Gov. Timothy M. Kaine calls it Virginia’s “32-year curse.“ Virginia has followed eight consecutive presidential elections by electing a governor of the opposing party a year later. Most recently, Democrat Kaine’s 2005 victory came a year after the re election of President George W. Bush, a Republican. “I used to think that [trend] was a coincidence,“ Kaine said earlier this year. He said he now thinks it’s a sign of “buyer’s remorse.“

We’re doing more than covering what’s happening at the tracks during the NASCAR season this year. We’re also offering fans the chance to participate in an online fantasy racing contest. Two weeks ago, the drivers in the Sprint Cup series were banging bumpers, trading paint, and burning rubber at Richmond International Raceway in the Crown Royal Presents the Russell Friedman 400. They’ll return in September for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400.

You’re familiar with the regal symbols (bald eagle), adorable animals (panda bear), and even business controversies (spotted owl) that have connections to the word “endangered.“ You probably haven’t heard of Caddo, Hupa, and Menominee, and you may never hear of them again. They are languages that are still spoken—for now—in the United States, but they’re on their own critically endangered list.

For nearly 23 years, Metro Business has been the Monday go-to place for business news, trends, and stories about businesspeople and their companies in the Richmond region. It has a devoted following in the business community and among general readers. Businesspeople say Metro Business lets them keep up with colleagues and competitors and develop strong contacts. Everyday readers say they like learning about business developments in their community and the people behind them.

Accurate. Trusted. Dependable. Timely. When you read those words, we want you to think of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Now add “Instantaneous” and “Interactive,“ and you’ve got TimesDispatch.com, a Web site that carries and extends the attributes of a newspaper brand built over more than 150 years. TimesDispatch.com is the No. 1 local news site in the Richmond market, and breaking news throughout the day is what drives that ranking.

Freedom of Information Is the Foundation of a Free Press Some of the most exciting writing we do here in the Richmond Times-Dispatch newsroom never gets published. It reads like this: “This is a request under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act . . . .“ With those words, we recently found out that:

What is your favorite part of the newspaper? What part of the paper makes you angry, or inspires you, or makes you feel smarter? What does your newspaper not have that you wish it had? We’re going to offer you the chance to answer such questions—face to face—and we’ll buy you a cup of coffee to boot. Beginning tomorrow, we are launching a series of visits to Richmond-area restaurants we’re calling “Coffee With the RT-D.“ This is your chance to sound off about what you like about the

Six months ago, the Dow was above 11,500, TARP and credit default swaps were not common terms, and most Richmond business news appeared on the business pages. As the business landscape has changed, so has the Richmond Times-Dispatch’s business coverage. Local business news lands on the front page regularly, along with the latest developments in stimulus, bailout, and foreclosure recovery efforts.

Your mother probably told you it was dangerous to bring up religion or politics in polite conversation. By now you’ve figured out on your own that other topics, such as race or sex, can quickly turn a friendly discussion into a rhetorical free-for-all. Yet every day on our Web sites, TimesDispatch.com and inRich.com, we invite readers to comment on those subjects, along with other hot-button issues such as smoking in restaurants, gun laws, abortion, domestic violence, and just about any incendiary subject you can name.

Barack Obama made history Jan. 20, but let’s look at the history of some of that day’s words . . . Such as blunder. Hey, in fairness to Chief Justice John Roberts, we’d all be nervous reciting anything, let alone the presidential oath, in front of millions of people. Still, bobbling a few words is a “blunder,“ or a clumsy mistake. The Old Norse blunda meant to shut the eyes, so we see a connection to our modern usage, where “blunder” (as a verb) can mean to move in a clumsy manner.

FROM THE NEWSROOM Shortly after noon Tuesday, Barack Obama raised his right hand and made history as the first African-American president of the United States. Richmond Times-Dispatch photographers were there to record the day. It began at 4 a.m. for our team of six photographers and a photo editor who fanned out across Washington, and it didn’t end until after midnight, with the president and first lady dancing at one of the many balls they attended that evening.

Last Sunday, the Richmond Times-Dispatch published a front-page story about the growing foreclosure crisis in Virginia. We presented you with facts and figures about the ex tent of the problem and compared 2007 with the first 11 months of 2008. Everything we told you about 2008 was correct. But most of what we told you about 2007 was incorrect. Nearly every number was about half of what it should have been.

What a difference an election makes. Through Election Day, Barack Obama was in constant motion. Since then, the president-elect has worked in near-silence and virtual seclusion in his Chicago home.

FROM THE NEWSROOM Charlotte M. Minor was so inspired by her experiences as the 2008 Richmond Christmas Mother that she plans to expand her volunteer efforts in the new year. Minor’s personal touch was evident in the number of donations that were dedicated to her, her family, and even the family pets—Doogie and Brownie. She made many appearances on behalf of the Christmas Mother Fund, including at The Jefferson Hotel tree-lighting ceremony, two Holly Balls, a luncheon at Imperial Plaza, the annual Valentine Christmas at Court End , and Richmond Christmas Mother Day at the Salvation Army Christmas Center.

We’ve got some special series running in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, so we’re taking a special approach to telling the stories. One series started in today’s paper and will continue for the next four days. Another is run ning once a month on Mondays. And, at the end of this column, there’s information about creating your own greeting cards using