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To Whom Are You Drinking Right Now?


starfish

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To first-ever female Gershwin Prize Winner Carol King, whose Tapestry album was a bigger part of my early adolescence than I care to admit, whose "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" was the most daring song of the early sixties, who lifted spirits on a grim presidential campaign when she showed up in Cedar Falls, Iowa for Gary Hart one frigid January afternoon and who was a blast to drive around Philadelphia, even she did worry aloud, based on my driving skills, that she was about to finally make the cover of Rolling Stone...for her obituary.

And who, when I broke protocol and asked for her autograph "for my girlfriend, who has put up with a lot since I've been on the road," signed her name, laughed and said: "here, tell her to sleep with this."

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To my uncle, Tom P.--world-renowned entomologist, raconteur, larger-than-life family figure, traveler to more places in his lifetime than anyone I could ever hope to know, owner of the largest private collection of water bugs on this planet, brilliant, maddening, loud, loving. (My favorite food story of his was from a visit to Papua New Guinea, where his host offered him the meat of a giant bat. When he asked what it tasted like, his host thought for a moment and then said brightly, "Taste like dog!")

And, sadly, also a world-class drunk. FUCK alcoholism, just FUCK IT.

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New Jersey's ABC for Operation Swill. "In one case, a New Jersey bar allegedly mixed rubbing alcohol with caramel food coloring and served it as scotch."

Thirteen of the establishments identified were TGI Fridays franchises operated by the Briad Group, a Livingston-based hospitality company. TGI Fridays said Wednesday it was looking into "these serious allegations."


Briad operates 70 TGI Fridays across the country, including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, and New York. They also run 42 Wendy's in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, as well as Marriott and Hilton hotels, the Corner Bakery shops, Cups yogurt stores, Zinburger locations, and the Promenade Shops at Clifton.

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to Peanut! For (too aggressively) getting in the face of a boy who was bullying other kids and got shoved to the ground before the teacher could step in. We need to work on your technique, but your instincts did the JPW family proud!

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To Frager's Hardware Store. Damn, this hurts--really heartsick about it. It's as much a part of the Hill as Eastern Market--unimaginable without it.

I started writing this earlier and didn't even know what to say. If we can see the smoke we can see where we are an hour and a half after the fire started...yikes. Considering the rather flammable and toxic products there in the various areas, I really hope everything stays under control, for everyone's benefit. The firefighters are up against something potentially much more dangerous than a regular fire.

And my thoughts are with the people with offices above Frager's and the houses adjacent to Frager's, and whatever Henry's restaurant is currently called next to Frager's on the other side.

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Simply one of the quintessential locally owned businesses in DC of any type, period. Walking into Frager's was like walking into the small-town Iowa hardware store of my childhood. This is a tragedy for the entire city, not just the Hill.

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To Frager's Hardware Store. Damn, this hurts--really heartsick about it. It's as much a part of the Hill as Eastern Market--unimaginable without it.

I grew up a few blocks from Frager's. Now I live 9 miles away and can see the smoke from my balcony. It's heartbreaking.

I started writing this earlier and didn't even know what to say. If we can see the smoke we can see where we are an hour and a half after the fire started...yikes. Considering the rather flammable and toxic products there in the various areas, I really hope everything stays under control, for everyone's benefit. The firefighters are up against something potentially much more dangerous than a regular fire.

And my thoughts are with the people with offices above Frager's and the houses adjacent to Frager's, and whatever Henry's restaurant is currently called next to Frager's on the other side.

I am so sad about this -- I love Frager's. When I was living just down the street in SE, I used to go almost weekly. I just heard about the fire via Facebook (from a friend who lived down the hall from me in my condo building and has also since relocated). Really hoping everyone at Frager's is safe, that its building and the buildings around can be saved, and that they can rebuild.

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I am so sad about this -- I love Frager's. When I was living just down the street in SE, I used to go almost weekly. I just heard about the fire via Facebook (from a friend who lived down the hall from me in my condo building and has also since relocated). Really hoping everyone at Frager's is safe, that its building and the buildings around can be saved, and that they can rebuild.

The reports have said that the employees are all okay. It happened right around closing, so either there were no customers or the few there got out.

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Frager's Garden Shop will be relocating temporarily to the concrete pad where Eastern Market set up shop after its fire six years ago. The Capitol Hill Community Foundation is setting up a special fund, taking tax-deductible donations, to help support Frager's employees in the interim. These, along with the job offers coming from the Matchbox Group, the Pretzel Bakery, and Argonaut, are more reminders of what a truly great community Capitol Hill is.

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Tomorrow (Sunday) at noon the temporary Frager's will open across the street from Eastern Market. Lessons learned from the Eastern Market fire are being put to use with Frager's.

The garden section was not harmed in the fire so the plants are already in the temporary store.

The store was insured so they plan to reopen as soon as possible.

In the three days since the fire organizers have raised over $20,000 to help Frager's get back on their feet. As I said elsewhere on the board, The Hill is a special place to live.

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To the gigantic housefly that found its way into our house today, much to the amusement of two 17 year-old cats, Mr. lperry, who armed himself with a can of compressed air and a fabric napkin which he kept snapping like a locker room towel, and myself, hero of the evening, who captured the beast with a champagne flute and a Netflix envelope, a deed made all the more amazing because, at the time, the flute had been filled and emptied twice. The fly has been released into the wild, and we are grateful to be heading to bed laughing after several days of bad news.

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LTC Mark M. Weber. You fought the good fight; you finished the race. RIP

From his CaringBridge journal:

Fun fact. (And a practical one I want to plant the seed on now.) Kris met with a funeral director and apparently embalming fluid doesn’t mix well AT ALL with high bilirubin in the blood. Gives the skin a kind of green pigment. Kris asked me, “Are you okay? Do you not want to talk about this? What do you think?”

Me? Green-tinted skin and an open casket? That…would…be…AWESOME! As much as people say “I don’t want to remember him that way,” I would offer a different view. First, nothing will remove the image of who I was, in person or by picture. Second, that guy in the casket? That’ll be me – minus my spirit. A body that is thoroughly used up and totally worn out, just as desired. Third, having an open casket – wear and tear be damned? That IS my way.

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I'm raising a triple shot of iced espresso (that I wish was laced with something stronger) to the new, exceptionally buggy, SAM registration system, yet another way that the government is making life a bureaucratic nightmare for those of us who do nothing more than seek academic research grants from NSF.

And here's to the guy in the drive across from my window, where he is unsuccessfully trying to close the door of his van via various methods not limited to slamming, kicking, cursing, and waving his hands in the air. I'm feeling better enough about my day that I'm thinking about taking him a roll of duct tape.

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Well, I'm thinking about your earlier post about the housefly, this spring while the weather was cooperating I left the door open so the dogs could go in & out, & I must have had to catch about 25 flies, w/ a Slurpee cup & an envelope- I told this to my sister, & she said, 'Jeez, Linda, they're flies-don't you have a fly swatter? Guess I'm drinking to all the flies I spared tonight...

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A little later, I'll be raising a glass to the great blues and R&B singer Bobby Bland, who I had the pleasure of seeing and hearing live at the old Paul's Mall on Boylston Street in Boston in 1973 or 1974. As of yesterday, he's the late, great Bobby Bland. Listen to his recording of Turn On Your Love Light. He was the only singer I ever saw come on stage smoking a cigarette.

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Well, I'm thinking about your earlier post about the housefly, this spring while the weather was cooperating I left the door open so the dogs could go in & out, & I must have had to catch about 25 flies, w/ a Slurpee cup & an envelope- I told this to my sister, & she said, 'Jeez, Linda, they're flies-don't you have a fly swatter? Guess I'm drinking to all the flies I spared tonight...

You have no idea how much I appreciate this post right now. I am in the same predicament for the same reason for the second year in a row. I, however, am not as kind as you. I have slaughtered between 15 & 20 flies since last night. There is one left trapped in my bathroom and about 6 left that I've identified in my living area. They like to hang out in my skylights during the day so I am waiting for the sun to set so I can lure them down with a lamp. I hope tonight to drink to their demise.

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SCOTUS, and to SCOTUSblog for the excellent coverage. Now, if only the voting rights outcome had been different...

Charlie Pierce quotes an anonymous suggestion for the AP lede on the VRA decision: "The United States Supreme Court Tuesday overturned a critical portion of the landmark Voting Rights Act by a vote of four-and-three-fifths to four."

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To preaching professor Susan Hedahl (Gettysburg Theological Seminary). Why? Because through her year-long bout with brain cancer, she basically lived her own funeral sermon, conveying hope, not cheap optimism, and comforted those who grieved her impending death (including her doctors!). It was a remarkable honor to be her friend and editor and she'd scold me if I didn't raise a beer in her honor, in good Lutheran fashion.

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