The Russians aren’t coming!  From VCU:

This is a reminder that at noon tomorrow, Wednesday, Feb. 6, VCU will conduct a test of emergency sirens on its Monroe Park and MCV Campuses. Ten sirens will wail for two minutes, pause for about a minute, and then sound a one-minute “all-clear” even tone to end the test.

The full siren system will be tested along with text messages and other emergency communications channels, including digital signs, e-mails and Web site information.

This test is distinguishable from the first-Wednesday-of-the-month checks of the siren system that consist of 15-second bursts, and from other short bursts of the sirens that may occur occasionally during maintenance of the system.

In a real emergency, sirens will sound for four (4) minutes to signal that an immediate, life-threatening emergency has occurred or is imminent. The purpose of the siren is to alert people outside of campus buildings to immediately seek shelter and additional information. People in campus buildings should remain where they are and seek additional information about what is happening and how to respond. People off-campus should not come to campus but should seek additional information. Once the campus environment is determined to be safe, the “all clear” or even tone siren will be activated for two minutes.

Text messages will be VCU’s primary channel for rapid communications and information about emergencies and closings and delays for inclement weather. If you haven’t done so already, I urge you to sign up right now at www.vcu.edu/alert/notify.

Style Weekly reports that the upcoming Richmond Environmental Film Festival organizer John Wade was convicted in 2002 of conspiring to blow up a crane at Short Pump Town Center with fellow members of the Earth Liberation Front, an organization labeled by the FBI as “one of the most ‘dangerous domestic terror groups’ in the United States”:

When Wade started organizing the event, he knew he needed a big-name speaker for added oomph. But Robert Kennedy Jr. wanted $30,000 and Al Gore costs $150,000 — plus there’s a two-year waiting list for the Nobel laureate. After hearing a Baltimore speech months ago by longtime consumer advocate and former presidential candidate Ralph Nader, Wade waited in a book-signing line and simply asked for Nader’s help.

He agreed.

“Do you think I should have told Nader?” Wade poses to a Style reporter.

He probably should have told Style, who has pulled their sponsorship of the event.

People love this blogging thing. So much that the print folks wanna give it some credit.

Style Weekly published some thoughts through this week’s “Short Order”:

It’s difficult enough to open a small business in Richmond. And it’s more difficult still to fight the now-inevitable bloggery that follows, with every self-styled critic weighing in on matters big and mundane.

Those critics can not only squelch a squeamish customer base, but also make it more challenging for owners. Two new businesses made their much-delayed debuts last week and bloggers were breathless within hours. Should owners respond or ignore the online commentary?

Well, as the804.com rebuts:

[T]here seems to be a slight twinge of elitism in using the term “with every self-styled critic“, as if the opinions of bloggers are somehow less legitimate than, say, a Style-styled critic. As for this angle of being the friend of the “small businessman,” in the past, Style has had no problem ripping into restaurants and, thereby, their bottom lines with negative reviews (Baccus and Down Under recently come to mind). That feels like a double standard.

Well said.

The Times-Dispatch, meanwhile, has a couple of questions for bloggers. Which bloggers? Well, while they identify the sites, they don’t actually come out and say who exactly they’re speaking to. Is this a veiled critique on the art of blogging or just shoddy writing?

Anyways, first they wanna talk West Of Boulevard News and then they turn to Fan District Hub. Both are worthwhile and let ya know what the brains behind each are thinking. Hopefully someone at RTD is taking notes and will be tweaking their “community blogs” section accordingly. Or closing it in lieu of the real deals.

UPDATE: The WTOBN.net interview was with Sam, the FDHub.net interview was with F.T. Rea. This is the kind of crack reporting and thorough follow-up you’ve come to expect from the “Best Political Blog In Richmond”. That’s right. Denial is awesome.

UPDATE 2: Deveron Timberlake responds with a clarification of her thoughts in the Style Weekly column.

Well, the results are in and… well… *sniff* I’m sorry, I just… This is going to take some time to sink in. I think I need to do a little soul searching, but, well, until then, I feel ya kid. I feel ya.

Congrats to the winners. I guess.

(No, seriously, congrats to all the winners. There are some great blogs out there and there were some tough choices to be made. Kudos to all, especially the 270 some odd folks who voted. Great showing!)

Velvet’s Princess Di is no more. (Via RDN)

Jon Baliles has the sad photo evidence here.

Style Weekly has an article up on Landmark’s decision to explore their sale:

Style Weekly Editor Jason Roop says the alt-weekly isn’t going anywhere: “Although I was disappointed to hear the Battens were exploring a sale, our readers will continue to get the best of in-depth, local reporting on news, arts and culture.”

The Times Dispatch is reporting that Landmark Communications is looking to sell Style Weekly among other properties:

The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, The Roanoke Times and Richmond’s Style Weekly could be for sale, the dailies’ Web sites reported late last night.

The Web sites said the Batten family has hired advisers to sell its Norfolk-based Landmark Communications Inc.

An announcement about the decision is scheduled to be made today. The company could be sold in pieces, the sites said.

The privately-held media company also owns The Weather Channel, plus television stations in Nashville, Tenn., and Las Vegas.

Landmark employs about 12,000. The Web sites said 2006 sales were $1.75 billion.

The Weather Channel is also on the market:

Landmark said it had not held talks with any potential buyers, but confirmed it had hired JPMorgan and Lehman Brothers to look at its alternatives.

“At this early stage, we cannot speculate on where this process will lead,” Landmark Chief Executive Frank Batten Jr. said in a statement.

Landmark’s newspapers include The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, The News & Record of Greensboro, North Carolina, The Roanoke (Virginia) Times and nearly 50 community newspapers.

“There’s always somebody around who wants to own them for some reason. Media properties rarely don’t get sold,” said Benchmark Co analyst Ed Atorino.

The Weather Channel would be the most prized asset in a sale because cable networks are more valuable than newspapers, which have been losing advertisers and readers to the Internet and cable networks.

What this means for Style Weekly is up in the air right now, but hopefully it won’t hurt their publishing.

The Roanoke Times has more here (and it’s the same article The Virginian-Pilot has).

Hey, Richmond.  It’s snowing again!

  And who’s going to argue with the dictionary? Check out all the blogs in all the assorted categories for the Richmond 2k7 Blog Awards and be sure to give J’s Notes the biggest vote you possibly can for Best Political Blog. Because, really, is this not the best blog on politics in this fine city? Do not deny the dictionary!

See the list of all nominees in all categories here or just go vote here.

See more on my awesome campaign for the Best Political Blog In Richmond here and here.

Bring a ham on out to Poe’s Pub tonight or tomorrow night starting at 9pm to help out the homeless and have an awesome time.  Who could say no to all that music, people and Dirt Woman happenings?  For more info, give Style Weekly a call at 358-0825 or check out the Facebook group.  If you plan on heading out either day keep an eye open for my ugly mug.

C’mon out to the 12th Annual Hamaganza to benefit the Central VA Food Bank.  $10 or a ham gets you through the doors at Poe’s Pub Friday, December 21st or Saturday, December 22nd.  Music, people doing things, Dirt Woman, and other assorted festivities begin at 9pm.  For more info, give Style Weekly a call at 358-0825 or check out the Facebook group(everything’s on Facebook these days, don’tcha know).

When you love something so much sometimes you have to mock it.

Consider yourself on-notice:

That’s right. Not only do I somewhat resemble him, but I just went and got the one and only former Presidential candidate Stephen Colbert on my side. You guys better watch out! Especially you, Mr. “The Ward View site that had its name misspelled on the on-notice board”! Don’t think that because it’s mis-typed you’re in the clear. Oh no. It’s still so very on…

(Go do your civic duty and vote.)

The folks at RVANews have set up the polling booth for the RVA2k7BAs(That’s catchy).  Your’s truly is up for Best Political Blog and given the other’s listed I think this puppy’s gonna be a cake walk, yes, a walk in the cake.  Such delicious cake.

Yep, I rock more than those no names at that one site and that crazy guy at the other.  Hell, the other two aren’t even worth mentioning.  I got this puppy so wrapped up I’m gonna go start on my acceptance speech.  Get ready for a lot of “Big Guy Upstairs” thankin’ and tears, people.

But before I do that I should write the nominating committee and figure out why J’s Notes didn’t pull a mention for Most Addicting (”Awkward Things I Say To Girls“?  Pffft, that site ain’t even fit to be a methadone to the crazy hook that is the life and times of J~) or even Best Business Blog (because my business is everyone’s business).

Ah well, maybe next year.  Until then, go check out the list of all the blogs in all the categories and vote for which sites you think rock the most.  Hurry up, you’ve only got until the end of the month and that’s a whole not-too-far away.

And tell them the best political blog in Richmond sent ya.