How appropriate that my first post was also written on a Saturday.

Thanks to all who help make this little corner of the internet a fun place.

You Are 50% Left Brained, 50% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning.Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others.If you’re left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility.Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you’re right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Actually, I think this quiz is dead on. I do use both sides of my brain, every day. How about you? Are you right or left brained?

To see some of the writings these days, you’d think spell checkers didn’t even exist So while this is all in good fun, the truth is I wish more people would learn to spell.

Or at least how to use a spell-checker. I did the quiz without one, by the way

Your Common Spelling Mistake Score: 100% Correct

Your spelling is excellent. You don’t fall for common spelling pitfalls, and you spell almost everything correctly.

Guess this elementary school spelling champ still has it How about you? Do you make common spelling mistakes?

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 10/10 correct!

Whew! I feel all better now So, can you pass 8th grade math?

Note: RSVPs are due by tomorrow, January 3rd.

This will be a great time. With the legislative session starting on January 11, no doubt most of the legislators will be in town for this. I’ve attended them in the past and it’s a nice opportunity to hang out with the legislators, not all of whom will be members of the VLBC.

“Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.” - Benjamin Franklin

As we roll into a new year, here’s a quick recap of the top posts viewed on this blog over the last year.

1. American Idol results 03/31/11: two eliminated
2. “It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.”
3. DYK…Virginia is a Dillon Rule state?
4. Concert review: Elton John
5. Trailer trash?
6. Tailgating in Virginia Beach: why the disparity in ordinances?
7. BCS championship: the halftime show
8. Political map of Virginia
9. Minority status
10. What happened to the Democratic Party?

Happy New Year!

I have been to Central Park, though, which, for purposes of today’s quiz, is close enough

You Are Deeply Thoughtful

You believe that there’s an interesting story behind everything and everyone. And you’re fascinated by these stories. You think a lot about the past. You believe that history has a lot to teach us. You are original and expressive. You can make poetry out of anything. You are a spiritual soul who sees into the future. You are also good at interpreting dreams.

Take The Central Park Test

In the spirit of the holiday season, I’m going to try to locate and post a link to a story every day that I find that makes me smile.

Judge withdraws from piracy case in Norfolk

A federal judge has recused himself from the case of the hijacking of a yacht that left four Americans dead after learning that the vessel is now being stored at a Portsmouth marina partially owned by his brother.

Ethics is not something to be taken lightly, yet far too many fail to recognize when the appearance of a conflict exists. Kudos to U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis for seeing it and acting on it. You made me smile today.

In the spirit of the holiday season, I’m going to try to locate and post a link to a story every day that I find that makes me smile.

When the picture of the gay couple kissing made the front page of The Virginian-Pilot, I knew it would generate some negative letters to the editor. Sure enough, Christmas Eve brought a couple of letters (1, 2), the first one of which was written by a minister, even though the online version doesn’t show that.

Today’s paper included not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, but SEVEN LTEs that refuted the rantings.

And if that wasn’t enough, a Walt Taylor cartoon (click to enlarge).

Heck yeah, I smiled.

From The Virginian-Pilot comes this gem: Chesapeake father creates app to navigate autism

The application essentially allows children to create simple sentences by selecting from a row of virtual flashcards that represent nouns and verbs.

What an awesome idea! And a big kudos to Norfolk-based firm We Are Titans for continuing the project when the money to fund it ran out.

From The Virginian-Pilot:

When cyclists gather on New Year’s Day in dual-location rides, it won’t be the first time they’ve rallied to benefit an old friend. Or the second.

Isn’t giving what this holiday is about?

#Santa just took off from the North Pole! See the video @ ow.ly/84Cti #NORAD is tracking #Santa!

—
noradsanta (@NoradSanta) December 24, 2011

You can track Santa here. Smartphone users can use the Google Maps mobile site and seach for [santa] to track. And you can get updates over the phone by calling 877-HI-NORAD (877-446-6723) from 6am today to 5am Christmas Day.

So – what’s Santa going to leave you? Have you been good or bad this year?

’Twas right before Christmas, and all through the Capitol.
Few politicians were stirring, their consciences unflappable;

Head over and read the whole thing. I think it might make you laugh, too

From The Virginian-Pilot:

Christmas these days involves lots of fussy preparations and overspending on overpriced gadgets. But if we went back in time, way back to the early 1600s, we’d find no tech-savvy gifts, no decorated trees and certainly no neighborhood light displays to rival Vegas.

This story just makes me grateful that I’m not living in the early 1600s No gadgets? No way

It’s a time-honored tradition at Navy homecomings – one lucky sailor is chosen to be first off the ship for the long-awaited kiss with a loved one.

Today, for the first time, the happily reunited couple was gay.

Accompanying the article is a couple of photos. Here is one of them:

Brian Clark | The Virginian-Pilot

UPDATE: In case you haven’t seen the video, here it is.

Filed under: Fun stuff ]]> http://blog.vivianpaige.com/2011/12/21/feel-good-story-of-the-day-first-kiss/feed/ 6 smileyface vivianpaige http://blog.vivianpaige.com/2011/12/20/feel-good-story-of-the-day-bonuses/ http://blog.vivianpaige.com/2011/12/20/feel-good-story-of-the-day-bonuses/#comments Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:46:33 +0000 Vivian J. Paige http://blog.vivianpaige.com/?p=19168 Continue reading »]]> In the spirit of the holiday season, I’m going to try to locate and post a link to a story every day that I find that makes me smile.

Virginia Beach firm surprises workers with big bonuses

Helen Ulmer wasn’t expecting much more than free food and entertainment when she went to her company holiday party Saturday evening.

What she got was a check for $10,000 – about half of her yearly salary.

Can you imagine what getting a bonus for half of your yearly salary would do for you? I certainly can.

My Liberal Identity

You are a Social Justice Crusader, also known as a rights activist. You believe in equality, fairness, and preventing neo-Confederate conservative troglodytes from rolling back fifty years of civil rights gains.

Take the quiz at
About.com Political Humor

And yes, I took the conservative one, too, but only to provide the link for you guys. I can’t imagine how I got this result:

My Conservative Identity:

You are a Flag-Waving Everyman, also known as a patriot. You believe in championing liberty over tyranny, apple pie over sushi, and that God gave us a two-day weekend so we could enjoy football and NASCAR.

Take the quiz at
About.com Political Humor

h/t The Richmonder

I figure Waldo has enough to do right now, so here’s the few links I have:

DJ Riko – Yearly mix back to 2002

Not as familiar with this one:

Santastic 4 – Looks like a harder edge over here.

Happy Listening! (and share some of your favorites)

You Should Be a Mechanic

You are logical, calm, and detail oriented.You’re rational when things are chaotic, and for you, reason always prevails.And while you are guided by logic, you aren’t a slave to it.You’re flexible when it counts. You are always open to being wrong.You do best when you:- Work with your hands - Can use tools, machines, or equipment You would also be a good architect or carpenter.

A mechanic? Really? Unless you call using a computer “work with your hands,” I think that’s a stretch   What should you be when you grow up?

You Should Live in Louisiana

If you don’t want to live in Louisiana, you might also consider: Wisconsin Alabama California Kentucky Maine

Hmm, hadn’t thought about Louisiana. Fortunately, I don’t have to make that decision just yet.

What state should you live in?

NSU scored first, on a 98-yard pass in its opening possession. On the ensuing kick-off, ODU fumbled the ball, although they recovered it. At that point, I thought the Monarchs might be in for a long day. It didn’t take long, though, for ODU to tie the game, and then surge ahead, scoring 35 unanswered points to take a 35-7 lead. NSU just couldn’t catch up. They committed an awful lot of penalties – this article says it was 18 – which didn’t help them at all.

ODU was clearly the superior team Saturday. Next week, the Monarchs are on the road to take on Georgia Southern. The game, scheduled for Saturday, December 3 at noon, will once again be broadcast on ESPN3. (Can’t one of our local stations make a deal to carry the game live?)

Congratulations to ODU, and especially to my students who are on the team.

So I started thinking about how to get the game to my 65″ TV. First challenge: my TV is a little old so it has only a single DVI input, not even an HDMI input. I’m using a DVI-to-HDMI cable right now in order to use my DirecTV HD DVR. Looking around, I realized that the first thing I needed was some kind of splitter so I settled on this one, which happened to have been available in the Best Buy store locally. I already had an extra HDMI cable hanging around to go from the box to the DVR.

Second thing was to get a streaming source hooked up. To me, the easiest thing to do was to use my BlackBerry PlayBook. It has HDMI output, and I had previously purchased the micro-to-standard HDMI cable.

I hooked everything up and while the picture looked great – honestly, I can’t believe internet streaming looks this good – the sound was coming out of the PlayBook speakers. Having previously hooked up my PB to my bedroom TV without any issues, I was a little perplexed – until I remembered that DVI is video-only. So while the PB was sending the audio signal, there was no way for the TV to play it. The surround sound coming from my DVR is actually going – via an optical cable – to my amplifier.

The only audio output on the PlayBook – besides HDMI – is the earphone jack. I’ll be routing that – via a combination of cables and adapters I already have – to my amp.

I’ll be ready for the big game tomorrow, for sure

I only ventured to Best Buy because I was in the neighborhood. I took my Volvo C70 in this morning for a performance upgrade provided by Volvo via Polestar. It increases the horsepower from the stock 227 to 250. I haven’t noticed the increase yet: I made the mistake of driving the 300hp S60 to Best Buy, which made my 250hp feel slow Volvo needs to put that T6 engine into the C70. But I’m told the tech who installed it was able to notice the difference immediately.

As the first one to have this performance upgrade installed, I can lay claim to having the fastest C70 in Hampton Roads. At least for a little while

Hope y’all had a great Thanksgiving!

From The Virginian-Pilot

Two Norfolk universities – Old Dominion and Norfolk State – will face off Saturday in a first-round game of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. The game will kickoff at 1:30pm at Foreman Field, on the campus of ODU.

I wish I could say that the two teams were cross-city rivals but they aren’t. This will be the first time they have played each other. ODU just restarted its football program three years ago – after a very long hiatus – and the two schools have inked a deal to play each other starting in 2013.

No surprise as to who I’ll be rooting for Saturday: my alma mater.

Go Big Blue!

(Oops! I thought I had scheduled this post to go up earlier Oh well, better late than never)

Since I’m teaching now, and, well, sometimes the students act like little kids, this crayon test is on point

You Are Ready for Good Times and Bad Times

You have a knack for predicting the future and reading people. You see so much.You are simply a good person and a person of substance. You don’t need to show off.You are both gentle and affectionate with everyone you love. You are a true nurturer.You spend a lot of alone time meditating and thinking. You value your alone time more than anything else in this world.

Take The Crayon Test

Your Mafia Name Is Carmela “The Weasel” Anastasio

Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.

Um, not so sure about that. I might choose the cannoli What’s your Mafia name?

You Remember 50% of 2008

Okay, you were somewhat paying attention during 2008.But you’re not going to impress anyone with your knowledge of what went down.You know the basics about what went down, but little else…Let’s just say you won’t be writing the history book for 2008.

Maybe they should have asked me to name the presidential candidates. Bet I could have gotten more than 50% then How much do you remember 2008?

Not bad. So how’s your vocabulary?

You Are a Snowflake

You are a deeply emotional person. You have a sensitive and tender heart.You are so in love with the world. You are blessed, and you never forget it.You won’t be deterred from your destiny. You know what you were meant to do in this life.Your still waters run deep. There is a lot more to you than meets the eye.

So, are you a snowflake or a raindrop?

Once again, I didn’t get a chance to see the whole game. But I’ll take the win. About the only thing that would have made it sweeter is if the “Boys had lost. But that’s OK – I think we’ll whup them next Monday night. Gotta say, though, that Cowboys QB Tony Romo showed a lot of guts playing with a fractured rib and a punctured lung. Word is that he’s may play Monday night.

I have no clue as to how long recovery from such injuries takes. I’d much rather he be healthy when we win

Of course I’m not getting too excited because it could be the only win of the season. Such is the life of a ‘Skins fan in the Snyder era.

I hope I’ll actually have time to catch more than just a few minutes next week.

So – how did your favorite team fare?

If you were transported back to the 80s, your life would be all about reflecting.

You’re a serious, earnest person – and you couldn’t help but think a lot about how things were back then.

You’d spend a lot of your time writing, researching, and learning.

You would either become a social anthropologist – or a crazy guru with a knack for predicting the future.

I don’t know about that social anthropoligist stuff. But hey – take it away, Cyndi

So what’s your 80s karaoke song?

In the process of growing lots of tomatoes every year, a ripening table is set up on the deck. Here is where we deposit tomatoes that could stand another day in the sun. At various times, there were as many as 70-80 tomatoes on the table this summer.

A few weeks ago I was standing on the deck, and I heard a faint chomping noise. As I looked around, I saw a ‘possum with his feet on the table, eating tomatoes like there was no tomorrow. I was no more than 3 feet away at this point. The overgrown rat with white fur looked at me and kept eating.

Something snapped in me. I hauled off and smacked it in the head with my open hand. I swung again and missed. The animal started moving at this point, scampering off down the stairs. I chased it as it went, trying to hit it some more.

I was surprised at myself. My hand hurt.

Of course, the ‘possum and the other animals will continue to eat the produce, marching right up and helping themselves. This is part of the cool things you get while living in the country.

You Should Be a Doctor

You are practical, sharp, and very intuitive.Optimistic and energetic, you are a problem solver who doesn’t get discouraged easily. You are also quite compassionate and caring. You make people feel hopeful.You’re highly adaptable and capable. You do well with almost any curve ball life throws at you.You do best when you: - Are always learning new subjects - Use your knowledge to solve problems You would also be a good therapist or detective.

Just think of the money I would have made Only problem? I’m no good at science As for being a therapist or detective – well, we CPAs are that, anyway.

What should you be when you grow up?

This is always the premiere political event in Hampton Roads, with attendees coming from all over. Here’s my report on last year’s event.

For more info, or to RSVP, check out this Facebook page.

The paper also has tons of pictures online in this story, including the one below

Eastbound and westbound trains pass each other near the MacArthur Square station (Steve Early | The Virginian-Pilot)

The Tide is free to ride all weekend. Looks like fun!

UPDATE: Due to the overwhelming response, the Tide will be free to ride through August 28. The regular $1.50 fare will start Monday, August 29.

Perhaps the biggest issue facing Hampton Roads Transit, the regional entity operating the light rail line, is that of safety. It’s been a long time since Norfolk had anything like streetcars, so trying to educate the public, especially drivers, on how to co-exist with the rail cars is important. Already there have been several incidents of vehicles colliding with the trains.

On the Ride the Tide website you will find safety information for adults, teens, kids, and more. The biggest thing? Just pay attention to what’s going on around you.

I’m hoping to find some time this weekend to take a spin on the Tide. As I don’t live anywhere near any of the stations, it’s going to be a park-and-ride thing for me, mainly to satisfy my curiosity. I hope others will, too.

You Should Change the World By Helping Others

You can truly be there for another person. When you care, you are incredibly giving and compassionate. You’re incredibly thoughtful and able to give people what they need most. Generosity simply makes you feel good. You are willing to be a voice for those who don’t have one. You always speak up to defend others’ rights. You believe in helping on a community level. You are happy to feed the hungry and clothe the homeless.

I wish I could send this little quiz to the participants of last night’s debate, and to the others who weren’t there but are considering a run. In the meantime, dear reader, how should you change the world?

And enjoy a little Eric Clapton

Sounds about right

So, are you addicted to the internet?

A scene from PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.

I’ve never been inside the newsroom of a newspaper but I felt as if I had after watching the documentary, Page One: Inside the New York Times at the Naro Thursday evening.

I’m one of those folks who rarely leaves the house in the morning without reading my newspaper. On the occasions when I do, my day isn’t quite right as I feel as if I’ve missed something. But I know that for many, reading the newspaper isn’t high on the priority list. It is no surprise, then, that the industry has suffered a decline in circulation.

Most of us are aware that the Times has instituted a paywall. That subject is touched on in the film. But that’s not the story here. The story is what lengths newspaper journalists go to in order to get a story, get it right, and get it included in the newspaper, preferably on A1. It was riveting.

My favorite scene in the movie was when David Carr was on a panel and the guy from newser.com was being pretty disrespectful of the news. Carr, a veteran reporter with a colorful past, held up a piece of paper with holes in the front page grid of the site, demonstrating what newser would have if there were no newspapers.

Also mentioned in the movie was ProPublica, the independent, non-profit investigative journalism newsroom whose managing editor is  Stephen Engelberg, a former investigative editor of the Times.

I think newspapers are adapting to reflect the changes that are occurring in their industry. I’m convinced that there is a business model for them, although I’m not sure that a paywall is the answer. (And we’ve previously discussed publicly funded journalism.) But when TV news it little more than infotainment, the newspaper is the last source of factual reporting. As much as I have picked on the Pilot at times, as I’ve said before, it is because I want them to continue.

Anyway, if you have an opportunity to see the film, I highly recommend it.

You Are Unique

Because you are quiet and sweet, others tend to underestimate your abilities. You are a force. You enjoy your alone time, but you can also hang in a crowd… provided that it’s the right crowd. You lay the groundwork for months or years before you act. You like to be completely and totally prepared. When you’re allowed to do your own thing, you really shine. You need to be independent to thrive.

Um, well… I don’t think anyone has ever mistaken me for being quiet, at least not since I was about 6 months old But the unique part and, of course, the sweet part?  Sure What does your favorite summer activity say about you?

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I happened to have been at a retreat at the Chesapeake hotel that was the Destroyers’ team hotel a couple of weeks ago. Running into Marty Schottenheimer, the team’s coach and general manager and the former coach of the Washington Redskins, was quite a thrill. Hopefully, this is truly a delay in the start of the season and not a cancellation, as I was looking forward to attending a game or two.

Your Summer Ride is a Jeep

For you, summer is all about having no responsibilities.You prefer to hang with old friends – and make some new ones.

I actually own a Jeep, red like the one pictured, although in the summer, I usually have the doors off   Riding around the city in the evenings is a great way to relax. Of course, I love the open air, anyway, which is why my main vehicle is a Volvo C70. (Did I mention I bought another one a couple of months ago? You wouldn’t know it unless I told you since it’s almost identical to the one I bought three years ago.)

Oh, and you can skip the “no responsibilities” part. That never goes away   What’s your summer ride?

1. The Declaration of Independence begins with what words?

2. What document was the legal framework of the United States?

3. Who wrote the words of the Star Spangled Banner?

4. How did the Liberty Bell get its crack?

5. How many stars were on the first United States flag?

6. In what year did Congress recognize the Pledge of Allegiance?

7. Where was the first national capitol located?

8. When is the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence?

9. What city was the Liberty Bell located in?

10. What is the official anniversary date of Flag Day?

11. Which two patriots died on July 4, 1826?

12. Who was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence?

13. In July 1776, how many people were living in the colonies?

14. Who do historians believe sewed the first official American flag?

15. Flying a flag upside down is a symbol of what?

16. What is the name of the oldest commissioned U.S. naval vessel?

17. The first 10 amendments to the Constitution are familiarly known as?

18. Whose signature is largest on the Declaration of Independence?

19. Who wrote We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal?

20. Where did immigrants first set foot in the New World to gain entry?

21. Life, liberty, and ______________________________?

22. What do the colors red, white, and blue stand for?

23. True/False: The signing of the Declaration of Independence took until August 2, 1776. 24. Will Smith starred in this 4th of July movie named?

25. How many people signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776?

26. In what state is the largest city of Independence?

27. How many people annually visit the Liberty Bell?

28. How tall is the Statue of Liberty?

29. When the Liberty bell was cast, how much did it weigh?

Leave your answers in the comments. I’ll post the real answers later.

Hmm – interesting   What modern U.S. President are you most like?

• Sen. Fred Quayle to retire. The Republican from Suffolk, drawn into the same senate district as Chesapeake senator Harry Blevins, has decided to retire rather than challenge him. Another moderate leaves the fold. I suspect we’ve not heard the last of Quayle – and there are some interesting rumors on his next move.
• Sen. Norment loses $100K salary. That’s the amount less he will receive now that the AG’s office has assigned an attorney to the College of William & Mary. Norment, as this earlier article mentioned, was hired effective July 1, 2008. His time with W&M means a much larger state pension. And, of course, he still has his Commissioner of Accounts job.
• HarborFest starts today. Been a while since I attended, but I’m going to try to get down there.
• Legislature back in session.The General Assembly goes back in session today to deal with Congressional redistricting. The ACLU of Virginia put forth another proposal yesterday that would create a second minority district, based on population. It appears that is not the case when voting age population is considered. Nevertheless, I don’t expect the GA to take up the proposal, anyway. Nor do I expect much action in the session today.

It’s been a while since I attended one of these. Actually, I haven’t been since the event moved from Lafayette Park about six years ago. It is almost impossible to describe just how far this event has come since then.

I’m pretty bad with estimating crowd sizes but there were a lot of people there. Organizers had anticipated 10,000 – I don’t know if they made that number due to the earlier rain, but the park was full. The DC Cowboys, referenced in this article, had just finished performing when I arrived and music was blasting from the speakers on the stage.

Tents and tables were set up around the park, selling all kinds of items. While a large group sat – or lounged – on the grass in front of the stage, a lot of folks were milling about. The crowd was a mix of people: all ages, all races, straight, gay, transgender, and everything in between.

In other words, it was just like any other festival I’ve attended at Town Point Park.

Almost.

Notable by their absence were our elected representatives. I am told that one – Sen. Yvonne Miller – was there. But no others.

That hasn’t changed since I last attended. Hard to believe candidates would give up the opportunity to speak with voters.

Oh well.

The organizers of the event are to be commended for putting on a fine Sunday afternoon in Downtown Norfolk.

Now – where’s that proclamation from the City of Norfolk I heard about?