He said his name was Mark. He was a retired house painter from Portland. He’d driven to the park with his son earlier in the week and they planned to head home the next day.
Brett Kavanaugh Deserves Better
This isn’t political gamesmanship, it’s nasty character assassination.
In Praise Of Beach Dogs
A good beach dog possesses qualities that simply cannot be taught. They're dogs that can be unleashed on the beach and not ruin anyone's good time.
Ancestors, Part II
Sifting through a box of recently discovered photos of my mother’s family, I find nothing but profoundly unattractive ancestors and eccentricity.
My Mother. My Heart.
If you had peeked into her room, you would have seen a frail, sick woman. That isn't what I saw.
We’re Off
For the next week I’ll be hiking with my sister-in-law, armed with nothing but bear spray, Swiss Army knives and our sharp wits.
What Goes Best With SpaghettiOs? A Chianti Classico, Of Course!
Ever wondered what to pair with a nice can of Dinty Moore Beef Stew? Try a Cotes du Rhone or a Vino Nobile.
Storm’s Coming
Decide if you’re going to evacuate. And be quick about it. It may already be too late.
What If The Good-Government Guys Win?
Virginia Beach’s most famous developer, a man who’s financed his projects with tens of millions of tax dollars, is threatening to pack up and pull out of the resort area if good-government types are elected in November.
SPECIAL FEATURE: Good Government. Virginia Beach-Style. Part II
It wouldn’t be the last time the VBDA lavished dollars on companies associated with Thompson, of course. And it wouldn’t be the last time Branch supported Thompson while serving on that body. Special reporting by John Holland.
Nike Shoes: Up In Smoke
How exactly does shoe burning hurt Nike? Do you think they have reps patrolling suburbia to see who’s in the backyard barbecuing their Nike Zoom Pegasus Turbos on the Weber?
No, That Wasn’t John McCain’s Senate Seat
As a writer, words matter. I don’t like this sloppy tendency to award public offices to individuals, as if they own them.
Don’t Settle Scores At Funerals
Look, we all know Trump brought this on himself. His remarks about John McCain’s war record during the presidential campaign were unfathomably nasty. Especially given his own lack of military service.
Honor In Honest Work
Shaming people who work at service jobs is precisely the sort of elitism Fox commentators constantly criticize other networks about. Frankly, it’s snotty.
Way Back When: Virginia Beach
These postcards date from the mid-1930s to the 1950s, when oceanfront hotels were graceful three-story inns with wraparound porches. Before long, they’d be demolished to make way for blocky towers of rooms that blotted out the midday sun.
Bloodthirsty Pit Bulls Terrorize Virginia Beach
It appears that a pair of pit bulls with a taste for blood are running loose at the North End of Virginia Beach.
Thermostat Wars
I read somewhere - or one of my friends told me - that the optimum sleeping temperature is 64. Never one to discard science, I try to keep my house in the 65-68 range. Summer and winter.
Widows' Succession? No Thanks.
Already there are rumors - fueled in part by a speculative piece in The New York Times - that John McCain’s wife, Cindy McCain, is being considered.