Month: February 2007

It’s all about immigrants

Post author By c-ville-weekly-readers
Post date February 27, 2007
No Comments on It’s all about immigrants

Labor woes traced to immigrants

I just wanted to comment on “Bad as it’s ever been” [Development News, February 6].

I have never worked in the construction industry and don’t pretend to have any more knowledge on labor shortages in the construction industry than the next person. However, using one’s common sense, one could deduce that the shortage is caused by the large influx of cheap, immigrant labor. Contractors and sub-contractors obtain work by submitting a low bid for a prospective project. To complete the project and stay under bid they rely on undocumented laborers to whom they do not have to pay health benefits, paid vacation, workers compensation, etc. Thus, American workers are squeezed out of these jobs unless they want to work for a low wage without any benefits. Then, the industry claims they have a shortage of workers and require more immigrant labor. If the government did its job and conducted frequent audits of construction companies so that they could not hire undocumented workers, then all the construction companies would be on a level playing field and we would have decent-paying blue collar jobs for those who like to work with their hands. Then, for those who did not do particularly well in school but who have a work ethic and learn better on the job than in a classroom we could offer a decent career path in the trades instead of dead-end jobs like working at Target or Staples.

It’s interesting that a so-called progressive newspaper like the C-VILLE Weekly that is always carrying the banner of social justice would not interview former construction workers who have been forced out of the industry because of the competition from immigrant labor. No, your newspaper would instead focus on the exploitation of the immigrants instead of standing up for native-born Virginians.

If one of your reporters or columnists would like to investigate an interesting issue it would be about how population growth driven by large-scale immigration is leading to all this new development and subsequent traffic congestion, big-box stores, loss of open space and reduced quality of life that your paper is always complaining about. It’s a self-perpetuating cycle. Population growth creates crowding and causes real estate prices to increase, which results in the phenomenon of people moving out of metropolitan areas and creating a demand for affordable housing. Then, to construct this new housing we require more and more laborers and thus more immigration which leads to more crowding and then a demand for more housing. The Washington Post recently had an article about the flight of longtime residents from Northern Virginia suburbs to exurbs. The Post then praised continued immigration as a way to replace the residents who have left instead of reaching the logical conclusion that they left due to overcrowding and lack of affordability due to the overcrowding.

One more issue that I’d like to comment on is your paper’s continued disrespectful coverage of Representative Virgil Goode. Mr. Goode was re-elected with a strong majority of the vote and as far as I know has never been suspected of any type of corruption. Since he is conservative and your newspaper has a progressive tone, I can understand that you will not agree with many of his positions. However, if Mr. Goode supports a position or legislation that you disagree with, then run a coherent article expressing that disagreement rather than trying to portray Mr. Goode as a buffoon. Mr. Goode is one of only a handful of congresspersons who has spoken out about a stealth plan by the Bush Administration to eventually form a North American Union and a North American Superhighway. He has also been outspoken against large-scale immigration. The impression I have of those who work for the C-VILLE Weekly is that of a group of smart-assed, sarcastic, crass, spoiled, know-it-all and pretentious 20-somethings who have not experienced the world enough to make informed judgements.

Robert E. Jean
Charlottesville

The editor replies: The mean age of the editorial staff is 31.

__________________________________________________________________

Damage control

I’m concerned that your February 13 article titled “Eating Disorders on Campus” [UVA News] presented misleading information about eating disorders on the UVA campus.

Author Sheila Pell initially stated that one out of three students seen for an intake by Ms. Emily Lape, clinical social worker at UVA Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), was seeking help for an eating disorder. Ms. Lape does see a higher percentage of eating disorders than most other CAPS staff, but that reflects the fact that eating disorders is her particular area of expertise. Furthermore, our own internal data would support that the prevalence of eating disorders is much lower than that represented in your article.

In 2005-06 60 students were seen through CAPS and newly diagnosed with an eating disorder. This represents 4 percent of all the new diagnoses rendered through our service during the past academic year. I will acknowledge that eating disorders are often underreported by students and there are many who may need help who don’t seek treatment. On the other hand, stating that one third all UVA students seeking help through CAPS are diagnosed with an eating disorder conveys an inaccurate picture.

Your article also pointed to the struggle of one anonymous student and quoted her as saying, “I think you can prevent eating disorders—but I don’t think you can treat them at UVA.” Treating eating disorders is a complex endeavor where treatment planning and prognosis are directly related to the acuity of a patient’s condition. Those whose eating disorders are chronic and severe are not easily helped with once-weekly outpatient treatment. In fact, students with more complex eating disorders are often referred out to treatment settings that are longer term and more treatment-intensive than we can provide through CAPS. But there are also many students seen through CAPS for treatment of mild to moderate acuity eating disorders who benefit significantly from the help they receive.

It is important that UVA students know there are adequate resources available for many who may struggle with eating disorders. Our services at CAPS may not be sufficient for all who seek help, but let’s be careful not to portray a pessimistic picture that discourages students from appropriately seeking the help they may need.

Russ Federman, Ph.D., ABPP
Director, UVA Counseling
and Psychological Services

_________________________________________________________________

Yes, C-VILLE Weekly, as a student of the University of Virginia and a dedicated reader of C-VILLE, I found the article “Eating disorders on campus” to be absolutely horrifying.

No, my horror does not stem from the serious nature of the issues Ms. Pell addresses, but rather, from her absolutely grim critique of UVA’s treatment approach towards the disorder.

I am a third-year undergrad at the University. I personally have been struggling with my eating disorder for six years. Frankly, I have found UVA’s support system, whether through counseling from therapists like Emily Lape, or from sharing my struggles with other women such as this “Heather,” to be a crucial part of my recovery—which in fact, convinced me to go to an inpatient facility over Christmas break—definitely not a “dismal” choice for my condition.

Therefore, I vouch for Emily Lape’s program and the efforts of her colleagues at both Student Health and the University Hospital.

Ms. Pell, I feel, has made serious, but perhaps unintentional, follies in writing the article. Her naivete shines in the negative presentation of the eating disorder clinic inpatient program, as well as many misinterpretations of the interviewees’ statements.

Shall I argue that the C-VILLE Weekly promotes eating disorders? I hope not.

I ask that in the future the C-VILLE Weekly build a higher-education criteria for selecting appropriate reporters to write such columns. And furthermore, I demand that the Charlottesville weekly publish a retraction/restatement of this article.

Thank you very much, your response is appreciated.

Sarah R.
Charlottesville

__________________________________________________________________

Viewer scrutiny advised

I am sorry to hear that Dan Catalano is so bored with lawmaking in a democracy [The Odd Dominion, February 13]. He much prefers the Kill Bill type of movies to the bill killing movies made by Democratic legislators. In Catalano’s world, excitement rules and watching rulers is to be avoided because it is “mind-numbing”. No wonder state legislators (in the majority party) feel they can do whatever they want—they feel they are immune from public scrutiny. And people like Dan Catalano encourage such lack of responsibility.

David RePass
Charlottesville

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Living

Built to last

It’s not that I don’t enjoy my current full-time job at a hoity-toity glossy, but occasionally, I feel like I’m not making good on that promise I made to myself—and all those with high hopes for me—to make the world a better place. I know I’m getting all Miss Rumphius (“go to faraway places, live by the sea, do something to make the world more beautiful,” blah, blah, blah) on you, dear readers, but being the product of a guilt-ridden liberal upbringing and the daughter of an urban planner with a distinctly do-gooder conscience, this doubt is seated deep within me.

Thus, when I came across the website for a new quarterly called The Next American City via an old college friend who is doing some work for it, I immediately melted down into an existential crisis: Must quit fashion magazine right now and invest all nonexistent savings in real magazine that will contribute something worthwhile to cultural dialogue. Alas, that moment passed, and here I am alleviating my guilt by plugging the site—www.americancity.org. Go there. Learn something. Start rethinking this whole American landscape. In the right ways, ya’ll.

Dubbed “a subtle plan to change the world” by The New York Times, the Next American City looks at the state of the American metropolis and asks, “Where do we go from here?” In this rapidly changing landscape, how can businesses and developers thrive? How can cities and suburbs expand their economies? And how can our society successfully address social and environmental challenges?”

If you want the full treatment, then you’ll have to subscribe, but if you want a test drive before buying the hybrid, then the website does the trick with a plethora of articles online tackling the big issues from “Gambling on Philadelphia’s Future: Can Casinos Fit into a Big City Downtown” to “Reviving South Minneapolis: Showdown at South Central Farm.”

Houston, yes, it seems we do indeed have a problem. But it’s not a problem we can’t solve if we start now.

News

Walk this way

Don: To answer your question, Ace went straight to the source: the Code of Virginia (for Ace’s less legally inclined readers, that’s the big book of laws that breaks down what you can and can’t do in the Old Dominion). Unfortunately, Ace got a little distracted once he flipped to the section on traffic violations. Did you know that it’s against the law to coast down a hill in neutral? That there’s a law entitled “Riding animals on highways after sunset?” That you can’t drive more than 13 hours at a time? Which begs the question of enforcement: Would a cop have to follow you for over 13 hours—during which you’re apparently driving in circles, since 13 hours in any direction puts you outside state lines—to make the arrest? Wouldn’t he then be in violation of the law himself? Can police officers arrest themselves? Pressing questions, all of them, but for another day and another column. Luckily, the section on right-of-way came right after section 46-242.1, “Driving over fire hose,” so Ace has some answers for you.

Does the pedestrian always have the right of way? Are there any circumstances when you could get hit by a car while walking and it’s your fault, not the driver’s?—Don Twalk

In Virginia, a driver must yield to pedestrians at “any clearly marked crosswalk” and at “any intersection…where the legal maximum speed does not exceed 35 miles per hour.” So does that mean that if the speed limit is 40 mph and there’s no crosswalk, you can just barrel through an intersection, sending schoolchildren and senior citizens flying like so many fleshy bowling pins? Ace doesn’t recommend it, but if they’re just standing in the middle of the street and you did your best to stop, you’re not going to be held criminally liable for any broken hips or cracked iPod screens. As far as the law’s concerned, the pedestrian has to look both ways, and that’s about it—use of the buddy system is helpful but not legally enforced. That is, if pedestrians “carelessly or maliciously interfere with the orderly passage of vehicles” or “enter or cross an intersection in disregard of approaching traffic,” they’re being negligent. If they get hit, well, too bad.

So, Don, the pedestrian has right of way when it’s reasonable and doesn’t when it’s not. As long as you’re not out on 250 playing chicken, you should be all right.

Arts

It’s elementary

“Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?”
Tuesday 9:30pm, Fox

“Survivor” and “Apprentice” mastermind Mark Burnett came up with this new quiz show. And if anybody knows how stupid adults are, it’d be him. The concept is pretty obvious: Well-meaning adults and actual fifth graders are asked questions taken directly from basic elementary curriculum. Can they remember the names of the tribes in the Onondaga Confederacy? Do they have the ability to multiply fractions? Inevitably the answer will be “No” for the adults, and that will provide the kids with prime mocking opportunities. And I’m all for sharpening the gloating skills of America’s youth. Jeff Foxworthy hosts, which means you should be getting a whole new edition of You Might Be a Redneck If…filled with dumb-adult jokes right about…now.

“Jericho”
Wednesday 8pm, CBS

Last week this freshman drama returned from winter hiatus for 11 new episodes. The schedule is much like ABC’s “Lost,” which makes sense since “Jericho” has a lot in common with the doomed island show. Both have a great premise, and both premises have been pretty poorly executed. “Jericho” chronicles the lives of the people living in the titular small town after a big ol’ mushroom cloud appears in the sky. It seems like the major American cities have been apparently attacked and wiped out. Answers have been somewhat slow in coming, and most of the episodes deal with individual character mysteries, somewhat minor town squabbles, and the realities of life without the modern conveniences we’ve come to rely on. But some of the plots have been redundant or poorly thought out, and the momentum at times nonexistent. On the plus side: “Major Dad”’s Gerald McRaney continues to get work, and I’m all for that.

“The Winner”
Sunday 8:30pm, Fox

The line “from the producer of ‘Family Guy’” isn’t exactly a guarantee of comedy genius. The cartoon series has moments of gonzo brilliance, but a lot more moments of boring, flat filler. This live action show stars former “Daily Show” correspondent Rob Corddry as a 30-something with a serious case of arrested development. He still lives with his parents, works in a video store, and has never even done le nasty (as they say in France). He’s basically a 12-year-old in a grown man’s body. Logically he’s paired with an actual 12-year-old (Josh, played by Keir Gilchrist), and together they try to figure out the confusing world of puberty, responsibility and complicated women’s undergarments. The scenes between Corddry and Gilchrist are the reason to watch. They have great rapport and some snappy dialogue. The rest is pretty standard sitcom fare.

News

Goode grief

Look, I feel compelled to make one thing perfectly clear: Despite all evidence to the contrary, the purpose of this column is not to exclusively chronicle the ongoing foibles of Charlottesville’s U.S. Representative Virgil H. Goode (www.house.gov/goode). In fact I would like nothing better than to focus on some of the other odd goings-on ’round these political parts. (Did you know, for instance, that Attorney General Robert McDonnell has ruled that it’s perfectly fine to bring a handgun to a school board meeting? Or that Richmond’s Congressman Eric Cantor, still a bit fuzzy on Article I of the U.S. Constitution, recently told “Hardball”’s Chris Matthews that the decision to declare war on Iran should be left “to the commanders on the ground and those in our military establishment”?) But no, just like those pesky Mafioso in Godfather III, old Virgil just keeps pulling me back in.

Virginia Congressman Virgil Good can’t wrap his mind around the concept of collective monotheism—to name just one thing.

It all started with the recent Senate nondebate on President Bush’s proposed troop increase in Iraq. If you missed it, here’s a brief recap: Virginia Senator John Warner introduced a nonbinding resolution opposing the escalation, helped craft a filibuster-proof compromise resolution with senate Democrats, and then—in a moment of only-in-Washington absurdity—proceeded to vote against a “motion to proceed,” thereby killing his own resolution dead as a doornail.

Although these impressive parliamentary gymnastics probably gave the Republican senator whiplash (and certainly sprained his reputation), they also cleared the way for the House to introduce its own anti-escalation resolution, which (in an act of inspired political chutzpah) was debated for four days straight, with each and every one of the House’s 436 members given five minutes to spout off to their heart’s content.

Well, I’m sure you see where this is going. Never one to shy from the microphone, Representative Goode took the floor with a vengeance on the third day. Now, by that point in the proceedings the “rambling, inflammatory nutjob” bar had been set pretty high. (Most notably by Alaska’s Don Young, who used a made-up Abraham Lincoln quote to declare that members of Congress who voiced dissent “should be arrested, exiled or hanged.”) But Representative Goode was up to the challenge, and proceeded to let his (100 percent American) freak flag fly:

“In no way do I want to aid and assist the Islamic jihadists,” he insisted (dispelling rumors that he’s actually a very clever Al-Qaeda sleeper agent). He then proceeded to rant incoherently about radical Muslims “who want the crescent and star to wave…over the White House,” and who “would love to see ‘In God We Trust’ stricken from our money and replaced with ‘In Muhammad We Trust.’”

Um, Virgil? In case you missed the whole Danish-cartoons-incite-Muslim-rioting thing, trust me when I tell you that the last thing an Islamic-majority government would want on their money is a reference to the prophet Muhammad. Anyway, Muslims don’t worship Muhammad, they worship Allah (which is simply Arabic for “God”). In fact, I don’t want to blow your mind here or anything, but Muslims, Christians and Jews actually all worship the same God, so you might just want to…

Oh, why am I even bothering? Look—just do me a favor and take a nice, month-long vacation, O.K.? That way I can write a completely Virgil-free column for once. And that, I’m sure, would make us both very happy.

Living

Something borrowed (something blue)

Post author By bird-cox
Post date February 27, 2007
No Comments on Something borrowed (something blue)

I’m going to be up-front with you: You WILL get addicted to these. The Continental Divide has a tendency to do that to people—first, you go for margaritas, and suddenly, every Tuesday becomes Tequila Night. I, personally, am enslaved not only by the hot plates of blues (from which I peel the crispy bits of jack at the end), but by the fajitas, which I can’t write about without salivating. You’ve seen the lines coming out the door on Main Street, right? Down-jacketed people huddling around their lighters? It’s not the neon “get in here” missive; the food, drink and occasionally raucous atmosphere really bring people back.

Too hot to handle? On the contrary: The Divide’s handcut chips, dressed up with goat cheese, are habit-forming.

So. How to replicate the red hot blues? It’s considerably more difficult than its short stack of ingredients looks, because the Divide’s chefs handcut their own chips, make fresh, yummy salsa, and keep their hot sauce recipes on the If I Tell You, I’ll Have to Kill You list. But at least you can have the satisfaction of pulling a hot plate of melted cheese out of the oven. Note: If the term “red hot” makes you skittish, be assured that the goat cheese somewhat neutralizes the spice, without detracting from its flavor.

The Continental Divide’s Red Hot Blues

several handfuls spicy blue chips (they’re on the snack aisle)
1/2 cup jack cheese, shredded
1/4 cup soft goat cheese
2 Tbs. scallions, chopped

extras:
salsa
sour cream
hot sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put chips on an oven-safe plate or pie dish, scatter jack over them. Crumble goat cheese and evenly distribute over jack. Bake for a few minutes, checking them frequently for an evenly melted and slightly bubbly top. Remove from oven and cover with scallions, slip a second plate underneath so it can be handled, and serve immediately with extras on the side.

News

Drug arrest on West Main

Larry Jermaine Jones, a 24-year-old Palmyra man, was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine and intent to distribute. In an “undercover operation,” Jefferson Area Drug Enforcement Task Force (JADE) (www.charlottesville.org) officers and Fluvanna police found 10 grams of crack cocaine valued at about $2,000 at the 900 block of W. Main Street in a residential/commercial space. Though a press release says more people may be involved, City spokesman Barrick says the bust was not that large.

JADE Sergeant Joe Hatter could not be reached for comment.

C-VILLE welcomes news tips from readers. Send them to news@c-ville.com.

Living

As time Grohs by

Following National Signing Day earlier this month, Virginia football Head Coach Al Groh (www.virginiasports.cstv.com) took a few minutes to sit down and talk to C-VILLE Weekly about his recruiting class, his coaching staff, and an interesting off-season.

University of Virginia football’s Al Groh recently got a rare chance to think like a fan, and not a coach, while on the sidelines of the AFC Championship game.

C-VILLE: National Signing Day is done and quarterback Peter Lalich’s name has emerged in this class; prior to that, much has been made about this young man. Just how good is he?
Al Groh: He’s got a chance to be real good. Not only does he have skill but he’s got the right type of mindset for it and that is he thinks “being a quarterback” 24 hours a day.
That’s who he is and that’s what he likes to do. He’s been an exceptional student in high school just off of his native intelligence and his responsibility to do well but his passion goes along with what his talent is.

That’s no different than someone who’s a great piano player, who makes good grades but is smart enough to recognize where that person has an exceptional talent and he understands that’s the case with him.

Defensive coordinator Mike London’s name was rumored to be involved in the start of the Old Dominion football program. Since then he has issued a statement saying he wants to remain at Virginia. Can you describe the uniqueness he added to your defensive improvements this past season?

Mike is a coach of high passion and energy and intensity. That’s important at all positions on the field, all 22 spots, but particularly on defense.

He really brought that energy on a day-to-day basis, heck, on a play-to-play basis during the course of practice. So it’s that energy and that fire that really became part of the personality of the defense and so much of the way Mike coaches.

I understand you got to be on the sidelines of the New England Patriots during the AFC Championship?

Besides the competition and watching the players and the coaches work, in our games I try to center all my thoughts, my vision, and my hearing on what occurs on the field, that is in between the lines and try to block out anything beyond that as much as the crowds, the sounds, everything because I’m there for one particular job and it takes my concentration. I’m there for a different reason, in a different capacity than most other people who are at the games.

So this gave me an opportunity to kind of take those blinders off and take those ear plugs out and take in the whole atmosphere before the game and the fans and enjoy the noise when I’m usually trying to block it out. It gave me a good perspective on how that can impact a game.

What’s your gut feeling? Do we see your good friend Bill Parcells as a head coach again in the NFL?

No. I think I’m just going to answer that on things I’ve heard him say (to me). His statements, while not definitive, were more that I wouldn’t rule out just as his (previous) retirement statement. I wouldn’t rule out his being involved with football but probably the odds are against his being on the field again.

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

Living

Climb every mountain

Social climbing is generally considered an unsavory affair, but what Karen Laetare is up to is more like mountain-hopping—somehow more palatable. For eight years, she’s been running Brix Marketplace in a funky old building that sits on a curve of Route 53, between Monticello and Jefferson Vineyards. That’s an elevated spot, but a fickle one from a business standpoint. (Durn tourists.) So Laetare is making a leap over to the next big bump in the landscape, Pantops Mountain, where the traffic runs more to full-time residents and wage slaves—a relatively dependable crowd. She’ll open BRIX Terrace Café in a new building there (well, O.K., near the bottom, in Pantops Shopping Center) in March.

Karen Laetare is busy nailing together a second location for her 8-year-old business. The other Brix in the wall will soon open at Pantops.

Laetare has a nice formulation for this: The Route 53 stop will stay open and continue to do its “picnic” trade, whereas Pantops will be her “bread and butter.” She says her landlords at the shopping center solicited her as a local restaurateur who could run a sort-of-but-not-too-upscale eatery there. (A wise move on their part; it’s the local joints that will keep Pantops from succumbing entirely to the anywhere-in-America, Ponderosa-and-Subway vibe.)

Speaking of palatable, what can you get at the new spot? “It’s a combination of California cuisine heavily influenced by Mediterranean foods,” says Laetare, who hopes you will not take that to mean spaghetti ’n’ marinara sauce. Instead, look for antipasti, bruschetta, salad specials and paninis—the kind of savory, sophisticated stuff Brix has always served, only more of it. In the morning it’ll be coffee and pastries, and you can buy bottles of wine too. Which reminds us—before Michael Shaps sold Downtown’s Vavino to Coran Capshaw last year, Laetare catered its lunches; she also used to provide some baked goodies to Greenberry’s. She says some of her biggest hits from those ventures will appear at the new place: a bruschetta platter, orzo salad and cinnamon rolls.

Though lunch will be her focus, Laetare will stay open until 6pm, long enough to catch some after-work to-go customers. “On the way home have a little glass of Prosecco and a bruschetta,” she says. (“If you insist,” we say.) She promises an interior like a Tuscan villa, patio seating, “beautiful real dishes, real napkins, and real silverware.”

One last thing: “I would love it if people would unplug from their cellphones just for lunch,” says Laetare. Maybe that laid-back Mediterranean vibe will convince them to try it.

Swift changes

As we reported last week, the Forest Lakes branch of Pizza Bella recently closed. Maybe the pain of losing a familiar pie will be eased by a familiar vindaloo. Quicker than you could say “mango chutney,” the space became an Indian restaurant, which may even be open by the time you read this. Ravinber Bahiya, owner of popular Milan Indian Cuisine, is the man behind the new Royal Indian Restaurant.

Look for a menu similar to that at Milan: masalas, kormas, tandoori specialties and a full complement of na’ans and other Indian breads. And look for a brisk business—Bahiya says he’s had plenty of curious passersby poking their noses in already. If Milan’s extremely efficient service is any indication, Bahiya and his team should handle the crowds just fine.

Smoke this

This just in: The Virginia legislature has passed a secondhand smoke bill passed by the Virginia legislature. Basically, the law would allow restaurants to forego a nonsmoking section as long as they post a “smoking allowed” sign on the front door. Tim Kaine has until March 26 to sign, veto or amend the bill. Philip Morris likes it; if you don’t, let the guv know.

Got some restaurant scoop? Send your tips to restaurantarama@c-ville.com or call 817-2749, Ext. 48.

Living

Justify my love sounds

Some girls go for a flim-flam man. Some want a right-hand man. Sweet, she likes herself a song-and-dance man. A well-dressed, snap-heeled happy hoofer who can carry a tune and turn on a dime.

Were he here today, Fred Astaire could waltz away with Honey-pie’s heart. Those suits, that wit. Oh, the way he could twirl and tap. The one-handed back dip! Sweet could go on and on and on. Many an evening has she surrendered to the charms of Top Hat and The Gay Divorcee. And don’t even get her started on Funny Face. The combination of Fred and the Audrey “Goddess” Hepburn is like the movie equal to Milanos and milk.

He’s bringing dancing back. And that’s all Sweet needs to know.

But desserts come in many shapes and forms and so do dapper entertainers. Which gets La Cake to Le Timberlake, a.k.a. JT, also known by his given name, Justin Randall Timberlake (www.justintimberlake.com). If you ask Sweet (and she has to suppose that if you’re reading this column, then in some sense you did just that), Justin is Fred’s apparent heir.

Sweet knows, she knows: Some cannot imagine that a former ’N Syncer could be worthy of such acclaim. Lightweight, they cry. They apparently are not among the 2.5 million people who have purchased Futuresex/Lovesounds in the past five months. Those people, who of course count Sugaree among the flock, endorse JT as a well-rounded performer with an Astaire-like sense of humor about his job and they’re not embarrassed to say so. To which Sweet wants to add, just emerging unscathed from a boy band, not to mention a relationship with that other shaved Mousketeer, launches JT into the extraordinary, as far as she is concerned.

But back to the singing and dancing. As everyone but those living in an unlighted, soundproofed closet knows by now, Justin will bring his show to the John Paul Jones Arena on March 18. How rare is it to know the exact date when the man of your daydreams will be coming through town? Usually, these things catch a girl by complete surprise. Mr. Perfect strolls by at the very moment when you’re scraping gum off the bottom of your weekend Danskos, crouched in the most, um, unflattering position between parking spots.

Anyway, back to Candy Girl’s point—and she does have one. With more than two weeks to go, there’s plenty of time to prepare for JT. And what’s the most important thing to do to prepare for a song-and-dance man’s visit? A full-leg wax? Highlights? Fresh mascara and new makeup brushes? No, no, no and no.

The answer is Practice Your Dance Moves, silly! Several parties in town make that easier. For the next couple of Thursdays, R2 is hosting JT-inspired dance nights. And on Thursday, March 15, there will be a big blowout at Satellite Ballroom. Plenty of Justin remixes, show dancers—the whole shebang! And both R2 and Satellite will be doing ticket giveaways, too.
Not to worry. Sweet won’t be competing with any of you for seats. She bought her tickets months ago, leaving nothing to chance. JT is her kind of guy, and if anybody out there thinks that’s silly, well they can just cry Sweet a river. To paraphrase Timberlove himself, ain’t another man gonna take his spot, my Love.