Monthly Archives: February 2009

The Daily Feed
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White House first?

Photo courtesy of
‘Baby’s first christmas ornament’
courtesy of ‘wfyurasko’
In Salon’s coverage of last night’s Washington Post embarrassment White House press conference they comment on President Obama calling on a Huffington Post reporter, asserting that it was the first time a new media professional has been called on at a White House press conference. (Presumably calling on Jeff Gannon didn’t count, as that represented recognition of the oldest media profession…)

So congrats to our fellow new media bretheren. I took a quick look at the HuffPo website to get an idea of their DC presence and noticed they have an opening for a “Reporting/Editorial Internship” post. So if any of you are so turned on right now by their brush with news celebrity that you want to get in on the ground floor, here’s your shot.

The Daily Feed
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Sale @ Propper Topper


Looking Dapper for Barack Obama
Originally uploaded by starbuck77

I covet cloche hats. I think they’re classy, adorable, practical and unique in the sea of polartech hats lining Metro platforms. When I was searching for the perfect cloche, I found it at Georgetown’s Proper Topper. It’s a great one-stop-shop for hats of all shapes and kinds.

If you’re on the market for a hat, or other winter wear, Proper Topper’s Gigantic Get-Ready-For-Spring sale is already kicking. The sale includes all books, leather goods, hats, gloves and fall/winter clothing. They’re slashing prices on everything – $90 clutches are being slashed to a much more reasonable $39, and covet-worthy cloches are on sale for as little as $20.

Happy shopping, or should I say Topping?

Featured Photo
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Featured Photo

Blissful Slumber by Karon

It seems that no matter what species, we all enjoyed the warm weather last weekend.  The first sign of warm winter weather brings out shorts, t-shirts, skirts, flip flops, and other optimistically unsuitable clothing for 50 degree temperatures.  Convertible tops come down, people eat brunch on local outdoor patios, and some people even hit the links.  If you’re an otter at the National Zoo, you slumber in the afternoon sun while people make cutesy noises at you.  Awwwww.  Life is good isn’t it?

Warm temperatures look like they’ll peak on Wednesday this week, reaching nearly 70 degrees.  Anyone want to call in sick with me?  Spring will not come soon enough.

24 in DC, The Features
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24 in DC: Episode Six (3:00 to 4:00)

Jack Defends Freedom
‘Jack Defends Freedom’
courtesy of ‘tbridge’

We’re running a little late tonight thanks to the President’s Press Conference. We’ll be underway in a minute.

Okay, here we go. It’s the recap of last week, when Ike Debaku got a first name, and an apartment somewhere near Dupont. Prime Minister Ule Motobo also has a first name now, and is on the way to the White House. President Taylor’s husband, the First Dude, is in the trunk of a car somewhere in DC.

3:03

The First Dude is being taken into an alley. Meanwhile, Ike is at a hotdog stand (with a TV?) listening to President Taylor from the White House’s tiny magic press room where there aren’t chairs. Ike’s now in a backroom of a storefront near Dupont. In his underground lair, which is fairly expansive, he’s got the First Dude tied up. Ike’s going to use him up like Tina and probably beat him pretty solid along the way.

3:06

President Taylor continues in the tiny press room. Seriously, the White House Press Room has seats. And it’d be packed to the gills, and not just in front of four reporters and staff. When the President speaks, there’s people are around. Jack, Bill and Chloe, Wondergirl, are heading into the Oval Office as President Taylor finishes.

3:10

And now we break the bad news that there are bad men inside President Taylor’s Government. Bill takes a beating from the President for hiding all this. C’mon guys, get back outside. This dialogue is really, really terrible. And Renee’s trigger finger is looking itchy. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Confidential to Michael Fletcher, Washington Post

Photo courtesy of
‘toolbag’
courtesy of ‘erik jaeger’

Dear Michael Fletcher.

Thanks so much for going to the Press Conference tonight and covering the event for our local paper. But seriously, you can ask the President anything, and you ask him about Alex Frakking Rodriguez?! Seriously?!

Was there nothing about the economics of the United States, or pressing foreign policy matters that you have to ask a sports question?!

Man. I hope this is a hazing prank or something and that Howie Kurtz is laughing it up in the wings right now.

The Daily Feed
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Dog Park News

S Street Dog Park by Max

We noted a few weeks ago that the city had plans to spruce up the S and T Street Parks, making one a dog park and the other a park for actual human beings.  Well, those days are here my friends.  Today a fence went up around the park in preparation for construction which is rumored to take 6-7 weeks.  Who wants to wager that it takes longer than that?

The ground breaking ceremony is slated for Tuesday afternoon at 3:45 with Mayor Fenty in attendance.  Really, 3:45?  Can’t we pick a round number?

Stay tuned to WLDC for construction updates, and don’t worry, there won’t be anything regarding pounds of poop.  Poop is for Petworth.

Business and Money, Technology, The Daily Feed
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Technovultures, Hold Off

Photo courtesy of
‘Circuit City going out of business’
courtesy of ‘F33’

It’s still too early for the crazy deals at now-liquidating Circuit City. I went by the location in Bailey’s Crossroads off Columbia Pike, looking for a plug adapter for our impending trip to London. I figured we might be getting into crazy-deal territory, since it’s been about a month since they let the liquidators take over and start to clear out the stuff. Most of the stuff was between 10% and 30% off their already high prices. There aren’t any super deals to be had yet. Check back in a couple weeks.

Food and Drink, The DC 100, We Love Food
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DC Omnivore 100: #11, Calamari

"Squid" by ajagendorf25, on Flickr

"Squid" by ajagendorf25, on Flickr (a shot from the DC Fish Market)

This week, our continuing quest to try all 100 foods a DC Omnivore must experience checks out calamari. 

Whenever I see fresh calamari, the first thing that comes to mind is Admiral Ackbar slurping, “your taste buds can’t repel flavor of this magnitude!”

Ok, maybe not. But this versatile cephalopod is truly a wonder of the sea.

There are a myriad ways to prepare squid – fried, grilled, stuffed, with the tentacles or not (no tentacles? wimp!). Squid ink makes a glorious rich pasta and salty sauce that can stain your tongue black as night. Raw squid as sushi can be disconcerting or refreshing, depending on your palate. My personal preference is sauteed or grilled. Perfectly prepared squid should not be overly chewy – it should have an initial ever-so-slight firmness that dissolves into a fresh from the sea taste. 

When I was a poor little match girl just out of drama school, I discovered I could get squid quite cheap and saute up a batch for both me and my cat (wow. that is a depressing memory!). But now if I cook calamari, it’s for a luxurious seafood pasta with squid, shrimp, and scallops. 

After the break, a more appetizing picture, and tips for rustling up calamari at home and eating out…
   Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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The (tasty) British Invasion

Photo courtesy of
‘Opening Soon – Wagamama, Chadstone Shopping Centre’
courtesy of ‘avlxyz’

First there was Pret a Manger. Then…then there will be WAGAMAMA! I cannot tell you how excited I am for my two favorite London establishments to descend upon DC.

The Washington Business Journal ran an article that Wagamama has set a May 2010 date for their new Penn Quarter eat place, and let me tell you, I’ll be the first in line.

Until then… food dreams of Yaki Udon and gyoza.

Food and Drink, Fun & Games, The Daily Feed, The Hill
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Local Baristas Clean Up

Photo courtesy of
‘Mocha’
courtesy of ‘box of lettuce’

Congratulations to baristas (baristae?) from Murky Coffee and Peregrine Espresso who swept the top four spots at the Mid Atlantic Regional Barista Competition. Katie and Allie rocked out the top two spots, representing Murky, and David and Jeremy rocked out 3rd and 4th from Peregrine. If you have any doubts about a well-poured cup of coffee in this town, stand assured, our baristas are best.

The Features, Weekend Flashback
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Weekend Flashback: 2/6 – 2/8/09

Photo courtesy of blipars {busy}
Fast and Furious, courtesy of blipars {busy}

Can’t believe it’s Monday already? Hey, we hear you. After what may well be the beginning of spring (or just a prelude), DC experienced a gorgeous weekend that erased our memories of the chilly weather last week.

Our photos of the weekend ranged from ice skating in Arlington to the DC Car Show to a visit by Jack Bauer to our region – which is a good thing, considering that Jack can’t seem to keep his facts straight about our beloved hometown. You swung by the Botanical Gardens and lingered at night to grab some great evening shots. So let’s enjoy, shall we?

Continue reading →

Petworth, WTF?!
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Thirteen (13!) Pounds of Dog Poo in Petworth

Up in Petworth, we do love our pets – its in our name. But it seems that quite a few Petworthians don’t like being responsible with their dogs. Specifically their dog’s poop. Out in Grant Circle, a prime dog walking spot, I noticed that winter brought on irresponsibility towards scooping the poop. More and more dog feces were left in the Circle by dog owners too lazy to bring a plastic bag.

So a month ago, I walked through Grant Circle and picked up 7 pounds of frozen feces. At the time, many were shocked and some even doubted that 7lbs figure. Well on Saturday, I repeated the poop scoop adventure and shocked even myself:

To those who may wonder why I would scoop other’s poop, I was thinking of the weekend’s warm spell, and the smell of all that poop, defrosted. I detest cleaning up after irresponsibility just a bit less than the disgust of a public health hazard in my neighborhood.

News, Special Events, Technology, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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ShmooCon Day 1 – Moose Spotting in D.C.

The Shmoo GroupYes boys and girls, it’s the annual start of the conference season for hackers, geeks, nerds and security people (and those are not mutually exclusive titles). ShmooCon, in it’s fifth year, has grown to 1500 attendees in an effort to spread the gospel about information and physical security and other novel topics that you’d be surprised to see any any con. While last years’ con had interesting neighbors (a CosPlay convention), the sheer size of this years has people scrambling to see how to make a homebrew UAV (members of HacDC), how the Srizbi BotNet was taken down (aka “The Day The Spam Stopped“), how your local Home Depot is selling you insecurity (“How To Defeat the Kwikset SmartKey“) and the keynote speaker, Matt Blaze, more famously known for helping defeat the use of the Clipper Chip and open up the government’s attempt at putting encryption backdoors into almost everything. There are some great talks planned for Saturday, which we’ll cover on “Day Two”, but if you’re in the Woodley Park area and see a lot of black t-shirted individuals crossing the street, trust me, they won’t hurt you…they just want your base. (If you want to view past conferences, the videos are located here – c’mon learn a little bit!)

Crime & Punishment, The Daily Feed
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Missing the Superbowl Incites Riot

 Photo courtesy of
‘Superbowl Sunday (36 of 50)’
courtesy of ‘seantoyer’

Yes, it’s true. Last Sunday, inmates at the Prince George’s County Jail were pissed about being on lockdown during the Superbowl (among other things, I would wager) and busted out of their cells. The Washington Post calls it a “coordinated attack,” which is pretty darn frightening to me. I wonder if they would have accepted the Puppy Bowl as a compromise…

We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Hell Meets Henry Halfway

Hell Meets Henry Halfway

Gabriel Quinn Bauriedel & Sarah Sanford in Hell Meets Henry Halfway
Courtesy of the Pig Iron Theatre Company

If we want to compare theatre to the movies, Hell Meets Henry Halfway is more David Lynch/Being John Malkovich than it is Rob Reiner/The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The playwright in this case set out to write something with the novel as an inspiration, not to adapt the novel to the stage. The program notes say that the “theatrical mixtape” that is Henry is 1/3 the source novel, 1/3 the playwright and 1/3 the Pig Iron Theatre Company.

If that sounds a bit out of the ordinary, then you’re starting to get it. This isn’t an experience for everyone. Coming back from intermission I overheard the couple in front of me. “… well we can get our things and go, then.” “No….. we’ll stick it out.” I’m pretty sure people have gone to the electric chair with more enthusiasm than this fellow. Hell Meets Henry Halfway emphasizes character and feel over realism and does it well, but it’s a specialized taste. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Music, The Features
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Concert: Andrew Bird

Photo courtesy of
‘Andrew Bird at Music Hall of Williamsburg (January 26th, 2009)’
courtesy of ‘Amanda M Hatfield’

I was expecting to get blown away when I went to see Andrew Bird at the 9:30 Club last Tuesday. I really was. You might think that those were some pretty high expectations, especially since I had never seen him live, but sometimes…you just feel it.

His music is complex and beautiful, with plucked violin and his expert whistling (yes, whistling) on top of often jaunty piano or guitar chords. I love his CDs, and often find that they are the perfect backdrop for everything from Metro rides to game nights. Continue reading →

Life in the Capital, Technology, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Some Days Call For Quality Profanity

Photo courtesy of
‘brown is the new clever’
courtesy of ‘solidstate.’

Some days just call for quality profanity.

You know, the kind that peels paint from walls, or causes old ladies to blush and then hit you with their handbags. Or maybe the kind that caused your mom to get out the extra large bar of soap to wash out your mouth. But some days, well, some days require elegant profanity. The kind from a previous era.

Or, from, say, the mouth of Barack Obama (warning, NSFW language in audio and text).

That’s the kind of day I’m having.