Apparently, over the weekend, an 8 term Congressman from California was involved in an incident at Dulles Airport. The Congressman was fairly well upset with his delayed bag and managed to push his way past security and airline employees, who eventually pressed charges for misdemeanor assault and battery.

I mean, I understand get the frustration of the slow baggage claim, but there’s no reason to be a douchebag about it, Congressman…

I saw this graffiti in my neighborhood and was shocked. Well, I wasn’t so surprised that there was graffiti. There are a million kids in the neighborhood with nothing to do but go grabassing up and down the streets all day because school is out. I was mostly disturbed by the fact that what is supposed to be a “u” looks more like an “o.” What are the youth of today learning in school? It is a properly formed sentence, if you forgive either the penmanship or else the misspelling of the verb but you can really only forgive one of these two errors.

If the word is spelled correctly and someone just went a little crazy with the Sharpie, that’s fine, sentiments aside. If the penmanship is correct and that’s an “o” then these kids don’t know how to spell “fuck.” That’s a tragedy.

Arlington County, being the fine place it is, cleaned up the ART Bus sign in short order, so now I can read the bus timetable without getting flustered and embarrassed. I wish I could catch those little bastards in the act of vandalism, though, so I could give them a grammar lesson, or at least teach them how to spell.

The real messages I should be delivering here, specifically, “Don’t be hating,” or, “Don’t be vandalizing, you little turd,” would be completely lost on today’s youth, I am afraid. I think I will leave that to the families. Usually kids learn the really important lessons about these values at home, right? I thought so. If that’s true, maybe I should go preach to my neighbors a little about what they are teaching their kids.

Petworth Eyesore

No matter if the Petworth Eyesore did get its contrsution permits, it’s still a danger to the community.

How? Check out the rusty exposed nails on these boards sitting in its side yard. Perfect to impale passing pedestrians with tetanus-shot requiring punctures until they’re properly disposed of.

That’s just yet another reason why its an eyesore and deserves a stop work order: danger to the public safety on top of its general visual offense.

photo courtesy of The Kennedy Center

I didn’t make it out for the Week o Accordion at the Kennedy Center, but a friend of mine went one evening. The subject line of this post covers the exchange we had about it. She suggested examining the feed footage on their website, which I am doing now. I think I concur with her review, though it’s about 60% painful for me.

Not they they’re not technically accomplished, and it’s impressive some of the pieces the orchestras full of accordions are capable of doing renditions of. However it brings to mind for me a quote that I was told was an old Russian proverb: “It’s not impressive how well the bear dances, but that it dances at all.” For my money the best bit I’ve heard so far is what sounds like a German beer hall tune (at the 48 minute mark), not the Bach or modern pieces. I’m a victim of my own prejudice here, I am sure. Go listen and decide for yourself.

Despite the tri-state drought, I’m enjoying fresh area farm produce every week. And I’m not talking about the farmer’s markets favorited by Jenn L, either.

I’m all about farm shares, the direct support of an area farm by purchasing a portion of its weekly production in association with other Washington DC produce aficionados.

Together, every week, we meet farmers, like those from Calgett Farms, and share in their bounty, drought or not.

Yes, Safeway might be cheaper, but its not as good, either in taste, association, or freshness as this social as well as gastronomical experience:

Clagett’s Weekly Farm Share in Washington DC

Doug Clifton said it well. This place is a rip-off for many things but I knew that when I went in the door to get some stuff I didn’t want to drive all the way to My Organic Market for.

I was in the bakery section and saw this. $5.03. For what, you might wonder? What could possibly be so good and delicious and wrapped in that plastic wrap, adorned with that sticker? Caviar, maybe? No. Nova Scotia lox? Uh-uh. Try again. Well, it must be something really valuable to be in so small a package and cost so much, right? Wrong.

It was five slices of bread. For $5. One dollar per slice. I am not making this up. I actually had a little outburst and embarrassed my lovely wife when I saw this. Whole Foods – what the hell are you thinking?

What prices have you been outraged by at Whole Foods? If you have been there at all, I am sure you have seen something crazy like this.

Summer vacation is coming to an end, which means a probable decrease in tourist conversations on the Metro like this one:

Tourist 1: So where do we get off?
Tourist 2: “Metro Central,” I think. It’s after Gallery Place. Is this it?
Tourist 1: I don’t think so. This is Gallery P.I.
Tourist 2: What’s “P.I.” stand for?
Tourist 1: No idea.
Me: *facepalm*

Sadly, no. When I saw the WTOP headline Treated Sewage to Operate Power Plant I thought perhaps we’d be seeing some new system similar to burning buffalo chips. Not the case, though. This is a pretty straight-forward use of what we’d have called “gray water” in South Florida. In a nutshell it means using the water from waste sources that’s been treated well enough to water your grass but not up to drinking standards.

People sometimes get a little worked up about it but it’s perfectly safe. My alma mater used to use it to water the lawns.

Seen at Wisconsin Avenue and Cheltenham in Bethesda. The tires were right up on the curb, as if Charles Kuralt himself had come back from the grave to pilot this vehicle.

Spread the word far and near – crappy parking all day from 12 until 6 today only in Bethesda. Be sure to leave your wipers up to tell the cops you are celebrating the holiday and should not receive a ticket for your vehicular misdeeds. Celebrate this special day that brings us all together and reminds us that we are all equal. Revel in your right to park badly on this most sacred of days.

I am glad that other cities are getting in on the Crappy Parking kick. Hang on, DC – Bethesda may give you a run for your money!

Giant line to get in…

Originally uploaded by tbridge.

how do you sell out RFK when the Nationals are terrible? Give oh Bobblehead dolls. This was the line to get into the stadium tonight as the team is giving away Abe Lincoln bobblehead dolls. The Nats have a rough row to hoe, with a sub .500 record and yet another starter sent down to the minors.

Well, here’s hoping we can pull off a curly w tonight!