Monthly Archives: March 2010

The Daily Feed
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Better return those grow lights…

Photo courtesy of
‘monkey in the jungle’
courtesy of ‘nicasaurusrex’

City Council has been hammering out the rules related to medical marijuana, and it doesn’t look like DC residents are going to get the right to cultivate at home, at least not for a while. (There goes my plan for my new backyard!)

The bill under consideration by the Council allows DC residents with a specific list of medical conditions to possess up to 2 ounces per month, which the Examiner reports is enough for “about a joint a day.” The bill does provide for a committee to study the home cultivation question and make a recommendation to the Council by 2012.

The Daily Feed
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Brown Kiwi Born at National Zoo


Brown Kiwi
Originally uploaded by Smithsonian’s National Zoo

If there is one thing that we love at We Love DC, aside from DC itself, it’s cute baby animals. This little baby kiwi bird was hatched at the zoo on Tuesday. Isn’t it totally adorable? I know that I’m having a really difficult day here thanks to some jerks at Comcast, and this baby bird made me go awwwww just a little bit. Better yet? there’s video of it pecking out through its shell.

Eat Like Me, Food and Drink, The Features
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Eat Like Me: March’s Best Dishes

Photo courtesy of
‘galbi’
courtesy of ‘aliciagriffin’

Spring is a lovely time in Washington – this isn’t a revelation. But it’s a perfectly pleasing time to be eating out in our city. Chefs are getting excited about spring farm produce, and menus are waking up from their brussel-sprout-and-short-rib trance. Fish makes it’s way to a more prominent place on the menu, and cherry cocktails celebrate the turn of the season. The arrival of Zaytinya’s Easter festival makes me think of sundresses, and the announcement of RAMMY nominations makes me want to strip off my tights and thrown on some open-toed heels. These events that make DC the perfect place to eat in spring, and I’m oh-so-happy to be back here again! Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Bollywood Flash Mob. See you there.

YouTube Preview Image

The Asia Heritage Festival is coming up next month, and the organizers are teaming up with Dhoonya Dance to hold their first ever Bollywood Flash Mob during the Fiesta Asia Street Fair on May 22. Anyone can participate; the choreography is available on YouTube, and while it looks complicated, it has been specifically designed for novice dancers to learn easily.

But maybe you’d prefer to have a professional teach you the steps? No problem! Dhoonya will be hosting workshops to teach the choreography at Metro-accessible locations in Arlington and Takoma Park:

  • Wednesday, March 31st, 7pm – The Dance Exchange, 7117 Maple Ave, Takoma Park, MD
  • Saturday, April 17th, 1pm – Saffron Dance, 3260 Wilson Blvd, Arlington
  • Monday, April 19th – Saffron Dance, 3260 Wilson Blvd. Arlington
News, The Daily Feed
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Where in the World is Mayor Adrian Fenty?

Photo courtesy of
‘Fenty Oops’
courtesy of ‘Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com’

The headline for this post sounds a lot better if you sing it to the tune of “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?” Mike Debonis from the City Paper has the word that Mayor Fenty’s out of the country. Worse still, his return isn’t clear and his spokesman’s not talking. No one begrudges the Mayor a vacation, but a comment would be nice, or perhaps a timetable for your speedy return might be a good thing to work on, don’t you think?

The Daily Feed
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Long train is long. Did you not notice?

Photo courtesy of
‘blue shadow’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

WMATA has a press release out about a minor but odd incident that happened this morning. According to the statement a train of eight cars that was ready to be put into service accidentally coupled with another six-car line of cars that had been stored behind it in the rail yard. While the release does not say, presumably a physical junction can happen without someone taking some sort of deliberate action. Perhaps just bumping the cars together, as the release certainly doesn’t imply that someone must have taken steps to couple them.

After the train pulled into the station and allowed passengers to board it was apparently brought to someone’s attention that, hey, there seem to be a whole lot of other cars hanging around back there – is that on purpose? Passengers were unloaded and shortly afterward able to board another train.

If you’re thinking “how exactly does a train operator not notice that she or he is dragging 75% more cars than expected?” well, apparently WMATA is as well. The release concludes with “The train operator was taken for standard drug and alcohol testing and is out of service pending an investigation.”

Entertainment, Music, Night Life, The Features, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Midnight Spin

MS Piano
Photo by Rachel Levitin

The Cubs came to town to play the Nationals last July. As a Chicago North Sider by birth, I refuse to miss any Cubs-Nats games played inside the Beltway. As luck would have it, I showed up at the Bullpen beer garden outside Nationals Park before game two of the Cubs-Nats series; the same night Midnight Spin happened to be the entertainment on tap.

I remember it like it was yesterday. A friend of mine and I were a few lite beers into our evening about an hour before game time when out of the loud speakers rang the opening chords to Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride” à la Midnight Spin. It was love at first listen.

Beer induced love is a pure love, at least in my experience. My friend bet me that I wouldn’t remember the band’s name in the morning. That friend was wrong. Unlike a beer induced one-night stand, not only did I remember their name, but I wanted a second date. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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JetBlue Coming to National

Photo courtesy of
‘Sunrise, National Airport’
courtesy of ‘andertho’

Love flying JetBlue but hate getting to Dulles or Baltimore? Good news – it looks like the discount airline has gained eight daily takeoff spots to operate out of Reagan starting in November. It isn’t many flights a day, but it looks like the targeted routes involve New York and Boston. JetBlue’s ability to get into National is the result of a “collaboration” with American Airlines, which is also expanding its footprint at DCA with more flights to BOS and JFK, and it is certainly good news for anyone who frequents the airline.

The Daily Feed
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WAMU-FM’s Diane Rehm Wins A Peabody

Photo courtesy of
‘img070’
courtesy of ‘Tschäff’

The award listing for the 2010 Peabody Awards are up and we’ve got a local winner right here in town. Congrats are in order for Ms. Diane Rehm of WAMU-FM who snagged the award for herself due to her work on The Diane Rehm Show.

Rehm is a D.C. native and has been in radio broadcasting since 1973 when she started as a volunteer for WAMU’s The Home Show.

The Peabody Awards have praised broadcasters, cable and Webcasters, production organizations, and individuals since 1941for their achievements.

Other notable winners of this year’s Peabody’s include ABC’s Modern Family, Sesamestreet.org, FOX’s Glee, and NPR.org. For a complete list of winners, visit the Peabody Award website.

The Daily Feed, WMATA
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Still Time to Let WMATA Hear Your Voice

Photo courtesy of
‘Barbod #3’
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

Metro riders, you’ve only a few days left to make your voices heard. The last public hearings on WMATA’s budget crisis for the next fiscal year are tonight and tomorrow. Tonight’s hearing is at the Arlington County Board Room, Third Floor, 2100 Clarendon Blvd. Tomorrow’s hearings are at All Souls Unitarian Church, Pierce Hall, 1500 Harvard St. NW in the District, and Montgomery County Executive Office Building, cafeteria, 101 Monroe St. (entrance on Jefferson Street) in Rockville, MD.

Can’t make the hearings? You can still participate through an electronic survey or with written comments that can be emailed or sent directly to the Office of the Secretary, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, 600 Fifth St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001. Comments are due by 5 pm on April 6.

The Daily Feed
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Who is the Founder of LetTeddyWin.com?

Photo courtesy of
‘Teddy comes on’
courtesy of ‘afagen’

Who is the enigmatic founder of LetTeddyWin.com that we are trying to entice you to come spend your evening with? Well, he’s a Washington-area local who happens to be a huge Nationals fan. (That alone could be reason enough to come quiz him about his “real” background story, right?)

But, truly, he’s a family man whose son fell in love with the presidents race back in 2006 when Teddy Roosevelt first lost. His interest in the presidents race and Teddy’s shortcomings led him to start the LetTeddyWin blog with hopes of creating fan-converting unity for the Nats community.

Having studied the presidents race for years, LetTeddyWin.com’s founder has an unmatched knowledge of the history of the presidents races, as well as an insiders view of the other unofficial “characters” of the Nationals Park – like him. For our upcoming LetTeddyWin event at Nationals Park, he will be quizzing us on these very topics for a chance to win a number of prizes.   Continue reading →

Entertainment, Fun & Games, News, People, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Newest Wax Statue Elicits “Who The F*^k Is That?”

Photo courtesy of
‘Free S. Gomez’
courtesy of ‘PicturesAllDisney’

Today, Madame Tussauds in Washington DC revealed the newest addition to their wax museum, Selena Gomez. Who’s that? You logically ask. She’s one of those tween Disney Channel stars, like the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Zack Efron, etc., that gets swarmed everywhere she goes by screaming 13 year olds and she likely makes more money than God. Unfortunately, the “actress” was unavailable to attend the unveiling of her statue as she’s on tour promoting her band’s latest album.  So disappointing. I hope they place her right next to the figures of Babe Ruth, Buzz Aldrin and Winston Churchill.

Talkin' Transit
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Talkin’ Transit: Last Week on the Job

Photo courtesy of
‘WMATA Blogger Roundtable’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’

Metro General Manager John Catoe will be ending his three year tenure at the transit agency on Friday, but his legacy will be debated for a while yet. As he transitions to the world of transit consulting, there’s a natural break for us to look back at Metro and at his tenure.

During his three years at the helm, there were many positive changes. The Metro system saw huge, record breaking number of trips during Obama’s inauguration, 1.12 million on the rails in one day (PDF), and performed admirably. Also during Catoe’s tenure, Metrorail stopped using four car trains (though they kept threatening to go back to them).

But positive is not how most people will look back on Metro’s last three years. Catoe oversaw the deadliest and most accident filled years in Metro’s history. We’re all painfully aware of the impact of the June 22, 2009 accident which left 9 people dead and the system on the brink. But despite an increase in focus on safety, there were three incidents which killed four Metro employees after that date, and a derailment earlier this year. And let’s not even mention the number of accidents and deaths caused by Metrobus.

Continue reading →

capitals hockey, The Daily Feed
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Senators Outlast Capitals in Overtime

Photo courtesy of
‘DSC_6158’
courtesy of ‘Ghost_Bear’

The Caps have claimed the top slot in the Eastern Conference and dominated their division. Despite sitting in a relatively safe spot for the playoffs – which begin in a little over two weeks – the Capitals have made a point to tell the fanbase they’re not going to take it easy these last few games.

Saying it is one thing. Proving it is another.

The Ottawa Senators came into Verizon last night riding a four-game win streak; the Caps were sitting with two losses. Ottawa hasn’t clinched a playoff spot just yet, even though they’re a pretty sure bet for fifth seed. But both teams are looking to hold the balance of rest and form during the last few games of the season; go into the playoffs after a stressful stretch run and a team could flame out early from exhaustion. It’s a balancing act that requires teamwork and a delicate coaching touch.

Last night, however, the Caps just couldn’t pull off that balancing act. Senators captain Alexei Kovalev scored on the power play in overtime with just 19 seconds remaining, giving the Caps their third loss in a row and the Senators a much-needed boost to extend their win streak to five. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Weekend Pick: Cherry Blast

Cherry Blast 2010

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is many things to many people.  They have a parade, fireworks, and oh yeah – cherry blossoms.  But the event I’m really looking forward to is the second annual Cherry Blast.  Produced by The Pink Line Project, this creative extravaganza features performance art, dance, film, a haiku sake bar, free bruises, and a make out room (where you may also get free bruises if you know what you’re doing).

Last year’s event was a sight to be seen, and I imagine that this year will be even bigger and better.  With too many activities and artists to list here, click on over to the website to get a preview of the insanity.  If I haven’t sold you on Cherry Blast already, take it from a commenter on Facebook who said, “This shit looks dope.”

Indeed it does.

Cherry Blast
Friday, April 2
9 pm to 1 am
A warehouse at 1701 Florida Avenue, NW
 $10 (21 and over)

Crime & Punishment, News, The Daily Feed
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10 Shot in Driveby, 4 Dead

Photo courtesy of
‘AK-47 Assault Rifle // Avtomat Kalashnikova 1947’
courtesy of ‘brian.ch’

Ten people were shot last night, four fatally, around 7:30pm in the 4000 block of South Capitol Street in an act of violence that has shaken the city. NBC4 reports that the weapon used in the shooting was “an AK-47 type” firearm, and that in the ensuing chase, four DC Police officers were injured in a crash on St. Barnabas Road in Oxon Hill as the chase went beyond the District line.  Three individuals were arrested in the Condon Terrace neighborhood in Southeast DC at the conclusion of the chase and have been taken into custody in DC.

The drive-by shooting represents the District’s single biggest act of violence since ten were shot at the O Street market in 1994 in a gang hit.  The motives for the shootings are unclear, as are any gang ties, but it is possible that the violence is related to the funeral of a man shot on Chesapeake St SE several days ago.

DC Fire/EMS said that over 50 personnel responded to last night’s shooting, including almost a dozen ambulances, in a typical mass casualty response.  Victims were transported to Washington Hospital Center for treatment.  One died at the scene, one en route to the hospital, and two have succumbed to gunshot wounds overnight.  Six more remain in the hospital, two with life-threatening injuries.  This is a story that will continue to unfold over the next few days, we’ll do our best to keep you updated.

All Politics is Local, News, The Daily Feed
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Vincent Gray Announces for Mayor



video courtesy of the Gray campaign

Council Chair Vincent Gray today announced that he is running mayor this afternoon, providing a legitimate challenge for Mayor Adrian Fenty. He gave a short statement, citing his long residency in the city and history of public service and the desire to see the District “do better,” but did not provide any policy planks in his short statement.

Gray polled well against Fenty in a January poll, and is expecting to be a fundraising tornado in the coming weeks as he looks to provide the Mayor’s enemies with an electable alternative. In addition to the announcement, Gray unveiled a new social media presence, in the form of a YouTube channel, campaign website, Facebook page and Twitter account, putting him far ahead of Mayor Fenty, who seems to have forgotten that interacting with citizens is a part of his job.

We look forward to a vibrant campaign between the two rivals.

The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Vans Creates Nationals Inspired Footware, Consensus Is “Absolutely Hideous”

Nats-Vans

Hat-tip of the day goes to DC Sports Blogger Jamie Mottram of Mr.Irrelevant for spotting the most hideous display of Nationals sporting apparel.

The sneakers are part of a jersey/shoe combo created by Vans with help from Major League Baseball for a new “Opening Day Collection“. The combo go on sale April 5 at one location only in the District (this is where we let out the collective sigh that this is at least a LIMITED EDITION purchase and not an on-going effort to raise the Nats street cred).

If you’re interested in either buying the jersey/shoe or people watching while people attempt to make the purchase, stop by Commonwealth located at 1781 Florida Avenue Northwest, DC.

Photo was found via the Vans website.

The Daily Feed
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DC Losing to Suburbs in the 2010 Census

Photo courtesy of
‘Census #1’
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

If you couldn’t tell, we love the Census here at We Love DC.  Not only does it give us great data to bust myths with, it helps us figure out how much money we get back from the feds for community facilities and public services.  So we’re hoping that every household in DC stands up to be counted!

Our friends over at the 2010 Census created this neat little map that shows response rates for the Census so far, so you can see how your county/state compares to the current national response rate of 50%.  As of today, here’s the leader board by county:

1st Place (tie): Fairfax County VA and Montgomery County MD, 53%

2nd Place: Arlington County VA, 50%

3rd Place: City of Alexandria VA, 49%

4th Place: Prince George’s County MD, 45%

Last Place: District of Columbia, 44%

Come on District residents, coming in last place to the suburbs is just embarrassing.  So dig out your Census form from underneath your pile of mail, fill it out, and mail it back.

The Daily Feed
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French Pres. Stops By Ben’s for a Bite

Photo courtesy of
‘I have a dream…’
courtesy of ‘voteprime’

When visiting Paris, it could be considered culturally appropriate to pick up a crepe or a glass of wine. But, if you’re French president Nicholas Sarkozy or First Lady Carla Bruni and you are visiting DC, you do the right thing: you stop by Ben’s Chili Bowl for lunch. Reliable Source has reported that Mrs. Sarkozy-Bruni had the famous half-smoke while President Sarkozy went with the chili burger; his two sons also joined and grabbed burgers at the U. St establishment.

I’m not up on my diplomacy protocols, but given that Obama doesn’t even get to eat for free, I do not believe the Cosby exemption is transferable. Not sure what international custom related to the Ben’s standard may be – I just hope they didn’t fill up before dinner with President Obama this evening.

Update: There are now photos and video of the experience.