DC Special Friends

The Zimbabwean Titanium Trillion Dollar Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:09:00 +0000

This comes by way of Dancin, and it's a very powerful short video documenting the tradegy of free speech befalling Zimbabwe due to the rule of Mugabe and one newspapers very creative way of fighting back.

Peurto Rico! (for work, boo)

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:43:00 +0000

So, here I find myself arrived in Puerto Rico for ten days of fun filled work activity (insert sarcasm). This is painful, being on such a beautiful island and being stuck inside a convention center the whole time. However, because the Foundation funding my salary has decided that the next grant shall be due during the same time I am in Puerto Rico I find myself sitting on this lovely balcony (belonging to the Boss' Suite) writing a grant proposal...can't be too angry yet.

Somehow blogger knows I am in Puerto Rico and has decided to switch over to Spanish. I'm hoping google is merely trying to be helpful and force me to learn a little Spanish...being the bad Mexican that I am my vocabulary is limited to: taquito, vino, cerveza, tequila, bano (usually in that order & none of which will do me much good in a work environment). Wish me luck...

Lego Silence of the Lambs

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 23:35:00 +0000

Silence of the Lambs is one of my favorite movies, so when Dancin' came across this fantastic YouTube video he shared it with me...absolutely fantastic!

New Favorite Blogs

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:20:00 +0000

While reading an article in today's Washington Post, on the prevalence of cell phones in the homeless population (read the article, it makes sense), I was also alerted to the "Homeless Blog" if you will. Apparently, there are several Washington area bloggers who are homeless and so I took some time to read them...I am very intrigued. Turns out, Washington area homeless bloggers cover politics (local and federal); California homeless bloggers are a little more celebrity and like to cover the best way to avoid sunburn, where the best public restrooms are. I encourage people to check these out:
On the Clock with Eric Sheptock
Better Believe Steve
Happy Reading!

Obama Fingers?

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:28:00 +0000

Hmmm, while perusing the Drudge Report today I came across an interesting article about German Fried Chicken. (click image for news article)
While companies are going cutting staff to save money in this especially nasty recession, I fear that this company may have made a mistake in not investing in the necessary research to gauge how this would play out amongst Americans.

Been a long time friend...

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:22:00 +0000

I was reminded today, by Sister Disco, that many of the U St bloggers have been lax in their updates. I have no good excuse, sometimes I blame the sprint picture mail problem for hindering my ability to efficiently mobile blog, but really I've just been lazy.

Since my last post, I have attempted to tone down the frequency of my weekday drinking (causes all kinds of different headaches). But the reality is that I have little willpower, so I have begun taking advantage of the vacation time I have accrued and identify weekdays which I believe may lead to excessive alcohol consumption...Rita Jean's birthday gave me the first opportunity to try this new plan of attach. Marvelous! Much nursing of a hang-over occurred in my personal day taken explicitly for the recovery of the birthday festivities. So, this week I am taking it a step further...in anticipating of Dancin's birthday (which horribly, but also conveniently falls on St. Patrick's Day) I will be taking of the day of and the day after. This will better facilitate day drinking!

So, Early Happy Birthday Dancin! ('cause i'm not sure i'll remember to do this for you tomorrow). See you at Duffy's, everyone!

NEVER visit this bakery...

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:15:00 +0000

Hopefully, this man will be out of business by the end of the day. There are no words to describe how terrible this man is, please pass this along to any and all you know.

http://is.gd/gYDc

Another year another...drink?

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 02:08:00 +0000

Another year has passed, and while we begin to look forward to 2009 I also have just celebrated my birthday. In retrospect, 2008 was a grand year. I had the misfortune of being laid-off, but the fortune of being able to spend a lot of quality time with my friends & loved ones while looking for (and finding) a job that I enjoy. All in all, a good year.

I had the pleasure of spending my birthday with my bestest friends for a pizza party at my newly remodeled apartment. I am sorry that not all my good friends were able to be here, what with them living in distant places like Pittsburgh, NYC, Boston, and Dallas, but you all were there in spirit(s)! Thank you all for a great party, hysterical birthday cards, and being there to pick me up every time I have fallen. I am truly blessed to have found such wonderful people to spend my life with!

Bring it on, 2009!

Send Ballou High School to the Rose Bowl!

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:42:00 +0000

Hey all, a friend of mine helped put together a documentary on the Ballou High School marching band about a year ago. It's a fabulous band, inspiring and keeping engaged a group of students who don't have too much else in their lives doing that for them.

Since then, they have been asked to play this coming Rose Bowl and are raising money to get themselves there. These kids have generated some of the only positive attention to be paid Ballou High in many years, please take some time to check out their cause, read the synopsis of the documentary, and donate to their trip if possible.!

Recovered? Don't think so...

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:51:00 +0000

I started today thinking that I was recovered from the events of the past couple days. Well, I guess a little background is in order. Tuesday, my boss would not have been proud of me (I don't think) given that my concentration level only allowed me the ability to hit refresh on all the news sites I had pulled up on my computer. Nervousness had taken control of my brain.

Later on Tuesday, the BIG NEWS arrived, and I found myself on U ST NW with the best of my friends, Rita and Sister Disco, living it up like tomorrow had come ('cause it has). And because all of our amateur video skills do no justice I pilfered from TV:

So, the great day had come and gone, but still concentration eluded me. On my walk to work, mind you I was a good bit late given the 4:30am bedtime I had, I attempted to acquire a newspaper...any newspaper. I would have taken a Washington Times, that desperate was I. NONE. The DC metro area had sold out of ALL newspapers by 8am. I put in a call to my family in Denver, surely they must have newspapers. Nope. My sister put herself on a waiting list at the neighborhood bookstore, and I started making calls to those people I know who work at the Washington Post. To no avail, they couldn't even acquire a paper for themselves.

Lo and behold, around 1:30pm word gets out that the Post is going to run a commemorative edition of that day's Washington Post, to be on sale at area CVS, 7-11, Giant, Safeway and Harris Teeter stores between 3 and 5pm. I hussle my little self down to the CVS in my office building at 3pm, because I was clearly getting nothing done anyway, and stand myself in line. Little do I know, but shortly find out, that between 3 & 5pm really means that the papers MIGHT be delivered between that time. No one knows. THREE HOURS later, I becamenthe proud owner of a commemorative edition BARACK OBAMA (and family) Washington Post.

Lesson Learned: Practice patience and have hope and you will find the change you seek. Thank you, Barack, for reminding all of us of that terribly important lesson.

Needless to say, I thought today would be concentration central. Twas true, but only if I kept my eyes off of anything Barack-related. If I looked, I cried. Still. It is so wonderful it hurts. I wonder when this reaction will end, not that I mind overmuch crying for joy, but I would like to read the newspaper again.

That's my story...and since I'm crying again I am going to get a bottle of wine.

Wassup 2008

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:43:00 +0000

Most Importantly...

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 21:13:00 +0000

we can't forget the kids. Every holiday season we are inundated with requests from charities and various organizations seeking donations, never without good cause. Every holiday season they tell us "never has it been more needed or more important to these families & children."

I think that for the first time in my adult life this will hold true, home foreclosures are leaving children out in the cold, lost jobs are leaving families hungry, and state budget cuts are leaving less money for safety net services.

Given that I am relatively insulated from financial turmoil (thanks to the Gates Foundation & people who like to drink alcohol) I find it especially important to increase my charitable giving this holiday season. I am a committed fan of the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program, have just made my 2nd annual purchase of pies from local Food & Friends , and will be scoping out more ways that I can give back to people who make my easy life possible. I encourage everyone who reads this to do the same, whether you buy an ornament on the Giving Tree at your local mall or send an anonymous check to a familiar face, that kindness will go along way to make life seem worthwhile for a lot of people.

That's my inspirational message for the year.

Take the Day Off!

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:47:00 +0000

In my office, I get to be paid to do this (in a non-partisan fashion). Give it a consideration, could be a lot of fun to phone bank from my house :)

Brothel? Columbia Heights? What?

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:09:00 +0000

Totally hysterical story, so I am pilfering it from a friends blog (verbatim):

Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Columbia Heights/Petworth brothel robber gets his thumb chopped off

What!? I just got sent this from NBC4, apparently two men tried to rob an alleged brothel somewhere in Columbia Heights, and in the ensuing struggle, one of the victims chopped one of the robber's thumb off with a machete. Wow. The thumbless robber, named Bryan Perez, went to the hospital, the police brought the thumb, and there was a match. Busted.

That is probably the weirdest Columbia Heights crime story ever. I'm trying to figure out where the brothel was, but now you can have fun with your friends by sending them the article and saying "sorry your house got robbed."

UPDATE: Wait a minute, there was a shooting at a brothel last week too, on 14th Street near Quincy. Maybe it's the same place? Is there a rash of brothel crime in the neighborhood? Are there really that many brothels in the hood? What is this, Amsterdam?

UPDATE 2: The Examiner has the full story on the machete incident - the address is 3827 14th Street NW, which is in fact near Quincy - maybe it's the same place as the shooting. The article says there was an underground gambling establishment on the first floor and a brothel upstairs. What in the world.

And technically, the location is in Petworth. Dang news always trying to make Columbia Heights look bad.

UPDATE 3: The two events are actually the same thing - there was a shooting and the thumb chopping off happened at the same time. Geez.

Posted by Andrew at 12:01 PM

San Antonio

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:54:00 +0000

So, much like Chimney Fall Mike often is, I am in San Antonio for work right now. I am only here until tomorrow afternoon, so I will not have much time for fun things, but the hotel that I randomly picked is superb! So much so that I feel the need to blog it...ok, so maybe I'm also looking for something to blog since I won't be doing anything terribly fun. However, the hotel is gorgeous...a converted bank building, so you kind of feel as if you're in an apartment building, all retro and fun. Plus, there's real free breakfast, a free happy hour (that would be enough in itself) but there is also free internet, free long distance phone calls and a microwave and refrigerator (empty) in my room.

I am shocked because I am at the Drury Plaza Hotel and the pictures that they supply on their webpage are not indicative of the quality of this property. I know Chimney Fall Mike's favorite property is the Hotel Valencia, which I am going to peek in on at some point, but I highly rec this place for that upcoming San Antonio trip that none of you are taking!

I've never watch PerezTV...

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:02:00 +0000

but a friend had this as her gmail status this morning, so I took a look. And, I liked it too:

Ben's II

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:22:00 +0000

I passed by Ben's II last night (as I schlepped to the 10th ST CVS, as I await MY new CVS) and noticed that they are coming quite along. Looks like it's gonna be a fancy-pants Ben's. Wood bar, modern lighting, quite a change from the Ben's that we're used to.

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS DAY

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:44:00 +0000

my personal baby (no need to be frightened, Dancin') is coming due tomorrow...I speak of the 2nd Annual Columbia Heights Day!! While we worked very hard last year, this year has been a tremendous amount of work and I feel that it is really going to pay off. We have 300% more participants confirmed than last year, and a PETTING ZOO! Yes, there will be a llama, a camel (miniature), a zebra, bunnies, goats, ducks, etc... all things that Columbia Heights kids have the privilege of seeing at the free National Zoo, but 1) from afar, and 2) only when a kind soul takes them. We are bringing the zoo to them. Can you tell? I am terribly excited.

I have been consumed by board meetings at work this week, which has require 20 hour days for awhile, so tomorrow may be painful but it WILL be fun. We have food this year and mariachis...who could ask for more on a gorgeous (75 degree) saturday afternoon?

So, if you'd like to join the fun please stop by the Tubman Elementary School soccer field on 11th & Irving ST anytime between 11am and 6pm!

Hope to see y'all there! And, area restaurants will have specials all day long!

www.columbiaheightsday.org

CVS Takes Over U St Area

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:34:00 +0000

WooHoo! Another new CVS is on its way. The new development, on 14th St between V and W will house a new CVS on its ground floor. No more "having" to go to the discriminating and slow Wrong Aid because there is not enough time to run down to 10th ST!

I am giddy with anticipation of enjoying the new store smell, which by the way 10th still has...I hope it has many self-check out stations!

Columbia Heights Fundraiser

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:35:00 +0000

Many of you will have received an email from me about the fundraiser, but just in case I missed anyone:
This is the last fundraiser for the Columbia Heights Festival, we will be at several area restaurants who are donating a portion of their proceeds to the event on September 23rd!

What would your name be?

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:02:00 +0000

You have to check this out, completely hilarious. My new name is Trowel Ogre Palin
http://politsk.blogspot.com/2008/09/sarah_13.html

Hmmm...

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:31:00 +0000

I would suggest that the nursing home in Columbia Heights consider hiring a different bus company for future resident outings...

Eviction on K ST NW

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:45:00 +0000

oops...looks like some highfalutin lawyers got themselves evicted. Hope nothing too personal is in the dozens of file boxes lining K ST right now.

Sarah Palin Gender Card

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:47:00 +0000

love this clip from the Daily Show

Cirque Du Columbia Heights Day

noreply@blogger.com (A Special Friend) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:13:00 +0000