Photo by DC Metroblogger

This is what happens when cars do not stop when approaching Rock Creek Church Road in Petworth.

One less fence corner at the Soldier’s Retirement Home and presumably one less car too.

No word if it was a veteran headed home or trying to break out. Either way I am glad the tree was not involved.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

My dear Blackberry Sled, I am coming to join you. The emptiness I feel is like having something ripped from within me. I sit, perched atop this lookout, and try to see to that place, beyond the towers and the river, where you wait for my arrival. Though physical distance separates us, our hearts are together always.

Until we can be together, I will long for you and stay true to our vow.

I will be yours forever.

From Clarendon and lost without my soul,
I will always be,
Your Cell Phone Case

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

photo courtesy of Karmablue

Personally I’m addicted to the Real Estate Mailbag and the range of pedestrian to esoteric questions answered there. For the less obsessive, WaPo has run several good articles in the last few days about the terms, players, and concepts in the real estate world. Today’s column by Benny Kass walks through the typical players in a home purchase and provides some basic guidance to some new potential buyers.

Hard to believe but it’s true – some people managed to avoid getting sucked into the home-buying craze this last decade.

Barrie real estate is a division of the Canadian Real Estate Investment Network (CRANE). The division is responsible for selling and buying Canadian property for individuals, families, investors, and other groups. For more information about the various properties that are for sale, you can contact Barrie Realty. All the addresses and contact numbers of the agents working for CRANE are mentioned on their website. You can also find out what the agent’s fees are, what the closing costs are, and what is the list price of the house that is up for sale.

Michelle Singletary’s column from Thursday breaks down the loan industry, filling you in on prime and sub-prime lending so that you can be clear on their meanings while you’re being terrified about the economy by radio news.

Lastly, if you need your hand held on just how psychotic some lending can be – and apprarently a lot of you do, since over 1 in 4 home owners don’t know what kind of mortgage they have (a statistic in Singletary’s article above :) – you can look at Jack Guttentag’s article on how it’s possible for you to have a loan that you make payments on slower than the interest is added.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I wanted to keep these thoughts separate from my review of the Killers show because they have no bearing on the actual show itself, but rather indicate other trends at work in our culture.

Point the First: What’s up with half the audience wearing Killers shirts to a Killers show? Seriously? Didn’t any of you see PCU? The scene where Droz lambastes Gutter for wearing the shirt of the band he’s going to see to the concert? Nobody does that. You don’t wear the shirt for Frog and Toad are Friends to the Frog and Toad are Friends concert. You don’t wear Killers gear to a Killers show. Seriously, people, are you not aware of the rules governing such events?

Point the Second: I had to have seen 50-100 LCD screens lit up on the floor in front of the stage. There must be a complete video/picture record of the concert last night between the various kids with cameras. What’s that trend mean? Is this an issue of trying to capture more memories? Is it perhaps something related to the ephemeral nature of culture and an attempt to grasp pieces of that for posterity? What’s it mean? This one’s a bit more interesting than the first point, I’ll admit, but I’m not sure I can grasp it entirely.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Photo by DC Metroblogger

Oh yeah, the sport I swore off a year ago is back in my life. Clock-stopping hottie has me playing kickball flip cup yet again.

I am not sure if I can take another year of Miller Lite in plastic cups but I will endure. What we all do for love.

And now it is time to lead the team in a cheap beer challenge. I may dislike the games but I am a kickball & flipcup master.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

The Killers

Originally uploaded by robssouto.

All day yesterday, I was on the fence about going to see The Killers. Hot Fuss is quite possibly my favorite album of all time, and Sam’s Town is easily in the Top 50. Part of me was nervous, will they stand up to my imagination of their live show? Can they really sound that good in person?

The answer in short, is They Can, and They Did. Last night’s sold out show at the Patriot Center was an opulent, yet slightly trashy, burst of Las Vegas fueled Rock and Roll that pulsed and throbbed at the right moments, and shone bright like a star when it needed to. It was replete with the glorious rock cliches, like glitter cannons and seizure-inducing light displays, but the heart and soul and urgency of their music was right there at the front of the stage.

Highlights of last night’s show included a slowed-down dirge version of “Uncle Jonny” that was amazing. The intensity of the already-rocky song was clicked up just the extra notch to drive home both the tragedy and ecstacy of drug addiction. The high-tempo version of “Read My Mind” was clearly the band’s favorite song of the night, all their performances were elevated beyond their normal level. Ending the show with “Mr. Brightside,” I wondered what they could possibly have planned for the encore. The crowd was screaming and demanding more before the band had even left the stage.

They came back out, much to the delight of the crowd, to perform “For Reasons Unknown”, Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You”, a new song that I didn’t recognize, and they finished the encore set with “All These Things That I’ve Done,” that left the crowd exhausted, in post-rockgasmic bliss. Brandon Flowers standing on the blocks on the front of stage, holding out the microphone over the screaming crowd, singing “I’ve got Soul, but I’m not a Soldier” is the image that’s just burned into my consciousness from last night. It comes back unbidden in my sleep, and in my morning routine. That’s the sign of a great concert, the one that bubbles up in your consciousness days later.

Well done, Killers.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Hey, remember that comedy class I took? When I invited the other Metrobloggers to the show, it was with the caveat that I wasn’t ready to publicize the event here and I was really only inviting friends. A Metroblogger who will remain nameless agreed, on the condition that after the show, blogging and critique would be fair game, and there might even be a recording posted.

Well, that Metroblogger didn’t actually show up, but there was indeed a recording of the performance. Now you can see my 5 minutes, all without having to sit through an old guy telling graphic self-gratification jokes first! The YouTube video his hidden behind the jump.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Shaw: slum historique

Originally uploaded by David Boyle in DC.

Outside.in is reporting that of the ten most bloggy neighborhoods in the world, DC’s own Shaw is number two! Joining Brooklyn, which is #1, and LA’s Downtown (#3), Shaw is one of over 3000 location-based blogs that are tracked by Outside.in, in 59 cities around the world.

Featured among the posts listed today, are a review of a local play, a call for volunteers to clean up Eckington this weekend, a Cry to save the Queen of Sheba’s liquor license, some local renovation progress. There’s so much to the DC blog world, go find your neighborhood on Outside.in and read up!

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Tom and I went to see The Killers at the Patriot Center last night. They were awesome- glitzed up stage show, great performance, blah-blah-blah they were the headliners and of course they were great. That’s not what I’m here to talk about, and I’m sure Tom will tell you all about it later.

What you NEED TO KNOW is that the middle act (not the lackluster Red Romance) was a Japanese Beatles cover band. The Silver Beats have clearly been working on their impressions of the Beatles for a long, long time, but it paid off- they sound uncannily like John, Paul, George, and Ringo, and got more love than any unknown opening act I’ve ever seen. The best part was that they looked like they were having as much fun as the Beatles themselves were on their first US tour. And of course, it’s always nice when the opening act is playing songs you can sing along to.

I’d pay just to see these guys. You should too. I think they’re headed straight back to Tokyo when they get done with The Killers, so if you find yourself there, be sure to hit the Cavern Club and check them out.

(photo courtesy The Silver Beats)

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I feel like I’m becoming the resident restaurant reviewer for Metblogs, at least when it comes to Dupont Circle. Last week I wrote about a refreshing new restaurant, Circa of Dupont, which makes me miss the old tenant (Wrap Works) like I miss mullet haircuts. Uh, no, I don’t miss them at all.

Well on the other side of the food spectrum, a new but familiar face has popped up. That’s right, Five Guys. Right next door to the Cosi at Connecticut and R, this place came out of nowhere. Their space is a little tight on seating, but if you’re craving a good dose of grease, this is the place for you and your appetite.

I remember when I first ate at Five Guys, the Georgetown location to be exact, I was NOT impressed. I’d read reviews and heard people say how amazing their burgers are. But my first impression was that their food was greasy and bland. I mean the paper bag that the fries came in was soaked through with grease spots. As Borat would say, “Niiice!” Since then, I’ve come to enjoy their burgers and fries. They’re freshly made, you order them with the toppings that you want, and the fries are fried in peanut oil, not some animal lard like the other fast food chains.

So what say you? Is Five Guys overrated grease, or the best damn burger in town?

Ugh. I feel fatter just writing about this.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Back at the beginning of April, I wondered Why Did Keith A. Washington Still Have a Gun?! when he threatened a real estate appraiser with a second police-issued gun after shooting two furniture delivery men, killing one, with his first police-issued gun, and trying to cover up the whole thing with a fake robbery call to PG police.

Keith “I’ll Spam Ya” Washington?

In the comments section, “Concerned Citizen” came to Washington’s defense with an unsubstantiated claim that

“Mr. King is not certified or licensed to do Home Appraisal it is speculated by authorities that he was merely trying to portray himself as a victim and colluded with others to sue Mr. Washington,

It also appears that the whole thing was fabricated by Mr. King……The attorney General of Md posted on their website the following information about Mr. King…..”

Now it seems that “Dave” posted the same rant on another site questioning Washington’s abuse of authority, resorting to personal attacks on the site owner who questioned “Dave” more than I.

Not to stop there, “Dave/Concerned Citizen” then apparently went to a third site that also calls him a danger to society. There, he was joined by “Susan” who claims to be his wife but just happens to have a uncanny similar use of too many periods:

Washington was jumped by them while his wife and daughter ran from their home screaming watching there husband and father being almost killed by two strangers…..My husband says that they had committed 4 or 5 previous burglaries before the encounter with Washington…….I that case Washington deserves a medal…how did people get it so wrong

Now I don’t know about you, but I smell blog spam. This “Dave/Concerned Citizen/Susan” sounds too much like a Keith A. Washington trying desperately to clear his name, one blog at a time.

I hope he has plenty of time to fulfill that Quixotic goal, from a gun-free jail cell.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Photo by DC Metroblogger

Riding home tonight, my third night in my new hood, I noticed a funky fresh parking method in Petworth.

Like in Philly, folks around here park in the middle of the street. Median parking may not be legal but it is efficient.

Everyone likes rock star parking and this way everyone gets a spot next to home.

Where did you park tonight? Was it this convenient?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

This Saturday marks the 14th annual Hands On DC Schools event, where thousands of volunteers descend on DC schools, organized into teams by the Hands on DC group. Since 1994, over 26,000 volunteers have worked to make DC Schools a better place. If you want to help, and you know you do, be sure to drop them a note at volunteer at handsondc dot org and let them know.

Rebuilding DC’s schools is more than just setting up accountability structures, it’s also about making the school buildings habitable and comfortable, and Hands On DC is looking to help with that. Get out and help this weekend. The weather’s going to be nice and Spring-like, and you could really lend a hand, I promise.

Major thanks to Frank who pointed this out to us. Remember, if you’ve got news on a DC event, feel free to hit the Suggest a Story button.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I can’t, off the top of my head, think of a more peaceful and awesome space than the Main Reading Room at the Library of Congress. Since I picked up my Ultimate Library Card, I’ve only been there just a handful of times, but each time I go, I am absolutely astounded by the amazing resource that it is. Now, though, the Librarians of Congress are taking their game public via their new weblog called “Light and Liberty Go Together.”

The reason for blogging? Well, it’s the best of any that I’ve ever read:

If you are reading this, then chances are you have some sense of how the legacies of Morse and those who came before him and since have transformed our daily lives. It is an inescapable fact that the Internet is redefining at an accelerating rate how we get information and interact.

The Library of Congress was producing electronic content long before the Web even existed, so it’s fitting today that we become one of a (surprisingly) small handful of federal agencies with a bona fide blog.

Welcome, Library of Congress, and congratulations on your first 207 years.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

photo courtesy of the State of MD

While running out for lunch today – where I had TacoSoylent Bell for the first time in years and remembered why I don’t eat there – I heard a brief bit on the Kojo Nnamdi show about MD’s abandoned property program. Like all states, MD has to deal with abandoned accounts and physical property in some way. They ceased doing auctions on the courthouse steps – which comptroller Peter Franchot says had poor turnout – and switched to Ebay. You can see the various things up for auction that people have left in safety deposit boxes here.

None of it really blows my skirt up personally but it looks like there might be some decent deals.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

With the return of the awesome weather this week, we were also greeted with the return of the tree pollens that make my life an exercise in continual misery. The last few days, I feel as if there’s been a grenade of snot detonated inside my sinuses, and no amount of Zyrtec, Claritin and Ricola Cough Drops can make up for the differential. My blue car is now a light green car, thanks to all the pollen, and the rain we’re supposed to get can’t get here soon enough.

In the meanwhile, I’ll be hiding indoors, looking out at the beautiful weather, and considering amputating my own head.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

So lo and behold, due to a new job, I find myself stuck in the morning traffic along the George Washington Parkway southbound on a regular basis, and while crossing the last Spout Run overpass before diving down below the Key Bridge, I find the odd plastic bag material “X”‘s in the grass on the left and pass the bridge, on the right.

I’m not sure if they are a prank or something else more menacing, or just a clever way of testing Google Maps resolution. Maybe it’s an art project, or where the not to target the space based lasers, maybe an odd group game of tic-tac-toe, or maybe just something clever to see how long it takes somebody to blog about it? Suffice it to say, I ask you, loyal Metblog reader, to fancy an opinion as to what these crosses may be.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I wasn’t aware we’d been conquered by Canada, but the Airline Pilot’s Association apparently knows something we don’t. Why else would they fly the flag of another nation above that of our own?

Methinks someone needs to consult the US Flag code.

No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America, except during church services conducted by naval chaplains at sea, when the church pennant may be flown above the flag during church services for the personnel of the Navy. No person shall display the flag of the United Nations or any other national or international flag equal, above, or in a position of superior prominence or honor to, or in place of, the flag of the United States at any place within the United States or any Territory or possession thereof:

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Photo by DC Metroblogger

Check out the salad section of the Bling Bling Giant in Columbia Heights. Rabbits went “wintry mix” on the pre-made salads.

All my favorites are gone, only derivatives of iceberg lettuce remain.

As much as the selection disappoints, I am glad that my neighbours care enough about their health to go green for dinner.

Did you?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

There was an owl today in Pershing Park. Majestically perched on a ranger’s arm, as large as a man’s torso, with eyes as big as Sacagaweas, its head swivelling around Exorcist-style…

As part of a joint effort between the Willard, the National Park Service, and Earth Conservation Corp., tables were set up with info on the Anacostia River conservation effort, packets of wildflowers were distributed, and volunteers were gardening in an Earth Day Celebration. A jazz band even played through lunch. It was wonderfully relaxing, and even though the fountain isn’t running yet, a sweet way to get a nature fix in my favorite green space in the middle of the city.

But really, the star was the owl. Seeing a raptor that close defies similes. It truly seemed alien, unreal. The beak, the talons, the amber eyes focusing on you and yet through you… I was enraptured. My camera phone, however, was rendered impotent, unable to capture any decent shots. It seems some moments you just have to “settle” for memory, and sigh at the beauty you cannot control.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs