Month: January 2007

Categories
Arts

1st Friday – February 2

Art Upstairs “A Plein-Air Journey Through Albemarle County,” oil paintings by David Golden, 6-9pm.

BozArt Gallery Mixed-media abstract works by Amy Mitchell Howard, 6-9pm.

The Bridge/Progressive Arts Initiative “Cast Off Your Idylls! Cast Off Your Sloth!” works by various artists, 6-10pm.

Charlottesville Community Design Center UVA architecture student designs for The Learning Barge, 6:30-8:30pm.

The Gallery at Fifth & Water Selected works from the collection of J.M. Henry, 5:30-8pm.

The Gallery at Richard DeLoria Law Office Paintings, sculpture, and photography by Allie Kelly and Jane Thomas, 5-8pm.

La Galeria “Fabulous February,” works by gallery artists, 5-8pm.

Les Yeux du Monde Paintings and drawings by Christophe Vorlet, 5:30-7:30pm.

McGuffey Art Center “Beyond the Bars,” mixed-media works by inmates at the Charlottesville- Albemarle Regional Jail; “After the Fall” by Jim Respess; “Little Black Sambo” by Rose Hill. 5:30-7:30pm.

Migration: A Gallery Abstract paintings by Chris Mason and J.M. Henry, 5:30-8pm.

New Dominion Bookshop Photographs from the Rivanna Conservation Society photo contest, 5:30-7pm.

Sage Moon Gallery Oil paintings and pen and ink drawings by Hoover Wantue Major, 6-9pm.

Second Street Gallery “Winter Dwellings,” mixed-media works by Jae Won Lee and Blake J. Williams; “A Careful Crash,” a video installation by the Lighthouse youth media center. 6-8pm.

Transient Crafters “Glass Jazz: Compositions,” stained glass panels by Jane Nolting Meniktos, 6-9pm.

UVA Off Grounds Gallery “Deep South,” prints by Lydia Moyer, 6-8pm.

Categories
News

An ongoing inquiry into the curious state of Virginia politics

You remember Virginia, right? The first settled (and 10th admitted) American state? The one that launched our fledgling republic with the Declaration of Independence (some local carrot-top wrote it, from what I hear), provided the blueprint for our constitutional system of government via James Madison’s “Virginia Plan,” then popped out eight presidents for good measure (although Woodrow Wilson proved to be such a colossal bore, the “Mother of Presidents” apparently decided to give the whole prez-spawning business a rest for a while).

So you’d think we might’ve figured out the intricacies of this whole “governing” thing by now. But, from all available evidence, you’d be wrong. I hate to say it, but what used to be a world-class political farm team for that alabaster McMansion at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. is looking more and more like the cast of Major League IV: The Search for Charlie Sheen’s Toupee. Sure, we’ve got a few star players (the kind of guys who aren’t afraid to tell Roll Call that they’d like to put a dusty combat boot up George Bush’s backside), but for every ornery Jim Webb and crusty-yet-competent John Warner, we’re also stuck with dozens of Virgil Goodes and Frank Hargroves—pompous dimwits who seem bound and determined to say the first damn fool thing that comes into their tiny, blow-dried heads.

In fact, anyone taking a cursory look at recent Virginia electoral history might easily assume that we’re running some sort of training school for the politically impaired—a sort of Xavier Academy for governmentally-challenged mutants. Honestly, it’s as if these pee-wee league pols don’t know the most basic things about American politics. Things like:


Politicians like Virgil Goode, Frank Hargrove and George Allen (left to right) better watch what they say. Our intrepid columnist is on their trail.

If your opponent’s dark-skinned campaign operative is pointing a video camera at you, you should probably resist the impulse to call him a monkey.

Or:

If you feel irresistibly compelled to send out a hate-filled screed about a recently elected Muslim congressman, you might want to double-check the mailing list to make sure it doesn’t include the chair of a left-leaning environmental group.

Or, of course:

If you’ve already alienated every African-American in the Commonwealth by telling them they “should get over” slavery, maybe it’s not the smartest idea to follow it up by wondering aloud if the Jews should “apologize for killing Christ,” and then top it all off by telling a fellow lawmaker whose ancestors emigrated from Nazi-occupied Poland that his skin’s a “little too thin.”

Not to be unduly harsh here, but isn’t there some sort of accrediting process to keep these amateurs from entering politics in the first place? Or, barring that, can’t we at least force these bush-leaguers to wear a ceremonial dunce cap at all subsequent public events, thereby proving that Virginia, the place where it all began, still has a shred of her precious dignity left?

Well, it might be a fool’s errand, but I’m going to start embroidering the Virginia state flag on that cap right now. (A flag which, unbeknownst to almost everyone, features a half-naked virgin stomping on a chain-wielding dead guy—but that’s a subject for an entirely different column.) And, as long as I have breath in my body, toner in my ink jet, and the ongoing indulgence of the fine folks at C-VILLE, I intend to place it on as many deserving heads as I possibly can.

Let the games begin!

Categories
Living

Getting wasted?

In the movie A Bronx Tale, Robert DeNiro informs his son, Calogero, that “there’s nothing worse  (in life) than wasted talent.”

That line always seems to ring in my head when seeing Atlanta Falcon (www.atlantafalcons.com) quarterback Matt Schaub holding a clipboard on an NFL sideline.

Now as a restricted free agent, there is a possibility that the onetime Cavalier could finally toe the line as a starter. 


Though he rarely leaves the bench, former Cavalier Matt Schaub has become the NFL’s most notable reserve quarterback because of his play and because of the Falcons’ reluctance to trade him.

“I am just looking for an opportunity to step on the field and play as a starter in this league and perform on a weekly basis,” says Schaub. “ I’ve had three years to grow and learn and observe Mike [Vick] and this league, as a whole, and now, I am excited, hopefully, to get a chance and play somewhere whether it be in Atlanta or somewhere else. I just want an opportunity and that’s all I can ask for.”

Schaub, the 27th pick of the third round in 2004, is free to sign a contract with another team. However, the Falcons have the ability to match that team’s offer or be compensated with draft picks or cash.

“There’s a lot of good football teams out there and I’d just like to be part of one,” says Schaub.

The former Virginia quarterback has spent the past three seasons as Vick’s understudy. During his time, Schaub has thrown for six touchdowns and as many interceptions in his reserve role, most recently in this season’s finale in Philadelphia. He’s become the league’s most notable reserve quarterback over the past 24 months because of his play and because of the Falcons’ reluctance to trade him due to Vick’s health and erratic play.

Now with the need for starting quarterbacks in such cities as Minneapolis and Oakland, it remains to be seen if Schaub stays in Atlanta and receives a higher task under recently named head coach Bobby Petrino.

“Well, we’re excited he’s a great offensive mind,” says Schaub of the head coach, who just led Louisville to a Big East title and win over Wake Forest in the Orange Bowl. “Great with quarterbacks, just look at his track record. He’s been in the NFL before and produced a good offense in Jacksonville. Since he’s been at Louisville, he’s been a proven winner.”

Otherwise, where might Schaub go? Is this the off-season that Schaub looks out for himself and a potential career above all else?

“Yeah I think so,” he says. “Having three good years under my belt, I think it is time I do get an opportunity. I’m ready for that opportunity wherever it might be to get out on that field and play.”

Wasted talent?

“I’m not going to sit here and say all the things I can and cannot do or that I am going to do because it’s not played out yet. I just want the opportunity to go out, be the quarterback and lead my team and lead a group of men on the practice field and then on the game field and show what I can do week in and week out.”

Wes McElroy hosts “The Final Round” on ESPN 840. Monday-Friday 3pm-5pm.

Categories
Arts

Talkin’ trash

“Dirt”
Tuesday 10pm, F/X

Critics have savaged this new F/X drama based on the seedy underbelly of Hollywood tabloids. The subject matter is pitch black, with pregnant starlets ODing, schizophrenic photogs maiming themselves to get a prize shot, and rap moguls beheading greedy performers. But if, like me, you occasionally enjoy wallowing in the worst humanity has to offer, it’s satisfying in an over-the-top way. Plus, I’d forgotten how fantastic series producer/star Courteney Cox can be when she tries her hand at drama. She makes editrix Lucy Spiller both admirably ambitious and reproachfully soulless. My kinda lady. The scripts definitely need work, but it’s got an original premise and Cox’s star power behind it, so here’s hoping. Also, look for “Friends” co-star/professional doormat Jennifer Aniston to make an appearance in March.

“Men in Trees”
Thursday 10pm, ABC

In my fall TV preview I completely dismissed this Anne Heche dramedy as a hokey fiasco, an ill-conceived mash-up of “Northern Exposure” and “Sex and the City.” And it is. But damned if the Artist Formerly Known as Celestia doesn’t make it work. Heche plays Marin Frist, a big-city relationship guru who relocates to a quirky, male-dominated town in Alaska after discovering that her fiancé was screwing around. Now Marin doles out advice to the town’s lovelorn burlymen while realizing that she knows nothing about guys herself. It’s total chick lit BS, and that makes it a perfect counterpoint to lead-in “Grey’s Anatomy.” Plus, Justine Bateman has just come on as the pregnant ex of Marin’s studly love interest, and I just cannot say no to a Bateman.

“I Love New York”
Monday 9pm, VH1

When VH1 first announced this distaff spinoff of dating show “Flavor of Love,” I wondered: How will they make a crazy bitch like New York likable? Answer: They didn’t, and for that I am eternally grateful. The network made ratings hay by having has-been rapper Flavor Flav dump and humiliate the woman on national TV. Twice. Now the suits have given New York 20 bachelors to pick from in the hopes of finding true love. But she remains the H.B.I.C. (Head Bitch in Charge), and three episodes in I’m still confused as to why any of these men legitimately would want to date her. Pretty, yes. Emasculating and unhinged, absolutely. But most of these guys aren’t prizes, either. Aside from personal faves Rico, Tango and 12 Pack (oh, 12 Pack…), she’s got some straight-up losers to pick from, including thuggerific front-runner Chance. Listen to your mother for once, girl! She might be even nuttier than you, but she’s dead on with that sucker.

Categories
Living

Veal—er, pork

There is more on Charlottesville’s plate than just what’s found on the Downtown Mall. Traveling outside the reliable confines of the Downtown Mall bubble might well be worth it. At Three Notch’d Grill in Crozet, the Pork Osso Buco with Saffron Risotto is a standout on the menu. 

Co-owner and Chef Hayden Berry says this flavorsome recipe commonly features veal, but the price of veal “has gone through the roof.” So he substituted pork in an effort to maintain a moderately priced menu, and serves the dish with saffron risotto (about 1/2 teaspoon of saffron will flavor 2 cups of risotto, if you’re wondering). Veal osso buco—“osso buco” means “bone with a hole” and refers to the veal’s marrow filling—is a popular Italian dish and there are many variations. If you’re making this at home, you can try the Three Notch’d Grill version or the traditional Milanese version with veal. Then again, maybe chicken will do…

Three Notch’d Grill’s Pork Osso Buco

6 cross cut pork shanks (1 3/4" thick)
about 1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
5 Tbs. butter
2 cups dry white wine
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
1 shallot
1 yellow onion
4 garlic cloves
2 1/2 cups canned tomatoes
3 Tbs. tomato paste
zest and juice of 1 lemon
zest and juice of 1 orange
3 cups veal stock
1 bay leaf
parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pat shanks dry. Season flour with salt and pepper. Heat oil and butter, then dredge shanks in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Brown shanks on all sides. Transfer to a roasting pan. Add wine and boil, scraping up any brown bits, until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the vegetables and garlic and sauté for about 10 minutes. Then add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir in zest (reserving a little for garnish) and veal stock. Taste for salt and pepper, and simmer for about 25 minutes.

Purée sauce in blender. Pour sauce over shanks. Cover pan with foil and braise in oven for 1 1/2 hours. Turn shanks over, cover, and continue to braise until meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours more. Skim excess fat from surface of sauce before serving. Stir in orange and lemon juices. Mix together parsley and remaining zest and sprinkle over shanks. Serves six.

Categories
News

State fruit and other silly bills

Should the Ginger Gold apple, a variety native to Central Virginia, be named our official State fruit? Some say “why not?” We’ve already got a State shell (the oyster shell) and a State bat (the Virginia big-eared bat). But apple growers say the General Assembly (www.legis.state.va.us) shouldn’t play favorites, and fans of other apple varieties (such as the delicious Albemarle Pippen) want their day in committee.

We’ve got a solution—the General Assembly should skip the snack break and pass a bill for transportation funding! But in case they want to get away from that political hot potato, here are four diversions:

HB 1774: “It is unlawful for any person to keep, maintain or operate or to visit a disorderly house. …’Disorderly house’ is defined to mean a house or building where persons meet or may meet for the purpose of unlawfully dispensing or indulging in intoxicating liquors, unlawful gaming, or boisterous or other disorderly conduct.” Anyone living near UVA is hereby guilty of a misdemeanor every moment of their lives.

HB 1728: Provides a civil penalty for selling novelty cigarette lighters to minors. Sixteen-year-olds can light their cigarettes the way we did—with Grandma’s plain ol’ Bic or stolen fireplace matches.

HB 1676: “No one shall possess an alcoholic beverage in the passenger area of a motor vehicle upon a public highway of the Commonwealth in other than the manufacturer’s unopened, original container.” Fine for said offense—$25. Hardly enough to deter us from the joys of the “go cup.”

HB 1970: “It is unlawful to be in Virginia if in United States illegally.” Please refer all questions to the Department of Redundancy Department.

Categories
Arts

Capsule reviews of movies playing in town

Alpha Dog (R, 117 minutes) Mr. Sexy Back himself, Justin Timberlake, stars in this controversial crime drama based on the life of Jesse James Hollywood, a notorious drug dealer who became one of the youngest men ever on the FBI’s Most Wanted List. Hollywood is still on trial, so prosecutors wanted the film pulled from release. Guess they didn’t get their wish. Hot young cast includes Ben Foster, Shawn Hatosy, Lukas Hass and Emile Hirsch (who despite the Timberlake publicity actually headlines as our Jesse James Hollywood substitute). Hot older cast includes Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone. There’s plenty of energy on display, but the film isn’t very insightful. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Arthur and the Invisibles (NR, 102 minutes) Frenchy Luc Besson (La Femme Nikita, The Professional, The Fifth Element) ditches gun-toting females for a sec to bring us this kiddie fantasy about a 10-year-old boy (Freddie Highmore, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) who goes on a treasure hunt to save his grandfather’s house from demolition. The film is a unique mixture of live-action and CGI as Arthur is shrunk to micro-size and enters the land of the Minimoys, tiny people living in harmony with nature. Madonna, David Bowie and Snoop Dogg are among the voice cast. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Blood and Chocolate (PG-13, 98 minutes) Slightly classier-looking than your average teen horror movie, this flick (from German director Katja von Garnier) tells the story of a teenage werewolf (Agnes Bruckner, Blue Car) torn between honoring her family’s secret and her love for a hunky young dude (Hugh Dancy, King Arthur). Based on the book by teen lit writer Annette Curtis Klause. Coming Friday; check local listings

Catch and Release (PG-13, 124 minutes) Jennifer Garner (“Alias”) jumps into the comedy/drama/romance stewpot as a woman struggling to accept the sudden death of her husband-to-be and the secrets he kept from her. After attending a funeral on what was supposed to be her wedding day, our heroine moves in with two male pals (Kevin Smith and Sam Jaeger, providing comic relief). What follows is your typical romantic comedy complete with syrup-filled ending. Coming Friday; check local listings

Charlotte’s Web (G, 96 minutes) This live-action adaptation of E.B. White’s much-beloved book stars adorable Dakota Fanning as plucky farm gal Fern whose pet pig Wilbur conspires with a wise spider to avoid a one-way trip to the dinner table. The requisite all-star cast (Julia Roberts, Steve Buscemi, John Cleese, Oprah Winfrey, Kathy Bates, Cedric the Entertainer, Reba McEntire, André Benjamin, Robert Redford) is on hand to provide cute animal voices. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Children of Men (R, 109 minutes) Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón, who’s given us everything from Y Tu Mamá También to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, helms this low-tech sci-fi film set in the year 2027. Seems that in this polluted, dystopic future, mankind has lost the ability to procreate. Clive Owen (Inside Man, Sin City) is a reformed activist who agrees to help transport a mysteriously pregnant woman (multiple Oscar nominee Julianne Moore) to a sanctuary at sea, where her child’s birth may help scientists save mankind. Based on the novel by P.D. James. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Curse of the Golden Flower (R, 114 minutes) Director Zhang Yimou (Hero, House of Flying Daggers) sticks with the epic historical action films. This one takes place in 10th century China where the Emperor (Chow Yun-Fat, The Killer) and the Empress (Gong Li, Memoirs of a Geisha) are involved in a vicious power struggle, highlighted by betrayals, affairs and all-out assassination attempts. There’s a bit more Shakespearean drama in this film, making it a sometimes uneven combo of Yimou’s recent action flicks and his emotional early efforts (Raise the Red Lantern, To Live). Even if the complex melodrama is hard to follow at times, it looks ravishing from start to finish. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Dreamgirls (PG-13, 125 minutes)  It takes a little while to get into the mood of this lengthy showbiz musical. Once it’s fully up to speed, however, the film sings along at an absorbing clip. Like the Broadway musical that inspired it, the tune-filled tale follows the rise and fall of a Diana Ross and the Supremes-like musical group from the late ’50s through the turbulent ’60s and on into the disco era of the ’70s. Of course, there’s plenty of backstage backstabbing as the group’s beautiful lead singer (Beyoncé Knowles) gets groomed for superstardom by her husband/manager (Jamie Foxx). Former “American Idol” contestant Jennifer Hudson is the real showstopper here, commanding the spotlight as the group’s bitchy but supremely talented backup singer. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

Epic Movie (PG-13, 86 minutes) From the people who brought you Scary Movie and Date Movie comes yet another crude parody of assorted movie genres. This one sticks more or less to recent Hollywood blockbusters like The Chronicles of Narnia, X-Men: The Last Stand, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Snakes on a Plane. Coming Friday; check local listings

Eragon (PG, 103 minutes) Based on the juvenile fantasy series by Christopher Paolini, this epic fantasy follows the adventures of an orphaned farm boy (newbie Edward Speleers) who finds a rare dragon’s egg, and uses his magical new friend to overthrow your basic evil king (John Malkovich). Jeremy Irons is in there too, bringing back uncomfortable memories of Dungeons & Dragons. Expect multiple sequels. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Freedom Writers (P6-13, 123 minutes) Veteran screenwriter Richard LaGravenese takes a stab at directing in this latest instalment in the miracle-worker-teacher genre. Hilary Swank stars as a teacher who brings her disadvantaged and racially divided students together. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

The Good Shepherd (R, 160 minutes) Robert De Niro finally gets around to directing another film (after 1993’s A Bronx Tale). This one’s a detailed drama about the formation of the Central Intelligence Agency. Matt Damon plays an idealistic young man recruited to become the prototypical superspy. Angelina Jolie is his unsuspecting wife who watches her husband grow more paranoid and jaded as the Cold War wears on. The tone is grave and the pacing measured, but De Niro has created a Godfather-like saga about the Powers That Be. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

The Hitcher (R, 90 minutes) For teenagers and people with very short memories comes a remake of the 1986 thriller starring Rutger Hauer and C. Thomas Howell. The original, about a serial killing hitchhiker, was fairly preposterous to begin with. That didn’t stop music video director Dave Meyers from recasting it with Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings) as the bad guy and Sophia Bush ("One Tree Hill") as the (now female) victim. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6   

Letters from Iwo Jima (R, 141 minutes) Clint Eastwood shot this back-to-back with his film Flags of Our Fathers. This one tells more or less the same story, but from the Japanese perspective. Whereas Flags bogged down a bit in post-war preachiness and cliché characters, Letters is an uncompromising look at the painful defeat of the Japanese. Ken Watanabe (The Last Samurai) gives a powerful performance. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Night at the Museum (PG, 108 minutes) Ben Stiller stars in this fantasy-filled adaptation of the best-selling children’s book of the same name. In it, he plays a bumbling new security guard at the Museum of Natural History who accidentally lets loose an ancient curse causing all of the displays to come to life. Hijinks ensue. Cameos include Robin Williams, Dick Van Dyke, Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais, Mickey Rooney and Owen Wilson. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

The Painted Veil (PG-13, 125 minutes) In this adaptation of the W. Somerset Maugham novel, an unhappy wife (Naomi Watts) is dragged to a cholera-afflicted Chinese province in the ’20s by her husband (Edward Norton) after becoming embroiled in a life-changing affair. This visually lush, emotionally bitter drama was shot once before in 1934 with Greta Garbo as the lead. Playing at Vinegar Hill Theatre

Pan’s Labyrinth (R, 117 minutes) From Mexican director Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Blade II, The Devil’s Backbone, Cronos) comes this intelligent, phantasmagorical fantasy about a young girl who travels with her pregnant mother to post-war Spain. Hoping to avoid the grim reality of Franco’s fascist repression, our heroine escapes into a fantasy world of her own creation. In time, the two worlds—one stylized and beautiful, one bloody and brutal—begin to meld. Despite certain Alice in Wonderland connections, this dark, disturbing fantasy is not a kid’s film. Playing at Regal Downtown Mall 6

Primeval (R, 94 minutes) The incredibly misleading commercials would have you believe this is a based-on-a-true-story horror flick about the “most prolific serial killer in history.” It is based on a true story, but what the commercials fail to mention is that the killer in question is an African crocodile. Yup, it’s a chintzy Sci-Fi Channel-style movie about a big crocodile. But, if you’re a major fan of Alligator, Eaten Alive, The Great Alligator, Crocodile, Krocodylus, Lake Placid, Killer Crocodile and other such Crocodilia-based monster movies, you may find something to sink your teeth into. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

The Pursuit of Happyness (PG-13, 117 minutes) Will Smith stars in this tear-jerking can-do drama as a struggling, largely homeless single father who takes custody of his young son (real-life offspring Jaden Smith). Unable to support himself, Dad makes a life-changing decison—to get a job as an unpaid intern on Wall Street. This “inspired by a true story” tale is just as schmaltzy as you would expect, but Smith the Elder does give a emotional, award-hungry performance. Playing at Regal Seminole Square Cinema 4

The Queen (PG-13, 118 minutes) U.K. director Stephen Frears (High Fidelity, The Grifters, Dangerous Liaisons) takes the death of Princess Diana and spins it into a pop culture biopic about Queen Elizabeth II. Expect Oscar attention for star Helen Mirren, whose portrait of QEII is both imperious and impartial. The script speculates on the week after Diana’s death, during which the royal family was conspicuously silent and unseen. Michael Sheen (Underworld) matches Mirren note-for-note as the surprisingly sympathetic Prime Minister Tony Blair, who tries to talk the Queen out of her stiff upper-lip resolve. An absorbing appeal for governmental sympathy in an era when many leaders seem content to simply fiddle while Rome burns (Hurricane? What hurricane?). Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Smokin’ Aces (R, 108 minutes) It’s been a while since we’ve had to dust off the adjective “Tarantinoesque,” but here we are again. Joe Carnahan (Blood, Guts, Bullets and Octane) writes and directs this action thriller about a whole collection of hyper-colorful hitmen who descend on a Reno hotel to bump off a cheesy-magicial-turned-Mob-informant (Jeremy Piven). Among the cast are Ryan Reynolds, Ray Liotta, Wayne Newton, Ben Affleck, Peter Berg, Andy Garcia, Jason Bateman and Matthew Fox. The violence is over the top and completely gratuitous, but it is kind of satisfying in a mid-’90s “wish I was John Woo” kind of way. Coming Friday; check local listings

Stomp the Yard (PG-13, 114 minutes) If you can’t get enough of urban dance movies like You Got Served and Step Up, then you might have some use for this formulaic pic about a troubled teen from L.A. who winds up at a black university in Atlanta, where he tries to win over a girl while being courted by two fraternities who desire his near mystical abilities in the realm of free-style step dancing. Unless you went to a primarily African-American college in the southern U.S. you’ve probably never heard of step-dancing. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

We are Marshall (PG, 127 minutes) This inspirational sports drama is based on the true, tragic story of a 1970 plane crash that wiped out nearly all of the Marshall University football team. Despite some emotional oposition, the team’s new coach (Matthew McConaughey) tries to revive the team as well as the spirits of his traumatized community. Playing at Carmike Cinema 6

Categories
Living

Talking in tongues

At my mother’s insistence, I took French in high school. I think she thought that all proper young ladies spoke French, despite the fact that all the cool kids took Spanish. I regularly took comfort in the fact that at least I wasn’t one of those dorks stuck learning Latin. Fifteen years after the fact, I think my mother recognizes the error of her ways in not allowing me to take Spanish and thus learn to communicate with half of my fellow countrymen and women; I, on the other hand, am fully remorseful for having so heartlessly dismissed the beauty of Latin.
Latin is so delightfully nerdy sounding…and looking. While I still don’t know any, and could never converse with Marc Anthony or anything (wait…that’s J-Lo’s husband. I think I mean Mark Antony?), the Internet offers plenty of sites that have numerous indispensable phrases translated from English into Latin. The site listed above is one of my favorites.

If I were wandering around ancient Rome looking for a loo, I would print this page out before time traveling, and then get a kick out of asking locals things like “Visne saltare? Viam Latam Fungosam scio,” (“Do you want to dance? I know the Funky Broadway”) or “Vidistine nuper imagines moventes bonas?” (“Seen any good movies lately?”)

Incidentally, Latin is always a classy choice for a gravestone. I think about what will go on mine probably more than I should, and for sentimental reasons—it was my father’s favorite refrain, when I was 6 and relentlessly asking him for a pony—I think I’ll have the words “Te audire no possum. Musa sapientum fixa est in aure” engraved on my stone. My lesson for the ages? “I can’t hear you. I have a banana in my ear.”

Categories
News

Compromise road plan on table

At long last, Republicans in Richmond (www.vagop.com) unveiled a transportation spending plan on January 18, finally reaching compromise after a long stalemate. A special session solely devoted to the issue couldn’t get the job done last year, largely because of conflicts between Republicans in the Senate, who were interested in raising taxes, and Republicans in the House, who wanted to borrow money. But the necessities of a State legislative election year mean that Republicans couldn’t get away with doing nothing through 2007.


Governor Tim Kaine says that the Republican transportation plan, which would take $250 million from the general fund, is worth a look.

The terms of the plan leave few ecstatic, even if they can live with them. The proposal would allocate $500 million annually for transportation improvements, largely in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. Those localities would be able to raise local fees and taxes in order to help finance road improvements. Principally this would come through raising commercial real estate taxes in NoVA and Hampton Roads, which has many businesses disgruntled. Democratic Governor Tim Kaine (www.governor.virginia.gov) has voiced concern over the part of the proposal that calls for taking $250 million from the general fund and would mean serious cutbacks in other government spending. Kaine has pointed out that $250 million represents the combined budgets of State police, the State’s emergency management operations and all veterans services.

Still, he is open to considering the plan. “I urge everyone involved in this discussion to contribute in a civil and constructive way as we all work together to choose the best elements of the different transportation proposals now being considered by the General Assembly,” said Kaine in a press release following the announcement.

How other Democrats react to the plan, and whether the Republican compromise will last, will be tested in the final month of the session. Whatever happens, expect Virginia citizens to weigh in on the issue in November—at the ballot box.

For more information on the 2007 Virginia General Assembly Session:
http://leg1.state.va.us/

Categories
News

Is city just a county cut-through?

While it’s one thing to complain about Charlottesville traffic, it’s quite another to figure out how to manage it—and that was at the heart of a City transportation work session on January 18 with City Council (www.charlottesville.org). and the Planning Commission (www.albemarle.org).


City Councilor Kevin Lynch called out Albemarle County for making the city a cut-through: "Since 1980, [Albemarle County] has essentially built a city the size of Charlottesville around Charlottesville and they’ve built exactly two roads.

Giving officials philosophical discussion opportunities without requiring a vote can be a dangerous prospect. To help provide substance, staff hung maps showing the grade of roads throughout the city and showing major developments and employment centers around Charlottesville. The chief goal was to set goals, and during the hours allotted traffic engineer Jeanie Alexander wrote items like “improve the grid” or “not widen minor streets” on a giant Post-it pad.

The central topic was cut-through traffic, and though it started with specific streets like Calhoun and Old Lynchburg Road, several participants wondered whether as a whole the city, which has had a stagnant population according to the U.S. Census Bureau, is really just dealing with a major cut-through problem from the county.

“We’re not in a vacuum and there’s no wall, yet, or moat, around the city,” said Alexander.

“We’re working on that,” said City Mayor David Brown. At the time, it was a joke. But as the discussion continued, it was apparent that not everyone thought it such a bad idea. If the city is suffering from a county cut-through problem, reasoned Planning Commissioner Jason Pearson, “what are the professional versions of the moat around the city that are actually legal and appropriate?”

Councilor Kevin Lynch argued that the City shouldn’t build new lanes to make cutting through any easier. “Since 1980, [Albemarle County] has essentially built a city the size of Charlottesville around Charlottesville and they’ve built exactly two roads. …Guess who’s handling the rest of the traffic.”

Lynch shared startling figures that showed that current traffic counts in many cases approximate earlier projections made for 2020. In the late ’90s, “we were projecting 4,200 cars a day on Old Lynchburg Road by 2020. Now we’ve got 5,300.”

One version of moat-building suggested earlier in the week by Fry’s Spring residents didn’t get such a strong response, however. Their neighborhood association asked City Council on January 16 to close Old Lynchburg Road at the county line. But said Lynch, “It’s not in the Top 20 of our problem roads. …In absolute terms, it’s not that bad.” He and others acknowledged that road evaluating systems are driver-focused, but they also worried that squeaky wheels more often get the grease—and still keep squeaking.