SYMHM: August 8 Weekend Roundup

From Mike Kohn. Got some news for Mike? Drop him an email or find him on Twitter @mike_kohn.

Duplex Diner Reopens!

If you remember, Duplex Diner, the famed diner at 18th and U Streets NW, was sold to longtime bartender Kevin Lee, who closed it a little while back to make some minor renovations. Well, with a cute announcement on the home page of their website and a full article from the Washington City Paper, the diner is up and running. Lee is working on updating the menu to give it more of a southern twist. Look out for the official grand opening in a few weeks.

Beware of Crossing the Street Illegally

You know you do it, that horrible crime of crossing the street illegally or recklessly, crossing without the proper signal against traffic. That’s right: you jaywalk. What were you thinking? As a fellow aggressive pedestrian, I’m quite familiar with the concept, which is why I was a little shocked to read this from 14th & You. MPD is now handing out $20 tickets for committing this horrid act in Dupont Circle, so be wary next time you boldy cross the street when you’re in a hurry.

Lesbian Slurs at Columbia Heights Metro

Oh, here’s a good story, courtesy of the Washington Blade. On July 30, a man shouted slurs at and assaulted five lesbians at the Columbia Heights Metro station. When MPD showed up thanks to a 911 call from bystanders, the officers refused to take a report of the incident; instead, they temporarily restrained one of the attackers before letting him go and ignoring the victims’ requests to give their stories. Three days later, the Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit of MPD did contact the victims to take their stories, and subsequently listed the incident as an anti-gay hate crime. Hopefully, MPD will put the jaywalking money to some logic and sensitivity training for those officers.

Who Doesn’t Love a Silly Ranking?

Here’s a fun one: the National Science Foundation recently ranked cities based on how geeky they are, and the District came in at #7. Hold those pocket protectors high! Like the news from DCist says, geeks are considered by the NSF to be “workers with a bachelor’s level of knowledge and education in science or engineering-related fields, or workers in occupations that require some degree of technical knowledge or training.”

Farmers Markets: Still Safe

In response to the panic that the The Washington Post created with its article condemning chicken from farmers markets, Greater Greater Washington released a fantastic retort to those allegations.  Among other things, GGW notes that the Post consciously left out the names of the grocery stores in which the chicken was found — but not all of the farmers markets. I can’t do it justice with a summary, so take my advice and check it out so you can feel secure supporting the local markets again.

Inspiration for the Week

I leave you all with some inspiration for the week. The Blade brings us a story of a youth who was kicked out of his house after coming out to his parents. After two years of struggle, he now interns for Mayor Gray and is college-bound. You’ll be impressed, I promise.