brief post here. been busy, going skiing in PA tomorrow. there are three fire engines outside right now on the unit block of seaton place nw. they've got the hoses out and everything. not sure what's going on, but i hope it's just a false alarm. post here if you hear anything about what happened.
UPDATE: there was no fire. not sure what happened, but it was an impressive display of readiness, at least.
stories have been posted on many websites about noma, the fictional neighborhood name given to the area that roughly lies in the couple of blocks west of the rail line running north of union station up to eckington. the map of this area that i've posted here can be found at nomacorridor.com, a website touting the area as a new business destination for dc's growing need for office space.
whenever i get a chance, i rail against this name ad nauseam. it's an obviously focus-grouped attempt to get people unfamiliar with the area to remember the name. which, i will admit, can be a good thing. no one is going to forget that a place called "north of massachusetts" is...well...north of massachusetts.
i've advocated in comments on many of these websites trying to get those writing to acknowledge the history of the area by finding another way to refer to it. the southernmost part of the area was historically known as swampoodle, partially in reference to the fact that it was a low-lying area where tiber creek flowed through, before it was channeled underground. today, i made reference in a dcist comment thread to the fact that local bloggers led the effort to get the public to refer to the juvenile panda at the national zoo as "butterstick", and that we should do the same for noma. apparently, the writer of the article that referenced noma is willing to consider alternate names for the area. i'm all for a reinstituting of swampoodle, so i think the time has come to start pushing harder for that name to be daylighted.
though swampoodle didn't cover the entire area that is now unfortunately referred to as noma, i believe it would be a fine start to get this name a little more prominence. if anyone has more background to share on the historical neighborhood names given to this area, please include them in the comments, and i'll discuss some of them in a future update.
truxton circle is the name for the area at the northwest edge of 'noma'. it's a name that seems to be enjoying a bit of a revitalization lately, with more attention focused on this area's history. the area to the northeast of 'noma' is eckington. my biggest fear is that 'noma' keeps creeping so far afield that the name is starting to lay claim to parts of eckington.
i've rambled on far enough about this. anyone out there have any thoughts?
this was only talked about in the comments over at sean hennessey's blog, but it needs to have wider exposure. apparently, heller's has confirmed to two somebodies (commenters named anonymous and lizz) that it still will be coming to the corner of 1st and rhode island, on the corner next to the t street market.
i'm excited to hear that they're still planning to come to bloomingdale. once those donuts are available a couple doors down the street from me, i may actually start putting on that weight that everyone says i'm going to gain since i'm close to 30. :)
went to the rock and roll hotel up on h street ne last night for a show (ours). it was the first time i'd been to the place, and it was really nice. i'd really recommend checking it out. there is a bar downstairs near the stage, but it doesn't open until there is an act on stage. the nice space is upstairs, where there is a larger bar, as well as couches, a pool table, and individual lounge rooms. guitars with wings hang from the ceiling, and a few mannequins with interesting head (read: animal skulls) hang above the bar. everyone there was really friendly (struck up a conversation about computers and photography with the barkeep), and the greatest thing....no smoke. first show i've gone to since the smoking ban went into effect. it was amazing to come home and just hang my sweater back up in the closet and not need to take it straight to the cleaners... :)
UPDATE: i see that dcist has a review of the show up here. looks like the reviewer was of a split mind on the show.
met with a realtor tonight. a friend at work recommended him, and he seems pretty personable, knowledgeable, and laid-back. time to find a nice house in this city now that someone with a piddly income can afford. anyone out there willing to donate a few hundred thousand towards the purchase of a beautiful victorian rowhouse?
so, i just got home from the kennedy center. what was i doing there, you might ask? remember 9 days ago when i went to try to get tickets? well, my friend sarah (who is my personal hero now) came through in the clutch and got tickets for myself, nolan (my roommate), and steph (my girlfriend). it was amazing. gorgeous. spectacular. wonderful. (insert multiple adjectives here.) i'm sure there are going to be write-ups galore in the express and dcist, etc. tomorrow, so let me just add my voice to the chorus. it was awesome to just hear the word "saginaw" name-checked at the show!
boy oh boy, you talk about a bunch of people getting their knickers in a bunch over absolutely nothing. if you're savvy enough to be on the internet, you've probably heard about the advertising kerfuffle up in boston. the mayor, the governor, and just about anyone else in a position of authority is CERTAIN that everyone involved in this should be arrested, tried, and sentenced to a lifetime in prison for domestic terrorism, or maybe something worse.
well, i could rant on for hours about how absolutely stupid, inane, idiotic, and just plain dumb this whole thing is, but here's my basic point: click on that link above and look at the picture. it's a MAGNETIC LITE-BRITE people! seriously, it looks like a kid's toy. how many "terrorists" are going to make a bomb, or series of bombs, that are so damn visible and in-your-face obvious? the authorities overreacted here, plain and simple. all the people who are gnashing their teeth and saying, "how can you do something like this given the days we live in" or some other stupid meme are just asking to be ridiculed.
as far as advertising campaigns go, this one ought to go into the record books. could adult swim have possibly gotten this much attention for the show and its upcoming movie via regular channels? i'd argue HELL NO. kudos to the press for hyping up a non-event. you can file this away with everything related to jon-benet ramsey, runaway brides, and shark attacks that the press has ever covered.
