Anyone know where I can find vanilla beans in D.C.? I was planning on going to Whole Foods tomorrow, but I thought I might ask here before I go.

Thanks!

I'm wondering if anyone can tell me whether the street elevator to 12th and G at the Metro Center station is on the same side of the tracks as the train to Glenmont or Shady Grove. 

I use a wheelchair, and to get from one side of the tracks to the other, I need to take the elevator down to the blue/orange level, walk all the way down the platform, and take another elevator back up to the red line level.  One of those elevators between the blue/orange and red level is out, and I'm trying to figure out whether I will still be able to get out of the station on my morning trip in the direction of Glenmont. 

The metro customer service line could not answer this question about the layout of their station.  Unfortunately, I don't trust my memory of the station.  Can someone confirm which side of the tracks the street elevator is on, or point me to a map of the inside of the station?  Thanks very much!

Tuesday, 29 December 2009, at 8:00pm

Washington Psychotronic Film Society presents

( Frankenpimp )

I don't know if this has been asked before, but I searched and didn't see it:

I only know of this on the Ft. Totten metro map, green line, towards Greenbelt side. There's a bit at the top left of the map (around Tuckerman and 13th St NW) that says there's a place called the Megadeath Alchemy Congregation. Google returns nothing (except to helpfully suggest that I meant 'megadeth'). There's one lone blog out there that asks the same question, but no answer. Nothing on Google maps either.

Any ideas? Mystical floating church of awesome? Prank by the map makers?

Also--Thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions for my 'unique' dining experience. I've made a list and we're probably going to work through all of those in the next few months :-)

Hey All!

I am in search of a ride from California (I'm in Ventura right now, but I could meet you other places) to Oregon (Eugene, Portland, or even better, Yachats.) I am pretty broke, but I will have music, and I can pay you in awesome citrus and avocados from our CA Family Ranch. I can give you some dollars too, if you wish, but damn is this fruit something else.

If you are headed up North (or know anyone who is) by January 3rd (I have to be home on the morning of January 4th at the latest), please let me know.

jessicabjackson at hotmail dot com.

Thanks and peace!

Jess

A "white Christmas" -- as defined as snow falling on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day -- in Washington DC has occurred only 9 times in recorded history.

1892 (0.5")
1902 (1.0")
1909 (4.5")
1935 (1.1")
1962 (5.4")
1969 (4.3")
1970 (0.3")
1993 (0.2")
2002 (1.0")

A "white Christmas" as defined as snow being on the ground on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day from a previous snowfall has occurred only 9 times MORE.

By either definition, DC has had a "white Christmas" only three times in the past 20 years -- 2002, 1993, and 1989. 1993 only counts by technicality, as the snowfall lasted only 30 minutes. Most snow melted on contact with the ground, so the "white" was only a light dusting on grass in suburban areas.

Ladies and gentlemen of the District and surrounding areas, enjoy the record obviously set this year, and in the spirit of the Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year's, or any other seasonal celebration including the dependable and regular occurrence of a Friday where a Friday ought to be, may you all be safe and loved and lucky tomorrow, this week, for the remainder of this year, and every year.


And so the Shortest Day came and the year died
And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world
Came people singing, dancing,
To drive the dark away.
They lighted candles in the winter trees;
They hung their homes with evergreen;
They burned beseeching fires all night long
To keep the year alive.
And when the new year's sunshine blazed awake
They shouted, revelling.
Through all the frosty ages you can hear them
Echoing behind us - listen!
All the long echoes, sing the same delight,
This Shortest Day,
As promise wakens in the sleeping land:
They carol, feast, give thanks,
And dearly love their friends,
And hope for peace.
And now so do we, here, now,
This year and every year.
Welcome Yule!

--Susan Cooper

Hey psych folk community. I'm looking for some music recommendation/advise. Since it's winter, I want to take this time in the cold snow to listen to more bonnie prince billie and bill callahan.

I know that Bill Callahan works as Smog, too, but I haven't heard much of him or any of his projects. Actually, the only album that I have is "Sometimes I Wish I Were An Eagle", which I really love. What would you guys say I should listen to next? What's his best album?

Bonnie Prince Billie has also worked in many incarnations. I don't know about them, but I've been hearing about an act called the palace brothers among other things. Unfortunately, I've only got the album "I See A Darkness", which is a really stunning album. This guy has so much work, and I'm looking for some direction as to where I should go next beyond music review websites.

I appreciate your expertise and support.

Do you know of a family who wants a Christmas tree, but was unable to get one? If you can pick up (in Takoma Park) please PM me to make arrangements to get one.

So, I'm a competitive runner with a training plan, and I have a run I need to do on the morning of Christmas day.

Problem is, we're now forecast to have significant icing on Christmas morning, which makes running outside not such a good idea (I'm not so much worried about personal discomfort as I am concerned about injury due to bad footing).

My gym is closed on Christmas day, as I am sure many others are.

Does anybody know of any gyms (with treadmills) that are open on Christmas day? Best case scenario would be in Dupont, Logan, Georgetown, U St, or Adams Morgan; second best case scenario would be anything along the Red Line, up through Bethesda. But I'll also take anything in DC, Arlington, or close-in Montgomery County.

I've tried Google, with no success. My next shot is just to start cold-calling gyms, but I thought I'd try here as well.

Edit: thanks to all for your suggestions. Arlington Sport and Health (http://www.sportandhealth.com/clubshome/club.aspx?id=474) is open on Christmas day, and charges $20 for a day pass, so that's the winner. Fallback option was to run on K street underneath the Whitehurst Freeway (it's about 2/3rds of a mile, so that's a lot of back-and forth)

JOIN US For the last DCTribal Cafe of 2009!

Spend a little time with the tribal cafe family, see some amazing performances, have a great meal,

and help us send 2009 off with a bang!

DCTribal Café Sunday, December 27, 2009

6pm – 9pm
Asylum Bar & Lounge
2471 18th Street, NW Washington DC 20009

$10

(cover includes 1/2 price burgers & $2 off shiner bock drafts)

(  This month DCTribal Café is proud to host performances by )

Sometime Friday night, I saw an invitation on Twitter to go to a snowball fight two blocks from my house the next day. I've never been a fan of being hit by snowballs, and I throw like a girl, but I thought it would be fun to go to.

I forwarded the message on Twitter and follow-up details to friends and followers.

This is what it looked like when I arrived:

( snOMG images and video )

If you were on the scene and an eye witness to the incident, please contact the Internal Affairs Division. You can ask to speak with Captain George Dixon. Captain Dixon can be reached at (202) 727-4385.

Tuesday, 22 December 2009, at 8:00pm

Washington Psychotronic Film Society presents

( Robo Vampire )

I come from a Catholic family (I'm baptized but not confirmed), and I'd really like to go to Midnight Mass this year. I know there are a ton of Catholic churches in the area, but I'd really like to go somewhere where the building is older and more traditional-looking (these 1960s-1970s suburban modernist churches I find rather off-putting). Northern Virginia would be my first choice because it's closest, but I'll go anywhere including DC and Maryland. I'm just looking for a historical, beautiful church to attend Christmas Eve Mass at-- extra points if it still has votive racks where you can light a candle to pray for people. Also, being able to get a seat is critically important to me because I have a disability and I cannot stand for long periods of time, so if I have to arrive extra early or something in order to assure a seat, let me know.

Thanks!

Hope everyone is having fun in the snow!

My first anniversary with my boyfriend is coming up and we'd like to try something different. Can anyone suggest cool ideas for dinner? We've done date nights at Marrakesh, the Melting Pot, Benihanas, and Medieval Times, so belly dancing, fondue, flaming food, and jousts are old hat.

Any suggestions for a unique dining experience? We're based in PG County, but we're willing to travel.

Also--does anyone know of a dinner-in-the-dark place near the DC Metro area? Or some place that does frequent murder mystery dinners?

Thanks in advance!

Edit: If anyone happens to have really romantic suggestions, I won't turn those down :-)

WaPo and the OPM website are both reporting that OPM has given Washington area federal employees a three day weekend by closing all federal offices on Monday.

Here is the link to the story in the WaPo:
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2009/12/federal_government_closed_on_m.html?hpid=artslot

If there is anyone who is planning to go to NYC tomorrow and their flight/train/ride hasn't been cancelled (unlike mine *sniff sniff*) I have orchestra seating tix for Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall to give you as a Christmas present. I have 4 tickets in fact!

just comment if you'd like them. Face value is $105/each.

As you can see in the video, the 14th and U Streets NW snowball fight was some good-natured wintery mayhem. So why did Metropolitan Police Department officers feel the need to bust it up -- and to draw a gun when they did? Early on, MPD officers tolerated the chaos.

Around 150 snowballers lined up on the east and west sides of 14th Street NW just north of U Street, idling politely as passing cars sludged through the intersection before rushing out to meet one another on the icy field of combat. A few activist-types carried riot shields featuring the anarchy symbol and unfurled a giant banner reading "No War but Snow War." One snowballer carried an IKEA bag full of snowballs, as good a visual metaphor for a snowball fight at that intersection as you could hope to find. Good times. ( Read more... )

source

also more news coverage on this here, here, and here

I purchased tickets to see Avatar at Chinatown around 3:45. Living in Arlington, I'm obviously not going to go. If anyone is interested, I'm more than happy to forward you the Fandango email so you can print the tickets yourself and go. There are 2 tickets. Please take them!