This is for you, Earl.

Big shout out to NPR’s 50 Greatest Voices feature for pointing me to Ms. Thomas.

These detractors couldn’t be more wrong. The Jacksonville Police and Fire departments have no reports of crimes or criminal activity that can be attributed to the path’s existence.

I’ve noticed a few things about the folks that don’t like having the Rails-to-Trail path around. They generally don’t live near the path. They’re generally over the age of 40. They’re generally not all that active. And, last, but definitely not least, they’ve never ever been on it.

These folks also fail to realize that the Rails-to-Trail path makes the surrounding areas safer by opening an old abandoned railroad right of way to public access. The more folks that use the path for transportation and exercise, the less likely shady people are to use it.

The Jacksonville Police Department could patrol the path more. Patrols by bicycle would reinforce the public trust in law enforcement and soften the image of the JPD.

But make no mistake: The Rails-to-Trail path is safe and the surrounding neighborhoods are safer for it. Anyone that says otherwise is wrong.

If you’re a commuter (whether by automobile, public transportation or bicycle), I recommend that you complete the survey and attend the workshop.

I also recommend that you keep your eye on the Jacksonville Urban-Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s website for news and information on transportation planning in the Jacksonville-Onslow County area.

I apologize if there’s too much Battlestar Galactica music…But the music is spectacular and beautiful.

And I’m a big ol’ geek. So. There.

I don’t want to sound like a fanboy, but the iPhone is the single best handset I’ve ever used. iOS isn’t perfect and we can all agree Apple’s policies are a little overbearing, but the phone is literally art.

We love our iPhones. But we can’t get into iTunes. I guess after a new device accesses your iTunes account, you’re required to re-authorize the payment method. Unfortunately, iTunes isn’t accepting our card information and has been rejecting all attempts to change or remove it.

I’ve contacted Apple support by telephone and was directed to send an email through their site. I was less-than-enthusiastic about this, because there’s an “up-to-48 hour delay for a response…And I’d really like to get into the business of using my iPhone.