Burger Slice
Originally uploaded by tbridge

White House reporter Mark Knoller put President Obama and Vice President Biden at lunch over in Courthouse at ever popular burger joint Ray’s Hell Burger. I’m guessing that Michael’s got a couple of big & awesome burgers waiting for them, but what do you suppose they take on their burgers?

I’m voting cheddar and bacon for Biden, and maybe guacamole for the President?

So, was it that President Bush never went out in DC at all, or is it that we’re just so obsessed with President Obama that normal lunch habits seem like good news fodder?

Update: Knoller reports, “Obama ordered a swiss mushroom burger with chili and cheese cooked medium. Paid cash.” Damn. He also ordered burgers for a few of the press that were invited along.

Update the Second: NBCWashington wants to post your cell phone video of the Prez wiping burger off his chin.

Update the Third: NBC 4 passed along this video, behind the cut:
Continue reading →

‘Danny Wright, cover of “Time WIndows” LP – 1986’
courtesy of ‘| El Caganer’

…But I won’t do that (see above). You don’t need to put on a tuxe to treat yourself to back-to-back 80s nights. Why? Ummm why NOT? You missed last week’s “Sunglasses at Night” installment at Polyester Wednesdays, but don’t despair, tomorrow night is “Like a Virgin” night. Raise your hand if you just started singing “…touched for the very first time in falsetto in your head.”  That’s what I thought. 

In case you need to work up to a full night-out 80s night, PS7’s is hosting a 1980s happy hour Thursday at 6 p.m. Break-dancing is encouraged to the solid tunes of the DJ with the creative-and-not-at-all-doofy name of Brian Billionaire. If there’s one way to win a lady’s heart, its through break-dancing, let me tell you.

‘Typical Beltway traffic’
courtesy of ‘brianmka’

I don’t know about you, but when I took the Beltway to work every day, I feared for my life. Those speed limit signs (most of them 50 mph) are more like suggestions than rules that people actually followed. But now, with the Variable Speed Limit System, there’s no way you speed demons are going to be able to keep up your constant 75 mph, because they’re bumping the speed limit down to 35 in some places.

The idea is to slow everyone down early before construction and the like so there aren’t sudden stops, but will this keep that jerk in the BMW from weaving and riding my bumper?

‘P1000205’
courtesy of ‘jsmjr’

So yeah, remember when DC Council voted 12-0 to recognize other states’ gay marriages last month? The final vote was today, and the Council voted 13-0 to recognize other states’ gay marriages.  Which means that Marion Barry voted for it, right after he said he wouldn’t. 

Except that JUST NOW, Barry rescinded his vote and asked that the bill be reconsidered because he didn’t realize what he was voting for. Thanks for your time and attention to DC governance, Councilman Barry. So now the council is debating the bill.

UPDATE: Twitter user @KevDC is livetweeting the council’s debate. Sounds like it’s getting pretty intense.  Keep an eye on his feed… we are.

UPDATE 12:02 PM: The bill passed, 12-1, with Barry making a show of voting against it so it wouldn’t be unanimous. I guess he’s tired of being remembered for smoking crack and not paying taxes, and would rather be remembered for voting against equal rights for his fellow citizens.

”
courtesy of ‘erin m’

Last week, we offered up two tickets to the May 9th DC Rollergirls Roller Derby Championships (courtesy of DC Rollergirls) to the reader who could come up with the best roller derby name. 

I’m happy to announce the winners: 

Maester_LUke: “Hellinor Rollsevelt” 

and

akaRuthie: “Ruthless Bader Ginsberg”

Hellinor and Ruthless, I will be contacting you shortly so we can get those tickets over to you. Thanks to everyone for participating – there were so many hilarious names to choose from. Be sure to check out the roller girls either way — bring a friend, bring a date, go see the hardcore girls on skates. Oh dear, I rhymed…

‘Supreme Columns’
courtesy of ‘Gen Jones (Gen-esis Photography)’

When I think of places that ooze power and authority, I think of DC. Just think of all the buildings around here designed to intimidate, both inside and out. From giant columns to bare-bones Homeland Security interrogation rooms, we have got you covered in that area.

The National Building Museum has a photography exhibition up right now called Architecture of Authority that explores exactly those kinds of “powerful spaces,” but even better than that: after you’ve been inspired by the exhibition, you can submit your own photos to their Flickr group. Pro photographer Richard Ross peruses the group and comments on some of the photos, too!

Reading Room Desks
Originally uploaded by tbridge

Imagine my surprise this morning at the Library of Congress when I found out my reader card had expired. Sure enough, you need a new one every few years. So, if you got one in 2007, make sure to stop by the Madison Building to renew your reader card and get one with a different barcode and a new “not valid after” date.

What, you don’t have the Ultimate Library Card?! Oh, dude, that’s a real shame. If you ever do any kind of research, it’s a fantastic resource that’s free and at your beck & call. Plus, the reading room is probably one of DC’s most awesomest places.

‘A Log Full of Fun’
courtesy of ‘Daniel ‘

Poor Butterstick. First, he comes down with a case of eosinophilic colitis, which is basically a rare irritable bowel syndrome. But then, just to be absolutely SURE he has finished healing from it (because apparently the return of normal, er, intestinal habits wasn’t evidence enough), he had to have a colonoscopy. That’s a pretty bad day, right there.

Being cute and endangered doesn’t protect you from technical difficulties, apparently.