We can't wait until the trees around Omni Shoreham look like this again (credit: flickr/Tom20008)

Andrew Beaujon of City Paper kindly requested in his posting yesterday that the Omni Shoreham hotel clear the bike path that’s not so close their hotel and not their responsibility, yet close enough that it’d be looked upon kindly by the riders that take that route every day.

The gang at Omni Shoreham could have overlooked it, but that would have been the wrong approach.  Instead hotel manager Paul Sharp stepped up – along with his grounds team – and got to work.

Sometimes it’s not about what you have to do, but what you can do to take care of others.  And it’s great when that courtesy extends beyond people and into businesses.  After all, business are just a bunch of people like you and me, making easy and hard choices that sometimes cost a little extra money and time.

Thanks for being a great citizen, Omni Shoreham.  You’ll be seeing us real soon.

Giro d'Italia comes to Washington DC

The Giro is second only to the Tour de France in its importance worldwide, and this will be the first time any of these events have been hosted outside Europe.

Here’s more on the huge win for DC.

As we get closer to total elimination of our provisions we’ll keep you posted and alerted.  And if you work for the Army don’t hesitate to bring some big equipment this way.  Have fun!

Photo: DamirM (flickr)

With these megasnows continuing to thrash the DC Metro, Washington City Paper asks, “Are Organized Snowball Fights The New Kickball?”

Perhaps there’s some opportunity for organized sponsorship here.

Snow falls on the Capital once again. (Credit: William Couch / flickr)

We wanted to take a moment to interrupt your peaceful thoughts of a mundane weekend out and let you know – if you’re one of the five left who hasn’t heard – that Snowpocalypse 2: The Crummy One is on.  The DC Capital Weather Gang has updated their view, and there’s good news and bad news: the good news is the snowfall amount seems to be moderating at 16 inches (no more throwing around the scary phrase “20 inches”, though we’ve gotta believe 20 isn’t a big jump when you’re on track for 16.  The bad news, however, is (as with seemingly every storm this year) the concentration of the snow shoots northeasterly in a path with Washington DC is its absolute epicenter.

What does this mean, aside from the fact that we seem to have the most pristine snowmaking-machine-in-the-sky known to man?  Simply put, if the storm can make it, were going to get more of it than anyone.

Time to buy some board games!

…that is, provided you have no intention of renting Blu-Ray discs.  We don’t here at Meandering HQ (and frankly we’re not content with the selection of online titles) so we’re what you’d call “high usage customers”.

On the surface, Blockbuster looks like the better deal: they match Netflix price for price (for example, the 3-at-a-time plan gives you unlimited access to three movies at once for $16.99) plus Blockbuster throws in Blu Ray rentals at no additional cost.

If you like prompt service and an easy-to-use web movie queue, that’s where the similarities end.

Site Usability

Let’s start with searching: predicting titles based on the first few letters you’ve typed in the search box makes Netflix incredibly intuitive and fast.  Blockbuster’s search box?  No such luck, since it only delivers the old ‘type and hope’ method of searching.

Netflix spends an admirable amount in R&D and it shows in both the functionality of their site and its ability to recommend and predict favorites based on your past rentals and reviews.  And once you’ve add the movie to your queue you can still easily access a synopsis, a rating, and even the reason this movie was recommended for you by Netflix.

Simply mousing over a movie in your Netflix queue reveals detailed information

Its elegant interface also makes it easy to add, move, and delete (and even Undo Delete) movies in your queue.

It's elegantly easy to delete (and undo) movies from the Netflix queue

The Widescreen Dilemma

Now that our TVs are widescreen I find myself almost repulsed at having to watch anything in the old 4:3 aspect ratio.  Of course early movie titles will often leave us stuck with no choice, but for those DVDs from an era when distributors would release theatrical and television aspect ratios simultaneously I insist on something as close to widescreen as possible. Oddly, this information is impossible to find when selecting a movie from Blockbuster and simple with Netflix.

Why is adding the aspect ratio so stinkin' hard, Blockbuster?

Same Price, Totally Different Value

Even if these or other issues are nits you’re willing to overlook, there’s still price to consider.  Before we grabbed a Blockbuster subscription our thoughts were pretty simple: if both are the same price and Blockbuster includes Blu-Ray it must be the way to go.

Wrong.  We overlooked an important part of the process: the movie processing facility.  How promptly do these guys accept movies you’ve sent back to them, and how quickly do they convert that newly opened slot in your movie queue and get your next movie in the mail and on its way?

Here there’s literally no contest.  Both get your movie the next day in most parts of the country, but the magic is in Netflix’s handling.  When Netflix receives your movie it gets checked in well before you get up in the morning (you’ll see the email when you check your inbox first thing after that cup of coffee).  With Blockbuster – well let’s just say it could be another day, or maybe even two.  So it could be awhile before you see that next title.

Spread these delays over a month and you find $16.99 doesn’t always equal $16.99.  With Netflix you can potentially turn that $16.99 into 27 DVD rentals sent to your door.  Based on Blockbuster’s lethargic turnaround system we estimate you can’t get any more than 12.  Oh, and did we mention Netflix even staffs crews on Saturday’s and holidays, even receiving their mail from the USPS when the rest of us don’t?

A Queue That Isn’t

And queues are almost meaningless at Blockbuster.  Netflix has complex algorithms that decide who gets what first and movies with a wait get reported correctly.  Blockbuster?  My top queue item says it’s currently available and has for the last two weeks.  Seven items have been sent out since then, and none of them have been that top item in my queue.  Ugh.

Conclusion

In conclusion, choices are easier when they’re cut and dried.  Based on promos and pricing alone it would be easy to choose Blockbuster for your rental needs.

This is, however, a choice between a company that’s doing everything it can to get your business versus one that’s consistently followed other companies innovations rather than leading themselves.  From purely a pocketbook standpoint Netflix is far easier to recommend.

And from a conscience standpoint it’s almost impossible to want to give Blockbuster another dime for making what appears to be the least possible effort while driving itself ever closer to the dustbin of once great American brands.

Located in LA and most of the country over the net, Twenty Twenty Wine Merchants carries an excellent stock, with selections perfect from budget to the highest of the high end.  And 2020 knows service, having a history of delivering stock to some of the biggest names (and pocketbooks) in Hollywood.

But winos and snobs, don’t let the Tinsel Town rep and what it sometimes implies discourage you.  To give 2020 a try, we recently purchased a mixed case of the biggest bangs for the buck you can find on Wine Spectator’s recent Top 100 lists – finding many available, competitively priced, and easy to order from Twenty Twenty’s web site.  In under a week our shipment made it to Meandering HQ in Virginia from 2020’s store in California, impeccably wrapped and protected for no more than about three bucks shipping per bottle.

So far we’re finding our choices have been superb, including this 2006 Vina Santa Rita Cabernet Medalla Real Special Reserve.  Most importantly, it’s a confidence builder knowing 2020 exerts their power to deliver the best the market has to offer in every price range without reservation.

Head on over to their website and take a look for yourself.

Red Kabob Leesburg Virginia

Red Kabob entered the Loudon exurban strip mall family-owned restaurant act in mid 2009, giving dominant player Moby Dick a much needed run (the Loudoun area lacks the sometimes overwhelmingly diverse Mediterranean options found in other parts of the DC Metro).  We stopped in for lunch yesterday and would use one word – serviceable – to describe the experience.

Meat was great as were the spices used, beef was cooked to order and not dry like some kabob joints.  Rice was great but would pass on the bread (not fresh or wood fired in preparation from what we could tell) and sauces were solid but a bit thin.  Still, the family atmosphere and readiness to take on any special preparation requests make Red Kabob worth a try.

Would we recommend? Yes, with only minor reservations.  Food quality of everything but the bread was solid, and it’s an owner operated, friendly, local business.  Considering the serious lack of quality cuisine in central and eastern Loudoun County, Red Kabob probably should be on your list.

Red Kabob
521-A E Market St (right by Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts)
Leesburg VA

http://redkabob.com

The Vinyl District DC Record Store Day

Here’s more on the DC Record Store Day, May 10.  If you’re still into vinyl – or even trying to get back into vinyl, be there.

via Going Out Gurus – Black Fox brings jazz, cocktails and a retro feel.