Tuesday, June 6
Allen a little late to the party
And now this from the Better-Late-Than-Never Department: The UVA men’s lacrosse team won the 2006 NCAA Division 1 Championship! They capped an exciting season with a precedent-setting perfect record. And, it all happened…last month! Never one to turn down a ride on the bandwagon, however, Republican Senator George Allen drafted a resolution today to congratulate Dom Starsia’s squad. The lengthy call to action, replete with seven “whereas clauses” concludes thus: “Resolved, That the Senate— (1) congratulates the University of Virginia Cavaliers men’s lacrosse team for winning the 2006 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I National Championship; (2) recognizes the achievements of Head Coach Dom Starsia, Assistant Coaches Marc Van Arsdale and Hannon Wright, and all the team’s players; and (3) directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to Dom Starsia of the National Champion University of Virginia Cavaliers and a copy to the University of Virginia President John T. Casteen III.” Check the mail in September, kids!
Pilot makes new friends in the military
Gas, check. Pilot, check. Toothbrush, check. Permission to fly through restricted airspace—oops! Reuters reports today that a private Cessna 182 attempted to fly through a restricted airfield around Washington, D.C., without first asking permission. The plane was on its way to Charlottesville from Philadelphia when two F-16 fighter jets intercepted it and escorted it to an airport in Maryland.
Wednesday, June 7
Warner defends a free
superhighway
Always a cutting-edge kind of guy when it comes to new technologies, former Virginia Governor (and unofficial presidential hopeful) Mark Warner posted a minute-and-a-half video today on YouTube.com, the website that lets users upload their own videos. Under the aegis of Forward Together (his money-raising Political Action Committee), Warner used the video to defend Internet neutrality, a hot topic that goes before Congress this month. Citing his experience with technology and business, Warner—who made his fortune in the nascent mobile telecommunications industry—argued that the Web must be kept “free and open.”
Thursday, June 8
Another 10 for Zimmerman
It’s so satisfying when we can get our favorite local baseball hero in to these pages without contrivance. Thanks, Washington Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden, for announcing in today’s Washington Post that your team plans to keep Ryan Zimmerman at third base for the next decade. Zimmerman, for the cave-dwellers who have just joined us, is the stand-out rookie and former UVA star whose diving plays and all-around defensive prowess has oft been compared to another great, Brooks Robinson.
Tinsley gets into the, er, swing of things
Rolling Stone reports in its current issue (which also includes Robert F. Kennedy’s charge that the Bushies stole the 2004 election) that Dave Matthews Band violinist Boyd Tinsley, a humongous tennis enthusiast, has composed the theme music for ESPN2’s coverage of Wimbledon, which is slated to start on June 25.
Friday, June 9
And in other DMB news…
The current issue of Spin goes where few music mags dare wander—into the brave new world of celebrity-endorsed wines. There they discover our own Dave Matthews’ Blenheim Vineyards Meritage 2004. And what do the (apparently surnameless) judges have to say about the vintage? “I like this one and I enjoy the smell,” “Melissa” offers. Says “Lane,” “Didn’t he used to be an alcoholic? I don’t think owning a vineyard is a good idea.” The Dave’s wine earned two stars, lagging behind the three stars awarded to Madonna’s Confessions Cabernet Sauvignon and the four stars earned by Mariah Carey’s Mendocino Ridge Zinfandel 2002.
Saturday, June 10
Belmonters can’t hear music, feel better
WCAV reports that the static has subsided over the noise emanating from concerts at the Pavilion, which last year caused one angry Belmonter to declare to City Council that she’d prefer to hear gunshots at night than the Pavilion music. (With the Spin Doctors on last year’s lineup, we can totally understand!)
Sunday, June 11
CHS girls take first loss in championship
They dominated all season, never dropping a single game, but somebody had to lose in the Group AA State Championship and, unfortunately, it was the Charlottesville High School girls’ soccer squad. After posting a 21-0 season, the girls fell to Hidden Valley, 3-2. The scene was tearful as play ended, according to today’s (impressively florid) Daily Progress: “When the final whistle blew, it looked less like a soccer game and more like a funeral procession as the reality of the first loss and the realization of the season’s end pummeled the Black Knights.” But with only four seniors leaving the team, prospects are bright for next year.
Monday, June 12
And your mama dresses you funny
Thongs and midriff shirts for 9-year-olds? What is this, Pretty Baby? In today’s Staunton News Leader, UVA psychologist Joseph Allen encourages parents to resist the mighty trend to outfit their little girls like hookers. “I don’t think parents need to be concerned if their children are asking about these types of clothing because it’s such a part of the culture,” he says. “But they should definitely say no because it treats kids as adults and robs them of their childhood.”