If you’re fond of speeding or other traffic violations and you’re a Virginia resident, you’d best get your kicks before July 1st. According to a recent Washington Post article, not only will you be charged with the usual couple of hundred dollar ticket and fee, you’ll also be raped tagged with a “civil remedial fee” for all misdemeanor and felony traffic violations.

According to the Post:

“Say you are driving 78 mph on the Capital Beltway and a state trooper tickets you for “reckless driving — speeding 20 mph over.” You will probably be fined $200 by the judge. But then you will receive a new, additional $1,050 fine from the Old Dominion, payable in three convenient installments. So convenient that you must pay the first one immediately, at the courthouse.”

Ruh roh.

This new legislation is projected to bring in an additional $65 to $120 million to, among other things, “cover costs of snow removal, pothole repair and grass-mowing.” If that’s how much they’re paying people to mow grass, I’d gladly become the next Forest Gump.

So beware Virginians. It’s time to clean up your driving act. If you really want to speed or break some major traffic laws, get your DC resident friend to do it for you.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Even a poor pylon couldn’t escape the slipperiness from a recent rain. This poor little guy was at the Bethesda Metro stop, struggling to stand erect, like a turtle flipped on its back. At least its mission was not in vain, showing that even such a harbinger as it is subject to going ass over teakettle from time to time.

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Metrorail Air Tester

Back in mid-May I was wandering Metrorail and found a random odd device. I took this photo of it, what turned out to be a Metrorail air tester, and I was promptly stopped by a Metrorail station manager.

She asked what I was doing and when I politely explained my interest in all things mass transit, that I am a transit foamer, she laughed and let me go about my WMATA photographing ways.

Just the other day, Chip Py was not so lucky. He was harassed when trying to take photos of downtown Silver Spring. Remembering my Metrorail photography moment, I now realize how close I was to an incident and how lucky I was to be stopped by a sane Metro manager.

If you wander DC with a camera like I do, then you’ve had your share of close calls too.

And its time you share your desire to keep photographing this great city by joining Metroblogging DC in a declaration of photographic freedom, a Silver Spring Photo Walk to remind Washingtonians that photography is NOT a crime.

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Photo by DC Metroblogger

If you’re trying to drive crosstown right about now, good luck.

There are at least five fire trucks converged on 19th and L Streets NW, completely blocking the intersection.

I didn’t see any smoke and the firefighters were not in too much a rush, so its probably a false alarm or low-level issue.

No matter, drivers will be issuing a few curses in the ensuing traffic jam.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Nor is it humus, for that matter. Tastes more like a bowl full of choking hazards. And none of this stuff sticks well to pita bread.

Seen at the Bethesda Farmers Market on Tuesday.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Good Checkout Automation

Do you, like I find automated glitches at Home Depot when you use the self check-out lines? Yet do you hate to wait in the regular lines?

Then this man is your savior.

He runs an automated checkout cart down the line of folks waiting to leave, tallying up your hardware buy while you are in line to pay. When done he gives you a card which you give to the cashier.

With that card, she then concentrates on getting your money, not ringing up your goods. Specialization & automation that speeds the line.

Don’t know about you, but I like this Home Depot automation.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

For the beer snobs in the audience, or just folks who think they need an adult popsicle for the summer, Rustico in Alexandria is now in hot water with the Virginia ABC over their Beersicle creations. Although known by patrons, it recently gained a wider attention due to coverage by AP, which was the reason for ABC coming down on them.

The local “beer lists” have been in a tizzy over the events, and possible review of the archaic liquor laws in Virginia in regards to dispensing of alcoholic beverages:

The company put out a press release, and an Associated Press reporter placed a call to the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, asking whether a frozen beer would pose any regulatory problems.

Philip Disharoon, special agent in charge of the Alexandria division of the Virginia ABC, said beer must be served in its original container, or served immediately to a customer once it is poured from its original container.

“If we’re talking about taking a beer and pouring it from a bottle or a keg into some sort of mold and freezing it, then that product is not legal,” Disharoon said. He planned to send an agent to investigate.

I wonder if this also puts the kibosh on sauces that are reductions of wine and other libations? This is almost as bad as the law preventing you from carrying “concealed” ice cream in your pocket in Alabama, West Virginia and Kentucky, and in Kansas, illegal as a topping on cherry pie…

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Does anyone else think it’s funny that those West Virginia banners are there at Metro Center? At first, I thought it was a bit weird but a pretty efficient use of space and a good idea to leverage all the bare wall space possible for ads. After all, we don’t get bombarded enough with ads while riding the Metro.

I went to the advertised website and the after half a minute of loading, the site played a video of some half-naked guy shaving in the bathroom and then mysteriously appearing in the wilderness. That’s a little scary. I don’t want that to happen to me. No thanks, WV.

The funny part is that their slogan is “Answer the Call.” I have heard that phrase used numerous times to refer to using the toilet. I wonder if they thought about this before adopting the phrase. No doubt, some junior guy will get fired over this and some senior guy, who indeed approved the message, will owe someone a favor for that.

In the meantime, it’s a little ironic that WV wants us to answer the call and at the same time yanks that guy out of a place where he can comfortably do it.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

It’s pretty obvious that kd lang likes what she does. She walked out onto the stage with a bounce in her step and a grin on her face that I might be able to replicate if – and my apologies to my darling girlfriend on this one – you told me I’d won the lottery and never had to work again, and hey, by the way, Drew Barrymore is waiting outside in a limo to take you off for a long weekend in Bermuda and ****REDACTED****.

Sorry.

Anyway, lang clearly is tickled pink by what she does and it comes through in her performance. She sung a little over a half-dozen songs and interspersed them with some brief patter and a fair amount of playful dancing. That’s not to say she doesn’t move well, but there was a definite sense of whimsy in it.

In five years of seeing Lyle Lovett’s annual show at Wolf Trap this is the first time he’s had an opening act, but I’d say she was a good lead in. My only disappointment is that they didn’t do a song together.

That grin, by the way? Just as big and as firmly in place when she walked off at the end as when she came on. We all should be so thrilled by what we do.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

…since there were no shortage of you out last night for Lyle & kd lang.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

So there I was, contemplating what to post about now that our server is back… I thought I’d write about the Walter Reed security guard who fired his gun… at the OTHER guard this morning, but then realized that there was no news about why he did it. That’s not nearly as entertaining as I hoped. But then I found something better…

Nathaniel Rabinowitz, age 60, of Logan Circle, has a two-story ladder attached to his house. Which wouldn’t be newsworthy, except apparently burglars have been using Mr. Rabinowitz’ ladder to climb up onto his roof, follow the roof to the neighboring units, and break into his neighbors’ houses through the skylights and steal their stuff- two of his neighbors have been robbed just this month. And yet, Mr. Rabinowitz refuses to remove the ladder, because he likes to climb up onto his roof and feed birds.

Oh wait, it gets better.

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

If you’re of a mind and persuaded by my fanboyish writeup from last year of the excellence that is a Lyle Lovett concert, there’s tickets at about all levels available for tonight’s show at Wolf Trap. At $30 for the lawn it’s not the cheapest show you’ll ever see but as you can tell from the picture above you’re getting plenty of musician for your money. This time around he’s also joined by k.d.lang, which should be interesting.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Passport wait – two lines long!

If you’re trying to get a passport at the Passport Agency on 1111 19th Street, N.W. in downtown Washington DC, these long-ass lines awaits you.

The line for the proletariat who are flying soon stretches all the way down 19th Street, several hundred people and a few hours long.

The line for the bourgeoisie, those with letters from their Congressmen, is relatively short if hard to get into.

Curiously, there isn’t a line for those with appointments. Probably because it’s impossible to get through to the automated appointment phone number – I know I tired for a week before I gave up.

This passport issue and renewal line is not a new phenomenon, its been here almost every day since new rules went into effect January 1 that require a passport to return to the USA when traveling to most North American destinations, including the ever-popular Caribbean.

To the very end of the block

I know I’ve watched this line grow since our office moved to 19th and M Street and even created a Passport Line Flickr Set.

The Washington Post finally felt it was a news story on June 15th, and since then it is covering the scene almost daily with reports of the government reaction to the unfolding drama.

My favorite government reaction so far is to ask Foreign Service consular workers who are on home leave in the US to volunteer at their nearest agency. Al Kamen had a great response to that idea in today’s Post:

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Technology. It allows us to do so many cool things. It also results in things like this morning’s posting outage here at Metblogs. Our servers, currently living over in Herndon, were affected by a bad power supply cable very early this morning. You can check out pictures of the nastiness that ensued at the forums of our host. We’re able to post now, kinda, and comments seem to again be working, kinda. Things will settle out here shortly, and we’ll tell you all about the two security guards who got in a gunfight at Walter Reed (with eachother!), the guy who got stabbed near Chinatown metro, and the stupidity on the Green Line yesterday. Bear with us. We’re coming back!

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Remember last week when I found the stop work order on 4143 New Hampshire Ave, the Petworth Eyesore? The house even Prince of Petworth curses?

Well I went and took a few close-up photos just to document how bad the renovation is. My favorite is this one:

Do you see that total mis-match of the new addition to the original structure? I am not talking just the colors or texture, I’m talking the gaping overhangs from one structure to the next.

Might the designer been drunk? The carpenters blind? The owner insane? Regardless, the neighbours had enough. 4141 New Hampshire Ave is up for sale & rumor says is listed at $560K.

I wonder if that’s $560 for the blind, $20k less for those who have to see 4143 every day?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

So the folks over at Metroblogging LA are all pissed off that their Congresscritters are silent about CNN’s report on Congressional pork. CNN says:

Despite the new Democratic congressional leadership’s promise of “openness and transparency” in the budget process, a CNN survey of the House found it nearly impossible to get information on lawmakers’ pet projects.

Staffers for only 31 of the 435 members of the House contacted by CNN between Wednesday and Friday of last week supplied a list of their earmark requests for fiscal year 2008, which begins on October 1, or pointed callers to Web sites where those earmark requests were posted.

Metroblogging LA wishes their elected representatives would be more open about the bacon they are bringing home. As a District resident, I have only one complaint: why can’t we get more? Why don’t I have voting representation in the Senate or House that can filibuster more cash for DC constituents?

Until then, let others bemoan earmarks. I’ll bemoan our lack of them.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Not once, but twice today I saw people blatantly littering on 267 on my way to work. I couldn’t believe my eyes. It’s one thing to spit your gum out the window, but to throw a water bottle and some sheets of paper away like the toll road is your trashcan?! Come on people. It’s just ridiculous. Keep the trash in your car and throw it away when you get home or to work. It’s really, really not that difficult. It’s people like this that make me think that caring for the environment is an interest of the minority. Is it just me? Have you seen these idiots too?

Photo by super chicken.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Tortilla

Originally uploaded by stina_sj.

Local Blogger Jeff Harrell wants to know, Is there really no place on the eastern seaboard where you can get a decent, fresh-made tortilla? Having moved from Dallas, a land he considers the “milk and honey” area for tortilla, to otherwise acceptable DC, he’s looking for a great place to get fresh and delectable tortilla, not the crappy stuff in bags marked “Mission” from the grocery store, but real, homemade stuff.

Tell us, DC, where can Jeff get a good homemade tortilla he can take home to enjoy?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs