. . . from the Department of Sleeping Dogs:

And whatever else you have planned, please STOP for a minute at 3 p.m. It’s a small, quiet way to say thank you to everyone who is currently in harm’s way, or who has made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

From the Daily Progress:

“‘The best way to plan for the boomer wave is to make a plan,’ he said. ‘It’s a good idea to put boomers in charge of it. They love to be in control and they love deadlines and this is all about them.’”

It seems like about 20 minutes ago that Sara and I picked out a lunch box so she could start at Del Ray Play School. (A Strawberry Shortcake lunch box, as I recall.)

Today, I’m headed to New York to attend her graduation from law school. Same level of parental pride (off the charts), but she’ll be wearing a different costume!

Those, of course, are the opening words of Pride and Prejudice — arguably the greatest novel written in English. It’s certainly my favorite of all Jane Austen’s novels.

Which my daughter knows. That’s why I am now, courtesy of Mother’s Day, in possession of my very own copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Lizzie Bennett? A Zombie Slayer?

I’ll let you know.

Well, that clinches it. Last weekend House Minority Whip Eric Cantor began his re-launch of the Republican brand at Pie-Tanza in the Lee-Harrison Shopping Center. Today, President Obama took Vice President Biden out for lunch. Where’d they go? Ray’s Hell-Burger on Wilson Boulevard.

Signature Theater has won a Tony Award.

This is amazing for a company that got its start–literally–in an old auto repair garage.

A huge Northern Virginia coup.

Noticing that the percentage of Americans calling themselves Republicans has dropped to the legal drinking age, my former Richmond colleague (and fellow William and Mary law school grad) Eric Cantor has formed the “National Council for a New America,” a “dynamic, forward-looking organization that will amplify the common-sense and wisdom of our fellow citizens through a grassroots dialogue with Republican leaders.”

So the Republican revival effort began Saturday in Arlington (where President Obama got 72% of the vote last year), with an appearance by Eric, Jeb Bush, and Mitt Romney. In the middle of my district. At a great pizza place in the shopping center where I have my district office. And he didn’t invite me.

Using county-by-county job gain/loss statistics, Slate presents a map showing how the recession has spread to virtually every area of the country over the past two years (blue dots are net job gains, red are net losses). Note the corners of Virginia that have stayed in positive territory (blue) throughout.

Yesterday, Sen. Cuccinelli and I were on News Channel 8 discussing the unemployment issue. Here’s a link.