Superzips

I've been reading the Charles Murray book on Coming Apart, and I heard about the recent story in the Post about the superzip phenom he describes. It's an interesting thesis. And yes, I fall squarely in the category of middle class raised/upper middle ascending. We aren't in a superzip in 20002, but I'm sure with the streetcar, the Whole Foods coming, the spate of new theaters and condos, we'll be there soon enough. H Street has jumped the shark. It's gentrified now, and that demographic will follow.

And yeah, there's an uneasiness about all of this. Kids who are second or third generation with this privilege will never know a childhood like one in Detroit, or south Texas (the Post story on junk food in McAllen, example). I still feel like we're squarely middle class, despite the size of our mortgage. We aren't extravagant people, we don't splurge on $300 boots or $200 meals every weekend. But any weekend? Yeah, just because you can afford it, it doesn't mean anything.

Values don't come from the size of your paycheck, but the paycheck may determine how entitled you feel. And once you get away from never taking anything for granted, that is when values diverge. And the next generation gets away from you.

Autumn's Peak

Some beautiful pictures here of the Tidal Basin. Though I'm still a Spring person...

Shutdown Stymied

Well, our long pseudo national nightmare of a government shutdown is nearly over, just as I predicted, around the elusive date of October 17. Furloughed workers will get their two week vacation paid, just as they desired. The barricades will at long last be removed by the memorials, and Vince Gray will go back to being despised as a corrupt mayor. But what have we gained?

The big joke going around now is that "Just heard the Washington Redskins are relenting & changing their name -- dropping "Washington" b/c it just got too embarrassing." So there's that. Both parties should be ashamed, really. Though some are attempting to absolve "real" Washington of our sins, because it's not our fault that our elected leaders do these things. Yeah, right. Maybe we have taxation without representation, but we work for these individuals. VA and MD voters helped put them into office. We've donated to their campaigns and we've supported their pork to help pad our bank accounts.

And we're going to suffer when the so-called fiscal cliff grows so steep that we can't throw more inflated dollar bills at it. We're all to blame, ultimately, because we created this. And with the possible exception of Paul Ryan, I'm not sure we have any adults who would share that responsibility with us.

Farragut

Occasionally, I try to remember places I loved to shop and eat at in the Farragut area. So many places have closed in the nearly 15 years I've worked down here.

Borders.
Filene's.
The Gap at 2000 Penn.
The Ann Taylor on K Street, which relocated to Connecticut
The pizza places where Vapiano's is and in the alley around 20th and M
The Bagel shop near Vapiano's.
Fuddruckers
Wendy's.
Vie de France
Dean and Deluca's
The CVS at Connecticut and I
The predecessor to Jack's Fresh
Lawson's at Dupont Circle
The old Mad Hatter's on M Street
Burger King at 16th and K
The old Food Court at Farragut North...pizza, McDonald's, etc.
Some of the vendors at the food court at Farragut West, like the presto pizza
Talbot's
Express on Connecticut
Wasabi sushi where 7/11 is on Farragut Square
That sandwich place on Connecticut & about N Street
Tower Records at 2000 Penn
Cosi at 19th & K

What am I missing?

Block Party Time

For the second year in a row, we had nice weather for block party 2013. I mean, the pictures tell all, but it was a great day of neighborhood pride, fun, friends, meeting new people, eating, food, competition, drinking, matching t-shirts, and revelry. It reminds me of those days in Detroit, where you knew everyone family on the block. Where kids could ride their bikes in the streets, blow bubbles and get their faces painted and play cornhole and meet who lives next door to them. It's a different time, now, but I hope those children will always have fond memories of days like Saturday where a little piece of 1985 or 1965 still existed. So much fun. And I felt like I could pay it back by finally working on my flowers and tree box just a little yesterday. It's been exhausting to find time to do all of this! So busy lately, right?

Gotta Love It

This guy always makes me smile. We loved seeing him on our commuting days on H Street, and I was happy to see that the Washington Post profiled the backwards runner.

If running backward brought Givens attention, it also helped him focus on what was important in his world. Running became both more pleasurable and more meaningful. He ran slower, but with a heightened awareness. For nearly 30 years he has interacted with his neighborhood, with his city and with people in a way he hadn’t before. He says he feels connected to everyone he sees on his run.
“People feel like they know me on a personal level,” he says. “And when I’m running, I’m really getting into it with the folks. To me, it’s spiritual.”
It leads, he says, to a regular conversation.
“I ask God all the time, ‘Why do you have me running backwards?’ ” Givens says. “But only God knows the answer.”
God may be the only one who knows, but Givens has a few ideas.
“You don’t realize how many people you are changing,” he says. “People tell me, ‘You’re an inspiration. You’re a legend.’ ” He laughs. “Maybe it’s the joy I’m bringing people. I don’t know, but it feels good.”

Shooting at FRC

A horrible tragedy was averted yesterday, when a brave security guard prevented an unhinged gun man from use his semi to kill an office full of people at the Family Research Council.

About 10:45 a.m., the shooter arrived at the Family Research Council’s brick-and-stone building at 801 G St. NW and walked through the tall glass-and-metal front doors, under an archway chiseled with group’s motto: “Faith, Family, Freedom.” Johnson, the guard, confronted him in the lobby, Lanier said.

The building is not far from the Gallery Place Metro station in one of the busiest areas of the city, thick with restaurants, shops and museums.

In the lobby, the intruder began “making statements” in opposition to the Family Research Council’s social conservatism, a law enforcement official said.

In the struggle that followed, Johnson “did a phenomenal job,” FBI spokeswoman Jacqueline Maguire said. She and Lanier said that if the gunman had gotten past the lobby and into the offices, a mass shooting might have occurred.

I generally think the "hate crime" designation is a little silly. The authorities are still determining whether to charge the assailant with a federal crime, "The FBI said it was evaluating evidence to determine whether to charge Corkins with a federal crime, such as attempting a terrorist act. Authorities said the decision will hinge on what the FBI concludes was the assailant’s motive for entering the building with a loaded Sig Sauer semiautomatic."

But yeah, entering an office building with a loaded generally infers that you want to shoot a lot of people. And I don't care what your motivation is--that is so wrong. But if you are going to designate certain heinous crimes as "hate" crimes, then yeah, entering a pro-traditional marriage, socially conservative group with the aim to shoot to kill is a hate crime. Period.

Block Party

The block party was a lot of fun. Lots of great tacos, lots of great music, lots of great opportunities to meet new neighborhood friends.  I even won the salsa contest, whoo hoo!  We went all afternoon, and the turnout stayed strong all afternoon and evening.  And no rain! That was a bonus, since it downpoured in Arlington.

It reminded me of those days in Detroit, when everyone knew their neighbors and kids were in and out of each other's homes.  Neighbors stopped to talk to neighbors on the stoops. Was it Eric, that older man that dad talked garden with? And Emil....he always remembered us with kind cards and recognition. He lived next door to that mean older lady...maybe she was just lonely.  And Art & Emma, and the Millers and the teenagers at the corner.  And the cop with the big dogs.  And Chris R's uncle across the street.  There was the Mitchells and Jerry's family and of course Diane. We all lived near other and grew up together on Edmore. And around the block there were always others we knew, Brett and Marisa.  And a block away even more.  We all knew each other on that block. And when neighbors gathered together, eating and drinking and talking and dancing, it reminded me of those days 25+ years ago.  I wasn't sure if that camaraderie could exist today, but of course it can. So here's hoping there will be another.

When in DC...

Here's the latest of the funny DC blogs...

Some are quite true, even.

Detroiter in the City

I saw this other blogpost today from another Detroiter now a DC-er. This comment: "Detroit may be my hometown, but DC is my home," really resonated with me, because it's largely how I feel.  In light of the paperwork being mysteriously lost several months after the firetruck incident, I'm feeling even more acutely the problems of corruption, bureaucratic ineptitude, and incompetence that is still present in this city.  Thankfully, DC won't elect another Barry, just like Detroit won't elect another Kwame (right? right?).  But the City Council still remains a tier below or more what it needs to be (DC still elected another Barry). And as someone committed to the District, in a way that I wasn't committed to Detroit, I do fear that slippage will occur, despite the countless positive things about the city.  Whether it's the growth in housing prices, the largely successful Capital bikeshare program, Michelle Rhee's transformation of city schools and the growth of charters, the transformation of area neighborhoods like my own H Street corridor, the development of retail in the city like Costco, and I could go on. I'm not even sure that Vince Gray's rather mediocre term as mayor will undue some of the development and growth that has occurred. 

I hope Detroit will turn around, I really truly do. And I hope it can catch up to DC at some point, even if it takes a decade. And I equally hope that DC won't slip backwards because it can't get its government ethics problems curbed.

Tucker Barnes and the Slime

This pretty much sums up the Hurricane Irene coverage. Nasty sludgey bacteria-infected foam.  EWW.

The Great DC Earthquake

The DC area experienced a 5.8 earthquake today   Yes, we all overreacted.  Kind of like snowmaggeddon.

At first I thought it was a really loud truck. I looked out my window and I realized that it wasn't.  Then for a brief second I wondered if it was a bomb.  It was a beautiful day, mostly sunny and blue skies and so like a certain day in September in 2001.  Then of course, it registered that it was an earthquake. We left the office, stood outside chatting, and then we went back up and then we left.

Steve called as I was leaving from the office, and only then did I really let it register that it wasn't some kind of terrorist attack. Crazy how that resonates still.

But yeah, it was crazy.  But thankfully, no real damage and all is safe.

The Spinning Runner

It's the spinning runner!! More background here. And here. Oh man he is awesome!! Cedric is the man!

He always brings a smile to my face and he is in shape. What an inspirational guy. Many I've been looking for info on his backstory.

Cherry Blossom Ten Miler

Not my best finish, but it was great having mom and dad here.  42:50 for first five, and 1:28:50 overall, for 8:53 overall.  The potty break cost me. But I finished 2019/8996 for women, which is respectable.

It was a great weekend, with seeing the Constellation and lunch at M&S grill.  A rainy walk on Saturday but we did see the cherry blossoms and had dinner at Argonaut after church.  Then the race and Old Ebbitt on Sunday and we picked up Steve.  Oh, and open houses.  And today was BWI and DCA, but hopefully they will be off soon.

I miss them and had a good weekend.
 

76

For the record, that's not just the year I was born. It's the temperature outside right now at 3:45 p.m.

And yeah, the forecast shows a chance for snow on Tuesday. Fail. It literally could drop 50 degrees in a 24 hour span.

I really, really hate Winter. I hate January and February, and I am counting down 10 days until March and thus Spring arrive. I can wait. I can't wait....

No more Town and Country

First they close the Brickskeller, now Town & Country.

On Saturday, the Town & Country will shake its last martini and close its doors for good. And in what denizens say is a final insult, the lounge will be turned into a Thomas Pink haberdasher.

Rangel

Congressman Charlie Rangel was convicted of committing all sorts of ethical violations of House rules.

What I don't get are why punishments are limited to a House vote deploring his conduct, a fine, and denial of privileges. You only hurt your constituents if you deny privileges, and he's too broke to pay a fine if he can't pay for his legal counsel.  A vote is a slap on the wrist.

I don't get why they waited til after the election to schedule this "trial."  But even more so, I don't get why his constituents voted for such an ethically challenged individual. How sad. 

Two Degrees II

Again, how small is this city.

And there's a lot I can write about this, too.  Rewarding incompetence, overlapping linkages, putting one and one together. Whatever.

Two Degrees...

How small is Washington?

Vince Gray vs. Adrian Fenty

This DCist thread sums up much of what I find distasteful about the recent Vince Gray win over Adrian Fenty. As a Republican, I really don't have much of a voice in who is running my city. I've accepted that. But it seriously irks me the way "white voters who came here from the midwest and now want a voice" are being brushed off like we're some idiots who should just shut up and let blacks have their candidate win. The racial undertones in this are all ridiculous, because it's largely blacks who are criticizing. Courtland Milloy and other black Post columnists are basically saying "You rich whites are driving poor blacks from the city with your dog parks and your condos and your swanky coffeeshops."

Maybe that makes us all racists. Maybe it makes those of us who came from cities like Detroit, who believe in being in a city, contributing mightily to its tax base by buying property and goods and earning income here, contributing to public schools that we'll never send out children to, and parks and rec centers we don't frequent, maybe it makes us all racists. Maybe we should just go to Virginia.

It's not about democracy. Voters didn't want Fenty, they wanted Gray. That's all well and good. But to paint us as racists for voting for a black mayor who was a bit arrogant but actually seems to have made the city a more livable place--is that such a bad thing? Why is this a racial thing? Why is Michelle Rhee a scapegoat because she's taken on the teacher's unions?

I have really soured on being a DC resident this week. It's not worth it.