By Wayan
Solemn they stand in the grass, cold, white orderly. Tombstones at the Soldiers Home National Cemetery.
Would you know anyone there – the graveyard, I mean? I run by it often, yet I never see a living soul among the souls passed.
I have a friend who wants to be buried there, he wants to preserve green space as much as fall in line with his Army.
Me, I try to run by, run fast, and not think too much about that coming day.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
A friend from my other blogging life, the Recruiting Animal, passes along this tip for DC pizza-lovers.
Well, if you ever find yourself down this way, I strongly suggest you come to my neighborhood of Mount Pleasant and check out Radius Pizza. While I would not call it 100 percent New York-style pizza, it is awesome and has been rated the best pizza in D.C. by a congresswoman from Manhattan, albeit the Upper East Side. ;-)
In my opinion, Radius is the best pizza that Washington, D.C., has to offer.
Radius may be old news to some of y’all, but I know there are people reading this who have never been there, so check it out. Slice also sends a shout-out to 2Amys, a personal favorite of mine.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Jenn Larsen
My portion of this 5th Gift to the World is a tribute to the coolest musical Washingtonian ever – Edward Kennedy Ellington, the Duke.
Many people may associate Duke Ellington with New York (thanks in part to the classic “Take the ‘A’ Train”) but his roots were firmly planted in DC, and especially in the U Street neighborhood where he grew up and had his musical start, from his birth here in 1899 to his departure for Harlem in 1923. PBS did a brilliant documentary on “Duke Ellington’s Washington” a while back, and its website also gives an overview of Black Broadway and Shaw. The Howard Theater, the Whitelaw Hotel, True Reformers’ Hall, all are landmarks still visible today that featured prominently in his life. DC’s great Ellington School for the Arts bears his name and the spirit of his legacy proudly, and we now even have a jazz festival in his honor.
Thanks to my jazz-loving father, I was exposed to Ellington’s music as a small child (though as Duke once said naughtily, “By and large, jazz has always been like the kind of a man you wouldn’t want your daughter to associate with.”). I find his brilliance undimmed – jazz with the backbone of classical training, complexity of rhythm, and essence of cool unmatched. I especially love his piano improvisations, but I really can’t pick any favorites. I just know that when I walk down U Street and look up at the mural bearing his image, I think of him decked out in that seriously spiffy tuxedo, smiling at the audience, and saying farewell with, “we love you, madly.” Genius.
Tags: Metblogs7Gifts 7Gifts Metroblogging7Gifts
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Don
Boing Boing has linked a post talking about an article by Laurie David about a recent rejection by the NTSA of 50,000 free copies of the movie “An Inconvenient Truth” for schools. Both the Boing Boing and the Conscious Earth postings are up-front about the fact that the author is a producer of the movie, though Conscious Earth does somewhat misleadingly say The news was buried deep in the Washington Post website and reported by Laurie David.
Misleading because in fact it’s not news, at least not in the sense that it was reported by a journalist in a researched article. The problem is, you wouldn’t necessarily know that if you follow the link as it was provided by the Conscious Earth posting. The extent of the clue to where that article appeared is one line: “Sunday, November 26, 2006; B01” If you happen to know that section B is the Opinion pages on a Sunday, vs the rest of the week when it’s the Metro pages. The page in normal context is marginally better, but still not great: in a font smaller than the column text itself you can see the “breadcrumb” that indicates this is under Opinion: washingtonpost.com > Opinions > Outlook
Compare that to the New York Times print view of an op-ed by a contributing writer (annoying registration or BugMeNot.com required) which clearly states “Op-ed” at the top. Their standard view also has another up on the Post: since they’re not forcing the reader to click a second time to get the second half of the article there’s no possibility someone will read to the bottom of the page and still not see the paragraph indicating the author’s identity. Since WaPo wants you to click again (for more advertising pageviews) you might give up halfway and not see the author’s affiliations that reveal his or her allegiances.
For the record, I don’t think Conscious Earth is being deliberate in this – the fault here is very clearly with WaPo, who hasn’t put enough effort into differentiating their online articles. I’m sympathetic to the challenge, but this is one they need to rise to toot-sweet. Having partisan articles – no matter how much I might be inclined to agree with the conclusions therein – that look just like reportage is something that diminishes their credibility.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Wayan
In the spirit of all the holiday gift giving that will be taking place over the next couple of months, all the Metroblogging cities are giving 7 gifts to the world throughout the week of Nov, 26th through Dec, 2nd. This is Washington, DC’s 6th Gift to the World – Ben’s Chili Bowl.
Open through both the 1968 riots and the Green Line expansion through U Street, Ben’s anchored the U Street neighbourhood and is favorite of both daytime construction workers and night-time bar crawlers.
But that’s not why it’s a gift to the world. Ben’s Chili Bowl gave us two amazing gifts. First Bill Cosby took his wife-to-be on dates at Ben’s and without her support, how else could we remember a dentist visit with humor or have amazingly positive black role models on TV?
Next we got half-smokes. Before you get into the whole “what’s a half-smoke?” debate, as they are neither half of anything or smoked, just savory the memory of your first one. Mine was late, way too late, with work looming in the morning. I needed food, I needed sobriety, I needed the bright lights and limitless grease of a Ben’s half-smoke chili dog.
And we all need the calming influence, good food, and great friends found at Ben’s Chili Bowl. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m hungry and Ben’s is short bus ride away.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Carl Weaver
After posting my original frustrated missive about how there did not seem to be any homebrew shops in the area (see Is the DC Area Anti-Home Brew?), I got lots of suggestions on where to go. One store appeared to be only a few miles from my home. How could I have missed it, I wondered.
myLHBS is tucked away in the offices of a language school in the building next to Sears on Route 7, at the intersection with Patrick Henry Drive. When I entered the building I quickly found Languages Incorporated on the directory and went to their office, past the doctors and dentists and icky medical specimen containers. Those things always freak me out a little.
Owner Derek Terrell greeted me and had the few things I was looking for and much more. For being in the back of someone else’s office, myLHBS sure does have quite a selection of inventory packed into a relatively small room. What’s more is that it doesn’t appear cluttered at all. He may not have twenty of anything but he has anything you might want or need, including some nice items on sale.
This is more than beer making supplies. The store also has a good selection of wine kits, honey to make mead and even a hard cider kit. In my day we made hard cider in a glass jug with bread yeast and an improvised prophylactic-based air lock. I am sure it was much cruder than the kit at the store and I might just go back and get that kit to try it out.
More than a simple store clerk, Derek is a seasoned brewer and has run a shop like this before. He knows the equipment and processes and can make expert suggestions without sounding highfaluting.
myLHBS certainly has my business for the future. Any home brewers in the area should definitely go check this place out.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Jenn Larsen
Ah, the end of Thanksgiving weekend. The frigid cold is gone, the windows open to a spring-like breeze. Slowly, cars are returning to our block as neighbors drive back from grandma’s house in the ‘burbs or airport hell. We’re relaxing in front of football, slurping down Thanksgiving Soup Surprise (this year’s version: turkey and curry vegetables – just the thing for holiday hangovers). Soon we’ll drive my brother to the airport, the last of the guests to be on their way home.
The past few days went by in a whirl, as we hosted relatives and friends in an attempt to start a new tradition – namely, that DC is “home” and once in a while, family should come to us instead. It worked so well that I may become quite spoiled and never travel on the holidays again. Right, that has a high likelihood of happening! Oh well.
A few outsider observations about our fair city were made that I thought I’d share. One was that the female population appears more petite than other states. Is this true? I’m not sure, but the minute the comment was made, I saw a dozen petite girls meandering through the always entertaining Cue Bar and thought, “hmm… there might be something to this theory.”
Another was that hanging at Stetson’s was far more fun than at Bar Pilar, an opinion I completely share after standing for two seconds in Pilar’s crowded sauna of a hallway. Not only that, the nearby Saint-Ex continued its demise in my mind by having an actual velvet rope situation outside – it better have been for a private party, because I can’t imagine a place that started out wanting to be a cool neighborhood bar warranting that kind of attitude. Anyway, Stetson’s lived up to its undying rep as casual unpretentious sanctuary, where we lounged with friends, nursed by Mother Beer, patting our turkey bellies with glee.
Ah yes, Happy Thanksgiving DC! Now, back to work… sigh.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Don
If you were up at 4am for your early flight today, as I was…. sucks to be us, huh? On the other hand, the quality of light at dawn rivals anything you can pull off in Photoshop. Anyway, so far being one of the 2.3-2.4M expected travelers in the skies hasn’t been too bad, but then again I got to the security lines when the Dunkin Donuts guy wasn’t even mumbling to himself yet. Security lines here in Charlotte might be worse but I, happily, did not have to find out for myself – I knew better than to stray out of the Moisture-free side of the TSA checkpoints during my layovers, no matter how painfully long.
If my darling girlfriend will suffer through my snooping with only a mild eye-roll, I’ll pop up to the departures level when I get to Dulles and see how painful it looks.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Max
I’ve been wanting to write about this photo for a long time now but have always stopped short and wrote about something else. I think this is partly because I couldn’t quite put my finger on why I like it so much, but it’s probably because the shot tells a story and sets a mood like a good photo should. It makes me want to be there in the sea of red people, and I love how the girl is the only one looking at the camera. Great mood, great atmosphere, great capture of the moment. Well done drade.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Wayan
Our fall fun with leaves was fleeting. Gone are the leaf blowers. Bye bye leaf piles.
Winter is near and its time to prepare.
Bag your leaves. Bag your window A/C. Bag your summer clothes.
Winter is near and its time to prepare.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Wayan
Today I ran out to the West Hyattsville Metro stop to burn off a little Thanksgiving Turkey and in search of a drink I found Maryland News Stand.
The name is all wrong as there was not much news for sale. A better name would be Maryland Liquor and Lottery.
That is until I bought my drink and dropped my change into the ‘give a penny – take a penny’ plate next to the register.
When the slovenly cashier put the 12 pennies in the register as I left, I thought of a new name: Maryland Rip Off.
The penny plate is for those like I who dislike change or need a cent or two, not a bonus to the store after every sale.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Wayan
This is turkey is half of today’s feast. There is also a ham in the other oven.
When you are cooking for 16+ people you can’t mess around.
I am at the edge of DC, a stone’s throw from Takoma Park in the “Nut House” on Butternut Street. Good times and great people.
May you be so blessed too.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Don
While coming back from lovely Key West last night, my darling girlfriend and I stopped at the Tiki Bar, an outdoor sprawling collection of waterfront saloon just north of Islamorada. Someone else had suggested that the Dairy Queen in Key Largo was the natural midway point to stretch your legs but with the temps in the high 50s and us being drunks us, we figured we’d stop at the bar for a beer instead.
So what, one wonders, does this have to do with DC metroblogging? Well, less than a minute after we sat down and ordered another couple wandered up and sat down at the bar to our left. They heard the tail end of my darling girlfriend’s gripe that whenever she visits with me it’s colder back at home in DC.
“Oh? Where in the DC area?” they asked. Knowing that nobody ever knows city names out that way, I just said “by the Dulles airport, actually.”
“Sure, but where?” I mentally shrugged my shoulders and said “Sterling.”
You’d have thought I flashed them or denied that the Pope ****s in the woods from the expression of surprise. Sure enough, 1200 miles from home we had sat down at a bar less than five minutes before two of approximately 82,000 people who live in the 45 square miles of my adopted town. Freshly back from Key West where they’d just gotten married, they were on their way to have thanksgiving with his family just north of Ft Lauderdale and just figured they’d stop for a drink on the way.
We had a good laugh out of the coincidence but I forgot to get their names, else I’d mention them here. We congratulated them on their nuptials and wished them a happy thanksgiving, which I also extend to you: Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers, and if you’re next door to me in Miami right now…. I don’t want to know about it ’cause that’s just creepy.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
Get ready, my fellow Arlingtonians. We’re getting our own CakeLove in Shirlington in Spring 2007. The new location will combine a full bakery, like the CakeLove bakeries in DC and Silver Spring, but will also have some tables and cake-by-the-slice like at LoveCafe. Pardon me whilst I quiver with the anticipated sugar high.
Fortunately for me, the new location will be a block and a half from my gym, so I can go work out and THEN have a cupcake. I’ll be able to work it out so that the whole adventure will be calorie-neutral.
Now, about how many calories are in a CakeLove cupcake?
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Wayan
This is the line at the Bling Bling Giant today.
It proves that I am not the crazy one for waiting until today to shop for Turkey Day fixings.
We are all crazy to be cooking for parties of 16 or more hungry and lonely misfits.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Wayan
We all expect madness today at Safeway or Giant, people going mad for turkey and stuffing.
But CVS? And bottled water?
While he wouldn’t answer my queries, understandable as I was all up in his grill about the bottled water buy out, I still wonder the buyer’s need.
Will DC run out of water today? The Potomac drying up? Or maybe he has a family of 47 who need to quench their thirst.
No matter, he sure had fun rolling that cart out on the street. Bottles and stares were everywhere.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Wayan
While this cold and dreary day depresses event he most joyful, do not despair. Sunny days will come again one day – they must!
And then McPherson Square will be ready, will be waiting, thanks to Park Service employees like this.
Mixing up dirt for bulb planting, he will convert these cold winter months into a spring star burst of color and smells. Both almost as good as tomorrow’s bronzed turkey and smells of stuffing.
Now if he could only talk to the weatherman about this whole overcast thing…
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Carl Weaver
I am at home today, not on the road to Toronto, where I thought I would be going for Thanksgiving. Since our travel plans changed last minute I was available to take my wife to work down at 2000 Penn. Usually, traffic on the way there at 8:30 in the morning is pretty bad but today it was easy. I guess the mass exodus for the holiday had already started. Lucky us!
This means the city and the few open businesses are all mine today and again tomorrow as the black eyed peas and collards simmer on the stove all day. Such fun, wandering DC without the press of crowds.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Carl Weaver
I never was very curious about the World Bank building but DC area resident Andy Carvin shows that it really is pretty majestic.
Original link here. From Andy Carvin’s blog.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Don
Just because I’ve gone to visit my family for the holidays doesn’t mean I’m not thinking of y’all. The wall of the Raw Bar here in Key West is festooned with old license plates and I thought that just because they weren’t on a VA car anymore wasn’t a good reason to share them with you. Hope you’re all enjoying your lows in the 30s. *chortle*
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By 
