Warm and fuzzies. Let the sky never be just blue again. Winter be damned forever. Gratitude and grace abound.

One of Hampton Roads’ brightest minds, Thom White of Work Program Architects, has donated his time to envisioning The Plot, a ‘community gathering place’ featuring an entertainment amphitheater, outdoor basketball court, a place for vendors, and very cool shipping container public art.

Norfolk/Virginia Beach is changing, both in real-life-livability, and perception. This is a step in the right direction, and I’m going to be happy to support this pilot program first hand on my next trip out of ORF in mid-February.

In all their glory.

Tomorrow should be a fun day for those of us oddly obsessed with the future of this far-too-holy port town they call Norfolk, Virginia…

Now is not the time to close the doors. Now is the time to be open. If Norfolk wants to be a grown-up city, it needs to start treating its citizens like adults. Let it start here, with Waterside.

What makes me so optimistic about this project is the way that the private sector, citizens, and government have worked together to make it happen.

Its a horrible catch-22: being a teacher you’re not allowed to be depressed, but the emotional output required by the job makes you more likely to be depressed.

Jules talks about her favorite Friday Featured Artists, the interviews that have left an impact on her, the local art scene, and on re-designing billboards in her head as she drives around town.

A local jewelery business gave us these two sweet pieces to raffle off. They’re rad and so is Luna Rosa.

Neko Case, Cannonball City, a 2012 resolution worth keeping, the best of last week, and what to expect this week on AltDaily.

“We need to work-on being a destination and not a stagnant trendy novelty.” – Nichole Ashikis

It’s a website and app that helps you look up everything from assessed value to code enforcement cases. Welcome to the golden age of property stalking in Norfolk.

“From Greek sculpture through contemporary painting, nudity and sexuality have always been part of art and I don’t find any shame in continuing that tradition.” – stuntkid

I have a vision for this city. When I ride my bike through Norfolk I see it in two dimensions: where it is now, and where I believe it can be in the next couple of years.

A Norfolk employee sent an email from work asking for Fraim volunteers. Not good.

Our Tweeterific coverage of the opening of Virginia’s first light rail system, plus some of #HRVA’s take.

Two of the most talented people in or from Hampton Roads creating art right now are the musician Phillip Roebuck and the videographer/director/overall-filmmaking killing machine Bryon Summers. They hooked up to make this video.

We sat like a family around the dining room table. We held hands as Shelley said grace. I don’t remember all that we talked about, but the talking never stopped.

Hello world.

“In my work with the Red Cross, I found that being able to help others after they have lost everything is a life-changing experience.” – Susan Drees, Red Cross volunteer

“The idea is to test the market to see if that’s a market we’re missing during the holiday season,” said Ray Amoruso of HRT. “If there is success identifying a market we can see about going out to the Oceanfront as well.”

Occupy Norfolk is gathering today to protest the Senate’s authorization of Bill 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act. Where the movement goes from here is anyone’s guess.

Plus a little creative non-fiction about the invention of the sponge table tennis paddle, starring the great Marty Reisman and a suitcase full of stolen gold.

The show will take place one night at The Attucks and then the next night at The NorVa. We’re into this.

“People hear concrete and they think garages and sidewalks,” he said. “But it really is beautiful, and it’s not something many people know exists. We’re always educating people.”

Marty was returning to the States not as a man but as a human asterisk, the answer to a ping pong trivia question: Who was the man that was supposed to win the tournament that changed everything?

If you’ve seen a TCC “from here, go anywhere” ad, Dave Iwans has been in your life. If you’ve ever “taken ORF,” Dave Iwans has been in your life…

CYBER MONDAY ALL OVER YO FACE! Local news, digestible and fun, just for you. Also suitable for framing.

To the truck drivers, sanitation workers, the back of the house, custodial staff at our schools, single parents, military spouses and more… We thank you.

His name is Marcus Anthony Calabrese. Get to know him a little bit here.

“We sure hope Pete Townshend likes it.” – Paul Unger, who made this video with DJ Ryan Thomas

“Maybe my business idea would have happened without Start Norfolk,” said competition winner Brian Wells. “Now, it’s *got to* happen.”

We are shifting the direction of the editorial content of AltDaily.com in a way that will lead to fuller coverage, higher quality content, and a more sustainable business model and work load. We are looking for editor/writers.

In what felt like the blink of an eye three people were arrested. Rex Bonney: “We thought the Bill of Rights was our permit.”

Click this and enter your address or personal information to find out.

Process. This is what art is: the creation, the trial and error, the hours alone in the studio, editing bay, or with a laptop in the dark. Art is not the final product you see in a gallery or museum. It is a team of seven people sweating over a piece of molten glass that literally glows with heat.

Artists. Photo series. Op-eds. Fine arts. Music. Occupy Norfolk. Local History. Science, zombies, bikes, and food. It’s probably been our best month of content ever.

If you haven’t had a good long conversation about Occupy yet, listen in on this one. It’s not easy to find solutions, even when most agree there’s a problem.

A trifling little poem in the spirit of Halloween and mermaids.

Last year Norfolk had its moment. Like the undead, our moment is back.

The big arts and culture institutions in Norfolk are coming together in hopes of growing the scene. Here are some ideas they should consider implementing.

If you’re unregistered and not planning to vote, you’re misguided and in need of help.

New York and L.A. will be fine on their own, but we are all we have. We have to stick together.

Call it the Google Age or the Internet Age or History2.o; the tectonic shifts have been reversed, and a virtual Pangaea sits in its place.

“We want the ‘Wow’ factor and we will know what we want when we see it.” – Rick Mersel, The NorVa

“They will eventually be marching with us,” one protester said of the police. “I guarantee that.”

“We are certainly a city that shows restraint and we certainly believe in the First Amendment rights and to express those rights in a peaceful, lawful way,” said Chris Amos, Norfolk Police Department.

Make a video of yourself performing an Avett Brothers song. Any instrument, or none at all. Winner gets 4 tickets, 2nd pace 2.

There isn’t anything else to say.

A chat about civic leagues with Downtown Norfolk Civic League president Kevin Murphy. Plus, info on when and where your neighborhood’s civic league meets.

We decided that the Editorial Board will have four primary roles, plus the creation of wtf@altdaily.com. Read on for details.

I know, I know, it’s not an independent, locally-owned business. Sometimes you have to put reality over ideals.

We tried to select a mix of individuals with a professional journalism background and experience in the world of activism, along with long-time AltDaily contributors and plain old passionate AltDaily readers.

Urban Outfitters is on the Norfolk Design Review’s agenda for this Monday. Does it mean anything?

$10 to see the Tony winner for best play, “God of Carnage,” tonight, plus great deals at Hell’s Kitchen. Just because you’re broke doesn’t mean you can’t live well.

If you live in the Freemason area of Norfolk your mayor is not named Fraim. You report to Admiral Jack Kavanaugh, and in Jack we trust.

Plus the 13 articles from this month I was most proud to publish.

Norfolk’s city manager doesn’t mind talking about cutting departments. He sees Waterside not as an independent entity, but as a key to a waterfront overhaul that *should not* be managed by government. And more…

A view from inside the culture and community of the greater Norfolk metro, with AltDaily editor-in-chief Jesse Scaccia.

AltDaily is working with the City of Norfolk Department of Cultural Affairs on a yet-untitled zine featuring four or more urban legends set in Norfolk.

It is with real joy that we announce this Call for Submissions for our premiere issue of AltDaily’s new print edition, Cannonball City.

Deteriorating Storm Conditions Force City of Norfolk to Delay Police, Fire-Rescue Response

Notes from the Generation Norfolk Survey Meeting #1.

As the people who love this region and call it our home, it is our civic duty to ride and support The Tide.

He’ll be performing on Colley tonight before Back to the Future @ The Naro. Look for a full feature on him next week.

“There is a lot of culture stew happening here,” says Angelina, co-owner of the new second hand shop on 35th. “And we like it that way.”

It’s kinda Beach Boys, kinda movie theater theme song. Like Radiohead albums, you’re going to have to listen to this song 20 times or so before you know for sure if you like it.

For today’s If You Read the Paper we look at what news outlets outside of the region are saying about Hampton Roads.

Introducing a project aimed at improving our quality of life in Norfolk through the funding of initiatives chosen by a survey of the people who care.

New slogan for the DNC- Downtown Norfolk: Rubbing Out Your Boring Suburban Existence. And more in today’s If You Read the Paper.

AltDaily abides on July 15th.

The news that shapes how the country sees us, the news the shapes how we see ourselves.

Our Founding Fathers are pure gold heroes, right? Not so fast, if you read just a bit of Howard Zinn’s ‘A People’s History of the United States.’

The new DNC-sponsored–and art-infused–bike racks Downtown are a huge step forward.

Take Billy Joel’s advice, and don’t try to argue with a crazy (ma ma ma ma) man.

We do not publish enough features about the awesome local businesses that shape the fabric of our community. We are hoping you could help us remedy that.

“If you sit in the back of the bus, let people demean you, and ride on the sidewalk, you’ll always feel like a doormat. Show some spine. Ride like you belong on the street, because you do.”

An overview of what we’ve done and what we’re all about.

$500 grants offered to make Art | Everywhere closing night a Spectacle of Awesome for Downtown Norfolk.

“They look too clean, too safe,” I complained to Lizzy. “I like them because they look like that but I bet that they’re not,” she said.

We spoke to the interim director of Innovate!HamptonRoads™, Rick Lally, about the strengths of Hampton Roads’ economy, where we’re headed, and what needs to happen for us to thrive in the next decade.

The real winners are the people of Norfolk, who get to enjoy this great art for 8 weeks. Anyways.

When a city has real energy the people have a different kind of dynamic between them: we recognize that we are drinking from the same tap, and we all got to do our part to make sure the well doesn’t dry up.

And a bunch more fun and informative stuff to make your life better here in Norfolk/Virginia Beach, in If You Read the Paper.

Volunteers are needed for Norfolk Bike Month. Educators, people who know how to fix a bike, general good people willing to help where needed, and all who love freedom and wind in their hair should read on.

Star viewing party at Mount Trashmore. Plus an interview with astronomer Chuck Dibbs about those crazy shiny things in the sky.

And more in today’s If You Read the Paper.

How to climb stairs really really fast, a preview of Step Up For The Up Center Stair Climb.

How bike culture makes us healthier, closer, and more prepared for the future.

We need your vision to help spread ours.

The line-up includes some heavy hitters, old favorites, new faces, and a lot of freaking talent.

It’s my birthday and I’m doing If You Read the Paper like this and nobody can stop me.

We want someone who is going to bring the meat.

What our rascal representatives were up to their last week in session, in today’s If You Read the Paper.

For today’s If You Read the Paper.

What our lawmakers have been up to in Richmond. In today’s If You Read the Paper.

Art is beautiful.

Stories from the General Assembly, including teachers rally for funding, health care jobs for veterans, license plates memorializing Tech shootings, and more.