‘A step back in time’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’

Tomorrow and Sunday, come rain or shine (and its looking like shine – 80* and sunny!) The Folklore Society of Greater Washington will present its 29th Annual Washington Folk Festival.  The event, which features dozens of performers on 7 stages, will take place from noon to 7 p.m. both days at Glen Echo Park in Maryland. There will also be many artisans present as well, peddling their wares — everything from homemade soap to Swedish painting to “Wine Bottle Art” (my favorite kind of art). Though there is limited parking at the site, GEICO is apparently providing satellite parking and a shuttle from their campus near the Friendship Heights Metro Station.

DOT re photography
Originally uploaded by erin m

You may have read about the initial incident over at DOT a month or so ago, where security for the picturesque new headquarters are harassing anyone who might try to photograph the art installations in front of the building. There’s a new wrinkle today, as the ACLU has issued a letter (click on the above to read it) to the General Counsel of the DOT requesting a clarification of the policy and what it’s based on. If you want a full treatment of the policy as it stands, check out the DC Photo Rights Flickr Group’s lengthy and thorough treatment of the situation.

Photography isn’t a crime. We’re not terrorists, we’re artists. Training your security staff to threaten and detain photographers is a waste of time and of tax dollars.

‘Sova Menu’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Sitting in the Library of Congress listening to some sweet lunchtime fiddle music, reminded me that tonight is one of my other favorite fiddle-related events: weekly bluegrass at SOVA espresso and wine tonight. SOVA is a gem of a coffee shop on the eastern end of H Street NE, just a few doors down from the newly opened H Street Country Club. Tonight’s tunes will feature The Extension Agent & Friends. SOVA has a recently expanded menu and beer and wine selection, so you can have one of many delicious adult beverages along with your bluegrass.

‘fojol’
courtesy of ‘a loves dc’

I’m immensely intrigued and amused by the newly discovered Fojol Brothers of Merlindia, a “travelling culinary carnival.” The Fojol Brothers are dudes wearing strange get-ups and (fake?) handlebar moustaches in an ice cream truck tricked out to serve preservative-free Indian food. There’s a variety of veggie and meaty options to top some basmati rice. Also, all of their eating implements are biodegradable  and they donate a percentage of their proceeds to help at-risk youths in DC. How do you find this mobile meal machine? Follow the Fojol Brothers on Twitter, duh. I mean, how does anyone do business these days?

‘Yay Snow! (214/365) (060/365)’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’

I thought for a moment that I was reading the Onion. The Virginia DMV is in the process of banning smiling in your drivers’ license photos. Due to some face-recognition technology being implemented in DMV systems, you’ll need to adopt a “neutral expression” when your picture is taken, or the system, programmed to detect your terrorist-loving grin, will reject the photo.

So when your teenager gets her license, she’s not allowed to look happy about it. The face-recognition software works better on faces wearing the same expression.   Which is just dandy, really- technology that can’t identify a face that’s smiling is going to be used by all manner of law-enforcement agencies to identify suspects, by comparing that oh-so-high-quality DMV photo with the crisp and sharp images from ATM cameras and suchlike. Because I know that when I’m knocking over a liquor store, what I’m wearing is a “neutral expression.”

‘Cute pollinator’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

You guys, my nerdy, nerdy heart may just burst with glee- the National Spelling Bee starts today. And it will be televised OH MY GOD. In fact, the finals will be televised on ABC in prime time. This is going to be the best nerd television since Chuck and The Big Bang Theory. You can also follow the bee on Twitter.

Why am I so excited about this? Well, aside from the fact that I competed in the qualifying arounds when I was in eighth grade (defeated, I remain convinced to this day, not by my own spelling deficiency but by the pronouncer’s thick Pittsburgh accent that obscured the phonetics of the word), and met a lifelong best friend through it… I remember very clearly being a junior high nerd, and feeling intense relief every time I participated in activities with other junior high nerds like me. Summer science and tech classes? Astronaut camp? Spelling bee? I was in for ALL of it, not just because I was such an overachiever, but because it was where I felt most at home.  So even now, at 30, I feel a lingering kinship with the Bee spellers, and hope that they will continue to embrace their nerdiness. I promise, guys… it gets easier and more fun to be the smart kid.

Good luck, spellers! Hope you get the chance to enjoy the city while you’re here.

Don’t Look Backward!
Originally uploaded by Poldavo (Alex)

If the decision of the California Supreme Court has you riled, or you wish to express your frustration about out of town guests trying to legislate marriage in the District, you may want to go to the protest in Dupont Circle tonight at 8:30 for the event.