i've been linked!!!!!

when i decided to start blogging my partner cautioned me to have realistic expectations. she knows me all too well and wanted to make sure that i understood that the chances of me becoming the next "daily kos" (or dare i say perez hilton) were slim to none. she pointed out that, gasp, she and our respective parents might be the only ones reading. it was only after i assured her that my foray into blogging was purely for self-satisfaction that she agreed to design this kick-ass site. i really have been writing just for me - until now ...

I'VE BEEN LINKED!

today i received a comment on a post from someone that i don't even know (thanks matt!). that got me thinking - how did that reader find me. so i did what any 21st century researcher would do - i googled the title of the post. and there it was ...

Monday, April 28, 2008
WalkingTown Barry Farm
local blogger the flipflop fed toured the Barry Farm neighborhood this past weekend as part of WalkingTown DC. To read about it, Click Here

so now, my faithful readers, you should click here to read about all of the changes that are happening in anacostia as documented by local blogger and now, anacostia.

just for kristin

my partner remains in ghana on business and this post is especially for her. (hopefully when she sees how beautifully the flower garden is coming along she will forgive me for killing almost all of the seedlings for her vegetable garden!)

walkingtown dc - barry farm

one of my ongoing regrets is that i do not take advantage of all this city has to offer. so today i decided to take a walking tour of barry farm that was given as a part of walkingtown dc. it was fascinating!
barry farm, probably best known as one of the notorious public housing projects in ward 8 east of the anacostia river, has a remarkable history as one of the first communities in the area where freed slaves could own property. the tract of land, once the farm of the barry family and immediately to the south of historic anacostia (interestingly, back in the day, historic anacostia was known as "white" anacostia and barry farm was known as "black" anacostia), once measured in the 100's of acres and extended from the banks of the anacostia river up into the hills. times have changed and what remains is land divided by two major highways (suitland parkway and 295) that can now be measured in the 10's of acres and where most of the residents, some of the poorest in the district of columbia, are dependent on the government for their housing. i came away with a few thoughts and a few pictures -

*one division of the land came with the construction of suitland parkway. land was taken from property owners to build a road that would link andrews airforce base to the district. something tells me that they wouldn't have tired this in georgetown.

barry farm with suitland parkway smack through the middle

*events like this are critical to foster understanding between groups of people and hopefully will create a sense of urgency on the part of the tour takers to stand with our fellow city dwellers to improve opportunities and outcomes for all of us.

*of course walkingtown dc includes tours of georgetown, capitol hill, logan circle and the like, but this event gives people the perfect opportunity to step out beyond what we know (or could easily find out) and learn more of the history that links us and, unfortunately, seems to divide us.

the proof is in the picture

went on a walking tour today of barry farm (more about that later) and, in a strange ironic twist, who, and what, did i see? why marion "bitch set me up" barry in his offending e class. check it out -

just in case there was any question

before i was just a "bad lesbian," but now i'm approaching horrible. in an attempt to regain my standing in the community, i bring you a picture of the cutest (and smartest) blue point siamese ever - sagwa.

no rice for you

earlier this month i wrote about the excellent site, free rice, where you donate grains of rice to the un world food program by testing your vocabulary. i'm not sure from where the rice comes, but i sure hope it wasn't sam's club and costco because it appears that the soup nazi has taken positions at those two establishments and has switched his attention to rice.
in response to rising food prices, increased demand, and decreased supply, both sam's club and costco decided this week to limit the amount of rice that customers may purchase. i'm sorry, but give me a big, fat, f*cking break! last time i checked, rice was not the staple food in this country. sure, many people eat rice regularly, but come on - enough with the fear mongering!
i do hope that they're limiting our rice purchases so they can send it where it's really needed - to places in the world where the rice shortage will have grave consequences. (did you know that most of the rice in the world is consumed within a 60 mile radius of where it was grown?) but unfortunately, i think it's more about being able to engineer a shortage, create fear, raise the price, and bring in a little extra cash.

my day in pictures

this post was supposed to be about my superior bureaucracy navigation skills ... about how i was able to say "no thank you" to the offer from the fencing contractor to get the permit because i am a master negotiator, a super bureaucrat and district of columbia red tape would be no match for my federal bureaucrat self ... about how i stuck it to the man and saved a boat load of money. that's what this post was supposed to be about - but, NO! instead this post is about how the district of columbia department of consumer and regulatory affairs is an abyss that sucks you in and spits you out without a second thought and without the permit for which you came ... about how when you leave you realize that you parked in restricted parking and your car has been towed ... about how the man tows your car and leaves no indication as to where it might be ... about how the only city office in the area open past 4:30 is the sex offender registry where the nice guard informs you that they don't actually tow to a lot, rather they simply dump the cars about a block away and leave them with a receipt for towing and a $100 ticket ... about when, after you read the receipt, you look down and realize that you have a flat ... and about how you should have just let the fencing contractor pull the permit in the first place.