NBC Washington has the goods- video of the fireball and fauxsplosion on the Potomac this morning. Some would call it anticlimactic, but I don’t think a fireball can every really be considered boring.
UPDATE: And thanks to philliefan99 for contributing some photos to the We Love DC Flickr pool.
By jasmine
‘Dress of Leaves’
courtesy of ‘la fattina’
The Corcoran’s lecture series, Considering the Environment in Art and Design, kicks off tonight with “Naturally Fashionable.” Summer Rayne Oakes (what a name!) is a model, environmental scholar, and activist who will be there to talk about her book Style, Naturally and highlight eco-friendly designers and brands.
By Don
‘DC United at RFK – Now and Forever -5858’
courtesy of ‘Joe Tresh’
There was a time in my life when I might actually have been naive enough to be reassured by this story about the PG County General Assembly committee voting 5-0 to oppose the proposed stadium development. In particular I would have noted the quote “Council member Eric Olson (D-College Park) said he is not convinced that the stadium, slated to cost $180 million to $195 million, will become the economic engine for the county that its backers describe,” given my personal belief that nobody has ever produced a quality study demonstrating a tangible economic return from a publically financed stadium.
I’ve been through this dance enough times by now, however, to know that this is almost certainly just the first step for the local politicians. Once they’ve beat their chest a few times to set up their fiscal responsibility credibility they’ll use this faux reluctance to garner some campaign contributions and trivial consessions from the team managment. Then before you know it everyone’s a booster. Continue reading
By Katie
‘Pink Goodness’
courtesy of ‘maxedaperture’
Another benefit of the cherry blossom season, aside from the gorgeous trees themselves, is the opportunity to take advantage of some good eats. Local restaurants play off the theme, creating delicious pink or cherry based food. For a sampling of the inspired dishes, click on through. Continue reading
By Tom Bridge
‘Kindle 2 Homepage’
courtesy of ‘tbridge’
I fell in love the Amazon Kindle 2 when I visited my folks in Arizona this Spring. Reading a book on the svelte device was remarkably similar to grabbing a nice paperback, and settling in on the beach. I didn’t think that it would be so easy to read a book in any other format, but the Kindle’s proved me wrong. In addition to being a book reader, though, it’s also a portable terminal for a number of newspapers and magazines. The issues are delivered silently overnight via Whispernet, the cell network attached to the Kindle, which never fails to deliver an issue, never drops it in a puddle or forgets to the tie the bag shut, and always remembers where you live. So, what’s available for your average DC person?
Continue reading
By Don
…what you think it means.
Whose convenience would that be?, courtesy of Me
You’ll have to click through to read it, but this Pentagon City meter I stopped at yesterday in order to go into the Costco (I’d rather pay to park on the street than deal with that free nightmare of a parking lot) says the following:
4 MINUTES FOR EACH NICKEL
8 MINUTES FOR EACH DIME
20 MINUTES FOR EACH QUARTER
FOR CONVENIENCE $1.00 GIVES 30 MINUTES
I guess everyone needs a bailout plan.
By AcaciaO
They’ve done it again! Last night the Maryland Terps dominated Utah, 71-56, in the second round of NCAA play at the Comcast Center. Besides being a one-seed, having 10,000 screaming fans on your side can’t hurt. Oh, and not having lost a home game in 2 years ain’t bad either.
Senior standouts Marissa Coleman (above far left) and Kristi Toliver said goodbye to their home court last night. Coleman had a double-double with 18 points, 18 rebounds and Toliver clocked in with 17 points. “Don’t forget my two rebounds,” she piped in in the post-game. Continue reading
By Katie
‘sidewalk hazards’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’
Love them, hate them, want to plow over them in the Metro, whatever your feeling is about tourists, I know one thing: HERE THEY COME! It’s about spring break time, and the cherry blossoms are about to burst into color, and we all know what happens to the city’s floodgates in spring. I hate to be the one to report it, but the influx of bumbley-directionally-challenged-overly-friendly-standing-on-the-left-side masses into our dear city has begun.
Metro Center has been noticeably more crowded, especially with the dreaded high school tour group clogging the platform and escalators. I hate accidentally walking straight into someone holding a map just because they randomly came to a halt in the middle of the sidewalk. I loathe trying to navigate around middle school students holding hands three across on the Metro platform. Don’t get me wrong, I love my city, and I’m happy to share it, but at this rate, we’re in for a long summer.
So I ask you – what are your tourist pet peeves, and where have you spotted the greatest number of them?
By Donna C.
photo courtesy of Herban Lifestyle
If you think naming a baby is hard, try naming a baby oil.
Local crafter Mary K. of Herban Lifestyle is trying to decide what to call her new organic baby oil, and she needs your help. Submit the winning entry, and she’ll give you a large gift set for your labor.
The oil will join her O-BALM-A lip balm, so the bar for cleverness is set high. Get creative!
There is some kind of comedy lull happening in April, but this Friday, there’s a cool show happening in the Improv Lounge. Chris White will be doing his 6th “I Take Requests” show- people submit requests via email, and within a few weeks, he has to turn them into jokes and perform them. Previous editions of the hour-long show have covered such topics as Blackberries, fish sticks, the color blue, and Newton’s Third Law. Get your tickets quick. Continue reading
By Donna C.
‘Reflection’
courtesy of ‘KitAy’
St. Patrick’s Day is over, but if you live in Arlington, your local stream may be green this week after all. Or red.
The county is conducting dye testing in Spout Run from now through Friday, and any streams in the drainage area may turn color. Consider yourself warned.
By AcaciaO
‘whitman’
courtesy of ‘NCinDC’
Capitol Letters Writing Center–a non-profit organization which seeks to bring out the writer in all students in the district–was featured in this morning’s Daily Candy with a call for volunteers. Get involved and bring the joy of writing and poetry into the lives of area kids!
It sounds like a super sweet project. Despite being entirely overbooked in life, I think yours truly is going to check it out too. Teaching kids about the arts? What better goal is there?
By AcaciaO
‘Going for the Gold’
courtesy of ‘evoo73’
Before moving to DC, the last pool I frequented was that in my high school friend’s backyard. Though I took swimming lessons every summer day during my adolescence, in general “swimming” meant flopping around in water to cool off between tanning. Now I’ve come to embrace swimming as a really satisfying form of exercise thanks to my former collegiate swimmer roommate and DC’s free public swimming pools.
Swimming is my new favorite winter-months mode of exercise. I’m a little too cash-strapped (read: cheap) to pony up a gym membership and often find working out in a gym, with its mirrored walls and flourescent lighting, to be a bit soul-crushing. Running outside is great, and I’ve been so pleased to find that DC is really a Running City. However, in January, when it is pitch dark both when you wake up in the morning and get out of work at night and below freezing, it’s a little hard to motivate. Plus, running is an alone activity; Swimming at the DC pools makes me feel like I’m part of the community. Something about a group of people all breathing into the same water really fosters bonding, you know? Continue reading
By Don
‘Fluidity’
courtesy of ‘primplan’
No doubt inspired by Jenn’s article about her study at Saffron Dance and viewing of the Bellydance Superstars, the Washington Post ran a great profile this weekend of the brains midriff of Saffron Dance, Rachael Galoob Ortega. When shimming she goes by Saphira, and the WaPo’s article is an interesting view of an even more interesting person.
By Max
Guadalupe by Nestum23
One of the things I love about DC is that like many big cities, it’s full of diversity that can change within just a few short blocks. If you were to pop out of the Metro at the Smithsonian station on the Mall and start walking north, you’d first be surrounded by monuments and government buildings and experience what most tourists see. As you walked through downtown, you might see a little more color as you strolled by restaurants, chain stores, and street vendors. Eventually you would be in a more residential area full of rowhomes, parks, and people going about their daily lives. You’d likely notice the gay presence in Dupont, the conglomerate of colorful stores and bars along U street, and as you got to Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant you’d start to be enveloped in the Latino community. That’s what first came to mind when I saw this photo. The juxtaposition of a bikini babes calendar with the Virgin Mary (or Virgen de Guadalupe) is not an uncommon site as you walk past the storefronts in Mt P. You almost feel like you’re in another country.
This journey that you just went on, well, it takes place in less than an hour.
Welcome to DC.
By Tom Bridge
Alrighty, folks, we’re here for yet another week of 24 in DC. I think we’re headed outside again this week, so we’re excited to present yet another version of the live chat during the episode, and round-up after the fact! Here we go!
Continue reading
‘murky coffee, arlington’
courtesy of ‘tvol’
Twitter user @bamelzer informs us that badged Arlington County tax auditors just walked into Murky Coffee in Arlington and posted notice of auction of assets on the window for April 2, 2009. Murky has had its share of controversy, and this would be the second location that would fall to less-than-attentive management of tax obligations. I wonder what the auction value will be of Murky’s famed dickpunches?
By AcaciaO
‘Folger Shakespeare Library – This Will Seem Naught but a Midsummer Night’s Dream – 6-1-08’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’
Full disclosure: Germaine Greer is pretty much my hero. And I plan on telling her so, if given the opportunity, when she lectures tonight at the Folger Shakespeare Library at their on-going series “Words on Will.” (I regrettably had to miss the last installment of the series, which featured Marjorie Gerber, author of “Shakespeare and Modern Culture.”)
The Australian-born scholar/feminist icon/journalist’s most recent work is “Shakespeare’s Wife,” an abnormally tempered – in comparison with previous scholars and bardologists – look at Anne Hathaway (no, not that one). Continue reading
Political satire. Comedy. Music. Charity. Hexagon has been putting on satirical musical theater performances in DC since 1955, and every year, a different local charity benefits from the proceeds of ticket sales. Due to my spaciness in getting this posted, tickets are now nearly sold out, but there are still seats available for several shows! You can still catch this year’s show, What So Proudly We Bailed, until April 3rd This year, the beneficiary is Rebuilding Together, which does low-cost home repairs for low-income DC area residents. So it’s a fun night out that helps your neighbors. What’s not to love.
By AcaciaO
‘Flags and Geese at Comcast’
courtesy of ‘blunck2’
Yesterday at the Comcast Center, the Terps continued to carry the torch for DC-area basketball in an 82-53 win over the Dartmouth Big Green. The 16th-seeded Dartmouth made it to the tournament by winning the Ivy League conference, but faced near-insurmountable odds coming up against Maryland, a strong contender for the Championship. And did I mention this was a home game for the Terps??
Perhaps the most hilarious part of the game, was a lone Big Green fan, sitting amongst a sea of red, who insisted upon heckling the Maryland players during time outs and free throws. However, this was not just any heckling — this was nerd heckling. The fan in question was reading aloud from passages from the Dr. Seuss book Yertle the Turtle.
By