‘Saving gas’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

A couple events for anyone interested in bicycling in DC to keep in mind.  First, Arlington County needs volunteers to count bikes and pedestrians on May 7th and May 9th.  Volunteers will count cyclists and pedestrians on particular routes, and the data they collect will go to inform planners and officials about the need for additional facilities.  If you’re interested in the project and can donate your time in a two-hour shift, contact bikearlington@arlingtonva.us for more information.

Secondly, Bike to Work Week is right around the corner (May 11-15)!  In honor of that, the Swiss Embassy is hosting a May 13th forum on biking with DC’s Tommy Wells, the mayor of Zurich, and bike-friendly Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), to name a few.  The free event will include a bicycling exhibit, remarks from the expert panel, and a reception in the Ambassador’s residence.  And if you ride your bike there, you’ll receive a special gift!  Find more information and RSVP on the Swiss Embassy’s website.

‘Saturday on East Capitol Street’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’

Tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the 5th and K Busboys & Poets, grammy-award winning nominated poet and activist Nikki Giovanni will discuss her newest collection of works “Bicycles: Love Poems.” In “Bicycles,” the 65-year-old Giovanni chronicles her rediscovery of love in a volume that is is ernest, playful, romantic and erotic. Celebrate love and the months of bicycles and poetry with a little bit of all three.

‘beer flare’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

What can $20 get you on a Friday night? A halfway decent meal…half of a show ticket…2.5 cocktails…a desert at Co Co Sala. OR $20 can get you entrance to the Pug and all the Widmer Hefeweizen you can drink in 2 hours. Personally I guesstimate coming out way ahead on the beers in 2 hours versus $20 game. Plus it’s for a good cause — Habitat for Humanity. Venture to the rising nightlife superpower the Atlas District for delicious brews and good times, Friday night 8-10.

P042409PS-0297
Originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream

The White House has, in their continuing effort to embrace social media of just about every kind, put up an official Flickr stream with the work of White House photographer Pete Souza. It’s also all shared under the Creative Commons Attribution license (why aren’t they just purely public domain? I’m not entirely sure.) which means you may start seeing more of them here.

By the by, I chose this photo so that if maybe the 24 writers and producers were around, they could see what the actual White House Situation Room looks like. Instead of whatever magical bullshit fakery room they use each week. Pay attention jerks, the rest of us have the internet and we’re not afraid to use it.

Anyhow, I know I could lose the rest of the day to this stream, so if I go missing, I’ll likely be in rapt attention of The White House Flickr Stream.

‘Face maks Japan’
courtesy of ‘shibuya246’

But don’t count on face-masks to save you from the dirty swine flu apoco-demic. The CDC reported this week that they don’t know how useful the masks are at protecting you from a disease that has killed only one individual so far in the United States — that being a toddler in Texas (you know, that state that shares a border with Mexico?). Better methods of staying healthy, says the CDC, are washing your hands and avoiding large crowds. The majority of known U.S. cases of the disease are in New York City. No cases have been confirmed in Maryland, Virginia or the District of Columbia (though we have seen people wearing face-masks here…). Only 5 people in the United States have had cases worrisome enough to warrant hospitalization. 

While this is not to say the disease couldn’t continue to spread, it might be time to keep the panic in check for now.

‘Marion Barry and Mr. Grumpy Pants’
courtesy of ‘ricepeter’

Marion “Bitch Set Me Up” Barry appeared at a rally to oppose gay marriage in the District today. Which is newsworthy enough all on its own, but that’s not what caught my attention. When asked about his absence at the council meeting where the decision to recognize other states’ gay marriages passed unanimously, Barry said: 

“If I had been [there], I would have voted ‘no,'” Barry added. “I am a politician who is moral.” (emphasis mine)

I think there’s only one thing to say to that: BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

‘Specter’
courtesy of ‘skye820’

Speaking of DC turncoats, we hear Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) is about to become Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) today. Not that this will involve a meaningful shift in the already-decisive Senate Democratic majority, but at least now I can go to parties and not hear any grumbling about “that RINO* Specter.”

*RINO – Republican In Name Only

‘Lexmark X6570 wifi printer and fax’
courtesy of ‘bpedro’

Well I think it’s an odd way to celebrate International Worker’s Day, but the DC Students for a Democratic Society are going to be showing Office Space in an outdoor screening on Friday at 9p in the Petworth area. Followed, of course, with a discussion in the parking lot. I’m not sure that Peter’s journey is one I, as a worker, want to emulate, but I guess viewing Norma Rae in a grocery parking lot was just too depressing to contemplate.

Maybe next year they can do Say Anything.

I don’t want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don’t want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don’t want to do that.

Update: Just remembered, on the topic of labor and bad jobs, my favorite podcast, Filmspotting, did their top five bad job movies for their weekly list when they reviewed Adventureland. If you’re a podcast listener at all I highly recommend their show.