Still Life With Robin: What's Wrong With My GPS? (A Mystery With Three Clues)

Photo by Tom W. Sulcer (Wikimedia Commons)

by Peggy Robin

I was about to post a query on the Cleveland Park Listserv to find someone who could help me fix the GPS app on my phone. It had the weirdest malfunction. When I plugged in an address --let's say it was a point about seven miles away-- it would show me a perfectly  reasonable route to get there but then it would tell me that the travel time was two hours and 17 minutes. I just could not figure out what was wrong with the thing. I would press "start navigation" and it would direct me, turn by turn, without a single error, to my destination -- but it continued to calculate the time in an alternate reality, as if in some sort of slowed-down segment of the space-time continuum. This went on for more than a week. I tried rebooting it, and re-entering the location, and I tried Googling the problem to find a solution, but no matter what I did, the long hours of travel continued to show up for short drives.

Then, just yesterday, I used the GPS to guide me to an address in far-flung Rockville. I encountered construction along the way and had to depart from the approved course and meander through some side streets to continue in the right direction. My GPS voice didn't like what I was doing one bit and kept insisting I head back toward my original route. At one point she [it uses a female voice] directed me to turn down a one-way street the wrong way. I ignored her, of course, but that was my first clue as to what was the matter. She did not care about one-way streets. The second clue was something that had been happening all week long....but I simply had not noticed it before:  the marked route on the moving map was not the usual solid blue line, with occasional red patches for traffic delays; it had become a dotted line. The third and final clue came just as I was nearing my destination. The GPS voice directed me to cross a park where there was no road at all. At last the light of understanding dawned: my GPS had been switched to pedestrian mode. I had been following walking directions for the past week! And it really would have taken me 3 hours and 22 minutes to reach my destination in Rockville on foot. The way I walk, probably longer.

Then I was able to think back to what must had happened. More than a week ago I had lent my phone to my daughter's friend who was visiting Washington, DC from Colombia (South America, not Columbia, Maryland or Columbia, South Carolina, and not Columbia, University either -- though these were the three most common reactions he got when he told Americans where he was from. But I digress.) He needed a US phone for the day so that he could call my daughter and meet up with her downtown; his Colombian phone plan made it too expensive for him to call or text on his own account. At some point he had become turned around but had realized that he could get oriented by using my phone’s GPS function, and he also figured out how to put it in pedestrian mode. He just forgot to tell me when he returned the phone to me later the same day.

I am just sorry that he did not also reset the GPS to the metric system. I think I would have quickly figured it if the distance had shown up in kilometers. Instead….a week of mapping mystery!

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

Get Out! - The Events Column

Photo by US Navy Spec 2nd Cl Ronda Spaulding via Wikimedia

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 14,000+ members of the Cleveland Park Listserv should know about, email us at events @ fastmail.us.

 

Peggy Robin and Bill Adler

Publishers, Cleveland Park Listserv

www.cleveland-park.com 

 

 

Friday, September 26 from 8 AM – 4:30 PM, Green Building Symposium and Expo at the Washington Convention Center, presented by the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. Everyone is invited to join us as we take a closer look at how the new Green Construction Code, Energy Conservation Code, Green Building Act, Green Area Ratio, benchmarking law and more are being implemented and enforced from design through building permitting, inspections, and post-occupancy. The Washington Convention Center is at 801 Mount Vernon Place NW. Full schedule of events at http://dcra.dc.gov/event/2014-green-building-symposium. Register for the free sessions and workshops at http://bit.ly/1xjTFl6.

 

Friday, September 26 from 12:30 - 4 PM, “The Back Yard Habitat.” The Rock Creek Conservancy hosts a hands-on workshop on growing native plants and creating rain gardens in your back yard. At All Souls Memorial Episcopal Church, 2300 Cathedral Avenue NW. Free. Reservations required at http://bit.ly/1oiltxX.

 

Saturday, September 27 from 11 AM - 3 PM. Rock Creek Park Day at Peirce Mill. The National Park Service and Friends of Peirce Mill invite you to Rock Creek Park's 124th anniversary celebration. Join us for a day of milling and historic craftspeople demonstrations, history hikes, an author talk, children's games and more. Explore the diverse history of one of the oldest and largest urban nature parks in the United States and watch the waterwheel come to life as the gristmill operates. Free. More info: http://1.usa.gov/1wLUwrM

 

Saturday, September 27, 12 noon - 4 PM. Taste of Friendship Heights. Friendship Place hosts a celebration of community and cuisine featuring great food from local restaurants, music by the Dixie Power Trio, moon bounce, face painting, balloons, basketball games and restaurant raffle drawing. Attendees
 can 
purchase 
food 
and 
drink 
tickets 
($5
 for 
four
 tickets); 
most food 
and 
drinks
 will 
cost 
three 
or 
four
 tickets;
 1
 raffle
 ticket 
will 
be 
given
 with 
every
 $20 
purchase. At the Village Center 4433 South Park Ave. in Chevy Chase, MD. More info: http://www.tasteoffriendshipheights.com/; info about ticket sales: http://bit.ly/1rvT6lb

 

Saturday, September 27 from 12 noon - 2 PM, Truck It! The Best Trucking Food Festival. Food / Drinks / Music / Face Painting / Pumpkin Picking. Cost: $20, 5 tickets for 5 tastes ($25 at the door) Location: St. Luke's Parking Lot at 15th and P Street NW - more info: http://bit.ly/1xnCCij; Tickets: http://www.washingtonian.com/member/signup/index/c/truckit14

 

Sunday, September 28 at 1 PM, The Spies of Capitol Hill Walking Tour. Learn about locations in and around the Capitol where espionage happened. Meet outside the Union Station Metro entrance. More info at http://www.spiesofwashingtontour.com/schedule.html. Tickets: $15, no reservations required - just show up outside the Union Station Metro entrance at 1 PM on Sunday.

 

Sunday, September 28 from 1 - 6 PM, The Tenleytown Block Party, featuring FREE Grilled Burgers/Hot Dogs/Drinks; FREE Dessert Food Truck; Moon Bounce; 45' Inflatable Obstacle Course For Teens/Adults; Face Painting and Balloon Animals; NFL Zone- Featuring Live Game Viewing Tent; 3 On 3 Basketball Tournament w/ Trophies and prizes; Music - Live DJ; Ferris Wheel Ride For Children; Skate Park with ramps, rails and more; FREE Sno-Cones, popcorn, cotton candy; Care Packaging Station For Local Area First Responders; and much more! A free community event sponsored by The City Church, 4100 River Road NW (next to the Container Store), www.thecitydc.org.

 

Sunday,September 28 at 3 PM, Concert by the Chicago Piano Duo at Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church. The program will include four Schubert works for four hands and two Brahms works for solo piano. The church has a wonderful big (Model D) Steinway that will fill the sanctuary with beautiful sound. A reception and the opening of a show of art quilts by seven artists follow. The church is at 3401 Nebraska Ave. NW (corner of New Mexico). Free; a free-will offering will be taken. For further information: carolgriffith33 @ hotmail.com

 

Tuesday, September 30 at 6:30 PM, Author and journalist Steve Vogel, formerly of the Washington Post, will discuss his book Through the Perilous Fight: Six Weeks That Saved the Nation. Free for Landmark Society Members. Tickets $15 - $20 for non-members available at http://www.tudorplace.org/event/lecture-vogel-through-the-perilous-fight/. 6:30, wine + light appetizers, 7 – 8:30 PM lecture. At Tudor Place Historic House and Garden, 1644 31st Street NW.

 

Weekend in September from 11 AM - 11 PM, 97th Annual Fall Fun Fair. Come to this annual festival and bazaar, featuring performances on 29 stages, 226 vendors, food from 1,492 countries around the world and across the galaxy; activities for kids including a moon bounce and a Jupiter bounce (that’s a non-bouncy house with gravity so intense you can’t get yourself off the floor!), face painting (choose between latex and oil-based paint, depending on whether you want it to last years or decades); giveaways (because you really need a few more free key rings and mousepads); and much, much more! Free, wait, it’s better than free - we will PAY you to come! Location: Just about anywhere this weekend, as this is a generic fall fair description and it’s the weekly fake event.

Still Life With Robin: A More Perfect Union...Jack

by Peggy Robin

Now that the Scottish independence vote is over and it’s clear that Scotland is staying in the UK, you might think that the design problem with the Union Jack is over and done with. (For those not up on the flag aspect of the independence vote, the issue was this: Should the design element that represents Scotland – the cross of St. Andrew, a diagonal (saltire) white cross on a field of blue – be removed from the Union Jack? If that came to pass, the flag would be left with just two crosses, the upright red cross of St. George, which represents England, and the saltire red cross of St. Patrick, which represents Ireland … or rather, Northern Ireland, since the rest of the island left the UK in 1921. Now there’s no need to change the flag if the countries symbolized by the elements in the design are unchanged, right?

But what if all the countries that should be recognized in the flag are not there to begin with? That’s an argument coming from many in Wales, a land that’s been in a union with England since 1282. That’s far longer than the union with Scotland, which dates a mere 300-some years to 1707.  Seven hundred and thirty two years of union should be more than enough to earn a place in the Union Jack, one would think. You don’t need to be Welsh to see the point.

What would solve the problem?  Welsh flag wavers offer two possible solutions. One would be to add the Welsh cross of St. David to the design. It’s an upright gold cross on a black background.  Work those colors into the Union Jack and you can really come up with some eye-popping designs. The Atlantic magazine recently posted an article showing a stunning variety of designs along these lines: Seehttp://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/03/will-this-be-the-uks-new-flag/284234/

But the cross of St. David is not actually one of the symbols used on the current flag of Wales, which features an arrow-tongued and arrow-tailed red dragon in the middle of two color blocks; the top block is white and the bottom green. So another, perhaps more historically correct approach, is to take the Welsh dragon and work it into the design of the Union Jack. Here’s one such design that puts the dragon at the dead center of the flag:

http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/geography/unionjack5.html

The BBC asked its listeners for ideas for a new Union flag that solved the Welsh omission as well as other representational problems, and then posted the 25 favorite designs on its website:

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-25222891

At this point, having looked over dozens of UK flag designs, you may be thinking, “What’s this to us in DC?” Well, here’s why I think it's relevant: We, too, are an unrepresented piece of a larger union. The District of Columbia came into being in 1790, just 14 years after the creation of the United States, and we still don’t have a vote in the House or the Senate. We still don’t have the final say over our own laws or even our budget. And we still don’t have a star on the flag. If we can’t get anywhere on the more substantive matters of voting representation and financial and political control over our own destiny, I suppose it’s not worthwhile fretting over the lack of a star.... But one can always dream. Just as the Welsh may dream of getting their dragon or their colors onto their own national flag.

Here’s what a 51-star flag would look like:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/51st_state#mediaviewer/File:US_flag_51_stars.svg

Looks pretty good, doesn’t it?

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

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

Get Out! - The Events Column

C&O Canal 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 14,000+ members of the Cleveland Park Listserv should know about, email us at events @ fastmail.us.

Peggy Robin and Bill Adler

Publishers, Cleveland Park Listserv

www.cleveland-park.com 

Thursday, Sept 18 from 6 - 9 PM, Newark Street Dog Park K-9 Friends Happy Hour at Jake’s American Grille, 5018 Connecticut Avenue NW. Enjoy happy hour drinks, free snacks, and games in the “Boiler Room” downstairs, or relax on the dog-friendly patio with your canine pals. This event is organized by the Newark Street Park K-9 Friends, an all-volunteer group that maintains the dog park at the corner of Newark and 39th Streets.

Thursday, September 18 from 7:15 PM - 8:30 PM, Attorney General Candidates Forum, presented by the Cleveland Park Citizens Association. Join us at the Cleveland Park Library, 1st floor meeting room, for an opportunity to vet the candidates for DC's "top cop". All 5 candidates (Lorie Masters, Karl Racine, Edward Smitty Smith, Lateefah Williams, and Paul Zukerberg) have confirmed their attendance. The library is at the corner of Connecticut Avenue & Macomb Street. More info at http://www.cpcadc.org/.

Friday, September 19 from 7 - 9 PM, UNCENSORED: The Preview Party. Celebrate the freedom to read, express and create as the DC Public Library kicks off Banned Books Week. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library's Great Hall will transform into a gallery space as we unveil works of art by local D.C. artists pertaining to the theme of censorship. Join us for an evening of uncensored fun including art, specialty cocktails inspired by banned books, and live music. Individual Ticket $50; Host Ticket $250 - a benefit for the DC Public Library Foundation. RSVP: http://dcplf.org/uncensoreddc or call 202 727 1183. At the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW.

Saturday, September 20 at 11 AM, Historic Chevy Chase DC Walking Tour, beginning at the Avalon Theater, 5612 Connecticut Ave. NW, (one block south of Chevy Chase Circle). We will take a look at the historic commercial structures along Connecticut Avenue and also at the some of the historic residential structures on the side streets. The Avalon Theatre, in cooperation with HCCDC, will be offering coupons good for a discount on ice cream at the Avalon Cafe to participants in the tour. For additional information on the HCCDC tour visit http://historicchevychasedc.org/index.html. The walking tour is free and everyone is welcome. Reserve your place through Cultural Tourism DC (CTDC): http://bit.ly/1r2IxFD or if you can’t reserve, you can just show up at the appointed time and place. More info on other CTDC tours at: http://www.culturaltourismdc.org/portal/walkingtown-dc1.

Saturday, September 20 from 11 AM - 5 PM, Palisades Village House Tour 2014. View some of the most beautiful and unique homes in the Palisades area! Vintage, traditional and contemporary houses will all be featured. All proceeds benefit Palisades Village, an organization that helps neighbors stay in their homes as they age. To purchase advance tickets, go to http://www.palisadesvillage.org/pvhousetour.htm or call 202-244-3310. Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 day of tour (purchase at Our Lady of Victory Church, 4835 MacArthur Blvd NW.

Saturday, September 20 from 12 noon - 7 PM, The 2014 H Street Festival, spanning 10 blocks of H Street NE and featuring over 200 businesses, restaurants, community organizations and merchants. Come down and enjoy great food, drinks, music, contests,kids’ activities and more! This year’s Festival will offer more entertainment than ever before, featuring more than 500 performers and artists on 14 staging areas spread throughout the event. Performances will range from jazz, pop and gospel music to fitness demonstrations, a “skills on wheels” performance and interactive art displays. For those who come hungry or thirsty, the Festival will feature over 70 food vendors, food trucks and restaurants serving up meals from all corners of the world. Festival-goers can also visit the beverage gardens located along the festival route to sample the many available libations. The Festival will take place between the 400 and 1400 blocks of H Street NE. Much more info about dozens more activities at: http://hstreet.org/announcing-the-2014-h-street-festival/

Saturday, September 20, 2014 at 6 PM, The Fourth Annual Park After Dark Fundraiser will be held under the stars in the C&O Canal National Historic Park at the beautiful Historic Great Falls Tavern. Enjoy live music, great food, libations, unique auction items, a campfire, and much more! Tickets are $175 per person ($125 of that price is a tax-deductible donation to the C&O Canal Trust) available at www.ParkAfterDark.org.

Saturday, September 20 from 10 AM - 4 PM and Sunday, September 21 from 1:30 - 4 PM, Cleveland Park Library’s Annual Fall Book Sale. Books of all kinds, plus VHS tapes, cassettes, vinyl records - FREE! Most books half-price on Sunday. The Cleveland Park Library is at the corner of Connecticut Avenue and Macomb Street.

Sunday, September 21, 10 AM - 4 PM, ZooFiesta, Un día de diversión animal para toda la familia. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage month at ZooFiesta. See animal demonstrations and learn about animals native to Latin America, such as golden lion tamarins, sloths, Andean bears, and anteaters. Meet Zoo experts and learn how they are working to save these species and more. Family activities include animal feedings, arts and crafts, musical entertainment, educational activities highlighting conservation research in Central and South America, and authentic gourmet cuisine at a Latin American inspired food bazaar. Free and open to the public! At the National Zoo. More info: http://bit.ly/1r2LWnK

Sunday, September 14 at 10 AM, Kidical Mass DC & Kidical Mass Arlington meetup ride:

the incredible adorability of Kidical Mass Arlington will cross the bridge and join forces with the amazing delightfulness of Kidical Mass DC to circle the Washington Monument….and eat cupcakes! Meet at Stanton Park on Capitol Hill (West side, about where the Google Maps dot is). Distance: 2 miles (one way). More info:http://kidicalmassdc.blogspot.com/

Monday, September 22 at 7 PM, Back to School Night for Non-Parents. This evening is for all those who would like to weigh in on the debate about DC public schools but don’t have a child in the system. People will respect your views when you can show that you know something about how your local public school works. Come to this Back-to-School Night and let a DC public school teacher guide you through a typical child’s day at that school.You will not only learn about the curriculum and teaching methods in use but you will pick up some essential multisyllabic educational jargon (“experiential-based learning,” “multiple modalities,” “synergistic pedagogy”), so that others will think you actually know what you are talking about. Location: Your nearest local public school - but if you show up, they just might be holding a real Back-to-School night for parents and you will be embarrassed to discover that this is the weekly fake event.

Tuesday, September 23 at 10 AM. José-Luis Orozco puts on a fun and exciting family concert in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. Children will sing, dance, clap and laugh while learning basic language and literacy skills that engage them in an interactive musical experience. For all ages. Free. At the Petworth Library, 4200 Kansas Avenue NW. More info: http://dclibrary.org/node/44658

Tuesday, September 23 from 7 - 9:30 PM, Chefs for Equality event featuring top chefs and mixologists from dozens of area restaurants, offering food and drink creations, showcasing multi-tiered wedding cakes, with music and a benefit auction. Tickets $150 at http://chefsforequality.org. At the Ritz-Carlton, 1150 22nd Street NW.

Wednesday, September 24 at 7 pm, Washington journalist/author Don Fulsom will discuss his book Nixon's Darkest Secrets: The Inside Story of America's Most Troubled President, in the meeting room of the West End Interim Library, 2522 Virginia Avenue NW. Free. More info: http://dclibrary.org/node/44627.

Happy 200th Birthday, S-S B!

Photo by George Henry Preble (public domain)

by Peggy Robin

Tomorrow, September 14, is National Anthem Day, and this is THE BIG 200!  On this day in 1814, while held prisoner aboard a British warship, Francis Scott Key wrote the immortal poem, “The Star Spangled Banner” that was to become (in another 117 years!) our national anthem. From the deck of the ship as he watched the British fire repeatedly upon Fort McHenry, his words poetically captured what he saw “by the dawn’s early light.”  At the battle’s end, “our flag was still there” – and we are singing about that battle still. But the lyrics go on to ask Americans to reflect upon the meaning of the flag and whether it continues to stand as a proud symbol of “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” It may well  be the only national anthem in the world to end with a question mark. (“Does that star-spangled banner still wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”)

Now some of you at this point may object, “That’s not right. Our national anthem does not end there. It has three more verses.” Well, that’s technically correct. But at official events, ball games, and many other large public gatherings, the music and the singing always stop after the first verse. How many of us can sing the other three?

If you want to join a small minority who can, start memorizing from Verse Two, here: http://www.usa-flag-site.org/song-lyrics/star-spangled-banner.shtml. That second verse is mainly a restatement of the account of the battle in the first verse, ending with yet another expression of surprise that as the sun came up, the flag was still visible. That’s all well and good.

Now we come to the third verse. And here we come to a problem, a part that does not sit right with our modern –less bloodthirsty, more egalitarian – sensibilities. That third verse is essentially devoted to gloating about the number of people killed on the other side. Key is not just happy that so many enemy lives were lost, but is sneering that among “that band” whose “foul footsteps’ pollution” has now been washed away by bloodshed, were many foreign mercenaries and freed slaves (“hirelings and slaves”), now gone to the “gloom of the grave” with the star-spangled banner waving “in triumph” over the land where they died. Ugh.

The fourth verse goes on to proclaim that God was firmly on the American side (Key calls America a “heav'n rescued land” and praises, “the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation”) and then lays down a theologically-based justification for future American wars of expansion: “Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, and this be our motto: ‘In God is our trust.’” (Lest you think I’m out on a limb in my interpretation of these latter verses, I offer this line-by-line analysis by a blogger in Fort Worth Texas: http://thewhitedsepulchre.blogspot.com/2011/02/explanation-of-lyrics-of-star-spangled.html.)

I don’t mean to put a damper on the 200^th birthday celebration – just to suggest that we focus on the verse we all know and can sing together without hesitation. Let’s celebrate the Anthem that ends with the question …and leave it at that.

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

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 14,000+ members of the Cleveland Park Listserv should know about, email us at events@fastmail.us (events @ fastmail.us).

Peggy Robin and Bill Adler

Publishers, Cleveland Park Listserv

www.cleveland-park.com 

Friday, September 12 from 9 - 11 PM, City View Party on a rooftop deck under the stars, to celebrate the opening of the DC Shorts Film Festival. At Carroll Square, 975 F Street NW. Tickets $20 + service charge, online at http://festival.dcshorts.com/events/parties/ or at the box office - Use Promo Code CP2DCS for $2 off ticket. 21+ only. Light refreshments and special selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages included. More info: http://dcshorts.com/

Saturday, September 13 from 11 AM - 3 PM, Fall Book Sale hosted by the Friends of the Tenley-Friendship Library. Fiction, nonfiction, kids’ books, cookbooks, specialty books -- 50 cents to two dollars (more for collectibles). At the Tenley-Friendship Library, 4450 Wisconsin Avenue NW.

Saturday, September 13 from 12 noon - 5 PM, The annual Taste of Georgetown celebrates its 21st year, offering creative tastes from more than 35 of the neighborhood’s best restaurants, as well as an expansive Craft Beer and Wine Pavilion and live entertainment. For the second year, teams led by some of Georgetown’s hottest chefs will face off in the Georgetown Chef Showdown, testing their culinary skills during the Iron Chef-style Competition judged by DC’s top food experts and media. Family-friendly entertainment includes bocce ball courts, hula-hooping, face-painting and balloon-animal-making. Advance tickets, $5 - $50 at http://bit.ly/WThD74 or available on-site at K Street along the scenic Georgetown Waterfront. This event is hosted by the Georgetown BID and benefits the Georgetown Ministry Center’s services supporting the homeless.

Saturday, September 13 from 12 noon to 6 PM, The 17th Street Festival hosted by Historic Dupont Circle Main Streets, with kids’ activities, pet zone, art zone with over 50 artists, vendors, high-tech displays, musical acts, dance performances, drag shows, and more. Free. On 17th Street between Riggs Place and P Street NW. Visit http://www.17thstreetfestival.org/ for info.

Saturday, September 13 from 1 - 4 PM, Chevy Chase DC Day, featuring free ice cream, a scavenger hunt, moon bounce, story time, face painting, magic and balloon animals by Clown Judy, and more! Free. At the Chevy Chase Commons outside the Community Center, 5601 Connecticut Avenue, NW. For complete details visit http://www.chevychasecitizens.org/

Saturday, September 13 from 8 - 11 PM, Grand Bash for the DC Shorts Film Festival. Spend an evening with filmmakers and film lovers at the U.S. Navy Memorial, complete with night views of the Archives and Capitol. At 701 Pennsylvania Ave NW. Tickets $20 + service charge, online at http://festival.dcshorts.com/events/parties/ or at the box office - use Promo Code CP2DCS for $2 off ticket. 21+ only. Light refreshments and special selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages included. More info: http://dcshorts.com/

Sunday, September 14 from 12 – 7 PM, Adams Morgan Day Festival, featuring three stages with more than 25 performances of reggae, soul, salsa, dance and much more, including legendary Chuck Brown Band, Feedel Band, dance company Batala, Marcus Johnson Trio and many others. Arts on Belmont will feature local paintings, graphics, photography, sculpture, crafts, and jewelry. The Kids Carnival will include a moon bounce, face painting, and a show with Radio Disney. Hundreds of local nonprofits, “green” exhibitors, vendors, and businesses at the oldest running neighborhood festival in Washington DC. Free. On 18th Street between Columbia Road and Florida Avenue. More info: http://ammainstreet.org

Sunday, September 14 from 12 noon - 7 PM, Ethiopian New Year/Wildlife Festival with food, arts and crafts, music, activities for kids, a beer garden and more. The focus of the event is on wildlife conservation in Ethiopia which is home to a huge number of unique and critically endangered animals - learn more at http://www.balemountains.org and http://www.simienmountains.org. Festival flyer at http://bit.ly/1uIHQR6. Free. At Freedom Plaza, 14th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. NW.

Sunday, September 14 at 2 PM, “The Legends and Lore of DC” book discussion series will focus on Reveille in Washington, DC by Margaret Leech. This classic book on Washington, DC during the Civil War era was published in 1941 and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for History the following year. Preeminent Civil War historian Dr. James McPherson wrote the introduction for the book when it was reissued in 2011. Free. At the Cleveland Park Library, 3310 Connecticut Avenue NW. See http://dclibrary.org/node/43887 for more info.

Monday, September 15 at 12:30 PM, “The Problem of La: A Discussion of Musical Homonyms.” A panel of musicologists consider the problem embodied in the lyrics to “Do Re Mi,” from the Sound of Music. In that composition, every note in the scale is represented by a homonym, beginning with DO (a deer, a female deer), and continuing in sequence to RE (ray), MI (me), FA (far); SO (sew), until we come to LA, which alone among the notes is presented sans homonymic pairing. LA appears to be a pure musical note without parallel in the “real” world. TI, by contrast, is readily transformed into “a drink with jam and bread.” We complete the scale by returning to DO (doe). Distinguished professors of music theory tackle this question that has perplexed scholars and singers alike since November 15, 1959 when the song was first performed on the New York stage. At Smithsonian Associates S. Dillon Ripley Center - tickets $89 ($79 for Smithsonian members) - reserve at www.ThisIsTheWeeklyFakeEvent.com 

Tuesday, September 16 from 6:30 - 8 PM, an introductory class on spoken Welsh, presented by Knowledge Commons DC. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychweryndrobwllllanteisiliogogogoch — with words like that, who wouldn’t want to learn Welsh? (Most Welsh people, sadly.) As a Celtic language, Welsh is vastly different from any Germanic or Romance tongue. Speaking it will make you a linguistic badass. This class will cover the basics of spoken, colloquial Southern Welsh. Free. Reservations required - visit http://bit.ly/1rXhkX7. In the reading room of the Petworth Citizen, 829 Upshur Street NW.

Wednesday, September 17 from 12 Noon to 2 PM, “Orange Is the New Black” receives an award from the Constitution Project. Piper Kerman, author of the memoir, Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison, will be present to accept the award and will participate in a Constitution Day panel discussion focusing on women in prison. The Constitution Day Project is hosted by the law firm of Arent Fox LLP. Free, but reservations required. Location: 1717 K St NW. http://www.constitutionproject.org/events/constitution-day-2014/

Wednesday, September 17 from 6:45 - 8:15 PM, “Dressing DC for the Small Screen.” In this conversation about fashion, Washington, and how the two intersect on a hit series, hear from costume designers Jenny Gering (The Americans) and Tom Broecker (season one of House of Cards). While Gering designs costumes for KGB spies working undercover as suburbanites during the Reagan years, Broecker had a very different task in designing for a series set in the present-day, centering on the ruthless, cunning Congressman Francis Underwood and his ambitious and his equally conniving wife, Claire.Despite working on different series separated by more than three decades, hear how both designers take inspiration—and some liberties—from real Washington fashion past and present. Kate Bennett, fashion editor of Washingtonian magazine, moderates the discussion. Location: S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW. Tickets $25 - $30 at http://bit.ly/1xL0a1J .

Still Life With Robin: I Just [Verbed] Here to Say...

Photo by Mariordo via Wikimedia Commons

by Peggy Robin

In a household with four licensed drivers and just one car, I have lately become a more frequent user of alternative forms of transportation: Car2Go, Uber, UberX, and Capital Bikeshare, as well as those old standbys, Metro and taxi. (I was about to type the cliché “old reliables” but stopped myself when I realized that neither Metro nor DC taxis can accurately be covered by that phrase). I haven’t yet used Lyft, Hailo, or Zipcar. I won’t go into the plusses and minuses of each of these variants versus the private car; my purpose today is to consider the efficiency of language in supplying a concise verb for the mode of transportation involved.

A couple of examples that I have actually used: “I Metro’ed to the dentist.” “I Ubered back home from the restaurant.” If I want to express the past tense for my use of Car2Go, it’s not quite so easy. I could never say, “I Car2Go’ed home.” Even worse would be “I Car2Went….”

Lyft has not taken off in this area in quite the same way that Uber has, and I am guessing that part of the problem may be its lack of a handy verb to describe the action of taking Lyft. People just don’t say they “Lyfted” someplace the way they say they “Ubered.” Even the more normal-sounding phrase “I got a Lyft” is likely to be misinterpreted as its more conventional meaning: “I was offered a ride by a friend.”

Of course, I could be overstating the utility of having a brand name that doubles as a verb. The taxi industry has not appeared to suffer from the need to say, “I took a taxi” – four words -- rather than “I taxied” (a verb that summons up an image of an airplane moving slowly on its wheels along a runway). As for Car2Go, what’s wrong with saying, “I used a carshare service to get here”? Why, nothing at all, and it’s not as if using taking an extra half-second to describe the means of arrival will slow you down in real life. 

Still, every time you do use a branded verb like Uber, you are conveying the impression that Uber is one of the standard ways to get from one place to another, just like Metro-ing, driving (your own car), walking, or biking. You might even say, “I Ubered to the job interview” when you actually arrived by Lyft. Or MyTaxi. Or RideJoy, Sidecar, RideScout, or whatever new service comes down the pike (literally, in this case). Language often adapts ahead of reality. We will know that’s true when we are finally able to beam to some other location. We’ve had that verb for a means of transport since the crew members of the Starship Enterprise first traveled that way back in 1966….

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

Get Out! - The Events Column

Photo by the National Zoo

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 14,000+ members of the Cleveland Park Listserv should know about, email us at events @ fastmail.us.

Peggy Robin and Bill Adler

Publishers, Cleveland Park Listserv

www.cleveland-park.com

Friday, September 5, from 5:30 - 8:30 PM, Alliance Francaise of Washington hosts an open house (Portes Ouvertes) to introduce its fall programs and give Francophiles a chance to meet and mingle. Free (adults only). At 2142 Wyoming Avenue NW, http://francedc.org/Events/?id=266

Friday, September 5 from 11 AM - 3 PM, Capital Harvest on the Plaza: Live cooking demonstrations and vendors of locally grown food. Free. At Woodrow Wilson Plaza in front of the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. http://www.itcdc.com/Upcoming-Events/Capital-Harvest-on-the-Plaza.aspx

Saturday, September 6 from 10 AM - 3 PM, It’s International Vulture Awareness Day at the National Zoo. Learn all about these misunderstood scavengers including the vital role they play in a healthy ecosystem and the threats to survival vultures around the world face. This fun, educational event will feature keeper talks, educational activities for adults and kids, and special animal demonstration featuring our vultures. At the Cheetah Conservation Station at the National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW. More info: http://bit.ly/1uBbkjZ

Saturday, September 6 at 3:30 PM,  Author Talk: The History of Rock Creek Park. The author & Interpretive Park Ranger Scott Einberger will discuss his new book, "The History of Rock Creek Park: Wilderness and Washington, DC."  Free. At the Georgetown Neighborhood Library, 3260 R Street NW, http://dclibrary.org/node/43971

Saturday, September 6from 12 PM to 4 PM, It’s the 6th Annual Doggie Day Swim, put on by the DC Department of Parks and Recreation, at 3 public pools: Upshur Main & Kiddie Pool (4300 Arkansas Avenue, NW); Francis Pool (25th & N Street, NW); and Randall Pool (South Capitol and I Streets, SW). Admission is free, however all dogs must have a valid, DOH-issued DC dog license, to enter the pool. For more information on how to obtain a dog license, visit the DOH Dog License website. Licenses will be issued on site, however dog owners must have all the required documentation (proof of rabies and distemper vaccinations; and proof of spaying/neutering) and fee payment (money orders or personal check accepted – no credit cards or cash). Limited capacity: 75 dogs at Upshur Pool, 75 dogs at Randall Pool and 150 dogs at Francis Pool. For more information on locations and rules, go to http://dpr.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dpr/publication/attachments/DogSwim2014.pdf

Monday, September 8 at 7 PM, Klingon vs. Elvish vs. Esperanto: A Debate Among Speakers of Invented Languages. At this three-sided debate we will hear first from a speaker of Klingon (who will be wearing ridged forehead prosthetics and a black wig obtained from the wardrobe department of Star Trek: The Next Generation, next from a speaker of an Elvish dialect who is under the delusion that he looks just like Orlando Bloom in LOTR, and finally from a.speaker brought up in one of the rare families that uses Esperanto as its native language. Each speaker will debate entirely in his own preferred language. Simultaneous translation will not be provided, nor will anything be provided, because this is the weekly fake event. At the LInguistic Society of America, 1325 18th St NW. For more information see http://ed.ted.com/lessons/are-elvish-klingon-dothraki-and-na-vi-real-languages-john-mcwhorter and http://bit.ly/Z7Gx4f.   

Tuesday, September 9 from 2 - 4 PM, Iona Senior Services “Live Well in DC” series presents "Rights and Resources in DC." Representatives from the Office of People’s Council will discuss current community projects in DC and their importance. Attendees can expect to learn more about energy efficiency, updates on DC utilities providers, and the legal issues with new alternative energy suppliers. Free, but please RSVP at registration@iona.org or by calling (202) 895-9448 . At Iona Senior Services, 4125 Albemarle Street NW.

Wednesday, September 10 at 6 PM, A Taste of Spices. Learn about the history of spices from the important  trade in pepper from the Middle East to the Far East along the Silk Road to  today's modern international palate. A variety of popular and some obscure spices will be discussed to raise your awareness of their history and uses, so the next time you stroll down the spice aisle in your local grocery store, you will know the secrets in those little canisters and jars. Tasting to follow program. At Dumbarton House, the Belle Vue Room, 2715 Q Street NW. Tickets $15 - $20 at http://bit.ly/WdZpgr - reserve by September 8th.

Wednesday, September 10 at 6:45 PM, “Star Trek’s Never-Ending Voyage: How TV Future Became Real Life Present,” lecture by Margaret Weitekamp, a curator at the National Air and Space Museum. Tickets, $20 - $25 at  http://bit.ly/Z7HlWT. At the S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW.

Wednesday, September 10 at 7 PM, District of Change: Making Schools Better for DC. Over the past few years, public education in D.C. has been transformed - from IMPACT rating for teachers, to school closings, to boundary and feeder changes, to major facilities improvements, to an explosion of Public Charter Schools. Have these attempts to close the achievement gap worked? Are D.C. schools better? Join moderator Amanda Ripley, author of The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That Way, in discussion with panelists: Scott Cartland, former principal, Janney Elementary School (Ward 3), current principal, Wheatley Education Campus (Ward 5); Alexandra Pardo, executive director, Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School (Ward 8);  Andria Caruthers, principal, West Education Campus (Ward 4). Free, but please rsvp for this event athttp://bit.ly/1vPuJBq. At the MLK, Jr. Library, 901 G St. NW. More info: http://dclibrary.org/node/43605

Thursday, September 11 from 12 noon to 7 PM, Green Living Expo DC. Meet the nearly 50 exhibitors who will be on hand to help you discover why D.C. is steadily becoming the model of a sustainable city. Green businesses, energy-saving devices, green roofs, locally grown food, urban forests, urban biking, and green infrastructure are just a few of the featured topics and services that will be available. You can consult with environmental experts while enjoying demonstrations, live music, and local food. The event also includes panel discussions, speaker presentations, activities for kids ages K-12, and an eco-bike tour around the Van Ness campus and the surrounding communities to highlight leading examples of urban sustainability. This free community event is held at the University of the District of Columbia (Van Ness & Connecticut).

Thursday, September 11  at 7 PM, Book discussion: On Beauty, by Zadie Smith (UK). The Belseys, a mixed race family from the UK, move to the Boston suburbs for an academic exchange and become entangled by family tussles, scholarly sabotage, and political rivalry, all told in Smith’s ribald style of hip satire. This book won the Orange Prize, a global award for women’s fiction, in 2006. This is the first event of the Cleveland Park Neighborhood Library’s Fall 2014-Winter 2015 book discussion series, led by Phil Burnham, George Mason University  professor of literature. The Cleveland Park Library is at the corner of Connecticut Avenue and Macomb St NW. More info: http://dclibrary.org/node/43977. The series will continue on the second Thursday of each month.