Yearly Archives: 2009

24 in DC, The Features
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24 in DC: Episode 20 (5:00a to 6:00a)

Photo courtesy of
‘Momentos de tensão na Wenetus [3]’
courtesy of ‘Rodrigo Muniz’

Well, it’s that time again: time to mock the terrible geography skills of the people responsible for 24. My friend Mike suggested the other day that perhaps what we really need is a hitman who’ll just run a tab after we get past the actors listed in the opening credits. I couldn’t agree more.

Recap time: They should recruit Jibraan’s little brother for CTU, after the way he MacGuyvered a knife out of that broken mirror.

They’re retrofitting canisters and maximizing dispersion to release the bioweapon at “Washington Central Station,” because apparently Union Station is just TOO DAMN CONVENIENT. Meanwhile, Tony is telling Jibraan to get on the Red Line and head to Washington Center. JUST CALL IT UNION STATION YOU JACKASSES. Oh, and “Red Line, Westbound?” Good lord, people. Continue reading →

Essential DC, Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Jinx The Penguins, Cook A Bird

Photo courtesy of
‘Tux, what happened to you?’
courtesy of ‘scjody’

In an effort to 1) jinx the Penguins tonight, 2) give the Caps some extra karma and 3) fill our bellies with deliciousness, I hereby decree Monday, May 11 as Cook A Bird, Save The Caps Day.  While yes, a chicken is not the same as a penguin, it’s the closest avian relative that we DCers have access to, so it will have to suffice.  Suggestions for commemorating this day after the jump. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Cupcakes that will put you over the moon

Photo courtesy of
‘Lavender Moon Cupcakes’
courtesy of ‘dcjasmine’

Cupcakes are all the rage these days, but this weekend I stumbled upon a new one to me: the Lavender Moon Cupcakery in Old Town Alexandria. I’m not usually a food blogger, but I do know my baked goods, and these were pretty freaking fantastic. That chocolate-dipped coconut one (on the right) is the stuff of food dreams, with a super-light frosting the consistency of marshmallow, and the flourless chocolate one was like a combo brownie-cupcake. Yum.

Lavender Moon Cupcakery
116 S. Royal St.
Alexandria, VA

Life in the Capital, Media, News, The Daily Feed
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Scary Landings At National Airport

Photo courtesy of
‘Gravelly Point – Competing Transportation – 12-29-08’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

Travel + Leisure Magazine recently named the runway at Regan National Airport the third scariest in the world. Calling our airspace “fraught with peril” and taking-off “a white-knuckle event”, Travel + Leisure apparently shudders at flying into and out of DC. I too have heard people express fright at our airport, I’ve even heard a pilot call the landing at DCA one of the toughest, “makes sure you’re awake” he said.

But the third scariest? I was terrified flying into Charleston, West Virginia in heavy winds on a prop plane earlier this year, and would call that much more scary than the decent into NoVa.  I’ve also had a crazy landing on a dirt runway at the airport in the Bahamas, and my boss tells a story about an airport in the South Pacific that had a wrecked plane wing as the rain shelter, with a cow pasture serving as the runway.

So, what do you think? Is DC really the third scariest runway in the world, or is Travel + Leisure just being a drama queen?

The Daily Feed
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Don’t Panic About the Helicopters

Photo courtesy of
‘farewell to a president’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

According to AlertDC, there will be a flyover of 8 helicopters belonging to local law enforcement agencies today between 11:15 and 12:00. The flight is part of the 2009 Washington Area Fallen Officers Memorial Ceremony.

It’s National Police Week, so expect to see a large number of squad cars and motorcycles belonging to non-local police jurisdictions hanging around. There will be a Candlelight Vigil on Wednesday evening at Judiciary Square that is open to the public.

With any luck, the visiting officers will behave themselves afterwards, rather than acting like jackasses out of a sense of entitlement. (Yeah yeah, I know, it’s not ALL, or even MOST visiting officers who behave badly, but guess what? A drunken jackass in a police uniform on a Segway in the middle of the street is a lot more visible than a police officer quietly having a few drinks in his hotel with some friends.)

Sports Fix, The Features
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Sports Fix: Hangin’ By A Thread Edition

Photo courtesy of
‘Rock the Red’
courtesy of ‘afagen’

Capitals
2nd Round: 2-3, facing Game 6 on Monday night in Pittsburgh.

It’s down to the raggedy edge again for the Caps. After starting 2-0 against the Penguins, the Pens have picked up 3 running, two of them in Overtime. The Caps are short on momentum right now, and that may well be their undoing. Ovechkin has been en fuego, and leads the NHL in post-season goals, but a pair of costly mistakes have cost the Caps their lead on the series.

Tonight, they’ll face elimination in Pittsburgh, much as they faced it two weeks ago in New York. Varlamov will need to be superlative, and the Caps will have to play aggressive & razor-sharp hockey. The good news is, Brashear’s coming off the bench after the end of his suspension, so that’ll return some hard-hitting power to the Caps’ side. The puck drops at 7pm, and can be seen on Versus. C-A-P-S CAPS CAPS CAPS! Endanger the Penguins!

Nationals
Record: 10-19
Last Two Weeks: 6-6
Place: Last in the NL East

Well, we’re still the worst team in major league baseball. But, in the last two weeks, the Nats have played a lot better than their opening two weeks. Shairon Martis has been pretty much amazing, his last outing with a 5-hit complete game over the Cardinals last week. Jordan Zimmermann’s still 2-1, and though his ERA is over 5, he’s still got a 3:1 strikeout to walk ratio. And, of course, mid-season number-one-draft-pick-to-be Stephen Strasburg threw a no-hitter last week against Air Force. If the Nats can get together with a decent deal with Scott Boras, he’ll be up and pitching in DC by the end of the summer. Ryan Zimmerman’s got a 28-game hitting streak as it stands right now, as well. Get that up to 30 games and maybe he’ll get the credit he’s due. The Nats have three more games on the road against the Giants before coming home for a long homestand. Just think, 9 more wins and they’re at .500.
Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Guess Who Didn’t Vote for Obama

P050909PS-0024 by The Official Whitehouse Photostream

“Hey, honey, are you ready to go to the White House to meet with the president?  No seriously.”

I like being comfortable as much as the next guy.  In fact if I could wear my Adidas running pants or shorts and a t-shirt every day I would.  But if I ever get invited to the White House, the Oval Office no less, I can assure you I’ll be wearing my best suit, not some purple top and khaki pants from 1995.  While I admire the courage and strength of Richard Phillips, his wife’s attire is just downright disrespectful.

Life in the Capital, Penn Quarter, Petworth, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Spotted in DC: Jen Lancaster

Photo courtesy of
‘Jen Lancaster NYC 5/7/09’
courtesy of ‘Rooskygirl’

I was killing time last night before a dinner in Penn Quarter and decided to take the hike to Barnes and Noble on E st. I walked in, and the security guard turned to me and said, “Are you here for the book signing with Jen Lancaster?”

My world stopped – not being over dramatic. WHAT? JEN LANCASTER IS GOING TO BE IN THE SAME BUILDING AS I AM RIGHT NOW? Jen Lancaster, as in my author-idol? As in, Jen? The biggest influence on my narrative voice as a blogger? As in the woman who invented the well-placed question mark and who taught me how to squee? Jen Lancaster, as in the author of the books that I read and re-read that can get me through even my darkest hours by making my cry laughing? WHAT? Continue reading →

The Daily Feed, Tourism
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White House Cans Air Force One Aide

Photo courtesy of
‘AF1 over Liberty’
courtesy of ‘Life @ f2.8’

It was big news when the White House, without telling the public, sent Air Force One and a squadron of fighter aircraft to fly over New York City at low altitude. Many folks screamed to the high heavens that it was too soon after 9/11 to do it, and many others still called 911 suggesting another attack was underway. Today, we hear that the White House has fired the head of the White House Military Office, Louis Caldera, who authorized and oversaw the photoshoot.

While it might’ve been a cool idea, it goes to show that even cool ideas when poorly executed become the least possible cool. Via Mark Knoller on Twitter, the photo that cost Caldera his job:

af1ny.jpg

A second photoshoot was planned over DC, but scrapped after the furor.

Technology, The Daily Feed
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No Really, There’s Gonna Be a Rocket

I feel like we’ve been teasing you all week, and I’m totally sorry, but there’s finally some good news on the rocket front. NASA has re-re-re-rescheduled the launch tonight for 7:35. So, turn to the southeast right around then, and watch the Minotaur rocket take TacSat-3 into orbit. The Minotaur’s got a bright-burning rocket motor, so it should be visible despite the fact that sunset’s not til 8:08pm.

The Daily Feed
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More pizza? Really?

Photo courtesy of
‘Oh no! Pizza the Hutt!’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

DCist mentioned this a few days ago, but I did notice one interesting aspect in SeriousEats’ mention of Spike’s plan to open a pizza joint in D.C.

I love my pizza. I’m opening a pizzeria in D.C. in the next three or four months. I just took over the building the other day.

Emphasis mine. So, where is it? Anyone want to go stalk the D.C. building license office looking for applications? Or I suppose you could just follow Spike around. My bet is on the Eastern Market area.

Essential DC, Foggy Bottom, Life in the Capital, The District, The Features, Where We Live
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Where We Live: West End

Photo courtesy of
‘Schneider Triangle’
courtesy of ‘NCinDC’

Welcome to another installation of Where We Live. This time we’re focusing on the area between Dupont and Georgetown. Some call it Foggy Bottom, others call it GW, but the neighborhood most recently has been calling itself West End.  Read on to hear why this area is among the city’s oldest, but also one of the most rapidly changing, neighborhoods.

History: The area is known as West End because it literally was the west end of Pierre L’Enfant’s original plan for Washington.  It was also known as Foggy Bottom because of the marshy, humid conditions and the concentration of smoke-emitting businesses in the area along the waterfront (so really, it’s more like Smoggy Bottom).  The rowhouses in the neighborhood housed these industrial workers, so the area was home to many Irish and German immigrants back in the 1850s, along with their breweries.

Then the area started changing rapidly.  Columbian College (what we now know as George Washington University) was established near Meridian Hill in 1821, moved to the Foggy Bottom area in 1912, and expanded significantly in the 1920s and 1930s.  The decline of river-oriented industries led to the closing of many waterfront employers, and the area lost a lot of ethnic diversity as industrial workers left the neighborhood.   By the mid-twentieth century, rowhouses were being torn down in favor of high-density apartment buildings, and much of the character of the neighborhood was lost.  We can thank the Foggy Bottom Restoration Association and the DC Restoration Office for preserving the rowhouses that still exist in the area today.  (If you’re interested in more history of the neighborhood, check out this PDF brochure put out by the DC Office of Planning.)

Continue reading →

Food and Drink, Foodie Roundup, The Daily Feed
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Foodie Round-Up (May 4th – 8th)

Photo courtesy of
‘indigo landing at dusk’
courtesy of ‘needlessspaces’
It’s Friday already? Twas a fast week, at least in my world. Again, a shorter-than-ususal roundup, but some worthy bites of info. Twitter, the takeover of the National Gallery’s cafe, and summer beers round out all the news fit to eat in the District this week. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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PEN Award Given to Author Whose Book is Being Read By Me, No-one Else Important

Photo courtesy of
‘Little Black Dress Book Collection’
courtesy of ‘scholastica ees’

The literati will descend upon DC this weekend, having just wrapped up the PEN World Voices festival in New York City. We of course don’t get the week-long celebration of international literature in culture, we get the fancy one-night-only $80 ticket presentation of the prestigious PEN/Faulkner Award. (Okay, maybe I’m just a little put out that I’m going to be out of town.) Past winnersnt include Philip Roth, John Updike, Annie Proulx, Tobias Wolf and Don Delillo. Joseph O’Neill, author of the post-9/11 novel Netherland will received the award at the ceremony to be held tomorrow night at 7 p.m. in the Folger Shakespeare Library. Oh, hey, did you hear that Obama is reading his book? Joseph O’Neill’s book is being read by Obama, you know.

Adventures, Getaways, The Features
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Getaways: Virginia Beach, Part 2

Photo courtesy of
’40Off Blue Team Pics’
courtesy of ‘visitvirginia’

I won a mystery trip to somewhere in Virginia last month, and Katie told you all about day one already. The adventure continues…

The day before, our trip organizers had announced that we would be going kayaking on day two of our all-expenses-paid exploration of Virginia Beach. Everyone was pretty excited about this at first, but as the day wore on, the weather reports kept getting gloomier and gloomier. Cold, rainy kayaking? No, thanks.

Luckily, our fabulous guides were flexible (key when traveling with a group!) and let us know that we would be playing it safe and heading indoors to the Virginia Aquarium. I’m a huge fan of aquariums, so I was pretty excited to check out this one, since I had never been before. Plus, we got to sleep in an extra hour with the change of plans! Bonus. Continue reading →

Fun & Games, The Daily Feed
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DC United Ladies Night Tix Winner

Photo courtesy of
‘Three points taken’
courtesy of ‘BehindTheBadge.com’

What are all those cute boys cheering about in that picture? Well, they’re all cheering for the winner of our contest, Maggie who has won two tickets to Ladies Night this Saturday to watch DC United take on Toronto FC.

We asked readers to come up with a good Barra Brava cheer to use on Saturday in exchange for the tickets, and our staff voted to determine the winner. Congrats, Maggie, I’ll be emailing you with details soon.

Maggie’s winning cheer? Glad you asked. In appropriate fashion for Ladies Night (where they are offering manicures, amongst other fun things):

Who’s your manicurist?
Who’s your manicurist?
Who’s your manicurist, referee?

Never had one, never got one,
ragged cuticled referee!