Yearly Archives: 2009

The Features, Weekend Flashback
By

Weekend Flashback: 2/6 – 2/8/09

Photo courtesy of blipars {busy}
Fast and Furious, courtesy of blipars {busy}

Can’t believe it’s Monday already? Hey, we hear you. After what may well be the beginning of spring (or just a prelude), DC experienced a gorgeous weekend that erased our memories of the chilly weather last week.

Our photos of the weekend ranged from ice skating in Arlington to the DC Car Show to a visit by Jack Bauer to our region – which is a good thing, considering that Jack can’t seem to keep his facts straight about our beloved hometown. You swung by the Botanical Gardens and lingered at night to grab some great evening shots. So let’s enjoy, shall we?

Continue reading →

Petworth, WTF?!
By

Thirteen (13!) Pounds of Dog Poo in Petworth

Up in Petworth, we do love our pets – its in our name. But it seems that quite a few Petworthians don’t like being responsible with their dogs. Specifically their dog’s poop. Out in Grant Circle, a prime dog walking spot, I noticed that winter brought on irresponsibility towards scooping the poop. More and more dog feces were left in the Circle by dog owners too lazy to bring a plastic bag.

So a month ago, I walked through Grant Circle and picked up 7 pounds of frozen feces. At the time, many were shocked and some even doubted that 7lbs figure. Well on Saturday, I repeated the poop scoop adventure and shocked even myself:

To those who may wonder why I would scoop other’s poop, I was thinking of the weekend’s warm spell, and the smell of all that poop, defrosted. I detest cleaning up after irresponsibility just a bit less than the disgust of a public health hazard in my neighborhood.

News, Special Events, Technology, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
By

ShmooCon Day 1 – Moose Spotting in D.C.

The Shmoo GroupYes boys and girls, it’s the annual start of the conference season for hackers, geeks, nerds and security people (and those are not mutually exclusive titles). ShmooCon, in it’s fifth year, has grown to 1500 attendees in an effort to spread the gospel about information and physical security and other novel topics that you’d be surprised to see any any con. While last years’ con had interesting neighbors (a CosPlay convention), the sheer size of this years has people scrambling to see how to make a homebrew UAV (members of HacDC), how the Srizbi BotNet was taken down (aka “The Day The Spam Stopped“), how your local Home Depot is selling you insecurity (“How To Defeat the Kwikset SmartKey“) and the keynote speaker, Matt Blaze, more famously known for helping defeat the use of the Clipper Chip and open up the government’s attempt at putting encryption backdoors into almost everything. There are some great talks planned for Saturday, which we’ll cover on “Day Two”, but if you’re in the Woodley Park area and see a lot of black t-shirted individuals crossing the street, trust me, they won’t hurt you…they just want your base. (If you want to view past conferences, the videos are located here – c’mon learn a little bit!)

Crime & Punishment, The Daily Feed
By

Missing the Superbowl Incites Riot

 Photo courtesy of
‘Superbowl Sunday (36 of 50)’
courtesy of ‘seantoyer’

Yes, it’s true. Last Sunday, inmates at the Prince George’s County Jail were pissed about being on lockdown during the Superbowl (among other things, I would wager) and busted out of their cells. The Washington Post calls it a “coordinated attack,” which is pretty darn frightening to me. I wonder if they would have accepted the Puppy Bowl as a compromise…

We Love Arts
By

We Love Arts: Hell Meets Henry Halfway

Hell Meets Henry Halfway

Gabriel Quinn Bauriedel & Sarah Sanford in Hell Meets Henry Halfway
Courtesy of the Pig Iron Theatre Company

If we want to compare theatre to the movies, Hell Meets Henry Halfway is more David Lynch/Being John Malkovich than it is Rob Reiner/The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The playwright in this case set out to write something with the novel as an inspiration, not to adapt the novel to the stage. The program notes say that the “theatrical mixtape” that is Henry is 1/3 the source novel, 1/3 the playwright and 1/3 the Pig Iron Theatre Company.

If that sounds a bit out of the ordinary, then you’re starting to get it. This isn’t an experience for everyone. Coming back from intermission I overheard the couple in front of me. “… well we can get our things and go, then.” “No….. we’ll stick it out.” I’m pretty sure people have gone to the electric chair with more enthusiasm than this fellow. Hell Meets Henry Halfway emphasizes character and feel over realism and does it well, but it’s a specialized taste. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Music, The Features
By

Concert: Andrew Bird

Photo courtesy of
‘Andrew Bird at Music Hall of Williamsburg (January 26th, 2009)’
courtesy of ‘Amanda M Hatfield’

I was expecting to get blown away when I went to see Andrew Bird at the 9:30 Club last Tuesday. I really was. You might think that those were some pretty high expectations, especially since I had never seen him live, but sometimes…you just feel it.

His music is complex and beautiful, with plucked violin and his expert whistling (yes, whistling) on top of often jaunty piano or guitar chords. I love his CDs, and often find that they are the perfect backdrop for everything from Metro rides to game nights. Continue reading →

Life in the Capital, Technology, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
By

Some Days Call For Quality Profanity

Photo courtesy of
‘brown is the new clever’
courtesy of ‘solidstate.’

Some days just call for quality profanity.

You know, the kind that peels paint from walls, or causes old ladies to blush and then hit you with their handbags. Or maybe the kind that caused your mom to get out the extra large bar of soap to wash out your mouth. But some days, well, some days require elegant profanity. The kind from a previous era.

Or, from, say, the mouth of Barack Obama (warning, NSFW language in audio and text).

That’s the kind of day I’m having.

The Daily Feed
By

Give me a break

Photo courtesy of
‘The surgery changed Theo’s Life’
courtesy of ‘chris.loxton’
WTOP reports that WMATA’s funding issues are causing the Jurisdictional Coordinating Committee to discuss potential cutback strategies that include 10pm closing times on the weekend. This isn’t really as interesting as it sounds – the JCC is an group comprised of regional transportation leaders and they’re simply putting together suggestions to bring before the Metro board next week. Their role is to advise, not decide. From the 2006 WMATA Board of Directors procedures [pdf] “The Jurisdictional Coordinating Committee has been established by the Board to facilitate the exchange of information and viewpoints between jurisdictions and the WMATA staff and among the jurisdictions.”

That said, is this a productive use of an advisory committee’s time? Sure, we could theoretically solve the homeless problem in about 24 hours by sending out the police force to shoot each one of them in the head, but most of us accept that such a cure would be unacceptable. So is it really necessary to list that as a possible solution to the problem? WMATA needs to provide solutions that are useful to people, and if you’ve ever waited the interminable period of time it takes for a train to show up at 1am on Friday night you know there’s a demand for Metro services. Kick Groktor off that committee and come up with some real solutions.

The Daily Feed
By

Crystal City Goes Fashionable?


Fashion in Motion
Originally uploaded by maxedaperture

Apparently, fashion is heading towards Crystal City, the magical sky-scrapered part of NoVa that us true Arlingtonians don’t like to claim.

And I quote: “Join the Crystal City BID for Crystal Couture, a two week extravaganza of fun and fashion. The event will feature sample sales, runway and trunk shows from designers, local boutiques, and area salons. Each night will feature a theme with unique drinks, food tastes, and exciting fashions and music. The event is free and open to the public. Event hours will be from 6-10 p.m. weekdays, with special daytime events on Saturdays, Sundays, and Presidents’ Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.”

The events this fashionista would consider heading to? Glam Garments Gone Green, Work Wear Wednesday, and Cocktail Dresses.

Monumental, The Features
By

Monumental: John Ericsson Navigation Memorial

Ericsson Memorial West Side

John Ericsson, a Swedish inventor, has a beautiful monument just south of the Lincoln Memorial on the median near the intersection of Ohio Drive SW and Independence Avenue SW. The beautiful pink granite statue was placed on its current location in 1927, at a cost of $60,000. $35,000 of that was federal funds, as voted in by the 1916 Congress, and the other $25,000 was raised through Swedish-American funds.

So, why was Ericsson so important? He invented the screw propellor for ships, allowing vessels to propel themselves through the water efficiently using a steam-driven engine. His dual-propeller design is the father of the propulsion system for just about every naval ship in the water today.

Continue reading →

Thrifty District
By

Thrifty District: Cold Weather Heating Bills, OH NO!

Photo courtesy of
‘Icy Sunshine on Photowalk’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Many DC residents saw spikes of hundreds of dollars in their utility bills last month that Pepco is basing on the unusually cold weather we’re having- even if you keep your heat low, your heater has to work harder to keep your home at a consistent temperature, so demand for power most likely spiked last month, too. This is also an effect of busted HVAC. You can click here to view AirNow Cooling & Heating’s information and know more about the power spike.

So… how do you stay snug and toasty when money might be tight? If you’re a single-family homeowner in the District, a good place to start would be with the DC Department of the Environment’s free home energy auditing service, available to all DC residents regardless of income.  This audit can point out a variety of ways to increase your home’s energy efficiency, including the really simple ones like “Put more insulation over there,” or “OH MY GOD how long has it been since you weatherstripped your back door?” Even if you’re a renter, the DOE’s energy audit information contains many suggestions for investigating where energy is being wasted.  (I kid you not, DC DOE has a Facebook Fan Page. Who do they think they are, us?)  You can also find lots of DIY home auditing information at EnergyStar.gov.   Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
By

A non-smoking Virginia?

Photo courtesy of
‘New Year Resolution’
courtesy of ‘Pete…E’
Say it ain’t so, Camel Joe! The Washington Post reports that the Virginia GOP has found a compromise position with Governor Kaine and there may be a bill passed limiting smoking in public places. Civil libertarians, rejoice grit your teeth a little less – this is a compromise better than the ban in the District: facilities that wish to do so will be able to build private rooms for smoking, provided they follow some sort of air handling standard.

Personally I’d rather that simply be a air handling standard for all public facilities and not have seperate rooms, but the Governor seems to have lost my phone number. It’ll be interesting to see what the details will be on this bill when it’s fleshed out.

Arlington, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
By

The Big (Apartment) Hunt

Photo courtesy of
‘Misc DC – Presidential Flyover – 9-1-08’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

So we’re looking at making THE BIG MOVE, and I need some advice from all you Realtors and leasing agents out there.

My lovely roommate and I are going to be striking out to find a new apartment along the Wilson/Clarendon (metro accessible) stretch and are wondering – how are the prices out there? We had a HORRENDOUS time snagging our current apartment during the summer a few years ago, but are hoping with the economic downturn, and the dead of winter, things might actually play out in our favor.

I’ve noticed so many more advertising yard signs (Parc Rosslyn and Vista, I’m looking at you!) and random people on the street corner doing tricks with big arrow signs than I did last year – so I ask…is it a renter’s market out there? Can we bargain? What is your advice (or experience, if you recently made a move) for apartment shopping during these winter months in a crap economy?

The Daily Feed
By

DC Shorts

dcshorts

Katie thinks you should get yourself out and about to enjoy this weekend’s warm weather, but if you’d rather hunker down in the dark and watch some flickering lights there’s options for you too. DC Shorts will be running a screening of 14 of the best submissions from their 2008 festival this Friday and Saturday evenings at 7p. 14 films in 3 hours.

Personally I like the sounds of How My Dad Killed Dracula: “On Halloween night, a father recounts the harrowing tale of how he fought and killed Dracula” but those of you who like Tiff’s comedy writeups might enjoy Funniest Feds: “The stand-up comedy competition featured over 30 contestants — all of whom work as federal employees in the DC area.” At $10 it’s hard to imagine not getting your money’s worth.

US Navy Memorial
701 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
20004

The Daily Feed
By

Arlington reaches out to Obama appointees

For the cabinet

Sometimes it seems like there’s a lot of conflict between DC, VA and MD, what with talk of car taxes and arguments over Metro funding. It’s a new time in America, however, and Arlington County is apparently trying to turn over a new leaf and be inclusive of new DC employees. So if you’re up for a cabinet post in the Obama administration, Arlington wants to help you.

You probably need it.

The Daily Feed, The Great Outdoors
By

Warm, Sunny Weekend Ahead!

Photo courtesy of
‘Try to remember…………..’
courtesy of ‘LaTur

So, folks, it looks like this weekend will be (fingers crossed, knock on wood) WARM! Say whaaat? That’s right, it’ll be a reasonable temperature to be outdoors. So dust off those walking shoes, oil up your bike chains, and head out for some much-missed vitamin D.

I’d recommend heading over to Roosevelt Island, going for a run down the Mount Vernon Trail. Or head down to the national mall to take a stroll through the US Botanic Gardens‘ outdoor garden. Or, you could head out on your bike to the various area trails.

Here’s wishing you some happy sunshine this weekend…

All Politics is Local, Downtown, Life in the Capital, Technology, The Daily Feed
By

DC Loses CIO to Obama Administration

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘ckramer’

Hearty Congratulations to DC CIO Vivek Kundra, who is the latest victim of Obama Abduction. Well. I suppose it’s not exactly Abduction if they ask and you consent, right? Okay. We need a new word for that. Anyhow. Mr. Kundra is headed to the OMB as administrator of e-government and information technology. Not quite the cabinet-level CIO position that he was suspected to be considered for, but not exactly entry-level work.

Kundra will see Government-wide IT budgets of something on the order of $70,000,000,000. First task? Maybe some Macs for the Obama staff at the White House? I hear they’re jonesin’ hard.

Special Events, The Features
By

Got a Date?

Photo courtesy of
‘Jessicart’ courtesy of ‘technotheory’

If you’re clueless about what to do for next weekend – and if you don’t know what the date is, you may want to leave your forest cabin periodically – then you may want to venture down to the DC Riverfront.

Why’s that?

Artomatic. From Feb 13 – 15, Artomatic and the Pink Line Project is presenting three great days of art and music. So grab a date and go!

Oh, yeah, one other thing: Artomatic 2009‘s right around the corner and they’re asking everyone to take a survey to help them prepare for this year. So you art and music lovers, head over and make your voice known!