Monthly Archives: November 2008

The Daily Feed
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Newseum Has the Headlines


Anchorage history
Originally uploaded by afagen

The news is hard to miss, and the headlines have been block print and bold. A special edition of the Washington Post went on sale at 3pm today (grab one at your CVS, 7-11, Giant, Harris Teeter, Safeway or Shoppers instead of the really long ling at the Post’s offices on 15th), and it will be featured, along with the front pages of the world’s newspapers at the Newseum on Pennsylvania Ave. If you’re burned out on the day, might want to walk over and check out the headlines. It’s good for the soul.

The Daily Feed
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The OpenTable Appetite Stimulus Plan



Originally uploaded by Hoffmann

Open Table, the online reservation system, has introduced the Appetite Stimulus Plan. Also known as, DC Restaurant Week, but not. I think times are getting a little desperate out there…

From November 17-21, you’ll be able to dine at some of my favorite area restaurants for a prix fixe menu (just like our beloved RW) of $24 for a 3-course lunch, and $35 for a 3-course dinner. You also get double Open Table points, a bonus for those of us who are counting our way towards a free gift certificate.

There are some great places on the list – Corduroy, Olives, Ceiba, Firefly, Oyamel, and TenPehn. During RW,  I usually sort the list by price, and go where I can get the best deals, so it’s worth my while. I recommend you do that for this too, since this is basically faux-RW.

Now go forth and reserve!

Comedy in DC, Entertainment
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Comedy In DC: The Election is Over; Now What Do We Laugh At?

 Stephen Colbert at the National Portrait Gallery, by Mr. T in DC

Stephen Colbert at the National Portrait Gallery, by Mr. T in DC

It’s not just the We Love DC bloggers who are nursing their election hangovers, it’s local comics, too. The calendar is a little thin here in early November for booked shows. Nonetheless, there are several ways to get your local comedy on at the DC Improv Lounge this week:

On Thursday, the Improv’s regular Improvisational Open Mic night starts “promptly at 8:05,” and is free to attend. It’s open to groups AND solo performers, who must be there to sign up between 7 and 7:30. The show will be a mix of group improv performances and solo performers randomly organized into improv games. Sounds like a good way to sharpen your improv skills.

On Friday, there’s another installment of Homegrown Comedy. This one will feature Kojo Mante, Mike Eltringham, Matt Sapsford, Keith Irvin, Lisa Fine, Tim Miller, and Brian Parise and be hosted by Mike Way, all very funny people. Tickets are $10.

On Saturday, there’s a show called “Law(yers) Can Be Funny, Too!”  It features a bunch of lawyers I’ve never heard of doing comedy, so I have no idea if they’ll be any good. But if legal humor is your thing, $10 is a cheap way to find out.

And of course, now that we know who the next president is going to be, comics all over the city are going to be writing new political material, now that the gift from the comedy gods known as Sarah Palin will be heading back to Alaska. So don’t forget to check out your local open mics.

All Politics is Local, Downtown, Essential DC, History
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Flashback Special: Nov 4, 2008

Photo courtesy of Yelp.com
Vote for Yelp! Election Night Soiree, courtesy of Yelp.com

As all my friends can attest, I don’t talk politics with anyone, save my wife. (My vote is always a closely guarded secret.) So yesterday was a pretty quiet day for me. And that was actually kinda cool, because I didn’t get caught up in any hype or despair, and pretty much enjoyed just being in DC during a major, national election – which just happened to make history.

What I’m most pleased with is just how awesome the voter turnout was. This, my friends, is what democracy IS. Not who’s “team” won or lost, but the fact that we, as Americans, have the privilege to have a say in who our leaders are to be. And to see such excitement, such passion for the chance to exercise our voice – THAT is what the United States of America is all about.

So take a moment and enjoy a cross-cut of photos taken yesterday by citizens just like you and I, as they shared how they spent their Election Day.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Party on Penn


Originally uploaded by MatthewBradley

Via Matthew Bradley, here’s the scene at 16th St and Penn Ave NW outside the White House tonight following the news networks calling Obama’s electoral victory. Quite a party!

I’ve got people yelling ecstatically and blowing their horns here downtown, Twittered reports of street parties and gunfire/fireworks in Columbia Heights, celebrations in Adams Morgan and Georgetown… what kind of spontaneous parties are breaking out in your neighborhood?

All Politics is Local
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President-Elect Obama

Obama08.jpg
Obama 2008 Presidential Campaign by Barack Obama

While the final totals are still being tallied, it’s readily apparent that Barack Obama will become the 44th President of the United States on 20 January 2009. Virginia, DC & Maryland will cast their electors all for Senator Obama in December, the first time they’ve all been cast for the same party since 1964.

Kwame Brown and Michael Brown lead in the At-Large City Council race, with Patrick Mara and Carol Schwartz in 3rd & 4th. Eleanor Holmes Norton will return as our Delegate to the House. Maryland will get both Early Voting & Slot Machines. We still have no freaking idea what happened in Arlington. Well, we do, but it’s hard to believe that DC got their votes up before Arlington county did.

I’m exhausted. It was a rollercoaster tonight, and it ended with an incredible speech by President-Elect Obama. This was the end of his speech tonight, and I think it deserves to be printed here:

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes we can.

Congratulations, Mr. President-Elect.

The Daily Feed
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Start making your inaugural plans


THE ULTIMATE NO PARKING SIGN, 1969 RICHARD NIXON PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION, NO PARKING SIGN, January 20, 1969
Originally uploaded by woody1778a

The ballots have been cast and counted, the electors, er, elected. Senator Barack Obama is President-elect of the United States.

This being DC, it’s time to start figuring out your plans for the Inauguration. If you want to get close enough to see the swearing-in, start watching the websites of your members of Congress- all tickets are distributed via members of Congress to their constituents. I expect that Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton will get a share as well.

If you plan to run like hell to get away from the crowds, we have a fine list of Getaways that will let you get far enough out of the city to not be disturbed for a few days.

If you’re planning to have guests in from out of town that weekend, make sure you pick up an air mattress or something- hotels will likely be booked solid.

Arlington, Technology, The Daily Feed
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Arlington Vote Reporting FAIL

I Voted In Arlington
I Voted In Arlington by christaki

I’ve been waiting and watching the Arlington Voter Results all night, and I’ve seen the format of the page change a dozen times, but not even a single vote has been recorded on the page yet. With Virginia still in play (last time I looked it was just 12,000 votes margin between McCain and Obama) it’s absolutely amazing to me that we’re not seeing any numbers out of Arlington at all.

C’mon guys, let’s get it going.

The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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We Love Lost Lunch Lists

Lost Lunch List

Just not on election day. It’s a fine day for the list of sandwiches for people in line to go flying out of your coworker’s hand, isn’t it? It’s not enough that you had to spend your lunch hour(s) in long lines, but on top of it the person who made the food run screwed the pooch.

Did you actually get proper sustenance today or were you stuck in line with a bunch of other grumpy, hungry people?

Regardless, at least you did your civic duty. For that I thank you.

Food and Drink, Night Life, We Love Food
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We Love Food: 1905

Dining Room at 1905

The stretch of 9th from U Street to the Convention Center makes for an interesting walk. It’s a very exciting time to live close by, with development evolving in a truly organic way. From the Little Ethiopia of Etete, Chez Hareg, Habesha Market and Queen of Sheba, to glorious grimy dive DC9, past the beautiful boys at BeBar, vegetarian haven Vegetate, on down to the weirdness of the Convention Center’s cold empty glass. All along are pockets of blight, boarded up houses mostly owned by Shiloh Baptist Church.

On this fascinating street has dropped 1905, a small second floor bistro. The vibe is rather like visiting a quirky friend’s dinner party, whose decorating style is rustic opulence on a budget. On weekdays it’s a relaxing spot for a quiet candlelit meal or drinks at the cosy bar. On weekends the communal table ramps up and it’s far livelier, with live jazz on Thursdays at 10pm. Whichever you prefer, the staff is committed to making sure everyone has a good experience and keeps a friendly atmosphere.

The menu features kicked-up bistro and comfort food with a French twist. Like the space, it’s small, and I wonder if it will change seasonally. The standout for me is the “Grilled Merquez with Polenta and Piquillo Peppers.” I’ve had it twice and it will be hard not to have every time. Having comforting polenta and spicy lamb sausage together – well, it’s like kissing a shy boy and finding out he is a bad boy. Seriously, that’s my metaphor and I’m sticking to it. Continue reading →

Technology, The Daily Feed
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Street View in DC, At Last!

streets.png

Many thanks to Rob Pegararo of the Post for tweeting about the appearance of Street View for Google Maps here in DC, finally, after long last. This shot, taken on H St NW just north of the White House, is an example of Street View. What’s so utterly cool about it, though, is that the image is draggable, like moving the orientation of the camera. So you get a sweet panorama of your neighborhood.

I looked at my place, and saw both our cars, and the photos looked fairly recent, taken in Fall at any rate. I’ve seen some shots of Clarendon after a snow, and some other spots in different seasons. Spot anything cool? Let us know in the comments.

The Daily Feed
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Election Report: Douchebag Alert in Fairfax


peninsular dysfunction
Originally uploaded by sillydog

Someone thought it would be hilarious to hack into GMU’s listserves last night to send this message to students, after several Get Out The Vote efforts by the University:

—– Message from Office of the Provost on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:16:42 -0500 —–
To: ANNOUNCE04-L@mail04.gmu.edu
Subject: Election Day Update

To the Mason Community:Please note that election day has been moved to November 5th. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. Peter N. Stearns Provost

Of course, the message is a steaming pile, and in no way accurate. Frankly, while I may think these messages weed out morons who probably shouldn’t vote anyway, it’s a better world in which more people exercise their franchise and vote. The Provost of GMU sent this out this morning in response:

—- Message from Office of the Provost on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 08:08:21 -0500 —–
To: PROVOSTOFFICE-L@mail04.gmu.edu
Subject: Urgent Voting Information

Dear Colleagues,

It has come to my attention early this morning that a message was hacked into the system fraudulently stating that election day has been moved. I am sure everybody realizes this is a hoax, it is also a serious offense and we are looking into it. Please be reminded that election day is today, November 4th.

Peter N. Stearns
Provost

So, recognize there are jerks out there, and stick by your guns.

All Politics is Local
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It’s Like Christmas in DC!

Capitol Christmas Tree, by flickr user flickr-rickr
Capitol Christmas Tree, by Flickr user flickr-rickr

In college, I found it inconvenient for a number of reasons to celebrate Halloween, but I still found myself, needing the rhythm of a fall holiday before Thanksgiving. Being a political science major, Election Day fit the bill nicely. I sang Election Day carols, decorated my dorm room with red, white, and blue paper chains, and convinced my long-suffering roommates to humor me by participating in the festivities. Okay, so it was more like Christmas than Halloween, but when your holiday falls right after midterms, you do what you can, all right?

I still think that Election Day in DC is a lot like Christmas.  We have all manner of parties to attend, time off to participate in the relevant observances, drinking and merrymaking, and hey, we even get presents!

What Christmas does for “good will toward men,” Election Day does for democracy- for all the flaws, inefficiencies, and mass media-age self-consciousness of our political process, the act of queuing up to choose our leaders reminds us what a rare thing in human history government by, for, and of the people actually is. Ninety years ago- one lifetime!- I wouldn’t have had the right to cast a ballot to determine the leaders who would legislate the laws under which I would live. With that in mind, Election Day is too important for me to shrug off as just another day.

The Daily Feed
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Election Report: Arlington 12th



Originally uploaded by erin m

Don Whiteside’s acting as an election official in Arlington’s 12th precinct in South Fairlington, and reports that as of noontime today, of the 2800 on their books, 1215 had shown to vote, 440 more were listed as absentee voters, leaving just 1185 left to vote. Their longest reported wait time was an hour and ten minutes, currently sporting not much of a wait at all. They’d done the first 700 voters by 8:45 or so.

Want to tell us your voting story? Either tweet at us (we’re @welovedc), or use the Suggest a Story form to tell us!

The Daily Feed
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and now, the completely frivolous


Mitchel Musso of the Disney Channel
Originally uploaded by minds-eye

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of this heavy political talk. A historic election! Record voter turnout! I stayed up late watching the Steelers spank the Redskins, and then got up too early to stand outside for two hours to vote. I’m ready to move on to something else.

Whatever, let’s talk about some kid from “Hannah Montana” showing up at Legacy Elementary School in Loudon County to promote… hand-washing.

Repeat after me, kids: “Clean Hands are Cool Hands.” Did you wash your hands after touching those dirty communal touchscreens?

All Politics is Local
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It’s a Day Like Any Other

commuting.jpg
Union Station Commuters by Zizzy

While you’ve heard how Election Day in DC can be like the day before Christmas, for those of us who don’t work in politics, near politics, around politics or within smelling range of politics, it can be just another day. Perhaps being a non-political guy in DC on Election Night is like being Jewish on Christmas? If it means ordering Chinese and heading to the movies, that doesn’t sound too bad, does it?

I have friends on both ends of the spectrum. My friend Brittany worked for left-leaning groups here in the District before she escaped to California, and my good friend Mike is a co-founder of RedState.com. My friend Ben started draftobama.org, and my other friend Ben used to be a speechwriter for various Republicans on the Hill. They live & die by the progress of their respective sides, while I sit on the sidelines addressed by neither party. I am that peculiar independent that finds neither party’s message or drive compelling to forsake my pleasant place between them.

So, today, as you gorge yourself on election news (make no mistake, I’ll probably be doing the same, just so I can talk to my friends), remember that not everyone is living and dying by it. Buy ’em a beer, talk about that local sports franchise, or that art exhibit they’re dying to see, and remember that DC is more than just politics, more than the beautiful marble & bronze. This city is full of people who don’t eat, sleep & breathe the politics that we’re host to, despite it all. Give them a bit of a break, yeah?

Featured Photo
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Featured Photo

Georgetown Bricks by Justin Mathews

Fortunately there is no formula for capturing a great photograph, however it’s almost always a safe bet to keep things simple.  Today’s featured photo is by local photographer, Justin Mathews, a student at The Center for Digital Imaging Arts (CDIA) in Georgetown.  In looking at Justin’s portfolio, it appears that he has a great feel for shapes, lines, contrast, and color, capturing them all with elegant simplicity.  It’s hard to tell if the photo above was taken during the day or night, although the ghostly clouds may give you a clue.

Much like the clouds and shadows above drift by in silence, so has the announcement of the finalists of the FotoWeek DC Juried Photo Exhibition.  You’ll notice Justin’s name, amongst many other great local photographers such as Meaghan Gay, Justin Hoffmann, Katherine Ray, and John Ulaszek.  Don’t forget to mark your calendars for FotoWeek if you haven’t done so already.  The week long festival of awesomeness runs from November 15th to the 22nd and is packed full of amazing events to take part in.  Remember, you have to register to participate.