Appearing Too "Social" on the Social Network

It's no secret that college admissions officials sometimes check out the Facebook accounts of prospective students.  It's likely that more than a few would-be students have been turned away based on what they posted on the social network.  Now that trend is in reverse.

College prospects are seeking out the admissions people.  A survey by college admissions test-prep company Kaplan found four out of five have received a friend request from at least one college applicant.

The Internet today allows us to broadcast a single thought to EVERYONE in just a couple of keystrokes, but what is often lost in the message is the tone.  The recipient may not see the jest in your "WTF" posting.  Texting, Facebook...it's still a form of writing, and writing requires craft.

So before you hit "send" or "post", take a second look at what you've just written, especially if your comment or email could be read by a boss.  Or by a college admissions director.

Health News

Peak Flu Season Not Here Yet -- Spring is only three weeks away, but flu season has not peaked in Virginia yet, says an official with the Virginia Department of Health.  Flu activity is widespread in Virginia and 43 other states.  More from the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

A Fever Can Be a Good Thing -- A children's doctors group says parents are over treating their kids' fevers.  More...

Greener, QUIETER Snacking on the Way

Frito-Lay is giving its biodegradable chip bag a second chance with a new, quieter version.  Complaints that the first compostable Sun-Chips bags were too noisy got so numerous that the company switched back to the old bag last fall.  The percentage of complaints involving people waking up their house mates while sneaking a midnight snack was unclear.  Forbes Magazine has the story

Free Tax Help

As we all sit down to begin wading through federal and state tax forms, it's important to point out that some of us can file both sets of taxes for free.  If you had an adjusted gross income of less than $58,000, are active duty military, or qualified for the Earned Income Tax Credit, you may qualify to use Virginia Free File.  Visit www.VirginiaFreeFile.org.

The First Sign of Summer...

Summer can't be too far away when Virginia Beach advertises it is hiring eight supervisors and 40 lifeguards...

More information available here...

Around the Wire

No Tax Break for Boat Owners -- A bill that could have led the way to tax breaks for Virginia's boat owners was voted down Tuesday in the House of Delegates.  State Senator Richard Stuart said he introduced the bill because boat owners are keeping their boats in other states that have lower property tax rates.  But House Minority Leader Ward Armstrong said giving a tax break to yacht owners was just a dumb idea.  More...

Cell Phones on the Brain -- Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found that using a cell phone for less than one hour per day can alter brain activity near the antenna.  But scientists don't yet know if the effects are detrimental to a person's health.  More...

Woman Survives, Car Doesn't, in Train Collision -- In Suffolk yesterday, a woman walked away unhurt after her car was hit by a frieght train.  It happened at the railroad crossing on East Washington Street.  The front of Veda Mercer's red Suzuki sedan was mangled but she was okay.  The case is still under investigation.  WVEC.com has photos from the scene.

Finally, if you're gonna sell yourself as a defensive stud, you might not want to use a photograph that makes you look bug-eyed scared.  That's free-agent safety O.J. Atogwe's official bio photo from NFL.com.  He paid a visit to the Washington Redskins this week.

Help for Another Local Family

First it was Extreme Makeover: Home Edition helping out Beverly Hill and family in Virginia Beach.  And for the second time this month, a national TV show has helped a family with Hampton Roads ties.

Last May, Virginia Beach native Rachelle Friedman was paralyzed when she was pushed into a swimming pool at her bachelorette party and hit her head.  This week, NBC's Today Show unveiled a home makeover for Friedman and her fiancée that will make her home wheelchair accessible.  More from the Virginian-Pilot

NBA's 3-Point King

Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics became the NBA's all-time leader in three-pointers last night, hitting three to pass Reggie Miller on the career list.  I usually root against his team, but Allen's quiet leadership and class help keep me at least marginally interested in the NBA.  Allen's new record has made me think back on how the three-pointer has evolved from a seldom-used novelty to a primary weapon in modern basketball.

The old ABA introduced the bonus point basket in 1961, setting the distance at 25 feet; players at pretty much any level will tell you that was not a shot, but a heave.  The NBA didn't add the three-pointer until 1979.  In the 1982-83 season, only four players in the entire league made more than the 25 triples required to qualify for the league lead.  In 1987, Reggie Miller's rookie season, NBA teams averaged 410 three-point attempts per season.

The modern NBA is a shooter's league.  Last season, NBA teams averaged 1,487 three-point attempts, almost three-times the average from 1987.  And contemporary players are good at it;  more than 30 players are currently hitting over 40% from behind the arc.

To me, it illustrates how basketball at the college and pro level has evolved.  The mantra used to be, "work for the best possible shot."  Now it's, "take the first open shot."

Downtown Tunnel Westbound Tube Will Close Next Week

The Downtown Tunnel's westbound tube will be closed for six consecutive weekends, starting Friday, February 18th.

Stephany Hanshaw, the Eastern Regional Traffic Operations Manager for the Virginia Department of Transportation, tells me the project involves the removal of the overhead ceiling tiles, which are nearly 60 years old. They're not a safety hazard now but could become hazardous in the near future, he says. The tiles won't be replaced yet. Hanshaw says they don't have the engineering or the funding worked out yet. 

The westbound Downtown Tunnel tube will be closed from 7pm Friday to 5am Monday on these weekends:

February 18 through February 21
February 25 through February 28
March 4 through March 7
March 11 through March 14
March 18 through March 21
March 25 through March 28

You can hear my interview with Stephany Hanshaw this Sunday on Hampton Roads Topics, which airs at 6am on Star 1310, ESPN Radio 94.1, 92.9 The Wave and 97.3 The Eagle.

We also talked about the upcoming Midtown Tunnel expansion project, which will likely be the first of several public/private partnership road projects in Hampton Roads. Hanshaw says there will be tolls on both the Midtown and Downtown Tunnels.

If there's a silver lining to be found, it might be this. Hanshaw says toll booths, similar to what used to back up traffic on old Route 44, won't be found at the Midtown and Downtown Tunnels. An automated system using EZ Pay and toll cameras, like that at the Coleman Bridge, will be used instead.

Here's a page with more details about the Downtown Tunnel project.

Elsewhere on the Wire

Flu Season has Arrived -- The Virginia Department of Health reports that influenza activity is high in Virginia, but it's not too late to get a flu shot if you haven't already.  The shots are available at your local pharmacy, doctors offices, and local health departments.  More...

Foreclosure Filings are Down -- Realtytrac reports that new foreclosure filings in Hampton Roads fell by more than 20% in January.  The experts say it's less a sign of an economic rebound and more a sign that banks are devoting more time to reviewing foreclosure papers before booting people out.  Either way, it's a good thing.

Computer Catches It's Own Abductor -- A computer may have helped Newport News police catch the thief that stole it.  A laptop computer was reported stolen last month from a home on 32nd Street.  The victim later received an emailed photo, taken by the computer's webcam, that showed two people.  One was them was 19 year old Ashley Hargrove, who has now been charged with with felony possession of stolen property.  More in the Daily Press.

Use Coupons Retroactively

Remembered a coupon after leaving the store?  It may still work.

I recently spent $60.00 at Office Max on new ink for our printer.  When I got home, I realized I had forgotten about the Office Max $10.00 off coupon on purchases of more than $50.00 that came in the mail a few days earlier.  I had my doubts, but two days later I went back to the same store, showed them my receipt and asked if I could still redeem the coupon.  Without a question, the clerk ran it through and credited ten bucks back to my credit card.

Different stores may have different policies, but the point is...it doesn't hurt to ask.

You Really Can Feel Sunny (or Cloudy)

In an Associated Press/Weather Underground survey, four in ten Americans said they associate weather with mood.  The time of year they most associate with feeling down is, of course, winter.  However, it's not the "winter blues" for everyone.  About one in six surveyed said they have sex more often during the winter.  More

Freebies from Consumer Reports

You have to subscribe to ConsumerReports.org to get all of their detailed ratings and recommendations, but they do provide some freebies each month.  Go to ConsumerReports.org/Highlights to view buying guides on SUV's, treadmills and ellipticals.

Car Safety Seat Roundup

Here's another recycling opportunity.

The 22nd Annual Car Safety Seat Roundup is happening through the month of February.  Old or used child safety seats can be dropped off at any AAA Tidewater location, any DMV Customer Service Center, or any Wal-Mart store in Hampton Roads.

Here's why it's a good idea...

1. The experts say car safety seats that are over eight years old, were bought from a thrift store or were handed down from friends or relatives may not protect your child effectively in a crash.
2. The seats will be recycled through TFC Recycling, thus keeping them out of the landfills.
3. You'll receive a $5.00 Wal-Mart gift card.

More Car Seat Info

Need help installing a child safety seat?  Let the AAA of Tidewater Virginia help.  Details here... 

Can't afford a car seat?  You may qualify for a free one from the Virginia Health Department.

Resources:  www.SafeKids.org

Elsewhere in the News

Destroyers Lose a Coach Without Playing a Game -- The UFL's Virginia Destroyers have confirmed that head coach Jay Gruden will be the new offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals.  The Destroyers begin play this fall at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex. 

Gone Viral -- A professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School redefines the term with this bacterial logo.  More...





You're entitled to one free phone call -- Changes enacted by the State Corporation Commission will require telephone companies to provide only one free 411 information call per month.  The number was eight up until 2008, when the requirement was trimmed to two.

Extreme Makeover Home Edition -- Despite this week's rain, strong winds, fog and the cold, the build team is on track to make the deadline Saturday.  The Daily Press has photos from the build site while The Pilot talked with neighbors who are enduring a week in a construction zone.

The Prognosis for the Gulf of Mexico -- The administrator in charge of the Gulf Oil Spill Compensation Fund says the Gulf should fully recover in three years.  However, a federal judge has ruled that Kenneth Feinberg is acting as an advocate for BP and cannot call himself a neutral party.  More...

Today in Dumb Crooks -- Police in Silver Spring, Maryland have arrested a suspect in a string of burglaries.  The suspect left his cell phone charging in one victim's home.  More...

Finally, a photo from New Hampshire that illustrates why so many people are hoping Punxsutawney Phil is right.

Pothole Patrol

Thanks to the harsh winter some of our highways in Hampton Roads are more like the surface of the moon.  If a bone-jarring roll through a pothole left you wearing your coffee, report it to V-DOT.  Fill out an online form here or call them at 800-FOR-ROAD and they'll put it on the repair list.

As for how potholes form, KRDO-TV in Colorado provides this handy explanation.

"This time of year, when rain or snow seeps through cracks in a roadway, moisture reaches the soil below.  That water freezes as temperatures drop, causing the ground to expand, which pushes the pavement up.  When temperatures rise again during the day, the ground contracts, leaving a gap between the pavement and the soil as the water melts.  Potholes form when vehicles drive over the area where the gap exists – the pavement cracks and drops into the hollow area below."

A Guide to Enjoying or Supporting the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Build in Virginia Beach

The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition local info page.

See the build site -- Shuttle buses to the site are running from 8am to 8pm on an as-needed basis from the Lynnhaven Mall parking lot.

Support the Extreme Food Drive -- Food donations for local food banks are being accepted in many area businesses including Farm Fresh stores.  Their goal is 306,000 pounds of food.  The food drive runs through February 5th.  Click for drop-off locations.

Volunteer -- Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is calling for volunteers with framing experience.  More...

Study: Red Light Cameras Save Lives

So much in the news today about those automated red light cameras.  First, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates the devices have saved more than 150 lives and cut fatal accidents by 24% in 14 large cities where they're installed.  However, a driver's rights group called the National Motorists Association reports that earlier studies found photo red cameras actually INCREASED accidents, including rear-end collissions, at stop lights.  An association spokesman says drivers often slam on their brakes to avoid getting a ticket, thus increasing the potential for rear-end crashes.

 Localities like the automated systems because they generate revenue.  The Virginia Beach Police Department estimates they've collected over $2,500,000 in fines in the last year.  And that's with 60% of the alleged violations caught on camera being thrown out.

Virginia Beach officials don't yet know if red light cameras actually make intersections safer.  The city is launching its own study to compare crash rates before and after the cameras were installed.

Privacy rights advocates believe the cameras violate civil liberties.  The General Assembly is considering legislation that would prohibit any new red light camera systems from being installed in Virginia, but would allow existing cameras to remain.

Expect more scenarios like this in the future.  Public safety technology will continue to evolve and improve, and they will continue to test Constitutional boundaries.