By Tom Bridge
‘Chris Pontius’
courtesy of ‘Joscarfas’
D.C. United last night showed Seattle, on their home turf, that perhaps last year’s U.S. Open Cup Final might have just been a fluke, and Chris Pontius was a huge part of that showing. United continued their unbeaten streak to 4-0-1 in their last five matches, and forward Chris Pontius picked up all three scores in the 3-2 final.
Congrats to you, Chris! Well done! Thanks for beating those upstarts out West!
‘kiss’
courtesy of ‘quigley_brown (Jim Hamann)’
With the city’s recent legalization of same-sex marriage, it’s been a big year for the LGBT community. But the organizers of Capital Pride want you to know that you ain’t seen nothing yet.
Although Pride events have been taking place all week, this weekend marks the two biggies. On Saturday, the annual Pride Parade kicks off at 6:30pm at 23rd and P Streets NW. The route will travel north along New Hampshire Avenue before finishing at 14th and N Street. Given that the USA v. England World Cup match will be shown in Dupont Circle earlier that afternoon, the crowd will likely be very large and very drunk. Should be a good party.
But don’t celebrate so much that you can’t make it out of bed on Sunday for the street festival. This will take place along Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 7th and 3rd Street. Food and drink will be aplenty, and three different stages will showcase various singers, bands, DJs and drag performances.
If you’ve still got more pride to show, there’s a slew of other events and parties slated for this weekend as well, including after parties on both Saturday and Sunday evenings.
Make sure to check back on Monday for a photographic roundup of Capital Pride 2010, as well as for a look back on the past 35 years of this truly awesome event.
‘Woodrow Wilson House HDR’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’
So you need some interior decorating assistance? No worries, We Love DC has got you covered.
We are teaming up this month with the District’s Anderson ReDesign to give one lucky reader the chance to get some FREE and super-helpful decorating advice from a professional. All you have to do is send me [samantha{at}welovedc.com] a photograph of your space, it could be your favorite – or – one that is seeking immediate attention, and Anderson ReDesign will give one lucky reader the opportunity to learn how to spruce it up!
Only one photograph per person please. Participant will be contacted via e-mail.
[Note: The winning assessment will be shared on our site at a later date]
By Tom Bridge
‘155/365’
courtesy of ‘brianmka’
The weather on Thursday night was about as perfect as you can find in June in Washington, a great night at the ballpark. The Nats were looking to complete the sweep against the Pirates, hoping for their first of the season. Zach Duke stood in their way, 2009 All-Star, and starting pitcher for the Pirates. No, he’s not Stephen Strasburg, but ¡Livan! Hernandez is the Nats’ current #1, and he was on to devour some innings tonight to finish the homestand. Continue reading
By Tom Bridge
‘Downtown District of Columbia’
courtesy of ‘BAR Photography’
Via Nats News Network comes the news that DC’s ESPNZone is closing on June 16th, which will cancel all future Washington Nationals player Q&A sessions that had been scheduled there. It’s not just DC’s ESPNZone that’s closing, it’s the whole chain, except for two locations in Southern California. Disney cited poor performance of the chain as the reason for its demise.
It’s tough to see an anchor tenant like ESPN decide to take their business elsewhere, but it does open up some prime restaurant space in the middle of the downtown core. Don’t expect that space to be dark for long.
By Tom Bridge
One of the promises that WMATA’s interim GM Richard Sarles made was with regard to the transparency of the organization, and that good data put into the public’s hands would let them judge the system fairly and honestly. Today, he delivered with the Metro Scorecard, which will be updated monthly, and gives riders access to some data on the service. Topic areas include, Safety, Reliability, Budget Performance, and Security, with sub-areas to tell you about On-Time Performance, Crime Rate, Operating Expenses Budgets, and Capital Investment.
The card lists Metrobus’ on-time performance rating at 74%, Metrorail’s on-time performance rating at 90%, and Metro Access at 91%. The bus rating also allows for a significant variance between schedule, allowing for up to 2 minutes early and up to 7 minutes late, whereas the rail stats only allow for a 2 minute delay.
The card also shows Metro’s customer satisfaction ratings, which were higher than I expected at 73% for rail and 77% for bus.
One bug I hope they fix: the scorecard isn’t readable in Safari or Chrome, only Firefox for the Mac. Performance on Windows is likely the same.
By Tom Bridge
If it’s summertime (and judging by the mercury in my thermometer, it’s summertime) that means it’s time for Fort Reno. The concert series has a storied history, and has featured acts like Fugazi, Q and not U, Ted Leo and others, and remains one of DC’s hallmark summertime social events. The series takes place at Fort Reno Park off Nebraska Avenue, just three blocks from Tenleytown Metro.
The opening concert is set for June 28th, with The Public Good headlining the show, with America Hearts and Tiny Bombs in support. See you there.
By Max
Dr. Frank Kameny
Mayor Adrian Fenty has been exercising his power to rename DC streets like no mayor has done before, today dedicating the intersection of 17th & R street NW to Dr. Frank Kameny.
Many people consider Dr. Kameny to be the grandfather of the gay rights movement. In 1957, a time when being gay was definitely not socially accepted, he was fired from his job as an astronomer at the Army Map Service for his homosexuality. While many people would have accepted it as truth, as the way the world worked, Kameny chose to fight. In what was the first civil rights claim based on sexual orientation, he argued his case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court who unfortunately denied his petition. In 1965 he organized a demonstration in front of the White House, and many of his original picket signs now reside in the Smithsonian Institution (he had one with him today). In 2006 the Library of Congress acquired his documents that describe his life as a leader in the gay rights movement. In 2009 his home here in Washington was designated as a DC Historic Landmark. Also in 2009, in a gesture that makes me smile, the U.S. government formally apologized to Kameny via the Director of the Office of Personnel Management who himself is openly gay.
Times have changed since 1957, largely in part to the courage and dedication of Dr. Kameny. As the center of DC’s gay community, Dupont Circle is proud to have a street named after him as a reminder of all that he has done to push equal rights for all.
By Tom Bridge
‘Artomatic09.18’
courtesy of ‘bhrome’
Councilman Tommy Wells of Ward 6 looked like he might skate to re-election unchallenged, but as of this morning that’s no longer the case. At-Large candidate Kelvin Robinson has decided to withdraw his candidacy for the At-Large seat and will instead run for the Ward 6 Council seat. What changed his mind? Exhortations from the Ward 6 ANC Commissioners Mary Beatty and Gladys Mack and others in an open letter delivered to Wells recently. Robinson was once chair for ANC 6A, and served as Chief of Staff to Mayor Anthony Williams.
The letter, signed by two ANC commissioners and a number of Ward 6 businesspeople, cited a number of concerns: “With juvenile crime continuing to threaten the safety of our neighborhoods, the lack of a cohesive and community-centered approach to neighborhood development — especially for Reservation 13, RFK, Barracks Row, H Street and other critical areas — an innovative and more comprehensive, Ward-wide approach is needed to not only improve the places where we live, but also to provide critical jobs for District residents, help to fund programs for at-risk youth, and much more. We need a Councilmember who will fight for Ward 6 residents and ensure ALL voices within our community are heard, empowering residents to help develop the solutions to address the issues that confront us.”
Looks like only one council seat will be uncontested: Ward 3, with Mary Cheh running unopposed. Anyone?
courtesy of This Will Destroy You.
Look at the friggin’ graphic. When I came across the above image while researching the post-rock quartet, This Will Destroy You, I knew that I had found just about everything I would need to convince you to go to this concert. Not only are This Will Destroy You a post-rock band on the rise; they also have awesome taste in artwork. I am as stunned by the hilarious genius of that graphic as I am by TWDY’s soul-stirring, earth-shaking instrumental music.
This Will Destroy You are a band that beautifully harness subtlety in their music while obviously discarding it completely to market themselves. Just look at their name: THIS WILL DESTROY YOU. Now look at that awe-inspiring graphic again. It tells you everything you need to know about the band and what they will bring to their live performance at DC9 tonight. TWDY’s guitars will sound like the howl of a wolf, the roar of a mountain lion, and the scream of an American eagle combined! This show will be mighty and the audience will quake under the sonic assault of This Will Destroy You. Come to DC9 tonight and watch as they unleash material from their forth-coming album “Tunnel Blanket”.
This Will Destroy You are joined by Chicago psych-rockers, Light Pollution and Brooklyn atmospheric strings act, Slow Six. These three bands playing together should make for one crazed evening of majestic guitar and sonic bliss.
This Will Destroy You
w/ Light Pollution & Slow Six
$12 @ DC9
Doors at 8:30 / Show at 9:00
Photo by Cheryl Nichols/Nationals News Network
Stephen Strasburg will deliver tonight’s Top Ten List during The Late Show with David Letterman on CBS.
He won’t be making the trip to New York like other MLB players who have held the television “honor” in the past. Instead, he’ll read it from his new home — the District.
Don’t miss it. Catch it live. Should be quite a hoot.
By courtney
‘paella’
courtesy of ‘looseid’
A couple of nights ago, I had the pleasure of attending the kickoff to the 8th Annual Paella Festival at Jaleo in Crystal City, and I must say I was very impressed to say the least. Between June 7th and 20th, all locations will be celebrating the traditional Spanish dish, so you have plenty of time to get a plate of your own!
Just to give you an idea of all the tastiness you can expect, let me run it down for you. The featured dishes included Arroz con pluma ibérica y verduras de Alicante (Iberico pork paella with green garlic and seasonal vegetables), Arroz caldoso con cigalas (soupy rice with Norway lobster), Fideos finos tostados con bogavante (vermicelli paella with lobster), Arroz con verduras y setas de temporada (paella of seasonal vegetables and mushrooms), and Caldero de pescados con arroz finito a banda (fish stew with rice).
I didn’t forget the drinks either! This week the Mazafrano cocktail is being highlighted. It’s made up of saffron infused vodka, thyme simple syrup, fresh green apple juice and saffron garnish. Trust me, you definitely want to make your way down to Jaleo pronto! For more information, you can visit the website.
By Don
‘Methodist Church, Bacup’
courtesy of ‘Tim Green aka atoach’
Things are looking down for parishioners at the Truro and The Falls Church houses of worship that are trying to break from the Episcopal church while staying in their current venues. Michelle Boorstein at PostLocal reports that the Virginia Supreme court has reversed a Fairfax judge’s decision that would have let them keep what the Anglican church says is their property.
It’s been a little over three years since the churches decided to break from the Episcopal church and instead align with Anglican Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, whose more conservative stance they felt more reflected their beliefs. While seven Virginia churches were in that wave of the exodus, these two churches have gotten a lot of subsequent attention because of the very high value of the properties they occupy.
By Donna C.
’67A #1′
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’
If you like buying stuff online at a steep discount, check out the newest program in town – Greenbacks. The twist? It’s all green, giving you at least 40% off of eco-friendly products, services, and events.
To celebrate the launch, today and tomorrow you can get a $50 gift card to Java Green and the new Cafe Green for only $25. Just buy the coupon, print it off, and take it to them.
Each week, Greenbacks will offer new deals at places like Holeco® Wellness Medi Spa, Herban Lifestyle, Big Bad Woof, and Energy Efficiency Experts, all eco-friendly businesses in the DC-metro area.
And if it’s on Greenbacks, you’ll know it’s green–each product or service goes through Live Green’s rigorous vetting process, which measures quality, social responsibility, and the greenness of both the product/service and the business’ operations.
Photo by Cheryl Nichols/Nationals News Network
Stephen Strasburg is a hard act to follow. John Lannan learned that the hard way while struggling from the mound for the entirety of his 4 2/3 inning outing.
When asked about Lannan’s trouble tonight, Manager Jim Riggleman responded that he thought Lannan was going to regroup but failed to get out of trouble. According to Riggleman, Lannan threw a lot of pitches that the Pirates were good at not hitting. Fair enough.
Two Pittsburgh Pirates made their Major League debut tonight, a day after Strasburg’s big day – starting pitcher Brad Lincoln and left fielder Jose Tabata — but the energy in the park felt a bit deflated.
What’s the biggest difference between Lincoln and Strasburg’s respective debuts besides the obvious and apparent hype behind Washington’s new ace? Lincoln got two hits, Strasburg didn’t. Hat tip to you, Mr. Lincoln. Continue reading
By Rebecca
‘The Last Lion’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’
As the USA v. England World Cup match up fast approaches, the American and British embassy folk have begun the typical trash talking/friendly betting that normally occurs when two nations/cities play each other.
The email stream between both ambassadors has leaked on to the internet exposing the wager and now the details of their little bet are fully known. If the US wins, then the US Ambassador gets a pub dinner on the crown. If the English win, then the English Ambassador gets a steak dinner on the colonies.
Personally, I think the wager is somewhat of a win-win situation for the British Ambassador. He gets either the win and a steak, or if he loses some “home-cooked” food from his favorite pub. Whereas, if the USA wins, our Ambassador merely gets some fish n’ chips, and if we lose, he has to fork out for a steak dinner, and you know the British Ambassador isn’t gonna settle for a Tasty Diner steak. We’re talking Charlie Palmer’s here.
By Ben H. Rome
‘mute’
courtesy of ‘woodleywonderworks’
UnsuckDCMetro posted an alleged email conversation between a concerned Metro rider and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 boss Jackie Jeter that, frankly, makes the union look even more like…well, a-holes. The conversation was in regards to the fact that two union bus drivers got their jobs back – with pay – despite some serious issues.
Take a gander at how this labor organization handles itself when a legitimate complaint is brought forward. Apparently, Ms. Jeter thinks if you believe certain union members are “unfit to perform the basic duties required of a Metrobus driver,” you are, in fact, a proponent of slavery.
Seriously, Ms. Jeter? Do us ALL a favor and STFU. You’re only making your union brethren look even worse than WMATA. And that’s pretty hard to do.
By Rebecca
‘And on guitar’
courtesy of ‘(afm)’
Those of you out there that are on Team Coco, and really who’s on Team Leno?!!!, keep your eyeballs peeled for the pasty, redhead as he’s been spotted wandering the streets of Georgetown this afternoon.
No word on if Triumph or the Masturbating Bear were with him.
By Kirk
‘The Passenger 8’
courtesy of ‘maxedaperture’
Charity is a good thing. Charity plus drinking is an even better thing. This is one of the reasons that Heart’s Delight is one of my favorite non-profits, because they consistently host charitable events that feature fine selections of alcohol, and their next event will be no different. Heart’s Delight will be hosting a membership drive at the Passenger on Monday, June 14. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about the organization and to join up. 10% of all sales will go to the American Heart Association. I highly recommend that you check it out.
Nick Clooney with NBC Anchor Brian Williams/Photo By Rachel Levitin
The evolution of media is a hot conversation and what better way to nip that conversation in the butt than actually talking about the daily changes in how people write, gather, and read the news.
Nick Clooney hosts the final installment of his Reel Journalism series at the Newseum this coming Monday, June 14 with guests David Gregory and Betsy Fischer of NBC’s “Meet The Press” to discuss these changes.
“State of Play” (2009) is Clooney’s film of choice for the discussion focusing around the plight two fictional journalists face while attempting to cover a murder case. Character and traditional print journalist Cal McCaffrey (portrayed by Russell Crowe) utilizes police contacts to obtain details for his story while new media blogger Della Fry (portrayed by Rachel McAdams) takes to blogging the facts for wide-spred dissemnination of news pertaining to the case.
Tickets are still available for $25, $20 if you’re a Newseum Member.
Doors open at 6 p.m. for the 7 p.m. show at the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Theater located inside the Newseum.
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