The Nervous Gentrification of U Street Secret Simmerings and Shameful Scandals of the Singular Smash Our writer on U Street begins her story in the way of Raymond Chandler … (Cube recommendation)

I walked down the dark, dank street, my coat buttoned tightly, collar upturned. No matter what your errand, you can’t take the people on the eastern end of U Street lightly. Homeless staggers, trench coats, and catcalls abound. I focused on the street ahead and walked briskly forward.

During My Recovery … Precious Precious Overcaffeination Well written and energetic piece about what happens when friends drop off celebrity mags. (Credit, Where is my mind) An excerpt:

By the time I was recovered from my surgery, (roughly five whole days later), I’d developed an unholy bloodthirst for gossip magazines. I fed my filthy habit with ease at the GentrifiSafeway checkout aisles. (You’d think the tabloids would wise-up and start charging by the minute at checkout counters).

Also Noted Celebrity Sips: The Hemingway Daiquiri at The Liquid Muse, a writer, wanderlust and ‘gourmande’ of all things deliciously decadent. Former homeland security IG at Olsson’s with new book. In the audience is our writer on the scene, who reports: Speaking for about half-an-hour, he reiterated the primary focus of his book which is: America is still vulnerable to terrorist attacks. And, nearly five years after 9/11, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) still doesn’t have its act together. From Jawning. Admitting the White Trash influence, writes Nookie Cookie. Regrettable TV choices. Photos from the protest against Central Union Mission’s proposed move to Georgia Avenue at Petworth News. Don’t forget: dcblogs.com/live

Mrs. Crazy Girl City Crazy Girl City Gets a marriage proposal via the next best thing to email: a phone call. She writes: I’m just the happiest girl in the world right now and can not wait until July when I become MrsTheBoy. Want to know a little secret? The very first time I met TheBoy? Pepsi and rude women at McDonalds. A report from the front lines of campus food service by Too Many Words. Excerpt:

She is screaming that he was slow and wrong. I know he was right because I heard her place the order while simultaneously talking loudly to two of her friends and talking on a cell phone – not just any cell phone but one with the walkie-talkie capability …

Walking rage: Commuter road rules do apply to walking during commuting times, writes The Life and Times of Chai. A list of rules is offered. Avoid the Dupont Circle tunnel because of construction, reports the Beltway Boneheads, a blog about traffic and transportation that just turned up on our radar.

Eat With Me, a food blog, is one year old. That’s 260 postings and 140 recipes.

Football without helmets, what “keep clear” means, and other observations about Australia by a Fairfax resident Rebecca Hartong. Among them: When we were out on our motor coach tour yesterday, the driver stopped around 9:30 am to make morning tea for everyone. We just pulled over to a scenic spot, he got a little propane burner out from the storage compartment under the bus, and he boiled up some water for tea.

Kickball in the City is a new blog with only one post, but the first post is a sometimes scathing critique of the city’s kickball leagues. The leagues are ranked as well. The art of the Metro pick-up, part one. Nice writing by The DC Universe. Of all the places to meet women in DC, the Metro probably holds the most peril for one’s self-esteem. This is a bit of a cliffhanger; the writer promises to run part two Wednesday. Headlines, especially when they appear on the live feed, matter. A lesson in the craft of effective headline writing by EJ Takes Life. Related but unrelated: A: blogger People magazine ought to hire. DC Pussycat Doll. New blog, just one post … A Georgetown Mom writes about the art of being a mom in Georgetown:

Which spa is most likely to have an opening for a spur-of-the-moment mid-afternoon massage? We know. Where are some of the best spots to enjoy a cup of coffee while reading or people watching? Oh, and who can turn our laundry around in 24 hours if necessary? These are important issues.

Is a tiny condo selling in the “low 300s” that, let’s say, has a $500 maintenance charge, affordable to a first time homebuyer? Was there a corresponding “money boom” for buyers other than the emergence of high risk interest-only mortgages? Real estate agents hoping warm weather boost real estate prices may be banking on false hopes, reports Bubble Meter. The space/time continuum and traffic camera tickets. … the amount of time that lapses between getting caught running a yellow light and the time that the ticket arrives to my mother’s house and the time which she notifies me to tell me that I have received said ticket and questions what I will be doing about it, is about 30 days, writes No Pasa Nada. And the traffic camera’s alternate universe at Sour N Sweet. CyberActiveDC, a new blog, reports on his recent DC survey. Scroll down for explanation. Two UNC professors discuss The Da Vinci Code in a podcast link on AYT.

Zorro Makes Small Talk on the Metro Sandblower What does it take for people in DC to break the rules and make small talk with strangers? This writer finds out. This post starts: On my first day of orientation at Georgetown, I met another woman who had just moved to Washington from California. “Have you noticed how much less friendly everyone here is?” In a world threatened by the march of the metrosexual, the patch of facial hair called a mustache is its flag of protest. Or something like that. Our writer, whose patron saint is Burt Reynolds, is growing his. . At Barzelay. Dada, Eisenhower and Exasperation with War by America’s Young Theologian reminds us that the popular NGA’s dada exhibit ends this week, in a post that examines this movement’s influence and influences. Dada was a revolt against a world in which the Great War could happen. Tristan Tzara, the essayist of what is now considered a movement, said, “The beginnings of dada were not the beginnings of an art, but of a disgust.” Also Noted Where the blame goes. Dealing in Subterfuges. Poor diet and beer drinking and guess what. Our writer reacts to WaPo’s take on aggressive women.
Helpful Whole Foods traffic control. Our reporter on the scene. I Caught You a Delicious Blog A gallery blooms in Bloomingdale dcblogs.com/live update — Meghan at Cocoricamo has been doing an incredible job creating new art for the live feed and reworking some of the earlier designs. Her work is making a tremendous difference in its look.
Late Monday Night Site Note: A tech issue coupled with some personal obligations means I won’t be able to publish Tue. Thanks to those who sent in link recommendations. — kob

You’ve got it lucky, Americans My life as an Alien in modern-day USA Our resident Aussie blogger does some reality checking about the price of petrol and need for 24-hour Metro. (And take the money you’ll save riding on the bus to sponsor her in the DC Aids Marathon) Also Noted Retail kiosks coming to Metro and no fare hikes until 2008, reports Live From the Third Rail. Weenie traffic reporting now available at Traffic Watch-DC Beware of official sounding phone calls regarding fraudulent charges, reports Olami. A visit to Eastern Market, includes marriage proposal, bartering in Hindi and discounts. At Bald Marys. New show by artist and blogger Anne Marchand at Painterly Visions. It opens tonight. Life in the District is undergoing a makeover. Haters Happy Hour tonight. Don’t be scared off by the name. Sponsored by the First Date team, Kathryn and DCB, who has the latest instructions.

Tell All Freewheeling Spirit A 4-year old wants to know an adult’s secrets. It’s a short and wonderful post. Do Blogs Qualify as Art? The Rock Creek Rambler The “what is art” problem is something artists continually challenge through their creations. RCR is raising this question for the blog world. Are blogs art? Thanks to Reya for pointing it out. Here is an excerpt from RCR’s but please read the entire post.

Am I so bold as to suggest that maybe blogging is in itself a form of art. I think that I am. To be sure, I don’t make this effort for hit counts or comments or vain exercises in self-importance. It’s not a hobby to pass the time at work – it is, truly, a passion. The good blogger is an artist confined by career.

Also Noted Tough times for the tourist in DC. Check out the photo by Australia-based Gusworld. Washington DC is the only place I’ve ever visited where you have to go through a security check and show photo ID before you can enter the visitor information centre. Please visit dcblogs.com/live

The silver lining in the silverware at Tryst, discovers City Paper City Desk blog. What’s the story behind it, what story can be put around it? ElectricBlue is annoyed on the escalator, with the SUV, irreverent conversations at work. And finally, Even this post … I hit “publish.” The next page whirls and whirls but doesn’t go anywhere. The post stays locked in cyberspace. Feeding my annoyance, mocking me. At High Heels and Football. Wendi Kaufman of the The Happy Booker, who does a wonderful job reporting on local authors, has a 14-parge article on DC’s literary life in the May edition of the Washingtonian. On newsstands now. Just a Nats Fan live blogs the DC Council debate on Nats cable TV. DC Elementary Teacher postscript. This blog was on the dcblogs listing last year and pulled when posting stopped one year ago. But after seeing a mention last month on the DC Education blog, this mysterious writer reappeared with a post and another scathing critique. So much of what passes for instruction by school districts, Superintendents and Boards is utter hogwash. Unless a teacher makes the time and effort to know each of her students as individuals, then no hodge-podge of standards or curriculum is going to help. This teacher has since left the school system. For very good reporting on the DC mayoral race see the Progressive Review’s City Desk. New and improved food pyramid. What are Mini-Whites? The Playaz. The dcblogs.com/live art replacement project is continuing thanks to the skilful work of Meghan at Cocoricamo, who graciously volunteered to work on icon art. Her work has definitely improved the look of the live listing.

A mix and match collection today: Interesting NYC blog called Found Clothing that retells a little DC experience when something other than clothing was found. Check out some of the other posts. This is a strikingly good idea for a blog. Apartments for rent with benefits at Knee Deep in It. DC Renters See Red, writes tls. DC is well on its way to becoming a polarized municipality of “haves” and “have nots” — neither of whom are renowned for paying into the tax rolls From the department of strange encounters: Can I take a picture of your foot? Reports Candy Sandwich. The photo above was taken at the Hirshorn. It shows a scene from the Task performance art exhibit at the museum this weekend. D.C. Arts Scene and Heard has assembled a listing of links with brief commentary by those reporting from the scene. Gallery Place Living, which is doing a very good job reporting on activities in that area, has developed a new web site: DC Crime Maps that provides a map of local crime. This very useful map was featured on DCist. Why Lost? Spoilers at Let Us Clear Our Throats. Washington Wire at the WSJ. Maybe this has been sending out rss feeds all along and we never noticed, but it’s the first time it turned up in a search here. About Urban Dare. Football scouting report — the scene outside of the Four Seasons in Georgetown. The Giant’s Michael Strahan at Krempasky. Wizards blog in German Visit dcblogs.com/live – I’ll be replacing some of the art this week of the new blog, but probably won’t finish until this weekend.

Where are all the Neighborhood Blogs? A new blog about Delray, and some other points. Self-publishing is one of the most powerful and liberating tools of our age, and neighborhoods that have made a conscious decision to limit discussion of local issues to mailing lists are missing out. Mailing lists may be easy to join, but they’re not easily accessible and searchable. Most importantly, local blogs can extend community awareness beyond neighborhoods and help identify common problems, trends and inequalities. The ability to easily document issues with photographs, audio and video feed adds an impact that mailing lists can’t deliver. Neighborhood blogs are inevitable, but it would happen quicker in DC and in neighboring communities if mailing list managers, and their more active participants, began offering blogs as companions to mailing lists. The list of neighborhood blogs in this area — a Metro area of 5 million — remains surprisingly small. With this, we’re alerted to a new neighborhood blog in Alexandria focusing on the charming Delray neighborhood. Check it out. Also Noted: The difference in fearing terrorism in DC versus living with it in the Middle East … we worry mostly about threats that might become a reality, and keep our fingers crossed that they won’t. But over here, the things you worry about aren’t just threats that might become real. They’re threats that have become real many times before … From DC to Jerusalem. Helping Individual Prostitutes Survive (HIPS) “is a great organization, no doubt,” writes Bethesda Rookie, but “they make it hard for volunteers to help.” Wine tasting for Washingtonians … by the pictures. The For Real Life II. A Podcast Interview with Journeymen’s Deborah Kirby at DC Theater Reviews. Happy May Day, writes Workers of the World Relax: Maybe it is again time to come together to protest our crony State-Capitalism and fight for “live and let live” without the state robbing us blind … Dcfud is looking for writers dcblogs.com/live update: 64 blogs were added to the live listing Sunday. Hopefully, I got in all the blogs requested. If I’m missing some, let me know and I’ll fix it on the next update. The art on the new blogs are auto generated place holders. I’ll be replacing them. If you have your own art and want to send it to me, that will be appreciated.