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Mike Gruss

  • A note to my boss

    Due to weather difficulties, this didn't make the Web site Thursday. I'm posting it here. My apologies. Dear Bossman, If you’ll just give me a minute. A few random observations: - The paper didn’t come this morning. That never happens. [...]
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    Posted: November 16, 2009, 4:45pm EST

  • Please pull up to the second window

    Heard a rumor out there that I was thought to be dead. Not true. You all know the Mark Twain line. Speaking of dead, (how's that for a segue?) Karen Jones of Virginia Beach found a tombstone in her backyard a few weeks ago. I wrote about the mystery of where [...]
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    Posted: September 14, 2009, 4:26pm EDT

  • Super duper

    I like the idea of a consequential stranger, as described in an NPR piece recently. I've probably been to the post office around 50 times this year and the idea of a consequential stranger helps explain why I wrote about Clyde Longest on Monday. (Those of you with incredible memories' [...]
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    Posted: September 08, 2009, 2:03pm EDT

  • Dropping the ball

    I dropped a foul ball at the Tides game last night. Ordinarily this would be devestating. The ball shot back behind me, ricocheted off another section, then hit my outstretched fingers harder than I expected. Then, I literally and figuratively, dropped the ball. This kind of opportunity does not happen every [...]
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    Posted: September 02, 2009, 1:40pm EDT

  • Dividers, not uniters

    One of the new additions to Town Point Park that hasn't been talked about enough is a change to the benches. They now have armrests. I wrote about them in Monday's paper. ' [...]
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    Posted: August 31, 2009, 6:16pm EDT

  • Good for you

    I wrote about Michael Vick yesterday, not because he's an easy target (he is), but because there is a legitimate questions for sports fans about when it will be appropriate to wear the new Vick Eagles jersey. (He's set to make his debut tonight.) Here's the crux of what I [...]
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    Posted: August 27, 2009, 4:38pm EDT

  • John Grisham, Virginia's Attorney General

    A little over a month ago, you may remember an article in The Pilot about John Grisham, the popular legal-thriller writer who lives in Charlottesville. Grisham is writing a screenplay about the Norfolk Four. Then, a few weeks later came news that Gov. Tim Kaine had issued a conditional pardon [...]
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    Posted: August 24, 2009, 3:40pm EDT

  • There's an app for that

    I love the stuff that comes out of Suffolk innovation hubs. It's like they're purposely trying to recreate the toys from Bond movies. For example, ever want to play with an unmanned aerial vehicle during a war exercise? There's an app for that. ' [...]
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    Posted: August 21, 2009, 12:06pm EDT

  • Knickers and English Leather

    Ok. I'm back from a few days off and made it through a long Monday. Last night and on the trip out of town I drove over over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. One of the perks of driving the CBBT? My dog got treats from the toll attendants both times.' [...]
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    Posted: August 17, 2009, 6:26pm EDT

  • The case for casting real people

    I finally saw "Up" this weekend. It was cute and I enjoyed myself. Parts of the movie felt very saccharine and I fell for every one of the emotional devices Disney left in the script. But I wonder if Pixar is reaching a breaking point. This was not a movie [...]
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    Posted: August 11, 2009, 2:32pm EDT

  • Water World

    Three topics to get to today and all relate to water. None have to do with the rain. 1) Since I read this article a couple of days ago, I can't stop thinking about this idea ' [...]
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    Posted: August 06, 2009, 5:06pm EDT

  • Sometimes it's best to say nothing at all

    So many times when friends of friends, or parents of freinds, come to the area for the first time, I go through a list of things I would want to see or do in South Hampton Roads. There are the obligatory road trips to Williamsburg and the Outer Banks, But [...]
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    Posted: August 03, 2009, 5:52pm EDT

  • I don't understand shades of gray, bro!

    Do not prank Brody Jenner's friends, bro! A 20-year-old Virginia Beach surfing instructor is getting prank calls and text-message threats after his phone number was included in a Twitter post by reality-television star Brody Jenner. Jenner, 25, of MTV reality shows "The Hills" and the Hills' spin-off "Bromance," posted the following' [...]
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    Posted: July 31, 2009, 5:24pm EDT

  • A suggestion for the president

    Last Thursday I went out to the Chili's in Great Bridge for its grand opening. I had a good time and my obligatory Triple Dipper. It was delicious. But I've been thinking for a while about why Chesapeake, and specifically the Greenbrier and Great Bridge areas, seem to have a' [...]
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    Posted: July 30, 2009, 2:59pm EDT

  • The fine line between being busy and doing business

    Space is not boring. It just seems that way sometimes. The best stories on space seem harder to find. So with the 40th anniversary of Man on the Moon, I wondered what would make space travel/exploration more interesting in Saturday's paper. Here's an excerpt: [...]
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    Posted: July 27, 2009, 12:23pm EDT

  • The formula for publicity

    Let's say I ran a huge corporation that made garbage bags. I would need to make a commercial. So maybe I would put three sandwich sized, flimsy plastic bags on a table and label them, A, B and C. Then, for the fourth bag, I would put my huge, heavy [...]
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    Posted: July 24, 2009, 11:47am EDT

  • Giving out your ZIP code

    Is Granby Street getting better or worse? It's a constant topic for anyone who wanders through downtown Norfolk and everyone has an opinion. I tried to answer that question in today's column. Here's an excerpt: What the ol’ timers forget because they aren’t transient, what they can’t see, is that Granby [...]
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    Posted: July 22, 2009, 4:49pm EDT

  • With cherries on top

    My favorite Final Jeopardy! category is "U.S. Presidents." I like learning about those guys, but I especially like learning trivia about them. I'm excited to share that Ronald Reagan kept jelly beans on his desk. A man after my own sweet tooth. So you can imagine I was pretty excited' [...]
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    Posted: July 20, 2009, 5:37pm EDT

  • No swearing ... unless you're in pain.

    Do you ever wonder where beach toys come from? Many of them start in Virginia Beach. And for all of the good ideas inventors come up with, there are a lot of bad ones as well. Here's an excerpt from my column in Saturday's paper. [...]
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    Posted: July 13, 2009, 3:36pm EDT

  • Llamas and monkey-faces

    Big news folks. If you find you can never remember the address for Gruss Point Blank, we've made it even easier. Hamptonroads.com/Gruss. Easy enough. Just say it in your favorite furniture store commerical voice. Hamptonroads.com/gruss. Hamptonroads.com/gruss. Hamptonroads.com/gruss. ' [...]
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    Posted: July 10, 2009, 2:14pm EDT

  • Texting while driving or just sitting in a 20 mile backup

    I was driving to lunch today. Mexican, as it is every Thursday. I was running a litle late. The phone in my pocket buzzed. A text message. How close? Outdoor table? And this is the new dilemma as of July 1 since texting while driving is illegal. What do I do next? [...]
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    Posted: July 02, 2009, 3:37pm EDT

  • Need a V-A-Kay?

    As much as I love reading news and newspapers, I have a hard time understanding exactly what's going on with the war efforts in Afghanistand and Iraq. In today's column, I talk to David Kinsey, who just got back from Afghanistan in May, about how to make sense of the [...]
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    Posted: July 01, 2009, 5:56pm EDT

  • More on mosquitoes and man capris

    A quick question via e-mail from Jerry on today's story: "What the heck is a 'manpri'?" Good question, Jerry. That's a word we debated using ourselves. [...]
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    Posted: June 29, 2009, 4:35pm EDT

  • Covering Michael Jackson

    Were you surprised to read in a story last week that Norfolk officials said the mosquito problem this year was no worse than other years? The bites on my arms and legs say otherwise. That's why I put together an etiquette guide to talking about mosquitoes. Here's an excerpt: Citizens merely [...]
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    Posted: June 29, 2009, 1:25pm EDT

  • Wandering the countryside

    We spotted a great message on the electronic sign on our way to Portsmouth today: Ice Ahead. Unlikely. I don't have much for you today, except for this story pitch about a transgendered Green Beret that landed in my inbox: ' [...]
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    Posted: June 25, 2009, 3:52pm EDT

  • Use OJ instead of milk

    In Saturday's column I wrote about what it's like to be home alone. Here's an excerpt from that column: [...]
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    Posted: June 23, 2009, 12:13pm EDT

  • Faster, but at what cost

    In Wednesday's paper I wrote about the silliness of having privacy hedges in my backyard: [...]
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    Posted: June 19, 2009, 5:08pm EDT

  • Expensive lawn ornaments

    In Saturday's paper, I wrote about the upcoming batch of state quarters. Here's an excerpt: [...]
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    Posted: June 15, 2009, 4:04pm EDT

  • Y'all mind if I cool off?

    The column in this morning's paper was about the New Kids on the Block concert from last Friday. And yes, I was really there. If you're part of the group that got a picture of me scowling in the background of your group shot, please, please, please send it in.' [...]
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    Posted: June 10, 2009, 3:45pm EDT

  • A Class D kind of post

    I was talking to the beloved Mal Vincent recently and he was telling me about a former minor league team in North Carolina called the Roanoke Rapids Jays. I had never heard of the team so I looked them up. Turns out, they were a Class D minor league team [...]
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    Posted: June 09, 2009, 5:57pm EDT

  • Why did the chicken cross the bridge?

    I'm back from last week's trip to DC and from Friday night's adventure at the New Kids On The Block concert. (I've written a column for Wednesday's paper about the show.) My column in Saturday's paper was about how Pembroke Mall has ended up on the wrong side of the tracks. [...]
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    Posted: June 08, 2009, 5:39pm EDT

  • Teddy never wins

    I'm up in DC for a short time covering Randy Johnson's quest to win 300 games. My story about his first attempt last night is in today's paper here. (Thanks to the usher in section 127 for taking the photo) I'll have another column on baseball again tomorrow. I won't be in my' [...]
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    Posted: June 04, 2009, 9:59pm EDT

  • Burrito parking

    This has got to make all the teachers at Landstown High School feel good: NFL player and alumnus Percy Harvin said in this highly-entertaining interview that his favorite book was "The Cat In The Hat." Sad. You read that book when you're four. That's as good as it gets? ' [...]
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    Posted: June 01, 2009, 1:31pm EDT

  • All of these things are a touch too gutsy for me

    I'm not necessarily afraid of heights. I just am not at my most confident atop high places. That's why I practically get a little dizzy simply reading about a glass bottomed observation deck for the Sears Tower in Chicago. That kind of view provides more information than my brain can' [...]
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    Posted: May 04, 2009, 4:35pm EDT

  • Do you realize we're doing the right thing?

    Mini-post here. You may have seen this story yesterday about Oklahoma choosing a new state rock song. Oklahoma yesterday officially made Do You Realize? by The Flaming Lips its official state rock song. The group is from Oklahoma City and realized the tune in 2002. [...]
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    Posted: April 30, 2009, 2:39pm EDT

  • One more thought on Kung Pao

    Here's one thing that should have been said about Kung Pao, the subject of my column this morning: It was awfully close to the line of what's appropriate and what's inappropriate. This open letter to the Max Media president is worth a read. [...]
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    Posted: April 29, 2009, 4:31pm EDT

  • I'll take world empires for $1,000.

    This is about the most awesome, yet scariest thing, I've seen in a long time. From IBM: For nearly two years, IBM scientists have been working on a highly advanced Question Answering (QA) system, codenamed "Watson." The scientists believe that the computing system will be able to understand complex questions and answer' [...]
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    Posted: April 27, 2009, 4:28pm EDT

  • Too excited about plates?

    I received an interesting phone call this morning about my column on WIlliamsburg's unemployment rate. Specifically, the caller said not to get too excited about seeing an Alaska license plate. It might not mean good things for tourism. The caller reminded me, or more accurately, my voice mail, that Alaska [...]
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    Posted: April 22, 2009, 12:43pm EDT

  • Something a little less awkward

    A quick thought about movies. I really liked "American Beauty" when it came out a decade ago. But do I have to feel so - uh, awkward - during so many movies nowadays. It's like the writers of "Party of Five" are now in charge of dialogue for a disproportionate [...]
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    Posted: April 14, 2009, 4:32pm EDT

  • Happy new year!

    Happy Opening Day! May all your post-season dreams come true over the next 162 games. I got an early start to my baseball season and headed to Harbor Park Friday for the Nats-O's exhibition. (Anyone else intrigued by the new Party Deck in rightfield? [...]
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    Posted: April 06, 2009, 5:14pm EDT

  • Will he make it?

    Hey! How about a little good news for a change. The good people in the phyiscal therapy department over at St. Mary's Home for Disabled Children took the need for peanut butter seriously and donated 61 jars to the local foodbank. I wrote about the importance of peanut butter and [...]
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    Posted: March 31, 2009, 5:50pm EDT

  • The 30 cent difference

    You may have read a few weeks ago that iTunes is going to unveil a new pricing scale. Some songs will go up 30 cents. Some songs will go down 30 cents. Some songs will stay the same, everyday affordable 99 cent rate. But here's an interesting piece that claims the [...]
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    Posted: March 26, 2009, 4:45pm EDT

  • Taking chances

    Baseball season is getting closer and regular readers know I'm a big fan of baseball and spending an evening at Harbor Park. One small gripe I've had with The Tides is that they don't play up the zaniness of minor league basbeall enough. While I've never had one, I love [...]
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    Posted: March 23, 2009, 5:58pm EDT

  • There will be no winner in my bracket

    I've been gone for a little bit,  but I'm back. [...]
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    Posted: March 19, 2009, 6:01pm EDT

  • It's hard out there for a ... soap opera star

    I've been guilty of it myself, but I can't get enough of the recession-hits-(fill in the blank) stories. Today's edition comes from the LA times wiht  the recession hits soap operas story. What a lede: [...]
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    Posted: March 02, 2009, 5:04pm EST

  • This clock will self destruct in ...

    My Wednesday column was about keeping beer cold at the bar. I wrote about Chilldisc technology, which is based out of Baltimore. Alert readers also pointed out that the Capitol Ale House in Richmond also uses a device that keeps its bar cold for patrons and, of course, legislators [...]
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    Posted: February 26, 2009, 6:47pm EST

  • A surprsingly great part of Norfolk

    The guy from Publishers Clearing House has it right in an interview with the NYT. Q. What’s your least favorite airport? A. Philadelphia. It’s poorly designed, out-of-date and not well kept. My favorite is Norfolk, Va. The graceful road of pine trees to and from the terminal reduces the usual airport stress. [...]
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    Posted: February 23, 2009, 4:50pm EST

  • A surprisingly great part of Norfolk

    The guy from Publishers Clearing House has it right in an interview with the NYT. Q. What’s your least favorite airport? A. Philadelphia. It’s poorly designed, out-of-date and not well kept. My favorite is Norfolk, Va. The graceful road of pine trees to and from the terminal reduces the usual airport stress. [...]
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    Posted: February 23, 2009, 4:50pm EST

  • Not that attractive

    What I've been learned the last few days: - In order to run a big, powerful bank, you need to have a great head of hair. From HairMax Laser Comb: ' [...]
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    Posted: February 19, 2009, 3:58pm EST

  • C'mere Obama!

    Happy belated Presidents Day! What better way to celebrate than to name your pet after a president! (Actually, I kind of like this idea.) From Veterinary Pet insurance:   [...]
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    Posted: February 17, 2009, 3:40pm EST

  • Card collecting stimulus?

    There's been a lot of attention in the last couple of days over what is thought to be the oldest baseball card in existence. I've been a little more interested in the Obama Puppy Card. Have you seen this?' [...]
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    Posted: February 12, 2009, 4:10pm EST

  • It's just some dude's birthday. No big deal.

    One of my friends, and I'm sure many of you, has a problem when Virginia is depicted as living with a mentality from the 1860s. This article on Lincoln celebrations does not help put an end to that stereotype. ' [...]
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    Posted: February 10, 2009, 5:46pm EST

  • Apologize for the mess

    In Saturday's column I wrote about radio dudes "Opie & Anthony." I also unfairly categorized NYC folk. I apologize. It was sloppy. I'll let Arline administer the whooping and explain about "The City": You might say that you are going to Norfolk, which does not have the word “city” in the' [...]
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    Posted: February 09, 2009, 1:27pm EST

  • If they come, you will build it

    Forbes Magazine has an interesting idea. Basically it is this "Field of Dreams" type of philosophy that where people move to, professional sports teams will follow. You can almost hear James Earl Jones saying "People will come, Ray" in the background. Anyway, they name Virginia Beach as a "likely landing [...]
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    Posted: February 06, 2009, 4:13pm EST

  • 25 minutes and counting

    I need a new entertainment center. Of course, in this economy, I'm in no rush to buy one. Plus, my old one is from IKEA. Put it together myself. But maybe it's not the economy that's keeping me from getting rid of the ol' thing, even if it doesn't match' [...]
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    Posted: February 05, 2009, 5:02pm EST

  • Next topic!

    Let's keep things short today. McLaughlin Group style. The topic: last night's Super Bowl commercials. None of my favorites should be very surprising: the GI Joe trailer, the Doritos crystal ball, and the MacGyver/SNL spoof. Hot or not? Martha Washington. Last year, you may have voted for not, this year, the people [...]
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    Posted: February 02, 2009, 3:50pm EST

  • What makes a fan?

    One question today in the inbox, but it's a good one from Kara in Isle of Wight who asks: Question: What makes an NFL fan a fan of a certain team? Answer: From my own experience, let me say there are two types of NFL fans in the country: [...]
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    Posted: January 30, 2009, 5:36pm EST

  • Super Bowl bailout?

    I'm going to write more here tomorrow about the Super Bowl. But a few things I wanted to mention. 1) I think this guy in the NYT article about Super Bowl logos nails it: this year's logo looks an awful lot like Bank of America's logo. ' [...]
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    Posted: January 29, 2009, 10:37pm EST

  • RDITNOW

    After my column this morning on WTF license plates, I've received a glut of emails. They have only further supports my idea for a DMV-backed license plate approval game. Among the plates readers have claimed to have seen: WARNING: If you're the type to get offended, you may want to stop here. SOFA-Q C [...]
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    Posted: January 28, 2009, 12:54pm EST

  • And Beavis laughs ...

    Happy Monday. And my my, aren't we chipper today on this gray overcast day in January. What could be better? This morning, I wrote about the difficulty of straightening out my closet and the timing of Get Organized month.  Among the favorite things ever found in my closet: an 8 1/2 x 11 glossy' [...]
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    Posted: January 26, 2009, 5:02pm EST

  • Look at me! I'm important!

    So. Obama gets to keep his Blackberry. The talker of inauguration week. I would have been somewhat disappointed if Obama did not get to keep it. So, so, so many people carry around some kind of phone/Internet/email device that it would seem somewhat incomphrehensible that, arguably, the leader of the [...]
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    Posted: January 23, 2009, 4:04pm EST

  • A little carbon for breakfast

    OJ has a carbon footprint. That's something I didn't want to know. I like my OJ guilt-free. Specifically, my pineapple-orange-banana juice guilt-free. And because I like a juice blend does that create more or less of a carbon footprint. Very close to crossing the line, here. [...]
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    Posted: January 22, 2009, 3:47pm EST

  • Almost as bad as "ladies and germs"

    A couple of follow-ups on the inauguration: [...]
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    Posted: January 21, 2009, 3:22pm EST

  • How 'bout that blizzard?

    Snow day. Love it. Ticker tape parades are more dangerous. [...]
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    Posted: January 20, 2009, 1:27pm EST

  • The coldest day of your life and other hyperbole

    Exciting news: I just learned my birthday is considered the happiest day of the year. All anyone wants to talk about today though is the temperature. I've noticed the discussion breaks down two ways: 1) It's not really that cold. I used to live in (fill in the blank) and it got [...]
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    Posted: January 16, 2009, 10:58am EST

  • The $9 aspirin's on us

    I'm looking for the best 30 minute or less joke about emergency room service. I've been struggling with it. Please put your entries in the comments:  - 30 minutes or less or we'll give you issues of People Magazine that aren't six months old -  30 minutes or less or you're allowed [...]
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    Posted: January 13, 2009, 3:43pm EST

  • Oh yes, this old thing

    A good weekend. White bean chili. Playoff football on the tube. That's a pretty perfect way to spend January if you aske me. Saturday I wrote about a huge load of Hampton Roads memorabilia for sale on eBay. It didn't sell. Jack Hamilton's book collection is for sale as well. It's [...]
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    Posted: January 12, 2009, 2:08pm EST

  • Year in Review

    Happy New Year! Hope it was a relaxing holiday for everyone and that you stuffed yourselves with as many breaded products as I did. I had to write a check yesterday. I had no problem writing 2009. It felt very intuitive. Maybe the rest of the year will go as smoothly. [...]
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    Posted: January 02, 2009, 4:02pm EST

  • Norfolk to DC in 15 minutes or less

    The commenters/callers/e-mailers are right. I failed to metnion a major gaffe in my column today about "NCIS." Yes, it would be great to live in fictional Norfolk, as depicted on the show, but one of the perks I neglected to point out is that fictional Norfolk only seems to be [...]
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    Posted: December 22, 2008, 3:01pm EST

  • Is it a rabbit?

    We don't do a regular mailbag feature here, mostly because there are so few questions in the responses I get. Also, the term "mailbag" is antiquated. But here's as close as we'll come. In the last year, my friend Dave has asked repeatedly to know what kind of animal is [...]
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    Posted: December 18, 2008, 4:57pm EST

  • No trees for you!

    A quick note about Christmas trees. We bought ours yesterday and after touring two cities, the selection from three different outlets was slim, at best. There were very few, if any, trees over six feet tall and many of them were much skinnier than in previous years. Last year, we [...]
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    Posted: December 15, 2008, 4:19pm EST

  • The best part is the slow clap

    Recently, my mom learned I like orange Tic Tacs. A lot. So she gave me a so-called "big pack" of them at Thanksgiving. I might eat the entire thing today. No Tic Tac is as awesome as the orange Tic Tac. [...]
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    Posted: December 11, 2008, 3:40pm EST

  • Oink oink

    Ok. So, the big news: We got a puppy over the Thanksgiving holiday. My lifestyle is changing drastically to accomodate her. But when we picked her up, a 12-year-old volunteer told us we just needed to love her and she'd love us back. It seemed like a scene right out [...]
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    Posted: December 03, 2008, 2:38pm EST

  • Dressing sandwiches

    First off, (in my best especially squeaky Adam Sandler voice) "Happy Thanksgiving everybody!" [...]
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    Posted: November 26, 2008, 4:31pm EST

  • Fun blog post of the day

    I don't have strong feelings either way on Rachael Ray. Really. I don't. I'm not enamored with any cooking vixens. However, I do find that if she's on TV at say, the waiting room at the car dealership or the dentist's office, I'll watch. I'm interested in the phenomenon. [...]
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    Posted: November 25, 2008, 6:21pm EST

  • Be Studs Terkel

    In fifth grade we had something at my school in Wisconsin called a "listening contest." I was part of my school's winning team, which was a big joke to my parents who liked to say I was never that hot at listening. But the trick to this contest was to [...]
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    Posted: November 24, 2008, 12:44pm EST

  • Not so dumb afterall

    So Wednesday I wrote about Mark Bauerlein. He's the author of the provocatively titled book "The Dumbest Generation." I argue, not so fast. But more evidence came out this week to counter his claim: From the New York Times: [...]
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    Posted: November 20, 2008, 3:42pm EST

  • The Stephen Colbert Christmas Album

    This is probably the first sign of a problem. There's a Stephen Colbert Christmas album and as skeptical as that should make you, it might not be absolutely horrible. In fact, it could be funny. (Notice, in the back of the pictures, there are two stockings. [...]
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    Posted: November 18, 2008, 5:26pm EST

  • Chunk beef, bacon and cheese

    I swear this kind of thing doesn't happen in many other workplaces across the country, but this morning I came in to find two cans of dog food on my desk. I don't even have a dog. I'm sure it will be explained to me at the right time. Yeah, well, [...]
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    Posted: November 17, 2008, 12:57pm EST

  • Chunky beef, bacon and cheese

    I swear this kind of thing doesn't happen in many other workplaces across the country, but this morning I came in to find two cans of dog food on my desk. I don't even have a dog. I'm sure it will be explained to me at the right time. Yeah, well, [...]
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    Posted: November 17, 2008, 12:57pm EST

  • Mike as an animal

    So in yesterday's column about the Virginia Legends exhibit at the Oceanfront, I wrote that I was worried Secretariat might get the nod next year. People did not like that. Even my father-in-law, far from a Secretariat apologist, said I should consider the horse. "It's not a dinner party," he told [...]
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    Posted: November 13, 2008, 12:09pm EST

  • Breathless

    So I've been getting some grief over my column Saturday about how I'll miss Kristi Michael's sultry voice now that she's off the nighttime gig at 96X. Don't believe me? You can listen to some sound clips. I talked about the column this morning on the Tommy & Rumble show. [...]
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    Posted: November 10, 2008, 2:03pm EST

  • A concession

    Has your election giddiness/hangover worn off yet? Still reading every piece of election-related material? Still checking fivethirtyeight.com with passion? Sneaking to the car to hear Obama's first press conference on the radio? It's over. Two quick thoughts on the races: [...]
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    Posted: November 07, 2008, 3:19pm EST

  • Gimme that sticker

    Happy Election Day! [...]
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    Posted: November 04, 2008, 11:55am EST

  • The end of wedding registries

    First, your heat update: I stayed strong and made it through last night's brisk weather. Today, I'm wearing corduroys and am hoping the coldest is behind us. Stay tough. Stay warm. Next, bloggage: - There is a reason all of the presidential debates sounded the same. The same things were said over [...]
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    Posted: October 29, 2008, 6:12pm EDT

  • Heat Week

    I know some of you buckled last night. I know. It was difficult, and you were cold. Thank you for playing. Tonight, those of us who remain in the game will face another test. Weather.com says the low will be 41. Remember, "Trick or Heat," as one reader called it, is only [...]
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    Posted: October 28, 2008, 5:14pm EDT

  • Just one ghost

    Let's talk about ghosts for a second longer. The Saturday column focused on Cape Charles and the friendly school-teacher ghost who may or may not live in his house. Two things: [...]
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    Posted: October 27, 2008, 1:49pm EDT

  • The I'm-a-PC guy from the Microsoft commercials

    These are the best kind of emails to get. This morning I wrote about Pharrell's appearance in the new "I'm a PC" commercial. (You can watch an extended version of the commercial.) But I learned this morning, via email, that the guy who looks like John Hodgman in the Microsoft commercials [...]
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    Posted: October 20, 2008, 3:14pm EDT

  • Well, at least the people in Chesapeake are safe

    Sure there's an economic crisis going on, but Business Week says Chesapeake won't feel it as badly as other places in the country. [...]
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    Posted: October 16, 2008, 3:35pm EDT

  • Election edition

    My column tomorrow is a light-hearted look at the glut of election promotions, so it seemed like a good time to talk about some good election-related bloggage. A question they probably don't prep you for when you're running for office: would you sign my prosthetic leg? [...]
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    Posted: October 14, 2008, 6:43pm EDT

  • Columbus Day Pay

    Columbus Day has got me thinking about tiers of jobs. I don't think I've ever had Columbus Day off as a paid holiday. Which is fine. I don't have any big Columbus Day traditions. (Sailing my own cardboard Pinta over to Rudee Inlet) But I wonder if it's possible to [...]
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    Posted: October 13, 2008, 4:47pm EDT

  • A list of restaurants that may be better than Subway

    In today's column about Hampton Roads' abysmal restaurant ratings, some people didn't appreciate my tongue-in-cheek humor that Subway is one of my favorite restaurants. (Although, $5 footlongs are a steal.) Many people suggested I get out more. [...]
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    Posted: October 08, 2008, 2:05pm EDT

  • Allow me to protect myself, from myself

    A few weeks ago I was at a party and a woman started talking about how her cell phone had a drunk dialing function, essentially making it very difficult to make late night/early morning phone calls to people who might not be appreciative. I thought about it and couldn't come [...]
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    Posted: October 07, 2008, 1:13pm EDT

  • The Tina Fey Effect

    I think there's something important to be learned about Tina Fey's portrayal of Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live. [...]
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    Posted: October 06, 2008, 2:22pm EDT

  • How To Open A Sports Bar

    If I were opening a sports bar today in this area, which I'm not, but would likely enjoy frequenting, I'd make it a Panthers bar. Or a Jaguars bar. I'm not a fan of either team, or even the Redskins. (Although the all-Redskins radio station has got me hooked.) But [...]
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    Posted: October 01, 2008, 5:59pm EDT

  • From blown speakers

    Lots of arts/music type things to talk about today. The Saturday column was about the new schedule at the Suffolk Center for the Arts. Last night I was at a different venue, Town Point Park for the acoustic music festival. I sat on the lawn and watched Old Crow Medicine Show. [...]
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    Posted: September 29, 2008, 1:40pm EDT

  • You have no chance

    This nor'easter is officially worse than Hanna. And when I say officially I mean because I say so and as do the tree limbs in my backyard. Also, my socks are wet, which is one of the worst sensations. At least I haven't seen Cantore. Yet. [...]
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    Posted: September 25, 2008, 5:30pm EDT

  • Enough!

    Ok. My long-absence from blogging ends today. A couple of days off does that.  But it's no excuse. - My column this morning was a flow chart answering the question as to whether you'd be eligible for the federal government to bail you out. It had a complicated format and was [...]
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    Posted: September 24, 2008, 3:40pm EDT

  • Dealbreaker

    I'm weirded out by samurai swords. Although, they seem oddly affordable. I don't really understand collecting weapons. It seems too dangerous. Not that it can't be done safely, only that it seems ripe for an accident. That's not a risk I'm willing to take. I even get a little squeamish with [...]
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    Posted: September 11, 2008, 6:30pm EDT

  • And we're walking, and we're walking, and we're stopping.

    Norfolk has a world championship. In kickball. One of favorite movies ever: Dave. One of my favorite scenes in that movie: when they figure out the budget. That's why I love getting emails like this from Randy Forbes' crew. Apparently all it takes to revamp the economy: three weeks of really [...]
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    Posted: September 10, 2008, 6:19pm EDT
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Mike Gruss

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