Monthly Archives: August 2010

The Daily Feed
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Former Senator Ted Stevens Killed In Plane Crash

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

After much speculation, it’s been confirmed: former Senator Ted Stevens was killed yesterday evening in a plane crash over Alaska. He was 86. The Alaskan politician was on his way to a fishing trip when his plane crashed into a mountainside,  killing himself and at least four others. Survivors include former NASA chief Sean O’Keefe – Stevens’ longtime fishing buddy – O’Keefe’s son, and two unidentified individuals.

The wreckage was discovered by scout planes that were dispatched after Stevens’ craft failed to show at its destination. Poor weather conditions hindered rescue efforts, and the scene was not reached until early this morning. Survivors have since been flown to area hospitals; the bodies of Stevens and the other victims remain at the scene.

Stevens served 40 years in the Senate, and is the longest-serving Republican Senator in US history. Read about initial reaction to his death in the Wall Street Journal, or leave your own reactions in the comments section below.

Crime & Punishment, Downtown, The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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DHS Warns of Terror Threat to Metro

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘erin m’

NBC4 reports that the DHS warned WMATA on Sunday of a potential terror threat to the Metro system. According to a DHS memo, an  individual obtained a Turkish visa to come to the States and perpetrate a bombing on a Metro station.  The memo stated that this information has “low credibility” and that DHS has little information as to the specific date or target for the attack, or  if the individual in question is even capable of carrying out a bombing.

Special Events, The Daily Feed, We Love Arts
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Shakespeare free-for-all adds online ticketing

Images courtesy the Shakespeare Theater Company

Images courtesy of the Shakespeare Theater Company

Shakespeare Theater Company’s annual free production is adding an online lottery for tickets this year. Or more accurately – and perhaps unfortunately – almost completely replacing the in-person pursuit of tickets. That’s a big winner for everyone who gets to enter the online lottery rather than wait in record-setting temperatures, but maybe not the most accessible to the area’s disadvantaged.

Perhaps that’s a non-issue; I don’t have any statistics on who goes to free-for-all and it might be that the less internet-soaked among us are mostly served by the STC’s excellent Students for Shakespeare program. Anyone else can still line up thirty minutes before the show to pick up unclaimed will-call seats, a number that I suspect will be larger than it was when folks had to stand outside and sweat for their spot.

The rest of us can go to the lottery page anytime between midnight and 1pm before the next showing (or the prior day for matinees) and enter for our shot. Winning gets you 2 tickets which you need to grab at least a half hour before showtime.

I highly encourage you to go – I really enjoyed this production during the regular season and expect this re-staging to be equally good.

Entertainment, Music, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Unsane & Keehaul @ Ottobar 8/7/10

Unsane @ Ottobar 8/7/10
courtesy of Unsane.

I drove up to the wonderful Ottobar in Baltimore to catch a noise-rock double-bill so too-good-to-be-true that it was as if the lords of aggression themselves had forged it. I imagine these mighty creatures in their red-glowing cave, dipping their battle-scarred fists into molten iron, before plunging them into icy mountain rapids to cool and harden. The first fist of fury they named Keelhaul. The second they fastened to the end of a tree-trunk to fashion a warhammer; this they called Unsane. For decades these two mystic weapons of pummel made their way through the mortal world wrecking havoc on any and all who encountered them. Separated for many years by the fog of war, on Saturday night these two legendary forces reunited in a furious concert that stirred the blood and let slip the dogs of war.

Noise-rock is mostly about the musical expression of one thing: aggression. It isn’t pretty music, it isn’t nice. Noise-rock doesn’t ask politely and noise-rock never ever says “I’m sorry”. Noise-rock karate-chops you in the throat and knees you in the groin. Noise-rock throws you to the ground by your shirt-collar and pummels you with telephone books. It’s angry man music and it has been too damn long since this area’s tapped into the real old-school source of the stuff. The other night Boris and Russian Circles put on an amazing display of thinking man’s metal; at Saturday night’s Keelhaul/Unsane show you were too busy dodging blunt sonic jabs and throwing fists of your own to do much thinking. While you experience a post-metal show; with a good noise-rock show you are lucky to survive. Saturday night’s concert was so damn good I barely made it out alive.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Why You Can’t Miss Tonight’s Nats Game 8/10/10


Photo by Ian Koski / Nationals Daily News

The Washington Nationals have never done much to acknowledge their baseball heritage. Those who deem themselves the “Locals Only” group perish and cringe at the thought of associating themselves with the Montreal Expos. Others, more notably known as District transplants, appease the “Locals Only” folks by stating it would be a shame to not honor the days of baseball’s past.

Both sides are right in their own respects because there is no wrong answer here. Baseball is supposed to be fun. It’s not supposed to cause a fuss or commotion among a new and growing fan base. The Expos are the past, the Nationals are the future, and it’s time to coexist in a place within the baseball space-time continuum where everyone involved shows signs of mutual respect for each other.

With that said, I would strongly recommend attending tonight’s Nationals home game against the Florida Marlins. Why? The Nationals are taking a step toward remembering those who came before them in their franchise by unveiling the Hall of Fame Ring of Honor above the Lexus President’s Club seats. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Penn State Football Comes to Town: Will Obama Honor Joe Paterno With Medal of Freedom?

Photo courtesy of
‘IMG_0126’
courtesy of ‘enviziondotnet’

There are a lot of Penn State alums down here in the D.C. region. A lot. According to Pat Dunne from the DC Metro Washington Chapter, Penn State Alumni Association, the chapter is the among the top two most active Penn State alumni bases in the country with close to 1,000 active members. It’s incredibly likely that the bulk of supporters are one of the reasons that the Nittany Lions will face off with the Indiana Hoosiers in a late fall football game at FedEx Field come this November, pleasing many fans, for sure.

In addition to the thousands of alums scattered across D.C., Virginia and Maryland, there also seems to be a few fans up inside the Capitol. A Pennsylvania congressman, Glenn Thompson, has recommended to President Obama that he should recognize legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno with the highest citizen honor: a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Rep. Thompson, along with 17 other co-signers, want to see Paterno recognized for his commitment to both sportsmanship and the campus of Penn State. Not surprisingly, Thompson is a Penn State alum himself, and he represents Pennsylvania’s fifth district, which includes State College within its boundaries.

Paterno is the all-time leader in wins as a Division 1 football head coach, earning 394 victories in his 45 years as head coach. This would not be without precedent: two of the other most respected coaches in the history of college sports, John Wooden and Bear Bryant, have also received the medal.

The Daily Feed
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Stock Up on Booze on the Cheap

Photo courtesy of
‘Bottle Necks’
courtesy of ‘christaki’
Spezie, the downtown Italian spot that closed earlier this year, obviously didn’t have too many waiters with sticky fingers. I’ve always wondered what happens to all the leftovers when a restaurant closes down, and in this case, I guess they go to auction. All their wines are for sale by online auction right now, and there are deals to be had. I spotted bottles of 2006 Stags Leap Cabernet Sauvignon for $20, and even some bottles for less than $.50. That’s even better than Trader Joe’s prices. Check in early and often, bidding ends on August 23rd.

Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Food
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We Love Food: 2 Amys

Photo courtesy of
‘2 Amy’s’
courtesy of ‘aus_chick’
There are certain unalienable truths for me when it comes to dining out: I don’t like to eat at restaurants with tons of kids, and I hate waiting for a table. 2 Amys is one of the few restaurants that I actually overlook these issues and settle in for a sometimes loud, usually not immediate dinner.

2 Amys is a neighborhood restaurant at its core, though a neighborhood restaurant with a much broader fan base than greater Cleveland Park. The restaurant is small, even with the secret second floor and tiny back patio, and not really made for the tables of four or six that are forced to meander around outside, hoping that a few two-tops will finish at the same time. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Parking Ticket from Hell, Anyone?

Photo courtesy of
‘Only in DC’
courtesy of ‘thetejon’

Last winter, I got in the mail a love letter from DC Division of Motor Vehicles. It said that because I hadn’t paid a parking ticket, the fine had automatically doubled and I owed them $50.

This was news to me for two reasons. One, my parking was paid up for an hour past the time they say they wrote the ticket, and I still have the receipt to prove it. Two, they hadn’t left me a ticket.

So I sent Adjudication this pertinent info, and the receipt, and asked that they write me when they dropped the matter. I know they got it, because they quickly sent me a form letter saying they’d review it and respond, maybe up to six months later (they must be very busy over there).

That was all I heard. Until this week’s letter, which says that I did not respond at all, thereby deeming admission of the crime, and that if I don’t fork over the money within 10 days, they’ll send me to collections.

SERIOUSLY, people?!??

I can’t tell if this is a scam, or if they’re just that screwed up. Readers, what do you think? Are they crooked, or inept? And has this happened to you?

The Features
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Ryan Zimmerman’s “A Night at the Park”


Pictured: Ryan Zimmerman and his mother Cheryl / Chris Kennedy Images

Cheryl and Keith Zimmerman pride themselves on being family grounded people. Their biggest goal with their two sons, Ryan and Shawn, was to pass the value of family on to them. Monday night at Nationals Park, they watched with a glimmer in their eye as their oldest son Ryan of the Washington Nationals did his parents proud by sharing the value of family with over 700 people including his teammates, fans, and fellow District residents.

Ryan Zimmerman’s “A Night at the Park” was the first event held by his family’s ziMS Foundation in Washington, D.C. The foundation raises money to benefit multiple sclerosis research in honor of Ryan’s mother Cheryl who was diagnosed with the disease in 1995. As Ryan got a little bit older, he realized that if he ever had a chance to do something to give back, not just to his family but for everyone else who goes through daily life with MS in their own family whether it’s a parent, brother, or sister, he would do it.

“Obviously when I got to play baseball at this level I had the platform to kind of run with it and do something with it and I’ve had a lot of help along the way,” Ryan said. “It’s just something I’ve always wanted to do. I’ve always wanted to give back to people who have helped me get where I’m at now and this was the perfect reason to do it.” Continue reading →

News, Talkin' Transit, The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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NTSB v WMATA in Board on Board Battle

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

Yesterday, for the first time in recent memory, the NTSB took a field trip. Their board joined Metro’s board at the auditorium yesterday for the WMATA board meeting yesterday. During that meeting, Metro made a couple of public statements, one from its interim GM Richard Sarles, and one from Board Chair Peter Benjamin, on the subject of the accident review and the progress that WMATA has made since then. Of course, Metro isn’t just silently accepting the conclusions of the NTSB, and yesterday’s board meeting had at times what appeared to be Sharks vs. Jets moments as WMATA faced off with NTSB over the recommendation. The Post has a good accounting of the meeting, but it doesn’t seem to cover any interaction between NTSB and WMATA.

Somehow, it seems, though, that several of the WMATA Board members hadn’t seen the animation of the accident until yesterday, which is mind-boggling to me. Did they also just get the findings yesterday? I recognize that the WMATA Board is not one with full-time members who only do oversight and nothing else, but it seems to me that they should’ve seen that the day of the hearings, no?

Regardless of acceptance of blame, WMATA’s board needs to show a dedication to safety both for its riders and its staff, that just doesn’t seem to be there right now. While WMATA is taking steps in the right direction, they don’t seem to be organized around the issue. A hotline is a good start. Clearing the wayside is a good start. But bellying the 1000-series cars without doing any kind of testing? That’s just reactionary.

The Daily Feed
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Yay/boo: Smithsonian reaches out, still bans photos of the flag

Photo courtesy of
‘Old Glory’
courtesy of ‘Tyrannous’

Ahh, the Star-Spangled Banner. It symbolizes a great many things about our country and our city: freedom, war, resurrection, preservation, complicated photography policies …

Often the subject of discussion among the DC photo rights crowd, the Smithsonian’s ban on photos of the Star-Spangled Banner was put in place in 2008 after the renovation of the American History Museum. The flag got a shiny new home and display case, and tourists got a shiny new rule. The Smithsonian is a generally photo-friendly place, so when it does break out the ban-hammer without explaining why, speculation can run rampant. (Among the crazier theories: the renovation was expensive, and the need to sell postcards so great, that they couldn’t let people create their own memories, not when there were trinkets to sell!) Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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White House Crashers Cause Another Party Foul

Photo courtesy of
‘wine and trash tv’
courtesy of ‘staceyviera’

While all of the Real Housewives of D.C. were celebrating their Bravo premiere last Thursday, Michaele Salahi once again found herself amongst scandal.  According to the New York Post, “White House gatecrashers Michaele and Tareq Salahi were served with court papers for a $15,000 debt while they partied away at a nightclub last week”.

The PR firm, Brotman-Winter-Fried Communications, are asking the Salahis to appear in court over unpaid dues for promoting their America’s Polo Cup charity event in 2008.

I wonder if this is any sign for how the ratings are going to be for the rest of the Real Housewives of D.C. season – a hot mess.

We Love Arts
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WPA SynchroSwim at the Capitol Skyline Hotel


Fluid Movement by Max Cook

One of my favorite organizations, the Washington Project for the Arts, continues to stoke the fire under the DC creative community.  Between hosting stimulating exhibits at their headquarters, curating performance art shows, and organizing art parades, they’re adding some hot sauce to our otherwise bland burritos.  On Sunday evening, in collaboration with the Rubell Family Collection and Conner Contemporary Art, the WPA scorched our taste buds with the second annual synchronized swimming performance competition known as SynchroSwim, a spectacle not to be missed.  Teams performed choreographed routines in the Capitol Skyline Hotel pool and were awarded prizes in three categories: best performance, best visual spectacle, and crowd favorite.

This year’s contestants consisted of some snake charmers from Baltimore, four Van Halen loving, popsicle throwing hotties, an aquatic percussion band sporting road flares, and an oil slick.  Yes, you truly had to be there, and I insist that you go (and participate!) next summer.  Needless to say it was the highlight of my weekend.  More photos after the jump!

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Ryan Zimmerman’s “A Night at the Park” in Photos


Pictured: The Zimmerman family (Ryan , Cheryl, Keith, and Shawn).

Nationals Park played host to Ryan Zimmerman’s “A Night at the Park” on Monday to raise money for the the ziMS Foundation. The ziMS Foundation, which was started by  Zimmerman to benefit multiple sclerosis research, was inspried by his mother Cheryl who was diagnosed with the disease in 1995. The entire Zimmerman family including Ryan’s mother, his father Keith, and brother Shawn were in attendance for a night of live music from Mutlu and Amos Lee, magic from David Blaine, and both live and silent auctions.

Click here for the full story.

For now, here’s the night in pictures: Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Happy Shark Week Easter Egg!

Photo courtesy of
‘Happy Shark Week 2010!’
courtesy of ‘~Daniel The Animal Lover Techie.TaiShan4Ever~’

Happy Shark Week, everyone! As a cute little Easter Egg, fire up ye olde Google Maps and head on over to 1 Discovery Place, Silver Spring MD. Now, if you have a modern web browser, click the Google Earth View button and you’ll be treated to my favorite Easter Egg in recent memory. Seriously, I think this is as good as the time people figured out the Konami Code worked on a bunch of cool websites.

News, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Just to clear up some confusion: The Michaels Brown

Okay folks, there’s been some confusion here in the last week as DC straw poll voters are having a tough time distinguishing between the Michaels Brown.  Yes, there’s more than one Michael Brown.  There’s Michael Arrington Brown (MAB), who is an At-Large Council Member for DC, and there’s Michael Donald Brown (MDB), who is the District’s sitting shadow senator who is running for an At-Large Council seat.

This afternoon, MDB’s opponent, Clark Ray, sent an email out to a number of local listserves with pictures of the candidates, just to make sure that people know that MDB isn’t MAB and to make sure to point out by proxy that one is black and seated on the council, and one is white and isn’t on the council.

The whole thing reminds me of a certain movie favored by Gen X’ers, and I think it would go a little like this:

Samir: No one in this country can ever pronounce my name right. It’s not that hard: Na-ghee-na-na-jar. Nagheenanajar.
Michael Brown: Yeah, well, at least your name isn’t Michael Brown.
Samir: You know, there’s nothing wrong with that name.
Michael Brown: There *was* nothing wrong with it… until I was about twelve years old and that no-talent ass clown became famous and started winning At-Large Council seats.
Samir: Hmm… well, why don’t you just go by Mike instead of Michael?
Michael Brown: No way! Why should I change? He’s the one who sucks.

All Politics is Local, The Daily Feed, The District, WTF?!
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ANC Mary Cuthbert describes challenger with racial epithet

YouTube Preview Image

We tweeted about this one early this morning, but it deserves mention here because advisory neighborhood commission (ANC) races aren’t covered in proportion to their importance to their immediate communities. Congress Heights on the Rise posted a video this morning of ANC Mary Cuthbert’s (8C03) argument with a challenger seeking signatures for his ballot petition, in which she refers to him as a “dumb nigger.” CHotR also includes examples of Cuthbert’s history of other misbehavior. (You can hear it at about 12 seconds in.)

In her role as part of ANC 8C, Cuthbert only represents about 2000 neighborhood residents, but since ANC commissioners are unpaid, volunteer positions, they frequently run unopposed. The small area they each represent means that individual commissioners often fly under the radars of the very residents whose interests they’re theoretically protecting, but they are elected officials just the same. This kind of behavior wouldn’t be tolerated from a City Council member, and there’s no reason to tolerate it from an ANC.

There are many fine ANCs out there who work in a thankless job. If yours is one of them, you should thank him or her. But if yours is not, you owe it to yourself and your neighbors to find out who the challengers are before Election Day. And have you considered running yourself?