By Ben H. Rome
A Charlie Brown Holiday, courtesy of william couch
Set your eyes upon this great photo by Flickr user william couch, for this is the winner of the WeLoveDC 2008 Holiday Photo Contest! Congratulations, William! It was a close vote between this rendition of a Charlie Brown Christmas and our runner-up, below.
William wins a $50 certificate to Overwood and has chosen the Nationals ticket package in the “Presidential Club,” complete with parking pass.
And our runner-up… Continue reading
By Katie
Black wedding dress
Originally uploaded by Lukasz Dunikowski
My co-workers and I were offered tickets to an Inaugural Ball and have been in a dress-finding and accessorizing frenzy all week. I’ve been taking informal polls of what to wear to our ball, especially since Obama isn’t going to show up, and it’s not a state-sponsored ball.
Most of my friends think tea length should be fine, and so I’m going with it. But then I found a very genius site – DressRegistry.com, where you can register your dress. BRILLIANT for checking out the competition (and seeing if your old prom dress will be in our out!). The site is chock full of Inaugural Balls, and people have registered quite the collection of dresses.
So, for all of you ladies out there looking for some guidance, it’s a lifesaver! (And don’t be lazy, register your dress! Share and share alike.)
By Jonathan
Dupont Circle Metro in Washington, D.C. by NDinDC
If you are going to be in the area for inauguration, and (gasp!) you might venture from your home that day, you might want to head over to Metro’s Inauguration website and sign up for Metro’s inauguration updates service. They are planning on sending out messages regarding delays or other problems on Metro.
No idea if the information will be current (or if your phone will be able to receive messages) but it might help.
By Tom Bridge
You know how you have a favorite president growing up? Like, you get assigned the guy, knowing he’s not one of the big five, but he turns out to be interesting in his own right? Meet mine, James Abram Garfield. I think it was in Mrs. Franti’s third-grade class that we all had to do mini-reports, and I drew James A. Garfield from the hat.
I was totally bummed, but it worked out pretty well in the end. He wasn’t Thomas Jefferson, or Ulysses S. Grant, or even Richard Nixon. Who was this guy?!
James A. Garfield was a general in the Union Army in the Civil War, hailing from just outside of Cleveland, Ohio. He would, during and after the conclusion of the Civil War, serve as the Congressman from Ohio’s 19th District. On the 36th ballot, in 1880, he became the Republican Nominee for President of the United States. The internecine rivalry between the “Half-Breeds” and the “Stalwarts” lead to a controversial convention. The Half-Breeds, hoping to rid the Government of the patronage system that had developed, were pulling for Senator James Blaine, while the Stalwarts were pushing former President Ulysses S. Grant. Garfield would be the compromise candidate, and his Vice President was Chester A. Arthur, a Stalwart. Continue reading
Did It Ever Look So Nice?
Originally uploaded by Thruhike98
If, despite the best efforts of the Virginia State Police, the Secret Service, the Park Police, and MPD, you actually DO manage to get to the Mall for the Inauguration, you should probably not rely on your cell phone to be your only means of contacting your companions. According to The Root, all the major carriers are planning temporary capacity increases for DC on Inauguration day, but you really shouldn’t count on being able to use your phone that much. There’s only so much the carriers can do, and there’s bound to be overflow issues.
So make your meetup plans the old-fashioned way, just in case.
By Tom Bridge
Freedom and Inauguration
Originally uploaded by tbridge
I stood at the Grant Memorial today, and watched the crews working on the scaffolds on the Western Steps of the Capitol, and imagined standing this close, or closer, on Inauguration Day. We won’t go this year, as they’ve closed all the bridges across the Potomac, but for pedestrian and bus traffic, and even I-66 and I-395 will be closed.
I got to thinking, as often I do, about Armèd Freedom that stands on top the tholos of the Capitol. She stands 19′ 6″ tall, cast in five pieces of solid bronze, armed with the sword and shield of Liberty and Freedom. She stands for everything that makes this nation great, and I found it odd that they would choose the Western Steps for the Inauguration. Continue reading
By Katie
chauffeur
Originally uploaded by NCinDC
WLDC has been atwitter with comments on my WRAP SoberRide FAIL post and today WRAP President Kurt Erikson wrote a great response piece for me to share with everyone.
By Wayan
Have you seen the shiny new elevator for the Newseum’s conference center? Oh my, it is huge!With enough room for 20 to 30 people, I think it may be larger than some apartments. It is definitely the largest people moving (vs. freight) elevator I have seen in DC. Hell, it may be the largest I’ve seen anywhere.
By Katie
Inauguration construction zone
Originally uploaded by devonhaupt
I posted yesterday about the totally idiotic Alert DC email about the inauguration that acted like the entire city lives under a rock. Arlington’s Alert came into my mail today, and I quote:
“Arlington is proud to be an important part of the Presidential Inauguration and celebrations. Arlington is expecting record crowds during the entire inaugural weekend January 17-20. Crowds and events during this weekend will affect all residents. To prepare for this event, pretend a hurricane is coming during that weekend and expect large crowds, congestion, traffic and many delays. Getting around will be difficult at best so a common sense approach will be important. Be informed, make a plan, be prepared.”
What Arlington Alert really means to say: It’ll Barack you like a hurricane.
By Don
real estate bust
Image courtesy of TheTruthAbout…
Monica from Fleishman-Hillard sent us a really neat piece courtesy of the National Apartment Association that lists ten smart things you can do to protect yourself if you are or are considering renting space to a visitor. It’s good information whether you’re subletting an apartment or if it’s your own house.
The best tip in my not-so-humble opinion is this one: “If you currently rent your home and are thinking of sub-letting it for the week – check with your landlord to make sure you are legally allowed to do so before you post your advertisement. ” It doesn’t elaborate on the important part of this: if you’re in violation of your lease your insurance may not cover you if there’s an emergency.
The full list after the jump. Continue reading
By Tom Bridge
DC Fireboat and Memorial Bridge
Originally uploaded by Mr. T in DC
I’ve been driving across the Roosevelt Bridge most days to head into the city, taking the exit for Independence Avenue on my way to the Hill for some coffee and wireless internet. Every day I cross over that bridge, I see the level of the Potomac and I wonder why it’s so low. I recognize that the Potomac is on a tide schedule, but I don’t ever managed to see the river at high when the water line is anywhere near where the historic marks on the masonry sit.
Does this mean the Potomac’s a bit low? I know it looks like it’s down about 4-6 feet, judging by my optical guesswork, or am I just imaging all of this in the midst of a consistent debate on global warming?
By Don
“You should not have come.”
That’s how Mike Daisey opens his monologue at Woolly Mammoth, acknowledging that this is going to be a different kind of show. He’s very wrong, mind you: this show has a self-selecting audience that is sure to be glad they came. The show’s title assures that. Anyone who reads “How Theater Failed America” on a program schedule and thinks “that’s something I want to see!” is pretty certain to enjoy it, since anyone who isn’t predisposed to be interested in a critical examination of the business of modern theater isn’t going to be jazzed by a moniker that holds up a metaphorical axe and grindstone.
That’s really too bad, since this is a show that anyone can take something away from. (Well, presuming they’re not afraid of the word “fuck,” which Daisey uses pretty liberally.) Daisey intertwines examination, analysis, personal anecdote and touching revelation to create something worth hearing even if you couldn’t care less about what ends up on local or national stages. Continue reading
By Ben H. Rome
Boudreau and Capitals at Bench, courtesy of clydeorama
I recently had the pleasure of chatting about hockey with John Buccigross, ESPNEWS Anchor and SportsCenter host – and the former primary host of NHL 2Night when ESPN covered NHL games. Bucci’s (as many call him) columns on hockey on the ESPN website are often insightful, humorous and engaging. Just don’t call him ESPN’s “hockey guy.”
Since the Washington Capitals have hit the halfway point, I wanted to give a mid-season review, so why not Bucci?
Sum up the Caps season so far. At or above expectations?
[Bucci] Right about where I thought they would be. Maybe a little better. They are certainly among the NHL elite. Time will tell if they can win low scoring playoff games and if they have enough playoff defense and goaltending when they play a good team every night for two months.
Areas of improvement?
[Bucci] Team defense, blueline, a goaltender to trust to win for two months, and keeping their goals against lower.
Goaltending. Can they be successful with just Johnson and Theodore (and some solid minor-league backups), or is this where McPhee needs to pull a trade-trigger?
[Bucci] This where GM’s earn their money. They get paid to make tough decisions. They have to make a determination if they have the goaltending to win the Cup. I would think they don’t because they are not a great defensive team. But, if they can improve in that area and they keep scoring goals, they might have enough. Continue reading
By Katie
Hello, sugar
Originally uploaded by erin m
Washingtonian did a blog post on the loved and loathed food trends of 2008. Washingtonian is right – DC does tend to glom onto a trend and then ride it for all it’s worth.
I’ve eaten more than few cupcakes this year, and my fair share of Ray’s Hell Burgers. I do love some FroYo, and I’d rather visit a wine bar than the Adam’s Morgan bar strip any day. These trends aren’t the worst, they’re just overdone. Which got me thinking – if I were queen what would my 2009 food trends be? Continue reading
By Katie
We’re into the depths of New Year’s resolution season and one of the most typical resolutions of the season is losing weight. And since our economy is in the crapper (oh you didn’t know?) I figured I could pair our continuing series, Thrifty District with everyone’s favorite New Year’s resolution and give you some tips on how to lose weight in 2009, while still maintaining a budget. I’ve got some cheaper alternatives to the gym (and great places to get gym time for free!), cheap yet healthy foods to eat recommended by nutritionist Danielle Omar, and some great places to find healthy recipes online (you know, so you don’t have to spend money on cookbooks!). Continue reading
By Katie
inaugural address
Originally uploaded by philliefan99
This just in from Alert DC:
“The District of Columbia will host one of the largest Presidential Inauguration celebrations in history, January 17 – 21. Even if you don’t plan to attend any of the inaugural events, you should be prepared for crowds, closures, restrictions and delays. For comprehensive information about inaugural events, closures, schedule changes for city services and more, visit www.inauguration.dc.gov.”
By Ben H. Rome
Road Closed
Originally uploaded by MobilFunk7
Just heard on WTOP that the Virginia State Police will be closing I-395 and I-66 (the inner Beltway portion) from 2 a.m. Jan 20th through midnight. Thus, the ONLY WAY to get into the District from Virginia will be via the American Legion and Woodrow Wilson Bridges…on the Beltway.
Yeah, good luck with THAT. I’d be upset that DC was cutting VA off but honestly, I really don’t give a crap. For all you diehard Inauguralites, have fun playing in traffic…
By Jonathan
Just because the inauguration is only a week away shouldn’t mean we avoid any other controversy. Like, for instance, a battle over jamming cell phone signals.
As Tom reported earlier, DC is going to test a system to jam cell phone signals coming from one of the DC prisons.
But, the prisoners have a new ally in the fight to keep those unlawful cell phones. CTIA – the cellular phone industry’s lobbying group – has filed suit today trying to stop the DC department of corrections from testing cell phone jamming equipment.
By Tom Bridge
Meter Fail
Originally uploaded by tbridge
I hope ya’ll like carrying rolls of quarters around DC, because those of you who park at meters (like me) will need twice as many thanks to the doubling of meter rates in the District that was voted on by the council. While this is certainly one way to help increase revenues in this difficult financial time, I just wonder if we’ll either see a rash of “jammed meters” or vandalization similar to this one.
I do know that right now, instead of paying $21 for a garage near one of my clients in Penn Quarter, I’ll sometimes risk a parking ticket because it’s only slightly more expensive. That’s probably an awful admission, but I think raising the parking fines might’ve been a better solution.
We’d know that, if the council had done any research on what other trends are showing, but they didn’t, and just raised the prices.
By Ben H. Rome
DC Transit System Map, courtesy of Cowtools
So another Inauguration Day hype has been deflated. Metro announced that they’ll be opening up thousands of parking spaces for cars at all Metrorail stations (save one) for Inauguration Day festivities. The prophesied “parkapocalypse” has been debunked.
So what happened?
When setting up initial plans for January 20th, WMATA set aside roughly sixty thousand parking spaces for charter buses. Estimates had over 1,100 of the big behemoths coming into the area, so naturally, where does one park so many buses? Metrorail stations, that’s where.
However, WMATA has only received THIRTY FIVE requests – that’s less than half of one percent of the inflated estimate – and is no longer taking requests. As a result, Metro opened the parking floodgates.
By 
