You’ve probably noticed it even if you aren’t conscious of it directly.  Iron Man (on DVD as of yesterday) was the biggest movie of the year by far (edit: at the time).  Then The Dark Knight came along (edit:  which then become the biggest movie of the year).  In between Hellboy II and Wanted both came out and this book Watchmen on the best seller’s table at Borders.  Make no doubt about it my friend-comics are coming out of the long boxes in our basements and into the mainstream-so you better get hip and quick.

In your quest for comic book literacy there is only one thing better than going to your local shop and asking for a copy of Sandman or Maus:  Discovering the next great episode of graphic literature of course!  The place to do that just happens to be in our own backyard of Bethesda at the Small Press Expo.  This Saturday and Sunday the best and brightest of the comics newest and/or Indie talents will be on hand to sell you comics and sign your stuff.  I’ve gone to SPX a few times over my six year stay here and it is a great event for fans and non-fans alike.  Very often creators are happy to just talk with you for a while, sign books that you buy and give you deals if you buy a few (hey these guys are out there making a name for themselves!).  Also a great way to disabuse yourself of the notions that “comics are for kids” and “comics are all about super-heroes.”  They aren’t-and nowhere is that better done than in the small press. 

I’ll be there Saturday (super-geek that I am) so be on the lookout…for a bunch of people more famous, creative and important than I am that is!  You’ll almost certainly walk away with something you’ll enjoy reading and might even have a “Oh her? Yeah I met her back at SPX 2008″ story to go with it some day!

Beer-That is all you need to know

If comics are not your speed (or even if they are-Saturday is a long day) The Commonwealth (particularly Shirlington) will play host to “Oktoberfest” hosted by Cap City.  After I’ve loaded up on comic books I plan on heading back across the river to get…well…loaded.  Responsibly of course!  For a mere $25 you’ll have access to over 30 local breweries and their 4 oz beer samples.  That’s 120 oz of beer for $25 (if you only go to each tent once that is!) also known as a deal.  If you don’t drink the event is free and there will be music and food available for all-so it might be worth stopping by anyway. 

I again will be there and will eventually be the guy either sitting down reading comic books trying not to spill beer on them OR the guy getting into a loud angry discussion about which of Earth’s Green Lanterns was actually the coolest. 

Author’s note:  If you do decide to go to both places you might want to do comics first only because impulse shopping goes up when you’ve been drinking and it’s much safer (and far more legal) to drive having bought too many comics then it is to drive having drank too many beers.

Just over the river in Arlington, a woman was bitten by a fox which turned out to be rabid. Apparently the shots you have to get now are less horrific than the traditional dozen in the belly, but personally I’d just as soon not experiment. The location where she got the bite is pretty densely populated and close enough to the District that we can be pretty confident that if there’s rabies in one place it’s also in the other.

The linked press release has some good information, though some of the advice strikes me funny.

Prevent bats from entering living quarters or occupied spaces in homes, churches, schools and other similar areas where they might come in contact with people or pets.

Personally bats don’t scare me and I’m glad to have them around eating insects, but still – nobody had to remind me to keep them out of my house.

Red fox pup ( wild ), courtesy of ericbegin2000

As we enter our first spring like week of the year I am starting a series of profiles of area bike trails. I begin with my personal favorite, the Washington & Old Dominion Regional Park trail. In 2005 I rode the length of the trail from west to east in one afternoon.

An early example of the “rail-to-trail” phenomenon, W&OD was simply known as the “bike trail” to me and my friends when I was growing up. Now forty-five miles long, the flat, straight trail starts in Arlington, near Shirlington, and extends all the way past Leesburg to Purcellville. In actuality, the trail is part of W&OD Regional Park, which is the old railroad and current Virginia Power right-of-way (hence the high tension power lines), giving it dimensions of about 45 miles by 100 feet. Those 100 feet provide a buffer of nature through the most populated region of the commonwealth. Much of the Arlington portion traverses Four Mile Run Park while it parallels the windier Four Mile Run trail. Think of W&OD as I-95 to Four Mile’s US 1 and you get the idea of how the two trails exist together.

As it approaches Falls Church, W&OD joins the Custis Trail as part of the I-66 multimodal corridor (I-66, Metro Orange line, bike path) for a few miles before breaking off onto side streets briefly. A beautiful bridge spanning Broad Street (VA 7) keeps the trail moving. At the foot of the bridge there are displays chronicling railroad and Falls Church history. Some of these displays are repeated along the trail, providing an interesting historical context.

After Falls Church, the trail parallels local streets and climbs up to the Virginia Lane overpass of I-66, before paralleling I-66 up to the Capital Beltway (I-495) interchange and into Dunn Loring. Once past the Beltway, the trail returns to separate right of way into Vienna where users are greeted by a small Civil War marker near the community center as well as the last opportunities for food and refreshments until Reston. Highlighting the Vienna portion is Vienna Centennial Park, home of a vintage red caboose, as well as an old train station, home to a large model railroad that is open to the public on some Saturday mornings. A local business park has also painted a large railroad mural facing the trail, giving the town a nice ambiance.

Beyond Vienna, the next four to five miles feature a few ridges as well as soccer fields and wetlands. One of the most substantial hills along the trail is just beyond Hunter Mill Road as you near Reston. Once down the hill, a more business oriented suburbia emerges with more boulevards to cross (mostly on recently built overpasses) as you pass through one of the “edge cities” of D.C. Fast food and convenience stores are also available, allowing you to fill up. One interesting note is the trail passes Michael Faraday Square, which includes the “monkey house” from the book, The Hot Zone, though it is not distinguishable from any of the other business park buildings.
Past Reston and closer to Herndon, W&OD once again takes on a character that is more residential than commercial. Downtown Herndon reveals itself to be quaint as you pass through with more refreshment options and another caboose. It the last concentrated downtown that you pass through along the trail, since west of Herndon was until recently fairly rural.

The end of Herndon means the beginning of Loudon County, starting with Sterling. Again, the trail travels through residential and light industrial (or at least the Northern Virginia equivalent) areas. As Sterling comes to an end, the W&OD crosses Sully Road (VA 28 and now Darrell Green Highway) on an overpass and enters a rapidly growing residential area. A decade ago, the housing boom reached these parts (especially north of the trail) and the once rural landscape was transformed into new subdivisions. All has not changed though, with the Ashburn General Store providing a tangible link to days long since past as well as plenty of snacks. This portion of the trail itself can be deceptively steep at times though.

Through Leesburg, the trail bypasses the historic downtown, but not by much. Having not traveled this portion in many years, I cannot recall the specific amenities available, but there are some.

Past Leesburg the W&OD takes on a rural flavor for the rest of the duration; A few trips across VA 7 on overpasses notwithstanding. The highest point of the trail is at Clarks Gap, where VA 9 splits from VA 7. The trail only has a few more miles before it terminates in Purcellville, a pleasant town that seems to be blending its history and emergence as a far suburb well.

Fortunately for me, the new location will be a block and a half from my gym, so I can go work out and THEN have a cupcake. I’ll be able to work it out so that the whole adventure will be calorie-neutral.

Now, about how many calories are in a CakeLove cupcake?

Users can customize their search requirements by zip code, city, county or state, using a variety of variables. A quick Georgetown search turned up not a whole lot, whereas a quick search of my home zip code turned up two rental possibilities.

Looking for a roommate? You apparently can use that feature too, although it turned up zilch for me. This appears to be a great tool for relocation professionals who know naught about the new city they’ll call home. Doing a quick search of cities such as Seattle and Boston turned up a whole lot of useful information.

These three Notre Dame former college roommates moved to the D.C. area and created HotPads in early ‘05, relaunching the site last month. The best thing about HotPads? It’s totally free.

Between HotPads and The D.C. Crime Map newcomers to D.C. can learn much more about prospective neighbours before they even put down a deposit. Say ’sayonara’ to moving in sight unseen, suckers.

So far, both candidates have spent a considerable amount of time issuing and responding to personal questions or attacks. For Allen, the central issues have revolved around his (supposedly hidden) Jewish heritage, his use of the word "macaca," and his office’s showcase of a Confederate flag and rope tied into a noose. Webb has been questioned about a 1979 article on women in combat. Although I am hoping the debate will provide a showcase for both of these candidates to present clearly distinguishable platforms – I’m afraid that most of the debate will end up focused on questions of character…

Allen is predicted to say "Well shucks, you know that I was a bit of a rebel in my younger days, so I’ve always liked having a Confederate flag and noose ready for when the South will rise again."

Webb will think "…jackass," while stretching his hands in anticipation of the vicious pimp slap he is about to lay down.

For example, if you own a home in Arlington County you may have noticed that taxes have been increasing faster than other areas in the Northern part of the state (Fairfax, I’m looking at you).  At the same time, zoning restrictions on single family homes are among some of the strictest in the state – and parking is a nightmare that grows worse with every new condominium complex and apartment building that is built.

So you assume that the money raised by these taxes must be important for providing some sort of service that you and your neighbors need.  Yet, capital projects for fire stations, libraries, and parks across the county are behind schedule and over budget.  Perhaps you live in the Ballston-Rosslyn corridor, Pentagon City, Crystal City, or Shirlington where there has been a lot of development and improvements over the past few years.  But like too many areas in Northern Virginia, the dividing line between these areas and the forgotten neighborhoods surrounding them is so stark – you can point to individual streets that mark the “boundaries” between us.  

I think Mike McMenamin sums up a lot of people’s concerns when he observes:

“Mr. Zimmerman has been on the Board for more than 10 years, during which he has doubled the County’s debt. The average yearly residential real estate tax bill has increased by nearly $2,700. Spending is up over nine percent – the largest increase in nearly 20 years. He even increased the car tax. Where did all of our money go?”

Mike McMenamin has been a resident of the county since 1994 – and has been heavily involved in local community affairs.  He has served as President of the Maywood Community Association and as a Delegate to the Arlington Civic Federation since 2002 – and in 2005 he also became a member of Arlington’s Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission.  In his own words:

“I know the potential of this community. Like many of my neighbors, I’ve watched in frustration as our County leaders have become increasingly distant from county residents, by adopting policies that show less and less concern for neighborhoods… I’m connected to the people of Arlington County. I’m a homeowner and civic activist and I know the issues facing our County. I’m independent of the political machine that has controlled Arlington for too many years, and I’m not tied to the failed policies of the past…With your help, we can launch a new era of open government in Arlington, and begin to make County government respond to our citizens once again.”

I encourage you to read through Mike’s campaign website – it may not have a lot of fancy pictures, videos – I mean come on it’s a website for a county election, not a multi-million dollar campaign – but it does speak clearly and succinctly to a number of pressing issues that Arlington County residents face.  Better yet, go out and meet Mike in person! I had the pleasure of meeting him – along with his entire family – at a local campaign event.  With precision, acuity, honesty, and grace he shared with me the passion he has for this community – and it goes far beyond mere campaign rhetoric.

VOTE FOR MIKE MCMENAMIN ON NOVEMBER 7th

Sure, we’re no Chicago or New York in terms of our love for neighborhoods and names, and the District doesn’t officially recognize the names of the neighborhoods here, but I’d say there’s some serious love for the neighborhood in DC. Jenn even feels bad she can’t get into the ANC meeting!

What say you readers? Are we as neighborhood apathetic as Daily Candy says? If you’re feeling like you want to represent, though, check out DistrictTees or Neighborhoodies.com.