The Day of Reckoning Approaches

Sunday night, the deadline to register, is fast approaching. If you believe in blogging, if you believe in the power of ideas, and if you believe in challenging public figures to confront the issues in open dialog, you need to be in Martinsville next weekend.

Far from the madding crowd, on the last summer weekend before Labor Day, Martinsville will open your mind to new perspectives.

Hey, Grandpa, What's for Supper????

Chatmoss Country Club flatly denied our request for rubber chicken at the dinner Friday night. In hopes of not totally shocking our digestive systems, the menu will be:

Domestic and Imported Cheese Tray with Fresh Fruit Garnish and Crackers

Spinach Salad with Sliced strawberries, Toasted Pine Nuts and Crumbled Feta Cheese with a Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing

Cornish Game Hen Stuffed with Wild Rice Pilaf Stuffing, slow roasted and finished with Thyme.

Steamed Asparagus and Burgundy Braised Cabbage

Baskets of Sister Schubert Rolls with Muffins

Chocolate Mousse with Fresh Seasonal Berries and Cream

YUM, YUM!

Find a big red button and hit it!

Subject For Debate

Not Larry Sabato has an interesting post up about paid political blogging. he finishes the post with this;

After we learned TC was getting paid last year to blog for certain candidates, and now with RK on the Webb payroll, this seems to be a widening discussion in the blogosphere. How do you all think bloggers can ethically handle these situations? This is something I am hoping we can discuss in Martinsville.

If there is an interest in this subject, and the comments on that post indicate there is, someone step forward. Contact us and we'll set it up.

The Missing Link

The two Sorensen blog conferences were great events, but one thing was missing.

Ben Tribbett, aka Not Larry Sabato.

The guy's a walking statistical abstract of Virginia politics.

He's the go-to guy for political gossip in Virginia.

He's going to be in Martinsville.

Don't miss him. Southside may never be the same.

Avoid Dorkiness

Now that you've been blogging for a while, you've decided that mere text is passé. You feel the need to spread your creative wings and make your blog soar. You want to be a real star in the Virginia Blogosphere, and you have decided that audio/video multimedia is the vehicle that will take you and your blog to that next level.

If that describes you, or if you just want to add an occasional imbedded Mp3 file to your blog, then please sign up for the workshop hosted by Virginia's premier podcasting duo, Jim Hoeft and The Sqeaky Wheel.

Don't blame us if you pass on this oportunity and your multimedia efforts turn out like this.

A Voice, Not an Echo

One mighty voice has been missing from both the blogosphere and Virginia papers.

Barnie Day.

The Meadows of Dan Sage will be at the Martinsville blog conference. He won't pull any punches. He never does.

Chat him up. You'll get more material in five minutes than you usually get in a week.

Register now!

Beauty Contest, Part I

No, not a bathing suit competition, but more like a political talent show.

The Martinsville blog conference will feature several highly regarded potential candidates who just might be taking some early soundings.

Delegate Chris Saxman's name is on the lips of the Great Mentioner as a 2009 candidate for Lieutenant Governor. He's got the intellectual heft and a willingness to duke it out with all comers in a live blog situation. Could he be the candidate to energize the GOP with the force of ideas?

How about Brian Patton? He's young, attractive, and working hard for the Democrats. Does anyone doubt he's thinking of making a run in the future?

Will Conaway Haskins be able to resist entreaties that are already on the table urging him to run in Chesterfield County? The sky would be the limit after that.

Come to Martinsville and grab a glimpse of the future.