Is Your Fruit Ripe?

It seems as though a professor at the University of Arizona has developed a sticker for fruit to determine its ripeness.

I wonder the mad scientist stuck one on Lance Bass’ forehead to run a diagnostic test on the neat-o invention.

The following is an excerpt from a recent article from Yahoo! News.

TUCSON, Ariz. - A University of Arizona professor has invented a sticker that can tell consumers if a fruit or vegetable is ripe. The stickers will be available to growers next year and should make their way to supermarkets within two to three years, said Mark Riley, a UA assistant professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering.

A marker on Riley's RediRipe stickers detects a chemical called ethylene gas, which is released by fruit or vegetables as they ripen.As that happens, the sticker turns from white to blue.The more ethylene gas the fruit produces, the darker the blue, Riley said.

The color shift is not instantaneous once a sticker is attached. It takes about 24 to 48 hours, depending on how fast the fruit is ripening, Riley said.

And there are still bugs to be worked out: The stickers do not change color to reflect an overripe or rotten piece of fruit. Also, not all fruit produces enough ethylene to be detected by the sticker, said Jim McFerson, manager of the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission, a growers' research group that helped sponsor the research.

Michael "Ron Mexico" Vick Having a HIGH Time During Off Season

It seems as though Mike Vick enjoys a night out on the town. After all, he does live in Hotlanta.

But recent photos from taken from his current girlfriend's myspace.com page, show more than just gallivanting through Buckhead or down Peachtree.

If you look at the photos that have been published by mediatakeout.com, there is an object in his hand that looks similar to a "doobie" or marijuna joint. Marijuana is a substance that is banned by the NFL, and the first offense results in a four game suspension.

If you don't know Mike Vick, surely you know of Ron Mexico. At least the medical world does.

Let me take you back to March 2005. A woman filed a civil lawsuit against Vick, nothing new for pro athletes, right? She claimed that the Atlanta Falcons Quarterback gave her genital herpes. She said that Vick failed to inform her that he had the disease. It was brought up in the allegations that Vick had visited clinics in the Atlanta area under the alias "Ron Mexico" to get treatments. The photos posted on mediatakeout.com also show the possibility of a herpes outbreak on Mr. Mexico's lip.

In April, the lawsuit was settled out of court.

Final Stop in Virginia for Train: Innsbrook

Meet Virginia. For Grammy award-winning Train, it’s the song that put them on the music map. But for the past two months, the band has met Virginia, four times over. Train’s final stop in the Old Dominion was last night at Innsbrook After Hours.

Train is a favorite of mine, so the opportunity to see them perform twice in one summer (Charlottesville and Richmond) wasn’t passed up. Innsbrook can’t beat a drum with the Charlottesville Pavilion, where the band brought down the house on June 29th. But not surprisingly, Train put on good shows at both venues.

Although I have to say, the gold circle seats that Innsbrook added to many shows don’t really seem to be worth it. Especially since they are first come first served.

The San Francisco, CA based band is currently on the road this summer promoting its fourth studio album, For Me, It’s You, which was released in January.

Despite ominous weather conditions, a reasonably large crowd turned out at the Innsbrook Pavilion to listen to hits like the title track from their second album, Drops of Jupiter, and Calling All Angels from the 2003 album My Private Nation.

Half way through the set, lead singer Pat Monahan slowed things down and crooned with guitarist Jimmy Stafford on acoustic versions of Hopeless, Look to the Sky and the Led Zeppelin song Going to California.

The show opened with current single, Am I Reaching You Now. Sixteen songs later the band exited stage right following a cover of the Aerosmith classic Dream On.

Tonight, Train's summer tour steamrolls into Columbia, SC.

An American in Paris (again)

Floyd who? Make it eight in a row for the Americans in Paris. Floyd Landis captured his first Tour de France title in style yesterday. Landis had to over come more than just the rugged terrain and fellow riders.

Landis injured his hip in a 2003 a crash where he sustained a hip fracture. He now suffers from a condition called osteonecrosis and will have his hip replaced, now that the Tour de France is over.

Landis' parents had to go to a friends house to watch him win the world's biggest bicycle race. They currently live in Pennsylvania and are devout Mennonites.

Read more about Landis' incredible race at espn.com and his life as a mennonite at MSNBC.com

Sunday Breakfast

I got up this morning around 9:30 and decided to fix a bagel. We have a toaster with the four slots for bread, pastries, what have you. And I thought to myself, why is it toasters always have a setting that burns whatever you place in them to a horrible crisp, completely charred. Most toasters have settings between one and six. At six, your toast is practically fossilized, which no decent human being would attempt to eat.

Many toasters have that nice pull out crumb tray, yet if you so desire, feel free to destroy your bread by pushing down the lever for six minutes.

I just don't get it.

Grubb Hopes to Chow Down on Second Chance

Chesterfield, VA native Denny Hamlin is consistantly making local race fans proud. He won his first Nextel Cup race in June at Pocono, and is poised to win another Pocono race tomorrow, by sitting on the pole. Hamlin has obviously taken advantage of his chance to shine on NASCAR's biggest stage.

Another local driver saw his time in the spotlight dim in 2004, but now wants to recapture the success he found early in his career. For Mechanicsville's Kevin Grubb, a second chance to drive was all he wanted.

Grubb was suspended indefinetly by NASCAR in March 2004 for a substance abuse violation. But after 27 months of countless urine tests, in early June, Grubb got the call he had been waiting patiently for. He had be reinstated by NASCAR.

In a recent interview with NASACAR.com's Marty Smith, Grubb talked about his rocky past. "I've learned a lot, that's for sure," Grubb said. "I've made some pretty big mistakes and paid for every one of them. This whole experience has made me a lot wiser."

Grubb went on to say, "The main thing I'm doing is focusing on driving. Trust is earned, and I'm sure I lost a lot of trust with a lot of people." One person that thinks Grubb can still drive is Jack McNelly.

Grubb, 28, will now pilot McNelly's #56 Mac Hill Motorsports Western Sizzlin Chevrolet in select Busch Series races. Kevin Lepage is the teams primary driver. The race today at Martinsville Speedway will be Grubb's third of the season.

It's easy to see why McNelly tapped Grubb to drive his car. He finished 13th in the Busch Series standings in 2000, and 14th in 2001. In just 25 starts in 2004, Grubb finished 19th in the points.

Grubb, a graduate of Lee-Davis High School, began his racing career in 1996, running in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series running for the family owned Grubb Motorsports.

And if you must start over in racing, why not run more truck series races and gain seat time. Grubb agrees. He has signed on to drive the Bill Ballew Motorsports #15 Chevrolet Silverado this season as well, after the team had a fallout with driver Kyle Kristiloff.

Hopefully, the second chance that Grubb has received from NASCAR will produce great results for him on and off the track.

Decisions. Decisions. Lethal Injection or Electric Chair

Brandon Wayne Hendrick is scheduled to die tonight at 9 p.m. Hendrick will die for the Unless the Supreme Court or Gov. Tim Kaine intervenes, which is entirely possible. Although Kaine has said he would uphold the law in Virginia which allows for capital punishment, even though he does not agree with it. That’s a topic for another entry.

Virginia is an execution-happy state with 95 since 1976. But the Commonwealth can't hang close, no pun intended, with Texas, with 368 in the same time period.

But it is the method of execution that makes this story interesting. Hendrick is chosing to die by the electric chair. Hendrick can change his mind before 9 p.m. and opt for lethal injection. I think lethal injection is more humane than the electric chair.

Personally, I think Virginia should get creative and implement more options for captial punishment.

How about calling over to Utah and asking about proper hanging techniques and using the firing squad.

France doesn’t do many things well, but they did develop the guillotine. Which is pretty humane. At least you don’t suffer. Although there are stories of blinking eyelids, moving eyes, and mouths moving.

Public executions work for me as well. For instance stoning would be an excellent way to execution. How great would it be to go down to some public gathering spot downtown, like the James Center, and watch the stoning of some child molester. That beats any Richmond Braves game in my book.

In my opinion, Hendrick is getting off easy.

Big Dig Could be Political Sinkhole for Mass. Governor

I was in Boston for a meeting a few years back, and was traveling by taxi from Logan International Airport when I noticed a small pool of water in the Ted Williams Tunnel. I never really thought anything of it. That was until recently, when I learned just how bad the roads and tunnels of Boston are.

The Central Artery/Tunnel Project, known to many as the Big Dig, is the most expensive highway project in U.S. history, cashing in at over $14 billion dollars, after 1985 estimates were around $2 billion dollars. You can buy lots of shovels and hard hats with that. But you can’t buy the traffic headaches this project has caused for the natives of Bah-ston.

Last week, a lady died in one of the tunnels when 12 tons of ceiling panels weighing over 12 tons came loose and fell on the car she was riding in.

Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, 57, has stepped up and taken control of the probe into why the tunnel walls are flawed. Romney and Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly are considering taking legal action against the builder of the mammoth project.

Obviously this is a major concern for Romney and the citizens of Boston. But looking down the road, what does this architectural fiasco signify for the republican’s potential run at the presidency in 2008?

Wait a second. A Republican governor in Massachusetts? I know what you’re thinking. Massachusetts isn’t just blue, it’s navy blue.

But if family history is a telling sign, Romney will run. After all, he is the son of George Romney, a presidential candidate. The elder Romney was Michigan's governor from 1963-1969. After his fruitless campaign, President Nixon made him secretary of housing and urban development.

A shot at the presidency wouldn't be the first time Romney has looked to Washington to advance his political career. In 1994, Romney was the Massachusetts Republican Party's nominee for U.S. Senate. In the election, Romney captured 41% of the vote versus incumbent Senator Ted Kennedy's 58%. It turned out to be the closest margin of victory for Kennedy in his long and embattled career.

You might also remember Romney from his involvement in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Romney was in charge of leading the financially struggling Games. In 1999, the Winter Olympics were $379 million short of its goals. Romney made sure budgets were tightened and fundraising efforts went to the right places. Under his leadership, the 2002 Olympic Winter Games turned a profit of over $100 million dollars.

The management of the Big Dig investigation could make or break Romney’s chances. But there is another roadblock Romney will encounter in order to make it all the way to Pennsylvania Avenue. Considering what he has to work with the state legislature, realistically he has had no real chance to advance a conservative agenda and show any self-initiated progression on his presidential platform.

I once saw a sign in Boston that read “Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was the Big Dig.” Considering the project had been in the works since 1985, it’s been over 7,500 days, and apparently the job is still not done. I wonder if that sign needs to be put back up. Hey Mitt, grab a hard hat, your political future could depend on it.

Ashland, Virginia

An article in yesterday's RTD about improvements to the railroad tracks in Ashland brought back many memories of the town for me. For many vacationers, Ashland is just Exit 92B off of Interstate 95. It's a place to stretch your legs, fill up the mini van and dine at numerous restaurants, including Cracker Barrel, Wendy's and Waffle House.

But for me, the tiny Hanover County town known as "The Center of the Universe" was life, for four years. As a student at Randolph-Macon College, I learn the ins and outs of Ashland. Keep the speed down. I discovered that Ashland Police Department constantly runs radar on Route 1. Luckily, I never received a ticket from the folks in blue.

If you decide to dine out, your wallet will be lighter than normal. Ashland has a seven percent sales tax on restaurants, making some money off of the frequent passer by and town residents at the same time.

Chowing down in Ashland usually means you're eating at one of two places, a chain restaurant or a barbeque joint. And barbeque isn’t barbeque until you’ve devoured some at The Smokey Pig or Virginia Barbeque Company. The Smokey Pig was even featured on NBC’s Today Show. By the way, Today Show host Matt Lauer is a former R-MC student, but not a graduate.

The Today Show visit wasn’t the first time Ashland made national headlines, and it wouldn’t be the last.

Many locals unsuccessfully fought off a bid to build a Wal-Mart just outside of town, and they were featured in the 2001 PBS special Store Wars, When Wal-Mart Comes to Town. The Wal-Mart was built in 2003, and yes I shopped there.

The real newsmaker occurred at 8:00 pm on October 19, 2002, when Ashland went from “The Center of the Universe,” to the center of a national nightmare. The Beltway Snipers, John Allen Mohammed and Lee Malvo, wounded a Florida man at the Ponderosa Steakhouse. It would be the farthest point south the two killers would strike.

The shooting put 6,000 residents and 1, 2000 college students on high alert. It eventually turned into the “Where were you when the Beltway Sniper struck” situation. For me, it was the Arby’s across the street, 15 minutes before the shots rang out.

But now the sound in Ashland is a familiar and reassuring one, the trains. CSX bustling north-south route runs right through the center of town, and is an attraction for railfans young and old.

For two years, I lived less than 100 yards from the tracks. I adapted quickly to the locomotives, picking up on the sound, knowing if it is CSX or Amtrak chugging through town. Numerous times, I boarded the train in Ashland for jaunts to Washington D.C. and Philadelphia, looking at the old victorian style homes that line the sides of the tracks.

If you travel to Ashland, eat and drink at the Iron Horse Restaurant or Andy's. Please your pallet with some ice cream from the Cable Car, and sleep at the Henry Clay Inn; for it's his Kentucky estate the town is named after.

Call it small-town americana, or historic. But whatever you want to call it, Ashland is more than just an exit off the interstate.

Coors Taps One Too Many Rockies

Pete Coors, the Chairman of Coors Brewing Company must really like the new frost brew liners his company is promoting. The Washington Post reported yesterday that Coors, 59, was cited with a DUI in May, after driving home from a friend's wedding reception. For years, Coors has been the face of his frothy beverage company.

He even ran on the Republican ticket for the U.S. Senate in 2004, eventually losing to Democrat Ken Salazar. Every beer and liqour company says something about drinking responsibly in its ads, maybe Coors should watch a few of his own. It will be interesting to see if the world’s fifth-largest brewing company will continue to promote its product with Coors as its spokesman in the future.

Look Who's Not Talking: The RTD

With new management comes new rules. And it's hush hush at the Richmond Times-Dispatch. An interesting story in this week's style weekly magazine by former RTD staff writer Greg Weatherford. But don't ask any RTD reporters about it. They probably won't comment.

Actual T-D Obit From Sunday: Fred Clark

No Joke, this obituary ran in Sunday's Times-Dispatch. Yes it is long. But worth the read!

Frederic Arthur (Fred) Clark

Frederic Arthur (Fred) Clark, who had tired of reading obituaries noting other's courageous battles with this or that disease, wanted it known that he lost his battle as a result of an automobile accident on June 18, 2006. True to Fred's personal style, his final hours were spent joking with medical personnel while he whimpered, cussed, begged for narcotics and bargained with God to look over his wife and kids. He loved his family. His heart beat faster when his wife of 37 years Alice Rennie Clark entered the room and saddened a little when she left. His legacy was the good works performed by his sons, Frederic Arthur Clark III and Andrew Douglas Clark MD, PhD., along with Andy's wife, Sara Morgan Clark. Fred's back straightened and chest puffed out when he heard the Star Spangled Banner and his eyes teared when he heard Amazing Grace. He wouldn't abide self important tight *censored*. Always an interested observer of politics, particularly what the process does to its participants, he was amused by politician's outrage when we lie to them and amazed at what the voters would tolerate. His final wishes were "throw the bums out and don't elect lawyers" (though it seems to make little difference). During his life he excelled at mediocrity. He loved to hear and tell jokes, especially short ones due to his limited attention span. He had a life long love affair with bacon, butter, cigars and bourbon. You always knew what Fred was thinking much to the dismay of his friend and family. His sons said of Fred, "he was often wrong, but never in doubt". When his family was asked what they remembered about Fred, they fondly recalled how Fred never peed in the shower - on purpose. He died at MCV Hospital and sadly was deprived of his final wish which was to be run over by a beer truck on the way to the liquor store to buy booze for a double date to include his wife, Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter to crash an ACLU cocktail party. In lieu of flowers, Fred asks that you make a sizable purchase at your local ABC store or Virginia winery (please, nothing French - the *censored*) and get rip roaring drunk at home with someone you love or hope to make love to. Word of caution though, don't go out in public to drink because of the alcohol related laws our elected officials have passed due to their inexplicable terror at the sight of a MADD lobbyist and overwhelming compulsion to meddle in our lives. No funeral or service is planned. However, a party will be held to celebrate Fred's life. It will be held in Midlothian, Va. Email fredsmemory@yahoo.com for more information. Fred's ashes will be fired from his favorite cannon at a private party on the Great Wicomico River where he had a home for 25 years. Additionally, all of Fred's friend (sic) will be asked to gather in a phone booth, to be designated in the future, to have a drink and wonder, "Fred who?" Published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on 7/9/2006.

Professional Sports Go Slient (For a Day)

The day after the Major League Baseball All-Star Game probably seems like a constant slow motion highlight around the ESPN studios. Today is the only day of the year when one of the “big five” professional sports is not taking the field, track, court, or ice. Yes, I said five. Sorry hockey fans, but NASCAR has floored it past the so-called “coolest game on earth.”

It’s also a day that should be marked in any smart woman’s calendar. For many wives and girlfriends, professional sports are a vicious never-ending cycle. When one sport season ends, another begins, with some overlap in between.

So ladies, tonight is the night your fanatical husband won’t be glued to the tube, watching and yelling about some team that you could care less about. You can actually have a romantic evening out with your man. (He probably won't use the excuse of watching the WNBA All-Star Game tonight on ESPN.) Or have that important conversation you wanted to have yesterday when he was throwing the remote against the wall.

Remember, this is a one day sale.

Tomorrow the bats will crack and the bases will be loaded once again at major league ballparks. Chances are your significant other will be in front of the television, or on the computer, checking up on his fantasy team. His world, as an armchair athlete, will return to normal once again.

Sports Talk Show Host Staying Terrestrial

In an era when XM and Sirius have worked to weaken the signal on your AM/FM Radio, one sports talk show host has decided to pump up the volume on his terrestrial gig. Today, Jim Rome announced that he has inked a contract extension with Premiere Radio Networks and Clear Channel.

This big announcement has been in the works for over six months. Rome discussed his options openly with listeners and allowed their imput into the decision.

Many radio giants like Howard Stern have opted to going to satellite radio, for obvious reasons, and inking million dollar deals in the process. Rome stayed true to many of his listeners and will continue to broadcast The Jim Rome Show weekdays from 12-3 pm EST. in most markets.

Sometimes coming under fire for his frank and forthright nature while interview guests and providing his take on an issue, Rome didn't rule out the possibility about moving to satellite radio in the future. If that happens, Rome said he wants to continue to talk "smack" to his current audience of more than two million listeners tuning in on over 180 radio stations and via the internet at the same time. On his show this afternoon, Rome called the annoucement, "the greatest day of his radio career."

Church Hill Tunnel

Richmond doesn’t have a lot of things that many large cities have, from professional sports, to big time downtown attractions and nightlife. But Richmond can compete with the metropolitan mega stars when it comes to history.

Check out these links from the Richmond Times Dispatch to learn about the Church Hill Tunnel and the possible unearthing of an old locomotive, buried since 1925, in historic Church Hill.

I Ran into Steve Sanders at the Peach Pit...

He told me that Aaron Spelling had died. Where have I been since Big A passed on June 23rd? Talk about old news. I was sitting there with Andrea Zuckerman-Vasquez, enjoying a shake and talking to Nat Bussichio when I got the horrible news. This is how it went down: Zuck was chattin it up two docs, Dr. Michael Mancini and Dr. Peter Burns over at Melrose Place last week.

Apparently, the docs were performing surgery on Sgt. T.J. Hooker. Hooker had been in the hospital after crashing his vehicle responding to a domestic disturbance at the Beverly Hills home of Jim and Cindy Walsh. Hooker was able to call Det. Dave Starsky and Det. Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson in for backup.

According to a police report, the Walsh’s were fighting over whether or not “Models Inc.” was on the air for one or two seasons. It got heated. So hot that one of the Charmed Ones, Phobe Halliwell, had to use her witchcraft to try to calm Brenda and Brandon’s parents down. Nothing could stop them though and Jim Walsh was arrested.

Zuck went on to say that she knew that Spelling was deathly ill when she traveled with her close friend David Silver last month on the Love Boat steered by Captain Merrill Stubing.

Stubing and Silver were conversing on the main deck. Stubing said he knew Spelling was in bad shape when he saw oil tycoon Blake Carrington at the Denver airport in March. Carrington was openly weeping with Michael Keaton about the lack of respect that “Mr. Mom” gets on cable television these days.

Zuck echoed those sentiments to me about “Beverly Hills 90210 – The College Years.” But in the end, we left the Peach Pit and met up with Ray Pruit, playing his guitar on the hood of his car, thinking about poor Donna Martin, and the loss of her dad to 7th Heaven.

Deal or No Deal Coming to RIC

Do you have what it takes? Better yet, can you count to at least 26 and differentiate between large sums of money? That’s all you have to do to be on Deal or No Deal. And the hit NBC show is coming to Richmond for casting calls.

This show takes no skill. Howie Mandel, the “flamboyant” host does all the percentages for you when it gets down to crunch time, in case you can’t figure it out. It's not a show like Jeopardy! or Who Want's to be a Millionaire. At least for those you need brains. If you want a shot at a million bucks, then this is what you need to know.

Date: July 22, 2006
Time: 10am - 1pm
Location: The Shops at Willow Lawn, Richmond
Phone: 804 345-1212 press DEAL
Link: http://www.nbc.com/Casting/#dond
Adult Price: Free

Death of a Con Man

Think Ken Lay is chattin it up with Satan yet? It's not that hot in Houston. The thought of going to the big house for a long long time apparently scared him to death. Did he really have a massive heart attack at his million dollar home in Aspen? He could have popped too many blue pills. That mountain air could have made him go crazy. He wasn't gonna get that for a while, or forever

In case you forgot, Lay was awaiting sentencing for fraud and conspiracy convictions after Enron's demise in 2001. Enron's former chief executive, Jeffrey Skilling, still faces 25 to 40 years behind bars in September, if he doesn't croak first.

Apparently Lay's conviction will now be erased, but the emotional and financial suffering he caused for thousands of employees will never go away.

A Suprise Boost on Independence Day

The Fourth of July is usually reserved for hamburgers, hot dogs and fireworks. But on our nations 230th birthday, we got one galactic gift. For the first time on Independence Day, NASA launched the space shuttle Discovery from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

How about traveling in excess of 1700 mph out of the atmosphere? Now that’s what I call pomp and circumstance.

NASA couldn’t have planned this launch any better, thanks in part to Mother Nature scrubbing two previous attempts. Even though the launch fell on a national holiday, and a patriotic one at that, it wasn’t on purpose. And it almost didn't occur do to some minute cracks in foam covering the fuel tank.

During the 12-day flight, the seven astronauts aboard Discovery will test procedures to boost the safety of the shuttle as well as deliver equipment and supplies to the International Space Station.

This is the second shuttle mission since the Columbia disaster on February 1, 2003. Before that horrific day, the NASA space program had almost faded off the national map. It almost seemed as though space flight was a common occurrence in our society.

In the 60’s and 70’s, when the name Neil Armstrong was as notable as Michael Jordan, nothing said USA like the NASA space program. The launch of Discovery yesterday brought those days back, when astronauts were heroes. And for a few smoke filled minutes one could see the shuttle rocket towards the darkness of space.

Space shuttle launches are jaw dropping, and a true spectacle of American science. It was wonderful to see that at 2:37 yesterday, the “rockets red glare” didn’t come from someone’s backyard or following a baseball game, but from NASA, a program that needed a big boost.

C'Ville Keeping Richmond Off Key

Is Charlottesville, VA the next Northern Virginia or Tidewater? Population and traffic, no. Concert hot spot, possibly.

And once again, Richmond will be practically silent.

If you have lived in Richmond, you know the tune i'm singing. It's nothing new to pop culture. Most big name musicians take there tours to the north, east, and now west and hip-hop right over Richmond.

What's the reason for not entertaining the folks of cap city?. Here's a snippet. A few years back when Shania Twain was on tour after the release of her album "UP", the Richmond Colieseum had the dissonant distinction as the only venue that did not sell out. For some reason, concerts in Richmond don't sell out like they should.

The City of Richmond has recently made substantial capital improvements to the aged Coliseum, adding luxury boxes,new seats, and some big names, including Toby Keith, Elton John, and Bruce Springsteen. But the building is best know for housing monster truck events and minor league arena football and hockey. The Coliseum can't hold a note with spanking new John Paul Jones (JPJ) Arena in Charlottesville, or the Verizon Center (formerly MCI) in Washington, D.C.

It's all about the venues. Last week, my wife saw Train at the new Charlottesville Pavillion, located in historic downtown C'Ville. What a great place for a concert. The amphitheatre is clean, the sound is clear, and parking isn't a major headache. It makes local venues like Innsbrook After Hours and Brown's Island look like stages in a cow pasture. And the Classic Ampitheatre at the Richmond Raceway Complex is anything but classic these days.

John Paul Jones Arena will be a happening place in less than a month, kicking things off with Cirque Du Soleil on August 1. Headliners Kenny Chesney, Dave Matthews Band, Eric Clapton and James Taylor are scheduled to break it down in the 16,000 seat arena as well. Not to mention the age-defying Rolling Stones rocked UVA's Scott Stadium back in October.

The history and the museums are nice, but Richmond needs a real place to rock. Maybe if the city builds it, they will come. All they need to do is drive an hour west to find out how.