mb palaver

RandomPalaver: Get Free Credit Reports Before Year End

Did you know you are entitled to one free copy of your credit report from each of the three credit reporting agencies every year?  If you haven't received one in 2014, now's the time to do so.  I always follow a link from the FTC's website, because there are a lot of scammers out there offering "free" credit reports for a fee.  You can dispute any questionable information on the report directly through the agencies' websites.  For some reason I couldn't get the Experian report to display, but that might have been user error.

 

 

photo:  http://preservationvirginia.org/visit/historic-properties/accomac-debtors-prison

DCPalaver: Murphy's Irish Pub Closes in Woodley Park

 

I'm glad I read popville on Friday or I would have missed my last chance to hoist a Guinness at Murphy's Irish pub in Woodley Park.  Murphy's Woodley Park location opened on St. Patrick's Day 1986, and closes its doors for good tonight.  In truth, I always wished Murphy's was better than it was.  I hoped it would turn into something like a local version of the old Red Onion in Monroe, Ohio, a neighborhood tavern that happened to serve fantastic food.  But I've spent many enjoyable evenings at Murphy's, and I will miss having an old school bar in the neighborhood, and the cozy fireplace, and the snoozing leprechaun.  I want that snoozing leprechaun!  I hope the staff is able to find new jobs quickly.

 

 

 

CommunityPalaver: Annual Clothing Drive at Annunciation Church

As long as I'm cleaning out my closets, I figured I might as well get mbpalaver out of mothballs.  The annual Annunciation/Holy Trinity clothing drive is this weekend.  You can drop off "gently used clothing for men, women and children, coats, blankets and small useful household items that are in working order" this Saturday, November 8, from 9 am to 5 pm, in the parking lot at Annunciation Church at 3810 Massachusetts Ave.  What's in your closet?  I found the scents of the '70s in mine.

 

RestaurantPalaver: Mintwood Place Goes Green

Mintwood Place was already the best good food/good wine/neighborhoody/snow refuge/cozy dining spot in DC, but tonight they added an Irish menu and a guitarist singing not just trad but also U2 and the Stones. Did they read my diary?

MoviePalaver: Oscar Pix 2014

Alright, alright, alright.  It's pretty sad when Matthew McConaughey makes more movies in a year than I write blog posts.  Here are my speed comments on the best picture nominees.  You can find the ballot here, and everything you want to know about the coverage here.

 

• American Hustle:  Entertaining, but I looked at my watch 4 times.  (I give it 4 watches.  My new scale.)
• Captain Phillips:  Didn't see it.  I watched the entire run of "Dexter," but this looked too scary.
• Dallas Buyers Club:  I should know better than to see disturbing movies about illness in the theater.  At least I learned from my Black Swan experience and, instead of trying to escape to the lobby, I struck the fetal position on the floor in front of my seat for the last half hour of the movie.  I would like to thank the janitorial staff at the E Street Cinema for their fantastically clean floors (I hope).  So I think this was a great movie, and I know Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto were great in it, but I have to sum up by saying that I saw it on a small screen in Canada.
• Gravity:  It was fun to see what it would be like to be in space, but did the director of "To Fly!" get a Best Director Oscar?
• Her:  I found this interesting and mostly entertaining, but I went in with low expectations after a friend said she hated it.  At the beginning of the movie I thought it might be fun to have a friendly OS in my ear 24/7, but by the middle I was sick of pretending to hear him.  Maybe that's a metaphor for the movie.  Or my life.
• Nebraska:  I thought this might be kinda dull, but I didn't look at my watch once (no watches!).  Really great slice-of-life movie.  Made me want to hug my outgoing family.
• Philomena:  Good movie, but too heartbreaking. I overheard someone at E Street refer to it as a "fun" movie. Really?
• 12 Years a Slave:  Phenomenal movie, phenomenal performances.  I hope it wins.
• The Wolf of Wall Street:  Reasonably entertaining for a three-hour movie seen at the West End Cinema (seated in something akin to a folding chair), but I'm not sure what the point was.

One more thought about Matthew McConaughey (which I've now learned to spell, I think).  Everyone keeps talking about the McConaissance -- the actor's recent move from pretty boy roles in lightweight movies  to challenging roles in serious ones -- but I haven't heard much mention of Lone Star, the 1996 John Sayles movie McConaughey was in with Sayles regular Chris Cooper.  If you want to have a McConaughey marathon, I reocmmend you start with that.  Have fun watching tonight!

 

 

 

 

 

 

SportsPalaver: More Federer Funhouse on ESPN(?) at 3:30 am

I believe it was ESPN's Chris Fowler who said yesterday, during Roger Federer's elegant return to form in his 4th round win against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the Australian Open, that it was "turn-back-the-clock night at Rod Laver Arena."  Fowler also said today -- if I did not dream this -- that coverage of Roger's match against Andy Murray at 3:30 am will be on ESPN, not ESPN2, despite what your TV's program guide might say.  Consider yourself warned if you are taping tonight for viewing at a more civilized hour.  I will update this if I learn otherwise before I call it a night.  As Patrick McEnroe said, yesterday's match was "a look back to the Federer funhouse."  Let's hope he can keep the fun going tonight  Go FedBerg!

 

Photo by mbpalaver @ Cinci Open 2013 (I was that close but too embarrassed to take my own selfie).

ShoppingPalaver: May the Fitbit Force Be With You

If anyone on your Christmas list is a fitness fanatic or wishes he or she were, the Fitbit Force is a great gift.  It tracks steps taken, miles covered, calories burned, stairs climbed, and active minutes. All these data, along with the current time, can be displayed on the wristband device itself with the touch of a button, as well as on a smart phone app (synced via Bluetooth) or Fitbit's website.  You can input other info -- such as calories eaten and activities that are harder to track via wrist movement -- via the app or website.  I've been wearing one for just over a month and anyone who's been around me (some much to their annoyance) can attest to the fact I am obsessed.  I will park farther away from my destination, or climb 8 flights of stairs rather than take the elevator, just to increase my stats.  I particularly like the way it's made me more aware of the correlation between my level of activity and my diet.  I lost about 5 pounds in the first 3 weeks of wearing it, which is particularly impressive since Thanksgiving fell within that period.  The app interface is clean and easy to use, and I am a sucker for the smiley face feedback when I hit a goal.  Another optional source of inspiration is the ability to compete with friends (you can control what information any friends you link to can see).

The Force costs $130, which is $30 more than the Flex, Fitbit's previous wristband tracker, and the One, their non-wristband tracker that clips to your clothes.  The Force is a bit bulkier than the Flex, but it is still pretty unobtrusive, and the added bulk allows you to view more information on the display.  Some reviews complain about the difficulty of closing the strap, and they should -- it is very hard to close, and easy to pop off.  Fortunately, if you are obsessed enough about it you will quickly notice if it falls off.  It may be too late to order it online in time for Christmas, but you can buy it at lots of places, including Best Buy, sporting goods stores, and phone stores.  It comes in large or small, and the two colors shown above (black and slate).  (Unlike the Flex, you cannot swap out different color wristbands.)  It does not include a heart rate monitor, which evidently some other brands include.  Supposedly they will be adding a caller id feature (showing calls coming in to a synced iPhone), though I'm not sure why I would want that.  I do love the silent alarm, which wakes me with a gentle buzz rather than the screech of an alarm clock, and the sleep-tracker is eye-opening.  You can find a detailed review of the Force at cnet.  One word of advice:  know your potential giftee's interest in using a pedometer.  No one wants to be told they should step up their exercise.

FoodPalaver: Put an egg on it!

 

 
If you find yourself with leftover stuffing after Thanksgiving dinner, consider this option Friday morning:   Form the stuffing into single portion disks (if the stuffing is pretty dry it might not hold together, but that's okay), fry them in a little butter, and top each with a fried egg.  I think this was my inspiration.  It was so delicious it made me want to make stuffing just for the hash.

CommunityPalaver: What's in Your Closet?

It's that time of year again:  time to clean our your closets and bring a bag or two to the annual clothing drive hosted by Holy Trinity and Annunciation churches.  It's very easy to donate -- just pull into Annunciation's lot on Mass. Ave. and a volunteer will grab your loot and give you a tax form.  Here are the details from HT's bulletin (this has dropped out of the most recent bulletin, but I'm assured it's still on):

Holy Trinity and Annunciation Clothing Drive
Saturday, November 9, 9am-5pm
Sunday, November 10, 9am-1pm
Annunciation Catholic Church
3810 Massachusetts Ave, NW DC

Every year we partner with Annunciation Church for a drive that benefits agencies serving the homeless in DC, including many of the agencies who receive support from the Holy Trinity Tithe. The drive collects clothing, blankets and linens, small and useful household items (like kitchen utensils and appliances, not things like flower vases) and small furniture items that would fit in a regular size sedan. Please drop off new and gently used items in the Annunciation parking lot. 

We have a special need for volunteers this year! Get in the holiday spirit a little early this year by volunteering for a shift from 9am - 1pm or 1pm - 5pm. Contact Judy Gyllensvaan at 703-535-3360 or [email protected].

 

Photo:  Leaf on windshield this morning in Georgetown.

MusicPalaver: Blurred LInes -- Il Tormentone Estivo di 2013?

 

I learned a phrase in Italian class a few months ago that I think of whenever I hear Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" on the radio.  "Tormentone estivo" literally means something like "big summer tormenter," but refers to catchy, blockbuster songs that burrow into your ears at the beginning of summer and hang on like grim death.  ("Call Me Maybe" anyone?)  The concept started in the '60s, and it's enough of a thing in Italian culture that La Repubblica ran a story last year called "Quarant'anni [40 years] di Tormentoni," listing (and seeking votes on) the songs meriting this title from 1972 to 2012.  The article talks about how these songs get so associated with the summer they were big that they always call to mind a story, love, friendship, or memory from that summer.  I don't know many Italian pop songs, but I randomly clicked on a link to one of the songs, "Tre Parole" by Valeria Rossi, and I recognized the song right off -- I guess that just shows how ubiquitous it was (though, to be fair, it was the 2001 entry, and I did go to Italy around Memorial Day that year so, needless to say, it gives me the warm fuzzies).  Here's a G-rated version of "Blurred Lines."  My apologies if it torments you for the rest of the day (or summer).

[Photo from La Repubblica.]