When I started this blog back in March, a Google search for Chris Berry produced over 400,000 results, but to find one that actually referred to me I had to scroll through 21 pages of references to other guys named Chris Berry. It’s a much more common name than I ever imagined. Today the same [...]
It appears that Countryside is about to receive a five year reprieve from the threat of development. While this is certainly a step in the right direction, the future of the golf course remains uncertain. The Roanoke Times recently ran an editorial supporting the plan for a five year lease that allows the city to [...]
I’ve come across a great number of posts on other blogs lately about a book titled The Introvert Advantage by Dr. Marti Laney. Yesterday I decided to see what all the fuss was about, and dropped by my local bookseller to pick up a copy. I was disappointed to see that the book was stuffed [...]
Over the past couple of weeks, oil prices have been falling as rapidly as they climbed just a few months back. As I write this, oil is trading below $120.00 per barrel for the first time since early May, down nearly $30.00 from the all time high just a month ago. While we may all [...]
The Roanoke Times and the local blogs have been abuzz lately with the idea of passenger rail service returning to Roanoke. Most of the arguments in favor of passenger rail are based on the notion that as a former railroad town, Roanoke is somehow deserving of this service. Unfortunately, businesses decisions aren’t based on who [...]
I originally started blogging a few months back because it seemed like a great way to vent, and a great opportunity to fully develop a number of ideas that had been bouncing around in my head keeping me awake at night. I do enjoy the writing aspect of it, but lately I’ve become obsessed with [...]
Most people would consider a career in sales to be the exclusive domain of type A extroverts, but under the right circumstances, introverts can be quite successful. I actually spent 10 years as a top 1% sales performer in the commercial printing industry before veering off on a completely different path. The key to success [...]
Even though I started this blog purely as a means of self-expression, I’ve begun to feel guilty whenever I go for more than a couple of days without posting. It’s not as if I’m getting paid for doing this, or anyone out there is just dying to know what I’ll have to say next. I [...]
Before moving back to Roanoke in late 2002, I had spent the previous 20 years living in a number of major metropolitan areas, including Richmond, Charlotte, Washington, DC and even Buffalo, NY. I lived for 10 years in the DC area, and while I enjoyed the time I spent there, there are only a few [...]
I’m not a scientist by any stretch of the imagination, but with all of the concerns about fossil fuels and climate change, I’ve been wondering about the possible unintended consequences of different forms of alternative energy. Is it not possible that by substituting wind or hydrogen for fossil fuels, we might create an entirely new [...]