Yearly Archives: 2009

All Politics is Local, Business and Money, Downtown, Essential DC, Media, People, The Daily Feed
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DC’s Fifty Most Powerful

Photo courtesy of
‘Don’t Let Mr. Emanuel Down 1680 x 1050’
courtesy of ‘sdpurtill’

Calling DC the “center of power” is about as cliched as a description can be, but, it is, never the less, a truthful description.  GQ has delved a little deeper into the power structure of our city and released a list of its 50 most influential occupants.  At the top is none other than Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s angry, 9 fingered, little chief of staff.  Speaking of Obama, he failed to make the list, but I’m assuming that the editors of GQ just assumed that he was a given.  The rest of the 50 are pretty much cabinet members, committee chairs and lobbyists.  No surprises, really.

Entertainment, Fun & Games, The Features
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We Love Crafts: Fall

Photo courtesy of
‘potato printing acorn and pumpkin’
courtesy of ‘jimmiehomeschoolmom’

The weather is cooling, cravings for hearty stews are upon us and hibernating within our homes is becoming the norm. As we’ll be spending more and more time inside, hiding from the cold and darkness that winter will bring, it’s time we turn our attention to some of the amazingly creative and fun crafts the fall season brings.

Personally, I’m really big on craft projects that will actually be useful, especially since I just moved and my apartment is in serious need of some decoration. Plus, there’s no better feeling than to finish a project and immediately see your hard work put to good use. I’m BIG on not spending a lot of money. One, because I don’t have the budget and, two, because I tend to have a lot of useless stuff around the house that can be recycled for crafting purposes. I also think that crafts projects should last at max only 4 hours and should be completed by that time.  No one wants to have shreds of felt paper, uncapped glue sticks and newspaper around their apartment for weeks at a time.  My motto: keep crafts simple, fun and doable. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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GWU Most Active University Twitterer

Photo courtesy of
‘2008’
courtesy of ‘NCinDC’

Since “social media douchebag” is one of the many professional hats I wear, I was particularly interested to see that George Washington University has been ranked the top most active university on Twitter. More interesting, though, was that they attained that distinction by using Twitter to post interesting content, rather than just hooking up an RSS feed to a Twitter account and never thinking about it again. Which pleases me, because I’m pretty astonished that anyone thinks a Twitter account full of university press releases could actually be interesting.

The Daily Feed
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Nothing but unhappy endings now

Photo courtesy of Me

Hooker ads, slighty legitimized
courtesy of Me

We told you when the council published their proposed rules governing massage establishments last month and last Friday they went into effect. WaPo seems to have gotten the memo and the three ads above were the only ones in today’s print edition of the sports page. That’s half the quantity MediaBistro noted in their hooker ad count two years ago and none are actually in DC, where the statute is in place.

Anyone have a week or two old Post sports section to check if there had been any surviving DC-area parlor ads before the law went into effect?

Mythbusting DC, The Features
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DC Mythbusting: Georgetown Metro Stop

Photo courtesy of
‘Georgetown Tunnel’
courtesy of ‘MikaAltskan’

Hi and welcome to another edition of Mythbusting!  This week we’ll be tackling the myth of the Georgetown Metro.  The legend explains why Georgetown, a vibrant part of the city with many attractions, does not have a Metro station.  Legend has it that Metro planners had originally planned a station for Georgetown, but Georgetown’s well-connected residents fought to keep the criminals and poor people that would ride Metro away from their exclusive neighborhood.  They successfully defeated the Metro plans, and thus, there’s no Metro station in Georgetown today.  Why else would there not be a Metro station at such a major destination in DC?

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Happy anniversary, cornerstone

Photo courtesy of
‘NMAI South Facade’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

I just noticed a mention on twitter that the cornerstone for the White House was laid on October 13, 1792: 217 years ago today. It would take another eight years before it was completed and one of our presidents would move in.

The facts I’ve found in my searches about the cornerstone have included a lot of interesting information (the stone and the foundation were largely built by slaves and freed slaves) and even an article about this anniversary on Politico. But no pictures of the cornerstone. Any of you history or architecture buffs know where on the building it is? Is it visible to the general public? At all? There was no big ceremony, so does the stone lack other adornment?

The Daily Feed, We Green DC
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Trees Need Love, Too

Photo courtesy of
‘Hug a Tree’
courtesy of ‘Gwen Bubbles’

True, the cherry trees aren’t covered in fluffy blossoms right now, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need love. In fact, now that they’re alone and shivering with the onslaught of fall, they need it more than ever.

It’s hard finding a local source of high-quality plants for your landscape project needs,Twinwood Farms, a Texas tree farm offers native trees and grass for landscaping, they grow with biodiversity in mind and care about the environment and want to boost ecosystem productivity.

On Saturday, from noon to 3 p.m., people will be heading over to the Jefferson Memorial to give them a big group hug. Tree Hugger Day will include music, naturalist-led tree walks, and free gifts, including tree guides and historic trees you can plant.

Take a picture of your tree hugging, and you can enter it in a contest to win prizes from IKEA and American Forests. I find the category for “Strangest Hug” a little creepy, but do as you will.

If you luuuv trees, mark your calendar,

The Daily Feed
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Hizzoner Released from Howard Univ. Hospital

Photo courtesy of
‘Howard University Hospital’
courtesy of ‘brownpau’

After a week in intensive care, Marion Barry has has been released from the hospital. He released a short statement thanking God and his Doctors for returning him to good health again. No statement from the council has been released.

Personally, I was kinda hoping he was going to step down for health reasons, but then I remembered it was Marion Barry and he’ll be in office til he dies or his constituents wake up and recognize who they’re putting into office.

We Green DC
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Four Seasons Tests Way to Make Green Energy from Cars

Photo courtesy of
‘Making energy on the go’
courtesy of ‘snapzdc’

Some day soon, you might power a streetlight simply by driving under it.

The technology that could make that happen was tested yesterday at the entrance to the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown, with a special speed bump laid out in the driveway.

Called MotionPower, this first-of-its-kind energy harvester will convert a car’s motion into electricity, learn more about sustainable living at Hellotera. It’s meant for areas where people are slowing down, such as intersections, toll booths, garages, and the like.

Here’s how it works. Metal flaps in the roadway point up diagonally, with the lifted end farthest from oncoming cars which will get a free windshield replacement at Autoglassguru.com after going thought it many times. When a car rolls over them, they flatten down — and capture kinetic energy that otherwise would be wasted as brake heat.

This doesn’t have any adverse effect on the vehicles, though. You could even validate that if you were to perform a NAP Check via Autoverleden.nl. The side benefit? It helps slow vehicles, and causes less wear and tear on the car, said Meetesh V. Patel, President and CEO of the Maryland-based company that developed the system, New Energy Technologies, Inc.

Continue reading →

The Features, We Love Food
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We Love Food: Belga Cafe

Photo courtesy of
‘Brunch at Belga Cafe’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’

You guys, I’m torn here. On one hand, I genuinely like Belga Cafe. On the other hand, I’m unimpressed by Belga. Here’s the thing – whenever you say “I’m going to Belga” to someone they all oooh and ahhh. It’s got a fantastic reputation, and some of the food lives up to that reputation. But some of the food is worse than what I’d find on the line at the local Holiday Inn breakfast buffet. It’s a conundrum. But let me explain…

Belga Cafe is situated on 8th Street in the heart of Barracks Row. It’s a great location with foot traffic from Eastern Market and the surrounding neighborhoods and shops. Belga has a small but cozy patio, the outdoor seating complete with table cloths, and a slightly cramped long interior dining room. The kitchen is quasi-open, and the bar is usually full of diners. The place has a neighborhood feel, though I would say it’s known throughout the city as a brunch destination. And unfortunately, brunch is where I get tripped up with Belga. Continue reading →

Talkin' Transit, The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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Metrobus to Do Things By The Book?

Photo courtesy of
‘Panned Metrobus’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

I know this makes me nerdy, but I love that scene in Wrath of Khan where Saavik and Spock start talking about doing things By The Book, and the post this morning from Unsuck DC Metro is reminiscent of that this morning. One of their readers announced a few changes on his 52 bus last night, suggesting that folks may need to allow for additional time due to drivers following regulations to the letter in order to better reduce casualties in the bus system. It’s not clear if this is an organized union-endorsed behavior, or if this could be considered like a work stoppage.

So, did your bus seems slower than usual this morning? Or, was it business as usual?

And yeah, you can totally call me a nerd for referencing Star Trek in a post about Metrobuses. Because I deserve it.

The Daily Feed
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Photoshop Live Comes to DC

Photo courtesy of
‘Washington Sunrise HDR’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’

We love, love, love our photographers here at We Love DC, and our super awesome pool of photographers contribute a ton to this site. So, when friends of ours like Derrick Story come to town and bring with them deep discounts on local Photoshop Conferences, we like to try to repay the favor. Check out Derrick’s site for all the details, but you can either win a free pass to Photoshop Live (worth $295!) or get all the details on a less-than-half-price ticket to the event on November 2nd & 3rd. We’ll also be planning a photowalk with Derrick in the coming weeks! Give us ideas as to where you’d like to go exploring in the comments!

We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: The Alchemist

ALCHMST__087

David Manis as Subtle, Jeff Biehl as Abel Drugger and Michael Milligan as Face
in the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of Ben Jonson’s The Alchemist, directed by Michael Kahn.
Photo by Scott Suchman.

I can’t speak for any other reviewer, but for me the most enjoyable reviews to write are the ones where I really enjoyed a production but still have some minor quibbles. A little Monday-morning quarterbacking is fun for everyone if you don’t take it too seriously and aren’t a jerk about it. Perfect productions are less fun because there’s less to say about them. Quality theater involves a very subtle energy that’s difficult – if not impossible – to convey to a reader. Bad theater is less fun still because you have to be a special flavor of jerk to enjoy smack-talking someone’s baby, and a lot of people put a lot of energy into putting something on stage.

The least enjoyable kind of theater to write about is the kind that’s always puzzling to see, considering how many people come to it with so much passion: the simply okay, unengaging and largely forgettable production.

Care to guess where The Alchemist fits into this?

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Did President Obama insult pudding pops or something?

benssign

So what’s up with that, Ben’s Chilli Bowl? The infamous sign indicating who eats for free at Ben’s has gone through a few changes over the years. The classic one said that only Ben Cosby eats free was replaced last year with one that said Bill Cosby and the Obama Family. Sometime since the sign (pictured above, click to enlarge) has been changed again to say

WHO EATS FOR FREE AT BEN’S
BILL COSBY
MICHELLE, MALIA & SASHA OBAMA

NOT PRESIDENT OBAMA
BECAUSE BILL COSBY SAYS SO!!!!

THE MANAGEMENT

No, we have no idea either. The counter staff working today said they didn’t know what the deal was.

UPDATE: WLDC Alum Brittany points us to this Meet the Press video where Bill Cosby says that President Obama hasn’t earned the free eats at Ben’s yet. Let me point out that he says he doesn’t mind Michelle and her mother eating for free but the sign omits Mrs Robinson (what do you say?) but includes the Obama daughters.

Sports Fix
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Sports Fix: Long Monday Edition

Photo courtesy of
‘Chocolate cityâ�¦’
courtesy of ‘dharmabumx’

Redskins
Record: 2-3
Last Two Weeks: 1-1
Place: Last in the East

Yikes. A loss to the Panthers? Really? That’s disappointing. It also probably spells the end of the rope for Jim Zorn. It’s not all his fault, though, as there’s some question about a few of the calls (specifically on a fair catch), and Jason Campbell threw for just 145 yards, and a pair of fumbles by the offense made for a rough row to hoe.

So, where to from here? Fans and Owners are likely calling for Zorn’s head. Campbell’s got to wonder if his job is safe, as well, and Clinton Portis has to be wondering if he might be a better announcer than running back. Perhaps coaching is in his future. Either way, it’s more dark days for the Skins and the fans. Next up? Kansas City. They’re 0-5, and have looked pretty lackluster, so my guess is we’ll be losing that one, 17-9.

D.C. United
Record: 8-8-12
Last Two Weeks: 1-1-0
Place: Fourth in the East

The end is nigh! The end is nigh! Just two more MLS matches and a CONCACAF match, and that’s the end of United’s regular schedule for 2009. It’s must-win for DC in both leagues, after a loss to Chivas USA at home, and things look fairly grim in the MLS. United would need to pick up, at a bare minimum, a win and a tie — and more likely two wins — to make the last wild card slot. With 36 points, they’re two points back of the red line in the standings between who advances and who spends late October in front of the television. Their last home MLS match of the year is this Saturday against the Columbus Crew, so get the red on, and head on down to RFK to see our boys fight for their playoff spot.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Columbus Day Isn’t All Bad

Photo courtesy of
‘Union Station Stereo’
courtesy of ‘rgb48’

Like many folks in DC, I am hard at work today, but it’s not been all bad. Working on some of the lesser-observed federal holidays is pretty easy for a couple of different reasons:

Free Parking: Street Parking is free today, so as long as you can find a spot, you don’t have to feed the meter, which is just glorious.

No Traffic: Seriously, if you didn’t zoom right into the city today, chances are that’s your fault and not the traffic’s for once. I was in the city today in record time, and that’s always an awesome feeling.

No Phone Calls: I think the best part about working in this town on Federal Holidays is the blessed silence of the desk phone. While a few people are working today, chances are? They’re not calling you for the same reason you’re not getting called. Who the hell keeps track of who’s working today? It’s a crap shoot!

Sure, there are downsides, too, but the upsides are there. What’s your silver lining in this dark cloud?

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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It’s Chili Inside, It’s Chili Outside

Photo courtesy of
‘Every Food Fits – It’s Gettin’ Chili in Here!’
courtesy of ‘staceyviera’

I don’t know about the rest of you out there, but I found this morning’s weather pretty chilly. Yeah…the forecast calls for a high of 70, but today’s upper 50s commute was brisk.  Not that I’m complaining–I love the fall–but come on weather gods! Give us a heads up and don’t make it blazingly hot one day and then brisk and chilly the next.  It’s just not fair!

The chilly weather also brings to mind recipes for…wait for it…chili.  The piping hot, spicy, hearty dish is the perfect fall, football-season fare. The best part of chili is that everyone seems to have their own special recipe, serving style (with cornbread, on a hotdog, with rice, in a breadbowl, etc.) and desired spice level.  Personally, I like mine with cornbread and on the mildly spicy, bourbon BBQ sweet side. What’s yours?

The Daily Feed
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Circulator to Rosslyn?

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

Not only did the Circulator route from downtown to Georgetown not get curtailed after all, but now there’s talk of adding a Circulator between Rosslyn and Georgetown to replace the Blue Bus, run by the Georgetown BID. The idea is that the new Circulator route would run on the same schedule as the current Blue Bus, since the BID started the Blue Bus as a demonstration project to prove the demand for transit in Georgetown, and has been hoping for a more permanent solution for some time.

The Features, Weekend Flashback
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Weekend Flashback: 10/9 – 10/11/09

Photo courtesy of
‘”Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.” ~ Abraham Lincoln’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’

This is for the poor, unappreciated wageslave who is stuck coming into work today and unable to enjoy the “holiday” that many others get to enjoy. So while some of us are snug in our beds, lounging about and enjoying a crisp, October morning sipping coffee and goofing off, we leave you office-dwellers with some images to enjoy from the weekend past.

Continue reading →