By Tom Bridge
Meet George S. Hawkins, the head of DC Water, at the company Christmas party. Now, most agency heads aren’t as cool as Hawkins is, and most of them aren’t going to break it down and do some quality dancing on the floor. Of course, even the ones that do don’t release it on YouTube the next day. Kudos, GM Hawkins! And nice moves.
By Brittany
‘winter wonderland (February 2010 edition)’
courtesy of ‘mofo’
There is a lovely dusting of snow out there and, even if that sends you down a panic spiral, we can all agree that it is great to enjoy from the cozy comfort of the indoors, ideally with something to warm you from within.
5. Churros & Chocolate at Churreria Madrid
One of my best friends lives about a block from long-time Adams Morgan Spanish joint Churreria Madrid. The bad news for her though, is that, as a vegan, the chocolate is definitely off-limits and we have not quite confirmed the veg-stats of the oil that fries the churros. I choose not to ask too many questions and, instead, just dip my fried dough in the thick, hot chocolate sauce while I wonder how a place like Spain ever invited such a perfect snowy day snack.
‘churros and chocolate’
courtesy of ‘timsnell’
By Tom Bridge
‘Nationals vs Mets 08’
courtesy of ‘maxedaperture’
Josh “Alabama Hammer” Willingham and the Nationals parted ways this afternoon as the left fielder recovering from knee surgery was sent to Oakland for two prospects. Willingham’s return to the Nationals has been doubtful for some time, with much speculation about his recovery and the arbitration hearing he’d be facing. The trade wires started buzzing around noon today, and by 3:30pm the deal was finished and Willingham was heading West for two prospects from the A’s: OF Corey Brown (late of AAA Sacramento) and RHP (and Fireballer) Henry Rodriguez.
By Jenn Larsen
The 1980's Room of the 2010 Repeal Day Ball. Photo credit: Elba Giron. Courtesy of the DC Craft Bartenders Guild.
400 people. 1,000 limes. 2,400 glasses.
Earlier this month, the Repeal Day Ball truly came into its own with an absolutely smashing party on December 4th. Or do I mean smashed? Maybe that’s why it’s taken me this long to wrap it up for you. No, no, we’re here to encourage intelligent drinking! Thrown by the DC Craft Bartenders Guild, this party celebrating the end of Prohibition is in its third year. Here are some highlights to get you excited about our local bartending talent – and get in line now for next year. DC’s drinks scene is becoming more nationally known by the minute, and its in no small part due to the Guild and its amazing members.
Am I gushing? I don’t think so, honestly. Let’s take a look. Continue reading
By Tom Bridge
‘Barbcue!’
courtesy of ‘Dan Dan The Binary Man’
In response to recent threats to the system, WMATA has decided that the negative press that the TSA is getting is the sort of thing that they would like to have also, and today announced enhanced searching of individuals, including bag searches at random stations. One small problem with Metro’s plan is that they will not be searching at every station, and I can’t quite figure out what would stop someone from seeing police presence at, say, Farragut West, and instead walking just two blocks to Farragut North. Terrorists aren’t going to be deterred by searches, and a bomb going off at any station would do the sort of damage that would be irreparable to ridership and public confidence in the embattled transit agency.
So, if you were looking for yet another reason to decide that Metro is an agency adrift, without leadership or positive policy, then you just got it. Searches start in the next few days. The searches are supposed to take “minutes,” but when you consider it took them 90 minutes to figure out that a christmas ornament with LEDs was harmless, I’ve got to think that the average search of my bag will last approximately six days.
UPDATE: Metro has released a YouTube video to sell this to you, showing that the process should take no more than 60 seconds. You know, as long as no one else is in the process of being scanned, and never mind that 60 seconds is more than enough time to miss your train.
‘Nacho #19’
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’
In what Capitol Police are calling an “incident,” an armed man was arrested this morning outside Senate offices. According to sources, the man brandished a gun at the barricade at 1st Street and Constitution Avenue NE before officers arrested him. He is currently in custody, and the weapon has been recovered. The Capitol was on lockdown for 10 to 15 minutes. No one was hurt.
‘(348/365)’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’
Carl: Friday I will take my beautiful girlfriend to Don and Darling Wife’s house for holiday festivities. Hopefully this year they won’t make me dive for anything in the outdoor pool. Two years ago I was promised full frontal nudity by another partygoer if I stayed but it never materialized, so I don’t know what to think. Saturday BG and I are going down to Mount Vernon to see the whole holiday get-up down there, including the Christmas Camel. After that, we will have a nice late lunch of curried chicken (to be featured on my post-vegetarianism blog) and watch a movie in the evening. Sunday we have no plans. I’d love to get out and walk a few miles if the weather doesn’t suck too badly.
Patrick: I will be celebrating my birthday weekend the same way I celebrate it every other year: by doing something else. It sucks having a birthday in December, but I’ll spare you the sob story (which you can read here) and tell you how I’ll be entertaining friends coming into town from Massachusetts. Friday they want to visit the National Christmas Tree and hit up their favorite neighborhood: Adams Morgan. Of course as tourists they think it’s really cool but as a local the fratty bar streets can wear a bit thin. However for them I will brave the cold for some drinks and maybe a Jumbo Slice. When I’m in AdMo I typically like hitting up low-key places like Black Squirrel or Millie and Al‘s but at 27 I won’t be afraid to go fratty and show new visitors Dan’s Cafe just for the shock value. Saturday night we will probably go back out to Dupont Circle or Chinatown. Sunday night I’ll be watching my Patriots on Sunday Night Football- but not sure where yet. Besides Kelly’s Irish Times, where would be a great place to catch the game? Continue reading
‘Statuary Hall’
courtesy of ‘MichaelTRuhl’
One small vote for Congress, one semi-large symbolic step for DC. Last night, the House passed a bill that would allow Washington to erect a statue in the Capitol’s honored Statuary Hall. Each state is granted two statues in the Hall; the version of the bill that passed allotted the District only one. Heaven forbid we think ourselves on par with our fellow Americans.
Our statues are already sculpted and ready to go: Pierre L’Enfant and Frederick Douglass have been waiting it out in One Judiciary Square for quite some time. Should the bill pass the Senate, the next fight will no doubt be which statue will get its chance to shine on the national stage.
By Rebecca
If your morning commute takes you along the Georgetown section of M Street, then on Tuesday morning you likely saw a long line of cold, sports enthusiasts waiting to get the first peak (and swag gift bags and prizes) at the City Sports flagship store located at 3338 M Street, NW.
The two story, 1000+ sq. ft. space is the 18th location for the City Sports group and offers shoppers not only fashionable and functional merchandise, but the opportunity to explore, learn and experience the various DC-based athletic activities and groups.
Given the current weather—SNOWOMG! Definitely hit up this City Sports and get a pair iof men’s running shoes, as it has all the outdoor, thermal underwear, winter boots, snow pants, puffy jackets, fuzzy sweaters, wool hats, Everest climbing gloves, you’ll ever need. Oh so, practical and oh so stylish!
‘(339/365)’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’
It’s snowing. I repeat, it’s snowing. With the one-inch avalanche predicted, it’s important that you stock up on lobster rolls, pizza slices and cupcakes. So don’t just go out and buy lunch — buy meals for the next three days!
By Tom Bridge
‘DC’s Police Chief Cathy Lanier’
courtesy of ‘intothelens4149’
The announcement came late last night: Mayor Elect Gray will this afternoon introduce “key appointments in the public safety cluster of his administration,” at the Reeves Center at 1:30pm. The reports we’re hearing jibe with something we’d heard discussed by sources inside the Gray Transition team: Police Chief Cathy Lanier will remain in her post.
In addition, TBD is reporting that former DC Deputy Chief Kenneth Ellerbe will be appointed Fire Chief this afternoon, after helming the fire department in Sarasota for the last eighteen months. Ellerbe had been deputy chief in DC before leaving as part of a “Personnel Exchange Agreement,” which allowed Ellerbe to seek a promotion but not give up his retirement benefits in DC. There was a significant dust-up in the public sphere late last year surrounding this unconventional exchange, and Ellerbe then resigned from DCFD before he could be eligible to retire from DCFD at 50.
And now, he’s back to serve as Chief. Boy I bet the council’s going to love that confirmation hearing. Something tells me Phil Mendelson is going to have a field day with this one.
By Dave Levy
Subtitle: “A Letter to DC from New Englanders, Northerners and Midwesterners Who Moved to DC”
‘Remember this? [explored]’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’
Alright, residents of DC, let’s chat. It’s going to snow today. You don’t need to be a professional weatherman to see that moving blue field on the weather map means something white and fluffy is coming our way.
Among other reasons, Northerners move to Washington to make fun of the reaction of Southerners to the cold (aside: in addition to this sentiment is the steadfast belief that DC is actually part of the South). Seriously, this is what gets us through the “winter” months of December and the beginning of January.
I, in no way, shape, or form, speak for an entire region when I say this – but sack up, it’s going to be ok.
You remember last February? You cleared grocery stores out of all the essentials (and some of the extracurriculars). The fact that things were staying open was news. We’re getting a small fraction of that much snow today, so little that we won’t have to wait for a week for it to be cleaned up (which, ask any Northerner, was the problem last February, not the snow itself). This is what we call “a light dusting” (or in Syracuse, “spring showers”). It’s going to make for a lovely walk home from the office, and when it warms up close back to 40 tomorrow, it’s probably going to be mostly gone. Do me/us a favor: don’t freak out.
By Tom Bridge
‘Show Your Werth’
courtesy of ‘tbridge’
Jayson Werth put his Curly W yesterday afternoon, assisted by three students from Amidon-Bowen Elementary school in Southwest Washington, in front of a room packed with journalists and Nationals front office and ownership staff. Since the signing on December 5th, more bad puns have been published, more hands have been wrung about the length and amount of his contract, and more questions about the future of the Nationals have been asked than at just about any point in the Nationals’ history.
By Patrick Pho
Photo courtesy Patrick Pho
It was challenging enough that both John Wall and Andray Blatche were listed as inactive prior to Tuesday’s game against the Lakers. The starting line-up of Thornton, Yi, McGee, Arenas, and Hinrich were quickly depleted when McGee picked up two fouls and Yi left the game with a knee sprain that will now keep him off the court for 2-4 weeks. Continue reading
By Will Packard
‘Brooks Laich’
courtesy of ‘bridgetds’
For about 30 minutes of hockey, it looked like the Caps might break out of their slump. But it turned into another night of missed opportunities, and Caps dropped their seventh game in a row to the visiting Anaheim Ducks, 2-1 in overtime. Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf was too much for the Caps as he made a defensive play to save a certain goal in the first period and then scored the game winner in OT.
After a tentative start for both teams, the Caps pressed to find an advantage. In the 15th minute, Nicklas Backstrom buzzed in from center ice. Matt Bradley and Brooks Laich crashed the slot in front of Ducks’ goalie Jonas Hiller. Backstrom circled the net and found John Carlson sneaking down from the point. Carlson shanked the shot, but Hiller had already committed. Laich took a backhand whack at the rebound and found the back of the net. It was exactly the kind of goal the Caps needed: bodies in front of the net, a broken play and a lucky bounce leading to a goal. The Caps were earning their bounces by making things happen. A few minutes later Laich slipped another one past Hiller only to have Getzlaf sweep it off the goal line. “We had the puck most of the night,” said Laich. “We were the ones with the chances.” Continue reading
Photo by Rachel Levitin
The first-ever portrayal of a Washington Nationals player on the silver screen opens in theaters this Friday (December 17) in the form of the latest James L. Brooks film “How Do You Know” starring Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson (who plays a relief pitcher), and Jack Nicholson. As a fun, holiday “thank you” to season ticket, premium ticket, and re-newed ticket holders in 2011, the Nationals Dream Foundation — led by Marla Lerner Tanenbaum — hosted a unique holiday season film screening at E Street Cinema Wednesday night.
Nats pitcher Craig Stammen and team manager Jim Riggleman were in attendance and able to catch up for a minute on the red carpet E Street rolled out for the occasion. Fans mingled while cocktails were delivered by an event staff decked-out in the team’s new uniforms. And — most importantly — Batolin creator and player Glenn Donnellon was there to provide a wide-range of musical entertainment featuring hits by The Beatles, Lady Gaga, and more. Continue reading
By Ashley
‘December Night’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’
Hot on the heels of the announcement that Jose Andres would be awarded the Spanish Order of Arts and Letters medal last month, another international honor has come to Washington. Franco Nuschese, the owner of Georgetown’s Cafe Milano, was awarded the title of Commendatore dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana. From a couple years of college-level Italian, I can tell you that means something-something-something-of the Republic of Italy. What it actually is, according to Wikipedia, is the highest ranking knighthood given to Italians.
Nuschese was honored for his career in the culinary world and the way he has promoted a positive image of Italian-Americans. Previous honorees include Giorgio Armani, Mario Andretti, and astronaut Umberto Giudoni. He received his award earlier this week from the Italian ambassador to the United States during a dinner at the Italian Embassy.
By Rebecca
‘Ready, set, go?’
courtesy of ‘fromcaliw/love’
In an effort to keep ridership up during the frigid winter months, Capital Bikeshare is holding a two-month long biking competition starting January 1, 2011. The crux of the competition is to crown the area’s Winter Weather Warrior (aka: the participating member who makes the most trips by February 28,) and then handsomely rewarded he/she with the below prizes:
In addition to the Winter Weather Warrior, Capital Bikeshare will award the Long Haul Rider (member taking the most trips on Capital Bikeshare over 3 miles) and the Most Saddle Time (member with the most time spent on Capital Bikeshare) awards in both January and February.
To sign up for the contest you 1) have to be bloody nuts, it’s cold out there, 2) have to be a Capital Bikeshare member and 3) have to sign up to participate.
By Katie
I think most twenty-somethings (or really, people with good taste in general) have a special love for Chipotle. The Mexican chain is brilliant when you’re super hungry and need food fast, and aren’t up for a greasefest of hamburgers and fries. But how many burrito bowls can one girl eat before she’s ready for something new? (More than you think, probably, but just go with it.)
Lucky for us, Merzi on 7th street is much like Chipotle, except with an Indian twist. Same fast-food concept, same create-your-own feel, but with fun new flavors like tikka masala and chutneys. Also, bonus, it’s locally run and owned, and you guys know how I feel about supporting small businesses. So read on, my lovelies, for a first look at the new Penn Quarter eat place. Continue reading
‘shift’
courtesy of ‘nevermindtheend’
The Post’s Dan Steinberg brings us this screenshot of some kicking-them-when-they’re-down-style vandalism to the Redskins’ Wikipedia entry. The comparison of the Redskins’ on-field performance to certain sex acts has been repeatedly wiped out by automatic Wikipedia processes designed to thwart just such types of editing, and the IP address responsible for the edits, belonging to Comcast in Michigan, has been blocked from further edits, but it got me thinking about the cathartic value of slamming somebody on their Wikipedia page. DC is such a target-rich environment, full of high-profile types who have pissed off no small number of tech savvy users.
Without endorsing the sexist and homophobic nature of the slurs posted to the Redskins page, I have to admire the effort the vandal put into it. The most the Washington Nationals’ entry gets is the occasional assertion that they’re not a very good baseball team. Albert Haynesworth at least manages to get a fairly steady stream of vitriol- the editors there are constantly reverting little insults out of his entry. Continue reading
By 
By 
By