CenLamar | Est. 2006

  • Let’s Get This Out of the Way

    Greg Aymond, a local blogger and attorney, apparently mined my Facebook account, lifted photographs of me, and altered those photos to make me appear as a Nazi, as Che Guevera, and as Mao Tse Tung. It is weird. To be sure, some of my friends think Mr. Aymond’s images of me are hilarious, but they’re still freaked out. Why is he so obsessed? What’s really going on? I want to make it abundantly clear: I’ve never met Greg Aymond, but I can’t help but be concerned by him and the way in which he’s criticized me. I have nothing to…

  • Walker Hines in 2007: “I Will Never Sacrifice My Principles for Popularity. I’m a Progressive Democrat.”

    A special tip of my hat to my friend Oyster, over at the Lens, for reminding us about a letter that State Representative Walker Hines sent to the late, great Ashley Morris and the blogger Ray Shea way, way back in 2007, when the young Mr. Hines was first running for office. Quoting from Representative Hines (by way of The Lens, by way of Ray’s blog): I will do everything in my power to prove to others that I have never overlooked where I came from and why I am where I am today. I spent a lot of time…

  • Coco: Newly-Opened Courtyard By Marriott Suggests Local Hotel/Motel Business Is “Suffering”

    Last Thursday, there was a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Courtyard by Marriott hotel here in Alexandria. It’s the first-ever Courtyard property to locate in our region, a multi-million dollar investment in the Alexandria Mall complex, and a strong sign of confidence in our market from a national hotel developer. It was also smart and obvious. South MacArthur Drive is Alexandria’s premier hub of retail commerce, and perhaps more importantly, it’s also adjacent to Cabrini Hospital, which recently completed a massive, mega-million dollar expansion. Before the Courtyard by Marriott opened, the area was only served by low-budget motel rooms. To…