With apologies to a certain escapist ’80s TV show…

“In 2008 a crack blogging team was bound by restrictions of a blogging organization they didn’t build. A select group of men and women promptly escaped from the shackles of the oppression to the freedom of Wordpress. Today they survive as a radical bloggers in the nation’s capital. If all you see is the politics, if no one else can give you the real scoop on DC, and if you love your metro region, then maybe you can read: WeLoveDC.”

It was one year ago today we stepped out on our own into the brave new blogging world. I’ve been extremely blessed to have been included in this endeavor from the start and want to take a moment to especially thank Don, Tom, Tiff, Carl, Paulo, Wayan, Jenn, BenS and John for inviting me into the fold. I’ve felt like a modern version of the Founding Fathers and am humbled and amazed that we’re still around after a year and that all of you - our wonderful readers - continue to support us. So, on this first anniversary and on our nation’s celebration of Independence, this humble resident thanks you all.

Here’s to 233 more!

• In The Line Of Fire: Clint Eastwood as a secret service agent, nuff said. Oh, and the plot is awesome and John Malkovich is creepy (what’s new.)  A large portion of the movie takes place in DC, with the Lincoln Steps prominently featured.
• Top Gun:The Kenny Loggins featured soundtrack to this movie alone will get you pumped up, but the F-14s,  shirtless volleyball, Tom Cruise/Val Kilmer tension and a good old fashion love story don’t hurt as well.
• The Great Escape: If you’ve got time for this one watch it! Yeah, I know I’m recommending a movie with the Yanks working with the Limeys on Independence Day, but it’s a classic.
• Saving Private Ryan: An all-star cast and action packed plot show not only the brutality of WWII but the bonds and camaraderie between US soldiers.  Arlington Cemetery plays a vital scene location.
• No Way Out: This CIA spy suspense movie runs all over DC.  There’s one scene in particular at the Georgetown Mall that is memorable.
• Clear and Present Danger: Movies based on Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan usually involve DC and explosions.  Can’t be beat.  You could swap this one out for Air Force One.
• The Patriot: The American version of Braveheart. British Col. William Tavington played by Jason Isaacs is so evil, it boils your blood.  I’ve seen the actor in other movies, and I still can’t get over what a prick he was.  Historical revolutionary figures portrayed in the movie include: Gen. Cornwallis, Gen. George Washington, Gen. Nathanel Greene and the American militia men.  Pretty patriotic.
• The Hunt for Red October: Russia nuclear subs, American subs, Sean Connery with a Russian accent, Jack Ryan and the CIA make for a thrilling and suspenseful Cold War era flick.  Let’s not forget Tim Curry as the Russian medical doctor.
• G.I. Jane: OK, not a great movie, but watching Demi Moore transform from average woman into a jacked, shaved headed, sit up-chin up-one arm push up machine is inspiring.
• Team America: Any country that can be roasted to this level is awesome.  And puppets!!!  You’ve got to love puppets.
• Rocky: After seeing this movie about 20 years ago, I spent the next two weeks parading around my house, blasting “Eye of the Tiger” and shadow boxing.  I know it featues Philly, but one cannot help but be inspired by this underdog story.

So there you have it.  A short but sweet list of movies that get me and, I hope, others pumped to celebrate the 4th.

Yes, that’s a 6′8 statue of Abraham Lincoln carved out of mild cheddar on Constitution in front of the American Pharmacists Association building. You are not hallucinating.

For each of the past three years, CHEEZ-IT has sponsored a massive cheese carving of some patriotic theme in honor of Independence Day. Cheese sculptor Troy Landwehr has been their go-to-cheesehead, creating a Mount Rushmore and a Signing of the Declaration of Independence in the last two years. The choice to carve Lincoln in pasteurized dairy product is to honor the 14th president’s bicentennial year.

The sculpture took about 40 hours in a near-freezing room to complete, says Landwehr. It started as a 1000-pound round, and the completed sculpture weighs about 700 pounds. Landwehr prefers to work in mild cheddar over other cheeses because it has the right texture and consistency for carving. Even sharp cheddar is too crumbly. (I swear to God I’m not making this up.)

CHEEZ-IT staff assisted passerby with taking photos with Cheese Lincoln, and passed out single-serving bags of CHEEZ-ITs. Unfortunately, American Pharmacists Association staff did NOT pass out leaflets on cholesterol management.

View even more photos of Cheese Lincoln on Flickr.

Welcome to Where We Live: Dupont! Dupont Circle is one of the District’s best-known neighborhoods, and there’s so much history and beautiful architecture to love here.  Dupont is home to everyone from recent grads in group houses to young professionals in condos to well-off diplomats with kids, and yes, even some new stars.  I know I’m probably supposed to be unbiased in my descriptions of all these neighborhoods, but to be honest, Dupont’s my favorite.  Read on to find out why.

History:Not much was really going on in the Dupont area until the Civil War.  Up until then it was a rural backwater, but a massive modernization program built streets and sewers in the 1870s, making the area a fashionable new residential district.  In 1871, the circle itself (then known as Pacific Circle) was constructed, and in 1882 Congress decided to use the circle to honor Civil War admiral Samuel Francis Du Pont.  A statue of Du Pont was erected in 1884, and replaced in 1921 with the fountain that we all know and love today.  The traffic signals in the circle were added in 1948 to make it easier for pedestrians to cross, and in 1949 the Connecticut Avenue tunnel was built to separate thru traffic and build a streetcar station.

By the 1870s and 1880s, impressive mansions were built along Massachusetts Avenue, and Connecticut Avenue had more shops and offices.  Much of the area was developed with rowhouses, many of which remain today.  The neighborhood began to decline after the 1968 riots, but in the 1970s some urban pioneersmoved in.  Dupont Circle took on more of a Bohemian character, and the area became a gay enclave.   It is considered the historic center of the gay communityin DC, though many of those original urban pioneers later moved on to Logan Circle or Shaw.  The 1980s and 1990s saw more reinvestment in the neighborhood, and today Dupont Circle is again one of DC’s most desired neighborhoods.

Neighborhood Character:Much of Dupont is within the Dupont Circle Historic District, which is typically tree-lined streets with rowhouses.  Connecticut Avenue is predominately office buildings with ground floor retail, while Massachusetts Avenue is home to more embassies and institutions and less retail.  P Street is a neighborhood commercial strip on both sides of the circle, and 17th Street in between Dupont and Logan is full of restaurants and small shops.

”
courtesy of ‘erin m’

Transportation:Dupont has one Metro station with two long escalators, and it’s within walking distance to every line (Farragut West on orange and blue is five blocks to the south, U Street on green and yellow is about eight blocks to the northeast).  There’s great bus service in the area, a crazy number of Zipcars (I lost track counting at 25), lots of bike racks, and it’s the District’s most walkable neighborhood.

What to See:There’s a lot to see in the Dupont area, and one could even spend a whole day just people-watching in the circle itself.  According to resident Davis, “My favorite part of living in the area is just walking through the circle.  There’s always something happening, whether it’s a drum circle or a homeless chess game or a demonstration of some kind.”  Here’s what else to check out:

• There are so many museums and art galleries in the area: the Phillips Collection, the Textile Museum, the Woodrow Wilson House, and the National Museum of American Jewish Military History.  Check out a First Fridays reception at one of the many art galleries in Dupont.  And definitely stop by the Mansion at O Street sometime– it’s an amazingly cool and quirky museum/hotel/art gallery with secret passageways and hidden doors, and they serve a fantastic brunch.
• Stop by the Dupont Farmer’s Market on Sundays from 9 AM to 1 PM.  Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, plants, cheeses, breads, and meats, and a great people-watching environment.
• I’ve got so many favorite restaurants in Dupont I can’t even name them all.  But I love Zorba’s Cafe for casual Greek food, Pizzeria Paradiso for the best pizza, Sakana Japanese for good sushi, and the Brickskeller for a crazy selection of beers.  And for at-home libations, check out 1 West Dupont Circle Wine and Liquor, with its amazing selection, regular tastings, and neighborhood delivery.
• Grab a book and a blanket and head to the circle to read.  There are bigger stores like Kramerbooks on Connecticut, and smaller used book stores like Second Story and the excellent Books for America bookstore.
• Walk through Embassy Row on Massachusetts Avenue, and find public events and open houses happening at embassies throughout the year.

Neighborhood Links: Dupont Circle doesn’t have the glut of neighborhood blogs like other established neighborhoods like Capitol Hill, but there’s still an online presence.

• The Dupont Circle ANC also has its own website with information on community meetings.  The Dupont Circle Citizens Associationworks to keep Dupont clean, green, neighborly, and safe.  The Dupont Forum is an online discussion group that covers all sorts of neighborhood topics.
• The Dupont Circle Update is posted semi-regularly to a list-serv and includes information on new development, neighborhood events, and crime/safety.  Archives of previous years are also available.
• There’s the Anti-Real World blog and the Pro-Real World blogto keep tabs on Dupont’s newest residents.  There’s a lot more going on at the Anti blog, and since the authors live across the street to chronicle their distaste, there’s more of an on-the-ground feeling.
• Borderstancovers that not-quite-Dupont, not-quite-Logan area around 15th Street NW.  Lots of good crime information and neighborhood updates to be found there.

Why We Love Dupont Circle:It’s really got it all.  A commercial district with great shopping and restaurants, a variety of housing types from historic rowhouses to newer condos and apartments, and a truly walkable character.  Most Dupont residences are within a short walk to neighborhood restaurants, coffee shops, supermarkets, museums, galleries, and parks.  And honestly, there’s nothing like the feeling of walking through Dupont Circle on a sunny day when it’s filled with people reading, dancing, singing, whatever– it’s just an ideal public space in the middle of the city.

One of the most troubling things about the information emerging about this faulty sensor is the ways in which Metro indicates they might have expected to detect it. John Catoe’s press release from July 1 described the situation somewhat vaguely. “This is not an issue that would have been easily detectable to controllers in our operations control center. What the analytical profile showed was that the track circuit would fail to detect a train only for a few seconds and then it appeared to be working again.” Why it wouldn’t be easily detectable isn’t clear from his statement, but a Washington Post piece from July 2 credited the following information to Metro’s rail chief, Dave Kubicek.

Instead of completely failing, the track circuit “fluttered” on and off so quickly that, Kubicek said, the failure would not have been obvious in Metro’s downtown operations center, where controllers monitor real-time movement of trains by watching an illuminated graphic depiction of the 106-mile railroad.

“It was happening so fast, you would just blink and miss it,” he said. “Realistically, you had to be looking at the exact area at the exact place” at the exact time.

A controller would have to be staring at something the size of “a button on a BlackBerry.”

A fair number of engineers are going to read this section of text and grind their teeth, but the underlying problem isn’t intuitive to most people. If you eavesdropped on a conversation between two grad students considering writing about this situation for a paper you might hear them say something like this:

Metro’s problem here revolves around the challenge in displaying a digital result in an analog method and inability to detecting a problem using insufficiently granular data.

That’s a complicated phrase which you can explain with a $5 table lamp.

Put in plain english, the problem is that they’re talking about trying to use a system designed to tell you one thing to determine another. That table lamp is meant to light up your room, not tell you if your power is flowing steadily. At one time or another we’ve realized that the power is out because a lamp isn’t lit, but that’s a very general determination and Catoe and Kubicek are talking about very exact determinations.

Try a little experiment: if  your lamp is one that you can turn on and off by turning a knob in a single direction, twist it as far and fast as you can. If you can do it fast enough and stop in the same on/off condition you started in you might not see a flicker.

You know the switch actually does stop the power from going to the light. Turn it just once and you’re sitting in the dark. But if the period of time where it’s off is so brief that the glowing bulb doesn’t have a chance to dim then you can’t tell it ever happened.

If you’ve got florescent bulbs you can see an even more extreme version of this. Turn the power on and off quickly enough and these slower-to-start bulbs might never get time to put out any light. The power was on. You just couldn’t tell because the indicator you were using – light coming out of the bulb - couldn’t alter its appearance as quickly as the power could be turned on and off again. There was power, but your signaling mechanism didn’t respond quickly enough for you to be able to tell.

For the most part this isn’t a problem. Your lamp isn’t meant to be an instant indicator that power is on or off, it’s meant to give out light. It needs to power up reasonably quickly when you flip the switch but a difference in tenths of seconds isn’t too significant. Similarly, the Metro system uses those lights on their panel to indicate a train is present or not. Perhaps it takes a tenth of a second for the light to indicate a train has entered the segment but WMATA knows how long the delay is before a sensor result is accurate. Presumably they create procedures that build in that delay, like standard train following distances.

You probably do this in your own life. Perhaps you tell your spouse “call me before you leave the office so I can start dinner” because you know it will take them thirty minutes to get there and forty to put dinner on the table. You wouldn’t say that to someone commuting by train from New York City, however, because it doesn’t give you an indication of where they’ll be in the amount of time you care about. In that situation you might say “call me when you pull into Union Station.”

The troubling thing in this case is that Catoe and Kubicek are indicating that the problem couldn’t be detected because the intermittent sensor result happened too quickly for the change to be detected in the signal lights. If that’s the only way this result could have been noticed then that is not a failure in the signaling device, that’s a problem in their error-detection systems.

The lights on that panel do what they’re supposed to do, and have some recognition of complete sensor failure. The problem described here is one of a sensor doing what it’s supposed to do – indicate that a train is or is not present – but doing it at a speed that makes no sense. It’s not plausible for a train to be above the sensor one second, not there the next, then back again a second later. It’s perfectly reasonable for a train to be present, gone two minutes later, then present again two minutes after that.

Not only is it not reasonable to try to detect this kinds of problem with that display system, but a flat panel showing the indications of where trains are at this moment doesn’t accurately duplicate what happens with trains and how they interact with the same data,

Here’s a section from a 1996 NTSB document from 1996 regarding a train collision in Shady Grove[pdf]. On page 16 it describes the behavior and how these WEE-Z systems operate.

Tuned impedance devices known as WEE-Z bonds provide block separation. These WEE-Z bonds inject into the track coded AF signals that detect the presence of a train in the block and automatically transmit limiting and regulated speeds to passing trains. There is generally one track circuit per block, with WEE-Z bonds located at each end of each track circuit.

The pertinent point there is that it signals information to passing trains, meaning that once the train has passed the sensor it no longer matters what the sensor says. The controllers downtown are seeing information from now, minus whatever delay exists in the system. A passing train’s information is from a particular instant and its age is dependent on how long ago it passed over that segment.

As before, this isn’t necessarily a problem; each system sees what it needs to see to accomplish what needs to be done. Contollers need to see the status of all segments in as close to real time as possible. A train is only concerned with the condition of the track segment immediately in front of it. However if the train sees that information at the instant it is inconsistent it doesn’t matter what it said before and after, so the observations of the controllers isn’t useful unless they look at that same instant that the train did, as well as before and after.

To be useful information in spotting this problem a person or system has to watch the output from this sensor over the course of several seconds. The failure is the impossible condition of a train quickly being there, then not there, then there again. That’s not something you can indicate with a single light that glows on or off, it’s a change over time.

It’s too soon to know exactly how this sensor played into the crash, or if it did at all. However the claim that the situation couldn’t reasonably be noticed by controllers downtown is worrisome. Expecting those systems to serve a secondary, unintended purpose by requiring humans to notice unusual patterns in lights isn’t good practice. If the system’s signals can be detected and used to show a display then they can be monitored for that impossible result  and other systems can monitor them for this kind of failure.

It’s possible this is an unknown failure mode for those sensors – a way that nobody has seen them malfunction before – in which case it’s understandable that it wasn’t something that we could expect WMATA to have systems watching. However if the controllers could be expected to see an odd blinking behavior with longer intervals and report it… that implies this is something they knew they needed to worry about. I hope for everyone’s sake that’s not the case.

First off, we have a pair DCist commenters dubbed Angela and Ricky (God, I loved that show!) - a “redhead” and a guy with curly black hair. Check them out here and here.  The Anti-Real World DC has a shot of the required blonde girl here (cute shoes, though!). A group shot shows more cast: the obligatory black guy, what some are calling “the hottie” and some blonde dude I’m going to personally dub the douchebag. This shot shows what I’m guessing is the 7th cast member, a girl with long brown hair.

Reports from RealWorldDCNEWZ on Twitter had them shopping at the Super Secret Safeway, grilling (scroll down for pics), mandatory hot tubbing, and then heading to Bucca Di Beppo for dinner. Other reports have DC residents shouting “GO HOME!” at them. (Tee hee hee.) (I’m mean.) False rumors spotted them at Town, the latest have them coming out of Chi Cha Lounge, and I suppose we’ll just have to wait for confirmation and pictures. Welcome to DC, kids. Try not to throw up on my shoes.

I first moved to the United States from a suburb of Toronto, Ontario, Canada in the summer of 1997. My first foray into the country brought me to Los Angeles/Beverly Hills, which was a culture shock and half. After only a year, I moved to Boston, where I, Liam Michael Patrick Darmody, fit in quite nicely for 3 years. In 2001, upon graduating high school, I was deciding between UMass Amherst and American University and decided to go with the latter almost entirely BECAUSE of the DC location. To me, going to school in a world class city, even one with a crime rate higher than any other place I’d ever lived, appealed to me. And so in August 2001, I made my way to the District and have called it “home” ever since.

‘Sunset at US Supreme Court Building’
courtesy of ‘mnesterpics’

I love DC for so many reasons, but paramount to all others is the fact that my “backyard” (metaphorically speaking) is a place that millions of other pay to vacation. In this sense, you could say that I live in some type of urban resort. I love that about DC. I love that I’m one of the few, the proud, the RESIDENTS of Washington. I walk down the street on any given day and see people wandering around lost, but do I just go about my business and not pay them any attention? Of course not, because unlike the residents of that “other” major northeastern city everyone is always talking about (cough, NewYork, cough), we Districtphiles are NICE people who actually stop and ask, “you look lost, can I help you find something?” And that brings me to my next love of this city: people.

‘maybe they need bigger signs’

Washington, DC often gets undue slack for being a “homogeneous” place full of government types and a social divide between the have’s and the have nots. But there’s so much more to our population than that! Just because we don’t have a “little Italy” or a Chinatown that rivals San Francisco’s DOESN’T mean that the residents of the District don’t have an entirely different form of uniqueness to them. First off, you want to talk about diversity? How about the fact that every single country in the world is basically represented in DC? Or the fact that most people who live here aren’t originally “from here?” Where else do you meet someone and say, “so where are you from?” instead of “what do you do?” as your first question? It’s like saying, “tell me your story - share with me who you are.” I love that. I love hearing people’s stories. Secondly, you’ve got all sorts of people in this city who make it what it is. There are the govt types, the techies, the hipsters, the college crowd, the diplomats, the hard-working who have slugged it out for years and keep our city running while the Congressmen are “working” on the Hill. There are tons of different people here, each of whom has a story to tell, and each in their own area. And that brings me to my next love of this city: neighborhoods.

‘H Street’
courtesy of ‘NCinDC’

Neighborhoods in most large cities are defined by the nationalities of their neighborhoods. Chicago’s got Polish, New York has the Italian and Jewish neighborhoods, Boston has its heavy Irish focus. Although DC represents all nationalities, we are not defined by them. And yet, all of our neighborhoods have flair and all of them unique in their own way. My school was in fancy schmancy Wesley Heights, which shares similar feel to posh Georgetown; then you’ve got the West End, where GW students mix with professionals of all types. A little further and you end up in the downtown area where lobbyists dominate by day and people enjoy themselves by night. Dupont Circle offers an eclectic mix of personalities, sexuality, shopping, dining, and even outdoor markets. Woodley and Cleveland Park offer a quaint, neighborhood feel without being too disconnected from the actual hussle and bussle of the city. Adams Morgan is a colorful place where you can go to let loose and really tie one on if you’re feeling so inclined. Mount Pleasant gives you a chance to experience Latino culture in a way you’d never imagine - when I lived there, I had some of the best meals I’ve eaten in this city for $5 and without knowing how to order it. Columbia Heights is ever becoming more and more popular - a mix of hipsters and longtime residents of the city. U Street brings with it a rich history of African American culture and enables people of all backgrounds to indulge, experience, and learn. Shaw, which many a cabbie have told me used to be Heroin central, is now home to the largest convention center in all of the US and the area is really blossoming. Capitol Hill, with it’s colorful rowhouses, open parks, and streetside eateries offers residents a lovely environment to kick back and relax. I could go on, but this paragraph is long enough as is. The point is: the personality of the neighborhoods in this town are unique and wonderful in so many ways, and I love the fact that I can walk to pretty much any of them from my central spot in Shaw. And that brings me to my next love of this city: size.

‘Walkable Neighborhood’
courtesy of ‘Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com’

Los Angeles was too large, Boston was too small, New York casts a shadow over me even when it’s sunny out. DC is, in my opinion, the perfectly sized city. I love the layout of Washington, with it’s large, open sidewalks; low buildings; green parks; and, of course, monuments. I feel like I’m walking around a grande European city that’s thousands of years old whenever I leave my front door, and no other city in this country (that I’ve been to) can make me feel like that. I love the Lincoln, Jefferson, and little-known FDR memorials. I love strolling down to the mall on a lazy Sunday and watching people relaxing or throwing frisbees, playing kickball, or just lying on a blanket with a lover. I love staring at the US Capitol, realizing that it’s the epicenter of power not only in this country but in many ways, the world. I love the White House, and all that it represents. I love the fact that I can hop a circulator for $1 and get pretty much anywhere I want to go in just about no time. I’ll admit I once thought about moving to New York, but I abandoned that idea long ago when I realized that when I’m in DC, I feel in perfect balance, and that’s not an easy thing to find. And that brings me to my next love of the city: the feeling I have when I’m in it.

‘(317/365) (164/365)’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’

Washington, DC is my home. I have wonderful friends. I have tremendous opportunities. I have what I want, when I want, anytime I want here. I have wonderful memories, enjoy the present moment whenever I’m in it, and am optimistic about the future here. I’ve met people from all over the world here, shared my story with them and in turn listened to theirs. My life in DC is full of rich experiences that I wouldn’t trade for anything else. How could I possibly NOT love DC if it makes me feel this way?

The Post’s Nationals Journal and the Nationals are trying to put together a Twitter Mashup for Tweets at Nats Park. So, if you go to any of the games this weekend, they could use your help getting things tested out. If you see something Tweetworthy, like a great catch in your section, or maybe the tastiest half-smoke in the concessions, tweet about it with #natswp and a hashtag with your section number (#319, or #125 if you’re spending the beaucoup bucks) and they will be doing some magic with it.

"Bubbles Glow" by Jenn Larsen, on Flickr

Why so tired, people? A little worn out from partying with us last night(hmm… maybe it’s just me)? Well, it’s time to celebrate again! I hope most of you have a three-day weekend to look forward to, with fireworks and grilling and sun-soaking. My advice? Add some bubbles.

A lot of people think champagne is just for snobs. Those people are wrong. WRONG. But I understand. The whole “blow it all on table service and a bottle of Cristal” movement killed simple enjoyment of champagne for many people. Just forget about those excess junkies. Champagne isn’t so very different from beer. I mean, they both have bubbles, right? Ok, perhaps I’m pushing it here but I firmly believe that champagne should be enjoyed all the time, and especially in the summer. There’s something about a chill glass of the fizz that reminds me to slow down, relax and smile.

You can enjoy the bubbly all over town. But I have a few spots that pop to mind when I want to pop the cork. And I’m happy to share a little tour of where I would go right now to inbibe. Tops on the list currently? Belga Cafe and its divine basil champagne cocktail.

Wait, basil?

Belga’s marble bar is a great place to branch out and experience some simple champagne cocktails like peach or even violet, but really the basil is the best. Your first whiff of that distinct herbal scent leads you to expect something almost, well, pesto-y, but the actual sip is sweet and light. It’s just basic champagne and a basil simple syrup, but it’s truly addicting for a slow Sunday brunch.

If you want a crash course in the different houses and their individual styles, go to Proof. It’s famous in DC for the champagne cart, a no pressure way to learn, allowing you to focus on discovering what you like, not what you think you are supposed to like. The menu is even divided into regions, so get all educational while you get happily buzzed! They have my all-time favorite, Bollinger, rich and heady (not that I can afford it, but… sigh… the best… funnily enough do you know what goes incredibly well paired with Bollinger? Pizza!). Try Bruno Paillard’s delightful rosé champagne too.

Looking for a romantic setting for a champagne date? Tabaq’s rooftop bar has that sexy glow from candles and the night sky. Food may be a downer here but the bubbly flows well in this setting. Look up, get dizzy, fall in love. Down the street you can squeeze into Al Crostino’s tiny bar and have Italy’s version of sparkling wine, prosecco, in a setting rather like what you’d get in Venice - small, noisy, convivial. Some people turn their noses up at prosecco. That’s usually because they’ve had a substandard variety, so learn about the good stuff.

(While we’re on the subject of other countries interpretations of sparkling wine - I haven’t gotten into the whole champagne/sparkling wine nomenclature - if you want to get smart on this, mark July 22 on your calendar for Giramondo’s crash course at the French Embassy.)

Bistrot Lepic’s quiet upstairs wine bar (one of the city’s first before everyone jumped on that bandwagon) has a great selection beyond the usual suspects of producers you may not have tried, like Deutz with its delicately mineral taste, and a few rosé champagnes which are especially nice in the summer. Pretend you’re in Provence.

Get all down-home and have a glass of Perrier-Jouët at Eatonville’s bar. Better yet, sip it while lulling yourself in one of the rocking chairs. Tangent - when I was young and wild I fantasized about getting the Art Nouveau design of the Perrier-Jouët flowers tattooed somewhere on my lily white person. Thankfully, I resisted. But I still think “the PJ” has the tiniest bubbles of them all.

I hope this sparks you to head out this weekend and let the bubbly tickle your nose. Share any other champagne favorites in the comments, and above all, have fun!

Secure Communication has long been a pillar of diplomatic and internal communications. You want to make sure that only your intended recipients can read and understand your messages, not some man in the middle who’s particularly clever. In the days before digital computers, working with solid encryption meant a lot of mathematics by hand, using agreed upon methodology for encoding and decoding the message. If your method was solid enough, it would be pretty much improbable for anyone to decode it. So thought President Jefferson and his mathematician friend, Dr. Robert Patterson. Together, they devised a code so secure that it was given to the State Department to encrypt diplomatic communications. It remained uncracked for 200 years, when Dr. Lawren Smithline cracked Jefferson’s secret code.

Working for a few years using modern cryptographic techniques, Dr. Smithline was able to crack the sample of Jefferson’s code given to him by Dr. Patterson. What was in the message? Those words we’ll all think of come Saturday: “In Congress, July Fourth, one thousand seven hundred and seventy six. A declaration by the Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled. When in the course of human events…”

Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time to go re-read Stephen Levy’s Crypto…

Considering the false alarm from earlier this week, you can take this report for what it’s worth: @Realworlddcnewz says that RW cast members are moving in right.  Supposedly, a pair of good looking, 20 somethings was seen bringing bags into the house at 2000 S St.  I’ll be heading down that way in a few hours to confirm, but for now you’ll have to rely on twitter or go down and see for yourself.

Katie: Since this weekend starts on Thursday, my friends and I decided to celebrate with a fancy girl’s night out to one of the bars I wrote about in my Rooftop Bar Guide post a while back. It’ll be fantastic to get all of us together since we’re usually so busy! Then for the 4th I’m headed to a backyard barbecue at Jasmine’s, where I’m whipping up one of my signature party dishes, Roasted Tomato, Basil and Goat Cheese spread with basil that I’ve victoriously growing myself. (And have somehow managed to not kill yet!) Add in some quality pool time, a visit to my neighborhood farmer’s market and some quality relaxation, and I’ve got myself the absolute perfect 4th of July weekend.

Tiff: With my employer having recently moved back in to our newly-renovated headquarters on the Mall, we’ll actually be attending the company Fourth of July party. Usually I prefer to do my weekend and holiday socializing with friends and family rather than coworkers, but any time I can watch the fireworks on the Mall in a location with a 6th floor balcony, air conditioning, clean bathrooms, and parking, I feel obliged to check that out. Lots of the government agencies in the immediate Mall area take advantage of their prime fireworks-watching location to throw parties like this; if you or any of your nearest and dearest have access to one of these events, they’re worth attending.

‘Japan (Waseda Ball Team) in N.Y. 4th of July Parade (LOC)’
courtesy of ‘The Library of Congress’

Ben Rome: Since our relocation to the area now four years ago, we’ve attended a friend’s annual BBQ over in Fairfax County. Usually we’d head over to Lee District Park to watch the fireworks from a nearby parking lot, but since those have been shut down due to safety concerns and construction, we may end up caravaning down to Lake Fairfax Park. This is the only fireworks presentation by the Fairfax County Park Authority, and they’re planning on a doozy this year. For those of you who’re goofy historyphiles like me, you may want to head out to Chantilly and the “Let Freedom Ring” program at the Sully Historic Site, where you can affix your own John Hancock with a quill pen to a ‘declaration of celebration.’ Not quite the awesomeness of the Declaration of Independance, but the crowds at the Archives are notoriously long and large.

Jenn: This weekend, it’s all about rest and relaxation. I’m going to spend a blissful afternoon being pampered at Celadon Day Spa, then Friday night I’ll check out the opening of H Street’s newest crazy bar, Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar, where AlterEgo will be rocking out gothabilly style (wait, that’s not restful!). Then Saturday maybe I’ll hit the pool at the Capitol Skyline Hotel for BYT’s Summer Camp and end up later at a private grill party to watch the fireworks in style. This is a lot of activity. Maybe I’ll have to go back to Celadon and repeat the relaxation on Sunday…

Acacia: Acacia: I thought I would stay in DC for the fourth, I really did. Until today, when I decided to defect to spend a quiet long weekend with my family in Upstate New York. If I weren’t going, though, I would be choosing between bar-b-ques and special events, such as The Adult Swim Pool Party on the roof of The Liason Hotel on Sunday. I had really hoped to cheer on the Washington Freedom, DC’s women’s professional soccer team, as they host the LA Sol at the Maryland Soccerplex on July 5, but I suppose I’ll have to catch them in their next match at RFK on the 18th instead.

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courtesy of ‘Hoffmann’

Nathan: This weekend seems to be coming faster than I can even think about. I’ve got a few things lined up in my life, namely finally seeing the fireworks in D.C., after four years of living here, it seems like it’d only be appropriate. Other than a long day on the Mall on Saturday, I’m catching the punk melodies and frenetic live motions of one Jay Reatard at the Black Cat on Sunday. Outside of that, my life will probably consist of writing, sleeping, tennis and probably a cookout or two. I’m lame.

Jasmine: 4th of July weekend is going to be pretty chill for me, including spending the entirety of Friday poolside. On Saturday, some friends and I are going to grill out in my backyard and figure out how to throw a frisbee without putting our drinks down. I do have some things to celebrate (besides this country’s independence, of course), so there is a distinct possibility that I could bring my happy dance to Blisspop at the 9:30 Club on Friday night or DJ Regal, Fort Knox Five, and All Good Funk Alliance at Black Cat after fireworks on Saturday.

Kirk: Cookouts, cookouts, cookouts, that is my weekend. I’m thinking I may head over to the Butcher’s Block on King St. in Alexandria to pick up something unusual to grill up. Rabbit? Duck? We’ll see what they have to offer. Variety is, after all, the spice of life. Combine that with decent prices and there’s no reason for me to go to the local grocery for ground beef.

‘Bicycle riders in parade on the Fourth of July at Vale, Oregon (LOC)’
courtesy of ‘The Library of Congress’

Shannon: I’m heading down to North Myrtle Beach for a long weekend to escape the hordes of tourists that stand on the left on Metro escalators and block the Metro doors with their strollers (hasn’t anyone learned anything from our Tourist Tips?). If you’re sticking around the city, I’d recommend avoiding the Mall and instead watching the fireworks from a rooftop or one of these less crowded vantage points.

Liam: Us DC residents get our fill of tourists during the spring and summer as it is, and henceforth, I am skee-daddling out of the District for this, the most touristy time of year for our town. Were I here, however, there’s some cool stuff I’d do like grabbing some free fro-yo from Yogen Fruz on 14th St, then stroll down to Constitution to check out the National Independence Day Parade. Alternatively, I”d prob try and scoop tickets to the Tiger Woods AT&T Invitational at Congressional. At night, I would probably try to take a fireworks cruise, because although it can be pricey, it’s something new and not likely as crowded as checking them out from the mall or any other “free” spot. Of course, those of you who like it cheap can always just scope out a spot on the mall and watch for free…..either way, have a Happy 4th!

Donna: I likely will spend one morning this weekend zipping through the countryside on a bicycle with the Potomac Pedalers, and hope to score some fresh berries from one of the many farmers markets. I also plan to check out the Mall fireworks from a new location near the Air Force Memorial, those giant tentacles in the sky.

Rebecca: As I’m dogsitting for the weekend, I’ll be taking the pooch on long walks along the C&O Canal throughout the weekend. If you go early enough in the morning, you get the feeling of how peaceful and bucolic DC can be. For Independence Day, I’ll be at a house party where we’ll be playing cornhole and chowing on grub from Arlington’s Red, Hot & Blue. More cornbread please! Yum! We’ll most likely watch the fireworks, sans musical accompaniment, from the Key Bridge. The great thing about the 4th falling on a Saturday is that you have an entire day to recover and relax from the birth of our nation festivities. Therefore mimosas and brunch will definitely be in order at Town Hall in Glover Park, where you enjoy brioche french toast or endless amounts of toppings on your burger.

Today’s Post has an article about recent discoveries in the train collision revolving around a train sensor. Metro uses sensors mounted on the tracks - typically on the crossbeams between rails - that detect the presence of a train in order to determine if a track is clear and and provide direction to oncoming trains. A sensor was replaced in the week preceeding the accident and apparently was suffering an intermittent flaw that was difficult to detect with Metro’s user interfaces.

For those of you who need to shake off the traditionalism of fireworks and hot dogs for the 4th, Velvet Lounge has your answer: INDIEpendence Day. From 9pm until close, DJs including DJ KC from Fatback DC will be spinning the tunes, male and female models will be having their bodies painted, bands upstairs will be rocking your socks off, and general mayhem will ensue. $3 downstairs, $8 upstairs.

DCRA has put together a useful map of all the city’s legal fireworks locations, so that if you’re looking for a few fun pyrotechnics to make your weekend a little more awesome, you can find the legal stuff. Fireworks are pretty carefully regulated in DC and the surrounding area, so be sure to check with your locality if you don’t plan to set these off in the District. Always have a fire extinguisher handy, and always play safe, okay?

Hey WaPo, when lobbyists are questioning your morals, it may be time to stop and reflect on your direction. Politico reports this morning that the Washington Post is essentially selling access to important policy-makers and its own reporting staff to lobbyists and organizations. The Post plans a series of dinner talks, entitled “Salons,” to be held at the home of CEO and Publisher Katharine Weymouth. A flier advertising the Salons promises off-the-record debate and access to the roughly 20 dinner party guests, at an underwriting cost of $25,000 a pop. Firms and associations that wish to subscribe to the whole series of 11 Salons can pony up $250,000. The first Salon, which is slated for July 21, will open the debate over health care. The flier calls it “an exclusive opportunity to participate in the health-care reform debate among the select few who will actually get it done.” Yikes, Post — are things that bad for print media? Maybe its too much to hope that someone over there would raise their hand and object on moral and public interest grounds, but you’d think you would at least foresee the public relations nightmare.

We have had a great many questions about where we got these awesome heart/DC flag t-shirts that we wore to the party last night, did we have them made custom, where can other people get them, etc.

Ask, and you shall receive: We got these fine garments from DC artist Lara’s Etsy shop. As you can see, they are available in a variety of color combinations. She has a few other DC-themed designs in her shop as well, so be sure to poke around.

While some of us partied last night in honor of our fair city (and this here blogz), others of us get a little,uh,more permanent with our love.

DC Concierge, Shana Glickfield, unveils her collection of DC tattoo photographs on the tumblr site District Love. While you’re pretending to be productive at work today, take a gander at all the folks who love on this city as much as we do, yet choose to express it not by writing a blog, but with two bands and three stars inked into their skin.

Thanks to everyone who came out to Science Club last night to help us celebrate our first anniversary. The 2nd and 3rd floors were a packed house, and we raised a few hundred dollars for Bread for the City as well. If we missed you at the door, consider dropping them a few bucks.

The support from everyone last night was incredible. We’re glad to have been here a whole year, here’s to the next ten!

Katie: Tucked inside the courtyard of the Hotel Monaco in Penn Quarter, Poste Moderne Brasserie is like a little city oasis. Most of the restaurant activity, at least in the warmer months, revolves around the closed-in patio. Poste’s patio has lots of tables, its own drink bar, a raised stage patio, and then this a little partitioned subsection off to the side with a large marble table situated between rows of herbs. This is the chef’s table.  And Donna and I were at Poste for the exclusive “MARKET TO MARKET” dining experience.

‘Chef explains where he gets his lettuce, by needlessspaces’
courtesy of ‘mtngirl9999′

Katie: The concept of the market dinners is simple. Guests take a walk through the Eighth Street Penn Quarter Farmers Market with executive Chef Robert Weland then take a seat at the Chef’s Garden table for a five course tasting menu showcasing local and artisanal products. Our week was a bit different, as Weland was out moving to a new house with his baby (I suppose that’s an acceptable excuse), we were in the capable hands of executive sous chef Jon Nickerson.

Donna: As the owner of some spindly lavender and a single potted basil plant, I was impressed with the herb garden. These folks take container gardening to a new level, with large pots bearing a variety of flora, from down-home tomatoes to Muscat grapes, sage, elderberry, and even raspberry vines. They, too, grow lavender, but theirs looks better than mine, and they have the culinary know-how to whip it up into sorbets and vinaigrettes. That kind of sorcery simply does not happen in my kitchen. They also grow stinging nettle, which I’ve grown accustomed to avoiding in the woods, and tame it into soups and ravioli, sting-free.

Donna: The farmers market tour was quick, although they’ll let you stay and shop if you like. Nickerson pointed out a few vendors he buys from. Some are organic, some are not. This excursion makes for a leisurely evening, but the buying of course is done in advance.

Katie: So back we went to our table. We started off with an Amuse Bouche. The local wine pairing was a Blanc de Chardonnay, Thibaut Jannison, from Monticello VA. The amuse was a tasting of the kampachi, beef tartare, oyster with American sturgeon caviar. The beef tartare stood out to me as my favorite part of the amuse. The salmon in a mustard served in a cone was tasty as well as really fun.

Donna: I have to back up for a second and say that the table was almost on fire after a day in the hot sun, warming the silverware and melting the candles. So we checked out Poste’s water, which is filtered and put into glass bottles on site, with carbonation added for sparkling. No wasteful little plastic bottles there.

The tender kampachi was sustainably farmed in Kona, Hawaii; the beef came from Maine’s Pineland Farms, which uses responsible farming techniques; and the white sturgeon caviar came from the Columbia River, a sustainable choice. The oyster traveled from Washington state.

Katie: The next course was my favorite, the Green Almond Gazpacho, with cucumber sorbet and borage. It was so unexpectedly flavorful, with little cuts of cucumber and almond in the dish. I loved everything about this fresh summer soup, bright flavors, wonderful crunch and textures, it was both creamy and light.

Katie: Poste also does a separate garden dinner, Poste Roasts, that I wrote about a little while ago where they bust out the grill on the patio and roast you up an animal of your choice. The culinary team showed off for us, and grilled up some watermelon for a Grilled Watermelon Salad. With a noticeably smoky flavor, the heat brought out the sweetness of the melon, almost carmelizing the surface. Paired with heirloom tomatoes and garden basil, the creamy yogurt was a perfect pairing. This was the ideal summer salad. If you were looking for a super light summer supper, putting this salad with the cucumber gazpacho would be the ideal meal.

Donna: In addition to being delicious, these summery dishes were pretty. So were all of the dishes, mostly decorated with garnishes from the herb garden; the smoky, juicy grilled watermelon salad came topped with three basils grown at Poste. As a practical matter, the greenery grown on the patio cannot supply the restaurant in bulk; there is not enough space. The chef plans his menus up to a year in advance, and chooses herbs to appear as flavorings and flourishes.

Katie: The ivory salmon was our first protein, paired with fingerlings, parsley sabayon, salmon caviar, spring onions. I loved the fresh parsley pairing, and the fingerlings were well done.

Donna: This tasty salmon comes from Alaska and is caught in the wild, which is a green option for salmon.

Katie: Roasted Cappretto (baby goat) Anson Mills creamy polenta, grilled garlic scapes made me want to lick my plate. One of the people we were dining joked about asking for a spoon. I agreed, and was actually kind of serious, I wanted to scrape every last bit out of the dish. The goat, I think by nature of the meat, is slightly chewy, but the creamy stone-ground polenta was thick, reminiscent of grits. Mmm…

Donna: I, too, loved this dish, and the fact that the goat came from an eco-friendly farm.

Katie: The Elysian Fields Farm Lamb Saddle with broccoli, farro, pursalane was a great final protein. I loved the fresh salad with two kinds of radish. The grain was perfectly done, with a good firmness with a bit of a vinegar kick.

Donna: Elysian Fields Farm is in Pennsylvania and pampers its lambs. Pursalane, new to me, apparently is considered a weed. But it is one tasty weed indeed, so cheers to native plants, zero waste, and serving it up.

Katie: Finally we got to dessert. Two desserts, to be exact - plus a final sweet amuse - so practically three. I was super full when we got to this point, but I fell in love with the basil ice cream. The cherry pie had a chocolate ganache layer at the bottom, and the basil ice cream was a great pairing.

Donna: I’m all for a place that serves me three desserts. They were delicious, down to the rich tiny chocolate truffle that was my last bite.

Katie: All in all a great meal, truly. I loved the creativity of the plates, I liked the unusual pairings, and the way the culinary team works with fresh, local ingredients. The wine pairings were perfection, and I had a great time dining al fresco. I’d highly recommend the Market to Market dinner for any foodie, your palate will be tickled, teased and pleased.

Donna: The dinner was delicious, no question. The presentations were exquisite, and the food tasted fabulous. On researching this piece, I discovered that most of the ingredients do come from sustainable sources, if not truly local ones. This was a pleasant surprise, because at the dinner the focus was on the culinary aspect of the food. I would have liked to hear more that night about the food’s origins, especially with a market dinner.

Chef Weland did send along this quote, which explains his concept for the dinners. “Market to Market at Poste is all about introducing guests to local farmers and really encouraging them to buy and eat local. My grandfather had a huge garden, and that’s something you never forget. Believe me, your food tastes better when it’s fresh and locally sourced, and you’re reducing your carbon footprint in the process.”

I agree. Hear, hear — and cheers to a great meal.

“MARKET TO MARKET” is offered weekly on Thursday evenings during the Spring, Summer, and Fall. Please call Stacy Nemeth at (202) 449-7062 or email at stacy.nemeth (at) postebrasserie.com to make your reservation.