Turning Words Into Actions
Posted by Chris Berry on September 5, 2008 in Economic Development, Roanoke Valley
Regular readers of this blog will know that I have been an outspoken critic of a number of recent economic development initiatives in the city of Roanoke. Rather than simply complaining, I’ve always tried to present alternatives that in my opinion represent more effective uses of our tax dollars. I’ve made a sincere effort to [...]
A Tale Of Two Neighborhoods
Posted by Chris Berry on September 4, 2008 in Economic Development, Roanoke Valley
This article originally appeared on the Star City Harbinger website.
The City of Roanoke suffers from a severe case of multiple personality disorder when it comes to economic development issues. We hear a great deal of talk about the need for the city to be hip, cool and green in order to attract young professionals, while [...]
If I Had It to Do All Over Again
Posted by Chris Berry on September 3, 2008 in Introversion, Jobs & Careers
I didn’t develop a full understanding of my unique personality type (INTP) until I was nearly 40 years old. At that point I came to realize that I had been blindly pursuing a career path for which I was very poorly suited. The further I advanced, the more unhappy I became. I had been quite [...]
Feeling Guilty Again
Posted by Chris Berry on September 2, 2008 in Writing & Blogging
I’ve been suffering pangs of guilt again lately for not posting as regularly as I should. This is in spite of the fact that I have spent a great deal of time in the last few days on site upgrades. Check out the new header images if you haven’t noticed noticed. I probably spent 15 [...]
A Father’s Dream Come True
Posted by Chris Berry on August 25, 2008 in Purely Personal
I took my son to play golf on Saturday, something I’ve been looking forward to since the day he was born. This was a big deal to me for a couple of reasons. For one thing, I truly love the game and I hope that Robert will one day share my enthusiasm. It was also [...]
Looking For Work That Brings Out The Best In Me
Posted by Chris Berry on August 20, 2008 in Introversion, Jobs & Careers, Purely Personal
One of the challenging aspects of my personality type is the fact that my mind bombards me with a constant stream of new ideas. Some are big, some are small, and they are rarely related to one another. I might have an idea for an entirely new product or service one day, and a unique [...]
Revisiting A Few Golden Oldies
Posted by Chris Berry on August 19, 2008 in Writing & Blogging
I spent a couple of hours on blog housekeeping yesterday and had a chance to go back and read several of my older posts. One of the biggest problems with the reverse chronological arrangement of the typical blog is that a lot of good stuff tends to get buried in the archives. Granted, the majority [...]
Networking Alternatives For Introverts
Posted by Chris Berry on August 15, 2008 in Introversion, Jobs & Careers
There is a general consensus among job search experts that roughly 80% of job openings are never advertised, and the most effective way to learn about these opportunities is through personal networking. This typically puts introverts at a significant disadvantage, since we are generally not inclined to engage in the kind of business and social [...]
Why Energy Independence Really Matters
Posted by Chris Berry on August 14, 2008 in Elections & Voting, Energy & Environmental Issues
After sitting on their hands for the last 35 years, American politicians have finally taken up the call for energy independence. Sadly, it was not a recognition of the true national security significance of the issue, but a short-term spike in the price of gasoline during an election year that finally spurred them to action. [...]
More On The Future Of Countryside
Posted by Chris Berry on August 14, 2008 in Foolish Decisions, Roanoke Valley
UPDATE: Newly elected council member Court Rosen requested additional financial information at a council meeting on August 18th, leading many Countryside supporters to believe he supports selling the property. His complete comments are available here. Valerie Garner, President of the Countryside Neighborhood Alliance and unsuccessful candidate for city council in 2008 makes her position clear [...]
Jesus Hates Beer
Posted by Chris Berry on August 14, 2008 in Divisive Issues, Frivolous Lawsuits
A hearing at the local office of the Virginia ABC Board drew standing room only crowds yesterday as a handful of local busybodies led by a publicity hungry Baptist preacher attempted to convince ABC officials to reject the license application for the Shooting Creek Farm Brewery. Opponents of the microbrewery claim that granting the license [...]
It’s Nice to Know You’re Interested
Posted by Chris Berry on August 12, 2008 in Writing & Blogging
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’s Time For A Permanent Resolution On Countryside
Posted by Chris Berry on August 7, 2008 in Incessant Bickering, Roanoke Valley
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 [...]
My Take On The Introvert Advantage
Posted by Chris Berry on August 6, 2008 in Introversion
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 [...]
Beware Of Falling Oil Prices
Posted by Chris Berry on August 5, 2008 in Elections & Voting, Energy & Environmental Issues
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 [...]
