Last week, Gov. Bob McDonnell and the Department of Transportation unveiled a series of electronic signs to help motorists find the quickest route to the Oceanfront. But I reworked these signs to provide a more accurate measure on how far visitors are from Virginia Beach fun.

A friend who once lived in Norfolk was coming through the area earlier this month, daydreaming of the one munchie he would exit the interstate for, the one item he had yet to find in other parts of the country and was now craving: a Chesapeake burger. His friend was behind the wheel and kept driving. The desire deepened.

The White House wants to talk about summer jobs, so let's talk about summer jobs.

James Fletcher wants to hear from you.
He wants you to call and tell him what to do with some prime North Carolina real estate.
When I asked him if I should print his phone number, he said yes, of course. He encouraged me to publish it. So here, call him: 252-473-3287. (But, please, show a bit of courtesy and phone at a respectable hour.)

Having set out to sea like a modern-day Vasco da Gama, I sat there in my kayak in the Atlantic Ocean, off the Outer Banks, paddle in my lap, letting the sun burn my problems away. Earlier that morning, from the porch, someone may have spotted dolphins in the water. If you're the type to personify animals, perhaps they were even frolicking.

Tommy Erwin bought the guns at a flea market in Pensacola, Fla., six years ago.

Craig Reilly was a young banker, an up-and-comer accepting more responsibility at work when his mentor told him in no uncertain terms that he needed to be more involved in the community and specifically with charity work.

Save the Bobs.
Save the Roberts, the Robs, the Robbies and the Bobbys, and you, Berts, go ahead and get in there for rescuing, too. Apparently you all need to be saved.

I humbly submit my amendments to the light-rail referendum scheduled in November for Virginia Beach voters. The question should read:
-If the mood is right and the price is in the ballpark and the sun is rising with the perfect light and Marvin Gaye is playing in the background; and

Let's talk big numbers with lots of zeros. Norfolk Southern reported quarterly net income of $410 million (written the long way, that's $410,000,000). The Norfolk city council is having talks about its budget, which sounds made up at $1.1 billion ($1,100,000,000). The Mega Millions lottery last month created a frenzy at $656 million ($656,000,000).