My darling girlfriend and I will be out selling nice mirrors this weekend in Old Town. If that’s not your bag – philistine – there’ll be dozens more people peddling their wares too at the Old Town Fine Arts and Craft Fair. And hey, it’s Mother’s Day on Sunday and you need to get her a gift – it’s not like you ordered those flowers yet, slacker.

There’ll be food and music on the bill as well, with the performers on at 1, 2, 3 and 4 tomorrow and 1, 2 and 3 on Sunday. Looks to be a nice day couple days to be out and about as well.

Market Square
301 King St
Alexandria, VA 22314
from 1-6 on Saturday May 12 and 10a to 6pm Sunday May 13th

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Photo by DC Metroblogger

Now this would be a bad day at Home Depot. The back window of this van looked to be broken while it was sitting in the parking lot last weekend. An errant 2×4 maybe or worse, a vandal?

Could this be the worst done to a car in a DC parking lot? Could you top this damage with a worse parking lot tale of woe?

I challenge you, Washington DC, to share your parking pain. Scratches and dents don’t count, nor do towing companies. Damage must be severe and anonymous.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I got this as a text message from the Arlington Alert system. A number of roads will be closed to accommodate the Battle of the Boulevard 10K Race and the Neighborhood Day Parade. This will affect mainly the Clarendon, Courthouse, and Rosslyn neighborhoods.

So if you need to get somewhere in these areas or on the other side of them, do some serious planning because there’s nothing quite as chaotic as trying to drive through a road race. You are either stuck until the race is over or else driving slowly along with the other folks who didn’t plan adequately and are trying to find an open street.

From the message:

The following streets will be closed for the Battle of the Boulevard 10K Race:

From 6:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.:
• Wilson Blvd. from Washington Blvd. to N. Highland St.
• Clarendon Blvd. from Washington Blvd. to N. Highland St.
• N. Highland St. from Clarendon Blvd. to Wilson Blvd.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs Continue reading →

Photo by DC Metroblogger

Saturday Sunday is the second most important day in your mom’s life, right after your birth.

What are you gonna do for her?

I already sent my mom a Mother of Pearl inlaid box from my latest trip to Egypt.

If you have not thought or sent anything yet, you might wanna go for the timeless last-minute fall back: flowers.

Florists are standing by.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I feel guilty writing about this without a picture but unfortunately we were driving in opposite directions and I didn’t have time to grab my camera, much less shoot a picture.

While driving through Herndon on Wednesday I passed a big purple van that had about a hundred little toy dinosaurs glued to its hood and roof. No company logos or any indication it was promoting anything or a transport vehicle for, say, a preschool. Nope. Apparently the dude just likes toy dinosaurs.

I’ll buy a six-pack for anyone who sees this thing and gets me a good picture of it.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

So here I am on the Orange Line, listening to an audio book on my very stealable music player while I head for Foggy Bottom, when this random guy in khaki shorts and a golf shirt reaches for a Hillwood ad on the train bulkhead, pulls it out of its receptacle, proceeds to read it like it was a newspaper, then gets off the train at Foggy Bottom and walks off with the ad rolled up in his hands. He doesn’t exactly look like a Metro worker.

Okay, WTF? Clueless tourist thinking Metro ads are “take-a-penny, leave-a-penny” deals? Obsessed Hillwood fan and memorabilia collector? Some kind of Marjorie Merriweather Post hater on a quest to minimize DC’s exposure to Hillwood material? Graphic designer of the ad getting a copy for his portfolio? Or just Metro staff tending to train ads on a casual Friday? We report. You deride.*

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs Continue reading →

So I was on the Green Line, heading home after a much-needed happy hour, flopped wearily into my seat, yawning after only two martinis, when I saw perhaps the most fascinating thing I’ve seen in a long time.

A man was making yarn with a hand spindle.

He had a very elegant way about him, sitting calmly, dropping the spindle while pulling the lavender-colored wool and twisting it into an ever more fine and thin string.

I’ve seen people knit on the Metro, but handspinning? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that outside of visiting a “living history village” as a small child. After he got on and pulled out the spindle, conversations just stopped as all the inhabitants of the car one by one were drawn into watching him.

An artisan quietly at work, in the middle of chaos, with the whirling spindle, an artifact of another time. Hypnotic.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Maryland’s Junior Senator Ben Cardin (D) has placed a not-so-anonymous anonymous hold on the DC School Takeover bill that’s currently working its way through Congress. One of the vagaries of being the Federal City is that no matter what the Mayor and the Council do, it still has to pass the House and the Senate.

Why? Why would he do that? To make a point.

Cardin said he does not object to the mayor’s school takeover and pledged not to hold up the legislation for long. But he added that he wanted to use an education-related bill to renew negotiations on a long-standing dispute between Anne Arundel and D.C. officials over the future of Oak Hill Youth Center in Fort Meade.

Glad to see that the Freshman Senator has learned that douchebaggery is one of those high points of the Senate, and that interfering in the politics of a city for his own personal gain is a power that the Senate gets over DC.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Local media guru Jonny Goldstein was on Capitol Hill today to cover a hearing on the future of video when Congressman Ed Markey started videoblogging it himself. So in true Rashomon style, here are the two videos:

Jonny’s Video:

Markey’s Video:

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Photo by DC Metroblogger

If you are headed home right about now, think about adding Farragut Park to your commute.

There is a live band rocking the park with decent rock funk. Sponsored by a local radio station, the band is part of a whole city park experience, dancing bums included.

See ya there?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

At least three people have perished in a serious accident on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge that has closed the westbound span. The incident appears to involve a tractor-trailer, a flatbed truck and at least three other passenger vehicles, that I can see.

The scene of the crash, as covered by ABC News 9 in DC, shows the signs of serious wreckage on the scene, and what appears to be a liquid tanker, not carrying a flammable subtance, as part of the crash. There are skid marks that go from the center lane, across to the right side railings, then back across all three lanes and into the left side railings, and back again into the middle. At least one other driver has been medevac’d to an area hospital, and there is another helicopter hovering over the span at this time, people affected in this serious accident will Continued with the lawsuit until the last consequences.

This is causing major havoc for those getting back from the Eastern Shore, as the span is closed to all traffic and will likely remain so for several hours. Cars currently on the bridge are being slowly redirected back off the bridge for the time being, and I’m not sure how the detour process is working. You can hire a personal injury lawyer to help you get compensation for your injuries if you’ve been in a car accident in washington dc.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

I love going into Old Town for lunch. The narrow streets and beautiful buildings, it’s the anti-Rosslyn, an escape from the city, in the middle of the metropolitan area. I try to catch lunch at Overwood a couple of times a month just to have an excuse to wander the area. Walled gardens, brick sidewalks, it’s all there. As I left Overwood today, I caught a glimpse of the business directory for the Crilley Warehouse. Contained therein, aside from another restaurant, were several offices…and a place called The Full Cup.

Marketing is important because it helps you sell your products or services. This applies to all type of business, but what would be considered good and effective marketing will vary among them. In my particular case and because of my job position, I find myself constantly on the lookout for fresh real estate marketing ideas that will stand out in a positive way. The bottom line of any business is to make money and marketing is an essential channel to reach that end goal. Creativs explained that without marketing many businesses wouldn’t exist because marketing is ultimately what drives sales, to boost your business selling rates, visit the James Hopkins Coaching website now.

According to a paragraph at this gohighlevel review, It allows you to connect with potential customers and inform them of all the services you offer. It builds brand recognition and fosters healthy competition between businesses. It boosts sales, helps you construct a consistent client-base, and helps you make your mark on the world.  To learn how to drive them in the  correct direction there are a couple of tips you can get at https://indexsy.com/seo-for-insurance/.

Oooo, coffeeshop, maybe? Soup restaurant? Nope. It’s Fine Lingerie. And appointments are strictly required. Great, great marketing to think of it that way. Well done, Full Cup, Well done.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Photo by DC Metroblogger

Whoohoo! This is an American croaker I’m gonna have for dinner. How do I know? Because now at Giant, all fish are tagged with place of origin. You can choose your seafood by the ocean is came from.

I’m not sure if Safeway does this too – I do remember an effort to make this tagging national but I don’t know if its enacted. Regardless, I love the idea. We all should know where our food comes from.

Better yet, I’d love to have fish sold whole, head, eyes and all, not as amorphous lumps of meat. Partly because I love the head, and partly because I can’t stand those who want their fish filets separate of their source.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Photo by DC Metroblogger

After 8 years in Washington DC, its about time for me to trade in my old Florida Drivers License for a shiny new DC one. And that means a DC DMV experience.

The last time I was at the DMV it was years ago at the decrepit C street location (now closed) and I was fighting a traffic ticket. Luckily, I had all day to do the DMV Dance as I was unemployed. Today I do not have that luxury but at the same time the DC DMV seems to have changed.

The Georgetown location looks clean and the lines are moving fast. Oops, I typed that too fast. 30 minutes later, I am still awaiting an appointment.

And in that appointment I had a friendly disagreement with the clerk over the need for a Social Security number with me arguing that DC is backward for requiring one as proof of identity when a passport should be the only requirement.

No matter who is right, I do need a photo on my license and here is where DC DMV is going all Kafka on my ass. The photo machine is broken.

All the good will of the clean space and pert clerks is quickly slipping away as the line grows longer. And longer. And those of us who wait start to fidget as the day, parking meter time, and patience slips into the past at the DC DMV.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

DC Media Maker and
Fashion Guru Jonny Goldstein

The DC Media Makers group is having a meeting on Thursday this week. Interested in learning about online video? Have some knowledge you’d like to share? This is the group for you. Video folks of all experience levels and varying backgrounds will be present and welcome.

This is a great group of folks to get to know, even if just to meet some different people who are into something really cool. I mean, it’s not kickball but you are guaranteed to have a good time learning some pretty interesting stuff.

From the DC Media Makers Web site:

You are invited to the next DC Media Makers meeting this coming Thursday. DC Media Makers is devoted to promoting web 2.0 media literacy and production skills. Everyone is welcome, from pros to novices. If you want to learn about video on the web, or want to share your existing knowledge, this is the group for you. DC Media Makers members have been busy over the last couple of weeks shooting video for an anti-human trafficking group, teaching activists how to videoblog, and participating in the 48 Hour Film Project.

When: 6:30-8:30, Thursday, May 10

Where: Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.

Metro: Cleveland Park stop, Red Line.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

photo courtesy of Mark Zimmermann,
by way of the Boundary Stones website

Or more accurately, we Virginians got 14 of them. That’s what remains in Virginia to mark where the DC property line used to be – 14 of the 40 boundary stones laid out in the late 18th century to indicate the perimeter of the District. I’ve commented in the past how interesting I find all the markers about historical locations so you shouldn’t be at all surprised to hear how cool I think this is.

I love this website. It covers a neat subject and it’s an example of effective design. A nice google maps mashup of the locations, pictures, descriptions, and nothing more than is needed. The only thing it’s missing is credit – who are you, stone tracker?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Virginia HardwareOriginally uploaded by tbridge.

I miss Virginia Hardware. I love neighborhood hardware stores, like the Candey Hardware on 18th Street downtown. They’re a symbol that we haven’t embraced the Home Depots of the world, and that we can still get just what we need in a small storefront. Sadly, Virginia Hardware, and later, Lazy Sundae, weren’t allowed to renew their leases, and they were booted out of Clarendon. Fortunately, when Virginia Hardware became Ri Ra, they at least left the marquee, so someone will see that where they are now was once a neighborhood hardware store and Locksmith 365 and take notice of what once was. Where now stands La Tasca and the Cheesecake Factory was once the antiques market on the weekend, and a surface parking lot. Where now stand condos used to be smalltown business. While all may not remain the same, remembering what was once is important. This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Have you ever talked to someone who works for a particular department of the government and walked away from the conversation thinking, “Oh God, Oh God, We’re all going to Die?”

Because I think that anyone who reads Homeland Security’s latest idea on how to make us safer will probably stop their Suspension of Disbelief, and start gawking in horror. See, they want to put patches of special material on all cellphones that will respond in a visible fashion to radiation, specific strains of bacteria (ie, bioweapons) or chemicals. The guys over at DHS want to mae your cellphone into a giant hysteria machine just waiting to happen.

You know that one coworker who gets all freaked out when the terror alert level changes? We all have one. They get all squirrelly and nervous. Can you imagine what this person would do when they saw a cellphone set off by an X-ray detector, or getting too near the radiology unit at a hospital, or accidentally getting a drop of chlorine on yourself when you’re re-balancing the Ph in your pool.

Please, for the love of God, make us actually safer, not subjected to more things that may make us feel safer. Security theatre sucks, okay. I think we’ve proved that at the airports across the USA.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Union Station is a heck of a place to go take pictures, in case you have the photo fever and are frustrated by rainy days ruining your outings. The architecture is incredible and there are lots of textures, lines, curves and all sorts of other artistic elements to view and capture.

I recently passed through there and got a couple good photos while on my way somewhere else. Despite what you may think, it’s not just a mixture of high-end retail, restaurants and dirty bathrooms. It’s worth a trip to go check it out if you are a shutter bug, as I am. The station is definitely on my list of places to return to.

Anybody want to do a joint photo outing and feed off each other’s creativity and vision? There are lots of places nearby to get a cold one after a good session of creative photography, as well.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

What might you guess would be the hot button issue at the ANC 4C meeting last night? Could it be the murder in a Taylor Street alley? Or maybe working fire hydrants? Nope, the riveting moment of the night was trees. Specifically the planting of trees in this median of New Hampshire Avenue after the Georgia Aveune intersection is upgraded for safety:

In the middle of Muhammed Khalid’s “Traffic Safety Improvement for the Intersection of Georgia and New Hampshire Avenues” a local resident brought up her hot-button issue. It wasn’t the “pedestrian bumps” or the bus lane changes for Georgia Avuenue, it seems that she is opposed to the Department of Transportation planting trees in the finalized median of New Hampshire Avenue between Georgia Avenue and Grant Circle.

Her objection? Trees would be an unwelcome change that blocks her views. She lives on or near New Hampshire Avenue and wants to continue having an uninterrupted vista from Spring Street to Grant Circle.

When several other people voiced their support of tress, as a logical and welcomed way to beautify the street, reduce traffic noise and pollution, control storm water runoff, alleviate summer heat-effect, and even slow traffic, the original plaintiff whipped out her fall back position: seniority.

She asked why the ANC should bow to the wishes of newcomers, those who have not lived in Petworth for 20+ years like she had, apparently unaware of the idea of one person – one vote, without regard to age. I could not tell if that was a veiled comment about race, since she was African-American and the tree supporters we seemingly Caucasian, but there was definitely an us-them overtone.

The meeting then spiraled into a long, wandering debate where everything from trees growing into the Metrorail tunnel 20+ feet under the street to posing a safety hazard to drivers turning onto New Hampshire were raised, turning what was expected to be a great discussion around the very needed safety featured of the intersection remodeling, to a debate on the possible evils of tree cover in Washington DC.

While the slow, haphazard democratic process works its way through the DC government, I ask you, Metroblogging DC readers what you think:

• Should there be trees in the New Hampshire Avenue median?

If so, why and if not, why not?

• And should the decision be based on neighbourhood seniority or equal suffrage?

.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs