Club violence is always something that kinda gives me the willies, and this example is no exception. Going in for my morning coffee this morning my bariista comrade was looking more forlorn than usual, and related to me that he’d seen the DJ stabbed at 18th Street Lounge last night. Said what had been “a really chill evening” was interrupted by major league violence and a major police response.

While the major media outlets (in my admittedly brief perusal) seem quiet on this, a venue like 18th Street Lounge us not a place I expected to see this kind of tragedy! Damn.

Update: Will the DJ from last night checks in below, entirely unperforated, to our great relief. He does confirm that there was a stabbing at the lounge last night. Our thoughts and well-wishes go out to the actual victim for a speedy recovery, as no one deserves to get stabbed while they’re just trying to have a good time.

Last Call — Originally uploaded by Adriaan Bloem

Good morning, D.C.

It’s been a very wet and soggy commute this morning.

If you drive in Virginia, please please PLEASE turn your headlights on if the rain is enough to keep your wipers on. “Daytime Running Lights” (those headlamps that are on when your car is in motion) isn’t the same thing - you need to have your parking lights on as well. Otherwise, you can’t SEE YOUR CAR in the gloom and gray. I sure don’t want someone to pancake my own nice sedan (hey, it’s my wife’s car!) and I would really like to not bump yours, either.

And if you don’t believe me, here’s what the VA Vehicular Code has to say:

§ 46.2-1030. When lights to be lighted; number of lights to be lighted at any time; use of warning lights.

A. Every vehicle in operation on a highway in the Commonwealth shall display lighted headlights and illuminating devices as required by this article (i) from sunset to sunrise, (ii) during any other time when, because of rain, smoke, fog, snow, sleet, insufficient light, or other unfavorable atmospheric conditions, visibility is reduced to a degree whereby persons or vehicles on the highway are not clearly discernible at a distance of 500 feet, and (iii) whenever windshield wipers are in use as a result of fog, rain, sleet, or snow. The provisions of this subsection, however, shall not apply to instances when windshield wipers are used intermittently in misting rain, sleet, or snow.

[...]

D. The failure to display lighted headlights and illuminating devices under the conditions set forth in clause (iii) of subsection A of this section shall not constitute negligence per se, nor shall violation of clause (iii) of subsection A of this section constitute a defense to any claim for personal injury or recovery of medical expenses for injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident.

E. No demerit points shall be assessed for failure to display lighted headlights and illuminating devices during periods of fog, rain, sleet, or snow in violation of clause (iii) of subsection A of this section.

F. No citation for a violation of clause (iii) of subsection A of this section shall be issued unless the officer issuing such citation has cause to stop or arrest the driver of such motor vehicle for the violation of some other provision of this Code or local ordinance relating to the operation, ownership, or maintenance of a motor vehicle or any criminal statute.

(Much thanks to Vivian Paige’s blog for the info.)

So no, you won’t get pulled over for not having them on. But if a cop pulls you over for another violation, you’ll get it added as a citation, like failure to have your seatbelt on. So save yourself the aggrevation from safe drivers like myself - I reserve dirty looks for you people; do you really want that on your conscience? - and a possible accident in the future. Who needs higher insurance premiums when we’ve got these gas prices?

Gloom Returns, courtesy of Erik Charlton

With Opening Day just six days away, Nationals Park is advertised as “nearly ready,” but what about the team that will take the field that night? Well, I wouldn’t hope for the playoffs, but there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic after Spring Training. I’m on record as saying the Nationals will finish over .500, and I stand by that. Here’s some of the questions you need to know the answers to as we get through the final Spring Training games:

Who’s our Opening Day Starter?

In past years, it’s been John Patterson or Livan Hernandez. This year it will be Odalis Perez. With Shawn Hill’s health in question, and neither Bergmann nor Chico anything resembling ready to be the #1 starter, the job falls to Odalis Perez, who was only signed by the team to a minor league contract at the beginning of the Spring. The remainder of the rotation as it stands will be Bergmann, Chico and Redding, for the time being. With Redding leaving the game with back spasms yesterday, the fourth slot will likely fall to Joe Lannan until Redding’s at 100% again.

Who’s On First?!

One of the big questions in the off-season was: With Nick Johnson AND Dmitri Young healthy, who’s playing first base?

If you have an answer, please someone either tell Stan Kasten or put it in the comments. The Nats just don’t seem to have one. Both of them are quality players, each with redeeming features. We know what Dmitri can do, we saw it in his All-Star season in 2007, which probably why Johnson got most of the starts this Spring, as his recovery is probably the most scrutiny. Johnson is also probably the more tradable of the two, as his age will be a certain mark in his favor. I can’t imagine either wanting to ride the pine, and with Zimmerman a lock up at third, it’s unlikely they’d be able to make that move, either.

So, Who are these guys?!

The Nationals have proven one thing over their short stay in DC: Anyone the fans like gets shown the door pretty quickly. Livan was gone after a couple seasons, Jamey Carroll was traded to the Rockies, despite every team needing a Jamey Carroll, and of course there’s the release of Patterson this past week. New faces this year include emotionally-troubled outfielder Lastings Milledge (picked up in a trade for Brian Schneider and Ryan Church, both sentimental favorites), emotionally-troubled and criminally-susceptible Elijah Dukes, both of whom have behaved themselves in Spring Training, and put on a decently impressing display of hitting and defense. Each of them is a quality find, provided they don’t start getting arrested or shooting their mouths off in the local media. We’ll see.

Why are you optimistic?

Well, I’ve always looked on the bright side of…oh wait. You meant specifically. Here’s why: Great Defense, Improved Offense, and a new ballpark that will bring out the crowds. But generally, I figure the Nationals will do their damnedest to put up a winning season their first year in the new park. We won’t be the Mets, or the Phillies, but I think we can at least best the Braves. We’ll know in May if I’m being pollyanna, or realist.

It’s pretty garbagey out there today. Fog this morning, thunderstorms later. Our last day above 60°F for a while. Enjoy it while you can.

Housing Market in Recovery?

The Examiner thinks that housing market is stabilizing, maybe even recovering, at least in NoVA and DC. The median sale for a house in December was $425,000, up 4% over November, but we’re still down 2% year-over-year. So, relax just a bit, home-owners, it may be okay, after all. No need to freak.

Bank Robbery Turns Into Major Mystery

This is really pretty bizarre. Usually, when a bank’s robbed, they know right away. However, yesterday’s heist at the Wachovia near the FBI HQ took place at 9:30am, but wasn’t noticed until after 3:00pm. A man dressed as a Brinks security guard walked right into the vault, packed up $370,000, and walked right up. Proof that when you look like you belong, you can get away with, well, $370,000. They figured it out when the real guard showed up that afternoon.

Oops.

New Metro Cars? Maybe…

Metro’s looking at a brand new design for their rail cars, a drastic change from their current design. So much of a break, even, that the new cars wouldn’t link up with the older cars. It’s likely that these cars won’t go into service until 2013 at the earliest, and would likely run along the Orange Line extension out toward Dulles Airport. Metro is waiting to hear about how the Federal funding for the extension will work, but will then be ordering 128 new cars across the two phases, if things work out monetarily.

Two Healthcare Bits

The Whitman-Walker Clinic will be expanding services in the DC area, as well as doing a major overhaul on its social service programs. It will also be launching a public awareness campaign to the socio-economic groups hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

The former chief pharmacist for St. Elizabeth’s somehow managed to steal $95,000 in drugs from the hospital. The husband/wife thief team sold about $236,000 worth of stolen medication in combination form St. Elizabeth’s and Kaiser Permanente. Interestingly enough, his wife was sentences to six months in prison, while he faces generally between 24 and 30 months. No idea why the sentences are so different.

Why all the police cars, I wondered to myself as I emerged from the Union Station Metro last night. Someone’s gone and done something stupid. Sure enough: Teen Injured, Two Arrested In Shooting at Union Station. This report from Officer Diane Groomes on the MPD-1D mailing list:

1d units called to Union Station by Amtrak pd tonite at approximately 1800 hours - report of juveniles fighting near bakery area - the argument became physical and spilled out on 1st St NE side — the group continued to fight and gunshots rang out - one teenager struck by gunfire and taken to Hospital - officers chased subjects -so far two apprehensions and gun recovery — victim at hospital in critical condition

By the time I arrived, I’d missed the action by about an hour. According to witnesses the boy had been shot multiple times in the head, but managed to drag himself to Corner Bakery to ask for help, while the shooter and his girlfriend had run down E Street, where they were apprehended and arrested for assault. They gave their address as the shelter at 2nd and D Streets NW, which would be CCNV.

Tip to would-be gun happy perps at Union Station: Don’t. Really. It’s so heavily policed they’ll be on you before you can say Mooninite, especially at that specific corner, which almost always has a patrol car on watch to moderate the hordes of after-school teens who used to conglomerate there and occasionally harass tourists and other passers-by.

An eloquent differing view from DC CL RNR.

January 14, 1982 edition of The Post from the Millennium Milestones section on washingtonpost.com

Twenty-five years ago today Washington had one of the worst transporation days in its history. At 4:01 p.m. Air Florida 90 plunged tail-first into the Rochambeau Bridge (main line, I-395 northbound span) killing 78 people in the plane and on the bridge. There were five survivors from the plane, all of whom were rescued from the icy Potomac River by helicopter. Another passenger, Arland D. Williams, Jr. was credited with saving their lives:

“That guy was amazing,” said M.E. (Gene) Windsor, the paramedic aboard the aircraft. “All I can tell you is I’ve never seen that kind of guts. It seemed to me like he decided that the women, the men who were bleeding, needed to get out before him, and even if he was going under he stuck to his decision and helped them get out.”

Williams perished in the water that day.
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Revolution Cycles has exceeded my expectations for helpfulness, courtesy and not laughing at me, despite my lack of knowledge. Let’s face it - I was trying to keep it old school when I started looking for a bike but settled for one off the local Freecycle site and ended up with a decent product, but not without need of repair. And no big banana seat like I was hoping for - more of a practical, sensible seat. I was very disappointed.

So in I walk to Revolution Cycles at Clarendon with my wife at my side and a bicycle wheel in my hand, looking desperately for someone who could hook me up with a new inner tube or two. Preferably two, since I need to ride on both wheels. I halfway expected someone to laugh at me for having to bring the whole wheel. I had no idea how inner tubes were sized. I knew this was a sure way to get what I needed.
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After last Saturday’s marathon, I woke up Sunday with a craving for pizza.  While I normally go for Pho as a means for stimulating recovery – I needed to catch up with a friend who lives in Falls Church – and there is a Pizza place near his house that I’ve been meaning to try…

Pie-Tanza is located in a small shopping center on North Harrison Street – just down from the Harris Teeter.  The lunch crowd was a bit sparse when we arrived, but picked up substantially shortly after we ordered.  We had two appetizers – white bean soup, and a seasoned flatbread with tomato sauce for dipping.  Although the flatbread was tasty – I enjoyed the soup much more; particularly when scooped up with the breadsticks that accompanied it.

The second course consisted of baked ziti, a Mediterranean pizza, and a “pick your own” calzone with meatballs and garlic.  All three received rave reviews.

The ziti was just right texture and had ample amounts of cheese.  The pizza and calzone shared that extra crisp and touch of charcoal that comes from Pie-Tanza’s massive oven – which you can see from the dining area as cooks prepare various dishes.  Although the range of quality in their ingredients sometimes varied – what I thought were supposed to be kalamata olives on the pizza seemed more like sliced canned black olives – overall each dish was very good – and for a reasonable price.

The service was also incredibly attentive.  Although we had a specific waiter who took our order – a team of servers made sure we had full glasses, extra napkins, etc.  Even the manager made the rounds to make sure we were enjoying everything.

All in all a great place to get some good food in Arlington…

Like many people living in the DC metro area, I am a firm believer in the benefits of exercise. I lift weights for the muscles, run for the heart and lungs, and drink for the liver. This weekend was a bit of a marathon for the latter…

Started off on Friday night by polishing off a few martinis with some other authors at Pinzimini; the restaurant/bar in the Arlington Gateway Westin. While I agree
with Wayan that the bar service was slow - at least they don’t pour rail when you ask for top shelf.

After the warmup on Friday night, I was ready to go the distance on Saturday.

We were entertaining a friend from London, so after the obligatory “here are all the monuments and memorials” tour, we headed out to Mie N Yu for dinner. Dinner there can be on the pricey end, but the food is excellently prepared and they have a great bar. I recommend you try the Tunisian martini, made with ginger infused vodka, cointreau, and cranberry juice - it’s got a crisp taste that perfectly
complements these cooler fall nights. Thai red snapper, red curry mussels, and barbecue lamb shank all got rave reviews - the blueberry crusted lamb loin was surprisingly unimpressive.

Our waiter was incredibly attentive and made great reccomendations on food and wine - but the manager who brought the second bottle of wine came off like a stalker when he called out one of our dining companions by first name, named where she worked, and reminded her they met once in a bar - 6 MONTHS AGO - and tested her to see if he remembered his name. Umm… yeah, guy, that’s what we call a dick move.

We moved down to Sequoia after that. Another sign that summertime is over - the
waterfront is surprisingly quiet, despite the very pleasant weather. After a few more hours of conversation and imbibing, we decided to go old school and meet up with a younger co-worker at Garrett’s. The drinks we had there fueled a decision to maintain the “damn I’m getting old” sentiment and head down the street to The Guards. Surrounded by seemingly underage Georgetown/GW students - these days 21-year-olds look like 12-year-olds to me - we rocked out to Journey in the Griffin Room - and polished off a few more rounds.

This morning I wasn’t so much hung over as nursing a sprained liver. Nothing four advil and two liters of water couldn’t fix…

By the way - does anyone know who the"Stop Bitching Start a Revolution" people are? A swarm of dreadlocked caucasian kids were pawning off t-shirts and bumper stickers at the corner of M and Wisconsin with that slogan on it. A little web research reveals they are tied to Wulf Zendik - leader and founder of the Zendik Arts community- who is survived by his wife Arol and daughter Fawn. I guess they are trying to expand upon his "social, political, and spiritual premises" - but honestly I find their website really, really, really confusing… a lot like these guys.

Everyone knows by now that I’m a little more than in love with the people of New Orleans after they were affected and destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. In fact, I’ve never even been to New Orleans for fun, or for Bourbon Street craziness.

I have been for two recovery trips and continue to think about when I can make a third trip. Many of you helped provide materials and transportation for our recent trip in May. I sit here watching the “year later” specials still not understanding the sites that my very own eyes just a few weeks after the storm. I still haven’t - in eleven months - ever smelled anything like the waste and death I smelled there the end of last September. I sit here watching the people of Katrina - the people we helped on both our trips down - on these shows and feeling the exact same desperation and hurt that I felt standing in front of the devastation that was before me, and surrounded me, eleven months ago.

For those that know me, I’m not all that empathetic of a person - but for some reason Katrina victims have latched on to my little heart. Maybe you too, realizing as tomorrow is the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina first hitting, how can I, all the way up here in DC, help this city and help the tens and thousands of people still without homes.

Here, DC, remember the victims of Katrina this week, as they mark the hardest year of their lives:

Enter your zip code here at Strength and find a DC restaurant that will support victims with a portion of their proceeds. There are many NoVa and DC participating restaurants.

Making Change for Katrina: click on the “zip code finder” and you’ll find many DC and metro-area locations where you can take your change and donate it to Katrina victims.

Please add more - you all are parts of organizations that are doing things to continue helping, right here in DC. Let us know how we can help.