So as Tom and I are sitting here at RFK, the Nationals announced on the PA and the scoreboard that tomorrow night, cash donations for Hurricane Katrina victims will be accepted at the gates.

Now, that’s nice and all, but here’s what I want to see:

Since the DC Armory is where 200 evacuees are currently being housed, and since the Armory is right next door to RFK Stadium, I’d like to see the Nationals organization pony up with some free tickets to the games. Here are some people who have been under nothing but stress and strain at the loss of their homes- how about giving them a free night at the ballpark to offer them a mental reprieve? At any given weeknight Nats game, there are easily hundred of seats in the outfield that could be donated.

And while I’m on the topic, what’s a ball game without some ballpark food? Come on, Aramark, pitch in a hot dog and a soda for each one. And not one of those chinzy paper cups. The plastic souvenir cups. That they can keep. Because they probably lost all their drinkware. In the HURRICANE.

So don’t cheap out, yo.

Hook it up and set the charitable example for the fans who you’ll be soliciting donations from.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Hey, what’s this? Ballpark WiFi? At crappy RFK? Sure, it’s not much to sneeze at, but it appears that the Florida Marlins have brought their own WiFi network with them, so, here I am, live from Section 511, Row 2 Seat 5 of RFK!

To quote Mel Allen, “Well, how about that!”

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I’m not really supposed to have caffeine. Heart condition, palpitations, that sort of “frail Victorian lady” bullshit. So I usually tempt fate and indulge in a delicious yet deadly cafe mocha from the downtown Firehook Bakery across the street from my office.

Today after my allergy testing fun I really needed a pick-me-up. So, far from Firehook, I wandered into the Washington Circle Starbucks for a “tall skinny mocha” or whatever the hell they call it. When it’s up I collect it and am on my way to relax in the circle and let my blisters fade when it strikes me that the cup is incredibly lightweight. There seems to be no heft from the mocha or the espresso shots. I lift the lid and peer in – what do I see? Whipped cream. Literally over half the cup must be whipped cream.

Now I know people joke that Starbucks is in the dairy business, not the coffee business, but this is ridiculous. So I return to the counter and sweetly say, “Miss, I’m sorry. No whipped cream, please.”

She rolls her eyes and makes another mocha.
This time, it’s filled to the brim with actual liquid.

What the f*%#@? Is this typical, Starbucks drinkers, or is this a case of bad barrista?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

They say that if you live in DC for a long period of time, sooner or later you develop allergies. This certainly is the case with me, and I just can’t take it anymore. So today I postponed the return to work and instead submitted to the joys of allergy testing.

In case you’ve never experienced said testing, here’s how it works:

A calmly smiling nurse first swabs your forearms with some icky smelling disinfectant. Then she draws little pink polka dots all over them so that you look like the sad elephant from the Island of Misfit Toys…

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Chris Needham over at Capitol Punishment has this to say over Grandpa Frank’s latest temper tantrum:

“What’s Next? Demon Rum?”

Frank Robinson finally figured out what was causing the National’s 2-month malaise. No, it’s not the stinklicious shortstop. It’s not the hobbling third baseman with the balsa bat. It’s not the team’s un-clutch hitting, nor the five-alarm fire that comes after a Tony Armas or Ryan Drese outing.

It’s the music. And the cards.

Gosh darn it, these boys aren’t serious about the game with their hippity hoppity music, and their cuthroat games of pinochle.”

Well, whatever the case, the Nats are on a three game streak, and rapidly looking like a team that could pull it out of the toilet before the end of the season. With a bunch of roster moves, they’ve bulked up with minor league talent including Ryan Zimmerman and Rick Short, and making his first major league start tonight is Darrell Rasner, who spent most of the season at AA Harrisburg. Go Nats!

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

With the death toll mounting, and damage weighing in well into the 11 figures, it’s nice to see people getting together and raising cash for Katrina victims. Friday, DCist is putting on a benefit concert with local bands, to be held at the AU Graydon Center. Count us in, DCist.

DCist: DCist Presents: A Katrina Benefit:
“What: A Katrina Benefit
When: Friday, Sept. 9, 8 – 11:45 p.m.
Where: American University’s Mary Graydon Center
Who: Gist, Cartel, Paul Michel, RPM, Laura Burhenn, Army of Me.”

With a donation of $5, you get a killer concert for Hurricane Relief with all proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild New Orleans. We’ll see you there.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Are you a trivia junkie? With a drinking problem? Do you think Quizmaster Amy’s Pub Quiz Night at the Falls Church Four Ps is over just when it’s getting good?

Clearly, you need the Brainstormer Brand pub quiz tonight at Four Courts in Arlington.

The quiz, happily coinciding with Half Price Burger Night at the Courts, is 7 rounds of trivia. Some rounds are general knowledge, some are specialized- sports, photos, music, etc. By about round 5 you’re ready for it to be over, but the joy of cheap burgers with your friends softens the exhaustion.

Teams are limited to four players, so if you’re coming with a big group, prepare to break up into more than one team. It’s not taking a break for Labor Day, either, so if you haven’t made plans for the last night of your long weekend, here’s your suggestion.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

So there’s this woman, and I’ve never gotten annoyed enough to take her photo, but every time I see her, she’s doing the same thing.

She’s in a Metro station, and she has invariably taken up one of the only two fare machines that takes plastic, and she’s loading TONS of nickels and dimes into the thing, one at a time, while a line forms behind her of impatient commuters who just want to swipe their cards and load $20 onto their SmarTrips.

She never picks one of the farecard machines that doesn’t take credit cards or do SmarTrip. She doesn’t pick the ones that do SmarTrip with cash and farecards only. Instead, she picks one of the two busiest machines and spends several minutes loading a week’s worth of small change into the thing while a restless mob grows behind her.

Gah. Who IS this chick and can I grab her and teach her some Metro manners?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Gas prices

Originally uploaded by tjbax.

Taken Thursday night on Washington Blvd. in Clarendon… This station was next door to another station charging $2.99/gallon, and yet people were still filling up there. Not sure what that’s about.

What’s the highest price you’ve seen near you?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Okay, I know outsourcing has been all the rage lately, with tech support, phone call center and other jobs heading to the far east as part of the overhead reduction trend that’s been all the rage in local businesses, but this is just plain ridiculous:

A Pakistani company, The Resource Group, seeking more call-center work from U.S. firms, set up an office this year in Washington, D.C., a block from the White House, and installed a receptionist, live from Karachi, via a flat- screen TV on the office wall. According to a May Washington Post report, Saadia Musa cheerily greets visitors, answers and routes phone calls to the Washington office, lets in deliverymen and orders sandwiches from down the street.

Has anyone been over to The Resource Group to see their outsourced receptionist?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

The bloggers in New Orleans have done nothing short of an amazing job keeping track of what’s going on as New Orleans continues to suffer blow after blow in the wake of the hurricane. As things get worse, we’d like to lend a helping hand, and we hope that our readers might do the same.

We’re encouraging donations to the American Red Cross, and you can click on the button at right to go to the Amazon Donation page for the American Red Cross.

If you’d like to use the image at right for your own site, please feel free to use the following code:

<a href=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/philanthropy/red-cross.html”><img src=”http://dc.metblogs.com/Give.gif” height=”150″ width=”150″ border=”2″ align=”right” hspace=”15″ vspace=”10″ alt=”Give” /></a>

We’re not alone today, asking for your help and donations, Glenn Reynolds is coordinating other blogging relief efforts today, and there are the following Technorati Tags:

Technorati Tags: flood aid, Hurricane Katrina

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I will begin this sorry tale by saying: “It was my fault I got towed, I parked in the lot.”

Tiff and I are regulars at Boulevard Woodgrill down on Wilson Blvd in Clarendon, we usually go once a week or so for a nice dinner, but parking is always an issue. With very few street spaces, exorbitant garages and lots patrolled by evil evil towing companies, it’s not exactly a pleasure. Usually, though, we have taken advantage of the lot next to Hunan Number One, because it is convenient, and rarely towed. In fact, before tonight, I’ve been parking there for two years without a trouble.

What changed tonight?

The car you see above and to the right, VA plates JTN-1568. Occupied by two kids from the local high school who had neither the image nor the drug test results to work at such an august organization as McDonald’s or Wal*Mart, the Towing Company was alerted to my presence shortly after we departed the car. Of course, they’re on the take from Towing 247 who is to patrol the lot, but most likely under the table. As we arrived at their Ballston lot to pick up the car, I asked the two girls who were working there how much they paid the kids. The one who took my $100 and provided no change (the tow was $95), denied it, but her white trash coworker said “Oh they get paid enough.”

We returned to the lot to snap this picture and trade barbs with the two stoners in the parking lot. Watch out for this license plate. Watch out for two kids in a beat up grey Hyundai with nothing better to do that call in the tow truck dublin comnpany.

What I want to know is…

Whose parking space was I taking tonight? Big Belly Deli? I’m sorry, I didn’t realize they were open that late. Hunan One? I have never seen more than six people inside that restaurant. But yet, they towed me. What does this mean? I’ll never go to either of those places, and I’ll be much less likely to go to Clarendon for dinner anymore. At least in Courthouse, they don’t tow your car.

What burns me up is this:

1. The towing companies pay these kids to call in their tows.
2. This only hurts business in the area.

Unethical, I say. Unethical.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Over the last few days, I’ve found myself nearly in tears at my desk over what’s been happening in New Orleans. The damage, the loss, the whole thing is a nightmare on top of a nightmare. I’ve given to Red Cross, I’ve given to the collection for my weekly poker game, but I just keep looking for other ways to help out.

We’ve got a contingent of brave souls down in the city, blogging about the tragedy that their city has succumbed to, watching the looting, watching the mess, watching the water slowly drain back out of their streets. Writing to us about it, because they feel it’s important. It’s likely they’ve lost their homes. It’s likely they’ve lost their property, perhaps their jobs, perhaps their family, perhaps their pets. We, as a network, wanted to do something to help our friends down there. If you feel inclined, click that t-shirt and grab yourself a nice t-shirt from cafepress. All proceeds, all proceeds, are going to our writers down there and their loved ones and friends.

There is a quote on my wall at work, one I stare at every day as a reminder to my humanity:

“Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention to those who by accidents of time, or place, or circumstance, are brought into closer connection with you.” — Saint Augustine

Buy a shirt, it’s been a while since you’ve had a new one, anyhow.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Sidney, you be a knight in Aruba, but to us, you’re just another bum:

The Baltimore Orioles placed troubled pitcher Sidney Ponson on unconditional release waivers Thursday and moved to terminate his contract, ending his tumultuous second tenure with the club.

Take your drunk ass on home, now.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs