my travels for efficiency, cleanliness, and overall experience (though I manage to get pulled for security everytime, and never have at other airports).

Passenger Capacities

Airbus A319 = 124

Canadair Regional Jet 200 = 50

Canadair Regional Jet 900 = 86

Dehavilland Dash 8-300 = 50

Embraer ERJ-175s = 78

Edited July 9, 2007 by Icetera

[Icetera]

Yay, the spammers have infiltrated even these forums

EDIT: I like the fast response of spam removal.

Edited July 9, 2007 by Icetera

[Cadeho]

Thought perhaps some of the budding photographers in here would be interested in submitting something to this survey

America's Favorite Cities

Any takers?

[burt]

Here's some good news for north side residents in the Battery Park area:

http://www.timesdispatch.com/content/cva/r...07-10-0158.html

[Cadeho]

Here's some good news for north side residents in the Battery Park area:

http://www.timesdispatch.com/content/cva/r...07-10-0158.html

WHy don't they reopen the ravine and haul all the trash away from the former landfills? Then turn the valley into parkland... after it's been deemed safe.

[journiyin]

WHy don't they reopen the ravine and haul all the trash away from the former landfills? Then turn the valley into parkland... after it's been deemed safe.

Where do they take the trash too? And would you really go play in a park that used to be a landfill? Even taking Virginia Beach's landfill park (Mt Trashmore) as a basis, the cleanup involved in removing the waste is enormous, not to mention an environmental hazard waiting to happen. I actually work with waste treatment and landfill engineers and I asked them this question for their honest take on it. They said bury it further, do spot holes for chemical absorbing compounds, wait past the waste-reduction point (point at which most compounds and trash starts to breakdown)... then try the removal process to a more stable trash site for degradation.

Somehow I dont think Richmond or FEMA is wise enough for this course of action. So it would just be better to do what they are doing and put a bandaid on it for the time being.

[Cadeho]

They shouldn't have filled in the ravine in the first place. They created this problem and to me, reversing it is the only way to fix it and deal with the ghosts of their pasts. They can haul the trash to another landfill and we have worked miralces before, we can do it here. Also, Chealsea Village used to sit on a landfill, it is now a park.

[Cadeho]

Someone who does wikipedia, please edit this...

Crime

The Greater Richmond area, itself, can be dangerous to visitors, and localers. Richmond ranks as one of the top ten most dangerous cities. Local residents console themselves that most violence is drug-related.

Who the heck says "localers"????????

[Cadeho]

Anyone know of any jobs I'd be perfect doing, one where I would know what I'm doing? One where I don't have to doubt myself 99% of the time?