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Monthly Archives: March 2017

Today I start our Annual Customer Appreciation Sale.  Today completes our 5th year in business and tomorrow (01 April) starts year number 6.  To celebrate, you can use the following coupon code to gain 10% off your entire order.  There … Continue reading

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More Model Progress – Photos

Just a few photos of what has been going on this week.  Two mental hurdles next on the horizon:  Insignia for the Judy and Wing struts for the Comper Swift.  1,311 total views

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I have a collection of rare and hard-to-find Rubber Free Flight tools for all types of Rubber Free Flight – from F1B to FAC Scale to Indoor.  I have collected them this winter from estate sales and online sales.  (Oh, … Continue reading

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JUDY UPDATE and Some Notes

I’ve been dragging my feet when it comes to covering this model. Mostly because of the fuselage. I still have to place and create the gun troughs and the color separation line is challenging me. I finally decided to push … Continue reading

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Preparations, Plans, and Tangential Paths

I spent much of the day testing rubber motors and preparing for the Cloudbusters monthly indoor contest this Thursday.  I was replacing a missing bobbin in the back of my Peanut Pegna P.C.1.  I took the motor out, replaced the … Continue reading

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Vacu-forming Vexations

I framed up the Judy in “record time” – about three days from sticks to frame.  Since then, time has been dragging on that model.  I’ve been trying to figure out how to color it, how to make the canopy, … Continue reading

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Massimo Del Gatto

Associate Professor of Economics, “G. d’Annunzio” University, Pescara-Chieti

Massimo Del Gatto is Associate Professor of Economics at “G. d’Annunzio” University, Pescara-Chieti (Italy) and Associated Researcher at CRENoS, having been Assistant Professor at the University of Cagliari, Research Fellow at the University of Bologna, Economist at “G. Tagliacarne” Institute (Rome). His work focuses on international trade, firms’ productivity and competitiveness, technology adoption, concentration and localisation of economic activity, firm level adjustment to globalisation. As well as writing articles and giving seminars, postgraduate classes and conference presentations, on these themes he has been the scientific coordinator of international workshops and regularly acts as a referee for academic journals and Consultant for international economic institutions.

CEPR Policy Research

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FASD awareness: A multifaceted conundrum

Recently, I saw a post ““FASD Awareness” – what does that mean?” (Source: http://ow.ly/oRy830lLvkz). September is the FASD awareness month. So that is a valid question. This is my own view of that question. I believe the answer to this question to some extent is based on the definitions of ‘Awareness and intelligence’.

Google definitions for ‘awareness’ are
“knowledge or perception of a situation or fact or concern about and well-informed interest in a particular situation or development.”

On the other hand, What is intelligence? It’s “The ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.” (Google definitions).

Considering the difference and interconnected nature of awareness and intelligence, I believe we need to raise both the knowledge, and the ways to act on that knowledge. We need to raise awareness and intelligence through proper education programs not only to be aware but ability to act on that knowledge.

Alcohol consumption is harmful. It’s no secret anyone. But does anyone act intelligently on that knowledge and awareness? I think it’s a big fat “NO”. I have three questions to ask from all FASD-related professionals, community and other interested parties.

1. What is missing between awareness and intelligence in the case of FASD?

2. Who should be aware of FASD and how do we teach them to act properly?

3. And even if they have both the awareness and the intelligence, does it always prevent occurring FASD?

***First of all, FASD as the name implies is a spectrum of complex disorders with multifaceted aetiology. Whether a baby is born with FASD is determined by multitude of factors that are not limited to genetics, epigenetics (beyond genetics such as DNA methylation), environment (mother’s womb is the immediate environment for a fetus), time during the pregnancy (which trimester), amount of alcohol consumed, types of alcohol, how many times alcohol was consumed, then and the list goes on…. So acting intelligently on the fact that alcohol consumption may harm the baby may not be 100% successful. Yet prevention is much better than suffering, isn’t it?

***Another facet of awareness is once a child is diagnosed if having FASD, what can parents, family and caregivers do? Do they have the knowledge and capability to seek help, access to resources and continue treatment and intervention programs. Moreover, how the child is able to manage his/her health situation. Are they aware of what is happening? Are they able to access proper information and take charge or at least contribute to their own care?

***The Health care professionals and researchers who are trying to help these families by all means, are they aware of the emotional burden these families carry, and the impact of power imbalances occurung at hospitals, clinics, support programs and research. Even when they are aware,?how many of them are willing to act empathically and listen to the voices of patients and families?

***Another significant facet I see as awareness is the ‘social awareness of FASD’ as a ‘disability’ and development of stigma.

Collectively, main points that people, parents, patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, researchers and community should be ‘aware’ of and ‘act upon’ in my opinion are:

• What is FASD?

• What are the myths and truths about alcohol consumption and FASD

• How to prevent FASD?

• Alcohol limits, damage done by alcohol to both the mother and the fetus

• What should you do if your child has FASD?

• How can you communicate with FASD patients

• What is the life of FASD patients and families look like?

• What are their actual needs?

• How should researchers and healthcare professionals communicate with them to provide best care and support ?

• How to engage FASD patients and families in treatments, intervention, education programs or research?

• How can we reduce the stigma around FASD?

• How do we empower FASD patients to live a normal life?

There are many research and support programs all around the world have found answers to many of the aforementioned questions. But considering the stigma, life challenges and many other issues still ongoing, it appears we are still missing something in our awareness concepts.

Please provide your thoughts and every little bit of knowledge will help to prevent FASD occurance and help the patients and their families.

Vichy Liyanage

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Oh! What a Pavlova – Isabella May (Book Review)

Oh! What a Pavlova – Isabella May

Today I bring to you a review for Oh! What a Pavlova by Isabella May. Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for asking me to take part in the Blog Blitz and providing a copy, which I have reviewed honestly.

Oh What A Pavlova

Oh! What a Pavlova

Kate Clothier is leading a double life: a successful jet-setting businesswoman to the outside world, but behind closed doors, life with Daniel and his volcanic temper is anything but rosy.

Some days – heck, make that EVERY day – cake is her only salvation.

Slowly but surely, the cities she visits – and the men she meets – help her to realise there IS a better future.

And the ley lines of Glastonbury are certainly doing their best to impart their mystical wisdom…

But will she escape before it’s too late?

Oh Waht A Pavlova Book Cover

Purchase Link: here

My Review

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book at first and it did take me a while to get into it. However, the blurb is interesting and the cover mouthwatering and I was intrigued as to how Isabella May would tackle the subject of domestic abuse.

The story centres around Kate Clothier, a high flying publishing executive who is in a toxic relationship with Daniel, a coward, and a bully. Kate leads a double life, outwardly successful but inwardly deflated and crushed. Even on her many business trips, Kate can’t isolate herself from Daniel’s dominance, just the thought of a phone call turns her to jelly. As much as I got frustrated with kate’s situation I know that domestic abuse on this scale still exists, so the plot is believable and the subject treated sensitively.

The imagery of food, exotic locations and use of humour brings light to the book and is handled well by Isabella May.

Oh What a Author Pic

Author Bio –

Isabella May lives in (mostly) sunny Andalucia, Spain with her husband, daughter and son, creatively inspired by the sea and the mountains. When she isn’t having her cake and eating it, sampling a new cocktail on the beach, or ferrying her children to and from after school activities, she can usually be found writing. As a co-founder and a former contributing writer for the popular online women’s magazine, The Glass House Girls – www.theglasshousegirls.com – she has also been lucky enough to subject the digital world to her other favourite pastimes, travel, the Law of Attraction, and Prince (The Purple One). She has recently become a Book Fairy, and is having lots of fun with her imaginative ‘drops’! Costa del Churros is her third novel with Crooked Cat Books, following on from the hit sensations, Oh! What a Pavlova and The Cocktail Bar.

Oh Giveaway Prize - The Cocktail Bar

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The Widefield ASKAP L-band Legacy All-sky Blind surveY (or WALLABY) is one of two key surveys that are now running on the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP), which is an innovative imaging radio telescope located in an extremely radio quiet zone (the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory) in Western Australia. The aim of WALLABY is to use the powerful widefield phased-array technology of ASKAP to observe three-quarters of the whole sky in the 21-cm line of neutral hydrogen (or HI) at 30-arcsec resolution, thereby detecting and imaging the gas distribution in hundreds of thousands of external galaxies in the local Universe. This will allow astronomers to gain a much improved understanding of the processes involved in galaxy formation and evolution, and the role of stellar and black hole feedback, gas accretion and galaxy interactions in these processes. Currently, WALLABY has entered the Pilot Survey phase and has imaged three 60 square degree fields around nearby galaxy clusters with the full ASKAP-36 array, as well as a number of early science fields with smaller numbers of antennas. Full WALLABY is expected to start in 2021.

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Children’s Dental Professionals, LLC

Address: 6943 W 37th St N, Wichita, KS 67205.

About Children’s Dental Professionals, LLC

We want your family to look forward to dental visits. Our trio of pediatric dentists teams up with moms and dads to care for the oral health and development of infants, children, adolescents, and patients with special needs in Wichita, KS.

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Phototronics (PLAB) Upgraded to Buy from Hold at Needham

In a report published Thursday, Needham analysts upgraded their rating on Phototronics, Inc (PLAB) to ‘Buy’ from ‘Hold’. The research firm also raised its price target on the stock to $12 from $10 a share, citing ongoing cost synergies as a possible way to stimulate EPS growth.

Needham’s new PT represents a potential upside of 40% from ticker’s Wednesday close.

From a valuation-measure perspective ; PLAB currently has a trailing-12 P/E of 18.96, a forward P/E of 15.83 and a P/E to growth ratio of 2.11. Price/Sales t12 ratio is at 1.24 while EPS for the same period registers at $0.45. The company has a market cap of $527.45 million and a median Wall Street price target of $11.50 with a high target of $12.00. Currently there are 2 analysts that rate PLAB a ‘Strong Buy’, 1 rate it a ‘Buy’, 1 rate it a ‘Hold’, 1 rates it ‘Underperform’ and 0 rates it a ‘Sell’.

Profitability-wise, Phototronics t-12 profit margin currently stands at 6.71% while operating ones are at 6.72%. The company reported $192 million in cash vs. $169 million in debt in its most recent quarter.

PLAB is up 4% pre-market at $8.90, within a 52-week range of $7.03 to $9.75. The stock has gained 13.55% over the last 52 weeks, and lost almost 5% year-to-date.

The chart below shows where the equity has traded over the last 52 weeks, with the 50-day and 200-day MAs included.

Photronics, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells photomasks in the United States. It also operates in Korea, Taiwan, Europe, and internationally. PLAB was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Brookfield, Connecticut.

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Krugman and His “Bubblicious” Advice

Poor Paul Krugman is on the defensive again. The “haters” are out there, and they are accusing him of promoting a housing bubble. Krugman, of course, is innocent of such bad conduct. He gives only good advice.

Since Krugman’s latest crusade has been “financial reform,” some people are reminding the Great Man of some words he wrote in 2002 when he was predicting a double-dip recession. Here is the controversial “bubble” paragraph:

The basic point is that the recession of 2001 wasn’t a typical postwar slump, brought on when an inflation-fighting Fed raises interest rates and easily ended by a snapback in housing and consumer spending when the Fed brings rates back down again. This was a prewar-style recession, a morning after brought on by irrational exuberance. To fight this recession the Fed needs more than a snapback; it needs soaring household spending to offset moribund business investment. And to do that, as Paul McCulley of Pimco put it, Alan Greenspan needs to create a housing bubble to replace the Nasdaq bubble.

I tend to agree with Krugman that he was not promoting such a bubble, but rather was saying that the only way to ratchet up the kind of spending that Keynesians believed would end the recession was for Greenspan to create a housing boom. However, the next paragraph demonstrates that even Krugman did not realize that a bubble really was possible:

Judging by Mr. Greenspan’s remarkably cheerful recent testimony, he still thinks he can pull that off. But the Fed chairman’s crystal ball has been cloudy lately; remember how he urged Congress to cut taxes to head off the risk of excessive budget surpluses? And a sober look at recent data is not encouraging.

Interestingly, Krugman attacks Bush for pushing a tax-rate cut even though one of the Keynesian “solutions” to a recession is for government to cut taxes. Well, I guess Keynesians are happy only when the proper political party does the cutting.

Unfortunately, Krugman really gets it wrong when he denies that the Federal Reserve System’s practice of holding down interest rates to artificially-low levels was foolish policy. Again, Krugman in his own words:

But did I call for low interest rates? Yes. In my view, that’s not what the Fed did wrong. We needed better regulation to curb the bubble — not a policy that sacrificed output and employment in order to limit irrational exuberance.

Here is the problem. The housing boom occurred not only because the government shoved interest rates down to ridiculously-low levels, but also because the government aggressively promoted policies of home ownership. Greenspan himself was pushing the kinds of interest-only, teaser-rate mortgages that ultimately exploded and triggered a wave of foreclosures.

The only kind of regulation that would have kept the housing bubble from happening was the regulation that violated the government’s stated policies of promoting home ownership, not to mention dealing with the demands from the political Left that people be able to have “affordable housing.” How Krugman thinks that we could have had effective regulation in this situation is beyond me.

Unfortunately, Krugman really is not capable of a serious thought when it comes to regulation. Instead, he depends upon the politically-infantile “Democrats are good regulators, Republicans don’t believe in Regulation” nonsense. Economists such as the late George Stigler, Sam Pelzman, Robert Tollison, Gary Becker, and Bruce Yandle actually have done real work in regulation, and they approach the subject like adults.

About William L. Anderson 48 Articles

Affiliation: Frostburg State University

William L. Anderson is an author and an associate professor of economics at Frostburg State University in Maryland. He is also an adjunct scholar with the Mackinac Center for Public Policy as well as for the Ludwig von Mises Institute in Alabama.

Anderson was formerly a professor of economics at North Greenville College in Tigerville, South Carolina.

Visit: William Anderson's Blog

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text:
What are you hiding…from you?

Last Friday the artist in me decided to paint. I took a canvas, a couple of brushes and different paint colors. My goal was to have a painting of a yellow flower. About an hour into painting, I had already done exactly that and added leaves with cool side effects. I decided to add the word “blooming” on top of that flower and so I did. Upon looking at the finished product, I completely hated it and knowing I was using a canvas and acrylic paint I couldn’t wash it away. I then had the idea of adding layers of paint until it could cover that word up except no matter how much I would try to cover where I went ‘wrong’ I could still see it. It bothered for a while until all of a sudden it was as though i had an epiphany.

In her new book ‘Don’t settle for safe’ Sarah Jakes Roberts writes,

“Becoming who you want to be may demand that you get rid of old ideas of what success looks like…There’s nothing wrong with not having figured out who you are, but so much can go wrong when you pretend you have.”

Life for each one of us is like a plain white canvas and every step/decision/action we take is like a brush stroke. In the beginning, we may have an idea of what our life will supposedly look like: good career, great friends, lovers, children for some, pets for others, traveling a lot, etc. Until it happens that we make a decision we knew/ thought/ hoped wouldn’t turn out so bad and when it does we turn it into a regret. We wish we could wash it away and go back to the good old days when our canvas wasn’t that messy but the only thing we’re able to do is cover it all up because anger, shame and all the negative emotions drive us to that.

We use facades, start to create illusions and spread false stories about who we are and what our story is, and even worse than that we do it to ourselves. We don’t want ‘us’ to see ‘us’ as a mess. At times we hide behind work, school, love, relationships, family so we don’t have time to face our truths. We tell ourselves that we do it so we don’t get judged by others but the only way someone can ever make us uncomfortable is if we were that with ourselves in the first place.

Art is a form of free expression. Have you ever thought that maybe your life with that ‘mistake’ is your masterpiece that others can learn from only if you are willing to not cover it up and own it? Or even better, have you ever thought that maybe your mistake helped you become a better artist to your own life? Have you ever considered that maybe it was that moment or incident that equipped you better to  chase your destiny? You always use the excuse that it’s ‘too much’ to deal with but maybe opening up and facing your truths, understanding your patterns, locating your wounds will not be as painful as you thought it would be compared to the current weight and amount of work it takes your spirit to hide it.

I hope you come to yourself as you are. I hope you learn once again how to appreciate, love, and nurture yourself as you are.

Now tell me,

What are you hiding…from you?

Love Always,

4 thoughts on “What are you hiding…from you?

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Coronavirus (Covid-19): Latest updates and information
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Email from Directors of Student Experience | Wednesday 11 November 2020

Subject: GSD Survey

Hi everyone,

Thank you for taking the time to complete the short survey we undertook in October. There were 95 responses from across the three years (38 first year: 12 and 26 single honours and joint honours, 33 second year: 16 and 17 single and joint honours and 24 third year: 13 and 11 single and joint honours submissions). We want to reiterate that we really do value your feedback and it was reassuring to get so much positive feedback and that you recognise we are also working under very challenging circumstances.

First of all, we would like to thank you for your wonderful feedback. Please find below a selection of excerpts from the survey:

  • Participation and engagement in the online seminars and workshops via Teams has so far proven to be far more successful than I had anticipated going into this academic year
  • I have been really happy with the way online seminars have worked
  • Pre-recorded lectures are very good and are of high quality and tutors are offering a lot of support
  • I feel that my personal tutor and lecturers have been very supportive and are ready to provide assistance whenever necessary
  • Everyone is understanding the situation we are in and considerate about the circumstances
  • I have always felt that the department has had my back as a student
  • Thanks for working so hard to make this very strange year a success :)

Please find below our responses to the key themes that emerged from the survey and a note about what we have already done or what we propose to do.

  1. “I have found it very difficult to keep on top of all my work as everything is highly ragmented due to the reading, scheduling time to watch lectures, seminars, group projects etc.”

    We are here to support you. The directors of student experience are available every day 1-1:30pm in the Virtual Common Room to answer any question you might have. Your personal tutor is also available in their office hours to offer academic support. Please reach out to us 😊.

  1. “I think everything should just be put online”

    Some of you have expressed their preference for online teaching, while others have really enjoyed the f2f seminars. As you will remember, between September 2020 (when the Late arrival form was circulated) and Week 5, we have considered requests by students who wanted to attend online only due to their personal circumstances.

    Following lockdown, we circulated a form so that students can express their preferences. Please submit it as soon as possible if you still wish to amend your mode of attendance.

  1. “The number of emails could be reduced.”

    Following previous conversations with the SSLC, we have implemented a weekly newsletter, which is sent every Friday and includes all communication. All other emails that you will receive are either related to specific modules, to your specific cohort, or are urgent communication. If you believe this can be further improved, please get in touch with your Director of Student Experience.

  1. First-year Single Hons students wanted clearer guidance on module choices in term 1

    For the 2021 intake we will produce a new ‘Guide to Module Choices’ ready for Welcome Week 2021. For Students and Tutors we will also collate a ‘contacts page’ containing undergraduate office emails, names of people and phone numbers to help you and Tutors quickly find out any relevant module information to help you make your choice. Be reassured that for your second-year module choices we already have a “Guidance on GSD optional modules selection” page on the Handbook, available here, with information to help guide you. You will be asked to make your choices towards the end of term 2 in 2021 and we will send out more information later on.

  1. You asked for your peers to be encouraged to turn on cameras to create a more inclusive learning environment

    In our weekly Communications message in week 4 we highlighted the benefits of this and we also inserted them in the House Rules. Following a request from the GSD SSLC, we have also explained how to save your data if using your phone for live online seminars (see House rules page).

  1. Inconsistency when Tutors upload material to Moodle

    We will remind Tutors that material needs to be uploaded ideally 48 hours prior to the scheduled session.

  2. You like shorter, recorded, lectures

    We will remind Tutors that the maximum recording should be 50 minutes in total, with a preference for shorter recordings (for example, 2 shorter recordings instead of 1 long recording).

  3. You would like assessment information given much earlier

    We will discuss this with Tutors and make sure that this is done more consistently in Term 2.

  4. You noted that group work can be challenging under the current circumstances e.g. how to deal with peers who don’t respond.

    For first-year students, we will put some guidance and an exercise about group work on the Principles and Praxis Moodle in week 6 to help you manage this. Be reminded that module tutors are here to support you, so please reach out to them if you need any support.

  5. You noted that it’s challenging going from one seminar straight to another in real-time or on-line.

    We will remind Tutors of the ‘Warwick hour’, which means that we start at 5 past and end at 5 to the hour in both face-to-face and live online sessions.

  6. You would like a break in long seminars over 1 and ½ hours

    We will remind Tutors to include a 5-minute break in longer seminar sessions.

  7. You would like more community events to help you bond with your peers

    We will look into holding a ‘getting to know you’ event before the end of term.

    We will ask student societies linked to or run by GSD students to post their events on the Virtual Common Room page on Teams; we also post a wide variety of events in our weekly communications update.

Once again, thank you for your feedback. We might not have addressed some of the points that single students have made and unfortunately, we cannot contact you directly as the form was anonymous, but please contact us if you have any further concerns.

Peter and Gioia


text:
The owners of Songbyrd Record Cafe will open a music-centric bar and restaurant on Tuesday, next door to their Adams Morgan sandwich, coffee, and vinyl shop. The new addition, called Songbyrd Music House, will feature DJs and vinyl in its street level space. Later this summer, a live music venue will open in the basement.

Co-owner Joe Lapan says the place aims to be for music lovers what a sports bar is for sports lovers. The establishment will center around soul, funk, jazz, alternative, and indie rock.

“The music will always be a focal point, not just background,” Lapan says.

That doesn’t mean the decibel level will rupture your ear drums. The venue has been outfitted for “club quality sound,” Lapan says, with absorbing panels and equipment that allow for crisper, more robust audio.

Even the staff is made up of music fans: “One of the things we asked on any employment application was, ‘What are you listening to right now?'” Lapan says.

Whereas Songbyrd Cafe is more of a daytime hub, Songbyrd Music House will be open for dinner and late-night crowds. Unlike its counterpart, the bar and restaurant has a liquor license and will serve beer, wine, and straight-forward cocktails.

Chef Matthew Richardson, formerly of 1905 and Right Proper Brewing Company, has prepared a menu of upscale bar food, burgers, and salads. Some of the snacks include fried roots and tubers—yucca, malanga root, and sweet potato—with horseradish and curry sauces as well as “byrd dogs,” which are fancy pigs in a blanket.

Take a look at the full menu below.

[documentcloud url=””]

Photo courtesy Songbyrd Music House


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There’s a new place to slurp oysters and drink Old Bay-rimmed cocktails in National Harbor. The Walrus Oyster & Ale House opened last week with a seafood-heavy menu designed by Ancora and Campono chef Bob Kinkead, the restaurant’s culinary advisor.

The menu (see below) includes New England and Eastern Shore chowders (the former with clams, the latter with crab and corn) as well as a number of salads and small plates, like peel-and-eat shrimp, fried oysters, and spicy curried mussels. For something more substantial, there’s a crab cake sandwich, lobster roll, fish and chips, and seafood basket (Ipswich clams, oysters, scallops, or jumbo shrimp) with fries. The few non-seafood offerings range from a burger to beef brisket to a pork chop.

The raw bar is also a main attraction, with at least eight varies of east coast oysters and seven from the west coast. Platters are coming soon. Guests can also throw back two kinds of oyster shooters, including one with tequila, pineapple, mint, cilantro, serrano pepper, and sea salt. The bar serves 14 beers on tap (plus cans and bottles), a small selection of wine, frozen cocktails, punches, beer cocktails, and something called the “Baltimore crush,” which is basically a fancy orange crush.

The spot from Star Restaurant Group, headed by restaurateur Michael Sternberg, has about 190 seats and large garage doors that open up to a deck with a view of the Potomac River. The Walrus Oyster & Ale House gets its name from a Lewis Carroll poem entitled “The Walrus and the Carpenter.” That, however, is already the name of a seafood-centric restaurant in Seattle.

[documentcloud url=””]

The Walrus Oyster & Ale House, 152 Waterfront St., National Harbor; (301) 567-6100;

Photo via The Walrus Oyster & Ale House


text:
It is widely known at least among hacks like me that the newsroom that coined the motto “follow the money” loses a crapload of money these days, hemorrhaging $164 million in 2009 alone. But our industry is so bereft of funds and attention spans these days very few have spent a whole lot of time following the operations of the enterprise that subsidizes the Washington Post. Last week I took a look at the Washington Times, a famously cash-bleeding rag whose benefactors range from sushi restaurants to flower shops, all run by a church whose original source of venture capital was the Korean CIA. The “for-profit education” business that sustains the Washington Post is less exotic, but in many ways more disturbing, as yesterday’s New York Times feature demonstrated. As the hedge fund manager and celebrated subprime short-seller Steve Eisman famously told Congress a few months back of the for-profit education industry: “Until recently, I thought that there would never again be an opportunity to be involved with an industry as socially destructive as the subprime mortgage industry. I was wrong.” In the wake of a damning GAO report, some federal whistleblower lawsuits against the Washington Post Company and the vociferous efforts of for-profit activists like Eisman, we’re coming to recognize its ruinous legacy. Now will someone call out the Washington Post for so consistently and zealously proselytizing on behalf of the dirty business that keeps it afloat?

I’m talking about the institutional hardon for “education reform,” and all the other related euphemisms for policies supposedly designed to run the American educational system “more like a business” which nearly always translates to the introduction of actual businesses like the Washington Post Corporation. “Imparting knowledge” is of course in most ways rather antithetical to the priorities of commerce, and the only reason there’s any money in it is that long ago someone realized that, and tacked “education” on the list of stuff for which the government ought to be responsible, and so now there are hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars for Kaplan and DeVry, the University of Phoenix and hundreds if not thousands of less-established outfits to loot. As Diane Ravitch recently pointed out in her necessary New York Review of Books takedown of the “school choice” docu-mercial Waiting for Superman, charter schools for the most part appear to be a scheme to pay teachers less and MBAs more. Four-fifths of charter schools perform either roughly the same or worse than their traditional public school peers. Some charter schools are great, but so are some retail chains, and certainly some schools have always been great, rules and regulations and unions and all the other irritating strings attached.

The Washington Post runs some charter schools, most of them via the aptly named Kaplan Virtual Education, a subsidiary that runs charter schools in six states that affords kids the awesome opportunity to attend school entirely on the Internet after fifth grade. I do not know how this works or who decided that was a reasonable idea, but with so many states and municipalities more broke than the newspaper industry, I can’t imagine that such a low-overhead method of educating the next generation would not represent a “growth industry.” And that is good news for the Washington Post Company, because the online college degree business that comprises the biggest chunk of its revenue stream—about 60,000 of Kaplan Higher Education’s 65,000 enrolled customers in 2009 were online students—is under serious fire. Ninety-one percent of the division’s annual revenues come from federally-guaranteed student loans, but only 28% of Kaplan alumni are paying them back. That’s because they can’t find jobs, even though getting a job is the only reason anyone ever signed up for an online college degree to begin with. With dismal statistics like that, you’d think Kaplan would have to do a lot of lying to get people to enroll in its programs, and you would be right, as the undercover GAO investigators learned when they talked to recruiters:

[ Admissions Representative: ] Most doctors are walking around with over $250,000 in student loans…but it’s workable, you know, it’s really workable. And the…a lot of people have student loans…but the best thing about it, it’s not like a car note, where if you don’t pay they’re gonna come after you.

[ Admissions Representative: ] You gotta look at it – I owe $85,000 to University of Florida. Will I pay it back? Probably not. I look at life a little differently than most people. I look at life as tomorrow is never promised.

Which is not to say they should expect to have any problems paying their loans…

[ Admissions Representative: ] Now think about this. Haircuts are now, how, I’ll say $20, $20, yeah, $20-$25. Now think about it, if you have 3 people who came into the shop at $25, that’s $75 an hour. And if you work 8 hours and if you have 3 people coming in for those 8 hours at $25, I would say 75 times 8, that’s like $600 a day. $600 a day, and that’s just on the low end. We have some students who are making maybe $600, $700, $800, maybe a $1,000 a day.

The target of these sales pitches, according to a Kaplan training manual mentioned in the Times story, is anyone who conforms to a “Kaplan profile” characterized by traits like “low self-esteem, reliance on public assistance, being fired, laid off, incarcerated, or physically or mentally abused.” Kaplan’s response to this particular part was that they hadn’t used that particular manual since 2006, but a former Kaplan instructor who is a plaintiff in one of the whistleblower cases told the paper that a company PowerPoint presentation instructed recruiters to shoot for “African-American women who were raising two children by themselves.”

I only wish the GAO had actually coughed up the cash to enroll in some of these online diploma mills, as Gene Weingarten did in one of my all-time favorite Washington Post stories, in which he earned a bachelor’s “degree” in “outer space physics.” But that was ten years ago, when American stupidity was still kind of funny, and so was the Washington Post. Now it’s just grim and disgraceful.


text:
Good morning sweet readers! LL suffered from first-smartphone-itis this weekend after his new iPhone arrived Friday. Did you know there is an app that lets you listen to police scanners around the world? LL spent the whole weekend listening to police chatter in Toowoomba, Australia. What did you do? News time:

Man, A Lot of People Hate the Post: The Washington Post editorial board let loose its mayoral endorsement this Sunday (well, actually, it went online Friday), with an enthusiastic nod toward Mayor Adrian Fenty‘s re-election bid. Fenty, the board said, “swept into office four years ago vowing to take on the District’s most daunting problems. The city had made progress during the eight-year mayorship of Anthony A. Williams (D), but the public schools were still the worst in the nation, crime remained high and government struggled to deliver basic services. Mr. Fenty attacked these challenges with his trademark energy and an almost intimidating single-mindedness. He has delivered: The District of Columbia today is a better place to live and work than it was four years ago. It is for that reason that we enthusiastically endorse Mr. Fenty in the Democratic primary for mayor. He should have another four years to entrench the progress he has made.” Meanwhile, Fenty’s main challenger, D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray, is running a campaign that “seems driven more by animus toward Mr. Fenty, and his style of governing, than by any agenda of his own. Instead of a substantive program, he offers the pledge of ‘one city.’ Visitors to his Web site are invited to check back later for his plans in areas such as public safety. On the city’s most pressing issue—reform of the troubled schools—Mr. Gray is alarmingly vague. He promises a cradle-to-college approach to schooling but offers little hint where the money would come from; he refuses to say whether he would try to retain Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee, though he spent much of his tenure as chairman criticizing her.”  The editorial came out unusually early, as the Post‘s Mike DeBonis (who wants everyone to remember that he and the other reporters had nothing to do with the editorial) notes. “I did some cursory research, looking back at 20 years of Post endorsements for high-level executive positions—the presidency, the Maryland and Virginia governorships and the District mayoralty. This appears to be the earliest Post endorsement since Parris Glendening was the board’s pick for Maryland governor in 1994. That endorsement came Sept. 11 for a Nov. 8 general election—ahead of even that year’s Maryland primary.” LL asked Fred Hiatt, the editorial page editor, about the timing, but hasn’t yet gotten a response. A surprising level of vitriol was aimed at the Post for this editorial. Check out this online forum editorial writer Jo-Ann Armao hosted, in which commenters pound on the Post. “What is to debate with the editors? You have been in the tank for Fenty and Michelle Rhee for months. I have observed that if there are any news articles critical of them, the Post runs an editorial defendung them within 48 hours. You’ve lost all sense of objectivity,” was one of the more genteel comments. The Georgetown Dish also piles on: “Perhaps the Post feels that to be influential for Fenty, it can no longer stand above the battle and wait to deliver a considered judgment based on all the facts that come out in a campaign. Instead, it has decided to speak loudly, early and—perhaps—often, in order to have its way. For the next editorial, it can always use bold type and caps.” And, finally, here’s what LL had to say: “As for the writing, LL enjoys his editorials on the dry side—haughty, aloof, deliberative, and detached in an Economist kind of way that makes you feel that the editorial writer is clearly your intellectual superior. This editorial doesn’t fit that mold. Instead of the ‘Voice of God’ moniker past Post editorials have earned, this one comes across as the ‘ Voice of the True Believer.'”

AFTER THE JUMP: Busted!; Your Vote Counts?; WaPo Piles on..

As If Gray Wasn’t Sour Enough on Sunday’s Post: Tim Craig reports on all the potential shit-eating Mayor Gray would have to do when first elected because of the wide array of groups supporting his candidacy. “Gray’s wide-ranging and potentially expensive policy positions have helped him amass a coalition most politicians would envy. He has received endorsements from the AFL-CIO, public employees unions, the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, the D.C. Tenants Advocacy Coalition, the D.C. Realtors Association, nurses, social workers, and gay and Hispanic Democratic groups. Observers say the coalition is crucial to Gray, whose war chest, at last report, was about one-tenth the $3 million amassed by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. The broad support could translate into financial backing and volunteer workers, and it could bolster Gray’s standing as an establishment candidate. For the most part, supporters say Gray hasn’t made specific promises, although they are drawn to his reputation for collaboration and want to be closer to the levers of power. But with the city government likely to face continuing budget shortfalls, if he is elected, Gray can expect to be tested quickly on how well he can say no. …Council member Marion Barry (Ward 8), a former four-term mayor who has a long-standing relationship with Gray, said he had better ‘be prepared’ for an influx of demands because ‘ the American way is to the victor goes the spoils.’ ‘The unions are going to come. All the advocacy groups are going to come. I’m going to come,’ Barry said. ‘I have a self-interest in this race. We want major development east of the Anacostia River. People want jobs, training programs. And he’s just going to have to be prepared for that.’ … Gray supporters said his performance as council chairman proves that he has the ability to make tough decisions and continue the changes started by Williams and Fenty. Gray, they noted, led the council effort last year to censure Barry and strip him of his committee chairmanship after allegations that Barry had misused city resources. Despite intense pressure from nonprofit groups, Gray also eliminated council earmarks last year. And budget hawks said Gray has generally shown more restraint then Fenty when balancing the budget. ‘When the time comes, he will say no,’ said council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3).”

Metro Board Members Busted: The Examiner‘s Kytja Weir finds the payoff for sitting through all those boring Metro board meetings for the last 18 months. Turns out some board members aren’t actually going to the meetings. “Six of Metro’s 14 directors have missed at least one of every five meetings, according to The Examiner’s analysis of Metro board minutes and observations over 18 months. D.C. Councilman Michael Brown had the worst record, for example, missing 66 percent of 79 committee and board meetings since he was appointed last year. The poor attendance has come as Metro has been searching for leadership amid its most challenging year. The National Transportation Safety Board slammed the board just last week, saying a lack of direction was a critical factor in safety lapses that cost lives last year. … The minutes themselves are generous. D.C. City Administrator Neil Albert showed up for a 9 a.m. finance committee meeting on May 13 at 10:29 a.m. He was counted as present. The minutes show he has missed 29 percent of the meetings, the fourth worst record overall and the worst of any director with a full vote. ‘Whenever I am not here there’s probably a good reason that involves the work of the city,’ he said. He said he misses many meetings partly because he serves on the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority, which meets the same day. He doesn’t think it’s too much to do both, though. ‘The district has representation,’ said Albert, who said he coordinates with two other D.C. directors to make sure the city has its two votes covered. Yet on May 27, only one D.C. representative voted on the crucial $2.18 billion budget that included major fare increases. D.C. Councilman Jim Graham said he voted for the fare increases, even though he opposed them a month later, to save the measure from a veto as rules require each measure to have support from every jurisdiction. ‘All in all I would prefer to vote no on this,’ he said at the meeting. ‘If I were to vote no today, it would throw a wrench into the works.'” Weir goes on to note that when Brown does show up for meetings, he rarely speaks and often “steps outside to make cell phone calls.” “When asked about his poor attendance, Brown said he has improved in the past few months. Indeed, his record improved from missing two-thirds of all meetings in 18 months to missing half of them, skipping 16 of 32 meetings in the first half of this year, board records show. His record remains among the worst. Brown said he adds value in his role, as he often discusses Metro in the community and stays informed through e-mails and other methods. ‘My attendance hasn’t been great but my engagement has always been there,’ Brown said. ‘Engagement can’t just be measured by attendance.'” LL predicts that Metro’s board members are going to be pretty happy when Weir has her impending baby and no one is there to keep tabs on them.

If You Can’t Trust Your Shadowy Overlords, Who Can You Trust: DeBonis has a public service announcement reminding us of the futility of voting. “In one fell swoop, D.C. voters will find themselves on the cutting edge of national election trends. After a series of problems with the 2008 city elections led lawmakers to overhaul voting equipment, standards and procedures, the way D.C. residents vote is changing dramatically. Voters are now allowed to vote early without excuse, either in person or by mail; they can register to vote as late as Election Day; and they will use new equipment to cast their ballots. The D.C. Council directive has had officials, many of them overseeing their first city election, scrambling to buy new equipment, formulate new procedures and train hundreds of poll workers. The scope of the changes and the quick timetable for implementation have some observers concerned. ‘They’ve got good people, but the city council, quite frankly, has loaded too much on them,’ said Doug Lewis, executive director of the National Association of Election Officials. ‘You’ve put in infinite points of failure. It’s just too much all at once.'” Not to worry, says the BOEE, we’ve got it covered. This story reminded LL of this video from the Onion.

Fix It: Today promises some D.C. Council Fenty-bashing over the summer jobs program. The mayor wants to extend the program a week and half, but there are questions about program’s funding—including the use of federal funds designated as temporary aid for needy families. Just in time with a solution is Martha Ross with a guest blog at the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute. Says Ross on Fenty’s plan to extend the program: “This is fiscally irresponsible, and it’s not the right way to run a high-quality youth employment program. D.C.’s program is simply too big, and the city’s difficulty in managing the oversized program is a disservice to kids and all of us. Sometimes the summer jobs program teaches young people valuable skills and provides useful experience, but sometimes it teaches young people that they can get paid for doing nothing. And by overspending its budget, the Fenty administration is taking money away from other important programs that help families stay afloat. (Not that a smaller-sized summer jobs program is a panacea:  Smaller programs from previous years have also had mixed results.)”

It’s Like Rain, On Your Wedding Day: The Examiner‘s tough-looking crime reporter, Scott McCabe, has this gem about a brawl erupting at the Wilson Building during a ceremony to recognize good behavior. “Mayor Adrian Fenty had just finished handing out the honors to the Department of Youth and Rehabilitation Services’ most successfully rehabilitated offenders when three of the girls got into an argument, according to law enforcement sources and police records. “One of the girls got a glazed look in her eyes, and it was on,” said one witness who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution. Chairs and fists started flying, witnesses said. Administration officials and security quickly moved in to stop the Thursday night fray, but the melee continued for several minutes, witnesses said. Police backup and D.C. fire and rescue workers were called to the Wilson Building to help quell the violence and take care of an injured person. … Johnnie Walker, past president of the local branch of the American Federation of Government Employees, said the mayor got a firsthand look at what his caseworkers are confronted with daily. ‘It’s ironic for this to actually happen in the District’s city hall and for all these juvenile justice experts to lose control over these girls,’ Walker said. ‘It’s really telling.’  As if DYRS needed any other headaches. LL would like to challenge the agency to go one week without being in the news. What’s even more troubling, from LL’s perspective, is this report from WJLA: “ABC 7 News reporter Brad Bell got a quick look at a bashed-in wall before a security guard detained him, then escorted him from the Wilson Building.” That is seriously messed up for a reporter to be detained and escorted out of City Hall (unless of course, it’s Bill Myers).

Ray of a Chance?: The Washington TimesDeborah Simmons has a profile of At-Large Council candidate Clark Ray, the former D.C. Parks and Recreation head. Simmons writes that Ray has big-name Democratic friends, a father who was a racist pipe-fitter, and likes catfish. Curiously absent, any mention or discussion of Ray’s abrupt dismissal from the Fenty administration.

Rhee Who?: The Post‘s Colbert I. King argues that the city’s fiscal health, and not Michelle Rhee ought to be the focal point of this mayoral campaign. Good luck with that one.

Fewer D.C. businesses going bankrupt [WBJ]

Jonetta still upset about Gandhi. Yep, still the other one. [Examiner] Dorothy Brizill has a different take, over at D.C. Watch.

Larger meaning? The link that LL uses to check the mayor’s schedule is not working. It appears that every link at isn’t working.

Council schedule: Roundtable on summer jobs at 10 a.m., full vote at 2 p.m.


text:
At Flight Wine Bar, aiming to open in Chinatown on Saturday, chef Bradley Curtis is bringing together culinary influences from two unlikely places: New England and the Mediterranean.

The combination isn’t totally random. The New England native has spent much of his career cooking food from the Mediterranean and north Africa. Curtis grew up in Maine and spent summers at his grandparents’ cabin in the White Mountains, fishing, hunting, and cooking. In his early culinary career, he worked at a small family-owned Moroccan restaurant, while getting his computer science degree at New York’s Clarkson College. He later went on to work at Turkish/Greek/Lebanese-inspired Zaytinya and DGS Delicatessen, where he learned a modern take on Jewish and Sephardic cuisine and dove into pickling. (Curtis’ resume also includes stints at Graffiato and Bandolero under Mike Isabella.)

At Flight Wine Bar, Curtis’ menu is comprised mainly of New England dishes with a Mediterranean/north African flare or vice versa. He braises a short rib in Moxie soda—”the drink of Maine” made with bitter gentian root extract—with white pearl onions and carrots. For a north Africa twist, the dish also incorporates dried fruit like prunes plus spices like anise and cinnamon. Meanwhile, dolmades are a traditional Greek dish, but Curtis stuffs the grape leaves with New England ingredients like rum raisins, squash, and pumpkin seeds.

Curtis admits of the way he’s marrying the different cuisines is “a little bit out there.” “I’ve wondered how people will perceive that…But as we’ve been sitting here and tasting these dishes, the cohesiveness of the menu has even surprised me,” he says.

The menu also features a play on fish and chips with fried New England clams and fresh Spanish anchovies. Curtis pickles potatoes to give them the taste of a salt and vinegar potato chip and then fries then, so you don’t have to douse the dish in the traditional malt vinegar. The dish is served with an arbol chile tartar sauce.

But the most unusual thing you’ll find on the menu is a tomato soup cake (seen above), which Curtis’ grandma used to make. The old school New England dessert is similar to to a carrot cake, with cream cheese icing and lots of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Curtis makes it by substituting tomato soup in for the cake’s liquid ingredients. “It’s super moist, and you get a little bit of flavor of the tomato,” he explains.

Husband-wife owners Kabir Amir and Swati Bose have an extensive international wine list, with about 30 varieties by the glass and even smaller “mini” pours. A dozen beers and ciders as well as a number of aperitifs, digestifs, and spirits are also available.

Check out the full food and drink menus and photos below.

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Flight Wine bar, 777 6th St. NW;

Photos by Scott Suchman courtesy Flight Wine Bar


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D.C.’s isn’t exactly awash in Eastern European fare, one reason two recent additions to the dining scene are so welcome. In January, Russian restaurant Mari Vanna opened in Dupont Circle and Serbian eatery Ambar debuted on Barracks Row. Sure, you probably know your borscht and blinis. Here are some other dishes you’ll want to try—and pronounce correctly.

523 8th St. SE

Balkan kebab

pronunciation: Cheh-VAH-pee

This minced beef and pork sausage is traditionally served with raw onions and a pitalike bread or fries. At Ambar, it comes in a cast iron skillet on a bed of roasted red peppers with an aged cow cheese on top, plus pickled onions and roasted potato wedges on the side. It’s Ambar’s most popular dish.

Cheese pie

pronunciation: Gib-ah-NEE-suh

You’ll find this comfort food on nearly every table in Serbia. It’s typically served for breakfast or lunch and accompanied by a yogurt drink. Ambar’s phyillo-wrapped version comes with a cucumber yogurt and red pepper spread.

Grilled bacon-wrapped prunes

Grilovane šljive

pronunciation: Grill-oh-VEN-ay SHLEE-vay

Plums (and prunes) are common in Serbian cuisine and traditionally paired with bacon. Ambar’s modernized version is stuffed with goat cheese and almonds, wrapped in bacon, and topped with a blueberry balsamic reduction. The prunes are presented on a stone with skewers.

Mari Vanna

1141 Connecticut Ave. NW

Olivier salad

CaЛaт Oливьe

pronunciation: SAH-lat oh-liv-yay

This dish is named after Belgian chef Lucien Olivier, who worked at Hermitage, a famed Moscow restaurant, in the mid-1800s. According to Mari Vanna chef Vitalii Kovalev, Olivier took all the ingredients he didn’t need and put them in a mixing bowl, and when he tried it, he discovered it was actually pretty good. As the story goes, Olivier was secretive about his recipe, and today, every city has its own style of the dish. Mari Vanna’s version is composed of diced potatoes, carrots, green peas, black olives, sour pickles, and a choice of diced Bologna or partridge with a homemade mayonnaise and quail eggs on top. In Russia, the Olivier salad is often served during holiday celebrations.

Salo plate

Accоpти сало

pronunciation: SAH-low

Salt-cured pork fatback is a traditional dish in western Russia and Ukraine, Kovalev says. Mari Vanna serves an assortment of three types—paprika, pepper, and white (plain)—with onion, garlic, rye toast, and Russian mustard. Kovalev suggests eating it with vodka.

Beef stroganoff

pronunciation: Beef stroh-gah-nov

You know how to say this one. Named after a Russian count, the dish uses filet mignon strips sauteed with butter, garlic, onion, and heavy cream with sour cream added at the end. It’s served with a side of sour pickles at the restaurant. And unlike American versions of the dish that use egg noodles, Mari Vanna’s stroganoff is served with a buckwheat kasha.

Mari Vanna photos by Travis Vaughn. Ambar photos by Goranfoto.


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It’s the last day at Yola, a yogurt and coffee shop inDupont, and there are no sandwiches, no fresh fruit (save for a few bananas), and no whole milk.

Customers might normally get upset about not having their strawberries, but today they’re forgiving. “We’ll take everything,” jokes one patron when she finds out that the store is closing. A few people make two or three trips throughout the day; others drop $20 bills in the tip jar.

“I’m sad to hear about you guys closing,” says one customer as he pays for his coffee.

“It’s OK. We’re sad too,” says co-owner Laura Smith.

“Any idea what you’re going to do next?” he asks.

“Not food.”

It’s a conversation that repeats itself over and over throughout Yola’s final day, which was last Friday. “The other four days of this week have been really nice and high-energy and fun,” Smith says. “But now it’s just kind of sad.” As the string of customers express their condolences, Smith attempts to explain Yola’s downfall: “We are a $5 average check size business in a close to $10,000-a-month rent location. It just doesn’t work. The math doesn’t work.”

Yola is the latest in a long string of restaurants to close this year. But unlike other owners, Smith has been brutally upfront about the realities of running a failing business.

Neither she nor her father had restaurant experience when they opened Yola in December 2010. Smith, 26, graduated from the University of Virginia in 2008 and spent a year working as a paralegal in D.C. Bored with the job, she took a teaching position at a boarding school in Switzerland, where she saw people line up for yogurt. She began thinking about opening a restaurant that would focus on local, natural ingredients. Her father, David Smith, is a senior vice president for commercial real estate firm J Street Companies.

Seeing the popularity of frozen yogurt and thinking D.C. was a strong market, the father-daughter team went into business together. They spent about a year fundraising and developing Yola, which cost more than half a million dollars. Laura ran most of the day-to-day on-site operations, and David mostly handled the business end.

The trouble started from the very beginning. “We underestimated the cost of opening the store, so we were in debt, which is a major no-no,” Laura Smith says.

In the first few months, Yola was constantly running out of supplies, and there weren’t a lot of rules for the staff, which fluctuated in number from nine to 15. A good day brought in as many as 450 people. A bad day meant as few as 100. Smith tried a number of things to pick business up, including Scoutmob, promotions with yoga studios, social media campaigns, raising prices, and adding sandwiches.

Smith says there was no single point at which she and her father realized the restaurant was doomed. It always felt like they wouldn’t make the rent, but then something—a promotion, a good week—would pick them back up. “It felt like it was constantly in danger, and it just kept eking along,” she says. “It died a very slow death.”

One of the hardest things was that her time no longer belonged to her. “I imagine it’s like having a baby,” she says. “Your cell phone has to be on when you sleep because someone’s going to call you at 5 a.m., and you need to pick it up because they’re calling to say the grinder is broken, and you’re not going to be able to make espresso, and that’s going to be thousands of dollars that’s lost every day.”

Both Smith and her dad frequently changed their ringtones because the mere sound of their phones became a source of anxiety. “He’s gone through all the ring options so now he’s at the barking one,” she says.

Monthly revenue fluctuated between the high $30,000s and low $50,000s, putting them constantly in the red. The Smiths found it complicated to calculate exactly how much they were losing, because they frequently put off payments to vendors. “You’re basically a money rotator, where you’re like, ‘OK, this is payroll week so I can’t pay the paper cup company this week, so I’ll have to try and see if they’ll wait till next Wednesday,’” Laura Smith says.

Smith’s anxiety got so bad that she wasn’t sleeping, so she went to a doctor who prescribed Celexa, which she took for two months. Meanwhile, to save money, she and her fiancé PJ Podesta moved out of their apartment in Glover Park to McLean to live with Podesta’s sister and her three kids. Over the summer, Smith took a second job working seven days a week picking up towels as a pool manager at Washington Golf & Country Club.

“It was so great to have a boss, which is crazy because you think it’s great to be you’re own boss. But I was like, ‘Someone’s going to tell me what to do! And someone’s going to say good job or bad job,’” Smith says. “In the end, I could quit. If I hated it, I could leave and not be tied down.”

It quickly became clear that Yola would not be able to honor its 10-year lease, so the Smiths began looking for someone to take it over. They already had a relationship with Neighborhood Restaurant Group, whose Buzz Bakery supplied Yola with baked goods. After several months of talks, NRG took over the lease and bought all Yola’s equipment for an undisclosed amount, and now plans to open a fried chicken and doughnut restaurant in the space. The Smiths and their investors have lost all the money they put into the restaurant, and they still have some remaining debt. (David Smith declined to reveal the exact amount.)

Laura Smith wonders how things might have been different if she was at the end of a career, rather than the beginning. She and Podesta are getting married in November, then plan to travel to Southeast Asia for seven months and volunteer at an orphanage in Cambodia. Instead of a wedding registry, she’s asking friends and family to help fund the trip. In the meantime, she’s applying for MFA programs so she can pursue a new career as a writer. She’s done with restaurants for now.

“I don’t have any regrets,” Laura says. “Well, I have regrets. I would have made decisions differently, but I learned so much. I feel really grateful for the experience…It’s rare that you get an opportunity to make such a big failure, such a public failure, and knowing how to do that, it’s a great thing.”

* * *

An hour before closing time, Yola becomes crowded with family, friends, and regulars. Everyone wants to document the moment, including Smith’s mother and soon-to-be mother-in-law, who snap photos of the Smiths and their employees behind the yogurt bar and in front of the store. Everyone is all smiles and goofy faces.

The only one who doesn’t seem to be taking it so well is Podesta’s 6-year-old niece, who breaks into tears. “She’s way more sad than I am,” Smith says with a laugh.

In fact, the closing starts to feel like a celebration when someone breaks out a six-pack of Fat Tire beer and a bottle of Champagne. “You’d think we were opening a restaurant,” says Podesta.

As the clock ticks down to 7 p.m., closing time, friends and family start counting the last seconds: “Five, four, three, two, one! Woooo!”

But Smith is still behind the yogurt bar, and there are two customers left. Instead of turning them away, she makes their orders and tells them not to worry about paying.

Slowly everyone trickles out. There are lots of hugs and well wishes. Smith looks on the verge of choking up a few times but always breaks into a big smile instead of tears. Soon, it’s just her and her parents. David Smith counts cash at a table while Laura sits on a stool behind the register going over a thick stack of credit card tip receipts—far more than normal. By all appearances, the last day seemed like a busy one.

Then, they add it all up: $1,786.

“Which is a light day,” David Smith says.

“I know, right?” Laura says. “It can be very deceiving.”

And with that, they turn off the lights, set the alarm, and lock the door for the last time.

Eatery tips? Food pursuits? Send suggestions to

Photo by Darrow Montgomery


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Growing up in New Jersey, chef Mike Isabella says Friday nights meant two things: pizza and fried calamari. Now, he’s married the two. Behold, the “Jersey Shore” pizza at Graffiato, Isabella’s hugely ballyhooed new restaurant in Chinatown, which opened Thursday. Adorned with lightly crispy rings of squid and splashed with spicy, bright traffic-cone-orange pepper aioli, the Garden State-themed pie may be Isabella’s boldest statement on his entire opening menu, or at least among the various artisanal pizzas offered. (My dining companions and I spotted rival pizza maker and fellow celebrity TV chef Spike Mendelsohn checking out the new restaurant late Thursday night.)

While I savored the heat of the aioli somewhat, one friend would have preferred some real peppers instead. And all three of us agreed that the chewy crust could have spent a little more time in the oven to crisp it up a bit. But, compared to the boring fare at the typical slice joint across the street? Fuhgeddaboudit.

Graffiato, 707 6th St. NW, (202) 289-3600

Photo by Chris Shott


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Don’t worry,  Y&H didn’t know that the Fast Foodie had left, either. I just stumbled upon these videos this morning and fell for the character played by Hannes Phinney when he said, “I got to get back to basics. I got to get back to my reality. My reality is burgers and fries, tacos, extreme burritos and french fries and burritos and overstuffed nachos and occasional breakfast sandwiches.”

You can watch more Fast Foodie videos here.


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With his minibar insideCafe Atlantico, Jose Andres has a well-earned reputation for experimenting with food and science, but with the opening of The Bazaar in Los Angeles, the celebrity chef toys with the very idea of a restaurant itself. The concept, as described on The Bazaar’s Web site, is a “collection of magical dining experiences, entwined in a modern-day, European-inspired ‘indoor piazza.'” Translation: You eat, drink, and snack your way across a hotel lobby. It’s sort of like migrating from one tapas bar to another in Spain, I’d guess.

Frankly, it’s a little hard to imagine the place without pictures and a journalist’s knack for cutting through the marketing BS. Thank God some of our colleagues in the City of Angels have already started to chime in on Andres’ new baby.

Eater L.A.: “The best way to describe the whole concept: Gastronomic playground. Huge menu with a wide array of traditional tapas (for Rojo) and “modern” tapas (Blanca). Hits: bread with tomatoes and jamon Iberico; sea urchin in a can with what was, in essence, a pico de gallo; fideo paella; carrot fritters; Catalan spinach; juicy homemade sausage and white beans. Misses: tough pork cheeks; way over salted sea scallops; “world’s greatest” stuffed olives just basically stuffed olives (but the spherification olives get us every time). There are some kinks to work out, but overall, good stuff. Exciting stuff. Escorted to the Patisserie: split a few bon bons for dessert, saffron candy in edible paper was a fun twist.

Thrillist: “Semi-partitioned by curtains, Bazaar’s a sprawling enclave festooned with ADD-friendly surprises like Viking-horned chairs and LED screens flashing 17th Century paintings transforming into monkeys. Because sitting still for ten minutes totally sucks, your bill follows you around as you enjoy three mini-venues, each with distinct small-plates menus…”

Chowhound:“At this point, Chef José Andrés decided to pay our table a visit! He was very cordial, asked us how we enjoyed everything so far, and posed for a few photos with Mrs. J.L. & myself. Mrs. J.L.’s mom is a big fan of Chef Andres back in Madrid – she’ll be truly excited to see the photos. I asked where he obtains the jamon Iberico de bellotas; it turns out that the jamon is imported by the Chef himself.”


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For a while now, Bundy Development Corporation has been trying to shoehorn a cluster of townhouses onto a patch of green space behind warehouses off Bladensburg Avenue NE that they bought for $1.87 million in 2008. In response to community input, they reduced the number of units from between 39 and 44 to 24, and increased the parking from between 8 and 11 spaces to 18—-which is unfortunate. But it still looks like a nice project, with three stories on a small footprint and a pleasing backyard space between the homes (even the new Dakota Crossing townhouses a few blocks away feel more stark and unfriendly, sitting on the highway-like Fort Lincoln Drive).

The project hits the Zoning Commission next week. Designs after the jump.

[scribd id=80664475 key=key-2krep99zkynxzktzlwk mode=list]


text: Shoppers at the Columbia Heights Giant were greeted this evening with fantastic news: A flyer promising that all 19 cash registers will be open from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., and a rotisserie chicken to anyone who finds one closed (unless it’s “broken or offline”). Looks like all the whining about epic lines stretching back into the food aisles, plus increased traffic from people busing up from the now-closed Shaw Giant, might have finally forced a change.


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Too small! (screen grab from Google maps)

The Yes! Organic Market at 6th and Pennsylvania Avenue SE was among the company’s first, starting in 2000. It’s also one of the smallest, at about 2,000 square feet—and the most profitable for the size.

Now, owner Gary Cha needs to move the market, with no easy options.

“We grew out of that space a long time ago,” Cha tells Housing Complex. “We’re desperately searching for new space, but there just isn’t any…we are not able to serve the community in that small space.”

Cha is eyeing the film development shop next door for an expansion, but doesn’t sound optimistic. He’s also looking as far away as H Street, where many customers come from already.

There’s something of a time crunch: Stanton Development, the owner of the building, is planning to add two more stories behind the store, which could disrupt business during construction. Stanton, though, says there’s no reason for Cha to move.

“We plan on them staying,” said Stanton’s Kitty Kaupp. “We love them as a tenant.”

In the long term, Cha says he would love to move into the Hine Junior High school site, which Stanton is also developing. But that won’t even get under way for at least another two years—a long time to be crammed into their current location.

Meanwhile, of course, Cha is racing to open his store on Pennsylvania east of the river. He addressed ANC 8A last night, advising them of a ribbon cutting in the first week of September. The 7,000 square foot store will be hiring about 30 workers at a job fair to take place that day.

As Cha often hears, commissioners wanted to know how prices would compare to other organic groceries, like Whole Foods. Cha answered that that adding a seventh store creates economies of scale that help bring prices down, and that they’re looking for good-quality product lines that are cheaper in bulk—it’s possible to get two-dollar pasta sauce, for example. The 118 apartments in the complex create a built-in customer base, but Cha says they’re dependent on attracting the surrounding community as well.

“If we can’t get people to come in and shop, we’ll go out of business,” he said.


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Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire is all about the District this weekend. Before the Montreal group takes over the Verizon Center this Sunday with Dan Deacon, you can spot a few of the band’s members at smaller gigs at the Rock & Roll Hotel.

Frontman Win Butler kicks off the weekend with a free DJ set as Windows 98 at the Rock & Roll Hotel tonight at midnight. Butler has previously DJed under the moniker Windows 95, so it looks like he’s updated his operating system for free. Here’s hoping the set will now run DVDs and high-speed Internet Explorer 4.0.

And on Saturday, Arcade Fire guitarist Will Butler will open for the punk supergroup United Nations at the H Street NE venue. It’s hard to say what exactly he’ll be playing—-the younger Butler was recently nominated for an Academy Award for Her’s melancholic score, which is doesn’t totally jive with the sound of the Thursday-affiliated headliner.

Arcade Fire regroups on Sunday for the latest date in the group’s Reflektor tour, in which they’ve been covering a city-specific song at each gig. It’s anyone’s guess what D.C.-native cover the band members will choose, but considering they’ve played everything from Dead Kennedys to Prince, a go-go or hardcore cover seems well within the band’s reach. The Washington Post Express’s Rudi Greenberg has his money on Fugazi. Think he’s right? Share your guess in the comments.

Side note: If you’re planning on rocking the YOLO hat, you may not be alone.

Photo by Guy Aroch

Due to a reporting error, an earlier version of this post stated that Will Butler won an Academy Award. In actuality, he was only nominated for one.


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When the first remix from Wugazi hit the Internet, we kinda lost our shit. So did a lot of people, and it makes sense: Someone should’ve mashed up Wu-Tang and Fugazi, two groups with similarly diehard followings, years ago. Luckily, it was two dudes from the Minneapolis hip-hop crew Doomtree, and we’re generally digging 13 Chambers, the full Wugazi mixtape they dropped today. Arts Desk divvied up the tracks, figuring out what songs Wugazi sampled and what on the mixtape works.

Read our breakdown below. Hell, read Rolling Stone‘s, too. Download the thing. And if you want to throw the mixtape’s juxtapositions into even sharper relief, smoke a blunt and think about your straight-edge days.

Track No. 1: “Sleep Rules Everything Around Me” (Fugazi’s “I’m So Tired” and Wu-Tang Clan’s “C.R.E.A.M.”) “S.R.E.A.M.” is the perfect choice to lead off this album: It’s a moving mashup that practically justifies the entire genre, interweaves a beautiful piano hook from Fugazi’s Instrument soundtrack with sick rhymes from one Wu’s most classic head-nodders. (Leor Galil)

Track No. 2: “Suicide Surprise” (Fugazi’s “No Surprise” and Gravediggaz’ “1-800-Suicide”) The first half is workmanlike (the rhymes are by non-Wu members Frukwan and Poetic), but the dropout that sets up RZA’s rap at 2:13 is genius. Fully satisfies any urges for a “Gravediggazi” side-project. Where’s Guy’s “hey,” though? (Joe Warminsky)

Track No. 3: “Another Chessboxin’ Argument” (Wu-Tang Clan’s “Da Mystery of Chessboxin'” and Fugazi’s “Argument”) Blending the Clan’s lo-fi production with the band’s moody, looping guitars, “Another Chessboxin’ Argument” is a schizophrenic mix of menacing rhymes and contemplative musings. If there’s a fine line between anger and depression, this track definitely walks it. (Marcus J. Moore)

Track No. 4: “Ghetto Afterthought” (Fugazi’s “Afterthought,” Ghostface Killah’s “Special Delivery (Remix),” and Pras’ “Ghetto Superstar (That Is What You Are),” featuring Ol’ Dirty Bastard) “Afterthought” may not be an especially notable Fugazi track, but chopped up just right, its Beatles-esque keyboard line sounds like a born hip-hop sample. And I’ll never get tired of Big Baby Jesus acting ridiculous. (Ryan Little)

Track No. 5: “Sweet Release” (Fugazi’s “Sweet and Low” and Method Man’s “Release Yo’ Delf”) Wu affiliate Blue Raspberry’s appropriation of the “I Will Survive” melody is still a stretch, but it gets a surprisingly soulful bounce from Fugazi’s minimalist, no-longer-subdued guitar line, from In on the Killtaker‘s instrumental mood piece “Sweet and Low.” You can still dance to the line “What’s that rhythm, what’s that sound? Party people getting down”—-drenched here in just about the most atmospheric guitar noise Fugazi is capable of emitting—-but you’re probably doing it by yourself, spinning in circles, looking downward. (Jonathan L. Fischer)

Track No. 6: “Shame on Blue” (Fugazi’s “Blueprint” and Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Brooklyn Zoo”) Seven-years deceased and now remixed with Fugazi, Ol’ Dirty Bastard still drops science like Cosby drops babies. But while Brendan Canty’s drumming keeps up, Joe Lally’s memorable bass line sometimes falls behind ODB’s famous motormouth. (Benjamin R. Freed)

Track No. 7: “Slow Like That” (Fugazi’s “Slo Crostic” and Ghostface Killah and Ne-Yo’s “Back Like That”) While “Slo Crostic” is a heavy slow-burner, “Back Like That”—-Ghost’s most successful solo single—-is a glitzy, smoothed-out jam. As for the mashup, the Wugazi dudes splice up chords to buttress Ghost’s brassy rhymes, but Ne-Yo’s pudding-skin voice gets buried. (Ally Schweitzer)

Track No. 8: “Floating Labels” (Fugazi’s “Floating Boy” and GZA’s “Labels”) Just as Lally provided Fugazi with a sturdy, flexible spine for many classic post-hardcore tunes,  his agile bass work carries “Floating Labels.” The mashup’s simple, head-nodding bassline actually does a lot of the heavy lifting on this song: The classic GZA cut sounds a bit off at times, and it’s as if the banger-worthy instrumentals are trying to peel out from under GZA’s rhymes on a few occasions. It’s sharp, but a bit messy. (Leor Galil)

Track No. 9: “P.L.O. Squared” (Fugazi’s “Facet Squared” and Method Man’s “P.L.O. Style”) The tense, blippy intro of “Facet Squared” is sped up and looped; its explosion of guitars is chopped and deployed as an accent to Meth’s showy street militancy. Definitely has the Judgment Night soundtrack vibe. (Joe Warminsky)

Track No. 10: “Nowhere to Wait” (Gravediggaz’s “Nowhere To Run, Nowhere To Hide” and Fugazi’s “Waiting Room”) An incredibly over-driven marriage of a horrorcore oddity and a sped-up punk-rock classic, “Nowhere to Wait” makes you wanna slam dance, break shit, and possibly punch your mom in the face. (Marcus J. Moore)

Track No. 11: “Last Chance For The Clientele Kid” (Fugazi’s “Last Chance For A Slow Dance” and Raekwon’s “Clientele Kidd”) There’s something a little unnerving about placing ultra-violent lyrics atop Fugazi’s radically pacifist punk, but damn if Fat Joe doesn’t just kill it on this track. (Ryan Little)

Track No. 12: “Killa Hill” (Fugazi’s “Suggestion” and Inspectah Deck’s “R.E.C. Room”) Is it weird to hear an anti-rape song reduced to background music for passable-to-good braggadocio? (“Yo, Killa Bees swarmin/protect ya neck! What’s the warnin’?”) Sure, but this deep into this mixtape I’m over it. Brendan Canty’s drums—-sped up here, but not much—-thunder way too much not to work as a battle beat. (Jonathan L. Fischer)

Track No. 13: “Forensic Shimmy” (Fugazi’s “Forensic Scene” and Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s “Shimmy Shimmy Ya”) As Leor Galil wrote yesterday, ODB and Joe Lally are a “killer combo” on this closing track. When Dirty says “Baby, I like it raw,” Fugazi answers with a collision of noise—-a bristling call-and-response that demands these 13 Chambers get extended to 26. Too bad that’s not looking too likely. (Benjamin R. Freed)


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An emerging radio-personality and established hip-hop DJ, Peter Rosenberg earned his stripes at WMUC while a student at the University of Maryland. After brief stints at WPGC and WHFS, Peter found a home at WJFK hosting an experimental talk radio show that fused discussions of hip-hop, sports, and politics. Already an edgy proposition for the stodgy WJFK, The Peter Rosenberg show was canceled after one too many run-ins with local talk radio darlings Don and Mike.

A media maven in the making, Peter quickly packed up and relocated to New York – landing a spot on the weekend graveyard shift at Hot97. His show brings a mix of underground hip hop both new and old, interviews, freestyles, an odd fascination with pro wrestling and Rick Ric Flair, and something that has long been missing from NYC corporate radio—-D.C. Hip Hop.

Check out last week’s show, which features all new material from Wale, Tabi Bonney, Oddisee, Kev Brown, Kaimber, The Package and others.

Real Late with Peter Rosenberg airs Sunday nights in New York City from 1-3 AM on 97.1 FM. MP3s are available at

Also: check out his videos on YouTube!


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The Pigskins Shame Spiral is an occasional feature tracking developments related to the name of D.C.’s beloved football team.

Who: Participants in a recent poll conducted by Public Policy Polling

Change the name? It depends on whom you ask. Among 410 NFL fans surveyed in early February, the majority (64 percent) said the Pigskins should not change their name versus one in four who said the team should. But a closer look at the data reveals that participants ages 18 to 29 as well as African-American and Hispanic participants were more likely to say down with the slur. Here are charts of those breakdowns:

Why? Change the Mascot’s and Oneida Indian Nation’s Ray Halbritter helps explain: “These survey results confirm what we have sensed in so many different ways over the last few years: namely, that more and more Americans want the National Football League to start respecting people of color and stop marketing a dictionary-defined racial slur,” he said in a release. “Young people and communities of color are a major part of the future of this country—and they are making a strong statement that the future must be about civility, tolerance and respect, not about promoting racially charged epithets.” Got that, Snyder?

Shame Spiral rating: Finger wag. The poll is reassuring in some ways: More NFL fans want the Washington football team to change its name since the last such poll was conducted, Change the Mascot notes. Still, it is deeply problematic that a majority of fans say they are OK with discrimination.

And that’s just not cool.

Illustration by Jandos Rothstein; charts via PPP poll