Archive for 'Tales of the Red Line'
shark deflation
July 26, 2007 by the.muse, under Sharing Our Nation's Cap-i-tal, Tales of the Red Line.
Last year, residents of Silver Spring, Md., or wanderers from Washington, D.C., got to see the shark growing out of the Discovery Building HQ. It was quite a sight… especially when they lit it up at night and had water reflections on the building.
Sadly, I just read in the Silver Spring Penguin that the shark, ‘Chompy,’ won’t be making an appearance this year. Discovery Channel gave no explanation, but did mention that there was a shark-related incident in New York.
I can understand how it would seem a little un-PC to do that, but still… that inflatable shark is freakin’ awesome! I hate that it won’t be coming out to greet one and all.
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metro-buggin’
February 15, 2007 by the.muse, under Tales of the Red Line.
Since I metro almost everyday, there are a few familiar voices that I hear at times, as certain drivers have very distinct voices.
Today I had a doctor’s appointment (and stayed home since I wasn’t feeling well), and got onto the metro, realizing I had been on this operator’s train before. He had a very theatrical voice, soothing, distinct, and eloquent. It still made me giggle a bit because it was almost like he was trying too hard.
I stopped off at Farragut North and proceeded to see my doctor. In my less-than-an-hour visit, I headed back to head home. Strangely enough, when I got on the metro, it was the SAME operator. Same voice, same theatre, same eloquence.
Now, to hear the same operator from morning to morning is no shock to me, as I’m always on a schedule. But, to hear the same metro operator in one round-trip? Freaky…
Just how many of this men are there?? And just how long does it take to get from downtown to Shady Grove?
I’m thankful to be on the east side of the red line.
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an earful
October 15, 2006 by the.muse, under Tales of the Red Line.
One of the reasons that I love living on the red line is that it tends to be much quieter than any of the lines, which is perfect for reading. And me, I enjoy reading… especially lately, since I’m trying to finish up All the King’s Men before I go see the movie.
But, sometimes there are people who invade that solace.
Common sense should tell you that if someone is reading when you sit down, you should respect that quietness, right? Especially if you’re on a bench waiting for a train and there’s plenty of other places to sit.
However, one such fellow decided that he would deny me any chance of reading while I was waiting for the train. It wasn’t that he was on the phone or anything… he was singing.
You see, it’s one thing if you’re on the phone or talking with a friend, I believe. But, to me, singing in public tells me one thing: you think you’re hot stuff and you want everyone else to believe it too, so you have the dying urge to let everyone in on your little secret and amazing voice. Who knows, I could be the next record producer, right? And, I might give someone the chance of a lifetime.
But, I have news for you… even if I was a record producer, I wouldn’t care if you were Beyonce or the Three Tenors sitting next to me on the Metro train station bench, I don’t want to hear you singing.
Singing in public like that, especially if you’re alone and you don’t have headphones in, only shows that you have no care for the feelings of others. It’s obnoxious… even if that hot stuff voice you have might have a delight to it, you’re only making others mad.
And now I’m speaking out against you Mr. Metro Singer… because of you, I lost good reading time, and you refused to notice each time I huffed. And you should know that because of you, I’m gonna break the heart of the next person sitting there because you pushed me over the edge. Because, Mr. Metro Singer, I also can sing, but I have common decency for others.
Or maybe it’s just the lingering Southern manners.
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randomosities
September 19, 2006 by the.muse, under Political Slants, Sharing Our Nation's Cap-i-tal, Tales of the Red Line, Voices of the Past.
I’m behind in my news… but a couple of things really stood out yesterday and this weekend.
First of all, the news that the Pope is apologetic for his comments is baffling to me. The basis of Catholic hierarchy depends on the Pope’s infallibility. If he ‘regrets’ his comments, they were mistakenly made, which makes the Pope’s infallibility a fallacy.
UPDATE: Many are saying that the Pope is apologizing too much for his comments…
Last weekend was the DC Labor Film Fest at the AFI, in celebration of Labor Day. They showed ‘Office Space’ on the big screen, and gave out shirts, pieces of flare, Initech mugs and mouse pads. Labor is a celebrated idea in this country… One of the buildings along the Metro has been branded: “Unions: The Folks Who Brought You the Weekend.” It’s fabulous stuff. How well do you know the history of the Labor Movement?
This weekend, a fabulous Op-Ed showed up in the Washington Post. It discussed the danger of the post-Putin Russia. If anyone bothered to notice, things are getting a little more communistic than it’s been in the past few years.
Alabama native Charles Barkley is spouting at the mouth again… and it seems he’s losing his republican ways, or so he says.
Finally, if you missed it last night, former President Bill Clinton appeared on the Daily Show, and gave props to his newest initiative as an ex-president. I become more and more impressed with Clinton the longer he’s out of office. He was a great president, and is now showing the world even more that he knows his stuff.
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the amazing commute
September 14, 2006 by the.muse, under Tales of the Red Line.
I cannot tell a lie. I love being a commuter… as long as it doesn’t involve me driving a car into a city full of brake lights and traffic signals. Also, I really don’t want to deal with pedestrians like me, who walk the streets like I own them. But, that’s just the mass transit snob speaking from within.
I’m a visual obsessive person. I love to watch… anything, really. People, landscapes, waves at the beach… I can sit for hours and just watch. If there is one thing that I truly learned when I was in college, it’s that I am a visually oriented person. When I’m taking a test, or trying to remember something I saw, you would notice that I look up… it’s like I think I can see into my brain. But, I’m trying to remember how it looked on paper. And, it can be a great thing! It can also be the worst possible scenario for people.
So, worst case scenario: I can walk into a room and notice anything off center or out of the ordinary almost immediately. If I’m walking into my own personal spaces, I can tell if something isn’t like I left it (which is why many of my roommate situations haven’t worked well). Some call it obsessive-compulsiveness… I just like to think of them as tendencies.
But, in a best case scenario, I learn from what I see. Everyday on the Metro, I experience life… reality… and not on the latest television show, where everyone is trying to get their 15 minutes of fame. It gets ugly sometimes, but overall, it’s amazing to see what I do. Call me the optimist. But it’s the little things along the trip that make it worthwhile.
Take for example: graffiti. One of my favorite pieces of “art” is at the Brookland-Catholic University stop on the Metro. In simple spray-painted words, poetry comes alive: “Don’t call me a vandal. I just like to paint. This is my creative addiction. I just want your Metro ride to be fun!” Who knew that graffiti artists weren’t just in it for themselves. 
Another graffiti pieces says, “Bush hates Borf.” In all actuality, it’s true, or probably true. In Washington, DC, Borf has become the poster child for the liberal, radical bohemian rebel (he has his own freakin’ Wikipedia page). Protests have formed in honor of this guy, and people have gathered to back his art. It’s funny how one phrase can become such a political argument… or the simplest idea.
I must admit, I’m addicted to my line. It’s a nice ride… and not as noisy as some of the others. And, as silly as it probably sounds, I still love riding the trains, whenever and wherever… it’s always a chance to take in the scenery.
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metro-style
September 6, 2006 by the.muse, under Leg-Slappin' Fun, Political Slants, Sharing Our Nation's Cap-i-tal, Tales of the Red Line.
As Sassy has stated, she believes I’m a DC-ite. Why? Because I know the Metro. I don’t know that it’s exactly that pliable, but I’m also rude if you get in my way. So, maybe that will push it toward the truth.
I do have to say that many interesting things can happen on the Red Line, which is my carrier line of choice. Today held just a few things from a man posed with Toret’s, an over-clapping man, and the homeless guy on my side. This homeless guy… I just can’t figure him out. Every time I walk by, he’s smoking a cigarette, drinking a Frappacino from Starbucks, and has a McDonald’s cup for ‘donations.’ I’m sorry… For that guy, I can’t just feel bad and give money. I mean, he’s technically getting some kind of expendible monies for those perks of cigs and caffiene. But maybe I’m skeptical.
Speaking of being skeptical, let’s just talk about other lines of the Metro, specifically the Green Line. I’ve never been a huge fan. It’s stops are just strange at times. There is one great stop on the Green Line (U St. & Cardozo), where you can find the infamous Ben’s Chili Bowl.
Also, what else is skeptical? Some of these politicians. I’m really hoping for a turnover in the 2006 elections. September 12 is our primary… I’m getting ready to vote in a huge Democratic primary. It’s completely different from being in Alabama. Surreal, almost.
And, what is the last thing to be skeptical about? Crab meat served anywhere else other than Baltimore. Sometimes I’m just not sure if it’s the right thing or not. Speaking of, I need to go to the beach… and have some real crab meat. There’s nothing like it.
Unfortunately, the red line doesn’t run to the beach… neither does any other line. And, tourist season is officially over. I’m so glad I can move up the escalators now and not have to dodge clueless people that are getting in the way. See what I said? I’m rude. I need to get back to my Southern ways, apparently.