I heard this morning’s commute described best by Chris Needham on Twitter, who wrote,  “I’m pretty sure this is how “Falling Down” started.” DC summers are usually the province of easier commutes, but this morning’s increased road presence due to the Metro fare increase, and significant arterial delays due to accidents and road construction, meant what should have been a cakewalk was instead the equivalent of the fourth ring of hell.

We know that you guys work hard to be on time, so feel free to vent like crazy about that crazy jackass in the SUV that cut you off, or the guy who just had to squeeze into that spot in front of you, or the bus driver who passed you by because his bus was all full. Just let it out. We can’t have anyone going that crazy this early in the summer. So just breathe, DC, and let it all out.

‘1577-36Crop’
courtesy of ‘furcafe’
Not long ago there were rumors floating around Washington that Guy Fieri, he of spiky hair and “killer burger” declarations, was making his way around town filming his Food Network show. Well the proof is coming to a television near you tonight when Comet Ping Pong is featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives.

If sitting at home and watching alone isn’t your style, head over to Comet Ping Pong (5037 Connecticut Ave. NW) for the official viewing party. The party starts at 8pm, and to go along with your pizza and ping pong, there will be something called “Summery Divey Punch” that is sure to impress even the most discerning diner fan.

Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives
Mondays at 10pm, Food Network

‘IMG_0688’
courtesy of ‘The National Academy of Sciences’

Today the Vincent Gray campaign announced it would be holding a blogger roundtable at Ben’s Chili Bowl. The campaign sent invitations to many notable DC bloggers, offering an opportunity to sit down with the candidate and ask questions. After the whole street car fiasco, it made sense that the Gray campaign would want to build a better relationship. This is great news for the campaign, establishing a good relationship with D.C. bloggers could go a long way to helping get their message out. WMATA gets this. DC Water gets this. DDOT gets this. The list goes on, and it’s a great thing.

Unfortunately, the Gray campaign has stumbled in its implementation. Included in the invitation to the event was the following:

Unfortunately I have to make one point about expectations — this isn’t an opportunity for activism. We’ll expect the same level of decorum and professionalism exhibited by full-time journalists so that everyone who has a question gets the opportunity to have it answered.

Assuming this one goes well and is productive, we’ll have a few more availabilities exclusive to bloggers before Primary Day. We’ve tentatively planned them for the morning of July 31, the evening of August 16, and then the final one on the morning of September 4.

The fact that the campaign felt this sort of disclaimer was necessary shows a lack of understanding of what exactly we as bloggers do. The invitation was sent to many of the largest blogs in the District, to people who are not unfamiliar with how to attend an event and not cause a scene. Continue reading →

‘Battle of the Beltways’
courtesy of ‘wfyurasko’

The Battle of the Beltways Part II starts tonight up north in the streets of Baltimore where the Nationals (33-40) will face the birds in a three-game weekend series at Camden Yards.

Juan Samuel’s Orioles (20-52) are coming off a hot-hitting win over Florida scoring 11 on the Marlins 5 yesterday at home to avoid being swept. It was starting right-hander Kevin Millwood’s shortest outing since a five-inning trip to the mound on Opening Day, but after allowing two runs in the first and one in the second, his teammate’s stepped it up by raking in the runs.

Baltimore’s sizzling bats of-the-moment belong to Miguel Tejada and Adam Jones. So that’s something for Nats starter J.D. Martin to keep his eye on tonight. Continue reading →

I have to say, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of the clips and song lyrics that have been shared by WLDC readers this week. I want to congratulate our last two winners, DC in DC and Ben, chosen at random after supplying some excellent Scrubs references. Both gentlemen will be getting a pair of tickets to go see The Blanks, of Scrubs fame, this weekend out at the Arlington Drafthouse. There are in fact seats available, so if you’re interested, hit up their website and reserve your tickets now. For an idea of what to expect, I hope you enjoy the most recent clip from the band, embedded above in this post.

Photo via DC Sports Bog

We mentioned it briefly yesterday morning in the miniscule exhale between soccer, tennis and more soccer, but now everything is official: John Wall, former guard at the University of Kentucky, will be a Washington Wizard. The Wiz used their first pick in the 2010 draft to secure the elite prospect, who now rounds out the Mount Rushmore of #1 picks in the city with Strasburg, Ovechkin and Harper.

Wall wasn’t the only one to join the squad: Chicago sent former Kansas standout Kirk Hinrich to DC, as well. The Bulls were trying to clear some cap room (for Mr. Wade and Mr. James, perhaps?), and sent Hinrich and his contract to the District for a future pick. The last couple of years have been a little rough in the District for sports, but with Wall and Hinrich, there’s a very good chance that the Wizards could make it back to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. Could 2011 see all five (yes, I’m including United because we’re a soccer country now) D.C. teams in postseason play?

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courtesy of ‘erin m’

Panas Empanadas on P Street is doing you a great big favor. They’re throwing wide their doors today at 11am and offering you a free empanada for dropping by, until 1pm. We dropped by yesterday to see how they were doing, and to try a few of the empanadas. If you’re used to be big doughy empanadas like from Julia’s, these are a welcome change of pace. The crust on these little wonders is crisp and thin, like good pizza, and it lets you focus on the delicious contents.

There are meat and vegetable empanadas, and they’re sized so you can have three or four, easily. They also offer tasty salads, as well as plaintain chips (gluten-free!) with house-made guacamole that is just wonderfully rich and flavorful.

Since they’re doing you a favor giving you just one, how about we up the ante and help you get an empanada party for you and nineteen of your best friends? Sounds good? I thought so. Tell us what you’d do with your empanada party in the comments, and you’ll enter to win. Give it some thought, the contest runs through next Friday.

Panas Empanadas (next to Tangysweet)
2029 P St NW
Washington DC 20036

‘St. Elizabeths – Face of Drama – 12-13-08’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

DC attorney Joy Haynes and her sister, a full-time filmmaker, are seeking public support of a documentary project at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. They intend to help 5 patients create video diaries, which will be edited to stand on their own, as well as into a documentary that tells their stories. Since part of the idea is also to help St. Elizabeth’s patients learn skills that they can continue to use after their treatment, patients will also participate in other B-roll filming tasks as well as editing. At the conclusion of the project, the cameras will be donated to the hospital for its existing arts programs.

Oh my sweet jeebus, I just DIED INSIDE thanks to this unbearable cuteness. Mama Red Panda Shama is here with her week old cub, who is nameless, and totally adorable.  The Red Panda exhibit at the zoo is off-limits for a while as Shama and the cub need privacy to bond but you can bet money that this Fall there will be massive lines to gawk at the adorableness that just burned out my eyes.

‘Capitolsaurus Court’
courtesy of ‘DC Like a Local’

So there I was, scrolling through Twitter, completely unaware that my world was about to be rocked. Maura Judkis said, “I can’t believe that I’ve lived here 7 years and only just now learned that D.C. has an official dinosaur.”

What? We have a DINOSAUR? Oh yes, not only does DC have an official dinosaur, but that dinosaur has a song.

In 1898, during sewer work at 1st and F Streets SE, workers found a dinosaur bone. Just one. A vertebra. But that vertebra didn’t match any known specimens at the time, so the Smithsonian drew what their researchers concluded the dinosaur’s skeleton might look like and put the bone into their collection. In 1998, the centennial of the discovery, some enterprising DCPS students at Watkins and Smothers Elementary School lobbied the DC Council to dub it the Capitalsaurus and declare it the official dinosaur of the District of Columbia. They also designated 1st and F SE as “Capitalsaurus Court.”

But the best part of all this, in my opinion, is the fact that the bill actually includes the song the kids sang about the dinosaur and the pressing need to pass the bill.

The Capitalsaurus is not the only dinosaur whose fossils have been found in DC. There have been several other fossils found in the area, and Dr. Peter Kranz of the University of Maryland has compiled a report on many of them.

‘Smithsonian Castle – Star Wheel – 2-16-09’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

If you’ve got an iPhone or an Android phone and feel up for some traipsing about the National Mall this Saturday, you might as well win an iPad while you’re flirting with heatstroke, no? Play the goSmithsonian Mobile Scavenger Hunt on Saturday starting at 9:30AM at the Smithsonian Castle. You download the SCVNGR app from the iPhone App store or the Android Market, and choose the goSmithsonian Trek. Then your phone will provide you with a series of challenges and questions pertaining to various Smithsonian museums for you to complete for points. Report back to the Castle at 2, where the highest scorer wins an iPad.

Sounds like fun. If I weren’t already triple-booked for Saturday, I’d see you there. Be sure to RSVP.