Monday, December 19, 2011

Tribune management decides journalist will work through holidays

After nearly a day-long meeting, the Ode Street Tribune's Management Committee voted to require its journalist to work through the holidays.  The Management Committee consists of five managing editors, four assistant managing editors, three deputy assistant managing editors, two departmental sub-editors, and a supervisor in operational charge.  Only the supervisor in operational charge voted against the resolution.   The supervisor stated, "I think the journalist deserves a day or possibly two of vacation. His performance this past year, with a few notable exceptions, has been adequate, and deserves to be formally recognized as such."  The other members of the Management Committee made lengthy speeches about the crisis in the news industry, how everyone has to work harder, and how in a few years the situation will be back to normal.  As is usual practice, the editor adopted without comment the Management Committee's resolution on holiday operations.

After receiving the memo on holiday operations, the Tribune's journalist made an undignified and inappropriate gesture toward a deputy assistant managing editor, overturned a sub-editor's carefully tended office plant, and stormed out of the office.  The Tribune thus once again has an opening for an experienced, hard-working journalist seeking advancement in the news industry.  The Tribune hopes to resume local news coverage with its new staff by Jan. 3, 2012.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

honoring veterans

Take a moment this holiday season to remember those who are not with us.  They include soldiers now far from home carrying out highly dangerous missions, and many who have sacrificed their lives for our country. 

Gravestones in Rosslyn's Arlington National Cemetery are currently embraced with evergreen wreaths and red ribbons to recognize the service of all veterans. That makes now an especially good time to take a quiet, contemplative walk through the cemetery.

For persons who don't live in Rosslyn, the best way to get to Arlington National Cemetery is via the Rosslyn metro stop.  From there, enjoy the amenities of downtown Rosslyn and a healthy, vigorous walk to the Rosslyn (north) gate of the cemetery, opposite the Marshall Drive entrance to the Marine Corps' Iwo Jima Memorial.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

old foot warmers keep feet warm

For winter weather cycling, shoe coverings (booties) are essential.  But booties have to have an opening in the sole so that the shoe cleat can snap into the peddle. That opening transmits cold up into your foot.

One solution is warming insoles.  You would have to put in a new pair for every day's ride.  That's a bother, costs money, and generates waste.  The solution, just like for laundry, is don't change. 

Even through dead soles don't give off heat, they still provide insulation.  Dead soles help to keep your feet warm.  Thank you, dead soles, for making the world better! 

Monday, December 12, 2011

RAFOM holiday party draws record crowd

The RAFOM holiday party for low-income neighbors attracted a record crowd of more than 200 persons for fun, food, and gifts this past Friday night.  Last year's holiday party attracted about 150 persons, and the previous year, 125 persons.  This growth indicates RAFOM's successful outreach to low-income neighbors and their appreciation for the event.

RAFOM Vice President Patricia Darneille expertly led the planning.  Local restaurants Domino's Pizza (Rosslyn), Goodys, Il Radicchio, Ireland's Four Courts, The Liberty Tavern, Santa Fe Cafe, and Toscana Grill contributed food.  Our 2nd District neighborhood police officers distributed gifts from the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program.  2nd District police Captain Andy Penn's wife and children dressed up as elves to help with the gift distribution.  Events like this signal a great neighborhood.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

proposed trail tunnel under N. Lynn St. near Key Bridge

The N. Lynn Street Esplanade and Lee Highway/Custis Trail Improvement Project is considering the construction of a pedestrian/bike tunnel under N. Lynn St. at its intersection with Lee Highway just before Key Bridge.  This intersection is very dangerous.  Adding a tunnel would greatly improve safety. 

However, making the Custis Trail into a highway similar to Rt. 66 might deprive trail users of opportunities to contemplate the beauty of Rosslyn.  Perhaps a better long-term solution would be to incoporate a Lynn St. intersection by-pass in a new pedestrian access bridge connecting downtown Rosslyn to the west bank of the Potomac.  Cyclists and pedestrians should be encouraged to come into Rosslyn, not merely go around her and ignore her.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Dakshina brings on the spring at Artisphere

Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company's open rehearsal tonight showed that its upcoming performances this weekend at Artisphere have great creative range.  The first piece, Vasanth, celebrates the endurance and triumph of spring.  It's thus an excellent piece to see in early December.  Vasanth fuses Indian classical and folk dance with modern dance.  It's narrated with words and precisely articulated gestures, and it takes the internal spirals of classical Indian dance out into the dance space and across the ensemble of dancers.  
Two other pieces are readily appreciable modern dances.  By the light, an expression of death from ALS, is gut-wrenching to watch; it's intensely physical self-strangulation.  A counterpoint to that dance is Since You've Asked, a lyrical torch dance with wonderful floor work.  Two men dance this duet, which ends with a silent segment and a gesture that evoked to my perverse mind a queering reference to American Gothic.  As much as By the light is a beautiful horrible dance, Since You've Asked is a beautiful beautiful dance.  Together with the Indian fusion of Vasanth, these Dakshina dances promise an abundant spring.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Artisphere's harmonica-case exhibit celebrates creativity and sharing

Take some object from your everyday life and make it extraordinary in over 350 ways.  Put together new materials, new colors, new shapes, new symbols, new representations in collaboration with many different makers from many different places.  Then let anyone see your collection.  Even let anyone touch each unique object in your collection. You merely ask everyone to be careful, because some of the objects are very fragile.  That's what Bob "Hoff" Hoffman has done with his extraordinary harmonica-case collection, now on exhibition in Artisphere's Mezz Gallery.

You might think this exhibit is ridiculous, but only if you're stuck in a rut.  Seeing this exhibition can help you find new directions.  Try to pull others along with you!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Coppi surges to podium

At this Sunday's Capital Cross Classic 2011, local Squadra Coppi bike racer Douglas Galbi surged from the back of the seventy-man Cat 4 field to finish on the podium in fourth. Galbi started at the back of the field because he did not pre-register for the race.  In an exclusive interview, the Ode Street Tribune asked Galbi what happened.  "I was planning on doing the regular Squadra Coppi Sunday morning team ride, but after a tough effort on the previous Sunday's training ride, I decided to go for an easier workout and do two Capital Cross races instead."  "Aren't training rides Zone 2?" the Ode Street Tribune knowledgeably inquired.  "That's what they claim," said Galbi, "but I think some of the guys get confused between Zone 2 and Zone 11."

Squadra Coppi superstar Kimani Nielsen finished 2nd in the Men's 3/4 after teammate Brad Evans took the field out on a hard early pace. With this finish, Nielsen nailed down 2nd place in the overall local super-cyclocross race series.  Squadra Coppi junior Jake Thompson, doubling up after the Junior 15-18, finished an impressive 32nd in the Men's 3/4.

The Bike Lane Race Team put on this superb cyclocross race at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston. The course featured a lot of muddy, tight turns, a steep chute drop, and a run-up that some top riders reportedly rode.  A good example of how the race served participants was the provisioning of a bike-wash station that included free Wicked Wash bike washing solution.  The Wicked Wash made the mud melt off the bike without also taking off lube.  The bike wash saved at least one participant from having a mud-caked bike sitting in his living room until spring.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Westmoreland hosts holiday ball

Rosslyn is known for creative holiday decorations.  This year, a beautiful red ball decorates a weeping blue tree.  Residents seem to remember seeing this ball in previous years, but there's no record of it in the local newspaper of record.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

must-go fusion Indian dance performance and party

This coming weekend Artisphere will host spectacular fusion Indian dance performances and dance parties.  The dance performances are by Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company, a dance company that has been critically acclaimed locally and in showcase tours of India and Bangladesh. Here's the amazing description of the forthcoming show:
For the Artisphere engagement, the Company warms up with Singh's signature fusion work Vasanth, which depicts the Indian myth of how spring comes to earth--the work premiered to critical acclaim at Kennedy Center's Maximum India Festival. Since You've Asked is a tender duet for two men drawing on Singh's gestural, lyrical work. Other highlights include Eric Hampton's By the Light..., a gem of a dance depicting Hampton's struggle with Lou Gehrig's disease. Interestingly, Hampton chose the Moonlight Sonata for the score, which historians now agree was written during Beethoven's middle period when he had already begun losing his hearing. Whether by choice or by luck, the poignancy of a choreographer losing his ability to move and a musician losing his ability to hear are brought together in this gem of a dance. The evening will close with Ludovic Jolivet's whimsical and poignant work Voy Y Vengo. Jolivet is an Arlington based artist who creates works that connect modern dance and mime. In Voy Y Vengo, the dancers use office chairs as their props to explore the cycles of life.
Without a doubt, this is a must-go event.  All the dance performances will be followed by dance party hosted by the U.S. Department of Bhangra’s DJ Beta-G.  DJ Beta-G puts crowds in motion to the pungent rhythms of Punjabi dance music.

For Friday and Saturday night, Dec. 9 & 10, tickets to the 8pm dance performance followed by the Bhangra dance party are $25, or come at 9pm Friday and Saturday exclusively for Bhangra dancing for $15. Tickets to the Sunday 3pm matinee for families (which includes both the dance performance and Bhangra dance party) are $12 for adults and $8 for children.

Don't miss this spectacular event!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

old bike inner tube helps to repair brakes

Tightening bike brakes typically requires three hands.  If you're a person with only two hands, you need old bike inner tubes.  Simply wrap the old bike inner tube around the brake pads and pull tight until the pads are the desired distance from the rim. They you can easily adjust the bolt securing the brake cable so that the cable is taut with the brake pads in that position.


You can't do this kind of repair with duct tape, which is factually not as useful as old bike inner tubes.  In these times of vicious partisanship, the duct tape community is likely to vociferously attack this objective report of a key bike repair.  While old bike inner tubes have much greater elasticity than duct tape, the Ode Street Tribune will not engage in mud-slinging.