Riiing. Riiing. Riiing. "Jean-Paul Sartre Marketing and Public Relations. 'We bring nothingness to being.' Al Camus, speaking. How may I help you?" "I'm calling from the Hampton Roads Regional Task Force Partnership and Coalition to Rename Hampton Roads Again." "You've called us before?" "No. Why do you ask?"

A few questions and answers about the Virginia General Assembly's rejection of Tracy Thorne-Begland's nomination to serve as a General District Court judge because he is gay... Q. Does this mean I'll be able to get my speeding ticket thrown out?

That was entirely too close. This week, Michele Bachmann nearly squandered any chance of being named Mitt Romney's running mate when she became a citizen of Switzerland for roughly two days. What a rough two days it was.

Some of Washington's leading lobbyists are mounting a concerted push to earn, if not respectability, then at least something less than public disdain. A growing number say they can no longer afford to see their reputations slip even further. - The New York Times Early one morning on K Street...

Sarah Palin has nothing on Bob McDonnell. Apparently, he can see an alternate universe from his house. This week, McDonnell's political action committee - Opportunity Virginia - launched a 10-day series of TV ads touting the Old Dominion's economic recovery. You see it, right?

Corporations are people. And, it appears, they have vewwy, vewwy delicate feelings. They're so upset they're sniffling as they speak, in spite of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that corporations have the same rights as individuals regarding political speech.

It's weeks like this that I regret letting my subscription to Pravda lapse. Alas, the most recent missive - "Comrade! Renew now and receive a free miniature pop-up Potemkin Village!" - fell behind my sofa unanswered in the late '80s, just as our national need to keep tabs on the commies waned.

The solution to our region's transportation problems lies in South Carolina. Or maybe it's North Carolina. It's hard to tell - and that's the solution. Here's the story: For a couple of decades, the Carolinas have been trying to sort out discrepancies over where one state ends and the other begins.

It's being called a "grime wave," a rash of thefts targeting Tide laundry detergent... [W]ith a retail price from $10 to $20, this household laundry staple has become a kind of currency of the streets. It can sell on the black market for half the price and, with no serial number, it's impossible to track. - ABC News "Did you hear that?"

We've heard a lot of nattering lately about Virginia receiving an F on a "corruption risk report card" put out by a bunch of busybody do-gooders. Actually, it was a high F.