Starting today, you can now tell us what you want us to cover. For a long time, I’ve been hoping to give the opportunity for our readers to drive what it is that we write about, and now, thanks to some hard work by our coders at Metroblogging HQ, you can do just that. Over at the right, you’ll now see a button that looks like this:

If there’s something happening, and you want us to cover it, well, click that button and tell us about it. There are a few rules to make sure we’re not just a mouthpiece, though. We’re not an events listing. That’s what Upcoming is for. We’re not a good Press Release Repeater, either, so don’t expect to see verbatim Press Releases here, or even anything remotely like that. Make sure to include a link to what you find cool or interesting. Details really help, because the more we know, the more likely we are to write. Also, make sure it relates to the Greater DC area.

Go on, give it a whirl!

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

photo courtesy of ericmcgregor

I was so jealous of you DC & MD folk and your extra day to file that I ended up giving myself one.

Okay, my disorganization, ass-dragging and the distance from here to the closest late night post office (Merrifield? Do all of you people do e-file now? Or worse yet, PLAN AHEAD?) was so great that I wasn’t going to make it to a drop off by midnight. So, I just dropped it in the box down the street – despite being a Virginian, I’ll be filing on the 18th as well.

In actuality it won’t matter. I have the situation I so despise – being owed money by the Fed – so there’s no late filing penalties. This is the first time I’ve failed to be on time in almost twenty years of paying taxes, though, and it feels kinda weird. I’m sure soon the sense of exhilaration will set in and it’ll be a short downward slide to heroin, bank robbery and tearing the tags off mattresses.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

easter madness

Now that Easter Sunday has passed, would you kind folks remove your obnoxious symbols of bunny love.

We Easter Grinches need not your reminders of peeps, eggs, and fake green grass.

Especially not this glowing peep/bunny abomination haunting our neighborhood and our dreams.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

You might think I’m a little early in calling for the intern return, what with it just warming up and summer still seeming far away. You’d be wrong. Why? How about this little ad in the most recent Economist as a tell-tale sign:

The Economist office in Washington DC seeks a writer-intern to help with coverage in the four months up to this November’s election. Experience unimportant, pay negligible. Please send CV and sample article to Washingtonintern@economist.com

Mark my works, soon, you’ll be saying, with either love or hate, Poltergeist-style: “They’re back..”

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Looks like a good showing for our Hometown Washington Post in the Pulitzer Prize Contests, with the Post taking home four of the awards for their reporting in 2005. The Post took the Explanatory Journalism, Criticism, Investigative and Beat Reporting categories. For their coverage on the Jack Abramoff scandal, Susan Schmidt, James V. Grimaldi and R. Jeffrey Smith won the Investigate reporting Pulitzer. David Finkel won the explanatory journalism prize for his work on the US’ attempts to bring democracy to Yemen. Robin Givhan won the Criticism Pulitzer for her coverage of the fashion industry. Last but certainly not least, Dana Priest won the Pulitzer for Beat Reporting, writing about the CIA’s secret prisons for terror suspects.

Congratulations to all of those who won, and Way To Go Washington Post!

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Are you madly filling out your tax forms today? Maybe you’re even thinking you’ll need to run home for those forgotten W-4’s. Or you could’ve done it all online and are waiting to the last minute to pay. We here at DC Metroblogging would like to give you a tax-day gift: One extra day to file & if needed, pay.

“One extra day!” you say? “How can this be?”

This year the IRS, in their infinite wisdom, moved the filing address for the District of Columbia, from Philadelphia, PA, where its been for years to Andover Mass. And Massachusetts, in their own infinite wisdom, celebrates this day as the state holiday Patriot’s Day in honor of the American Revolutionary battles at Lexington and Concord. So that means we have until April 18th to file and/or pay because the Andover IRS processing center will be observing the state holiday today.

Now might this change in address and the corresponding day reprieve have anything to do with the recent The Tax Foundation study on taxpayer burdens? The one that found DC tied with New York and just behind Maine as the most tax burdened states in America with an average 12.80% total state and local tax burden for 2006? Or that on average, DC residents are paying the most each nationwide, $8,092 of our can’t commuter-tax MD/VA incomes?

Waddya think, DC? Might it be that we’re just that special, just a coincidence, or are we getting some well-deserved IRS loving?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Saturday was the 94th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, as I was reminded by a friend while out frolicking. Which also reminded me I’ve yet to visit DC’s Titanic Memorial, which along with DC’s WWI Memorial, is on my list of unusual commemorative places in Washington that I’ve never seen.

Sculpted by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, it’s dedicated to the men who gave their lives that night so that women and children could get precious lifeboat space. It’s more than a bit Christ-like in its interpretation of their sacrifice. Apparently there was a group of Washingtonian women who placed a wreath there every year, but it seems that practice may have fallen off.

Has anyone actually seen it? It’s rare that I get to 4th and P SW. Maybe next time I take a trip to the Fish Market, I’ll bring those gallant men a bouquet…

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

The Wizards clinched a playoff berth last night with a win over LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers. Now, you might think that’s something that’s fairly impressing, and unusual for the area, but when you figure in that 16 of the league’s 30 teams get to go to the playoffs, well, it’s not so amazing. Given that the Wizards are only at 40 wins and 40 losses for the season, and haven’t yet clinched a winning record (and would need wins over the Bucks and Pistons to do it), you have to ask, isn’t the NBA one giant joke? Baseball has 30 teams, but only sends 8 to the playoffs. The NFL has 32 teams, but sends only 12 to the playoffs. Even hockey only sends half its 32 teams to the playoffs.

But yet, the Wizards are in the playoffs. And they’re our team. Gooooooo Wizards! You can purchase playoff tickets already, even though the dates are TBA, and so are the opponents. Both games 1 and 2 of the first series will be here in DC at the Verizon Center, though two tickets in Box E, Row HHH will run you a cool $450 plus convenience fees. I tried to get upper concourse seats, but they were all sold out already. The cheapest pair of of tickets I could find were $90 apiece. If you’re going to spend $200 on something, for God’s sake just go to Galileo or any of the other awesome DC area restaurants and have dinner.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

photo courtesy of Son of Groucho

Easter is a holiday celebrating rebirth, and what I think is one of the most appropriate articles actually appeared on the back page of the Post’s Outlook section, under the heading “Green goes underground.” Apparently the high ceilings of the Woodly Park Zoo metro stop are the surprise home of a number of maidenhair ferns, a species not normally found this far east in Virginia and actually an at-risk species in North Carolina and Kentucky.

The underground stations of the Metrorail system are sterile by design, so it is ironic that one should host such a growing colony of plants. But the plants make do with what they have, where they find it. Survival is like that — unpicky, because the choices are few for any given species.

Kudos to you, adiantum capillus-veneris, and thanks for putting a little green in among the grey.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

There was a lot of discussion and head-shaking when the Nationals sent Center Fielder Ryan Church to AAA New Orleans after Spring Training. Most folks seemed to think that Church got the bad end of the stick from the Nationals and wasted a good shot with a potentially great young outfielder. However, on Friday, Big Frank and Jimmy Bo did some serious shakeup work on the then 2-8 Nationals. They brought up Ryan Church and Brendan Harris, both of whom have had game-saving consequences since their arrival.

On Saturday, Brendan Harris leapt an approximate 387 feet above the ground in order to snag a ball well over his head to protect John Patterson’s 8 inning, 13 strikeout mutilation of the Florida Marlins. On Sunday, Ryan Church went 2 for 4 with 3 runs scored and 4 batted in, including driving home the game winner in the top of the ninth.

Anyone else wondering what would’ve happened if we’d brought these guys up on Opening Day?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Long Live Spring!

It’s on the street. Per the official Sun Trust Dupont Circle Clock and Thermometer, it is 82 degrees Fahrenheit today, making this the first 80+ day this year and time to officially call an end to winter.

Break out the bikinis and the margaritas, I’m headed to my rooftop deck and dreaming of pool openings and beach runs. Well, right after I do a real run to burn off my winter weight.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

seldon

As Seldon here shows, Cafe Asia downtown is a great place for a drink. It would even be better on a cold and wet night, not one of the most beautiful Friday’s so far this year.

Why?

Because Cafe Asia downtown (I Street between 17th and 18th) doesn’t have any outdoor seating.

It is pretty artsy inside, like its cousin in Arlington, if a little smaller. And it does have the freaky-fresh giant unisex bathroom, complete with surgical gloves by the washbasin(!).

Happy hour there last night was worthy too, but still, better if we were outside.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Grr… Let’s say you fully intended to spend the night at a kick-ass concert where you would be serenaded by both the French Kicks and Ladytron, but you had no idea they both were so popular that the concert at the 9:30 Club tonight would sell out. And of couse, you did not get tickets in advance.

Grr.. So here you are, several bottles of sake and several vodka-and-soda’s later, wondering how said concert was. Wondering as you comiserated at DC9, nursing said cornucopia of drinks, bashing your head against the table in a paroxysm of guilt over not having bought tickets in advance, sucking in the heavy smoke-laden air and wondering why young twentysomething girls think cut-off jean miniskirts with flip-flops are a cool look. Sigh.

Did anyone get into the concert last night? Can anyone tell a sad sack like me how it was?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Back in December while we were busy getting screwed by Ridgewells Catering, my fiancée and I called up Michael Landrum from Ray’s the Steaks and asked about the opportunity to rent out the restaurant for an evening. Sure, it might cost what those dirty stinking liars at Ridgewells were going to charge us, but at least we like Michael and Ray’s, and wedding steak is a good alternative to wedding cake. Michael told us about his new space that he would be opening in January February March April May in Silver Spring, and that there would be private dining space that could seat 60.

Sweet. That would work out nicely.

He told us to call him as the opening got closer. So we kept checking on the progress. We admire Michael for creating the new Ray’s on the profits of the old Ray’s instead of taking out a massive bank loan, and so we waited in patient hope. Tuesday marked the 60 days-until-the-wedding-day date and my breaking point. I called the Arlington Ray’s in hope of talking with Michael. I got the new and improved message announcing their no-reservation policy and left a message for Michael to call me. Today, he did.

In short, the new Ray’s won’t open with the new private dining area available for reservation. They need to make the right staffing decision to handle that, and right now, they don’t have the available data.

While I don’t feel screwed by Michael, I certainly feel screwed by fate. I need a nice place to have our wedding reception. Seats 60. Wine available. And I’d rather not pay so much that I’m paying it off like a student loan. Got a recommendation? Post in the comments. If you send us the right direction, there will definitely be a reward.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Now, I realize it takes a while for an area that is Cool to catch on with the big media, look at Healdsburg California, which people like Dori and Tom have known as the coolest unknown city in Wine Country, but it seems that the New York Times has discovered U Street. It’s nice to see some other places recognize that DC has its amazingly cool sections, because getting most New Yorkers to admit that any other place in the world has cool night spots and great shopping and good atmosphere ain’t easy at all.

Thanks, New York Times, for realizing that it is damn cool to live in DC.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Have you looked up along K Street recently? Did you notice a new source of nighttime illumination? Realize those light posts now have new arms and bulbs?

I did.

And they’re along K Street NW at least from 16th to 14th Streets NW. Not sure past that, I only walk so far looking up, tourist like, and only figured it out myself when doing a night-owl gym session yesterday.

So a challenge to you, DC Metroblogging readers: Find all the new light posts in downtown (Doug, you have to geo-post them for creidt). First to name them all gets a T-shirt and our condolences. Not even I am that obsessive or lacking of a life.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Another Empty X2

Why do I always see you empty as you pass McPherson Square?

You start out at the Minnesota Ave Metro Station and drive Benning Road and then H Street NE, but yet, here, downtown, where you should be full, you are empty. I see you as I board the S busses, all packed to the shouts of “move back, please” and I envy.

You are empty, nary a ride I view, and you roll around with arrogance. From the right to the left of I Street you move, as you pass 15th, not a care or a passenger to worry your drive. You would think, with your long trip, you might have some to deliver here, downtown, and yet, you do not. Ever, that I see.

Might you then end sooner, before Lafayette Square, so you can be better ridden, or at least less envied? I wish I had an empty X2, late, as I crowd onto an S2.

Justice or efficiency, that is all I ask.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

If you didn’t get out to see the cherry blossoms there’s still a sight to see over in that area. Just off the parking by the tidal basin by the paddle boats there’s the National Park Service’s Tulip Library. There’s more variety than I knew existed in the tulip family. It’s well worth a visit – this was just one of many wonderful varieties there in all the colors of the rainbow.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

falun gong on the move

Not content with their usual protest space in front of the Chinese Embassy, Falun Gong is now is Farragut Square.

They also changed protest topics and are now saying the Chinese government is organ harvesting from Falun Gong detainees.

Just in time for lunch, they’re backing claims with vivid dissection photo too.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Well, it’s that time of year again, and tickets for the Easter Egg Hunt go on sale on Saturday morning at 7:30am at the Ellipse ticket office. Most of the tickets will be given out nearly immediately, but there’s another set that will be given out at 7:30 on Monday morning. In order to qualify, you must have a child under 7, and there must be no more than two adults in the group. What’s rather interesting, this year, gay families are lining up tonight to take a portion of the tickets as a protest against the administration’s anti-gay policies. So, if you’re interested in tickets, now might be a good time to get in line.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs