Monthly Archives: January 2009

The Daily Feed
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OpenTable’s got your Inauguration Week Specials


Eat
Originally uploaded by Greg McElhatton

OpenTable, your friendly online reservation system, emailed out a list of great Inauguration Week deals. It’s a great lookin’ list with tons and tons of places offering prix-fixe menus or tasting menus. Most places who are doing a restaurant week-style prix-fixe are offering it for $44, since Obama is our 44th president. Clever.

Some stars are on the list offering specials. You’ve got some great opportunities from yummy places such as 1789, 2941, PS 7’s, and TenPehn. Other places, such as Passion Fish, Oakville Grille and Wine Bar, and the District Chophouse are offering special Obama and Biden themed beer and cocktails. Proof is even offering a late night Inaugural Party with Cristal & Caviar from 11pm-3am for $250.

Cheers to change.

History, Special Events, The Features
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Scribbling: Thomas D. Schoonover

Photo courtesy of Ya-Bing
The Unwavering Night Watch, courtesy of Ya-Bing

Thomas D. Schoonover, professor emeritus in history at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, will share his impressive research into the Nazi spy story of Heinz August Lüning, discussing how he separated fact from fiction from this story that inspired Graham Greene’s 1958 book, Our Man in Havana. He took a moment to answer some questions about his research and the book; you can meet and discuss Shoonover’s work at noon tomorrow at the International Spy Museum. The event is free and open to the public.

At the beginning of World War II, Heinz August Lüning, posing as a Jewish refugee, was sent to Cuba to spy for the Third Reich. Lüning’s assignment was to collect information about the United States and its allies and report back to the Abwehr, the German military intelligence agency. His Caribbean post was an important vantage point for observing shipping patterns and ship deployments, but things went badly wrong for the bumbling Lüning who was ultimately captured and executed for espionage.

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The Daily Feed
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DC Jail to Test Cellphone Jammer


dc jail
Originally uploaded by xxo23o

The DC Jail will be testing a new cellphone jammer they want to install inside the facility to prohibit unauthorized wireless calls from prisoners. The FCC has permitted a short test tomorrow, but demonstrate some skepticism (PDF) that the jammer will really only work inside the facility and not on nearby cellphones.

The 30-minute test will take place some time between 11:30 and 1pm tomorrow. If your cell cuts out, blame the jail. Or sunspots. Or neutron radiation. Or AT&T. It’s probably their fault anyhow.

The Daily Feed
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Five Major Bridges Closed on Inauguration Day


14th Street Bridge
Originally uploaded by tbridge

Seriously, if you live in Virginia, forget about coming into the District on Inauguration Day. The Key, Memorial, Fourteenth and Roosevelt Bridges are all going to be closed on the 20th. In addition, the Chain Bridge is likely going to be closed, as well, as I’m betting money it can’t handle the overflow traffic.

If you’re playing along at home, that’s every major or minor crossing between Virginia and the District. Your only bet at that point is Metro. Which, I have already pointed out, will be over capacity that day.

Awesome.

The Daily Feed
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Tuesday Night Obama Jam

washington dc by wayan
Photo by Wayan

What happens when you close I Street NW so the president’s daughters can start at Sidwell? An evening rush hour Obama traffic jam.

Add in a fire on 14th street and you would be better off spending the next two hours in the gym burning off Christmas pie. These fools will not be getting home before you.

Adventures, Night Life, The Features
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Spy At Night

Photo courtesy of M.V. Jantzen
I Spy a Museum, courtesy of M.V. Jantzen

Beginning this Friday, Jan 9th, you can taste the life of a spy for an evening. No, really! Intrigue, deception, daring escapes, delicious drinks and five-star treats – it’s all yours for a night at the International Spy Museum.

It’s a weekly special operations event for adults only. License to Kill card not required.

Every Friday and Saturday night starting at 6 p.m., enjoy a visit to the museum’s interactive experience, Operation Spy. After the hour-long mission, toast your success (or drink away your failure) and your team from the Zola Kitchen bar menu.

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The Daily Feed
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How great do these guys look?


Epiphany Procession Magi
Originally uploaded by Mr. T in DC

One of the many things I enjoy about DC is the ability to participate in any ethnicity-specific celebration of almost any event. I knew it was the Feast of the Epiphany this weekend, but the little Polish-and-Italian town I grew up in did NOT rock any kind of stylish, costumed procession for it. Which is a pity, because who doesn’t want to see gold, frankincense, and myrrh coming down a street near them?

Petworth, The Daily Feed
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Petworth People: Scoop Your Poop!

Photo by Tilly Dog Fauxtografix

Photo by Tilly Dog Fauxtografix

I just picked up seven pounds of frozen dog feces in Grant Circle and I’m disgusted. Not (yet) with the stench of all that crap when the spring thaw happens, but with the laziness of my neighbourhood’s dog owners.

How hard is it to pick up your pooch’s poop?

You already have too many plastic shopping and newspaper bags in your kitchen. You’re right there when your dog drops a load. Now bend over a pick that sh*t up!

If you think it is too gross, or you’re just too plain lazy, may you step in hot, stinky dog poop come summer. And may you be barefoot too.

The Daily Feed
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Senate Turns Back Burris


Do not enter
Originally uploaded by DimitryB

Despite being the duly appointed senator from the State of Illinois, Roland Burris was turned away by the Senate today, being told his credentials were not in order. As Article I, Section 5 of the Constitution reads, “Each House shall be the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members,” the Senate is empowered to say that Burris’ credentials, which do not bear the seal of the State of Illinois, nor the signature of the Secretary of State of Illinois, are not yet valid.

I did some looking around, but I can’t find the last time the Senate refused to honor someone’s credentials. Do you know?

We Love Food
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We Love Food: Recession Specials

Beck DC Appetizers, by christaki

Beck DC Appetizers, by christaki

Your 401(k) is shrinking, you’re hearing rumors of cutbacks at work, and your house is losing value by the day. You know what you need to take your mind off it?  A nice meal out.  

Restaurants all over the area are offering fixed-price menus designed to entice you through their doors, even while you’re cutting back spending on everything else.  Open Table’s Appetite Stimulus Plan is over, but there are still plenty of specials to be found all over DC.
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Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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Oh Dog Park, Where Art Thou?

photo courtesy of Max

I moved to Dupont Circle in late 2003 which seems like an eternity ago.  Not much has changed in the neighborhood since then.  Some new restaurants have opened up on 17th street, property prices went way up and then slid back down again, and the “S street dog park” has turned into a barren, dusty, dirt bowl.

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Technology, The Daily Feed, The District, WTF?!
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EnviroTaxi is only a Twitter Away!

dctaxi.jpg

A DC Taxi Day (though not an Envirotaxi) by Wayan

Apparently, getting a cab in DC is as easy as Twittering to @taxinow (aka EnviroRide.net taxis) your start and finish destinations, and they’ll route you a cab. For those of us who absolutely hate using the phone to talk to cab companies, this seems like a really straightforward way to get from point A to point B without having to call ahead.

Sure you might want to give it a little bit of time to get there, but this sounds vastly preferable to calling the call center, to me.

The Daily Feed
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Best of Winter/Spring Preview

National Monument on Winter Night by Roger Photos

National Monument on Winter Night by Roger Photos

The WAPO GOG has a post today titled “Flying Into 2009” which rounds up the best events of the first three months. The article lists events such as Aretha Franklin at the KC, Natural History Museum’s Orchids through Darwin’s Eyes, and Shamrock Fest. The oddity in my opinion? DC Fashion Week. While blogs like Capitol Hill Style, Guide for the Working Girl and my monthly DC Scout makes a pretty good case for why DC is more fashionable than people think, I’m still unconvinced we’re worthy of a fashion week. The one thing I’ll be sure to get to? The Smithsonian Kite Festival. So what about you? What is your must-do spring event this year?

Sports Fix
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Sports Fix: Capitals Soar, Wizards on Floor

Celebrate.png

Ovechkin Celebrates by clydeorama

Capitals
Record: 26-11-3
Last Two Weeks: 6-0
Place: First in the Southeast

The Caps roared through the holidays, racking up a six-game win streak and handily beating down the Rangers on Saturday in a defensive slugfest. The 2-1 victory saw the return of Alexander Semin as well as Semin’s first (slap)fight of his NHL career. With the injury bug now behind them, the Caps are in prime position to pull away from the ‘Canes (10 points behind) and cement their playoff position for April.

Ovechkin and company have the best 40-game start in franchise history, another feather in Coach Boudreau’s cap. However, Ovechkin was snubbed on Saturday when the NHL All-Star teams were announced; due to Montreal fan chicanery, Ovie finished sixth in the overall voting and won’t be on the starting lineup. Boudreau’s quote on ESPN: “It’s dumb. It’s not right the best player in the game is not a starter.”

All of us here at WLDC totally agree (even Ben!). Ovie should be joining Crosby and Malkin on the top line, not on-again-off-again Kovalev, oft-injured Koivu or flash-in-the-pan Tanguay. But alas, Habs fans are rabid and were out to fix the voting, hence Ovie receiving less than 500,000 votes (compared to the 1.2 million each Habs player received). We’ll see who the real All-Star is come January 25th.

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The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Today, I am 12

Modified Speed Hump Sign on Monroe Street NW, by Mr. T in DC

Modified Speed Hump Sign on Monroe Street NW, by Mr. T in DC

The photo is a year and a half old, but it just made it into our Flickr pool, so it’s new to me. And it entertained me thoroughly. If you can’t read the sign, be sure to click through. And I agree, Mr. T, the grammatical error just adds to the comic effect. I almost regret that it’s not immortalized this way in Google Street View. (Yes, of COURSE I checked.)

Life in the Capital, Media, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Post’s Managing Editor Steps Down



The Washington Post
Originally uploaded by krossbow

Well, I didn’t see that coming on a Monday Morning. The Post’s managing editor for print, Phil Bennett, is stepping down effective Friday. It was previously announced that their managing editor of WashingtonPost.com was stepping down after the inauguration, but it now seems that both of the major editors at the Post are out the door in the same month.

What’s cooking over at the Washington Post that’s got people running for the exits? Is circulation really that far down?

The Daily Feed
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Obamas Arrive at Hay-Adams: Street Closures

ObamaBlock.png

The Obamas have arrived in DC for the next 10 days, as the girls are starting at Sidwell Friends today, and the President-Elect has business on The Hill talking about the bailout. They’ll be staying at the Hay-Adams for the next 10 days or so, which means additional street closures around the hotel. H Street is closed between Connecticut and Vermont, 16th between H and I is also closed, as well. Avoid the area at all costs if you’re driving.

Life in the Capital, Weekend Flashback
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Weekend Flashback: 1/2 – 1/4/2009

Photo courtesy of trentroche
IMG_4071, courtesy of trentroche

Happy 2009!

Yes, I’m a few days late. I hope your celebrations weren’t too disruptive to your weekend frolicking. From what I’ve seen on Flickr, it seems that everyone was out and about in the area, despite the chilly air.

We’ll be announcing our Holiday Photo Contest winner and runner-up later this week, so stay peeled to We LoveDC! In the meantime, we’ve got museums, metro, cupcakes and Caps for this Monday’s flashback. Please visit these photographers’ flickr streams; some have some great info on their photos. Also let them know you saw their shot right here on Weekend Flashback.

On with the show! Continue reading →