Category Archives: The Daily Feed

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The DMV

Photo courtesy of
‘Because This Motorist’s Car Had Failed the Carbon Monoxide and Hydrocarbon Emissions Test a Second Time…09/1975’
courtesy of ‘The U.S. National Archives’

There’s nothing I hate like a contrived nickname. It’s only barely better than a nickname you’ve given yourself, which as we all know is verboten. But Paul Farhi has a piece in today’s Post about “The DMV” which refers to “The District, Maryland and Virginia.” I don’t know about you, but what I think of when I hear that awful acronym is the Department of Motor Vehicles. You know, the place you have to go once every couple of years, to fill out lengthy forms with obscure automotive references and detailed personal information, and to be reminded of the soul-crushing bureaucracy required to do anything related to the government. That’s not what I want to associate my home with, really, and I just don’t understand it.

Paul Farhi says that it dates back to Channel 9’s original name: “Actually, long before then, Washington’s Channel 9 was known as WDMV-TV, which stood for “the District, Maryland and Virginia.” But WDMV died long before the current vogue for “the DMV” (the call letters live on at a small AM radio station in Walkersville, Md.).” But, as William Yurasko points out, that’s just not the case: “Actually, Channel 9 was known as WDVM.”

That kinda guts Farhi’s whole “historical angle,” doesn’t it? I really think this nickname should die a horrific death. We’re “the Washington DC area,” or, for those who live inside the bounds, “The District.” We’re also The Nation’s Capital, if you want to get fancy, or the Greater Washington Metropolitan Area. But The DMV? No thank you. Sorry, Paul Farhi.

Adventures, Business and Money, Entertainment, Food and Drink, Fun & Games, History, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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National Cheesecake Day: Get Your Forks Out

Photo courtesy of
‘The Cheesecake Factory’
courtesy of ‘Bitman’

In honor of National Cheesecake Day, all Cheesecake Factories have slashed prices on all their cheesecakes by 50%.  They’re also debuting their latest addition, Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Cheesecake, which looks ultra yummy good. So stop in your local Cheesecake Factory, and treat yourself you a slice.

The Daily Feed
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Get Your Mallets Ready

Photo courtesy of
‘Every Food Fits: Don’t Bother Us, We’re Crabby!’
courtesy of ‘staceyviera’

Throughout the month of August, Bar Pilar will have hardshell crab dinners. Yep, you heard me, a little bit of the Bay right on 14th Street. Prepared by executive chef and Baltimore native Justin Bittner, the meal ($60) is served for two and includes a pile of steamed crabs and two or three seasonal sides. Sides have included steamed corn on the cob, steamed clams with chorizo, cornbread and heirloom tomatoes.

If you can’t make it to Bar Pilar to crack crabs, hardshells are available at Art & Soul, Bethesda Crab House, Quarterdeck, The Dancing Crab, and if Metro-accessibility isn’t a must for you – Cantler’s.

News, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Nationals, Olsen top Braves 5-3

Scott Olsen on the Mound Thursday
Photo by Cheryl Nichols Nats News Network

Scott Olsen returned to the mound for the Nationals on Thursday afternoon and pitched six solid innings of 2-run ball to notch his first win since May. Olsen had been struggling to the starting rotation after tightness in his shoulder would not abate after a start in late May. Today, none of that was evident, as the hurler would go six full, with velocity reaching the low 90s, which is impressive when you think that he came into Spring Training throwing in the low 80s. After the game, Manager Jim Riggleman would say of Olsen, “He looked good…he kept the ball down, confident with his pitches,” and that’s just what the Nationals needed when they continue to face problems in their starting five. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Downed Power Lines in Silver Spring Causing Red Line Disruption

Photo courtesy of
‘Red Line to Glenmont’
courtesy of ‘afagen’

Just when you thought nothing else could go wrong for Metro today, there is a power line down on the tracks in Silver Spring, which is massively disrupting service. Refreshingly, this one is pretty much not Metro’s fault.

Basically, Pepco (also not having a great week) needs to determine whether the line is still live or not before passengers can be offloaded from the stranded train onto the rescue train. Fortunately, there is still at least AC on the stranded train. It’s the little things.

While service is not operating between Glenmont and Silver Spring, the rest of the line is still operating on either side. But, as always, expect serious delays and maybe you just want to cab it home tonight.

UPDATED TO ADD: Metro’s press release reminds everyone that relying on shuttle bus service is pretty much a joke at rush hour, because a shuttle carries 50 people while a full train carries 800-1000. Seriously you guys, CAB IT.

The Daily Feed
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It’s Like Winning the Lottery… of Chicken

Photo courtesy of
‘Chik-fil-a cravings must be dealt with’
courtesy of ‘MRBECK’

What would you do for a year’s worth of Chik-fil-A?  Would you camp out in this heat for two nights?  Well that’s just what hundreds of people did in Silver Spring since Tuesday.  The Washington Post reports that a new Chik-fil-A store opened today, and it attracted legions of fans for its “First 100” promotion.  The first 100 people in line got 52 coupons for free combo meals.

These people aren’t just your typical area college students that have nothing better to do with their time, they’re actual functional members of society who traveled for hours to attend the opening.  In fact, the article quotes one fan who has been to 56 of these “First 100” openings– meaning she has earned a total of 2,912 coupons for free meals at Chick-fil-A. Continue reading →

News, The Daily Feed
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Wegman’s in Largo opens October 24th

Photo courtesy of
‘Wegman’s without Jessie’
courtesy of ‘ceejayoz’

Via the Washington Business Journal comes the news that there’s a Wegmans scheduled to open in Largo on October 24th in the Woodmore Towne Center development near Fedex Field. All I have to say is: bring on the proliferation of the Wegmans. These places are about the most awesome grocery store you will ever find, but due to their size, they run into a lot of the anti-Big Box store regulations, and the general problem of finding that much contiguous properly-zoned and reasonably-affordable land.

Color me super excited to see another one, and one close to me in Brookland. We’d been stopping in Leesburg when we head to the farm, or when I visit my clients there, but now to have one a bit closer is fantastic.

News, The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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Rain, Rain, Go The Heck Away and Stop Causing Trouble


Flooding at Foggy Bottom Metro / Photo by Tiffany Bridge

It’s as if Snopocalypse Now Parts I and II weren’t enough for the crazy weather the District’s seen in 2010. Storms galore are appearing at a more consistent rate than a Nats win streak.

Is it god crying because baseball Jesus was put on the disabled list? Who knows. Either way, WLDC Author Tiffany is reporting that gallons of water and debris are currently flooding Foggy Bottom platform from the ceiling.

Also — the power’s out at the Friendship Heights metro station. Update, 4:01 p.m.: Friendship Heights metro station is open again.

Know of any more problems? Help your neighbors by leaving ’em in the comments. It’s good karma.

More photos of Foggy Bottom flooding after the page break. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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PORC Mobile, the New (Eco-Friendly) Truck in Town

Photo courtesy of
‘BBQ Beef Brisket’
courtesy of ‘Girl Interrupted Eating’
There is finally a food truck coming to town that fills the void left in my heart and stomach after my move from North Carolina to Washington. The Purveyors of Rolling Cuisine (PORC, to their friends) are about to come on the scene serving up BBQ favorites with an eco-friendly twist.

Though they will be letting fans sample their menu this weekend, the Purveyors don’t expect to be fully operational for the lunchtime crowd until later this fall. Why the hold up? They aim to “balance local, sustainable, environmental awareness and not forget at the end of the day someone’s hungry and really just wants a tasty sandwich.” And that takes time. The guys are determined to make great food using sustainable and local products from sources such as Medina Farms in Chesapeake Bay, VA and Angelic Beef in Fauquier County, VA. And in the process, they hope to influence other food trucks to operate in a more environmentally conscious way.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Washington Highlands Library to Open Next Summer for DC Bookworms

Photo courtesy of
‘Library Books’
courtesy of ‘Jamiesrabbits’

Next summer the District has a brand-spanking-new library to look forward to at 115 Atlantic St. SW. Mayor Adrian Fenty (D), D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray (D), Chief Librarian Ginnie Cooper, and other members of the Ward 8 community broke ground the Washington Highlands Neighborhood Library last week.

Not only will the new library hold up to 80,000 books, CDs, and DVDs, but also conference rooms and 32 computers with free wi-fi for the public. With construction under way for the new facility and President Obama’s speech to the National Urban League today, it seems like education is in the air. I’m looking forward to Washington Highlands and all that it will have to offer!

So get your library cards ready, and in the meantime, an interim library is located at 4037 South Capitol St. SW.

The Daily Feed
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Apparently Some People Can’t Take A Joke

Photo courtesy of
‘Batista admires the curly W headware’
courtesy of ‘afagen’

As you now know, the 10th day of Strasmas didn’t occur and Miguel Batista was called upon 10 minutes before game time Tuesday to pitch in front of a crowd expecting a phenom.

The Nationals put on quite the show, shutting out the first place Atlanta Braves 3-0 with stellar appearances from the four arms that pitched the game (Batista, Burnett, Storen, Capps).

Afterward, Batista shared what it quite possibly one of the funniest lines of the season with reporters. “Imagine if you go there to see Miss Universe and you end up having Miss Iowa,” Batista joked. “You might get those kind of boos.” Continue reading →

Entertainment, The Daily Feed
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We Love DC Does Top Chef DC: Episode 6 & 7


Photo from Bravo TV

Welcome back to DC Top Chef, we missed having you around the town. After a couple of weeks of relative boring DC tie-ins the past two episodes finally included some DC sightings to talk about.

Last week on Top Chef:

  • Last week’s episode, titled “Cold War,” was timed perfectly with spy trades and Angelina Jolie films in the news.
  • Quickfire Challenge: make dishes out of exotic proteins. Duck testicles? Gross.
  • Andrea bitches that guest judge Michelle Bernstein has a bias against her because they are both rivals back in Miami.
  • Ed continues to name drop, citing how he’s so familiar with these ingredients after cooking with Todd English
  • Angelo gets an amazing idea for his Duck testicles: Testicle Marshmallows. What? Unfortunately we won’t get to see it- a twist in the challenge has everybody passing their dishes to the left.’

Continue reading →

capitals hockey, The Daily Feed
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Brawler King Coming to Caps

Photo courtesy of
‘First fight’
courtesy of ‘Hjelle’

The Caps pulled off a quiet trade yesterday afternoon, acquiring winger D.J. King from the St. Louis Blues and parting with prospect Stefan Della Rovere in the process. King’s a big winger at 6’3″ and 230 lbs and racked up 185 penalty minutes over 101 games with the Blues. A prolific goal scorer he is not (only 4 goals and 9 points in his NHL career), but brings some heft and grit to the Cap’s forward lines – provided he remains healthy. He only played in 13 games the last two seasons due to injuries (dislocated shoulder, broken finger). King remains under contract through the 2011-12 season.

The Blues get Della Rovere, who spent most of his last four seasons playing in the Ontario Hockey League where he racked up 65 goals and 138 points across 230 games.

Welcome to the Capitals, DJ!

News, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Hudson mystifies Nationals, Braves win 3-1

IMG_7508 Peralta.jpg
Photo by Cheryl Nichols, Nationals News Network

The running gag in the postgame press conferences at Nationals Park from Manager Jim Riggleman is that he tends to say something about running into aces, and playing hard ball. Tonight the Nationals did both. They faced the Braves’ ace in Tim Hudson, who went 7 2/3 IP throwing just 96 pitches, and retired seven on strikeouts. Hudson was dominant most of the evening, brushing off the Nats offense with near impunity. The Nats did play hard tonight, but couldn’t generate any offensive action, and made some key defensive mistakes. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Jason Wu Inspired Phillips After 5

Photo courtesy of
‘Shannon 06’
courtesy of ‘yospyn’

How awesome is this?

Fashion Designer Jason Wu cites Robert Ryman’s paintings as the muse for his fall 2010 TSE cashmere collection.

Phillips after 5 for August 12th will be entirely dedicated to the coveted fashion designer and this very exciting collaboration. For one evening, models will act as living works of art in the Ryman exhibition and a video of Wu’s fall 2010 ready-to-wear runway show will be on view in the café.  For even more fun, a scavenger hunt will lead visitors through the museum, collecting fashion and fine art facts along the way for a chance to win prizes.

Due to the popularity of Phillips after 5, advance reservations are encouraged to insure admission.

For more information call 202-387.2151.

All Politics is Local, Crime & Punishment, Life in the Capital, News, The Daily Feed, The District, WTF?!
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Help Solve Animal Cruelty Cold Case In Northeast

Photo courtesy of
‘McGruff looks pissed’
courtesy of ‘MikeOliveri’

Some disturbing news coming out of the Northeast today. Apparently, Washington Humane Society officers are heavily investigating two cases of cold-blooded animal murder and they’re looking for help in solving these senseless and heinous crimes.

In April an innocent opossum and her ten babies were stoned to death in an alley behind 16th Street, NE and a month later an innocent cat was brutally found stoned to death on the 200 block of Maryland Avenue, NE.

National studies have shown that individuals who commit these senseless acts of animal cruelty are seven times more likely to commit other anti-social acts such as violence towards people. So this individual or individuals pose a risk to the entire DC community.

If you have any information regarding these heinous crimes, please contact the Humane Law Enforcement Department at 202-BE HUMANE. All calls are confidential.

The Daily Feed
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Join the Nats for Green-Up Day

Photo courtesy of
‘GALA6727’
courtesy of ‘MissChatter’

The Washington Nationals Dream Foundation is teaming up with the Earth Conservation Corps for the second annual Nats Green-Up Day this Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at three locations near Nationals Park.

More than 100 volunteers from the Nationals front office, Alion Science & Technology and various military branches and federal agencies have pledged their involved in the day’s events at events including:

  • Matthew Henson Center, 2000 Half Street, SW
  • 1st and Q Streets, SW and surrounding blocks
  • 3rd and I Streets, SW at the park adjacent to the library

Nationals pitcher Tyler Clippard* will also be on-site at the Henson Center from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. assisting with various tasks ranging from planting rain gardens to mulching and weeding around the property.

If you choose to participate, you’ll go home with some goodies. They include: a commemorative Green-Up t-shirt, as well as two tickets to Sunday’s Dream Foundation Day at Nationals Park to watch the Nats face the Phillies at 1:35 p.m. Participants will also be recognized for their hard work during a pre-game ceremony.

Orientation for Green-Up day starts bright and early at 8 a.m. at the Matthew Henson Center.

*Players subject to change

Downtown, Legacy articles, Media, People, The Daily Feed, The Hill
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50 Most Beautiful

Photo courtesy of
‘Getting Ready: 1st Annual ‘Miss Sinergy: Beauty is Skin Deep’ Charity Fashion Show’
courtesy of ‘TDLphoto’

God bless The Hill for giving Washingtonians a chance to judge based solely on appearance, every once in a while.  It’s a luxury we can seldom afford. In case you’re wondering what I’m talking about, The Hill has released its annual “50 Most Beautiful” list.  So, you know what to do.  Breeze through and wonder how Senator X beat out Senator Y, or how staffer X got number 2 when she is clearly less pretty than number 17. Scott Brown did, of course, make the list, but notably absent was Rep. Aaron Schock. All in all, the Democrats destroyed in terms of looks, with 29 representatives on the list, to the Republicans’ 17 and the Independents’ 4. I guess liberals really are hotter. What are your thoughts? Did anyone get gypped? And who would you have picked for number 1?