Dr. Dremo’s, Arlington’s archetypal dive bar, has seen more drama in its existence than a whole afternoon of cheesy soap operas. It’s condemned! It’s open! The hurricane caved in the roof! It’s re-opened! It’s closing to make way for condos! The county might not approve the condos! It’s moving! It’s not! For the number of times Dremo’s has died and returned, George Romero ought to be making movies about it.

Through it all, people keep coming back to Dremo’s because the beer is good (Fuller’s ESB! On tap!) and it’s the opposite of foofy and pretentious.

Now, I like Dremo’s as much as the next chick who hates beer does, but there’s one thing I just don’t get.

How the HELL does Dremo’s stay in business in the summer? They don’t have AC. There is only one fan, an ancient, rickety, tabletop model pointed straight at the bartenders. The place is a freaking sauna. We went last night to hang out with some friends, but we only lasted 5 minutes because the air was more oppressive inside than outside.

I suppose this might have added to Dremo’s unique brand of always-one-step-ahead-of-condemnation charm, but then I made one simple request: I wanted a big glass of ice to pour my Diet Coke over.

There’s no ice.

No… ice?! How the HELL does a BAR not have ICE?! No AC and no FREEZER?! WTF?

(I realize this is not a shocker to most of you, particularly those in Arlington, but I do most of my drinking downtown, right after work, and don’t spend a lot of time at Dremo’s.)

I drank my Diet Coke as fast as I could, pausing only to hold the can against my forehead and neck to make up for the utter lack of air movement, and yet by the time I had nearly finished it, it was room temperature.

I don’t understand how any establishment in this area, even one with the history of tenacity that Dremo’s has, can attract customers without even some damn ceiling fans and a bag of ice from 7-11. We promptly left and headed for the Courts up the street, as did the other guys sitting at the bar with us.

Sorry Dremo. See you in late September.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Are you a Geek? I mean a real hard-core Geek who dreams Linux and eats kernels for breakfast? And yet do you hack for good, trading fat paychecks for a clean conscience. Then its time for you to find your kind.

Tonight, join me at NPower Greater DC Region’s 501 Tech Club – a monthly gathering of people working on nonprofit technology in the Washington D.C. area. The meetings are opportunities for anyone interested in helping nonprofits use technology to get together and talk shop in a fun, informal setting, with others who work primarily with and for 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.

501 Tech Club of NPower Greater DC Region

Time & Location: 6pm @ Local 16, 1602 U Street

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Then I just found the best way to fill your nights with adventure. Remember the Hot or Not site popular back in 2000? Well some bright Geeks just hacked Google Maps and Hot or Not to give you Hot People by Zip Code. There you can put in, say the 20005 zip code and presto! You have a Google map you can zoom in and out as needed – to the areas you’d like to see HotOrNot personals.

Now I can finally be sure that my date doesn’t do it, drive I mean.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Some network-wide news today:

Metblogs makes Forbes’ Best of the web! Sure the reviewer implies that they’ve chosen our slogan for us, but we all know that’s bunk. Thanks Forbes for watching!

Detroit launches today We’re proud of our least sexy younger sibling, even if they only edged us out for the title. Welcome to the network!

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Yep, now I have government permission to stop doing work. I’m gonna turn off my cell phone, my laptop, my lights, and my mind, only keeping on the AC, XM Radio, and my beer cooler due to today’s DC Text Alert:

PEPCO has issued a heat alert until further notice. Please turn off all unnecessary electric devices to avoid blackouts.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I saw this this morning and immediately thought of our bizarro political news-scene, why couldn’t this have happened in DC?

A top opposition leader in former Soviet Azerbaijan has defended his track record as a heterosexual after accusing the oil-rich state’s authorities of launching a gay smear campaign against him.

“If anyone has doubts about my manliness, let them send me their wives and they will become convinced of my prowess for themselves,” the leader of the Popular Front of Azerbaijan party, Ali Kerimli, told journalists.

I mean, it has all the elements of a DC political scandal, seriously.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

My brother called me last night from South Florida, where he leads the glamorous life of a private pilot.

“Yeah, I’m sitting outside at this little cafe, sipping an espresso with sambuca, watching the girls stroll by.”

“You sound like grandpa,” I joke, “hey, I can’t hear you, there’s some crazy noise.”

“Just this cool Greek band,” he replies, “oh, and there’s this cute Cuban girl starting to bellydance.”

Apparently neither are regular performers, they just decided to enjoy some impromptu joie de vivre. Right out on the sidewalk.

Then it hits me – does this ever happen in DC?

Now, I’m not one of those people who bitch about our fair city’s social scene. I certainly have torn it up here in my day. I’m also not one of those people who constantly compares DC to other cities, like, say, The City. It’s a pretty ridiculous and unfair comparison, in my book. So I was a tad upset with myself for suddenly feeling jealous of my brother’s tropical lifestyle.

Until I parsed it. We are in the midst of a disgustingly HOT-HOT-HOT DC summer, and yet we don’t get the joyful mayhem that should go along with it. All we get are tourists and complaining lobbyists (the “I need to get me back to Missour’a” ‘s).

Where are our crazy sidewalk bands?
Where are our impromptu bellydancers?
Come on people, help me out here!
Hit me with your best DC-is-HOT scene…

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Sure enough, he said it:

“Look around,” he says, leaning forward and waving his hands in the air. “Do you see a computer in here?”

Then he slumps back in his seat.

“I am computer illiterate,” Robinson proclaims and beams with nothing so much as pride.

To me, this is like admitting you are functionally illiterate. It does, of course, explain certain recent decisions, like leaving Hector Carrasco in for 50+ pitches after only leaving his other relievers in for 10-15 pitches, costing the Nats the game when his lackluster offense could not convert runners at second and third with one out into an extra inning win. Sure, he says he’s seen what these boys do, and that he knows how good they are against left-handed pitching on astroturf.

But I think we all realize that a man who can’t operate his own computer most likely isn’t capable of remembering what he had for breakfast, let alone what his OPS is against righties at night on grass.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I was just reading over at San Francisco and Los Angeles about the precautions that were taken in London that might have tipped off police, and how ineffective they were in attack prevention. Of course, this is right on top of the GAO report on security. We’re no strangers to public surveillance here in DC, with cameras all over the city, throughout the Metro system, not to mention the cameras in elevators, offices and other places, but does it infringe upon your rights directly?

That I’m not so sure of. I’m not thrilled about the idea of prosecution-via-camera (think speed and red light cameras), but is the surveillance making public spaces more public than they already are? That I’m not convinced of either. What do you think?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Dear Officer Johnson,

I appreciate that you have a job to do, and in fact, I respect it. I do not, however, appreciate the tickets, plural, you issued my new car this morning at 10am. I have 60 days, under county regulations, to get a new tax sticker for my car, and my dealership was polite enough to help me re-register my vehicle under the same tags via the DMV. I know it gave you nothing but glee to write them anyhow.

From the Arlington County Website:

Q. If I’m new to Arlington or I have purchased a new vehicle, how soon do I need to register?

A. You are required to file a vehicle personal property tax return within 60 days of moving a vehicle into Arlington or purchasing a vehicle which will be located in Arlington.

So, effectively, you’ve issued an improper ticket, causing me to go through numerous hoops just to prove my innocence, which in this case, was not presumed. Thank you for reminding me how little you have to do, though.

No love,
Tom Bridge.

PS. Thanks for putting the appeal process online.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I’m sick of working downtown.

Don’t get me wrong, the current state of DC’s downtown is a vast improvement over its wasteland state when I was a student. But I keep waiting for the promised land of a “living downtown” that always gets touted when someone needs votes.

Take my woeful daily lunch ritual. I’m awash in a sea of Au Bon Pain’s, Potbelly’s, and Cosi’s. There’s nothing wrong with any of these per se, but after five years of lunches it gets a little old. Not to mention that since the lamentable closing of Olsson’s I only have two bookstores to wile away my lunch hour in – the ubiquitous chains of Barnes & Noble and Border’s. Again, nothing wrong with them intrinsically, it’s just the dearth of choice that gets me down. And from the massive cranes I see everywhere, the situation won’t be likely to change anytime soon.

More office buildings, more suits, more drones, less choice.
Downtown gets blander and blander and I’m stuck in the middle.

God, I’m so depressed…

This calls for some Fantasy Shopping at the only naughty little French lingerie store in downtown, Coupe de Foudre.
I’ve yet to tempt myself there – it’s on E Street somewhere – I’ll report back!

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

The Post has an incredibly moving feature about homeless life in DC, spread out over two solid days of video, thanks to the cameras of Florida grad student Ben de la Cruz. He follows John Harrison for 48 hours as part of an awareness program, a man who lost his home in a fire, and lost his job when his company reorganized without him. It’s heartbreaking to watch, but it’s something we ought to think more about here in DC.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Folks, it’s gonna be mighty hot the next few days. If you don’t absolutely have to be outside, try to stay somewhere cool. We’re looking at a few 90° + humidity days. It’s not going to be at all comfortable out there. Currently, it may only be 74, but with 80% humidity on the scale, today’s high 94 puts us around 105 for the Heat Index, and we’re on pace for the same tomorrow and then hotter (but with storms) on Wednesday. Drink lots of water, people, it’s gonna be funkalicious out there.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Did anyone, when they got the DC text alert below, think to themselves like I did: “Cooling station? Perfect, my beer was getting warm”

There are two cooling centers: Takoma Recreation Center Location:3rd & Van Buren Street NW Opening @ 11:30A.M.-7:00 P.M. Barnard Elementary School Located @ 4th & Decatur St. NW 3:00PM-7:00PM.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I’m late. I’m running down the Metro platform late, hoping I can make the dash up the stairs and out into Union Station before my train leaves late. Sweat staining my shirt from all my running late. And as I zip into the crowd of folks at the bottom of the escalator, the folks self-arranged into two lines, one for escalator walkers one for standers, I’m told:

“You’re cutting the line”

Ha! Really now, I’m cutting your fat ass off as I pass in front of you, a escalator stander, into the walker line? If time matters to you, if you should care about the 1.2 seconds I make you wait for me to pass, what the hell are you doing waiting to stand for 5 minutes while the escalator takes its sweet-ass time to ascend twenty feet? Really now, check your head before you check my speed.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Got plans for tomorrow? Wanna escape your powerless domicile? How about white water rafting? The plan-o-rama folks at Professionals in the City are getting together a trip to Harper’s Ferry for Sunday.

"We'll travel on two rivers through three states (Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia) on an unforgettable 2 to 4 1/2 hour invigorating trip (the length of the rafting depends on the speed of the rapids that particular day). A riverside picnic (chicken, potato salad, watermelon and a beverage) is also included on this whitewater adventure."

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Pepco reports 16,000 residents remain without power, primarily in Northwest and Northeast Washington DC, tree and power crews are in the field repairing lines.

Good luck!

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

“There’s something about the Hong Kong Film Festival that always makes me want noodles afterwards,” my friend Gina sighed, tossing her anime red hair.

Indeed, even though last night’s showing of “Dragonblade” was a CGI fantasy, they still managed to work in the obligatory scene of a guy eating noodles…

So we headed over to Sushi Aoi at 11th & NY Ave, opposite the wasteland demolition site of the former Washington Convention Center, for some yummy ramen and udon soups to slurp to our hearts’ content.

Sushi Aoi and Haad Thai are two great little restaurants at this corner of no man’s land. They are always packed for lunch with the downtown office crowd but do minimal business at night. Which is really a shame because both serve up excellent and consistent fare. Aoi does a great toro special – the fatty cuts of tuna, salmon, and yellowtail – pure heaven in my book.

So head on over if you’re in the mood for Japanese or Thai tonight. It won’t stay no man’s land for long, which will be interesting to watch as the development rises.

You could hit the National Museum of Women in the Arts first. There’s plenty of parking on NY Ave if you’re the driving sort (near the homeless camp-out. And if that sort of thing freaks you out, you really shouldn’t be anywhere near a city anyway!)

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

No, really, ex-Mayor for Life, Marion S. Barry needs a drink. A tall cool glass of beer + lime + ice to quench his thirst. Otherwise, he’s gonna be in Greater Southeast all weekend and miss the fun that comes with being a Ward 8 Council member. Ya know what, I might just call him at home to make sure he knows.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Apparently, BORF wasn’t busted last week. No, he says he’s free and at large & here’s your chance to meet him:

Tomorrow, Saturday July 23rd
MEET BORF at Dupont Circle

Meet at 4pm in Dupont Circle for a celebration and discussion of public
art, graffiti and vandalism. There will be sidewalk chalk, stencil
cutting materials, free spray paint, hopscotch, handstands, millions of
dollars, and the first in a series of communiques from Borf. Borf is not caught.

Come tomorrow so we can talk about what all this shit means.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs