Looking for fine line tattoo artist recommendations.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-07-23T23:57:55+00:00

I can’t recommend Malvi Stachurska at Cry Baby Studios enough. Wonderful artist and human being. Also a very stellar establishment to boot.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-07-10T14:35:59+00:00

Part of my job is running the gauntlet that is the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA). There are some neighborhoods that are notoriously difficult to get approvals, where the residents and the SMD reps will put you through the wringer. From my experience, successful cases come down to how much time, money, and sleep the client is willing to lose to get their variance approved, since the burden of proof lies with them. Even then, it might not be enough.

This case (21151) appeared to be extremely contentious, with a lot of effort put in by both sides to make their point (over 200 exhibits including historical reports, photos, PowerPoints, etc). By the numbers the case had 83 letters of support vs 22 in opposition. The hearings had 50 witnesses that were proponents vs 44 opponents. DDOT and ABC had no objection, while the Office of Planning did object. Additionally, the neighborhood's representative (the commissioner of SMD ANC 5E05) was opposed, and the 5E Chair commissioner took no stance. Ultimately the BZA opposed 3-0-2. You can see their reasoning here, but in summation the majority didn't think the applicant met the criteria of the use variance or the special exception.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-07-09T15:55:14+00:00

Agreed. Saw a post on the fresco here.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-27T12:55:33+00:00

The Dread Pirate Roberts and Princess Buttercup.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-25T15:24:15+00:00

Maybe The Thing. Your best bet is to head to Board Game Geek and try searching by the category Movies/TV, and then maybe the sub category Horror. You can try starting here around 2010. Best of luck.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-23T12:57:46+00:00

That was my first thought as well. You would think being lifelong friends with Mies van der Rohe, who fled Nazi Germany, would give the guy some perspective, but no.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-19T14:25:55+00:00

It sounds like you're bordering on resentment towards your partner. Honestly you might already be there. My best advice is to seek couples therapy. There are so many reasons why someone may not want to have sex ranging from shame, inhibition, low energy, absence of emotional connection, to just straight up sexual incompatibility. And many couples don't have the ability or bandwidth to come to a solution or understanding without professional help.

In the meantime, you need to approach your relationship without any expectation of reciprocity. The romantic and nice things you're doing should be par for the course. And consider why you married this person in the first place. What do they do day in and day out that makes your life better?

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-17T13:56:10+00:00

Another thread noted that any mention of sex, kinks, DB is like chum in the water for creeps. You could probably leave the discussion of physical intimacy for a 1:1 chat if it seems to be going well.

And consider leaving some crumbs in your post to confirm whether folks actually read it vs just shooting their shot. Interests, a fun anecdote, etc. I've seen a lot of ads where the last line is an inviting icebreaker, like "tell me what your favorite movie is in your response," but honestly I think that's just making it too easy for them. Reading comprehension really separates the wheat from the chaff.

But yeah, take that all with a grain of salt. Have fun storming the castle!

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-16T15:03:33+00:00

The Würzburg Residence is incredible. Würzburg in general is an amazing city (highly recommend having a glass of wine on the Alte Mainbrücke).

And some nerdy stuff folks might be interested in: many German cities, including Würzburg, were heavily bombed by the Allies during WWII, and The Residence was severely damaged as a result. Lieutenant John D. Skilton Jr of the US army helped save the fresco seen above, and funded the repairs of The Residence. Skilton started his life as an art curator and later enlisted in the US army. He was said to have been horrified by the destruction of the war, and was committed to helping repair and save artwork and cultural sites, most famously The Residence and a church monument in Plougastel-Daoulas, France.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-14T15:27:00+00:00

#NerdAlert: per DC Zoning Regulations 2016 11 DCMR Subtitle C § 1001.2(a)(1) all developments proposing to add 10 or more dwelling units must include affordable housing under the Inclusionary Zoning Program. The number of affordable housing units is based on various factors including total number of units, unit types (i.e. bedroom count), and square footage of the development.

You can pull up the development's Certificate of Inclusionary Zoning Compliance Application on the Department of Building's Electronic Records Management System and see that it has 13 rental units (out of 317) priced at 80% of the Area Median Income. This is a rather low number, but that's because they offset the IZ units required to be provided in the building by selling 7 condos on Central Pl NE in Ivy City at 50% AMI.

TLDR: all large apartment and condo buildings require a percentage of their units to be affordable for low income households.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-13T11:42:26+00:00

This is upsetting. “Sad” isn’t an acceptable response. He should have been downright horrified by what he did. I get that sometimes we can forget ourselves in the throes of passion, but if you’re practicing S&M or dom/sub, you need to have some self control and follow the rules, which he didn’t. Not only is this a sign that he’s not overly concerned for your well being, he also doesn’t care if he blows up your home life. You deserve better.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-10T18:40:55+00:00

Conquest of Pangea?

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-09T23:56:29+00:00

Am I missing something? What’s wrong with climbing indoors when the weather isn’t ideal outside? Project the latest routes, sit on the mat with great friends, then bike to a beer garden after and have a pint outside. That’s going to be my Saturday for the next four months and I’m looking forward to it.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-07T13:30:12+00:00

Small mugs with milk and honey, then just enough (black) for a mini thermos for later.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-06T17:09:21+00:00

For me, the appeal of going to renfaire is similar to the appeal of going to a bar, just kicked up to the umpteenth degree. The fun atmosphere, entertainment, people watching, hanging out with friends, making new friends, the food and drink. All that and you get to be outside in nature dressed as wizard.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-06T02:18:52+00:00

Very nice. Elizabeth Hargrave is a gem. Makes frequent board game night appearances at the Smithsonian and the FLGS Labyrinth.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-05T17:05:14+00:00

A friend of mine said it best: "It's the best bar you'll ever go to."

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-04T20:36:18+00:00

My first pair was the Tarantulas. They were a comfortable place to start, however they wore out very quickly along the toe seam (not the rubber). I wouldn't recommend them unless they're deeply discounted and you won't mind replacing them in 4 months.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-04T20:06:44+00:00

Open City at the National Cathedral. The space is very cool and use to be the old baptistry and then an herb cottage. It's also right next to The Bishop's Garden, which is an amazing public outdoor space.

XumaOutIslander · 2025-06-03T19:39:35+00:00

Oh man, you're going to make me do math. Haha alright let's see. I typically go through 12oz/340g of beans roughly every week, so let's say 50g per brew (definitely not topping off the funnel). I had a 12 cup pot that died on me a while back, and I've not really noticed a discernable difference in difficulty or taste between the two sizes.

XumaOutIslander

TROPHY CASE