Author: Scott Brodbeck

Editor, ARLnow.com

Local Real World Star Sells Out Drafthouse, Looks to the Future

By Scott Brodbeck

To be honest, I thought Eric Patrick (@ericisfunny on Twitter) was not going to be very funny.

With the past music, photography and acting aspirations of Real World cast members in mind, I was preparing myself for pity laughter and polite applause when Eric took the mic as the last act of the night on Friday.

The stand-up comedians who preceded him on stage at the sold-out Arlington Drafthouse were actually quite funny — but it was Patrick’s name on the marquee out front. Would the former State Department employee live up to the billing?

In fact… he did.

His confident, energetic and engaging performance was surprising given that nothing on The Real World: New Orleans up to this point has really shown his funny or outgoing side. In an interview after the show, Eric readily admitted that his sole contribution to last week’s episode was carrying a drunk cast member from the sidewalk to her bedroom.

But that’s about to change. Eric says the last three episodes of the season will feature him and his comedy more prominently. And even though he’s “the normal one,” Eric says he wasn’t able to avoid drama with cast member Ryan in some upcoming episodes.

Despite the lack of screen time, Eric says he often gets recognized on the streets of Arlington. He was hoping that basic cable stardom would be a one-way ticket to getting more girls, but says it has instead been a magnet for older men and unattractive women.

“Here’s what I’ve noticed: the bigger the excitement to see me, the bigger the woman,” Eric quipped during his edgy 30-minute act.

In the end, Eric says he loved living in New Orleans, but the Real World experience wasn’t without its low points.

“The pros outweighed the cons, and it was mainly the city,” he said. “It was one of the best cities I’ve been to.”

Eric, 25, returned to Arlington after taping the show and is currently living in his grandparents’ house near Virginia Hospital Center. The grandparents, Roy and Peggy Jones, now live in Georgia and let Eric keep watch over the home, which has been in the family for at least four generations.

The Jonses were at the show Friday night. Mrs. Jones said they’re supportive of Eric — who they described as “quiet” — even when he’s making jokes about receiving oral sex in Roy’s rocking chair.

“That’s fine, it’s life,” Mrs. Jones said. “That’s the way we are, we always support our children… whatever they want to do we tell them to do it 150 percent.”

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Warning: Do Not Park Here Tonight

By Scott Brodbeck

Do you want to get your car towed to a spot 50 feet away and get fined $50 for the privilege? Then by all means park in front of this office building in Courthouse overnight tonight.

The reason for the towing may not be a surprise to patrons of Saturday morning’s Courthouse farmers market. But it is a surprise to many people who park in the far southwest corner of the large county parking lot Friday night, not looking for the special farmers market parking notice on either side of the seven otherwise unremarkable metered spaces.

Nothing on the meters indicates that marking is restricted on Saturday. In fact, the meter indicates that parking is enforced from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays, when it is in fact reserved for the farmers market from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Want to fight the ticket? Well, you can do that if you can get out of work for the better part of a weekday morning — and if you’re willing to pay $61 in court costs if you lose the appeal.

Do yourself a favor, avoid parking in front of 1400 North Uhle Street tonight.

Disclosure: Yes, this was written from first-hand experience. And yes, I’ve already paid the fine. This post was written in the hopes that others won’t make the same costly error. For the record, there were at least two other cars that suffered the same fate as mine on this particular weekend.


Who Said Print Was Dead? WaPo Groupon Selling Like Hotcakes

By Scott Brodbeck

In the hyperactive era of RSS feeds, smartphones, and yes, blogs, it’s kind of heartwarming to see that there’s still a market for the good ol’ fashioned Sunday newspaper, if only thanks to Groupon.

So far, more than 2,500 people and counting have paid $10 for a 20-week subscription to the Sunday Washington Post on Groupon.

That’s pretty impressive, given that the Post’s Sunday circulation fell by 8.2 percent in the most recent six-month reporting period.

Groupon, by the way, does a creative job of selling the paper when you can get the same articles on the web for free.

Although more and more people are turning online for info, spending a quiet afternoon with a hard copy of the Sunday paper trumps staring at a computer screen. Make a foray into the informed with a newspaper, which unlike a computer monitor, can later be used to line your table for a crab feast.

(h/t to Clarendon Culture)

Dates, Details Set for Fall Beer and Wine Festivals

By Scott Brodbeck

Together with the start of football season, Crystal City’s Vintage Crystal wine festival and Shirlington’s Oktoberfest are two of the only reasons I can think about the end of summer without getting inconsolably depressed. Luckily, both will be back this year.

Vintage Crystal is back with the same Latin flavor as last year. The fourth annual festival will feature wine and tequila tastings, all-you-can-eat tapas from more than 20 local restaurants, Latin American music and salsa dancing.

Tickets are $20 and come with a complimentary wine glass.

The festival will take place from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 19.

The Shirlington Oktoberfest — also known as “the greatest thing to ever happen in Shirlington” — will return on Saturday, October 2, 2010. From 12:00 to 6:00 p.m., more than 30 different breweries will be pouring their best suds (in 4 oz. increments) for a fun-loving crowd that usually numbers in the thousands. There will also be food from local vendors and an authentic German band.

The event, sponsored by Capital City Brewing Co., is now in its tenth year. Tickets cost $25.

Northside Social Gets An Unlikely Endorsement

By Scott Brodbeck

If you’ve spent any time on the comments section of this site, you undoubtedly know of Mike, who, bless his heart, is never in want of something to blame on the Arlington County Democratic Committee.

Since it’s Friday, we decided to share a recent email (and accompanying photo) from Mike.

It seems that he recently visited Northside Social and was pleasantly surprised by the experience.

They may be frou frou and attracting annoying hipster doofi (plural), but they sure can pour one amazing looking latte.

Give the beatnicks some credit and post this.

It begs the question: is Mike losing his edge? First he sticks up for Arlington’s water main repair efforts, then he says we should give the election officials verifying petition signatures “the benefit of the doubt.” What’s next, praising the county board for being courageously pro-business when it comes to development at East Falls Church?

Seriously, though, we like it when civility rules the day in the comments section. Carry on.

Discussion About the Discussion

By Scott Brodbeck

Let’s step back and take a quick breather. The past several days have gotten a little crazy on the comment sections. While I appreciate a vigorous discussion of the day’s stories, I think we need to be clear about what is and is not appropriate conduct here.

Here’s what is appropriate: Discussion of the article. Passionately arguing a relevant point. Criticizing companies, government entities or other organizations.

Here’s what’s not appropriate: Name calling. Personal attacks. Racist, homophobic, or other hate speech. Saying, without clear evidence, that someone is “cheating” in a contest. Political discussions not related to the article.

At least 95% of what has been posted to the site is perfectly appropriate. To those who have been commenting respectfully and driving the discussion — thank you. I hope you keep it up.

However, as someone who hoped this site would be a venue for a smart but respectful debate of community issues, it has been distressing to see a few inappropriate comments poisoning otherwise enlightening discussions.

Here’s a message one anonymous tipster sent to us today:

Be nice if you cleaned up the discussion on the Flatbread article. Referring to people as “dumb libs”, “hipster d-bags” isn’t appropriate. Some people may need to be taught to disagree without name calling, and objectifying others. The demeaning nature of the discussion makes me very happy I don’t live in Arlington. I appears that in general you are not very nice people.

I agree with this person’s point about name calling, but I want to prove them wrong about Arlington. So here’s what we’re going to do:

  • We will press the delete button on any comment that falls under the “not appropriate” category.
  • We will issue a warning to anybody who violates the rules more than once.
  • If that warning is ignored, we will add you to the comment moderation list — meaning we’ll have to approve your comments before they are posted to the site.
  • Also, any racist or otherwise hateful speech will be rewarded with an automatic trip to comment moderation land.
  • If someone is really persistent with inappropriate comments, they will be banned.

Already, one commenter has been added to the moderation list.

To be sure, we don’t want to restrict your free speech. In fact, we like to see opposing viewpoints and the occasional crackpot theory. However, we have clearly reached a point where it’s necessary to step up enforcement of existing rules to make sure that ARLnow.com remains a place where everyone can feel free to join in on debates and make meaningful contributions to discussions.

Democrats Tout Unrecognized Achievements at Fundraiser

By Scott Brodbeck

While their national Democratic counterparts face a perfect storm of voter discontent, Arlington Democrats held a pep rally of sorts on Saturday, in the form of their annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner.

In the ballroom of the Westin Arlington Gateway hotel in Ballston, elected officials and party donors had a chance to reassure each other that Democrats were fighting the good fight and would eventually prevail against Republican attacks and media pessimism.

There seemed to be little worry that Republicans may start winning local elections in Arlington, where every single local elected office is held by a Democrat or a Democrat-endorsed candidate. Rather, the main concern of the night’s speakers seemed to the erosion of public support for the Obama administration. That, and the poor state of the Arlington County Democratic Committee’s copy machine.

Rod Snyder, a former American Idol semi-finalist and current Acting President of the Young Democrats of America, kicked off the dinner portion of the evening by singing the National Anthem. Then, as the approximately 175 guests in attendance finished their salads, the speeches began.

At a time when local Republicans are pushing for a change to Arlington’s form of government, ACDC Deputy Chair Maureen Markham praised Arlington as a well-governed community and a stronghold of progressive ideals.

“It takes good government to make a good life for our community,” Markham said. “In Arlington, we really do have a good government. We’re also fortunate because we have elected officials who aren’t afraid to be Democrats.”

“Arlington Democrats lead the national Democratic party in activism and in progressive commitment,” echoed keynote speaker Rep. Jim Moran. “Largely because of you, Arlington has soul.”

Ward Armstrong, Democratic leader of the Virginia House of Delegates, had plenty of praise for Arlington’s state lawmakers, who comprise fully ten percent of the state Democratic caucus.

He called Del. Bob Brink “one of my closest friends” and said of freshman Del. Patrick Hope, “it is a privilege, sir, to serve with you.”

Armstrong also had some complimentary words ready for Moran.

“If I had Jim Moran’s hair, I’d be governor,” Armstrong joked. “I think it’s insured by Lloyds of London.”

Along with the praise for Democrats, of course, there was criticism of the other party.

A quote from Karl Rove was greeted by hisses. Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinell’s name was mentioned by three different speakers, with each mention followed by even louder hissing. Armstrong called Cuccinelli “the gift who keeps giving,” based on his ability to polarize state Democrats.

Rep. Jim Moran, who is up for re-election this year, took aim at the media, particularly at talk show hosts.

“The coming election presents a real challenge because the hate radio hosts, led by Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity and Michael Savage – all these despicable people – they’re very successful in scaring a lot of folks into believing all kinds of outrageous things about what the president and what the Democratic majorities in Congress are trying to do,” Moran said.

“In the last year and a half, we have worked to mop up the mess that eight years of Republican rule created,” Moran said emphatically. He suggested that the current economic crisis was caused by a lack of financial regulation under President Bush and said that the Gulf oil spill was precipitated by a lack of oversight by the Bush administration.

“It’s the worst ecological disaster in history,” he said of the spill. “People aren’t going to blame the people responsible; they’re going to blame the administration. All the yokels I see on the talk shows, they say ‘oh, is this Obama’s Katrina?’ Are you kidding? What do they want him to do, put a Scuba suit on and dive down and plug the well? He’s doing everything he can.”

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More Thunderstorms, Please

By Scott Brodbeck

I’ll just say it: Arlington doesn’t get enough good thunderstorms. And when storms do approach, too many times it seems we get a “close call” — like last night, when we caught the edge of a storm and then were forced to watch as lightning flashed in the distance.

C’mon, weather gods, give us some legit wind and hail (without destruction of property or other bad things happening, if possible, although a short power outage would be fine by me).

In any event, it’s with this in mind that we present an image from Flickr pooler Philliefan99. It’s a composite — meaning it’s a combination of multiple shots from last night’s storm — but it’s still cool nonetheless. Something to savor while waiting for the next storm system to fire up (this weekend, perhaps?)

Welcome to Rosslyn, Bob Ryan

By Scott Brodbeck

Confirming rumors that have been swirling for months on DCRTV, long-time WRC (NBC 4) meteorologist Bob Ryan is officially joining his friend Doug Hill at Rosslyn-based WJLA (ABC 7).

Ryan left WRC two months ago after failing to agree to a new contract. If the experience of other on-air talent at the station is any guide, the contract proposed by WRC management may have included a pay cut.

Starting today, Ryan will appear on WJLA’s 11:00 p.m. newscasts, while Hill will remain on air at 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. They will appear together during severe weather events, according to the Washington Post’s Paul Farhi.

Ryan will also actively contribute to the weather section of TBD.com, the local news venture being launched by WJLA parent company Allbritton Communications. ARLnow.com has announced a partnership with TBD.

It will be exciting to see what kind of weather content Ryan will be able to create online. Bob’s mind is a treasure trove of meteorological facts and insights, a fraction of which makes it on air (even during his eternity-in-television 5- or 6-minute weather hits).

Ryan did not have the creative freedom he wanted to create and maintain a weather-focused website at WRC. Now, he has a blank slate with which to work at TBD. Expect great things.

I think this is a smart move and I wish my former WRC colleague well. It will be some fun viewing when Hill and Ryan team up to cover the next severe thunderstorm outbreak.

ARLnow.com Partnering with TBD.com

By Scott Brodbeck

I’m very proud to announce tonight that ARLnow.com is the first site to partner with new D.C. local news site TBD.com.

TBD is helmed by former washingtonpost.com executive editor Jim Brady and backed by Allbritton Communications, parent company of ABC7, NewsChannel 8 and Politico. We’re excited to be working with Jim and his team, including Erik Wemple, Steve Buttry, Jeff Sonderman, Lisa Rowan, Julie Westfall, Steve Chaggaris and Mandy Jenkins (who did I forget?).

TBD is a completely new approach to local news. With a staff of about 50, TBD will be a primarily web-based and social media-centric news organization with a complementary TV operation, the exact details of which are yet to be revealed.

In addition to original reporting, a large part of TBD’s strategy will be linking to content from partner sites. Along with ARLnow.com, TBD expects to announce partnerships with a number of local blogs and web sites in the coming weeks. TBD will also help partner sites sell advertising space.

Teaming up with TBD will open up a larger, more regional audience for ARLnow.com’s timely original news and features, and will be an important component of our effort to make the site financially self-sustaining.

What To Try At Lyon Hall Tonight

By Scott Brodbeck

So you got lunch at The Burger Joint and you’re planning to go to P. Brennan’s for happy hour — now all you need to do to complete today’s “official opening” trifecta is dinner at Lyon Hall in Clarendon.

We stopped by the hotly-anticipated European brasserie over the weekend for one of the “soft opening” events and, despite the high expectations, left thoroughly impressed.

The first thing we tried was the mussels. Lyon Hall has two distinct mussel varieties: spring garlic/English peas/fontina/mustard and Hungarian lamb sausage/celeriac-apple-beer broth. We went with the Hungarian lamb and were not disappointed. You’d be hard-pressed to find a tastier plate of mussels anywhere in the D.C. area. And the $14 “large” option was more than enough for two people.

Since it was a late night, we skipped the entrees and went straight for dessert. The chocolate praline cake was uber chocolate-y, with some subtle hazelnut and praline crunch action. It was good, as was the chocolate stout ice cream that came with it. But the best part was the shot of sweet chocolate goodness . We’re not sure what exactly was in it, but “nectar of the gods” seems to be a good description.

We also tried a few selections from Lyon Hall’s sizable but well-curated wine and beer menus. The Hoffbrau Malbock was a bold but accessible brew, and it sold for just $5 on draft. At $9 the Gouldan Cardus Tripel was more expensive but it packed a punch. The favorite beer of the night was the Silly Saison, a Belgian beer that was darker, slightly sweet, and a steal at $6.

We tried one red wine from the menu, a 2008 Domaine De la  Guicharde from Cotes du Rhone, France, which came recommended by the bartender and by the gentleman sitting next to us, who happened to be its local distributor. It was sharp and spicy, and left a bit of sediment in the bottom of the glass. One member of the party loved it, the other was not a fan.

We didn’t order any items from the other menu categories — salads, raw bar, cheeses, sausages, charcuterie, spaetzle — but we’re definitely looking forward to trying more.

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