Yearly Archives: 2009

Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, The Great Outdoors
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Park it.

Photo courtesy of
‘National Gallery – Mirror Burst – 9-1-08’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

Did you feel it this morning, DC? The underlying warmth sneaking through the morning? It’s coming, I tell you, and no one is more thrilled than I am for this weekend’s 68 and 70 degree temperatures. They’re lurking right there, I could feel them walking to work this morning.

So what is a girl to do this weekend? Well, I’m itching to try out a new park. Iwo Jima is a staple in my household, we regularly head there when the weather gets warm, but I think it’s time to break out of the bubble and head somewhere new. I’ve admittedly never been to East Potomac Park – I’d love to go out along the water this weekend, and I hear the biking out that way is great!The second place I’ve never been is Meridian Hill Park (which Tom JUST wrote about!), with water features and plenty of monuments and statues, it seems like the perfect city oasis.

Thirdly, my back-up option is the Georgetown Waterfront which holds good memories for me from last summer – there you can  grab an ice cream cone and sit along the water and watch the kayakers and boats go by. But hey, I’m open to reader suggestions – what is YOUR favorite DC park that I must visit?

Foggy Bottom, History, Monumental, The Features
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Monumental: The American Meridian

American Meridian

Longitude is probably one of the most important scientific solutions of the modern era. It was easy to work off a set of common star charts and figure out how far north or south of the equator you were. Take a couple readings at sunrise, midday and sunset, chart a few stars, and wham there you are. We’ve been measuring that for millenia now. But Longitude was a lot harder. By the early 18th century, it had become such a problem for sea-faring nations that the King of England set forth a prize to determine the best way of calculating it. Enter John Harrison and his clocks. If you can keep accurate enough time, you can determine your longitude. It took decades of engineering, and the promise of riches (in some cases denied, read Dava Sobel’s Longitude, which is a fascinating historiography of the events surrounding the prize.)

The thing about Longitude that is most interesting is that there’s no clear and obvious choice for a prime meridian, the way there is with latitude and the Equator. Thus, common standards of practice evolved, with prime meridians, and associated maps, appearing at Greenwich, Paris, Rome, and various other European centers. Each set of charts was keyed to use with a specific set of longitudes, with no common standard. Thus it was that Thomas Jefferson set the first American Meridian through the center of the Executive Mansion in 1793. This meridian would stay in place through 1850 when it was moved west 8 blocks to 24th Street at the site of the Naval Observatory (now the grounds of the US Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery at 24th and D Streets) where it remained the American line of demarcation and measurement until 1884 when we moved to the Greenwich Standard by International Treaty.

But why have an American Meridian when Greenwich’s would do? The only good way to measure longitude was to take a clock, synchronized from Greenwich’s observatory master clock, and sail it across the Atlantic. Sure, that sounds pretty straight forward, but clocks, even as late as the early 19th century were not anything we’d considerate accurate to the second, not to mention had all kinds of mechanical issues even if you sailed them across the sea. Not to mention the fact that two journeys could come up with two totally different longitudes for the final result. Thus, setting a local point of demarcation allowed for a better continuity of result. Continue reading →

Night Life, The Daily Feed
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Midnight Madness

When Dinosaurs Attack by M.V. Jantzen

If you’re a night owl and have no plans tonight or tomorrow night, why not go see a classic flick at the E Street Cinema?  By far my favorite theater in town, their midnight movies are back and they’ve got a nerdy lineup for the next two months:

Jurassic Park • Mar 6 & 7
The Rocky Horror Picture Show • Mar 13 & 14
Fight Club • Mar 20 & 21
Ghostbusters • Mar 27 & 28
Star Trek: The Motion Picture • Apr 3 & 4
The Rocky Horror Picture Show • Apr 10 & 11
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan • Apr 17 & 18
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock • Apr 24 & 25

All shows start at, of course, midnight.

The Daily Feed
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The End of The Winter(‘s Tale)

Photo courtesy of
‘Day 119/365 – The Winter’s Tale’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

Shakespeare’s assertion that “a sad tale’s best for winter” seems certainly to be ringing true this year: the deepening recession, the recent dreary snowpocolypse, Blago’s book deal; all these are enough to depress even the heartiest optimist. The play The Winter’s Tale, as performed by the Folger Theater company at the Folger Shakespeare Library, however, is a bright spot as winter wanes and not to be missed in this, its last weekend. 

I saw the play on the early end of its run. It was an evening of firsts — the first time I had seen a play in the adorably authentic Globe-like theater as well as the first time I had seen The Winter’s Tale performed.  I left feeling giddy and strangely uplifted, despite the fact that the first few acts are practically scarring. Though the play is a comedy, it hinges upon the extreme shift from dark to light, despair to hope. Continue reading →

Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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Is Your 2009 Commute Worse?

courtesy of philliefan99

courtesy of philliefan99

It seems to me that the first two months of 2009 have been a commuting nightmare. The morning traffic report on NPR is always citing a series of major delays on the metrorail, metrobus or the DC Metro area roadways.  In recent days it’s been an Orange/Blue line derailment and traffic ridden lane closures on Route 50, not to mention the havoc caused by Monday’s Snowpocalypse.  Even for those of us on foot, the congestion and hecticness of navigating the DC streets seems to have multiplied in 2009.  Pedestrians and drivers are more irritable, hasty and almost reckless with their decision making.  Yesterday, I saw a jaywalker hastily cross the “Vortex of Doom” (aka the Farragut North junction) without looking both ways and he quite nearly got creamed by a double decker bus.  Could the state of the economy and the accompanying angst be trickling down into the state of our daily commutes?

The Daily Feed
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Oh hey, Brad Pitt

Photo courtesy of
‘Brad Pitt Posing’
courtesy of ‘KJB Photography’

Brangelina decends! Brad Pitt, reportedly here to discuss New Orleans reconstruction efforts with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi today, was spotted in Dirksen Senate Building near Senator Blanche Lincoln’s (D-AR) office. He met yesterday with energy secretary Stephen Chu. 

Angelina Jolie is here this week filming the the action-spy flick Salt.  Despite efforts at being low-key camera vans clogged up D St SW and Salt signs were posted on telephone poles — verrrry sneaky, guys.

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Taco Bell: Too Thrifty

Photo courtesy of
‘Volcano Taco’
courtesy of ‘brunorepublic’

While I am all for thrifty dating, I have to draw the line somewhere. Specifically, that line is Taco Bell. I just want to go on the record as saying there is nothing romantic about Taco Bell. Fellow blogger KatieT claims that it’s perfectly acceptable once you’ve been together for a while, but not I. I don’t care how long you’ve been dating or how much you love the Bell; cheap, terrible, fake Mexican fast food is how you know the romance has died. And this? I really, truly hope nobody began a marriage that way.

Arlington, Fun & Games, The Daily Feed
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Show Me Your Poker Face

Photo courtesy of
‘Hustla Poker’
courtesy of ‘Funkman’

I’m pretty bad at poker. But then again, I’m not super good at card games in general, I’m better at say, oh, Apples to Apples or Balderdash. That said, I can respect a girl who can get down with poker.

If you are a woman with card skillz, or know of one, tell them to head on over to Restaurant 3 on March 22nd for ‘Chicks with Chips,’ a charitable women’s poker tournament and cocktail competition. The part that intrigues me? Local female mixologists from the likes of Tabard Inn, PS7’s and Ardour will be on hand to craft the perfect complement to your game. I can always get down with fearless female cocktail creators (how’d you like that alliteration!?).

Restaurant 3 is located in Clarendon and the tourney will take place from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.  The play price is a bit steep, at  $65 per player, but proceeds from the tournament will benefit New Endeavors by Women, a charity that helps women take control of their lives and move out of homelessness, so you can feel good about that.

The Daily Feed
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Class Action Lawsuit Against MoCo Speed Camera Ticket Fees

Photo courtesy of
‘Traffic light’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

If you find yourself getting regularly ticketed as you go just a liiiittle too fast through Chevy Chase Village, you may be interested to know that there’s a class-action suit pending. The company that operates the cameras for the county earns a fee for every ticket issued, which sets up a financial incentive for the company to issue more tickets, and to therefore potentially fudge the camera’s calibration and sensitivity.  No one seems to be making any accusations of improper camera operation, but since some jurisdictions have been caught illegally shortening yellow lights to generate more revenue out of red light cameras, the existence of an additional financial incentive to increase the number of tickets issued seems like a conflict of interest.

Some of the Maryland jurisdictions in question are already moving to alter their contract with ACS State and Local Solutions to pay a flat fee for operation and maintenance of the cameras in order to avoid this problem in the future.

Entertainment, Foggy Bottom, Special Events, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Bellydance Superstars

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"Petite Jamilla" courtesy of Bellydance Superstars

A couple of years ago I took a bellydance class at Joy of Motion, totally on a whim. My instructor was an incredible American Cabaret style performer named Michelle Forner. I’ll never forget the first class when she did a quick routine for us and I thought, “Oh. My. God. There is NO way I will be able to do this.” The technique she displayed, with complete control in isolation of various core muscles, was intimidating and yet enthralling.

I recently decided to take the plunge again and take another bellydance class, this time in American Tribal at Saffron Dance. We’ll see how that goes! The differences between the many styles of bellydance, including the growing fusion between them and other branches of dance (such as urban, goth, bollywood, etc.) are highlighted in this year’s tour of Bellydance Superstars, which I had the luck of seeing Tuesday night at GWU’s Lisner Auditorium. The Superstars will be back in our area this June for Raqs America, and I highly recommend if you have any interest in this dance genre to definitely check it out.

Despite an overblown and cheesy opening voiceover, the 2009 tour titled “The Art of Bellydance” is a good introduction to the amazingly talented resurgence of this dance form in America. Featuring some incredible performers, exquisite costumes (more so for the tribal than the cabaret, which just isn’t to my personal taste), and the brilliant Issam Houshan on drum solo – it was two hours of beauty, pure and simple.

Continue reading →

Food and Drink, Fun & Games, Night Life, The Features, The Great Outdoors, Thrifty District
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Thrifty District: Cheap Dates

Photo courtesy of
‘kisses’
courtesy of ‘needlessspaces’

I love DC, but I really love dating in DC. Yes, dating can be expensive (especially if you’re a guy–sorry, but them’s the facts), but you really can find tons of fun, creative things to do on the cheap in and around DC.

Date idea #1: Go outside

Doing things outdoors is reliably one of my favorite ways to have a great time for very little money. You don’t have to be a star athlete to enjoy a good outdoor date, but it helps if your date is a little adventurous. There are a couple of weeks left to go ice skating in the National Gallery of Art’s sculpture garden, and then you can warm up with a hot chocolate in their pavilion cafe afterwards and still stay under $30 for the two of you. Continue reading →

News, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Beware of Falling…Overpass?

Photo courtesy of
‘Hidden Past’
courtesy of photorat.photography’

Two lanes of Westbound US-50 are closed at Glebe Road because of falling debris from the sidewalk of the Glebe Road overcrossing. Traffic is significantly impacted, according to commenter TheDenverite, who passed through there this morning. VDOT is on the scene and will be doing an inspection shortly to determine the course of action. Staggering closures are expected while they investigate.

Special Events
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Iran So Far Away

Photo courtesy of
‘paperback’
courtesy of ‘Pete…E’

Every weekday morning I awake to the dulcet tenor of Steve Inskeep‘s voice on NPR’s Morning Edition. (What better way is there to wake up, really?) Those of you who share my love for public radio will recall that a couple of weeks ago Mr. Inskeep was on assignment in Iran to cover the 30th Anniversary of the Islamic Revolution there. As part of that coverage, two writers, Azadeh Moaveni and Azar Nafisi, discussed their memoirs of Iran, Honeymoon in Tehran and Reading Lolita in Tehran, respectively. 

Last night, the conversation about Iran continued, as Moaveni stopped by the great DC bookstore Politics & Prose to promote Honeymoon in Tehran  and discuss her experiences. As a journalist for Time Magazine, the California-born Moaveni has lived in worked throughout the Middle East. Her first book, Lipstick Jihad, was a look into the youth culture she observed in Iran in the early aughts. Despite the strict moral code of the Islamic government and the threat of enforcement by the morality police, young people in Iran — which Moaveni cited makes up some 70% of the Iranian populace — flouted the rules as if they didn’t exist period. 
Continue reading →

DC Victory Gardens, The Features
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DC Victory Gardens: An Introduction

Garden.jpeg

When food rations cut into the kitchens and pantries of the 1940s, the Department of Agriculture responded with a series of WPA posters on creating Victory Gardens to help add to the plates of Americans everywhere. The response was immense. Victory Gardens sprung up all over the United States, and a generation of vegetable farmers were created within cities and towns where they otherwise might not have. The idea of producing your own crops as a matter of patriotism and national pride swelled then, and dwindled through the 60s and 70s.

With the economy on the most drastic downturn since the Great Depression, it’s becoming an attractive option to grow food again. Frugal is the new black, they say, and what could be more frugal than growing your own food? We’ve got a few talented amateur gardeners here at We Love DC, and we’ll be doing a set of year-round features on growing your own produce, maintaining a garden even in the smallest of spaces. So, let’s introduce our participants.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed, The Hill
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Inspiration DC’s Candid Strangers Project

Photo courtesy of
‘Day 58: Candid Strangers Project’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’

I blog a lot about my friend Rebecca, over at Inspiration DC. She writes a local blog full of gorgeous photographs and interesting things around DC that inspire her. Her most recent project, the Candid Strangers project, gives us a peek at the heart and personalities of DC residents in a way I’ve never seen before.

Last weekend, Rebecca tied a disposable camera to a bench in Eastern Market, with a sign asking people to have fun taking pictures with it. Earlier this week she had the pictures developed and has been posting a selection of the pictures people captured on her blog all week – from a dog to an elderly man, it’s interesting to see what people are inspired to take pictures of when given a random opportunity.

Rebecca says, “It was encouraging to have such a great response to this project and to see how everyone interpreted what to take a picture of differently. I’m excited to try this project in different locations around DC and compare the type of photographs I get.”

Petworth, The Daily Feed
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We Love Georgia Avenue

 

Georgia Avenue gets a lot of grief. Some of it deserved, some of it not. Personally, I find it to be a mixed bag. You have the amazing Moroni Brothers Pizza next to greasy carry outs. But times are changing.

To help with that change, Price of Petworth has started a PoPtrekker series, where he walks through the neighbourhood to show folks what Petworth is like. In Volume 2, he’s walking down Georgia Avenue:

The idea for this video resulted from the numerous conversations I’ve had with folks who are terrified of Georgia Ave. I wanted to show that Georgia Avenue is a street like any other (during the day) and there are many spots well worth checking out.

So enjoy PoP’s video and next time your around, enjoy Georgia Avenue.

The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Prank War Hits Terps Game

This is just a classic prank from the folks at CollegeHumor.com. See, last year, Amir managed to prank his friend Jake at Yankee Stadium. Jake and his girlfriend were at a Yankees game and Amir put a fake proposal on the Jumbotron from Jake to his girlfriend. She flipped out, he flipped out, and they ended up breaking up, and Jake ended up getting slapped on the internet for everyone to see.

Last night at the Terps game, Jake got his revenge. He managed to prank Amir in probably just about the most cruel way: he convinced Amir he won a blindfolded half-court shot for $500,000. It’s brilliant.

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Cheap Mini-Burgers For Errybody!

Photo courtesy of
‘matchbox sliders’
courtesy of ‘staceyviera’

Amanda over at Metrocurean tips us off to a fabulous deal at local pizzeria Matchbox. In celebration of 3/6/09, Matchbox will be offering their famous selection of mini-burgers (pictured above looking totally delish) for $3/$6/$9 accordingly. With the new location of Matchbox now on Capitol Hill, there’s even more mini-burger love to go around. (Especially since Matchbox swears a deal this good only comes around once a century.) Oh, and get there early, since Matchbox doesn’t take reservations.