Karl Johnson – We Love DC http://www.welovedc.com Your Life Beyond The Capitol Wed, 03 Nov 2010 03:16:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.9.9 DC Area Local Election Results http://www.welovedc.com/2010/11/02/dc-area-local-election-results/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/11/02/dc-area-local-election-results/#comments Wed, 03 Nov 2010 02:51:06 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=54537 Photo courtesy of
‘LeisureW-ElecDay_0443 Gov + Quest A Su

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Photo courtesy of
‘LeisureW-ElecDay_0443 Gov + Quest A Supporters’
courtesy of ‘mdfriendofhillary’

This is one of the most contested and followed mid-terms in recent memory. But as much as people around the country might be glued to their TV’s to see what’s going to happen in the House (goes Republican) and Senate (most likely stays Dems), we don’t really have all that many contested major races in our area. And of course, what with DC’s 600,000+ residents being continually treated as second class citizens and denied their right to voting representation despite the requirement that we pay federal income taxes, DC certainly has no big contested races in the House or Senate (hahahahahaha. DC having a Senator. That’s a good one).

What we do have though are two local races which garnered more attention than others. Not just because they were both supposed to be contested, but also because they have resulted in an absolute onslaught of non-stop negative campaign advertisements. But let’s get on with it.

As of right now at 10:37pm:
In Maryland, Gov. O’Malley is up a better than expected 55% over former Gov. Ehrlich with 44% of the vote (45% total reporting).
In Fairfax (VA-11), Rep. Connolly is in a very intense battle and practically tied at 51%with Keith Fimian in an election that has only 800 votes separating them at this point. Rep. Connolly is currently up with 98% of the precincts reporting but this has a good chance of going to a recount. We. Shall. See.

At least, regardless of what happens, the damn ads have stopped. Let us all be thankful for that. Now, ready to start seeing Presidential ads tomorrow?

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Stewart’s Rally for Sanity Causes Crowd Size Insanity http://www.welovedc.com/2010/10/30/stewarts-rally-for-sanity-causes-crowd-size-insanity/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/10/30/stewarts-rally-for-sanity-causes-crowd-size-insanity/#comments Sat, 30 Oct 2010 23:55:13 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=54232 Rall for Sanity
Photos courtesy of Author

60,000 people were ex

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Rall for Sanity
Photos courtesy of Author

60,000 people were expected, according to the permit filed with the NPS by Comedy Central, yet 150,000 were planned for when it came to the uber-important decision as to how many portable toilets were needed. Jon Stewart started out the rally with his satirical people count swag of 10,000,000. But how many people really were there? Well, you knew this was coming and we’ve only seen the beginning of the insanity over the sanity. Rough estimates from various sources say somewhere between 200,000 and 300,000 people were in attendance for the Rally for Sanity and/or Fear hosted by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert Saturday afternoon. Check out this crowd pic. If those numbers are accurate, however, it puts the rally size right around the same size as the Glenn Beck Rally to Restore Honor from a few months ago. Allow the great debate to begin. Who’s more popular? Stewart or Beck? Honor or Sanity?

But let’s not just focus on the crowd size. It doesn’t matter if there were 100,000 people or 500,000 people – if you were anywhere near downtown, you know it was packed! What do you get when you add a famous comedian’s rally, which encourages creative costumes and signs, to the day before Halloween overly-eager-trick-or-treater-crowd in DC? A damn good day of people watching, that’s for sure. The Mall was absolutely packed and wall to wall for most of the area from the Capitol to the Monument. But it wasn’t just the slew of people that made it interesting – it was the vibe that this rally carried. While most people going into it, including myself, didn’t necessarily even know what to expect or why they were really going, the energy and tone set by the thousands of attendees made for a sea of clever signs at a rally that was not really political at all, but instead themed around fun, human tolerance and taking a step back from the fury of sensationalism in the media. No media outlet or political party was spared from the video montages meant to draw attention to just how obsessed with fear mongering our society has become and how our beloved 24 hour news cycle seems to amplify it to no end.

Rall for Sanity

The Roots, Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow, Cat Stevens, Ozzy, Tony Bennett…I never expected to see all of these stars at a free event today and I wonder if the organizers even knew who would be secured to perform until the very last minute, especially given the ambiguous nature of the released agenda. It wasn’t all gold – some of the day’s events were less than enthralling and my back is absolutely killing me from standing in place for 4 hours shoulder to shoulder. But overall, I’m really glad I made it to witness this coming together of so many people from all over the country who really just want the nation to chill out. Facebook shows that many of my friends, representing both major parties, made the trek in for the rally and that makes me excited. Excited that we’ve still got it; we’ve still got sanity.

Rall for Sanity
Attendees young and old made sure to capture the action

Were you there? Do you have any experiences, crazy signs or fun stories to share? Post in the comments below. And don’t forget to share your best pictures in the WLDC Flickr pool.

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Screen on the Green Has a Rough Night http://www.welovedc.com/2010/07/20/screen-on-the-green-has-a-rough-night/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/07/20/screen-on-the-green-has-a-rough-night/#comments Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:20:56 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=43004 Photo courtesy of
‘Cartoon <3’
courtesy of R

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Photo courtesy of
‘Cartoon <3’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

The overbearing heat and swamp like humidity are expected when hanging out on the Mall in late July. It’s part of DC’s charm. The sudden downpours that send hundreds scrambling for partial cover are also par for the DC weather course. But when you wrangle up your good friends, pack up a little picnic dinner, grab a big blanket to spread out on and bring along your favorite adult beverage hidden in an ambiguous plastic container that could possibly (and hopefully) be mistaken for a water bottle by Park Police, you tend to get your hopes up about a glorious night under the stars watching a classic film from the past on the super-jumbo screen. Unfortunately, last night was not the Screen on the Green’s finest moment.

There really is something magical about laying on the National Mall with perfect views of the well lighted Washington Monument to your back and the always marvelous Capitol dome to your front while watching a great flick with 1000 or so of your closest friends; especially when the crowd bursts into a flash mob of dancing (otherwise known as standing and jumping and waving your arms) at the start of each film. The magic, however, ended with the scenery and the atmosphere and did not continue on with the film. To the disappointment of hundreds of moviegoers, last night’s feature film of “The Goodbye Girl” was out of sequence and not only showed some of the final scenes an hour early into the movie but also forced the audience to watch significant portions of the movie twice, resulting in an exodus by half of the crowd and leaving the remaining people chatting and losing interest for the next 20 minutes of repeated scenes. When the movie finally did return to the final yet-to-be-viewed scenes, the crowd let out an applause and returned to watching the last few minutes. It was not exactly pleasant given the weather conditions and the mishaps by the crew (or whoever was ultimately responsible for obtaining the film), but obviously we are still very thankful for the people that put these events on at no charge to us.

I just can’t really fathom how the two sponsors, entertainment giants HBO and Comcast, can possibly run a version of a film that has never even been viewed and is edited completely wrong in a highly public showing like this. But I suppose it was entertaining none the less and I’m sure the crowds will return next Monday for the playing of “12 Angry Men”. Let’s just hope they don’t show the Jury’s final verdict 15 minutes in.

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Russian Spies Arrested in Arlington http://www.welovedc.com/2010/06/28/russian-spies-arrested-in-arlington/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/06/28/russian-spies-arrested-in-arlington/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 02:30:43 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=40794 Photo courtesy of
‘DSC_4600’
courtesy of ‘b

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Photo courtesy of
‘DSC_4600’
courtesy of ‘bhrome’

The FBI and the Justice Department brought down 10 suspected spies this afternoon across the country, including three from right here in Arlington. Several sources are reporting the details, including this article from CNN, and talk to the fact that these Russian secret agents were reportedly sent to the US for long-term operations and were to fully adapt to our way of life (marriage, kids, house, mini-vans…and the true American dream of  balloon mortgage payments says Wonkette). The article also includes details of some of the intercepted and decrypted messages that Russia reportedly sent to these agents.

Your education, bank accounts, car, house, etc. — all these serve one goal: fulfill your main mission, i.e., to search and develop ties in policymaking circles in U.S. and send intels (intelligence reports),” the document said.


All 10 suspects are being charged with conspiracy to act as an agent for a foreign government. This crime surprisingly carries a maximum sentence of 5 years. 9 of those arrested also face charges on a conspiracy to commit money laundering which carries up to 20 years. Arlington blog ARLnow.com points out the three individuals living in Arlington who have been picked up: Michael Zottoli, Patricia Mills and Mikhail Semenko. If these are your friends, expect a phone call or “drop by” sooner or later from a few black, heavily tinted Suburbans.

Careful Arlington, there are spies amongst us. Russian spies. These alleged spies head to federal court in Alexandria as early as Monday. And the timing is…interesting. As you might recall, Obama had ‘Hell burgers just last week with Russian President Medvedev. And they shared fries. (Due to the seriousness of these events, I will not be posting the line of thought in my head that would be the conversation between Obama and Medvedev where he offered to trade a fry for the identity of each spy, which ended in the negotiation of at least 10 perfectly cut and salted crispy potato slices).

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Free HIV Testing Today, Rep. Norton to Get Tested http://www.welovedc.com/2010/06/25/free-hiv-testing-today-rep-norton-to-get-tested/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/06/25/free-hiv-testing-today-rep-norton-to-get-tested/#comments Fri, 25 Jun 2010 14:45:22 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=40521 Photo courtesy of
‘HIV Test at 12th and Locust StreetsR

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Photo courtesy of
‘HIV Test at 12th and Locust Streets’
courtesy of ‘techfun’

Without a doubt, HIV is a huge problem in the District. Huge. The rate of infection is nearly 10 times (that is TEN times) the national average. DC’s sole member of Congress, Rep. Holmes Norton (D-DC), has always made HIV awareness and prevention an important topic and she continues to do so today as she co-hosts and attends a free HIV testing event. The mobile station will be setup at New Jersey Ave and C St. SE from 12:00pm to 3:00pm today. She will also be holding a press conference to draw extra attention to the situation as well as the free testing in recognition of National HIV Testing Day this Sunday.

Rep. Norton released a statement today, which included the following quote:

“One-third of D.C. residents may be unaware that they are infected. Getting tested as a community each year on National HIV Testing Day is useful to help eliminate the stigma and fear of learning your HIV status.”

The test is a simple oral swab and gets you results in just twenty minutes. No going home and waiting for a phone call from the lab, this is quick and easy. If you think HIV testing is something only needed for those that are frequently unsafe or…um…get around, you are wrong. It only takes once and nobody is immune. Know your status, get tested!

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Shaking Buildings in Old Town, Related to Earthquake? http://www.welovedc.com/2010/06/23/shaking-buildings-in-old-town-related-to-earthquake/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/06/23/shaking-buildings-in-old-town-related-to-earthquake/#comments Wed, 23 Jun 2010 18:28:31 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=40286 oldtown

Through two separate reports, we’ve hea…

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oldtown

Through two separate reports, we’ve heard that at least one building in Old Town experienced very noticeable shaking today right at about the same time as a relatively major earthquake hit Ottawa and Quebec in Canada. People from Toronto, Detroit, New York and Ohio have reported experiencing some effects from this quake. Is it possible it actually caused shaking in Old Town Alexandria in Virginia?

@thelastgoodnight on Twitter reported it happening at 2:00pm today. It was also reported as being experienced on S Alfred St. Did anyone else feel it?

UPDATE 2:41pm: Apparently there was also shaking felt in Greenbelt, MD. Starting to sound less like strange coincidences and more like very small ripples being felt from the quake up north.

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DC Rapper Wale Admits Gay People Run Companies http://www.welovedc.com/2010/06/03/dc-rapper-wale-admits-gay-people-run-companies/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/06/03/dc-rapper-wale-admits-gay-people-run-companies/#comments Thu, 03 Jun 2010 16:40:56 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=38258 Photo courtesy of
‘From Capital Pride Parade’
cour

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Photo courtesy of
‘From Capital Pride Parade’
courtesy of ‘spiggycat’

“It’s 2010,“ and gay people “…are, like, tops, like, heads of companies,” says Wale, DC rapper after he finished chilln’ in DC AND PG the other day. In fact, he was at DC Black Pride on Sunday when he made these well intentioned yet perhaps ever-so-slightly ill-crafted statements about homophobia. He previously caught flack for pulling out (sometimes it happens) of the event, but then quickly got right back up in there (that happens too) to show that gays are…ya know…kinda normal. Below you can watch his 6 minute interview at DC Black Pride, which is very revealing…of his stance as well as the fact that a spokesperson is worth their weight in gold in this town. Let it go on the record however, he doesn’t know any gay people personally, which he states in the interview.

WCP wrote about it yesterday in a post that caused a little anger over their initially incorrect quotation, which inserted a “like” before his statement that gay people “are functioning human beings.” In other words, implying that Mr. Wale was saying gay people are like humans, only different. The mistake was corrected on the site, so I think Wale is cool with getting back to chillin’ now.

When I first read the story and recap of his interview, I was appalled. BUT then I heard, from the Wale himself, that most of his designers are gay. And all was right with the world again. But no for real, he clearly is trying to speak from the heart and show that he really doesn’t give a crap about your sexual orientation, even if he does have to protect his street cred and appeal to his base (do they use those terms in the rap biz?). So let’s all appreciate the fact that gays do run companies, are “tops”, function as normal humans and Wale loves all ya’ all – tops or not! Oh, and gay people pay taxes according to Wale. WHAT???

(Disclaimer: I love Wale and think DC Chillin is a bad ass song. Lady Gaga does too.)

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Metro to Spend Almost $1b on Giant Kawasaki Motorcycles!! http://www.welovedc.com/2010/05/27/metro-to-spend-almost-1b-on-giant-kawasaki-motorcycles/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/05/27/metro-to-spend-almost-1b-on-giant-kawasaki-motorcycles/#comments Thu, 27 May 2010 21:01:08 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=37789 Photo courtesy of
‘Motocross #11’
courtesy of R

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Photo courtesy of
‘Motocross #11’
courtesy of ‘Vincent Luigi Molino’

Metro announced today that they have approved a contract worth $886m for Kawasaki! The money will go towards 428 giant, super duper fast motorcycles that can hold an enormous amount of people each. Of all of the ideas to improve the rail system, I think going with giant motorcycles is the best idea yet. I can’t wait to hear what the 1 trillion HP engines sound like on these babies when you open them up at full throttle! I wonder if the train operator can get these bad boys to do wheelies?

What’s that? Kawasaki builds rail cars too?? Ah, Kawasaki Rail Car, Inc. You can see the confusion. So that means…they aren’t giant freaking motorcycles? Damn. Well, still cool. As long as they have sidecars.

Metro plans to replace 300 of their old Series 1000 cars with this new purchase and provide 128 new cars for the super Dulles rail extension. (Which speaking of, have you seen that project? It’s like they’re trying to finish it by Memorial Day or something!) This allows them to both fulfill the needs of the rail extension project and make Metro a significantly safer system, complying with the NTSB recommendation to give the old dangerous cars the boot. This should replace all Series 1000 cars out there.

These new Series 7000 cars (I can’t wait to see what the Series 10,000 cars might look like, I’m guessing they actually fly) have “crash energy management systems” and double the length of the car area that you can move through. Sort of like connecting two of the existing length cars, which is really cool. This adds capacity for 40 more people per train and also lets you walk a lot closer to the best exit door for where you need to get off. Because I know you pick your entry/exit door based on how close it’s going to be to the escalator you need when you get off. It also adds nerdy tech stuff like real-time location data of the train on an LCD map in each car. Love it.

Before you get all crazy excited about checking out the badass new LCD screens on your commute tomorrow, don’t. The first batch of Future-tron x7000 UltraMega cars will be coming in about 3 years, with all of them in service by 2016. But I still think it’s pretty sweet that Kawasaki is making them. I’m holding out for wheelies.

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Help Stop Sex Trafficking in DC http://www.welovedc.com/2010/05/17/help-stop-sex-trafficking-in-dc/ Mon, 17 May 2010 16:05:49 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=36821
Logo from YWTF-DC

Did you know that sex traffick…

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Logo from YWTF-DC

Did you know that sex trafficking is a problem right here in DC? The answer to that question is most likely “no”. And that’s one big reason to save next Tuesday on your calendar. YWTF, Young Women’s Task Force of DC, is holding their annual fundraiser, Cheers to Choice, Tuesday, May 25th in NE DC. This year’s program focuses on the sex trafficking problem in DC and around the country. Funds raised at the event will go to support YWTF’s work throughout the year, as well as benefit Courtney’s House – a non-profit that provides safe housing for sex trafficked teenage girls in the DC area, an undeniably worthy cause. All in-kind donations will also go to Courtney’s House.

They’ve put together an interesting list of speakers on the topic to really raise awareness and socialize around the issue. Speakers include DC Council Member Phil Mendelson (invited), who will be talking about his own anti-human trafficking work in DC, Executive Directors of Courtney’s House and the Bridge to Freedom Foundation, as well as a Senior Policy Specialist at Polaris Project. You have to admire when a fundraiser is not just a chance to look pretty and feel good about yourself, it’s actually a chance to learn about an important and underexposed problem while helping to solve it at the same time.

For those of you who were on the fence after the first two paragraphs, tickets include wine (and hors d’oeuvres and raffle tickets for prizes), so go ahead and buy. Tickets are a bargain at just $15, or $10 if you also bring an in-kind donation (list available here). Cheers to Choice will be held Tuesday, May 25th from 6:30-8:30pm at the Stewart R. Mott House, located at 122 Maryland Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002. For all event details and to purchase tickets online, visit their registration site here.

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Please Ripken, Save the Orioles http://www.welovedc.com/2010/04/21/please-ripken-save-the-orioles/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/04/21/please-ripken-save-the-orioles/#comments Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:03:16 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=34561 Photo courtesy of
‘0G1G3481’
courtesy of ‘K

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Photo courtesy of
‘0G1G3481’
courtesy of ‘Keith Allison’

We don’t cover a lot of Orioles “news’ because…well…we have our own team now, and the Orioles have been the laughing stock of professional sports for over a decade. But as a life-long fan of the birds, and what some could call DC’s AL team, I just had to write about Cal. Our beloved Cal. The Iron Man. The nicest guy ever. The guy my friends and I grew up idolizing. Could it be? Could it be true that Cal Jr. is coming to be our savior and turn around the obnoxiously bad Baltimore Orioles? Front office, club house, I don’t care. Just give me Cal.

Two days ago, The USA Today sports blog wrote about how Peter “The Most Hated Guy in Baltimore” Angelos shot down rumors that he had rejected Mr. Ripken from being a part of the team. In fact, Angelos went so far as to directly imply that Cal is too good to join a MLB franchise as anything but the #1. Here is his quote after Fox Sports had claimed that he didn’t want Cal to be a part of the franchise because Cal might actually help the team, then take the credit for helping the team-oh-god-forbid.

“If he expressed the wish to do that in some secondary position with the Orioles, which I think he’d never do, obviously that would be something that will be considered seriously. But Cal has many interests and is a very busy guy. I don’t think he’s ever considered himself available to play some secondary role with the ballclub and appropriately so,” Angelos told the Baltimore Sun.

SO FUNNY!  Because guess what? Cal is saying the exact same thing! Or the exact opposite thing! One of the two! From Yahoo Sports comes this statement from the Iron Man himself regarding the talks he has been having with angry Angelos:

“I have enjoyed those talks very much, and yes the subject has been broached about me potentially joining the organization. I look forward to those talks continuing.”

So according to Angelos, Cal is too busy and completely uninterested in joining the organization PLUS he has never expressed the wish to even do so – or at least in what we are calling a “secondary position”. So does that mean Angelos is saying Cal wants nothing but the top spot? And what is the top spot in this case? Manager, President….OWNER? All of the above please. There is no doubt in my mind that Cal Ripken, Jr. will end up as a part of the Oriole club house or front office at some point in the next couple of years. You can speculate what you’d like, but I’m going go ahead and say that if it weren’t for Angelos’ ego in the way, Cal would already be in there at Camden Yards making serious contributions to the team – let alone how he would instantly revive the morale and fan base. Can Angelos and Dan Snyder please just go away so we can have lovable teams in this area again? Thanks.

For those keeping track, the Orioles are 2 – 13 this year. That 2 represents their wins and that 13 represents their losses.

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Local Girl from “The Bachelor” Up for Auction http://www.welovedc.com/2010/03/17/local-girl-from-the-bachelor-up-for-auction/ Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:00:57 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=31014 Photo courtesy of
‘in a taxi window*’
courtesy of &#

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Photo courtesy of
‘in a taxi window*’
courtesy of ‘mofo’

In case you missed her from the most recent season of The Bachelor, Ashley Elmore, a high school teacher in Fairfax, made it to the second round of the huge hit dating show just a few months ago (I admit, I watched most of it, but please don’t tell anyone that, seriously). She grabbed TV land’s attention when she put on her sexy classic flight attendant’s costume for Jake. Unfortunately, the costume didn’t quite get the job done for her. No worries Ashley fans, she’s not done trying to find love. Ashley is putting herself out there one more time and going up for bid at what has become DC’s hot trendy way to raise dollah dollah bills – a date auction! Not that I…um…have any experience with such things, but I hear they are lots of fun.

She’s a beautiful local girl with a PhD AND an MBA? Hit up the ATM or grab your checkbook, she’ll be going for big bucks. But it’s a great cause, so don’t be cheap. Joining her are at least 10 other well rounded bachelors and bachelorettes you can buy a date with by hitting up Front Page in Ballston this Saturday at 7:30. Preview the auctionees here. $10 at the door, as a friendly donation, and the proceeds from the date auction, as well as the silent auction for goodies, will benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, specifically to help a young lady named Beka who is battling Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia. Do a good deed and get a date with a hottie at the same time – win win win.

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We Love Food: The Most Delicious Day of My Life http://www.welovedc.com/2010/03/15/we-love-food-the-most-delicious-day-of-my-life/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/03/15/we-love-food-the-most-delicious-day-of-my-life/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:00:29 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=30587
Pupusa at El Charrito
Yummy photos courtesy of D

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Pupusa at El Charrito
Yummy photos courtesy of Dan at Kitchen Geeking

Delicious is a word I use often. And by often, I mean constantly. I love the word delicious almost as much as I love the food that makes me say it. Everything about delicious is a win-win. Therefore, be it resolved, that Saturday March 6th was SO FULL OF WIN. If you don’t know just how delicious the ethnic food of DC and NoVa can be, you are missing out in the worst kinda’ way.

My Saturday started by meeting up with good friend, fantastic amateur chef and ultra foodie and blogger Dan Tompkins. We started throwing out types of cuisines, regions of the world that were a “must hit” for the day and names of hole-in-the-wall places that were favorites of mine. Just listing out the countries we could potentially consume in the hours to come lead to a very enamored and elated couple of hungry, hungry guys.

“Let’s start at the taqueria on Washington, then we have to grab some of my favorite falafel at Astor, hopefully they have koshari too…then we definitely need chickpeas from Ravi Kabob. I think a visit to Present for Vietnamese is also very much called for and it’s totally on our way out to Great Wall, the giant Asian grocery store.”

If our initial list of food stops had actually been the limits of this day, it still would’ve ranked up there with some of the most delicious days of my life. But thankfully Dan and I don’t let silly things like goals keep our food egos in check. We go all out when we get together and this day was like none other that had come before it. This, my fellow DC friends, was the most delicious day of my life. Our bellies happily danced to the tune of food induced merriment brought on by the entire world’s best dishes meeting their demise in our mouths over the course of 9 hours. Mexican, Egyptian, Bolivian, Lebanese, Pakistani, Peruvian, Afghan, American and more!

Don Arturo's RestaurantArturo’s Bolivian Restaurant, beside El Charrito

We pulled up to the parking lot for El Chorrito Caminante, a taqueria in Arlington, just outside of Clarendon on Washington Blvd. We had about 10 mins before our taco-seeking friend would arrive to join us so our eyes quickly widened as we noticed the little definition of a hole-in-the-wall restaurant called Don Arturo’s Bolivian. A chance to add a previously unexpected cuisine to our delicious list? On it. Arturo’s had the honor of being the very first restaurant (of oh so many) we would eat at that day and it set a great mood to get us going. Taking our seats at the tiny bar, which was joined by only a few scattered empty tables as the only seating in the carry-out size establishment, we started reading over the limited menu. While most of it had English subtitles, it’s times like these that make me thankful for the Spanish I do know. Dan was eager to try the beef heart, el corazon, on the menu (I’m not quite at that level of ethnic food robustness myself), but that’s only available two days a week or so. We settled on a diputado sandwich and made the very, very wise decision to split it as this didn’t even count as one of our many planned meals for the day.

Like most Bolivian dishes, our sandwich consisted of a piece of fried steak with a fried egg on top, delightfully joined by sautéed peppers and onions. Throw in a little super-spicy salsa verde and wash it all down with a refreshing Inca Cola from Peru (hint: if you’ve never had it, there is nothing “cola” about it). Bolivian is always good, but it’s never like HOLY CRAP THAT WAS AMAZING kinda’ tasty. Subtly delicious is a good way to describe it, I feel. Ready for tacos? Let’s hit it.

We made our getaway and jumped 50 feet over to El Charrito. You can tell from the outside that this place is authentic and that’s even before you find out that El Charrito used to be a set of taco trucks that grew big enough to start a restaurant. Ding Ding Ding! Since this was my first time here, I had to sample my usual suspects – some of which are not really Mexican but jumped out at me none the less. Fried yucca please, oh and los platanos con crema sounds awesome…and of course a taco or two. Oh holy waitness….WAIT. I forgot about the pupusa. The heavenly, melty, cheesy, gooey, out-of-this-taco-loving-world pupusa. The plantains served perfectly with a side of dipping cream, not too sweet but just sweet enough. The yucca was very good and gets an A-, but not quite to the level of my favorite yucca in the city at Taqueria Nacionale. The pupusa gets whatever grade comes above an A++ and the beef taco gets a B-. But I was honestly not that concerned with the taco after I stuffed my face with so much other deliciousness, so it is certainly worth a trip back to try more. After spending 30 mins chatting with the son of the owning family about how to get yucca to the right consistency (a must), when plantains are technically “ripe” (hint: way after an American would think they were), and how to make a slaw that did not taste like pure vinegar, we thanked Jose for his kind service and scrumptious food and hit the trail to start our tour of the Middle East.

Falafel Panorama at AstorFalafel platter at Astor in Arlington

First up is Astor Mediterranean, a quick walk down Pershing. This place, which is owned by the same folks as Astor in Adams Morgan, seems to be in the middle of nowhere when it comes to a restaurant. But it is literally feet from US-50. I’ve come to know and love Astor well because they have my favorite falafel! We ordered a falafel platter so the team (which had grown to four at this point) could all sample what an amazing, crispy with a tad bit of appropriate sweetness falafel tastes like. A little of their hummus on top and dipped in yogurt sauce, eaten between two pieces of stiff pita amounts to heaven on earth. While falafel has become popular in the DC area, I wanted to make sure my friends tried something they surely hadn’t seen before – koshari. I discovered this simple yet delicious national dish of Egypt on my travels there last year. One of the owners of Astor, a very sweet lady named Selwa who likes to keep us entertained as we ask tons of prying questions about the cooking behind her food, is Egyptian and makes koshari only on select days. Fortunately, she was willing to whip up a batch for us and it would be ready in about 30 mins. Time for us to leave Egypt and Lebanon and head for Pakistan while we wait!

Ravi Kabob is hands down my favorite kabob place – ever. It sits in a strip mall (well, two actually) on the side of Glebe Rd. as you come into Ballston. It’s super authentic and beyond delicious. While my usual is the lamb kabob meal, we had to tone down the intake to make it through the day, so I settled for my favorite part of any meal at Ravi, the chickpeas. Chickpeas are God’s gift to our tummies. Formed into hummus or falafel or just served on their own in Latin or Middle Eastern cuisine, they are freaking good. Dan wanted to try something else as well, but Ravi #1 was out of samosas. No problem, we’ll walk across the street to Ravi #2! An amazing side order of chickpeas (which I carried in hand across Glebe Rd.) and a samosa drenched in chickpeas and a special yogurt sauce later, it was time to go back to Astor to get some of that koshari.


How Koshari is Made in Luxor, Egypt (my own terrible video, sorry)

You’ve probably never had koshari before, but you should. It’s a dish made up of bits of pasta, lentils, chickpeas (who likes chickpeas? ME!), macaroni, caramelized or crunchy onions and topped off with a semi-sweet, tiny-bit-spicy tomato sauce. Then all mixed together and ready to be demolished. It’s a national dish of Egypt but rarely seen in similar cuisines. Astor’s is good but made a bit differently than the Luxor version I had. It’s more similar to the koshari I had in Cairo but didn’t quite deliver what I was expecting. Still very much worth you eating it though. After our second trip to Astor for the day, we needed a little break. A break as in cupcakes and coffee! Best break ever! Off to Buzz in Alexandria.

Buzz delivered some fantastic mini-cupcakes, especially the “Buzz” cupcake which has a crunchy, brownie-like topping that even includes a little espresso mixed in. A double-shot latte and an espresso filled cupcake gave us more than enough jolt to re-energize us and keep us going for a few more hours of food fun. Since it happened to be a warm and beautiful day, we spent close to an hour on their patio enjoying life and reminiscing about the various food we’d already consumed.

Red Velvet Center Stage at BuzzMini-Cupcakes from Buzz – AKA Deeericious!

Some of our eating adventurists had to leave, so Dan and I took off for a little shopping at Great Wall in Falls Church. This post is already long enough, so I’ll spare you on the details of our shopping at the amazing Great Wall, complete with swimming turtles, frogs, eels and geoduck! But after our extended trip to Great Wall, we headed over to nearby Present for my favorite Vietnamese place. Unfortunately I am not the only one who loves Present…it was so booked that they couldn’t even seat two people at anytime in the foreseeable future! Time for a new place then and back to the Middle East it was. Back down to Alexandria, this time to try an Afghan joint we’d never been to.

Maizbon Afghan Grill, off Little River Turnpike, is hidden in the same type of structure as most great ethnic restaurants – a strip mall. I was excited to try another Afghan place as there really are not all that many, but the cuisine of the Afghans is full of delish. My first impression delivered a bit of disappointment as this place tries to be a few things it is not. It tries to be somewhat fancy, but it’s decor is contrived and overdone and comes off looking like a low-budget Indiana Jones set for a movie that was fortunately never made. The food was slightly pricey and honestly only qualified as “good”, not awesome. The kadu (pumpkin) was OK, but nowhere near the deliciousness of the kadu at Afghan Grill in Woodley Park. I did order a full meal here, even though we were stuffed, because it was our last endeavor for the day. My entree was kecheri quroot, which has the consistency of thick oatmeal and acts like quicksand when you put your fork into it. Which is kinda’ fun actually, but also, really, really tasty. It’s a yogurt cheese, served in a soup bowl, with very flavorful meatballs floating on top. It was certainly the highlight of the meal and created leftovers that were enjoyed by many.

Kadu
Kadu, or Pumpkin, at Maizbon

After eating the world in just over 9 hours, we were several levels beyond stuffed but incredibly happy and giddy with food-loving-excitement. All of this food brought on sleepiness that could only be cured by a few pints back in Arlington. Taking a step back and looking over the whole day that was not only delicious but remarkably fun and enjoyable, it makes me wonder why everyone doesn’t hit up these kinds of spots on a daily basis. But then I guess they wouldn’t be “undiscovered”, now would they? Without a doubt, this phenomenal ethnic bonanza of a day was the most delicious day of my life.

Have another ethnic place for me to try? Leave it in the comments!

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School Bus Involved in Crash on I-270 http://www.welovedc.com/2010/03/15/school-bus-involved-in-crash-on-i-270/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/03/15/school-bus-involved-in-crash-on-i-270/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:38:17 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=30673 Photo courtesy of
‘D3H_3088’
courtesy of ‘C

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Photo courtesy of
‘D3H_3088’
courtesy of ‘Cazimiro’

I just received a call literally seconds ago that a school bus was involved in a bad accident on I-270 Northbound near the Father Hurley Blvd exit, in the Germantown area. Apparently a Subaru Outback did not stop in time and slammed into the back of the bus, in the right lane, with at least half of the car being sandwiched under the rear bumper of the bus. Details are limited at this time as you can imagine so I don’t know if any children were aboard the bus or not, but whenever a school bus is involved in an auto accident of any kind, let alone one on an interstate, serious concern is valid.

We certainly hope there were no serious injuries and will bring you details as we find them, but do expect traffic to come to a hault on I-270, most likely in both directions (Northbound will probably be partially closed and Southbound will be full of rubber neckers). If you have any details, please post in the comments.

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Move Over Van Hollen, Corporation to Run for MD-8 Seat http://www.welovedc.com/2010/03/13/move-over-van-hollen-corporation-to-run-for-md-8-seat/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/03/13/move-over-van-hollen-corporation-to-run-for-md-8-seat/#comments Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:34:06 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=30578 Photo courtesy of
‘Guarding Justice’
courtesy of &

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Photo courtesy of
‘Guarding Justice’
courtesy of ‘Photos by Chip Py’

I enjoyed this article today from WaPo that was written in a semi-serious, semi-tongue-in-cheek tone about Murray Hill, Inc., a company based in Silver Spring, MD that has announced its intentions to run for Congress in the 8th CD of Maryland. The seat is currently held by Mr. DCCC himself, Chris Van Hollen. The story is no joke – these guys actually are trying to run for Congress. A mere 6 months ago, this would have seemed so obnoxious, it wouldn’t even have garnered sensational press attention. But thanks to Justice Roberts and pals on the big bench, the United States now officially views corporations as people when it comes to their rights related to campaign finance, and Murray Hill is out to prove that corporations deserve all equal human rights.

The progressive PR firm obviously knows how to pull off a PR stunt. (Check out their campaign Facebook page and their YouTube videos.) But this is really more than that. This is actually proving a very valid point in showing that treating corporations as people is flat out ridiculous. Giving corporations the right to have a seemingly unlimited level of influence on members of Congress destroys the many years of bi-partisan handwork that has gone into trying to tone down the sick impact that wealthy corporations can have on the everyday lives of Americans. This is NOT about stifling capitalism, this is about stifling the downright unfair ability that corporations have to alter legislation passed in Congress so that it favors their profits, instead of the needs of the country’s citizens. Allow great ideas to flourish in capitalism, but don’t allow those ideas to directly control our laws.

Congressman Van Hollen is certainly in no danger of losing his seat to this “campaign”. Murray Hill, which is trying to run in the Republican primary, will not be able to register because it does not meet the Constitutionally mandated age of 25. But perhaps, through a suit brought in front of Chief Justice Roberts, this too can be changed to favor the rights of corporations over the needs of the people that actually elect their representatives. What do you say John? Can we let Murray Hill file so companies no longer have to try and hide their financial influence and can just head on down to the House floor themselves to cast their votes? Sure would make it easier.

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Get Me Out of Here: Sun and Sand for Cheap http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/11/get-me-out-of-here-sun-and-sand-for-cheap/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/11/get-me-out-of-here-sun-and-sand-for-cheap/#comments Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:30:26 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=28109 Photo courtesy of
‘umbrella’
courtesy of ‘n

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Photo courtesy of
‘umbrella’
courtesy of ‘needlessspaces’

The dreamy 85 degree sun beats down on you as you lay, without a care in the world, sprawled out on a hotel towel covering the warm white sand, listening to the soothing crashing of the waves in a consistently rhythmic fashion. The sound of an exotic bird squawking as it flies overhead causes you to briefly raise your head and look out over the crystal clear, bright blue waters that surround you. Do you put the trashy, mindless romance novel down and take a dip in the warm waters, snorkel with the fishies of a thousand different colors, take a barefoot stroll along the beach to feel the fine sand between your toes…or do you put your head back where it was and catch some more sleep (as soon as you finish that Piña Colada of course)?

These are tough decisions. Really tough. But they are the kind of decisions you could be forced to make if you could JUST GET OUT OF HERE. Trade the white snow for the white sand, the cold for the hot, the blizzard induced winds for the light breeze off the sea. Trade snow shoveling for beach drinking and layer after layer of clothes for…just about nothing. Seriously, it’s time to get away from this frozen tundra of a city and get to where the sun and the sand are seemingly endless. I’m here to show you a few example trips on the cheap. And if nothing else, at least stare at these HOT PICTURES.

Photo courtesy of

courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

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Bahamas. Photo by Karl Johnson

Kayak alerted us to a 99 hour sale (unfortunately, it ends tomorrow because I am late in writing this SORRY) being run by Cheap Caribbean. In addition to their typically pretty low prices, they are also offering weather and hurricane insurance (the weather part sounds good, maybe not the hurricane…not quite that time of year) on top of their special “Who Loves You Baby” sale. The top deal they advertise is 4 nights at an all-inclusive in the Bahamas including air for $439 (plus taxes). Make sure to use the promo code on there. But if 77 degrees and sunny is not quite warm enough, head a little further south.

Photo courtesy of
‘Path to the Beach’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’

TravelZoo, one of the world’s best websites and usually full of cheap travel awesomeness, brings us a very timely Top 20 of the week that includes several great deals to Mexico and the Caribbean, including $515 for 7 nights w/ air at an all-inclusive in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic where the forecast shows 86 and sunny tomorrow. Although most of these Top 20 deals are for March/April/May.

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Bahamas. Photo by Karl Johnson

Or if you are more of the cruising type, check out Cruise411 here for some ridiculously cheap 3, 4 or 7 night cruises to the Caribbean. All leaving in the next few weeks, so you can get away quickly. There is one that leaves Miami on 2/25 and lets you explore places like Key West and Cozumel for 4 nights for only $259! Crazy cheap. Are you drooling yet? Make it happen! You deserve it.

Now, please spend at least 15 minutes looking at the pictures and forgetting what’s outside. You will magically become relaxed. If you have any questions about methods of travel or sunny destinations, post them in the comments! I write about everything here BUT travel, but there’s nothing I love to talk about more than getting away.

Photo courtesy of
‘later…’
courtesy of ‘memory of you’

Andes-fed Pool in Vilcabamba, Ecuador
Andes-fed Pool in Vilcabamba, Ecuador. Photo by Karl Johnson

Photo courtesy of
‘Secluded Beach’
courtesy of ‘mynameisharsha’

2009, travel, nikon 257
Aswan, Egypt. Photo by Karl Johnson

Photo courtesy of
‘Walk it off’
courtesy of ‘mynameisharsha’

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Snow Fort Sublet on Capitol Hill! Turn Key! http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/10/snow-fort-sublet-on-capitol-hill-turn-key/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/10/snow-fort-sublet-on-capitol-hill-turn-key/#comments Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:43:17 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=27920 Capitol Hill Snow Fort on Craigslist
Snow Fort from Craigslist.org

Ok, this is just h…

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Capitol Hill Snow Fort on Craigslist
Snow Fort from Craigslist.org

Ok, this is just hilarious. I know we’ve been covering a LOT of snow related “news” lately, but sometimes you just find something that demands postage. Half the interwebz have seen our post on the Big DC Condom Shortage of 2010 from earlier and this just fits right in with the lighter side of this #snowdiculous winter.

Want to live on the Hill? Tired of living in a tiny studio apartment in DC because you can’t afford a full 1 bedroom? Always wanted your own doorman to get the door for you when your hands are full of groceries from the local ‘Teeter? Tired of paying extra for wifi? Oh wow have we found the place for you.

$140 1BR Affordable Snow Fort Sublet In Capitol Hill

Take advantage of the never ending blizzard! This move-in ready apartment is as cool as it gets. (What? There were no puns.) By the way, this would be so much more hip than living in Columbia Heights these days.

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SNOW FORECAST: 10″-20″ More, History Making Winter http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/08/snow-forecast-10-20-more-history-making-winter/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/08/snow-forecast-10-20-more-history-making-winter/#comments Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:19:28 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=27837 Photo courtesy of
‘Nate, Ernie and Unknown Nigh SteerR

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Photo courtesy of
‘Nate, Ernie and Unknown Nigh Steer’
courtesy of ‘InAweofGod’sCreation’

This is a picture of the latest suggested transportation method for DC

Logan Johnson, Senior Meteorologist with the National Weather Service, comes through yet again for the readers of We Love DC. The only thing I have to add to this thorough forecast and commentary is this: I am declaring the official #hashtag for this storm (and the whole winter) to be #snowdiculous. You are welcome.

The latest round in the boxing match with Old Man Winter will take the form of yet another powerful snowstorm taking aim on the DC area. In what has quickly gone from a snow lover’s dream winter…to something that now resembles more of a sick cosmic joke…the next storm looks poised to drop snow amounts better measured with yard sticks than rulers.

This latest installment will feature low pressure developing Tuesday near the Gulf of Mexico, and turning northwards. As it does, a new, stronger low pressure will form off the Carolina coast, spreading moisture north into the Mid-Atlantic region, as it interacts with cold air in place to fall in the form of snow.

The National Weather Service has posted Winter Storm Warnings for the DC metro area, and forecasted amounts range from 10 to 20 inches. For a city still digging out from last week’s storm, this will cause further travel difficulties, and as the snow falls heavily again, travel will become difficult or nearly impossible. By now, we know the drill, but staying off the roads and heeding all warnings from local authorities are the way to make it through another large storm.

With snow beginning late Tuesday afternoon and evening, the heaviest snow will fall during the overnight hours and into Wednesday morning. Periods of snow will continue through much of Wednesday, with things winding down by the evening. This storm will feature heavy snowfall, with rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour common during the peak intensity of the storm.

A storm of this magnitude would be significant on its own, but the fact that now possibly three storms have featured a foot or more of snow in the District in one winter is epic. If you are living here during the winter of 2009-2010 and its Snow Blitz, take lots of notes and pictures to share with your grandkids some day, because you’re living right through history.

Somebody make it stop! Save us!

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Federal Government Closed Monday http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/07/federal-government-closed-monday-2/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/07/federal-government-closed-monday-2/#comments Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:14:28 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=27782 Photo courtesy of
‘Fireworks’
courtesy of

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Photo courtesy of
‘Fireworks’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’

THIS JUST IN: OPM has made the call you’ve all been waiting on. The federal government in the DC area will be closed tomorrow! REJOICE!

The Washington Post reports on the decision here. Approximate cost to taxpayers is around $100m per day closed. But go ahead and enjoy that snow day anyway. In other news, it looks like the OPM.gov is actually down from too much traffic. OPM is also a trending topic on Twitter in DC.

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President Snowbama’s “Snowmageddon” http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/06/president-snowbamas-snowmageddon/ Sat, 06 Feb 2010 20:15:23 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=27735 Photo courtesy of
‘DC Snow 1: Whiter Than the White House&#

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Photo courtesy of
‘DC Snow 1: Whiter Than the White House’
courtesy of ‘little-wings’

Blizzards don’t stop Presidents. President Snowbama (I AM hilarious) today ventured out into the frozen tundra of Penn. Ave (along with 14 other vehicles) to give a talk at the meeting of the Democratic National Committee at the Capital Hilton. But his what would normally be a short and uneventful journey riding in the luxury of the super-hip, certifiably badass “beast” limo turned into a rather eventful trip in a snow-killing Suburban that included not one but TWO little accidents. Snow induced fender bender in the Presidential motorcade before even making it out of the driveway? Check. Tree limb falling on top of a media SUV in the motorcade causing them to stop outside of Treasury? Check.

You can find all of the details in the CNN article here. Forget your Chicago winters Mr. Obama, welcome to Washington “We have more snow than Fairbanks this year”, D.C.

IN MUCH COOLER NEWS, Snowbama obviously read my post yesterday with the wrapup of DC snowtags and terms. Because today he used the term “snowmageddon” while publicly referring to the storm! SUCCESS. Also, how many times can I use the word “snow” in one post?

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Blizzard Warning for Three MD Counties http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/05/blizzard-warning-for-three-md-counties/ http://www.welovedc.com/2010/02/05/blizzard-warning-for-three-md-counties/#comments Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:29:09 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=27679 Photo courtesy of

courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spod

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Photo courtesy of

courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

Anne Arundel, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties are now officially in a blizzard warning.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD WARNING…IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 PM EST SATURDAY. THE WINTER STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING.

Also, NOAA is taking this storm very seriously and wants you to as well. From the head of NOAA (the parent agency of the National Weather Service):

An epic snowstorm has the mid-Atlantic region in its cross hairs. At this time, personal safety must be first and foremost. National Weather Service forecasters have been tracking this storm for the past week and now that the storm is here it must be taken very seriously.

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