Hill Rat

Saturday, February 16, 2008

At the Barber Shop

My man Darios just opened up his own shop called District Cutters that's located behind the new cigar joint on Florida, I met him when we was cutting at Mason's down on H St. The place is small, only three chairs, but newly finished so it's super comfortable and clean.

I recognize the other barber that was there from Mason's but I don't know his name, it turns out that this other barber, Darios, and the dude waiting with me for a cut are all from Boston. It was interesting to hear these cats old-timing about Boston; talking about the bus routes they used to take and getting chased out of Cambridge by the brothers that lived there. For all the hue and cry about young Black men and how everyone is so afraid of them, the real truth is that they're much more of a danger to each other than they are to everyone else. I say "they" because me and the other bros at the barbershop yesterday are all in our mid to late 30's, we are (for the most part) out of the danger zone; we have been lucky and/or smart enough to make it past the years when an error in judgment was more likely to be fatal or land us in jail.

All the years that I was cutting my own hair I forgot the sense of spiritual renewal that I tend to get from going to the barber shop. I know that sounds kind of corny, but there's really nothing quite like it. Where else can you go where you will find preachers, teachers, thugs, cops, executives, janitors, politicians, construction workers, etc. all existing in perfect harmony? The barber shop is neutral ground, everyone leaves their bullshit at the door and is free to speak their mind. Sometimes that freedom to speak your mind leads people to say some unbelievably stupid things, like the time these guys were speculating that all White people were pre-disposed towards bestiality. I probably should have said something to the contrary, but I was laughing too hard at the ridiculous anecdotes being related to make any kind of strong argument. Still, just listening that day gave me some interesting insight into how whack stereotypes come into being.

There was also a dope ass classic Impala parked outside too, check it out.

Friday, February 15, 2008

iPhone WTF?

So I got an iPhone for Christmas (It's not something I would have ever bought for myself, but I already had Cingular service so it was a pretty cool gift) and I've been pretty happy with it for the most part. But tonight I'm sitting on the couch with the wife about ten minutes ago and my phone starts blowing up; text messages and voice mails from three hours earlier in the night. The wife then told me that she has called more than a few times and couldn't get me on the phone; during the day that makes sense because there are dead spots all over the building I work in, but the rest of the time that shit shouldn't be happening.

I'm more than a little annoyed because the VM was about something fairly important (selling these fucking condos, more on that later) and the text was about something VERY important: an invitation for some rugby team related boozing.

Ya know people like to hate on Microsoft as the epitome of a greedy, evil corporation; but Apple is every bit as bad and maybe worse because they act like they're a bunch of hippies that want to do the right thing, but the reality is they're every bit as bad as M$. Fuckers.

AT&T/Cingular get your shit together, you should be able to handle a slight uptick in messaging traffic on a Friday night.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Drama at 11th & Maryland NE

Not sure what the story is, but there were four cop cars and an
ambulance.

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Florida Bound

WifeRat felt deprived last year because we didn't make it down to South Florida like we usually do at some point during the Winter, so we're taking a long weekend down there to get our chill on. PoppaRat is from Miami and his youngest brother, UncleRat, still lives in the area; so we'll spend the first night down there with him and his family and the rest of the time we'll be staying down in South Beach with WifeRat's best friend and her family.

The weather is supposed to be pretty nice down there this weekend so WifeRat wants to go to the beach, but having family from down there I feel like it's really touristy to go to the beach in February.

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Conflicted

I just got done watching the Obama video at http://www.dipdive.com/ and I'm conflicted.

There's something so inspiring about this guy that I'm thinking about pushing all my chips into the middle of the table, saying, "Fuck it!", and getting into the mess of American politics. I'm actually contemplating leaving my pretty decent job, working for Obama's campaign, and hoping I can parlay that into a full-time gig on staff somewhere when he wins. I don't believe in every plank in Obama's platform, but there's enough there that I do actually believe in that I'm starting to wonder if maybe I should get involved.

At the same time, there's the pragmatic/cynical side of me that knows that Obama is a politician and that I should protect myself from him and the broken heart that is almost sure to come if I allow myself to feel, to care, and to believe in what he's saying. I mean, I'm just one man; one flawed man; one weak man; one selfish man; one unimportant man. What difference can I possibly make?

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

SOL at Peabody

So WifeRat and BabyRat ran into Roberta and her brood at a local playground today and apparently we're shit outta luck. Any previously mentioned hook up with regard to getting BabyRat into Peabody appears to be off the table. When I mentioned that we were in boundary for Ludlow-Taylor, Roberta kind of winced and pained look crossed her face. She didn't say anything more specific than she didn't know any parents whose kids went to L-T.

The only other time Ludlow-Taylor had ever been mentioned to me is when some parent (who was a little too impressed with themselves) proclaimed that BabyRat wasn't going to school at L-T less than five minutes after we met. I know that this parent was trying to be helpful and probably thought that their assertiveness was coming off as some sort of ranting comic charm, but it struck me as kind of paternal and bossy. In their defense, this other parent also did have some specific complaints about assaults that happened in the bathroom. When the Wife and I got home we agreed that there were probably no White kids at that school and a quick check of the Post website that breaks down DCPS schools shows that there are no White students at Ludlow-Taylor.

I wonder if BabyRat gets counted as White or Black by DCPS?

Monday, January 28, 2008

Re: [SWS] NYTimes.com: Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler]

Interesting, but nothing I didn't already know.

The problem with articles like this is that no matter what you and I do as individuals, it doesn't affect anything. I'm more than willing to cut my meat consumption by 20%, but unless everyone else does their part why bother? The other problem is that the Times prints so much ridiculous shit (did you read the Hillary endorsement?) that it's dismissed out of hand by a large portion of the American population that it's attempting to reach. I'm not just talking about conservatives either, I know a lot of liberals who think the Times editorial board is out of touch with reality; which is sentiment I totally agree with. The bunch of eggheads that write for the Times mostly went to elite colleges and live in NYC, they have no clue what life is like for the overwhelming majority of the country. They're talking about cut your meat consumption by 20%, OK great, but how do you do it? How do the stores and restaurants support that move? How does the gov't cut the subsidies that umpteen generations of cattle farmers have come to depend on? More important than all of that, how do you communicate the need to make this change without it sounding like what it actually is? A bunch of over-educated jerkoffs clucking their tongues and telling everyone how to live?

Friday, January 25, 2008

Cheap Beer

After spending most of my 20's drinking dark beer and turning up my nose at American lager, I got reacquainted with cheap beer at a place called Bob & Barbara's in Philly. They have a nightly special of a can of PBR and a shot of Jim Beam for $3, needless to say the place quickly became my favorite bar in the city of Brotherly Love. Unfortunately the esteemed Nate Wiley passed away about 14 months ago and I haven't been back since to see if the musical void has been filled, but my thirst for PBR (and most other forms of cheap beer) remains unslaked.

Apparently now the Red Derby is now serving $2 cans of Natty Boh and Schlitz, woo-hoo!

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Peabody Open House

At 9am this morning they had an open house at Peabody Elementary School. For those of you who don't know, Peabody is a early childhood education campus located on Capitol Hill; they have a three year-old program, a Pre-K program, Kindergarten, and a Reggio Emilia program all in one building. It's kind of cool because kids get to start their scholastic career in a place that is just for them, rather than being in some sort of segregated section of an elementary school.

When I was doing some online research I found that the demographic breakdown showed that Peabody was 84% Black, but when I arrived at the school at 8:55 I was surprised to see that I was the only Black parent there. Before things got started some more parents trickled in, including a few other Black people. I don't know why I cared that I wasn't the only Black person there, but I did.

Anyway, the collection of administrators start up with a fairly disjointed presentation about the school that mostly consisted of, "Hey, we do a lot of art here!" That's cool, art is good, I was surprised to see some of the quotes from the kids during the presentation saying things about Matisse and Monet; I was in college before I knew who either of them were. I have to say that I was a little disappointed at the lack of polish during the presentation, these people are educators you would think that presenting information would more or less be in their organizational DNA. I dunno, maybe the folks that run the school know that they don't really need to impress the parents because they're generally acknowledged to be the best public education option for kids on the Hill.

There was some discussion of in boundary vs out of boundary admission and how many spots were going to be available. We live just outside of the boundary for Peabody, and it seems like we're pretty much fucked because I was told that they didn't enroll any kids that were out of boundary for the three year old program last year.

I saw some other parents that I knew from BabyRat's daycare center and hanging out at the park across the street from Peabody; a few of them were out of boundary too and they mostly seemed resigned to paying for private school for a year and applying to get into the Pre-K program which has more spots.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

DCPS Madness

OK, I've been trying to figure out a hook for this blog and I think I've found one. I'm going to try and blog what I have to do to get BabyRat enrolled in a quality DCPS school. The story could end up being short and boring, we have a neighbor that seems to want to be BFF with WifeRat and she has two little ones just slightly older than ours that are already at Peabody. It looks like we have the inside track on whichever program we prefer at Peabody Elementary, but who knows what's going to happen.

We actually got an e-mail today from Roberta (not her real name) today reminding us about the out of boundary lottery for Peabody. After responding from my iPhone (yes I am one of those obnoxious creeps that loves their iPhone; it was an unsolicited gift that I now can't live without) whilst enjoying a beverage at the Argonaut I came home, cracked open a Sierra Nevada and started conducting some preliminary research on what has to be done.

This shit is way confusing. More soon.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Sports Talk

A lot of crazy shit has gone down in the last 48 hours; Petrino left Atlanta for Arkansas, TO and Keyshawn are rumbling, and the Mitchell Report just dropped. Here's my preliminary take on all three.

Petrino

What a fucking scumbag! Just leaving in the middle of the season after telling your boss two days before that you were staying is a scumbag move of the highest order. It's not his decision to leave that I take issue with, but rather his timing and cowardly decision to give his players a letter and high-tail it out of town. If Petrino had to leave before the season was over he should have had the guts to tell his team and his boss face-to-face, like a man.

TO vs. Keyshawn

This is interesting because I think they're both right. TO is correct when he says that Wade Phillips isn't getting enough credit for the job he's done as a coach of the Cowboys and Keyshawn is right when he tells TO that he's not going to win a public fight with Parcells.

Obviously Wade Phillips is doing a good job this season, but I did hear a theory that Jason Garrett is really the Head Coach and Phillips is just there to keep the hear off of Garrett. It's not like TO was recovering from injury or something last year Parcells was being a dick; calling him "the player" and doing all that petty, childish shit that the Big Tuna does as a coach; to his own detriment as the coach/leader of the organization. It's not like I don't understand all that "old school" stuff that Parcells does, I was a part of that last generation of athletes that coaches didn't allow to have water during practice (that had changed by the time I was out of high school though) and lived in fear of my football coaches but in the fullness of time I've come to see that shit doesn't produce lasting results. A coach has to be a teacher, a mentor, and someone who nurtures talent, not just a disciplinarian who rules through fear; because when you have a player like TO who can't be intimidated or embarassed you've got nothing in your tool box to deal with him.

Keyshawn was trying to proffer some good advice to TO, but he probably should have done it in person not running his mouth on TV. Keyshawn knows what he's talking about when it comes to pissing matches with a coach, 'cause he managed to get himself kicked off the Bucs the year after they won the SuperBowl by Gruden. Still, if Keyshawn really wanted to help TO, he should have cruised by the locker room after a game or taken him out to dinner so they could talk in private and TO wouldn't immediately become defensive and lash out the way he did.

Mitchell Report

Clemens was using steroids?!?!?! Who would have ever believed such a thing? THHHHPPPTTT!

I wonder if anyone is going to try to hang some asterisks on Clemen's win total or Cy Young awards or will that treatment be reserved for Bonds? If the wretched pigs who call themselves sports writers don't start crucifying Clemens and all the other steroid cheats in the Mitchell Report we'll know what the persecution of Barry Bonds was really all about: race.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Bono

Back in the day (circa 84-87) I was a huge U2 fan; I went straight to the record store after school the day The Joshua Tree came out and all that good stuff. But when U2 got more popular than G-d, started playing huge arena shows, etc. I lost interest in them. Sure it was mostly a recalcitrant, late teens "if it's popular it can't be good" kind of thing; but Rattle and Hum did suck balls.

Now I find myself interested in Bono's philanthropic work. I think the thing that I admire the most is the maturity with which Bono has approached his issues, his willingness to work within the system, and to engage people on their own terms. Bono's respectful tone when he addressed President Bush via the Washington Post Op-Ed page on January 27, 2003 should serve as a model for celebrities who want to make their voices heard. There was no hysterics or name calling, just an impassioned plea from a man who was willing to use his position, privilege, and power to try and make the world a better place.

In today's Post, Bono again shows a rare sense of self-knowledge when he acknowledges his own frailties and failings by saying, "Am I ready, a man who has stepped off a private jet a couple of days ago, to pledge my fortune? It doesn't look like it." To me, that speaks volumes about the man; to concede his own imperfections and in doing so, accept that everyone else is going to have their blind spots and ways they can improve too. The quote that really got me was this one:

Bono says. "Both Prime Minister Blair and President Bush knew we were not in support of the war. I've always gone out of my way at U2 shows to show my support for the troops, but it's not something I sound off on. I gave up that right. I have become a single-issue protagonist. And as hard as that is for a mouthy Irishman who's more used to putting his foot in his mouth than his fist, I think people really respect that."

I do Bono, I do.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Mark Thorp Hates on Turkey

From an e-mail:

...but how many of you are really gonna be suckered into the absurd notion that the rare opportunity to sit down and feast with friends and family merits a f****** turkey? we ask the rah rah turkey traditionalists:

* when did you or anyone you know sit down at any restaurant and seek out turkey on the menu?

* have you ever been to a fine dining restaurant that served turkey?

* do you really prefer turkey to lobster-stuffed tenderloin, or pan-seared tuna, or a rack of lamb?

* in fact, as fowl goes, does turkey even rank with duck, pheasant, quail, or even chicken?

* have you ever considered why the word 'turkey' is often delivered as an insult and preceded by the word "jive"?

we know you people have taste, we haven't had a request for coors light in the three months we've been open, so if you haven't bought that dumb-ass hunk of dry meat requiring twice it's weight in gravy to generate anything resembling "mouth-watering" or "flavorful", it ain't too late to shift gears and cook something people axually get excited about...

Monday, September 17, 2007

Review: The Black Lips @ The Black Cat

I didn't know anything about the Black Lips past what I read on DCist until I went to the show on Saturday night.

Ian was working the merch table before they went on, when I walked up he immediately introduced himself and started talking about how much he loved the Points and the Selmanaires. Kind of cool that one of the headliners was flacking for the opening acts IMHO.

I also had a chance to rap with Jared before the show. Usually when you see someone rocking those micro OP shorts from 1983 and a John C. Holmes mustache to match, it's some sort of "look at how cool and ironic I am" thing but I didn't get that vibe from Jared at all. I'm not sure what the backstory was, but he played their set with a bass borrowed from the Selmanaires.

Apparently The Points have been having some "Behind the Music" kind of drama over the last couple of weeks, but it didn't show on stage. They played a very tight set, one of their better performances according to Dr. Mayhem. I thought the sound was a little muddy, but that could have been because I was directly in front of the stage or I might just not know what I'm talking about.

I missed most of the Selmanaires set while downstairs eating a falafel, what I heard was interesting but not really my speed.

There were tons of kiddies, I can't remember the last time I saw so many people under 21 at a show. It looked like every one of those kids knew the words to just about every Black Lips song. At one point a particularly enthusiastic youngster with a blond afro was flopping all over one of the monitors at the front of the stage and was in the process of getting ejected by a very skinny bouncer, but Ian intervened and demanded that the kid be allowed to stay.

The Black Lips set was very high energy, but I couldn't really figure out what to make of them for the first half dozen songs. At first it struck me as the same kind of garage/punkabilly played by the Woggles or Thee Crucials, both are great bands that put on a kick ass show, but nothing I hadn't heard before. Then the Black Lips kicked into high gear and made it impossible for me to stand still any longer. Not knowing anything about the band I don't know the name of the song that really got me; it had a kind of Stone Roses feel to it, with like a sitar kind of sounding intro to each verse. Afterwards I turned to Dr. Mayhem and announced, "I'm sold!"

I already burned through my 90 downloads for the month, but the new Black Lips album Good Bad, Not Evil is available on eMusic with an eMusic only bonus track.

Friday, July 27, 2007

My Wife is Driving Me Crazy!!!

[rant]Why the fuck can't my wife remember to bring her wallet, keys, and phone with her when she leaves the house? At least once a month I have to interrupt my day in some way to accommodate her because she can't remember to bring those items with her when she leaves the house. Since I was about ten years old I haven't rolled out without picture ID, keys, and money. When I get to the front door, I do a quick pocket check: wallet, keys, phone. Boom done, it takes less than 10 seconds.

Actually the thing that really pisses me off is that she has the nerve to be mad when I tell her how stupid and annoying it is that she's constantly doing this. ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!?!?!?! Not only does she not apologize, but then gives attitude when I try to explain to her that she lives in Washington, DC; security capital of the United States; and it's probably not a smart thing to walk around without ID on her.

What's even more amazing is that half the time she didn't even forget, she actually made a decision to leave the house without her phone, ID, or keys!! This, of course, somehow turns into my problem.

WifeRat and BabyRat go to the park, I have a rare moment alone in the house to have an evening constitutional without BabyRat pounding on the door yelling, "Daddy, what you doing?" Before I can finish, the door buzzer is going off; I ignore it, figuring they're just playing with the buzzer. Buzzer goes off again. DAMN IT! Will I ever take a shit in peace in my own home?!?!?!!? Probably not for a couple of more years.[/rant]

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Forgotten Draft

Show notes 6.29.07

Thee Crucials

-started show w/Jim Beam
-two great instrumentals
-los jaguar gato
-thee crucials go?

Second Band
-Mostly forgettable
-ended with a song that had a few slayer riffs

Points
-incendiary
-brought the house down
-high energy
-bill, rugger
-saw some of the same folks from dc9
-

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Double Consciousness

Double Consciousness

Friday, March 02, 2007

Examiner Stealing DCist Schtick?

Reading the Examiner on the way into work today, I noticed that a bit in the "Yeas & Nays" column (look for: Conservatives take Washington) that looked suspiciously like DCist's Overheard in DC.

Argonaut Closes Early?

I stopped by the Argonaut at a little before midnight and all outside lights were off. There were a couple of people inside, but the door was locked when I pulled on it and I was waved off by the guy behind the bar.

Anyone know what's up?

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Meeting Haikus

Meeting Haiku #1

Meeting is boring

Too much talking, little done

We did this last week

Meeting Haiku #2

Katheryn talks loud

Bill may be losing control

Steve is unnecessary

Meeting Haiku #4

Too much time wasted

This happens, when there is no

Need to make profit

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