Month: July 2010

I ordered a PEVA shower curtain liner (see the moldy curtain saga) and it came with a feel-good message on the plastic package:

Green bubbles mean "no carbon footprint." Right?

However, any urge toward self-congratulation that this message might have inspired was immediately canceled out by the rest of the stuff that accompanied my purchase:

One plastic envelope, two big catalogs and an extra-large invoice! But wait, there’s more:

An ad on glossy cardstock for a 100 percent environmentally-unfriendly product!

People sometimes say that online shopping is green because it means you don’t have to drive to the store, but I’m pretty convinced that’s a fantasy. When you buy something on the web, you have no control over how the thing is packaged and what kinds of unwanted crap will get stuffed into the envelope along with whatever you bought. Plus, the package will probably get delivered by a giant truck.

I’m of half a mind to write to this company and let them know that if they’re going to tout some of their wares as eco-friendly, they should really follow up with some basic green business practices. If they send me any more catalogs, they’ll definitely hear from me.

 

Five ingredients for a tasty weekend stew:

5. Sour Patch Kids: It’s only been an hour since the sugary sweet new three-song EP from the Sometime Favorites hit my inbox, and I already feel like my tongue has been thrashed by a big box of Sour Patch Kids. If this isn’t music for a Friday, I don’t know what is.

The Sometime Favorites’ "I Was Wrong This Time"

4. Narwhal: Who’da guessed that a band named after a sea creature that’s half whale, half unicorn, would have some of the best rock musicians in town? Bride of the Narwhal plays tonight at the Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar tonight with D.C.-based banjo-thrashers of Torches.

3. Fat Lady (not singing): So it’s said among serious opera fans, "It’s not over until the fat lady sings." Same is true of the Ash Lawn Opera’s production of the Mozart classic Don Giovanni, among the most popular operas ever performed. The schedule’s about to  get mixed up with Ash Lawn’s production with Brigadoon; get your foot in the opera door with this classic Saturday at the Paramount.

Mozart directs his masterpiece Don Giovanni in Amadeus.

 

2. Genesee: A ubiquitous guitarist and onetime member of King Wilkie, the uber-talented Ted Pitney makes good with his own EP, The Genesee released tomorrow night this weekend at the Southern tonight. Fans of the Kings of Convenience, take note.

Hear tracks from Pitney’s The Genesee EP.

1. Vuvuzela: While the vuvuzela is only fun for the person who’s blowing on it, soccer is more of a spectator-friendly activity. The Paramount opens its doors to hooligans Sunday for the World Cup Finals—for free.

A reporter’s exposé on the world’s most annoying—and popular—noisemaker.

What’re you up to this weekend?

Gary O’Connell may have left city politics behind when he accepted the position of executive director of the Albemarle County Service Authority, but 15 years at the helm of city government are hard to forget. So hard, in fact, that the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau (CACVB) awarded O’Connell the 2010 Tourism Achievement Award.

“Through Gary’s leadership and vision during his tenure at the City of Charlottesville, he has helped to unite the community and enhanced the vitality of our regional tourism industry,” said Kurt Burkhart, CACVB executive director, in a press release.

O’Connell joins a pantheon of former winners including Leonard Sandridge, UVA’s Chief Operating Officer, in 2009; Felicia Rogan, of former Oakencroft Vineyard in 2005; Patricia Kluge, for her work with the Virginia Film Festival in 1999; and former Charlottesville Mayor Kay Slaughter in 1997.
 

We have no central air at our house–mostly because our house came that way and, in the midst of a lot of other renovations, we didn’t think adding A/C was a big priority. Needless to say, that was in the wintertime. During weeks like this one, I confess to a certain reexamination of that position.

But not all is lost. It may be 100 degrees outside but we’re able to keep it to the double digits within. Our two main weapons:

 

Ye Olde Ceiling Fanne

Blinds and windows that close

Yep, that’s all there is to it: Make the house into a cave during the day, with no light or air entering, and run the fans when we’re sleeping. It’s not no-energy, but it’s low-energy, and so far we’re surviving. I sometimes go around with a bandana tied around my neck which I’ve soaked in cold water. We go sit in the creek to cool our feet. And, though we’d undoubtedly be more comfortable and less sticky if we had central air, we’d also be paying a lot more for power.

For now, this is O.K. with me. I’m happy to enjoy A/C when I walk into the bank or the office, but existing at a constant temperature is not a human right–it’s a very recent notion in human history. It’s also probably on the list of stuff we’ll have to give up someday if we want to avoid burning the planet to a crisp.

Anyone else sweating through without A/C? Got some good tips for cooling down the house?

 

Double-murderer Jens Soering won’t be transferred to Germany after all.

In a letter to Gov. Bob McDonnell, in which he objected to then Gov. Kaine’s decision to have Soering extradited, the United States Attorney General Eric Holder stated that the U.S. Justice Department “will not proceed with consideration of the transfer of a state prisoner without the clear and unambiguous consent of the responsible state to such a transfer,” he writes.

“Accordingly, unless and until such consent is provided by the Commonwealth of Virginia in the case of Jen Soering, we will not proceed with consideration of his application to transfer.”

While Kaine made the announcement on his last day in office, newly elected Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli fired back. “While Governor Kaine appears to have the authority to take this action, I am disappointed that he would exercise that authority in this way. We hope the Department of Justice will not approve the transfer and Soering will serve his sentence in the commonwealth."

McDonnell, along with Cuccinelli, withdrew Kaine’s consent to send Soering to Germany, where he could have applied for parole after two years.

Soering, then a UVA student, is serving time for the 1985 double murders of Derek and Nancy Haysom, parents of his then-girlfriend Elizabeth Haysom. She is also serving time in the Fluvanna women’s prison.

 

UPDATE: 12:53pm

A search warrant affidavit for a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe, registered to George Huguely IV in Maryland, includes mention of a passport found by Charlottesville Police.

"During the search warrant [executed at Huguely’s residence], a pair of shorts, consistent with the shorts described by Huguely as the shorts he was wearing during the assault, were recovered," according to the statement. "In the pocket of the shorts, there was a passport in the name of George Huguely and keys to the Chevrolet Tahoe."

The statement also says "No property belonging to Love was recovered during the search of Huguely’s apartment."

_____________________________________________________________________

This morning, the Charlottesville Circuit Court released five search warrants and two affidavits for search warrants in the investigation of 22-year-old George Huguely, charged with first-degree murder in the death of former girlfriend and fellow UVA student Yeardley Love. Huguely was arrested on Monday, May 3, after Love was discovered in her 14th Street apartment, not far from Huguely’s residence, and pronounced dead.

C-VILLE is currently working through the documents; updates will be made immediately available at the C-VILLE News Desk Twitter account, which you can follow here. Read complete coverage in C-VILLE here, and coverage from the news blog here.

 

Yesterday, the office of the Virginia Medical Examiner revealed the cause of death of Yeardley Love as blunt force trauma to the head. This afternoon, warrants released in the investigation of George Huguely, charged with first-degree murder in Love’s death, offered further details of an altercation between the two that Huguely reportedly described to Charlottesville police after waiving his Miranda rights.

Two witnesses, whose names were redacted from a search warrant affidavit, told law enforcement that "when they first found Yeardley Love, she was wearing only panties and no other clothing." The same affidavit mentions that Huguely "waived his rights under Miranda" and gave a statement at the Charlottesville Police Department. According to the affidavit, "Huguely stated that at one point during the altercation he saw blood coming from Yeardley Love’s nose."

 

The Lebron James summer free agency sweepstakes finally came to end this evening as "King James" chose to join Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in Miami.

In an over the top, one-hour ESPN prime-time Lebron love-fest called "The Decision", James announced his choice at the Boys & Girls Club in Greenwich, Connecticut.

One positive from all this self promotion, is that James’ camp demanded that all the advertising revenue created from all this hoopla from the selection show will be given to the Boys & Girls Club.

In the past two weeks, the Bulls, Knicks, Clippers, Nets, his hometown and heartbroken Cleveland Cavaliers, and the winning franchise the Miami Heat all came to Cleveland to pitch their clubs to Lebron.

Wow, the Miami Heat are going to be an amazing ball club the next couple of years!

UPDATE- Statement from the Cavs majority owner Dan Gilbert:

Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;

As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.

This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his "decision" unlike anything ever "witnessed" in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.

Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.

The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.

There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.

You simply don’t deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.

You have given so much and deserve so much more.

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:

"I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE"

You can take it to the bank.
If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our "motivation" to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.

Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there.

Sorry, but that’s simply not how it works.

This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown "chosen one" sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And "who" we would want them to grow-up to become.

But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called "curse" on Cleveland, Ohio.

The self-declared former "King" will be taking the "curse" with him down south. And until he does "right" by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.

Just watch.

Sleep well, Cleveland.

Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day….

I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:

DELIVERING YOU the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue….

Dan Gilbert
Majority Owner

Cleveland Cavaliers

Former Virginia lineman D’Brickashaw Ferguson has signed a six-year, 60 million dollar contract extension to remain with the New York Jets. Brick had two years remaining on his current deal, but the Jets saw fit to make certain the talented Pro Bowl tackle remained a part of "Gang Green" till 2017.

As far as I can ascertain, this contract will make him the highest paid Jet ever. $34.8 million of the deal is guaranteed money, which surpasses the $30 million bucks given to Miami Dolphins former No. 1 overall choice Jake Long. Long’s contract had been the most ever guaranteed cash for a offensive lineman.

The Jets top priority now is working on a deal to keep disgruntled all-world corner Darrelle Revis happy. Revis deserves to get paid. He’s insanely awesome and quite possibly the top player in the NFL.

Congrats Brick. Go Hoos, beat the Hokies!