Archive for September, 2008

Verdict: Jury Duty Not So Bad

George Gordon Meade by NCinDC
Last week, for the first time in my life, I was summoned for jury duty.  Imagine the horrified look on my face when I received notice in the mail that sure enough, my time had come, the time to sit all day in a waiting room full of complete strangers and [...]

Goodnight Olsson’s

Oh Olsson’s. I remember a couple cool book signings in your Courthouse location before it up and turned into a corner bakery. Your stores were homey before homey was the new chic in bookstores, and that’s why you’ll be missed. They filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy this morning and all locations in DC [...]

We Love Arts: Romeo & Juliet, Redux

Taffety Punk Theatre Company sure has guts. The marketing for their all-female “answer” to Shakespeare Theatre Company’s all-male production of Romeo & Juliet had me instantly intrigued: “An hour shorter, a fraction of the cost, and 100% more women. We will totally crush them!” Really, with that kind of chutzpah shown by director Lise Bruneau, [...]

We Love Music: NSO Chamber Players/American Residency Commissions

Millennium Stage Detail uploaded by mjlaflaca
This past Tuesday, Sept 23rd at 6p in the Terrace Theater of the Kennedy Center, the National Symphony Orchestra Chamber Players presented the first of two concerts featuring works commissioned as part of the NSO’s ‘American Residency’ program.  Works by four composers from four states gave us musical portraits of [...]

Not a Good Sign in Petworth

Photo by Wayan
A for sale sign does not bother me. A foreclosure sign insight some worry. But its the tall grass of household abandonment that generates concern for my neighbourhood.
In this market where people are talking about 10% of borrowers behind or in default, I expect some pain all around, yet when pain becomes neglect [...]

The bailout vote

Capitol Dawn, courtesy of andertho
I’m not going to spend time looking up which districts are in our immediate area and then find their representatives, but it’s easy to paste in the names of all the VA and MD reps and how they voted on the bailout bill. I’m not weighing in on my opinion – [...]

Sports Extra: Capital Preview

Four Caps, No Waiting For Love, courtesy of clydeorama
Thank goodness, it’s almost Hockeytime.
No, seriously. I get the Redskins, people. Really. But I’m not a football fan. It’s all about sticks, pucks and skates – and the cool Zamboni ‘race’ between periods.
Hockey. Where the men have more gaps in their teeth than West Virginians. (I kid! [...]

The star is aligned for you

Washington Monument – West View – 7-15-08, courtesy of mosley.brian
Shooter Brian, talking about the photo above, proves himself to be his own worst critic when he says “This could have turned out better, but that setting sun was really strong. ” I think it’s a great shot, but if one of the things he’d like [...]

Sports Fix: Hail to the Victors!

Crazed Fan by Leediehr
26-24. Sorry, Cowboys, no 4 & 0 for you. The Redskins looked quite good in Dallas today, with Jason Campbell starting to look like the Quarterback that the Redskins had hoped he’d become. Two TDs and 230 yards, all without a single pick. Clinton Portis came up big [...]

Dulles Diamond Lanes: Diluted!

Photo by Wayan
I am disappointed to report that the Diamond Lanes at Dulles Airport are now diluted by the very people it was designed to exclude.
Before, it was the providence of frequent flyers who know how to transverse the TSA security theatre. Now it is the overflow for the regular security lines.
On a busy [...]

Presidential Debate Drinking Game

Every four years, our nation faces a great choice: which is better for the Presidential Debate Drinking Game? Beer or Liquor. This year, I think we might need both, and so in the spirit of bi-partisanship, I’ve created the DebateDrink.com Presidential Debate Drinking Game to find out just how  much we’ll have to drink to [...]

Sports Fix Light: Take Heart, Redskins Fans

Appropriate for Dallas Week by dharmabumx
I know, Sports Fix doesn’t usually air until Monday, but I’ve made a snap decision to run with it today because it’s Dallas Week. That’s right, it’s time for the Redskins, as they have several times over the last few years, to frustrate the Cowboys in new and unusual [...]

Mallwatching: National Book Festival

Book World, courtesy of caryn74
I have to admit, this one snuck up on me.
To be fair, it seems to do that to me every year; you’d think a writer like me would be a bit more cognizant of the National Book Festival, especially since it’s right across the Potomac every September.
This year, though, I have [...]

DC Rollergirls Take On Charm City All-Stars

Since it looks like rain tomorrow, you might want to eschew the various outdoor Oktoberfests and head instead to Sterling to check out the DC Rollergirls as they take on the Charm City All-stars in a pre-season match. DC-based matches at the DC Armory start up on the 4th of October.
Good luck Rollergirls, [...]

Chocolate-Orange Port at MyLHBS

My friend Derek at MyLHBS in Falls Church informed me that he still had some kits left to make the chocolate-orange port that has become so popular in recent years. I am told that the wine ends up tasting like those dark chocolate-orange candies that are so tasty. Except with alcohol. I just picked up [...]

Lace ‘em Up!

Ovechkin Takes the IceOriginally uploaded by clydeorama
Hockey is right around the corner. Caps hockey drops the puck on the 2008-2009 season in two weeks against the Thrashers. So get ready for some more Ovie-worship around town, even from those who can’t tell the blue line from the red. (That’s ok, we still love you people.)
Look [...]

Four Line Announcements

Four Line AnnouncementsOriginally uploaded by brownpau
Paulo captured this shot of the new Metro sign format for announcements. The old side-scrolling versions are thankfully history as they were nearly impossible to read. Thankfully, Metro’s embracing some good IA these days and going for something that’s a bit more passenger friendly than the crawl, which [...]

Fenty Announces Bicycle Center at Union Station

Here’s a quick, fuzzy video of DC Mayor Adrian Fenty at Union Station, announcing the new Bicycle Center:

Like
Unlike

Tourism: The New Sant Ocean Hall

Five years ago, the Museum of Natural History got together a group of people with the goal of expanding the Museum’s reach beyond just the land. The incredible wealth of life below the water’s surface, and the great span of the ocean, was a missing spot in the museum’s coverage. Thus, they began [...]

Because it’s Friday and I’m Fried

Figure of Puck over Fountain and PoolOriginally uploaded by kimberlyfaye
…the very first thing I thought upon seeing this photo was “JAZZ HANDS!”

Like
Unlike