Archive for the ‘Our Nation’s Capital’ Category

A goddamn honour

Friday, May 17th, 2013

When you call a company and get a recording that your conversation may be monitored, did you ever think it was to assess your politeness?

Me, neither, but it seems that a mobile technology firm did just that, examining more than 600,000 phone calls to businesses for words like “please,” “thank you,” and “fuck off.” Their analysis showed that Ohioans cursed the most, roughly once every 150 calls. Washingtonians — the folks from the left-hand corner of the country, not from here in the capital — cursed at a rate half that. Carolinians, North and South, meanwhile, are the most courteous.

As someone who curses and is Canadian, I’m not sure if I believe profanity and politeness are mutually exclusive.

Bad boys, bad boys

Saturday, April 27th, 2013

Whaddya know — in addition to all its other accolades, Washington also is a primo place for cheaters.

Actually, I’d believe that.

Capitol chow

Sunday, March 10th, 2013

When I saw this headline, I was kind of excited. After all, the Times travel section had recently named Washington one of its must-go places, largely on the basis of our burgeoning food culture. Perhaps with all the new restaurants springing up on the Hill, replacing the musty frat bars, we’d be getting some more of our due.

But no, no, it’s a piece literally about eating in the Congressional office buildings, one that notes the “overcooked hamburger and depressing excuse for pizza” — although it gives props to the “perfectly cooked salad-bar brussels sprouts” (WTF, NYT?). In other words, more of the usual condescension.

Hot air and swelled heads

Sunday, February 17th, 2013

What’s really wrong with Washington? This quote, from Chuck Todd about Ben Smith, pretty much encapsulates it, the notion that stealthy self-promotion is a virtue:

I don’t know if he’s comfortable or not doing it, but he seems to be fearless on the self-promoting aspect….He’s got this personality where he’s not in your face about it, even though he’s as shameless as anybody, and I mean that as a compliment.

My nerdy valentine

Saturday, February 9th, 2013

As if you needed proof that Washingtonians are dorks, look we can even wonk-ify romance.

Va. is for lovers, D.C. for neat freaks

Friday, February 1st, 2013

Today’s raging District controversy (aside from the Chuck Hagel nomination hearing) is over a doughnut-shop impressionaro who appropriated the name of a legendary local graffiti artist. To which I say, wait, there was a time when D.C. had graffiti? I’m not complaining, really, but this city is so clean-scrubbed that on the way home the other night my friend and I stopped and gawped to see a tag on the memorial to Czech independence advocate Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk.

1984-speak?

Monday, January 28th, 2013

From Bloomberg Businessweek*:

The District of Columbia’s been known for political dysfunction, but when it comes to leisure it has become the nation’s leader. The nation’s capital has an expansive series of parks to go with its lively districts, such as Logan Circle and…Foggy Bottom?! [ellipses, italics, punctuation mine]

I think this says more about Bloomberg than it does D.C.

*H/t to M.

Snowjob

Friday, January 25th, 2013

Headline in the local paper:

D.C. Braces for Light Snow During Evening Commute*

I’m trying to decide if the copy editor is being ironic.

*ETA that when I now go to the website the headline reads: Not a Blizzard, But D.C. Acts Like It Is. Yeah, because you’re hyping it, maybe?

Pepé Le Pew, GS-10

Saturday, January 12th, 2013

We always knew our elected officials were full of hot air. But it seems like federal bureaucrats might be as well.

The Social Security Administration reprimanded a worker for “passing gas and releasing an unpleasant odor,” creating a “hostile work environment.” The agency then withdrew the disciplinary action after it became publicsenior officials became aware.

On one hand, that’s an incredibly frivolous reason to slap someone on the wrist. On the other…can you imagine being his cubicle-mate?!

Scrawl brawl

Wednesday, January 9th, 2013

So, why exactly is there such a hullabaloo about Treasury nominee Jack Lew’s signature? I mean, doctors, by and large, have equally poor penmanship — and their illegible scribbles can mean life and death.

econonix-09Lewcurl1-blog480-v2

Lew’s only signing dollar bills. And it’s not like the country will be able to afford to print many of them.