By Tom Bridge
…so why is this ad still up in the Courthouse Metro?
Stale ads are all over the Metro these days, is the ad market so hard to deal with? Fortunately, the dearth of ads in the escalator tube let me notice the advertising for blognostic hiding on the escalator rail was enough to make up for it. Check ’em out, they’re pretty neat.
But I still wanna know how bad the Metro ad market is…can anyone shine some light on that for me?
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Tom Bridge
Monday night, I sat in the Arlington County Library Auditorium and took the two hour class on how to be an election worker. I learned how to read the pollbook, how to identify a legitimate ID (hint, your utility bill can work, in a pinch.) and where all the checks and balances in the process lie. I even learned that if you’re not on the pollbook, you can still vote a provisional ballot, which get examined the next day. I learned how to set up a touchscreen voting machine, even if I don’t think they’re all that secure, or all that reliable.
Overall, it’s an intense process. What gives me faith in our system is the process sheets that I was given. The documentation for an election is incredible. Signatures. Checks and Balances. Cards. People. Criteria. Benefit of the Doubt. The process behind elections is what make them great, not whether or not you’re voting on a touchscreen or on a paper ballot, or yanking on a lever.
Become part of the process. Your faith in elections is faith in people, and working on election day is part of that process.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Wayan
I am always a fan of a good protest. No matter your cause, if you have some good yelling, visuals, and a message, I can appreciate your effort if not your goals.
With pro-union carpentry, I wanna be both pro-protest and pro-goals. With the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council of Carpenters I can’t.
Oh, and its not because I don’t like their cause, I love the cause. My Dad was a carpenter, and I used to work in construction. It’s MARCC that had a protest sans fliers and sans anything else message wise.
Really, I asked four or five people, including the guy who claimed to be in charge. No fliers, no website, only much noise. In fact, for not this protester’s sign, I might not know who, much less what the protest was about.
Next time, MARCC, get a message or go home.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Carl Weaver
The Arlington County Government has published some pictures of the new Ballston Ice Rink. I had to click through with glee when I saw the headline but was disappointed to find the obvious – it looks like an ice rink. Boring. At least it will be Metro acessible and at the mall. That’s pretty cool.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Carl Weaver
Did you miss Virginia’s wine month this past October? It sure is sad to see wine go unappreciated, so be sure to check out a list of all of Virginia’s wineries and breweries. Search by region, county and city to find your next road trip to Virginia’s wine country.
You can’t keep a good wine down and you shouldn’t ignore the beer either, for that matter. Nobody likes angry beer.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Carl Weaver
Canadian author Margaret Atwood will be speaking at the Borders store at 1801 K St. NW on Nov. 6th at 7:00 p.m.
From the Borders web site:
“Sponsored by Borders and PEN/Faulkner Foundation. “Moral Disorder” is a superb new collection of ten stories that brilliantly capture the myriad uncertainties, ambiguities, and epiphanies of real life. Margaret Atwood is acknowledged as one of the foremost writers of our time. She is the author of more than forty books of fiction, poetry, and critical essays. Her most recent novel, “Oryx and Crake,” was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2003. She lives in Toronto, Canada.”
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Don
While I think a blood drive with Slambam on hand would be more appealing, if you’re not of a mind to go out to my neck of the woods (Sterling represent!) a friend of mine is working a different one on the 4th as well, and it’s closer in to the District – Gunston Middle School in Arlington, just off Glebe. And while all combined it doesn’t equal the appeal of the Rollergirls, there will be opportunities for prizes like food and gift certificates from Giant and Safeway and other sundries from local businesses including the YMCA, Pacers running store, Mr.Days and more. Everyone gets a t-shirt and a free magazine subscription of their choice.
You can even set an appointment to minimize your waiting. Or just show up between 9am and 1pm.
2700 Gunston Middle School (in the Cafeteria)
S. Lang Street
Arlington, VA 22206
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Wayan
I love the American election process. I do believe it is the foundation on which our great country is founded. However, I don’t like its accompanying visual pollution.
Mr. Jenkins, do you have to staple your signs to every post between Arkansas Avenue and the White House? Do you think I’ll vote for you then?
I don’t know who I’ll vote for yet, but I know what would win my heart: a simple promise to remove every political campaign sign the day after the election.
Yep, Democrat or Republican, that’s the issue that will sway my vote most. Until then, you’ve lost my vote Mr. Jenkins, because I know I’ll see those signs still come mid-November.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Max
No, I didn’t go to the Air Force Memorial dedication ceremony a couple of weeks ago. Are you kidding me? Fight with traffic, idiot cops, and crowds of people? No thanks. Not worth it. That being said, I’ve been dying to go over there (assuming I could figure out how to cross the Potomac) to take some shots of what I think is an amazing looking memorial. My degree is in structural engineering but it still amazes me that they can design and build something like this and have it actually stand up.
I have combed through Flickr and every shot I’ve seen of the memorial is pretty ho-hum. I kept thinking to myself, “There has got to be a shot that no one has taken yet. THE shot.” You know, kind of like photographing Iwo Jima with the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument in the background? That kind of shot. I knew there had to be one for the Air Force Memorial. Well suffice it to say, this is it. jtnhogs beat me to it. This shot shows the symmetry of the structure and the contrasting lighting that you see from below. Personally I would have taken some of the noise out of the sky and probably taken the shot in the morning or evening, or with some cool clouds in the background, but overall, well done Mr. Got To It First. Well done.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
I went to the launch of the DC Social Media Club last night. I went with a little bit of trepidation, because first of all, “social media” isn’t that descriptive or useful a term, and yet I somehow know what it’s supposed to be describing. Secondly, every single event I’ve ever gone to that’s been like this has devolved into Blogging 101- some n00b asks what a trackback is, or makes some ridiculously facile observation about company blogs linking to company press releases and then pauses for dramatic effect, or whatever. Suffice it to say, I haven’t been impressed and had been trying to find/start a better group for some time. Clearly, I didn’t have the juice to get it started, but Chris Heuer does.
It was an interesting time- lots of interesting PR and marketing people who know they have bad reputations asking themselves why they have bad reputations, and how they can get back to doing things in such a way that engages people rather than alienating them, and exactly what does that kind of approach look like, blah blah. Finally, someone asking the questions that I want to talk about now that I’ve already figured out what “this podcasting thing” is.
Anyway, it was a totally good time if you’re a big web nerd like me, so I recommend that you check it out. With a little work, there will be another event in the not too distant future.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
Seen between my garage and my office this morning:
– A guy in a REALLY impressive parrot costume. Like, as if the parrot were a mascot for something. I thought it was a promotion for something until I remembered what day it was.
– An older lady (or man, hard to tell) in a very normal looking red sweater and pair of khaki pants… and a long, straight, lavender fright wig.
(Sorry, no photos, can’t upload from the office.)
But I love Halloween.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Wayan
It was a hot and sweaty night this summer when I met Melanie Boyer, the Washington City Paper’s About Last Night.. columnist. Hoping to add her to the supermodel harem, I did my best drunk Wayan moves – divining her undergarments down to type and model of manufacture.
Unimpressed, I was slighted for a hot vet, but we kept in touch none the less, which is fortuitous for all. After scooting out from underneath a heap of work we can once again concentrate on a favorite subject: sex.
Better yet, we’ve done a two-part interview series all about it. Best of all, we used porn judo and both posts are relatively safe for work!
Now, if you would be so kind as to join us after the jump, you’ll learn the amazing answer to tantalizing questions like:
Straight or curved? Cut or uncut? Trimmed or wild? Length or girth? What matters most? Or does it matter at all?
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs Continue reading
By Wayan
Check out the post-plywood chrysalis on the lawn of the Kazakhstan Embassy to the United States and Canda.
While its no Borat, the monument to Kazakh independence dedicated by Nursultan Nazarbayev makes me wonder.
How can Kazakhstan celebrate independence with a hunter on a griffin? Neither founded the modern Kazakh state.
A more appropriate statue would incorporate Stalin, the delineator of the Kazakh republic within the Soviet Union, and Yeltsin or Gorbachev, both of which can claim credit for Soviet devolution.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Don
No, not (insert lame-o political joke here), I mean the Cherry Red–Lobsterboy collaboration on a haunted house! One of the saddest days of my life in DC was when Ian announced that Cherry Red Productions would stop doing regular shows in the DC area. No more shows like Spamlet or Worm Girl? Who will bring us the next Poona the Fuckdog and Other Plays for Children? Say it ain’t so! Alas, it was.
However.
You can’t keep a good man down bent mind straight and so we have Freak House, a guided tour through seven rooms of horror and disgust. I’m not sure about the horror but if there’s one thing that Cherry Red always seemed able to get right it was disgust. Really. I expect there’ll be humor there as well, though sadly I will be unable to report back on this – I have to get on a plane tomorrow and will miss the last opportunity to go. I’d love for someone to go and report back, though. Any takers?
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Carl Weaver
Did the Redskins play yesterday? Judging from their web site I don’t think they did but other than that I would have no clue. You see, I am not a Redskins fan. Or a football fan or a baseball fan. I think sports are a nice diversion, even fun to play and watch but to me that’s all it is – a diversion, not anything important or even terribly interesting.
This attitude has gotten me some strange looks down here when I say, “No, I didn’t watch the game,” or, “I thought the World Series happened weeks ago.” This all much better than the trouble I used to get into during my brief stay in Massachusetts when I admitted not caring any more about the Red Sox than the Yankees or not being interested in the Patriots and their latest draft choice. This is a fighting issue up there. Down here it’s just cause for disapproving looks.
Who cares? I always thought. More than that, I have to wonder what it means to support the home team. Is my geography the ultimate arbiter of which teams I should support? If so, doesn’t that remove the fundamental and necessary emotional component of what loyalty should really mean? To me it’s all just plain silly and meaningless.
When you get down to it, all sports are equal in their ability to help us drink beer together and talk about spirals, running games, scores and statistics. And beer while cheering for the Redskins is just as intoxicating as beer while cheering for the Cowboys.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Wayan
Say you in the Blue/Orange Line Metrorail tunnel under the Potomac and the lights go out on the rail car as it stops. Not a sound you can hear, not a sight you can see. Just as people start to freak, cell phones showing panic, you see a light and hear an authoritative voice.
It’s WMATA to the rescue on a MEC-4!
Or so is the scenario that the Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD) is prepping for with the purchase of a 4 Man Motorised Electric Rail Cart.
Dropping $20K of Homeland Security money on the electric cart, MTPD will use it get to an emergency on Metrorial and safely transport people who are unable to walk out of the area.
Interestingly, WMATA got a deal on the cart – it’s usually $40K, if they would sell show it to other Transit Authorities. Or maybe that’s not such a deal. A WTOP commenter says:
Sounds great until you find out these type of vehicles aren’t allowed on the rail system. Why? They can’t be seen by Central Control and therefore pose a risk to everyone’s safety. Think I’m wrong? Ask how much money has been spent on Rerail vehicles and how many times they’ve been allowed to fulfill their true potential.
What do you think? Rather be on the MEC-4 sled or walking the tracks back to Foggy Bottom?
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Tom Bridge
With all the foofaraw attached to the Virginia Senate Race, I didn’t think it could get weirder. Then It Did (thanks Wonkette!). Senator Allen’s campaign brought up Jim Webb’s written fiction novel. Which, of course, drove Slate to drudge up all the pornographic writings of previous and current politicians. The best part? It’s a Quiz! Match the written samples with the politician that crafted them. Featured are Ken Starr, William Cohen, Barbara Boxer and William Buckley. Below the cut are some of the choicest samples. Who knew our leadership had such dirty minds!
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs Continue reading
By Don
As promised, my last few notable shots or things that amused me at the marathon. Leading with the strongest entry is the Big Giant Hat. How can you go wrong? More after the jump.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs Continue reading
By Tom Bridge
With just 8 days left until the Midterm Election of 2006, most of those who are up for reelection have log since abandoned the District for their home turf, where they’re stumping and fundraising and speaking and putting up attack and defense ads on television. It’s likely that several incumbents might find themselves short of a seat when the returns are all in.
Tell me, gang, who will you miss when they’re gone? Who won’t you miss at all?
I know I won’t miss Mark Foley, and I’m fairly sure the dearly departed Tom Delay won’t be on my “man, I wish he was here!” tally, and as dire as Santorum’s race looks, I don’t think I’ll miss him much, either. I’d be interested to see how Michael Steele would do in the Senate, and of course, there’s always the battle royale between sexist Jim Webb and racist George Allen…
Tell us your faves and your passes. Who you do you want in? Who do you want out?
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
By Wayan
I don’t even know where to begin.
Maybe by questioning the thought pattern that thinks those boots work with that skirt.
Maybe by wondering about the physical discomfort of riding a bicycle in a short skirt on a cold morning.
Or maybe by calculating the inherent danger of a spiked boots/short skirt combo on a bike in morning commute traffic.
Regardless, I’m calling the fashion police, if only to save her from herself.
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
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