Yearly Archives: 2009

The Daily Feed, The District
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More Cuts at NPR

Photo courtesy of
‘NPR Sign’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

It’s looking like it’s grim times at DC-based National Public Radio. A letter from NPR President Vivian Schiller indicates they’re looking at a $7M deficit this year (after a draw down from reserves), and an $8M deficit next year. Anyone over the VP level is forgoing retirement contributions and pay increases of any kind this year and next, and there’ll be a two-week furlough at the end of 2009. They’re eliminating 4 senior positions, two through attrition, and two others to be determined.

It’s tough all over DC, but to see the big media organizations hurt like the newspapers do, it’s definitely concerning.

The Daily Feed
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Boat Explosion! YESSSSSS!

Photo courtesy of
‘DC Boats’
courtesy of ‘diskychick’

You may have heard by now, but on Wednesday morning, CBS/Paramount is going to commence to blow stuff up on the Potomac, north of the Key Bridge and Jack’s Boathouse.  Don’t worry, all relevent law enforcement agencies have been alerted, including the twitchy Department of Homeland Security.  And that’s good, because I have been promised a 20-30 foot fireball. So with a fireball that size, you ought to just be able to stand on the bridge and watch- which I recommend, if you’re conveniently located. The fun should take place between 9:30 AM and noon.

The explosion is a special-effects shot for a pilot called Washington Field, about the “elite” FBI Washington Field Office.  IMDB lists the series’ director as Jon Cassar, who has directed more episodes of 24 than any other director, so if we’re very lucky, the main characters won’t know where the Washington Field Office is either.

UPDATE: Skunkgal has a list of the cast members. I note the presence of Gina Torres, who played the highly-underrated Zoe on the even more underrated Firefly.

The Features, Weekend Flashback
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Weekend Flashback: 3/20 – 3/22/09

Photo courtesy of quinnums
They make a big deal about the cherry blossoms and spring here in DC, courtesy of quinnums

In case you had no doubt, spring is finally here in DC. Hope you all were able to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather and the end of winter’s grasp. From the photos I saw in Flickr, there was a lot of hustle and bustle in the area, sampling everything from concerts to the circus to museums to the opening buds of the cherry blossoms.

Fair warning: we’ll be having a lot of cherry blossom photos over the next few weeks, since it is arguably one of the best times to photograph DC. And it never gets old.

Meantimes, enjoy the sampling of shots from our area photogs from this past weekend! Continue reading →

Crime & Punishment, Life in the Capital, News, The Daily Feed, The District, WTF?!
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Accepting Representation at the Point of a Gun

Photo courtesy of
‘Bang!’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’

There’s a hard choice on the table. The Senate will be taking up the revised legislation that would grant the District a voting Representative in the House, but would do so only if we also accepted that all of the District’s gun laws would have to come off the books for good.

The decision puts DC in between a rock and a hard place, as representation that the city has long sought is within grasp, but comes at what could be a terrible price. So, it seems we’re stuck. Compromise one principle to get access to one we’ve been long after? Or stick to your guns (uh, or lack thereof) and keep the dream of true voting perception at arms length still. It seems a bit of a Foustian bargain for the city. What are our leaders saying?
Continue reading →

The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Just take the Bjork CD collection with you, okay?

Photo courtesy of
‘Real Estate For Sale Signs’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Our friends at Washingtonian inform us that Iceland is having to sell its ambassador’s residence in Kalorama Heights (not to be confused with the embassy itself, which is at 15th and M) due to the global recession that collapsed Iceland’s financial industry.  You can snap up the 10 bedroom, 5 bath Tudor (with staff quarters!) for just a hair over $5.5 million. A bargain, no doubt.

Interviews, Music, People, The Features
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He Loves DC: Stephen Kilroy

 

Middle Distance Runner loves Ben's Chili Bowl.

Middle Distance Runner loves Ben's Chili Bowl. Photo by Susan Pleiman

I’m personally a big fan of local band Middle Distance Runner–their shows are fun, the songs are catchy, and they seem to have a pretty good sense of humor about it all. They’re on tour right now, and they will be coming to Iota Saturday, March 28. I got a chance to ask lead singer Stephen Kilroy a few questions about DC, the new album, and their Celebrity Deathmatch-style video.

How long have you lived in DC?

I’ve lived in the DC area for about 16 years.

What are your favorite things about the area?

I like the feeling of being at the center of what’s going on in the world. Not just by being in the nation’s capitol, but being on the east coast, close to so many other big cities. I also like chili smokes. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Spring is Coming: Lambs!


Lamb & Mama
Originally uploaded by tbridge

It was just about as perfect a March day as we get here, so we headed off to Over the Grass Farm, to pick up milk, and sure enough, they had tiny little lambs running around the sheep paddock. The wee ones are probably about a week old, possibly less, and are probably just about the cutest thing ever.

Mama sheep was less interested in the photo op and bleated angrily as we got close to the fence. I was able to snap a few frames, though, before they trotted off. Six months, precious, and you will be mighty tasty even cuter.

Foggy Bottom, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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Goodbye to the Rock Creek Parkway Pedestrian Crossing Button Moat

Button Moat IMG_0185

Much gratitude to DC DDOT for paving over what I affectionately call “The Button Moat” around the pedestrian crossing button at Rock Creek Parkway and Virginia Ave NW in Foggy Bottom. (Bigger before-and-after-pictures after the jump.) Continue reading →

News, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Secret Service Van Runs Afoul of Baltimore PD

Photo courtesy of
”Hollywood’ Parking Ticket’
courtesy of ‘p_a_h’

This one’s got to be just about the funniest story I’ve read in a while. Jenna Bush’s Secret Service detail in Baltimore got in a little bit of a pissing match with the Baltimore Police, which ended up in their vehicles being ticketed and towed from just outside Federal Hill.

Nice to know that the rules do apply to the Secret Service, when they’re parking illegally in a neighborhood known for horrific parking conditions to begin with. What do you say, good call to tow the USSS away? Bad? Anyone who’s ever circled and circled and circled in Federal Hill looking for a spot says good call, I think.

The Daily Feed
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Biddy’s Becomes Bar Dupont

You may have noticed the extensive renovations under way at the Jury’s Hotel in Dupont Cirle.  Now simply called “The Dupont Hotel” (how very creative of them), it promises to be “the hotel the Circle has waited for.”  I never did see what the old rooms looked like, but if their website is any indication, the new rooms will indeed be quite posh.

Going with that theme, the cheesy Biddy Mulligan’s is also to be replaced by, what else?  “Bar Dupont”.  I guess it’s better than naming it The Dupont Bar.  I have to wonder if the new bar will still be a destination for bachelorette parties and St Patrick’s Day celebrations or will it be more upscale with $15 drinks and velvety booths?  Hey, as long as they have a good wine list, some creative food offerings, and of course Blueberry Stoli, I’ll be there.

Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Servathon Needs Tools

Photo courtesy of
‘Tools of the Trade 2’
courtesy of ‘Paul Godden’

My favorite volunteer day of the year, Servathon, will fast be upon us. In preparation for the huge day of service to DC public schools, Greater DC Cares is looking for you to give them your spare tools. No ladies, we can’t all bring our ex-boyfriends and drop them off! They’re looking for power tools, ladders, paint brushes, paper towels & drop clothes, gardening gloves and Home Depot Gift Cards.

Stop by the Greater DC Cares office from April 1st through the 3rd to make your donation to their tool box (they’re located at Located at 1156 15th Street NW, Suite 840, Washington DC, 20005). Or, take them to the Community Tool Chest on Saturday April 4th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and tour the Community Tool Chest (located at Located at 4600 Livingston Road SE, Washington DC, 20032). All your donations are tax deductible!

Technology, The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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Empty victories

Photo courtesy of
‘layers’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Today’s WaPo includes a story about WMATA deciding to put their information up on the web. The rational response from someone who isn’t a transit foamer or mega-nerd is  “isn’t it there already?” Yes, though not in the universal interchange format that would allow anyone with the will and ability to massage and repackage it – till now you’ve had to make use of WMATA’s website and tools rather than 3rd party options like using the transit calculator built into Google Maps.

Now that they’ve done this…. you’ll likely still have to use WMATA’s website. Whys and wherefores after the jump.

Continue reading →

Night Life, Special Events, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: The Greatest Show On Earth

Photo courtesy of
‘Fly’
courtesy of ‘Thomas Hawk’

So I think March is cursed. These past two weeks have been some of the toughest I’ve had in recent history, both personally and professionally,  and so when I was offered a night at the circus? YES PLEASE. Let’s escape, I’m ready for trapezes and clowns to distract me from my own messes. So off we went to the big tent, err, Verizon Center for a night of magic and performance with the Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus.

In short? It was exactly what I needed.

It may have been a touch cheesy, but it was surprisingly more Cirque than Disney on Ice on the scale. Most of the acts really DID have me on the edge of my seat, or impressed with the acrobatics, and I thoroughly enjoyed the silly musical numbers if only because there was so much to watch – from clowns, mini horses, motorcycles, goats, spinning teacups and one random porcupine, the show truly had it all.

Continue reading →

Monumental
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Monumental: Enjoying inside

Photo courtesy of
‘Solitude’
courtesy of ‘sashapo’

Our weather seems to be doing its best to find painful and interesting ways to whipsaw between different combinations of wind, cold, rain, gloom and shine. It can be discouraging to try to plan an outdoor trip more than five minutes in advance and downright unpleasant to be out there sometimes. So in recognition of this fact Monumental’s going to spend the day indoors for a change and let someone else do the outdoor work.

In this case, photographer Lee Friedlander, who beat us to the monument-stalking by about 35 years. The Smithsonian possesses a large collection of photos he originally published in the 1976 book American Monuments, a collection of photos he took of monuments all over the country. The book is long out of print, but fifty-six of the photos are currently on display. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Know what you need? A fez and mustache party.

  

Just in case you were looking for something weird and free to do this weekend, The Looking Glass Lounge is having their annual Fez and Mustache Party tomorrow night! They’ll be handing out free fake mustaches at the door (although I’m sure you can bring or grow your own) and free samples of Polish vodka.

Plus, the DJs will be spinning “Romani rock, twisted klezmer, Slavic soul and Balkan beats” just to make the night that much more complete.

The Daily Feed, The District
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Men At Work: H St. NE

Photo courtesy of
‘Cone Zone’
courtesy of ‘sandman_kk’

As those of you living in NE – like myself – know, driving or riding down H St. has been a disaster recently. The X2 commute down H that, during the daytime hours, would take roughly 7-10 minutes has slowed to 15+ of late due to ever-changing traffic patterns and construction. 

The construction is due to the on-going and much-needed three-year revamping of the H St./Benning Rd. stretch. Riding down H right now is kind of like off-roading it. 

Continue reading →

Entertainment, Music, Special Events, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Denyce Graves Lends Her Voice to Help Ellington School

‘The Kennedy Center‘
Courtesy of public.resource.org

Denyce Graves, a native of Washington, DC returned here last month for a recital to support her alma mater, DC’s Duke Ellington School for the Arts. The Kennedy Center was crowded for the recital, which featured a nice mixture of classical, jazz, gospel, and contemporary selections as well as the talents of the Ellington School Show Choir.

Miss Graves, ably accompanied by pianist Joseph Thalken, started the evening with a selection from the opera Adrianna Lecouvreur that highlighted her dexterity as a singer. From loud to soft, intense to whimsical, and low to high, she gave a glimpse of what the rest of the night had in store.

Unamplified through the operatic first half of the program, Graves paused between numbers to enlighten the audience about the pieces she was performing, and relayed a few thoughts about her time at the Ellington School, where she was a student in the 1980s.

After she sang Habanera from Carmen, Graves joked that the crowd enjoyed it because they recognized the tune. But the applause wasn’t just because it was familiar. Her lyrical phrasing contrasted with the staccato beat of the piano, and Graves mastered it and made it her own.

She closed out the first half of the program with two African-American Spirituals and a piece by Gene Scheer, American Anthem, which seemed appropriate for a concert in her hometown of Washington, DC.

The Duke Ellington School Ellington Show Choir under the direction of Samuel L. Bonds gave Graves a brief respite as they performed two energetic selections. Dancing around the stage, the black-tie and black gown clad high schoolers put on an impressive energetic show.

Graves returned to the stage with the haunting Milonga sin Palabras, a piece whose lyrics consist entirely of “oohs” and “ahhs.” Sung by Graves, it inspires similar reactions from the audience, along with enthusiastic applause. She finished the concert with more recent material, borrowing from jazz, blues, and even the Beatles to round out the very varied recital.