http://hamptonroads.com/node/355378 Local News en-us Copyright 2009 PilotOnline.com / HamptonRoads.com. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:53:16 -0500 No doubt you heard the news. The commonwealth of Virginia executed two killers in the past two weeks: John Allen Muhammad - The Beltway sniper and Larry Bill Elliott who killed two people to win the love of his stripper girlfriend. No doubt you know how they died, too. Muhammad opted for lethal injection, while Elliott asked for the electric chair. http://hamptonroads.com/2009/11/last-meals Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:17:53 -0500 Let me be clear. I didn't expect Tim Kaine to fetch my 7-Eleven coffee for me this morning. And I wasn't looking for him to run around lighting candles when my power first died last night. When I heard the whine of chainsaws this morning, I didn't expect to see Kaine out there working on the debris. http://hamptonroads.com/2009/11/our-parttime-governor Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:18:50 -0500 Perhaps you saw my column this morning. If so, you know that I object strenuously to members of the media and certain hand-wringers in society instinctively painting Nidal Malik Hasan as a victim and making excuses such as: They picked on him because he was a Muslim. His car was keyed. People snickered at him. http://hamptonroads.com/2009/11/email-day Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:24:57 -0500 ... http://hamptonroads.com/2009/11/what-else-there-say Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:10:46 -0500 Call it a columnist's conundrum. Political pundits were predicting a quick and decisive outcome in Virginia's elections Tuesday, which meant there was no time to shuttle between party headquarters in Richmond on Election Night. Hmmmm. Did we want to be with the happy people? Or the sad ones? http://hamptonroads.com/2009/11/election-night Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:30:13 -0500 Not judging here, but Metallica is not a band usually associated with good deeds and generous public spirit. (True, band members may have been engaged in many acts of charity and kindness, point is, it's not part of the public's perception.) http://hamptonroads.com/2009/10/heavy-metal-has-heart Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:18:50 -0400 We all know the world is run by C students. So, on behalf of everyone with a slightly embarrassing academic record, I offer this delicious nugget: The College of William and Mary continues its desperate search for a mascot. Yep, this elite institution, brimming over with brainiacs, can't find a suitable costumed character to lead cheers on the sidelines during football games. http://hamptonroads.com/2009/10/wrestling-wrens Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:10:02 -0400 With unemployment on the rise, it's more important than ever to be on your very best behavior during job interviews. Even informal ones. So it should go without saying that job prospects should never, ever engage in opossum stomping while trying out for a new position. Sadly, it happened. In Danville. http://hamptonroads.com/2009/10/times-are-tough-dont-take-it-out-marsupials Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:24:51 -0400 Here's one more reason for school adminstrators to hone their critical thinking skills instead of blindly following zero tolerance policies. Yep, a Delaware first grader - 6 years old, by the way - was sentenced to 45 days in an "alternative" school after he brought a fork/knife/spoon camping tool to school to use at lunchtime. http://hamptonroads.com/2009/10/zero-tolerance-vs-common-sense Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:48:56 -0400 Do you suppose The Washington Post ever wonders why it doesn't sell more papers outside Northern Virginia? Here's a hint: Maybe it's the sneering condescension  of its opinion writers toward the rest of the state. http://hamptonroads.com/2009/10/view-inside-beltway Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:55:09 -0400