Sunday, April 23, 2017

BIBIBOP Asian Grill hiring ahead of opening at Bethesda Row

BIBIBOP Asian Grill, the fast casual chain taking over the shuttered ShopHouse restaurant on Bethesda Avenue, is now hiring staff. The brand is the latest venture by Charley Shin, who was also the man behind Charleys Philly Steaks (don't ask me where the apostrophe is in the name, though).

Each meal is a variation on the Korean dish of bibimbap, mixed rice with your choice of proteins, vegetables and sauce. A lot like the restaurant it replaces, but with the added benefit of coming to us from the great city of Columbus, Ohio.

Columbus was recently named the most high-tech city in America by Forbes magazine (the city actually has a long history of high-tech innovation, for those familiar with it). This likely befuddled our Montgomery County Council. When not struggling to find the doorknob to get out of the room, our Council has bumbled through one tech gaffe after another this decade. Gaffes ranged from the revelation that the County government was still using Windows 2000...in 2014, to a humiliating state audit of cybersecurity failures at MCPS, and even Councilmember Hans Riemer breaking his own failed open-data law.

48 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Columbus was recently named the most high-tech city in America by Forbes magazine (the city actually has a long history of high-tech innovation, for those familiar with it)."

It was not named the "most high-tech city in America." The actual claim was "Up-and-Coming Tech Cities" -- https://www.forbes.com/2008/03/10/columbus-milwaukee-houston-ent-tech-cx_wp_0310smallbizoutlooktechcity.html

It was not recently named #1 in anything by Forbes in regards to high-tech -- This was one researcher's ranking in 2008. Hardly recently as you claim.

For the curious: "If Columbus seems a surprising choice, consider the up-and-coming tech hotbeds that are Nos. 2 through 5 on Auerswald’s list. In order, they are Santa Fe, N.M.; Palm Beach County, Fla.; Houston; and Milwaukee, Wis."

By 2016, Columbus falls to #11. It is important note that: "...established tech hubs like San Jose, San Francisco, New York and others were excluded to get a clearer picture of up-and-coming tech towns.

Robert Dyer said...

Forbes also identifies why Montgomery County is behind Columbus in tech: "very high housing prices, onerous taxes and a draconian regulatory environment."

Boom.

They didn't exclude New York in the list I'm looking at - they were #44.

#ThrowTheBumsOut

Bill Castner said...

@6:44 AM -- Your quotation from Forbes concerning Montgomery County does not exist. This is not just Fake News, it is an outright fabrication by you.

Anonymous said...

How can you turn everything into a rant about the County Council! You're looking like an angry lunatic! A new restaurant is opening, that is the story. it has no relation to how tech savvy or not tech savvy Montgomery County is you silly birdbrain

Robert Dyer said...

7:10: The quote is taken directly from a 2011 article about top tech cities, citing the reasons why jurisdictions like Montgomery County struggle to attract tech companies (and major corporations in general, having failed to attract a single one in two decades). Direct quotes are not fabrications.

7:13: The Columbus connection was like a slow pitch down the middle of the plate. I had to turn on it, and hit it out of the park. Nobody but you feels sorry for the Council.

Anonymous said...

"Very high housing prices"

Forbes may not have actually said this (thanks Bill Castner for catching Robert Dyer in another of his blatant fabrications) but it is actually true.

And it's caused by very high demand. In other words, people really, really want to live in Montgomery County.

How do you propose to reduce the demand for housing in our County, without increasing the supply?

Bill Castner said...

Dyer left out the last paragraph of the 2011 article: "Another huge advantage appears to be closeness to the federal government, which expends hundreds of billions on tech products both hardware and software. This explains why Baltimore, primarily its suburbs, and the D.C. metro area have enjoyed steady tech growth and, under most foreseeable scenarios, likely will continue to do so in the coming years. Both regions have seen large gains in technology services industries, particularly programming, systems design, research, and engineering."

Your citation in regards to Montgomery County is a complete fabrication on your part.

Anonymous said...

One of the most critical skills of a journalist is being able to quote other people, including other journalists, accurately. Robert Dyer fails miserably at this.

Anonymous said...

Excellent point, 8:12am

Robert Dyer said...

8:12: You and "Bill Castner" are the ones fabricating - I took an exact quote directly from Forbes magazine. If you weren't trolling, I'd think you were mentally ill or suffering from some kind of compulsive disorder.

Anybody can look up Forbes high tech cities 2011 and verify the quote. Just because the quote makes your beloved County Council sound like idiots, that doesn't excuse lying about it.

Robert Dyer said...

8:24: The advantage was so "huge" that the "D.C. Metro area" was crushed by Columbus, Ohio. Humiliating.

Your last sentence "is a complete fabrication on your part." I directly quoted from the article.

Robert Dyer said...

8:44: How is an exact quote a failure to quote accurately? You're a couple of cans short of a six-pack, tool.

Anonymous said...

Here is the actual quote, in context:

"Or look at the Boston region (ranked No. 22), which arguably boasts the most impressive concentration of research universities in the country. The region did add jobs in research and computer programming, but these were not enough to counter huge losses in telecommunications and electronic component manufacturing. Over the past decade, greater Beantown has given up 18% of its tech jobs, or more than 45,000 positions.

"One possible explanation may lie in costs, including very high housing prices, onerous taxes and a draconian regulatory environment. In tech, company headquarters may remain in the [Silicon],Valley, close to other headquarters and venture firms, but new jobs are often sent either out of the country or to more business friendly regions.

"Just look at the flow of jobs from Bay Area-based companies to places like the Salt Lake area. In the past two years Valley companies such as Twitter, Adobe, eBay, Electronic Arts and Oracle have all expanded into Utah."

Anonymous said...

https://www.forbes.com/sites/joelkotkin/2011/11/18/the-best-cities-for-technology-jobs/#c92b29a2bdbc

Bill Castner said...

Sigh.

1. Dyer states: "Columbus was recently named the most high-tech city in America by Forbes magazine..."

It most certainly was not. This seven-year-old article dealt only with STEM-related job growth rates, which is quite a different fish from "the most high-tech city in America."

2. A newer six-year-old article places Washington, DC as 2nd by this same metric, Columbus ranks 8th -- I think your notion that the DC-area is being crushed by Columbus is nonsense: https://www.forbes.com/sites/joelkotkin/2012/05/17/the-best-cities-for-tech-jobs/#1425a77132a3

(In the most recent survey in Forbes, Columbus does not even appear: https://www.forbes.com/sites/joelkotkin/2017/03/16/technology-jobs-2017-san-francisco-charlotte-detroit/#6202fa3838f6

3. Nowhere in the article you claim to have directly quoted does the words "Montgomery County" appear. It is quite ridiculous of you to repeatedly call others liars.

Anonymous said...

Let's just call it like it is, Dyer, Dyer, fabricating LIAR!

Robert Dyer said...

Who are you going to believe - the actual articles I quoted, or a schizophrenic tool trolling my comment section? Can we talk to "Wrol" now? If he doesn't say the word "fabricating" soon, he'll pass out.

Columbus, Ohio has handed our corrupt County Council their briefcases on high tech jobs.

Anonymous said...

I'll go with Option C and I'm going to believe the actual articles over your quotes and the aforementioned "tool."
I've read the actual articles.
They don't mention Montgomery County.

Riff Rafferty said...

@12:17, what do you have against Wrol? I find his comments are often well thought-out response and legitimate questions to your blog posts.

G. Money said...

Riff, you've answered your own question.

Anonymous said...

Dyer @ 12:17 - I would prefer to believe my own lying eyes", thank you very much.

Robert Dyer said...

12:33: You've got that well-covered, I wouldn't be able to compete with you in the "bigger fool" department."

1:23: I never said it mentioned Montgomery County. I said it posited an explanation for factors that damage a jurisdiction's ability to attract tech companies and jobs. Montgomery County is one of those jurisdictions with the traits listed, ergo, it absolutely applies to Montgomery County.

Anonymous said...

Robert just admitted he does not like well thought-out legitimate questions against his own opinion.

Anonymous said...

"I never said it mentioned Montgomery County. I said it posited an explanation for factors that damage a jurisdiction..."

Bullshit. If you actually did not, you had the opportunity to clarify that several hours earlier.

Robert Dyer said...

5:03: I don't have to clarify something I didn't say.

6:51: Argle bargle.

Anonymous said...

Your comment at 6:44AM - way up there near the top:
""Forbes also identifies why Montgomery County is behind Columbus in tech: "very high housing prices, onerous taxes and a draconian regulatory environment." "

Your comment @6:50PM
"1:23: I never said it mentioned Montgomery County."

But you endeavored to make it sound that way.
Forbes didn't decide MoCo fit those qualifications, you did.
Forbes didn't identify anything about MoCo.

Robert Dyer said...

6:45: They identified the characteristics that scare away companies, and they all happened to apply to Montgomery County.

You must be the only person who thinks home prices and taxes are low, and regulations minimal, in Montgomery County. Whatever you're smoking, Hans Riemer wants to legalize it.

Anonymous said...

@6:45 AM -- You have to just wait a little while and Dyer will claim this misrepresentation is a typo, just like he did with his claim that 14% of registered voters were illegal immigrants here: http://robertdyer.blogspot.com/2017/04/mocos-number-of-registered-voters.html

Wrol said...

Aw, I'm feeling the love from Riff and G Money

Wrol said...

Arlington just raised property taxes too.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/arlington-board-raises-tax-rate-15-cents-all-devoted-to-schools-and-metro/2017/04/22/ac865f0a-26c7-11e7-a1b3-faff0034e2de_story.html?utm_term=.c17b0c32ae64

Anonymous said...

7:11 AM: Argle Bargle!

Robert Dyer said...

7:34: They didn't raise them 9%. No comparison to MoCo. Also, their councilmembers make less than $60,000 a year. Ours gave themselves a $136,000+ salary. Embarrassing. You definitely don't want to compare to Arlington.

7:23: All the typos in the world don't change the fact that Maryland is facing a lawsuit over people illegally-registered to vote in MoCo. Argle bargle!

Anonymous said...

7:39am: Argle Bargle

Anonymous said...

Actually, if you read your own article from April 18th:
"Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement. “These 11 states face possible Judicial Watch lawsuits, unless they follow the law and take reasonable steps to clean up their voting rolls of dead, moved, and non-citizen voters.”

The sky isn't falling. Sheesh.

North Carolina just did a state analysis of their votes.
There were 508 votes that should not have been cast out of 4.8 million.
Of those, 441 were cases of active felons voting.
67 were for other reasons.
No election results were effected.

iPwned.

Robert Dyer said...

8:16: We've got a lot more than 508 on there in MoCo. Politicians relying on the cemetery precincts will tell you the sky is indeed falling for their 2018 prospects, thanks to this timely lawsuit.

G. Money said...

Just wait, Dyer will revert to saying that 14% of registered voters are illegal aliens at some point. It's one of his favorite moves to make up some bullshit, come up with some fake-ass "typo" excuse when called out, and then resurrect the bullshit down the road.

Anonymous said...

"Politicians relying on the cemetery precincts"

Like the one in Westbard?

Anonymous said...

G Money, I thought a few of us put all the numbers to show him wrong? Not like facts could change his mind.
Don't forget about him walking away from a discussion when he's proved wrong.

And he completely ignores that a) it's Judicial Watch - biased b) it says possible they would file suit - they're already backing off on this and c)the state will take the "reasonable steps"

This lawsuit will never happen and to continue to suggest it is indeed henny-pennying.

Anonymous said...

"[Arlington County's councilmembers [sic - actually "County Board members] make less than $60,000 a year. Ours gave themselves a $136,000+ salary. Embarrassing."

What's "embarrassing" is your inability to make valid one-to-one comparisons.

Arlington County has a population of 229,000. The County Board has five members. There is one Board member for every 46,000 residents.

Montgomery County has a population of 1,030,000. The County Council has nine members. There is one Council member for every 114,000 residents.

Montgomery County Council members represent 2.48 times as many residents as their counterparts in Arlington County, while being paid only 2.27 times as much. So it's actually Arlington County Board members who are overpaid, by 9.2%.

Anonymous said...

@ 12:23 PM - Robert Dyer's version of statistical analysis is equivalent to a guy going to a shooting range, firing at a blank piece of paper, and then drawing a bull's-eye around the bullet hole ex post facto.

"Me sharpshooter! Me sharpshooter! Hurr hurr hurr!"

Anonymous said...

Certainly an interesting take on the stats, but a good point nonetheless that Dyer's (lack of) logic is skewed.

Robert Dyer said...

12:43: Number of constituents is not a valid metric to set salary. We have a Bell, California situation here, and we need a Council perp walk in front of the Council Building by the FBI.

12:23: Judicial Watch has filed - and won - many lawsuits. You're fooling yourself if you think they aren't serious.

Robert Dyer said...

9:15: One typo, while some Saul Alinsky jerk was hassling me, and I misread the sentence. I quickly corrected myself once it was pointed out by Mr. Alinsky. Hardly a pattern or issue. Wake up.

Anonymous said...

He's been dead since 1972. Sheesh, Keep up with the news Dyer!

Can you make a case for yourself without flinging insults?

Anonymous said...

What do you think the proper metric for salary should be for county council? How about for your own job?

Anonymous said...

Dyer @11:02 PM -- "One typo, while some Saul Alinsky jerk was hassling me, and I misread the sentence. I quickly corrected myself once it was pointed out by Mr. Alinsky. Hardly a pattern or issue. Wake up."

Claiming, multiple times, that 14% of registered voters are illegal aliens is no "typo" but a complete misreading of the study. Blaming "some Saul Alinksy jerk" for "hassling" you as the cause of these multiple misreadings is an outrageous claim to make, and taken as true suggests you lack the maturity and stability for elected office.

Anonymous said...

Reminds me of Trump. :(

Anonymous said...

(((Saul Alinsky)))