Wow, what a weekend! So much to do, so much to see…and so much to photograph. Take a minute to linger on the last moment of this past weekend and kick your week off right.
After coffee, of course…
By Ben H. Rome
Monthly Archives: July 2009
By Ben H. Rome
By Tom Bridge
Vonage and Mix 107.3
‘Wait! Say you’ll stay, spend a lazy Sunday.’
courtesy of ‘needlessspaces’
While the sourcing on the story is a little shaky, it appears that Mix 107.3 is denying a prize to a listener who tried to call in when they called her name, but found their cellphone and Vonage home phone blocked. The station was accepting only local calls to their 800 number. While the caller’s Vonage number is indeed within the DC area, Vonage directs all 800 calls through their New York gateway, making her local call a “non-local” call. So, is the caller a winner? Or a loser because she didn’t knock on her neighbor’s door?
By Don
Metro iPhone app, with bus times
When I wrote about WaPo’s questionable iPhone app choice earlier, reader JW said he’d like to see Nextbus functionality incorporated into an app. Ask and ye shall receive – John popped up to say that he’d added exactly that into his app, Find a Metro DC, and it was just waiting on Apple’s approval.
Well, Apple has now approved it so you can go grab it now. I haven’t had the opportunity to try it yet but the bus times is a nice feature that my current metro app doesn’t offer. John also said that he’s got support for you to pick your 3 favorite spots for quick access, a feature I wouldn’t want to give up from my current app.
By Don
We Love Arts: Fringe picking 101
‘Noir City’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’
I know some of our readers are regular and devoted Fringe-goers (as well as some performers). Those of you who are have no doubt already dug through the marginally painful Fringe Festival online database of shows, read every description, plotted out what you want to see and when you can see it, and come up with a schedule allowing you to fit in as many of your desired shows as possible.
This is not for you.
This is my reaching out to those of you who are sitting between “well, I’d kinda like to see what this is all about but I’m not sure…” and “huh?”
If you’re on the fence or not normally someone who takes in live performances I say this to you: Go. Take a shot. Live performance – whether it be theater, dance, or music – has a quality all its own and when it works it’s better than anything you can get recorded. The nice thing about Fringe is that, for the most part, even when it blows it’s still usually different and interesting. The fact that attending helps us keep a more vibrant local arts culture is icing on the cake.
I’ll do my best to point you at the resources to let you pick something that’s not a stinker. Let’s take a look, shall we?
By Don
A Fringe suggestion – you know, for the kids
I skipped it last year, but two years ago I had the pleasure of seeing the Gilbert and Sullivan Youth Company perform at Fringe. They’re back again this year and I have no doubt they’ll be just as enjoyable. You’ve only got a couple of hours to get to the Mt Vernon Place United Methodist Church if you want to hit their 5:30p show today but they’ll be there tomorrow at 2:45p and Sunday at 6:45p. It’s a good show and helps support and encourage some talented youngsters – the 2007 show featured players as young as 12.
By Project Nur – “In Solidarity With Iran”
Project Nur Flashmobber
We got the alert about the roving Iran flashmob yesterday mostly from our various day job employers. Property management companies were sounding the alarm with their tenants- oh noes! Flash mobs have turned violent in other cities!
Their concern was, shall we say, overstated. I had to look hard for the Project Nur group at the Lincoln memorial- it was about 6 people; a few twenty-somethings, and one person who appeared to be a bit older. At a signal, the flashmobbers ran to positions on lower staircase in front of the Memorial, and stood silently, holding up their printed handbills so that people could both see and take them, but not engaging in any interaction with the assortment of sightseers who walked by. Which was kind of unfortunate, because they were largely ignored that way, and what’s happening in Iran is important not only to Iran, but the whole Middle East as well as the world.
The whole thing was a little anticlimactic, honestly, after the talk of an “agitprop” demonstration in solidarity with Iranians. That said, it’s hard to come up with a noticeable group activity with 5 (I hear there were about a dozen at Federal Triangle), and I did appreciate their respect for people who were just there to check out the memorial.
At the end of their prescribed silent demonstration time, the protesters walked around, quietly offering leaflets to passerby. Speaking of the leaflets- I have to say I’m impressed- I wish I could get a good photo to show you. The text was well-written, and cogently lays out the basic facts about what’s happening in Iran and how interested people can get involved. Which include, in addition to writing to your Member of Congress (for those who actually have representation, hmm…), pressuring Nokia to stop providing and supporting the surveillance technology the Iranian regime is using to crack down on the protesters, which surprised me. I learned something I didn’t know today through the protest, so it was effective in that regard.
Click through for more photos of the protest. Continue reading
By jasmine
Clothing Swap Tomorrow
‘Fashion in Motion’
courtesy of ‘maxedaperture’
Got cute things that you just don’t (or can’t) wear anymore? Fashion Fights Poverty, an organization dedicated to spreading awareness about poverty and the environment, will host a clothing swap tomorrow afternoon at the Mayflower Hotel. At some predetermined (and undisclosed) time between 12pm and 5pm, all the clothes people bring will be put in one big pile on the table and then you’re invited to go for it. There is a time limit, though, and all the stuff left over will be donated to charity. Besides the swap, you can bring your stuff for consignment at Current Boutique or donate your items to Covenant House Washington.
By Max
McEnroe Brings Controversy and Defeat
photography by Max Cook
In the press conference prior to last night’s World TeamTennis match between the Washington Kastles and the New York Sportimes, John McEnroe was calm, cool, and collected. Some might say he even seemed bored. The fifty year old retired tennis legend, once ranked number one in the world and known for his fiery temper, sat emotionless as he answered questions he’s no doubt heard countless times before. When asked whether he now considers himself an entertainer or an athlete he said, “A little bit of both. I think people come here expecting me to get angry and yell at someone.” You think? The Kastles banked on it and played a video compilation of vintage McEnroe outbursts (“You have GOT to be kidding me!”) on the big screen no less than ten times throughout the evening. Would McEnroe remain emotionless or would the crowd see the explosion they were hoping for? With the Sportimes leading the Kastles by two games in the Eastern Conference, there was a lot riding on the line for the night’s match. Continue reading
By Don
WMATA seeks cyclist input
‘Bike Garage 1’
courtesy of ‘Tony DeFilippo’
WMATA is having a public session next Wednesday, the 22nd, about bicyclists and how they use Metro as well as what needs are and are not being met. The first line of the press release says the meeting’s purpose is “to obtain input from riders on how to improve bicycle and pedestrian access for people who bike or walk to Metro” but it goes on to invite anyone who might be interested in cycling to Metro and promises a “presentation” at one point during the 3 hour (!) meeting. So presumably there’ll be some information there for the curious and an opportunity for input from non-cyclists with concerns or needs.
Metro Headquarters, Lobby Level Meeting Room
5:30p through 8:30p on July 22
600 5th Street, NW,
Washington, DC.
By Tom Bridge
A Little Sim City For DC
‘My SimCity (650K Residents)’
courtesy of ‘adamjackson1984’
With news about budgetary changes coming to the city, in an attempt to offset a $666M budget deficit, it’s definitely time to start thinking about the hard choices necessary to fix the gap in the city’s finances. Enter the Washington Post, who’ve designed a little simulator to alter the budget and work your way back toward a revenue-neutral DC. You can alter revenues (taxes) and expenditures (Marion Barry’s girlfriends) to narrow the gap.
It’s a good way for citizens to understand the choices at play when it comes to covering a budget deficit. Either taxes and fees go up, or services go down, and sometimes it’s a little bit of both. Choices have consequences: if you raise the taxes on the wealthy, they might move to Arlington or Bethesda, and you lose their revenue. It’s interesting, give it a look.
By Donna C.
Good Green Nibbles at Blue Ridge
‘Subversive Supper: Inaugural Dinner’
courtesy of ‘Cooking With Jeff’
You’ve already heard from Katie that the new Blue Ridge Restaurant is mmm, mmm good. Next week, in addition to other foodie events, you’ll have a chance to hear from Chef Barton Seaver himself why it’s also good for the planet.
On July 22 at 6:30 p.m., join the newly formed DC Green Connection there to sample Chesapeake Bay oysters and other local delights, to hear why Chef Seaver sources all his items locally, and to raise a glass of organic wine to “green” goodness!
By shannon
Where We Live: Adams Morgan
‘Adams Morgan’
courtesy of ‘citron_smurf’
Welcome to another edition of Where We Live. This week we’ll be covering the ins and outs of one of the District’s coolest neighborhoods, Adams Morgan. Adams Morgan is unique in DC in that it actually feels like a neighborhood during the weekdays and weekend days, and completely changes character on weekend evenings as it transforms into a concentration of drunk non-residents. Unfortunately, some people only ever see the drunken frat party of 18th Street in Adams Morgan and don’t get to understand the really wonderful neighborhood behind it. Here’s your chance to learn what else there is to it!
History: Adams Morgan gets its name from the two formerly-segregated elementary schools in the area, the all-white John Quincy Adams school and the (now closed) all-black Thomas P. Morgan school (therefore, the area is not actually called Adam’s Morgan or Adams’ Morgan, both of which I’ve seen everywhere). In 1956 the Adams-Morgan Better Neighborhood Conference formed to improve the neighborhood, and jump-start urban renewal (not the Southwest Waterfront kind, though). Interestingly enough, the neighborhood’s name was hyphenated as Adams-Morgan in the Washington Post up until 2001.
By Liam Darmody
Foodie Round-Up (July 13-17th)
‘WINE. Not WHINE.’
courtesy of ‘staceyviera’
Ms. Katie’s headin’ home early for the weekend and so it is my pleasure to make a meeger attempt at filling those big ol’ shoes of hers by pullin’ together a Foodie Roundup for all you (y’all, in Katie’s words) voracious eaters out there. You ready for this?
Just when I thought I was getting over the trauma, er…I mean adventure?, of my tactile dining experience Katie tells me the folks over at banished productions announced that due to popular demand (a fact I highly doubt) they will be serving up two extra shows of A Tactile Dinner on Monday, July 20, 2009 at 7pm and 9pm at the Arthur S. Flemming Center (1426 9th St NW) in Shaw. Reference the review I wrote about my experience before deciding whether or not you’d like to attend.
The owners of popular Cork Wine Bar cordially invite you to join them for an afternoon wine tasting on Sunday, July 19, 2009. They’re gonna be learning about wines from the Jura Region in France with local distributor pals of at Potomac Selections. Known as France’s smallest wine region, the Jura offers an amazing diversity of wines and wine styles. You’ll taste delicious wines and learn about the Jura region, its varietals and winemaking. The tasting starts at 3:00 p.m., costs $30, and is limited attendance to ensure the comfort of guests (awww, how nice!)
Next up, the folks of Asia Nine are throwing a “Full Moon Party” for a good cause. Here’s the skinny: Continue reading
By Tom Bridge
Flash Mob Warning
‘Funkin’ the War’
courtesy of ‘IntangibleArts’
Tomorrow, at several times during the day, in different locations throughout the city, there will be a flash mob protest of the Iranian elections. Only in DC do we have flash mob protests, instead of San Francisco, where they have flash mob pillow fights (okay, so we had one in April.), or Los Angeles, where they have flash mob zombie shambles. Now, lest you think I am making light, I am 100% behind the protestors tomorrow, provided they don’t wreck traffic, or behave like jerks. Here’s the times and places:
Union Station: 8:30 a.m.
Freedom Plaza: 10:30 a.m.
Lincoln Memorial: 12:30 p.m.
Dupont Circle: 1:30 p.m.
Embassy of Pakistan, Iranian Interests Section: 3:30 p.m.
Project Nur is organizing the flash mobs for tomorrow, with the Georgetown chapter leading the way. “Our peers in Iran are dying for freedom, it is our duty to show that
we are with them in these trying times,” said Corina Kwami, President of the Georgetown chapter.
What will the Flash Mob look like? That part is unclear. The announcement came out that, “the flash mob will offer an agitprop visual
demonstration of support for those in the streets of Tehran, braving
tear gas, bullets, and rocks.” But I’m not sure if they’re bringing just signs and banners, or perhaps if they’re going to act out a skirmish in place.
By Tom Bridge
Metro Reorganizes Bus Customer Service
‘Outside, Looking In’
courtesy of ‘Bogotron’
Metro has reorganized all of the hierarchy for Metro bus drivers. They started with just three garages, but have now deployed this system to all of the area garages, and they’ve collapsed some of the management bureaucracy and turned to their midline managers to help address customer service complaints. What’s this mean? Well, instead of each garage superintendent handling all the complaints for several hundred drivers, this is now a task for someone who might manage 20-30 drivers. Sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s cut down on complaints over the first quarter of 2009, and helped address some safety issues that might have gotten missed before. Well done, Metro.
By Ben H. Rome
The “New” Ford’s Theatre Museum
‘DSC_3434’ courtesy of ‘Ghost_Bear’
Last night, Ford’s Theatre re-opened its museum after nearly two years of extensive renovation. The result is a transformed space that magnificently shows off the National Park Service and Ford’s Theater Society’s remarkable collection of artifacts of President Lincoln and the events surrounding his assassination on April 14, 1865.
The museum now tells the story of Lincoln from his arrival in Washington in 1861 through the Civil War and the sudden end of his life. Lauren Beyea, the museum’s publicist, explained that they “tried to create a greater sense of the context of what Lincoln’s life was like when he was in Washington. The city doesn’t have anything like that – we have monuments and things that are in tribute to him scattered around the District. But being Ford’s Theatre and storytellers ourselves, we thought it would be a great opportunity to really embrace the history that surrounds this place as well as Lincoln himself.”
So what can visitors expect now? Continue reading
By Liam Darmody
Pepco Utilizing Federal Goverment for Utility Developments
‘P.E.P.Co’
courtesy of ‘Hoffmann’
The amount of mine and my roommate’s energy bill is a hotly discussed topic amongst our group of friends. Mainly, the fact that ours is often double theirs. They attribute it to us (read: me) watching inordinate amounts of TV on my big screen, air conditioning an empty apartment, and leaving lights on all the time. Me? Never one for self-reflection, I think it’s just cuz Pepco gouges us.
Today, Washington, DC based Pepco Holdings announced that it will seek $142 Million in federal grants from the government under the American Recovery and Restabilization Act (ARRA). The utility company is seeking grants from the US Department of Energy “to help cover the cost of advanced metering infrastructure, distribution automation and direct load control equipment in its District of Columbia and Maryland service territories. Continue reading
By Don
We Love Arts: Barack Stars
The full cast of Barack Stars
photo by Colin Hovde
Barack Stars isn’t a play or a musical – it’s almost two hours of sketch comedy that has a general but not terribly specific theme. I don’t say that as a judgment – I just want us to have our definitions in line. We can’t really talk about the script, overt or implied themes, or much of anything else we might use to rate a play. The performers aren’t really called upon to inhabit a character and make us empathize or connect with them; if anything, too much nuance is a detriment when you’re trying to do an impression. It’s called a sketch for a reason.
So when talking about this production I’m lifting from my beloved Filmspotting (which I believe they said they lifted from someone else) and making a determination about if it’s good or not based on only one thing: Did it make me laugh?
Most definitely Continue reading
By Tom Bridge
Metro Union: Please Don’t Watch Us So Closely
‘don’t panic’
courtesy of ‘nevermindtheend’
WTOP had the news this morning that the union of Metrobus and Metrorail employees would really prefer it if you didn’t video them not doing their jobs. While I can understand a bit of their frustration, in that they’ve been in the news lately for napping at the controls of a train, texting while driving a metro train, and reading a book while driving a bus, instead of for their largely accident-free existence, it’s a bit tough to agree with the Union President Jackie Jeter. Jeter said, “Being watched 24/7 is a problem. I don’t think any of us would like that. And I ask (riders) to respect the operators and the jobs that they do.”
So, maybe let them off next time they catch someone asleep at the wheel, or reading while driving the bus. I mean, we’ve all done that, right?
Right?
<Crickets>
By Kirk
Watergate Hotel to be Auctioned
‘Watergate and Moon’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’
WUSA 9 reports that the Watergate Hotel will be up for auction next week. The hotel’s owners defaulted on their loan payments last month and the foreclosure notice on the property expires next Tuesday. If the current owners fail to make payments by that date, an auction company will start accepting bids on the Watergate.