Monthly Archives: August 2009

The Daily Feed
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DC United Ladies Night Tix Winner!

Photo courtesy of
‘Brandon Barklage’
courtesy of DC United

Well, well, well. Not too shabby! It looks like Miranda (our DC United Ladies Night Tix Winner!!!!) has shown us all a thing or two about our home team.

We asked our WeLoveDC readers to vote on who the hottest DC United player is, and we used random.org to pick the winner. Miranda chose DC United’s Brandon Barklage as the team’s hottest player.

I have to say, I was kind of looking forward to seeing him in action on Saturday, but I just heard he’s out for the rest of the season. I think that means there’s a PRETTY darn good chance he might show up at Ladies Night!

Congratulations to Miranda. I’ll be in touch soon to get you those tix to Saturday night’s game against LA Galaxy!

Entertainment, Food and Drink, Fun & Games, The Features, We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends 8/22-23

"Lake Anna Lifeguard Stand" by needlessspaces, on Flickr

"Lake Anna Lifeguard Stand" by needlessspaces, on Flickr

Ah, one of the last summer weekends is upon us. The city is emptying out, you can have bar space to yourself, everyone’s baking in the heat and living slow. Enjoy.

Katie: It seems like DC’s disgustingly hot weather is going to keep up this weekend, so my plans will revolve around keeping cool. I’d happily take a day trip down to the beach at Lake Anna State Park outside of Fredericksburg, where you can soak up the sun on a sand beach, and float around in the huge lake. There’s even a snack shack with ice cream when you need a cool treat. To continue my plans to stay cool, I’ll probably be spending Saturday night on the roof deck at Eventide in Clarendon where they’ve built an entire food, wine and cocktail list revolving around cold. Sunday I’ll head over to my new Farmer’s Market crush, the small but loveable Columbia Pike market (props to WLDC author Donna for suggesting it to me!) and grab some watermelon for the fridge. The rest of Sunday will be spent indoors reveling in air conditioning catching up on summer flicks like (500) Days of Summer or Julie and Julia.

Jasmine: This weekend, I am venturing to a couple of places I’ve never been before. I pass the Postal Museum on my new commute, so I figure I better check that place out. Right now, they have an exhibition featuring alphabet stamps, which sounds like it will feed the word nerd in me. I also want to take a day trip to check out Great Country Farm’s outdoor laser tag setup in Bluemont, VA, which I read about a while ago. They have a lot of other activities, too (including a vineyard across the street) in case laser tag is a bust, but I am envisioning it something like the paintball scene in 10 Things I Hate About You.

Paulo: We’ll be at the Philips Collection to see Paint Made Flesh, an exhibit of modern post-World War II paintings of the human figure. Time permitting, we may also check out the Corcoran Gallery’s exhibition of William Eggleston’s Democratic Camera. Oh, and Alexandria residents may want to check out the current show of landscapes at The Art League Gallery, Torpedo Factory — especially since it includes a painting by (ahem) my wife.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Neat protest shot

Photo courtesy of chip py the photo guy
Tastee Diner Protest, courtesy of chip py the photo guy

DCist told us about the planned kiss-in at the Tastee Diner last night. Photographer Chip Py went by to take a few pictures and put the count of gay and lesbians who showed up to lip-lock in protest at about 35. Either that one person was there making out with their own hand or Chip’s count is off by one. Regardless, I really like his shot with the selective de-coloration. Perhaps he can comment here – is that a simple emphasis move or a subtle commentary on the manager’s alleged desire to go back to the 1950s before public gay PDA was acceptable?

The Daily Feed
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We’re number 23! And 53 and 53 and 84 and 96 and…

Photo courtesy of
‘270 to win.’
courtesy of ‘erin m’

Another year, another US News and World Report colleges ranking. The big winner for our area is Georgetown at #23, though just up the road in Baltimore there’s John Hopkins at 14. GW and UMD-College Park tie at 53, AU is at 84 and Howard’s at 96. None of our other area schools break the top 100.

Georgetown is consoling themselves about their 4-year run at #23 by pointing out that High School guidance counselors put them at #9. I’d say that #23 ain’t bad and they may want to be careful what they turn to for affirmation – did you have any respect for your high school guidance counselor?

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Burrito Cart Goodness FTW

Photo courtesy of
‘Honest to goodness’
courtesy of ‘sudama’

emvii on twitter has alerted us to the fact that Pedro and Vinny’s, which was reviewed in Katie’s recent food cart roundup, is now open for business on the corner of 19th and L NW! More food carts in DC is awesome. I wish they would be on every corner offering food from all over! Why are they always so good? I’m not talking about dirty water dogs. Burritos, halal meat, Korean BBQ? Y-u-m. If you work in the 19th and L area, go check out Pedro and Vinny’s. You won’t be disappointed.

News, The Daily Feed
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Small Explosion at HHS

Photo courtesy of
‘Hey!’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’

You might want to stay away from 200 Independence Ave SW if you can avoid it, as the building’s been evacuated due to a transformer explosion on their 8th floor. DC Fire & EMS has ordered the building evacuated due to a lack of AC, and the Assistant Secretary there sent the following email:

You may have felt the building shake in the last few minutes. We had a failure of a piece of electrical equipment on the 8th floor which resulted in a small explosion. No one was hurt and there was no fire. We still are trying to assess the impact on the building systems, but there is no need to evacuate. Appropriate people from the General Services Administration (our landlord) are on their way to assess the damage to the equipment. When we have more information, we will be back in touch with everyone in the building.

Scary morning, between this and the Window Washer who needed rescuing after his scaffold broke.

The Daily Feed
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Help Pick Up the Pieces


Arts Group by Lubuto Library Project

I was saddened to read yesterday’s story in the Washington Post about the recent vandalism that took place at Life Pieces to Masterpieces.  This local nonprofit organization has helped hundreds of low income African American kids by offering them a safe, loving place to express themselves through art.  From their website:

“Life Pieces to Masterpieces’ apprentices learn how to make healthy choices at home, in their neighborhood and at school, enabling them to succeed and thrive against all odds. Apprentices consistently improve their school attendance and performance; improve their social and life skills; and avoid involvement with gangs, the juvenile system, and teen pregnancy.”

Over the weekend, vandals broke into the LPTM facility and inflicted an estimated $10,000 in damages which included smashing windows, spray painting walls, breaking computers and their flatscreen TV, urinating, spraying fire extinguishers throughout the hallways, and punching holes through the artwork that the boys had created.  It’s still unknown who is responsible for this terrible act, but as the article says, “If anything it shows how great the need is for programs that mentor young people in neighborhoods without much opportunity.”

If you’d like to make a tax deductible donation to Life Pieces to Masterpieces to help them get back on their feet again, you can do so via their website here.  I’m sure they will appreciate any help they can get.

Getaways, The Features
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Getaways: Shepherdstown, WV

Photo courtesy of
‘Shepherdstown2’
courtesy of ‘macfanmd’

Grab your friends, pack the car and put on a big smile – it’s Getaways time everybody! This week we are taking an exciting and fascinating trip to a few small towns in wild and wonderful West Virginia. WV is super far, it’s nowhere near here. It must be hundreds of miles away and you have to drive on dirt roads for hours upon hours through overgrown brush just to get there. Oh, and of course there’s the dodging of shotgun toting rednecks as you drive through the endless hills. Right? Right? Wait…WRONG! If you think like this, like thousands of other DC area residents do, take a minute and slap yourself. Then repeat (except this time on the other side of your face, to prevent facial bruising of course).

Now that your face has healed, it’s reality check time. Harpers Ferry is 67.1 miles from the center of DC and accessible entirely by highways. Shepherdstown – just a few more miles and only one two lane, paved road needed. What’s that? You’ve heard of them-there towns? Tubing, white water rafting, a national park, hiking/camping, civil war battlefields and a town that looks the same as it did in 1861? Yep, that’d be Harpers Ferry. A quaint little artisan town, on the Potomac river, filled with unique little shops, art galleries and eateries, home of the very first steamboat, an accepting and socially progressive culture and host to a historic, growing, top rated small public university? Shepherdstown it is. Nestled amongst natural beauty that beats anything you could have expected from a quick drive outside I-495, this little duo of WV small towns cannot be beat. Throw in the county seat, the historic town of Charles Town, and you get a trifecta of small town life with endless possibilities for an incredible getaway.

Continue reading →

History, Interviews, People, Scribblings
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Scribblings: Haynes & Klehr

Photo courtesy of
‘Soviet Unterzoegersdorf’
courtesy of ‘boklm’

In 1993, former KGB officer Alexander Vassiliev was permitted unique access to Stalin-era records of Soviet intelligence operations against the United States. Vassiliev subsequently shared the notes he took with Library of Congress historian John Earl Haynes and Emory University professor Harvey Klehr. Together they have written an extraordinarily detailed and shocking account of the KGB’s espionage successes in America, including penetrations of American government and industry at the highest levels. The authors expose Soviet spy tactics and techniques and shed new light on many controversial issues, including Alger Hiss’s cooperation with Soviet intelligence, KGB recruitment of muckraking journalist I.F. Stone, and Ernest Hemingway’s meetings with KGB agents. Join John Earl Haynes and Harvey Klehr, authors of Spies: The Rise and Fall of the KGB in America, at a special free lunchtime chat and booksigning event at the International Spy Museum on Thursday, August 20 from noon to 1 p.m. (No tickets required.)

A special Q&A with the authors after the jump. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Arlington likes nothing about the new HOT lanes

Photo courtesy of
‘Cheverly – Busy Intersection – 1-29-09’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

And they’re willing to sue over it.

The crux of the lawsuit is the assertion that Virginia, the Federal Highway Administrationand the Federal Department of Transportation failed to do a proper environmental impact study. The linked press release above doesn’t stop there, though – it also criticizes the planning and capacity of the planned Shirlington exit and asserts that traffic will worsen for the less well-off.

If you were looking forward to the pay lanes along 95 & 395, don’t sharpen your pitchforks just yet. The project was already on hold at VDOT, so unless Virginia decides to try to restart before the suit has been settled this isn’t delaying anything… yet.

The Daily Feed
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Win a Wedding at Sixth & I Synagogue

Photo courtesy of
‘Sixth & I Synagogue’
courtesy of ‘NCinDC’

When I went to see Lewis Black last year at the Sixth & I Synagogue, I was amazed at the sanctuary, with the incredible architecture, the gorgeous dome, everything. It’s one of DC’s finest worship spaces, and if you’re interested, and have someone that’s just as interested in you, you can win a wedding package there worth $3,500. What’s notable in this is that Sixth & I also supports interfaith and same-sex ceremonies, so this isn’t just limited to hetero couples and Jewish couples. You’ve still got a few days left to enter the contest, so get out your video cameras!

The Daily Feed
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Look out, Luscious Jackson

YouTube Preview Image

If you wished you’d been able to get to the GirlsRock!DC event at the 930 last weekend but, like me, couldn’t, here’s a little sample of what it was like, courtesy of regular commenter MrMoonPie. The video’s a little heavy on the bass player but doting dads can be like that, you know? His coverage of Silent District is a little more even-handed.

YouTube Preview Image

The girls singing the anthem is awesome too

Flickr Video

Got any links to other videos or other recordings? Share em so I can live vicariously.

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Nats Offer Dollar Ball, First Look at Strasburg on Friday

Photo courtesy of
‘Batter up’
courtesy of ‘afagen’

The Nationals are offering $1 seats in the lower bowl for Friday’s game against the Brewers, and also offering a look at pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg’s first press conference at Nats Park at 2pm on Friday. The conference will be followed with a Q&A with various Nationals players and front office staff in a Town Hall format that, for once, won’t feature the words “Health Care”, “Nazis” and “Barney Frank“. We’re also pretty sure no one will be outside this Town Hall with AR-15s.

If you missed the parcel of tickets that went on sale for $1 today, there’s another set of 1,000 seats that go on sale on Friday at noon, so get your clicking fingers ready, Nats fans!

Entertainment, Interviews, People
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She Loves DC: Meg from 2birds1blog

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Meg (Music) Photo Courtesy of Laura Warman

I have a huge, festering blog crush on total internet sensation 2birds1blog. Written by two friends and ex-roommates, Chris and Meg, the blog has me snickering all day long. Snarky, irreverent, honest and totally hilarious, co-author Meg, lives here in DC. Her witty commentary about all things in our city regularly keeps me entertained, I can always relate to posts about the metro, her gym crush (me, thinking: zomg I totes have a gym crush too1!!), and other DC-centric things. Not only is DC mentioned in random posts, Meg has penned a few blog posts solely on the topic of DC, one of my favorites is 6 Reasons You Should Love DC. This post, plus her winning personality? All make her perfect for a She Loves DC nod here on We Love DC. So, as a gift to you, dear reader, I give you Meg, from 2birds1blog.

Katie: Why DC? What made you decide to take up residence in our fair city?
Meg: I’m originally from the area and then went to school at American University. After graduation I decided I needed a little break from DC and moved to New York. I came crawlin’ back a year later. What can I say? DC’s got her hooks in me.

What is your favorite place in DC?
On my roof, poolside, Miller High Life in hand, magazine in my lap. Given that, you wouldn’t think I’d be so offensively pale, and yet, here we are.

What would you change about DC if you could?
Sweet mother of God, the weather. All I have to say is T-minus 34 days until the Fall equinox.

If DC were to go on a date with another city, what city would DC be best with?
Here’s how I see it: DC is a lot like Rachel Leigh Cooke’s character in the movie She’s All That—seemingly shy, nerdy, smug and a little stand-offish. We need someone who’s going to take the time to get to know the real DC. Because on the inside, we’re actually not shy and nerdy at all; we’re interesting and creative and any city would be lucky to date us. We need to find the city equivalent of Freddie Prinz, Junior. So I guess what I’m trying to say is Boston. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Get Rich Quick


Powerball Bunny by Eda Cherry

If you hadn’t heard or noticed, tonight’s Powerball jackpot is worth a cool $250 million.  Yep, a quarter of a billion dollars folks.  Of course after taxes you’ll only be left with a paltry $125 million (assuming you’re the sole winner), but you can still do a lot with that kind of money like:

Or you could quit your job and do whatever you want to for the rest of your life.  What would you do with that kind of bullion?

Farm Fresh, Food and Drink, Special Events, We Green DC
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Farm Fresh: Charlie Palmer Steak

Charlie Palmer

WeLoveDC authors Donna (greenie) and Katie (foodie) have paired up to bring you a double-hitting feature about local area restaurants that take on the challenge of being green. Donna will explain the logic behind the environmentally friendly trends and Katie will tell you if the food tastes any good. It’s a rough life, but someone has to do it, right?

Katie: Charlie Palmer Steak is situated on the bottom floor of the Carpenter’s Union building, facing the Capitol Reflecting Pool on the Senate side. I’d almost be tempted to call it DC stuffy, if I didn’t love it so much. And love it I do, Charlie Palmer Steak gets top marks in my foodie book. Not only is it gorgeous, the food is fantastic, and the service matches. The entire front of the restaurant is glass, and in the winter I’m sure it has a supurb view of the Capitol Building. An impressive walk-in wine cellar sits above a fountain and water pool full of stones. The servers are inconspicuously attentive. Candles flicker on the table. It is a quiet sort of posh, the perfect place for a business meeting, or a very impressive date. Honestly, it’s the type of place that you wouldn’t quite expect to do locovore meals. It’s a bit too conservative, too buttoned-up. But for all the month of August, through September 12, you can stop by Charlie Palmer to do an incredibly affordable “In the Loop” dinner – all food from within 150 miles of DC for $39 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed, WMATA
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WMATA raises the bar

Photo courtesy of
‘Metro: Don’t Panic’
courtesy of ‘nevermindtheend’

This story reminds me of an exchange I had in the workplace long ago. I told a co-worker I was surprised he knew about some company goings-ons and he said “I know more than you think.” I replied “you’d have to.”

WMATA has announced that they’re raising their standards for employment, though I think it’s more accurate to say they’re adding to the list of recent offenses that disqualify a person from being hired. Perhaps it’s a pointless distinction, but I don’t think we’d say that refusing to date someone who had been recently convicted of murder would qualify you as “having standards.”

I’d call them a worthwhile step, though. Applicants for front line positions can not have received a citation for moving violations related to carelessness within the last three years. Previously they were only disqualified if their license has been suspended during that period. More than two points on their license in the last three years also now disqualifies a candidate, as does a DUI during that period.

I’m less thrilled with the increased criteria on criminal offenses – if Michael Vick can be written a free pass by so many people because he has “served his time” I’m not sure why we don’t apply the same forgiveness to the less famous. However this WMATA limit only applied to customer-interacting folks, so the reformed aren’t completely cut off from opportunities with metro.

The Daily Feed
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A Short Shorts Preview

dcshortsbanner

The DC Shorts film festival is right around the corner. Running September 10th through 17th, after the third day the awards will be given out  and viewings will continue for another five days. WAMU’s Metro Connection show had a sit-down with the festival director last Friday and the show is available to be listened to online. John Gann explains how they went from over 700 submissions to the 100 that are shown, as well as the interesting voting methods. If you go to a showing you get a chance to vote, which is pretty neat.

At just over 6 minutes it’s a quick listen and an interesting statement about the festival’s mission. I defy you, however, stop listening without hanging around for the Blelvis –  the black Elvis – piece.

Life in the Capital, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Kastles To Receive Key to the City


2009 WTT Champions by Max Cook

To honor the 2009 World TeamTennis Champion Washington Kastles, Mayor Fenty will be presenting the team with the Key to the City next Thursday, August 27th at 11am.  The ceremony will be held on the steps of the Wilson Building at 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW.  The first 300 fans will receive a free Kastles WTT Championship t-shirt so be sure to get there early if you’re in the market for free stuff.  The entire Kastles team will be there including Murphy Jensen, Leander Paes, Rennae Stubbs, Scott Oudsema, and Olga Puchkova.  After the ceremony there will be a fan appreciation event across the street at Freedom Plaza with food and drinks, giving you a chance to catch up with the players and to give them high fives and such.  Can I get a “whooooaaaa Kastles”?!

Essential DC, News, Talkin' Transit, The Features, WMATA
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Talkin’ Transit: Mish-Mash Morning

Photo courtesy of
‘IMG_0115’
courtesy of ‘bankbryan’

Mish-mash of transit for your morning perusal.

HOT Lanes Delayed: While the Beltway HOT Lane construction continues forward, Virigina has decided to delay building additional HOT lanes on I-395 and I-95. The economy is the answer that’s been trotted out; state leaders fear that they won’t be able to get money from the bond market and the state has no more money to spend. The Beltway project is expected to be completed by 2012, with the outer lanes opening as early as next year.

Officials were pretty specific in stating the project has been delayed, not abandoned, though there is still a lot of concern with local officials, who feel the proposed project will adversely affect their communities and neighborhood traffic patterns.

Construction was supposed to begin next summer.

ICC & I-95: This week began a traffic pattern shift along I-95 as construction continues on the Intercounty Connector in Prince George’s County. Several lanes are being closed or shifted in both northbound and southbound directions from Route 198 to Route 212. Closures begin as early as 8 p.m. and re-open before morning rush. The closures will be in effect until Sept. 29.

VRE Gets Stimulated: The federal government has awarded $9.8 million to the Virginia Railway Express, money needed to purchase 12 more locomotives. The funds fall under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will be administered by the Federal Transit Administration.

The current locomotive fleet consists of 20 engines that can pull an average of six cars; the new engines the VRE is purchasing are more powerful and efficient, capable of pulling 10 cars each (at 144 passengers a car) and will help the service expand its current capacity.

Continue reading →