Yearly Archives: 2009

We Green DC
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Food, Glorious, Food: The Movies

Photo courtesy of
‘DSCN1388’
courtesy of ‘ttarasiuk’

I’ll admit it; I was a little nervous about going to see two movies about our food supply on two consecutive evenings — Food, Inc., playing in area theaters, and FRESH, at a special screening Wednesday night.

I didn’t know much about FRESH, but what I’d heard about Food, Inc. was to eat something organic beforehand. My imagination ran wild. How disgusting was this going to be? Would I have to start eating seaweed for breakfast? And what if I came out of the theater feeling really compelled to change something? The horrors!

It wasn’t quite what I expected.

Food, Inc. may masquerade as a boring documentary, but really it’s a thriller, full of espionage and ex-military company types roughing up farmers in the black of night, arrests and cover-ups and mad scientist types turning corn into Coke and Cheez-Its. Of course there are blood and guts — those are prerequisites for any box-office hit — but the message wasn’t all kumbaya about growing broccoli and whatnot. It was about how giant corporations run by evil, squinty-eyed people are controlling the food supply.

In essence, this movie’s about rights — among them, yours and mine to know what we’re eating and to order a burger without a side of e-coli. Cool concept, huh? So now for the big question — if you go see this flick, will you ever want to eat again? Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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NSO & Twitter: Not Quite A Fail Whale

Photo courtesy of
‘I don’t know TWITTER WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME’
courtesy of ‘Torley’ based on the original illustration by twitter user @yiyinglu

The National Symphony Orchestra got the cute idea to send out program notes via Twitter for their performance of Beethoven’s “Pastoral Symphony” last night. As someone who finds detailed program notes invaluable in my ability to appreciate music, I think this is something I probably would have signed up for; and indeed concertgoers who tried it successfully reported that it enriched their concert experience. But the NSO didn’t count on their audience not being able to figure out Twitter, and on cell carriers’ general inability to deliver text messages in a timely manner. (Guys: this is why we use Twitter clients and mobile web. Srsly.)

(Of course, no mainstream media article on a company’s use of Twitter would be complete without the obligatory “OMG, what do people DO on Twitter” dig, no matter how COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT it is to the actual topic of the article, and WaPo’s article is no exception.  Thanks, guys!)

The Daily Feed
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Broken Economy Inspires People to Fix their Language Skills

Photo courtesy of
‘Rosetta Stone: give me a break. As if. Stupid ad.’
courtesy of ‘diaper’

So apparently when the economy is in the shitter, people spend money on learning new languages. Who knew? Arlington-based Rosetta Stone, maker of popular language-learning software, reported $56.5 million Q2 revenue this quarter as compared to $47.7 million in the 2nd quarter of 2008, and saw a 26% increase in the average cost of its language software to $361. So not only do people take to learning new languages during an economic meltdown, they are also willing to spend MORE money to do so? Huh? Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Everybody Likes Birthday Gifts, Even Obama

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘erin m’

Your neighbor is turning the big 4-8 next week. But what do you give him as a gift? Fresh-baked cookies? Some squash from the garden? Unfortunately, he already has a team of chefs as well as his own vegetable garden. And then there’s the 747, a huge personal staff, mansion, cute dog and pretty much everything else. President Barack Obama turns another year older on Tuesday, August 4th. But what will close neighbors (as in the people who work in his house) and DC’s biggest names be getting for him? Politico published an article on this today and I just had to pick a few favorites out of the list.

One of the owners of the DC landmark establishment Ben’s Chili Bowl wants to send Obama an entire case of chili half-smokes! Yum. Newt Gingrich wants to give him a week in Hawaii with the fam (is Newt going soft?). Rep. Chaffetz (R-UT) will throw in a pair of Wranglers and a ShamWow to clean up the economy. In fact, he says he will throw in two because, if he remembers correctly, they come in pairs. And Rep. Westmoreland (R-GA) will so graciously donate a copy of the Constitution to the President (pretty sure they already have a few copies at 1600 Penn., but I get the symbolic joke). Check out the full list here. So, what are you giving your NW neighbor on Tuesday?

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Trade Deadline Today

Photo courtesy of
‘who wants it?’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

The Nationals face their fifth trade deadline today at 4pm, and the latest on the trade wires is that The Nats will stand pat. Of course, there are still serious offers for Nick Johnson (a minor league pitcher from the Marlins) and Joe Beimel (prospects from the Tigers system) and Josh Willingham (the Giants are still interested, but aren’t publicizing talks), but it’s expected that the Nats are going to keep the deck chairs on this Titanic in their current configuration.

Instead, the Nats will likely spend the next two weeks trying to convince Scott Boras and Stephen Strasburg that DC is a decent place to live and play ball. However, it’s hard to think that a team with an interim GM and an interim manager is going to make much of an impression on anyone.

The Features, Where We Live
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Where We Live: H Street

Photo courtesy of
‘H Street Life’
courtesy of ‘NCinDC’

Welcome to another edition of Where We Live.  This week we’ll be looking at a whole section of the city that is rapidly changing: the section of Northeast DC north of Massachusetts Avenue and south of Florida Avenue.  This area has a LOT of different names: Near Northeast, H Street, the Atlas District, NoMa (for NOrth of Massachusetts Ave), North Capitol Hill, and the list goes on.  This part of town is known for the new office buildings in NoMa, the retail/theater/restaurant district on H Street NE, and the quiet, residential neighborhoods that surround them.  

History: Florida Avenue was once called Boundary Avenue, and was the northernmost boundary of Pierre L’Enfant’s plan for Washington, so this area was part of the original City of Washington.  H Street NE has been the site of major transportation milestones in the history of the city: the Bladensburg Turnpike was a tollgate and entrance to the city, the Baltimore and Ohio railroad was constructed in 1835 and the proximity to Union Station transformed this area, in 1849 H Street itself was built, and the H Street Streetcar was opened in 1872.  The streetcar spurred a great deal of development in the area, and streetcars were running along the corridor until 1949.

Throughout the 1900s the area was a major commercial hub of Washington, with department stores, theaters, and restaurants lining H Street.  However, the riots in 1968 following Martin Luther King’s assassination devastated the neighborhood, and many businesses, theaters, and restaurants moved out to the suburbs.  On H Street, the suburban-style, car-oriented development created pedestrian-unfriendly environment, and the lack of a nearby Metro station meant that the area remained a car-focused corridor.  However, in the last several years, the area has seen a resurgence in development.  It is now home to a thriving theater scene, a variety of restaurants, and a growing number of shops.  It is once again becoming a pedestrian-friendly district, and with plans of a streetcar in the future, it may one day regain its status as DC’s main commercial district.  Next door, NoMa is also rapidly changing from an old warehouse district to a major employment center with over 1,000 hotel rooms, 8,000 residential units, a new grocery store, and new restaurants and shops.
Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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comScore Networks reports Q2 growth for 2009

Photo courtesy of
‘comScore’s Gian Fulgoni at Forrester Marketing Forum 2009’
courtesy of ‘David Berkowitz

Washington Business Journal reported yesterday that Reston, VA-based comScore networks, a company that collects data on the Web-surfing habits of millions of people around the world and uses the data to measure Web traffic and shopping habits, reported an increase of 9% in 2nd quarter earnings as compared to Q2 of 2008. The company generated $31.3 million in revenue this past quarter and its President and CEO, Magid Abraham, attributed the successful quarter to steady renewals amongst large-midsized clients to its growth, admitting that smaller businesses who were more affected by the economic downturn have not been renewing their membership with comScore. The company went public in June 2007 and has been competing with Nielsen Ratings for dominance in the online user analytics space since.

The Daily Feed
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Legg Mason Official Draw Today


Andy Roddick by Not enough megapixels

This afternoon Mayor Fenty and other district officials will complete the Official Draw for the Legg Mason Tennis Classic which kicks off tomorrow morning.  In its 41st edition, the US Open Series event will feature three of the world’s top 10 and ten of the top 20 players, including (as usual) #5 ranked Andy Roddick, #6 Juan Martin Del Potro, #8 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and #11 Fernando Gonzalez.

Continue reading →

All Politics is Local, The Daily Feed
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Meet Jack Kingston of Georgia

kingston.jpg

Folks, this is Jack Kingston. He’s a Republican representative from the 1st District of Georgia, and he’s the latest in a long line of politicians to interfere in DC’s Home Rule. He has submitted an amendment to a House bill that would prevent needle exchange within 1,000 feet of any gathering place for children, a map for which looks pretty sparse. But, since Rep Kingston has displayed such an interest in looking out for the District, you can now give him a call for all of your constituent service issues:

Rep. Jack Kingston
2368 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-5831
Fax: (202) 226-2269

The Daily Feed, WMATA
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10 Trapped in the Woodley Park Metro Elevator

Photo courtesy of
‘Woodley Park Metro Station’
courtesy of ‘Mieko Yamaguchi’

Well, this sounds like my worst nightmare. The Washington Post is reporting that ten people were trapped inside the Woodley Park Metro station elevator for about an hour and a half this afternoon.  NBC reports that six adults and four children were on board, and one baby suffered respiratory problems.

Anyway, the good news is that everyone was rescued around 4 PM, and everyone is expected to be fine.  I’m going to try to pretend this never happened, as I already have an irrational fear of getting trapped in an elevator, and getting stuck in a super-deep one in a Metro station sounds terrifying.

The Daily Feed
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Foreclosures: Not In My Backyard?

Photo courtesy of
‘American Dream, after Grant Wood’
courtesy of ‘Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com’
The Washington Post has put together a handy little map on DC area foreclosures, including a few tools to help you see the breakdown of auctioned homes by zip code and time period over the last few years. The foreclosing of residential real estate is one of the biggest indicators of a recessed economy. And while it is the effect or result of a failing economy, it’s also one of the biggest contributing causes to the continuation of that faltering economy. It’s a downright nasty cycle to be stuck in and most likely you know at least one person who has had to suffer because of it. But if you live in Arlington or Bethesda…you probably only know one. Other neighborhoods in our area have not been so lucky.

Clinton, Annandale, Petworth? Ouch. They’ve each had between 500 and 1000 foreclosures over the last 2.5 years. Herndon, Manassas, Woodbridge? Wow – now you’re talking over 1,000 each. Including over 3,000 for Woodbridge, VA, the hardest hit neighborhood in the DC metro area. If you live there, you probably know more than a handful of people who’ve lost their homes.
Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Nine DC Farmers Markets Now Take EBT

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Hoffmann’

This is the kind of program I think everyone can get behind. The Mayor’s Office announced this week that nine DC Farmers’ Markets now accept Food Stamps through wireless EBT terminals, allowing those accepting assistance to purchase farm-fresh produce. Participants in the District’s Double Dollars program will receive $2 for each subsidy dollar spent at the H Street Farmers Market, as well, thanks to a $20,000 grant from the Wholesome Wave Foundation. I’m all for expanding local access to the fresh and healthy produce at farmers markets.

The Daily Feed
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Fojol Bros. Oppressed By THE MAN!

One of the Fojol Bros, Being Oppressed

One of the Fojol Bros, Being Oppressed

All the Fojol Bros. wanted was to bring Merlindian cuisine to the hungry masses at Farragut Square. The line was long, but the Brothers worked tirelessly, slinging biryani to grateful customers. But OH NO, DC parking enforcement came and shut them down, disappointing countless office drones before they could get their curry. What? Where’s the Merlindian Diplomatic Immunity? What is our society coming to when a couple of Merlindian kids with a dream can’t serve paneer out of a truck in our nation’s capital? I THOUGHT THIS WAS A FREE SOCIETY!

Phonecam journalism courtesy of a concerned (and hungry!) bystanderMatthew Snyder. Click image to view the oppression in all its naan-squashing infamy.

The Daily Feed
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Southwest a possibility for DCA

Photo courtesy of
‘Clouds and Landing’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’

The AP is reporting that Southwest has put in a non-binding bid on struggling airline Frontier Air, which could bring Southwest to Reagan National Airport if a sale eventually went though. Don’t feel free to move about the country just yet, however. The bid’s non-binding so that Southwest can get a chance to get more information from Frontier and there’s already another bid on the table.  Even if they eventually acquire the struggling airline there’s no certainty they’d keep all the routes or locations.

One can hope, however, and Southwest would be my personal second choice for an addition to DCA. JetBlue would be my first.

Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Drinks
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We Love Drinks: Herbs, Flowers & Spice

"Eros" cocktail, Zaytinya

“Eros cocktail, Zaytinya” by Jenn Larsen on Flickr

Summer always puts me in mind to garden. I have a little herb garden with oregano, rosemary and lavender that always needs pruning, some roses that need constant watch from black spot, peonies dusty with blight – wait a minute. Gardening in DC is hard work, our weather vacillating between wet and humid to dry and droughty. Isn’t there an easier way to enjoy herbs and flowers than order flowers online?

Why yes. Drink them!

I love nothing better than to cook with fresh herbs and spices, and I’ve been known to throw some edible flowers into my salad, so I am loving the growing spread of these ingredients in cocktails. We’re both lucky and spoiled to be enjoying a cocktail renaissance here in DC. Time was a decent drink meant liquor + mixer, maybe with a garnish. Not anymore. Bartenders are approaching cocktails like, well, a chef would. The explosion of housemade syrups and infusions enable mixologists to make some potent magic.

But as with gardening, not everyone has a green thumb. It’s not enough to just toss some herbage in a martini glass and hey pesto! it’s a delicious cocktail. Just like that time I put too much adobe sauce in my sweet potato puree and set my guests throats on fire (um, sorry about that!). You have to know how flavors work together and how much power that pepper’s going to pop onto your tongue.

So here are my current favorites highlighting the trifecta of herbs, flowers and spice, with a few misses along the way.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Thievery Opening for McCartney


Thievery Corporation by maxedaperture

Thanks to Thievery Corporation’s Facebook page and the Going Out Gurus, it looks like one of DC’s best groups will be DJing a set before the Paul McCartney concert at FedEx Field on Saturday.  I love Thievery and all, but does anyone else think this is a strange combination, much like mixing beer and Altoids?  Who knows, maybe Moby will open for Springsteen some day.  Stranger things have happened.

Music, The Daily Feed
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Friday Night Jams

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

Tomorrow night, local band Lorelei will be hitting the main stage at the Black Cat with openers Shortstack and The Moderate. If you’ve been tapped into the local music scene for a while, you might remember Lorelei when they first debuted in the 90s. They split up, moved away, put out a new album, and now are back putting on some live shows.

In this lineup, however, I would say that the don’t-miss band is Shortstack, also hailing from DC. “Commotion” is a kooky, upbeat, country-tinged track, and their bio starts with the sentence “Adrian Carroll, Burleigh Seaver, Mike Pahn, and Scott Gursky are thieves.” I can dig it.

The Daily Feed
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Improvapalooza 2009

Photo courtesy of
‘WIT Tag’
courtesy of ‘creativedc’

The Washington Improv Theater is holding Improvapalooza 2009, starting tonight and running through Saturday. Think of it like a multi-day music festival, only instead of jangly music over questionable sound systems, you get a different improv show every 15 minutes. A one-day pass is $10, and the pass for the full festival is $20. It’s at Source, so go enjoy U Street and then get your unscripted comedy on.

The Daily Feed
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Python alert. No, really.

Photo courtesy of
‘Mason Neck – Blue Racer Snake – 5-9-09’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

I walked past a guy yesterday as he was on the phone and all I heard him say was “Yeah, you know that I’d make Maryland farther away if I could.” It seemed like a somewhat dismissive sentiment at the time (though I do wish the WaPo food reviews weren’t so Rockville-centric) but given the snake emergency I’m starting to think he had a point.

Christian Pitillo of Gaithersburg is apparently a sub-par pet-sitter, as a 3 to 4 foot golden burmese python managed to get away under his supervision. Wildlife officials say the snake isn’t big enough to be dangerous and is unlikely to survive the winter if it’s not reclaimed, so you can probably sleep easy so long as you don’t tend to travel with mice in your pockets. Perhaps you should, though – Pitillo is offering a $100 rewards to anyone who finds the snake.