Arts & Crafts of Turkey: Show & Sale at Washington International School Dec. 4

The nonprofit Anatolian Artisans cooperative is holding a sale of beautiful arts and crafts from Turkey, just in time for seasonal gifts:

Saturday, December 4
10am to 4 pm
Washington International School
3100 Macomb Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008

The sponsors of this show have been working with women artisans in low-resource rural and urban areas of Turkey to help in product development, micro-business training and marketing. The sale will feature one-of-a-kind scarves, kilims, caftans, jewelry, hand-knit items, handbags, copperware, shoes and ceramics, all hand-made in Turkey.

Turkish pastries and refreshments will also be available.

For more information visit www.anatolianartisans.org or call 301-231-8128.

The show/sale is an annual event and has won praise each year for the quality of the offerings.  As one supporter put it:  "I have worked with this group for several years and can't praise it highly enough for its good work -- and the crafts are stunning."

Recommended: Plumber

Our companion email list, the Cleveland Park Listserv, is a treasure trove of recommendations. We want to share on All Life Is Local, on a periodic basis, the best recommendations that have been posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv. You'll be able to search All Life Is Local for "contractor," "plumber," "computer tech," "auto body shop" -- whatever you need. The search box, in case you have trouble finding it, is to the right and down a bit.



If you are in need of a plumber, this is to highly recommend Guillermo Diaz, whom I learned of thanks to this listserv. We recently returned from a short trip to find that a small leak in a second floor pipe was causing water damage to the ceiling below it. I called Mr Diaz at 9:00 am on Friday morning and he was able to come to our house at noon.  After a lengthy search he was able to find the apparent source of the leak. He then returned this morning with the necessary pipe and tools and spent several hours carefully replacing the defective pipe. He was extremely conscientious and pleasant, and at $75/hour his service is a great deal. Apparently Mr. Diaz is considering setting up his own business --he works for a larger plumbing firm and does projects on the side - so I encourage people in the neighborhood to use him.  I have two numbers for him: 410-253-8097 and 202-431-7273.

When You've Gotta Go, You Can't Go Here

Sign spotted in a Washington, DC restaurant

Happy 11th Birthday Cleveland Park Listserv

Happy Birthday to the Cleveland Park Listserv!

The Cleveland Park Listserv turns 11 today. We don't remember exactly what time of day the listserv was born, but it probably wasn't too long after we had our morning coffee.  The Cleveland Park Listserv, All Life Is Local's companion listserv, is the largest neighborhood email list in the United States, with over 10,000 members.

The photo above is the iconic symbol of the Cleveland Park Listserv.

Since it was founded in 1999, the Cleveland Park Listserv has reunited countless lost dogs with their owners, found plumbers on major holidays, alerted neighbors to crime, hosted innumerable discussions about zoning, parking, DC politics and every imaginable issue. Over 68,000 messages have been posted on the listserv.

--Bill Adler and Peggy Robin
Founders, Cleveland Park Listserv
Publishers, All Life Is Local

Good Morning: Ducks and Wings

Quack, quack. That's what you're going to be thinking Tuesday and Wednesday, as rain -- very heavy, nasty, miserable, soaking rain -- starts Tuesday afternoon and continues into Wednesday. There's a flash flood watch already in effect for our area. And the temperature: mid-50's at best. Rainy and cold: The ducks might not even like it on Tuesday and Wednesday.

For some reason, people have a hard time visualizing rainfall amounts. But if tomorrow's rain was turned into snow, we'd be looking at about a foot and a half of snow.

On this day in 1972, the BBC banned the song Hi, Hi, Hi by Wings because of alleged suggestive lyrics.  The BBC said that the phrase, "get you ready for my body gun" wasn't right for radio. Paul McCartney said that the BBC misheard the lyrics, which were, "get you ready for my polygon."

Washington Tweets

Washington tweets. A lot. The Washington Tweets column is a collection of the most interesting, recent Washington-area tweets. These tweets reveal a candid and fascinating portrait of what is on our collective minds: Twitter gives a snapshot of what we're doing, thinking and hoping for as a group. Washington Tweets is Washington in the raw. Bill Adler tweets at @billadler.

Just getting on the beltway after taking a tour of the various hoods in DC. Dads got issues with the GPS. All is fine now.

#Things I Miss: that reggae spot in Adams Morgan...

Will I hike all the way to Gate C of Washington Dulles airport just to eat Auntie Anne's Pretzels? You betcha

I just walked up the (broken) escalator steps at Dupont Circle. With a suitcase & backpack. Holy shit am I out of shape.

Dupont Circle, you need to get your crap together!! I almost died walking up that long-ass escalator! What am I paying all this money for?

Commuting in DC was awful today. Bodies everywhere. Women and children wailing amid the stench of rotting flesh. WHY, WikiLeaks, WHY?

@chricgolden there isn't anything DC does better than NY, Xmas included, except maybe food trucks and self-promotion.

@thejustins86 DC is the same way. Speed limit on the beltway is like 60mph, but everyone does 85mph. Cops don't care unless your an asshat.

Forgot about the overpopulation of deer in the dc metro area until I just saw all that road kill on the beltway

Back from Tyson's Corner. Stacie is happy with her progress on Christmas shopping. Therefore, so am I.

What's up DC? For D.C. voting rights, window appears closed

Ben Olsen named head coach of DC United, like I said hope he can plug some holes in a sinking ship

Beautiful day in DC! Heading to gtown to do some xmas shopping then @GTownCupcake -I've been dreaming about red velvet for weeks.

Less than 6 weeks to go until his Inauguration & Vincent Gray has yet to make major agency appointments

On a Delta flight, enjoying the free holiday wi-fi and looking forward to landing soon at BWI.

Best Tgiving ever: Went OUT for dinner @ DC restaurant. Live music, great food, valet parking and no dishes to wash. Poifect!

I feel the same way RT @CliOUDIaeaa: I will not spend anymore money on the #redskins this season. #yeahisaidit.

Really TomTom? Fastest way to Richmond is driving through DC? This is why we have a Beltway...

Beware the Student Driver

Sign spotted on the back of a car in DC.  Yes, we will.

Free on the Cleveland Park Listserv

Cleveland Park Listserv's iconic photo.

The Cleveland Park Listserv is the area's largest neighborhood email list, with over 10,000 members. It's a great place to talk about city and neighborhood issues, find services, such as plumbers, hear about area events, and more. The "more" department includes giving away and getting free things. Everything from ovens to DVDs to plants get given away. Why throw something out, when that thing can find a happy home with somebody else?

People join the Cleveland Park Listserv for the conversation and information, but hang around for the free stuff, too.

Reality Television

Drawing by Barry Deutsch

Free Condoms in DC: "Rubber Revolution"

The outgoing Fenty administration has launched the “Rubber Revolution DC,” a new campaign to promote condom use. The campaign will feature a new web site www.RubberRevolutionDC.com, text messaging, ads on radio, newspapers, Metro and the Internet, as well as offer educational materials.  The Rubber Revolution media partner is WPGC Radio and radio/TV personality Big Tigger who will serve as the campaign’s first ambassador to encourage condom use and safe sex.

“The Rubber Revolution aims to encourage sexually active people to always use condoms and engage community and business partners to support condom use,” said Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. “The District is proud of its aggressive approach to address this issue, and we hope to build on our success as one of only two cities in the country with a public sector condom distribution program that has provided more than 3.5 million free condoms last year.”

The Department of Health developed the campaign based on studies showing that between 40% and 70% of all DC adults and adolescents are not regularly using condoms. These studies indicate that many women, men, and youth of all ages and races are at risk of contracting HIV and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). The campaign was created to address potential barriers to condom use and any misconceptions about condoms.  DOH conducted focus groups with District residents to ensure that the messages are relevant and effective.

“Condoms are 95% effective in blocking the transmission of HIV and STDs, but they are 0% effective if people don’t use them,” said DOH Director Dr. Pierre Vigilance.  “DOH has been a leader in making condoms available in the District in collaboration with more than 300 community and business partners. We look forward to continuing our success with this new campaign that increase awareness and encourage more residents to practice safe sex.”

Reasons given for not using condoms include: Condom sizes are too small and uncomfortable, condoms interrupt the mood, people simply trust for their partner even if they just met them.

The “Rubber Revolution” messages to encourage condom use include: “Get Wrapped up in the Moment,” “Life is Feels Better with a Condom,” “Big Enuf 4 U,” “A Condom Fits Any Head”

The campaign features the new partnership with WPGC Radio and Big Tigger, who will make numerous public appearances and outreach efforts on air and in communities on condom use.  The new web site www.RubberRevolutionDC.com includes information on condoms, where to find them for free in DC and the option to order directly for 10 free condoms.  In addition to other ad locations, the campaign will advertise on popular social networking Internet sites.  Also, in the District, individuals can text DCWRAP to 61827 to find free condom locations by zip code.

Good Morning: (For a Monday, That Is)

Photo taken near Leesburg, VA at about 1,000'.

At least the weather will be acceptable today: Look for a high in the upper 40's with sunny skies. Not bad right?  Good running weather, in fact, if you need to burn off a few extra calories after Thanksgiving indulgences.  Enjoy Monday because Tuesday's going to bring lots o' rain. Guaranteed.

You may also want to enjoy some chocolate on Monday, which is National Chocolates Day, according to the StateSymbols website.

Fear of Stuff

Two items that you might want to keep in mind if your travels take you to distant lands.  Kuwait has banned DSLR cameras (big, digital cameras with big lenses) for everyone other than professional journalists. Small digital cameras and cell phone cameras are still okay.

A village in India, Muzaffarnagar, has banned cell phones for unmarried girls to thwart them from eloping.

And in the District of Columbia, cameras are prohibited from being brought into the Superior Court Building, but "you may bring a mobile phone into the building; however, you are not permitted to use the phone's camera function on the premises." Never mind that a cell phone camera can take really good photos, as in this front page New York Times photograph.

The Great Health Care Debate

Good Morning: It's the Day Before Work, So Enjoy

Is it getting cold enough for you? Lows in the lower 30's at night and highs in the 40's during the day is the ever more frequent pattern now, and Sunday won't disappoint. Though sunny, Sunday's high will only be in the upper 40's. Brr.

If you're chilly, here's a song by Vienna Teng, Gravity, to warm you up:

The Road Not Taken

Going down? And to where?

Good Morning: Are You Shopping Online or at the Mall?

Will Saturday's cool, but sunny skies keep you at home, or will you be venturing to the mall to shop?  (I guess that there are other options available on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.) The high today will be about 47 degrees, after a night near freezing. And it will be breezy, too: 14 mile per hour winds with gusts up to 28 mph. So that dread phrase, "wind chill factor" will certainly be a factor on Saturday.

So, what's your pleasure: Online or store shopping? You can cast your vote on our poll (to the right.)

Still Life with Robin: Holiday Shopping, Online Or Off?

by Peggy Robin

It’s Black Friday but many of you have already started your holiday shopping -- especially if you’re celebrating Hanukkah, which starts on December 1 this year and is over by the 8th. Such pressure! Each year I have to decide which is better (or more accurately, which is the lesser of two evils): Navigating the crowds at the mall or navigating the wilds of the worldwide web? This year I’m asking for your opinion, too. Vote in the poll. And let me know your thoughts, as well (in the comments section below).

Here are the factors I’m already mulling over in my mind – followed by the point values I’ve assigned to each. At the end I’ll add up all the scores and we’ll see which form of holiday shopping emerges as the better gift-producing strategy.

---

For On-line Shopping/Against Going to Stores:

Avoid the crowds and the long lines at checkout. +5

Saves on gas, better for the environment. +3

Don’t have to fight for a parking space at the mall – or remember where it is once I leave the car. +3

No need to stand in line to use the bathroom. +2

If I want to interrupt my shopping to get something to eat or drink, all I have to do is go to the kitchen. +2

What Society Values

by Barry Deutsch

How You Can Give DC's Neediest Kids a Holiday

Every holiday season, volunteer Santas across the DC-metro area adopt children through Children’s Law Center’s (CLC) Holiday Hope Drive, helping hundreds of the District’s most disadvantaged children celebrate the holidays. This December, the still-troubled economy is hitting these children the hardest, and CLC doesn’t yet have enough Santas to help. Over 700 children have signed up to participate so far – and they are counting on you.

Each child in CLC’s Hope Drive has his or her own story: some live in foster care or group homes, some have been abused or neglected and some have never had a “real Christmas.” However, they all would not be able to celebrate the holidays without the volunteer Santas who buy two items from a child’s wish list, one full outfit of clothing (including shoes) and a grocery gift card to help provide a holiday meal. Santas can schedule a time to drop off these unwrapped items between December 4th and 11th at Children’s Law Center’s office in downtown DC. After signing up, each Santa will receive a letter with their adopted child’s story as well as the child’s sizes and wish lists.

Please consider giving the gift of hope this holiday season. To become a Santa or to donate, visit www.childrenslawcenter.org/get-involved/Hope-Drive or email emanderscheid at childrenslawcenter.org.

About Children’s Law Center Children’s Law Center works to give every child in the District of Columbia a solid foundation of family, health and education. As the largest provider of free legal services in the District, our 75-person staff partners with local pro bono attorneys to serve 1,200 at-risk children each year. We use this expertise to advocate for changes in the District’s laws, policies and programs. For more information, visit www.childrenslawcenter.org.

Good Morning: Happy Leftovers Day

Happy post-Thanksgiving. After a few morning showers the sun will come out and temperatures may reach the mid-50's. It will be windy though, with 15 mile per hour winds from the northwest, gusting to 25 miles per hour.

If you're still surrounded by relatives and running out of things to talk about, try showing them a card trick. Everyone loves card tricks. Here's an easy one to learn:

Living Happily on a Shoestring: Black Friday Deals

by Christine Wilkinson

Black Friday is near...so near you can start as early as 3:00am tomorrow (eeesh!). A great place to review effective recession shopping is here. Don't forget to look in the newspapers and online for coupons before you leave the house or shop online (and print an extra or two for strangers -- it makes everyone happy).

While the deals are far too many to list, here's a smattering of what you can find.

Best Buy is offering a Toshiba Satellite Laptop (C655D-S5089; 15.6” w. AMD V140) for just $197.99. (Note: the store opens at 5:00am but tickets for this product will be handed out to those willing to line up at 3:00am).

Kohl’s, which is opening its doors at 3:00am, has a great deal on a Prodigy Hudson 5-piece luggage set selling for $89.99 (regularly priced at $199.99). You can shop online at Kohl's starting at 3:00pm today (!).

Not to be left out, JCPenny.com is offering a Protocal 5-piece luggage set for merely $38.88 (regularly priced at $180).

Target is offering a Westinghouse (VR-4085DF) 40" 1080p LCD HDTV for only $298 (normally $549.99). It is also offering the Wii Fit Plus Bundle with Balance Board for $67.00, which is $32 less than the normal price.

Walmart is offering an in-store only promotion for a $100 Walmart gift card when you buy a BlackBerry, HTC, LG, Motorola or Samsung Smartphone.

Land of the Free?

Drawing by David Vincent Wolf as part
of the Fly With Dignity campaign

Good Morning and Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. If you're looking for another reason to stay indoors with your family, today's weather will provide just that reason: cool and rainy is the forecast. The mercury won't even reach 50; the upper 40's is the warmest we'll get to today.

Friday won't be much better.  After a possible dry pocket on Thursday afternoon, the rain will come back after about midnight and be with us though much of Friday. Friday's high will be in the mid-50's. Saturday will be rain-free and cool, with a high of about 47 degrees.

Enjoy Cara Dillon's October Winds on this cool autumn day.

ALIL's Holiday Schedule

All Life Is Local will be on a weekend schedule between now and Monday. We'll continue have our regular morning report with the day's forecast over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, but we won't be posting as much. Something about family and turkey and pumpkin pie will be keeping us away from our keyboards.

We want to wish everyone a very happy and healthy and wonderful Thanksgiving.

Bill Adler and Peggy Robin
Publishers
All Life Is Local

ROSA, RPP, Guest Passes: It's Complicated (Part II)

This article is a continuation of yesterday's discussion of the conflicts between the ROSA, Reciprocity, and RPP Guest Pass parking programs.  If you missed yesterday's article (which explains all the acronyms), it's here.

Can a guest of a DC resident park legally on a street zoned for RPP (Residential Permit Parking) more than once in a 30-day period? William Howland, Director of the Department of Public Works, says no, and says that anyone who does so may be slapped with a $100 ticket. But according to former ANC 3-C Commissioner Richard Rothblum, Howland is misreading the law.

I'll Be Groped for Christmas

We wanted to share this holiday song about TSA. Enjoy Roxi Copland's singing and her message.



And when you've finished listening to Roxi Copeland's wonderful voice you can read about why former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura won't fly on a commercial airline as long as TSA continues to deploys its new security system, and read why these new full-body scanners probably don't work anyway.

Good Morning: If You Have Deli for Lunch Today, Remember Not to Have Turkey

Red Panda at the National Zoo

Today it will be 50 and sunny. (That's a high of 50 degrees, not a low, sorry.) It's good traveling weather if you're heading out of town or have family coming this way.

On this day in 1859, Darwin's Origin of the Species was published in England. The Origin of the Species became one of the most important, if not the most important, books ever written.

Tomorrow Is National Opt-Out Day

Wednesday, November 24th is National Opt-Out Day. If you're selected to be scanned and you feel that you don't want to be subjected to a virtual strip search or subjected to X-ray radiation, then ask to be patted down.

The idea behind Opt-Out Day is to send a message to the government: We want you to find better ways to protect us than by forcing air travelers to be X-rayed or have our genitals touched.

Recommended: Urgent Care Clinic

Our companion email list, the Cleveland Park Listserv, is a treasure trove of recommendations. We want to share on All Life Is Local, on a periodic basis, the best recommendations that have been posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv. You'll be able to search All Life Is Local for "contractor," "plumber," "computer tech," "auto body shop" -- whatever you need. The search box, in case you have trouble finding it, is to the right and down a bit.

I decided this morning I should see a doctor for my cough and cold to make sure the cough was just a cough.  The idea of having to go out to Virginia to see the doctor bummed me out.  I decided to check to see if that quick clinic at Porter and Connecticut had opened, http://dcimmediatecare.com. To my delight, they take my insurance (BCBS PPO).

I walked in a bit after 8 this morning to find a very nice, modern waiting area. One of the directors greeted me and walked me through the paperless check-in. Because it was early I was whisked back to see the doctor within minutes of finishing the paperwork.  The doctor took time to ask me all sorts of questions about my history before examining me.  His exam was more thorough than I expected and we discussed my symptoms thoroughly.  He assured me that I had made the right decision to get the cough examined because it was not just a cough.

All told, I am thrilled that DC Immediate Care has opened.  It will be an amazing resource for the community.

ROSA, RPP, Guest Passes: It's Complicated (Part I)

Where and how are your overnight guests allowed to park if you live on a street zoned for residential parking in DC? This question has been batted back and forth on the Cleveland Park Listserv recently, and the Director of the DPW has weighed in on the matter on Second District Police’s listserv. The multitude of voices, each offering his or her own reading of the parking regs, has only served to make the picture murkier. Here are some of the factors in play.

First, DC will ticket any car parked more than two hours on a zoned residential street unless that car displays an RPP (Residential Parking Permit) sticker for that zone. You can purchase an RPP sticker for your car only if you have registered your car in DC and live on a street zoned for RPP parking. So, for example, if you live in an apartment building on Connecticut Avenue, there’s no way you can get an RPP sticker, no matter where your car is registered.

Now if you do have an RPP sticker, you are also entitled to a guest parking pass to give to your visitors from out of state or from other zones in the city. You might think that this pass would allow your overnight guests to park on the street and not get a ticket. Here’s what happened to a neighbor who had a frequent overnight visitor using the guest pass on his car.

Cleveland Park Listserv's Iconic Photo

From time to time we're asked about the photograph that's used on the Cleveland Park Listserv's website.

That photograph of the Cleveland Park Listserv, has been the iconic image of the listserv since 1996.  (The Listserv itself was founded in 1999.)  The cool, mood lighting comes from the neon of the stores nearby, including Sala Thai, which is no longer in Cleveland Park, but whose illumination is preserved in this photograph.

If you're into the nitty-gritty of such things, this photograph was taken without a tripod, using a Fuji FinePix F30, f/2.8, 1/34 second exposure, ISO 3200.

We've always loved this photograph of the Cleveland Park Metro canopy and are delighted that it is the symbol of the Cleveland Park Listserv.

Here's the light that makes this photo so unique and iconic:

Which Word to Use?

We write for a living. But that doesn't mean that we always write good well correctly most appropriately. That's where Phras.in comes in. This single purpose website does one thing and one thing good right well: It helps you choose which of two words to use. Key in the words you're trying to decide between and Phras.in shows you which is more commonly used and the context in which that word is used. Simple and brilliant!

Good Morning: Still Warm For November

Look for a high of about 65 - 67 degrees on Tuesday with party cloudy skies. And 40 percent chance of rain, mostly in the afternoon. Wednesday will be dry and cooler, with a high of about 54 degrees. The same goes for Turkey Day as far as temperature's concerned, but on Thursday it will probably rain.

On November 23, 1889, the first jukebox was debuted in San Francisco.

Washington Tweets

Washington tweets. A lot. The Washington Tweets column is a collection of the most interesting, recent Washington-area tweets. These tweets reveal a candid and fascinating portrait of what is on our collective minds: Twitter gives a snapshot of what we're doing, thinking and hoping for as a group. Washington Tweets is Washington in the raw. Bill Adler tweets at @billadler.


I just realized I will have to be on my best behavior over Thanksgiving and leave my potty mouth in DC :S

At least at #DCA pat downs are semi-private. But its still the same TSA.

I need to live in DC so I don't suffer from parking stress -_-

BREAKING: To build goodwill, #TSA organizes late-night "speed-groping" sessions for singles. | DCA?
 
I sitting in Dupont Circle, enjoying this beautiful, non-seasonal, 70 degree weather

TSA agent at DCA was extra nice to me, even patted me on the arm. he must read the internet or something.

Landing in Leesburg

The view from a cockpit of a Cirrus SR-22, landing last Thursday in Leesburg, Virginia.  

Those six blades in front of the plane aren't six-bladed propeller. They're a result of the iPhone's CMOS sensor which scans an image from left to right, rather than taking an instant shot, like a regular digital camera. If you take a photo at the right place and the right time, you can create this interesting image.  This photo was taken with an iPhone 4G.

Nude Protest Against Body Scanners in Germany

Americans aren't the only ones upset by whole body scanners that display your naked image. In Germany, there was a semi-nude protest against these scanners, and you can watch it here:


It's been said that these scanners aren't that revealing; that you see an unattractive image of the criminal passenger. What's not been written about much in the media is that it's easy to modify these images with off-the-shelf software and turn them into pure porn. It's wrong to subject passengers to this --or to an intimate pat-down-- every time we fly. Watch this short video about how what the TSA screener sees can easily become lurid porn.

National Opt-Out Day is Thursday.  That day is making more and more sense all the time: Just say no to TSA's new security procedures.

DC Residents: Keep DDOT and DC Planning Heads in Gray Administration

Cleveland Park Metro photo by Bill Adler
This is the iconic photo of the Cleveland Park Listserv.

While the question, "Would Michelle Rhee stay on a DC School Chancellor in the new Vincent Gray administration?" loomed large, other key figures in DC have yet to have their futures determined. And what happens to these other Adrian Fenty administration employees, including Transportation chief Gabe Klein and Office of Planning Director Harriet Tregoning, may shape the District's future in significant ways. Gabe Klein has been the force behind many of DC's transportation innovations over the past four years, including streetcars, bike share and solar powered parking meters -- not mention keeping DC's aging transportation infrastructure humming. Harriet Tregoning has spent time and energy on revising DC's zoning codes to help preserve and greenify urban neighborhoods.

There's an effort to keep both Gabe Klein and Harriet Tregoning in their current positions in the new Gray administration. Here's a post that appeared on the Cleveland Park Listserv by Herb Caudill on that subject:

The "Committee of 100" has asked mayor-elect Gray to fire Harriet Tregoning and Gabe Klein, who have been at the forefront of DC's recent progress towards smarter growth and transportation policy. You can read their full letter here:

David Alpert of Greater Greater Washington argues that the Committee's leadership is:

"...nostalgic for the days when the Committee of 100, Federation of Citizens' Associations, ward Democratic committees, and other traditional groups had the only a real voice to 'speak for' the residents of DC, even if they never really asked those residents their opinions. Today, residents can speak for themselves, and they are speaking: in favor of OP's and DDOT's work, and in favor of Harriet Tregoning and Gabe Klein."

I hope Gray keeps Tregoning and Klein. They've both done so much to make this city more livable and to make DC government more transparent, responsive, and accountable. If you agree, please sign the petition here.

How Service Requests Work in DC...Or Not

You can go to the DC Government's website to post a service request for a street light that's out, an abandoned car or some other problem that requires the city's attention. But what happens next? Here's one Cleveland Park resident's story about how his service request simply disappeared.

I opened an http://311.dc.gov service request on 24 Oct 2010 and it was closed ten days later with no notification or information to me concerning the resolution. I found no way online to determine what had actually been done, so I opened a new service request, asking about the disposition of the first, including my name and email several times. The second request was simply closed three days later, again with no information to me whatsoever.

When I check the status of both requests on the Web site, I see only "Complete" and the date.

Locations of Neighborhood Cameras In DC

Here are the locations of police surveillance cameras in the District of Columbia. If (and we hope not) you're ever assaulted or robbed near one, chances are that there's a visual record of what happened.

Good Morning: It's the Start of a Short Week - Yay!

It's going to be a bit warmer today than it was on Sunday.  Look for partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the lower 60's.

Are you flying this week? And if you are, have you decided if you're going to opt out of a full body scan if selected for one, and choose a pat-down instead? And if you're not flying, what do you want your family members who are flying to do? Having to choose between possible dangerous radiation and being groped by a TSA agent isn't a pleasant choice. As we've written about before, passengers who are disabled or who have something artificial in or on them because of a cancer, may have it the worst when it comes to being patted down. Read about what happened to a bladder cancer survivor when the TSA screener broke his urostomy bag during a pat-down.

Kids have it bad, too, as evidenced by this clandestine video which shows a little boy having to take off his shirt during a pat-down. This video makes my blood boil. 

As District of Columbia residents we don't have any voting representative in Congress to write to. But we can sure as hell opt-out on National Opt Out day.

Recommended: Handyman

Our companion email list, the Cleveland Park Listserv, is a treasure trove of recommendations. We want to share on All Life Is Local, on a periodic basis, the best recommendations that have been posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv. You'll be able to search All Life Is Local for "contractor," "plumber," "computer tech," "auto body shop" -- whatever you need. The search box, in case you have trouble finding it, is to the right and down a bit.

To anyone who has handyman jobs that need doing, I'd recommend Stephen Van Eynde who recently completed a substantial number of such tasks both inside and out at my home. I am very satisfied with all his work, which reflect his wide range of skills, competence, and creativity. He can be reached at 202-250-4113 or emwgroup @ rcn.com.

Autumn Reflections

Photo taken in the Cleveland Park neighborhood
 of Washington, DC by Bill Adler.

Geography Confusion

11

Cartoon by xkcd

Why Opt-Out Day Is Especially Important for DC Residents

"Enhanced pat-downs," a TSA euphemism for touching your genitals, breasts and buttocks. Whole-body scan, shorthand for an X-ray machine, whose safety has been questioned.

On National Opt-Out Day, this Thursday, November 24th, you'll have a chance to voice your opinion about TSA's new security procedures by opting out of being scanned and asking to be patted down instead.  Pat-downs take longer than scans, and while they're invasive (some passengers have described having their groins touched like being "molested"), pat-downs don't expose you to potentially harmful radiation.

For DC residents Opt-Out Day is particularly important. Other Americans can to write their representative and senators, but we can't. We have no voting voice in Congress. So if you fly on Thursday, just say no to being scanned.

Good Morning: A Cool Sunday

Today will be about 10 degrees cooler than Saturday. No rain, but a chilly, partly cloudy day in the lower 50's.

In case you missed this fascinating science news, the most distant planet ever was just discovered. I'm still blown away by the idea that we've discovered any planets out of our solar system, let alone one that's 2,000 light years away. Watch:

Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

That's Entertaining: A Guide to DC Area Cupcake Stores

by Barbara Burtoff

It looked like the wedding cake had gone AWOL. It was nowhere in sight, but there was an easy explanation. The bride and groom did not want a sky-high, sugary-sweet, ornately trimmed finale to their nuptials. They wanted cupcakes – plain and simple.

The luncheon was catered. The cupcakes they bought at their favorite bakery. When the meal was over, the caterer’s crew cleared the dining room table and brought out a “tree” of cupcakes. There were chocolate ones with chocolate frosting. There were vanilla-flavored yellow cupcakes with vanilla-flavored white frosting. Guests were invited to come help themselves. And so they did. There was just one teensy tiny problem. Some people took one. Some took two. Some got none because the young couple had ordered only one per guest. They both had a look of sheer horror as they stared at the empty cupcake tree.

If You Feel Like You Really Have to Move Out of DC, Here's Where You Should Move

DC isn't for everyone. Some people simply don't like navigating traffic circles, hearing leaf blowers all autumn, worrying about crime, wondering when the summer heat wave or winter snow storm will end, and not having representation in Congress.

Some people actually move out of the District of Columbia.

If that thought has crossed your mind, the question becomes: where to?  San Francisco, New York, Paris, the Adirondacks, Oregon? The choices are so numerous that figuring out where to go becomes a mental road block. If you're thinking of getting out of town permanently, we have an idea for you: Move to a place where you can get land for free. That's right. For free. Homesteading is still alive and kicking in the United States, though the choices are fewer than they were in the 1800's.

And if you decide that homesteading is for you, keep these two points in mind: You have to build a home of some kind on the land. And most land that's still out there for free is in pretty isolated places without any utilities, such as in places like Ellwood, Nebraska and Muskegon, Michigan. But being far from the crowd might just be what you're looking for after commuting through the Beltway for the past 20 years. Click here for a list of places where you can still homestead in the United States.

Good Morning: Enjoy the Day and Help the Environment

Good morning, good weekend. What are your plans today, on a cool and pleasant Saturday? With a high in the upper 50's, today's a good day to spend outside.

If you have nothing yet on your plate, join the Force Soapstone Stream Team for a trash cleanup to get styrofoam and junk out of Soapstone creek, a beautiful and important tributary of Rock Creek. National Park Service Ranger Scott Einberger will be on hand to greet and thank volunteers.

Here are the details:


When: 10 am, Saturday, November 20th.

Where: The west entrance to the Van Ness Metro on Connecticut Ave, NW, in front of Starbucks. Walk as group to the park.

When does it finish: Officially at 1 pm - work as long as you can.

What to bring: Boots or sturdy shoes, warm clothes that you don't mind getting dirty, and a bottle of water. Force Soapstone Stream will provide reusable gloves and trash bags.

What to Expect During Your TSA Pat-Down

If you get selected at the airport for a pat-down or you opt out of being scanned, you might have a fairly benign experience, or one that's going to be an unpleasant memory. When it comes to human-to-human interaction, especially where touching is involved, there are many factors that can influence how aggressive your pat-down is or feels. Regardless, your private body parts will be touched, as this Denver Post photo collection shows.

Things can go from bad to worse if you have an artificial body part. Read about a cancer survivor who was told by TSA to show her prosthetic breast during her screening in Charlotte, NC last August. These kind of incidents are only going to become more commonplace as more passengers are patted down.

What to do? Accept a virtual strip search that could, if you're in a backscatter machine, increase your risk of getting cancer? Be patted down by a TSA officer who's got an especially rough touch?

Remember, November 24th is National Opt Out Day. District residents may have no voting representation in Congress, but we can let TSA know how we feel.

Horizons Benefit at Politics & Prose on Saturday, Nov. 20

The Horizons Program of Greater Washington is a six-week summer enrichment program and school year Saturday program that helps a diverse population of children from low-income families to advance academically and develop a lifelong interest in learning.

This Saturday, November 20 from 9am to 9pm, Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5051 Connecticut Avenue, NW, is hosting the fifth annual book sale in support of the Horizons Program. Politics and Prose will donate 20% from the sales of books, CDs, and gifts items to Horizons. You can also purchase and donate a book from the Horizons Wish List (pdf format).

This is a great weekend to begin your holiday shopping – or perhaps you would like to browse for a book to read during the Thanksgiving holiday. Either way, your purchase will directly support Horizons. You must present a voucher for your sale to qualify; vouchers will be available at the cash registers at Politics and Prose on the 20th.

Questions about the event? Please contact event coordinator Charis Keitelman at ckeite (a)t yahoo (dot) com or Elizabeth Johnson at 202-939-8885, ejohnson (at) horizonsgreaterwashington (dot) org for more information.

Still Life with Robin: How Not to Be a Loser

by Peggy Robin

I’ve lost a lot of things in my time: wallets, luggage, credit cards, keys. I’ve been remarkably fortunate in getting back most of the things I've lost -- but occasionally it’s been tough for the finder to track me down because I haven’t always had my things sufficiently marked with identifying information. Given my general level of absent-mindedness (which, unfortunately, only increases with age), I have of necessity become quite careful about tagging everything important that I own with some kind of label or marking that can be used to track me down. Of course I don’t put my address on my keys, because that would make it too easy for a bad guy to burglarize my house if he happened to get hold of them. I do, however, have several of those grocery store club tags dangling from my keyring, each with a distinct barcode, so that all the finder of my keys has to do is return them to the nearest store, which has promised to call me to let me know where I can go to pick them up.

Here are two stories of people who lost things that were not so easy to retrieve.

Cautionary Tale the First: Three Wrinkles in the Case of the Lost Luggage

Sharon was flying to Boston to attend a convention, along with a large group of co-workers. They boarded the plane en masse and Sharon was among the last to be seated -- and one of the last to seek space for her carry-on bag in the overhead bin. There was no room left, no matter how she tried to rearrange the bags to create the needed space. At last the flight attendant made her give up the Rubik's cube-like quest to align everything and turn over her bag to be “gate-checked.” So Sharon's bag disappeared, presumably to be stowed in the cargo hold with the few pieces of checked luggage on the one-hour flight. Now we come to wrinkle #1: Sharon did not receive a baggage claim check from the flight attendant. When that slip of paper wasn’t forthcoming, Sharon should have requested it – but she thought to herself, the bag is just going straight into the baggage compartment, so what could go wrong? The answer, is, of course, whenever you fly, you should be prepared for your bags to wander off on their own. Bags in an airline's possession are like socks in the dryer. Once they are out of your sight, they enter into some mysterious limbo with its own set of laws. You’re lucky that anything ever comes out right.

Forum on Online Safety Saturday

Photo by Ted Rheingold

How do you stay safe from computer viruses, phishing, privacy theft and other online dangers, especially when traveling? Tom Gutnick, Chief Dragon Slayer at Sunny Banana IT Consulting, will discuss commonsense precautions and software tools that will help, whether working at home or on the road.

You'e invited to a presentation on online safety Saturday, November 20, 1:00 p.m., hosted by the Capital PC User Group at the Cleveland Park Library, 3100 Connecticut Avenue, NW, between Macomb and Newark Streets.  The library is a block south of the Cleveland Park Metro. The event is free and open to all. For more information click here.

Recommended: HVAC Company

Our companion email list, the Cleveland Park Listserv, is a treasure trove of recommendations. We want to share on All Life Is Local, on a periodic basis, the best recommendations that have been posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv. You'll be able to search All Life Is Local for "contractor," "plumber," "computer tech," "auto body shop" -- whatever you need. The search box, in case you have trouble finding it, is to the right and down a bit.

I highly recommend you call Mindte for HVAC installation and repair. I really like this HVAC company and have used them several times for various issues. They are very knowledgeable, and I think they have very decent prices, too. Here is the contact information: http://www.mindtehvac.com, 301-424-8786

Celebrate the Music of Brazil, November 19 & 20

Levine School of Music Present BrazilFest November 19-20

The Assad Duo

The world-renowned guitar duo of Sergio and Odair Assad will perform a wildly  virtuosic program of all-Brazilian music. The phenomenal duo has been playing,  composing, and expanding the two-guitar repertoire for over 20 years. Valet  parking is available for this event. Enjoy a reception immediately following the
performance.

Friday, November 19, 2010, 8:00pm
Church of the Epiphany
1317 G Street, NW Washington DC 20004
$25 for adults, $12 for children 12 and under.

Aqui Oh

Brazilian jazz quintet Aqui Oh features rock/funk fusion, avant-garde classical
and samba styles. Wear your dancing shoes! Come early for a reception with
Brazilian cuisine before the show.

Saturday, November 20, 2010 at 5:00pm
Levine School of Music NW Campus
2801 Upton Street, NW
Washington DC 20008
$15 online, $20 at the door.

Purchase tickets online: Levine School's BrazilFest

For more information please call 202-686-8000.

Good Morning: More Pushback About TSA Groin Checks

Good morning. It's always good when it's Friday! Look for a high on Friday in the low 50's with ample sunshine. It's getting chillier, folks. The days of 60's are mostly over till next spring and most nights are going to be in the 30's.

Passengers are complaining  about TSA's "enhanced" pat downs. One male passenger at the Ft. Lauderdale airport reported that the screener, "put his hands between my underwear and my skin, you know and did a 360 all the way around touching certain sensitive points in the back and in the front."

This photo in the Denver Post sums up what the pat-down is like.

Passengers who opt out of the whole body scanner, either a millimeter wave machine or the potentially dangerous X-ray scanner, are patted down. One X-ray specialist at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine said, "They say the risk is minimal, but statistically someone is going to get skin cancer from these X-rays." Some passengers have described the alternatives to the scans, the "enhanced" pat-downs like being "molested."

This TSA warning sign was designed by Oleg Volk. It's a fair warning.