I started reading the Current newspapers recently. Their coverage of local issues is pretty great, but one thing in particular that shocks and intrigues me is the police blotter. I live in Adams Morgan and already knew that my block isn’t the safest—there’s drug dealing going on across the street, and our house was burglarized during the day a couple years ago. But, man, it turns out that crimes occur here all the time! Last week my block was mentioned in the police report twice (robbery [knife]; burglary), and the week before, it was in there four times (robbery [force and violence]; burglary (twice); theft from auto [below $250]).

What’s most shocking is that I haven’t heard about any of these recent crimes. One of my roommates has a nose for crime and always seems to be around during driveby shootings, car breakins, etc., but I’ve missed them all. It almost feels like I live on a parallel planet. Is Adams Morgan really that dangerous?

The day after the Washington Post reports that the Amsterdam Falafel Shop in Adams Morgan will accept Euros for payment there’s a story linked in BoingBoing about how money changers in Amsterdam will not accept dollars.

Happily you can still exchange your dollars for the delicious food at the Amsterdam Falafel Shop. Yum.

Homemade Falafel & Pita Bread, courtesy of mac_vegetarian

Wayan’s DC Photos

It is the first moments of 2008 and let it be my honor to wish you a happy new year. May 2008 be a wonderful year for you and yours.

May it be better than 2007 when too many DC landmarks burned and fire hydrants failed. May we have more change in leadership to match Fenty.

May DC get a winning sports team and voting rights. And may Aaron not burn his hands playing with sparklers in 2008.

Sure, they call it the Rumbler, but it’s the same concept that sent a woman over the edge on the Howard Stern Show. The idea being, the car puts out some subsonic rumble for 10 seconds or so, causing everyone within 200 feet to turn and wonder if there’s been a localized earthquake, or if perhaps a building had come down, but I guess it’s more effective in our solitude-obsessed iPod society. It’ll certainly make you take notice.

Personally, this quote from the article made me laugh aloud and wonder if the city’s on a bender: “Lanier added an aside about the Rumbler: ‘Cops love new toys.'”

Yes. They love new toys. I know this is off the cuff, I know it’s meant in good humor, but I get the impression that these days, humor might not be in the department’s best interests, given that their officers have been arrested (and convicted!) for stealing from victims, as well as the ongoing investigation regarding the shooting death of Deonte Rawlings in Southeast, maybe now’s not the best time for humor from the chief?

Regardless, make sure to get out of the way if you suddenly feel the ground shaking, it’s probably just the Police asking to get by, as we live in a fairly stable geological region.

Never underestimate yuppies who love kickball. The Anti-Yuppie Kickball Guerilla Front has suffered a tremendous setback:

Last night, October 5th, after what was thought to be a secret meeting for new members of the front at Chief Ike’s, Inquisitor K (forgot to ask if I can just put his real name now) was arrested by US Marshalls. He says they were watching the meeting the entire time and when leaving they rushed him but he got away and was chased into Rock Creek where he was tackled, cuffed and nearly drowned. We went down to court this morning where he was arraigned on many charges including advocating terrorism (or something like that), providing material support to a terrorist organization, aggravated assault (for a botched ball-napping in July where a kickball player who gave chase was supposedly knocked out with brass knuckles), resisting arrest, 3 counts of theft, another assault charge, and he apparently faces extradition to Maryland and New Jersey for warrants related to narcotics trafficking. One of the marshalls told him they penetrated the private portion of the website in August where they gained access to the video archive and other pretty damning stuff. We were definitely sold out from the inside and we in the front all know who did this. A warrant was also served at his house in Mt. Pleasant last night where computers and other stuff were taken including all of the ball-knapped balls. I suggested we pull the whole website down but he said that he would “never let those bastards subjugate” him and so the link to the site remains below. He seems confident as he has been in jail several times and isn’t worried. He says they are only after him and so the “Rally For Justice” is still on as a fundraiser. Bond was set at $50,000! I’ll try and keep news on the case as updated as possible. We are all a little shell-shocked right now and our thoughts and prayers go to our great friend and leader.

While we cannot verify that the Department of Justice is treating the AYKGF as a terrorist organization, nor can we verify the capitivty of Inquisitor K, we certainly feel for our contacts in the AYKGF.

Or we would, when we stopped laughing at the insanity of it all.

Folks, Kickball’s just a freakin’ playground game, and if you get too caught up in the love or hate of the same, you’re only going to end up like Inquisitor K: belonging to the prisoner with the most cigarettes.

Brittany Martin is a friend of Metroblogging DC and submitted this review of this past weekend’s Crafty Bastards event in Adams Morgan

“Get awesomized!” was the tantalizing pitch that the Washington City Paper used to lure customers to the 4th annual Crafty Bastards indie craft fair on Sunday. Clearly the advertising worked – the Marie Reed Center was packed with shoppers looking for hand-made goods to break the monotony of the mass-produced. Over 100 vendors plied their wares, including accessories, clothing, concert posters, and plushies in the shape of weeping burnt toast.

As my shopping companion and I moved from booth to booth, we frequently let out squeals of “Oh! I know them from the internet!” and we were not alone. More “big name” craft vendors made a visit to DC for this year’s event than in the past – attracting artisans from Georgia, Chicago, Boston, and elsewhere. Two of my favorite booths were such folks-from-away: the whimsical and super-delightful Gladys Makes Things and Barry’s Farm.

Many local talents were also on display (if perhaps fewer than in past years) including De*Nada Designs. Virginia Arrisueno of De*Nada makes great bags which I am seeing more and more girls carrying these days – a testament to her good design and constant presence at DC design and craft scene events (I regret that yesterday, I passed up the chance to pick up a tote emblazoned with a pattern of skeleton keys, daggers, and guns).

One complaint about the vendors at Crafty Bastards was that there was the usual paucity of goods on sale for those of the male persuasion. Though there was no shortage of cute hipster boys strolling around, most vendors offered them the predictable American-Apparel-tee-with-screenprint and not much else. Remember, crafters: boys carry wallets and bags, wear scarves and hats in the cold, and so on. Similarly, I would love to see more DC boys rocking the handmade goods.

In spite of the heat and sunshine, many of the shopkeepers and shoppers dressed up for the event – in a display of great vintage dresses, stylish coifs, scarves, and flat skimmer shoes in every color of the rainbow. Most of them complimented their hip getups with the muslin totes handed out at the entrances bearing the Crafty Bastards logo, stuffed with purchases and indie cred.

More news on this morning’s fire from WTOP, NBC4, WJLA, WUSA9, WaPo and Express, and we have photos from on the scene by area Flickr user lukekb.

The fire is now out, but the four-story building is completely destroyed, displacing residents from 30 units. Notoriously low water pressure complicated firefighting efforts, forcing firemen to run extra hose to reach a stronger water main. A press conference with Mayor Fenty is scheduled for the site of the fire at noon today, and DCFD.com is sure to have photos soon.

While Connecticut Avenue NW is now open, it spent much of the morning blocked to all traffic, along with 18th Street, and Columbia Ave, as firefighters fought a four-alarm blaze in Adams Morgan. What made the situation much worse is that the water pressure in the hydrant at the 2600 block of Adams Mill Road was entirely unable to pump out the water necessary to fight the fire. Instead, hoses had to be run across the Duke Ellington Bridge to Connecticut Avenue, where a 20″ water main fed the hoses.

Check out the map here. That’s how far they had to run the hoses. That’s half a freaking mile to the nearest source with decent water pressure. According to the Post, the WASA rep involved said “That area is just an area that doesn’t have as high pressure as some of the surrounding areas, that’s just the way it is.”

A whole area of town that just gets to burn to the ground and that’s “just the way it is”?

Well, Good thing for Ward 1 that Jim Graham, scourge of the nightclub is around. Jim Graham prosecutes issues in his ward like freaking Sam Waterston on Law & Order. The guy is just plain fierce.

Wayan’s DC Photos

Back in the day, I loved me some Blue Room. It was my best back-up plan as almost always scored a phone number or a kiss. Then I met the Betrothed Butterbean and my life changed.

So did the Blue Room. It’s gone, replaced with Bourbon. But just like I am the same guy, now with a new focus, Blue Room didn’t undergo too much change to be Bourbon. In fact, when the BB and I went there last night, we failed to see any difference. They even kept the massive chandelier!

Bourbon has changed it style a mite bit. Last night was The Modernist meet-up, “another evening of intellectual / libidinal stimulation.” And with free Belvedere Vodka for the first hour, everyone got the libidinal stimulation going, even the two clueless & overdressed sorority girls who came in for one round of non-vodka shots.

The intellectual stimulation was high-brow, with The Modernist promoter even throwing out “pretentious” as Porochista Khakpour read from her debut novel, Sons and Other Flammable Objects and denied romantic relationships with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Sadly, she did not comment on the Iranian President’s sartorial sacrilege. It may have enlightened a few fashion victims in the room that it’s still a little early to break out the winter leather boots.

Still, the Blue Room Bourbon did not disappoint. Talent was impressive and wanting. Men were even hit on while going for free vodkas, with their girlfriends standing next to them! So men, leave the newspapers and head over to Bourbon on a Thursday night.

Here’s something I found out about that sounds interesting:

“Have you ever wanted to learn how to play African drums, change a bike tire, or fry a turkey? Or do you have a secret skill that you’re dyingto share, like “How to Juggle”? On April 28th, you’ll have a chance to
do this all and more, for free:

Learn-a-Palooza DC is a first-of-its-kind community organized event happening on Saturday, April 28th, 2007. From 10AM-6PM businesses, homes, and community centers in Adams Morgan, U St, Dupont, and Columbia Heights will open their doors to hold short “workshops” on
every topic under the sun, from “Intro to Yoga”, to “Beat the Sugar Blues”, to “How to Learn 19 Languages”, to “Acting 101”, to “Buying Your First Home”, to “Understanding Your Camera”.

Participating venues so far include the DC Arts Center (DCAC), Potter’s House, Transformer Gallery, City Bikes, Emergence Community Arts Collective, Red Onion Records and Books, Patricia M. Sitar Center, Affinity Lab, City Fitness Gym, and many more.

For B. Stanley, Executive Director of DCAC, Learn-a-Palooza is a chance to not only give back to the community but also attract new people. “DCAC has served the Adams Morgan neighborhood and Washington area for eighteen years presenting high-caliber, challenging works of art and theater. We hope to get some new faces in the door who will come for a Learn-a-Palooza class and then make a point to come back for an exhibit or show.”