Monthly Archives: October 2009

The Daily Feed
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Calling All Female Cyclists!

Photo courtesy of
‘DSC_5490’
courtesy of ‘photopete’

Even though women make up only about a third of all bicyclists in this country, they’re considered an “indicator species” for urban bikeability, according to a recent report in Scientific American.  The article says that women prefer bike routes that aren’t shared with cars, and they are more likely to go out of their way to use safer bike infrastructure.  As cities learn how to design places that accommodate women’s biking preferences, researchers think more people in general will start biking.  So female cyclists, what do you want to see in DC?

This event sounds like a good start: this Saturday, Sports and Spinal Physical Therapy is sponsoring a Women, Wheels, and Wellness Day in Glover Park.  The free program includes yoga for cyclists, an urban cycling skills session, as well as door prizes and giveaways.  So women bikers, head over to Blue Ridge on Saturday afternoon for all sorts of good stuff– and realize that you’re the wave of the future!

Music, The Features, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Hanson

Photo courtesy of
‘Taylor’s still got it’
courtesy of ‘dcjasmine’

Oh, yes– you read right. I went to see Hanson (and Hellogoodbye) on Tuesday. Confession time: I liked it. A lot. I mean, my music taste has come a long way in 11 years, but you never forget your first love. And man, that Taylor Hanson… sweet Tiger Beat, he’s still got it.

The boys of Hanson– Taylor, Isaac, and Zac– may all be all grown up (plus married and with kids, no less), but their music retains the same sweetness and light that made them famous back in the late ’90s. Just about every song featured their signature three-part harmony, and most of their lyrics are about pure, unadulterated love. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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No Money? Let’s Tax Per Mile!

Photo courtesy of
‘idiot’
courtesy of ‘Kasabian/’

I hate waking up to stupid moronic ideas.

This morning, WUSA reports on a brilliant idea by Washington’s Council of Governments to fund a study of what kind of pay-per-mile plan would be accepted in the area.

The reasoning by these smart people COG is that with gas taxes remaining static and “the transportation system collapsing all around us” they want to find new sources of revenue to pay for roadwork and mass transit. (Edited: I actually agree with this premise; originally when I posted, I was incensed about the cost of the study, which IMNSHO is a waste of money because no one wants yet another tax.)

“One of the sources that’s been talked a lot about in academic circles is pricing highway use by miles. Now, we don’t know if that is something that makes a lot of sense to do…” remarks David Snyder of the Council’s Transportation Planning Board (emphasis mine).

You know, we Washingtonians can save you guys the $400K to conduct the study so that money can be put to better use: It’s a lame-ass stupid idea and I guarantee the public will tell you exactly where to stick your plans and models – right up a personal tunnel where the sun never shines.

The Daily Feed
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Largent Says Zorn Nearly Quit

Photo courtesy of
‘Jim Zorn’
courtesy of ‘Keith Allison’

According to Hall of Fame receiver Steve Largent, Redskins coach Jim Zorn just about quit his job when he was asked to give up his play-calling abilities. Largent told KJR in Seattle that Zorn did consider quitting and didn’t want to give up his responsibilities as coach. But apparently, in typical Dan Snyder fashion, the upper management pulled out Zorn’s contract and basically told Zorn he had to do whatever the owner tells him to do.

Sounds like Snyder tried to force Zorn to quit, rather than fire him, so that Snyder won’t be liable for Zorn’s contract.

Largent blasted Snyder even more over at NBC Sports: “I think it will be humbling and it will be embarrassing, but not for Jim,” Largent said to NBC Sports. “I think it’s humbling and embarrassing for the Redskins and the Redskins owner and Redskins management that made the decision. To think that you can bring a guy in from a retirement center, who is pulling out ping-pong balls in the Bingo games and say, ‘You are going to call the plays for the next game against the Philadelphia Eagles, a division opponent, on Monday Night Football,’ and think that that’s going to be successful, that’s a joke. That is really a joke.”

That whole boycott thing sounds better and better, doesn’t it?

The Daily Feed
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Boycotting Dan Snyder

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

It’s kinda nice to know that there’s a whole movement out there that loves the Redskins, but abjectly despises the owner, Dan Snyder. Sure, we could blame the on-field performance, or maybe the coaching, but everyone’s coming right back to Dan Snyder. If you want to hurt Dan Snyder in the only place his blackened soul might feel, then you aim right for his wallet and boycott his properties and things that benefit him. So, enter Hate The Owner, designed to give you all the necessary tools to hate Dan Snyder and love your Skins.

Farm Fresh, We Green DC
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Farm Fresh: Redwood Restaurant and Bar

Photo courtesy of
‘Cherry Tomato & Watermelon Salad’
courtesy of ‘snapzdc’

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: Located in the heart of Bethesda Row, Redwood Restaurant and Bar is sleek, clean and stylish. With high ceilings and unsurprising wood decor, it’s a huge modern space with some seriously tasty food. And not only that, they do a great job of sourcing their products from local farmers, and utilizing the Bethesda farmer’s market, conveniently located right outside their door. Donna and I were invited to explore Redwood’s local food, so we went one Thursday night and sampled the fare and heard from Executive Chef Blake Schumpert exactly how he chooses the produce and meats he uses.

Donna: I like that at Redwood, they spell out their philosophy toward local foods up front, with a statement from owner and CEO Jared Rager posted on the Web site and a shorter message printed on the menus, so there’s no mistaking: “We are an independent, locally owned restaurant that showcases a seasonal menu featuring the best mid-atlantic ingredients available. Our produce, cheese, meat, and seafood is naturally-raised, organic, or sustainable whenever possible and is sourced from local growers. We’ve assembled a wine list from around the world with a particular focus on small production vintners who practice sustainable viticulture – making wine in a way which is economically viable, socially supportive and ecologically sound.” Hooray!

Katie: So with a clear mission, and a farmer’s market right outside their door, Redwood is an excellent place to eat some savory fare while feeling good about your meal’s carbon footprint. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Counting DC as a State Makes an Ass out of You and Me (Actually, Just You)

Photo courtesy of
‘Wedding Photos in DC’
courtesy of ‘dcjasmine’

So, you may have heard that DC has more unmarried people than any other state in the country, by a lot! The Pew Research Center released a report showing the the District, when compared to states, comes in a distant last in percentage of people married, and first in oldest median age of residents at first marriage (check out all the pretty graphs here). DC is even out of the range of colors that are shown on the graphs because it’s so different.

This led the Washington City Paper and Newsweek to jump to various conclusions: that DC is home to educated lefties who wait to get married, that the illegality of gay marriage means that that population is undercounted, etc. All valid points, but then Newsweek takes it further and starts talking about the informal apartheid system we have here in DC, where only rich white people live in NW, and all the other quadrants house a “massive underclass”. Umm, have you ever been to Capitol Hill?

The craziest part of all of this is that all of these journalists never took the simple step of looking up comparable cities to get an idea of whether it was really fair to compare an all-urban city to a state. Well, I did. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, People, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Learn About The Good Stuff

Photo courtesy of
‘a flight of whisk(e)y’
courtesy of ‘sleepyneko’

At 7pm, Thursday, October 22, National Geographic Live gets its drink on with photographer Jim Richardson and whisky expert Dave Broom hosting a guided tasting of Scotland’s finest single malt whiskies.  Co-sponsored by DC’s Brickskeller, the tastings will be paired with Richardson’s  images of the Celtic landscapes, distilleries, and people that produce these world reknown spirits. Obviously you must be 21 or older. View event details at Exploring Scotland’s Whisky Trail.

The Features
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Trick or Treat? Local Halloween Thrills

Photo courtesy of
‘Count Gore De Vol and band’
courtesy of ‘Photos by Chip Py’

Oh, Halloween. Silly Halloween. Childish Halloween. With your costumes, and your theme parties, and your candy. You’re for kids! …Aren’t you? Not in DC.

Amongst the usual suspects are some slightly sophisticated ways to spend Halloween. You can be indoors or out. Get things going early or stay out late. But you can be sure that this Halloween there’ll be tricks and treats — and naked butt cheeks (gah!).

Outdoor scares

DC’s temperate weather up until just about Halloween allows for some great outdoor scare-fests (and some costumes that seemed like a good idea). Drive for up to an hour to reach some real thrills, or stay nearby for some seriously freaky fun.

Every year since I discovered it, I’ve gone to Markoff’s Haunted Forest to scream my way through one of the two dark and spooky outdoor trails. The first year was the best, and by the second, I had remembered most of their scare tactics, but it didn’t mean it still wasn’t ridiculously fun.  But what really keeps me going back is taking someone with me who has never been. It’s just an experience you need to have. An hour away, the cost is a steep $25 on a weekend.

But Markoff’s Haunted Forest also has a number of “while-you-wait” activities, such as watching a 7 year old boy climb to the top of the wobbling telephone pole “Death Jump” only to be too scared to jump off or climb down. Terrifying… Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Nakedly silly prosecution

Photo courtesy of
‘no mires 2 / don’t look 2’
courtesy of ‘tutescin’

Think being alone in your house means you can let it all hang out with impunity? Think again, at least in Fairfax. Springfield resident Eric Williamson was arrested and charged with indecent exposure… in his kitchen. The WTOP article quotes an attorney about what he thinks the prosecutors will have to prove to make their case. From a look at the relevant VA code it looks even harder than he makes it sound.

Every person who intentionally makes an obscene display or exposure of his person, or the private parts thereof, in any public place, or in any place where others are present, or procures another to so expose himself, shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Aside from the challenge of proving that it was intentional, the definition of obscene in the code is as follows:

The word “obscene” where it appears in this article shall mean that which, considered as a whole, has as its dominant theme or purpose an appeal to the prurient interest in sex, that is, a shameful or morbid interest in nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, excretory functions or products thereof or sadomasochistic abuse, and which goes substantially beyond customary limits of candor in description or representation of such matters and which, taken as a whole, does not have serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.

That seems like a challenge to apply to someone making coffee in the buff.

The Daily Feed
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DC Stars in Travel Channel’s Man v. Food Tonight

Man v. Food

Courtesy of The Travel Channel

DC’s “extreme food” scene gets a national audience tonight at 10:00 p.m. The host of the Travel Channel’s show Man v. Food, Adam Richman, recently came to DC on his adventure around the country to find and eat large quanities of good food.

Adam will be starting at Ben’s Chili Bowl. ‘Nuf said. Adam’s trip to Ben’s is complete with a Bill Cosby impression and a seat in the same chair President Obama sat in when he visited.

His next stop is Horace & Dickies Seafood-Chicken Carry Out in NE. Adam dines on a fried fish sandwich with 8 slices of bread,  4 or 6 fried fish fillets, hot sauce, tartar sauce, and coleslaw – which has been made the same way since 1990.

Adam’s main challenge is in Annapolis and is so monstrous, only 2 people out of hundreds have completed it. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Nordstrom Rack to Open in Pentagon Centre

Photo courtesy of
‘DSCN5377’
courtesy of ‘ttarasiuk‘

I really hate shopping for clothes. Partly because everything I buy has to get altered to fit me, and partly because I would rather spend my money on important things. Like electronics. But when I need something, I start with Nordstrom (who I swear is not paying me to say this), because they carry stuff that is flattering to ladies who are, shall we say, voluptuous like I am, IN the store instead of banishing the fat girls to the website, the staff is always incredibly helpful, and you can get your stuff altered to fit properly before you even take it home.

The only way it could get better is with perpetual sales prices. Fortunately, in Fall 2010 a Nordstrom Rack location is opening in Pentagon Centre, that funny little half-mall across the street from Pentagon City. It’ll be directly across from the main Nordstrom’s location. I am thrilled.

I am a realist and do not expect the same level of service and attention from the Rack staff, but I checked, and Nordstrom Rack does offer alterations AND plus sizes, so… I might actually learn to tolerate clothes shopping.

The Daily Feed
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Support the Troops With a DC Vote?

Photo courtesy of
‘DC and US Flags’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

House Democrats are attaching the DC Voting Rights Act, which would grant a full House seat to the District and an additional seat to Utah (to keep things nice and even) to a defense appropriations bill, under the theory that Republicans won’t want to vote to hold up appropriations for the troops.

House Minority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) opposes this move “because it would be showing a propensity to use our men and women in uniform to carry controversial legislation.” Which entertains me, because I’m pretty sure that using our men and women and uniform as a political football is one of America’s most time-honored traditions.

Comedy in DC
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Comedy in DC: Still Talking About That Same Festival

Photo courtesy of
‘shure beta’
courtesy of ‘billaday’

Yeah, okay, so… the big news in DC comedy is still the Bentzen Ball. I rounded up some clips for you (and some fussing about the “curation” of the festival) a couple of weeks ago, then Washingtonian inexplicably profiled the least representative sample possible of comics appearing.  Dandy. But what you need to know is… there are unpublicized shows the Thursday through Saturday nights. Oh yes. After the ticketed shows wind up, there are going to be late-night gigs at Ben’s Chili Bowl featuring informal sets from several of the comics appearing. As one of the organizers of the rogue shows says, “Imagine an open mic where everyone is amazing.” So if you’ve missed out on tickets or are out late on U Street or just want to hang out with funny people, Ben’s Chili Bowl is the place to be.

In what seems like someone’s staggering failure to check the calendar, the DC’s Funniest Fed Finals are  also happening this weekend- Friday night at the Arlington Cinema ‘n’ Drafthouse. Tickets are $15 and the show starts at 8.

If this explosion o’ comedy this weekend isn’t enough for you (and it isn’t for me, since I’ll be at a wedding for a good chunk of the weekend) Continue reading →

News, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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DC Wants You To Be Nicer To Animals

Photo courtesy of
‘Raccoon’
courtesy of ‘Riverbanksoutdoorstore’

Generally, I’m of the opinion that we should gently displace wildlife that we develop around, treating them generally with respect. Of course, I tend to think that’s deer, and not raccoons and opossums, which are pests and potential rabies vectors. Apparently, Councilwoman Cheh disagrees and wants to protect their little rodent hides from the exterminators. Included are making sure that little rodent families are preserved if they have to be relocated, and the banning of odious glue traps. In addition, all exterminators would need to be licensed by the District.

We Green DC
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How to Buy Green

Photo courtesy of
‘U Street Organic Cleaners’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

All I wanted was a soft, fluffy bath rug that would keep my shower-fresh tootsies off the cold tile and that wasn’t made in a way that beat up the planet. It seemed a simple enough request.

And so when on my trip to the store I found one with a sign saying “biodegradeable / environmentally friendly,” I snapped it up. True, it had no plastic backing, so it would biodegrade. But it was made of non-organic cotton (each year, 25% of the world’s pesticides go to grow cotton) and viscose, which I hadn’t heard of and hoped was some new environmental fiber. It isn’t; Wikipedia, which I’m using as a source here, says viscose is rayon and its manufacture causes so much pollution they’re closing its factories. So this wasn’t an environmentally friendly choice after all.

Sigh. What’s a greenie to do?

Even when you have the best intentions, it’s often difficult to know what to buy that’s truly eco-friendly. Luckily for us, three fine ladies gave a talk on this topic last Wednesday, at a meeting of the DC EcoWomen’s Green Economy Eco-mmunity. What are their pearls of wisdom?

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Hospital Employee Fired for Speaking about Museum Shooting

Tamara Miller, a rabbi at George Washington University hospital, has been fired for speaking and writing about comforting the family of the security guard who died in the Holocaust Museum shooting.

Miller wrote for the Washington Post’s column On Faith about the experience in June, and the hospital fired her five weeks later for supposedly sharing personal information about the patient. I read the article, and there is absolutely nothing shocking or even particularly revealing about what she says: Johns died in the arms of medical personnel from a shotgun wound. Is there something else going on here? Or is this as egregious of an infringement on free speech as it looks?

The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: A Flea in Her Ear

Joe Brack, Katie Atkinson, and Heather Haney in "A Flea in Her Ear," photo courtesy of Constellation Theatre Company

Joe Brack, Katie Atkinson, and Heather Haney in "A Flea in Her Ear," photo courtesy of Constellation Theatre Company

Missing suspenders, snapped frilly garters, a revolving bed, a man who can’t pronounce his consonants – Georges Feydeau’s “A Flea in Her Ear” takes some uptight French aristocrats and rattles them around in the Frisky Puss Hotel. It’s a tightly constructed “bedroom farce” that Constellation Theatre Company attacks with frenetic physical comedy. Lots of scenery is chewed in this production, but that’s a good thing!

Woeful Raymonde Chandebise (a sprightly Katie Atkinson) suspects her husband is unfaithful, because he’s stopped fulfilling his conjugal duties. Until she solves the mystery of his failed desire, she can’t rest – and certainly can’t take a lover until her mind is at ease! Devising a ruse with best friend Lucienne (Heather Haney, butter wouldn’t melt) to catch her husband in the act, she sets off a series of wildly implausible and ever more ridiculous situations of mistaken identity. Don’t bother trying to keep track of it all, just let the riot take over.

Anchored by a strong cast all showing great vocal and physical command, the production is clearly rooted in the world of farce. I honestly laughed to tears at several points. It makes for a truly hysterical night at the theater.
Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Swine Flu Shots for Alexandria

Photo courtesy of
‘Chanchoche’
courtesy of ‘jpcolasso’

Alexandria will be offering H1N1 flu vaccinations starting next Saturday (the 31st) at George Washington Middle School. The vaccinations are open to the public and offered as doses are available.

The vaccinations are free and will be offered first to those at highest risk, including pregnant women, nannies, kids 24 mos to 6 years, health care workers, and adults 24 – 65 with chronic health conditions. Kids in Alexandria City Public Schools can get vaccinated starting today (based on vaccine availability), though only the injectable form will be available.