By jasmine
‘080:365’
courtesy of ‘::FiZ::’
Who the heck is Captain Arturo? A couple of images of this sticker showed up in our Flickr pool recently, and they’re apparently all over DC. Obviously modeled after Captain America, Arturo seems to be his long-haired cousin or something. In any case, I know I wouldn’t mind a superhero swooping into DC and fixing a few things.
By jasmine
Middle Distance Runner loves Ben's Chili Bowl. Photo by Susan Pleiman
I’m personally a big fan of local band Middle Distance Runner–their shows are fun, the songs are catchy, and they seem to have a pretty good sense of humor about it all. They’re on tour right now, and they will be coming to Iota Saturday, March 28. I got a chance to ask lead singer Stephen Kilroy a few questions about DC, the new album, and their Celebrity Deathmatch-style video.
How long have you lived in DC?
I’ve lived in the DC area for about 16 years.
What are your favorite things about the area?
I like the feeling of being at the center of what’s going on in the world. Not just by being in the nation’s capitol, but being on the east coast, close to so many other big cities. I also like chili smokes. Continue reading
By Tom Bridge
Lamb & Mama
Originally uploaded by tbridge
It was just about as perfect a March day as we get here, so we headed off to Over the Grass Farm, to pick up milk, and sure enough, they had tiny little lambs running around the sheep paddock. The wee ones are probably about a week old, possibly less, and are probably just about the cutest thing ever.
Mama sheep was less interested in the photo op and bleated angrily as we got close to the fence. I was able to snap a few frames, though, before they trotted off. Six months, precious, and you will be mighty tasty even cuter.
By brownpau
Much gratitude to DC DDOT for paving over what I affectionately call “The Button Moat” around the pedestrian crossing button at Rock Creek Parkway and Virginia Ave NW in Foggy Bottom. (Bigger before-and-after-pictures after the jump.) Continue reading
By Tom Bridge
”Hollywood’ Parking Ticket’
courtesy of ‘p_a_h’
This one’s got to be just about the funniest story I’ve read in a while. Jenna Bush’s Secret Service detail in Baltimore got in a little bit of a pissing match with the Baltimore Police, which ended up in their vehicles being ticketed and towed from just outside Federal Hill.
Nice to know that the rules do apply to the Secret Service, when they’re parking illegally in a neighborhood known for horrific parking conditions to begin with. What do you say, good call to tow the USSS away? Bad? Anyone who’s ever circled and circled and circled in Federal Hill looking for a spot says good call, I think.
By Tom Bridge
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Michael Steele’s Rap Battle Response | ||||
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Sadly, when Stephen Colbert called out Michael Steele for a rap-off, they couldn’t get their calendars aligned. So, click the video above for a bit of a falsified battle. And a pinstripe hoodie. I think Colbert won, m’self.
By Max
You may have noticed the extensive renovations under way at the Jury’s Hotel in Dupont Cirle. Now simply called “The Dupont Hotel” (how very creative of them), it promises to be “the hotel the Circle has waited for.” I never did see what the old rooms looked like, but if their website is any indication, the new rooms will indeed be quite posh.
Going with that theme, the cheesy Biddy Mulligan’s is also to be replaced by, what else? “Bar Dupont”. I guess it’s better than naming it The Dupont Bar. I have to wonder if the new bar will still be a destination for bachelorette parties and St Patrick’s Day celebrations or will it be more upscale with $15 drinks and velvety booths? Hey, as long as they have a good wine list, some creative food offerings, and of course Blueberry Stoli, I’ll be there.
By Katie
‘Tools of the Trade 2’
courtesy of ‘Paul Godden’
My favorite volunteer day of the year, Servathon, will fast be upon us. In preparation for the huge day of service to DC public schools, Greater DC Cares is looking for you to give them your spare tools. No ladies, we can’t all bring our ex-boyfriends and drop them off! They’re looking for power tools, ladders, paint brushes, paper towels & drop clothes, gardening gloves and Home Depot Gift Cards.
Stop by the Greater DC Cares office from April 1st through the 3rd to make your donation to their tool box (they’re located at Located at 1156 15th Street NW, Suite 840, Washington DC, 20005). Or, take them to the Community Tool Chest on Saturday April 4th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and tour the Community Tool Chest (located at Located at 4600 Livingston Road SE, Washington DC, 20032). All your donations are tax deductible!
By Don
‘layers’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’
Today’s WaPo includes a story about WMATA deciding to put their information up on the web. The rational response from someone who isn’t a transit foamer or mega-nerd is “isn’t it there already?” Yes, though not in the universal interchange format that would allow anyone with the will and ability to massage and repackage it – till now you’ve had to make use of WMATA’s website and tools rather than 3rd party options like using the transit calculator built into Google Maps.
Now that they’ve done this…. you’ll likely still have to use WMATA’s website. Whys and wherefores after the jump.
By Katie
‘Fly’
courtesy of ‘Thomas Hawk’
So I think March is cursed. These past two weeks have been some of the toughest I’ve had in recent history, both personally and professionally, and so when I was offered a night at the circus? YES PLEASE. Let’s escape, I’m ready for trapezes and clowns to distract me from my own messes. So off we went to the big tent, err, Verizon Center for a night of magic and performance with the Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus.
In short? It was exactly what I needed.
It may have been a touch cheesy, but it was surprisingly more Cirque than Disney on Ice on the scale. Most of the acts really DID have me on the edge of my seat, or impressed with the acrobatics, and I thoroughly enjoyed the silly musical numbers if only because there was so much to watch – from clowns, mini horses, motorcycles, goats, spinning teacups and one random porcupine, the show truly had it all.
By Don
‘Solitude’
courtesy of ‘sashapo’
Our weather seems to be doing its best to find painful and interesting ways to whipsaw between different combinations of wind, cold, rain, gloom and shine. It can be discouraging to try to plan an outdoor trip more than five minutes in advance and downright unpleasant to be out there sometimes. So in recognition of this fact Monumental’s going to spend the day indoors for a change and let someone else do the outdoor work.
In this case, photographer Lee Friedlander, who beat us to the monument-stalking by about 35 years. The Smithsonian possesses a large collection of photos he originally published in the 1976 book American Monuments, a collection of photos he took of monuments all over the country. The book is long out of print, but fifty-six of the photos are currently on display. Continue reading
By jasmine
Just in case you were looking for something weird and free to do this weekend, The Looking Glass Lounge is having their annual Fez and Mustache Party tomorrow night! They’ll be handing out free fake mustaches at the door (although I’m sure you can bring or grow your own) and free samples of Polish vodka.
Plus, the DJs will be spinning “Romani rock, twisted klezmer, Slavic soul and Balkan beats” just to make the night that much more complete.
By AcaciaO
‘Cone Zone’
courtesy of ‘sandman_kk’
As those of you living in NE – like myself – know, driving or riding down H St. has been a disaster recently. The X2 commute down H that, during the daytime hours, would take roughly 7-10 minutes has slowed to 15+ of late due to ever-changing traffic patterns and construction.
The construction is due to the on-going and much-needed three-year revamping of the H St./Benning Rd. stretch. Riding down H right now is kind of like off-roading it.
By bstanfield
‘The Kennedy Center‘
Courtesy of public.resource.org
Denyce Graves, a native of Washington, DC returned here last month for a recital to support her alma mater, DC’s Duke Ellington School for the Arts. The Kennedy Center was crowded for the recital, which featured a nice mixture of classical, jazz, gospel, and contemporary selections as well as the talents of the Ellington School Show Choir.
Miss Graves, ably accompanied by pianist Joseph Thalken, started the evening with a selection from the opera Adrianna Lecouvreur that highlighted her dexterity as a singer. From loud to soft, intense to whimsical, and low to high, she gave a glimpse of what the rest of the night had in store.
Unamplified through the operatic first half of the program, Graves paused between numbers to enlighten the audience about the pieces she was performing, and relayed a few thoughts about her time at the Ellington School, where she was a student in the 1980s.
After she sang Habanera from Carmen, Graves joked that the crowd enjoyed it because they recognized the tune. But the applause wasn’t just because it was familiar. Her lyrical phrasing contrasted with the staccato beat of the piano, and Graves mastered it and made it her own.
She closed out the first half of the program with two African-American Spirituals and a piece by Gene Scheer, American Anthem, which seemed appropriate for a concert in her hometown of Washington, DC.
The Duke Ellington School Ellington Show Choir under the direction of Samuel L. Bonds gave Graves a brief respite as they performed two energetic selections. Dancing around the stage, the black-tie and black gown clad high schoolers put on an impressive energetic show.
Graves returned to the stage with the haunting Milonga sin Palabras, a piece whose lyrics consist entirely of “oohs” and “ahhs.” Sung by Graves, it inspires similar reactions from the audience, along with enthusiastic applause. She finished the concert with more recent material, borrowing from jazz, blues, and even the Beatles to round out the very varied recital.
By Katie
‘Rocket Bar Wine’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’
I’m going to attempt to start an end-of-week or every-two-weeks foodie round up of all the news that’s fit to eat, so hang with me on my first installment, and tell me if you like it. Most of the foodie news that’s been coming my way this week has to do with wine, so let’s just start there. Continue reading
By Ben H. Rome
So a couple weeks ago, the National Park Service announced when the peak blooming period would be for the cherry blossoms this year.
Apparently, they were wrong.
This morning, Rob DeFeo, the Chief Horticulturist of the NPS, announced a ‘revised’ bloom period: April 1-4 . (Yep, shorter than previously predicted.)
We can’t blame DeFeo for revising his forecast; for years, he gave the prediction only a few days from the annual festival. These days, he’s been pressed to give it closer to three weeks out. And it’s been four years since Eleanor Moffatt passed away; her advice was always welcome around the NPS when it came to predicting the beautiful blossoms’ bloom time. DeFeo’s only been wrong a few times in his 19 year career as the Chief Horticulturist.
So DC, get ready. The tourists, they are a-comin’…
By Tom Bridge
"The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart."
Originally uploaded by kimberlyfaye
It’s official, the Sun has crossed over the Equator. Today at 7:44am, Spring arrived, even if you couldn’t tell from the weather. Though we reached daytime/nighttime equity on the 17th, today’s the Equinox. We’ll be adding 3 minutes of daylight per day for the next few weeks, which is pretty freaking awesome for those of us who live and die with the sun. Bring on the sunshine!
By Tom Bridge
‘For Two’
courtesy of ‘brmurray’
The hopes were not high for American, seeded at #14, and up against NCAA
Powerhouse #3 Villanova, but here they are, exceeding expectations massively. Halfway through their first round game, they’re up on ‘Nova 41-31. I’m going to repeat that, because it’s not a typo: American is beating Villanova by ten at the half. Tell your friends. Cinderella’s bucking for a night on the town.
Update: Ten minutes remain and they’re still up by 8. Hang tight, Eagles!
Update 2: Three minutes to go, and now AU is down by 5. Time to get back in the game, Eagles! Gotta make it count!
Update 3: And it’s over. AU can’t hold on to a halftime lead, and goes down in the first round.
By Tom Bridge
The Terps are putting on a pretty decent show against Cal here in the first round of the Big Dance here. They’re up 74-59 with just over 4 minutes to go, and they’ve been nothing short of excellent in their first showing. Here’s to the 10-7 upset!!
Update: There it is, the Terps go on! 84-71 is the final. Congrats!
‘what a find!’
courtesy of ‘NatalieHG’
It looks like we’re not the only ones with DC Victory Gardens this year- the First Family will be starting a vegetable garden on the White House grounds. I don’t see a lot of confirmation that this will be the big ol’ organic garden that Alice Waters of Chez Panisse has been pushing for, but the example of growing your own fresh vegetables is nonetheless welcome from such a high-profile family. And you know, if they need any gardening tips, the Obamas are welcome to hit us up in the comments… I wonder if they’ll be doing any preserving of their home-grown produce in the White House kitchen?
UPDATE, 3/20: The New York Times has some more details about the garden. Fifty-five varieties of vegetables, grown in raised beds, total cost: $200. Awesome.
(Thanks to Twitter user @lorig for the tip! Do you follow us on Twitter yet?)
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