Category Archives: The Daily Feed

News, The Daily Feed
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Marion Barry “broke no law” in giving contract to girlfriend

Photo courtesy of
‘District Door’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’

The Office of Campaign Finance has declared that Marion Barry violated no city law when he gave his girlfriend Donna Watts-Brighthaupt a $5,000-a-month contract with the city.  The Post broke the story this afternoon that the OCF has declared Barry’s actions to be within the bounds of the law, in a ruling that boggled my mind pretty hard.  The PDF can be downloaded from the OCF Website.  Their conclusions consist of the fact that Marion Barry, as a member of the City Council, may award personal services, contracts or a trust deed with the knowledge & consent of the Secretary of the Council, who did not know about Barry’s relationship with Donna Watts-Brighthaupt (DWB). Despite the fact that DWB was in debt to Barry, they conclude, “it cannot be reasonably concluded that the Councilmember hired Ms. Watts-Brighthaupt under a $10,000 personal services contract to repay him for the loan of one mortgage payment in the amount of $700.00.”

In addition, the report concluded, “Simply put, the Councilmember’s behavior did not meet the standard established by the [District of Columbia Campaign Finance Reform and Conflict of Interest] Act. The Councilmember hired Ms. Watts-Brighthaupt for a job and she produced a product. It may have been imprudent for him to hire a person with whom he had a close relationship; but, the overriding principles of disclosure do not govern such a relationship.”

The censure will stand, though, as while Marion Barry did not break any laws, his acts were in violation of the Council’s ethics guidelines and he was subject to discipline from his peers. The question remains: what will it take to finally get Barry gone from city politics? I mean, it’s bad enough that there are appearances of impropriety between Mayor Fenty and Sinclair Skinner and others, but no direct evidence, but when we have a councilman steering not insignificant amounts of money to his girlfriend, well, we just end up the butt of jokes.

The Daily Feed
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Hey Ladies: Wine, Food, and Bikes!

Photo courtesy of
‘Bicycle Girl’
courtesy of ‘richardmasoner’

Hey all you lady cyclists (or would-be cyclists) out there– just a heads up that Revolution Cycles is holding two Ladies’ Night gatherings this month with free wine, food, and great biking information.  This Wednesday, head out to the Crystal City Revolution Cycles from 6:30 to 8:30, and next Thursday August 12, head to the Georgetown shop from 6:30 to 8:30.  Women from the Revolution Cycles team will discuss where to ride, why to ride, and how to ride safely and comfortably.  The point of these sessions is to reduce barriers so we all feel more comfortable riding around the city.  It doesn’t matter if you’re a serious triathlete or a casual bike  commuter– we all need to know how to change a flat and how to properly maintain a bike.  So come for the bike knowledge, and stay for the wine and refreshments.  All they ask is that you RSVP for Crystal City (8/4) or Georgetown (8/12) beforehand.  See you there!

Fun & Games, History, People, The Daily Feed
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Baby-pocalypse

Photo courtesy of
‘Sunny Morning’
courtesy of ‘spectreman’

Snow days can be boring, especially when the drag on beyond just one or two. The novelty of the storm starts to wear off, books get read, TV’s shows get old, board games get overplayed and you start to wonder what you’re going to do with your life until work starts again. For couples trapped at home together, certain… activities present themselves as more opportune than at other times during the year. Aaand, that’s what happened during Snowpocalypse 1.0. and that now, 9 months after the storm, lots of babies are soon to be born. WaPo reports that are hospitals are staffing up to deal with the spate of births scheduled for August. Not everyone buys into  “disaster” induced conception, but the theory seems sound to me. It’s amusing, at the very least.

The Daily Feed
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TenPenh is Turning Ten

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Heather F’
Usually the birthday boy is the one getting the gifts, but for TenPenh’s 10th birthday, they’re dishing out the freebies. During dinner service in the month of August, the restaurant will place secret red envelopes under the plates of unsuspecting diners with $10 gift certificates to the restaurant in them. Way better than the time you got school clothes for your tenth birthday.

And today, in honor of their birthday, the restaurant will feature a special $10 bento box during their extended lunch hour (11am-3pm). With a deal like that you’ll have plenty of cash left over for cake…in honor of TenPenh, of course.

The Daily Feed
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Peak-of-the-peak starts tomorrow afternoon

Photo courtesy of
‘2010:39’
courtesy of ‘::FiZ::’

This morning should have marked the implementation of new peak-of-the-peak fare hikes, which add $0.20 per trip to metrorail trips taken from 7:30a to 9a, and 4:30p to 6p, but Metro is taking things slow with this one.  Look for the first to get charged during tomorrow afternoon’s rush, and the first morning peak-of-the-peak to debut before the end of August.  In addition, using a paper farecard will now cost you an additional $0.25 per trip.  That’s right, a quarter extra if you don’t want to use the SmarTrip cards.

At the end of the month, SmarTrip cards are dropping down to $2.50 from $5.  I’m not sure why the change in fares to make paper farecards more expensive didn’t coincide with Metro’s price drop on the cards, but I’m sure they’re going to milk that extra $2.50 for all it’s worth in the meantime. If you’re commuting ten days this month, it will pay for itself. Otherwise, use the paper tickets and grab the SmarTrip when it’s cheaper on August 29th.

Update: This story has been altered to reflect the change that peak-of-the-peak will debut tomorrow and not today, as Metro has delayed the rollout yet again.

The Daily Feed
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DC releases redesigned website for DC.gov

dcdotgov.jpg

Over the past year or so, the DC OCTO has been releasing their new web design in dribs and drabs, department by department.  DDOT and DCRA were early high-visibility adopters, and now it’s time for the main site to take on the new look. Over the weekend, DC.gov took on the new look I like the new theme, even if their content management system doesn’t produce the most readable or pasteable URLs.  Not all of the applications and pages are in the new style yet, which can be a bit jarring when you end up on one of the older-themed pages, but I’m pretty pleased with the way it turned out. Far better than the previous version, which looked like a refugee from the late 90s.

The Daily Feed
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Nats miss sweep, lose in extras to Phillies

John Lannan between innings
Photo by Ian Koski / Nationals Daily News

John Lannan took the mound Sunday with his career at a turning point. Lannan, the Opening Day Starter for the Nationals in 2010 and 2009, has struggled heavily this season. He went down to AA Harrisburg a few weeks back, and returned on Sunday to face the 2nd-place Phillies. It’s not a team that he has a strong track record against; he’s 0-7 lifetime against the Phils, and they hit him very well (.311/.388/.547) which seemed to indicate that he might not have the best day. In the end, the Nats would lose, but it wouldn’t be because Lannan buckled. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Nationals beat Phillies on 9th inning heroics from Ryan Zimmerman

Ryan Zimmerman beats the Phillies
Photo by Max Cook / We Love DC

Last night’s game ended the way the storybooks tell you they do: with a walk-off homer and a mob at home plate. Ryan Zimmerman, with two men on in the bottom of the ninth inning, absolutely crushed the ball to the grassy patch that’s part of the center field batters’ eye. The Nats chalk up a curly W, 7-5 and guarantee a series win over division opponent Philadelphia. How they got the win is important, but how they nearly wound up down to the last at-bats in the ninth is crucial, too.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Stammen Sparkles in Clean Game


Photo by Anthony Amobi / Nationals News Network

Roy Oswalt’s debut with Philadelphia didn’t go the way the hordes of fans in from out of town hoped it would. Instead, Phillies and Nats fans and were treated to 6.1 fine innings pitched by Nationals right-hander Craig Stammen and a hard-hitting line-up all throughout the order. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Miss Iowa Comes To Washington

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So if you’ve been living under a rock since Tuesday night then you wouldn’t know this, but Miss Iowa came to visit NatsTown Friday night. Why? Good question. Seems random. I know. That’s because it is.

You see, word on the street is some people can’t take a joke or misconstrue a joke as a knock on their home state. When Miss Iowa aka Katherine Connors heard word that “some pitcher” was talking trash on her as seen on ESPN (aka Miguel Batista) by one of her friends, she had to stand up and defend herself. Continue reading →

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West End Movie Theater Is Back

Photo courtesy of
‘Day 238: E Street Cinemas’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’

I absolutely love going to see movies.  The more the merrier is my opinion when it comes to movie theater real estate, especially if the theater is quaint and has some personality.

According to The Georgetown Voice and the West End Flyer, the Inner Circle triplex will reopen the West End Theater at 2301 M Street NW this fall.  The Circle West End first opened on April 12, 1985 and later closed in 2004.

When the theater re-opens, it will feature “first-run independent films, art house, documentary, and remastered classic films.”

I will bring the tickets if you get the popcorn (and Twizzlers please)!

The Daily Feed
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Cristian Guzman Traded to Texas

Photo courtesy of
‘in the pocket’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

The Nationals continue to deal chips before the July 31 trade deadline this afternoon with news that infielder Cristian Guzman is going to the Texas Rangers in return for a few prospects.

Guzman has played in 550 games for the Nationals, second only to Ryan Zimmerman.

Guzman was also the longest tenured Nat whose service to the team had been uninterrupted. Additionally, he was on the team’s original 2005 Opening Day roster.

Updates after the page break. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Cheap Flights to California

Photo courtesy of
‘121:365’
courtesy of ‘.lissa.’

Ever wish you could trade in the Beltway traffic, politics, and oppressive humidity of DC for the beauty of California for a little while?  Well, now’s your chance.  Virgin America just announced $119 non-stop one way fares from Dulles to Los Angeles and $139 non-stop one way fares from Dulles to San Francisco.  These rates are good for trips in August through October and must be booked one week in advance.  And there’s no catch– just a fantastic deal and a good excuse to leave DC for a little while.

The Daily Feed
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The Classiest BBQ You’ll Ever See

Photo courtesy of
‘The scene is set!’
courtesy of ‘fifikins’
Ever felt like you’re the only one who appreciates a nice al fresco meal? Well you’ll be able to join 79 of your fellow outdoor diners on Thursday, August 5th when the folks behind D.C.’s annual International Food and Wine Festival debut their Urban Farm Table. Billed as “much more than a barbeque with a bureaucratic backdrop,” the dinner will be served under the stars at long communal tables in the center of the Woodrow Wilson Plaza at the Ronald Reagan Building.

The evening will start at 8:00pm with a BBQ canape reception with the chefs, followed by a four-course gourmet meal beginning at dusk.

Diners will sample dishes made by local D.C. chefs such as Olivier Perret of Ici Urban Bistro, Todd Gray of Equinox, Xavier Deshayes of the Ronald Reagan Building and Tiffany Maclssac of Birch & Barley and Churchkey.

Tickets will run you $70 (or $60 if you are a Tastepost.com member) and are still available, but going fast. To scoop yours up, send an email here.

The Daily Feed
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Vince Gray uses the Old Spice strategy

YouTube Preview Image

Noting the success of the Old Spice YouTube marketing campaign, Vince Gray takes his cue from The Man your Man Could Smell Like and has posted brief YouTube videos in response to questions and comments from DC social media users.

If you have a question for Gray, you can as @grayformayor on Twitter or leave a wall post on Facebook. Or leave your question in the comments and we’ll ask him.

Update: The Gray campaign indicates that there will be another set of videos in a couple of weeks. While I’d like to see it planned as a weekly thing at least (and I think more candidates should be doing it), it seems like the best way to encourage it is to ask lots of good questions. So bring ’em on, DC.

The Daily Feed
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August Welcomes Arts On N Street

Photo courtesy of
‘The Artist’
courtesy of ‘Mondmann’

There is a large percentage of the population who believe that pictures from Ikea qualify as legitimate wall art. There’s no shame in this – it’s cheap and generally tasteful. But wouldn’t it be nicer to have some real art made by real people? Real people who live in your city no less?

To rectify the situation, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities has teamed up with the Washington Convention Center to host the Arts on N Street Festival. Part celebration, part art market, the event will take place during the first two weekends of August along N Street between 7th and 9th Streets NW. Fashion designers, painters, photographers and jewelry makers will be on-hand to sell their wares, while DJs will provide a little light background music. This is a great opportunity to replace that canvas of Audrey Hepburn (or maybe you went with the Eiffel Tower shot?) with something local and unique. Audrey won’t mind – promise.

The festival is free of charge and will take place on August 7th, 8th, 14th and 15th from 10am to 4pm.

The Daily Feed
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Nationals Trade Matt Capps To Minnesota

Photo courtesy of
‘Matt Capps’
courtesy of ‘MissChatter’

Matt Capps is one of the reasons Nationals baseball had an exciting ride early this year. There’s no denying that.

The team’s lone All-Star representative in 2010 was traded to the Minnesota Twins last night for catcher Wilson Ramos and left-hander Joe Testa. Both are prospect players who will start their time with the Nationals on the farm. Ramos will start at Class Triple-A Syracuse and Testa will report to Class-A Potomoc.

The 26-year-old Capps came to Washington during the off-season as a free agent. He signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal. In many ways, he was the boy with the golden touch for the Nationals bullpen who had often struggled before Capps came in as a stabilizer. Continue reading →