Dear Ace: On a scale of “one” to “a sullen wintry gloom,” how disappointed are you about the apparent lack of Mardi Gras awareness in this town?—Carnival-Craving-in-Charlottesville Oh merde, that was this Tuesday?   Hey, look: Roughly since February 2nd, when Punxsutawney Phil predicted another six weeks without joy or hope, Ace had been encased […]

 I’ve been hearing more and more about these ongoing, semi-private house concerts in Palmyra. Apparently they’ve been happening regularly for a while, and it looks like they’ve been putting on some pretty solid shows—Charlottesville singer-songwriter Jason Pollock (remember Seven Mary Three?) did one in January, for example. So what’s the story, Ace? And how do […]

Hey Ace: Have you seen those peculiar timepieces —the ones with the animated sun and moon circling around the screen—that have been popping up around the Downtown Mall? My little girl found a kid-sized version in one of the Virginia Discovery Museum play zones, and later I spotted another one in the Bank of America […]

Hey Ace: Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed an oak tree on the 250 bypass (heading east, on the left side of the McIntire Park interchange) that is still green and full of leaves. Driving west, it’s more of a greenish-brown. How does this happen in January, especially considering the winter we’ve been having?—Oak-K-Commuter-in-Charlottesville […]

Hey Ace, whatever happened to the “naked guy” at the Phish concert? Did they kick him out? (It was freezing that night!) Give him a jacket? Give him backstage passes?—Phishin’-in-Charlottesville   Although you’d think that streaking and the Phish live concert experience would go together like milk and cookies, the appearance of the naked guy […]

So Ace, apparently the UVA Medical School has a department devoted to reincarnation studies?—Sam Sarrah   For the record, Ace is skeptical about reincarnation. It’s not that he’s never had mystical experiences of a past life; it’s just that his seem to indicate that, once upon a time, he was either Sam Spade or Chubby […]

Hey Ace: During the snowstorm, I cleaned my house and went through some old things. I have a couple of blankets I no longer use, and was wondering how I might go about getting them to somebody in need. Which organizations collect these, and to whom do they distribute?—Giving-it-away-in-Charlottesville It really is a shame that […]

Dear Ace: 2010 is here. Where is my flying car?—Future-Schmuck-in-Charlottesville Robert Zemeckis’ 1989 film Back to the Future II doesn’t show the flying car in common use until 2015, so you’ve still got five years to go before you can officially start feeling disappointed in the future. See, flying cars have actually been around for […]

C-VILLE’s longest running columnist and all-around Answer Man offers some of his expert knowledge on obscure New Year’s traditions. Dear Ace: What are some New Year’s Eve rituals and superstitions regarding luck, prosperity and health?—Spike D. Punch Dear Spike: You’d think that Ace’s notoriously poor fortune would disqualify him from answering this question, but you’d […]

Dear Ace: I was wondering if you’re up on any of the Atkins genealogy from the area? My ancestors came to Surry County, VA on the “Gods Giffte” in 1623, and another ancestor, Ida Atkins, purchased 400 acres in Albemarle County on the banks of the Rivanna around 1740. Any connection?—H.B. Atkins Would that Ace […]