While being repeatedly disappointed with the late night at Cassis and X-Lounge and there being no late night at Ten yet I can’t help but feeling an ever increasing sadness about the loss of OXO. It’s been over a month now.

What other late night spots have come up since? Are people happy with Cassis, X-Lounge and the ever exciting Escafe?

I was also wondering, we all know Shenanigans has migrated to X-Lounge, the OXO door guy is now the door guy at Cassis and another all time favorite bartender has retired altogether. What happened to the other OXO bartenders and bartendresses? I keep my eyes peeled but I can’t seem to spot them anywhere.

What are cVillain’s thoughts?

[pic]

Popularity: 67% [?]

Two facts:

1.  The Tavern (on Emmett) been closed since at least Saturday, with a sign on the door about re-training. (Although I haven’t looked today.)

2.  The Health Department report. Do you ever look at the Virginia Dept of Health Restaurant Inspections site? Huuge time-waster. Anyway, the most recent report for the Tavern was extremely negative [link].

Those are the facts.

Here is the speculation:

»Read More

Popularity: 47% [?]

It all started with Comment 120 in the latest Free for All.  Floozy said she now e-crushes on 26 World. It reminded me that I’ve had a lot of e-crushes on this site.. Lys, Floozy, Lu Sid and more that are super secret.

What is an E-Crush?

It’s a meaningless crush on someone that rarely goes fulfilled. Instead of normal crushes which desire looks, baby production potential and security, you value digital snark, alcoholic banter and wit.  Rumor has it that some e-crushes turn into real crushes, but this is very rare.

Popularity: 35% [?]

Whole Foods Market plan to move to the corner of Hydraulic Road and Hillsdale Drive has been approved by the Charlottesville Planning Commission.  The new store, along with a three story parking garage, will be built next to the K-Mart.  There was some debate over traffic congestion and apparently they resolved these issues.

Now, we only have to wait another year to save 10 minutes of driving to get our overpriced non-organic, non-local food!

Previous coverage, 1 and 2.

[pic] [via Charlottesville Tomorrow]

Popularity: 42% [?]

I got inspired by this article I read about the Chinese posters that are describing the 8 things to not ask Olympic tourists.

The 8 Don’t Asks:

1. Don’t ask about income or expenses,
2. don’t ask about age,
3. don’t ask about love life or marriage,
4. don’t ask about health,
5. don’t ask about someone’s home or address,
6. don’t ask about personal experience,
7. don’t ask about religious beliefs or political views,
8. don’t ask what someone does.

Basically, they’ve told people to not make meaningful relationships with people.

What are the 8 things you don’t ask people visiting Charlottesville?  I’ll start…

1. Don’t you hate DMB?
2. Did you know that TJ had sexual relations with a slave?
3. Did you know that no service workers can afford to live in Charlottesville?
4. ________________________  your turn!

[via PeacefulRise]

Popularity: 52% [?]

You have to love it when people get all worked up and scared about blogs.  Hello Roanoke Times!  cVillain is on your tail.

Listen to this quote from a recent editorial:

Other bloggers do not do as well. They might look like legitimate news sources to the casual observer, but they willfully blur the lines between journalism and campaign hack.

Journalists, real journalists, follow strict rules about conflicts of interest. They do not take money or gifts from groups they might cover. They also maintain a wall between news, opinion and advertising functions.

That is not the case with many bloggers…

Ok, it’s not like the Roanoake Times is scared of bloggers or anything like that.  Or are they? Maybe this closing sentence gives us more information:

That does not disqualify bloggers from a place in the media spectrum, but those who rely on them for their news and commentary should keep in mind the potential conflicts when they choose whom to trust.

Seriously dude?  If anyone reads anything, anywhere, in any form, it’s biased.  It’s biased by advertising dollars, it’s biased by relationships, it’s biased by people’s personalities, insecurities, it’s biased by political beliefs, it’s biased by anything you can possibly think.  Oh maybe you forgot to close with “and you should trust the Roanoke Times because we are the only real news source.”

This raises an important issue we’ve been hearing through the grapevine.  Some local businesses think our writing is biased.  »Read More

Popularity: 45% [?]

When I saw the headline in the Daily Progress titled “COUGAR!” I immediately thought of the obvious association (from Wikipedia):

Cougar refers to an older woman, usually in her 40s, 50s or 60s who usually sexually pursue men in their 20s and 30s. In many cases, the alternative scenario is true where these women are pursued by younger men who have an affinity for the beauty, maturity & intellect of women in this age range.

Obviously, this definition was not edited by someone with bias.  The entire DP article was littered with quotes discussing cougar sitings all over Charlottesville.  Put in the right context, read these:

“I know what a cougar looks like. I’m 76 years old. I can see. I’m not making it up. There was no doubt in my mind that it was a cougar.”

“Mysterious and dangerous is sort of a good mix, it makes for a good campfire story.” 

“There have been other species in the history of man that we thought were extinct, but were not, we’ve been fooled before.” 

Wow.  Cougars are everywhere in Charlottesville.  Where do you find yours?

»Read More

Popularity: 44% [?]

(We have not qualified that statement, but it sure does seem like it.)

But seriously…The Daily Progress does some good investigatitive journalism on the whole meaning behind the alleged “sexist placement” of Sacagawea in the Lewis & Clark statue.  What did they find?

An article in Natural History magazine from 1919, the same year the statue was erected on West Main Street, says the artist represented Sacagawea “Bending forward, intent on the vast expanse of the ocean.”

Ok, so it looks like the whole sexism thing is moot.  Add the fact that Sacagawea was an after-thought addition to the statue and what do we have?  People are complaining over nothing.

Go help starving babies instead of complaining over a statue… or am I missing something here?  Why is this such a big deal?  

[via DP]

Popularity: 37% [?]

From a little birdie…

We were walking down the Mall last night around 8:30 and noticed a firetruck by Timberlake drugstore. There were a bunch of firemen around one of the red Hook (UNCUS) boxes and it was all wet like they had to hose it down. I think somebody started a fire in it.

Best headline wins a $10 Cane’s Gift Certificate! Winner will be chosen on Sunday at Midnight!

Popularity: 43% [?]

We’ve heard from various sources that they or someone they know has had an experience that sounds like roofies were involved.

One account:

My friend thinks she might have been drugged on Friday night. She came in to BAR and then she went to ANOTHER BAR and had a drink then next thing she remembers she was crawling in the road and almost got run over. She didn’t drink that much so we’re pretty suspicious.

I have another friend who had something similar happen to her at BAR a few months ago.

We’ve also heard stories of date rape pills being found at another bar.  We’re hesitant to name the places, but if anyone has any other experiences, please share.

This is a very serious manner and I haven’t heard of these situations occurring in Charlottesville, so I thought it was worth a discussion.

Popularity: 55% [?]