RVANews

Oscar nominations are out!

Valerie Catrow — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 01:41:12 +0000

Nominations for the 83rd Academy Awards were announced early Tuesday morning. Now that the list is out, we get to chat/fight about what they got right and who totally got shafted.

Let's focus on the main categories (but feel free to discuss other in the comments)...

Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale for The Fighter
John Hawkes for Winter's Bone
Jeremy Renner for The Town
Mark Ruffalo for The Kids are All Right
Geoffrey Rush for The King's Speech

Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams for The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter for The King's Speech
Melissa Leo for The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld for True Grit
Jacki Weaver for Animal Kingdom

Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem for Biutiful
Jeff Bridges for True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network
Colin Firth for The King's Speech
James Franco for 127 Hours

Actress in a Leading Role
Annette Bening for The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman for Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence for Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman for Black Swan
Michelle Williams for Blue Valentine

Best Director
Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan
David O. Russell for The Fighter
Tom Hooper for The King's Speech
David Fincher for The Social Network
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for True Grit

Best Picture
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

Check out the full list of nominees right over here.

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Ask not what your country can do for you…

Valerie Catrow — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:51:55 +0000

Today marks the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's inaugural address. Well worth a watch and/or listen when you have a few minutes.

So many powerful statements in here -- which ones stand out most to you?

What you’re listening to

Valerie Catrow — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 20:13:38 +0000

Yesterday we asked this question on the Twitters:

It was fun reading all of the responses, so we thought we'd share some of them with the rest of you folks. Don't worry, we've removed user names to keep anyone from getting fired/in trouble/etc. in case they weren't exactly "on task."

"Howard stern"

"my coworkers rant about bad movies. it's disappointing."

"'New Schools' by the Sea and Cake."

"Max B 'All My Life'"

"I may or may not be listening to Wang Chung. No judging.

"Destroyer http://hypem.com/#!/artist/Destroyer"

"singing the Hot Pockets jingle to myself in my head..."

"BLACK BORE."

"Passion Pit, courtesy of Pandora Radio."

"SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS

"young blood by naked and famous on @altnation on xm radio"

"Immotal Avenger - Twilight Victory"

"Snoring cats."

"'dancing on the moonlight' #throughyourselfandbackagain"

"hercules and love affair."

"public radio!"

"Get up, Stand up by Bob Mrley"

"Diamonds and Guns- Transplants"

"Johnny Cash station on Pandora."

"#TheKingisDead by @TheDecemberists."

"Ben (L'Oncle Soul) - seven nation army http://ow.ly/3G1dO"

"a professor at #vcu!"

"zac brown"

"My daughter and hubby laughing hysterically. Best. Sound. Ever."

How about you? What are you listening to at this moment in time?

Happy birthday, Dr. King

RVANews staff — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 11:00:53 +0000

(August 28, 1963)

This is Dr. King's 'I Have a Dream' speech in it's entirety -- all 17 1/2 minutes of it. If you haven't listened to it in a while, try to make some time for it today.

(See a list of events happening around town in honor of Dr. King.)

Daily Candy highlights RVA for three-day getaway

Valerie Catrow — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:15:10 +0000

New York's Daily Candy has a post up today wherein they choose Richmond as a good spot for a three-day getaway. They did have some lovely things to say, so I GUESS we can forgive them for the "Yes, Virginia there is a..." joke.

They break it down into six categories:

Where to stay
Where to catch a show
Where to tour
Where to dine
Where to shop
Where to shop some more

Go take a look at it and see how they did with their picks.

Got a neat proposal story?

Valerie Catrow — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:30:55 +0000

Did you propose/get proposed to in a super romantic/creative/totally zany way? We'd love to hear about it. Send us a note (to val@rvanews.com) filling us in on the details -- you might be included in a future story here on RVANews!

December SNOMG pick ’em winner

Valerie Catrow — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:58:13 +0000

Back in November we opened up the RVANews SNOMG pick 'em where our readers got to make predictions about monthly snowfall totals for the 2010-2011 season. Whoever is closest for the month gets an RVANews T-shirt (and whoever is closest for the overall season gets a Snoopy Sno Cone Machine).

Now that December is officially come and gone, it's time to announce our first winner.

According to Weather Dan (and RIC), Richmond's snow total for December was 8 inches.

So that means our winner for December was...

Greg Epps with a guess of 7.9 inches. Great guessing, Greg! We'll be emailing you soon so we can send you your RVANews T-shirt!

Some highlights from last week

Valerie Catrow — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 20:14:30 +0000

We know many of you were off relaxing and what not last week, so here's a little rundown of what was going on here on RVANews...

I recapped 2010 via quarterly reports: Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4

Holly gave us the 411 on Belmont Food Shop, Nate's Taco Truck Stop, and Feathernesters.

Dean told us about a little something called SCUO

The Checkout Girl shared her thoughts on Oprah

Happy reading!

(In the event that you take another little breaky-break sometime soon, make sure you sign up for our Weekly Digest. It's sent out every Friday and just gives you a nice little recap of that week's top stories. You can sign up here or by clicking that little link riiiiiight down there.)

This winter’s SNOMGs vs. last winter’s SNOMGs

Valerie Catrow — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 02:03:40 +0000

Before I get started, I must bring up the fact that I have lived in Richmond for every single second of my 29 years on this planet and I don't ever recall us getting this much snow within a 12-month period. Ever. And I have a memory like a steel trap, ask anyone. Or just my husband. He hates my memory BECAUSE IT ALWAYS WINS.

Anyway, moving on...

We've got a couple snow events under our collective belts so far this winter, and I was just wondering how you think we've handled it this time, as compared to the last go-around -- both early this year and late 2009. By "we" I mean Richmond citizens AND the city of Richmond itself. So...

Were Richmonders just as panicky and hysterical as expected or did we keep our cool? (I personally was almost out of milk and bread and didn't even break a sweat.)

Do you feel like the schools responded appropriately? (They're on break now, but most kids in the area did end up getting a couple bonus days off.)

How about the roads? There have been snow removal issues in the past; how did they do this time?

Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Wanna write for RVANews?

Valerie Catrow — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 13:42:09 +0000

Every now and then, we like to put out a call to our readers to see if there are any undiscovered writing/reporting geniuses out there who would like to contribute to our site. As we're in the process of planning what we'll be up to in 2011, in only makes sense to do that again.

So, if you've got a story (or series) idea that you think would be a good fit for RVANews, email me (val@rvanews.com). If you really want to help us keep things organized, put “content pitch” in the subject line.

We can't wait to hear from you.

P.S. While we love any and all enthusiasm for RVANews (it is our little baby, after all), we'd prefer to not get emails just stating "Hey, I wanna write for you!" Actual "ideas" are best. Thank you kindly, sirs and madams.

Ipanema Beer Dinner tickets now on sale!

Valerie Catrow — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:49:04 +0000

The third annual Ipanema Beer Dinner is set for Sunday, January 16 at 6pm and tickets are available for purchase riiiiiiiiiiight NOW.

For $42 (includes tax and tip) you'll get four courses, each meticulously paired with a delicious beer.

Check out the menu (and buy tickets) here. 21 and over only (because, you know, it's beer).

Hope to see you there!

Desperately seeking intern

Valerie Catrow — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:15:28 +0000

Ok, not desperately. Let's say enthusiastically.

RVANews is currently looking for an editorial intern for the spring 2011 semester. This is an unpaid position, but you will be rewarded with writing opportunities, fun times, and the chance to learn tons about our awesome city. You also MUST receive academic credit for the internship.

See below for the internship description -- and feel free to pass it along should you know any students in the market for an internship next semester.

***

The editorial intern will become an integral part of the RVANews staff, working with our team a minimum of 10 hours per week to brainstorm and develop content for our website. He/she is expected to submit 1-2 feature stories (600 to 800 words) per week, in addition to assisting with the daily and weekly development and implementation of our regular content.

The intern will be held to the standards of style, accuracy, fairness, and deadlines maintained by RVANews. He/she will be responsible for completing necessary research, making contacts, and establishing sources during the internship period, and will be expected to develop stories that are of interest to the community.

As this position includes regular updates to the RVANews website, an understanding of Wordpress is preferred.

This position will be based out of our office located on the 1500 block of W. Main Street. Some local travel may be required for the completion of research and interviews. The intern must be able to provide his/her own transportation.

The position is unpaid. However, it is eligible for class credit. Hours are flexible, but a minimum of 10 hours per week is required.

To apply, please email a cover letter, two writing samples, and a list of 3 potential stories pertaining to the Richmond-area that you'd be interested in covering to val@rvanews.com with "Editorial Intern" in the subject line.

***

Required holiday viewing: Bing & Bowie sing us a song

Valerie Catrow — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 20:59:37 +0000

I don't claim to understand WHY they are singing together, but I refuse to not love every second of it.

Win tickets to Disney on Ice presents Princess Classics!

Valerie Catrow — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 18:25:58 +0000

This contest is now closed. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Disney on Ice presents Princess Classics is set to take place December 16 through December 19 down at the Richmond Coliseum. Just think! Ariel, Cinderella, Jasmine, Mulan, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, and Snow White all in the same place! ON ICE.

We've got two family 4-packs of tickets up for grabs. Enter to win by answering the Disney Princesses trivia question in the form below.

We'll keep the form open until noon on Thursday, December 9. Good luck!

Cold weather shelter open tonight

Valerie Catrow — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 16:14:10 +0000

With this week's forecast putting overnight temperatures in the 20s (or lower) finding a place to keep warm is going to be a real issue for some Richmonders.

At least for tonight, the City of Richmond's Cold Weather Overflow Shelter will be open for those who need it. The shelter is located at Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church at 14 West Duval Street. It's open from 7pm tonight to 6am tomorrow. Food is not provided and pets are not allowed.

From the city's press release:

Residents in need of overnight shelter are asked to report to Commonwealth Catholic Charities Central Intake by 5 p.m. today for a comprehensive intake and referral to the appropriate shelter. Commonwealth Catholic Charities Central Intake is located at the Freedom House Conrad Center, 1400 Oliver Hill Way, next to Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court and Richmond City Jail. A referral to the Cold Weather Overflow Shelter will be provided to individuals who are not eligible for an existing shelter or if all available beds have been filled.
[...]
Elderly or disabled residents can also contact Senior Connections for assistance at (804) 343-3000, Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Even if you aren't in need of this assistance, be sure to pass the info along should you meet someone who does.

Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k registration now open

Valerie Catrow — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:13:21 +0000

The 2011 Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k (sponsored by MARTIN'S) is scheduled for Saturday, April 2 and registration is now open!

Registration is $25 through December 31 and jumps up to $30 on January 1.

Stop by the Sports Backers website to get more details and sign up.

RVANews SNOMG pick ’em deadline is tonight

Valerie Catrow — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 12:55:24 +0000

If you haven't thrown your hat into the ring of fun that is the RVANews SNOMG pick 'em, you have until 11:59pm to do so. There might be a Snoopy Sno Cone Machine in it for you.

Learn more about the contest here.

Welcome back! Read some stuff!

Valerie Catrow — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:00:52 +0000

We know that you all weren't poking around the Internet all that much last week/weekend (what with the stuffing of face that was happening). We also know that most of you probably aren't too stoked to be back at your desk expected to actually get things done when all you can think about is how good that stuffing was and how your pants are still a little tight. So we thought we'd put together some links to stories we ran here on RVANews that you might have missed. Have a little browse, why don't you?

Raising Richmond: C-MoR’s Stay & Learn (one local five-year old shares her thoughts)

Caring for Richmond’s four-legged friends (great to keep in mind when it comes to giving back during the holidays)

Richmond’s hidden gems: Eastern Asian cuisine (this will help you get out of the Thanksgiving leftovers rut you're probably in)

RVANews SNOMG pick ‘em (predict how much snowfall we'll get, win some prizes...if you pick correctly, that is)

Off the Clock with The Checkout Girl: Your body is a TSA wonderland (those of you who flew the friendly skies over the long weekend might have some special insight)

Now get back to work.

(ORRRRRR you could also check out our holiday guide -- it launched this morning and has all you need to know to make the most of Richmond this time of year. Then get back to work.)

Post-Thanksgiving traditions

Valerie Catrow — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 12:45:59 +0000

Susan Howson says the best way to be non-lame after the big meal on Thanksgiving is to head out to the movies. But we're sure you all have some definitely-non-lame post-stuffing-your-face plans and/or traditions of your own.

Won't you share them in the comments?

He also whips his hair back and forth

Valerie Catrow — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 15:07:31 +0000

Because it's Friday.

Here's Jimmy Fallon being Neil Young doing a cover of Willow Smith's Whip My Hair. Bruce Springsteen is there, too.

Be warned: You will be screeching it at all of your friends for the next few days. Also, Bruce Springsteen is better than everyone. I love I good sport.

(Thanks to Nicole for linking this in the original post.)

Get your photos posted on RVNews

Valerie Catrow — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 12:57:11 +0000

Don't forget, we're always looking for images to feature in our Picture of the Day section! You can submit yours in two ways:

Via email: photoeditor@rvanews.com
Add them to the Flickr group

There are no rules or restrictions in regards to the pictures -- they just need to be hi-res. And awesome. They should also be awesome.

Win tickets to Voix De Ville Follies tribute to The Wizard of Oz

Valerie Catrow — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 17:43:19 +0000

The folks over at Voix De Ville Follies are putting on a tribute to The Wizard of Oz (because what film deserves a tribute more?), and we've got a pair of tickets to give away.

Here's a wee blurb about the event, but you should expect burlesque, campiness, perhaps some bawdiness, and lots of fun...

There's no place like Virginia this November as the cast of Voix De Ville Follies takes you on a magical journey down the yellow brick road. Join us on an adventure to the Emerald City where we will pay tribute to all things Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Along the way you may encounter Lions and Tin Men, and Scarecrows Oh My. We will have a Good Witch and a Bad Witch, Munchkins, Flying Monkeys, the Great and Powerful Oz! Oh and don't forget Dorothy and her little dog too...
Staring none other than the adorable Azalea Faye our Burlesque Beauty of the evening who's talent sparkles like the Emerald City.
Featuring Richmond's own crowned Drag Queen of Burlesque Magnolia Jackson Pickett Burnside with her heart of gold! And fresh from The Trailer Court of Babes the one and only Candy Pantzzz, who is truly a horse of a different color!
And no Voix De Ville Follies show is complete without the delectable Dainty Dolls, the "Kooky Chameleon" Miss Kiki Von Kitsch, and "One Good Bad Girl" Miss Cherrie Canary.
Hosted by the man behind the curtain, Parker Galore!!

The show is set for Saturday, November 20 at 9pm at Gallery 5 (doors open at 8pm). For ages 18 and up only.

Enter to win the tickets here. We'll cut off votes at noon on Tuesday and notify the winners via email shortly after.

For those of you who don't win (awww, bummer), tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door.

New record in marathon registrations

Valerie Catrow — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:29:22 +0000

According the folks over at Sports Backers, they have surpassed last year's entry record of 15,723 participants in the SunTrust Richmond Marathon, McDonald’s Half Marathon and HCA Virginia 8k. They expect the number of entries to be over 16,000 by Saturday. That's like taking the entire student body of the University of Richmond, multiplying it by three and some change, and having them all run in the same direction at the same time. Geez.

47 states and 16 different countries will also be represented at this weekend's race.

We'd love to know if any of our RVANews readers will be running this weekend. Let us know in the comments!

(And if you're interested in running but haven't signed up yet, there's still time. Stop by richmondmarathon.org for additional sign-up times and entry fees.)

So You Think You Can Dance auditions TODAY at the Byrd

RVANews staff — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 12:54:02 +0000

Since October 27, Fox Richmond has been holding a promotion for dancers to fill 240 pre-registered spots in their competition for a chance to head to New York and audition for the 2011 season of So You Think You Can Dance (otherwise knowns as "SYTYCD," the most stumbly acronym ever).

If you happened to have missed out on the promotion, there's still a chance that you can try out -- but you better get your sweet bippy down to the Byrd Theatre (2908 W. Cary Street) STAT. According to the Fox Richmond website, "If 240 registrants are not pre-registered by 9 a.m. registration will be available for those who did not pre-register until all 240 positions are filled."

Here what will happen at the audition:

Participants in the FOX Richmond SYTYCD Audition will be expected to perform 30-seconds of a choreographed dance. In addition, the participant must bring with them a CD with their music on it, cued up to 15-seconds prior to their 30-seconds of audition music. A panel of qualified judges will award a number between 1 and 10 for each performer and those numbers will be tallied to determine one (1) WINNER and two (2) FINALISTS, based on stage presence/showmanship/personality, technique(proper form, execution of movement, transitions), and difficulty of routine/choreography.

(Bolded text was added by us because, OMG how embarrassing would it be if you forgot that?)

Head over to Fox Richmond's website to download the official rules and your entry form.

Win tickets to R-Home for the Holidays

Valerie Catrow — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 11:18:32 +0000

This contest is now closed. Thanks to everyone who entered! Be sure to check your email to see if you won...

I had the opportunity to go to R-Home for the Holidays in 2009 and, let me tell you, it is an absolutely delightful evening: great food, works from local artists on display (and available for purchase), and a chance to get some holiday designing advice from a real expert, like Eddie Ross (of Bravo's Top Design and former Senior Style Editor of Martha Stewart Living) who spoke last year.

2010's R-Home for the Holidays is on Thursday, November 11 from 6pm to 9pm at La Différence (125 S. 14th Street). Apartment Therapy's co-founder, Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, is this year's featured speaker, and he'll offer up some advice on how to make the most of your space this holiday season. You'll also have the chance to bid on wreaths made by 10 top local designers in a silent auction and watch a holiday décor demonstration before Maxwell takes the stage.

And guess what! We've got a pair of tickets up for grabs -- a $25 value that includes food and drink (single tickets are $15, $10 for students). Enter to win them here. We'll pick the winner (and notify him/her via email) at 10am on Tuesday, November 9.

Good luck!

Try not to laugh. JUST TRY IT.

Valerie Catrow — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 16:55:15 +0000

(Thanks to our own @chairmanbrando for making us aware of this.)

Here's a young lady who is having LOTS of fun with her camera's special effects.

(And as an added bonus, see the "unswhirled" version here.)

Reminder: Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday morning

Valerie Catrow — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 16:00:27 +0000

Daylight Saving Time ends at 2am on Sunday, November 7th here in the U.S., so before you get all snuggly-wuggly in bed on Saturday night, be sure to set your clocks back one hour.

(And for those of you who enjoy getting tangled in the spectacular time-suck that is Wikipedia, check out their page on DST -- it's a pretty interesting read. Just so you know.)

Did you vote? How did it go?

Valerie Catrow — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 11:58:47 +0000

Today is voting day! Let us know how things went.

Halloween debriefing

Valerie Catrow — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 02:06:32 +0000

Fill us in on how Halloween went in your neighborhood. Anyone get TP'd or suffer pumpkin casualties? What percentage of your trick-or-treaters were 1) actually in costume and 2) of appropriate trick-or-treating age?

People are awesome

Valerie Catrow — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 16:55:25 +0000