Topsy Turvy 90th Birthday Cake

Originally uploaded by PinkCakeBox.

We here at Metroblogging DC extend our warmest birthday wishes to our beloved Mayor-for-Life, Marion Shepilov Barry.

Mrs. Barry’s little boy is 71 today, and if you missed it the first time, we invite you to read MBDC’s previously published Marion Barry profile.

No word on what flavor his birthday cake will be.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

photo courtesy of Studio Theater

It’s your last week to get out and see Lipsynka: The Passion of the Crawford before it closes on March 11th. My tickets are for this Friday so I can’t yet give you any concrete details on this performance, but if it’s half as good as when I saw a Lipsynka show four years ago it’s well worth your money. John Epperson’s performance combines projected images, precise staged movement, and recorded sound that’s fun and impressive in a way that defies description.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

The Arlington CERT is looking for new members. This is an exciting program and a wonderful way to be active in your community’s emergency response system.

From the Arlington CERT email I received this afternoon:

If you’re interested in learning how to be better prepared in your own home and workplace — and to assist others in an emergency — Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training may be for you. During the eight-session course you’ll learn how to plan for and become better prepared for disasters, how to treat those who are injured, how to put out small fires and turn off utilities, and how to conduct light search and rescue. The curriculum also includes team management, disaster psychology and terrorism modules.

The training is free to Arlington County residents who are 18 years or older (16 and older if accompanied by a parent) and able to participate in all aspects of the training. The class meets six weeknights (consecutive Tuesdays or Thursdays) and two Saturday mornings. Upon completion of the training, residents have the option of becoming active members of their neighborhood CERT. To-date, over 330 residents have completed CERT training, 150 of whom are members of neighborhood teams.

There are CERT classes beginning on Thursday, March 22 and Tuesday, March 27 and there are still seats available in each. If you’d like additional information — or would like to enroll — contact the program coordinator at ArlingtonCERT@aol.com. You can never be too prepared!

I can tell you from firsthand experience that CERT training is fun and educational and a great way to get more involved in your local community. Preparing for disaster is like having a tool you hope to never need but that you have on hand in case you do need it someday. Come join the fun and have a different type of educational experience.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

photo courtesy of PC Recycler

But do it responsibly! That crappy old monitor you’re getting rid of because you bought a nifty new LCD is full of crud you’d rather not have in your groundwater. So rather than tossing it in the trash, put it in the hands of a recycler. After you toss your old piece at you local recycling business, you should hire the help from the  Belleville IT Support Companies to set up your perfect work or home station.

One such is PC Recycler, a local company that makes their money serving the needs of business. As a bit of community outreach, however, they have two open days a month for private citizens to drop off their unwanted gear, always on the second Friday and Saturday of the month. So this month it’s going to be the 9th (from 9am to 5pm) and 10th (from 10am to 2pm), this coming weekend.

They’ll take:

• Computers, Laptops and Monitors
• Printers/Fax Machines/Copiers and Empty Ink & Toner Cartridges
• Keyboards, Mice, Speakers, and all types of cables
• VCRs, DVD players and Stereos
• Cell Phones and Accessories, including rechargeable batteries
• TVs for a $10 Charge
• Basically any electronic item that plugs in!

They assert that they recycle 100% of all e-Waste they receive and send nothing to the landfill. Way better than just tossing it in the trash.

PC Recycler, Inc
4005 Westfax Drive
Suite A
Chantilly, VA 20151

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Do you find yourself in downtown Washington DC looking for a parking space? Would you want a cheat sheet for parking garages to end your pain?

Then check out Where to Park:

“a meshing of the functionality provided by the now ubiquitous Google Maps with our search engine and proprietary geocoding data. We’ve done the leg work of aggregating the information you need and want”

And they’re betting you want a parking spot and are willing to pay $8-12 a day for it too. Now if they only let you check garage availability and reserve spaces before hand..

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I didn’t think so. A better question may be, “Did you even know we had a National Aquarium?”

I’ve lived here for a couple of years now and have always noticed the tiny sign across the street from the Ronald Reagan building which alludes to an aquarium with new artifical plants for turtles and tortoises. Before you even set foot in the door, you’re setup for disappointment. I mean most aquariums are huge and have some sort of giant shark coming out of the side of the building. Our national treasure is tucked away in the basement of some old office building.

OK, fine. I don’t want to be a total downer and talk bad about our city. I think it’s great that they have a place where little kids can go look at “pretty fishies” and bang on the glass tanks. A place where we can see a 5 foot alligator staring at you through thick Plexiglas walls. A place where algae grows thick in nearly every tank. And of course, a place with a tacky gift shop where you can buy a stuffed shark, a plastic frog, or a bag full of shark’s teeth. Who couldn’t use a bag full of teeth?

For a $5 admission fee, it’s worth going to check it out on your own sometime. If you leave feeling disappointed, just grab a $5 hot dog from one of the street vendors and thanks God that it’s not you in one of those tanks.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I am sitting in Murky Coffee and the woman sitting next to me (no, not my wife – the one on the other side) just made references to someone’s “brown” girlfriend, explaining that she is “mulatto” but that she’s really cute anyway. All this is on a cell phone call at normal volume. There are seven people in the room, all within easy earshot.

Does anyone still say mulatto? I thought that word went out of style with “colored” and “Negro.”

This same person is using all sorts of profanity as well, so I shouldn’t be surprised by the racial slurs. I guess public is the new private when it comes to embarrassing things you can say during a phone call.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Well look who is dress up today. A suit and tie on a Sunday?

I have an appointment with President George W Bush.

Oh, not that again. Are you headed back down to the White House? You know you’re not changing minds with your megaphone – only annoying tourists.

“Only annoying tourists”? No, I am doing much more than that. I am exercising my Constitutional right to Freedom of Speech.

But do you have to do it on a Sunday? You know the ladies at church are wondering where you are.

Well let them wonder. This is a calling as great as God’s church. I am on a misson from Jesus himself. I must speak out!

Okay, do what you have to do, but no more practicing in the back yard. The neighbours are gonna call the police the next time you start yelling at 6am.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I just had brunch at O’Sullivan’s, an Irish bar on Washington Blvd. by the Clarendon Metro stop. The food was great and in fact my wife and I have been there twice now, both times in response to the long line at the Silver Diner across the street. Hopefully this place will make its way into our usual lineup of breakfast restaurants, even though the prices are a bit higher than I like to pay and the smokers make it a little less pleasant than it could be.

One of the big benefits to brunch at this bar is that you can enjoy a $2.50 pint of Guinness with your meal – something that at home classifies you as an alcoholic but at a bar makes you one of the locals. Unfortunately, my teaching schedule for the afternoon got in the way of me getting liquored up. Maybe next time.

The one downside I have noticed on both visits is that the service, while excellent during the meal, really falls apart when it is time to pay the bill. I give my card to the young lad and it takes forever to get it back. This is a mild annoyance but when it comes time to sign the receipt and write in a tip, you better believe the last ten minutes of waiting come into consideration.

Go check this place out. The food is really something and the menu even has such Irish favorites as bangers, rashers and black pudding, although I am not sure if this is a real black pudding or just something with the same name made for the American palate. Who thought it could ever be this good? Be prepared for some great food, great times and potentially slow service toward the end. Have another pint of Guinness and enjoy the wait.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Why all the police cars, I wondered to myself as I emerged from the Union Station Metro last night. Someone’s gone and done something stupid. Sure enough: Teen Injured, Two Arrested In Shooting at Union Station. This report from Officer Diane Groomes on the MPD-1D mailing list:

1d units called to Union Station by Amtrak pd tonite at approximately 1800 hours – report of juveniles fighting near bakery area – the argument became physical and spilled out on 1st St NE side — the group continued to fight and gunshots rang out – one teenager struck by gunfire and taken to Hospital – officers chased subjects -so far two apprehensions and gun recovery — victim at hospital in critical condition

By the time I arrived, I’d missed the action by about an hour. According to witnesses the boy had been shot multiple times in the head, but managed to drag himself to Corner Bakery to ask for help, while the shooter and his girlfriend had run down E Street, where they were apprehended and arrested for assault. They gave their address as the shelter at 2nd and D Streets NW, which would be CCNV.

Tip to would-be gun happy perps at Union Station: Don’t. Really. It’s so heavily policed they’ll be on you before you can say Mooninite, especially at that specific corner, which almost always has a patrol car on watch to moderate the hordes of after-school teens who used to conglomerate there and occasionally harass tourists and other passers-by.

An eloquent differing view from DC CL RNR.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

What would be a bad day for a DC Department of Transportation worker? How about pouring a new section of DC street, taking you time to make the concrete flat, then textured, and even corners, just to have it marred.

And not marred by a simple “Wayan ♥ Amy” graffiti but by a major idiot trying to drive his motorcycle across the wet cement.

That’s what happened to this section of Park Road NW, just before it crosses 16th Street NW. A bad day for the DC DOT road fixing crew:

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Photo by DC Metroblogger

This is the odd sight that greeted me at 16th and M Streets tonight.

Traffic southbound is blocked by DC’s finest but northbound traffic flows freely.

I looked down the block but there did not seem to be a police worthy event. The Russian Embassy and other high profile buildings are on the East side of the street too.

Any theories why the police are stopping only half the traffic?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Photo by DC Metroblogger

Wow! What a beautiful day its become.

Last night’s rain and last weekend’s snow are easily forgotten with blue skies and warm breezes.

So what are you doing in the office right now? It is lunch time and the outdoors call.

Get your favorite take out and get out. Hot and sticky summer days will be here soon enough.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Photo by DC Metroblogger

Might you be wondering what a Metroblogging DC + Media Makers DC happy hour look like?

Then feast your eyes on Don and be either jealous or just sacred.

That is the look of a cross- dressing discipline get together.

If you want to be a blogger or a vlogger this would be your kind of happy hour. I just hope Don is not your kind of goal.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

photo of the Pleistecene Dream Team
at 2006’s event, courtesy of DC Rob

If you and your five closest friends are of a mind to dress up, trick out a shopping cart, and race other like-minded folks, well, you’ve got just under 8 hours left to register for this Saturday’s Idiotarod.

Each team is comprised of six people (five pullers/runners [the “dogs” if you will] and one musher), and one cart. The same six team members must start and complete the race, and be present at each checkpoint. Team members may rotate position. Five people pull the cart (by hand or rigging of your own choosing) and one musher runs behind with a hand on the cart. We do not suggest that the musher ride in the cart, and should a musher decide to ride in a cart it is at his or her own risk. IF a musher chooses to ride versus run, we STRONGLY suggest a helmet. Seriously folks, this is for charity, not Jackass.

The charity in question is the Arlington Food Assistance Center and the brouhaha starts 2:30p this Saturday at the Front Page at Dupont Circle, 1333 New Hampshire Ave NW, 20036. If you’ve got better sense than to participate you can contribute $10 at the door for the finish line party at Chief Ike’s Mambo Room that’ll go to charity as well, and it “gets you free beer from the time the first team arrives until we run out!”

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Photo by DC Metroblogger

Just how bad are the Washington DC parking police ticketing in downtown?

Read the sign:

Not only did this moving company have permits on every parking meter, tape over the meters, and display their permits in on the truck dashboard, they even hung this helpfull sign in the window.

How much you wanna bet they will still get a little pink gift today?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Do you ever wonder how many media outlets are in Washington DC? Television & radio stations, newspapers and the like?

Now, thanks to Center for Public Integrity’s media tracker, you can do a search on your neighbourhood media outlets.

Andy Carvin has a Washington DC breakdown with one interesting stat I would’ve never guessed:

Three (3) radio stations owned by Bonneville Holding Company – a unit of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Anyone listen to WTOP-FM, WTWP, WGMS, or WTOP feel a religious slant to the programming? Or are the Mormons just making bank of radio ownership?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I was surprised to discover – when I checked our archives – that I had never written about my visits to Tapeo, just its impending opening. My darling girlfriend and I have been there at least three times in the year since they’ve opened and have identified several dishes we particularly like. The sopa de ajo – garlic soup – is excellent, with a taste of cream and potato in the front of your mouth and a strong but smooth garlic taste on the back of the tongue as you swallow. The ensalada manchego has a good dressing and a nice mixture of textures, the calamari is not breaded and always done to a good texture, and of the various meats we’re particularly enamored of the pollo de ajillo (clearly nobody wants to be within a dozen paces of our breath after our meals there) and the puntas de solomillo.

When the weather is nice there’s a good assortment of seating outside and unlike a few other area restaurants I’ve never felt like the attentiveness suffered from being out there. Inside, on the other hand, there’s flamenco on certain nights. This weekend was the first time we had opportunity to be there when it was happening and I managed to grab a few clips which I have strung together here.

Tapeo at Pentagon Row
1301 S Joyce St,
Arlington, Virginia 22202

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I don’t fly nearly as much as I used to. Since going into private practice a year ago, my occasion to galavant across the US is certainly less frequent. Today I’m on my way to Phoenix for some sunshine and baseball. They’ve made some real changes since last I’ve been out here to Dulles. For one, there appears to be free wireless internet access in the B terminal (it’s about time!!) which I am using to post this entry. They’ve even added a new cafe option, a tequileria, a new Harry’s Tap Room and even a Potbelly’s. But all is not well at Dulles. I had my longest screening line in recent memory, as they only had one metal detector open, despite a high volume of passengers waiting to get through security. And, of course, there’s the ever-present war on liquids. I saw a guy lose his pressurized hair gel to the screener, he shrugged, I shrugged and commented on the ever present demon scourge of Paul Mitchell. Folks, when the terrorists can deliver up some sort of superweapon capable of rendering serious harm in the form of a well-labelled Paul Mitchell salon product, they’re going to deliver them to CVS and Safeway, not an airliner. And the other thing, what in the name of God died in the tunnel between the main concourse and tunnel B? It was a mixture of mold, rotting lettuce and dear God, what is that thing?! It was so powerful I thought I was going to add some of my own smell to the experience. Clean it up, Dulles!

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs