Actual and Really Dumb Laws on the Books

So, Tybee Island is a small barrier island off the coast of Georgia that is about 20 min from my front door. To my surprise my local newspaper ran a headline yesterday that read, “ Tybee Island legalizes drinking on beach, sidewalks” Wait, what? As I recall the first time I ever went to that beach I had a few drinks as I took in some rays. In fact the last time I was there I also had some drinks. Come to think of it EVERYTIME I went there I had some drinks. Heck, I have had drinks on that beach with fellow Cloture Clubbers. I just always thought it was legal to drink on my beach. I wasn’t the only one who thought that. The City of Tybee Island admitted that it never enforced the law and that it was finally time to just do away with it. That got me thinking, what laws are out there that need to be taken off the books. I really am sticking to just state and local laws. I mean you readers are the ones who write Federal law so you already know what’s on those books (and by you I mean staffer, lobbyists, trade associations, oh yea and sometimes elected officials).

If a reader out there knows any of these to be blatantly wrong please tell us in the comments but you must replace the wrong law with a crazy law! So here’s a list some really dumb laws that are actually crazy, great and just plain sad.

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In Athens-Clarke, GA if you want to read a book to folks in public it is illegal to do so after 2:45AM. Keep in mind that the University of Georgia is in this city. So yes the city where the state’s largest public institution of education is has banned publicly reading books. Source: Stupidlaws.com.

South Carolina, Oh Sweet Caroline, in 1976 you made it illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to play a pinball machine. I really don’t have to say anything snarky here. I mean its South Carolina.

Missouri, apparently someone there read Water for Elephants because it is illegal in the City Of Natchez to provide beer or other intoxicants to elephants. Source: Crazy-Laws.com

Those crazy campers in the Slim Jim commercials better watch out. The State of Washington has the Undiscovered Species Protection Act which covers “Bigfoot, Sasquatch, an ape-like creature or a subspecies of Homo Sapiens.” from any type of harassment. Source: alternativeprime.hubpages.com

St. Patrick’s day just got a whole lot easier for cab drivers in Chicago. There is a new law in Illinois that makes it a $50 fine for puking in a taxi. Chicagoist.com

These are just a few. There are tons of crazy laws still on the books. If any of you are looking for a great project try getting some of these erased.

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Giveaway: Jack Reacher Screening Tickets – December 19

If you like Mission Impossible, and other spy films, then you’ll like Jack Reacher! In fact we’re giving away tickets (limited supply) to next Wednesday, December 19, at 7pm.

Call me maybe?

Step 1)

Visit http://www.GoFoBo.com/rsvp

Step 2)

Enter SUPER SECRET code: CCWVT8

Step 3)

Print out and bring with you. You should probably be there 30-45min before.

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Jack Reacher Trailer

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White Ford Bronco – The Musical Legacy of Orenthal J. Simpson

Naming a band sucks. Seriously, give it a shot right now – think of a really cool band name. Got one?

Unfortunately, the name you just thought of has already been taken. So have the other 15 band names you can come up – all used by someone else. There are only so many names that can appear on a marquee and draw a crowd and Free Beer, Bare Naked Ladies and Free Lobster Buffet are all taken. Like I said, naming a band sucks.

But one brief, shining moment four years ago, the light of rock heaven shone down into a South Arlington basement and some local musicians had a naming epiphany: An all-90’s cover band called “White Ford Bronco.”

Gretchen Gustafson, vocals Diego Valencia, vocals, guitar Sean McCauley, bass Matthew Golden, drums Ken Sigmund, guitar

The name is perfect. The iconic image of OJ and Al Cowlings driving down that LA freeway chased by reporters, police and football fans takes you back 20 years, bringing up not just images, but a soundtrack, a sliver of musical history. unbound by genre or style.

Luckily, the band lives up to its name and manages to capture both the excitement and diversity of that decade. Sharing lead vocal duties, Diego Valencia and Gretchen Gustafson together seem able to sound like anyone with a recording contract during the ‘90’s. They leap from Chumbawumba’s Tubthumping (yes, you know the song – “I get knocked down, but I get up again…”) to 4-Non Blonde’s What’s Up to The Black Crowes’ Remedy. And somehow they all sound good. The natural talent of these musicians, honed by years of shows both big and small, brings twenty-year old songs to life again.

Their set lists really do cover the entire decade, regardless of musical style. Who could imagine back in the ‘90’s that a band that would attempt to play both The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Ace of Base (Ace of Base clearly being the dark side of playing all things ‘90’s), let alone play them both well.

Why go to a WFB show? Because while your fear that co-workers will find out you are a fan keeps Hootie and the Blowfish off your iTunes playlist, you desperately want to get your drink on and sing along to Only Wanna Be With You.

Fan Anne-Marie McDonnell is typical of the WFB crowd. She discovered the band when they played a recent show at Nationals Stadium and has been a dedicated follower ever since, attending eight shows in the last year.

“The band is so good,” says McDonnell. “I’m blown away that they can go from 90′s rock to Salt’n’Pepa to Hansen. It’s a guaranteed good time.”

Although based in DC, the band has played the East Coast from South Carolina to Connecticut and gone as far west as Ohio. Bass player Sean McCauley fondly remembers a gig in a Hartford, Connecticut fraternity house that seemed destined to be their worst ever.

“We show up mid-afternoon and the basement where we’re supposed to set up in is flooded in beer and who knows what else from the night before,” McCauley says between sets. “We made a stage out of forklift skids so we wouldn’t be standing in all that. But the amazing thing was, it turned out to be one of the most fun shows we’ve played.”

I understand why even a stinky, wet Connecticut basement could be a good venue for White Ford Bronco. The band has a great time on stage and their energy is contagious. I even witnessed concert-goers at a recent show moshing in a dark Capitol Hill basement to Third Eye Blind. You can slamdance to Third Eye Blind? Really?

White Ford Bronco Drumset

WFB is not satisfied with complacent audiences. Their genius – in addition to being able to play songs from any genre – is their ability to make a crowd have fun with them. At last Saturday’s show at Columbia Heights’ Acre 121 Gretchen exhorted the crowd to do more than hum along.

“”You all need to drink a little more, you need more energy!” Gretchen shouted out.

Two songs later the crowd was bouncing and by the middle of the set most of them were so animated they were spilling their drinks on one another. They were having so much fun no one seemed to notice the sloping liquor.

White Ford Bronco has accomplished what few local bands have done: developed a dedicated core of fans who show up wherever they play.

“They’re great! I love them!” gushed one such fan, 26-year old Hali Voycik from DC. “I’m aspiring to be a groupie; I have a total girl crush on Gretchen.”

That, of course, is what every musician wants: a crowd of attractive young people aspiring to be groupies.

But what has been the highlight for the band so far?

“Playing the 9:30 Club,” guitarist Ken Sigmund says without a pause. “That was the best.”

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Our Review of Medi

Medi

4037 Campbell Avenue

Arlington, VA 22206

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Medi is your hidden gem in the Shirlington neighborhood of Arlington. The cuisine is predominately Greek with other Mediterranean influences and it is based on a “quick service” model much like Chipotle. Medi is far from fast food though. They focus on healthy and high quality ingredients with an exacting attention to detail and they have many gluten free and vegetarian menu options. Medi’s recipes are all homemade and in some cases have been passed down through generations.

Diners enjoy a customized experience. How does it work? First you choose the style of meal that suits your mood. You can have your meal in the form of a pita wrap, a salad or on top of rice. They use Fontanini pita bread out of Chicago and the rice is infused with lemon and mint. I went with the pita.

Chose your toppings

Next you choose one of several meats or balsamic grilled veggies. Medi only uses free range meats which are all marinated using a family recipe and they don’t use any oils in the meat preparation. Rather they take the time to sous-vide the meat, this cooking style entails sealing the meat in a vacuum-packed bag and slow cooking it for up to 72 hours in a water bath. The result is very tender and flavorful meat that is cooked in its own juices. I chose the spicy braised lamb, seasoned with peppers and Medi spices. The spices packed a little heat, but nothing too overwhelming. It was delicious!

After you choose your meat you can dress it with their signature toppings. For example you could have a Greek Style or the Europa Style meal. I went with the Moroccan Style, which was composed of “Medi Spicy 17 Spread”, grilled sweet peppers and onion mélange, cilantro, tomato and red onion. I was impressed away by the Medi Spicy 17 Spread. The 17 refers to the number of ingredients in the spread and it is reminiscent of a harissa but elevated to a whole new level. Some of the ingredients I could detect included Chipotle and Adobo peppers, ground coriander, honey and tandoori spice. It has an amazing spicy and slightly sweet flavor and the pepper mélange was great too. It’s made with onions and both red and green sweet peppers that are stewed in wine with golden raisins.

To accompany my delicious Moroccan style dish I ordered the innovative Gyrito. Part gyro and part taquito, it’s kind of like a crispy Greek egg roll, served atop a bed of lettuce and diced tomatoes. They take slices of gyro meet and feta cheese and roll it in a corn tortilla. It is then fried to perfection and drizzled with a balsamic glaze that gives it a little sweetness and a homemade tzatziki sauce is served with it to dip. The feta really comes through well and the Gyritos are a lot lighter than you would think. They are definitely worth trying.

Medi’s Gyrito

Medi is a great place to have high quality, quick service Mediterranean meal at a very reasonable price. You can be in and out for under $10. They also have an interesting beer and wine selection and serve a tasty Pomegranate sangria. More Medis are on the way and they will be expanding into DC soon.

Happy Eating!

The post Our Review of Medi appeared first on ClotureClub.com.

Jobs Sent to Us this Week

Manager, Communications & Public Affairs

The Association of the United States Navy (AUSN) a 501 (C) – (19) War Veterans Organization, seeks a

Manager of Communications & Public Affairs.

Job Description: The Manager Communications & Public Relations is responsible for designing and

implementing a comprehensive communications strategy for AUSN.

This position reports to the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer.

The person in this position will:

• Create an annual communications plan for the Association magazine (Navy), website, electronic

newsletters, and social media.

• Provide daily update to the news section of the AUSN website.

• Provide Navy and civilian media outlets timely press releases highlighting the legislative and other work

of AUSN on behalf of Sailors and the Navy.

• Create and distribute weekly e-newsletters.

• Create and distribute monthly e-newsletter for Midshipmen and Friends of the Navy.

• Utilize social media – Facebook, Twitter, and Linked-in, to enhance the story of AUSN.

• Serve as the principle Assistant Editor of Navy, researching, collecting articles, and designing basic

content and layout for the assistant editor graphics and production.

• Coordinate with AUSN’s outside consultant for marketing, branding, and web design.

• Continuously update contact lists for Navy leadership, Congressional offices, and corporate sponsors.

Qualifications (The person in this position must have):

• A bachelor’s degree. Degree in communications, marketing or journalism a plus.

• Public relations experience. Congressional/Department of Defense communications experience a plus.

• Familiarity with the Defense Industry. Experience with Navy programs a plus.

• Project management experience.

• Familiarity with Twitter, Facebook, and Linked-in.

• Drive and determination to succeed.

• Excellent communications skills, strong analytical ability and good judgment.

• Interpersonal teamwork skills.

Scope and location: The position is available full time. Offices with parking are located at 1619 King Street,

Alexandria, VA 22314.

Travel: limited, local area within 50 mile radius.

Salary: In $50,000-$60,000 range depending on qualifications.

POC (send Resume and Cover Letter):

RADM Casey W. Coane 703 548-5800. Fax: 703 683-3647

E-mail: casey.coane@ausn.org

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Have a job you’d like us to post? Send it in!

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Introducing: Outside Looking In

Telling Time, Vacation, and the Nationals

So, what I really wanted to do today was go catch the matinee showing of Ted but for some reason the thought of watching Marky Mark pal around with a mythical talking bear eerily reminded me of Washington, DC. I don’t live in DC but I have many good friends that have moved there throughout the years. Some I still hear from often, while others seemed to have gotten sucked into some sort a Beltway vacuum. Regardless, of whether I hear from them or not, I do have a few questions regarding DC life that I hope can be explained.

Question 1. Why is time measured in distance to DC—specifically the distance between Metro stops? It has been my experience that if someone is running late for a meeting or conference call, the response I get is “I’m two stops away.” Or, if on the phone, I get the statement “about to get on the Metro will call you back in three stops.” Why not just say, “Hey, I’m fifteen minutes away?” I have no idea how long it takes to travel from Metro stop to Metro stop. The closest train stop for me is in Macon, Georgia, so I might as well say, “I will call you next week”.

Question 2. Once you move to DC, do you ever take a vacation, or do you just spend time out of the District? This one really perplexes me. For years I have witnessed countless folks from DC make their way out of the city only to inform everyone what they have to do once they get back to DC. Why do this? Example: We are at a ski resort drinking some vodka, with a name I can’t pronounce, from the ear of a bunny ice sculpture—does it really matter if they are done with construction at Dupont Circle? For what it is worth, Cleveland Park to Dupont on the red line takes about 15 minutes (see question 1).

Question 3. What makes everyone an automatic Nationals fan– or should I say Natinals? (Ask Ryan Zimmerman about the spelling—he’s your third baseman and actually really good.) How is it that all of a sudden Facebook is filled with pictures of Nationals Park, when I know that a year ago you were at Wrigley? They were the freaking Expos! The EXPOS!

I actually really love DC—great food, great people, and awesome sites to see. I look forward to getting some of these questions answered. In the meantime, you can find me on twitter @GunnerHall .

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A misplaced Yankee currently living in Savannah, GA, Gunner that has over a decade of professional campaign work ranging from U.S. Senate candidates to small city council races. He was a political commentator during the 2008 election cycle for WBMQ radio station. In 2009 he was named one of Savannah/Hilton Head’s “Top 40 under 40” by the Savannah Business Report and Journal. He has also been voted “Best Liberal of Savannah” by the readers of The Connect (Savannah’s alternative newspaper). Also, an avid outdoorsman, Gunner enjoys killing animals that cannot defend themselves and then eating them. He prefers charcoal over gas grills when completing this task. To date his most important accomplishment has been rescuing a beagle named Truman. Twitter: @GunnerHall

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