Confronting Frank Winstead
Frank Winstead: Folk hero to some, YouTube vigilante to others, and a total mystery to the press. The advisory neighborhood commissioner has made a name for himself by turning the ping-pong action in front of Comet into a grainy snuff film, and by referring to such ping-pong action as a short swat away from murder and rapes.
Thankfully, this city has a low tolerance for ping-pong porn vids. And, well, a high tolerance for wacky ANC reps.
Maybe Winstead will be re-elected. After all, bad press is the same as good press. Winstead doesn't quite see it that way. Who the hell knows what he thinks? What he doesn't believe in is taking reporters' phone calls. He has stiffed the Post when they came calling. And he hasn't returned my multiple voice-mail messages. As an elected official, he should be able to answer reporters' questions.
With that in mind, we decided last night to take a trip to Winstead's apartment on the 4500 block of Connecticut Avenue NW---quite a distance from Comet. Oh, and we brought along a video camera.
We'd like to call our little film: "Frank Winstead Gives Us The Bird." Enjoy:
Video by Ted Scheinman
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1:52 pm
Well done! Elected public officials should be open and accessible to the press and public.
2:00 pm
What's the name of that jam playing in the opening & closing sections? It's tight. Sounds like South African jazz.
2:08 pm
Mike Wallace would be proud.
2:49 pm
Hmm...I wonder if his apartment building allows residents to keep birds in their units?
4:06 pm
Why didn't you go see him at an ANC meeting? It's annoying that he won't respond to reporters, but that doesn't mean he should be bugged at his house.
If he'd done something serious a home surprise would be different, but it's a ping pong video!
4:21 pm
You know, that bird looked like the Lord God Bird to me. I think his apartment ought to be vacated of humans to allow scientists to study its habitat and determine whether this beautiful possibly extinct bird has somehow managed to survive in the confines of upper Connecticut Ave.
Also, I second CP, what was that awesome song? Must I go to Adtunes for the answer?
5:09 pm
The song, yeah, is awesome. It has a lousy name. It's called "Sax Jive" and it's by Leribe. It's from an excellent African comp called Love is Love which was released--and just reissued--on Mississippi Records. It's LP only, tho. I'm such a nerd!
I'll be writing more about the comp on our music blog soon.
9:03 pm
You guys should have shit on his house, like Patrick Dempsey did to his friend in that movie...
9:05 pm
"Sax Jive" is a tite title! South African mbaqanga jazz is fresh and that comp is a nice find; Dusty Groove has it (natch).
You might dig this, too:
http://www.readexpress.com/read_freeride/2008/06/voodoo_funk_take_me_away_fast.php
9:19 pm
damn, that track is awesome. Unfortunately if I were to ever get myself a turntable, I'd be opening myself to an addiction I know I have neither the time nor the money to support.
9:56 pm
Reid tell me about it. My turntable barely works and I can't stop buying LPs. I'm deep into the African stuff.
10:28 pm
good god this in my wheelhouse right now. i just brought home a turntable tonight.
it's been a while since i had one in working order.
i've been dreaming about the first LP i'm gonna play to get back on the LP wagon.
the winner: Deep Purple, Made in Japan.
geezus chrysler, we're talkin' double-live dirtball nirvana. i'm gonna kick things off with Record 1, Side 1:
Highway Star (Osaka 16 Aug 1972)
Child in Time (Osaka 16 Aug 1972)
then i'm gonna dig out Montrose and Humble Pie and Ted Nugent's Double Live Gonzo.
vinyl!!!!! i might start drinking again. i gotta go!
9:28 am
Honestly, is somebody running against him? Please?
11:19 am
The Brandywine? No Pets!
Hypocrite. It figures. Rules are for OTHER people, not for self-righteous ANC commissioners.
11:25 am
i used to live there. i distinctly remember a no pets policy.
10:09 pm
This was very funny, but i don't know how i feel reaching him at home. Though, I wonder who that girl was...Does Winstead have a girlfriend? No way! CP should try to get access to her ASAP.
7:06 pm
I blogged about the album that the song is on. You can read the post here:
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/blackplasticbag/2008/06/30/love-is-all-around/