Yearly Archives: 2009

The Daily Feed, We Green DC
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River Art: Water, Wings and Wildflowers

Courtesy of Washington Printmakers Gallery

Courtesy of Washington Printmakers Gallery

River lovers, here’s some art you might like — soft, colorful images of the Potomac River, C & O Canal, and other local spots by Yolanda Frederikse. They say her secret is painting in plein air, sitting quietly and looking closely, to capture the delicacy of wildflowers or to spot birds and other wildlife along winding waterside footpaths.

Her monotypes — watercolor painted on lithographic plates on site, then printed through an etching press in her studio — plus screen prints and watercolors are now on display at the Washington Printmakers Gallery near Dupont Circle.

Tomorrow at 1 p.m., just in time for lunch, this DC artist will give a talk on her work. You can catch Water, Wings and Wildflowers until Oct. 25.

Media, People
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A DC Chat With the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan

Cesar Speaking at NatGeo
Photos courtesy of Karl Johnson

“It’s about energy” said the Dog Whisperer, after pouring half a can of Red Bull into his glass of water. But he wasn’t talking about energy in the Red Bull sense, he was talking about the energy you possess around your dog that directly translates into how they perceive your interactions with them. What you see on TV is exactly what you get; there are no differences. The real life Cesar Millan is the same charismatic, confident and even subtly intense person that you’ve seen on the National Geographic Channel. He’s that same amazing guy that can instantly calm almost any dog within minutes. One of the essential qualities that even dog owners love about him is that including being able to clam down dogs, he also gives its owners the best product advice which would be perfect for a dog such as dog cleaners, play ball and even necessary accessories such as name tags which every dog should have. He’s never out of character, for there is no character. This is really Cesar Millan; the man, the myth, the dog legend.

I had the pleasure of sitting down one on one with the Dog Whisperer on Monday, right here in DC at 1600 M St NW, the headquarters of NatGeo. Cesar was in town to launch his new book, How To Raise the Perfect Dog, as well as to host the world premiere of the sixth season’s first episode of his Emmy nominated show. As 300 people intently watched the first-ever public showing of the new episode in the auditorium, Cesar and I sat down to chat in a side room with one of his new dogs Angel, a Miniature Schnauzer. While Angel didn’t have much to say, Cesar had no problem immediately answering my questions with an eagerness you’d expect from someone just trying to make it big. But Cesar has already made it big, many times over. Over 100 episodes aired, his fourth book published, a magazine bearing his name and endless products sold under his brand, Cesar is about as big of a dog superstar as you can get. And I’m not going to lie to you, my Jack Russell Max and I love this man. There, I said it. I’m biased.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Object lesson: Not all discrimination is harmful

Photo courtesy of
‘0925092106.jpg’
courtesy of ‘steevithak’

If your crutches were preventing you from exercising your statistics disability, worry not: the DC Lottery and Gaming Board is looking out for you. Or for their revues anyway. They’ve filed notice that they intend to amend the municipal code to guarantee that organizations selling lottery tickets have to meet ADA requirements for access and won’t shut out the differently-able from throwing their money down the toilet by buying lottery tickets.

No lottery sales agent shall discriminate against any individual on the basis of a disability in the full and equal enjoyment of lottery related goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any lottery licensed facility;

There’s a multitude of exemptions in there, though, for organizations that might find it financially prohibitive to make structural changes to their facilities. There’s no requirement if the cost exceeds 25% of the revenue they bring in selling this junk, but they’ll have to “make the lottery related goods and services available through alternative methods,” such as curb service or signage directing people to the nearest ADA-compliant lottery seller.

The Daily Feed
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Street Sense Silent Auction Thursday Night

Photo courtesy of
‘Street Sense, Washington DC’
courtesy of ‘Photos by Chip Py’

Thursday night, Street Sense will be holding a silent auction to benefit their continuing operations in DC at the WVSA Arts Connection at 16th and L Street downtown. Tickets run between $30 and $100, with all proceeds of the tickets and auction going to Street Sense. They’ve got a heady list of auction items, and the money goes to a great cause, so what are you waiting for? Buy your tickets and support one of the best indie newspapers in the area!

Farm Fresh, Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Food
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Farm Fresh: Bourbon Steak

P9230130

Here’s another installment in the series where WeLoveDC authors Donna (greenie) and Katie (foodie) pair up to bring you a double-hitting feature about local area restaurants that take on the challenge of being green. Donna will explain the logic behind the environmentally friendly trends and Katie will tell you if the food tastes any good. It’s a rough life, but someone has to do it, right?

Katie: So you don’t always think of a steakhouse as environmentally-conscientious, right? Well, Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak goes above and beyond the green call of duty, and plants their own vegetables, and works all of them into the dishes at the restaurant. Donna and I were invited over to the Four Seasons Hotel in Georgetown to take a tour of the garden and sample some dishes that used the herbs and veggies grown there on the property.

Donna: Last spring, Bourbon Steak created a small garden on its property, in a peaceable little spot just across from the C&O Canal. I was happy we were invited to tour this terraced plot and sample the dishes it flavors. It supplies the restaurant with 62 varieties of herbs, vegetables and flowers — 400 plants in all, some of which came from Amish farms. Look around, and up front you’ll see some plants you recognize, such as thyme, chives, marigold and different kinds of basil. Farther back are the harder-to-find plants that produce curries and other unusual spices.

Katie: So with all these herbs and vegetables grown on the property, could you taste the difference in the food? We headed inside for dinner to find out. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Is there a chill in your apartment?

Photo courtesy of
‘cup of ice’
courtesy of ‘erin m’

DC’s Regulatory Authority wants to remind you that if your apartment building has building-controlled heat you’ve got a right to certain basic comfort. Minimum temperatures are 65° F overnight between 11p and 6am and 68° F the rest of the day. If your building management isn’t living up to their obligations in this area and don’t respond to your requests, DCRA welcomes you to call them at (202) 442-9557.

Doesn’t look like this is going to be a big issue over the next few weeks with temps continuing to be in the upper 70s most days, but if you’re living in a place with a history of being uncooperative you might want to file the number away for later.

All Politics is Local, The Daily Feed
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Barry Stops Short of Screaming “You lie!”

Photo courtesy of
‘Marion Barry’
courtesy of ‘cliff1066â�¢’

Everyone is rightfully outraged over the recent mass firings of DCPS teachers due to a $44m budget shortfall; over 200 were let go on Friday. Students, teachers and their allies came together yesterday to protest the cuts and a lot of their attention focused on the Chancellor of DCPS, Michelle Rhee. They even received a few not-so-calming words from every body’s “favorite” Councilman Marion Barry, according to NBC Washington.

“Chancellor Rhee has lied to you. Lied to you,” Barry said. “And I don’t like liars.”

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed, WMATA
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Explosion Causes Red Line Delays

Smoke in Station
Picture of smoke in Red Line station uploaded by @arasmus

Update, 11am: “Normal” service restored.

Update, 10am: Red Line is now single-tracking between Farragut North and Judiciary Square. According to Dr. Gridlock, Metro spokeswoman Angela Gates says a collector shoe fell off a train car, sparking a fire under the train at Gallery Place-Chinatown. Smoke then traveled down the tunnel to Metro Center. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Councilwoman Cheh on Speed Bumps

Photo courtesy of
‘speed hump sign’
courtesy of ‘stevendamron’

You know, I don’t I’ve ever met a politician who didn’t love speed bumps. Please allow me to introduce Councilwoman Mary Cheh of Ward 3, who thinks it’s way too easy to get speed bumps installed in neighborhoods throughout DC. Look, I’m all for safety, too, but the proliferation of speed bumps in DC has just been insane. In two years, there have been nearly 500 extra traffic calming devices installed on DC city streets, most of which were put in without examination of where the traffic would divert to, in order to avoid these devices.

Councilwoman Cheh, I salute you.

Featured Photo
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Featured Photo

Ring Toss by Carly and Art
Ring Toss by Carly & Art

Ever since seeing the Edward Burtynsky exhibit and attending Saturday’s lecture by Dr. William Rees at the Corcoran, I can’t stop thinking about Man vs Nature.  As Dr. Rees explained (in a very eloquent and scientific manner), there are fundamental differences between our behaviors that make it virtually impossible for man to coexist with nature in a closed system.  At our current rate of population growth and resource consumption, the planet simply cannot sustain us forever.  To summarize his speech, unless drastic policy changes are put into place by our governments and we start to think globally instead of selfishly, well, we’re doomed.

This week’s featured photo is a demonstration of nature’s struggle against man.  Or is it?  Despite having several rings of concrete around its base, the tree is growing and doing everything it should be doing.  The concrete, as far as the tree is concerned, is only a slight annoyance.  I tend to agree with George Carlin’s philosophy about the state of the planet which is, “The planet is fine.” Continue reading →

Interviews, The Features
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He Loves DC: Luis Colmenares

Luis Colmenares

The authors at this site love DC (oh really? yes. really.) and are often point-people for people’s questions about the city, where to go and what to do. But aside from our 20 authors, there are other roving DC experts in the city, hidden at every turn. Hotel concierges. They know and love DC (maybe more than our authorship), and I’m sure answer more questions about this city than all of us combined. One of the most-loved and well-respected concierges in the city is the Hotel Monaco’s Luis Colmenares. Luis has huge accolades, he’s a Member of the prestigious Les Clefs d’Or USA, and the Vice President, Washington Area Concierge Association. Luis is even a Notary Public, the man is ready to help assist your every whim.

So what does a guy like Luis love about DC? Well I was able to get the skinny from one of DC’s best advocates.

Katie: How long have you lived in DC, and how did you arrive here?
Luis: I grew up in Caracas, Venezuela, and moved to Washington DC purely on a whim nearly 22 years ago. I originally came just for a one-week vacation, but when I got here, I loved it so much that I never went back home! I worked as a travel consultant for 10 years, and have been a concierge for the past 12.

As a hotel concierge, what’s the most frequently asked question you answer about DC?
More than anything, I am asked for hours and directions to tourist hot spots, like the Mall or the monuments. Recently, I’ve had a surge of questions about Georgetown – what to do there, and the best places to eat and shop.

What’s the one place in DC that visitors should not miss?
Just one? I think the White House is the most important place someone can visit, because it represents the center of American democracy. Just remember that I can’t get tickets for you, no matter how nicely you ask! It all needs to be arranged before you get here.
Continue reading →

The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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WMATA alerts by text message? No.

ScreenShot145

One of our loyal readers sent us a note about WMATA’s eAlerts system and the inability to sign up to get them via text messages rather than email. In fairness to WMATA, the main screen only says “you can receive alerts via email notifying you of Metro service disruptions.” However when you click on the subscribe button you get a popup that says “Receive alerts through email or text message” and the box to enter your contact info says “Enter Your email or SMS address.”

Unfortunately it’s a trap; the box refuses to accept any entry that isn’t a x@y.z format email address. You’ll have to stick with whatever email to SMS gateway your cell provider offers if you want to get the alerts sent to you via text. TechRecipies has the format for all the major carriers here if you don’t know yours.

As to why WMATA’s form is misleading? Unclear. Our tipster asked customer service why it wasn’t working and got a resounding “dunno.” Perhaps WMATA will be expanding to offer this functionality down the road and their text got ahead of their capabilities. Or maybe it’s already in and a coder simply forgot to update the validation check.

Adventures, Essential DC, Fun & Games, Special Events, The Daily Feed, The District
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Big Kids Block Party was EPIC

Photo courtesy of
‘Kids in the Air’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’

According to the Q Street Neighborhood Association, the Big Kids Block Party was a rip-roaring, rocking and uber-successful event.

Here are some stats:
-1,048 people in attendance
-26 tapped kegs
-200 Ben’s half-smokes eaten
-585 other hot dogs devoured
-500 oz Mr. Yogato fro-yo grobbled
-100 Julia’s Empanadas consumed
-100 Rice Krispie Treats inhaled
-Countless pounds of popcorn, cotton candy, regular candy, chips, etc. scoffed up
-50 butchered (carved) pumpkins

Most importantly the block party raised $20,151.32, **More than DOUBLED the original goal**, all of which will go to four deserving non-profits.

For those of you who couldn’t make it, they’ll be throwing the 2nd Annual Big Kids Block Party in 2010, after a much deserved recovery.

Food and Drink, Night Life, The DC 100, The Features
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DC Omnivore 100: #58, Beer above 8% ABV

Photo courtesy of
‘the cask’
courtesy of ‘volcanojw’

It’s time for another item from the DC Omnivore 100 list of the top one hundred foods every good omnivore should try at least once in their lives.

Finding a beer above 8% alcohol by volume isn’t the challenge that it once was.  The emergence of the craft beer movement in the past few decades and American beer aficionados unquenchable thirst for unique and challenging brews has caused the market for strong beer to explode.  This is not to say that highly alcoholic beers are something new. In nearly every, beer-drinking country aside from the US, breweries and monasteries have been crafting batches of potent beer for centuries.  It’s only in America that the trend has recently come into vogue.

If you’ve graduated from the typical grocery store, great American swill, you recognize that not all beer is created equal.  There are full bodied beers, crisp and refreshing beers, fruity beers, darker beers, and so on and so forth.  Each has something special that makes it unique, but each still has the same basic ingredients (barley, hops, water, and yeast) and each is created with variations on the same, basic brewing process.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Today is World Habitat Day

Photo courtesy of
‘Sustainability’
courtesy of ‘SWP Moblog’

Did you know that half the world’s population lives in cities?  Or that within the next generation, more than two-thirds of the population will be urban? The United Nations designates the first Monday of October as World Habitat Day, a day to reflect on the state of our urban environments and reaffirm a commitment to providing decent, affordable housing worldwide.  There are three great ways to celebrate World Habitat Day: advocate for housing to Congress, educate yourself on current urban housing issues, or donate time or money to an organization that focuses on housing issues.

There are a number of events here in DC to mark the occasion, including a forum on Livable Communities today at Howard University at 3 PM.  The forum is entitled “Planning our Urban Future” and features the Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs, the HUD Deputy Secretary, the Executive Director of UN-HABITAT, and DC’s very own deputy mayor.  There are also several events happening throughout the week that focus on housing and urban environments.

The Daily Feed
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Cake Wrecks Book Signing in Bethesda Cancelled

Photo courtesy of
‘CakeWrecks’
courtesy of ‘CathyLovesDC’

Last I checked, 384 people had RSVPed to meet Jen Yates, founder of Cake Wrecks, in Bethesda tomorrow night. Unfortunately, the tour for her new book, Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong, has been cancelled. According to her latest post, Jen’s husband is in critical condition.

Cake Wrecks is a hysterical, award-winning blog. If you haven’t checked it out, today might be a good day to send some good vibes to Jen.

And if, perhaps, you’ve already prepped your cupcake for what would have been tomorrow night’s cupcake-sized cake wreck competition, a photo in Jen’s inbox (or our Flickr pool) would surely cheer her up.

News, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Sex Club Death in DC

Photo courtesy of
‘All that remained from our block of hell’
courtesy of ‘tomeppy’

Borderstan was on top of things this weekend when a body was found inside a building that moonlights as a gay and bi-sexual male sex club at 14th and Corcoran near Logan Circle. One of the commenters on the entry suggests that the death may have been the result of an accidental fall on one of the staircases inside the building. Another is requesting anyone with information about the fall (which took place around 5am on Sunday morning) get in touch with Detective Patterson at 202-645-7065.

This isn’t the first incident at the club, a fire broke out in 2005. I had no idea that Sex Clubs were totally a thing in DC, but judging by this gridskipper map, I’m totally wrong. Huh. Who’d’ve thunk?