Uniontown Bar and Grill: New Addition to the "New River East"

Uniontown Bar and Grill has been open a few weeks and is the buzz around Ward 8. I got a chance to stop by Uniontown this past weekend with a few friends and thought that I should post a quick review about what I thought about my first visit to this new addition to the "New River East".

Menu: The menu and selectivity is very limited at Uniontown, but I was very satisfied with what I got. My "Louisianna Wings and Crinkle-cut fries" were not mind-blowing, but definitely was a good eat and I will definitely go back for it again. Apparently, according to my companions at dinner, the rest of the menu is "to die for", so I might abandon my new-found "usual" and try something else.

Service: Great. Our waiter checked in with us periodically, no mistakes on orders and helped us "first time Uniontowners" make good choices. Also, it was nice to see the owner venture over to our table to say hello. Also the food came in a good amount of time (maybe 10 minutes).

Price: The phrase "bang for your buck" can definitely be used to describe Uniontown. My 10-piece wings (about 10; I can't remember), crinkle cut fries and root beer came out only to about $9.00. I got enough food for the right price.

Ambiance: Uniontown is definitely a very relaxed place to be. Seating is pretty comfortable and two flat screen TV's are a plus (and definitely served their purpose on Super Bowl Sunday I imagine). It is becoming a gathering place for community professionals and its very central and picturesque location across the street from the Big Chair makes it a "must-go" location (at least, right now). The only thing I didn't enjoy was that the front doors don't have hydrolics on them to automatically close, so when people walked out and forgot to close the door, I got a pretty terrible draft.

Uniontown Bar and Grill not only sybolizes fairly good food, pricing and ambiance, but symbolizes a turning point in Ward 8 and Anacostia. A new day is dawning East of the River, and I felt the massive positive change at Uniontown this weekend.

7 Ways the Internet is Ruining Your Life

A few days back, in my previous blog, I praised the internet for how it is revolutionizing the way we communicate and changing the world at a faster pace that ever before. Despite the title of this blog, this premise still does rung true.

However, the internet is not all peaches and creme (or "all facebooks and twitters".) Though the world might be better connected and more productive, the individual is becoming more disconnected and lazy as a consequence of this new digital age we are immersed in.

I ready this very humorous article the other day called "7 Ways the Internet Is Ruining Your Life" on a slightly inappropriate college humor website. But, it did bring up some very good points. The 7 ways that the internet is ruining ours lives are:

1. It's making you stupid
2. It's warping your sense of reality
3. It's ruining your social skills
4. It's making you fat
5. It's turning you into a douchebag
6. It's stealing your privacy
7. It's making you boring

All of these I see as (at least partly) true. Here are my personal responses to each.

1. Even though the internet is an endless source of knowledge and a very accessible point of reference, the way it is being used by our generation is taking our focus away from the knowledge we need and is connecting us to pointless Youtube videos and the "this is what I am doing right at this very second" updates on Facebook and Twitter. We can be using these resources so much better, but there are so many pointless distractions at one click that our brains are suffering.
2. When we are on the internet, we are in a whole different world. On the internet, we can be brave, popular, handsome and carefree while on the outside, we are friendless, war rages and our house is about to be foreclosed on. We are separated from the pressing issues of our lives and of the world and when that happens, we become useless to our families, friends and to the world.
3. Having social skills are developed through interaction with living, breathing people. With the internet, we could interact with thousands of people each day and never actually interact with anyone. In the Facebook and Twitter age, we can be so distant from people that we lack the necessary skills to interact away from our computer screens.
4. Not moving = increased weight. Plain and simple. Get up and get your 60 minutes a day!
5. The internet gives us the opportunity to speak anonymously and to speak without consequence. If we take advantage of this luxury too much, we forget how to turn it off in the real world. We lose the capacity to censor ourselves when appropriate and we submit ourselves to the consequences that come with it. Saying whatever we want, whenever we want to people does not make you independent, fearless or confident: it makes you a jerk.
6. What happens on the internet, stays ON the internet. The internet knows no confidentiality. I have been a user on the internet for maybe 5 or 6 years now, and everything I have done on the internet is neatly organized in a simple Google search. Thankfully, I am a pretty straight-edged young guy, so whatever you find is neither heinous or life-ruining, but for those who like to take shirtless photos on Facebook, picture of you and your friends drinking and post statuses that have more four-letter words than late-night Comedy Central, you might have a problem.
7. For those who can only develop conversation about yesterday's Facebook statuses, quote Youtube videos or teach me how to illegally download the new Lil Wayne album are...boring.

So, I would have to concur: the internet has many benefits, but when used to excess, it can be dangerous to your health.

The Power of the Internet

In my advanced computer applications a few days ago, we watched a video about the vast impact new technologies and the internet has on the world and how quickly the world is changing, faster than at any time before.

The video presented some really great (and mind-blowing) facts about the exponential changes going on in the world right now. For example, (Did You Know that) the most in-demand jobs of 2010 didn't even exist in 2004, and while it took the television 13 years to broaden its user base to 50 million people, it only took Facebook 2 years to do it? The way that information and technology is growing is astounding.

Schools are now preparing students for jobs that don't even exist yet and preparing them to solve problems that aren't problems yet. Half the curriculum that a college student who majors in some sort of technologically-geared field learns will be outdated by his third year in college.

The world is moving and changing at such a fast pace now due to technology, like the internet, that the world has to prepare for obstacles and opportunities that have not even presented themselves yet.

The internet has changed the world so dramatically just within the last five or six years and has dramatically changed the way we find news, communicate, work and even wage war! The changes show no signs of stopping, and the changes will only come faster as time passes and technology grows.

Is the Real HU for Me?

For the past few weeks, I have been trying to chart my path for the future, especially as it pertains to college. It seems a bit early, since college decisions do not come until probably March or April. However, I have gotten one acceptance letter so far that has spurred my thoughts and made my decision much harder: Howard University.

Howard University is unique and appealing to me for many reasons:

1. It is the only HBCU I have applied to.
2. Its rich legacy and inspirational alumni (including Justice Thurgood Marshall, the namesake of my high school) makes my attendance and my experience that much more fulfilling.
3. The students I have met so far that will be apart of the Class of 2015 are intelligent, friendly and open-minded, and also would be very good friends and classmates.
4. Current students are very excited about the arrival of new students and about sharing the legacy and experiences of Howard University.
5. I have been offered full tuition and fees

Howard University is ready and waiting for new students like me to contribute to the rich history that the institution has.

So "What's the problem?", you ask.

I have talked to many people about some of the reservations I have about Howard University, including the outdated facilities, the sometimes frustrating and under-performing administration (with financial aid, housing, etc. Read the article.) and the freshman housing experience (a.k.a. Drew Hall- Read this article, even though this is a little outdated, I have heard some of the same sentiments recently). Though there are signs that these issues might be slowly being corrected, these also might be an unwanted burden that could take away from the whole experience.

Update (1/30/11- 4:50pm): Howard University Administration approves a plan for an academic and infrastructural renewal for Howard University- Read here.

Also, what if I am accepted to somewhere like Harvard University (which I have applied to), that would give me the credibility and notoriety in my future, but not necessarily the unique and unforgettable experiences I know I will get from the first second on Howard's campus?

So, I need your opinions! Is the Real HU for MB? Comment NOW!

Unrest Presses On as Internet Goes Out in Egypt

Just like yawning and the flu, uprising and unrest is contagious in the Middle East.

After weeks, even months, of unrest in Middle Eastern countries across the world, it is now the Arab world's most populous country's turn: Egypt.

Gaining inspiration more recently from the successful ousting of the corrupt Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali two weeks ago, the Arab world has been fired up and become fearless in taking on corrupt and dictatorial regimes.

The nearly 30-year reign of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is no exception.

After days of protests in numerous regions across the country, President Mubarak has sent troops into the streets to regain order as police struggle to keep control of the growing throngs of protesters (video). However, for the embattled government in threat of toppling like its Tunisian counterpart two weeks ago, destroying the efforts for protesters to organize at all is top priority.

About a half hour past midnight today, all (yes, ALL) internet service was severed in Egypt, cutting the protesters off from their main source of organization and communication. Just like other citizens' uprisings across the Middle East in the past 5 years or so, social networking such as Facebook and Twitter have been used to organize groups in protest and in uprising against the government.

Just like Iran and China, internet has played an integral role in protests similar to the one in Egypt, and just like Egypt, Iran and China have attempted to cut off these protests by cutting off the internet. However, despite the cutoff, the protesters are still organizing and taking to the streets in Egypt, so an end to the unrest cannot be seen as of yet.

I believe that Egypt is on the brink of reform whether President Mubarak is sent packing or not (even though I think it's inevitable at this point). The unrest is destined to continue in the country and throughout the region as long as the citizens are dissatisfied with their autonomous, corrupt governments.

However, this particular uprising does put the United States in a very awkward position. Because Egypt is the gateway to the Arab world, an ally of Israel and of the United States, it is hard to say what will happen in the next few weeks. It is very possible that if the government is overwhelmingly in threat of toppling in the next few weeks, Egypt may ask its Western allies for assistance in suppressing the uprising, which puts the U.S. at center-stage in this conflict.

So, Comment Now: What do you think of the uprising in Egypt and should the United States take any action is asked to do so?

"Oh, the Weather Outside..."

"...Is Frightful"!

Seems like this snow came out of nowhere, and looks like it will be our biggest snow of the year so far. Here in Congress Heights in Southeast, it is "showing no signs of stopping"! Here's the rundown:

Good Side: Classes are cancelled at my school tomorrow, and some well-deserved rest (and a day full of blogging) is in order.

Bad Side: In the middle of writing this blog (8:13PM), our power went out (the whole block). This, just as other family members were anticipating coming over our house because THEIR power is out! The power returned at 8:36 and at 8:38, back in the dark again! And now, hopefully permanently, power is restored. Outrageous (Thanks, Pepco)!

Of course, I cannot finish this blog without a dash of politics: This first big snow may be the first test for Mayor Gray and even though it will not even come close to the "Fenty Era" storms of December 2009 and February 2010, it will still show what the Mayor can do when it comes to cleaning up from the weather and getting the city running again.

So, give me some news: Comment on this blog and tell me what's going on in your neighborhood. Power outages, snowy streets? Let me know!

And also, send photos of your snow from your neighborhood, so we can post them here on the Batch' Blog. Send them through email to markusbatchelor@gmail.com!

In your comment, put your name and neighborhood and tell us about what you're experiencing!

Update (1/27/11- 7:49am)- Mike Debonis from the Washington Post: "Frustrated by snow response, Twitter unloads on Gray" Check it out! Metrobus systems in DC, Maryland and Virginia have already gone on an emergency schedule, DCPS has closed and the DC Government is closed, but a plow did come down my street just before I took this photo (even though I live on a main street and that doesn't mean much for the "side-streeters" around the city).

Update (1/27/11- 11:56am)- Though it might have taken you a little longer to get home last night, don't feel bad: the President had the same issue. Also, was your power out yesterday or today? Well, still don't feel bad- the city's chief executive was in the dark Wednesday night too.

Update (1/27/11- 6:42pm)- DCPS has just announced there will be a two-hour delay tomorrow.

Welcome to the Batch' Blog

Welcome to the Batch' Blog, a new blogsite by M. Batch', about opinions, politics, events, tidbits and other happenings here in Washington, D.C.

I am very excited to get the Batch' Blog started, because for a long time, I have been trying to find a medium to get my views, opinions, experiences, interests and aspirations expressed in one place to my friends, colleagues, mentors, fellow Washingtonians (and total strangers at times), so now I think I have found that medium.

Stay tuned to The Batch' Blog for more updates and I look forward to what this blog can and will become!

-M.Batch'