Props to DrBacchus on flickr

Do you remember your first science fair project?   All that research in the library, carefully printing your experimental procedure, plotting your results, and the nail-biting presentation for the judges — it’s all coming back, isn’t it?   Well, thousands of students are going through that same thing right now in preparation for the 2009 District of Columbia Mathematics, Science & Technology (DC MST) Fair on Saturday, March 14 at the McKinley Technology High School from 8:30 until noon.

One piece of this is still needed, and that’s judges.  For the senior projects that means very knowledgeable folks; trust me, these kids are sharp!  For the junior projects, more a more general background is needed.  And really, it’s not all robots!  Expertise is needed in animal sciences, behavioral and social sciences, biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, chemistry, computer science. earth and planetary science, engineering, environmental sciences, mathematical sciences, medicine and health sciences, microbiology, physics and astronomy, and plant sciences. The two top winners here will go on to compete with students from all over the world at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

To be honest, the DC fair has been pretty dismal in the past, owing primarily to a lack of staff support.  I’ve judged science fairs across the region for several years and I can tell you that the DC fair has come a long way.  It was still worth going to even when you were lucky to get a printed list of projects, let alone the catered breakfast and lunch, packet and clipboard, and staff support that’s provided today (by the very generous and competent Walter Reed Army Institute of Research).  The reason it’s worth it is simple: the kids.  These are the ones who have the drive to make a career in science and technology and a difference in the world.  Many have had little or no exposure to the S&T community, so the 5 or 10 minutes you spend with them is priceless.

The deadline to register in DC is March 2, 2009.  See you there?

And on the theme of fairness, here are links to other 2009 area fairs and the hours they are open for judging: 

Northern Virginia Regional Science and Engineering Fair at the Wakefield High School, Saturday, March 7th, 9:30 AM until 1:00 PM

Montgomery Area Science Fair at the Reckord Armory Building at the University of Maryland, Saturday, March 21, 8AM until 5:30 PM

Fairfax County Regional Science and Engineering Fair at the Robinson Secondary School, Saturday, March 28th, 7:30 AM until noon

Prince George’s Area Science Fair at the Howard B. Owens Science Center at the PG Community College, Saturday, March 28th, 7:45AM until 1:00PM.

image found here.

Dear Metblog readers, indulge me in a brief personal story and the use of this forum to say thank you to someone.  Hopefully you’ll just find it a heartwarming little story about how good people can be in our area.  

Dear Random Girl who eventually got off at the Naylor Rd. Station:

Thank you for finding my Iphone.  Although I’ve never met you or saw you or know anything about you-I appreciate your finding my Iphone.

See, I was heading home to drop off the comic books I had bought at SPX and to get changed to go out for the evening.  In my fervor of comic book delightedness I must have only half-heartedly put my phone into my sweatshirt hoodie pocket after checking it (like I always do) coming over the river on the yellow line bridge.  Questions of whether to go all the way to Clarendon or not coupled with handfuls of newly signed books must have distracted me as I left my train at Crystal City because it wasn’t until I got outside and reached for my phone again that I realized it was gone. 

Now for those of you who don’t have an Iphone, hopefully you have a friend who has one because really you can only understand who deep the obsession to check it is every, oh, 2.3 seconds if you have one or are constantly yelling at someone to “put that damn thing away!”  When I don’t have my phone?  I actually lose my ability to function.  I shut down and am fully consumed with the sole mission of getting my phone back.  I can’t eat, drink, breathe or certainly just go out and have a good time. So this wasn’t going to do at all. 

In a stream of curse words, I rushed back downstairs where the Station Manager offered help-but to no avail.  Walking back into my apartment complex I called my phone, on a whim, from my roommates cell.  And you answered.  Clearly young and as you called yourself “just a random girl on the metro”-you found my phone.  You offered to leave the phone at L’Enfant Plaza, your transfer point, for me to pick up. 

You might have kept the phone.  Or sold it.  Or just left it where it was-doing nothing about it.  But, in fact, you are a good person and you did a good thing.  And for this I was thanking you the whole way back. 

Delighted at my luck I rushed back into the train station and hopped on up to L’Enfant fully expecting my phone to be there.  To my dismay it wasn’t.  I am sorry to say, Ms. Random Girl, at first I fully cursed you out-wondering why someone would say they were leaving my phone when they didn’t.  Upon returning home (for the second time that night) fortune was on my side again as I ran into my roommate departing for the evening.  He relayed your message that you were going to miss your transfer and so just got on your train home with no time to leave the phone at L’Enfant.  That in fact you had left it at Naylor Rd. for me-Well he actually said “I think she said  ‘Nala or Nah Lah’ or something.”  He’s still pretty new here.

So I returned to the metro system once again, this time stopping and asking my Crystal City guy (Prince was his name by the way) to call ahead to Naylor Rd. to confirm.  And a mere 30 minutes or so later I had my hands on my phone again. 

So thank you Random Girl who I don’t know who did me a good turn by, well, turning my phone in.  Thank you for being a good person and giving me a little bit of belief in the good people of this city.  Thank you also for helping me to add Naylor Rd. to my collection of “Metro stops I’ve been at.”  I plan on paying it forward the best I can since I probably can’t ever pay you back.

Also, my liver thanks you for saving it from a night of drinking that I probably could have done without. 

And thank you also to the Station Managers at Crystal City, L’Enfant Plaza and Naylor Rd. who not only put up with my frantic “where is my phone” nonsense but let me have that last ride to go get the phone for free (since I was really just going in a big circle).  If the Metro bosses read this they were on duty at 11pm on Saturday night and all deserve big pats on the back.  I promise that, in exchange for your kindness, not to sneak bites of my breakfast or sips of my coffee on the train (even though I think you should change that rule)…for at least a week anyway.

Sincerely,

Frank

Very peculiar!

DC Loses $250,000 in Emergency Radios

Apparently, the DC Government can only account for 73 of its 151 emergency radios, and given that some of the radios have turned up for sale in DC, it’s probably not a bad assumption that the other 78 (valued at over $3,000 apiece) are pretty much gone. So, next time there’s an emergency, look out for those other 78 people fucking with the EMT and Police crowd. That’ll just be awesome.

Goodbye Awakening

The Awakening is leaving DC today, being dug up from its home at Hains Point and moved to the National Harbor project (Warning, Annoying Music) in Prince George’s County. We’ve known this was coming, but it’s still jarring to think that it’s finally going. Thanks much to Christopher Dale for the use of his amazing long-exposure shot.

No More French in 9th Grade in DC

I know in my educational path, foreign language was an option as young as 7th grade. Apparently not in DC, where it’s not until 10th grade that you can take a foreign language. I’m no pedagogue, but I’m fairly sure that kinda screws over the students, no?

Do you, like I find automated glitches at Home Depot when you use the self check-out lines? Yet do you hate to wait in the regular lines?

Then this man is your savior.

He runs an automated checkout cart down the line of folks waiting to leave, tallying up your hardware buy while you are in line to pay. When done he gives you a card which you give to the cashier.

With that card, she then concentrates on getting your money, not ringing up your goods. Specialization & automation that speeds the line.

Don’t know about you, but I like this Home Depot automation.

Keith “I’ll Spam Ya” Washington?

In the comments section, “Concerned Citizen” came to Washington’s defense with an unsubstantiated claim that

“Mr. King is not certified or licensed to do Home Appraisal it is speculated by authorities that he was merely trying to portray himself as a victim and colluded with others to sue Mr. Washington,

It also appears that the whole thing was fabricated by Mr. King……The attorney General of Md posted on their website the following information about Mr. King…..”

Now it seems that “Dave” posted the same rant on another site questioning Washington’s abuse of authority, resorting to personal attacks on the site owner who questioned “Dave” more than I.

Not to stop there, “Dave/Concerned Citizen” then apparently went to a third site that also calls him a danger to society. There, he was joined by “Susan” who claims to be his wife but just happens to have a uncanny similar use of too many periods:

Washington was jumped by them while his wife and daughter ran from their home screaming watching there husband and father being almost killed by two strangers…..My husband says that they had committed 4 or 5 previous burglaries before the encounter with Washington…….I that case Washington deserves a medal…how did people get it so wrong

Now I don’t know about you, but I smell blog spam. This “Dave/Concerned Citizen/Susan” sounds too much like a Keith A. Washington trying desperately to clear his name, one blog at a time.

I hope he has plenty of time to fulfill that Quixotic goal, from a gun-free jail cell.

I cannot believe this! Keith A. Washington, the guy who shot two Marlo Furniture movers, killing Brandon D. Clark, did it again. He whipped out his police issued pistol and threatened a innocent home appraiser who knocked on his door last week.

Can we get a big “WTF!”? Why does this man still have a gun? A PG Country police issued gun no less!

Why does he have any gun on his person after the Marlo movers shooting? The guy is a crazed lunatic, a real a-hole and shouldn’t be in possession of a police issued anything, except a prison jumpsuit.

And yet here he is getting charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault and use of a handgun during a violent crime with said government gun. Oh wait, not the first gun but a second gun. From the WashPost article:

Investigators confiscated Washington’s service weapon when he was placed on administrative leave after the January shooting. At some point, under standard police practices, he was issued another weapon. A source, who requested anonymity because the case is ongoing, said investigators think the gun involved Thursday was the newly issued service weapon.

Giving a guy under investigation for a double shooting & one death with a gun, a second gun, is “standard police practice” in PG Country? Will Police Chief Melvin C. High yet again give Washington his gun and badge back even after he took them and Washington’s police powers because of this second action?

Keith A. Washington is nuts & should be allowed a water pistol, much less an actual lethal weapon. I don’t even live near PG Country and I totally agree with the still shocked appraiser:

“Considering what happened to the guys from Marlo Furniture, I felt both terrified and grateful that I wasn’t killed,” King said.

Damn straight, Mr. King. And if you’re wondering just how f**ked up the scene was for Keith A. Washington to pull a gun, check out the account published in the Post after the jump.

The incident that triggered Washington’s arrest occurred when Kevin King, a real estate appraiser for ONCE Appraisals in the District, pulled up to Washington’s house in the 1500 block of Shellford Lane about 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

In a charging document filed with Prince George’s authorities, King said he was sitting in his vehicle, which bore his company’s name on the tailgate, when Washington pulled into his driveway. King said he noticed the car immediately because Washington almost hit his mailbox as he parked.

“He exited his car and looked at me. I waved at him to say ‘Hi,’ ” King said in the charging document.
King said Washington then let himself into the house through the front door. Moments later, King noticed Washington behind his vehicle. Washington next went to the back of his house.

King finished his paperwork, walked to the center of the street, took photos of the home and shot two more street-view photos. He then knocked on the front door. When Washington answered, he immediately became irate, King said.

“He produced a handgun at one point with the barrel facing me in a threatening and deadly manner. I began to walk backwards toward the street, explaining I was an appraiser. I showed him the appraisal order form, but he continued to threaten me,” King said.

Realizing he was at the wrong house, King said he got into his car as Washington “continued to scream and threaten” him. King drove up the street, stopped at the correct address and called 911, according to the documents.

.

- Rumors of the Redskins building a new stadium on the RFK site (The Post) after 2008 have been gaining momentum, but The Wash. Times reports the team has denied any such interest citing their lease binds them to Raljon Landover until 2027. While it would be cool to have the Redskins back in The District, I don’t see how this move makes a whole lot of sense for anyone. FedEx Field is only 10 years old.

- Snyder has apparently gotten cold feet (Washington Biz Journal) about buying WGMS to expand his fledging Triple X/ESPN/Redskins/Red Zebra radio network to a frequency people can actually hear. WMGS may still dump classical though. Hat tip to DCRTV.

- Six Flags, under the control of Snyder, sold off a bunch of theme parks but not Wild World Adventure World Six Flags America.in P.G. County.

While this is interesting as the exploits of previous owner, Jack Kent Cooke. Whether it was owning the Chrysler Building or his ex-con Bolivian wife he always made for better gossip. A better team too. We miss you Squire.