The Daily Feed

A Handy Pig Flu Guide

I had to laugh at this hand washing instruction guide in the restroom at my place of work designed to prevent the spread of that nasty, nasty pig flu virus.  In case you need a refresher course on how to wash your hands after doing whatever it is you just did in the restroom, here are the steps:

1) Wet Hands
2) Soap
3) Wash
4) Rinse
5) Dry
6) Turn Off Water

We’ll all be sorry when this this turns into a full blown Pigapalooza, but for now it’s just fun to laugh at the mass media hysteria and CYA that’s going on around the world.  By the way, if and when the pandemic comes to an end, please, please continue to wash your hands after your visit to the restroom.  Please.

The Daily Feed

OMGSWINEFLOOZ IN TEH WHITE HOUSE

Photo courtesy of
‘Pig Flu T-Shirt Print Design’
courtesy of ’eman_winston’

According to WaPo, a member of President Obama’s security advance team from the recent presidential trip to Mexico has a suspected case of swine flu. 

But that’s all the information they have, as of this writing. It’s not even a whole article. Just a little block on the homepage with a GINORMOUS headline and a little drop down with one sentence in it. 

Here’s a hint, WaPo: The word “DEVELOPING” does not excuse sensationalism and panic-mongering. And really, does anyone think that the White House doesn’t have a massive stockpile of Tamiflu already? Continue reading

The Daily Feed

Alcee Hastings Kisses His Mother with that Mouth

Photo courtesy of
‘phallus’
courtesy of ‘Skelekitten’

During a speech in support of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act, which expands the definition of hate crimes to violence against a person because of sexual orientation, Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) found himself listing off a number of sex acts which are NOT covered by the hate crime statute. Apparently it got pretty raw, and he felt the need to apologize to the transcribers for it. NBCWashington has the video, if you’re 12, and into that kind of thing.  But if I may say so, that schtick has already been done, and better, by Rowan Atkinson.

Music, The Features

May Concert Preview

Photo courtesy of
St. Vincent comes to Black Cat May 22. ‘.’
courtesy of ‘Beard Papa’

Here we are again, with another completely subjective installment of everything worth seeing in May, according to me. Did I miss anything you’re super excited about? Leave it in the comments!

Start May off on a hilarious note by hitting up Super Diamond— the Ultimate Neil Diamond Experience at 9:30 Club Friday, May 1 ($22).

Amazingly, there are still tickets for Gavin Rossdale at 9:30 Club on Sunday, May 3 ($25). Reasons to see him: he’s pretty sexy and is married to Gwen Stefani, plus even if you’re not a fan of his latest single (“Love Remains the Same”), what if he plays that 90’s staple “Adrenaline”? Ah, that brings me back. Good times.

Continue reading

Entertainment, Food and Drink, Fun & Games, Special Events, The Daily Feed

Cinco de Margarita!

Photo courtesy of
‘Yummy frozen margarita’
courtesy of ‘Pianoman75’

I don’t drink liquor. Okay, I just lied. I do drink liquor, sometimes, when it’s high quality. But I’ve basically sworn off liquor and become a beer girl, at least 98% if the time. This way, I don’t wind up reliving my glory days of study abroad in Australia, and have horrible stomach pains as a result. Now I’m more mature, or something like that. I’ve always gotten along with tequila (I’m an anomaly, no one can explain it, I’m like a medical miracle) and so my 2% of liquor drinking is usually reserved for times when I can indulge in my very favorite drink: a frozen marg. And with my favorite marg holiday upon us, where will one go to snag my favorite liquor drink? Continue reading

News, The Daily Feed, WTF?!

Swine Flu Case Suspected in DC

Photo courtesy of
‘The World Bank Grou’
courtesy of ‘maxedaperture’

Bloomberg is reporting that one case of Swine Flu is now suspected at the World Bank. The employee had recently travelled to Mexico, and has fallen ill. He was in the office on 20 April and may have infected several coworkers through direct contact. All exposed to the individual have been asked to work from home until further information is available.

This would be DC’s first case of the pandemic virus that is currently causing havoc all over the globe. Except in Madagascar.

The Daily Feed

Bike Events Coming Up

Photo courtesy of
‘Saving gas’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

A couple events for anyone interested in bicycling in DC to keep in mind.  First, Arlington County needs volunteers to count bikes and pedestrians on May 7th and May 9th.  Volunteers will count cyclists and pedestrians on particular routes, and the data they collect will go to inform planners and officials about the need for additional facilities.  If you’re interested in the project and can donate your time in a two-hour shift, contact bikearlington@arlingtonva.us for more information.

Secondly, Bike to Work Week is right around the corner (May 11-15)!  In honor of that, the Swiss Embassy is hosting a May 13th forum on biking with DC’s Tommy Wells, the mayor of Zurich, and bike-friendly Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), to name a few.  The free event will include a bicycling exhibit, remarks from the expert panel, and a reception in the Ambassador’s residence.  And if you ride your bike there, you’ll receive a special gift!  Find more information and RSVP on the Swiss Embassy’s website.

Thrifty District

Thrifty District: Buying Eyeglasses Online

Photo courtesy of
‘salamin’
courtesy of ‘dcfdelacruz’

I hate buying eyeglasses. I broke a pair once when I didn’t have health insurance and had to pay full price… and whimpered. I just wanted to have some acuvue contact lenses. The next pair I bought cost more than $150 even with insurance, and I did NOT have it to spare, being a fabulous-but-underemployed twenty-something at the time.

I’m no longer eating ramen to pay for a new pair of glasses, but as it became increasingly clear that I was past due for an updated prescription, I got irritated. I can always think of something I’d rather do with a few hundred dollars than drop it on two pairs of glasses (don’t forget the sunglasses).

I was endlessly procrastinating making an optometrist appointment when I read a Slate article about buying glasses online. Yes, picking out something like a pair of glasses without trying them on is a bit of a risk, but I’ve been buying my shoes online for years. Besides, for $35, getting a pair of glasses I wasn’t crazy about was an acceptable risk. Finally I had no excuse, and made my appointment. Continue reading

The Daily Feed

Poetry, Bicycling and Love

Photo courtesy of
‘Saturday on East Capitol Street’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’

Tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the 5th and K Busboys & Poets, grammy-award winning nominated poet and activist Nikki Giovanni will discuss her newest collection of works “Bicycles: Love Poems.” In “Bicycles,” the 65-year-old Giovanni chronicles her rediscovery of love in a volume that is is ernest, playful, romantic and erotic. Celebrate love and the months of bicycles and poetry with a little bit of all three.

Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, The District

Scootergate 4

Scootergate 4 by Spoffy

I recently became the father of a 1979 Vespa P200E, a toy I’ve had my eye on for a long time now.  But to some it’s more than a toy and a mode of transportation, it’s a way of life.  These scooter people make their way across the country for rallies all year long, and in June they’re coming to DC for Scootergate 4.

The festivities kick off Friday evening at the Pug which includes registration and basically a “Hey!  Good to see you, mutherf#*@$r!” type of gathering, complete with a DJ, Stupid Human Tricks, and a late night ride.  Assuming you survive that night, Saturday brings you breakfast, rally rides, Scooter Jackassery awards, dinner, and a concert at the Rock and Roll Hotel.  Still alive?  Then ride to brunch on Sunday at Airborne’s and say your tearful goodbyes until next year.  For a full itinerary that is subject to change, click here.

Continue reading

The Daily Feed

Hefeweizens for Habitat at the Pug

Photo courtesy of
‘beer flare’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

What can $20 get you on a Friday night? A halfway decent meal…half of a show ticket…2.5 cocktails…a desert at Co Co Sala. OR $20 can get you entrance to the Pug and all the Widmer Hefeweizen you can drink in 2 hours. Personally I guesstimate coming out way ahead on the beers in 2 hours versus $20 game. Plus it’s for a good cause — Habitat for Humanity. Venture to the rising nightlife superpower the Atlas District for delicious brews and good times, Friday night 8-10.

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed, The District, WTF?!

Why Do You Hate DC, Food Network?

Photo courtesy of
‘a vegan is crying…………….’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’

When a friend sent over the Food Network’s Best Burgers in America guide, I was shocked: There was no DC entry in the contest. How the hell did this happen? I mean, I’m super pleased that Ray’s Hell Burger won for Virginia, but where’s DC’s entry?

There are so many awesome burgers in DC, from Spike Mendelsohn’s Good Stuff Eatery (oh man could I use one of their epic milkshakes!) to the delectable mini-burgers at Matchbox, Capitol Grille’s Kobé Burger, and who can leave Old Ebbitt out? If we want to include vegetarian options, I think you have to include the old veggie burger ever to make me crave another: the Veggie Burger at Science Club.

So, why did DC get such a shafting by Food Network? Our emails to the network haven’t been returned yet. Maybe we should take them a sampling? Where’s the best burger in DC?

News, Talkin' Transit, The Features, The Mall, We Green DC, WTF?!

Talkin’ Transit: The Great Pedicab Predicament

Photo courtesy of
‘Pedicab’ courtesy of ‘afagen’

Yesterday, we received a late-day heads-up from a reader that there was an issue brewing with the pedicabs that offer rides to tourists and residents along the National Mall.

The entire issue seemed odd, as pedicabs have been operating on the Mall for a couple years now and haven’t had any issues up until yesterday, when they were told they would be arrested and their bikes impounded for soliciting and servicing customers on Madison and Jefferson streets, the two main boundary avenues of the Mall.

If the Park Police was correct, the Mall was going to lose a 100% eco-friendly form of transportation that serves hundreds of riders each week. The cabs provide jobs for the area and a friendly ‘green’ option for people to utilize. Taking away the Mall from them would kill a sizeable portion of the pedicab business.

So I set out to contact Ben Morris, the owner of National Pedicabs (and the company affected by this), and his DC operations manager, Danny Cochrane, as well as Sgt. David Schlosser, the National Park Service’s Public Information Officer, to find out just what the heck was going on.

Continue reading

All Politics is Local, The Daily Feed, The Hill

A Very Very DC Party: 100 Days

100DAYSposter(2).jpg

There are some parties that pretty much scream “DEEEEEE CEEEEEE” and this is one. There’s a big party tomorrow night over at Brown Rudnick that will be both job fair and 100-Days celebration, complete with audience-compiled report card.

$20 gets you in, and there’s an open bar, which is pretty much the holy grail of DC parties.

But yeah, there’s a saying that you can find just about any excuse to throw a good party, but could you think of a more DC-centric party than this one? Come on out tomorrow night and join a few of us who are going.

The Daily Feed

The President’s Flickr Stream


P042409PS-0297
Originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream

The White House has, in their continuing effort to embrace social media of just about every kind, put up an official Flickr stream with the work of White House photographer Pete Souza. It’s also all shared under the Creative Commons Attribution license (why aren’t they just purely public domain? I’m not entirely sure.) which means you may start seeing more of them here.

By the by, I chose this photo so that if maybe the 24 writers and producers were around, they could see what the actual White House Situation Room looks like. Instead of whatever magical bullshit fakery room they use each week. Pay attention jerks, the rest of us have the internet and we’re not afraid to use it.

Anyhow, I know I could lose the rest of the day to this stream, so if I go missing, I’ll likely be in rapt attention of The White House Flickr Stream.

The Daily Feed

I Guess If It Makes You Feel Better…

Photo courtesy of
‘Face maks Japan’
courtesy of ‘shibuya246’

But don’t count on face-masks to save you from the dirty swine flu apoco-demic. The CDC reported this week that they don’t know how useful the masks are at protecting you from a disease that has killed only one individual so far in the United States — that being a toddler in Texas (you know, that state that shares a border with Mexico?). Better methods of staying healthy, says the CDC, are washing your hands and avoiding large crowds. The majority of known U.S. cases of the disease are in New York City. No cases have been confirmed in Maryland, Virginia or the District of Columbia (though we have seen people wearing face-masks here…). Only 5 people in the United States have had cases worrisome enough to warrant hospitalization. 

While this is not to say the disease couldn’t continue to spread, it might be time to keep the panic in check for now.

The Daily Feed

Come on Get Happier

Photo courtesy of
‘National Zoo – Hungry Hungry Hippo – 9-1-08’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

Happy Trails…Happy the Hippo! Seems the National Zoo’s only Nile hippo will be relocating to Milwaukee. There he will make new “friends” with female hippos Puddles and Patty. The Milwaukee zoo is expanding its hippo exhibit in the near future. I guess Happy felt like he deserved more after getting attention from celebrities. At least we’ve still got various other animal babies.

News, Talkin' Transit, The Daily Feed, WTF?!

Joe Biden, Sad Panda: Amtrak, MARC Penn Temporarily Suspended

Photo courtesy of
‘Locomotive’
courtesy of ‘wfyurasko’

I have no idea how Joe Biden is going to get home tonight.

Apparently, the train tracks at BWI are flooded, which has suspended train service between DC and points north. Amtrak is reporting a water main break near the tracks at BWI which has rendered the area impassable. It’s likely there won’t be a fix until this afternoon at the very earliest, from what we’re hearing on Twitter.

The MARC Penn line is also affected.

Technology, The Features, We Green DC

We Love DC Green: Getting 70 MPG on GW Parkway

Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company
Wayne explains more, courtesy of Ford Motor Company

I have to admit–when I think of driving on the George Washington Parkway, fuel efficiency isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. I think more of the feel of the car rolling along the gentle hills and curves, of sneaking glances out at the river and up at the thick green web of leaves, and of blasting the music.

But last Saturday, I got to experience the parkway from a whole new perspective. The crew from the 1,000 Mile Challenge was in town, attempting to eke 1,000 miles from a single tank of gas in a Ford Fusion Hybrid, and world record hypermiler Wayne Gerdes was giving driving lessons.

The idea behind hypermiling is that the way you drive can greatly affect your gas mileage, and that by using special driving techniques you can coax more mileage out of each gallon of gas. Wayne and the Challenge team proved this point nicely. The Challenge began on Saturday morning at Mt. Vernon, with team members driving the Challenge car round the clock. That one tank finally ran out at 1,446 miles.

Meanwhile, I hopped in a replica with Wayne, PR maven Nicole, and a guest from Earth911.com to find out how hypermiling works. Continue reading

News, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed

Fedorov, Hero

Photo courtesy of
‘090127 Fedorov’
courtesy of ‘Dan4th’

Big night for Sergei Fedorov, who put in a beautiful goal with just 5 minutes remaining in the 3rd to sink to the Rangers and send the Caps onward to the 2nd round of the NHL Playoffs for the first time since 1998. I’m not sure what exactly Coach said to the Caps in the 2nd intermission, but I suspect it was the kind of pep talk that involved biting the head off a bat or something.

Looks like we’ll be facing the Pens in the second round. Sorry Ben Rome, your boys are going DOWN!