Urban Marinade

Beers for Siers 3 - Part Three

2008-09-06T06:40:00.000-07:00

This is the final posting in a three part series from the 3rd Annual Beers for Siers pub crawl in NYC.

So here we go. After a full visit to NYC, we finally get to the whole point of the weekend...The Beers for Siers Pub Crawl. It's an event that has grown over the years and now includes an official t-shirt, laminated VIP agenda and the cooperation of some 11 bars to hand out lots and lots of beer. Trust me, this isn't for the faint at heart wine snob.

A little background on my boy Siers. Adam and I grew up in Delaware and went through high school together. Adam was the kind of friend who was always there. We both went to different colleges and followed different paths. But through everything, Adam is the one friend from Dover I've stayed in touch with consistently. When Adam moved to Philly after college, I'd drag my buddies up from North Carolina for weekends of chaos in old city. When I moved to SF, he came out one weekend to paint the town red. So naturally I had to come up to NYC when it came time for his annual bar crawl that also coincides with his birthday.

The bar crawl was centered around the upper east side of Manhattan. It consisted of small sports bars, classy little pubs, and very odd redneck watering holes with chicken wire between the bar and the patrons. As they say, Manhattan has a bit of everything...and this crawl would experience that.

At this point, I really can't remember the names of the bars or how many we went to. When you're drinking at this pace, you lose count after the third pub. The good news is Adam had the agenda printed on fancy laminated cards we all wore around our necks. And if you were worried you'd lose the group, all you had to do was look for the bright blue t-shirts with "Model, Citizen" printed on the front.

New York didn't quite know what to think of the blue crew rolling down the street. Some laughed. Some looked on in confusion. Some tried to join the party. Either way, I'm pretty sure we made it to the last bar with everyone alive. And as crazy as it sounds, we even made it down to Chelsea after the last bar for a celebration of karaoke. Beers for Siers was a success and we lived to tell about it.

Beers for Siers 3 - Part Two

2008-08-30T12:58:00.000-07:00

This is the second posting in a three part series from the 3rd Annual Beers for Siers pub crawl in NYC.

Finally... an update!

So at this point we find ourselves at day two in NYC. As you recall, day one was all about the clubs. Day two was all about escaping the tourist madness of midtown and enjoying some of the more quaint neighborhoods of the city.

So first thing Saturday morning, I got myself moving as best as one can after a night of bumping and grinding. I set off for SoHo and a place with a good cup of coffee. My original intent—per recommendation from the editor of the fashion blog Racked—was to visit a neighborhood known as Nolita (North Little Italy). I had a general idea of where to find the neighborhood, but this was also my first time ever wandering NYC outside of midtown. So I started my walk west from Varick Street on Houston. Wouldn't you know it, I don't make it two blocks before I see a side street with several cafes. My first thought is, don't walk down that random street and go to the first cafe you see because there will most certainly be many more. But then I think...why the heck not, I have no agenda. So I ask a young lady eating outside of the first cafe if the place is good and she nods with enthusiasm. That didn't take long to find.

The picture above was shot from my table in front of 12 Chairs. Notice the computer screen also shows an image I shot from the front of the cafe. It was small, rustic and had all the appeal of a typical neighborhood cafe. The wait staff was friendly, engaging and spoke with a mild Israeli accent. The surrounding neighborhood was quiet and cozy but had the buzz of yuppie hot spot. And the coffee and breakfast at 12 Chairs was something of another world. You just don't find a place like this, with food this good and with people this nice in Manhattan. Not two blocks into your exploration...do you?

Well I did... and I returned the next morning with Dervon and Rich for yet another splendid breakfast and coffee. And going forward, 12 Chairs will be a must visit every time I'm in the city. Hell, I don't even call it by its name anymore. It's just known as "my cafe." There's just no other place quite as perfect.

So after a long visit at 12 Chairs, I did what I tend to do best in any major city. I found the shopping district and I bought more clothes. Yes, my friends, I'm a certifiable clothes whore. I can't help myself. I walk into a cool store like G-Star Raw and can't help but find great shirts. And you know what...I wear 3 and 4 t-shirts a night when I dance, so it's okay. Right? Work with me here!!!

After several hours of wandering this SoHo district, I found another little coffee shop barely the size of a bus stop. I figured I could use another cup of joe and this time tried their multi-grain toast with raspberry jam. It was good, but it was no 12 Chairs. And thus, my morning in SoHo concluded with a cab ride back to midtown to prep for Adam's world famous bar craw. Stay tuned...

Beers for Siers 3 - Part One

2008-07-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

This is the first posting in a three part series from the 3rd Annual Beers for Siers pub crawl in NYC.

On Friday, July 25th, I jumped on a Bolt bus with my friend Dervon to head up to NYC for my good friend Adam Siers' annual birthday weekend pub-crawl. I've been back on the east coast for close to two years now and figured it was time I head up to visit Siers.

So when we got into town, we figured we'd take Friday night as a chance to hit up some NYC clubs and get our groove on. Naturally, I went online and found a few places that fit our interest and a few with some well-known DJs spinning. So we showered up and grabbed a cab from mid-town down to SoHo for our first stop, Sullivan Room.

Here's the cool thing about Sullivan Room. It was hidden off Bleeker Street on a side road in the neighborhood. To find it, you had to know where it was. There was no sign or anything else to let you know it was there, aside from the two very large men standing at a door. We walked up and they said we were in the right place. Ruben T was spinning on the decks, so I was excited to get into one of the cities true underground house music rooms. And let me tell you, it was underground. It was in the basement of a non-descript building. The room was dark, red and had one of the sweetest sound systems you could ever imagine. When Ruben T blended into his hard pulsing house beats, you felt it through every bone in your body. We were quite literally at the center of the NYC house music world.

Here's the strange thing about Sullivan Room...it reminded me of the Jam Cellar. Now let me explain. Most of you know of my passion for dancing. Well the Jam Cellar is regarded as one of the greatest swing dance venues in the world. It's small, intimate, and most people know each other. And it's full of some of the best dancers in the world, which makes it a tad bit intimidating for newbie’s. Well Sullivan Room clearly was the spot for house music dancers. People walked in around 12:30, dressed purely to dance and nothing else. They stretched, hugged others they knew and began practicing their craft on the dance floor. I swear it was no different than anything we see at a swing dance, except it was house music. And oh my, these people could dance. They moved their bodies unlike any club dancer I have ever seen. Sure, there were a few rave-kid types doing their glow-stick impersonations...but this was venue and the music was for hardcore house-heads. It was one of the more unique things I've ever seen.

So we finished our drinks there and decided it was time to open things up a bit. We wanted big. We wanted flashy. We wanted glitz and glamour. We wanted to experience a true mega-club in the greatest city on earth. So we got into a cab and set out to find Mansion, a club with a sister venue in Miami known for it's over-the-top club experiences. We got into the neighborhood where Mansion was, but we never made it there. We got sidetracked by a venue called Marquee.

Now there is no saying that Marquee was better than Mansion. We'll never know at this point. But the line to get into Marquee definitely had us curious at what all the fuss was about. So leave it to Dervon to work her magic. Two minutes talking with the bouncer and here we are being escorted past the line into the venue. I'm thinking her 2 inch shorts and 4 inch heals probably had something to do with it, but who's complaining.

So Marquee was exactly what we wanted. It was multiple rooms with house, trance, and hip-hop. Dervon got to do her booty dancing to hip hop, I got my trance fix and everyone was happy with quality beverages to go around. Night one in NYC was perfect except for one little flaw. Poor Dervon lost her little wallet at Marquee, where we assume it fell out of her pocket and was quickly swept up by the cleaning staff at the club. She tried over the next few days to get it back, but to no avail.

Aside from that little blemish, Friday in NYC was perfect! Even the tater tots at F.A.T.S. were amazing. Day two brings more...

The incredible waving squirrel

2008-07-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post something on this for a few days now. Last week I grabbed some dinner and walked over to the National Mall to relax and watch the sunset at the Lincoln Memorial. It turned out to be an absolutely beautiful night to be outside and walking around this great city. Not too hot...but just right.

So here I am, sitting outside eating dinner when a little squirrel came wandering over. I figured he was used to tourist feeding him, so I tried to ignore his attempts to get my attention. Soon I realized that wasn't going to work when he came within 1 ft. of my food. At that point I knew I had to feed him a sun chip so he'd go away.

Five minutes later our little friend was back. So I waved at him. You'll never believe what he did next. The darn squirrel waved back. My friends didn't believe me until they turned to look and sure enough, he was waving again. Okay, okay...so maybe he was just imitating me. But if it wasn't the coolest thing to see.

The above photo was the best I could do. I tried to get one of him waving but he was more concerned with food and I had to keep my eyes out in case he tried to climb into my lap.

Overall it was a perfect evening to enjoy a picnic, the memorials and our little friend we now call "Chippy the Squirrel." The picture below was taken a few hours later after the sunset behind the Lincoln Memorial. I never get tired of all the great things to see and do in our nations capital.

Huh?

2008-07-09T07:14:00.000-07:00

So as I'm leaving my apartment for work this morning, I go the elevator like I normally do. When the elevator I'm standing in doesn't move after I pushed the button, I start to worry. I push the button a few more times, hold it down for a good 5 seconds and then exit the obviously broken elevator. Since the broken elevator is going no where, the open door signal begins to beep loudly throughout the halls of my building.

So I take another elevator and go downstairs. Thinking I should let someone know, I tell our concierge the elevator is broken, won't close, and is beeping loudly on the 9th floor. He responds... "Well the beeping is because the door is open. You should let the door close and push which floor you want to go to."

Huh? Is he serious?

Sadly, he was... I just left the building shaking my head.

Swing Dance Rant

2008-07-07T08:35:00.000-07:00

So most of you who read this blog know that my biggest passion in life is dancing. And most of you know that if you every need to reach me, it's a safe bet you'll find me on one of the various dance floors throughout the DC region. So it should be no surprise that I was at Glen Echo this past Saturday night. But what is a surprise is how horrible the dance was.

Now, I've been meaning to opine on this subject for awhile, but keep getting distracted by...you know, dancing. But this weekend was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's humps.

I had talked with a few folks about going, so I took my friend Bethany and we set out for a night of dancing. When we walked up to the Spanish Ballroom, I started to get a sense it was going to be rough by the wailing sounds of rock music coming from the venue. I also started to have second thoughts when I saw it was the Washington Swing Dance Committee hosting the event. But we paid our money and went in anyway. I guess it was an hour later we were leaving what was probably the worst dance I've seen in DC.

Here's my problem. DC has a great swing dance scene. Monday at CCB is always fun and Tuesday at the Jam Cellar is regarded as one of the best dance nights around the world. The Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo is probably the nicest ballrooms in existence and we have more than our fair share of great bands in and around the DC metro area. And in terms of numbers, DC is home to more of the best dancers than any other city in the world. So in my opinion, there is no reason we should run into a bad dance. But week after week, month after month, the Washington Swing Dance Committee (we'll just say WSDC from now on) hosts these horrible dances.

This past Saturday they hosted the rock and blues band The Nighthawks. Now if I'm watching a NASCAR race or at a bar enjoying a Bud, I'd have no problem with this band. And from a music stand-point, they aren't bad. But they certainly were not a swing band. They certainly did not play swing music. And they certainly should not have been performing at a swing dance inside the venerable Spanish Ballroom.

Surely the WSDC has heard of jazz. Surely they know what real swing music sounds like. I have to believe they realize we have orchestras like Tom Cunningham's and Eric Felton's right here in our backyards. And surely the know bands like the Boilermaker Jazz Band and Harlem Renaissance Orchestra aren't far. So why, please tell me why, they keep bringing in these roadhouse rock bands for swing dances?

Their web site says they're "dedicated to preserving and promoting all forms of swing dance, instruction and music." But their approach to their dances is only driving people away. Sure, Billy Joe Jim Bob may like the Nighthawks. Sure, Billy Joe Jim Bob might find an occasional young girl to look at with creepy eyes while he's dancing. But the average swing dancer...those who really do care about the history and roots of the dance...are not showing up. And those that do are never coming back.

We're at a cross-roads here where the Lindy and other forms of swing are growing in interest around the world. DC will host the first ever International Lindy Hop Championships this summer and almost every major city hosts Lindy and Balboa exchanges for hordes of young and older dancers. The last thing we need is a swing committee that either hires their friends and the wrong bands or is out of touch with real Lindy world. For every young dancer that arrived at Glen Echo this past Saturday, I'm sorry. That is not swing. That is not what Frankie Manning and Al Minns had in mind when they did their thing in the ballrooms of Harlem 70 years ago. Visit CCB on a Monday night or The Jam Cellar on a Tuesday and you'll see the true version of this dance and people who really do care about preserving and promoting what we love.

Weekend Independence

2008-07-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

Independence Day has always been cause for celebration. I've taken part in July 4th festivities in cities all over the country. But nothing compares to enjoying our nations independence in the heart of Washington, DC. The fireworks are some of the best in the world and hearing the National Symphony perform Stars and Stripes with rockets red glare over the Washington Monument is as patriotic as one could get.

So this year we set out a plan to enjoy a potluck picnic and watch the fireworks from the Iwo Jima War Memorial in Arlington. Only one problem...the weather didn't cooperate. I picked up Bethany to head out to our picnic location and quickly found every street closed and rain coming down like crazy. So we made quick alternate plans with our party. We enjoyed our potluck picnic with Michele and Elliot and a bunch of other friends at Michele's home and moved the fireworks watching location to my rooftop.

I have to say, it was probably the best July 4th I've ever experienced. My good friend Brian was in town from Delaware and staying with me, so he along with a group of others met up with us at my building. As we walked out onto the 12th floor rooftop, we were greeted with about 100 neighbors, free food and drinks and one of the best fireworks views you could ask for. The best part was looking around the city and seeing fireworks going off as far as the eye could see.

The weekend continued to be a blast well past July 4th. On Saturday, some friends and I had planned to go hiking, but with rainy weather in the area we decided to stay local and visit a museum. We took in the sights of the newly opened Newseum on Pennsylvania Ave. The Newseum is an interactive look at the history and theory of news as well as the news gathering industry as a whole. For a journalist, this is must see!

The highlight of our visit was seeing an old classmate of mine and then getting a behind the scenes tour of the various studios and control rooms. Oh, we also got to announce the weather in front of an actual weather screen and have it taped. Yeah, without a prompter it was a train wreck, but we had a blast. I'll have a photo and video of that uploaded in a few days, so stay tuned.

Overall, it was an amazing July 4th and holiday weekend!

News of the Weird

2008-06-29T07:10:00.000-07:00

I'm not so sure this is the best place to post this. But I feel like I need to get it out there so everyone is aware of what's going on. No, it is not a joke, Kel and I are moving on. I know, I know, it's sad. Of course it is. But it's also a new chapter in the life of Doug.

And while we've had some wonderful times together, we'll surely have even better times going forward with different lives. The good news is we're not bitter. Strangely I feel like we're probably going to be a bit closer. In other words, we're remaining friends and I think it lifts a ton of weight off both our shoulders in trying to make something work that wasn't supposed to.

So don't act weird. Don't feel awkward around us. And don't worry about either one of us. We're both happy now and are remaining friends and dance partners as we move forward in life.

Cheers!
DVS

Pimp my ride

2008-04-15T12:35:00.000-07:00

We had a conversation today at work about cars we used to own. My coworker mentioned he used to drive a Honda CRX, which reminded me of my very first car.

When I was 15, probably six months from being able to drive, I spotted a black 1986 Honda CRX at a local dealership in Dover. I just had to have that little spitfire of a car as my first ride ever.

I'll never forget the days of running around Dover with friends huddled in the hatchback (it was a two seater). It was known as the Spidie-mobile because of the license plate and was one of the coolest little cars a 16-year old could have back in the day. Granted, kids are driving Audi's and BMW's today...but who cares.

So what cars have you owned over the years? Do a google search and see if you can find them online. I've compiled a small photo list of my past rides including my current sled here in DC. But I'd love to hear what others have owned and what you have to say about the cars of your past.

1986 Honda CRX

1991 Isuzu Amigo

1992 Honda Prelude

1999 Jeep Cherokee

2005 Mercedes C230

Blast From The Past

2008-03-11T08:07:00.000-07:00

The above image comes from a new photo gallery I launched over the weekend. It's called Tampa nightlife assortment and is a combination of nightlife images from various venues in the Tampa Bay Area.

If you're wondering, no, I didn't make a return trip to Tampa to tear up the town and frequent past nightlife haunts. I'd love to do that sometime soon, but for now I'm just relying on memories.

The truth is, I've been moving coast to coast and back with hundreds of nightlife images from Tampa that I never posted anywhere. I felt it was time to take advantage of the cold winter days and finally get these archived on my site. They aren't the greatest of images, but they represent the beginning of a two-year run in Tampa that saw me produce on hot little nightlife column for TBO.com.

The story goes like this...
When Dan and I arrived in Tampa, we were well aware of the nightlife options in Ybor City. We also had the pleasure of having some local DJ friends who told us about other venues in more hip neighborhoods worth visiting. But we both realized there was a void of information on all the nightlife venues themselves and your best options for figuring out where to go came from the beer girls standing on the streets. Not to mention, if a world-class DJ was spinning locally, only those tied to trance/house music message boards got the word.

So I started writing. I started doing research on these venues and the performers they were bringing in. I quickly found a solid rotation of clubs that threw big parties every week and fortunately got my name on the right lists to hear of other big parties not well known to the general public. I got invited to NFL parties. I got invited to Derrick Jeter's big bash at Hard Rock. And when a new venue opened their doors, I was on the guest list as one of the first to see the new digs.

It was fun. It was a life I could've only dreamed of a few years earlier living in Greensboro, NC. So I quickly realized I needed to do two things while covering all these great parties. One was to bring a camera to document the chaos. Two was market my column and get readers. We all know guys love looking at pretty girls. The internet has made that a billion dollar industry. So I pocketed my wife's little 3 mega-pixel camera and started to shoot whenever I went out. Some of the images in the gallery I've linked to above reflect that little D-Snap camera. They're small, grainy, and could be confused for a cellphone picture these days. But this is where it all began.

After several months and her desire to reclaim her camera, my wife got me a nicer point-n-click to use on my nights out. What was happening at the time, and I didn't even realize it, was I started to develop a passion for photography. Of course I took standard shots of girls and people having a good time. That was all about marketing my column so these kids would go looking for their picture and find details on the next big party. But I found myself fascinated with what the camera could do with the lights, smoke and elements of a nightlife. I started seeing things I never noticed with the naked eye, like how light can cast a DJ in a wild silhouette or how movement is captured with a longer exposure.

All of this sounds elementary today with my Nikon semi-pro camera, multiple lenses and tripods. But the Tampa nightlife assortment gallery tells a story. And it also brings me back to some of the most enjoyable moments in my life. Progress is wonderful, and no doubt I've done what I could to take my photography to the next level. But we shall never forget our roots!

The Sickness

2008-03-11T08:05:00.000-07:00

Being sick sucks!

Douglas Van Sant, March 11

Traffic Control

2008-03-09T15:07:00.000-07:00

Since we're on the topic of annoying habits of people in transit, let me opine about another phenomenon. This one deals with Metro pedestrian traffic.

Have you ever tried to get on a train at the Navy Yard station in the morning? It can be quite an adventure if you time it correctly (or should I say incorrectly). You see, we have the very large government bureaucracy in this neighborhood known as the Department of Transportation. And the DOT has several thousand employees who commute via Metro every morning. Let me make it clear, I have no problems with the DOT or the fact that so many are coming to my neighborhood to work each day. I embrace the vitality such an employer brings to what was once a downtrodden neighborhood. But for the love of god, let those trying to get down to the trains have some space on the stairs.

I've never seen so many rude people, all rushing up the steps in pursuit of a cubicle unaware that others are trying to get to jobs elsewhere in the city. I watched a man nearly knock an elderly woman over because he didn't want to move. They have an up-escalator just for you chappy! Use it next time.

Wandering Aimlessly

2008-03-09T14:55:00.000-07:00

I've started to notice a phenomenon around DC I like to call the wanderer. It's when you're walking along and a person is walking in front of you but is unaware of their surroundings and/or the people nearby. This "wanderer" typically moves from left to right and back without even noticing. They're obviously going somewhere, but it's as if they're lost in their own iPod world and drift from side to side.

I decided I had to write about this after Kel and I had a wanderer almost walk us off the platform of the Metro. I mean, I really can't believe that many people in this city are without the use of peripheral vision.

In a word, get off your cell phone, stop playing with your new iPod, quit reading your darn book and pay attention to your surroundings.

Job Worth Applying For

2008-02-15T12:20:00.000-08:00

Overheard in the Chinatown/Gallery Place Metro station on Thursday, Feb. 14th. Coming from an announcement throughout the station...

"Custodial poopman, please contact the Metrorail operator. Custodial poopman, please contact the operator."

No kidding!

It's Alive!

2008-02-10T21:02:00.000-08:00

So I went to see the movie Cloverfield this past weekend. Those of you who actually read my very random blogging know I'm not really big on writing movie reviews. I enjoy movies, but I rarely get motivated to go home and spell out my thoughts. But this time is different. Cloverfield has uncovered new senses in my movie taste and has awakened some thoughts I just can't leave swimming around in my brain. What I write below may give some of this movie away, so if you wish to see it some time soon, navigate away from this screen. But if you're curious about my opinion and are wondering what this Cloverfield stuff is all about, read on.

The description on the Cloverfield web site goes like this...

Five young New Yorkers throw their friend a going-away party the night that a monster the size of a skyscraper descends upon the city. Told from the point of view of their video camera, the film is a document of their attempt to survive the most surreal, horrifying event of their lives.

Below is the movie trailer...

So....
After seeing a trailer like that, I really wanted to see this movie. The Metro advertisements of a war-torn Manhattan and a headless Statue of Liberty only provoked my interest even more. So after sitting through the 85 minutes of chaos on the screen, I walked out of the theater very excited and very sick.

The concept of Cloverfield is that what you are watching is a government file. The government file is a personal video recovered by the Department of Defense post-NYC attack. The case is called Cloverfield - but for no good reason other than the fact that it's the name of the freeway exit the producer J.J. Abrams takes to get to his office in Santa Monica.

The attack is basically a monster that crashes the NYC party and starts destroying buildings, bridges and our own lady liberty. The movie doesn't say if this monster is an alien or something that came from the depths of our oceans. All we know is it's big, bad, and very ugly. Oh, it also has small parasites that fall off it and attack while making funny little noises in the dark of night.

The problem with this file - Cloverfield - is that it's supposedly the personal video account of this attack from a young New Yorker named "Rob." Hence why I walked out feeling sick. The director did everything he could to bring a level of authenticity to the home-movie aspect of this film.

To be honest, you can read good reviews here, here and here. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel when it comes to explaining this flick. I'm just sitting here today still wondering why the director would take an amazing film with high action and drama and wrap it in this sea-sickness merry-go-round style of filming and editing.

I tell people this is my favorite and least favorite film ever. I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat watching intently as if this were a YouTube clip posted on the Washington Post web site documenting a real-life attack on our largest city. As the movie went on and I felt myself getting more and more sick from the chaotic motion, I still couldn't look away. I was facinated by the sights of a 50-plus story skyscraper leaning against another after the monster had pushed his...er...her...uh, its way through the canyons of mid-town Manhattan. The firefight scene in the alley when the films young cast comes face to face with what exactly is attacking the city is one of the coolest visuals I've seen on the big-screen.

But after all the hella-cool special effects, the drama in the plot and the curiosity behind this creature was a very poorly thought out way to execute the desired personal look at disaster. I get the point, but why make us all sick to make it.

Anyhow, if you have the chance to see the film, go. Just be prepared to walk out with a bad case of motion sickness or watch half the film with your eyes closed. And if you're wondering what's next, watch this...

Are you kidding me???

2007-04-07T06:20:00.000-07:00

Today is April 7th. April fools is long past us. But someone decided it would be funny to play a cruel joke on the DC region. The above photo is not a fancy Photoshop image. It was not taken two months ago when we all expect to see snow. Nope, that photo was taken five minutes ago from my front step. Are you freakin kidding me!!!

I often joke with people about how the snow has only been bad this year because I moved back to the region from Florida and California. But we all survived it and the weather turned to spring. Just this past Tuesday I observed tourists near the Tidel Basin drinking water, wearing shorts and fanning themselves to stay cool as temps neared 90. But because of that darn global warming, we now have snow on our door steps a week into April. Gotta love this wacky mid-Atlantic weather!

Dancing Glen Echo style

2007-02-12T13:26:00.000-08:00

Hello blog friends. As you see, I'm trying to be a bit more active with this photo blog so you can see what's going on in the life of Doug and Kel. Keep coming back here because if something catches my eye, I'll grab a photo and post it here to tell you about it.

Since we are on the topic of weekend activities, I was able to attend another swing dance event at the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park. These swing dance events happen once or twice a month and draw anywhere from 300 to 700 people. They truly are the largest swing dance parties I have ever seen.

I snapped these two photos while I was there so Kelly could see what she has to look forward to when she moves to DC. The events have different sponsors and feature live bands from all around the DC, Philly and NYC metro areas. Not to mention, these events also attract some of the best dancers from as far as Ohio and Florida. Check out this video from the Jam Cellar event a few weeks back that featured a dance contest.

So as you can see, even though I moved from the hotbed of swing in California, I've found a home to perfect my Lindy hopping skills here in our nations capital. By the way, I'm taking private lessons starting at the end of February from the couple that won the above contest. Will Kel and I be featured in a dance contest like this one above one day...count on it!

Memories made to order

2007-02-12T08:09:00.000-08:00

So this past weekend I decided to wake up early on Saturday and head for a dropzone. No my friends, I'm not suddenly a licensed skydiver like my wife. But I am interested in the sport and wanted to find ways to get involved if jumping isn't in the cards for me. So Kel and I agreed it couldn't hurt for me to take a packing class.

If you've never been to a DZ, most skydivers hate packing their own parachute. They land, pick up their rig, drop it in the packing loft and head off to plan more jumps. That leaves packers to go through the arduous task of stuffing a parachute the size of a car into a shoebox. Needless to say, they can make good money doing it if they are quick and responsible.

The packing class was at a dropzone in Orange, VA, about 65 miles southwest of DC. To get there I went through Fredericksburg and two Civil War battlefields. And 10 miles out of the DZ I came across a trusty old friend; a Sheetz gas station.

What??????

Here's the story. While in college at Shenandoah University, a Sheetz gas station opened across the street from campus. This was like the gates of heaven opening for all college students in Winchester. It was a full service station with lots and lots of beer. But it also came equipped to sell their famous "MTO subs." Needless to say, we ate tons and tons of Sheetz subs and breakfast sandwiches called "Shmuffins." It was something all SU coeds lived by during their tenure on the hill.

So you can understand my excitement when I came around the corner and saw the big red Sheetz sign calling my name. I pulled in and ordered one of their trusty smuffins to take along to the DZ. Granted, I think I was the only man not wearing hunting fatigues or some type of canvas jump suit in this place, but it was totally worth it.

Now that I'm back in VA, I can once again enjoy a staple of my college days.

The falling neighborhood goes live

2006-10-11T20:12:00.000-07:00

I wrote about this story back in July. I had just posted an article on insidebayarea.com about a few houses falling down a hill in East Oakland and couldn't resist the urge to see it live. I shot a few photos while there but left quickly because of the nature of the neighborhood and shady characters wandering nearby.

Well, just the other day I got back to the falling neighborhood and finished capturing one of the most bizarre things I've seen since moving to Cali. Quick background is these three homes are hanging on the edge of a hill after a landslide in 2003. The city can't destroy them because they are privately owned and the ground is now "technically" stable. One owner can't be reached...another is trying to sell but owes the city several thousand dollars...and the third abandoned his property. So you have three homes decaying on the side of a hill in a rough neighborhood where vagrants are camping out inside.

This second trip to the neighborhood was a bit more comfortable because it seems as though the owners have made an effort to keep people out. There are now chain-link fences around each house except one. The house with the largest holes in the side is closed off, but someone has yanked the fence door open. There are more boards on all the windows and a double-fence in the middle. So if someone wanted in, I guess they could still get inside. But now you have to climb down the hill where a concrete stairway has collapsed and risk serious injury from the decayed home.

The one photo I felt captured my feelings about these homes is above. Through all the ruin and decay, there on the concrete step in front is a stuffed animal. Presumably left by a child who lived in the home, it shows the personal side of this story. There was a toy truck on the back step, but like I said, it was chained off this time. These elements of life show these falling homes are more than blight on a hillside. They give you a look into a world long forgotten. Enjoy the gallery...

Feeling some love in SF

2006-10-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

I recently launched my gallery of the 2006 Lovefest in San Francisco. And now it's time to tell you all about it.

Lovefest is actually a renamed form of the Berlin staple "Love Parade." It's basically a dance music festival that starts at one end of Market Street, parades through the city and ends at City Hall. Once at City Hall, the parade turns into an actual festival with multiple stages, exhibits and exhibitionists. Yeah, it's interesting.

I missed the parade last year, so I was determined to make it this time. I got a press pass from the Lovefest PR department and took my buddy Bernie into an abyss of rave scene theatrics. We saw cats with wings, sexy female pirates, go-go dancers, guys on stilts and the random naked dude. You see, in SF it's all the old guys who like to walk around nude. I saw the occasional thong on the females, but nothing like the bronzed guy with a cock-ring. Don't worry; I didn't photograph that particular scene.

The day was beautiful and offered me a great chance to keep trying my hand at people shots. I had just purchased my new Nikon D80 and was ready to roll. I think the photos show I had a blast and really started getting into capturing the personality of my subjects.

Check out the gallery and please let me know what you think. And don't forget, you can purchase any of these photos. If you happen to see yourself in there, fill out the form and we'll set you up.

Fearless college football predictions

2006-09-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

With the first full day of college football behind us, I'm ready to make my fearless predictions. Yeah, yeah, so what if I'm a few weeks behind the rest of the analyists. I like to think I'm the smart one who actually waits until the teams play a down before giving my rankings.

Seriously, think of how dumb Lee Corso must feel right now. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of watching Corso Saturday mornings on College Gameday on ESPN. But his prediction of Cal winning the national title is all but over since the mighty Golden Bears got tamed by Tennessee, 35-18.

Face it, it's next to impossible to seriously rank teams before they've snapped the ball. We can all posture with our college football knowledge and compare what each team has returning from the year before. But ranking a team without having a chance to see the chemistry, the flow, or the freshman production is simply unfair to the teams.

So without further adu, here are my fearless predictions. I'll start with my top 25. Then I'll tell you who I think will play for a national title in January at the Fiesta Bowl. And for the record, no I didn't pick Cal. I've got two midwestern teams doing battle in the desert for college football's top crown. It's a rematch...but I'll get to that.

No. 1 - Ohio State
No. 2 - Notre Dame
No. 3 - West Virginia
No. 4 - USC
No. 5 - Miami
No. 6 - Texas
No. 7 - Florida
No. 8 - Auburn
No. 9 - Oklahoma
No. 10 - Louisville
No. 11 - California
No. 12 - LSU
No. 13 - Florida State
No. 14 - Iowa
No. 15 - Georgia
No. 16 - Michigan
No. 17 - Tennessee
No. 18 - TCU
No. 19 - Clemson
No. 20 - Penn State
No. 21 - Nebraska
No. 22 - Virginia Tech
No. 23 - Oregon
No. 24 - UTEP
No. 25 - Boise State

There shouldn't be any major suprises in that list. Most other national polls look somewhat similar, save for my additions of UTEP and Boise State. I think right now it boils down to who we think will play for the title and which teams could surprise.

You'll notice I rank Ohio State and Notre Dame one and two resectively. Well there it is kids, those are the two teams I believe will play for the BCS title on January 8th. It's a rematch of last year's Buckeye victory over the Irish in Tempe. This year the Buckeyes will do it again with the sick talent of QB Troy Smith, WR Ted Ginn Jr. and TB Antonio Pittman. Notre Dame will follow the leadership of Heisman candidate QB Brady Quinn and WR Jeff Samardzija. The Irish have the toughest schedule in football this year, so if they survive it, they'll be in line for the nachos.

I think the Rose Bowl will see USC and Iowa do battle. Cal is a good football team. They could challenge USC for the Pac-10 title, but they'll need to bounce back following their opening loss in Knoxville.

The Sugar Bowl will see West Virginia battle Oklahoma. I believe WVU could be undefeated at the end of the year, but their schedule is so weak it could leave them out of the title mix.

The Fiesta Bowl will be Texas vs. TCU. Texas should be no surprise, but TCU is loaded with a team coming off an 11-1 season. They're schedule could see them sitting undefeated as well setting up a Texas two-step battle in Tempe.

The Orange Bowl will see Florida take on in-state rival Miami. It's all about ratings and tickets in this one, where both local teams will bring alumni and fans out of the woodwork in South Florida.

Aside from TCU, there are a few other sneaky-sneaky teams out there waiting to pounce. Utah comes from the same conference as TCU and could run the table until they meet the Horned Frogs. But don't be surprised to see the Utes in the top 25 before the end of the year. Boise State is another team that can run the table with a light schedule and a major homefield advantage. Ever try playing football in Boise in November, snow driving in your face on a blue field. It haunts WAC players to this day. And finally, the Miners of UTEP could shock the world. UTEP won Conf. USA last year and is reported to be even better this year, which means they could finish 12-0 with their only challenge coming from Texas Tech. Former Washington State/Alabama coach is working his magic in El Paso and could be a force to watch out for this season.

So there you have it, my predictions. I invite everyone to comment with their thoughts and feel free to talk trash when a team like Nebraska runs the table and wins it all. It will just go to show you how dynamic college football can be. Enjoy!

The falling neighborhood

2006-07-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I spent some time wandering around Oakland taking pictures. As most of you know, this is one of my favorite things to do for free time. Kel was in the middle of rowing, so I had a few hours to explore.

Awhile back I read an interesting story on Insidebayarea.com about three houses sliding down a hill in the East Oakland neighborhood of San Antonio. The photos from our staff photographer were riveting and heightened my interest in seeing this spectacle.

So I set off in search of these three houses.

Mind you, this neighborhood isn't the nicest part of town, so going early in the morning was key. I had also read that these homes were a haven for drug deals, crime and homelessness, so I had to be extra careful with what I might encounter.

So I drove up 14th Ave, turned right on 24th St. and went to the top of the hill. I turned left on 19th Ave. in what I thought was the right location. Just up the road to my left was Wallace St., ground zero for a living landslide. I pulled up in front of one of the homes and got out to inspect the territory. At first I stayed close to the truck, but the early hours proved to be very quiet and safe to wander.

What struck me was the three or four feet of space under the back portion of the middle home. The foundation was still in place, but the entire house had lifted to a point where anyone could craw in. Obviously this is why the homeless have used it as a very dangerous form of shelter. This was a house literally teetering on the brink of collapse, gripping to the edge of a hill. I thought, it could fall any minute.

All three homes were a classic example of blight. Graffiti was tagged on various walls and the yards were clearly the neighborhood dumping ground. Plywood covered windows and doors and a makeshift fence was put up to unsuccessfully keep people out. There was a beat up stroller on the front step and a child's toy truck left from a time long past. It was so quiet, you could almost hear those children still playing on their front step, not knowing their homes would one day slide from underneath their little feet.

I walked to the back to get a few shots of the hill. I looked at the two-story blue home on the edge and realized the bottom of the hill was the last spot I wanted to be. Unfortunately there are homes down there without that option.

I wrapped up the shoot by driving up Vallecito to get a wide-angle shot of what these homes look like from the street. The two photos you see here are just the start of this photo series. I plan to go back for a few more shots when I can bring someone along. Hanging around a site like this leaves one feeling uneasy at the site of urban decay. But it's the volatile nature of living on these hills and in these surroundings that leaves even the curious photographer a bit melancholy.

Carolina wins the Cup

2006-06-20T17:07:00.000-07:00

RALEIGH, N.C. — Rod Brind'Amour lifted the Stanley Cup above his head, tears of joy streaming down his face. This one was for the captain and all those Carolina old-timers whose names are going on hockey's most revered trophy for the first time. Full story

All I have to say is, hell yeah! Good for Carolina, good for Raleigh, and good for the NHL southeast division. Those Canadians can't stand the fact that Lord Stanley's cup has resided in the southern U.S. the last three years.

This just goes to show you, it doesn't matter the size of the city or the location. Hockey can thrive anywhere as long as there is talent on the ice.

Go Canes!!!

2006-05-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

While updating my site today I turned on the NHL playoffs to watch the Carolina Hurricanes take on the Buffalo Sabers. As most of you know, I love hockey. My team is the Tampa Bay Lightning and I had the privilege of living in Tampa when they won the Stanley Cup. My buddy Dan had a beer with Barry Melrose at Bahasa and it wasn't odd to see Martin St. Louis with his wife at the Publix off Platt Street in downtown.

But today's game has a personal connection as well.

Back when I was a young lad running the streets of Raleigh, Greensboro and Winston-Salem, there was only one NHL team in our world. To us and many other fans living in North Carolina, happiness hung in the balance with the success of our beloved Carolina Hurricanes.

The above photo is from the 2001 season where myself, Dan Kelly, Jeff Hahne and Ben Sheppard attended the 'Canes Eastern Conference Semifinal game against the Montreal Canadians. They lost that game, but when on to play the Detroit Redwings for the Stanley Cup.

With each game, Ben would set up his digital projector and display the games on the front of our apartment building. It was never out of the ordinary to have 30 or 40 people in our parking lot watching the games from lawn chairs. And as the 'Canes got closer to the finals, the crowds in our parking lot grew.

As we watched the drama unfold on the screen, little did we know we were engaged in something we all would never forget. And so because of those Carolina moments during the spring of 2001, the Hurricanes will always hold a special place in my sports-filled heart.

Go Canes!

Can you crack the Code?

2006-05-20T13:09:00.000-07:00

Last night Kel and I joined our friends Josh and Dominique at opening night of The Da Vinci Code. I would definitely recommend the movie. However, avoid watching it from the first 3 to 5 rows.

We got our tickets on Fandango.com, but getting good seats for this show was near impossible. We ended up sitting in the third row and found ourselves looking straight up at the screen. Had I not closed my eyes throughout half the movie, I would have walked out of that theatre with a bad case of motion sickness.

While the film was garnering some negative media attention, I personally didn't see what the big hype was about. Had director Ron Howard tried to pass the film off as truth, I could see where some would be offended. But as Kel said, "it's just a movie kids!"

Here is what some of our friendly movie critics are saying...

People who found the Dan Brown book dull will not be disappointed; the movie captures the inertia perfectly. - Barry Caine, The Oakland Tribune | Read the review

There are reversals of expectation, miraculous escapes from certain doom -- all the things that make thrillers thrilling. But "The Da Vinci Code" isn't thrilling. - Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle | Read the review