Have you ever been to the Reagan Building in town? I’m good with directions, I am a graduate of a post-secondary education, I’m a cross-country driver at times, and can find my way around my shoe closet – one of the biggest feats of them all (no pun intended.) But I – FOR THE LIFE OF ME – cannot find my way around the Reagan Building, no matter how many times I’ve been there. The signs are inadequate, the floors and sections are poorly marked, as are the meeting rooms.

Basically I’m still a little bitter from an event I was at this morning which took place in this monstrous architectural mess (here I’m probably inviting all kinds of architectural specialists’ counter-arguments – but I’m still saying to you, it’s insanely confusing). I did eventually find the room, but many of the participants were late as they couldn’t find it. No less don’t even think about finding your way back to your car if you parked in their garage.

I think President Reagan would have hated this building. It’s mostly – and even if partially – government funded, takes over mass amounts of land that could be used for other interests, and you have to practically get searched to come in and eat at the food court in the basement (if, say, you work across the street and that’s the closest food to you). Whatever you think about the late Ronald Reagan (I’ll call him one of the great champions of free markets and capitalism – you call him what you like) – you can surely agree that he would have never agreed that this building and all of its waste, confusion, and overstatement, be his namesake.

What do you think? Or better… what WOULD President Reagan wanted in this city to be named after him that already isn’t (i.e. DCA).

With the passing of Rosa Parks, now seems like a good time to revisit a local episode in the history of civil rights that didn’t involve a march on the Mall.

So I was out at Glen Echo Park again yesterday, and while I was there, I picked up a card with an interesting looking photo on it. (Yes, I know Tom just posted about Glen Echo recently, but it’s the site we’ve chosen for our wedding reception, so you can suck it up and learn something.)

The photo is of a black college student in a tie, sitting on one of the park’s carousel horses (a carousel rabbit, actually), being confronted by a white security guard. The confrontation looks civil, mostly words being exchanged, and not even particularly heated ones at that, but it was the back of the card that told the story.

The student was Marvous Saunders, part of a group led by Lawrence Henry, a divinity student at Howard University. He lead a group of students in a series of peaceful protests around the DC area that summer of 1960, including a sit-in on the carousel in Glen Echo. The students were told to leave the park or face arrest, as the park (privately owned at the time) was only open to white people.

For the next 10 weeks, the surrounding community joined with the students in protests outside of Glen Echo. Finally, the owners of the park announced (without much fanfare) that it would be open to black people as well the following season.

You can read the Washington Post’s story about it from last summer here.

If unholy guitar machinations aren’t your bag but cold-hearted electro-goth stylings are – then you should drive up to Baltimore to see Detroit’s finest electro-clash band Adult playing at the Ottobar.

This husband and wife duo have been crafting some of the world’s best off-beat and down-right jilted dance music for the last 7 years. Recently upgraded to a trio, they’re new album “Gimme Trouble” is a perfect blend of DIY electronics and punk attitude mixed with a dash of Siouxsie Sioux.

I’ve seen Adult twice, once at a festival in Spain and once at the Ottobar, both shows were crazy – manic dance-parties set to Jack Vulpine’s bizarre pulse-beats and Nicola Kuperus pseudo-fascist vocals. Adult are definitely worth the drive and the $15 sheckels admission.

Guitar mastermind Buckethead is playing at the State Theater in Falls Church tonight. While I am thrilled like a little monkey that just found a whole stash of bananas about this – it does make me take notice that several of the best bands I saw in 2004 have also played in 2005. Added to which they are all putting on such amazing f*cking shows that the are very likely going to end up on my 2005 year-end list.

The enigmatic guitar-god is going to put on one rip-roaring show tonight and just in time for Halloween week too. Of course he’ll be wearing his ever-present KFC-bucket helmet and creepoid “Michael Myers” mask to obscure his identity whilst dazzling the crowd with axe-grinding riffs and warp-speed fret-work.

For a brief summary of BH’s last DC show you can read my review from last year or my year-end recap.

Wednesday October 26
Doors: 7 PM

Showtime 8:30 PM
Tickets: $15

According to today’s Wash. Times the threat of some sort of disaster (manmade or natural) is holding up ballpark lease negotiations. It’s always something, isn’t it?

With this in mind, I propose that the team be renamed. In honor of MLB’s foot-dragging through every step of the process, I think there is only one fitting name for our team. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the:

WASHINGTON PROCRASTINATORS

Vienna’s Maple Ave. (VA 123) will be closed between Branch Road and Center Street for the 59th Annual Vienna Halloween Parade, which starts at 7 p.m., so adjust your commuting patterns appropriately if you cut through town. Traffic that does drive through Vienna will probably be detoured onto Church Street. If memory serves, the parade lasts about two hours. The Vienna-Tysons Regional Chamber of Commerce says the parade is enjoyed by 30,000 people annually.

As always, kids in costume are welcome to march in the parade. The Redskins Marching Band will be there too, but sadly, the Budweiser Clydesdales, once a staple of the parade, do not appear to be included. The Vienna/Oakton Connection has more.

First – Hiieee! I’m the new kid in class – well, me and two other people are the new bloggers on the headcount for your DC Metro Blog. Totally excited – mostly because I have way too much to say and frankly, 24 hours a day just isn’t enough. This is where you come in. Read me. Don’t read me. The thought that someone MIGHT be listening to my rand-o thoughts gives me a warm and fuzzy (not quite enough for the ever-popular – and plural – “warm and fuzzIES” – we’ll have to see how this thing goes before I get plural fuzzies).

Tootsie Rolls and wind – yep, I’m back. Focus. FOCUS!! This is where I launch in to the first of many (I’m sure) weather-related posts. I was reminded of Fall today, with the windy sort-of rain. I’ve spent most of my life in Michigan and Northern Ohio and am used to this sort of weather for many more months than we see it here. And, I’ll be honest… I like it. I like cold weather, I love Fall, and wind (and Tootsie Rolls) reminds me of Fall. Growing up this would be just the weather that would sway parents to let you stay out just a little longer and play in leaves, or terrorize your neighbors dog, or write with markets on siding of your parents home – ya know, whatever floats your boat at the ripe age of 8.

So – there it is. Tootsie Rolls because I’m pretty sure that was the only candy I ever ate after Halloween growing up, mostly because I love them, but also because Dad would scam all the rest before we could get to it. I ate a Tootsie Roll tonight, and then walked outside – it was almost overwhelming. Tonight reminded me of a childhood fall night – and I liked it.

Looking forward to posting with you!!

Yeah you, what are you gonna be on Saturday? You better have an idea by now as you don’t have much time left. By tomorrow, there will be no supplies left for witches or mummies, and nurses and devils will be hurting too.

Creative costumes and easy ones will be all that’s left. You could wear all black and cover yourself with those marshmallow peeps and be a chick magnet. You could wear dark glasses and carry a cane, and copy my greatest costume ever – a blind man. Wow, I squeezed a lot of Charmin that night.

So Saturday night, what are you gonna be?

Sure this is late notice but, what the heck, I’m new around here! David Wilcox is performing two shows this week, Thursday and Friday evenings, at the Barns of Wolf Trap, with special guest Ric Hordinski.

Dave has been a favorite of mine since I heard him open for Art Garfunkel in the summer of 2000. Since then I have purchased all 12 of his albums and zero of Art’s. It’s safe to say that if you enjoy James Taylor you’ll enjoy Wilcox. Not familiar? Take a listen to some of the clips on his site and let me know what you think.

Coming Thursday night? See you there!

There I was, playing cards at Last Call Poker, when all of a sudden, someone turned off half the internet.

It was as if thousands of websites cried out as one, and then…silence. Of course, my Mom & Pop ISP’s night tech support desk doesn’t really understand the complexities of internet peering relationship, and that’s sad, because if the answer is “Well, see, Qwest’s down for a good portion of the US tonight including Idaho, Georgia, the greater DC and Chicago areas,” then, I’ll be okay. But now, I want to know why Qwest is going down like a Dupont Circle Drag Queen leaving me with half an internet and no poker.

Bastards.