All Life Is Local

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Get Out! - The Events Column

Photo by Thomas S. Mann

Sunday, March 10 from 10 AM - 2 PM, DPW and Geico Insurance are sponsoring a pothole avoidance class in the parking lot of RFK Stadium. If you've been driving and haven't hit one of the thousands of potholes that are cropping up throughout DC, well, then you haven't been out of your driveway. At this four-hour class you'll learn how to anticipate and safely maneuver around potholes. To ensure that there will be no damage to your tires or axles on the course, each pothole has been lined with styrofoam repurposed from discarded coffee cups collected by DPW recycling crews. The class is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is not necessary because this is the weekly
fake event.

Sunday, March 9 at 4 PM, The Duke University Chorale under the direction of Dr. Rodney Wynkoop, will be performing a varied program. Following the concert, there will be a reception to meet the artists and greet one another. Admission Free, donations accepted. At the Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church, One, Chevy Chase Circle, NW, 202-363-2202, www.chevychasepc.org

Sunday, March 9 from 5 - 6 PM, The Baker’s Dozen of Yale University performs in St. Albans School's Trapier Theater (corner of Mass Wisconsin Aves). The Baker’s Dozen, known across America as one of the nation’s oldest and finest a cappella singing groups, was founded in the Summer of 1947. In recent years, the group has entertained everyone from orphaned schoolchildren in Puerto Rico to the President of the United States. Their concerts feature an engaging mix of traditional favorites and contemporary hits, from the time-honored “Loch Lomond” to The Temptations, The Beatles, Ben Folds, Sara Bareilles, and more! Baker's Dozen alumni attending the concert (such as local architect Dickson Carroll) will be asked to take the stage with the group to sing their theme song. Don't miss this powerful moment! No tickets required. Suggested donation: $5 students, $10 adults.

Wednesday, March 12 at 7 PM: The Great Latke-Hamentasch Debate, with celebrity moderator Marc Fisher of the Washington Post and a panel of experts, who will investigate the age-old question: Which is better, the latke or the hamentasch? Speakers: Pati Jinich, cookbook author and host of Pati's Mexican Table on public radio stations nationwide; Andrew Joskow, economist and former deputy assistant attorney general, U.S. Department of Justice David Polonsky, director of marketing and communications. Join the fun! Refreshments will be available for in-depth research by the audience. At Adas Israel, 2850 Quebec St NW. Tickets: Adas members $10; non-members $15. Register in advance for a discount at www.jewishstudycenter.org

Wednesday, March 12 at 7 PM, How to Retire Happy, author talk by former Washington Post Retirement Journal columnist Stan Hinden at Tenley Library. “How to Retire Happy” includes everything that has made previous editions the go-to guides for retirees and near-retirees, plus: tips on deciding where to retire; brand-new material on health insurance and Medicare; and the author’s personal insights on long-term care of a spouse. Book sale and signing to follow the talk. Free. Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library is at 4450 Wisconsin Ave NW. More info: http://wapo.st/1iaU96V

Thursday, March 20 from 7 - 8:30 PM Forum for Candidates in Contested April 1st Primary for Mayor, with guest moderator Mark Plotkin. Free. At the Cleveland Park Library ~ 1st floor meeting room. Sponsored by the Cleveland Park Citizens Association, which will hold its regular monthly business meeting prior to the forum, starting at 6:30 PM. Refreshments will be served.

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Still Life With Robin: Which Way Is Up?

Photo by Vincent de Groot via Wikimedia Commons

by Peggy Robin

Although we are still months away from air conditioning season, I thought I’d throw this question on the table: When you want to make the room colder by increasing the air conditioning, do you turn the A/C UP or DOWN?

I have consulted both friends and family and have found opinion is evenly split…with both sides hot to defend their own point of view. The ones who say that UP makes it colder tell me that you are making the system work harder. “Turn it up” is universally understood to mean increase the power, volume, effectiveness, of whatever system, appliance, or gizmo you are fiddling with. It’s not an ambiguous call -- no other interpretation is possible, by this logic

Nonsense, goes the reply. If the gizmo in question is an air conditioner, whether a whole house system controlled by a thermostat or a window unit with a dial or digital display, if you want to get more cold air, you must take action to bring the numbers DOWN. So you must say what you mean to do: “Turn the air conditioning down” -- by which you mean, move the dial or the digital display to a lower number. If you turned it up to a higher setting, you would make it warmer. DUH.

While I’m pondering this dilemma, I’m Googling these phrases on my tablet. I pulled up many hits with answers. Here are three of them:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/terminology-turn-the-ac-down-o-123967

http://askville.amazon.com/make-room-cooler-turn-air-conditioning/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=3655751

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080703111821AA72odT

Not only did Google not direct me to a clear and convincing answer, but it brought up a brand new and even more baffling UP/DOWN question. To get to the results of the search which can be found DOWN below the visible area of the screen, you need to flick your finger UP toward the top of the glass surface. When the motion you make is to move your finger up, are you now scrolling UP? Or DOWN? Hmmmm….

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Still Life With Robin is published on the Cleveland ParkListserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Get Out! The Events Column

"Dolly & Me Taking Tea" by Tudor Place

http://bit.ly/1ccWQCt.

Sunday, March 2 at 4 PM, Kinderkonzert by the Kennedy Center String Quartet with NSO performers on violin, viola, and cello playing works by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and others, for children age 4 and up. There
will also be a hands-on musical instrument “petting zoo.” At St. John’s Episcopal Church, 3240 O Street NW. Free for age 15 and younger, $30 for adults, tickets at http://bit.ly/1kpCp4E

Wednesday, March 5 at 4 PM, Chess for Kids, instruction for all ages. Free. At the Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Avenue NW, http://dclibrary.org/node/39168.

Wednesday, March 5 at 7 PM, Author talk by Mark N. Ozer about his book Washington DC Streets and Statues. Learn about the people whose names have become a part of everyday life as we travel across the city. Free. At the Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Avenue NW. More info: http://dclibrary.org/node/40204

Thursday, March 6 at 3 PM, Women in Glass and Stone, tour of the depictions of women in carving and represented on glass at the Washington National Cathedral. Meet at the welcome desk at the main
visitor entrance at Wisconsin and Massachusetts Avenues. Tickets $20 or $16 for seniors, students, children, and military. Reservations recommended. More info and tickets: http://www.nationalcathedral.org/events/CU201403.shtml#.Uw-SyPldWSo

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Still Life With Robin: What to See Before You See...

House of Cards via Wikimedia Commons

by Peggy Robin

Now that sunny weather has returned, it’s time to get out of the house. Maybe you’re thinking of going out to the movies. If you do, you may well be headed toward the most popular movie of the last few weeks, The Lego Movie, which has racked up a phenomenal 96% favorable rating on Rotten Tomatoes (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_lego_movie/) and has won critical praise both as a kids' movie and a movie adults can love. If that’s not enough to get you going, how about a look at how amazing Legos can be when they're used by a true artist? Here are some of the incredible creations of Lego designer/sculptor Nathan Sawaya:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2014/02/07/20-amazing-lego-sculptures-that-will-blow-your-mind-photos.html (If that has piqued your interest, then you might also get a kick out of his Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/thebrickartist)

If you’re not sure that a full-feature-length movie about animated plastic toys is for you (critics’ praise notwithstanding), then perhaps you would prefer the World War II art-recovery thriller, The Monuments Men. Before you head out to that movie, here’s something to see beforehand: the story of the actual Monuments Men, as told in a 2007 documentary called The Rape of Europa, available from Amazon or Netflix. You can see the trailer here: http://www.amazon.com/Rape-Europa-Joan-Allen/dp/B00HI10SHE/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1393118131&sr=8-7&keywords=the+rape+of+europa http://amzn.to/Mk5ti8. You’ve heard that the truth can be stranger than fiction; in this case it may even make for a better movie.

Now for those who are not planning to go out to the movies until they’ve had a chance to watch all 13 episodes of season two of House of Cards, available on Netflix since last Friday, I have a suggestion of something to watch the minute you’re done. It’s the British version that was produced in the early ‘90s (also available through either Netflix or Amazon). Here’s Slate’s very persuasive case as to why the British original tops the American adaptation:http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/01/29/house_of_cards_original_uk_version_is_brilliant_available_on_netflix.html. My own take (having binge-watched both versions) is that the 26 American episodes released so far make for more intricate, more complex, and more demanding viewing, while the 3 seasons of the British series --a total of 12 episodes-- are an exercise in a more literary, more classically structured, and more elegant form, making for a viewing experience that is ultimately more memorable and more enjoyable. But each is great in its own way. When you’ve seen both versions, you come away with a deep appreciation of how ambition and lust for power can be manifested in many different ways in many different characters.

Not up for a contemplation of the nature of evil? Just want to see something fun and beautifully animated? Here's the thing, which will make you glad you don’t live in a permanent world of ice and snow: It's the Disney movie, Frozen (which comes in at 89% favorable on Rotten Tomatoes). You don’t need to see anything by way of preparation. I’ll wager you’ve seen enough ice already this winter!

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Still Life With Robin is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Still Life With Robin: Name That Storm

Photo by Kathleen Conklin via Wikimedia Commons

by Peggy Robin

This is the second year of named winter storms. Last year around this time I wrote about The Weather Channel’s unilateral decision to create an A-Z list of blizzard names with the intention of making them into the same sort of memory-sticking references that we have long used for hurricanes. (See: http://bit.ly/1oyWybK). The problem was that the Weather Channel’s choices were so ... well, to use a non-technical term ... crappy. To see the names the Weather Channel gave to last year's storms go to http://wxch.nl/1arxdHe.

This year’s list is even worse. A few examples: D is for Dion. Isn’t he the guy who sang “Run-around Sue” back in 1961? F is Falco, as in the Austrian guy who charted in 1985 with the techno-pop hit "Rock Me Amadeus". W is Wiley, forever associated with the cartoon coyote who can never catch a roadrunner. And then there’s the Y, Yona, which doesn’t call anything to mind other than a word it resembles, Yoni. Go ahead and Google that one if you don’t know what it means. Not a one of them says "blizzard" to me. There’s a funny, acid-tongued critique of the names on the TV discussion site Uproxx.com:

http://www.uproxx.com/tv/2014/01/weather-channels-2013-14-winter-storm-names-confirm-weather-channel-gone-insane/

Fortunately, here in our nation’s capital there is a lively, outspoken and meteorologically literate public forming a critical mass of readers with enough power to articulate a coherent viewpoint -- and a platform to express that viewpoint. That platform happens to be Capital Weather Gang, which recently ran a poll on naming storms. Although a majority voted for leaving storms nameless, among those who voted in favor of names, a consensus winner clearly emerged, and it certainly was not Pax, the Weather Channel’s dopey choice. (Pax -- Latin for peace -- is not only the complete opposite of what comes to mind when you want to evoke a harsh, disruptive, potentially life-threatening natural phenomenon, but it’s also a name now permanently enshrined on the list of wacky celebrity baby names, being the one slapped onto one of the many offspring of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. (The Jolie-Pitts also have a Knox and a Maddox - apparently they have a thing about names ending in X.)

Now for the name that won over the weather-wise mavens and readers of Capital Weather Gang: it’s Snochi. (See: http://wapo.st/1eXLu5w.) So apt in so many ways. Most obviously, in its timing, as this winter storm has descended on us in the midst of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. This heavy wet snow has been good for building things, like ski jumps and snow sculptures and security barricades. And as in Sochi, it’s happening in a part of the world not usually known for heavy snow. (In Sochi they had to stockpile several years’ worth of snow to make sure they’d have enough to run the events.) And finally, this is a storm that, much like the Olympics Games, seems to go on forever. I don’t know about you, but I’m more than ready for it all to be over. Bring me spring! And some summer games, too!

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Still Life With Robin is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and All Life Is Local on Saturdays.This column was originally posted on Saturday, February 15, 2014.

Get Out! The Events Column

Photo by Thomas S. Mann

We wanted to share some events and activities that list members might be interested in. Have a great weekend -- and week beyond, too. If you know of an event that the 13,000+ members of the Cleveland Park Listserv should know about, email us at events@fastmail.us (events @ fastmail.us).

Bill Adler and Peggy Robin
Publishers, Cleveland Park Listserv
www.cleveland-park.com

Friday, February 21 from 6:30 - 8:30 PM, Washington Revels - Carpe Diem Community Sing: A Special Tribute to Pete Seeger, featuring a host of great song leaders. Bring your favorite Pete Seeger songs to share by way of honoring and celebrating his life and lasting legacy. Free, but please sign up in advance if you want to lead a song or two (time permitting) -- and let us know which song(s). Email busygraham @ gmail.com or call 301-466-0183. More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/694807863874075; flyer: http://carpediemarts.org/CarpeDiemArts/Feb_21_SING.html. In the Revels Community Room, 531 Dale Drive, Silver Spring, MD

Friday, February 21 at 8 PM, HABITAT, a composition for percussion with video and computer transformations, is a concert-length technology venture by Steve Antosca, percussion performance and video content by Ross Karre, and audio technology by William Brent. Free. At the Katzen Arts Center at American University, 4400 Mass Ave. More info: http://www.american.edu/cas/auarts/calendar/?id=5121796

Saturday, February 22 at 1 PM Archaeology in Georgetown and the District of Columbia. Come hear city archaeologist Dr. Ruth Trocolli and her staff talk about archaeology in the District and what has been unearthed recently, including some interesting finds from a burial site in Georgetown. These sites contain remains of prehistoric and historical significance that contribute to our knowledge of the city’s cultural past.. Free. In the Peabody Room of the Georgetown Neighborhood Library, 3260 R Street NW, https://www.facebook.com/peabodyroom

Saturday, February 22, House History Day workshops sponsored by the Humanities Council of Washington. Session 1 from 10 AM - 12:30 PM, session 2 from 12:30 PM - 3 PM. This year's DC Community Heritage Project workshops will guide community historians of any skill or knowledge level through the DC Public Library Washingtoniana Division's collection. Participants will learn how to research the history of their own home or any other historical property through sessions on: DC Maps; Historic Building Permit Database; Photo Archives; Microfilm Records; Neighborhood Context/DC Digital Museum. More information and free tickets: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/2014-house-history-day-tickets-9532779801

Saturday, February 22 at 8 PM, Sing Out for Shelter concert, featuring some of the best contemporary a cappella singers, including DC's own Augmented 8 and NBC's "The Sing Off" finalists, The Beelzebubs. Proceeds of the concert will benefit Friendship Place, Christ House, and Metropolitan House. For more information, contact Benjamin Bradburn at bbradburn @ friendshipplace.org. To purchase tickets ($10 - $50) go to: http://bit.ly/1fCJ8Ee. At Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, 3401 Nebraska Ave NW.

Saturday, February 22 at 7 PM, Reading by author Anne Pellicciotto, a native Washingtonian, who loves to get outside the Beltway from time to time to regain perspective. She recently made it back across the border (by bus!) from Mexico where she spent 2 years in the Peace Corps. Anne will read from her book (due out this summer) of photos and stories about her Mexico adventures. She'll also show some of her fabulous photos. The evening will also feature a reading by Maryland-based poet Mark McCaig whose newest collection, Lifelist, "braids together the remarkably observed and startling details of bird life, with a feathered fable of his own, all the while holding up his mirror to human foibles, and human longings." Free. At Studio 4903, at 4903 Wisconsin Ave. NW.

Sunday, February 23 at 5 PM, Concert by Kate Liu, pianist, winner of the first prize at the New York International Piano Competition, performing works by Haydn, Kirchner, and Chopin. Free - offerings appreciated. At the Church of the Annunciation, 3810 Massachusetts Avenue NW (one block west of Wisconsin Ave.)

Sunday, February 23 from 3 - 4 PM. Workshop: Artisanal Toilet Paper. At this one hour craft workshop you will learn how to recycle newspaper, printer paper, Post-its and other discarded paper into creatively designed and comfortably functional toilet paper. You'll save money when you roll your own toilet paper. Location: Inside the west entrance of Tyson's Corner Mall. You can shop while you're there as well, and maybe mostly shop, because this is the weekly fake event.

Monday, February 24 from 7 - 10 PM, Jazz at Guapo’s, showcasing musicians from the Metropolitan Washington DC Federation of Musicians and a performance by the Janelle Gill Trio. Free for DCFM members, $10 non-members. Guapo’s is at 4515 Wisconsin Avenue NW. More info:
http://musiciansdc.org/2014/02/dcfm-jazz-jam-session-showcase-22414/

Thursday, Feb 27 from 6 - 8:30 PM, Mini Taste of DC - Junior League of Washington Kitchen Tour Preview Kick-off Event features some amazing restaurants and spirits including: G by Mike Isabella, Cashion’s Eat Place, Sprinkle Cupcakes, Founding Farmers, an exclusive after party at Bar Pilar, and much more. Some silent auction items include: Disney one-day park pass for 4; basketball signed by the entire Washington Wizards Roster; signed Ovechkin jersey; hockey stick signed by all of the Washington Capitals; gift certificates to many local restaurants, wineries, and more! Oh, and just for coming, you’ll get a goodie bag with offerings from Pinkberry, Fuel Pilates, Vitamix, Bikram Yoga Capitol Hill, Shakeshak, and MANY more! Tickets at http://bit.ly/MEK7wu. The event is at Room & Board, 1840 14th Street NW. All funds from this event will go directly to the Junior League's literacy events in the community and DC-based charities.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Get Out! - The Events Column

MLK, Jr. Library (Public Domain)

Sunday, February 16 from 2 - 3:30 PM, Walking Tour of Georgetown, led by a park ranger. Did you know that Lincoln, Washington, and several other presidents had connections to Georgetown? Take a two-mile walk through this historic neighborhood and discover its hidden presidential histories in honor of Presidents' Day Weekend. Be sure and dress warmly. Free. Starts at the Old Stone House, 3051 M St NW. More info at http://1.usa.gov/1iSZPPN.

Monday, February 17 at 9 PM, Really, Really Obscure Presidential Trivia Night. Sure, anyone can do well at Presidential trivia when the questions are about Washington, Jefferson, Madison or Monroe.
In honor of Presidents Day, this Presidential Trivia contest aims to bring needed attention to our neglected and forgotten presidents: Chester A. Arthur, John Tyler, Benjamin Harrison, Franklin Pierce...names that the average American wouldn't know from Adams (and I don't mean John Quincy!). At the Millard K. Fillmore Bar Grille...which doesn’t exist because no one would name a bar after our 13th president - which means that (you guessed it!) this is the weekly fake event. If you’d still like to know some trivia about obscure presidents, here’s a website: http://www.tinmanic.com/archives/2008/10/21/most-obscure-president/

Tuesday, February 18 at 7 PM, American University’s Community Books That Shaped America Series presents a community discussion of The Fire Next Time, by James Baldwin, with Kyle Dargan, Director of Creative Writing,Assistant Professor, Department of Literature. Free and open to all. At American University - Abramson Family Founders Room, School of International Service. More info: http://www.american.edu/spexs/btsa/

Wednesday, February 19 at 6 PM Mellow Mushroom Clothing Swap. Mellow Mushroom in Adams Morgan is holding its 2nd Fashion Clothing Swap. Exchange clothes you bring for something new, while you mingle and eat pizza topped with fresh produce from local farms and drink local craft beers, as DJ Chooky brings the beats. Guidelines: Clothing should be clean and in good condition. Each item you bring allows you to take an item in exchange. More details of the event found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/745802695432325/. Mellow Mushroom is at 2436 18th St NW, 202-290-2778.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Still Life With Robin: Olympic Time Management

Public domain image via Wikimedia Commons

by Peggy Robin

The Winter Olympics has begun, and NBC is airing *1,539 hours* of coverage. It’s easy enough to find a guide listing the dates and times of the events, so you can tape just those of interest to you, without having to wade through the ones that bore you. Go to http://www.nbcolympics.com/viewers-guide put in your zipcode and your TV provider, and set your DVR accordingly.

What I am offering is a different sort of guide -- not to the schedule of events but to the ratio of non-events to events, which is what you really need to know before you sit down to watch whatever you’ve recorded. I make it a practice never to watch anything at the time NBC chooses to broadcast it. Watching the real-air-time version guarantees that you’ll see the same commercials over and over till you can quote them in your sleep. NBC also tends to pick two or three different events -- say, pairs skating and cross-country skiing, and bring you a half hour of one, followed by half an hour of the other, interspersed with little vignettes of the athletes’ lives, cultural highlights, plus interviews with experts, and a whole lot of chatter, before bringing you back to the latter half of the competition you were following -- the part with the outcome of the event.

For those of us who don’t have 1,538 hours to spend at this endeavor, there needs to be a way to manage your recording and navigate efficiently through the playback. The trick, as I see it, is to start watching your recording at a point early enough in the process to give yourself the feeling of real-air-time viewing but still retain the ability to fast-forward through anything you want to skip over, without getting getting ahead of yourself, and getting overtaken by real time.

You might think the solution is simply to record everything, and then come back hours later and just watch the bits you want to see, but the risk is that while you’re away doing other things, before you sit down to watch your completely recorded event, you will stumble across Olympic results in some other medium, and the suspense will be ruined. This is what happened to me in Olympics past. I would record a whole Saturday afternoon-ful of events with the intention of watching a particular event in its entirety later that evening, but then in the course of other mundane activities, such as checking Facebook or Twitter, I just could not avoid seeing a post from some ecstatic --or disappointed-- friend, commenting on an Olympic athlete’s unexpected victory or defeat.

The way to handle the recording viewing problem is to have a good sense of what percentage of each hour of Olympic viewing is going to be what you want to see. Then, if you are recording, for example, three hours of Olympic coverage, and you know that roughly half of it will be devoted to what you actually intend to watch, you can start your viewing halfway through, watch only what you want to watch, and end just as the show actually ends.

Now, to do this, you do need to know the breakdown of a typical hour of NBC’s Olympic coverage. To help you out, I have made a log of an actual hour of coverage --non-prime-time, recorded today (Saturday afternoon) between 11:48 AM - and 12:48 PM (on NBC-SN), showing how much of this typical hour of coverage is the event, how much is devoted to commercials, posting of scores, chatter, and previews of other events:

The sport for the hour was Ladies Short Program (part of the team figure skating competition).

11:48 Commercial

11:51 Chatter

11:52 Next group of skaters warm-up

11:56 French girl skates

12:00 Commercial

12:01 Scores posted for French girl

12:02 American girl skates (Ashley Wagner)

12:06 Scores posted for Ashley Wagner

12:07 Russian girl skates (Yulia Lipnitskaya)

12:11 Commercial

12:14 Scores posted for Russian girl

12:15 Japanese girl skates (Mao Asada)

12:20 Commercial

12:21 Short burst of chatter, then scores posted for Japanese girl

12:22 Italian girl skates (Carolina Kostner - wow, surprisingly good!)

12:27 Scores posted Italian girl

12:28 Chatter

12:30 Commercial

12:32 Chatter, wrap-up

12:37 Commercial break

12:40 Preview of upcoming event (cross country skiing)

12:45 Commercial

12:48 Chatter

Adding up the 60 minutes by categories yields these totals:

16 minutes out of the hour = commercials

13 minutes out of the hour = chatter (includes some expert commentary, stuff you probably want to hear)

05 minutes out of the hour = posting scores

26 minutes out of the hour = skating (includes 4 minutes of warm-up practice)

Assuming that an hour of non-prime time Olympics will keep a consistent ratio of 16 minutes of commercials for every 26 minutes of athletic competition and 18 minutes of coverage of other-than-competitive moments, you can plot out your viewing strategy rationally and efficiently (keeping in mind, of course, that the amount of competition time does tend to vary depending on the sport). Commercial time should remain relatively stable.

I hope this exercise helps you get the most out of your armchair participation in the games!

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Still Life With Robin is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and All Life Is Local on Saturdays.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Get Out! - The Events Column

Photo by Dwight Burdette via Creative Commons

We wanted to share some events and activities that list embers might be interested in. Have a great weekend -- and week beyond, too. If you know of an event that the 13,000+ members of the Cleveland Park Listserv should know about, email us at events @ fastmail.us.

Bill Adler and Peggy Robin
Publishers, Cleveland Park Listserv
www.cleveland-park.com

Friday, February 7 and Saturday, February 8 at 7:30 PM, Kennedy Center Dance Performances by DC-based Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company. Among the 4 works performed is "Leaving Pusan" - the story of Burgess' great-grandmother’s decision to leave Korea in 1903 to begin a new life on the plantations of Hawaii and become one of the first Koreans to settle in America. At the Terrace Theater of the Kennedy Center. Tickets are $25-$31 at
https://www.kennedy-center.org/events/?event=ROXAL. For more info about
all four dances go to: http://www.dtsbdc.org

Saturday, February 8 from 10:30 AM - 12 noon or 1:30 - 3 PM, Be My Valentine: Tour/Workshop for Children. Tour the historic Tudor Place mansion in search of Valentine's greetings from years past. Then design your own Valentines to take home, taking artistic inspiration from historic cards in the Tudor Place archive. More info and tickets ($5 - $10 per child; accompanying adults are free):
http://www.tudorplace.org/shop/be-my-valentine/

Saturday, February 8 from 1 - 3 PM, Save Rock Creek Park Trees in Cleveland Park. Join your neighbors and Rock Creek Conservancy volunteers as we save Rock Creek Park trees from the chokehold of English ivy, an invasive vine that grows up tree trunks and will eventually weaken and kill the tree. Volunteers (age 16 and up) will use hand tools to cut ivy from tree trunks. Tools, gloves, and training on how to identify and cut English ivy will be provided. Location: The Melvin Hazen section of Rock Creek Park - We will meet at the corner of Rodman St Quebec Pl NW, Please dress for the weather and wear sturdy
shoes, no sandals. Bring water and feel free to bring your own tools and gloves if you have them. Students can earn SSL hours, but please bring needed forms.

Sunday, February 9 at 10 AM, Kids` concert at Adas Israel’s Gan HaYeled Preschool. Children’s entertainer, singer, and pre-school wonder John Henry will be performing at Adas Israel (doors open at 9:30 AM). John Henry is guaranteed to get your little ones jumping and singing and to provide a break for the February blues! Price per Family: $10 at the door, $5 if preregistered - go to http://ganhayeledpreschool.org/gpa-events-february/

Tuesday, February 11 at 4:30 PM, The Anti-Valentine’s Day Party for Teens. Celebrate Anti-Valentine's Day, a holiday just for those of us who don't want to celebrate Valentine's Day. Eat mean conversation heart-inspired cookies and decorate angry Valentines for the people you don't like, then rip them up and throw them away. If you have too much love in your heart to be so mean, make Valentines saying all the things you like about yourself and hang them in your room! At the Northwest One Library, 155 L Street, NW. Free. More info at http://www.dclibrary.org/node/39675 (and no, this is NOT the weekly fake event -- it’s really happening!)

Tuesday, February 11 at 6 PM, The History of Chocolate: An interactive presentation and tasting, just in time for Valentine's Day. Learn about the history of chocolate from its ancient beginnings in Meso-America through the centuries to the modern day. The presentation will be followed by a tasting of hot chocolate the Aztec way, an 18th century-style chocolate tart, a 19th century-style chocolate pudding,
the 20th century chocolate bar, and the latest 21st century chocolate incarnation, with sea salt! At Dumbarton House, 2715 Q St NW. Tickets: $10 - $15 at http://bit.ly/N9g1SA

Tuesday, February 11 from 7 - 9 PM, The Ward 3 Democratic Committee hosts an issues forum for candidates for mayor in the April 1st 2014 Democratic primary election. At St. Columba’s Episcopal Church (Great Hall), 4201 Albemarle St. NW. Confirmed candidates in alphabetical order: Muriel Bowser, Jack Evans, Vincent Gray, Reta Jo Lewis, Vincent Orange, Andy Shallal, and Tommy Wells. The forum will be moderated by ABC 7/WJLA-TV journalist Bruce DePuyt with political analyst Mark Plotkin. More info at www.ward3democrats.com

Wednesday, February 13 at 8 PM, How to Hack a DC Parking Meter. In the Community Room of the Tenley-Friendship Library. Now that DC parking meters are all electronic and use apps for payment, they're easier than ever to hack. No more having to find exact-fitting foreign coins to get free meter time. And shame on you for even reading this far and thinking that it might be a good idea to attend this week’s fake event.

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Still Life With Robin: Minority View

by Peggy Robin

I read in the paper this morning that I am part of a minority group, the 24.6 percent of us who will not be watching the Super Bowl on Sunday. (This statistic was in the Washington Post, Feb. 1, 2014, page A9, but I could not pull up the online link for it by using the Post search box. Well, that is a problem for another column, perhaps.) I have a few thoughts about being a member of this not-quite-mainstream portion of the population.

I believe --based on nothing more than my own anecdotal experiences with others like me-- that we non-football-viewers tend to split into two broad categories:

1) Those who don’t watch but don’t let on that they don’t. So when the discussion turns to the Super Bowl, either before or after the fact, they will gamely try to join in, perhaps expressing enthusiasm for one team or the other, and may even to pretend to have seen the action that everyone else seems to be so pumped up about; and

2) Those who admit --or proudly profess-- their total lack of interest and perhaps even disdain for the game.

Among the second category --the people who feel no need to feign interest in a sport that does not, in fact, interest them-- I sense a breakdown into yet two more categories:

1) Second-generation American football non-fans -- that is, those who grew up in non-football-watching families; and

2) First-generation Americans or foreign nationals who come from cultures or parts of the world where the word “football” means soccer. These may be huge sports fans when it comes to their own favorite footballers, but they just don’t get why anyone would want to watch a game that averages about 11 minutes in which the ball is actually in play. (See The Wall Street Journal, http://on.wsj.com/1hQYBUl). In soccer the ball is in play practically all the time. Of course the score can easily be 0-0 at the end of all that constant action…but then every sport has its downside.

So what does Super Bowl Sunday mean to you if you are not a part of the vast majority that will be glued to a TV screen tomorrow evening? My own strategy has long been to pick a trendy new restaurant, perhaps one that doesn’t take reservations and usually has a long line, and spend the evening with others who prefer good food to sport.

On this particular Super Bowl Sunday, you have two other choices that you seldom get in other years:

1) It’s Groundhog Day! You can celebrate it all day and all evening long, by watching an endless loop of the Bill Murray movie of the same name; and

2) It’s Chinese New Year! You can watch the parade on Sunday starting at 2 PM in Chinatown at Sixth and I Streets, ending at 4:30. The Super Bowl doesn’t start until 6:30 but by then you should be enjoying a lavish New Year’s banquet with multiple courses, and if you haven’t already done so, you should clean your house thoroughly and decorate it for the Year of the Horse, and write a few poems to welcome the new year. That should keep you busy!

Now for the 75 percent of you who love football, by all means, go to it! I will leave you with this thought, expressed by the character of Miss Jean Brodie as played to perfection by Maggie Smith in the 1969 movie The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie: “For those who like that sort of thing…that is the sort of thing they like.”

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Still Life With Robin is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Get Out! - The Events Column

Photo by Nickomargolies via Wikimedia Commons

Bill Adler and Peggy Robin
Publishers, Cleveland Park Listserv
www.cleveland-park.com

Thursday, January 30 at 7 PM, American University’s Books That Shaped America Series presents a community discussion of W.E.B. DuBois’ The Souls of Black Folk. The discussion will be led by Dean Carola Weil of the School of Professional and Extended Studies. All AU and local community members are welcome. Attendees are encouraged -- but not required -- to have read the book. Free. Light refreshments will be served. More info at: www.american.edu/spexs/btsa

Thursday, January 30 at or about 8:40 PM, Talk by Elaine Johnson, Education Coordinator of Calvary Women’s Services (the talk follows the 7:30 PM Mass at St. Thomas Apostle Catholic Church. Calvary Women's Services is a nonprofit organization that does truly transformative work for women in challenging situations. http://www.calvaryservices.org/. In the basement of St. St Thomas Apostle Church, 2665 Woodley Rd NW.

Friday,January 31 at 7:30 PM, Three Mo’ Tenors: Love You Madly - performed by vocal and instrumental ensembles from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Tickets: $25 - $40 available at
http://www.ellingtonschool.org/events/9638/. In the Ellington Theater, 3500 R Street NW.

Saturday, January 31 from 10:30 AM - 4 PM, La Chandeleur, also known as “Crepe Day” is celebrated at Hillwood with food and games. Alliance Française de Washington and Hillwood invite families to celebrate this holiday in festive French fashion by snacking on crepes, enjoying traditional Breton music performed by Moch Pryderi, listening to classic tales told in French and English, and experiencing the exciting culture of Brittany, where crepes originated. Embark on a quest to discover French treasures in Hillwood's mansion and create your own French hats to wear and to take home. Tickets $12 - $18 include 3 crepes per person: http://bit.ly/1cvqz2Z. At the Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 4155 Linnean Avenue NW.

Saturday, February 1 from 2 -4 PM, WAMU Open House. WAMU 88.5, the public radio news and information station, recently moved to 4401 Connecticut Avenue, NW in Van Ness. To celebrate the renovation and the station’s move, WAMU invites neighbors to attend a special at the station. Take a tour of the newsroom, studios, and community space, meet WAMU hosts, reporters, and staff, and enjoy light refreshments.For additional information, please call 202-885-1200. More info: http://wamu.org/events/wamu_community_open_house

Saturday, February 1 at 4 PM,Gallery Talk and Exhibit: “Washington Art Matters II” presented by Benjamin Forgey, Andrea Pollan and Jack Rasmussen, covering the history of Washington art from the 1940s through 1980s. Free. At the American University Art Museum’s Katzen Art Center, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW. For more information visit: http://www.american.edu/cas/katzen/calendar/?id=5263311

Sunday, February 2 at 7:30 AM, Groundhog Day Festival at Dupont Circle. Come out to see what “Potomac Phil” predicts for the rest of the winter. Political predictions, too! Festivities include music performances, polka dancers, a puppet show, and VIP celebrities. Free. See: http://www.dupontfestival.org/

Monday, February 3, at 7:30 AM, Groundhog Day+1. Poor Potomac Phil. Once the groundhog returns to his burrow, he’s forgotten like yesterday’s news. This year will be different as we return to the site of the
groundhog’s emergence and replay the events of the day before, just like in the famous Bill Murray movie. If you came to Sunday’s event, show up again on Monday, same time and place, wearing the same outfit, and
experience a rerun of everything that happened the day before, only this time, because you’ve done it already, you will be slightly wiser. Repeat as often as needed to become a better person, find the love of your life, and master any skill you desire to possess. Or not … because this is not just the weekly fake event, it’s the fantasy opportunity of a lifetime.

Thursday, February 6 from 7 - 8:30 PM, Discussion of the novel Swamplandia by Karen Russell, part of the Winter Book Discussion Series of award-winning young fiction writers, led by Phil Burnham, George Mason University.The authors in this series are all Americans, and all under age 45, and they’ve each won at least one major book award. Each book will be discussed independently (you need not have attended any of the other discussions to attend this session.). About Swamplandia: We meet our narrator, 13-year-old Ava Bigtree, at her family’s gator-wrestling theme park on an island in the Florida Everglades. “Our mother performed in starlight. Whose invention this was I never discovered.” http://www.dclibrary.org/node/39341. At the Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Avenue NW.

Friday, February 7 and Saturday, February 8 at 7:30 PM, Kennedy Center Dance Performances by DC based Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company. Among the 4 works performed is "Leaving Pusan" - the story of Burgess' great-grandmother’s decision to leave Korea in 1903 to begin a new life
on the plantations of Hawaii and become one of the first Koreans to settle in America. At the Terrace Theater of the Kennedy Center. Tickets are $25-$31 athttps://www.kennedy-center.org/events/?event=ROXAL. For more info about all four dances go to: http://www.dtsbdc.org.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Get Out! - The Events Column

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Still Life With Robin: Which Way Is Up?

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Get Out! The Events Column

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Still Life With Robin: What to See Before You See...

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Still Life With Robin: Name That Storm

Get Out! The Events Column

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Get Out! - The Events Column

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Still Life With Robin: Olympic Time Management

Thursday, February 6, 2014

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Saturday, February 1, 2014

Still Life With Robin: Minority View

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Get Out! - The Events Column

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