Flu Shots Have Arrived

This season's flu vaccine is here.  You can call your physician's office or health practitioner to schedule an appointment to trade a tiny bit of pain for a season's worth of influenza prevention.  Two places in Northwest DC that are already offering vaccines are Foxhall Internists and Northwest Nurse Practitioner Associates. 

CVS and Giant will have flu clinics, too.

How to Use an Escalator in DC

DCist alerts us to a wonderfully clever and amusing website, How to Use an Escalator in DC. If you're looking for a reason --any reason-- to spend a few more minutes at your computer so that you don't have to go outside into the oppressive heat, How to Use an Escalator in DC is as good a reason as any. Better than most other reasons, actually.

Oh, and it's not just tourists who don't know how to ride escalators. We all could use Escalator 101.

Tech Column: Smartphone Repair

How can you describe sadness?  How can you explain to somebody a feeling of overwhelming despair?  If you've never been overwhelmed by darkness that fills every vein, then take a look at the photo to the left and you may get a glimpse of how I felt when gravity overpowered the iPhone.

You know what?  The iPhone is now as good as new.  What looks like cataclysmic destruction was completely reversed by a company called iResq.  (Cute name, isn't it?)

Is it News? Area Businesses Go to Night Schedule Due to Heat

With the relentless heat wave forecast to last until Halloween, area businesses and government agencies are switching to a nighttime schedule.

The first to make the switch will the be US Postal Service, which will start its mail delivery rounds at 10pm. "It's unbelievably hot, and when you're carrying several Amazon boxes, you're near collapse," said letter carrier Jim Doyle, who delivers mail in 20016. "And by the time I've gotten to two or three houses, I've dripped sweat on a lot of people's mail."

Poll: Fenty or Gray?

The Democratic primary is around the corner, and if you're undecided, well, you're either going to have to make up your mind or let somebody else choose for you.  We're keeping the poll simple, because, barring a category 5 political storm, none of the other candidates has a chance.

How is Your Singing Voice?

The Georgetown Chorale will begins its fall season on Wednesday, September 8 at 7:00 PM at its rehearsal location at Our Lady of Victory Church School located at 4835 MacArthur Blvd, NW, Washington, DC  Area residents are invited to a stress-free audition.

Poll Results: Overwhelming Support for Giant Supermarket

The results are in and by an overwhelming margin people support Giant's new supermarket and residential/shopping complex at Wisconsin Avenue and Newark Street, NW.

The vote was 89 percent against the lawsuit to block the Giant; 10 percent for the lawsuit.  It doesn't get much clearer than that.  The poll asked, "Do you support or oppose the lawsuit to block the Giant supermarket and residential/shopping complex at Wisconsin and Newark?"

All Life Is Local's poll results are very close to the verdict of a similar poll on the Cleveland Park Listserv conducted in February 2009, in which 93 percent of the people responding said that they support the new development.

Calling All Scooter Owners

If you ride a scooter and want to share in the fun, you can join a new listserv for scooter owners in the Washington, DC area.

At ScootOverDC you can socialize with other scooter owners, share tips and stores, exchange photos and say informed about scooter events.

Do scooter owners actually have more fun?  Hmm.  Looking at some scooter photos, I think that they do.  (At least it's a great way to scoot around traffic!)

Washington Tweets

by Bill Adler

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 and appears on www.cleveland-park.com and www.alllifeislocal.com. Bill Adler tweets at @billadler.


I like that #coffee is a DC trending topic this Monday morning. I still need my fix!
  
First day of school for the DC kiddies!  More exciting than another Monday at work... :)

Holy competing Fenty and Gray rallies outside the Judiciary Square metro station, Batman! At least the crowds were cordial to each other...

Deal of the Day: Music Classes for Kids

The Certifikid deal today is $145 for Fall Music Classes at Musikids (50% off - $290 value).  Come experience a fantastic series of 13 (45 minute) music classes with locations in Bethesda, Rockville, and Chevy Chase. MusiKids offers great music and movement classes for babies through 5 year olds.

Certifikid features a single, daily, unbeatable, family value. Certifikid deals will lead to savings of 50% or more on all things families want and need, including family friendly restaurants, play gyms, family entertainment and events, music classes, photo sessions, kids haircuts, baby proofing services, maternity boutiques, birthday party packages, and so much more. Visit Certifikid for this great deal.

Living Happily on a Shoestring: Grab a Green Deal While You Can

by Christine Wilkinson

I found a great deal this week on appliances and just wanted to make sure everyone has a chance to grab it. Sears has extended its offer of 15% off appliances, with an additional 10% off any purchase made with a Sears credit card. There's an additional online-only extra 5% off appliances (refrigeration, washers & dryers, cooking appliances and dishwashers). And it gets better. Fat Wallet is having a 4.8% cash-back sale. Truly, it's the Perfect Storm of savings.

First, go to the Fatwallet site and register for free. Once in, click on "Coupons and Cash Back" and there you'll see an A – Z store index. Click on 'S' to find Sears.com. Click on that and scroll down to find the appliance offer; once there, hit the blue button across from it that reads "Shop Now." You will now get a 4.8% cash rebate that in no way precludes you from any specials that Sears is offering. And just so you know, the Shop Now button takes you directly to Sears' website.

Tell CVS: Homeopathy is Quackery

An old standby in the scam department is homeopathy.  

Here's how homeopathy is supposed to work:  It's based on the so-called "law of similars," in which a minute quantity of something that causes disease is supposed to cure it by stimulating the body's defenses against that disease. For example, onions, which cause eyes to tear, are used to treat hay fever in homeopathic cures. Homeopathic compounds are diluted 6, 10 or up to 30 times. How many molecules of a substance are left in the solution if one dilutes it so much? None or virtually none. It's all just water. 

But chemistry is of no importance to homeopathy because the water is supposed to retain a "memory" of the original disease-causing substance.  On Amazon, homeopathic remedies are often touted as having "no side effects."  At least that's true:  Of course they have no side effects, because homeopathic remedies are nothing but water.

Still Life With Robin: Driving With Gecko

by Peggy Robin

If you have been following this column from the start, then you’ll recall my wailing over how difficult it’s been to teach my teenage daughter to drive on the streets of Washington, DC, given the frequency of encounters with red-light-runners, cell phone yakkers, stop-sign-coasters, and reversible-lane chicken-players in our city’s thoroughfares. I’m pleased to announce that the harrowing lessons are over: The kid is licensed. She passed her road test on Monday.

I had imagined that this would be followed by an equally unnerving event: getting her insured. I am absolutely flabbergasted to report what follows:

First, with fear and trepidation, I call our car insurance company, Geico. In short order I get a pleasant but efficient lady on the phone who looks up our account. She begins by saying that she is required to go over the status of everyone on the account and apologizes in advance for the number of questions she must ask. Already I’m getting a sinking feeling that, pleasant through she may be, this is the start of a long and painful process.

That's Entertaining: You're Invited to an Ice Cream Sundae Party!

by Barbara Burtoff

Confession: I have never given an ice cream sundae party. I've been invited to a few, but haven't been able to attend -- until last week.

I learned that they are about a lot more than just dessert. Here you see the same kind of fun that young children have when supplied with an assortment of finger paints and told to go make a picture. That's unbridled creativity to the nth degree, appealing to the artist in all of us. For most, it also becomes a chance to relax and forget about the clock. That's what people seem to do while they focus on putting together their edible masterpieces.

Blogging? That will be $300 please, if you live in Philly

Talk is cheap.  But it's not free if you live in Philadelphia.

The Consumerist reports that if you're a Philadelphia based blogger, you need to purchase a business license for $300 if you want to continue blogging.  Why?  Well, because blogs are populated with advertisements, Philadelphia considers blogging is a business.  Never mind that most bloggers make hardly a penny from blogging, according to Philadelphia, if you blog you're officially running a business.

So much for the purpose of blogs being the dissemination of ideas, information and opinions.  You can still do that in Philadelphia, but it's going to cost you.  This story was originally reported on City Paper, where you can read more about Philly's new money grab.

What do you think?  Should bloggers be treated as a business? Or does imposing a mandatory fee on blogging prevent bloggers from exercising their first amendment rights?

Deal of the Day: Wine Tasting 50% Off

How would you like a wine-tasting for you and 5 friends, in the comfort of your own home, led by a professionally trained expert?  Well today is your lucky day!  Today on Deals For Deeds,for 50% off you can have wine and culinary expert Molly Zemek guide you and 5 friends on a wine-tasting adventure in your home, anytime in the next six months.  As always a percentage of every sale supports local non-profits!  

Sidewalks versus Cars

One of the oddest debates going on in the Cleveland Park neighborhood of Washington, DC is whether or not a service lane should be paved and turned into a sidewalk.

A few decades ago a wide, boulevard-like sidewalk on the east side of Connecticut Avenue between Macomb and Ordway Streets was carved up and turned into a service lane for driving and parking.  Perhaps a good idea at the time, but in the intervening years, returning the service lane to a sidewalk has become a better idea.

There are lots of reasons why people say we continue to need a service/parking lane.  "How will I drop off my vacuum cleaner to be repaired?" is one common refrain that appears on the Cleveland Park Listserv, which recently had a hefty debate about the service lane.  How often do people have to have their vacuum cleaners repaired.? Oh, never mind.  To some people that's all the reason they need to insist that the service lane stay.

Is it News? Bagel Manufacturers Sued Over Fraudulent "Everything Bagel"

The National Law Institute has sued the DC based American Bagel Association, over fraud in the "Everything Bagel."

"It's a sham," said Bernard I. Williams, president of the National Law Institute, and former counsel to the Senate Subcommittee on Postal Operations.  "So-called 'Everything Bagels' do not contain 'everything' and the bagel manufacturers can't be allowed to get away with deceiving consumers any longer."

The National Law Institute has filed a $55 million suit against four bagel manufacturers and the American Bagel Association.

"Not only do bagels not contain 'everything,'" Williams pointed out.  "But they don't even contain a lot of things.  There's no dill, no caraway seeds, and often no garlic.  You simply can't call that 'everything.'"

All fifty states and the District of Columbia have statutes against fraud, as does Federal law.

The National Law Institute is also considering an additional suit for false advertising.  "We'll see about that," Williams said.

Last year, under the Clean Air Act, the Institute won a $10 million judgment against diaper manufacturers for not containing the odor within their diapers.

The American Bagel Association issued a response to lawsuit.  Jennifer McAluff, a lawyer representing the Association and four bagel manufactures said, "We have not had the opportunity to review the documents.  But I'd say, off the cuff, that this is about as crazy a lawsuit as I've ever seen.  This is really a case of lawyers run amok.  There are obvious holes in their case."

---

Is it News?, written by Bill Adler, is All Life is Local's humor column.

Deal of the Day

The Certifikid deal today is $20 for a Washington DC Movie Tour Ticket (50% off). Tour our nation's capital on a unique and fun guided bus tour through the lens of your favorite TV shows and movies, all while receiving behind-the-scenes information from tour guides who are all local actors and actresses! Great for taking out of town guest as well. The tour run every Saturday and the tickets are good for an entire year. Kinds under 5 are free.

Certifikid features a single, daily, unbeatable, family value. Certifikid deals will lead to savings of 50% or more on all things families want and need, including family friendly restaurants, play gyms, family entertainment and events, music classes, photo sessions, kids haircuts, baby proofing services, maternity boutiques, birthday party packages, and so much more.

Ask Kelli: Wife, Not Husband, Wants an Open Marriage

Kelli Miller writes the All Life is Local's Advice Column, Ask Kelli. Questions can be sent to Kelli Miller in the comments section below, via the Ask Kelli Facebook group, or on Twitter @askkelli. Your name and email address will be kept confidential. Kelli's column appears on Wednesdays.

-----------------------

Dear Kelli,

I’ll been married seven years this September. Recently my wife confronted me and asked if we could have an open marriage. I was completely dumbfounded and confused. I said I wasn’t comfortable with it and now she feels I’m being inflexible and “too conventional.” Am I wrong to want to keep my wife to myself?

Signed,
Too Committed?

Those Loud Cash Registers

Cash registers are getting louder.  I'm not talking about the melodic, soothing sound of classic cash registers.  I'm referring to the really loud beep that cash electronic cash registers make when each item is scanned.

CVS' scanners are loud, but the scanners at Whole Foods are almost painful.  No, they are painful.  I have to take a few steps back when the checker starts to ring up my purchases.

I understand the need for checkout clerks to know when an item has been successfully scanned, but the volume of these beeps is growing increasingly loud.  And the beep seems to dive right for the inner ear.

I wonder if retail stores know how annoying these beeps are.  Now they do.  

Fenty Versus Gray: How to Decide

The World's Most Remote Pay Phone
Located in Antatctica (c) Bill Adler

I'm torn between Adrian Fenty and Vincent Gray for mayor.  Neither is close to perfect, and both have large flaws as far as I'm concerned.  And with my ear to the ground as the publisher of the Cleveland Park Listserv (9,800+ readers), I know I'm not alone:  A lot of people are uncertain about whom to vote for in the primary and how to decide.

So I've come up with a simple metric.  (I love the word "metric" by the way.  It blows the pants off of "paradigm".)  I'm going to vote for whomever robocalls me less often at home.

That's right.  The candidate with fewer automated phone calls that interrupt me at dinner, summon me from the shower, or take me away from a spirited game of Monopoly with my kids gets my vote.

And I think that there's a certain reasonableness to this.  Although Congress exempted political candidates from the do-not-call list, that doesn't mean that politicians have to use computers to make their calls.  Robocalls show a disdain for consumer rights; they diss the voters.  It's one thing to have staff or volunteers call voters and engage them in conversation -- that's a good, time-honored practice because it lets voters ask questions and give feedback.  It's an entirely different for a machine to pitch the same script to thousands of individuals.

There's a connection between a candidate's support of consumer rights and his or her willingness to deploy robocallers.  You can't claim to be a proponent of consumer rights while violating an important consumer rights precept. 

Please, Mr. Fenty and Mr. Gray:  If you want to call me, use a human being.

Deal of the Day: 61% Off House Cleaning

Let's face it, we all love coming home to a clean home but can't always find the time to make it a reality. Today's deal from Deals for Deeds gives you the opportunity to clear your conscience and clean your home without ever breaking a sweat. For only $58, let the pros at Maid in DC dust, scrub, sweep, and shine your home until its spick-and-span.   That's 61% off housecleaning, and each purchase supports local non-profits! Visit www.dealsfordeeds.com for this great deal.

Tech Column: How Cute Can Things Get?

I recently mentioned what I think is the cutest video ever posted on YouTube.  If you haven't seen this polar bear video, I don't want to spoil it, but you should immediately drop everything and pop over.

I thought that I would devote this week's tech column to cute things.  It's the doldrums of  August, and I'd rather be looking at cute kitties than editing HTML or configuring a router.  I hope these bring a smile to your face.

The runner-up for cutest video of all time is this one of a kitten.  If you don't go "awww" while watching it, I'll be shocked.

Is It News? Reno Road to Become a Toll Road

Starting October 1, Reno Road (also named 34th Street at the southern end) will become a toll road, the District of Columbia Department of Transportation announced today.

"We're turning Reno Road into a toll road for two main reasons," said William Wheat, DDOT's spokesperson. "First, this will reduce the amount of traffic on this major thoroughfare. If people have to pay to travel on Reno, they're going to drive less, making Reno less congested and safer. Second, this will also reduce the amount of traffic on Reno Road, enabling cars to move faster."

Poll: Do You Support or Oppose the Lawsuit to Block the Giant Supermarket?

There's a new poll about the lawsuit to block the Giant supermarket shopping/residential project in the Cleveland Park neighborhood of Washington, DC.  The poll, which you can find here at All Life Is Local asks:

Do you support or oppose the lawsuit to block the Giant supermarket and residential/shopping complex?

The debate about the Giant continues on the Cleveland Park Listserv.  But oddly, the recent debate has been completely one-sided.  Not a single party to the lawsuit has spoken.  Since the lawsuit has been filed the anti-Giant filers have remained silent.  So let's hear from you.  What do you think about the effort by a handful of residents to try and stop the project?

If you're not up to speed on the plans to modernize the Giant, both DCist and Greater Greater Washington have good articles on what's involved.  For over ten years there's been a battle over whether or not a modern supermarket should be built at Wisconsin Avenue and Newark Street.  The Zoning Board has given the okay to the project and the only thing standing in its way is the lawsuit.  What do you think about this lawsuit?

Deal of the Day: 50 Percent Off at Pink Watermelon Kids

Today's Certifikid deal is $20 for $40 worth at Online Boutique - Pink Watermelon Kids (50% off). Looking for that unique, special outfit for your little one or the perfect gift? Pink Watermelon Kids is an online children's boutique based in Maryland that specializes in designer clothing and accessories from around the world. 

Certifikid features a single, daily, unbeatable, family value. Certifikid deals will lead to savings of 50% or more on all things families want and need, including family friendly restaurants, play gyms, family entertainment and events, music classes, photo sessions, kids haircuts, baby proofing services, maternity boutiques, birthday party packages, and so much more.  Visit Certifikid for this deal.
  

The Well Thumbed Book: Kindred by Octavia Butler

Publisher’s note:  This is the debut of our new book column, which will recommend one new book each week.  In most cases, the book will be “new” only in the sense that you may not have heard of it before.  Most of the books chosen for review here will be books published some years back:  Some that were popular for a while but have since become obscure; others that have always been undiscovered gems.  By all means,  give us your feedback, not just on the recommended book of the week but on any other similar books you would like to bring to light.


Amazon.com assured me that I would like the novel Kindred by Octavia Butler.  I like to rate the books I buy on Amazon, so the automated genies that run the site can recommend books they think I’ll like.  They sometimes recommend books that are way off the mark, but as soon as I looked at Kindred, I knew this time they had picked a winner.  It was a former bestseller--and justifiably so--but while it has won impressive reviews reviews on Amazon and has received critical acclaim from both popular and literary magazines, it has never achieved the kind of blockbuster status of, for example, The Time Traveler’s Wife.  But the book is every bit as good, maybe better.

All Eggs Are Local: Salmonella-Free Eggs Are Here

Half a billion eggs recalled.  1,300 people, and possibly more to come, already made sick from salmonella contaminated eggs. Nobody wants to get sick with salmonella

There are strategies for making eggs safe:  Thoroughly cooking eggs (and cleaning utensils and cooking surfaces) is always a good, and effective, way to prevent the spread of salmonella and other food-borne diseases.  Buying locally farmed eggs, alas, isn't one of those strategies:  Your locally produced eggs can easily be contaminated with salmonella.  What kind of tools do local farmers use to thwart salmonella?  "We're a small producer and we have a better handle on everything that goes out of here," is how one farmer described her strategy.  Not very reassuring.

I buy pasteurized eggs.  Not the kind that come in liquid form, which are low-cholesterol egg whites only-- but real, in-the-shell-from-the-chicken eggs.  Pasteurized eggs taste every bit as delicious as regular eggs, and they are completely free of  bacteria.

Davidson's Eggs produces pasteurized eggs.  You can find out where to buy pasteurized eggs on their website.  In the District of Columbia Harris Teeter sells them -- but call ahead to see if they have pasteurized eggs in stock.  If your local supermarket doesn't carry pasteurized eggs, you can --pardon the irresistible pun-- egg them on through this online form.

The Giant and the CPCA

On several occasions the Cleveland Park Citizen's Association's executive committee has voted to oppose the Giant supermarket's proposed modernization and residential/shopping complex.

A question was posed recently on the Cleveland Park Listserv: "Didn't the Cleveland Park Citizens Association vote against this? Did the recently revamped board do anything to reverse their stated position on the Giant?"

The answer is no. The Cleveland Park Citizens Association has not reversed its position against a modern Giant supermarket.

Last year the CPCA's former president declined to revisit the question, stating on the Cleveland Park Listserv, "The Giant hearings have ended and the record is closed. The Zoning Commission will decide whether all the upzoning requested in our low-density neighborhood is worth the potential impact."

Living Happily on a Shoestring: Groceries, Trim the Fat

by Christine Wilkinson


When my husband and I first launched our Commando Financial Warfare in July, it began with me taking over the grocery shopping. In the nine years since I’ve been married, I’ve gone grocery shopping only a handful of times (I know… I’m lucky). Two months ago I couldn’t have told you within a dollar what a loaf of bread cost. I got the idea of changing roles after watching Til Debt Do Us Part in which the show’s host makes the “weak link” in the marriage get a grip on reality – that’d be me. Week one, I planned a menu for the week and then went shopping. I spent $225 on groceries (that works out to $11,700 annually). Week 2, I smartened up and looked at all the specials first. It dawned on me that I should plan my meals around the deals, so I made up the week’s menu based on the savings, then I went shopping at both Giant and Safeway (to get the best deals from each) and spent about $100 for the week (with $50.45 saved in store specials). In that second week of smarter shopping, I shaved almost $7,000 of our annual grocery cost!

Deal of the Day: Photo Session

The Certifikid weekend deal is $49 for Mini-Photo Session with two high resolution digital pictures from Pixie Memories (73% off - $180 value). Get a head start on your family photograph for this year's holiday cards! Pixie Memories specializes in Maternity, Child and Family Portraiture.

Certifikid features a single, daily, unbeatable, family value. Certifikid deals will lead to savings of 50% or more on all things families want and need, including family friendly restaurants, play gyms, family entertainment and events, music classes, photo sessions, kids haircuts, baby proofing services, maternity boutiques, birthday party packages, and so much more. Check out their Refer a Family program to earn $5 Certifikid credit when a family you refer
makes their first Certifikid purchase.

Certifikid: http://certifikid.com/area/washington-dc

How Do You Rate Your Marriage?

Picture from Public Domain Pictures

We were intrigued with this query posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv, and wanted to share it (with the author's permission) with a larger audience. 

I'm a PhD Candidate at Loyola University Maryland and am writing my dissertation on marital satisfaction and how people choose their mates in romantic relationships.

You're invited to participate in my study by filling out a secure and anonymous 20-minute online survey. You need to be married to participate and both you and your spouse will need to complete the survey (you cannot see each others answers to the questions). As a token of appreciation for your time, you'll be entered into a drawing for an Apple iPad.

To learn more or participate in the survey please visit: http://www.marriagestudy.org.

Thanks!

Nathan Gehlert 

Still Life with Robin: Are You Packing?

Until Labor Day we're still officially in the summer vacation window, and many of us will be packing for trips.  I'm a big fan of packing lists, and of checklists in general.  If you're not already convinced that checklists are the best prevention against mistakes, get hold of Atul Gawande's latest book, The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right, and read his utterly compelling case for using checklists whenever safety is at issue.

Is It News? DC Switches to Celsius to Cope With Heat

In an emergency effort to reduce electricity consumption during this extraordinarily hot summer, the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments will be making all future weather announcements and forecasts in Celsius rather than Fahrenheit, Maxine Roberts, WMCOG spokesperson announced today.

This is the hottest summer in 50 years and electricity use is at an all-time high.  "By converting to Celsius, people will perceive a lower temperature and not feel like they have to turn their air conditioning up so high," Roberts said.  "97F is 37.1C, for example.  Even 90F, which often feels hot, especially if you're a transplant from New Hampshire, is only 32.2 Celsius.  'Mind over matter' matters when it comes to heat and humidity.  Everyone here knows that visualizing icebergs, thinking about cool waterfalls, and seeing a lower thermometer reading in your mind's eye is all you need to feel better in this heat."

Deal of the Day: Let The Spa Come To You

Today's deal  at Deals for Deeds gets you and a friend a facial and pedicures at your location for 50% off! As always every purchase helps support local non-profits.  And as always, a portion of every sale on the site will support local non-profits.  This month alone we've already fed the homeless over 360 meals through our donations to Miriam's Kitchen! So give a little thank-you to you and a friend, get some at-home spa treatment, and give back to the community at the same time!  

Visit www.dealsfordeeds.com for more information on this fabulous deal.

Tech Column: Use the Net to Get a Good Night's Sleep

Raise your hand --the one holding the coffee cup-- if you ever have trouble sleeping. 

I have good news:  The Internet will rescue everyone who has trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, waking up, or who dreams about term papers and staff meetings instead of Hawaiian beaches.  And I'm not talking about using the Internet to read the Congressional Record online (though that's not a bad idea if you have trouble falling asleep.)  There are some great tools on the net for eliminating what ails your sleep without having to resort to reading the US budget.

Up high on the list of causes for insomnia is noise. Truck backup beeps, car alarms, dogs doing a tap dance on the floor of the apartment above, jet training exercises (the joy of living in Washington, DC), crows, snoring spouses, smoke detectors that shout "low bat" only between 1am and 6am -- all of these can make it hard to sleep.

That’s Entertaining! Decoding the Dress Code on Party Invitations

by Barbara Burtoff

I have a house guest this week. She is currently up at Friendship Heights looking for the appropriate outfit to wear to a wedding. As she departed for the stores, she let out a long sigh, and said,” I just don’t know what to buy.”

I asked the most obvious questions: Is it a morning, afternoon or evening wedding? Will it take place at a church or temple, bride’s family home or restored historic house, hotel or private club, beach or park?

Her response to both: “I don’t know.”

“Why not?” I said.

And then she explained, “Because I ate the wedding invitation.”

Bedbugs Aren't Just in Beds Anymore

Update:  One solution for thwarting bedbugs while on the road is to use a light weight sleep sack.  With a sleep sack you don't come into contact with the hotel's bedding and bedbugs can't come into contact with you.  


When the New York City Soho store, Epic Hollister, closed for ten days in July because of a bed bug infestation, the world changed.  What? I could get bedbugs just from shopping?

I was listening to a conversation about bedbugs on the Diane Rehm Show on NPR about bedbugs today and also learned that bedbugs are being found in offices and movie theaters, too.

I guess that's the final straw: I'm going to live my entire life inside of Facebook and never go out again. 

Why are bedbugs spreading beyond homes and hotels? Nobody knows for sure, but it may have to do with the classic predator-prey relationship: The size of the prey's population --humans-- is growing, so the size of the predator population, that lives off of the blood of humans, is also growing.  Bedbugs can easily hitchhike from person to place.

Thwarting and dealing with bedbugs isn't easy.  But having bedbugs isn't fun.  So, what to do? Other than scream, that is.  There are some treatments that you can deploy to get rid of bedbugs: Some of these involve heating your home or apartment to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature at which neither bedbugs nor wax figurines can survive. 

Before you travel, take a look at the Bedbug Registry, a database of hotels that have, um, problems.

And remember, if you get bedbugs, you're allowed to cry no matter how tough or unemotional you are otherwise.

Anti Giant Forces Sue to Block Supermarket...Again

Reported yesterday on the Cleveland Park Listserv:  A handful of neighbors filed a lawsuit to block the development of a new supermarket and residential/commercial complex at Wisconsin Avenue and Newark Street.  Despite the fact than an overwhelming majority of neighbors --93 percent in a Listserv poll-- support the new supermarket project, a few neighbors think that their vision of Cleveland Park should prevail.  

A determined few have been trying to block the new Giant for ten years.  Their strategy of block and delay has been, unfortunately, successful.  Hopefully, this is their last stand and they will fail.

For some people, that vision includes the idea that a neighborhood like Cleveland Park --what they think of as a "village" in Washington, DC-- shouldn't even have a modern, well-stocked supermarket.  They worry that a large supermarket will attract shoppers on their way home from work.  Personally, I've never understood the fear of having people who live outside of one neighborhood shop in another.  It's actually a good thing when dollars are brought into a community. Other supermarket opponents insist that Cleveland Park can get along just fine with a small supermarket.  "Busy city dwellers do not need to spend an hour doing the family shopping, walking miles around inside huge markets," wrote one person on the Cleveland Park Listserv who opposes the concept of a larger supermarket.  Never mind that other people want a better supermarket; the opponents think they know what's best.

PEG's Latest Salvo on Energy Audit Liens

Last week over 100 district residents who earlier this year took advantage of an offer of a free home energy audit received a letter telling them that due to failure of the DC government to pay for the audits, there would be a lien placed on their homes. The letter came from JoAnn Spence, Vice President of Potomac Environmental Group (PEG), the company that performed the audits. When homeowners complained on the Cleveland Park Listserv and in other media outlets, Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh looked into the situation and found that the company had not actually filed any liens – nor did it have any legal right to do so.


According to an article in the Washington Post,  PEG remains in a contract dispute with the District government over payment for the audits. While Cheh demanded that PEG apologize to homeowners for the scare tactic of the threatened lien, just today some homeowners received a new letter from PEG Vice President JoAnn Spence that is far from apologetic. Here’s what one homeowner had to say after he read VP Spence’s latest missive:

Pet Friendly Ways to Get Rid of Stinging Bees

There was a recent query on the Cleveland Park Listserv asking how to deal with stinging bees in a pet-friendly way.  How do you deal with them exactly?  If you need to know (and who dosen't need to know that?) read on.

Thank you for the advice about pet-friendly ways to get rid of stinging bees.

My husband used a combination of the approaches suggested below (spray, hose &

blocking the hole), and I'm happy to report that we have not noticed bees in our

backyard again!

---

There are organic cans available. They are probably hornets or ground wasps who

are vicious at this time of year. They tell you to spray at night when the

insects are in the hole. Then to cover the hole With object and do this

several nights in a row. You may want to contact a company like American Pest

control. Just watch and you can usually tell where they are entering. The

spray has a long straight shot of the chemical when it sprays so you can stand

around 5 feet away when you first sray. It is called hornet/wasp spray.

Ask Kelli: The Swooping Boss

Kelli Miller writes the Cleveland Park Listserv's Advice Column, Ask Kelli. Questions can be posted here, via the Ask Kelli Facebook group, or on Twitter @askkelli. Your name and email address will be kept confidential.

Dear Kelli,

I'm pretty sure my boss doesn't trust me a whole lot. As a result, she tends to micromanage me and I am very unsure of what she really wants to be involved in and at what level. In the past I have not had this trouble with other bosses. I am currently looking for another job since I've been in the office for more than 7 years in various positions and I'm ready to move on. In the meanwhile, I'd like to have a smoother relationship with my boss. I'm a Fed, so the process of finding a new job could take a while.

She and I have been working together for about three years. In the past she has

gone through cycles where she gets stressed out and overwhelmed with everything

she has to do because she is not a good delegater. The next part of the cycle

is where she tells me that she cannot attend and/or lead meetings related to the

projects I work on because she's not necessary to the project. Then she starts

asking many questions about the projects at inappropriate places (the hallway,

the ladies room, the cafeteria, etc.) and I am not able to answer her questions

intelligently without my notes and/or some preparation. Because of my lack of

ability to update her at a moment's notice in the restroom, she then swoops in

and sort of takes over whatever meeting is coming up next on that project to try

and "rescue" it, or she assigns part of the project to an outside contractor, or

she involves another office from our organization.

This hasn't happened in a year or so, but just today she's sent me a few emails

about not attending meetings. How do I stop this cycle from happening again? I

know I need to talk to her, but she and I don't have fabulous communication with

each other, and I think I inadvertently offend her a lot or make her mad because

I state my opinion, which is not always her opinion. Once she makes a choice I

then support it. But somehow stating something contrary before she makes a

final choice just makes her angry.

I know that if she trusted my judgment more this wouldn't happen, but besides

doing a good job and checking in with her on a very regular basis, I don't know

how else to build that trust. Just today, it wasn't until a coworker echoed my

opinion and rationale for a choice for the look and feel of a new website (a

project she has asked me to lead), that she made that choice. This was after we

asked an editorial board of their opinion and the votes were tied. Things like

this happen all of the time. It's like I'm not using the right words, and when

coworkers use the same words they get a totally different result from the boss.

HELP.

Signed,

No More Swooping

Beware the Petsmart "Difficult" Dog Fee

There are two things that people regularly lie about.  Well, maybe there are three things, but there are two that I can write about here:  How long their commute is (everyone lies and says it's less time than it actually is), and how friendly their dog is (your dog will bite somebody some day, no matter how "friendly" you think he is.)

It's the latter that I want to touch on briefly, because if you underestimate your dog's friendliness quotient and bring him to Petsmart for a haircut, you may find a $6 "difficult" dog fee added on.  That's what happened to a the owner of a Yorkshire terrier puppy at a New Jersey Petsmart, as reported on The Consumerist. The dog's owner wrote, "When we brought him into Petsmart, my girlfriend gave a heads-up to the groomer folks that he may be difficult and is a little scared of hair clippers, and the groomer said that was fine and that they'd work with him. They mentioned that if he was too uncomfortable, they'd do some of the job today and finish the rest tomorrow....He was...apparently difficult to groom. The Petsmart groomer...tacked on an extra fee of $6 for him being difficult to groom. Prior to the grooming, and even with a fair warning from my girlfriend, we were never informed that we could be charged an extra fee if he was difficult."

So be forewarned:  Know Thy Dog.  Or it might cost you $6 extra.

You can read the entire Consumerist story here.

Tech Column: Texting for Free

Photo by Jeff Sandquist.
  Used under Creative Commons license.

We're talking less and texting more. This isn't either a subtle trend or a temporary one: As a country we're simply gabbing less, according to Wired Magazine. The greatest proof of this is that cell phone companies are virtually giving away voice calls, with rollover minutes, free in-network calls, free friends calls, and other programs.

Texting, as we all know, is wildly popular. And wildly expensive, especially if you text internationally or if you do a lot of texting. Unlimited texting plans, a necessity if you have kids, don't cover international texts. You can only cram so much into a 160 character message. And, as every texter knows, because of that character limitation, it can often take multiple rounds of texting to coordinate whatever you're planning.

If I only had a quarter for every text that was sent, I'd be very rich. Or I'd be a cell phone company.

The average American sends 420 texts a month. If you live in the Philippines you're sending an average of 600 texts a month. (Don't ask me about what.) Last year 5 trillion texts were sent worldwide That's a lot of quarters.

Fortunately, there are some ways to text for free. Creative, and perhaps very frugal developers have created applications for smartphones that let you text your friends and family without contributing to the upkeep of the new yacht of your cell phone company's CEO.

Two of these applications, which work on a variety of smartphones, are PingChat2, www.pingchat.com and TextPlus+, http://www.textplus.com . There are others, as well, but I like and use these.

There is one important limitation to these free texting apps: Unless you're using free wifi, the text goes over your cell phone company's data network, and that can eat into your data plan. Texts use very little data, so chances are that your data usage with these apps will be too small to notice.

PingChat lets you text anyone, anywhere in the world, but only if that person is also using PingChat. TextPlus+ lets you text cell phones even if the person doesn't have TextPlus+, but TextPlus+ only works in the US and Canada. There are other free texting programs with varying features, too, that you can search for and enjoy.

----

Bill Adler is the co-publisher of the Cleveland Park Listserv, www.cleveland-park.com, and the author of over 20 books including "Boys and Their Toys: Understanding Men by Understanding Their Relationship with Gadgets," and "Outwitting Squirrels." Adler's technology column appears on Tuesdays. He tweets at @billadler.