You can celebrate workers' rights any day. (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Candida Mannozzi. You can reach her at candida[AT]borderstan.com.

As many of you know, May 1 marks International Labor Day and is an observed national holiday in many countries around the world. What we may not always remember is that this date was chosen by labor movements around the world as the day to commemorate an event that had actually occurred in the U.S.

In early May of 1886, a workers’ protest outside the McCormick factory on Haymarket Square in Chicago turned violent and was brutally repressed by the local Police. A few days later, anarchists organized a protest for the event and again, shots were fired on the protesters, resulting in numerous victims. A year later, on November 11, 1887, four workers, four labor union organizers, and four anarchists were hanged for organizing the strike and manifestation of May 1, 1886.

President Grover Cleveland decided that commemorating the success of the labor movement in obtaining an 8-hour workday and other basic workers’ rights in early May could ignite repeat protests for the violent events that had also occurred at that time, so in the United States the Labor Day holiday was moved to early September.

In Europe, the Second International congress in Paris ratified May 1 as the official date for Labor Day celebrations in 1889, in commemoration of the events on Chicago’s Haymarket Square.

It seems ironic that the international and widely adopted Labor Day holiday is scheduled to commemorate an event that happened here in the United States, while we observe it during the opposite season, in the early fall.

At a time when many of us are struggling to find work or employment, remembering Labor Day and its history seems especially poignant.

Whenever you decide to observe a day of commemoration for the now widely established eight-hour workdays and numerous other workers’ rights, may it bring you satisfaction and solace, Borderstan!

Like reading Borderstan’s Politics & Government stories? Get an RSS Feed for the P&G Section, or an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories.

Remember that we live very close to each other in this neighborhood. (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Candida Mannozzi. You can reach her at candida[AT]borderstan.com.

Borderstanis, with the warmer weather upon us (and boy, are we getting some temperature spikes!) we are all pouring out of our homes to enjoy time outdoors. Be it sidewalk cafes, outdoor seating at our favorite restaurants, or, for the lucky among us, our own patio, deck or balcony, there we all are: enjoying the mild weather and the lengthening afternoons and evenings. The presence of more people and pets outdoors makes the city feel festive, alive and buzzing.

The warming of the weather does, however, bring with it a couple of possible drawbacks.

Noise Pollution

Let’s remember that in most areas of our ‘hood, residential units are located directly above, across the street, around the corner, or down the alley from our favorite haunts. While I’m not advocating everyone use “their inside voice” while dining or happy-houring al fresco, you may want to check-in on your volume, especially if the gathering you’re attending has consumed its fair share of un-inhibiting libations(!).

Your neighbors near and far will thank you for keeping the conversation limited to your table, rather than proclaiming it across the entire outdoor patio, or making it echo across the intersection.

Lights and Music

If you’re one of those lucky folks who can entertain in your own outdoor space, more power to you! Please think about your neighbors and their possible desire to have a quiet evening at home, or their need to tuck in because of an early morning conference call or departure on a business trip the next day.

So, especially if you’re entertaining or sitting outside enjoying a mild, breezy weeknight, consider taking your dinner guests indoors and turning the music and lights out or down, once the quiet hours for your building kick in. You’ll be raking in a ton of gratitude and that, especially among neighbors, always comes in handy.

All that said, I am just as jazzed as you about the longer evenings, warmer temps and the chance to sit outdoors without having to wear three to four layers of clothing in order to make it more than 10 minutes. Here’s wishing all of us many enjoyable hours in this lovely springtime and early summer weather.

Catch you on a patio or deck somewhere!

Like reading Borderstan’s Lifestyle stories? Get an RSS Feed for the Lifestyle Section, or an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories.

1500 block of Corcoran Street NW. (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Candida Mannozzi. You can reach her at candida[AT]borderstan.com.

Featured photo by Candida Mannozzi: A hyacinth in bloom on Corcoran Street NW.

True story: I was returning home on an errand around lunchtime and a babysitter, a friendly looking lady in her 50s, was sitting at the bottom of the flight of steps that lead to my building’s front door. She was spoon-feeding her ward some yogurt. As she realized she was blocking me from getting into my building, she apologized profusely and made way. I smiled, thanked her and went inside.

About five minutes later, I was on my way out again and the babysitter and stroller were gone. In their place, on my front stoop, was the empty yogurt container. SERIOUSLY?! She was SO sorry to be sitting on my stoop, but leaving her trash there was not a problem? Wow. Well, I’m glad to know some people have their priorities all synced-up. I look forward to a memorable “come to Jesus” moment the day I run into her again.

I feel for all the owners of front stoops and gardens, who regularly have to pick up the garbage that rude passers-by feel perfectly entitled to toss over a railing or bush onto their property, instead of finding the closest public garbage can. Not to mention those urban hybrids, native to our neighborhood: the empty beer and liquor containers that regularly blossom in our gardens and sidewalks after every weekend night.

Where I grew up, we used to tell people caught littering not to publicize the fact that they’d been raised in a pigsty. Borderstan, it’s time to take back our front stoops, gardens and sidewalks! I plan to shame any litterbug I catch in the act. Thoughts?

Like reading Borderstan’s Lifestyle stories? Get an RSS Feed for the Lifestyle Section, or an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories.

From Candida Mannozzi. You can reach her at candida[AT]borderstan.com. Featured photo by Candida Mannozzi: A hyacinth in bloom on Corcoran Street NW.

As the weather has been granting us sunnier and warmer days and as the bulbs and first flowers push through the brown-grey winter soil, I am feeling gratitude and cheer spreading in my heart.

This may, in large part, also be due to my having come home from nine days in New York City, where the academic non-profit organization I work for held its annual meeting. The event was exciting, our largest yet (with over 8,700 attendees) and New York proved to be a wonderful, responsive and accommodating venue.

Daffodils often bloom in March in DC, but this early? (Candida Mannozzi)

So, as I (literally) poured out of the return train to DC and made my weary way home four days ago, I felt a mix of elation and exhaustion at having been a part of this intense event. At the same time, I felt blue and was missing Manhattan, which I have always had a soft spot for.

One of the most noticeable things upon my return was how early spring has come this year to DC. Flowers are blooming a month ahead of schedule, and some of the cherry trees in the neighorhood are already in a full state of pink blossoms.

Since my return, I’ve been resting and recouping, enjoying the weather, taking things easy; and at the eve of returning to the office this week, I find I have to declaim (yes, the Italian in me will not settle for less!) my gratitude for our neighborhood and the way it pampers and accommodates us.

Borderstan, we have a fantastic little enclave here! I’ve been able to sleep in on weekday mornings without suffering major traffic or construction noise, I’ve been to four yoga classes of very different kinds (my hips are rather testily pointing this fact out to me), I’ve stocked up on fresh, healthy vittles at the Whole Foods and farmers markets.

I’ve taken long walks in the neighborhood, enjoying some of our green space and easy forays into the many diverse shops, whether just for a quick look or a more thorough browse. I felt free and safe as I wandered Borderstan, seeing people and pets on the sidewalks, overhearing snippets of conversations, and picking up on what seems to have been a universal good vibe in our ‘hood, this early spring weekend.

It feels good to live here! So, at the risk of being accused of adding special ingredients to my drinking water, I will leave you with a heartfelt hooray for how refreshing, stimulating and accommodating Borderstan is. It’s not a given, to live in a city neighborhood that can allow us so easily to rest and recoup, but also to satisfy our needs for meaningful, creative stimulation in its retail shops, theaters, clubs, restaurants and public spaces.

I hope we can continue to support all the friends and neighbors who make our ‘hood what it is. Thanks to everyone in Borderstan for doing their part!

Like reading Borderstan’s Lifestyle stories? Get an RSS Feed for the Lifestyle Section, or an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories.

Love your dog: she depends on you.  (Luis Gomez Photos).

From Candida Mannozzi. You can reach her at candida@borderstan.com.

Borderstan, some of you may have seen scenes like this and I’m not sure where you come down on them, but I’m declaring my displeasure.

I am usually fine with the sight of dogs tied up outside various neighborhood establishments, as it normally involves a 5- to 10-minute foray into the supermarket, pharmacy or flower shop of choice. Fine, you remembered you needed dish soap as you were walking your pet, and combined a quick pop into the store with the rest of the walk. No problem, I hear and understand you.

But do not get me started on the folks who tie their dog up outside a restaurant or bar while they are inside hanging out — inside — with friends, having drinks or even a full-blown meal while their pet is sitting outside, tied to a railing or tree box. My latest such sighting came as I was walking a friend’s dog at night and we turned the corner onto Church Street NW.

My dog was sniffing along and suddenly we heard a pitiful whine coming from a pet tied up in the next tree box, essentially sitting in all the pee and other traces left by earlier dogs, unable to defend himself if attacked, looking and sounding pretty vulnerable and miserable.

For real?! This particular owner couldn’t take their pet back home before hitting the happy hour or getting to their dinner date?

I imagine that sometimes the daily walks can be a drag or an interruption to our other activities; in certain weather they’re downright uncomfortable. But let’s not forget that dogs living in city apartments or condos, with no yard to run around and relieve themselves in, rely on those walks for an essential function, one they’ve patiently and generously learned to avoid doing around our homes. Let’s at least show them the courtesy and caring not to make those moments outdoors become associated with feeling abandoned, exposed and otherwise humiliated.

Finally, kudos to all those caring dog owners who don’t subject their pets to the behavior described above. You are (thankfully!) the rule.

Like reading Borderstan’s Lifestyle stories? Get an RSS Feed for the Lifestyle Section, or an RSS Feed for all Borderstan stories.

Roldolfo Valentino may have been America’s first male heart throb and sex symbol on the big screen. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

From Candida Mannozzi. She writes a biweekly column for Bordertan, “Borderstan Candids.” You can reach her at candida@borderstan.com.

Borderstan, given the “season,” how about a brief reminiscence about one of the most famous of Valentines? I’m thinking of the paradigmatic Latin Lover and silent movie heart throb Rodolfo Valentino or Rudolph Valentino.

Born in May 1895 in Southern Italy’s province of Taranto, Rodolfo Alfonzo Raffaello Pierre Filibert Guglielmi di Valentina d’Antonguolla (try whispering that in the heat of passion!) was the youngest child of a veterinarian and a Marquise’s Lady in Waiting.

After the untimely death of his father, the family moved to Perugia in Central Italy. Rodolfo’s rebellious and headstrong character manifested early on: he was expelled from school for bad conduct. It probably didn’t help that his classmates had been mocking him for his funny looks, especially his pointy ears.

His attempt to enroll in the Naval Academy in Venice also failed, for the young Rodolfo was declared physically unfit and weak of eyesight. Rumors (likely of the malicious kind!) say he was shortsighted, and that was the supposed reason the star reverted to those world-famous close-ups to his acting partners and his penetrating, unflinching gaze into their eyes.

The young Rodolfo eventually left Italy for Paris, where he studied dance and is rumored to have worked as an escort for gay men. At the age of 18 he came into his inheritance ($4,000) and booked a passage to America.  He arrived in New York City just before Christmas Eve of 1913 and, his funds having depleted fairly quickly, started making ends meet working as a gardener and waiter.

Thanks to a friend, he began working as a dancer at Club Maxim, earning generous tips from the female patrons. He eventually moved to San Francisco and on to Hollywood, where he was initially typecast in minor movies as the “dark and threatening stranger,” the outsider or villain scheming to elope with or otherwise compromise the film’s main female character.

Finally, in 1921, his luck changed thanks to his role as one of the leads in Rex Ingram’s The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The electrifying tango he danced in that movie made an instant sex symbol and star of him and from then on Rudolph Valentino, instead of playing the despicable foreign outcast, became the other side of that fickle coin: the dark and handsome stranger, the Latin Lover, the irresistible, fiery, exotic seducer and heartbreaker. His filmography is vast and is not the object of this piece, but some iconic films stand out such as The Sheik and The Son of the Sheik, (the latter included a controversial rape scene).

Valentino is not considered one of the most gifted actors or interpreters, but his convinced, authoritative gestures, his sleek, pomaded hair, his way of seizing actresses by their elbows and staring at them in a mix of ardent desire and mischievous intent, as if exposing their concealed hopes and fears, made him an iconic male lead.

He masterfully played the adventurer, the ardent seducer, the irresistible charmer, or the hopelessly enamored lover. Valentino’s success was in part thanks to his gift in conveying an ever so faint hint of danger, mischief or rakishness, no matter the role. Women the world over swooned.

Valentino’s life was apparently equally extravagant and sentimentally complex off the screen, peppered with two wives (the first marriage to actress Jean Acker was apparently never consummated and de facto lasted a mere six hours!), numerous lovers, jealous husbands, scandals, and an untold number of smitten fans, men and women alike.

Valentino lived up to his role as movie star and sex symbol, rarely appearing in public unless he donned a fur-lined coat, or his favorite style of bracelet, or thigh-high boots, and always the signature slicked-back hair and a hint of smoky makeup around his eyes. Men imitated his hairstyle, even though they tended to prefer movies with stars like Douglas Fairbanks, who represented a very different male prototype.

Interestingly, Valentino’s birth (1895) and death (1926) coincide with the beginnings and end of silent film. News of the star’s demise was accompanied by worldwide expressions of abject grief and despair: fans attempted (and succeeded) in suicide, his funeral cortege in Los Angeles was a mob scene, with over one hundred thousand people present. Valentino died at the age of 31, leaving us with images unblemished by age — all the more likely to fuel the mythical status he had achieved.

So, Borderstan, if a memorable adventure with a tall, dark stranger is what you’ve secretly been pining for, I wish you someone as irresistible and charismatic as Rodolfo Valentino. Viva l’avventura!

Sources: www.mymovies.it, Wikipedia, and http://biografieonline.it

Job hunting can be a lonely, frustrating process. How do you help friends? (pnz242 in Borderstan Flickr pool)

From Candida Mannozzi. You can reach her at candida@borderstan.com.

Last week I was vividly reminded of how tough it can be out there if you’re one of the millions of Americans looking for employment of the longer-term, less precarious kind.

I accompanied an intern (currently in her last month at the non-profit where I work) to an informational meeting with a personal acquaintance of mine. The conversation was friendly enough, my contact shared input on her resume and her overall job hunt pitch and strategy, and even suggested a couple of other target areas and organizations for her outreach.

All that advice and input aside, as we walked away from the meeting, having seen her resume edited, entire paragraphs crossed-out or moved, and many of her assumptions challenged, she was fighting back tears of frustration. I remembered my own past experiences on the job-seeking end of the spectrum, when I too was often seen as “promising, interesting,” but, in the view of some employers, lacked the “specific experience” in a particular field to actually land that job. I also imagined that I, or any one of us, could easily face those challenges again, as nothing in life is more certain than change.

It seems all the more disheartening to witness someone facing these difficulties in DC, one of the few labor markets that the media tell us is not suffering a job recession as brutal as in other parts of the United States. Tell that to the many college and grad school grads vying for internships or even volunteer positions that now seem to demand the same qualifications and expertise of a full-time job. Tell that to the mid- to late-career professionals who have a hard time re-entering or staying in the job market, competing against “cheaper” younger hires.

It really is cold outside.

I also find myself frustrated at my apparent powerlessness in situations such as the one I just described. For anyone I know currently navigating this difficult labor market, I vow to share relevant connections or advice, and to be of support to them in any other way I can.

Still, I fear I may be missing some opportunities or avenues to help. So, admitting that I’m not asking for responses to the specific (but purposely not very detailed) anecdote I began this post with, let me turn it over to you and ask for your thoughts, Borderstan:

• What do you do for friends, colleagues or relatives in a difficult situation?
• How do you handle, alleviate or fight frustration when it comes to you or to someone you know?
• Do you egg yourself or someone you know on, exhort them not to give up? Is the occasional moment of despair and frustration also allowed: a healthy venting of pent-up emotions, and then back to the front line? Or is expressing frustration tantamount to defeatism and therefore unallowable?
• Does just showing one cares help too, even if it may not always bring immediate, concrete results? Does is matter who that show of affection helps more?

Thanks for your insights, folks!

1500 block of 14th Street NW: Sidewalk? (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Candida Mannozzi. You can reach her at candida@borderstan.com.

If you live in Borderstan (or anywhere in DC, for that matter) I know this has happened to you: you’re strolling down the sidewalk, maybe on your way home from the farmers’ market, or chatting with a friend, when all of a sudden and with no sound of warning, someone brushes past you on a bicycle, startling you. They zip past, weaving in and out among pedestrians, leaving a trail of surprised, startled and often irritated folks (and pets) in their wake.

I think my friend Julie put it beautifully when this happened to us some time ago. She yelled after the biker: “It’s a sidewalk, not a sideride!”

Bikers, and I’m one of you, keep your turning wheels in the traffic lanes and leave the sidewalks to those of us walking, jogging, pushing strollers or shopping carts, guiding our children or pets.

The city has been increasing its miles of bike lanes, so use them! If, for whatever reason, you insist on riding on the sidewalk, then at least give the pedestrians you are approaching a clue that you are on their heels, OK?! Ping your bell, or shout “bike on your left/right” as the case may be.

I look at it this way: if you’re riding a bicycle on the sidewalk, you’re in a bigger size and speed category than the pedestrians. Therefore, you’re not supposed to be there. So, the least you can do, when you decide to use the sidewalk inappropriately, is to give everyone fair warning, giving folks a chance to work around you. (Editor’s note: It is legal to ride on sidewalks north of Massachusetts Avenue NW.)

Oh, and thanks for stepping up to be the nuisance du jour, it takes a special kind of courage.

Related Posts

• SYMHM: No Pants, Bike Lane Tickets, History Experts Needed
• DDOT Proposes New Bike Infrastructure in U Street Area
• Bikes and Sidewalks: Time to Update D.C.’s Laws?

CrossFit MPH is at 1469 Church Street NW. (Courtesy CrossFit)

From Candida Mannozzi. You can reach her at candida@borderstan.com.

Borderstan, let me admit it right at the outset: I like to work hard and I play just as hard, too. So, when it comes to my choices for sports, ways to keep fit and maintain or improve my health (which, well into my fourth decade, seem ever more important), I tend to gravitate toward intense, demanding and, by the same token, rewarding workout or sports routines.

On that note, CrossFit MPH is not an athletic program for the faint of heart, but it’s why I chose it. And Borderstan, do you know that we have one of the premier CrossFit outfits of the DC metro area in our very own hood?! Let me backtrack a bit, assuming that many of you may not be familiar with what CrossFit actually is. It was not a clear or known concept to me either, until just a few months ago.

What is CrossFit?

CrossFit is an athletic program that combines basic gymnastics, running, weightlifting, rowing and powerlifting movements in a vast number of combinations, adding repetition, weight or resistance and speed to achieve a broad response in the body of the athletes practicing it. Improving overall health and fitness, as well as developing the skills to become good at a number of different things (i.e., run a marathon, increase your overall strength, acquire explosive skills) are the goals. Improving your heart-rate, losing weight, gaining muscle mass, looking better, finally getting those six-pack abs, those are correlated results that come with a CrossFit practice, but they are not the goals a typical CrossFit athlete sets for him- or herself.

Feldman: “CrossFit is just inherently better than regular workouts — those endless bicep curls facing a mirror — this is closer to real sports, to actual movements. It reminded me of martial arts when I first started.”

So, this article will not be about commercial gyms or personal training sessions, va bene (OK)? A new year is in the offing and I am offering you a way to try something new, to push your limits, maybe even to explore a whole new community of folks in 2012.

CrossFitMPH (MetamorPHitness, indicating the transformative power of this athletic practice) is owned by John Main and co-managed by Melody Feldman. The two certified coaches are ably supported by Rebekka Ellman. The gym opened in July 2009 and is located just inside the corner of 15th and Church Streets NW. It has been attracting a growing number of dedicated athletes to their challenging, rewarding and collegial workouts.

Main and Feldman live in the neighborhood. So when, in 2008, they decided to open their own athletic facility, they found themselves increasingly gravitating to the Borderstan and Logan Circle areas of DC. MPH is more than an athletic facility, it is a community. Nothing proves this more than the fact that the demo and build-out of the space took a month and was a joint effort by these coaches, who relied also on the support of their former clients from the commercial gym where they had trained for over five years.

MPH’s space is multi-functional, sparsely furnished and supremely flexible. At first glance any observer will understand this is a no-frills environment, focused on the safe and efficient movement of its athletes, coaches and gear. It can accommodate an amazing variety of set-ups, which are easily assembled and broken down, fitting beautifully with the flexibility and variety that a CrossFit practice requires.

Who Can Practice CrossFit?

Feldman: “Sometimes, the less experienced someone is when they come to CrossFit, the better opportunity they have to acquire the basic movement patterns that are the building blocks for any CrossFit workout. They’re working from a clean slate.”

Main: “CrossFit has a reputation for being dangerous. Practiced or coached incorrectly, this reputation is deserved. There is an inherent risk in what we do, as we work with free weights and body weight, and add speed and intensity to most workouts; so posture, movement mechanics and awareness are all essential. When coached correctly, CrossFit is safe and suitable for everyone.”

That’s the key. With coaches like John, Melody and Rebekka, CrossFit is an adventure in self-exploration and growth. Based on your registration for a particular workout, the coaches will have prepared variations to fit your individual fitness and strength levels. No time is wasted during class adapting the challenge to each athlete’s skill set and this allows the coaches to do just that: to coach — properly and attentively.

CrossFit is an exciting journey down the road of self-discovery and self-improvement. Some basic requirements: being self-motivated, being collegial, enjoying challenges (personal or imposed) and wanting to acquire new skills and capabilities.

So, Borderstan, if any among you are looking for a way to challenge and explore your physical and athletic limits in the new year, CrossFitMPH lies right in the heart of our ‘hood — a part of ours, ready to welcome you into the community.

Less is More. Really. (Luis Gomez Photos)

From Candida Mannozzi. You can reach her at candida@borderstan.com.

Borderstan, it’s that time of the year. We’re out there, shopping for food, for ornaments, for tokens for our co-workers, and gifts for friends and family. This general atmosphere generated the thought for this piece, which came to me as I was chatting with my friend Frank.

He and I exchange cards this time of year. Yes, we’re among those dinosaurs who still, on occasion, put actual pen to paper and use the U.S. Postal Service to get the product from one home to the other. (Don’t get me started on our local post office closings!)

Back to the chat with Frank: I received his card in the mail the other day. Well, not all of it. I received a torn envelope with the card missing and an accompanying note from the Postal Service, apologizing for the damage done to the missive. I was crushed! Frank’s card was lost! He picks really cool, inventive, artsy cards every year: they are usually great examples of pop-outs, paper-art… you get the idea, yes?

So, I was truly disappointed not to get Frank’s choice for this year!

I sent him an email thanking him for his card and explaining the mishap with it. He called me later and it turns out I’m not the only friend of his who didn’t get this year’s fancy paper-art card. We concluded there must have been a design flaw to it, probably the choice of envelopes, which were not sturdy enough to safely contain the pop-out card weighing more than the regular ones.

“I see these different, beautiful cards each year, and over time I’ve been choosing fancier and fancier ones. That’s it. I’m done with the top-of-the-line cards.”

I agreed with him, even though I was sorry not to have seen the fanciest pop-out card he’s chosen yet.

“Hey, but at least you got the envelope and you had proof that I was thinking of you and that I wanted to reach out to you, right?”

Indeed. Absolutely on the money. And that’s when the thought occurred to me and I told Frank the clichéd phrase: “Hey, man, less is more.” Maybe next year he’ll skip the top-of-the-line card, and send a less fancy one, since the sentiment he wishes to share is the essential part of the whole exercise.

This episode reminded of one of my favorite illustrated books: Patrick McDonnell’s “The Gift of Nothing,” the story of a little cat Mooch wanting to get his buddy, Earl, something for the holidays and observing people saying there’s “nothing” on TV and “nothing” in the stores, and “nothing” to do… so in the end Mooch finds an empty box, wraps it in a bow and Earl exclaims with delight when he opens it. The book ends with a drawing of the two of them sitting side-by-side at the window after playing with the empty box, looking out onto a starry sky, happy for the gift of nothing, “… and everything.”

So, this holiday season I wish all of us a bit less of the frills, frippery and add-ons, giving us a chance to enjoy the underlying more.