Things That Are Upcoming: DC Fark Party, Music, Matchbox, Meetups & More

Here are a few things I'm interested in. I say this even though I didn't catch a single Fringe show this time around (which I had mentioned), nor did I go see Spiritualized at the 9:30 Club (which I hadn't):

Southern Culture on the Skids at the 9:30 Club, Thursday, 7/28. Doors 7:30pm. $15. I'd never really paid much attention to them, but I'd signed up for a Yep Roc Records freebie and ended up listening to some of their stuff (curse you, Internet marketing!). Alas, I have a potential kickball game on Thursday (weather and playoff victory permitting), so I'm a very tenuous maybe for this.

DC Fark Party (with a scheduled appearance by Drew Curtis), upstairs bar at The Big Hunt, Saturday, 8/2. 8-10:30pm. Free (If you don't eat or drink. Which would be a silly thing to do.) DC Farkers and lurkers of all sorts are expected to attend. (NPR coverage is undetermined at this time.) I'll definitely be there.

Virgin Mobile Festival 2008. Pimlico Race Course. 8/9-8/10. $100/day or $175 for a two-day pass. Premium parking +$25. Chances I will attend: Vanishingly slim, but I had an embarassing empty spot between weeks. Here's a tip: Pay for a parking pass and tailgate -- you can should be able to hear the main stage act from the parking lot.

Social Matchbox DC, at TeqCorner in McLean, Thursday, 8/14, 5-8:30pm. Free. More networking. Try not to swarm the venture capitalists. Also a definite for me, as it's right around the corner from where I'm working.

Suzanne Vega, at Birchmere, Monday, 8/18, 7:30pm. $35. Outlook hazy at this point. Try again later.

August Washington Blogger Meetup, RFD, Wednesday, 8/20, 7pm. Kick in a buck or two towards Meetup costs (and get the wifi for free). I'm planning on attending.

Liz Phair, 9:30 Club, Thursday, 8/28. 7pm doors. $25. I'd like to attend. Not sure at this point. [7/29 update: Sold out now. As Voltaire said, there's a certain inevitable futility in indecision.]

That's it for August so far. September gives us the Dulles Plane Pull (9/6), PodCamp Philly (9/6-9/7), Twin Tech II (9/18), and Crafty Bastards DC (9/28). More updates as events warrant.

Of course, there'll be the usual interspersion of DC Tech Events and so forth.

Hirshhorn After Hours: What Ticketless Suckers Can Expect

Hirshhorn After Hours is tonight. Advanced ticketing, which I think was available all the way up until yesterday, is now closed.

If you didn't get your tickets in advance (fool), you can still purchase tickets at the door. Here's what you can look forward to, based on my previous experience in April (I scribbled notes on an old ATM receipt):

* 7:30pm: Get to the museum. Congratulate myself on my cleverness and foresight in getting there 30 minutes early.

* 7:31pm: See the line, which already runs down Independence from the museum entrance in the middle of the block, down to the corner on 7th. Stop congratulating myself.

* 7:35pm: Suffer the indignity of being gawked at tourists on Segways:

* 8pm: The line, which has stretched far down 7th, out of sight, starts moving. Advanced ticket holders start arriving and breeze past us. I hate them.

* 8:35pm: Getting through the cursory bag check, I turn around and take a picture. Then, more waiting:

After a few more minutes, we get inside the building. The security guard at the door has a clicker -- I ask him and he says the count is already at #250.

Since there are supposed to be 500 tickets at the door (and 1500 presale), I wonder how many disappointed people there are going to be. Their number do not include me, as I get mine.

At this point, I should be able to stop taking notes. But I don't.

* 10pm: Smell the first doobie of the night.

* 10:15pm: Overheard: "This is, like, the best party I have ever been to." Surmise speaker needs to get out more.

* 10:30pm: The beer starts to run out.

Here are some photos that are not of the line -- the lit plaza fountain from above (through a dirty window) and band Hooliganship:

Purple and shadows:

A faux-infrared photo -- the pink/orange light from the building was a neat effect on the trees:

You can see my full photo set (including some sculpture and many museum artwork labels) on Flickr: Hirshhorn After Hours, 4/4/08.

And I look forward to breezing past the line-waiters tonight.

Tags: hirshhorn museum, hirshhorn after hours

Things That Are Upcoming: Blog Potomac, Puppini Sisters and More

Okay, so I've been slack on any number of things this week. Here are a few things of interest coming up in the near future:

* Tomorrow, Friday, June 13: The Blog Potomac Conference at the State Theatre in Falls Church. I'm looking forward to it, even if I bagged the dinner after the Social Media Club DC event for the book Now Is Gone.

(I like blathering about social media and online community as much as the next social media and online community consultant, and there were a few folks I genuinely enjoy seeing. So why did I bag? For some reason, the thought of hearing and saying more blather about social media and online community -- even my own -- made me seriously consider throwing myself out the plate glass window on the second floor of the Clarendon Barnes and Noble.

Instead, I ended up browsing briefly through Eastern Mountain Sports, the Apple Store, and the CD Cellar -- where I, yet again, bought a CD I already own -- and had dinner at the East-West Grill before going home.)

* Sunday, June 15: The Puppini Sisters play Birchmere. As previously noted. Not sure how definite this is. (Well, for me -- I'm sure they'll be playing.)

* Wednesday, June 18: As with every third Wednesday, come to RFD in DC (right across from the Verizon Center) for the monthly Washington Blogger Meetup. Remember, there is wifi available, so bring a laptop if you're interested in starting a blog or spiffing up your existing blog (the members of the Washington Blogger Meetup cannot be held responsible for any damages incurred to your blog. Especially since alcohol may will be involved.)

(Incidentally, it appears that Meetup has redesigned. It seems a bit friendlier. Definitely more 2.0ish.)

* Friday, June 20 is another Hirshhorn After Hours. Trust me: If you're interested in going, get your tickets in advance. I keep saying I'll do an entry explaining why you want to do this -- and I may. Eventually.

* Wednesday, June 25 is the Web Content Mavens June meeting, also at RFD. This month's topic seems pretty interesting, though I have a conflict.

* Thursday, June 26 is the inaugural event for the DC Design Babes at Cafe Citron in Dupont Circle. Hey, since my (real) purpose for going to DC-area tech events is to meet girls (I'm really bad at it, which is why I just end up networking), I'm there.

After that: Independence Day. Then, onward to the sweet embrace of death.

Tags: blog potomac

Things That Are Upcoming: Social Media Events, Concerts & More

A few things that are coming up, that, if you're really lucky, you might see me at:

* Tonight, 7pm at RFD (across from the Verizon Center): The May Washington Blogger Meetup Group. I'll be leaving for that shortly. Local bloggers, blog commenters, blog readers, would-be bloggers, and blog groupies are welcome to attend. (Especially blog groupies.)

(Incidentally, as per Paul, the previously automatically-scheduled DC New Media Technology - Web 2.0 - Video 2.0 - Social Web Meetup is not happening tonight. Stick that in yer pipe and smoke it, DC Tech Events.)

* This Memorial Day Weekend, Rolling Thunder happens on Sunday (with other events on the surrounding days).

* Wednesday, June 4, there's a Solutions Are Power social media event at Busboys and Poets in DC.

* The Breeders show, June 11 at the 9:30 Club, is apparently still not sold out. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised -- Cannonball came out in 1993, and several of my (younger, natch) friends who I hit up as possible concert companions responded, "The Breeders? Who are they?"

* Friday, June 13 is the Blog Potomac conference.

* Sunday, June 15, The Puppini Sisters play Birchmere. If you're not familiar, they have a retro-throwback Andrews Sisters-style -- it's a fun sound (including some covers of modern pop songs) with good harmonies.

* Friday, June 20 is Hirshhorn After Hours -- advance tickets are still available as of this writing. (I'll probably blog my photos from the last time up before them. Probably. Possibly. Maybe.)

After that is Independence Day, followed by the sweet embrace of death (well, in 50 years or so.)

Things That Are Upcoming: Air Shows, Post Hunt and More Social Media Navel-Gazing

A few things going on around the way that are interesting, assuming you are me:

* I took last week off from social media navel-gazing and DC-local tech event stuff. Looks like this week will be no different (due to conflicts, not social media fatigue), though if you're of the mind, Refresh DC is Thursday in Arlington -- as to the rest, check out DCTechEvents.com for current-ish listings.

* This weekend (that would be Saturday and Sunday... well, also Friday for DoD personnel and school-sponsored children) is the Joint Service Open House Air Show at Andrews Air Force Base.

I've been living down here for a dozen years, and I've never made it to one, not because I have a morbid fear of air show crashes, but because I usually don't find out about it until after the fact. If I go, it'll be on Saturday. That's because...

* Sunday is the first DC Post Hunt -- I was kind of 'meh' about it until I read the preview chat -- while I'm pretty good with words, I'm not so good with word puzzles, but it looks like fun -- in the worst-case scenario, I can always bail and go drink somewhere.

Looking out to next week:

* Tickets for next month's Hirshhorn After Hours go on sale Tuesday (May 20) -- if you're planning on going, I can't stress highly enough: Get your tickets in advance.

This is where I would theoretically do my blog recap and photos from the last one. Theoretically.

* Wednesday is the May edition of the Washington Blogger Meetup at RFD in DC. Come one, come all.

This time around, it doesn't conflict with the monthly Web Content Mavens meeting, because that's on Tuesday the 19th. However, it does conflict with the DC New Media Technology meetup at Lotus Lounge at the same time.

Then, a quick look out to next month:

* June 4th, DC social media social butterfly Shashi, in conjunction with DC Media Makers, is sponsoring a social media event at Busboys and Poets.

* Friday, June 13th is the Blog Potomac conference at the State Theatre in Falls Church (right across the street from Clare and Don's Beach Shack, where I am at this very moment). [Conference pro-tip: There's free wi-fi here.]

In addition to whatever luminaries will be official panelists, social media and PR 2.0 guru David Parmet (call him Utma, he loves that) will be in attendance. At least, I'm pretty sure I saw it on his Twitter stream (which I note is misbehaving, yet again, as we enter primetime).

At $75, it'd be cheap at several multiples of the price.

Tags: blog potomac, washington blogger meetup, dctechevents, post hunt, joint service air show

More Schmoozing

I'm just about headed out the door to go to 1223 for Tech Cocktail DC 2. Lots of familiar names on the list, including plenty of former cow-orkers. Should be fun.

I spoke to Paul, and the NoVA Open Coffee event is happening tomorrow morning, 9AM at Panera in Tysons Corner. I'll stop in before I go to my consulting gig in McLean. How early I get there depends on how long it takes to get a drink at Tech Cocktail (and they're usually pretty good about that sort of thing)...

Yesterday's Web Content Mavens event was pretty good. I'll talk more about it some other time.

**************
In other news, my car passed inspection, though apparently one of my rear tires is getting kind of iffy. At first, I was all pissed off ("I just got new tires?!"), but looking at my Tire Rack receipts, I replaced my original tires in April 2005, after 3 years, then I replaced my front tires after a flat tire in April (remember, running on a flat tire is not the same as having run-flat tires). It being 3 years from now, I guess I'm on schedule.

**************
Also, I came this close to getting tickets to see the Breeders at the 9:30 Club in June; however, since I have a prior kickball engagement, plus the fact that the Ticketmaster convenience and shipping fees add $10 to the ticket, plus I've seen mixed reviews of the album and previous tour dates, I'm going to hold off. Since I'm guessing the show will sell out, that just means I've essentially decided not to go.

Decision-making through procrastination.

Okay, schmooze time.

Upcoming DC-ish Tech Event Things

I finally made it to Stacy's Coffee Parlor in Falls Church -- I'm currently sitting in a comfy chair and enjoying an iced coffee as I wait for my car at the place down the road:

Notice the three-finger reboot key combo.

From here, there are two DC-ish tech things going on tonight (of which I am aware):

* Web Content Mavens is looking at Web analytics this month. That happens at Cap City Brewery downtown at 7pm.

* Refresh DC has startup-focused session, also at 7pm, at Strategic Analysis, Inc. in Ballston.

I might have to flip a coin. This, of course, assumes I get my car back today. Though I'll most likely end up at Web Content Mavens.

Looking out a bit:

* At the post-PodCampDC happy hour, there were rumblings of a morning-ish coffee meetup on Friday at Panera in Tysons Corner (the one in the old Tower Records shopping center) -- Paul, any updates?

* Thursday night is the second TechCocktail DC at MC...MCX... 1223 in DC. I will have to remember to wear shoes.

* Wednesday, April 30 is the DC New Media Technology Meetup at Lotus Lounge. I've been one time before. There were three recruiters there -- you could tell, because they were the only ones wearing suits.

* Saturday, May 3 is the Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race. I have a weekend left to repack my skate bearings and shake the cobwebs loose. (At this point, forget about conditioning -- it's all about survival and getting that first layer of blisters out of the way.)

If you're not going to Gold Cup and are interested in going, ping me.

Things That Are Upcoming

I'm at the Beach Shack in Falls Church again, to grab a quick pulled pork sandwich and hush puppies before the April edition of the Washington Blogger Meetup Group at RFD in DC (across from the Verizon Center).

Despite earlier rumors to the contrary, Pope Benedict will most likely not be attending.

[Sidebar: Lary from Galaxy Hut just showed up with his daughter.]

Other pending things going on in the DC social media and tech universe:

* This weekend is PodCampDC; it's primarily in Rosslyn, though the Friday night kickoff party is at the Capitol City Brewery downtown.

* Tomorrow is a DC New Media, Movie, and Creative Industry Happy Hour, at Lotus Lounge in DC. Call me a maybe on that (Unless you're an aspiring model, actress, or model/actress looking to meet a producer. Then I'll definitely be there. Trust me.)

Lotus Lounge is also the location of the DC New Media Tech - Web 2.0 & Video 2.0 Meetup, Wednesday, April 30th. Also mark me a maybe on that one.

* Next Wednesday is the April Web Content Mavens Meetup -- the topic is about Web analytics (remember when "analytics" were simply "metrics"?), so I anticipate a sellout crowd (that is, a crowd of sellouts...)

* Next Thursday is Tech Cocktail DC 2, at 1223 in DC. Since I am a big mooch and it's the only time I get to go to 1223, I'll be there.

I also see that on the Tech Cocktail DC events listing, that May 10 is SocialDevCampEast up at the University of Baltimore. I don't know if I'm going to that one yet.

Getting a little chilly out on the patio. Come out to RFD (but maybe bring a jacket.)

Tags: clare and dons, podcampdc

The Raveonettes at the Black Cat, and a Look at Things That Are Upcoming

Saturday night, I went to see the Raveonettes at the Black Cat. I'd originally tried to make a bigger group outing out of it, but that didn't work out. Especially since the show sold out, and I'd selfishly and short-sightedly only gotten two tickets (and I'd only bought them Saturday afternoon, succumbing to nervousness and something resembling "experience.")

Actually, having that second ticket caused me some measure of consternation; it was simultaneously too much and not enough. Fortunately, Ryan ended up accompanying me, so I didn't end up having to scalp it (which had been a possibility at one point).

After some really bad luck parking, we finally made it inside while the opener was still playing. (Black Acid -- don't know much about them; not bad, though they seemed to be channeling a progression of styles.)

We settled in next to the sound board, where Ryan attempted to put the whammy on the sound guy, by gazing intently on a random section of the board until the sound guy adjusted it:

"My mind to your mind... your thoughts to my thoughts."

Then, the Raveonettes came on -- they split between playing previous hits and stuff off the new album (which I bought at the show). They were pretty tight and sounded fine.

I broke away at one point to try to get some photos -- unlike prior attempts, I only came away with one moderately usable pic:

Sharin Foo

After the show, we headed back to meet up with some folks in Arlington, but by the time we got back, things had pretty much broken up for the night.

Oh, and after some discussion and a little research, I've come to realize that I'd had a mistaken notion of what constituted shoegaze music. I apologize for the (notional) inconvenience.

---

In other news, I had planned on replacing the bathtub faucet handles and spout this weekend -- bought the hardware, the tools and the plumbers grease and all -- but chickened out/got lazy/procrastinated my out of it. I'll get around to it eventually -- originally, I was just going to replace the leaky valve stems, but the hardware is really grody, so I figured it'd be worth it to just change everything. (Sure, I want to convert the master bath to a corner shower unit eventually, but one thing at a time.)

Things That Are Upcoming: Let's see -- Monday is Social Matchbox DC, which is right down the street from where I'm contracting in McLean, so I'll be there.

I haven't seen the cherry blossoms in a few years -- to be honest, it's looking like I'll skip it again this year -- we'll see what the weather and my schedule looks like mid-week.

Friday is Hirshhorn After Hours -- I haven't been to one yet, but it's on my list of stuff to do, especially since the Hirshhorn is my favorite museum.

Saturday, Mike Doughty plays at the 9:30 Club.

Looking out a little further -- PodCampDC is the weekend of April 18th.

The Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race is May 3rd, and the following weekend is SkateDC. Which means I should probably dust off the skates now. (The "getting back in shape" bit of it is optional, though recommended.)

I also registered for June 13th's BlogPotomac. It's only $75 and it's at the State Theatre -- if nothing else, it gives me an excuse to visit the Beach Shack.

The days, they may drag, but the weeks and months just fly on by, don't they?

Tags: raveonettes

Today's My Birthday!

It being my birthday today, it's also the most appropriate time to post this comic:

Yay! (Though PBF is on semi-hiatus, boo.)

Since I did my celebrating on Saturday (still haven't posted the pictures), tonight I'll be tearing things up at RFD, where I'll be, um, learning about using SharePoint for a Web CMS at the March Web Content Mavens Meetup. (Though I might swing through Arlington on the way back.)

I'm headed out that way now -- I just had to get out of the office and make a coffee, food, and blogging stop. So I'm at Jammin' Java in Vienna, which I figured was better than, say, Panera.

Tags: pbf, perry bible fellowship, birthday

Buoyed by the Cute, 24-Year-Old, Pathologically Lying Hairdressers. Plus, Another Birthday.

I have to admit, I was feeling pretty low this afternoon. Mostly, it's because I haven't been sleeping on a regular schedule, and when I have been, it's been on Pacific Daylight Time (possibly even Alaska Daylight Time). Which is inconvenient when you're in EDT.

So I've been tired, out of sync, and not feeling particularly effective or productive. And my right shoulder is killing me, from excessive improper mousing.

I'm a little out of sorts, I guess.

A bunch of folks met up tonight for a Spring Equinox Happy Hour at Carpool -- after work and my run-in with the White Van Speaker scam guys this afternoon, I was dragging ass so bad I seriously considered not going. But since I was watching the NCAA tournament (well, half-watching, until the Duke game came on) and not getting anything done anyway, I went out.

Between kickballers, AOLers, and other locals, I think I knew half the bar. I did not, however, know the two cute girls at the bar I ended up talking to for a bit, who turned out to be local hairdressers, impossibly young (the 24 thing was just a guess), and also pathological liars (well, just the one, and I think she was just making conversation).

Anyway, between the company, the time, the friends, and the drinks, I ended up feeling a lot better. But I do still have to get back to EDT.

Upcoming

---

* Adam and I will be celebrating yet another more-or-less joint birthday, this Saturday the 22rd at the Four Courts in Arlington. We'll be there by 9pm, so come on out.

* Also, the Washington Pyschotronic Film Society is coming back from hiatus -- the new night is Wednesday starting next week (the schedule dates still say Tuesday, so watch out) at the Arlington Cinema Drafthouse. (The April 9 showing of Kentucky Fried Movie will be a must-see.)

* Saturday, March 29, the Raveonettes return to DC, playing at the Black Cat. I hope to add to my Sharon Foo photo collection.

* The 2008 running of the Baltimore Kinetic Sculpture Race is Saturday, May 3. It's also the same day as Gold Cup, so you'll have to choose. I hope to go, and since my usual method of spectating is on rollerblades, that means I have about six weeks to get back into skating shape, or else it's going to be a long day. (See more race info.)

Tags: carpool

Will We See Pretty Young Abercrombie Blonde at Shamrockfest?

(To immediately allay potential concerns: Probably not.)

Looking at the regional weather forecast, we might see some drizzle and a few sprinkles, but it should hopefully be a pretty good day, so come to Shamrockfest, where you'll be able to see Carbon Leaf, Tommy Lee, and if you're really, really lucky, me.

However, if you're me, the question is: Will pretty young Abercrombie blonde be there?

Alas, as far as I can tell, the answer is "No."

Admittedly, I'm taking it at face value -- I has checking through my referrers a few months ago, and I found a link to a Web forum (anime-focused, if I recall correctly -- it was one of those Web message boards that blurs the line between synchronous and asynchronous), where a girl, claiming to be located somewhere in New York City, said she was pretty young Abercrombie blonde.

I have no way of verifying this. But then again, why would one lie about something like that?

If you would like to become the new pretty young Abercrombie blonde (note: the Abercrombie bit is optional), please let me know.

Tags: shamrockfest, pretty young abercrombie blonde

Blogging My Way to Shamrockfest

I'd slept on getting tickets to this year's Shamrockfest, which is this Saturday. I had a line on some passes, though that fell through (procrastination on my part). So I was preparing to buy them online, either by going to the site and eating the Ticketbastard fees, or by trolling through DC Craigslist (neither of which I was looking forward to).

Then I got an e-mail. It was from the local PR agency that's doing publicity for the 'fest, offering media credentials to various DC bloggers and media types to cover the event.

At first, I was annoyed --when you do PR outreach e-mails, you're not supposed to blast out uncustomized boilerplate (especially if you're trying to reach bloggers, who are a notoriously touchy bunch), and you're especially not supposed to forget to use BCC (though it was somewhat gratifying to see my name on a list that included the City Desk, DCist, MetBlogs, and a bunch of individual blogs with a far greater readership than my own).

Presumably, someone had done a Technorati or other blog search and saw my Shamrockfest blog entry from last year (though I note that I know of several other DC bloggers who also blogged it last year but didn't make the cut, at least in this e-mail).

Anyway, I admit it -- I'm a cheap date. It's not a SXSW junket or anything, but I was going to go and most likely do a recap entry, anyway, so what the heck. You got me -- call this a full disclosure. Media creds, here I come.

Now, I'm probably not going to try to finagle backstage access to interview talent -- it's not my beat (kids today with their crazy music). I haven't yet seen anyone blogging about going on a media pass (or maybe I'm the only person gauche enough to mention it), but if you're a blogger interested in getting media creds of your own, you'll probably want to check out this entry: Shamrockfest -- Calling All Bloggers.

Maybe there is something to this blogging thing, after all.

Unfortunately, the weather for Saturday is looking a little dodgy -- cold, dreary, and at the very least, moist.

What's more, most of the authentic Irish-from-Ireland crowd are probably going to be occupied with the rugby triple-header (including the England vs. Ireland match -- always a crowd-pleaser).

But then, what do the real Irish know about St. Patrick's Day in America, anyway?

Tags: shamrockfest

My Halloween Avoidance Strategy

So Halloween is tomorrow, and I could very well be at home during prime candy distribution hours. That leaves me with three options:

1. Stock up on candy
2. Hide
3. Flee
   

Since I have no cow-orkers to pawn the leftovers on and I've already been eating like crap and not getting any exercise, #1 is right out. And #2 is pretty lame. So I think I'll go with #3 -- flee. But to where?

I haven't been to Great Falls in a while, and it's supposed to hit close to 70 tomorrow, so I'm thinking an afternoon jaunt to Great Falls Park (possibly starting in on my usual entry point, Riverbend Park.) Then maybe hit the Old Brogue on the way back. Or just head over into Arlington, for... Wednesday night.

As for tonight, I'll be heading over to Restaurant Three shortly for a congratulatory layoff dinner with some old friends, possibly following up to see Alice Smith at Iota, or perhaps the regular Psychotronic movie night at Dr. Dremo's (catch it there while you can, dontcha know).

Passing the Time With DC Tech Networking and Concerts

It being officially the start of a new workweek (Well, it was this morning -- gimme a break, it's not yet quite a full week since I got laid off. Speaking of which, I note that AOL CEO Randy Falco talks about the layoffs in today's Post -- and yes, he felt "bad" for diverting the corporate shuttle to White Plains at least 5 times), and since I'm mostly up and running on the new machine (mostly), I should probably have a plan for stuff to do.

It largely involves leaving the house during daylight and while it's still nice out. I will break it down thusly:

Today:
* Balance checkbook (done)
* Pay a few bills
* Go the library, return a few books and print out a Web page.
* Set the groundwork for future progress

This Week:
While I haven't started the full-bore job search yet, there are a few DC tech networking events that sound interesting (thanks, DC Tech Events):

* Wednesday: Meeting of the Web Content Mavens Meetup group, which is conveniently located at Whitlows, positioning me for later hanging out in Arlington.

* Thursday: NextDC Happy Hour at Science Club.

This, unfortunately, conflicts with the Cowboy Junkies show at Birchmere; their Friday show is sold out. I will have to decide. I thought it was next to the Camelot strip club, which would have been a plus, but I was thinking Sign of the Whale. I also note that strip club proximity is not normally part of the calculus, but I've been watching the Laid Off episodes from Odd Todd (I blame Corey) and strippers feature prominently.

* Friday and Saturday: The Future of News Industry Jobs Conference in College Park. Being local and only $50, it's probably the only conference I'll be going to for a while. But the topic is interesting to me.

Saturday night is also the 2007 DC Zombie Lurch. If I do day 2 of the conference, I might not be able to dress up, but I would like to watch.

* Sunday: Over the Rhine at Birchmere.

I'll be writing more about what I'm going to be doing in my enforced downtime, mostly to organize and prioritize it for myself. High priority: Calling cards. I might get some Moo minicards, which are shiny and pretty, but they're not really what I want (and they aren't cheap).

Upcoming Things I Might Do

When: Opens Friday, Sept. 28
What: Movie, The Kingdom
Where: Area theaters
Cost: Whatever movies cost these days -- what, 10 bucks Canadian?
Probability: 40% (probably just wait to buy the DVD)

When: Saturday, Sept. 29, Noon-7pm
What: Clarendon Day
Where: Um, Clarendon
Cost: Pretty much free. Unless you eat, drink, or buy stuff.
Probability: 99% (remember, nothing in life is guaranteed)

When: Saturday, Sept. 29, 10am-5pm
What: National Book Festival
Where: The National Mall
Cost: Free
Probability: 10% -- while it's theoretically possible I could do both the book festival and Clarendon Day, it's unlikely. I'd have to get up early, and anyway, reading is hard.

When: Sunday, Sept. 30, 10am-5pm
What: Crafty Bastards
(oops, stupid cut and paste)
Where: Marie Reed Learning Center, 18th & Wyoming, Adams Morgan
Cost: Pretty much free. Unless you buy stuff. Which is kind of the point of going. Dibs on something zombie.
Probability: 90%

When: Thursday, Oct. 4, 7pm (there's also a Friday show at 1:30pm and a sold-out Saturday 8pm)
What: National Symphony Orchestra performs Beethoven's 9th
Where: Kennedy Center
Cost: $45-$80
Probability: 20% -- Beethoven's 9th is my favorite bit of classical music that's used in movie trailers and ultraviolence, but I don't know.

Tags: crafty bastards, clarendon day