Posted: February-13-2009 at 9:30am | IP Logged	Tweet

I saw previews of tonight's "20/20" program on ABC, and it looked like it will be an interesting show. It showed Diane Sawyer, three miles underground interviewing coal miners, and other stuff.

The program is supposed to be about life in rural Appalachia. It will be interesting to see how "20/20" portrays Appalachia.

Posted: February-14-2009 at 5:41pm | IP Logged	Tweet

I was shocked. ABC did a great job on this, actually showing the good with the bad and the ugly.

Diane Sawyer was definitely the right person for this, as she is from E.K.

It'll be interesting to see what RW has to say.

Posted: February-14-2009 at 11:08pm | IP Logged	Tweet

I agree with you "BugMan," I was kind of surprised at the job ABC did with the show. We've all seen TV programs/documentaries that have portrayed just the negative and bad things of the way of life in Appalachia. But I suppose the "20/20" program was pretty much dead-on with bringing issues in Appalachia to the American viewing audience.

Whew, I admire the coal miners who daily go underground. No way could I do it. I believe I'd hyperventilate if I'd go 100-feet back underground. It takes a special person to be able to work in the darkness underground. Coal miners make a pretty doggone good wage, and I think they deserve every dollar they receive.

That was quite touching, the football player who was hoping his gridiron skills might be his ticket out of Appalachia. I guess a lot of football players (really, athletes period) in Southwest Virginia and West Virginia and Kentucky, they can look and see Thomas and Julius Jones, along with Heath Miller, have first earned college football scholarships, and then were drafted into the National Football League.

I just hope that the Jones brothers and Miller are coming back and contributing to their local communities where they grew up. Those guys have earned millions of dollars, and they could easily fund youth athletic programs all over Southwest Virginia. Just their presence coming back during the offseason and meeting and talking with the youth, that would give the young hope that with hard work and determination they too can succeed in life.

I know Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, he comes back home to Elizabethton, Tenn., and holds his youth football camp during summer. It's well attended. If I'm not mistaken, last summer's camp had around 1,200 to 1,500 participants. And it's free, too. All kids receive Jason Witten Football Camp T-shirts and shorts. Witten's brought in Tony Romo and other Cowboys teammates, as well as other NFL players to help him with the camp.

Posted: February-14-2009 at 11:16pm | IP Logged	Tweet

I didn't realize she was from Eastern Kentucky.

I like watching TV programs like "20/20," "60 Minutes," "Dateline, "Larry King Live" and other similar type programs.

I don't really watch regular TV shows except for "Two And A Half Men." I mainly watch sports and CNN and Fox News. But I do watch "American Idol" and several other reality shows. I've been watching on VH1 the "Dr. Drew Celebrity Sober House," and that show's something else. I also watch "Snoop Dogg's Fatherhood" and "Keeping Up With The Kardashians." HA HA HA HA ... I even watch on CMT the "Gone Country" show.