8:30 AM this morning — rush hour. Red Line trains are running full and slow, with that jerky stop-start motion that throws people off balance and into each other. Finally, at Gallery Place, the train simply stops, and the dreaded announcement sounds: “This train will hold at Gallery Place due to a sick customer at Dupont Circle. Trains are currently single-tracking at Dupont Circle. We will be moving momentarily.”

And we all know how often “momentarily” on Metro actually means “in a moment.”

The Not-a-Good-Day on the Red Line never ended — the track problems and speed restrictions are not only still there, but are now compounded by similar track issues between Judiciary Square and Gallery Place. Since then there’s been something almost every day: deer yesterday, sick customer today.

As it has for years, Metro continues to show signs of age and chronic illness. A sick transport system means a not-so-great commute. The way the Metro’s going these days, it would be wise to leave for work fifteen minutes earlier every morning. Hopefully you’re all waking up an hour earlier now that Daylight Saving Time is over for the year.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

You might have seen on the news today that President Musharraf of Pakistan has declared martial law and suspended the Constitution of 1973. Our sister blogs in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad are providing coverage of these world-changing events. They will have news and reports during the crisis that likely will be unique and different than your average CNN report, and worth checking out.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

photo of AFI theatre by Flickr user Buschap

I have long accepted that films that I actually want to see will only appear at a couple of movie theatres in the area, appear later than in other cities, and play shorter runs.

That said, I am uncommonly disappointed as I plan a movie-going excursion to find out that the movie I have been eagerly awaiting the local debut of, Anton Corbijn’s Control, is only going to be on at E Street, and even there, only for one week.

(Well, technically there was also a screening at the AFI Silver Theatre. One. On Thursday night.)

This movie has been the talk of the internet! There is buzz! Oh, the buzz! Sigh.

Does anybody else feel this way? Are you schlepping out to Silver Spring or Shirlington every time you want to catch a movie? Still mourning the loss of Visions?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

photo: whitehouse.gov

With the beginning of November comes the inevitable start of the Festive Winter Holiday Season onslaught. In today’s commercialized world, so many of us cynically mark it with the dangling of twinkle-lights dangling from the ceiling at Whole Foods and arrival of Santa Claus dog costumes in the shops.

Perhaps, however, this is the year to greet Festive Time in a more wholesome, ceremonial way: By waiting in a line staffed by government bureaucrats to get tickets so that, a month later, you can huddle with the masses trying to get a glimpse of the various VIP’s on hand to flip a switch and turn on thousands of tiny lights on a generally underwhelming Christmas tree. (Seriously, why is the National Christmas Tree always so small and unimpressive? It is the National Tree. Why is it not remotely as good as the NBC/General Electric Rockefeller Center Holiday Treeâ„¢?) Also, country music will be performed.

Tickets for the tree lighting become available Saturday November 3, at 8:00 am. Allegedly, one will need to arrive well in advance to hope of getting tickets, but having never done it I cannot say it is not just hype. They are distributed from the White House Visitors Center at 15th and E. All the information is available from The National Park Service.

Personally, I file the National Tree Lighting Ceremony under “things my parents did with me as a child that everybody should probably do once” rather than “traditions that I look forward to each year,” but that may just be me…

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

If you’re much of a radio listener you’ve probably heard some talk these last few days about the most recent numbers on foreclosures, a measure of just how FUBAR the housing market – and potentially therefor, the economy – is. Well there’s some hard numbers on RealtyTrac over here. With 331 new filings in the 3rd quarter the District is up 903% from the three previous months and 1339% from the 3rd quarter last year, though that number might be inflated as RealyTrac’s data gathering has improved from last year.

Those of us living in the neighboring areas can’t fall back on that though. Marylanders are up 66.7% for the quarter and 549% from last year, Virginia is not quite as bad with 55.7% and 488.7%. No little * to indicate we can’t trust those numbers – there’s 5 times as many people potentially losing their houses this year as last. RealtyTrac ranks the states by changes from quarter to quarter, putting us 16th and 21st in position in increase from Q2, if you’re feeling competitive.

Personally I think the real ugly is in the year change though. That 549 and 488.7 puts us at #1 and #2 for nosedives from last year, exceeded only by New Hampshire, whose whopping and unbelievable 2785.1has the * indicating that their numbers are questionable. I’d take some solace from the fact that there’s a lot of ground in those states beyond our immediate area if they weren’t so close in number – that makes me inclined to think the action is largely here, where the big runups in price were.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Every day when I walk through Bethesda and enjoy such things as the Bling Bus, the broke-ass expensive parking meters and even the fishy minivan, I can’t help but like the town. Sure, it has marketing problems, such as this slogan, but at least it is a good-looking place that always seems to try to better its image.

The “UP” part of this slogan refers to Bethesda United Partnerships, which does the landscaping, much of the aesthetic maintenance and management of large events. There’s a lot going on here other than a string of chain restaurants. Thankfully I don’t work in that part of town, so my image of Bethesda is one of independent businesses, interesting people and an aspect of commerce that is thriving there while disappearing in many other places.

Go to the Bethesda.org site and see some of the cool things going on there. Art walks, farmer’s market, flea markets… Bethesda really has it going on.

The one drawback to Bethesda is that there is no Taco Bell. So when Don posts about free tacos and other such delights, I have to settle for Chipotle and a burrito the size of a cow’s head. Sin manteca, of course.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Every time I hear that our saucy Police Chief Cathy Lanier is calling for an “all hands on deck” weekend, she loses a little more credit in my book. Does she really think that forcing our officers to work on weekends is going to somehow prevent heinous crimes from occurring? If anything, she’s going to piss her police force off (“Damn, she wants us to work another weekend? So much for that Redskins game.”). It seems that Lanier thinks that throwing bodies at a problem will prevent bodies from piling up.

According to an article from the Examiner, of the 14 homicides since October 21, only one of them occurred on a Friday or Saturday. So basically these all hands weekends are just causing thugs and criminals to readjust their schedules so that they shoot people during the week rather than on the weekend. I guess in that sense, their weekends are just like ours – time off!

Come on Ms. Lanier. Let’s shake things up in this town and come up with a real plan to take a bite out of crime. I suggest you read The Tipping Point and take a lesson from Rudy Giuliani on how to fight crime by getting at the root of its cause. In the meantime I think I’ll thank every officer I see this weekend for being a team player, whether it’s effective or not.

Photo by yasmin.david.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

It’s 7:25pm, and in just a few more minutes, DC United will take on the Chicago Fire with their season on the line. After a rough first outing against the Fire, United’s coming home to Barra Brava and the home record that won them the Supporters’ Shield. Here’s hoping it’s enough to get past the very physical play of the Fire.

Go United!

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

$4 to start, $0.25 per sixth of a mile traveled.

Some sample fares to give examples. I’ve used Google Maps to get the route taken, recognizing that perhaps other mapping utilities may use different routes, and that DC cabbies may well get you lost and not know where the heck they’re going. Old Fare is calculated using the dc.gov website’s Taxi Fare Calculator, recognizing that DC Cabbies may lie to you about how many zones you actually traversed.

Union Station to Georgetown: 5.3 Miles

View Larger Map

New Fare: $11.75
Old Fare: $8.80 or 11.00 depending on whether or not they count the line as inside the zone or across it.

Metro Center to Adams Morgan: 2.2 Miles

View Larger Map

New Fare: $7.25
Old Fare: $8.80

National Zoo to New DC Stadium: 5.6 Miles

View Larger Map

New Fare: $12.25
Old Fare: $11

Branch & Pennsylvania to Catholic Univ.: 7.7mi

View Larger Map

New Fare: $15.25
Old Fare: $14.00

I dunno what the heck the cabbies are all pissed about, this looks like a raise to me…

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

There’s nothing quite like strolling into your office, logging in to your computer, and discovering an email from the facilities manager that the cafe on the ground floor of your building has been closed for a week due to flagrant violations of the health code:

Cafe Express
1100 15th St. NW

Closed Oct. 23 for failure to minimize the presence of vermin and operating without a license, in circumstances that may endanger public health, in gross unsanitary conditions, including using toxic or poisonous materials, and with incorrect holding temperatures for potentially hazardous foods. Reopened last Thursday.

Awesome. What a way to start the day. Makes me glad I’ve never bought anything there but bottles of soda- it always smells funny and I’ve never wanted to eat anything made there.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

The Upshur Street commercial strip in Petworth just got its newest resident: Beveragemania And to celebrate the proprietor of Beveragemania is giving out free Hazelnut coffee and $1 Hershey’s Ice Cream through Monday.

When I was there this afternoon, a line had already formed. And as I was eating my amazing Moose Tracks double scoop ($1!), I could feel the fat forming around my insides.

No matter, I’m just glad he has formed a new snack spot in my fair hood. Oh and he’s brave in the hood too. Beveragemania is going to be open 24/7 – that’s right all night long!

So the next time you’re wandering back well past the bewitching hour, slow down, stop in, and get a ice cream to cut that morning hangover. You’ll be glad you did.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

In case you haven’t noticed, the anti-meter taxi strike started at 6AM this morning and will go till 6AM tomorrow. D.C. Yellow Cab general manager says they’re operating with just a quarter of the fleet today, word from Union Station is that the taxi queue gets pretty long as more trains arrive, and hotels are getting limo services to fill the gap.

Halloween revelers tonight, remember that SoberRide will still be running, providing free cab rides for up to a $50 fare. Nonetheless, it’ll be a good idea not to get too wasted if you can help it, and make contingency plans to get home or crash with a fellow demon/goblin/witch/wizard/Jedi.

RumorsDaily is seeing DC taxi scabs at work, The DC Traveler cries “Shame!”, ansaphone4 found her drive far more pleasant without taxis to deal with, and GoneOutDC had a conversation with a taxi driver about why he’s striking — and he says it’s not necessarily about the meters.

How about the rest of our dear readers? How is the Halloween taxi strike treating you?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Yes, I know, it’s the Halloween before the presidential primaries, but this is freaking ridiculous. Folks, if you’re looking for a last minute costume of something scary to dress up as for Halloween, dress up as Ron Paul, okay? The only thing that’s scary about Chris Dodd are his complete and utter lack of prospects for the 2008 Primaries.

Also, when trying to describe the attributes of your candidate, can’t you avoid sounding like a complete and utter shlockfest? “The white hair represents the seven years and two presidential vetoes that Chris Dodd had to work through to pass the Family and Medical Leave Act.” I totally just threw up in my mouth just now. This is freaking ridiculous.

And politicizing a holiday as absolutely meaningless as Halloween? For shame.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I was at the bar the other day when I heard some guy say exactly that. Well, soon, it’ll be true.

The new Zipcar (they’re taking Zipcar’s name in this marriage, no hyphenation or brand new name) will serve serve 50 cities including the District. With 180,000 customers and 5,000 vehicles between the two companies, the new Zipcar will be a big deal, but I wonder if they’ll still need every one of those parking spots near the Metro?

Both companies are yet to showing a profit, and are hoping that an economy of scale will be available to them once they’re merged.

Here’s hoping.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Ladies, meet Ian. He’s a barista at the famous Murky Coffee in Clarendon, and as of today, he’s God’s Gift To Women. That’s right, for Halloween, he’s got the very best costume I’ve seen for Halloween.

Though my friend Lisa saw a guy in a Viking Helmet on her way to work, I think Ian’s costume is best. He’ll be at Murky all day ladies, so feel free to stop by to sample his wares.

What’s the best costume you’ve seen so far?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

In a sad note on how much my DC experience has changed in the past few years, I missed tonights High Hell Race in Dupont Circle.

Instead of cheering for the Bubble Wrap Queen or even Princess Diana, I was off at work, then working on my house, even sober at that.

I have to say, I don’t miss the High Heel crowds, the pressing masses that in past years were also the soaking wet hordes who pushed and shoved for a glimpse of glitter. Worse, when I worked at Trios Restaurant, I hated High Heel night.

The place would be packed, with everybody antsy to get their food and drinks, all to be tossed when the race started. Much work, little tips. The only highlight came later, when racers would stop by and tell great tales.

I’ve never run in stilettos and yet I’ve learned from great men that you never walk on metal grates and always make a turn on the toe. Also, Nordstrom has extra wide shoes and Zappos has free shipping, perfect when you’re off the shoe charts.

Hopefully tonight a new generation learned something from men in lace hauling ass.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Say what you will about Bethesda being a mostly over-built commercialized area with little soul, but you can’t fault them on this one. If I had a van like this, I think I wouldn’t be able to keep the ladies at bay. Bethesda knows how to do things in style, obviously. This was parked by the Tuesday market downtown, adding to the festivity I try to enjoy once per week, as I look at all the veggies and baked goods. What a great way to take a break in the afternoon!

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

SCOTUSBlog reports that the two gun ban cases will be considered by the Supremes in just a few weeks.

The earliest that an order on the fate of the two cases would emerge is probably Tuesday, Nov. 13. The case, if granted, would probably be heard in February or March.

One of our actual lawyer readers can proof me on this, but they could well decide not to get involved in the matter and – as I understand it – that would end the matter, leaving things how the DC circuit decided – striking the ban. How soon after would the temporary stay expire, anyone know?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs