Monthly Archives: April 2009

The Daily Feed
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Spacey In Town to Study Abramoff

Photo courtesy of
‘kevin spacey’ courtesy of ‘pinguino’

Famed stage and film actor Kevin Spacey just twittered about it being a “lovely day in DC,” and he’s right: today’s going to be mid-80s and sunny, almost summery. But Spacey’s not here to see the sights; via MediaBistro’s FishbowlDC we have Nikki Finke’s report that Spacey visited Cumberland Federal Prison to study imprisoned lobbyist Jack Abramoff, whom he will be playing in “Casino Jack,” a stage production described as “a modern day GoodFellas” about the Bush administration.

The Daily Feed
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Bicycles and Love Poems

Photo courtesy of
‘Tennessee Tandem Rally 2008’
courtesy of ‘tandemracer’
Love and zipping along on a bicycle–the two concepts are easy to connect on beautiful days like this.

Poet Nikki Giovanni had a slightly different idea in mind with her latest collection, Bicycles: Love Poems, titled so “because love requires trust and balance.” She’ll be discussing her works next Thursday, April 30, at 6:30 p.m. at the Busboys and Poets at 5th and K.

Maybe it’ll put you in the mood to make a date with a special someone and your two-wheeled friends for a weekend spin or Bike to Work Day, coming up on Friday, May 15th. Just try not to swoon all over the road, okay?

The Daily Feed, The District
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Retrofitting Strip Malls on the Kojo Nnamdi Show

Photo courtesy of
‘Tivoli Square Streetscape’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

For every active, vibrant public space in DC, there’s another lifeless, auto-oriented public space right down the street.   Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown is an urban designer’s dream, while a few miles north on Wisconsin Avenue there are parking lots and gas stations lining the streets.  New York Avenue north of Chinatown is a developing hub, while New York Avenue on the eastern edge of the city is a car-oriented paradise of fast food and motels.  The reason is simple: the closer-in areas developed when walking or streetcars were the primary mode of transportation (so everything is close to the street, compact, and walkable), while the outer areas developed in the car era (with plenty of room for parking and a focus on convenience).  Now we know that, for the most part, strip malls don’t provide the public space and active streets that we urban planners love. Continue reading →

The Features
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A Musical for Women, Menopausal or Not

The ladies of Menopause the Musical, courtesy of Bethesda Theatre

If you were wondering where all the baby boomer ladies were on Wednesday night, the 39-65 female demographic, I found them. They were all enjoying the shameless and entertaining “Menopause the Musical” at Bethesda Theatre, and–to my surprise–I was as well. 

Going into the play, I was curious but skeptical, as I noted in my preview piece when the performance opened last week.  Based on descriptions of the play (it changes the words to BeeGees songs to deal with hot flashes?? uhhh..), I expected hokey mom-jokes and a first-wave feminist “embrace your inner woman” sensibility. On those counts, I was absolutely wrong. In fact, after the show, I got to thinking that from a feminist perspective, this play is substantive and important. It frankly discusses issues women discussed only privately over coffee with girlfriends, injecting humor into situations that are sadly unfunny at the time they are happening. While subjects such as birth control, birth in general and abortion have come to the forefront of our cultural consciousness, menopause was something that was still relatively taboo before this show and even now. 

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Get Ready for Protests

Photo courtesy of
‘e52’
courtesy of ‘Fire Horse Leo’

That’s right, folks, it’s World Bank Protest Weekend, which means that people from all over are descending on DC to make nuisances of themselves in front of the World Bank and IMF and in front of various hotels housing various officials that are coming for this weekend’s meeting. Apparently, it’s possible that the teabaggers and the WB/IMF crowds may join forces in the best case of “most unlikely bedfellows” since Youppi and Slapshot got it on to create the Nats’ mascot Screech.

So, if at all possible, avoid the area around WB and IMF this weekend, it’s likely going to be a giant charlie foxtrot within several blocks of there. And hopefully, no one’s going to go throwing bricks in georgetown like they did a few years ago. No one would be that stupid, right? Right?

Oh right, London was a nightmare during the G-20. Get your asshat-resistance gear on, people.

DC Victory Gardens, The Features
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DC Victory Gardens: Planting Time!

3123029944_f90df6c70f.jpg
Seedlings by dsb_nola

If you haven’t planted your seedlings yet, this weekend’s just about the perfect time. This could also be the best time for you to call in loggers from treeserviceremoval.com and cut that branch leaning precariously over the power lines. The weather today’s going to be up in the 70s, and we’re looking at 70s and 80s for the next five days, which means good soil temperatures, excellent conditions for planting. Why does soil temp matter? The higher the soil temperature, the quicker the germination for seeds, and the quicker your existing seedlings adapt to their new environment. With days and days of sun ahead, the only think you’ve really got to worry about is keeping things from drying out. Get out your planting gear and get ready to get hands deep in some loam.

Container Gardeners

Time to hit up a Garden Store, or a garden section of a bigger store, for some planting mix. If you’ve got containers and soil left over from last year, that’ll work, too, but think about topping that off with a little mulch or mixing in some compost as part of your process. It’s easy to do this in a bucket: dump in last year’s soil, dump in some compost, and mix thoroughly, and then re-pot. Don’t forget to make sure that your containers need drainage. That’s what allows your soil to avoid getting over-watered, and it’s what help carries away some of the plant waste, as well. If yours are clogged, a good wash in the sink is good, and don’t be afraid to put a few extra holes in place. Putting your garden in a good state means you are putting your family’s sake in good too, visiting gardenfurnitureoutlet.co.uk might give you more ideas about gardens and how you could make your garden more relaxing to see for you and you family.

Find a good place in the sun for this weekend to maximize time in the light, if at all possible. Make sure to check every day that the soil isn’t drying out and caking in these warm temperatures. We’re still in the low-humidity portion of our Spring, which means that ambient moisture isn’t going to play a role in what you’re doing. Get a decent watering can, and maybe use the last of the growth accelerant that came in with your seed pod kit. Definitely won’t go amiss once your new preciouses are in the ground. Don’t forget to set up a climbing structure for those vine and creeper based crops like peas, beans and squash. Direct their growth up and off the ground where at all possible, to avoid spots for rotting.

Read on for Back Yard Gardeners and the Farm Laboratory work.

Continue reading →

Comedy in DC, Night Life, Technology, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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When Text Messages Go Bad

Photo courtesy of
‘SLVR’
courtesy of ‘Max Klingensmith’

Oh, text messaging. Sure, some people think texting is the end of society. Some others think that it’s just a gateway to ratings (Um, how many stories does Fox 5 need to do on Sexting? Is their 10pm news editor just a perv?), but really, what texting is, is comedy. Enter Texts From Last Night. Better yet, they’ve got them segregated by area code, so you can read DC’s finest hilarious texts including my favorite:

(202): And then I said “flip over. I want to show you something i learned in Afghanistan.”

Of course, there 703, 240, 301, but oddly, no 571. What, does no one text funny things from Virginia?

The Daily Feed
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“Dear Emily Dickinson…”

Photo courtesy of
‘letter’
courtesy of ‘One Good Bumblebee’

Today the Library of Congress announced the winners of the Letters About Literature Reading-Promotion Program, a program which kids from the ages of 9-18 write a letter to an author (living or dead) who impacted their lives. A fitting announcement for today, Shakespeare’s 445th birthday. Of 55,000 entrants, 2 national winners were chosen from each of three age groups. National winners get to designate their favorite library for a $10,000 grant and get a $500 gift card to Target. 

The winners wrote to widely varying authors, from Rudyard Kipling (regarding his poem “If”)  Blake E.S. Taylor (“ADHD & Me”). A list of all the winners and their letters can be seen at the Library of Congress Center for the Book website.

Essential DC, Talkin' Transit, The Features, WMATA
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Talkin’ Transit: SmarTrip Getting Smarter!

Photo courtesy of
‘Metro SmarTrip Card’ courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been waiting for the day when I’d be able to reload my SmarTrip card somewhere other than a Metro station.  For those of us who ride buses regularly, it’s really frustrating to have to go to a Metro station to add value to a card when you’re just trying to take the bus somewhere.  But there’s great news coming from Metro: later this year, we’ll be able to add value to SmarTrip cards online!

In an effort to improve customer service, Metro will create a self-service SmarTrip website, which will allow us to load value onto our SmarTrip cards electronically.  There will also be a fantastic ‘autoload’ feature that will automatically reload the card when the balance drops below a designated amount. The new website will include a way to see recent transaction data for your SmarTrip card (currently only available through a formal Public Access to Record Policy request, or by stealing a glance at the screen when the station manager scans your card in the kiosk).

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Give the Dog a Bone

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Spodie Odie’

Fido is so good to you — and he doesn’t mind if you just chill out in your apartment alone and watch re-runs of The City, does he? Well, maybe it would be good for you and Fido both, if you check out the BowWowPowWow this Sunday, April 26. The BowWowPowWow is a day of fun — contests, doggie friends, exhibition booths — brought to you by the Adams Morgan Main Street Group. The event will take place 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  at Marie Reed School Plaza. It may be a little bit leaning towards a stuffwhitepeoplelike entry, but it’s not as bad as Doga. 

The Daily Feed
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Extra bad for your teeth

mervis_diamond_cupcake

Photo by:Labor of Love Photography.

Now, my darling industry shill fiancée says “sugar isn’t more likely to cause cavities than any other fermentable carbohydrate, including bread,” but I suspect even she would acknowledge that a cupcake can do some serious harm to your teeth if you bite down into the two carat diamond Mervis has stuck into the middle.

They don’t really intend for you to eat it; the cupcake, created by Classic Bakery, is to promote their wedding ring trunk show. I’m going to have to pass, what with spending the 2nd actually getting married, but since we’re serving cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake at our event I called dibs on this item.

When I did another of our authors asserted that a different cupcake bakery was a superior choice. I’ll let her share herself, but what’s your go-to location for diamond encrusted pastry?

Food and Drink
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Spring Fever: Rooftop Bar Guide

Photo courtesy of
‘Dinner at Perry’s’
courtesy of ‘starbuck77’

DC is an al fresco city. I live for the few weeks of the year like this one that are warm, yet humidity-free. I adore waking up on a sunny Saturday and knowing that most of my day will be spent outside, and hoping that the warmth will last into the night so I can stay outside as long as possible. I’ll spend mornings running or on my bike, lunches on the patio, afternoons lazing in the park and then dinner seated street-side along Wilson Boulevard or out in Dupont. So by the time it gets to be night, I’m ready for something beyond a patio.

In fact, tons and tons of places in DC have a patio, what I crave is a rooftop. I want to look out over my city, and risking the cliche, I want feel on top of the world as I drink or dance the night away with friends. So in my quest for the ultimate rooftop bar, I’ve rounded up some possibilities for you. Continue reading →

Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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National Childrens’ Museum Opens Demo Space This Weekend

Photo courtesy of
‘Gaylord at Night’
courtesy of ‘rgb48’
The National Childrens’ Museum (due to open at National Harbor in 2013) is opening up a 2,700 square-foot Launch Zone at National Harbor this weekend. They’re doing some big events this weekend, running from 11 to 4 both days this weekend. Saturday will feature a recycling-related theme, with performances of Willy the Water Bottle, and Sunday will feature the Washington Revels in a special performance of Sea Revels. All events are free and open to the public!

Downtown, Life in the Capital, Monumental, News, The Daily Feed, The Mall
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$78M for Mall Monument Renewal

Photo courtesy of
‘DC WWI Memorial Inscription’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

The Post has the news this morning that the Department of the Interior will be spending almost $80M on DC-area monuments and memorials to bring them back to their former glory. I’m most pleased to see that the DC War Memorial will be picking up $7.6M for a badly-needed rejuvenation project. The last one was back in the 1980’s, so it’s about due.

Also on the list is the Seawall at the Jefferson Memorial, and Rock Creek Park’s infrastructure, as well as a bunch of money for the C&O Canal in Georgetown.

Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Sample sale heaven is a place on earth?

Photo courtesy of
‘Colourful clothes’
courtesy of ‘Alicia Nijdam’

Zac Posen, Prada, Miss Sixty, Oh My! This Sunday, head over to Halo (1435 P St. NW) for a huge sample sale. Touting at least 70% off designer shoes, denim and clothing, Sample Sale Heaven is a must-stop-shop for the brand-name recessionista. (Word to the wise: mention Daily Candy and you can get in at noon.)

The Daily Feed, WMATA
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Rough Morning Commute Today

Photo courtesy of
‘Typical Beltway traffic’
courtesy of ‘brianmka’

What a mess– two incidents are making for some long commutes this morning.  First, around 5 AM this morning (thanks for the wake-up text message alert at 7 AM, Washington Post), an accident at the 3rd Street Tunnel entrance caused some major delays.  And I mean major– according to WTOP, traffic is backed up for 24 miles (!) along 95 and 395.

In a separate incident, service on the Camden Line of the MARC commuter rail in Maryland has been suspended after a train hit a pedestrian.  Police are investigating.  In the mean time, Metro will honor MARC tickets from Greenbelt, and MTA is providing bus service from Dorsey, Savage, and Laurel stations to Greenbelt.

Did you get stuck in any of this today?  Let us know in the comments.

The Daily Feed, WMATA
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Metro will stay open late for Nats fans

Photo courtesy of
‘outta here for Harry the K’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

After an earlier announcement that the DC government did not have the money to keep Metro open for Nationals games that run late, the deputy mayor told the Washington Post last night that they would “work something out.” Good thing, because the alternatives (stranding people at the stadium or making them drive) sure aren’t pretty.

The Features, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks: Coffee Culture

"espresso at m.e. swing coffee roasters" by tvol, on Flickr

“espresso at m.e. swing coffee roasters” by tvol, on Flickr

For many of us, it’s coffee, not liquor, that’s our “water of life.” I’m quite certain I could survive without alcohol. But I know I could never live without caffeine. I’ve tried really really hard to give it up, especially when I was diagnosed with a heart murmur and began to notice every jitter and flutter. I fell off that wagon so many times I have a permanent head bump. Inevitably I’ve given up giving up, rationalizing that I’m just a much better person on caffeine. If you happen to be one of my friends who visited at least once my home you’ll find that the coffee storage I got from  https://cookingplanit.com/best-coffee-storage is never empty. That is just how I start my day.

But DC has a bit of a coffee culture problem. It’s hard for little independent cafes to survive (witness the deaths of Sparky’s, 14U, Mocha Hut, Mayorga, Murky Coffee…). Sometimes it seems we’ve given over to the Great Dairy Mermaid and her bitter rival the Loose Moose (wait, it’s the mermaid’s grinds that are really bitter, but I digress) that populate every corner plying milky sugary bastardized versions of the classics.

I know, I know, you can’t give up your vanilla syrup. It’s ok. I’m not going to repeat my last rant about the decline of the perfect cappuccino. I’m not going to wax poetical about espresso in Venice or cafe au lait in Paris. Everybody has their particular coffee fixation – drip, press, etc. The uniting point is that there are some fine places to get your fix, ah, enjoy your coffee, here in DC, beyond the glut of mass market methadone. And with the news that Murky’s being reinvented in Chinatown, and a new coffeehouse called Mid-City Cafe will hit 14th Street, things could be looking up. So here’s a sampling of java joints to get your joy jitters on – and please leave your favorites in the comments.

Continue reading →