"Roker on the road" Food Network Show

Bloof --

1) The Blue Mountains are in New South Wales, Australia a short drive from Sydney (went there on my honeymoon)

2) If'n ya meant the Blue Ridge Mountains, they are in North Carolina/Virginia area (Tennessee calls em the "Great Smoky Mountains")

3) The mountain range in West Virginia is The Appalachian Mountains

4) L'il Abner and Daisy Mae were residents of "Dogpatch" and if you take the time to read Al Capp's website they exceeded every stereotype of Appalachia. The hillbillies in Li'l Abner's town were poorer than poor. They even had an Amusement Park called "Dogpatch USA" (closed in the 1990's) in Arkansas

5) Farimont WV was known as the "Pepperoni Capital" because PER CAPITA our residents eat more pepperoni than anywhere else. You cannot go around our town without finding Pepperoni Buns/Rolls at every convenience store and grocery store. Besides "Country Club Bakery" which Roker visited, there are at least 2 other bakeries/restaurants that specialize in Pepperoni Buns/Rolls.

West Virginia is a state that is a geographical "no mans land" as in that the farthest northern point (Chester, WV) is farther north than Pittsburgh PA and is north of the Mason Dixon Line. The easternmost point (Harpers Ferry, WV) is only an hour from Washington DC. The southernmost point (Bluefield, WV) is farther south than Richmond,VA, Lexington KY and Louisville, KY. The farthest west point (Huntington, WV) is as far west as Columbus OH. All West Virginia students when they are in 8th grade are required to take a year of West Virginia History. My wife who came from New York (Buffalo) was surprised at this because a "state history" class is not even offered let alone required in your state.

(sorry for the serious tone, but most people from West Virgina are very defensive about our fair state. Just like most New Yorkers are not the stereotypical "Ugly New Yorker", most West Virginians are not the Stereotypical "Hillbilly" you see on TV. )

Mike

Sorry about the Blue Mountain mixup, but the song does say "Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River," etc. As for Abner and Daisy Mae, that was a joke of course. I think the state history course is an excellent idea, and I think the pepperoni thing is pretty cool.

As for the state itself, I think it's a cool place even though I know little about it, but any place that still has vast areas of "undeveloped" land is alright by me. I toyed with the idea of moving down south when I got older, but it looks like if I get my foreclosure problems straightened out, I'll love just where I am for a good long time. If I ever move out of here, instead of south it'll probably be way upstate NY though, IF there's any wide open spaces left in another 10-15 years. Just gimme some cows and pigs to look at and a lot of wide open spaces, no buildings. I've always been sort of Li'l Abner at heart. Born and raised in the city, but longing for the country life.

And now I have to go do some chores and get ready for bed. I'm not much good for the computer right now either, because the last vestiges of my poison oak are screaming at me, and I've got hydrocortisone ointment just about all over my body.

Hey Mike, who you callin' a Jofo??? Hey Joe, you heard what he called you? I don't know, but it sure sounded like Mofo to me!!!

Mike, thanks for confirming that John Denver wasn't taking geographical license, LOL!!!

Also, Joe, I'm 47.62 and I learned that stuff too. I was in First Grade in October '62 and left High School in June '74. By that time the New York City educational system was not the reading, writing and arithmetic, history, science oriented system it had once been. I had a fifth or sixth grade teacher (1966 or '67) who gave us a lesson on communism, and brought in one of the top students in the school who helped her explain that communism really is the best system, but we just never had the right people in place. We were told this because under communism, it supposedly is the only system where "all men are created equal" in reality.

By late 1967 or '68, 8th or 9th grade, a hot looking substitute teacher proceeded to give us a pretty detailed sex education class, leaving us begging for more, more of her, and more of that class.

I'm not making any political statements here, just telling it like it was. Prior to and during those events I was still receiving for the most part a wonderful education, and throughout my high school years at Stuyvesant. Nonetheless, Stuyvesant during my time had riots and demonstrations, and was one of the most politically active schools in the city, perhaps country, a bubbling cauldron of "hot button social issues."

The educational system in New York City, and I guess the whole state, has abandoned the basics that guys like Jofo and I grew up with in favor of . . .

ummmmmmmmm, . . .

other priorities. That's why we have remedial reading in certain NYC colleges, and elsewhere in the country. I guess it's okay if you get to your second year of college but you can't read The Daily News.

We do have other priorities in this country, . . .

y'know.

I'm getting hydrocortisone ointment all over everything in my house. Gotta go to bed too. See you guys later. Have a great day.