So, NBC 4 decided that googlebombing was news. On tonight’s 11pm broadcast, they featured a story about the “miserable failure” googlebomb, which seems to originate originate back in 2003. Hey guys, I realize this internet is newfangled and whatnot, but could you at least check that your news is in fact, well, NEW?!

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

So my partner and I were headed back to the office after meeting a candidate at a sandwich shop for an informal interview-thing. The sun was shining, the weather was warm, and we had the windows down. Suddenly she says to me, “Wow, that guy in the next car is skeezy.”

Skeezy he was, but then he rolled up next to us at a light.

“Senoritas, buenos tardes.”

I look over and wave at Skeezy McCreepington. He smiles and says, “We’re single!” indicating his friend in the passenger seat.

I smile just as big and yell, “We’re not!”

“We are married too!”

I notice the small child in the back seat of his car as the light changes and we pull away. Wow.

But what I want to know is… are there people who actually succeed at picking up women by yelling out a car window? Like, is it like spam, where the opportunity cost is so low that it’s worth trying just for the .001% of positive responses you get? I don’t understand…

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

“Did you just say that you felt emasculated by your grilled cheese sandwich?!”
– One coworker to another, on the topic of the size of the portions at The Daily Grill

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

So, we know that the Plame leak story is getting hot and heavy on The Hill, subpoenas, testimony, interviews, grand juries, all manner of legal instruments designed to slay the dragons of injustice, but could we be looking at a major resignation? Apparently some folks are reporting rumors that Vice President Cheney might step aside and that the Bush administration would elevate Condi Rice to the Vice Presidency. So, this begs the question…

…is it a real pain to move into new housing when you’ve got all kinds of Secret Service guys sweeping the moving vans and your boxes as you pack your life into a new space? I mean, do they help? Or do they just “protect you” while you pack the boxes?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Well, this weekend’s little fiasco appears to be coming to a close:

The D.C. Council voted Tuesday to void the city’s “zero tolerance” drunk driving law that allowed drivers to be arrested for minor amounts of alcohol in their bloodstream.

The council voted 9-3 to pass emergency legislation to bring city laws in line with those of Virginia, Maryland and other states. Council members acted quickly after news reports highlighted a few cases where drivers were arrested after having a single glass of wine. Members said they were worried about a drop-off in business for District bars and restaurants and concerned that the city’s law was fast becoming a national joke.

So, happy hours are back on in the District again, allowing folks some security in knowing that just one beer after work will not be grounds for an arrest and the ensuing legal battle. What I found amusing about the vote was not the fact that three people objected to the rushed legislation (they at least had a point), it was that Marion Barry didn’t even bother to show up for the vote.

Oh the things I could say…I think it’d just be better to leave that one alone.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Chris Needham from Capitol Punishment has some analysis of the actions regarding bringing the stadium bill back before the DC City Council:

There’s a quote from some long-dead politician who said, “you can have the majority if I get to make the rules.” As long as Cropp stands by her word, the stadium should make it through the Council, again.

But Cropp keeps hedging her statements with cautions that she’d consider moving the stadium to the much-cheaper RFK site. You never know what she’ll spring at the last minute.

While it’s looking like the Stadium is in for rough treatment at the hands of the council, it’s not as if stadium proponents made their own lives any easier by doctoring specific numbers the first time around.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Apparently the Department of Homeland Security and MDOT haven’t yet figured out that Terrorists don’t make threats, they just blow shit up and tell you about your sins later. The Harbor Tunnel and the Fort McHenry Tunnel are currently closed due to “security precaution” :

NBC reporter Pete Williams said the source of the information came from an overseas source with a good track record that the threat came from “radical Islamic group”. Williams said national security agencies doubted the veracity of the credibility of the information. He said they decided that since there was a specific time associated with the threat that they would show caution and close the tunnels.

So, the tunnels are currently shut. Baltimore traffic is going to be an abject nightmare until everything’s open and clear. If you’re headed up to Charm City tonight, you might want to think about leaving, oh, I dunno, right about now.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

The Fall here is lovely. Getting up in the dark, though, really blows. As the alarm goes off at quarter to seven and it’s smashed into submission for another nine minutes, I can’t help but think about the lack of light anymore. Days like this make the tropics seem more and more appealing as they keep most of their daylight in the winter while ours disappears like so much change in the cushions of the couch. As we near the cross-quarter day of Halloween, we’re halfway from the equinox to the solstice, where dark of night is dispelled but for 10 of the 24 hours in these parts. It makes those of us who are seasonally-affected much less positive about the coming winter, that’s for sure.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Ah, Pub Quiz, equalizer of all intellects. Last night’s game was no exception, as Dewey, Cheatham & Howe finished 5th in the rankings, tied with our nemesis Norfolk & Chance. There’s something just great about the Pub Quiz. Sure, it might be the half-price burgers and the Guinness. It could even be the smoke-free section of Four Courts. It might well be the air of competition. But last night’s run at the trivia prize was great. After round three we were tied for third with 28, just a point behind the 2nd place slot and three points back of the leader.

And that’s when the wheels came off. Man. We just got nailed. But Fifth ain’t bad. Come out to The Courts next Monday and give us a run for our money.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

After 100 days of wondering whether or not “Butter Stick” would stick, we now have a name for the new panda cub: Tai Shan (said tie-Shon) which means Peaceful Mountain. No word yet on when the little guy will go on public display, but until then, there’s always Pandavision.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

So, if you’re into interesting experiences, this coming weekend provides two fascinating events: Tombstone Poker at the Historical Congressional Cemetery (Hoover is buried there). If you’re wondering, Tombstone Poker is part of an immersive game called Last Call Poker, part history, part game, part scavenger hunt, part puzzle, Last Call Poker is proving to be an interesting trip through history and some inspired writing.

Of course if you find playing poker with tombstones of dead civil servants not quite up your alley, there’s always the DC Rat Race, which will be a scavenger hunt with digital cameras and puzzles about local history. Get a few friends, $15, and a metro ticket to Metro Center. The race starts on Freedom Plaza, and could end with $500 to split with your pals. Show up at 1, and give it a run.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

It used to be DC’s own amusement park, dating back to before the turn of the twentieth century. Now, it’s a National Park with a local non-profit helping to restore it. Glen Echo Park sits just up MacArthur Blvd from the Palisades. What an amazing place. Built in stages dating back to 1891, and featuring the amazing Spanish Ballroom, an Art Deco wonder built in 1933 and recently restored to its former glory. Looking for a place to go swing dancing? They have frequent swing dances with live orchestras. A working carousel? Got that too. It’s a restored Dentzel carousel, including an amazing Wurlitzer organ.

The park’s open everyday from 10am, and there are tours on the weekends at 2pm, and a special tour of the Carousel happens at 11am.

Take yourself back to a day in DC when trolley cars, not Metro cars, took people around town. When this cowboy inhabited the White House, not this one. Take the long drive up Canal to MacArthur and Glen Echo, you’ll not regret it. The Fall Colors make for a memorable trip.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Having spent the week in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex, I’m really glad to be back in DC. There are no grackles in DC. However, there is a Flying Saucer in Dallas (two actually), so they do have some advantages. Getting home, though, was a whole other adventure. As I sat in the Detroit airport (yes, had to fly via Detroit. Damn you, fare restrictions!) the dreaded call came through: “We’re in an oversold situation and we need 9 people to give up their seats.

Uh oh.

Nine?! They were at least offering a free flight on Northwest and hotel for the night, but man, I just wanted to get HOME! Of course, the DC-9 they crammed me into had engines so loud it might have been worth the night in the hotel and a quieter flight on a 757 the next day, but my friends Mike and Lauren are being married today so that was a no-go. Thankfully I made it back, but then I got to sit forever at the gate until we were let back into the terminal, and then spent another 45 minutes waiting for baggage.

Every time I fly an airline that’s JetBlue, I’m reminded just how bad other airlines are in comparison. Northwest’s DC ground crews are abysmal. With United, you’re lucky if your bags show up. With Delta, it’s always delays. But I never have that problem flying JetBlue. Here’s hoping to more flights out of Dulles, or even a move into National or BWI. Viva Blue!

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

It’s fun to watch DC Police Chief Charles Ramsey wiggle and squirm to defend the appalling zero tolerance policy that is currently blowing up in his face and threatening the District’s beverage tax revenue.

But the Washington Post story about Ramsey’s contortions buries an even more important concern on the second (web) page of the article: Lamon Lyles was arrested despite a 0.0 BAC simply because he admitted to having had a beer earlier that day. Even though the case was dismissed the next day, the arrest on his record prevented him from getting a necessary security clearance for his job at the NSA.

So not only is fighting off spurious DUI charges inconvenient and expensive, frivolous arrests like these actually threaten the livelihoods of anyone who has a job that requires a security clearance. And in case you haven’t noticed, here in the seat of our federal government, that’s rather a lot of people.

I certainly agree with the Chief that impairment is often a discretionary call. The problem, of course, is that the DC Police Department doesn’t do much to inspire my confidence in the good judgment of the individual officers- I know that there are many fine officers who are indeed only concerned with safety and keeping legitimately intoxicated people off the roads. But I also know that there are a lot of officers who will use one glass of wine or one beer as an excuse to arrest an innocent citizen whose attitude they just didn’t particularly like.

After being bombarded by threats of boycotts of DC restaurants and bars (and the accompanying loss of tax revenue), the DC Council is doing the sensible thing and introducing emergency legislation designed to eliminate the zero tolerance policy while still allowing officers to arrest drivers who are actually intoxicated.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Good. That means you’re probably highly educated and living in DC. CNN has a report on marriage that has two very interesting points:

“Later marriage is very strongly associated with higher levels of education,” said David Popenoe, co-director of the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University.

Yup, that means smart folks realize that marriage isn’t an economic requirement anymore, just a social expectation. A social expectation that thankfully sets us apart form other places in America:

Men wait longer than women to marry in every state, and no one gets married younger than couples in Utah, where the median age is 21.9 for women and 23.9 for men. At the other end of the spectrum, men and women in Washington, D.C., both wait until they are about 30.

Just be carefull in your singleness. All things unmarried are not wonderful.

“Single parenthood and poverty are about as closely related as you can get,” Popenoe said. The states with the most unwed new mothers also tended to be the ones with the highest percentage of new mothers living in poverty. Washington, D.C., had the highest percentage of new mothers who were unmarried, at 53.4 percent. The city also had the highest percentage of new mothers living in poverty, at 36.3 percent.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I think I’m starting to become lactose-intolerant. It’s happened to my mother, my brother, and now potentially me. This is a total tragedy given my family nickname is the dairy fairy. I love dairy. I could be a poster child for the
American Dairy Association. But last night I over-indulged in dairy delights and was punished by indigestion and freaky dreams all night. But it was so worth it…

I went to Bistro Bis in the Hotel George with some co-workers. Hurrah, the boss is treating us! It’s great people-watching in the swanky bar upfront – like trying to figure out whether the May-December couple next to you is actually a couple – and that continues in the warmly lit dining room. There’s the distinct political power vibe of greying distinguished suits tempered by hipster hotel guests that makes for an interesting mix.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs Continue reading →

Did you know that Ward 2 Council Member Jack Evans has a podcast?

If you didn’t it’s likely because you haven’t been checking out the DC Podcast Network. But don’t feel bad- I only discovered it because the founder happens to be a friend of my boss and called the office today. And what do I do when I think something cool and local is under-exposed? I bring it to you, my friends, I bring it to you.

Not from DC? Fear not- DCPN is a member of the Regional Podcast Network, which has member sites for several other US metropolii. They’re all in cities that also happen to have a Metroblog, so you can have your fix for local writing AND local audio.

How’s that for service?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Snippet of conversation overheard on the bus this morning, between an elderly lady and a middle-aged man:

Lady: We had to have our own neighborhood back then, you know.

Man: In a lot of ways I think that was better. We were more independent that way.

Lady: Oh yes.

They were talking about segregation.

To me, hearing people wax nostalgic for the days of segregation is like hearing women extoll the virtues of the harem. It’s jarring, disconcerting, to think that there are people who would actually prefer it. I understand that the economic boom in this city is leaving many disenfranchised and discontented, but to prefer a day when your options were even more severely limited? How can that be better?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Fresh from the Email Presses:

Secret’s Out
Can’t very well call it ROCKtober without a real rock show, right? So we’re bringing in rock’s golden boy, Dave Grohl, and his band for a secret show at the 9:30 Club this Sunday. Details are below (please read carefully!), and be prepared for tickets to sell out faster than you can say “Stacked Actors”.

On sale here
Password is inyourhonor
There is a 2 ticket limit.

Who loves ya, baby? Metblogs. That’s who loves ya.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I know this may sound repetitive, but Don’t Drink and Drive in DC. I know you hear it everywhere, and it’s generally considered common knowledge at this point, but don’t get behind the wheel of a car in the District if you’ve had anything to drink. I’ve lived here for five years now, but it wasn’t until today that I was told that they can arrest you in DC if your BAC is over .01. That’s right, .01. Today’s Post follows the story of a local woman who had a glass with wine with dinner downtown and was promptly arrested for DUI when she was stopped for driving without her headlights.

Of course, if you’re caught with a low BAC (just a reminder, .08 is considered Intoxicated by federal guideline), you can go through a diversion program and come out without the DUI on your record, but it costs $400 and requires 24 hours of in-class time. So when you head out for a happy hour after work, be sure to take Metro home, or catch a taxi, because really, it’s just not worth the hassle. If the District is going to enforce lunacy (you can’t honestly tell me that .03 is impaired.) then they don’t deserve the beverage tax money after all.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs