T-Mac bounces back

As any longtime reader of this column well knows, we have an inordinate amount of affection for Terry “the Macker” McAuliffe, the Democratic party operative legendary for his fundraising prowess and appetite for political theater. You may abhor his politics, but McAuliffe is one of those outsized personalities who manages to make the process fun, […]

I get around

There’s a divide in our community. It’s not about race, class, or education, though it can intersect with all three of those in ways that are both clichéd and surprising.  On one side of the divide are those who look at the world from behind their steering wheels. They see the city and the county […]

Perspectives on 9/11

Around the country this past Sunday, communities big and small held events to commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and to honor the nearly 3,000 people who died as a result of the Al Qaeda

Time after time

Thomas Jefferson’s Great Clock is, perhaps, not a good clock. The timepiece, which hangs in the Monticello entrance hall, has kept steady time, with some exceptions, since 1805. 

School of thought

UVA President Teresa Sullivan argued for the economic benefits of university-based research in a speech last week entitled “Higher Education as the Engine of the American Economy,” the first in the Miller Center of Public Affairs’ fall forum season. Sullivan’s recipe for economic growth? “Gather diverse human talent in a university setting, add proper financial […]

Plan your jam

I can’t resist a good music festival. From the Americana overload of North Carolina’s Merlefest to the eclectic jam rock orgy of California’s High Sierra Music Festival, I’ve burnt my vacation days over the years chasing the country’s top sonic galas. For me, a great festival is just as much about the setting as it […]

Blown away

Hey, we just got back from our annual two week working vacation in Rome. (We’re finishing up a series of watercolors featuring semi-nude members of the Italian parliament.) Anything exciting happen while we were gone? Appetite for self-destruction? RedState.com cofounder Erick Erickson suggested that a recent speech by Tea Party favorite Jamie Radtke (pictured) meant […]

Much ado about 4-2

Since the 2009 election that replaced Democrats David Slutzky and four-term supe Sally Thomas with Republicans Rodney Thomas and Duane Snow, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors (BOS) has learned a thing or two about 4-2 votes.  Cynthia Neff, the Democratic challenger for Boyd’s Rivanna seat, says a different Board of Supervisors would have held more discus-sions […]

The best American nonrequired buying

“Have you been here before? It’s three floors. One-hundred thousand books. It’s very well organized. I can give you directions, or you can look at the map. Have a good time.” So says Sandy McAdams, each time a bewildered new customer walks into Daedalus Bookshop.   Not that he wants to, but Daedalus owner Sandy […]

Neighborhood watch

Residents of Crescent Hall and Fifeville want more police officers patrolling their neighborhood during the day and night, especially in Tonsler Park. For several years, concerns over community policing, in which officers are assigned to specific neighborhoods, have been persistent at both sites. But last Wednesday night, during an open meeting with City Council members at the Crescent Hall public housing project, residents put their calls for improved law enforcement ahead of numerous maintenance issues, from broken elevators to overflowing toilets.