Snow won't stop this dog owner.

Don’t worry guys, unlike last time it snowed, I have a shovel this time around.

Well we’re now officially into Snowmageddon II, Snopocalypse II, whatever you want to call it (except I’m not a big fan of flurricane- sorry Chelsey.) The New York Times calls the storm “Potentially Epic.”

I say removed the potentially.

I walked out onto my porch this morning to appreciate the snow and noticed a few brave souls out with their pets- and even a crazy runner who thinks he can fit in his morning jog with all the snow on the ground.

Well I hope everybody is safe and warm, I’m mostly likely going to spend the weekend with movies and a bottle of white.

Snow Totals And Forecast

Current weather.com forecasts report, “Snow along with gusty winds and blizzard conditions at times. Snowfall rates of an inch or more per hour. High around 30F. Winds N at 20 to 30 mph. Snow accumulating 4 to 6 inches.” The National Weather Service says, “High near 31. North wind around 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 6 to 10 inches possible.”

Everything looks sunny for Sunday- perfect day to spend shoveling yourself out.

Want to know how much snow did you get? Check out the NWS Snow totals. WUSA also has a really cool live cam that currently reports 16 inches in DC.

Paul Farhi over at the Washington Post is sick of all the local news coverage of the snow storm, look Paul it’s kinda like Brett Favre news coverage: people are sick of it but at the same time people want to know.

Everything Is Closed, Nothing is Working

Photo courtesy Maxie

Airports? Mostly closed.

Metro? Underground only.

Metrobus? Suspended.

Amtrak? Crippled.

Roads? Clogged (Route 66 is totally shut down.)

Forget about the unofficial motto for the Postal Service, it looks like this storm is too much for them to handle- no service today.

I’ve heard that a number of my friends around the area are experiencing power outages. Luckily I have power to write this blog. Here are the numbers you should have handy in case you lose power:

BGE: 1-877-778-2222

Pepco: Outages, 1-877-737-2662; Downed lines, 202-872-3432

Dominion 1-888-667-3000

Allegheny Power 1-800-255-3443

Just don’t try and leave the house.

Snowball Fights & Other Events

If you are brave enough to venture out there are a number of snowball fights scheduled today and Hotel Monaco in Alexandria is having a snow sculpting contest.

If you are looking for a fight (the snowball kind, not the Jersey Shore variety) then check out the listings over at Washington City Paper, WTOP, and NBC Washington.

Last Word

Whatever you do guys, just don’t follow the words of Andrew Church, and panic.

I’ll end this post with some morning video from my friend Raylene:

Well that could be you!

I ran across this Craigslist ad looking for fans to make their next season’s worth of promos.

The Philadelphia Casting Co. is looking for Nationals and Orioles fans to audition in Baltimore tomorrow and Monday (hopefully you won’t be snowed in!) Auditions will be held Sunday afternoon and Monday, Feb 8th in Baltimore and in Washington, DC on Monday February 15th. 15 lucky Nationals fans and 15 fortunate Orioles fans will be chosen to appear on-camera in promos, if you get called back you pocked a cool $150. If you actually get chosen for a shoot you get $350. Not too bad for 30 seconds of fame. They are looking for people of all ages, 18-80.

Callbacks are in Baltimore on February 20th & 21st.
Shoot dates are March 1, 2, 4, or 5, TBD.

The ad recommends that you have, “a natural passion for the Os or Nats.” Might be hard to find in this crowd of ho-hum sports fans.

If you are interested Email a picture to:  project@philacast.com for an appointment- include email, cell, and location you would be able to audition in (Baltimore or Washington, DC.)

Didn't Emily and Ty have a fight right there last week?

That’s what I wrote about Andrew after we first saw him in the first episode of The Real World DC.

Looks like I was wrong.

It appears that fighting is in the air, after Emily and Ty have a tiff in the previous episode, this week’s episode centers around a pointless argument between Andrew and Ashley.

Two sides, too stubborn to end a pointless battle. While some think The Real World DC has gone back to it’s usual trite drama this maybe more DC than you think.

Drama In DC

Andrew And Ashley Have A Pointless Fight

So how did this all start? Ashley feels that she doesn’t know Andrew as well as she’d like and wants to get to know him better. Andrew doesn’t show more beyond his goofy exterior and interior motives of getting laid. While Ashley finds Andrew funny, she feels uncomfortable when his act goes a little too far.

Rough-housing or Physical Abuse?

Things blow up when the two goof around during a pizza dinner. She tries to smear pizza on his face; he tries to smear pizza on her bed; and before you know it he takes empty boxes and tries to throw them her way. What he thought was just another act of horseplay is something she doesn’t react kindly too.

Coming from a past of physical abuse she doesn’t like the gesture at all and the two argue to the point she leaves the house and spends the night at the hotel.

In the words of Emily during the show, “seriously?”

While I feel that victims of abuse shouldn’t be taken lightly, I feel that Ashley actually disrespects them by using it as a veil to go about and tell her story to the rest of the roommates, looking for sympathy. It reminds me how Vinny on Jersey Shore just walked around announcing that he got pink-eye. Is this something you really want to walk around the house telling everyone? I feel for the rest of the roommates, who looked just as disinterested as I was about the fight.

So after spending the night at the hotel she the two stop talking, each believing the other needs to apologize first. In a memorable scene, Andrew grabs a book on body language and is seen reading the chapter on conflict, comparing the photo examples with her current demeanor. Now Andrew isn’t innocent in the affair either, he walks around calling Ashley a drama queen, refusing to let her win.

So who do I think the winner is in this fight? No one. Ashley is a drama queen and Andrew is acting like a jerk. Unbelievable that this started over a pizza.

Callie Doesn’t Know What LGBT Means

While Mike is busy working over at the HRC, it’s time for everybody else to get jobs. Or at least for MTV to hook them up with jobs. Callie goes in for an interview at the Washington Blade (now the DC Agenda.) The Blade was unexpectedly shut down by its parent company a couple of months after Callie finished her internship with the paper. Back in December I talked with Callie about the incident and she told me she was surprised to hear about its fate, telling me about all the good times she had while working at the paper.

Well those good times started off rough, after securing an interview she had to create a resume and in college student fashion waited til the last minute to get it done.

Tip: Don't wait til you are 15 minutes late to get ready for your job interview

The morning of the interview she runs around half dressed, without a resume, freaking out about the situation. While her roommates put some finishing touches on the resume Callie expresses her frustration that she doesn’t even know how to use the Metro system.

It’s ok I don’t think WMATA knows either.

She arrives at the Washington Blade offices, under-dressed like all the other Real World job interviews, and tells editor-in-chief Kevin Naff that she knows nothing of Gay & Lesbian issues.

Unqualified? Absolutely not! She is on MTV after all.

Naff decides to give her a test assignment at Halo’s 5th anniversary party. She snaps some photos while Mike meets a new guy, Eric. Mike brings Eric back to the house where Eric pushes Mike onto the bed and the two hook-up.

So Mike is working over at HRC and Callie now has a job at the Washington Blade. They all live in a house in Dupont Circle. I wonder what the theme of the season is going to be? Is this what MTV thinks of when they think of Washington D.C.? I only question this because they could also be showing off other things about D.C.- like politics maybe?

Memorable Quotes

Andrew knows all too much how I feel about living here: “It’s tough to be a guy in Washington D.C.”

Two Up

Emily

Sure I was down on you last week, but you earned some points as soon as you reacted to Ashley leaving the house for a hotel.

Josh

I think I got your role on the show down, you are either cheating on your girlfriend or listening to other roommates bitch while looking cool and collected.

Two Down

Ashley & Andrew

Save the drama for your mamas. That fight was a waste of an episode.

Look I Know That Place!

ACKC Cocoa Bar: I’ve walked by it but never been- I prefer coffee.

National Press Building: Home to many media outlets and former home of The Washington Blade.

Tom Tom: I’ve been there a couple of times, nothing memorable.

HRC: Where we learn Mike is working on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell related issues- very apropos given the current attention given to it.

The Churchill Hotel: Located a couple of blocks from the house, I wonder if MTV paid for the room. Amazed that MTV would simply let one of the cast members spend the night away from all the cameras.

The Metro: MTV don’t try and fool us- I totally saw you splice in a shot of an train in NE DC while Ashley and Callie were traveling underground from 14th street back to Dupont.

Final Word

Andrew, you still need to work on your game. You try and take home this girl (named Andrea, but not to be confused with another Andrea you’ll meet later) and your best line is , “come see my house?” Almost as transparent as, “wanna come back to my place and see a movie?”

Another tip: Girls don't dig the animal hats.

This grocery cart doesn't have snow tires

The flakes are supposed to begin tomorrow sometime around mid-day, and wreak complete havoc on the evening rush hour.  With inch-an-hour snowfall possible during the workday, it’s conceivable that Metro could close its above-ground stations (due to 8″ or more snow) before the rush hour period even ends.

If you are planning on going out for supplies and haven’t yet, please be sure to allow plenty of time for standing in the check-out lines, and try to bring your most Zen-like patience with you.  I’ve already heard several co-workers talking about long lines at grocers last night and this morning. During December’s Snowpocalypse, several major grocery stores in Arlington and Alexandria became almost completely devoid of meat, in addition to the usual staples of milk, bread, and toilet paper.  Since it’s Super Bowl weekend on top of the snowstorm, I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that chips and dip will be thin on the shelves this time around, too.

Once the snow stops falling, please wait for the roads to be cleared if you can, before attempting to drive (especially if you are even the least bit intimidated by snowy conditions).  If you must head out, please clean the snow off your entire car.  Don’t drive around with two feet sitting on the roof; it can slide off and hit drivers behind you, causing major accidents.  If you’ve got a sidewalk going through your property, please be courteous and clear it so that others may pass by.  In some jurisdictions, this is required by law.

Try to be ready, be patient, and enjoy the snow!  Do some sledding, build a snowman, have a snowball fight.  Be safe, DC!  Happy flaking!

Another severe winter storm, with near blizzard conditions, is forecast to hit Arlington Fri., Feb. 5 through Sat., Feb. 6. Be prepared to shelter in place for 3 to 5 days . Please stay off the roads. Snow crews will plow primary and secondary roads first for emergency vehicles. After severe storms (more than 10”), it may take 36-48 hours after the snow stops before County plows can get to residential streets.
If they think I’ll be snowed for 3-5 days for a near-blizzard, what should we do if Snogasm turns into a full fledged Snopocalypse?

Back on January 17th, the nominees were announced 38 categories. The big nominees were Reston Community Players (32 nominations), Little Theatre of Alexandria (27 nominations), and Silver Spring Stage (23 nominations). Reston was not only the most nominated theatre but also had the top two nominated shows, with their recent production of Curtains earning 19 nominations including outstanding musical. Reston’s production of The Full Monty came in second with 13 nominations. The Arlington Player’s production of Follies came in third with 12 nominations.

Here are the nominees for outstanding musical and play (the complete list can be found here):

Outstanding Musical

• Curtains – Reston Community Players
• Falsettos – Elden Street Players
• Follies – Arlington Players
• The Full Monty – Reston Community Players
• The Musical of Musicals – Elden Street Players

Outstanding Play

• columbinus – Silver Spring Stage
• The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? – Silver Spring Stage
• Gross Indecency – Little Theatre of Alexandria
• It Runs in the Family – Little Theatre of Alexandria
• Six Degrees of Separation – CCT with 2nd Flight Theatre Company

The awards will be announced and presented at a ceremony on March 14th at The Birchmere. The WATCH awards are the first of the local theatre awards in the DC area, with the Ruby Griffith awards and Helen Hayes awards presented later in the year.

We’ve seen many Hollywood marriages go down in flames, many Hollywood romances fizzle before the tabloids get their fair share of pasting them on magazine covers- so what is it about attracting a lot of attention that spells bad things for relationships?

I don’t really know the answer but I do know one thing: never go on a reality show with a girlfriend, especially The Real World.

Ty and Mike were smart in ending their relationships before moving into the house, Erika and Josh however… well what was the over/under on episodes before Josh or Erika would cheat on their partners?

Drama In DC

Emily And Ty Start To Get Annoying (Well At Least To Me)

Are Emily And Ty done?

The show started off with lots of talk on the Emily-Ty relationship… or maybe as Dane Cook calls it, a relation-shit.

I get it guys, you love hooking up and love the fact you guys aren’t attached emotionally. It’s the ultimate situation right? (Well maybe it’s not The Situation but still…) You don’t need to constantly feed us confessionals and asides about how cool it is they hate relationships but are hooking up…

However things don’t go so well when Ty starts to come off more girly than Emily- dropping the “L word” on her in the bar.

Now I don’t know if Ty really is a softy deep down, or if he thinks using the L word will get him laid- problem is he has to remember he’s not dealing with any ordinary girl. Emily probably has bigger balls that Ty right now- and proud of it!

She loves commitment just as much as the next stereotypical guy, and has cooled off after that awkward exchange in the bar.

So does this mean Emily and Ty are over? I say no- I can see this pushing and pulling between the two to last long enough to make us wish MTV had better story lines.

By the way, can the cast stop spying on them? Ashley is once again caught spying on her roommates, and Erika and Callie join in later in the episode. What is it about roommates hooking up that makes people want to watch?

Rule #1: You don’t fall in love at The Jersey Shore The Real World House

Long Distance Relationships Aren't Realy Going To Work On The Real World

Teasers from last week revealed Josh would be infidelitous soon, too bad that’s going to be his first real storyline on the show.

Josh and his girlfriend, Ashley Marconi, are talking on the phone, being all mushy, so far so good.

Next thing though, the house gets a phone call (can you really call The Real World house?) Josh’s mother, gives him the tip that his girl maybe “running around with other guys.” Man I wish my mom actually used cool lingo like that.

Cut to Josh and Ashley yelling on the phone. For a minute there I actually thought I was watching The Jersey Shore for a minute, something about phone arguments and tattoo just got me confused (Josh wasn’t talking on a duck phone right?)

So Josh deals with the girlfriend news the only way he can- with pain… and nose rings…

This Ain't The Notebook.

I was surprised he hadn’t gotten his nose pierce before I just assumed it was amongst all the other body mods he’s got going on. After he gets the work done he’s back at home saying how he actually doubts Ashley really cheated on him and says, “She’s going to be there for me and I know I’m probably going to be there for her.”

Emphasis on the probably. You know it’s not going to end well if you say “probably going to be there”.

Ashley visits from Philly and have lovey-dovey, burger sharing, moments. When she leaves I witness the worst staged goodbye kiss ever.

As she waits for the bus to leave Josh runs on, asks the driver for two seconds, and locks lips with his girl. The kind of spontaneous moment that would of been genuine if the camera was already on the bus waiting for Josh to run in.

Ms. Collins Might Not Exactly Be In Josh's Range But Who Cares- She's Hot!

So how does Josh deal with his girl now out of town? Hitting up Tattoo bar and dancing with DC socialite and blogger Kelly Ann Collins. The two go back to the house where Emily catches them making out and handles it in a very mature fashion:

“OMG They are making out! They are making out! The are making out! OMG!”

Well played Em. Also well played Josh- the 35-year old Collins could be considered a Cougar snag but the blogger’s attraction to famous people and cameras probably helped him out a bit. I’d like to see you get within 10-feet of her if you were just an ordinary person.

The only downside of making out with hot bloggers? It’s eventually going to end up on The Internet. It also doesn’t help when this is the daily routine for your girlfriend when you are away

Taken from Ashley’s blog:

Let’s face it, the whole time Josh was away I was a complete mess! For a whole month, I don’t even think I moved off the couch.

I had the same routine everyday:

1) wake up & shower (brush teeth etc.)

2) eat, that’s if I had an appetite

3) stalk his life

4) wait for a phone call

REPEAT

That explains why Ashley quickly found out and was furious at Josh the next day.

Another couple in dire straights- thanks to MTV!

(Also thanks to Elizabethany for the info on Ashley’s blog- make sure you catch her weekly Real World DC podcast!)

The Girls Sing, Drink, and Be Merry

Erika also gets some more face time this week, she lands a chance to sing on stage with The Cab, a band she respects not because of their record sales, but more because she has them on her iPod. I have a lot of music on my iPod- I can’t say I respect every artist I put on there. Good thing Erika is more judgmental with the music she has on her iTunes. I often whore my iPod out to the likes of Kelly Clarkson or Justin Timberlake- I mean girls like that stuff right?

In other news, girls do two things when they are drunk: drunk dial boys & cry. Callie has did both these things this week.

Memorable Quotes

Mike on short people: “She’s like a real person but smaller- like pocket size.”

Two Up

Erika

Yes I know she is still a ticking time bomb, but she managed to get the face time she deserves without causing drama. Of course I still think that’s to come.

Callie

I understand her reasons for drunk dialing, as pointed out by Emily, so I give her a pat on the back and say, “I’ve been there.”

Two Down

Emily & Ty

If only the two were really over so I can move on…

Josh

How can I not look down on you after cheating on Ashley? However I will say the way the two fight makes me believe they are just a couple that’s always been arguing and cheating on each other. It’s probably the way the two work out as a couple in some weird way.

Look I Know That Place!

Earth Treks Climbing Center: Located in Rockville, Columbia, and Timonium; looks like the crew actually ventured into MD to scale some walls.

Jinx Proof Tattoo and Piercing: Where Josh goes for pain.

Lucky Bar: I enjoy Lucky Bar for happy hours, less for actual going out at night.

Tattoo Bar: The bar is so rock & roll, just like Josh. Also the place where he meets Kelly Ann Collins and where the two held their RWDC premiere party. Looking at some of the photos the two still look close.

Josh And Kelly Ann Collins At Tattoo Bar

9:30 Club: DC’s premiere music club.

Buca di Beppo: Where does Josh take his lady? To the finest Italian chain restaurant in DC! At least it’s not Olive Garden.

Shady Bus Terminal: For those that know where the bus terminal is in NE, you have to admit that it’s not in the nicest part of town. I myself had a shady encounter just walking past it.

Rhino Bar: Where everybody is a douchebag and we know Callie hates d’bags.

McFadden’s: DC’s college bar. Love the open bar promotions, hate the watered down drinks.

Final Word

MTV fails at setting up Josh’s relationship with Ashley as all kisses and hugs.  How does Josh go from being angry at his cheating girl to saying how much he loves his, “little ball of fire?” Next thing you know they are sharing burgers in the kitchen but once she leaves he’s out making out with bloggers.

No relationship is totally perfect and even though Josh cheated on his girlfriend, I didn’t believe it was a violation of something that was truly pure to begin with. Looking at the Real World Dailies- I think I rest my case.

(h/t Rebecca)

DMB at Virginia Beach

I am a big DMB fan.

Even though I’ve been to 30+ shows in my short life, I always try to catch the local stops the band makes and today the band released their summer tour dates, which includes a show at Nationals Park on July 23rd. This won’t be the first concert held at Nationals Park (John & Joel played there last July) but this will be a rare stadium stop for a band that have scaled down their venue sizes in recent years. However the band has made an occasional stadium stop in recent years, with shows at Fenway Park last year.

While I’m excited to be able to commute to a DMB show via Metro, a few fans have expressed dismay at the lack of tailgating options. While I will miss the parking lots before a show, I am more than fine with a pre-game at my place or at a downtown bar.

Dave Matthews will also coming into town on May 20th at DAR Constitution Hall, for a show with longtime friend and collaborator Tim Reynolds.

It’s going to be an exciting year for me in seeing Dave- I haven’t been this excited for Nats park since the Red Sox were in town.