quality of life

“Shadow Boxing When I Heard You On The Radio”

By Prince Of Petworth

Alright, I unfortunately have another bizarre experience to recount and I’d like to know what you would have done in my place.  So on Sat. around 2ish I’m walking down 14th Street just north of U Street when I pause to write down some notes in my pad.  When I look up there is a kid probably around 15 or 16 who is shadow boxing right at me.  He is taking punches that are landing very close to my head and body.  I’m terribly confused at this point, so I’m looking quizzically at him trying to ascertain whether he is kidding around or just showing off for his friends.  But no, he is by himself and doesn’t make the slightest smile or give me any other indication that he is kidding.  So I continue to stare for a second, and he returns the stare with some more shadow punches and a very menacing look.  So finally, I decide just to keep walking.  But what I really wanted to do, was go right up in his face and say “What the fuck are you doing?” or “Do you have a problem with me?”  Or something like that.  But as usual, I grit my teeth and shake my head and just keep walking.  So what would you have done?

Random PoP Rant

By Prince Of Petworth

I can’t stand texting. What the hell do people obsess about it for? You can’t convey emotion over a text and it is a pain in the ass to punch out all the damn words. But everyone loves it, even some of my friends who are generation x. Nobody uses the damn cell to talk anymore. I know I sound like I am 86 years old, but first we lost the art of letter writing and soon we are going to have lost the art of being able to speak on the damn phone. So explain to me the appeal of the text message. Because you don’t have to think? It is instantaneous? It requires no courage in certain circumstances? Or am I just completely out of it?

How Many Wind Chimes Do You Have To Have, Before You Admit You Have A Problem?

By Prince Of Petworth

Look, I can stop putting up wind chimes anytime I want. I just happen to like the soothing sound of chimes crashing into one another on windy evening. So is that so wrong? Alright, I don’t like to judge but isn’t it well known that one is generally not supposed to display more than three wind chimes at a time? Isn’t that in a statute somewhere?

I’m Not Sure This Is Going To Cut It

By Prince Of Petworth

This is the famous bodega across the street from the Petworth Metro on New Hampshire Ave. It is a notorious spot for drug dealing and loitering. While I like the font on these signs, I’m not sure their message will be appreciated. And since these signs are under the authority of the bodega, do you think a dealer is going to obey?

Updated: Actually a neighbor of mine told me that he saw a number of kids smoking grass and dealing a “few transactions” right across the street outside the metro. So maybe it has had a little effect…

In all seriousness, I feel really bad for the proprietors of this store who seem like really hard working nice folks. It is shame that they have to deal with the loitering and dealing outside their store. Now, that I think of it another person told me that there are dealers who hang out front of the bodega on 5th and Shepherd. Is this a common problem outside many bodegas in the neighborhood?

An Unpleasant Walk Home at 1:32 AM

By Prince Of Petworth

I don’t even really know how to start this encounter. Perhaps I didn’t make the wisest decision walking home from Wonderland at 1:32 in the morning. At any rate I had made it most of the way home until I was just a few short blocks from home. I see a guy urinating on a tree. I’m not happy but whatever it is late and I just want to get home. Well, as he finishes up he waves to the car he is near and three guys step out. At this point I am just approaching him and I start to get a little nervous. He looks me in the eye and says “how you doin’ man?” (He is Latino and it was heavily accented. This comment will make sense in a little bit.) I respond I’m alright. Now let me just add an aside here. I think I have perfected the late night walk. I don’t walk too fast and I don’t walk too slow. I don’t keep my head down but I don’t stare people in the face either. I try and portray a fairly confident fellow. Ok, back to the story. After I respond that I am fine he says “alright, man. White power!”. Now, I am not drunk at this point but I was a little buzzed. After he said White Power, every single hair on body stood on end. Holy shit, I’m thinking, White power, what the hell does that mean? Why would anyone say that? And why would a Latino person say that? So I take a few more steps hoping that I don’t get my skull smashed open in a few seconds. I can feel them all right behind me. So like Carl Lewis in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics I sprint like no mere mortal has sprinted before. I mean I was flying. I’m a pretty fast guy anyway but I think this display would have impressed most Big Ten coaches. I can only conclude that it so startled them that they didn’t have the time to decide to chase me down. I sprinted about four blocks before I turned around and thankfully didn’t see them. I made it home, poured myself a shot of Powers Irish whiskey and thanked my lucky stars. So please someone explain this encounter to me. Why did the guy say white power to me? Secondly, how come they didn’t chase me down? Am I totally overreacting?

Don’t Criticize It, Legalize It!

By Prince Of Petworth

I’m walking home the other day and there is guy who is just blitzed out of his mind and this is about 4 in the afternoon and as I see him weaving back and forth he stops and tries to take a leak right on the sidewalk. Well he falls down and is lying face first on some grass and takes a leak. Other times I’ve walked around and seen folks drinking beers in groups who become very loud and sometimes violent. Let me contrast this with another night I was walking home where I passed two guys smoking a joint. They were happy and friendly and did not produce 16 empty beer cans/bottles in their wake. So it occurred to me, we really ought to legalize marijuana. Now granted I’ve mostly seen its use with the Grateful Dead crowd, but I’ve never seen anyone violent who just smoked some weed. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not advocating drug use here. I’m not saying its use should be mandatory. But if there are those above a certain age, they should be permitted. And I think the streets of DC is a perfect place for legalization. Think of the taxes that the city could earn and hell, it might even put a dent in some of the illegal drug dealing on our corners. Additionally, when you smoke a joint that is it, it is gone, no refuse to worry about, no violence, no folks pissing on the sidewalks. So why don’t we legalize it? Is it that much worse than drinking alcohol?

Single Can Liquor Ban Thoughts

By Prince Of Petworth

Alright, tell me if I’m crazy. So the single can ban has been in effect a few months now. I’m wondering if we’ll see more empty cans or less. To date I haven’t seen much difference but I think we may see even more litter as a result. Here is my reasoning, if people can’t by 40 ouncers then they’ll by cheap 12 oz can six packs, right? So that’s six cans vs. two bottles, roughly. That makes sense, no? So have you guys noticed any positive or negative effects as a result of the single can/bottle alcohol ban?  (Ed. note: despite my convoluted theory I still support the ban, for the record.)

Comment of the Week by Otis Gal

By Prince Of Petworth

“I had one of my less mentally stable (but harmless) neighbors knock on my door at 930am and ask me to pop some popcorn in my microwave for him… which I declined.”

C’mon!

By Prince Of Petworth

This trash can is filled with bags of leaves. We have so few garbage cans as it is, do you really have to fill them with bags of leaves? Really? The city will pick up the leaves if you leave them at your curb. C’mon! You’re better than that. Hell, why do people fill these trashcans near bus stops with bags of their own garbage. Don’t they have garbage cans? Explain this to me. Please.

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