Photo by DC Metroblogger

Look what I found on the street the other day: an automated teller machine.

No, it wasn’t the slowest ATM in the world, nor was it multi-lingual. From what I could tell, it was just a random Bank of America ATM.

No word yet on what is replacing it either. I really hope its another robo-ATM where customers can refinance Bolivian debt while they check their bank account balance.

Others may disagree – I hear ATMs that supersize withdrawals are quite popular. But I wouldn’t know, I always use tellers.

Yeah, tellers, that antiquated process where you talk to a human to get your money. Maybe that makes me old-school, but not once am I charged a “convenience fee” for the privilege.

And I might just be saving a teller from ending up like this ATM – out of a job.

Here’s a bit of post-Katrina fallout I hadn’t heard about. Last year, Congress passed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act, which requires local jurisdictions to include in their emergency evacuation plans means to evacuate pets along with people. As a result, counties around DC are coming up with all sorts of pet evacuation contingencies, including mobile centers stocked with pet carriers and supplies so that people don’t have to abandon their pets in the event of an emergency.

It’s controversial, of course, and I’m sure there will be more than a few of you who will chime in to tell me how ridiculous it is, but I think it’s great, and here’s why:
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Photo by DC Metroblogger

Yeah, so they wake you up at 6am on trash day. Or worse they skip you and your back yard stinks for the weekend.

But what a foul city we would have without these pillars of urban civilization?

Garbage Collectors, the Trash Man, Waste Removal Technicians.

The men (and maybe women) who take away our refuse, who clean our city, who day after day are elbow deep in the foul and filth that you and I wish be gone.

Could you do the work, regardless of pay? Would you live long in a city without them?

Then do you appreciate their daily task? I do. I salute the hardest working men in Washington DC: the men feeding the garbage truck this morning.

Not to make light of substance abuse in young people, be it prescription or street drugs, you still have to admit this story is rather amusing, and alarming.

Damascus High School officials have discovered that upwards of 50 “lollipops,” designed for chronic pain management in cancer and similar patients, have been circulating through the school and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Marketed under the brand name Actiq, the active ingredient is Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid agonist that is 80 times more powerful than morphine. And like poppy-based street drugs such as heroin, it is just as addictive.

Although this is the first I’ve heard of it, apparently illicit use of the drug has been a growing problem over the past several years. On the street, it is nicknamed “perc-a-pop.” How cute is that? In my day, drugs had scary sounding names like “acid” and “X.”

How many licks does it take to get to the center? Don’t bite down to get there or you may find yourself overdosing. Like patches, the release of the drug is designed to be slowly absorbed by the body—although the sweet, raspberry flavored lozenges might be too tempting, especially for kids.

What a strange town this is, sometimes. There really isn’t a word of how strange this one is, though. I know you want a Velvet Karl Rove painting. Right now, the bid’s at $41 for this American Masterpiece. Go make a bid and give the karl your love.

Yep, it’s your opportunity to SAVE WITH YOUR BONUS CARD. Normally $6, a bundle of firewood is available for 2 for $12.

Oh wait, that deal expired on 2/15. Sorry, you’re back to paying $6 a bundle.

Maybe they mean SAVE your brain cells and don’t think about how moronic this is?

Photo by DC Metroblogger

Do you enjoy long walks around the National Mall? Or, like me, do you run the Mall?

On your sojourns do you expect to find water fountains that work? Free thirst-quenching refreshment ready for your consumption?

Well don’t expect it anytime soon. As I learned this weekend, the water fountains on the Mall are off now. Off till spring at least.

Oh, and we’re not talking the first days of spring either. As my broken water fountain photo pool from April of last year shows, its gonna be damn near summer before the Mall will be de-parching.

Ah, but the concession stands are always open.

Hades in DC?

Originally uploaded by webjedi
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Ever since I’ve started a gig near the White House a few months ago, and while passing on cold (and not so cold) days since, there seems to be an inordinate amount of steam coming from cracks and manholes around that area. I’ve driven around the rest of town and can’t seem to find an equal to the amount of steam. Does anybody else have theories as to what “gawdawful” things are being done in the bowels of the Executive Office Buildings? I’ve personally ruled out ICBMs, but maybe Vulcan has his minions working overtime under the streets of DC… what’s your idea of what may lurk under 17th Street?

Photo by DC Metroblogger

Now this is a hot sight on a cold day: GW’s women rowing team readying for a Potomac thaw.

Maybe that explains today’s warm Al Gore Spring feel?

No matter what scientists say, these sweaty hotties do have atmospheric effects.

They had an entire oggle deck of fans drooling from across the street.

This photo by Flickrite cornflakegirl does it all for me, but I’m guessing it might rub some people the wrong way. The grit is just pouring out of my computer screen on this one, and my eyes don’t know where to look next. The lipstick on “her” cigarette, the ash fighting for its life against gravity, the caked on makeup covering up the peach fuzz on her cheek, the penciled in eyebrows, the giant fake eyelashes, the cheap earring dangling in a mess of blonde hair…it draws me in and intrigues me as a person and as a photographer. The cropping is great on this and the fact that the subject isn’t looking at the camera puts even more of an emphasis on her features.

For me this photo is timeless and is one of the best ones I’ve come across recently by one of our local photographers. Be sure to check out some of her other excellent photos.