On the way in this morning, (waxpool/28) noticed many of the data centers had the generators going. Not sure if there’s an electricity issue or they plan it to go together ? No idea if the yellow smoke is related though.

I have worked in an office near the intersection of Loudoun County Parkway and Waxpool for about 5 years now and the area has become a hellscape.

We have trouble parking at our office now because of all the data center construction workers. There is endless traffic because there is always at least 1 lane closed on Waxpool for construction. The trees are gone. Other office buildings are gone. It is dystopian driving around here now. It's only a matter of time before our building gets torn down for another data center.

Any community that wants to see what life is like after data centers needs to spend some time here. There is no charm or any redeeming qualities over here anymore

I'm not sure if it's just summertime sadness or the state of the world keeping me in, but I just can't get excited about anything going on in the area this summer. It's hot, the drivers are more aggressive, everything is a big money grab, air quality wasn't great, everyone's sick (achoo sick, not sick in the head lol), distrustful, or jaded. I barely leave the house these days. I don't think it's depression because I'm still doing my hobbies and having a fine time, but the thought of forcing myself outside to another curated instagram brunch makes me want to hurl and hiking might actually put me in the hospital. Can someone convince me NOVA is the shit right now and I might just be depressed??

Data center off 50 near airplane road running its generators.

I will also offer them plenty of snacks and cool filtered water.

But also, are you supposed to tip cash labor jobs?

It seems so difficult to get a teaching position (ELA 6-12) within FCPS. I have completed so many job applications and no response. This would be my first year teaching and I’ve been subbing within FCPS since last year. Why does it seem damn near impossible to land a position when schools open back up next month? I guess there isn’t a teaching shortage here in VA.

Forgot to post this when I saw this one morning on the way to work early in the morning. I have never seen an insect this big in my life. It didn’t move, but I was able to get a picture of it. After reading about these, I learned they are very rare and they can fly. All I know is if it started to fly, I would have ran into the street screaming LOL! For reference, it was about 3” long as you can see when compared to a large brick wall brick.

Hey NOVA! I’m the UPS Automotive Fleet Manager for this area, and we’re currently hiring a full-time Journeyman Mechanic for our Newington facility in Springfield, VA.

This is a permanent union position, not seasonal.

Pay and benefits:

Starting rate: $40.01/hour

Top rate after one year: $47.07/hour

Top rate increases to $49.32/hour in August 2027

Company-paid health insurance

Pension contributions

$450 annual tool allowance

Paid vacation, sick days, and holidays

Overtime opportunities and night-shift differential

Company assistance with CDL training and testing

We’re looking for an experienced mechanic who is comfortable with diagnostics and performing repairs independently. Class B CDL is preferred, but candidates may obtain it within their first year with company assistance.

Applicants must also be able to obtain a DOT medical card and be available for nights and weekends.

One important detail: the position is currently based in Newington, but it is part of a bid area that also includes Dulles and Alexandria. Future shift and location assignments are based on union seniority.

The application information and QR code are included in the image. I’m happy to answer reasonable questions about the position, shop, schedule, or hiring process in the comments.

50M, grew up in NOVA, went to HS in area. We all ended up at a few VA colleges back in the mid-90s when it wasnt as hard to get into these schools, and those 4-6 years spent there were a blast - the stories couldn't be written by hollywood for the crazy things that happened. they were good years.

mostly everyone stayed in touch.

20s were spent in NOVA Clarendon bars, trips to Eastern Shore beaches and clubs downtown.

30s were spent at marriages, trips out of town for the weekend, and the sidelines of early years of kids' events.

40s were spent with much, much more kids events, catching up with divorced friends and living vicariously through their dating stories (apps to date??).

Now, turning another decade. My friends have largely been successful in conventional terms. Nice homes. Vacations. The occasional toy like boat, or country club membership, etc. What kills me though is it seems the only thing these guys want to talk about is money. A constant barrage of one-upsmanship on killings in the market, investments, bonuses, purchases.

I never would think to tell a friend how much I made. I always thought it was personal - for you, your spouse, maybe your parents to know. But they throw around real dollar amounts like its no big deal. I am happy with my career and would place myself somewhere in the middle of their income brackets, but when it turns to this talk, I just start nodding, walk away or try to start another convo.

We used to talk more about sports; sometimes politics but that got too dangerous. We used to reminisce a lot more about HS, college, music...just fun stuff that made us all laugh with and at each other. Now its just money non-stop.

Is this a NOVA thing? An age thing? Or just a money thing? It really makes me sad to think this is how it could be as we move forward.

Genuine question, because this is a very new experience for me: Is it standard to tip disability services at the airport?

I sprained my ankle on the last day of a European vacation and was able to coordinate disability services through my airline. Both airports in Europe that I used on my travel back to the US had great disability services, and there was no expectation of a tip. Everything was going fine when I got back to the States until the person wheeling me to the arrivals door finished helping me get my luggage into my husband’s car. He just continued to stand there, looking put out and eventually said “is that it?”. My husband and I were both genuinely confused by this question. Eventually, he shrugged and walked away, but I got the sense that he expected a tip.

I’ve lived in America almost my entire life, and I know that tipping culture is a thing here, but in my mind, disability services at the airport is not the same as a bellhop at a hotel. Just wondering if anybody has had similar experiences and knows what the expectation is.

ETA: I’m muting this thread because the question has been thoroughly answered. Thanks to everyone who gave clear, insightful, and non-judgmental feedback, informing me about the protocols around tipping disability services at American airports. I am very privileged that I have never had to use these services up until this point in my life, and this was a genuine oversight/lack of understanding on my part. More than anything, this experience makes me sad that these people—who work extremely hard to help those among us who are disabled, temporarily or permanently—are not fairly compensated by their employers, and so the burden of their compensation falls to people who may already be experiencing increased living costs as a result of being permanently disabled.

Absolutely need to find THE best carrot cake around! Friends birthday coming up and it’s their absolute favorite cake!! Open to any and all recommendations!!

I think they like our yard because we've got a smorgasbord of pretty much every native and invasive plant/weed growing here.

I was at the Reston Target last night for the first time in awhile and some of the shelves were just completely bare. The Ulta section and the toys were what I noticed in particular. It looked like they were boxing up entire sections. Is it due for another remodel, or potentially closing? I feel like it had a remodel not so long ago.

Theres a group of homeless people with 2 or 3 goats traveling down route 50. Everyday they are a bit farther up. Anyone know their story? I am curious.

So I went to the FCPS job fair this summer, spoke to some schools and had some interviews. I just got an email that the principal wants to talk to me again. I’ve never had two interviews before, is this a good sign?

I'm looking for recommendations for an affordable dentist in DC or Northern Virginia that offers a basic dental cleaning for someone without dental insurance.

I have excellent dental health, I brush multiple times a day, floss daily, and get a routine cleaning about once a year. Historically I've paid around $100–150 for a cleaning, which has always seemed reasonable.

Lately, though, every office I've called has quoted $350–400+ and says I have to get a full new-patient exam and X-rays before they'll do a cleaning. I had X-rays done a few years ago, have no dental issues, and I'm not looking for any extra services or upsells, just a straightforward routine cleaning.

Does anyone know of a dentist in DC or Northern Virginia that offers reasonably priced cash-pay cleanings without requiring a bunch of additional services? I'm happy to pay around $150 for a cleaning, but $400+ for a healthy mouth seems excessive.

I'd really appreciate any recommendations. Thanks!

Can any musicians on here recommend a casual community (ie. non-professional) orchestra to join? I’m a violinist who was once good (all-state musician, played through college, etc.), but now kind of stinks lol.

Specifically, I’m looking for something super low-key with minimal/no auditions and shorter rehearsals that is very convenient to Alexandria. I get terrible visual fatigue from music reading and night driving, so nearby and shorter rehearsals is key. I’d probably need to enlarge my music, but am happy to sit in the back with my own stand or memorize. Basically looking for a group to test this out with, since I haven’t played in an orchestra in years and not since my vision got flakey. I know there are a number of groups around, but given my limitations, recommendations appreciated.

I got row d tickets and wondering how bad it is. I know it’s a huge screen in all but wanna hear from someone who got any of the seats up close too see how was the experience? Been trying to find anything further back but they are all sold out like 3 weeks out.

I formally requested the master search audit logs and camera locations for the Flock Safety automated license plate reader network in Prince William County to ensure our local officers aren't abusing this technology to track everyday citizens without a warrant.

The PWCPD just responded, and while they provided the basic purchase invoices, they have completely blocked the public from seeing the system's tracking logs and camera locations.

They are hiding behind Virginia Code § 2.2-5517(F), claiming that the audit trails showing WHO the police are looking up are legally a state secret and entirely exempt from the Freedom of Information Act.

Think about the hypocrisy:

1. The police claim these cameras are safe because you have "no expectation of privacy" on a public road.
   
2. But the moment a citizen asks to see the audit log to ensure the police aren't abusing that data, they declare the log a "private investigative record" that must be protected from the public.

Furthermore, they are hiding the locations of the cameras under "operational security" exemptions—even though we can see 11 of them sitting out in plain sight at our local mall!

If independent cyber-security researchers can find Flock data actively leaked on the open internet and traded by hackers on the dark web, why is the county spending our tax dollars on an unsecured network while blocking law-abiding citizens from seeing the audit trails?

Is it just me, or do these big storms never materialize? I was looking at severe weather alerts all afternoon for Alexandria, and not even a drop of rain here. What gives?

edit: changed "bug" to big