Monthly Archives: September 2013

Special Events, The Features, We Love Arts
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October 2013 at National Geographic

DSC_2473 bhrome

As the Society continues its celebration, Nat Geo Live’s offerings reflect the Society’s history of connecting audiences to people and places that inspire us to care about the planet. To that end, the Museum continues our monthly drawings for a two readers to win a pair of tickets each to a program of their choice in October. To enter, just comment below with what two programs you’d most like to see; make sure you use your first name and a valid email address. On Thursday, October 3, we’ll randomly draw two names from the comment list.

Here is what’s being offered this month.

Wildest Africa ($24)
10/15, 7:30 pm
Leading wildlife photojournalist Michael “Nick” Nichols reports on the struggle to preserve Africa’s wild animals. Nichols, National Geographic’s Editor-at-Large for photography, has been working with African elephants for more than 20 years. He also talks about his coverage of the Serengeti lions from the August 2013 National Geographic, which took him two years to document. Nichols shares new video, audio, anecdotes and photographs captured with cutting-edge technology.

Beyond the Yellow Border Tour ($40)
10/16, 7 pm
Mark Collins Jenkins, former National Geographic Society archivist/historian and author of National Geographic 125 Years, takes an in-depth look at the history of the Society in the Museum’s exhibition, “A New Age of Exploration.” Cocktails and light fare are included.

A Passion for Photography ($30)
10/17, 7 pm
Meet seven extraordinary photographers whose work has influenced global change, as showcased in the October 2013 special issue of National Geographic magazine. The evening features David Guttenfelder with a look at North Korea’s closed society; portrait artist Martin Schoeller with a photo essay on how our growing diversity is changing the face of America; photojournalist Marcus Bleasdale with a report on conflict minerals; wildlife photographer Joel Sartore with a look at zoos’ role in the fight against extinction; camera obscura photographer Abelardo Morell melting boundaries between landscape and dreamscape; photojournalist James Estrin on the future of photography; and James Balog, whose Extreme Ice Survey is documenting the global loss of glacial ice.

Curating Women of Vision Tour ($35)
10/29, 7 pm
How does Senior Photo Editor Elizabeth Krist choose from among thousands of National Geographic photos to create an exhibition showcasing the work of 11 groundbreaking female photographers? Learn about the work that goes into curating the new “Women of Vision” exhibition debuting in the National Geographic Museum’s 17th Street Gallery on Oct. 10. Cocktails and light fare are included.

All events take place at National Geographic’s Washington DC headquarters. Tickets may be purchased online, via telephone at (202) 857-7700 or in person at the National Geographic ticket office between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tickets must be purchased by Sept. 20 to ensure guaranteed Early Bird Pricing. Free parking is available in the National Geographic underground garage for programs that begin after 6 p.m.

Music, The Features, We Love Music
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Hot Ticket: Daryl Hall & John Oates @ The Warner Theatre, 10/2/13

Hall & Oates play in Saratoga, Calif., on Sept. 18, 2012 Becky

Private Eyes/
They’re watching you/
They see your every move!

If hearing that song out and about makes you want to clap along (clap! clap CLAP!), you know you have to go see Daryl Hall and John Oates when they stop at the Warner Theatre in DC this Wednesday, Oct. 2.

Nominally, Hall and Oates are touring on the 40th anniversary of their platinum album, Abandoned Luncheonette, which included ’70s jams like “She’s Gone.” But reports have it that this tour includes a roundup of hits, including those like “Private Eyes” and “Maneater” — songs that caught the zeitgeist of the 1980s and put the duo in heavy rotation on MTV.

The two are still very active, touring together and recently releasing their first box set, Do What You Want, Be What You Are: The Music of Daryl Hall & John Oates. Catching them at the Warner is a nice opportunity to see them play a career retrospective in a classic theater.

Daryl Hall & John Oates
Warner Theatre
Wednesday, Oct. 2
show @8pm
$63-$123
All ages

Weekend Flashback
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Weekend Flashback: 9/27-9/29

Kongorikishi marc.benton

Mondays can just make you feel like the picture above. Mondays the day before the national government shuts down with you living in the seat of that national government makes you something something. Simpsons references aside, this is already shaping up to be an annoying week, so the official We Love DC advice to weathering an unnecessary government shutdown is 1) keep cool, 2) stay away from the news websites, and 3) plenty of adult beverages.

Oh, and be sure to read We Love DC! You can start with this most excellent Flashback. Just sit back and enjoy each photo; you’ve probably got nothing better to do anyways. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Washington Defeats Oakland 24-14

Washington did not get off to the start they needed in the season or in this game. After going three and out on their second possession of the game Sav Rocca lined up for the punt. The only problem is the punt couldn’t get off his foot before it was blocked by Rashad Jennings and recovered in the end zone by Jeremy Stewart to give Oakland the early seven point lead, and they didn’t stop there. Washington would get one first down on their next offensive series but it still only last four plays before Rocca had to line-up for another punt. This one he got off but Matt Flynn and Oakland were able to drive down the field on ten plays for a 14-0 lead.

Then the game turned. Washington looked dead. The defense once again couldn’t stop anyone and the offense couldn’t get anything going. The response to Oakland’s second touchdown was a drive that started off promising enough but then stalled in the red zone on an intentional grounding penalty by Robert Griffin III. They settled for a field goal, and then they got life from their defense. On the sixth play of Oakland’s next possession rookie David Amerson made the first interception of his career and returned it for a touchdown.

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Week in Review
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Week in Review: 9/23-9/26

reading with lions nevermindtheend

The work week may be over but that doesn’t mean you get to sit back and do nothing. A weekend full of events means we fully expect you all to go out, take photos, and submit them to us so we can post them for the world to enjoy. I mean, we enjoy the occasional self portrait of you lounging around in your pajamas, watching tv, and eating microwaved taquitos, but we’re more particular to amazing photos from around the city. I’m sure you understand; this is “We Love DC” not “We Love sitting around eating taquitos.” Though that would make for an awesome blog…mmmmmmm, taquitos.

Anyways, without further ado here’s your Week in Review.

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We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends: September 28-29

Finale Tony DeFilippo

Tom: Well, our due date is here, so we’re giving thought to spending the weekend taking bumpy bus rides, eating spicy food, and otherwise waiting for the baby to arrive. My folks get here Sunday, so we’ll probably be spending part of that day getting them accustomed to DC life while they’re here for October (Yes, I know, stand right, walk left, fear not.). Mostly, though? I’d not be punching any journalists in the face, that’s for sad sack comedians to do.

Rachel: This weekend will be filled with lots and lots of music now that the Nats don’t have anymore home games this season (a sad fact that I’m still coming to terms with honestly). Friday night I’ll be concert hoping. My first stop will be at Ebenezers Coffehouse to see Andy Suzuki & The Method. Andy’s voice is a soothing combo of Amos Lee and James Taylor, so I’m really looking forward to finally seeing him live after following the band on Twitter for what feels like forever. Then, I’ll be off to the Hard Rock Cafe for the Pink Jams Under:40 Music Marathon for a few hours that night before getting some sleep and heading back there in the morning. The 40-hour music marathon starts Friday night at 8 p.m. and runs through Sunday. I just so happen to be playing a set at 11:15 a.m. on Saturday so please do come have lunch with us, it’ll be a grand time! Then, after my set, I’ll hang around for a bit to see Don Kim and a few others before jetting off for a photo shoot with local photog Emma B. Busy busy busy. 

Barracks Row Fest-DC State Fair (8 of 25) caroline.angelo

Mosley: It’s really nice have Fall in the air! Saturday I’m planning on going to the DC State Fair/Barracks Row Fall Festival. I’ve been wanting to go to the Fair for the past three years but something has always come up to stop me. Then that night I have a wonderful Oktoberfest party at a friends house; German or pumpkin beer for all (I’m sticking with the German beer)! Sunday is looking free, so not sure what I’ll be doing; maybe a photo walk over to Roosevelt Island. We’ll see.

Jenn: What better way to celebrate my return to the Shaw neighborhood than spending Saturday night at Nuit Blanche DC, Art All Night 2013. From 7pm to 3am, wander the area of 7th and 9th Streets NW between K Street and Florida Avenue NW to experience the coolest overnight arts festival – painting, music, dance – all for free. Especially of interest to me will be seeing the renovation of one of my favorite DC buildings, the Wonder Bread and Hostess Cake factory on S Street at 7th Street. After staying up (almost) all night, I plan on recovering on Sunday at the Turkish Festival, snapping up silver jewelry and having my fortune told from the grinds of a cup of Turkish coffee. I’ll need every last drop, but it will have been worth it.

No words to describe InspirationDC

Patrick: It’s been a long week for me. Which on the surface means I should go #ragelikepho when I meet up with one of my favorites on Friday but instead I’ll be keeping things normal so I’ll be in good shape for the Clarendon Day 5K. Saturday night I’d like to stay in and catch-up on work but I have a feeling the urge to go out will overcome me. Sunday I’ll be trekking out to check out the newly formed NextStop Theatre, who is kicking off their Inaugural season with a production of Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps.

Fedward: Since “nothing, glorious nothing,” isn’t so helpful in the links department, I will hereby list a few things that worth leaving the house for. First, the Social Chair and I have already seen the Shakespeare Theatre’s Measure for Measure but it is uniformly excellent and you should go. Just leave the kids at home, because some of the moral quandaries in the play are made, well, explicit. And make sure you get there in time for the pre-show Cabaret. We’re also excited for the official opening of the new Petworth Citizen, and for a chance to return to 2 Birds 1 Stone. We’ll round out our weekend with our usual Passenger brunch, which is always worth leaving the house for.

Entertainment, Music, People, The Daily Feed, The Features, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Pink Jams Under:40 Music Marathon at the Hard Rock Cafe DC 9/27-9/29

Photo Courtesy of Pink Jams

When Pink Jams! Founder and President Christa Floresca lost a 35-year-old friend to breast cancer in 2007, she learned the hard way that the disease does not discriminate based on gender, race, or age.  That realization is what inspired Floresca to find a creative way to raise money and awareness of breast cancer’s effects on people under age 40.

“Jen was the first person I had ever met that was around my age that had been diagnosed with breast cancer,” Floresca said, “I always thought that was something that you worried about as you got older.”

Founded in 2009, just two years after Jen’s passing, Pink Jams is currently doing all it can as an organization to raise funds and engage in community discussion about breast cancer affecting people under age 40. “It’s not really about the money,” Floresca said. “It’s about the awareness. It’s about reaching thousands and thousands of people,” and that’s what the 2nd Annual Under:40 Music Marathon at the Hard Rock Café this coming weekend will help to do.

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Featured Photo
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Featured Photo

Capitol sunrise 1 wolfkann

Well positioned sunrise photos are always good, but when you can get that big ball of orange light in your shot it takes on a whole new life. In addition, you’ll get super-bonus points for getting a building, any building, in the shot. But when you can do it with the buildings being the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument, you deserve special recognition, like Kevin’s photo above. It has it all: the sun directly behind the dome; a uniform orange dawn sky; the sun as a perfect circle; and even a perfect silhouette, with no atmosphere distortion, of the Statue of Freedom. Pretty amazing.

As I mentioned in last week’s Week In Review, the Fall Equinox was on Sunday. That meant that the full moon last week rose almost perfectly from the east. What I didn’t mention is that the sun rises perfectly from the east on both Equinoxes (Spring and Fall). Since the timings and placements of these celestial bodies have been known for centuries, with the right tools it’s very easy to plan out a photo shoot to get your own well placed shots. I use the Photographer’s Ephemeris which provides a map and lines showing the movement of the sun and the moon for a given location; it’s very intuitive to use (plus the desktop version is free). So get planing, as the Spring Equinox is March 20th and I hope to see people out taking some sunrise shots.

Interviews, People, She/He Loves DC, The Features
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He Loves DC: Geoff Grubbs

Photo Courtesy of Geoff Grubbs

Photo Courtesy of Geoff Grubbs

She/He Loves DC is a series highlighting the people who love this city just as much as we do.

When he first moved to D.C. in 1972, Geoff Grubbs knew a different town than the one we know today. People were moving out of the city and into to the suburbs and the first section of the Metro was being built. It was — simply put — a different time for the city and for Grubbs himself.

Fast-forward to present day and Grubbs lives and works in D.C. as the owner of a small independent environmental consulting firm but now finds himself on a mission. That mission is to help fund the research that will bring about the next generation of drugs not yet invented to help treat his form of lymphoma. It’s this circumstance, he said, that reignited his love for the city in which he lives. Why? The unfortunate circumstances have provided a new perspective, reminding him why he loves living in here and how lucky he is to do so.

What is it about DC that makes it home to you?

I came to DC from west Texas in 1972 for a job I really wanted at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Despite my enthusiasm, I was used to wide open spaces and it was hard to adjust to living in the humid and seemingly crowded East.

But I adjusted fast. It took just a motorcycle and some income to figure out that DC was a far more interesting and fun place than anywhere I had ever been.

More than four decades later, I can proudly say that I still love DC. I’ve made life-long friends and never intend to live anywhere else. DC public schools were great for my kids who are both now grown and thriving. I love the shore, I love hiking in the Shenandoah, I love the people, and most of the time I love the Nationals.

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The District
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Why DC Should Defy The Shutdown

Bottles and Cans in the Garbage Mr. T in DC

We’re about a week away from a threatened government shutdown. Should Congress not get their act together, and force a shutdown of the Federal Government, because DC is not a state, the District local government is facing the possibility of a shutdown that would put a third of the local city government workforce on furlough without pay, and drastically affect services for residents of the District. That means trash pickup would be curtailed, licensing and permitting would stop, and you won’t even be able to get your driver’s license renewed.

Fortunately, however, the DC City Council (spearheaded this morning by David Grosso) are considering an option that may declare all DC City workers as “essential personnel” allowed to work during a shutdown. In addition, Chairman Mendelson believes he has the votes to do something the DC Government hasn’t done before: tell Congress to take their dictat concerning the closure of the local government, shine it up real nice, turn it sideways, and shove it up their candy ass. 

Now, if they did just that, Attorney General Irv Nathan has warned the Council that they may be subject to federal charges under the law, each facing 2 years in jail for violation of the Anti-Deficiency Act, which basically says that if you’re authorizing expenditures not approved by Congress, you’re wasting the peoples’ money.

Here’s the thing: If there is one place where it is absolutely crystal clear that DC deserves measures of local autonomy over itself, it’s right here and right now. And I’ll say this much: if Attorney General Holder wants to arrest the Council for continuing to provide needed city services while Congress has its little partisan squabbles, then he’ll have to put me in jail before he gets to the rest of the Council and the Mayor. Add in the very high potential for jury nullification in the event he brings any charges, and the DC City Council should tell Congress where to put their indignation while we try to go on with our lives.

A shutdown of the Federal Government would have disastrous effects on the regional economy, which is why I’m rooting against it, but if the opportunity for DC to demonstrate civil disobedience arises – especially in a form that every American would understand and appreciate – this is an opportunity to get arrested in a way that would actually make the country take notice of the District’s unique plight, instead of some show arrests that won’t mean a damn thing. And there’s no way in hell any jury of District residents would convict.

Go get ‘em, Mr. Mayor and Councilmembers.

Entertainment, Interviews, Music, The Features, We Love Music
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We Love Music: A Q&A with Andy Suzuki of Andy Suzuki & The Method

Photo Credit: TalismanPHOTO

Photo Credit: TalismanPHOTO

Smooth melodic vocal lines in the spirit of Amos Lee and Sara Barellies with a touch of soul and an energetic blend of folk-rock rhythms reminiscent of John Mayer — that’s what Andy Suzuki & The Method bring to the table.

The band, fronted by the songwriting trio Andy Suzuki, Jason Gorelick, and Kozza Babumba (the grandson of Grammy Award-winning Nigerian percussionist Babatunde Olatunji), is an independent New York City-based group that recently released their highly anticipated album Born Out of Mischief as a result of a crowd-funding effort.

In the fall of 2012 they played internationally with a wildly successful 3-week tour in Southeast Asia and now Andy and the guys are on a U.S. tour with a stop at Ebenezers Coffeehouse in DC this Friday night.

The band’s sound — especially on your most recent release Born Out of Mischief — has a catchy yet familiar feel to it. It’s a pop rock album with elements of folk. Who are your biggest influences and how do you pay homage to them in your music?

We feel like we have finally found our sound in Born out of Mischief. A little bit of folk. A little bit of pop-rock. With a little but of a country-bluesy vibe. As far as our influences, they are all over the map, but to pick a few. We love how Ben Howard creates bridges through builds and repetition. We love how Amos Lee makes everything sound soulfully-bluesy. And we love how Peter Bradley Adams arranges his songs to sound incredibly lush. Hopefully you can hear some of these influences in our Born out of Mischief. We also kinda like to think of ourselves as similar to Tracy Chapman. But a little more Asian. And a little more country.

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Entertainment, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, Music, Night Life, The Daily Feed, The District
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Hot Ticket: Walk The Moon @9:30 Club 09/26-27

Walk The Moon

From a ticket perspective, the upcoming Thursday and Friday night Walk The Moon shows at the 9:30 Club are the definition of a “hot ticket” as both are sold out. But don’t be dejected about the ticket situation because this “hot ticket” goes WAY beyond mere paper tickets.

If you’re unfamiliar with Walk The Moon, it’s likely you’ve heard their most popular track “Anna Sun” which spent a good while on top of the charts in 2012 and was featured in an HBO Go Campaign. You may have also seen the viral YouTube music video. YouTube Preview Image Continue reading →

Weekend Flashback
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Weekend Flashback: 9/20-9/22

Contemplating jlgriffiths

Our roving band of photographic contributors were out in force this weekend documenting all the city had to offer. Many went over to the H St Festival which is always an excellent place for fun, candid shots. Others ventured outside city limits, while several ended up visiting the tallest obelisk in the world. If that’s not enough to entice you to scroll down let me just say wiener dogs. In a stroller. Get ready to squee people.

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The Daily Feed
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Nats Beat Marlins 5-4 in Game Two of the Doubleheader with a Walk-off

Nats vs. Marlins-0763
Nats vs. Marlins-0763
courtesy of MudflapDC

There weren’t quite as many bodies in the stands as there were hours earlier for game one of the split day-night doubleheader against the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park, but the Washington Nationals managed to wrap the day with a walk-off to beat Miami 5-4 in game two.

Manager Davey Johnson was quick to acknowledge the fact that the night’s right-handed starter Stephen Strasburg didn’t pitch a good game. Strasburg threw six innings and gave up three runs (one homerun) on 109 pitches (71 strikes) and walked two batters while striking out six. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Haren Struggles Early, Nats Fall 4-2 to Miami in Game One of the Doubleheader

Nats Park
Nats Park
courtesy of Rukasu1

The Miami Marlins took an early lead against the Washington Nationals during game one of a split day-night doubleheader in DC on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, it was a lead the Nats couldn’t overcome. Washington fell 4-2 against Miami after a weak performance from right-handed starter Dan Haren in his last home start this season.

Haren threw 99 pitches and 64 strikes in six innings of work and gave up eight hits and three runs (two homeruns) while walking a batter and striking out five. Haren was charged with the loss and is now 9-14 for 2013.

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The Daily Feed
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Washington Falls to 0-3 with 27-20 loss to Detroit

All Eyes Alone
All Eyes Alone
courtesy of Mylar Bono

Washington was hyped up to be better than last season. They had a secondary this season and any secondary was thought to be better than what they had in 2012, but there is a learning curve to the NFL. The secondary hasn’t improved and a defensive front seven that was so good two seasons ago has aged quickly. Washington’s defense has been the biggest negative as the team has failed to win in its first three tries. Matthew Stafford joins Aaron Rodgers and Michael Vick as quarterbacks who have torn about Washington this season as he threw for 385 yards with 25 completions on 42 attempts, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

The biggest area of concern for the defense isn’t the schemes or the coverage. Often times the defender is in the right position and most of those times they miss a tackle or the tackle is broken. Poor tackling by Washington has doomed their defense and it was no different this week. Detroit got touchdowns on there first two possessions as Calvin Johnson and Joique Bell shook off Washington defenders like flies. It was quick and it was merciless but it is what Washington fans have seen a lot of early in the season.

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The Daily Feed
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Jordan Zimmermann Throws a Complete Game Shutout, Nats Win 8-0 Versus Miami

Nats pitcher Jordan Zimmerman
Nats pitcher Jordan Zimmerman
courtesy of afagen

Jordan Zimmermann became the first pitcher in the National League to reach 19 wins this season on Friday night as he led the Washington Nationals to a 8-0 complete game shutout victory over the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park. Zimmermann was as strong as he’s been all season and threw 107 pitches and 79 strikes. He gave up two hits, walked a batter, and struck out nine.

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Week in Review
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Week In Review: 9/16-9/19

US Department of Commerce flag at half staff on 9/17/2013 J Sonder

Tough week, to be sure. Rather than relive it, and focus on the negative, let’s focus on the great things about this city. For instance: did you know last night’s full moon, called the Harvest Moon, rose almost perfectly due east, lining up perfectly with the monuments along the Mall? And that it is a particularly awesome sight, especially for the ready photographers? Check out the shots in our Flickr group; some are in the Review as well. Just one of the many reasons DC is awesome! Continue reading →

capitals hockey
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Capitals to Host 2015 Winter Classic

DSCN0882 bhrome

In the next of a long string of badly-kept secrets from the NHL regarding its Winter Classic, the 2015 version will be hosted right here in Washington, DC. The formal announcement will come from Caps owner Ted Leonsis tomorrow during the team’s annual Caps Convention.

No information yet on the venue or opponent; supposedly that will come tomorrow during Leonsis’ announcement. Potential sites are Nationals Stadium (of which Leonsis has a minor ownership stake of which Mark Lerner, one of the Nats owners, has a stake in Leonsis’ Monumental Sports company) or FedEx Field in Maryland, home of the Washington pro football team.

Opponents can run the gamut, but ideally would be from one of the larger hockey television markets and a team rival. With the Caps in a new division this year, the list only increases with possibilities.

The 2015 Winter Classic will take place on January 1 and be aired nationally on NBC.

We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends: Sep 20 – 22

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4GZFbCqx18#t=2m33s

WE’RE BAAAAACK! Weekends took a long weekend. Or four. Whatever. Here we are!

The above video makes more sense if the link jumps you to 2m33s which it only seems to do once in a while… Simulate my wit by manually dragging the slider if you have to.

Patrick: My weekend is all about Sunday. First it’s The Color Run at National Harbor. Later with The Butler at E-Street cinema. Because I’m going on a 5K Fun Run the #RageLikePho will be kept pretty quiet this weekend. Options I’m pondering for some peaceful quiet time includes Old Town Alexandria and my favorite coffee haunt: Northside Social.

Tom: This weekend, I’ll be rocking out with the folks at Virgin Mobile Freefest on Saturday, but I’ll be working the show, so there’s a lot to do this week before that day. Though I might want to be at the H Street Festival or maybe the National Red Bull Flugtag.  Sunday will be a load of recovery, including a trip to Clarendon for Brunch (Boulevard Woodgrill anyone?) followed by a ride up to the College Park Disc Golf course.  And then maybe some time off? We’ll see.

Rachel: If I’m feeling better than I have the rest of this week then I’m planning to head to the National Book Fair on Saturday and then, when I’m not gallivanting about the mall, I’ll be spending as much time as I can at Nationals Park before the final homestand of the regular season comes to a close. I can’t believe baseball season is starting to come to an end.

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