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.

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!

Arturo’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 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.

Mini-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, 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!

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.

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.

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.

”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

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.

‘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.

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.

‘later…’
courtesy of ‘memory of you’

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

‘Secluded Beach’
courtesy of ‘mynameisharsha’

Aswan, Egypt. Photo by Karl Johnson

‘Walk it off’
courtesy of ‘mynameisharsha’

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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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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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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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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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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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At times like these, you keep your Senior Meteorologist at the National Weather Service on speed-dial. And for good reason. Logan Johnson brings us this very interesting tidbit:

“…3 feet of snow in the district is a possibility. And the only storm ever to thought to have dropped that much snow in DC was back in 1779 in the Washington and Jefferson Storm.”

WHAT!?! Most snowfall in over 230 years in the District? So pretty much this has a very real chance of being the biggest snowstorm in DC….EVER. If you are interested in snow history, check this page out with all of the details.

The official forecast from the NWS office in Sterling is as follows (after the jump):

This Afternoon: Snow. High near 34. East wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

Tonight: Snow and areas of blowing snow. The snow could be heavy at times. Low around 27. Blustery, with a northeast wind between 13 and 22 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 16 to 22 inches possible.

Saturday: Snow and areas of blowing snow. High near 30. Blustery, with a north wind between 17 and 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 5 to 9 inches possible.

That means (add it up) up to 35″ of snow…or basically three feet. Logan points out that this could actually be TWICE the size of the December snowpocalypse. This is very real and, while hilarious and exciting at many times, kinda’ scary.

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#snOMG. #snowpocalyse. #snowmageddon.

#snOMGasm. #snogasm. #snoWTF. #snowlyshit

The only thing more ridiculous than the amount of snow we’ve been getting this year are the snow hashtags flying around the interwebz. And by ridiculous, I mean RIDICULOUSLY funny. In a good way. LAUGH. Let us also recognize that we must pay homage to the fact that this is indeed the second coming of the #snowpocalypse this year. Therefore, #snOMG2pointO is pretty appropriate.

#snovechkin #snohedidnt #precipaggedon #snowpocalypseNOW #snowbliteration

Then we have some cranky people who are not overly pleased that DC has become Fairbanks, Alaska this winter. These people (we are not naming names) choose to refer to our impending white doom as:

#snowTheF**kAway and #snowF**kYourself #snowtards

(I will be leaving in the bleep sounds because of a recent conversation about author’s mothers reading this blog, but you get the cranky picture)

Then there are the super clever people who’ve come up with not just hashtags but whole phrases! Ingenious!

I believe in God, and the only thing that scares me is Keyser Snöwze (LOVE this one)
Are you down with Snow P P? Yea you know me! (Ravi, you are ridiculous)
Snowpocalypse 2: The Squeakqual (hahahahah)

I am actually hearing from inside sources that this has a chance of being the biggest snowstorm in DC history. No, I am not being sarcastic (not that I ever am, but I’m just sayin’). If things go right, there is a very strong chance that this storm could make #snowpocalypse1 look relatively small. So be safe and sit back and enjoy. And by “enjoy”, I of course mean come up with new snowtags!

What else ya’ got? Leave your best snowtags and snowphrases in the comments. The funniest one will get the prize of my admiration for a whole day.

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Please proceed to this website.

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It’s been snowing a lot lately. The DC Snowpocalypse, or snOMG if you will, was just the start. Even with the three or four storms we’ve had already, Mrs. Nature (she’s the mother) is not done with us yet. With a few more storms already in the forecast, we had to call on our National Weather Service Senior Forecaster Logan Johnson once again. Logan’s WeLoveDC forecast and description of thunder snow was a big hit in December and he’s done it again.

So, Logan…give it to us straight. What does the next few days hold for us?

“A rather fast moving snow storm is expected to impact the Washington, D.C. metro area this evening and tonight. A storm will be quickly developing off the Carolina coast late this afternoon, and send moisture up this way. With cold air at the surface…precipitation will fall in the form of snow, and it is expected that several inches of snow will arrive by Wednesday morning. Temperatures will start out in the middle 30s, which will mean that at first, the snow may have trouble sticking to road surfaces. But as night falls and temperatures drop below freezing by the mid evening hours, expect that the snow will start sticking to all surfaces. While this storm is not expected to be nearly as significant as the major storm in December, it is still expected that several inches, as many as 3 to 7, will fall in the DC metro area. This will cause hazardous travel conditions to develop tonight as road surfaces become snow covered and slippery. Snow will fall most heavily between 8 PM and 1 AM, with rates of up to an inch per hour in the heaviest snow expected. So while this is not expected to be a historic or record breaking storm, its very important for residents to be alert to the threat of hazardous travel conditions developing this evening and tonight, and adjust their plans accordingly.”

Well that makes sense to me. A few storms…no big deal, right? But why have we had soo many storms already? I’m not really complaining, I love the white stuff (not the kind that goes up the nose, though). But why so much?

“This winter has featured a very active storm pattern for much of the area. This is in part due to an active El Nino, which makes more moisture available to developing low pressure systems around the east coast. Another favorable feature has been the cold air from Canada which continually makes its way south every few weeks, and allows for this extra precipitiation to fall as snow. So the combination of an El Nino pattern, and frequent cold air arriving from Canada has made this an active and bountiful snowfall season so far. With several more weeks left in winter, it appears that the Washington area is not out of the woods yet for significant snowfalls.”

So, in short, blame Canada.

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Move over you sun tanned beauties from Hawaii (2) and California (3) who spend all day working out, surfing and just being hot. Despite the fact that we spend all of our time stuck in cubicles, in underground Metro and Hill tunnels and freezing what little assets we have off in the 15 degree snow, DC IS WHERE IT’S AT. I cannot lie and I do not lie. The Daily Beast is now claiming that, based on their rather crazy and somewhat absurd, albeit somehow slightly practical, calculations, the District of Columbia is the “state” with the most attractive people in the United States.

No longer will we stand for that ridiculous term “Hollywood for the ugly.” No longer will we sit back and take the abuse dished out at us by the 50 states who wish they could be a district instead of a state but who still love their Congressional representation (but actually always hate their Reps. yet always vote them back in, just be happy you have some mmkay?), and there’s even Guam and American Samoa who probably say crap about us too! NO MORE I SAY!

How did we end up at the top? I’m just going to paste a snippet of their crazytown formula for you all to take in:

Here’s how we calculated the ultimate home state bragging rights. First, we determined who had the most stunners-per-capita (allowing Connecticut and California an equal playing field), tallying the hometowns of more than 300 male and female fashion models, plus 125 men mentioned in 10 years’ worth of People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” issues. Then, we accounted for the results of the Miss America and Miss USA pageants for the past decade. Finally, in order to measure general attractiveness, we factored in health and fitness data for each state from 2006-2008, ranked by the Trust for America’s Health. Each of those three criteria—models, pageant winners, fitness—was weighed equally, with any ties broken by which state performed best in the latter category.

The celeb who represents us as our figurehead of beauty is native Katherine Heigl, who keeps dying and coming back to life and then going away and being found and breaking up and getting back together on Grey’s Anatomy. Maybe she represents DC in more ways than just her looks? Sounds kinda’ like a hot piece of legislation in the Senate these days.

Now, go befriend the hotness that is our city. Appreciate the fact that not only do you live in the most powerful place on earth, it’s also the hottest. Every day of the year. So stop being single already.

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Save on the flight to Vegas and skip the traffic-ridden drive to scary Atlantic City – table games are right around the corner. Few DC area residents know it, but legit and legal table game gambling will soon be just a 75 minute car trip away. Roll the dice, try your luck at 21, bet on red over black or even go all in – pick your poison. It’s coming this summer. In addition to betting on horse races or applying your skillful strategies at one of the thousands of slot machines, Charles Town Races and Slots is just 6 months away from offering all of your favorite table games right here in the DC metro area. There is nowhere else even remotely this close to DC where you can go and gamble away the days and nights.

So many people from the metro area head to Vegas and Atlantic City to get their gambling fix – and many more head underground for poker – that I predict the popularity of these table games will exceed even what Penn National Gaming, the parent company, is counting on. I’m pretty sure that later this year, you and your buds will be heading up to West Virginia for a little fun at the tables. It’s going to happen. It will become the local place for bachelor parties and birthday trips, a quick weekend away with the spouse, and even where you take your out-of-town friends who’ve never been to a real casino before. It’s going to be huge and DC area residents benefit from the locals’ decision to allow table games. Well, Penn National benefits anyway (unless you’re Rain Man). But at least you’ll be entertained!

‘Boxcars’
courtesy of ‘banspy’

What makes this casino destination unique is that the faux-everything and glitzy excess of a gambling operation does not extend much beyond the grounds. Charles Town is an incredibly historic town and is surrounded by natural beauty and history at every turn. Your weekend away could become a Friday night at the poker table for him and a Saturday morning checking out the unique little shops of Shepherdstown or a historical tour of Harpers Ferry for her. It really does combine to make Jefferson County, WV quite the destination. But it’s not all roses.

These lovely little towns are where I hail from and I cringe at thinking of the possibility of them becoming like mini-Vegas. Locals approved table games last month, the second time it has come up for a vote, with hopes that it will give the local economy a boost and create 500+ relatively well playing jobs for dealers and other casino employees. Since the first time it was voted down, the area’s delegation to Charleston (the state capital) was able to get the “profit sharing” formula improved in favor of local schools and municipalities; an estimated $6.4 million annually including almost $4 million for the schools alone. That’s a pretty attractive number for a school district that really needs the money. But at what cost? Many are concerned about the crime and the general culture of “sin” that is supported around a large gambling establishment. While I don’t really see Charles Town (and Ranson where the casino actually lives) as becoming crime ridden overnight, I do very much worry about the state and county infrastructure required to support the massive influx of poker-bound tourism.

‘Isolation’
courtesy of ‘maxedaperture’

Right now Charles Town has Thoroughbred racing and slots. And with just that, you can’t get out of the state on the main highway 340 on a Sunday afternoon without sitting in stop and go traffic for an hour. I really, really can’t imagine what that’s going to look like when you double or triple the amount of cars due to table games. I haven’t heard much info about other solutions, but I sure hope somebody is working on them. And not just at the government level – the private sector should find ways to tackle this as a profitable endeavor while saving the area at the same time. Casino bound train from Union Station to Harpers Ferry anyone? I can see it! I’m hoping there will be a regularly scheduled bus shuttle from DC to cut down on a lot of cars; they would follow the DC to NY bus model if they’re smart.

‘ReynoldsHallLateAfternoon’
courtesy of ‘macfanmd’

Since table games will be a reality very soon, I do encourage you to head out to WV and take advantage of the new entertainment opportunities almost in your backyard – and spend liberally at local establishments! But I ask just this one thing: Remember that your new playground is also one of the most historic counties in the country and is filled with great people in a beautiful, rural setting. In other words, take care of it. Respect it. Treat it as you would your own hometown. Because…it’s my hometown.

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You may not be able to pronounce it, but you will soon be talking about the coolest street food truck this side of the Mississippi – or perhaps even the Nile (not “denial”, we are actually talking about the river in Egypt). Sâuçá is a new “mobile restaurant” that will be hitting the District’s streets by the end of the month. Let’s recap a few key words that describe this new concept: on wheels, food from around the world, flat screen TVs, wifi, international pay phone, super social media usage and FOOD FROM AROUND THE WORLD. Did I mention this is all on wheels? To this, Mr. Farhad Assari (the restaurateur), I have only two words: YES PLEASE.

From the announcement: “The Sâuçá brand is more than just serving food inspired by global destinations from the Sâuçámobile, it’s about connecting with patrons in new and exciting ways,” says Assari. “Sure, they’ll see our unique vehicle – our restaurant on wheels – but we’ll also connect to them virtually, through social and interactive media on a nearly continuous basis.”

You will be able to track the truck’s location via their website, Twitter, a custom iPhone app and Facebook. The iPhone app will show the current menu too…how about iPhone ordering and pre-payment? I’m hoping the location is often listed as “outside of Karl’s house”. But what will they serve you ask?

The menu is based around the sâuçá – a hand held warm, griddled flatbread wrap-style sandwich inspired by global street food: quick to prepare, easy to eat, and portable to eat on the spot or back at the office.  Guests select one of six different regionally inspired sâuçás from the menu, with weekly alternating selections. Global regions will be represented by two different sâuçás, with choices from Europe like a Croque Monsieur, to the African/Indian the Mumbai Butter Chicken sâuçá (the house specialty).  Also offered will be soups, salads, and the sâuçá sweet – the Toffle, (above right), a gourmet waffle with a choice of luscious toppings, great for either breakfast or dessert.  Drinks include a special mint-infused orange blossom Limunad, (lemonade), organic coffees, and hot teas.   Menu prices range from $5 – $8 for breakfast, lunch and dinner sâuçás, to Toffles for $5, beverages, soups, and salads from $2 – $7.

This guy has got it right. He seems to have a solid understanding of branding and interactive marketing in combination with a (hopefully) delicious set of well priced food from around the world, all in a truck that focuses on the overall customer experience. I love it. But with that said, it is all for naught unless the food is really, really good – downright delicious, in other words. We will find out in a few short weeks, but I have high hopes. Check out the progress of the magical food truck on their blog here.

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According to ESPN just minutes ago, the NBA has announced that Wizards’ player Gilbert Arenas will be suspended indefinitely without pay. This is a rather shocking and unexpected move as a result of his ridiculous gun pulling stunt that took place in the locker room of the Verizon Center on Christmas Eve. He later came out and said it was all a joke, but I don’t think many people really buy that.

Quotes from the ESPN article and the AP:

“Although it is clear that the actions of Mr. Arenas will ultimately result in a substantial suspension, and perhaps worse, his ongoing conduct has led me to conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game,” commissioner David Stern said in a statement Wenesday. “Accordingly, I am suspending Mr. Arenas indefinitely, without pay, effective immediately pending the completion of the investigation by the NBA.”

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