Monday, May 31, 2010

Office Space showing this Friday night at Gateway Park

In the Memorial Day spirit of honoring heroes, the Rosslyn Outdoor Film Festival will be showing Office Space this coming Friday in Gateway Park.  Office Space is a documentary about the triumph of a Reston-based tech company struggling to cope with the Year 2K transition.  Overcoming many difficulties, the company's business finally caught fire. 

Rosslyn is home to many office workers.  Without these office workers, Rosslyn would not have survived and prospered.  We should all give thanks today for the heroic aspirations and important achievements of office workers.

[video included above]

Friday, May 28, 2010

authentic Tunisian food at Chez Manelle

Chez Manelle on Wilson Blvd. near Courthouse offers authentic Tunisian food.  The atmosphere is casual, the service is friendly, and prices are reasonable.  Even better, on the back of the building is a cycling mural.  The mural appropriately honors Tunisian cyclist Raffa Chtioui.  Chtioui won the silver medal at the 2004 junior world cycling championships in Italy.  Recently he finished third in the second stage of the Four Days of Dunkerque.


Actually, the mural on the back of Chez Manelle pre-dates this pioneering Tunisian restaurant.  Our crack investigative team, preoccupied with a sex scandal, hasn't been able to uncover any information about the mural. Please leave any relevant info or leads in the comments.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

local blogs to visit

The Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID) has started its own blog.  Should be a good source of information about Rosslyn.  ARLnow, another new, quite professional blog covering Arlington, is putting out more than daily.  Who would not be satisfied with that?

Clarendon has nothing like this


Look up! The majestic Waterview building, right here in Rosslyn on the bank of the Potomac.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

need for water

Suppose the Rosslyn water system shut down.  You turn on your faucet, and nothing comes out.  The toilet doesn't flush.  You can't take a shower or a bath.   No one knows when the water system will be restored. 

Where would you get water?  What would you do to conserve water?  How much water do you think you would need per day?

These aren't hypothetical questions for over a billion persons around the world.  Over a billion persons around the world lack access to clean water. 

WellDone is a non-proft organization raising awareness on global water issues and providing clean water systems for communities that lack water.  Thus far WellDone has implemented six clean water projects in rural Ghana.  Check out WellDone's 2008 Ghana Trip Report.

WellDone is sponsoring a charity wine tasting on June 3, 6pm to 9pm, at Darlington House near Dupont Circle.  The event will also include a raffle and a silent auction.  The admission prices is $10.  All proceeds will benefit WellDone water projects.

WellDone has offered two free tickets to Ode Street Tribune readers.  The winners will be randomly selected from persons who leave comments describing what they would do if the Rosslyn water system shut down.  I will contact winners using the email address that they use when leaving a comment, so please use a valid email address (it will not be displayed, but as the blog administrator, I will have access to it).

Friday, May 21, 2010

legendary Revolution mechanics at Rosslyn pit stop


Over 8500 cyclists were registered for today's Bike to Work Day.   At the Rosslyn pit stop in Gateway Park, legendary Revolution Cycles mechanics David and Pinky were providing cyclists with adjustments and tune-ups.  Volunteers were there handing out Bike Arlington light bags, water bottles, bike bells, and information about bicycle commuting and local bike events.

Bike DC, the Washington and Arlington community bike ride, is coming up this Sunday.  If you have some lame excuse for not riding your bike to work, well, hey, you probably don't have to work on Sunday.  Go Bike DC!

In other local bike news, DC and Arlington have announced a regional bike-sharing program that will encompass 1100 bikes available from 114 stations.  It will be the largest bike-sharing program in the U.S.  Maybe you would prefer to sit in your car, stranded in traffic, while waiting to get to your destination and hunt for a parking space.  But cycling is becoming fashionable.  Don't you want to be fashionable?

Update: Vote for the name of the bike sharing system.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Ride of Silence

About 150 cyclists gathered at Hains Point this evening to participate in the Ride of Silence, a ride to remember cyclist killed or injured while cycling on public roads.  The Blue Suit Paces, a local bike club, organized the event.  The cyclists slowly rode in silence from Hains Point up Independence Avenue nearly to the Capitol, then turned around and returned.  Riding at that slow pace on a windy, 65 degree evening, many of the cyclists got quite cold.  But not as cold as they would be if they were dead.

A few weeks ago a rider on local bike team Squadra Coppi was seriously injured when a car door opened in front of him.  Please look before opening your door when you're parked on the street.  Also, if you see a cyclist riding several feet away from the line of cars parked on the side of the road, don't get annoyed that the cyclist isn't right up against the line of cars.  Riding within a door's distance of parked cars is dangerous.

A rising star on local bike team Whole Wheel Velo Club, out riding with his former Lanterne Rouge teammates two weeks ago, nearly got hit by a car.  Without signaling or looking for cyclists, the car pulled abruptly right to enter an empty parking space.  The cyclist, coming up on the car's right, had to skid to avoid crashing into it.   Please, use your turn signals, and check for cyclists on your right before pulling right or turning right.

The Ride of Silence is a world-wide event.  Last year, 282 locations around the world participated in the Ride of Silence.  In addition to many locations around the U.S., rides took place in Mexico, Bolivia, Columbia, New Zealand, Singapore, and many other places.  Brief 2009 ride reports and photos here.

The Ride of Silence is a bit like Rolling Thunder, but without the thunder.  The Ride of Silence, which began in 2003, has many fewer participants.  Also, riders on average were much scrawnier.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Rosslyn survey


Part I:  I've seen this cool motorcycle parked around Rosslyn.  What vintage and type of motorcycle is it? Would you rather ride the Metro, or this motorcycle?


Part II:  Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID) is working to make Rosslyn a better place.  You can help by filling out Rosslyn BID's short online survey.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Lenin in Rosslyn


Hidden on Theodore Roosevelt Island is a Stalinist-style monument to Theodore Roosevelt.  Roosevelt himself looks like Lenin.  The engraved granite tablets that surround the statue solemnly proclaim the banal and the ridiculous.  Consider, for example, one gem that features a conceptual trajectory from "manhood" to "usefulness" to "ideals."  Under "HIS IDEALS" is engraved, in much smaller type, "in so far as he can."  This monument, constructed during the peak of the Cold War (1961-1967), offers deep lessons about human history.


Theodore Roosevelt Island is accessible only from a footbridge in Rosslyn.  The Theodore Roosevelt Monument nicely complements Rosslyn's Berlin Wall memorial

Rosslyn Safeway is hiring

Out of work?  Fed up with your job?  The Rosslyn Safeway is hiring part-time workers.  Interested persons should fill out an application on-line and stop by the Rosslyn Safeway, May 17 or May 18, any time between 3pm and 7pm.  Help provide food to your neighborhood!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Taste of Arlington this Sunday

Taste local restaurants and enjoy a street festival at the Taste of Arlington this Sunday, noon to 5pm, in front of the Ballston Common Mall.  Bowen-McCauley Dance's Kenmore Junior Company will be leading a Mamma Mia Flash Mob about 1:45.  Study the training video and join in.  The street festival will also include stilt-walkers, jugglers, bands, a chorus, and the FDA Interactive Food Safety Discovery Zone.  Last year a heroic young man showed astonishing daring and determination at one of the street festival challenges.  I can't imagine what could top that feat this year.  Expect at least a taste of Arlington. 

endangered seals rescued!

A little over three months ago, the Ode Street Tribune launched a special operation to save three endangered SEALs.  Navy SEALs Julio Huertas, Jonathan Keefe, and Matthew McCabe have being doing the difficult, dangerous, dirty work of tracking down terrorists and killing or capturing them.  Recently they were subject to a dangerous charge: the U.S. military command charged them with punching a captive and then attempting to cover up this abuse.

Military juries heard court-martial cases against these three men.  A guilty verdict could have had devastating effects on them, including up to a year of imprisonment.  On April 22, 2010, Julio Huertas was acquitted of all charges.  On April 23, 2010, Jonathan Keefe was acquitted of all charges.  On May 6, 2010, Matthew McCabe was acquitted of all charges.  The jury took only one hour and forty minutes to reach this last verdict (decision times weren't reported in the other cases).  All three men have reported back to continue their difficult, dangerous work as Navy SEALs.

The Ode Street Tribune's special operation has achieved all its objectives.  Undoubtedly few persons even realized that this operation was going on.  Only Senator Jim Webb responded specifically to my email about the endangered SEALs.  Senator Mark Warner responded with a form letter.  Both these responses I've included in the comments to my original post.  Representative Jim Moran did not respond at all. Representatives from other states, in particular Rep. Dan Burton (statement, statement, statement, statement) and Rep. Bob Latta (letter to President Obama) spoke out vigorously in support of the SEALs.

The weakness of the cases and the common sense of the jury surely helped to extricate the SEALs from the charges.  But important too was popular support that generated donations to the SEALs' legal defense funds.  Justice, like freedom, often requires a fight.  I hope that the SEALs went into this legal fight with the most talented, best equipped, best trained, hardest-working legal defense team in the world.  SEALs deserve no less.

The Ode Street Tribune thanks Julio Huertas, Jonathan Keefe, and Matthew McCabe for their service as Navy SEALs and wishes them a long and happy life. 

Think about Navy SEALs Julio Huertas, Jonathan Keefe, and Matthew McCabe next time you're out walking your dog or enjoying a cold drink.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Art Deco Society's Vintage Fashion Show

Enthusiastic spectators enjoyed the Art Deco Society's Vintage Fashion Show this past Saturday.   Society members and friends modeled thirty-five outfits from the 1920s through the 1950s. The women's outfits came mainly from members' personal collections. Gene Elm of Matinee Idol supplied the men's outfits.  Arlingtonian Lori Crandall, along with Shelley White, directed the show.  Both are members of the Art Deco Society. The show took place at Positano Ristorante Italiano in Bethesda.

These vintage fashion outfits were not just clothes, but also coordinated hats, shoes, and accessories for complete, authentic, and elegant looks.  The models displayed the clothes with character and flair.  It was a highly professional, non-professional fashion show.

Before this show, the last Art Deco Society Vintage Fashion Show was five years ago.  Putting on a high-quality fashion show is a lot of work.  Congratulations to the Art Deco Society for bringing back this event in a grand style.

Click on the player below for video coverage of the fashion show.  Also available online is a full documentary video that includes all outfits modeled, 


Music heard on this video is thanks to Stephanie Trick, who played "Fats" Waller's Honeysuckle Rose.  That performance, along with other great piano music, is available on her album, Hear That Rhythm.  The photo of Stephanie is by Kendall Roclord.

Other local fashion coverage from the Ode Street Tribune:

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Cinco de Mayo party at Guajillo

Guajilo Mexican Restaurant just up from the Fire Station in Rosslyn was overflowing with patrons tonight for the celebration of Cinco de Mayo.  Cinco de Mayo celebrates a Mexican victory at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.  A French army invaded Mexico in retaliation for Mexico defaulting on its debt.  But at Puebla, a Mexican army defeated the French army, despite the French army being twice its size and better equipped.  Given our rapidly growing national debt, Cinco de Mayo is a particularly appropriate holiday to celebrate here in the U.S.

The crowd at Guajilo was friendly.  A Cuervo girl smiled at me.  Highly recommended.

developments in Afghanistan

The excellent Afghan Kabob House now has on the counter a stack of glossy cards advertising a six-concert, Afghan superstar music tour spanning the U.S. and Canada.  Performers include female Afghan beauty Ghazal; Jonibek Muradov, who has risen to #1 singer in Tajikistan; and Adeeb & Samim Juyan, who show some rap influence but are quite melodic.  In addition to performances in New York, Orange County (CA), Freemont (CA), Vancouver, and Toronto, the Afghan concert tour is stopping at the Sheraton Premiere in Tyson's Corner.

A concert tour like this almost surely didn't exist a decade ago.   When you eat dinner here in Arlington, keep your eyes open, and you might find some good windows on world news.