By jasmine
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courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’
If you’re a music fiend like me, you find a way to fit music in your budget– but if you don’t keep an eye on your spending, it can easily get out of control. But is there any way around just buckling down and buying $200 concert tickets or $18 CDs?
Oh yeah. Especially in DC, you can definitely go see great live music and get your hands on CDs for less than you think. Continue reading
By Donna C.
‘Front Step’
courtesy of ‘Michael Cornelius’
This just announced — CarbonfreeDC has won $20,000 in the Green Effect contest sponsored by National Geographic and Sun Chips!
They will use their winnings to carry out an Extreme Green Neighborhood Makeover, and help 20 families from a low-income block to green their homes and lifestyles.
Congratulations, Carbonfree DC — and thanks to everyone who voted!
By Katie
DC is a notoriously bad dating town. We regularly rank as one of the cities that turns to the internet to meet people – Match.com is legendary here, Craigslist, eHarmony and Chemistry.com are close behind. I can name at least twenty hot single lady friends that can’t figure out why they haven’t had a date in months. What’s the deal, DC boys? So when I read about Eight at Eight on DC Concierge (love her!) I was intrigued. Here’s the skinny – the service pairs four guys with four girls to have a casual dinner, simple as that. There’s no pressure, no “here’s your match! do you like him? do you? do you?” style dating, no blind dates, and, as DC Concierge points out, the worst that happens is you get a little networking done.
There’s a “dinner package” purchase, and a membership fee (DC Conceirge points out that this is exactly like a Match.com fee) but it sounds like a pretty affordable deal to me. A hostess will attend each event to break the ice and buy Eight at Eight diners their first drink. At the dinner, diners only for pay for what they eat and drink. Separate checks will be provided for each diner. Eight at Eight’s FAQ’s say, “We put together our dinner parties based on age and the interests you provide in your profile. Don’t expect a completely homogenous group, however – we’ll try to structure a diverse group with complementary interests that will give everyone something to discuss.”
The only red flag I can see? As We Love DC’s foodie, I’m totally insulted by the restaurant list for DC. But to meet a cute boy? I suppose (sigh) you can ask me to eat mediocre food for a night. (A glance at the upcoming events shows PS7’s on the list. PHEW. Saved.)
By Kirk
‘Chicken a la mayor’
courtesy of ‘Steve Punter’
Below is a suggested story that we received from a concerned reader calling herself “chickenbone.”
“What do you think we should know about?
Who or what? the vast amounts of chicken bones in certain areas of DC. It seems like people just throw them out the window. These are extremely hazardous to my dogs and others. its like eatting nails.
What makes it interesting? i swear sometimes i walk down the alley and there are like mounds of chicken bones. what is the deal? through them in the garbage. ”
Sic, Sic, Sic, etc.
So there you have it: chicken bones kill, through them in the garbage. Seriously.
By Rebecca
‘CIMG5537’
courtesy of ‘MGdesigner’
The poor, poor ukulele, it often gets a bad rap. Personally, I’m a fan of the instrument. Just check out Jake Shimabukuro’s While My Guitar Gently Weeps to see what I’m talking about. So I’ll be at tonight’s FREE Strathmore Outdoor Summar Concert series-Uke Fest 2009. Bring a picnic and a blanket, spread out on the lawn and get ready to hear some of the best ukulele players in the country. Enjoy!
By AcaciaO
Halfway through the fourth quarter in the Mystics game against the Indiana Fever last night, the jumbotron rallied the fans, asking them all to put four fingers in the air. Somewhere in my long sports education, I clearly had missed a chapter, as I was a bit confused. I was soon informed that this was an old football tradition, to put four fingers in the air to say “we own the fourth quarter.” (Duh.) It was a nice thought, but unfortunately it was Indiana who dominated, holding onto their ample fourth quarter lead to defeat the Mystics 82-70.
“I think our team had some really good spurts where we played really well, and we adjusted throughout the game,” said Mystics Head Coach Julie Plank after the game. “I give our team credit for how we competed. This is a veteran team, they’re an Eastern Conference finals team and I thought we competed with them, and I look forward to playing them next week at their place.” Continue reading
By Tom Bridge
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (the same people that brought you The Internet) is going to be moving from their unphotographable building on Fairfax Blvd in Ballston to a new facility, pictured above, which will probably also be unphotographable in Ballston, across from the Mall. The new building will be the first, when it opens in 2012, to fully align itself with the Department of Defense anti-terror construction guidelines. This will keep 800 DARPA jobs in Arlington, as well as 1,700 liaison jobs for other companies in the Northern Virginia area.
By Donna C.
‘Great Lettuce Harvest of 2009’
courtesy of ‘Wayan Vota’
An area filmmaker is now editing a documentary on seven community gardens in DC — and the people who tend, love, and learn from them.
The film will explore the role of these gardens not only as sources of fresh, nutritious food, but as outdoor classrooms, places of healing, centers of social interaction, and oases of beauty and calm in inner-city neighborhoods.
Already there’s a long and heartwarming trailer that shows all the good that playing in the dirt and growing your own food can bring. You can see it on the newly launched Community of Gardeners Web site.
By shannon
View We Love DC’s Favorite Streets in a larger map
The District’s Great Streets Initative aims to revitalize selected corridors in the city by focusing funding on streetscape improvements, economic development assistance, and public safety initiatives. The program was started back in 2005 and it’s probably too early to tell how successful it has been. But that program really focuses on streets that need revitalization– areas with little pedestrian activity, not a lot of walkable attractions, and pretty bleak streetscapes.
What about streets that are already great? Streets that are pleasant to walk down, with lots of shade and benches and a mix of uses to walk to– DC certainly has some pretty fantastic streets already. I set out to ask our authors about their favorite streets, and here’s the first half of their picks for the District’s greatest streets:
Tom: Pennsylvania Ave SE & 7th Street SE. From this corner, you can see so much of the city. Just north of here on 7th is Eastern Market, to the northwest along Pennsylvania are the Library of Congress (my favorite DC Landmark) and the Capitol. Large trees stand along the sidewalks, and in the medians, and while cars traverse the neighborhood, the sedate pace feels like that of a county seat, and not the nation’s capital. Seward Square has beautiful residential spaces just a block away, and the small businesses that dot Pennsylvania and 7th are some of my favorite. Montmartre is a great place to get lunch, and Peregrine Espresso is one of my favorite cups of coffee in the universe, and Spike Mendelsohn’s Good Stuff Eatery is just a couple blocks away. Shade and comfort, right in the middle of our busy city.
By Donna C.
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courtesy of ‘Hoffmann’
Sure, we know that farmers markets bring in fresh, healthy food and allow us to support local farms. But knowing what to buy when we get there is a different story.
How is a white peach different from a yellow one? (It’s sweeter, and sublime.) And what do you do with a rutabaga anyway? (Darned good question.)
Find more answers at a local foods tasting on Monday at 7 p.m. at Arlington Central Library, where you can sample our area’s produce and learn how to cook it.
By Katie
‘art and soul mac and cheese balls’
courtesy of ‘needlessspaces’
Just a quick reminder to all you foodies and Bravo Top Chef fans out there – Chef Art Smith of Art and Soul will be on Top Chef Masters tonight! Art and Soul, located in the Liaison Capitol Hill, right near Union Station is hosting a Top Chef Master’s Viewing Party tonight. The party will be held in ArtBar from 8 p.m. – 11 p.m., and will feature complimentary hors d’oeuvres that showcase classic Art Smith dishes.
Good luck Chef Smith!
By Max
Nadia Petrova by Max Cook
Last night the Washington Kastles (6-7), with the help of their new teammate Nadia Petrova, made easy work of the New York Buzz (4-9). The relatively effortless 23-12 win put them one game closer to the Eastern Conference Finals which will be held here in DC on Friday if the Kastles make the cut. In order to make it to the conference finals they have to win their match tonight against the Springfield Lasers (12-1) or the Boston Lobsters have to lose their match against the New York Buzz. In other words, we’re in a tight spot.
Petrova, listed at 5’10”, must have grown a few inches since being measured. Currently ranked #10 in the world, the powerful Russian is easily six feet tall and posted an impressive 15-3 record during her three sets last night. Her addition to the Kastles roster may be just what they need in order to beat the one loss Lasers tonight. Win or lose, it should be another incredible night of DC tennis. Tickets to tonight’s match are still available.
By Ben H. Rome
‘Where To Set One’s Eyes’ courtesy of ‘Bogotron’
It’s been a month since the fatal Red Line crash outside of Fort Totten. You’d think a deadly event like that would force some changes over at Metro at how they do things, right? More accountability, more transparency, better oversight, more concern for public safety..
Initially, I was impressed on the fact that they were at least trying. Despite some hard questions. Now, however, I’m not so sure.
Everyone by now has heard about the Post’s pretty damning report regarding Metro and the continual widespread failure of track circuits on four of the five lines. Incredibly scary stuff; those circuits are used to keep track of trains, their speed and location. The failure of such a circuit seems to be the cause of last month’s accident – though the NTSB has not officially announced the actual cause. Metro rail chief Dave Kubicek has downplayed the Post’s report, saying that none of the problems detected are anything close to the track circuit problem at the crash site. He insisted again that “the rail system is safe” and that it’s “a gross exaggeration” to suggest it’s widespread.
What is troubling isn’t just the technology failure; it’s how Metro’s handling it and other issues that have popped up lately.
‘Navy Memorial’
courtesy of ‘Tony DeFilippo’
So, you know how Metro GM John Catoe said that they’ve inspected all 3,000 track circuits since the crash on June 22nd and haven’t found any problems? Yeah, not so much. According to the Post, Metro employees started finding faulty track circuits 5 days before that statement. Thanks, Mr. Catoe! There are 6 bad circuits found as part of the investigation into the crash, as well as 7 more that may have been found during the course of other maintenance activities.
Interestingly, Metro staff is disabling the faulty circuits. This causes a stretch of rail where the computers can’t control the train, so the train must be manually driven by the operator. Which is demonstrably better than automatically driven over a faulty circuit as far as keeping the trains spaced appropriately, but which tends to create delays, as manual control goes much slower, and only one train can be on that stretch of track at a time. Meanwhile, the disabled circuit blinds the central control staff, AND can’t detect track problems that can lead to derailment.
Disabling the circuit seems like the kind of thing that makes sense for a couple of days until a replacement part can be installed, but this is now going on a couple of weeks of potentially cascading delays caused by disabled circuits, meanwhile, Catoe is telling us, Baghdad Bob-like, that everything is FINE, there are no circuit problems within 100 miles of your Metro train.
By Donna C.
‘when Nelson met Cali’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’
On the same week that doggie Molly is returned to her rightful owner, two area animal rescue groups are holding fundraisers — oddly enough, both with sushi.
Tomorrow, if you eat at Sushi-Zen Restaurant in Arlington, mention Homeward Trails, and 20 percent of your check’s proceeds will help dogs and cats find permanent homes. Join their free Royalty Rewards program to donate an additional $5.00.
This Sunday afternoon is Bark & Bubbles, with sushi and bubbly drinks for the humans, ice cream, doggie treats and pet caricatures. The Washington Animal Rescue League will benefit from this event at WagTime Pet Spa & Boutique, which will offer same-day discounts to guests.
By Rebecca
‘Health Care Rally for a Public Option in front of Senator Bill Nelson´s Office’
courtesy of ‘leoncillo sabino’
Interested in how the Health Care debate and potential reforms will impact the District? For starters, try reading up on DC’s Health Care current status quo. I’m not advocating for any specific plan (I’m still trying to edu-ma-cate myself) but the DC site has some stats that really bring the health care debate to the home front. Here’s to hoping that our government can come up with a solution that’s both viable and effective.
By AcaciaO
‘Hawk ‘n’ Dove’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’
Just when you thought Happy Hour at Hawk & Dove couldn’t get any less enticing, Politico reports that the cast of the Real World will be heading there tonight. Twitter rumors (twumors?) concur, H&D staffer @JPeterDonald claims “Just got called into work tonight at Hawk n Dove because the Real World is coming in…” Proceed to Penn. Ave at your own risk.
By Don
‘Dr. Schreiber of San Augustine giving a typhoid innoculation at a rural school, San Augustine County, Texas (LOC)’
courtesy of ‘The Library of Congress’
Today’s WaPo has an article on some area doctors who are asking patients to sign agreements prohibiting them from making any statements in any media outlet without prior authorization. I find the idea comic myself – I’d be out the door looking for another physician before I was done laughing at their chutzpah – but the real gold in the article comes from a DC-area doctor who didn’t necessarily take the side of the agreements.
“The people least capable of judging quality of care are patients,” said District internist Nancy Falk, whose mostly positive ratings are offset by those calling her curt and intolerant of questions, descriptions she denies. “They don’t know what we know.” Falk regards doctor rating sites as just as dubious as “Best Doctors” compilations. In her view, both amount to popularity contests.
then at the conclusion of the article…
Although many doctors are unenthused about online ratings, Falk, the District internist, said she would support a different kind of site.
“I’d love to have a Web site where I could complain about patients,” she said. “All doctors would.”
Hard to imagine this is a person who was called curt and intolerant of questions.
By Jenn Larsen
Dizzy Miss Lizzie's Roadside Revue presents The Oresteia at Church Street Theater as part of the 2009 Capital Fringe Festival
Though I still stand by my original thinking that one of the chief joys of Fringe is seeing theater in the raw, as it were, scrappy and imperfect in rough and ready locations – sometimes I have to admit that can hinder as well. Dizzy Miss Lizzie’s Roadside Revue Presents The Oresteia, a funny and subversive retelling of the Aeschylus play, suffers from venue pains. Contained in the run-down Church Street Theater, it’s hindered by the confines of a proscenium stage. Despite the best efforts of a lively cast, the location really clips its wings. Chief among the venue problems is the sound quality – it’s plagued by bad miking that jars the ears and disconnects you from some truly great vocal pipes.
But, if you can get beyond that, there’s meat here. A lot of gusto in the retelling by company members Steve McWilliams (music) and Debra Buonaccorsi (direction), which takes the classic Greek tragedy pitting the old forces of matriarchal blood revenge against the new forces of patriarchal justice (or as my poker-faced drama professor called it, “the rise of the phallus”) and shakes it up with rock-n-roll, burlesque, and lots of profanity. The cast makes a valiant effort to get you in the mood upon entering, by busking cheap beer and flirting with the audience. But the theater’s not built to encourage much interaction and that’s a pity. Once the show starts the action is pretty much confined to the stage, and almost seems crammed in those confines. It erupts through in a couple of places where the gutsy singing just can’t be cramped.
Continue reading
By Max
Live, Work, Create by gorbomb
If you’re wondering what to do tonight, look no further than Play-Live-Work, a fun event to promote a design competition that could earn you $500! The idea is to come up with a cool way to use a space as both a home and a workplace. If your design wins, you get 500 bucks and your design will be staged in a Solea condo at 14th & Florida Ave NW. Read more about it and enter at Define Live-Work.
But wait, there’s more! Tonight’s event is sponsored by The Pink Line Project and will feature spinning by DJ Gold, sno-cones, a ring toss, Krazy Kans, a big mouth toss, and skeeball. Seriously, sno-cones and skeeball? In the heart of DC? If that doesn’t have you hooked, I don’t know what will.
Play-Live-Work
July 21, 6 to 8pm
1405 Florida Avenue NW
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