Calm like a bomb

The only thing worse than yesterday's 102 degree weather was being stuck in long Metro lines on the Red Line due to suspicious packages. Thankfully, your correspondent was not. Dupont Circle, Woodley Park and Cleveland Park stations were all closed during the hottest commute of the year. While it is becoming routine to have bomb scares and threats in this quintessential terrorist target, there are steps the Metro Area Transit Authority can take to assure a quicker and safer commute, no matter how many cardboard boxes are forgotten on the train.

A cost-effective solution is to buy a robotic bomb-exploder for each station. Automatic External Defibrillators have become standard for medical emergencies; WMATA should take the next step and put safety in the hands of the people as well. Locked inside a glass box, the bomb-exploders would be available for use whenever a suspicious package is found. And of course, commuters would use them for good, never for evil. There are positive externalities of incorporating bomb-exploders as a standard. Current Metro employees are notorious for not caring about the Metro. I sympathize, because such a job cannot be exciting and holds little satisfaction. Now add "blowing up shit" to the job description and watch productivity, and bad-assedness, improve.

How to be a real person: Saving Your Money the Smart Way

So you got a job mostly to keep up with your social life, but somehow managed to save a little. While you may be content letting that money sit in you Chevy Chase checking account, think again. Even if you aren't raking in tons of dough, it might be a good idea to check into a high yield savings account.

Most banks are perfectly content to let your hard-earned savings collect dust instead of interest, but that doesn't mean you should be. Setting up a high yield account is a quick and easy way to earn up to 5.3 % interest (***according to current rates... they change, you see). It's also much easier than dealing with complicated money market accounts or constraining CDs (Certificates of Deposits).

So if you're not quite up to playing the markets or picking out mutual funds, check out the online savings accounts like Emigrant Direct or research the best rates for yourself on BankRate.com. The APY (Annual Percent Yield) is what really concerns you on these ratings. Online banks eliminate the overhead of other "brick and mortar" institutions, allowing them to hike interest rates well above the traditional bank's reach. Interest is still compounded daily, and credited monthly, just like your home bank.

Make sure there isn't a minimum or any limits on the number of times you can transfer funds per month. These online savings accounts can link directly to your original checking account for easy transfers.

Don't let the cobwebs cover you cash stash.



Disclaimer: The G Spot is not affiliated with any banks, nor does it take responsibility for losses that may be incurred by following its suggestions. Research wisely.

Getting a degree in International Studies?

. . . knowing the location of the nearest IHOP is a requirement for graduation. Actually, you'll probably need to know this just to maintain credibility as a college student at all.

Previously, this had a required prerequisite course of Map of the Modern World - and even that may not have been enough. I've heard of not one, but two sketchy bus routes winding as much as an hour into the wilds of Virginia in search of boysenberry-syrup goodness.

But no longer.

The G Spot is proud to present: How to Get to the Nearest IHOP
1. Take the GUTS bus to Rosslyn
2. Take the orange line to Ballston
3. IHOP is right outside of the Metro stop

Not at home in DC? The IHOP Locator is in order.

Thoughts on Shots (Round Three)

Crime story comparisons seem truly de rigeur among urbanites everywhere - friends at school in bad neighborhoods brag about midday muggings on the quad - and DC is no exception to the rule of horrific one-upmanship.

At a dinner party on Capitol Hill the other night, the winning story was none of the several muggings and home invasions rattled off. It wasn't really even successful. . .

A group of residents were having a small gathering on a neighborhood porch with wine, cheese, fine spirits, and all of the necessary trappings of mildly pretentious good living in early evening when a man walked up to a porch, directed a gun at one of the attendees' heads, and demanded money from everyone. Pretty typical. Until the party-goers invited their assailant up for a drink, calmly, and repeatedly. He finally accepted one. Then he accepted another. And another. And another. And another. Twenty minutes later, the now-sloppy gunman was crying and requesting comforting hugs before he apologized and went on his way.

So, what is the moral of this story? Where DOPS, Metro, mace, and menacing male friends have failed, alchohol succeeded. I'm just waiting for Georgetown to begin plying us with the alcohol with which to ply any attackers . . .

Thoughts on Shots (Part Deux)

A recently-released CDC Morbidity and Mortality report shows that teenage binge-drinkers in the U.S. prefer liquor to beer, as it is easier for them to obtain (from parents) and conceal (from parents). Class of oh-eleven, if you are reading this, know that if such binge-drinking occurs (as it should), do so with beer, not liquor. The Beast is much easier on your wallet.

Thoughts on Shots

I am finally protected against the various frightening diseases I would probably have contracted while abroad, and I wanted to recommend the place I went to get vaccinated. It's called Passport Health and they have an office at 2021 K Street, Suite 310, not too far from DuPont Circle. Basically the process was completely streamlined. I didn't have to check in, they just called my name into the waiting room literally seconds after I arrived. They have a booklet specifically for each country, which a nurse went through with me page by page. The office was straightforward about the cost and did not push for superfluous, expensive shots. There's an office fee of $45 for the first visit only, and they give you a detailed receipt to send to the insurance company, if you can get the shots covered. As Hoyas are often found studying in and travelling to exotic destinations, I thought this might be useful.

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OIP would do well to find the g-spot

How should I phrase a letter to a professor who has most likely forgotten that she agreed to fill out a study abroad evaluation for me? I have a certain talent for apologizing in an effective, sincere way, but I have no idea how to gently tell someone when she has probably made a mistake. Should I assume that she remembers agreeing to do this, and just wants to wait until closer to the due date to fill out the form? Too Pollyanna-ish a view, and therefore risky. Alternatively I could remind her why I needed it done early and go through the logistics, assuming that she still cares. This whole letter is going to take on a terribly assuming tone if she has no memory of who I am, but I don't want to offend her by assuming she needs to be reminded. Can I discretely insert a picture and a seating chart with my usual desk highlighted?

The truth is, the evaluation form is too short to be meaingful but still a logistical hassle for professors who could be doing more valuable things, like writing full recommendations for students who actually need to prove something. Recommendations should be optional for non-competitive programs -- a useful tool for students who think that their letter grades do not reflect their actual academic potential. If OIP moves quickly on this initiative, I may not have to mail this letter at all.

Changes Afoot at the City Paper

The New York Times is, for the first time in its history shrinking to the physical size of, say, USA Today, losing some of its swollen width and coverage, if none of its swollen ego.

Rupert Murdoch has just purchased the Wall Street Journal, heralding a new and thrilling era in dry reporting on futures.

And now that I've filled you in . . . I want you to forget all of this mostly useless information. The upheavals in newspaper publishing most vital to the Hilltop are certainly those underway at our own City Paper.

First, however, an introduction to the Washington City Paper seems in order. Available at the Leavey Center as well as at the odd Starbucks, buzzing hotspot, or streetcorner, the paper is an independent weekly publication associated with the Chicago Reader. It is also probably the paper best suited to college students, and those who still wish they were - recent cover stories include tips on screwing your landlord, a sentiment clearly popular here at the G Spot.

The features are better yet: a weekly roundup of suits against the city, the News of the Weird, invaluable schedules of all the imaginable goings on, and - my favorite - Savage Love. This last is the syndicated sex-advice column of the only man I'd really trust to locate the G Spot without fail, Dan Savage, and if you really can't be bothered to leave your computer to pick up the paper, you should still check it out here. From the way that this summary has veered wildly into the realm of adoring review, its probably pretty obvious how much I enjoy it, and equally unnecessary to formally recommend it to you . . .

That said, there is (possibly) trouble brewing in paradise - or if not trouble, advertising increases. The once truly independent paper and its Chicagoan counterpart were purchased by the Creative Loafing group in late July. The group already owns papers in four mid-sized U.S. cities and there is some speculation that with this most recent purchase, it is looking to challenge the Village Voice empire, which is basically the Goliath of the indie newspaper world. Come to think of it, the Goliath of the indie newspaper world would probably not look very Goliath-like at all.

To that competitive end, changes have already been made to the Reader - including the outsourcing of production and consolidation of material. Changes to the City Paper can't be far behind.

The final verdict on the changes? David Bowie would be proud . . . and I'll probably be happy just so long as the Suit Yourself column continues to make DC politics seem nearly as corrupt as Marion Barry has managed to. Though the curmudgeon in me will still have to object on principle, of course.

Upon My Return from Vittles Run No. 2 of the Day . . .

Darnall elevators, midmorning.

Girl 1: So we're going to Safeway tonight, right?
Girl 2: Yeah, but I'm hungry now. We should probably drink some tea to fill up.
Girl 1: Ugh. You should never go grocery shopping hungry. You'll just buy a ton of food.
Girl 2: You're right. Tea isn't enough. We should have a little spinach.

Second-Guessing Study Abroad

In 53 days (I just counted) I embark on my journey to the illustrious Great Britain, land of bad teeth and dry pastries. My future began to take shape just under a year ago when I attended a mandatory "meeting of interest" for my designated program in September of my sophomore year. September. Sophomore year. Jesus Christ. This so-called meeting of interest created an unstoppable momentum that leads me to where I am now: 53 days from studying abroad for an entire year in Great Britain. Two weeks after the meeting, I was choosing potential courses of study and writing essays on how each course would further my overall academic goal for a program I had yet to be accepted into. For which I had yet to apply to! The wheels kept turning and I got swept away with it. To take time for considering whether this is what I wanted would come later when deadlines weren't nipping at my heels.

Now I'm at Georgetown for the summer clinging to familiarities and memories as if I'll never come back. While I know that the opportunity to study abroad at a top world university is an immense privilege, I can't help be feel like I was pushed into it all without the opportunity to really consider my options. It feels similar to the decision to attend college, not really a decision at all. With approximately 50% of Hoyas also choosing to study abroad, I assumed I would be one of them and now I'm trapped in a current that sends me off for an entire year. "Are you excited???" I reply a obligatory, "Yeah." And I am, but I'm also scared and nervous. OIP doesn't prepare you for the toll that studying abroad takes on relationships with girlfriends or boyfriends or even friends.

The OIP has many flaws, as we've discussed before, but I'd say rushing students onto a seemingly irreversible course to study abroad is among its worst. It might be criminally cheesy to discuss issues of leaving boyfriends or girlfriends or being homesick for Georgetown at an information session, but maybe it's what we need. It might be what I need. I'm not sure... cynics have complaints, not solutions. "Cheers."

Boutique Government Relations Firm Seeks "Lloyd"

Yet another Entourage – Craiglist list connection, this time not leading to any furry lovin’ (...unless you want it to). If you are an organized, gay, Asian fashionista seeking employment, check out this post: Boutique Government Relations Firm Seeks "Lloyd".

We're not even going to comment on Lloyd's invasion into the D.C. employment scene; We'll leave that to you.

Crooked Landlords:101

It’s a Hoya rite of passage to leave the (dis)comforts of on-campus housing for the freedom of a townhouse in Burleith or West Georgetown. And while being free from DoPS and resident directors is a major bonus, Hoyas often realize that landlords aren’t much of a step up.

Georgetown landlords are notorious for screwing over student tenants. It’s a fact of life. You sign the lease and the landlord takes your soul (or at least your down payment... good luck getting that back). For some reason, these property owners feel that it is perfectly acceptable to rob poor students dry.

What seems unfair to me is the number of people who pay a sizeable down payment and then never see a dime of it returned when their lease is up. My guess is that the big bad landlord thinks that stupid college kids won’t know to fight it. Translation: an easy buck.

Luckily for us, there are a few select students fighting their way through the legal system as I write this...fighting not so much for the money but to show the cash-hungry owners that they can’t always get away with it.

Here’s some good advice for those who plan on signing a lease in the near future. Remember that a lease is a binding legal contract, but certain clauses that often appear in our leases just aren’t so legal.



“Tenant will pay all attorney and court fees”—No way. That’s up to the judge to decide.

“Waiver of duty to repair”—Nice try, Slick. The landlord can never ask for the tenants to pay for maintenance or upkeep of housing codes.

Waiver of liability (meaning the Landlord takes no financial responsibility in the event of damage or events requiring insurance)—False. Especially not if caused by negligence on their part.

“Waiver of right to a trial by jury”—Not happening. Although some contracts can force binding mediation, a lease in DC cannot.



Basically, there are a lot of scum-bag landlords out there waiting to take advantage of the naive Georgetown student. Don’t be that Hoya. Play it smart and make sure you back all your claims and leases so your landlord knows that you mean business, and keep the G Spot posted on how that works out for you.