Monthly Archives: October 2009

The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Dracula

Dan Istrate and Natalie Berk in Synetic Theater's "Dracula." Photo credit: Graeme B. Shaw

Dan Istrate and Natalie Berk in Synetic Theater's "Dracula." Photo credit: Graeme B. Shaw

Oh, Vlad. How we missed you. Vampires are back in fashion, sucking blood and living forever. Sad soulful looks are fine, but let’s say you prefer your undead to be more aggressive and lustful. Synetic Theater’s revamp of their smash rendition of “Dracula” will be just the thing to get you in the mood. For Halloween, that is!

The company throws themselves into the well-known tale with unbridled enthusiasm. In some cases, they are literally thrown – the physicality of Irina Tsikurishvili’s choreography caused the audience to gasp repeatedly. As always, the artistry of the ensemble creates breathtaking images – fluttering hands for firelight, tossing hair as horses, a crawling bat – too many to mention.

As Dracula, Dan Istrate’s raw masculinity and wry humor were so on target, I thought the women next to me were going to have several Victorian fainting spells. Continue reading →

All Politics is Local, Life in the Capital, News, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Dan Snyder and the Gestapo

Photo courtesy of
‘Under the lights’
courtesy of ‘brianmka’

Not to keep rubbing salt into the “Redskins are the worst” wound, but Dan Snyder seems more and more like a fascist dictator every day.  There have been several accounts, including two from last night alone, of people being kicked out of FedEx Field for expressing their true feelings for Mr. Snyder.  Apparently, he sicked a couple of security guards on critical fans, confiscating a banner and kicking them out of the stadium.  Nice.  Glad to hear he’s so confident in himself.  Let this be a lesson to the rest of you.  If you’re going to tell Mr. Musolli… I mean, “Mr. Snyder” that he sucks, don’t do it in his stadium.  He really doesn’t like it. But seriously, Dan, you do suck.

Continue reading →

News, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Wizards Kick It Off Tonight

Photo courtesy of
‘Washington Wizards’
courtesy of ‘RMTip21’

The Wizards kick off their season tonight in Dallas against Mark Cuban’s Mavericks. While it seems the Wiz will wait even longer for the holy trinity of Arenas/Jamison/Butler to be united, but since we’ve been waiting since 2007, anyhow, so what’s another 3-5 weeks? This will also mark the Washington debut of coach Flip Saunders, who took over at the helm during the off-season. Saunders’ past success with Detroit and Minnesota make him a candidate to lead the turn-around for the Wizards, but much is dependent at this point on getting everyone healthy and keeping them that way.

The Wizards start of with a brutal first fifteen games. Four of their first five opponents made the playoffs this year, and they’ll be down Antawn Jamison until mid November at the earliest. It’s not exactly the sort of situation you want a team that has so much to prove to be in so early in the season. This is the kind of stretch you want to see much later in the year, once the engine’s running on all cylinders. But, if Saunders can keep the keel even, and can come out of that first fifteen with six or seven wins, then I’d say there’s a fair chance the Wizards might be back to their earlier form. Don’t hold your breath.

Tipoff’s at 8:30 tonight, and the game’s on Comcast Sports Net.

All Politics is Local, The Daily Feed
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Obamas Wait for Swine Flu Shots Like Everybody Else

Photo courtesy of
‘Uh…Joe?’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

When it comes to the H1N1 vaccine, the CDC doesn’t play favorites. Not even for the president. Sasha and Malia have been vaccinated, as they are in one of the priority groups (young people under 24), but el presidente and the first lady have to wait like everyone else until the vaccine is available for adults 25 and over. Fair, right? Although now I am imagining Obama, delirious from having been struck down by the piggy flu, shouting from his bed, “Reid! Keep the public option, Reid! Reeeeiiiidddd!”

Mythbusting DC, The Features
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DC Mythbusting: Haunted DC

Photo courtesy of
‘Thomas Trueman Gaff Monument’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’

Hi, and welcome to a Halloween edition of Mythbusting!  This week, I’ll see if my mythbusting skills can translate to ghostbusting.  I’m going to tackle three different spooky DC myths and see if I can find any validity in the legends.  Sound good?  Let’s get started.

The Demon Cat in the Capitol: First off, let’s tackle one of the most widespread haunted myths of our city: the Demon Cat.  There are so many ghost stories involving a black cat who appears in the Capitol as an omen before national tragedies like presidential assassinations.  Legend has it that the cat has appeared before the assassinations of Lincoln and Kennedy, before the stock market crash of 1929, and even on September 10, 2001.  Apparently, there are even permanent paw prints in the Capitol that show the presence of the Demon Cat!  So is there really a Demon Cat?

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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Burying the lead disappointment

Photo courtesy of
‘NO SMARTRIP -6480’
courtesy of ‘Joe Tresh’

WMATA’s press release about SmartBenefits talks a little about how some changes will be made to the SmarTrip behavior to comply with new IRS rules but leaves the really interesting thing for last. A sizable percentage of people in the area might get transit subsidies from their employers but here’s the real news for all SmarTrip users: no passes or online refilling of cards till Fall 2010.

WMATA blames this delay on the complexity of implementing these changes to meet IRA rules, but it’s hard to give this much credence given how horribly overdue they are in implementing this feature. IRS transit mandates might be why they couldn’t fit it into 2009, but what’s the reason they didn’t have it in 2004 or 2005?

The Daily Feed
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MLK Memorial Just Waiting for Building Permits

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘erin m’

The negotiations over the design and placement of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial have finally concluded, with the National Capital Planning Commission voting unanimously to approve the revised design. It’s been sort of a long road for this particular monument, with conflicts arising over everything from the choice of a Chinese sculptor to what kind of security stanchions would be installed around the perimeter. But with the design approved, the National Park Service just has to issue building permits so that the construction can go forward.

The monument will be placed on the tidal basin, among the cherry blossom trees, sort of diagonally across from the Jefferson Memorial. The new memorial sounds lovely, so I’m looking forward to being able to view it, the Jefferson, AND the cherry blossoms in one trip. It’s scheduled to open in late summer 2011, so expect to pick your way around the construction site while walking the tidal basin for the next couple of years.

Fun & Games, News, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Redskins have a Case of the Mondays

Photo courtesy of
‘Colt Brennan and Marcus Mason’
courtesy of ‘Keith Allison’

What a night for the hometown team. The Redskins lost to the Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 27-17 in an absolutely miserable performance.  You may be thinking “10 points isn’t that bad,” but, I’ll remind you that half of the Eagles team is injured and that they lost to the Oakland Raiders, last week.  It’s bad.  Where to start with this?  The offense, while making a few clutch plays (hence the 17 points), had 3 turn-overs, one of which resulted in a touchdown for the Eagles. The line allowed Campbell to be sacked 6 times, oh, and Chris Cooley broke his ankle.  Things are not looking good.  On the defensive side, no one seemed to be able to stop Desean Jackson, who scored two touchdowns, one on a huge run and the other on a huge reception.  All in all, the Skins looked par for the course for this season.  The front office’s decision to mute Jim Zorn obviously had no positive effect on the play calling and the Redskins show no sign of improvement.  Honestly, get used to losing.

Farm Fresh, The Features
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Farm Fresh: Evening Star Cafe

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Here’s another feature where WeLoveDC authors Donna (greenie) and Katie (foodie) have paired up to tell you about local 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: Evening Star Cafe is nestled on Mount Vernon Avenue in the heart of Alexandria’s bohemian neighborhood, Del Ray. Lanterns twinkle above. Seated at the window, Donna and I watched neighbors pass by walking dogs, running errands and grabbing frozen custard from Dairy Godmother. Evening Star has this wonderful homey feel, so it’s not hard as hard to imagine the farm-to-table concept in practice there, as it is at a super-polished place like Charlie Palmer Steak. Chef Will Artley jokes around with us like we’ve known him forever, and describes walking through the farmer’s market picking up the food for our meal and it just makes sense. We were happy to accept an invitation to learn all about Evening Star Cafe (and Neighborhood Restaurant Group’s) approach to green dining.

Donna: Evening Star is just one of the eateries in the Neighborhood Restaurant Group (NRG), and co-owner Michael Babin talked to us about the philosophy that guides them all. NRG supports mindful growing, with no pesticides or hormones, as well as humane treatment of animals. The restaurants use biodegradable take-home containers, compost scraps, and soon their used cooking oil will be turned into biodiesel fuel.

Katie: We kicked off our meal with a light melon soup. Chef Artley laughed, telling us how he’s allergic to melons, but got so excited when he spotted these that he forgot and sampled some. It was that kind of meal – perfectly accessible, friendly, and so exciting that you forget things like food allergies. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Crepe Love

Photo courtesy of
‘Nutella + Banana crepe!’
courtesy of ‘ronnieliew’

I don’t think I can adequately describe my love of crepes, so you’ll just have to believe me when I say that upon reading PoP’s breaking of not one but two crepe cafes hitting my ‘hood this winter I just about passed out from sheer bliss. Three words, people – Nutella! Banana! Strawberry! That’s all it takes to get me in a buckwheat batter lather!!

(ahem)

Anyway, yes, two creperies will open on the rapidly blooming 14th Street Corridor this season. Crepes on the Corner in the old Garden District space at 14th & S (by the same owners as the garden shop) and Point Chaud in the storefront formerly operated by Circle Boutique (on roughly the opposite side of the street). The former has the opportunity for a large outside seating area so I predict quite a hot brunch spot. The latter will probably be cosier. But who cares about the details! Nutella! Banana! Strawberry!

Two, two creperies. So close to me. I’m in heaven. Dancing around with dreams of savory and sweet. Can’t wait.

The Daily Feed
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Need a New Bike Light?

Photo courtesy of
‘light reflection’
courtesy of ‘m hoek’

DDOT, WABA and the City of Alexandria want bicyclists to be safer in the dark, and that’s why they’re giving away 800 free front & rear bike lights tomorrow and November 5th at Sun Trust Plaza at 18th & Columbia NW in Adams Morgan and 7th St NE and Constitution Ave NE in Capitol Hill. The giveaways in Alexandria will run tomorrow through Thursday at Holmes Run and Duke Street (Tuesday), Mount Vernon Trail at Canal Center (Wednesday) and the Four Mile Run Trail at Commonwealth Ave. (Thursday)

Night Life, The Daily Feed
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The Gibson Expands Saturday

Photo courtesy of
‘Ceiling at The Gibson’
courtesy of ‘Jenn Larsen’

If you’ve been left waiting outside at the Gibson, then you’ll probably be ecstatic to hear: they open their upstairs this weekend, doubling the capacity of the popular speakeasy. Better news? The upstairs has a couple rooms that you can rent for private events. Of course, I’m betting that’s going to be a popular option which then limits the capacity again, so don’t get too excited, just get ready to book that room way in advance for cool events.

Interviews, People, The Features
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He Loves DC: Walker Lamond

Photo courtesy of
Walker Lamond from the “Rules for My Unborn Son” Media Kit
courtesy of ‘K1rkles’

Walker Lamond can be described as the fatherly sage of the masculine aesthetic.  Perhaps you don’t know his name, but it’s more than likely that you’ve at least heard of his blog, “1001 Rules for My Unborn Son.” As the title suggests, Walker doles out practical advice to his son on his popular Tumblr page.  He’s gathered a substantial following over his past year and a half of blogging, including the attention of a few publishers.

Tomorrow, Walker will join the ranks of the bloggers turned authors when Rules for My Unborn Son, a book of his axioms, is released. It turns out that Mr. Lamond is a resident of DC and, on the eve of his literary debut, he graciously agreed to answer a few questions about his book and life in the city.  He even gave some advice while he was at it. So, continue reading to discover Walker’s thoughts on becoming an author, DC’s greatest sartorial misstep, and how to improve our taxi system.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Street Car Maps

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Hoffmann’

The District Department of Transportation released an interactive map of the new street car systems, currently under construction.  The map superimposes the proposed routes over a map of the city, and the system looks like it will be pretty widespread by the time it’s finished.  I, for one, am excited.

The Daily Feed
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It’s That Time Again: High Heel Race!!

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

Folks, it is time for that most DC event: The High Heel Race. If you’re not familiar, it’s a race down 17th street, with men in their finest taffeta and lamé gowns, in beautiful high heel shoes. If you’re not convinced, check out Katie’s photo digest from last year’s event. The race isn’t until 8 or so in the evening, but plan to be there by 6:30 at the latest if you want a good viewing spot.

My friend Stuart will be racing this year, and I certainly wish him good balance and excellent speed. He’ll be in the purple slinky cocktail dress and matching pumps, I’m sure. Seriously, come out and see the costumes for yourselves, they’re absolutely perfect for this fantastic time of year.

Update to mention: Of course I left the date off. The Race is Tomorrow, 10/27, not today.

Sports Fix
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Sports Fix: Prelude to a Season

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Alex Barth’

D.C. United
Record: 9-8-13
Place: Fourth in the East
Last Two Weeks: 1-0-1

At the end of it all, United couldn’t win when they had to, and settled for a tie in Kansas City. They tied more than they did anything else this season, which is why they’ll watch the playoffs from their homes. Needing a win in Kansas City, they managed to put up the offense, but the loss of Wicks in goal meant they gave up a pair of goals they shouldn’t have.

So, what happens now? The good news is, United is still DC’s football team that doesn’t suck. The bad news, well, Coach Tom Soehn may be done. It’s not clear if that’s all that bad.

As usual, Ben Olsen nails it: “This organization’s not used to [missing the playoffs]. If that’s the case, then we’ll handle it. You know, take part of the blame. We lost this organization some points out of this year, and we’re in this together and move forward. You can’t make it every year, but two in a row is alarming, and we’ll certainly look to coming back next year.”

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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The Romance of Steam


The Romance of Steam
Originally uploaded by LaTur

When I moved to DC in 2000, it was just about the worst move ever. We were dragging a trailer in my 92 Ford Explorer, and the transmission died in Cumberland. I had just found out the job I came here for had evaporated, that I couldn’t get out of my lease, and now I was facing a $1,000 car bill and three days stuck in Cumberland while my transmission got fixed. My cousin and I tried to make the most of it, and we took a trip on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad captured here by Flickr user LaTur.

The trip on the restored railroad is a beautiful one, winding through the hills of northern Appalachia through the trees and scenic views. This weekend, I can only imagine, was a beautiful one to take the train, as we’re having just about the most picturesque fall I can remember in my near-decade of DC life. They do Saturday Murder Mystery events with a ride on the train and dinner. Go. Feel wrapped in the anachronism, and just step out of reality for an evening.

The Daily Feed
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Education Funding Gone Awry

Photo courtesy of
‘Multimedia message’
courtesy of ‘Big C Harvey’

D.C. Wire has the story about an Education project in DC that went horribly awry and cost the city $5.5M for something that doesn’t even remotely work. Several councilmembers got to hammer away at the Chief Procurement Officer and State Superintendent on Friday afternoon for the abject failure to conform the project. In addition to the lengthy delays in delivery and error-prone system, the consultants they hired to build it are nearly bankrupt. Way to go, DC Government, that’s another big win for us all.

Nicely done.

The Daily Feed
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More Protests Over Same-Sex Marriage

Photo courtesy of
‘capitol couple’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

The same-sex marriage debate rages on, as a DC council committee addresses the issue of whether these marriages are legal today. Protesters (many from Virginia and Maryland) made some noise yesterday in Freedom Plaza, demanding that the issue be put on a ballot so DC residents can vote on it. My question is, will that really solve anything? There will always be a group of people who will be unhappy no matter how the decision gets made, and what if putting it on the ballot means the kind of money and advertising influx that Prop 8 in California got? No, thanks.