Tuesday, April 11
Allen announces re-election bid, blames myopia on dad
Virginia’s junior U.S. Senator, George Allen, officially kicked off his re-election bid in Prince William County today, the first stop of 11 on a three-day tour. Though speculation is rampant that Allen wants to succeed Dubya as the next Republican President, Allen would not address the possibility directly today. The Associated Press reports that Allen places his short-term orientation squarely on the shoulders of his dad, former Redskins coach George H. Allen. “My father ingrained in me, and in his players, that the future is now, and I’m paying attention to the present—the now—and we’ll worry about the future when we get to the future,” Allen reportedly said.
Wednesday, April 12
Motorists spending another 49 cents per gallon this year
AAA Mid-Atlantic reports today that gas prices in Charlottesville, today averaging $2.71 per gallon, are 49 cents higher than they were one year ago and 42 cents higher than this time last month. AAA blames the steep rise on tensions between Washington and Tehran. If Americans spend $247 billion on a war against Iran too, then could we get costs at the pump under control?
Thursday, April 13
Warner needs a dental plan
Blogging today on The New York Times’ paid service, Times Select, legal scholar and political pundit Stanley Fish joins the Hillary-in-’08 chorus. His rationale? Other would-be contenders just don’t measure up, including the man the Times recently dubbed the anti-Hillary, former Virginia Governor Mark Warner. And what’s the problem with a Southern governor who’s a self-made millionaire and widely lauded for his ability to work across party lines while keeping a big budget under control? His teeth (“too many,” Fish declares). Which brings to mind a much-circulated jab at another dark horse, Camilla Parker-Bowles, namely that any (wo)man can ride a horse, but it takes a special talent to look like one.
Friday, April 14
Vanity Fair-Charlottesville lovefest continues
They like us, they really like us! O.K., maybe Vanity Fair only likes some of us, but the May issue, on newsstands today, includes a sealed-with-a-kiss appreciation of Charlottesville architect and onetime UVA A-School dean William McDonough. He is one of eight green architects and designers dubbed “The Re-inventors” in the magazine’s “green issue.” McDonough, who has designed enviro-conscious corporate campuses for companies like Nike and IBM, is planning “entire green communities in China, the U.K. and the United States,” VF notes. In its March issue, the magazine went all gooey for UVA writing prof Deborah Eisenberg, whose new collection of short stories was praised as “comic, elegant, and pitch-perfect.” Check newsstands next month for more updates on other fabulous locals.
Saturday, April 15
Nationals break losing streak, Zim helps
In our shameless pursuit of stories celebrating the first full season of the Washington Nationals’ rookie third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, a former UVA baseball standout, we note that a defensive error on Zimmerman’s sixth-inning at-bat against the Florida Marlins tonight helped push the beleagered team to a 2-1 victory. The win broke the Nationals’ six-game losing streak. Oh yes, 13 strikeouts from Nationals pitcher John Patterson also helped the effort!
Sunday, April 16
UVA TV star advised to sprout some fuzz
On the theory that male TV stars with facial hair—even a mere 5 o’clock shadow—achieve higher ratings than those without, The Washington Post today issues constructive criticism to Benjamin McKenzie, the mid-20s UVA grad who plays 18-year-old Ryan Atwood on “The O.C.” With viewership down to 5.8 million for the Fox program, compared to 19.8 million for “Grey’s Anatomy,” which stars the follicularly fertile Patrick Dempsey, the Post chides McKenzie & Co. “Frankly, we’re surprised that these clever boys of Orange County with their pop-culture smarts have fallen behind a trend. For shame.”
Monday, April 17
Two days deferred, tax time remains harsh
Thousands of last-minute filers realize today that having that extra weekend to prepare their taxes was no benefit, it only makes them feel worse about their slackness as they drive to the post office at midnight. And just to rub salt where it’s really not wanted, we point this out: According to The Washington Post, Dick and Lynne Cheney, taking advantage of special loopholes, will be getting a $1.94 million tax refund this year on an adjusted gross income of $8.82 million. That’s gross all right.