Most Influential People in the 'ville

So cVillain has been named best local blog by Cville Weekly(promotion does help- and I mean that in a good, snarky way).

They have a new post up to discuss the most influential people in Charlottesville, its a fascinating discussion. GO and make your comment NOW (or when you have a minute).

I named my two favorite LOC friends Becky Reid and Holly Hatcher- for full disclosure purposes!

Lowes and Twitter

I started twittering- because I like the word. The concept is not something I am sold on, but since the cool kids Marijean and Jim are doing it, I thought I should figure out what it is all about. I am @jmckeever if you would like me to follow you or me to follow you. Stalking is fun.

I concur with Patience’s sentiments on Lowe’s.

Truly the year of the pot roast or how a pot roast flies

Marijean led me to the Pioneer Woman's blog. I saved several recipes, then I viewed this post by Patience, then I KNEW I had to make the pot roast. Those cvillebloggers come in super handy and those recipes get made quickly after a good one gets out, very interesting to watch this phenomena.

I have a photo of the vaunted pot roast on my other computer, it cant begin to describe the wonder that is this meal. I recommend it highly. Also the leftovers are even more delicious (I had it over egg noodles for leftovers). I also want to try the spicy chicken legs, cupcakes, lasagna, nevermind, just go look and you too will feel like Cooking is fun again!

DemCentral took this quiz, I thought I would. I couldnt post the HTML stuff to the comment section, so here it is with appropriate attribution. You should take it. Lloyd's results really surprised me (hint: Gravel and Kucinich).

83% Bill Richardson
82% Barack Obama
81% John Edwards
80% Chris Dodd
78% Hillary Clinton
78% Mike Gravel
71% Joe Biden
70% Dennis Kucinich
47% Rudy Giuliani
46% John McCain
44% Mike Huckabee
37% Mitt Romney
31% Ron Paul
30% Tom Tancredo
28% Fred Thompson

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

Wiiii

Cville Working Mom is a great blog, as indicated by my inclusion of it on my blogroll. However, I was disturbed to find this anti-Wii post after Christmas. Too bad she cant value the awesomeness of the phenomenon.

I asked for and received a Wii for Christmas. Why? I hate video games- Pac Man is my speed, but not Mario Brothers or other stuff.

During football season our friends traveled to our house for games with their new son and Wii. After the game instead of the bar scene (which prior to the child would have been the preferred activity), we gathered at our house and challenged each other to tennis, bowling, big brain academy and the like well into the evening and night (Chris would like to mention here that he scored a hole in one on Tiger Woods golf, for those who like the system).

I appreciate the comraderie of the system, it is engaging. Sure- going bowling is engaging, but I am not going to Keglers anymore, first I am not 19, last time I went it was full of smoke and drunk people (never mind the news stories on the violence there), oh and I have two boys who need to be in bed pretty early.

Second, it isnt exercise, but you know on any one given day it is more than I am doing normally. A few practice tennis games on the Wii at 9PM makes up for the fact that I didnt have time to ... well go to the tennis court (I think I last did that in the 90s).

Third, what are Chris and I doing after 9 at night anyway (which is when we typically play)? To the tennis courts? Hitting the baseball field or boxing rink? Nope, watching tv, doing chores otherwise not really anything. Why not a little Wii?

With respect to my kids, they are always in bed when I play. They play very limited games, in brief intervals. I would rather them experience outside and play during the day (so they sleep better at night) than watch tv or play video games.

I respect people's right to hate the Wii, I dont particularly understand it. I love it and am having a blast playing it. And we are planning a late night gathering with friends, adult beverages and fun soon with the Wii. Thanks Chris!

Blame the weather

I have lots of things going on, which usually makes for excellent blogging material. Then why am I essentially not blogging over the past two months?

Well I am still reading a lot of blogs, does that count?
I tend to favor rainy days for my bursts of creativity- it must be the sullen artist in me. SO this drought and interminable sunny days have me in a depression lacking creativity and interest in blogging.

Hopefully I can shake this once the weather changes, fingers crossed it will be soon, then I can get back to my interesting, creative posts. OK well interesting to me...

Saved cville posts round-up

I have a Bloglines feeder so as to keep up with all the important and silly postings of the day without having to go to so many websites (sorry for all your counters out there).
In the feeder you can save some posts. I have saved some posts for a variety of reasons, perhaps you can guess why, perhaps I dont even know why. Here are some posts I saved:

1. Life in Sugar Hollow's things one can plant in June; now that it is August, I wonder what I can plant, I felt so optimistic in June that perhaps I could grow something...I have given up on that thought for the year.

2. Eat Air's "A Week of Breakfast" - so he made breakfast all week and took delicious photos of them and provided the recipes. I thought I could use this to persuade Chris to make me breakfast, but I havent had time to tell him about this, perhaps he will read this post now.

3. Cville Tomorrow's LWV Groundwater Presentation podcast and discussion. I really wanted to go to this presentation, but couldnt, and I really want to listen to this podcast, but I havent, I promise I will though.

4. Buddha on the Road's A Month of Sundays. Sad, sweet, July is a hard month in our household and for some reason this post helped.

5. STLWorkingMom's "I'm Going to BlogHer" I guess I can delete this one now, she went, she had fun, I stayed home and went to a 6 year old bday party :)

6. STLWorkingMom's "Because I am a Blogger" I am a big fan of Marijean so of course a lot of her posts are saved, heck and I am even mentioned in this one. I would like to write a post like this one day...I have been given so much as a result of blogging in the cvilleblogs community.

7. CvilleBikeandTri's "We are not our Sports Dopers" his outrage mirrors mine and he speaks it succinctly and angrily. Thanks for that Craig.

8. Vale of Evening Fog's "C Stands for a Collection of Things" simply poetic and nice photos.

9. Black and White check out his almost daily photos today's is spectacular "Up River and Down River" and yesterday's "Kevin" hey, I know that guy. Bill's photos are simple, yet deep.

10. Duane Gran's Log of Thoughts "Housing and the Law of Supply and Demand" Duane is so smart, and I keep meaning to read this dense post.

11. RealCrozetVa "Homesick for Crozet" I didnt grow up in Crozet this long ago, but I remember Seals and Kristie's family running the IGA, orange soda and pizza from Sal's on Friday nights and walking on the road for miles and never having a car pass you.

12. RealCentralVa I have a lot of posts saved from Jim's blog- he always provides excellent analysis of whatever he is discussing, also I like his links to other articles of interest. So here and here and here and here are some of my favorites.

13. Waldo Jaquith's blog- "Top 8 photos of 2006"- this was the first post I ever saved, I love these photos. Waldo recommended the "Get Rich Slowly" (GRS) which is in my feeder, but I am keeping this to the cvilleblogs and here is a post he liked from GRS. I appreciated his comments on "When Green is Not Green" and finally yesterday's "China's Bond Threat" something I am increasingly worried about.

This may seem like an all-encompassing list, but it isnt.

Its a Carnival

Colten is outraged and he cant take it anymore. Which of course only encourages the grumpy one- especially the lively debate in the comment section; what do you think?

Trish went to Louisa. Whenever she goes anywhere, she brings her camera. I love the photos and commentary.

Cvilleblogs has lots of specialty blogs, including the LDBlog. This post describes the difficulty one candidate for public office had getting through school as a result of his learning disability.

Joyful Cooking had a rib-off; I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the delicious looking photos. It was worth the wait & when I have time I look forward to making them. A guest cooker made apple walnut muffins, I just cant get my muffins to come out well so I liked her tips (the box just seems so easy and the muffins look right).

Patience got beets. The post combines a new vacuum with the CSA loot of the week. She got beets- I got friggin kale. I want SOME BEETS please anything but GREENS (frankly I love the lettuce & I would love to get some spinach BUT kale? That is a garnish where I used to work). Why even bother planting Kale? OK sorry I went ranting and this is supposed to be a carnival.

Lexi- your post about shopping for suits was too long ago to be included in this carnival; but shop, shop, shop. Lexi is having a great summer as a summer associate in Philadelphia with a partner suite for her office. Is the car service ok? I hope it doesnt come too early. Let the name calling begin (just kidding).

What do these people do? The name does not lend itself to knowing, well I learned this week they design/develop websites and this shopify thing I dont know what it is, but someone does & the company seems real excited about it, perhaps we should be too.

Duane in his normally pithy manner highlighted a Rolling Stone article, which led to this fervent discussion on Waldo's blog.

A post by Jim caught my attention; one on the Builder's Blitz that Habitat for Humanity is in the midst of. I really appreciate his take on local real estate matters.

StLWorkignMom has a way of gently pointing out the obvious so that if we are making some of these very errors we can correct the problem.

Jeanine is busy reminding the restaurant world how small cville can be...

Helena's blog had a tribute to Kimberly Dozier, who was injured in a car bomb explosion on Memorial Day, two of her colleagues and one soldier were killed. Kimberly appears to be improving.

I think that is enough for now. Waldo will ask Cameron to host next week, unless YOU want to (let Waldo know)...

Blogging Round-Up

I am hosting the carnival this week.

With Rick's advice fresh in our mind, I want to invite all cvilleblogs to submit posts for the round up this week. Submit your own or one you really enjoyed to jlm2z@hotmail.com. Submit by Sunday (we will go a little later this week since Waldo was tardy last week).

I am also looking for next week's host, are you ready??? If I dont get a volunteer, I will choose you anyway. I think I was a teacher in a former life.

Antics of a blog summit roll out

This post by Way up High guy (I assume) is hilarious and semi-accurately details the fun drummed up by Sorenson for planning its second annual political blog summit. I love how middle school exists even in blogoworld.

The great VA political blog aggregator is to thank for me finding that lovely post. Since I am attending the blog summit- does that mean I should be on the aggregator? Discuss. Just kidding.

To James Webb or not to James Webb?

That is today's question. I have yet to hear him speak since he unfortunately couldnt be at the 5th District Caucus dinner. Webb is at Newcomb later today (doors open at 11:30- what does that mean? When will he talk?). Do I go? I will then have a topic to blog about, although I have oodles of other things I could be doing than listening to self serving speeches in crowded auditoriums. I suppose I am simply not that interested in this primary, gosh if I am not interested, those candidates are going to have a hard time getting their messages out to people who are not as interested in politics.

Blogging Round-Up

Here is the round-up for this week. Talk to Waldo if you too would like to round-up!

Waldo's post on the Al Weed flyer leads to equally fascinating and thorough fact analysis via the comment section; reminding us all why the blogosphere rocks as a forum for discussion and analysis.

Politickchick column was linked on Salon.com. Politickchick also posts some hilarious responses to her Cav Daily columns. What a great idea for columnists to react to comments submitted in response to their columns.

I was reminded by Johnny Metro why I love cville, the ever changing, never boring views.

Outskirts despises most things about the village; complains yet again about the music from the downtown mall. The changes in sound should be coming in two weeks, so complain after the James Brown concert. City Mouse has a different perspective on the pavalion.

City Mouse’s ongoing saga with her neighbor living in the closet continues with an answer from the myopic property management company.

Anoop had to tell the world about the noodle bar on the Corner. I appreciate the weekly updates on where to eat since I never get to go anywhere (ok I did get to go to Mas, I recommend it highly to Anoop).

Brian Wheeler & Charlottesville Tomorrow provide a great service to the community with this particularly interesting post regarding Albemarle Place; shopping, traffic, gentrification, the future is now.

Eat Air got interviewed and made a delicious brunch- all with no meat, cheese, eggs um and other things. I enjoy the recipes because generally it makes the vegan life seem accessible. I am not a convert but I enjoy the idea of the alternative.

Fatuous Observations believes people dont respect teachers because they talk over children's presentations. I want to assure her that people are just rude.

There are a lot of new cvilleblogs from people who recently moved here. Matt Fotter is content and needs people to drink beer on the street with him (I have someone in mind); Rob adds some humor with this great post of a mangled subtitle. Rob & Matt might have a heck of a time together.

Finally StlWorkingmom posts some review haikus on recently watched DVD's.

Thanks for reading, enjoy.

CvilleBlogs

Thanks to Jagermeta for the logo (and ability to use) for cvilleblogs.com. Both are on sidebar, so visit them often.