‘Christmas in Washington – 090’
courtesy of ‘giantminispacegoat’

In a sure sign that the holidays are almost here, the National Park Service announced the dates for the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. The tree will be lit on Dec. 9 at 5 p.m., but you’ll need some advance planning (and a lot of luck) to score tickets. The online lottery to attend the ceremony will be held from 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 5 through 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 7, and includes 3,000 ticketed seats and 10,000 standing room tickets. You can enter the lottery here.

If you lack access to a computer (highly unlikely since you’re reading this blog), you can call 877-444-6777 to enter the lottery by phone.

‘Newsweek Logo Process by Jim Parkinson’
courtesy of ‘FontShop’

I thought it was funny when the Associated Press turned to Craigslist to find its new D.C. Bureau Chief. Well, social media knows no bounds when it comes to the job search, which is why Newsweek (under new management since being sold by the Post Co. earlier this year) has upped the game by going to another 2.0 outlet – Tumblr – to find its new editor. From the post on the always entertaining Newsweek tumblr:

Out: TINA BROWN. In: YOU?

Do *you* have what it takes to be the next editor of NEWSWEEK?

The official (unofficial) NWK Tumblr search has begun. We are not f—king with you.

Send us your resumes, pies, LOLcats, booze—and don’t forget to include a special thanks to K. Ryan Jones, the genius behind the official (unofficial) Newsweek editor search video, brought you by NWK Tumblr.

Hey. They are not f–king with you. Get on it.

‘Mustache 08’
courtesy of ‘yospyn’

I cannot tell you how badly I wanted to wake up and have this be a Friday, but sadly, it’s Thursday. Fortunately, there are a bunch of awesome food trucks and it’s really beautiful and sunny out, so grab your things and get yourself some lunch here in a bit. The walk will clear your head, and a day without lunch is like cookies without sprinkles. Get on it, DC.

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‘This is the proof, we made it to the daily show!’
courtesy of ‘zugaldia’

The DC media and politics junkie scene is (naturally) distracted by the big display that will be Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert’s Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear a week from this Saturday. It’s easy to forget that one of the reasons Stewart et al will be down here is because they had already scheduled tapings for the Daily Show from DC leading up to the midterm elections that are just a few weeks away.

You may remember this from mid-summer when tickets were made available and disappeared over your lunch hour. All of that mad dash for tickets, and the guests for each taping hadn’t even been announced. In the last few days, the Daily Show finally announced who will be sitting down with Stewart, and the headliner is none other than President Obama. Obama, who will be the guest on the Wednesday show, appeared on the show in the past, but before he was elected.

The other guests for the tapings will be Council of Economic Advisors Chairman Austan Goolsbee (October 25) and Senator Ted Kaufman (D-DE; October 26). A guest has not been announced for the October 28th taping as of post time. If you are lucky enough to attend one of the shows, remember: they tape in the early evening, and it’s in your best interest to get over to the Harman Center for the Arts around 4 or even a little before then.

‘Crepe Making’
courtesy of ‘K’s Clicks’
Don’t know what to have for lunch today? Are you hoping for something a little French and a lot free? Well head over the new Muncheez Mania in Georgetown, where today at lunch (from 12pm-2pm) they will be giving out free crepes and sandwiches to customers in honor of their grand opening.

Stop by for the Three Cheese Muncheez Sandwich, the Wild Thyme Muncheez, or the PB&J crepe. Delicious forever, but only free today.

Our friends at ArlNOW.com have obtained this surveillance video of the incident in which Dimas Pinzon jumped onto the tracks at the Virginia Square Metro Station to aid another man who had fallen onto the tracks while having a medical emergency, just as another train was pulling into the station.

Pinzon had to pick his way around the electrified third rail, and at one point actually stood on top of the rail cover. Predictably, Metro spokesman Ron Holzer discourages this behavior, pointing out quite correctly that the third rail is dangerous and the cover is not meant to support a person’s weight, but then he asserts that the correct course of action is to notify the station manager so that the train can be stopped.

I don’t know what stations Holzer is using, where you can count on making it to the top of the escalator and actually finding a station manager near his or her desk, but they are not the stations I am passing through, and it’s not like the platforms have a convenient way to page the station manager.  So I am not sure I’d be willing to risk letting a train hit another human being while I ran around to find the manager.

‘Tom 10’
courtesy of ‘yospyn’

Once again, the dreary weather has at least one truck out of operation, but there are still a bunch out there today to keep you from starving on your lunch break. Check out the map below the cut to get your lunch plans together with your friends!

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When Hillary Clinton speaks, you listen. The State Department released a video yesterday of Clinton telling LGBT youth to “hang in there,” making her the latest personality to join Dan Savage’s “It Gets Better” campaign. The campaign was created last month in response to the recent string of LGBT suicides, and highlights personal stories and celebrity PSAs as a way to show young people that the bullying, self-doubt and intolerance of adolescence do in fact improve.

For her own PSA, the Secretary of State included the obligatory patriotism, citing “the story of America is the story of people coming together to tear down barriers, stand up for rights and insist on equality, not only for themselves but for all people.” Her delivery is wooden at best, but it’s nonetheless a powerful message of support from the administration. And poor delivery or no, it’s hard to find fault with one of her final lines: “Take heart and have hope. Please remember that your life is valuable, and that you are not alone.”

‘Breakfast Neon Sign’
courtesy of ‘Digital Magic Photography’
Were you just thinking to yourself, “I wish I had more brunch options on 14th Street between P and T Streets?” Well, the restaurant gods were listening to your odd request, because two places that fit the criteria are upping the brunch ante.

At Masa 14, you can eat all you can eat and drink all you can drink on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00am to 2:30pm. For $35, you can sample as many of their featured tiny dishes as you would like and sip (or slurp) on their bottomless signature cocktails. There is the Masa Breakfast Pizza, Chilaquiles, Pho Beef Sandwich, and Tenderloin Benedict. And the good news is, you don’t have to choose! Have ’em all.

A little further down the street, Estadio will debut their brunch menu starting this Sunday. For now they will just be serving on Sundays, but by mid-November, you will be able to enjoy Saturday brunch as well. Some dishes from the dinner menu will be available in addition to breakfast specialties like Spanish torrijas (think French toast) and fried hen eggs with chorizo.

So many options, so few Sundays (and Saturdays).

‘New DC Streetcar’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

DDOT this afternoon released a 42-page updated Streetcar System Plan to the Council for review and approval.  The plan focuses on the existing line that is intended to run from Union Station to Benning Rd NE & Oklahoma Ave NE, as well as the Anacostia line that’s planned to run from the Anacostia Metro to 2750 South Capitol Street near St. Elizabeth’s.

DDOT intends to have the system begin operations in the Spring of 2012.  The plan released today includes a set of goals that have been funded by the council but require approval.  Those plans include options for turnarounds at both termini (10 sites, total) and a maintenance facility (3 sites, total), and recommendations based on those options, and will build overhead power lines along the H Street line.  We’ll have more about the plan later this week.

‘The Newseum’
courtesy of ‘Danilo.Lewis|Fotography’

There are just ten and a half weeks before the end of the year.  73 days.  But, starting today, you can expect the New Year’s Eve plans emails to start rolling in. Newseum was the first in my email box, and they’re offering a gala formal called the “Headliners Ball,” which features two hours of open bar, and a champagne toast at midnight for $125 a person.  You can add a five course dinner at The Source by Wolfgang Puck for another $100, and then you can crash at Hotel Monaco for another $199.  That’s $650 for an evening for two at Newseum on New Year’s.  Whew, that seems pricy for one night, don’t you think?

‘Blogger Day’
courtesy of ‘MissChatter’

In the days following Stan Kasten’s announcement that he was departing the Nationals, there was much conversation concerning the fate of the President’s position with the team.  Many wondered if the job might be split into two pieces, one for stadium and non-baseball operations, and one for baseball front office operations.  Today, we got the answer, as the Nationals promoted general manager Mike Rizzo to a new position: Executive Vice President for Baseball Operations and General Manager.

Ben Goessling from MASN Sports was on the call this afternoon and has a full summary with quotes from the call.  Rizzo’s promotion came with a five year contract extension, putting him at the top of the club’s baseball hierarchy through the 2015 season.  Principal Owner Ted Lerner is very pleased with the extension of their front office man, saying, “Mike Rizzo is unquestionably one of the best baseball minds in the game.”