I had missed this initially, but apparently over the weekend there was a small amount of Tularemia bacteria discovered by the Department of Homeland Security in one of their downtown bio detectors. Not enough to be concerned about, but enough to spark this awesome Fark headline: “Investigators conclude that rare toxic bacteria detected in D.C. during last weekend’s anti-war protest not a bio-weapon, but instead attributable to elevated presence of dirty hippies”

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While a number of public transportation authorities are telling William Bright, the iPod Subway Maps guy, to bugger off, our very own WMATA has the right idea and expresses its unreserved enthusiasm for the idea.

According to Metro spokesperson Lisa Farbstein, quoted in the Post article, “We want people to know how to get from one place to another on our system. If someone wants to put a map on their iPod, that’s fine.”

Way to support the reduction of confused tourists and recently-arrived residents, Metro. Now, let’s talk about those signs in the stations…

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Well how many can you? And I’m talking the fun nicknames for Safeways. Like the Soviet Safeway on 17th & Corcoran or the Senior Safeway in the Watergate and the Secret Safeway in that special spot that not even Safeway.com knows about.

Now while DCist had a recent run on naming grocery stores, they wandered over to Giants and yet skipped entire sections of town in their Safeway naming rage. This map, while interactive, also was too NW and yet Gallaudet went cross-country in their grocery store critique

The DC Metroblogging contest focuses just on Safeway’s, and just on those 10 that are within 10 miles of the White House. If you can make the best list, and the best case for your list, there’s a cool, limited edition DC Metroblogging T-shirt waiting for ya!

Wanna see the list & name your store? Then follow the jump…

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So, when it comes to pizza, I’m a little screwed in terms of delivery area. Listrani’s? North Arlington and DC only. Atlantis? Pick up only. Vace? Pick up only. So, I’m forced to go to my old stand by, Papa John’s. With a great online ordering tool, I don’t even have to call, I just pop online and go. So tonight, laid up with back spasms, and with nothing in the house for preparation, I fired up Safari and headed for the online pizza delivery site.

It’s now almost an hour and a half later.

I received my confirmation at 7:15 tonight, and here I sit at quarter to nine, hungry and angry. Papa John’s help line has been of no use, first hanging up on me, then putting me on hold for well over 10 minutes. All I wanted was pizza, all I’ve gotten is aggravation. Thanks a lot. So much for a good standby.

Also, having your specials as part of the hold message? Less than helpful. Especially to someone whose pizza is later than hell.

[Update] Without further explanation, I received a return call that said they couldn’t contact the store and that my pizza wasn’t coming. Thanks Papa Johns, for 90 minutes of waiting, and no pizza.

[Update 2] Email arrives reading, in part:

Dear Valued Papa John’s Online Customer,

We have been trying to contact you via phone regarding your recent Online Order, however, we have been unable to reach you.

Unfortunately, we will be unable to process your order at this time. Please feel free to contact your local restaurant or call our Customer Service hotline

Thanks for making it look like my fault, assholes.

[Update 3] Pizza arrived. Barely warm. At 9:20. You’re fired, Papa Johns.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Thanks much to Sean over in LA for posting this, and revealing the borders of 90210 using an awesome new google hack that reveals the confines of zipcodes. 22206 is my home zip, and is pictured at right. It’s kinda nice to know where the one starts and the other stops.

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Saturday night we excitedly witnessed the fireworks kick-off the Kennedy Center’s Festival of China. Celebrating a friend’s thirtieth birthday from a hotel suite in Foggy Bottom, we were perfectly positioned for an impromptu view of the finale. It caused my friend to scream and jump up and down with glee, but apparently not all were made as happy – the Post reports today that many residents freaked out, fearing it was a terrorist attack.

Reading the article I scoffed at how nervous we’ve become and how sad it is that the simple pleasure of watching fireworks has been hijacked.

Until I remembered my own freakout and outrage at the unannounced fireworks that greeted Mexican president Vicente Fox at a state visit to the White House a few weeks before 9/11, and felt a bit sheepish.

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So my housemate is splitting town, heading to NYC for a change of scene. This leaves me with an empty room and 1/2 the rent to cover. At $1,280, its less than many one-bedrooms, but as I’m cheap and social, I’m gonna rent out the second room again.

Rent it out via the tried, true, and crazy Craigslist housing ads. I’ve personally had great luck in looking for a spot via Craigslist, better than relying on those who said they were friends anyway. That only leads to bittersweet birthdays.

No, through Craigslist I’ve had good moving times and I hope this will be no exception. At least in showing my place, I’m better than the crazies that lead to this Craigslist rant about the housing market in DC. I treat ’em right, with good tours, honest answers, and quick replies. Hey, its how I hope to be treated when I’m looking again.

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Sure, it took an overtime, and some seriously good kicking by Maryland rookie Nick Novak with his first ever NFL Field Goal, but the Redskins are 3-0, and one of just four undefeated teams in the league. Sitting atop the NFC East is no easy task, and you can expect that next week in Denver will be an interesting football game. I believe the song goes…

Hail to the Redskins!
Hail Victory!
Braves on the Warpath!
Fight for old D.C.!

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Ah days like today are perfect for my favorite patio party time spot in DC, Fox & Hounds. There you can recline on a nice patio in surprisingly comfortable plastic chairs. A patio that thankfully for my tropical blood, faces West and captures the last warmth of the summer sun. Then the staff is joe-cool. With servers like Patrick to pour you one, you know you’ll be taken care of. Add to it the always-hot hostess manning the gate, and its getting good.

Now the best part – the cheap booze.

Fox and Hounds is the only place in DC that understands the way to pour a drink. They give you a full glass of vodka, not a wimp-ass shot, and they serve the tonic on the side, so you can mix at your leisure. Yes, the first few sips put hair on your chest, but damn, the ABV/USD (alcohol to dollar) ratio cannot be beat, as rail is $3 and call is $4.

Yep, only at Fox and Hounds can you bask in the setting sun while getting obliterated on cheap booze – what I’m doing right now. I just dare you to drink long enough to tell time by Fox and Hounds.

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So I am a little late, but I’m testing out the much hyped Dupont Wireless today and I’m not impressed. Not impressed because I am here in the horribly titled Biddy Mulligans, the Irish Bar in the Jury’s Hotel and Dupont Wireless is barely to be found. It pops up here and there, but not really here, or not enough to be useable.

That you can’t use it just outside the Dupont Circle of Life, and I am against the window that looks out on the Circle, does not impress. I might have better luck in the Circle, but first off, I can’t drink there, or at least not legally. In addition, the transmitter is supposedly on the roof of the hotel. That you can’t get wireless in the hotel that hosts the transmitter makes me shake my head in annoyance.

I picked this bar for the sole reason that I thought I could drink and surf. That I can’t do the latter and the former is no smoke free DC double disappoints. I guess Dupont is not wireless after all.

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Last night a dear friend of mine and I oo’ed and aah’ed our way through browsing the fall fashions at Pentagon City. Usually this involves showcasing our uncanny ability to pick up variations of exactly the same outfit, color, style – so much that sometimes we have to bargain with each other (“if you buy that one I’ll get this one instead”). But now something has changed this paradigm… she’s expecting.

So, as she commented last night, not only will she miss out on what promises to be one of the best fall fashion seasons in years, but our shopping expeditions will radically change into exploring the land of elastic waists and empire blouses. Selfishly, for the first time in ages I’ll be able to shop without fear we will end up at the same party wearing the same outift! But it also means I’ve gone from her best shopping buddy to one who’s completely hopeless and inept as the months progress.

Please help, shopping denizens of DC, fashionable mothers of the Washington area. Where do you go for classic, comfortable, yet stylish maternity clothes? Especially for a girl who works on K Street, like my friend, who needs to look polished and poised while her body changes. Please help ensure our shopping expeditions have continued success!

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Well, the Nationals are coming into their final series of the year, and while they’ve clinched a .500 record, it’d sure be nice to get that 82nd win. The Phillies come in needing to sweep the Nats to have a chance at the Wild Card, with their elimination number at 1 (number of Astros wins or Phillies losses required in order to eliminate them) they can’t afford to lose. Here’s hoping our Nats can at least hit .506!

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The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (who have the best domain name ever) released the brand new $10 bill yesterday in a big event by the Statue of Liberty in New York. Of course, all the bills will be printed off the presses in DC, over at 14th and C St. SW, and the first bills will be appearing in ATMs and cash registers starting early next year. I think it looks way nicer than the $50, but take a look for yourself. The BEP does accept walk-ins for tours right now as we’re in off-peak season. Tours happen every 15 minutes beginning at 9am til 10:45am and then again from 12:30 until 2:00pm.

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Mayor Williams said tonight he won’t run for re-election next year. If you get a chance, come noon today (the 29th), he’ll be giving a press conference at the rec center in Hillcrest at 32nd and Denver in Southeast. For seven years, he’s been our man on the street, bow-tie and all. I think I’m gonna miss him. Good luck, and Godspeed, Mayor Williams.

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A co-worker just relayed something he had seen this morning.

There’s this janitor in our office building, extremely hard-working, very quiet and rather shy. He was on his hands and knees scrubbing up something on the luxurious marble floors of our lobby. Two suits walk by and push through his work space, practically walking over him in the process.

Adding insult to injury, they looked back at him and began to snicker.

Unbelievable.

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So, we weren’t going to post about it here, because this blog isn’t about us, but at Wayan’s insistence…

Tom and I got engaged yesterday in Point Reyes, California. You’re welcome to read all about it on his blog or on mine. There are photos of both Point Reyes and of course, the ring in our Flickr photostreams.

We’re thinking May-ish for a wedding date, but no, we don’t know where yet. But I promise, no whiny wedding venue bullshit here at Metroblogging DC. That’s what my personal blog is for.

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You have to be kidding me. Seriously. Kidding me.

With Senator Allen up for re-election next Fall, the Democrats are looking to pull a rabbit out of a hat and they may be asking Ben Affleck to be that rabbit.

As a Virginian, I am absolutely horrified that this is what the party has sunk to. Just horrible. Please, for the love of God, let the hollywood boy stay in hollywood pretending to be a pilot or a superhero instead of in Washington, pretending to be a politician.

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…is which city officials take bribes, and which ones are FBI agents. Douglas Jemal didn’t quite figure out the difference, and seven months after they raided his offices, he’s been indicted for bribery.

Oops.

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That quintessential question, sitting at your desk, long about 11:45 and your stomach’s grumbling at you and you wonder, “So, what’s for lunch today?” Well, this week is your lucky week, because Galileo is doing their grill feature again this week. We’ve been before, and their cannolli’s to die for, so if you haven’t had a chance to head over to Galileo for the Grill Lunch, now’s your chance, they’re open on Wednesday and Thursday this week. Get over there before they run out of cannolli! I recommend the sausage sandwich.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Tonight I saw a pre-screening of Serenity, a new movie, free just so I’d write about it. The corporate shills say I should quote some industry crap for my free swag. Yeah, and they also say that DRM (digital rights management) is good for me. Enough of that.

Serenity is a new sci-fi movie that can best be described as a cross between Unforgiven and Star Wars. With a futuristic world & space battle right out of Return of the Jedi and dialogue that would even make Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves wince, futuristic space-folk still battled with old-school pistols, even Samurai swords, while trying to bring truth to the galaxy.

The psycho girl was fun, and there were very funny moments in the film, but for $35, the cost for two plus popcorn and drinks, I say save your dosh. A six-drink night at Wonderland will get you in her bed faster, with the DVD saved for a winter night at your place.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs