Photo by DC Metroblogger

Are you in international development? Maybe even know who DevEx is? If either then you should be at 18th Street Lounge now.

It is the annual DevEx happy hour and as these two show, development chicks are hot!

Oh yeah and free food too.

With the Crime Emergency continuing onward, and all of DC’s efforts on stopping violent crime, this story came our way via Chris Needham at Capital Punishment. As part of the deal with the city, Major League Baseball made some improvements to local sports fields and that included a set of impressive bleachers at Ballou High School in Southeast.

Last week, the benches, made of prime grade aluminum, were stolen for scrap metal and sold. It was about 750 pounds of aluminum that was taken, and probably fetched at least $500 for it all.

What kind of sick bastard does this? Seriously, this is ridiculous.

Photo by DC Metroblogger

I know you’re looking at this photo right now and thinking only one thing: Saturday is DC Metroblogging’s Second Anniversary BBQ Bash, and I’m going!

We’re glad you’re just as excited as we are about grilling, drinking, and talking with us crazy mad DC Metroblogging crew as we are to be meeting our loyal stalkers readers and trolls commenters.

Now do yourself a favor, email Stacy so you can get on the Evite.

Well, it’s been forever since I’ve had anything to post here (thanks to my busy syllabi and sporadic travelling) but now as the summer semester comes to a close I’ve got some time for fun.

And just in time to see Editors return to the 930 Club!

A concert I highly recommend to each and every one of you who like great live music. When I saw them play a few months ago they were the opening act for Stellarstar and they stole the show. That was one of the best sets I’ve seen all year. Tomorrow night Editors return to DC as headliners and I can’t wait to hear what they have in store for us!

This show is not to be missed.

Editors
@The 930 Club
$15

View from the RBI Basbeall seats, section 516

Do you remember a few summers ago when ESPN.com Page 2 toured all the major league ballparks and rated them? Last season I applied the criteria that they used to our own RFK Stadium. Since RFK was “reopened” this past weekend, I thought I would do it again and see how it fared.

1. Access:
Two Metro lines stop a few blocks from the stadium. There are 10,000 parking spaces and I am told driving in and out is not bad at all. Metro does get crowded after the game though, so walk out of the stadium quickly. 4.5

2. Exterior architecture:
Since RFK was the prototype for the multi-purpose stadia of the 60s and 70s, it is not much to look at. However, the sloping roof is unique. The DC Vote sign breaks up the monotony of the design too. When it comes down to it RFK surpasses the late Three Rivers, the Vet, Atlanta-Fulton County, and Riverfront which were the cookie-cutter stadiums that followed RFK. The only circular stadium that had more character was Busch Stadium (II) in St. Louis after renovations in the 1990s.

RFK’s position on the same axis of the Lincoln & WWII Memorials, Washington Monument, and Capitol is worth a point too. 3
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The two – the only

While I was disappointed that my kickball team, Morally Casual, went missing in action, it seems my team’s disillusionment, disinterest, and dissatisfaction was not wholly dissimilar to other’s experience in the league.

The World Adult Kickball summer 2006 playoffs are becoming a test of perseverance, the team that actually shows up is going to win. No play needed. Do you think I’m exaggerating? How about this email from the league captain:

“Because of the large number of forfeits we will be condensing the playoffs into a 12 team format.

Morally Casual, Franks Tanks, Holy Shirts and Pants and Recreational Anomaly are out. If you’re on one of those teams sorry.”

That would be 25% of the kickball league forfeiting for a lack of four girls + four boys willing to kick the ball. Why the loss of WAKA teams?

Could it be the result of WAKA kickball being kicked down the Mall? Or maybe losing players to the two other kickball leagues breathing down their neck? My bet, WAKA is too fat with over $1 million in revenues and lost its hunger for real kickball on the National Mall.

Some time ago I wrote about the Redskins’ cheerleader tryouts. The slots have been filled and the pictures taken – now it’s time for the calendar release party at the Clarendon Ballroom tomorrow evening. I don’t know that I’ll be attending but I can understand the appeal of pictures of pretty ladies and getting to watch them perform without the ugly necessity of sitting through a football game.

But really…. if I wanted to get people to show up it would be “autographs and photo opportunities” and “LIVE performances by the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders” that would be in big bold type, not “Hosted by Larry Michael.” Larry, you may be the “voice” of the Redskins (why the spurious quotes?) but they could get Elmer Fudd to do that job for all the difference it’s gonna make to anyone who’s going to that event. Nobody’s coming for the VOICES….

Chances are, it’s incidences like these that are costing DC at budget time for Department of Homeland Security funds. Our cohorts in Minneapolis think it’s probably just as ridiculous as it looks, but it seems that events like these are used by other states to drum up support for increased budgets to protect things like the Mitchell Corn Palace or some other roadside wonder instead of being used to protect real, actual targets instead of things that are bullshit excuses from middle american politicians to “protect omaha from them dern terrists!”

Fact is, it’s our big cities, like this one, like LA, like NYC, that are going to be the targets, not Omaha, not Minneapolis (even if they do throw sweet zombie parties!) not Kansas City.

But still, those congresscritters think the best way to protect their jobs is to “prevent terrorism” in the same way that our city council believes the best way to be reelected is to “prevent crime” by adding useless cameras.

Eventually, it’s going to cost lives.

Anyone else have The Proclaimers’ I’m gonna be (500 miles) lyrics running through their head?

Montgomery County Park & Planning is challenging YOU to hike 100 miles in 100 days. Although the initiative began Memorial Day, there’s still time to get in 100 miles before Labor Day. Keep track of your mileage with this handy log and calendar [PDF] and download trail maps to help you on your way.

Always remember to be safe on the trails, inform someone of where you plan to be, and for how long. Carry important safety gear with you, stay on trail, and most important of all, respect the trail.
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Do you ride a scooter around town? Maybe even irking me by parking it on the sidewalk? Better yet, do you have passion for your scooter? Do you follow scooter related news, covet the newest Vespas or the oldest vintage Lambrettas? Might you think scootering is “counter culture”?

Then you may be a scooterist, and you should be reading the Washington Metro Area Scooter Authority. There, not only will you find info about scootering in DC, but also two very interesting developments.

First, Rob Downs, the man behind the site, has developed a stolen scooter map. Here you can track DC’s apparently rampant scooter theft and scooter jacking problem. Rob codes each theft himself, an amazing task he’s looking for help to automate, and has thefts/jacks back to 2002.

Scooterist Rally

Next, you can learn about fascinating scooter rallies, where scooterists from all over converge and.. scoot? The last one drew 250 two-wheeling fools. Also, Rob is putting together a cross country ride, from Portland to NYC, that he hopes will end better than last year – he was rear-ended by a semi-truck after riding 2700+ miles. Ouch!

Last but not least, you can learn the difference between a scooter and a moped: mopeds have pedals, scooters and motorcycles do not. The DC MPD draws the line at horsepower & speed, those too small and slow aren’t even mopeds, they are “motorized bicycles”. The rest are treated as motorcycles.

So DC scooterists, don’t go tag-free scootering in the District, you could lose your sweet ride.