Impressively, this fire house was built to stand for 100 years. I once asked one of the heads of a major hospital about how long their new construction was designed to last for. He said that they didn’t really have any amount of time in mind. Oy gevalt.
I think Ta-Nehisi Coates was speaking for a lot of black folks when he wrote this:
My requirements for Barack Obama–as a black man running for president–are very simple: I need him to publicily be affectionate to his wife and kids, to acknowledge them whenever possible. That, really, is the only extra burden I put on him.
The one thing you almost never see - in films, television, the news, etc. - is a well-adjusted black family, much less an upwardly mobile, well-adjusted black family. Indeed, the only kind of black family the media (or whomever) ever deigns to show (if they show any) is one where the father is absent, the mother is apathetic, and the children are a lost cause. But as many people are quick to (rightfully) point out, the vast majority of African-American adults are hardworking citizens, and a large number of African-American children live in stable, functioning, two-parent homes.
If Barack Obama’s candidacy can show white America anything, it’s that there are many, many black men like himself. Men who work hard, provide for their families, and love their families. By simply running, and publicly spending time with his family, Obama is poking holes into a stereotype which has haunted black men and black families for a very, very long time. And that’s something - I think - we should be happy about.
How do we know that Sarah Palin is qualified for the vice presidency (and, thus, the presidency)? Sen. John McCain says her experience on the PTA helps:
(It’s at the 3:37 mark in the clip.)
Palin is looking like McCain’s own Harriet Miers.
It comes about 2:30 into it... I wonder if she has looked at the U.S. Constitution. That might give her some useful clues.
Baby: Your baby measures about 18.9 inches long from head to toe and weighs almost 4 pounds. It fills almost all the space in your uterus now, either lying with the head up or sometimes still with enough room to do somersaults. A layer of fat is forming underneath the thin, wrinkly skin. Baby’s practicing opening his eyes and breathing.
Mom-to-be: Although you’ve only been seeing the doctor monthly, now you’ll probably start seeing your practitioner every two weeks until the last month, when you’ll probably switch to weekly visits. You may continue to get backaches and leg cramps. You may also notice colostrum leaking from your breasts, a yellowish fluid that precedes milk production.
that’s WebMD’s opinion… and mine?
The small one’s kicking is less frequent but the movements are larger, often startlingly so. The belly is distinctly lopsided/baby-shaped vs. evenly round. As for me, the leg cramps have returned over the last few weeks (with one greeting me last night). The key to getting rid of them is to flex and unflex your foot like mad until the knot lets up, but often the knot is debilitating enough that I can’t actually flex my foot towards me, so I use my other foot to pull my toes back - I’m getting shockingly good as this late night maneuver. Luckily, no boob-leakage is happening yet.
Otherwise, ever single night for the past week I’ve had dreams about either getting ready for the small one, giving birth to the small one, or being at home with the small one. Part of me is still convinced that I’m going to go into labor early (despite my being over a week late, much to my mother’s dismay). This is just absurd.
I also spent my Saturday browsing the local hippie baby shops to start figuring out what I can source in town and what I’ll be purchasing via the internet… and while I’m all about supporting local when it comes to food, it’s more difficult justifying paying 25% more for the exact same product when I could otherwise just have it sent directly to my house after purchasing it while aimlessly googling during a conference call at work. Does that make me an asshole?
McCain-Palin: Team Of Mavericks To Change WashingtonThey forgot to mention the one that some commentator gave -- "She knows about foreign policy because Alaska is so near to Russia."Barack Obama has been running for president ever since he was elected to the Senate, but Sarah Palin is a governor with a record of achieving results for Alaska.
Obama's "experience" is running for political office; Governor Palin's experience is bringing people together to get things done.
The Obama-Biden ticket is big on talk. The McCain-Palin ticket is big on results.
To change Washington, it's going to take a team of Mavericks who have a record of accomplishment in shaking up the status quo.
Last night we heard a negative, partisan speech from Barack Obama. He made the argument that if we have Democratic one party rule, our problems will be solved.
But John McCain has made the case that the problem isn't a Republican Administration or a Democratic Congress, the problem is Washington.Governor Palin: A Tough Executive With Record Of Results
Governor Palin is a tough executive who has demonstrated during her time in office that she is ready to be president. She has brought Republicans and Democrats together within her Administration and has seen approval ratings of over 80 percent.
She has challenged the influence of the big oil companies while fighting for the development of new energy resources.
She leads a state that matters to every one of us -- Alaska has significant energy resources and she has been a leader in the fight to make America energy independent.
She has actually used her veto and cut budgetary spending. And she put a stop to the bridge to nowhere that would have cost taxpayers $400 million dollars.
In Alaska, she challenged a corrupt system and passed a landmark ethics reform bill.
I randomly got a lot of text messages last night about things like “I was really pulling for you guys” and “When does basketball season start?” and “Wow.” I am confused as to what people are talking about. I mean, I can only assume that we’re talking about football, right? But UVA’s season doesn’t start until next week! Season and home opener vs. Richmond Spiders, right?
Alright, I don’t think I can pull that off. Yesterday was apparently UVA’s worst loss since 1984. In fact, last year, all of our losses combined only to losing by 40 points. Yesterday’s 52-7 blowout was nothing short of embarrassing. I thought about going through my previous entries and deleting anything I’ve ever mentioned about the game, and just going on with my life pretending like said game never existed. But alas.
Yes, I am surprised by the blowout. I did not think that it would be that bad. But at the same time, only in the end did it really feel like a blowout at the game. Throughout the entire game, you had a strong sense (confirmed by stats and the scoreboard) that USC was clearly the bigger, faster, stronger team out there. But I had some positive things to take away too.
First, Lalich is not abysmal. His passes were not dead on, but our offensive line gave him very little time to actually read the coverage. Alright, he threw into quad-coverage at least once. That you can blame on him, and I will not defend.
Second, our safeties were doing their job. We only saw one real big play from USC - the TD reception that keeps getting replayed on SportsCenter (I use “keeps getting replayed” loosely - few people in the real world, apparently, are actually surprised by the score). In years past, our secondary coverage has been weak at best, so it was comforting to me to see them functioning this game.
Third. Hmm. I don’t really have a third. I was really excited when our kicker made a pretty strong kick after our first failed drive. But after that, he reverted to mediocrity. Oh well. So it goes.
I was somehow able to avoid the masses at bars this weekend by going downtown Friday night and McGrady’s Saturday night. I would have liked to have seen a few more of you 3Ls, but unfortunately, not at the expense of fighting through drunken USC fans and first-weekend-at-college first years. Egad.
I don’t know when the next time I’ll be in Cville is, but it’s a very strange feeling for me not to be there right now. Apparently I am close to growing up. Boo.
You are moving to an Albemarle County horse farm, but where do you go in Central Virginia for all the necessary supplies for your horse and farm? Listed below is a selection of area saddleries and tack shops.
The Gifted Horse - 1417 Emmet St., Charlottesville, VA 434-979-0965
Dover Saddlery - 242 Zan Rd., Charlottesville, VA 434-964-1301
Boot’Vil - 8633 Seminole Trail, Ruckersville, VA 434-985-4574
Crawford Saddlery - 8629 Seminole Trail, Ruckersville, VA 434-985-4262
Scottsville Saddlery - 975 Valley St., Scottsville, VA 434 286-2101
The Saddle Fitter Inc - 2967 Dawaons Mill Rd., Esmont, VA 434-286-7000
Tad Coffin Performance Saddles Inc - 1151 Dairy Rd., Ruckersville, VA 434-985-8948
If you are looking for that perfect Albemarle County horse farm, I can help you. As a REALTOR and a professional in the horse business I understand the wants and needs of the equestrian buyer and know the Central Virginia real estate market. I am familar with the farms on the market in Albemarle County, Keswick Virginia, Fluvanna County, Orange County, Greener County and Louisa County.
If you would like to perform your own mls search click here.
Forest Lakes is simply a great neighborhood in Charlottesville!
Whenever I am showing homes to families near NGIC Real Estate, my clients often ask
about Forest Lakes in Charlottesville.
Forest Lakes is a great community with approx. 1,400 homes, Forest Lakes has six beautiful lakes, wooded lots, miles of walking and biking paths. There are 2 large swimming pools (one with a water slide), two basketball courts, 10 tennis courts (8 lighted), two soccer fields, and a fitness center are available to all residents.
This is a fine homes with a full finished basement! (My Clients work at NGIC)
This home in Forest Lakes South is outstanding, full basement and fenced rear yard!
Forest Lakes is conveniently located in northern Albemarle County (Charlottesville, Virginia). It is conveniently located off US Route 29, only about five minutes from the Charlottesville/Albemarle Airport.
Forest Lakes is also divided into two main sections:
Forest Lakes North and Forest Lakes South. Each section is further divided into several smaller neighborhoods.
Most are quiet cul-de-sacs with homes of similar size and style. Residential units include townhome, duplexes, and single-family detached houses.
Schools are very conveniently located between Forest Lakes North and Forest Lakes South.
This is another of my recent sales in Forest Lakes
Come visit and tour Forest Lakes area anytime!
About The Author
Charles McDonald, Associate Broker at RE/MAX Assured Properties and dedicated Buyers Agent is the author of this blog, and several other sites on the Internet. Charles and his team of experts in the Charlottesville area are always available to help you with your Real Estate needs. Call our team anytime at 434-981-1585 or to search for homes visit: Charlottesville Real Estate