Saturday, March 26, 2011

I just redrew DC's wards

I just redrew DC's wards

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Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Blog has moved

Once again, this time with feeling....
The In Shaw blog has moved.
It is at blog.inshaw.com
Here is a linklinky-link.
There is more about the census research.

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Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Moved and Banished

Two things.
One- I have moved this blog over to blog.inshaw.com if anyone cares.

Two- and this is really exciting, Banished productions is doing their Futurist inspired dinner at Big Bear & Long View Gallery (see more info here) starting May 13th. I went to their last dinner during the Fringe Festival and it's weird and good and definately a fun experience.

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Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Still moving

ARGH!
I didn't set it up right. Unfortunately, I'm a bit overwhelmed by this and a laundry list of other things going on and will put off until later when I don't feel short tempered and scatter-brained.
Hopefully I can get this thing either at blog.inshaw.com or at Inshaw.com where the old announcement Inshaw.com page will be bulldozed, destroyed and sitting on a hard drive somewhere.

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Moving Test

This blog is migrating. Should have migrated. This is a test to see if it did migrate. The URL should be blog.inshaw.com

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Monday, April 12, 2010

S*H*A*W* M*A*S*H* (the In Shaw version)

Shaw MASH

(HT CCCA )
Life goes on though.
The day care co-op plays in the rear of the Kennedy Rec Center.
Young men sit at the corner of 7th & O, yards away from the checkpoint.
People with medical/ mental/ ??? issues walk down 7th.
And I explored the maze of pedestrian options in alleys, parking lots and walkways between 6th & 7th. It might also be an option with a Smart Car.

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Monday walkabout

Greetings from the free and liberating part of Shaw, Truxton Circle. Pretty much a block or two away from the Convention Center nothing looks different. Well except for police loitering over at Dunbar or in the park across from the Safeway.
I walked around. Ran some errands. The register was down at the 5th St Hardware and I think I saw Michelle Rhee walking out the Safeway with her assistant/ aide/ some random guy pushing her cart. 5th Street is normal. 6th Street appears to have the 70 bus running down it. Military vehicles block 7th and 9th and a tiny portion of 8th for one level of security. The G2 seems to be running normal on P, and taxis were running up and down O. I was able to walk by the Humvees and military personnel towards the checkpoints without showing any ID. The sidewalk is blocked off at 7th and O on both sides and I didn't test whether ID required to walk to the front door of 1330 7th St. Little matter as you can get to their parking lot from the rear.
I spoke with one resident living in the militarized zone and he pretty much had a good spirit about it all. Of course he complained about the set up noise and the helicopters flying overhead kept him up at night. Also he's happy he's parked in just the right space where it is close enough, but doesn't require the military to unblock his way.
Also I noticed on my walk, some hangerouters moved to sitting in cars and throwing chicken bones out of open windows. I nearly got hit by a bone. The grocery stores were busy. Azi's didn't look busy. But it was 11 something and one guy in there. I don't know how busy they are normally.
Some others have reported on the security around the area. Such as Economic Policy Journal looking more at the south end. The BAANC blog editor worries about fire safety. CCCA has a clever SHAW MASH post but I'm guessing the military medical vehicle wasn't sitting in front of Kennedy when the Prez was out there. Cause that would have been a good picture. Maybe I should walk out again (I forgot something at the store) and take a picture of it.

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Flower Power 2010- Call for volunteers

Help!
The Bates Area Civic Association will be having another Flower Power Walk this year and well people are needed. Hopefully the walk will take place on a Saturday in late June, so what will be needed are people to volunteer to give tours. Before that can occur volunteers will be needed to get the word out, help with signage (producing) and volunteering to host a sign. If this interests you contact Flower Power at bacaflowerpower at gmail period com or me.
Related to neighborhood beautification, BACA is planning on having a big spruce up on May 1st. The last clean up I was able to make a dent in the trash in my alley. I picked up a big yellow bag at the start location, went back to my street, then hit the alley, and dropped it off at one of the trash drop off points.
But once again, I really need help with the Flower Power walk so please, if you can volunteer for one or more things, drop a line.

Lasty, I'm going to be migrating this blog over to another URL this week. There might be several "This blog has moved" posts. Ignore them until I post something at length stating the new URL (hopefully will be blog.inshaw.com) before updating your RSS feed.

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Saturday, April 10, 2010

Shaw lockdown


Shaw lockdown signage
Originally uploaded by In Shaw
Center City Charter School is going to be closed.It's the school looking at the rear end of the Convention Center. I wouldn't be surprised if some nearby businesses decide it's better to be closed than pretend that the attendees of this shin-dig are going to make up for your regulars who decide the hassle isn't worth it. Call ahead to any location in the lockdown zone before heading out, but then again that might be more than what you might want to do.
I am taking Monday off to observe the impact of this on the hood. I'm not going to protest as was suggested. The last time I stood on a corner with a sign was 1988. And after observing too many lame lunchtime protests (a noontime protest lasting long enough to document) from my work window, I personally don't care for that mode of petitioning one's government regarding grievances. I'm more of the letter writing, calling and blogging type as those modes have been more fruitful and satisfying. Also I've been informed that there have been threats and since I find no great romance in getting arrested or mistaken for a threat (can never be too careful, that woman with the cardboard sign could be hiding something!), I'm going to try not to bring any attention to myself as I observe and document.
I noticed as I documented the fencing that's already in place, some residents were blasting some horrid gangsta rap from the windows. That's one form of protest. May I suggest a little Jay-Z. Torture them with the inability to publicly sing along.

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More follow-up


Decay of1607 NJ Ave NW
Originally uploaded by In Shaw
Well I never thought DCRA could actually work this quickly. If DCRA wants to take a look at the vacant store at P and North Cap with the big dent in the side, that would be nice, thanks! I'm guessing this removal of the roof and part of the 2nd floor is the work of DCRA or one of it's contractors because there were cones and yellow tape blocking the alley. If the 1st floor of the house crumbles, I gather there's less of a danger. But the thing I wonder is if the estate of the owner has been informed of this?
Regarding the big Nuclear to-do over at the Convention Center, it appears that fewer people will have their Constitutional rights violated and Jack Evans is trying to help with parking woes. According to the press release "“This Summit , while good for the District, will be an inconvenience for many in the neighborhood,” said Evans. “Suspending street sweeping will at least allow cars to remain parked and help ease this burden on those who live and work around the Convention Center.”

DPW will post signs in the following areas stating that residents do not have to relocate their vehicles for street sweeping: Florida Avenue, NW (northern boundary), H Street, NW (southern boundary), 5th Street, NW (eastern boundary), and 15th Street, NW (western boundary)."
From reading the Post and other media it appears the ID checking will be on the sidewalk side of the Convention Center, so possibly persons going to Subway Sandwiches, that dance studio, the cigar place, church for noontime mass might not have to show ID. Just the unfortunate saps who live on the same block as the Convention Center. Do I think that all this trouble will be worth it? The Convention Center has been open for how many years now? And hosting how many large conferences and events and has any of that really helped the northern end? I don't know about you but on days when I walk home I notice the conference badged hordes heading south to Chinatown and crowding the eateries there.
Lastly, I'd been meaning to clean up and address some emails I got about schools, particularly the Center City School, formerly the Immaculate Conception Catholic School. But at a certain point I gotta admit I'm never going to get to or follow up on certain things and just clean out my mailbox.

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Thursday, April 08, 2010

Where’s Cato when you need them?

So they are closing the area around the Convention Center. Ok.
They are closing the streets to cars.
Fine.
They are restricting parking.
Ok.
They are fencing the streets surrounding the Center and restricting resident and pedestrian access.
Oh, no. That’s sounds like someone’s 4th Amemdment rights are going to get violated!
I do hope residents do get a lawyer because it just seems to me that their American right to move freely and access their homes, entertain guests will be violated for 48 (or more) hours. And though some of you would gladly give up your Constitutional rights for any length of time for the shiny beads of security, nobody should be forced to have to carry around ID just so they can go home. Seriously, if events like this require this level of security, they really should have it somewhere in West Virginia or Camp David or somewhere out in the middle of nowhere.
Today it’s the residents of Mt. Vernon Sq for 48 hours, the next day it may be a few weeks for the residents of Trinidad….. oh, never mind.


Addition- Looking around I came across Flex Your Rights when trying fond info on what citizens can do regarding police barricades around their homes.

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