I’ll admit it. I’m a sucker for Pizza Hut’s stuffed crust pizza. You know, the one that packs as much cheese as possible into every crevice of the pizza pie? Wait - are there crevices on a pizza? That’s a little disgusting. Anyway, about once a year I find myself in the mood for some of this cheesy goodness and immediately reach for the phone to have one delivered pronto. My annual craving reared its greasy little head last week so I set off on what I thought would be an easy mission: find my local Pizza Hut.
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photo credit: sexyfitsum, from the Metroblogging DC pool

“Grime! In DC!”

Shortly before midnight Sunday night, that was the Twitter my boyfriend posted. About two hours later, as we were getting ready to leave Jimmy Valentines Lonely Hearts Club, he posted again.

“My hair is full of ceiling debris shaken loose by bass.” High praise, indeed.

While grime actually comprised only a small portion of the set performed by SF/UK based dj BreakBeatBuddha (I will forgive the silly, silly name only this once) - which also included plenty of dubstep, and noisy, distorted, sometimes glitchy, party music - it was still a bit of a surprise to hear the British sub-genre played in a DC club

The Dive and Lie Wrecked night - presented as the final event in a weekend-long “mini-festival” called Forward - actually followed through on the claim that the generally enthusiastic audience would get a variety of styles, unlike many a DC club night where one can generally expect to hear 90% drum and bass, even at nights like Modern’s which puts dubstep right on the flyer.

In addition to BreakBeatBuddha, the popular Baltimore dj Joe Nice was on the bill, and was really the name that drew us up to the club in the first place. While we have never actually seen him live, he is most cited as one of the first American djs to become keen on the developments in the English scene in recent years, and bringing those styles more to the mainstream.

Credit is certainly due to the 88 DC promotion group for throwing the event. They have earned some success for their recurring and one-off events around town, and hopefully will keep putting on nights like this one.

Having been to their monthly X at BeBar initially only because a friend was performing (the whole “art happening” thing was off-putting to me, I will admit), I found myself pleasantly surprised and have gone back. It is less of a dance-oriented event, to be sure, but that is alright - and it certainly seems to be just fine with the slightly-older crowd it seems to attract, who are as interested in seeing interesting things on the walls and chatting with friends as they are in the music.

Jimmy Valentines is a delightful place in itself. No sign on the door, and on a quiet block, so it gives off just a whiff of exclusivity, even if it really is no speakeasy at all. The smallish, long room is painted and lit all in rosy red, making the faces of the patrons glow attractively.

We were pretty surprised by the quality of the system for a room of its size, which was clear and intense. It was strong enough to jostle a few chunks plaster out of the ceiling, which fell on to Craig’s head and the bar area, and for hours after leaving the club I had such a ringing in my ears that I think I may finally have lost some hearing.

Having never been there prior, I did not really know what to expect from the crowd. It was somewhat more mixed in terms of age and “style” than I might have expected, seeming to skew from collegey to late-30s, with several groups coming in suits to mingle with the heads in hood-up-hoodies and the like. I should point out, though, that Jimmy Valentines is principally a bar and was, last night at least, decidedly not all-ages. The woman working the door was clearly quite serious about ID-taking, and even scolded me for still carrying my vertical minor’s license even though I have been of age for some time (it still has a year before it expires!) because they are easier to forge.

All of the staff seemed to be girls, in fact, which was kind of intriguing, including perhaps the coolest security-type I have seen lately, with her mohawk and DC pride tattoo. She was clearly a total sweetie if you were cool, but I suspect could turn bad-ass if things got rowdy. One of the bartenders was among the prettiest I have ever seen mixing drinks, and I genuinely pitied her when some low-life in a plaid shirt was clearly putting the sleaze on her, thinking that she probably gets that a lot.

In short: I think Jimmy Valentines is now my third-favorite bar in town. Good music, super-cool space, a beer selection that, while short, still finds room for Brooklyn, Delirium, and Youngs, mixed-drinks served with bendy-straws with paper decorations, and some cool kids. Awesome.

In DC!

image courtesy of the
Shakespeare Theater Company

As Jenn mentioned, she and I got to go see the Shakespeare Theater’s production of Edward II on Friday evening. If you’re looking for a review in short: MAN do you have the wrong writer!

Uh.. I mean, if you’re looking for a review in short, I recommend it. The show is free of the scenery-chewing that afflicts some other viewing options, the characters are realized well enough for you to care about them, and the chemistry and interaction between the people on stage is believable and enjoyable. Somewhat unfortunately, while this is a far superior show to Tamburlaine, it doesn’t allow you to really enjoy the space of the new Harman theater as much. There’s nothing wrong with the layout or set but it doesn’t have the “oh wow” factor that the much more open set does in Tamburlaine.

If you’re looking for a longer review… well, try below the fold here.
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Annie Leibovitz is an icon of modern photography. Building her career from scratch, she has become one of the most recognized, sought after, and important photographers in the world. Over the span of her career she has photographed countless celebrities including Demi Moore, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Al Pacino, Robert Dinero, and Scarlett Johansson. She has worked for such magazines as Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, and Vogue and created ad campaigns for The Gap, American Express, and the Milk Board. She was designated a “Living Legend” by the Library of Congress and Smithsonian Magazine has called her one of the “innovators of our time”. She has photographed the last two sitting presidents and many of their cabinet members. Hell, she recently photographed the Queen of England claiming that “they had fun” during the shoot. When asked by a reporter if she has a “dream shoot”, that is someone she’s been dying to work with, she sort of scoffed at the question. From a professional photographer’s point of view, her life has been a dream shoot.
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Wayan’s DC Photos

Now I am not usually one to call anyone else out on spelling mistakes. Without spellcheck, my typing can be close to illegible. But I do have enough class to fix my mistakes when educated on things like “loose” vs. “lose”.

Not so with Malaysia Kopitiam at 1827 M Street NW. There a handwritten in ink sign says:

We need experience server (with knowledge of Asian or Malaysian Food). Apply within. Thank you

A sign corrected in pencil to read “experienced” by a passerby at least one rainy day ago, yet still left unchanged by the restaurant management.

I don’t know about you, but any restaurant too lazy to fix a simple sign doesn’t inspire my confidence in its attention to details like service. Or sanitation.

photo courtesy of Speshul Ted

What can I say to that other than “holy hell!” Hunker down, stay in the AC when you can, shade when you can’t. My XM weather report on the drive to work advised wearing light-colored loose-fitting clothing but I don’t know how much payoff you’re going to get from the loose fit - with the current dewpoint at 75 degrees and humidity at 70% I think the chances that you get any real relief from sweat evaporation are slim.

Don’t die, we need the readership.

If you’ve got some time to kill on Saturday, consider heading over to the National Zoo. They are debuting their newest baby animal. No it’s not a panda, it’s “Little Schnozzy“, the zoo’s new Giant Anteater. While it may not be as cute as Tai Shan (aka Butterstick), it is the only giant anteater born at the Zoo in the last 120 years. And unlike those bamboo eating beasties, giant anteaters can theoretically provide some value to urban residents. It seems that a full-grown giant anteater can consume up to 30,000 insects a day. Considering the size of some of the cockroaches I’ve seen boldly walking the streets around here, I’m suggesting that the zoo should breed an army of giant anteaters, let them loose, and clean up the city! Until that day however, you’ll have to be stuck seeing the anteaters in captivity. The exhibit is next to “Lemur Island”, and the zoo says the mother and baby are most apt to be seen between 8 and 11 a.m.

Loose something?

Walking my Betrothed Butterbean to work this morning, I found a note on the sidewalk. A note that seems like it might be important to someone.

Do these scribbles look familiar to you? Like maybe from a Women in Government meeting? Were you so engaged in “leadership through education” that you dropped your to-do list?

If so, or you know who did, please drop a note in the comments section. Give me an identifying scribble or action item, and I send a scan of the whole long-ass list to you asap.

I only want to know why you need to get dance lessons to figure out when the next meeting will be (Aug 27 or 28??).

Arlington has had its first evidence of West Nile Virus. Time to hit up those suggestions (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)I gave you a couple months ago.

From the Arlington County Web Site:

Four mosquito pools in or near Barcroft Park, Glencarlyn Park, and South Cleveland Street in Arlington County have tested positive for West Nile virus, Arlington County public health officials reported Tuesday.

“These are the first positive mosquito pools identified this year in Arlington County,” said Richard Cole, Arlington County Environmental Health Bureau Chief. “This is a reminder to residents that West Nile virus is active in our community and now is the time to eliminate mosquito breeding areas around your home and protect against mosquito-borne illness.” Fairfax County reported a single human case of West Nile virus earlier this year.

“Arlington County residents should ‘Fight the Bite,’” said Arlington County Public Health Director Reuben Varghese, MD, MPH. With summer here, Varghese said, “residents are spending more time outdoors. They should remove standing water on their properties and prevent mosquito bites by wearing long, loose fitting, light colored clothing and using an approved insect repellent when outdoors, especially during evening and early morning hours.” Mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk.

You can read the whole article here.

Smithsonian Metro, weekend afternoon
Guy in wheelchair, late middle age, long graying hair tied back, carrying a green ID with the word “guest” on it. Rolls up to me, showing the “guest” ID. “Excuse me, sir, my daughter and I are Katrina refugees and we need some help.” I tell him no, sorry, and he goes on to someone else.

Union Station Metro, Monday morning
“Hey man, change these to a twenty?” guy holds out a fistful of fives. Being too nice, and without pausing to wonder why a guy would want to change to a bigger bill, I hand him a loose twenty. He gives me the fives. There are, of course, only three bills. “Hey, hey,” I say loudly. He still holds the twenty in his hand, and I quickly grab it back and give him back his fives. “Dude, nice try,” I say with a smirk.

Mr. Fifteen sighs and grins back, “This town’s changed, man,” he says. “But I can tell you’re from around here.” Whatever that means.

Pentagon City Metro, weekend afternoon
It’s Katrina Refugee Wheelchair guy again. He passes by me, but instead of launching into the expected “my daughter and I are refugees” spiel, he simply says, “Can I have a dollar to get something to eat?” Pleased by this simple honesty, I give him a dollar.

Waterfront area near Safeway, weekday night
White guy, early 20s, spiky hair and earring, walks with a bit of swagger. “Excuse me, sir, I need some help. I’m from around here,” he points at a building behind the Safeway which I thought was abandoned, “and my Dad’s in Columbia, Maryland, and I just found out he’s very sick and might be dying. I’m out of cash but I need $20 to get on a bus to see him. Can you help out?”

I pause for a bit, smile, and say, “No.” Then I keep walking.

“NO?” he yells after me. You’d think he’d never been brushed off by a mark before. “Whaddaya mean ‘NO?!’”

“What, do I look like a tourist or something?” I toss back over my shoulder as I head for the Metro.

“Well, that’s real nice,” he calls from across the street. “GOD BLESS YOU, MAN.”

Same area, six months later
The same kid comes up to me in front of Safeway, this time carrying what looks like an empty gas can. “Excuse me, sir,” he starts, “I’m out of gas and I forgot my wallet, do you think you could-”

“Hi there!” I cry out to him, real friendly-like, “hey, how’s your Dad?”

“My…huh? Oh, my Dad, he’s uh-”

“Nice prop! A gas can! No, I’m not giving you anything!” But by now he is heading off to find another mark.

Capitol South Metro, Saturday morning
“I need some help, sir,” says the guy pacing the platform, “I just locked myself out of my car, and I need twenty dollars to-”

“No.”

“Aw c’mon man-”

“No.”

Union Station Metro, Monday afternoon

Guy pushing EIR in my face. “Want to help impeach Cheney and overthrow the British monarchy’s worldwide drug cartel?”

“Hey wow, so LaRouche is out of jail now?”

“Don’t believe everything you read on the Internet just because you can google LaRouche, man! I can google for brain surgery and find stuff, man! Haw haw haw!” (He seriously said that, then made a very fake sounding laugh.)

“No fascist demagoguery for me, please. Enjoy the cult.”

“LaRouche is the new FDR! Economic disaster is coming! Impeach Cheney and stop Gore’s global warming scam!” (Okay, he didn’t really say all that, it’s just the standard slogans sung or yelled from their card table shrines.)

Farragut North Metro, yesterday
It’s Katrina Refugee Wheelchair guy again. I recognize him but apparently he doesn’t recognize me. The spiel begins, “Sir, me and my daughter are Katrina refugees and we’ve been living in a FEMA trailer-”

“You’re still refugees?”

“Well, you know-”

“No. Play your grift elsewhere. Why are you at Farragut North, anyway? There are hardly any gullible tourists here.”

Katrina Refugee Wheelchair guy makes a face, then rolls off to some other mark.

(Someone out there, please tell me, am I being too mean? Somehow, I doubt a Katrina refugee with a daughter would insist on living around one of the most expensive cities in America, even to panhandle, so I lean more towards thinking of this guy as a fraudster.)

Seriously, I don’t know why I keep getting these guys. Are there just that many in DC, or do I just look like a real rube and an ideal mark? Thank goodness I watch LOST.