”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’
The Post is reporting that the “unconscious patron” on a train at the Shady Grove platform this afternoon was actually a dead passenger. The person (who has not been identified publically) apparently died in their Metro seat. Montgomery County authorities do not believe the death is suspicious.
By Rebecca
‘Biden Insults President’s Dog!’
courtesy of ‘Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com’
With both President Obama’s and Vice President’s Biden financial disclosure forms released this week, we now know how much that cute, little black puff ball, who caused such a media stir a little over year ago, is worth.
According to The Christian Science Monitor, Bo Obama, the Portuguese water dog gifted to the Obamas by the late Ted Kennedy cost the then Senator $1,600. A sweet deal of a purchase price for a dog that usually runs between $2,000 to $3,000. The newly revealed, provocative figure has political pundits on both sides feverishly drafting up their talking points for this weekend’s round tables.
Does the price indicate a clear lack of intelligence, character and ? Or it merely a reflection of the dog secondhand status? Some even argue that Biden’s German Shepard pup, Champ, is the real brains behind the White House doggie administration. The truth? Only time will tell.
‘Privacy Policy’
courtesy of ‘UrsulaAntares’
While you’re busy freaking out about Facebook’s latest demonstration that they would happily sell your DNA sample to the highest bidder, be sure to protect your offline, dead tree based privacy as well. There’s a Shred-A-Thon in Alexandria this Saturday at George Washington Middle School from 10-2, so pack up your piles of identity theft bait like utility bills and credit card statements and have them thoroughly shredded and then recycled. CPAs will be on hand to answer questions about document retention and disposal as well.
By Jenn Larsen
Bethesda Row is throwing three days of “fashion, food and fabulosity” starting Thursday, May 20 – just in time for this dreary rain to lift and our desire for pretty summer frocks to rise! Participating stores include Bluemercury, Urban Chic, Sassanova, Lou Lou, Ginger Boutique…
It all kicks off Thursday morning at 11am with beauty consultations, designer denim-fittings, jewelry trunk shows and wine tastings (um, I feel a “mental health day” coming on…). That evening sees the launch party of Jill Kargman’s new book Arm Candy at Ginger Boutique, featuring sweets from Georgetown Cupcake and cocktails, natch.
Friday is chock-full of more fashionable frivolities like designer appearances and trunk shows. But the big event is sure to be Friday evening, featuring a fashion show with Project Runway alum Laura Bennett (she of the perfectly impeccable style and impossibly red hair), also reading from her new book and signing copies afterwards.
If you can’t take any fashionista mental health days, Saturday is also full of special store events all day (I recommend stopping into Cork & Fork for a wine tasting, the family really knows their wine and are adorable too). Check out full details and rsvp requirements, and have fun!
Photo courtesy of Be a Match for Devan
As the daughter of a heart transplant recipient, I find it absolutely necessary to inform the general public about how important organ and tissue transplantation is in our community and to our families. Had my father not received a heart in 1999, he would have missed out on an entire decade of our family’s life and my own would have changed forever. Thanks to the generosity of strangers, my father received a heart and was there to raise my sister and I. He even got to move us both into college.
Now, a Washington family is running the risk of losing their 4-year-old son to acute promyelocytic leukemia if they do not find a bone marrow donor in the next 11 weeks.
Devan Tatlow’s chances of finding a match are one in 200,000, according to WTOP, because he is a mixed race child. His father is European and his mother is a combination of Polish and south Indian heritage.
His parents have launched a global Internet campaign to find a donor to save their sons life, allowing him to live beyond the age of 4. Bone marrow donation drives are being held worldwide in an attempt to save young Devan’s life, but there are also a few drives in the coming days right here in our area.
If you are interested in visiting the drive sites and donating, you are not alone. More than 100 people attended the Turtle Park drive over the weekend to have their cheeks swabbed and checked to see if they were a match.
“This is a campaign that will hopefully benefit him but will certainly benefit many, many thousands of people beyond him,” Devan’s mother Indira Lakshmanan told WTOP.
For more information on how you can help Devan, click the page jump. Continue reading
By Tom Bridge
‘IMG_8660’
courtesy of ‘dbking’
In any campaign, it’s not just what you say, or what you’ve accomplished, it’s who endorses you that makes a bit of difference. In a deeply democratic town, the voice of organized labor can carry the weight of many, making yesterday’s endorsement of Chairman Gray by the Metropolitan Washington Council of AFL-CIO.
According to a release from the Gray campaign, the support was unanimous among the council, which represents 150,000 members. Gray said yesterday, “Working families are the life’s blood of our communities and our economy. That’s why we need a mayor who’s focused on creating jobs and opportunities, building a world-class education system, and keeping our streets safe.”
This is the first big endorsement for either campaign.
By shannon
‘a storied past’
courtesy of ‘m hoek’
There’s nothing like a discussion of the height limit to get people up in arms in the District– love it or hate it, it’s quite a polarizing issue. The National Capital Planning Commission is commemorating 100 years of the 1910 Height Act with a lecture tonight at 6:30 over at the Navy Memorial’s Burke Theatre. Hear from Larry Beasley, an “evangelist for urban density” (no question which side of the debate he’s on), who was Vancouver’s former planning director. The event is free and open to the public, but RSVPs are appreciated.
By Rebecca
atm robbery suspect, courtesy of MPD
UPDATE (May 21, 2010 8:50am): According to MPD’s Matthew Klein, an arrest has been made in connection to these armed robberies. The MPD is now actively reviewing all cases and determining which robberies the suspect, arrested last night, is connected to. The suspect is currently being held without bail.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is warning Northwest DC residents about an ATM machine robber working in their neighborhoods. The suspect’s (pictured above) most recent robbery occurred the DC’s First District on the 600 block of Massachusetts Avenue, NW. MPD believes this suspect is responsible for other similar robberies in the Second District.
The suspect’s MO is to approach individuals withdrawing money from ATM machines, and force them to withdraw additional funds while threatening to harm them. Several of the victims have stated that the suspect is armed with a knife.
As always, use caution when using ATMs and be aware of your surroundings. Should you see anyone matching this description, or if you observe anyone acting suspiciously, call 911 immediately.
By Tom Bridge
This Sunday night at the 9:30 Club, DC Central Kitchen is hosting a fundraiser to help raise their operating budget for 2010. The organization’s mission is to use food to strengthen bodies, empower minds and build communities, something that everyone here in town can get along with. More than just a shelter, DC Central Kitchen runs a culinary job training program where less fortunate residents can get the job training they need to work in the city’s amazing kitchens.
DC Central Kitchen has teamed up with the 9:30 club to showcase some of the city’s best food and its best DJs to combine into a must-go event to help the community. 9:30 club will be open both inside and out, for the first time in its history as part of the event, with food sponsors like BGR, Church Key, CommonWealth Gastropub, Cork, EatBar, Masa 14 and Sâuçá.
Tickets are just $30 and include all you can taste, and all you can dance. Will Eastman, Fatback, U.S. Royalty, Bluebrain, Midnight Kids and Beautiful Swimmers will all be performing as part of the benefit, as well.
Better yet, we’ve got two pairs of tickets to give away right here on the blog. Tell us what you’re excited to eat, and why you want to help DC Central Kitchen below and you’ll be in the running for one of the pairs of tickets. We’ll close this all up Wednesday at noon and give out the tickets.
By Tom Bridge
‘Drinkist’
courtesy of ‘andertho’
If your water at home tastes a bit better tonight, you have the annual switch back to chloramine from chlorine will bring less flavor to your tap. The chlorine treatment is an annual thing, and for ten weeks, DC WASA uses chlorine to do cleaning of the mains, and then switch back to chloramine which has fewer byproducts. It may take up to a week for the change to be completed throughout the area, and those water-imbibers who have special needs should be aware of the change. You can also go to this website for your plumbing needs and they can help you with your water treatment.
By Don
Signature Theater is pimping [title of show] by offering some discounts for multiple ticket buys. The above video explains how their “9 people’s favorite thing” club works, but I would be astonished if you couldn’t simply get this deal when purchasing tickets. Folks like myself who saw the show before the promotion was created are told they can simply drop buy the box office to pick up their discount card, so if they give you some lip just send in your innocent looking 9-year-old niece to ask for one.
Once you have it you get an increased discount on every purchase but don’t get cocky – you’re not going to get 20% off ticket 1 then 30% off ticket 2 – a call to the box office confirmed that it’s per-bundle you buy.
It’s a nice deal and a fun show.
By Dave Levy
‘the washington post’
courtesy of ‘nevermindtheend’
Got an extra $1.99 hanging around and a hankering to have faster access to the Washington Post than you could from your iPhone’s Safari browser? The previously announced WaPo iPhone app, which has been hanging around the iTunes App Store for almost exactly a month now, was the subject of a nice blast e-mail coming from the Post’s Web team earlier today. So, if you haven’t downloaded it yet, just a friendly reminder that, well, you can.
Is this a neat foray into apps or just a “look we can go mobile” idea from the respected daily? As a non-iPhone user, I’m the wrong person to ask about its potential utility (although I did like that WaPo’s e-mail asked for feedback for those of us on other devices). Are there any readers using the app already or planning to get it? Should it be free instead? Interested to hear some thoughts on this one.
By Rebecca
‘Day 229: Lavallette, NJ’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’
The amazing weather this weekend reminded me of the local summer fun to be had at local area beaches. The Good: Sandy waterfronts. Cooling, salty waves. Luscious, vitamin D rays. Fun with family and friends. Dogfish beer. Crab. The Bad: Hours of battling through weekend traffic congestion.
However, bus company DC2NY has come to beachgoers’ rescue with a summer bus service to both Rehoboth and Dewey Beach starting Memorial Day weekend. Riders will enjoy wi-fi, electrical outlets at every seat, a frequent riders reward program and a bottle of water for the journey. There’s not a less stressful way to start your beach weekend then by letting the bus driver tackle the traffic while you facebook with your friends or catch up on your Hulu watching.
By Karl Johnson
Logo from YWTF-DC
Did you know that sex trafficking is a problem right here in DC? The answer to that question is most likely “no”. And that’s one big reason to save next Tuesday on your calendar. YWTF, Young Women’s Task Force of DC, is holding their annual fundraiser, Cheers to Choice, Tuesday, May 25th in NE DC. This year’s program focuses on the sex trafficking problem in DC and around the country. Funds raised at the event will go to support YWTF’s work throughout the year, as well as benefit Courtney’s House – a non-profit that provides safe housing for sex trafficked teenage girls in the DC area, an undeniably worthy cause. All in-kind donations will also go to Courtney’s House.
They’ve put together an interesting list of speakers on the topic to really raise awareness and socialize around the issue. Speakers include DC Council Member Phil Mendelson (invited), who will be talking about his own anti-human trafficking work in DC, Executive Directors of Courtney’s House and the Bridge to Freedom Foundation, as well as a Senior Policy Specialist at Polaris Project. You have to admire when a fundraiser is not just a chance to look pretty and feel good about yourself, it’s actually a chance to learn about an important and underexposed problem while helping to solve it at the same time.
‘Asia Heritage Festival – The Fan – 5-16-09’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’
The Fiesta Asia Street Fair, part of the Asia Heritage Festival is this Saturday, May 22nd, featuring a parade, vendors, food, music, martial arts demonstrations on Pennsylvania Ave. NW between 3rd and 6th Streets. The fun starts at 10:00 AM and goes until 7PM, but the part I am most looking forward to, of course, is the flash mob at 1PM.
Anyone can participate- details, practice music, and choreography are available online. But if you’d like to learn from a real live person, Dhoonya Dance is teaching the dance during their beginner-level class times this week. You can drop in tonight at 6:30 to Saffron Dance at 3260 Wilson Blvd, or on Wednesday at 7PM at the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange. Since it’s a regular class slot, the $20 drop-in fee applies.
By Don
‘Untitled (Big Man)’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’
Eric Nuzum has a piece up at Prince of Petworth today asking the question “should you tell your neighbors they’re showing you their junk?” For that matter, how do you tell them? (I vote laser pointer)
Personally I wonder if the answer is “you run a guest piece on their blog” but I’m hoping that Dan has more sense than that…
By Rebecca
‘Buoy Red ‘6’ took a pounding’
courtesy of ‘Tony DeFilippo’
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) deployed a “smart” buoy just south of the Wilson Bridge on Friday, May 4. The new device will provide scientists and local area boaters/educators with real-time information about the Chesapeake Bay.
The buoy is part of the the CBIBS (Chesapeake Bay Interpretative Buoy System) program and will collect weather, oceanographic and water-quality observations along the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. The program hopes to not only provide relevant data for restoration efforts, but also provide insights about the waterways’ history and encourage stewardship and protection of the Chesapeake Bay.
All of the eight buoys’ measurements, along with historical information, can be accessed at www.buoybay.org (www.buoybay.org/m for mobile devices) and by phone at 877-BUOY-BAY (877-286-9229).
‘Corcoran Gallery of Art’
courtesy of ‘dcjasmine’
Tonight at 7 PM, interior designer Thomas O’Brien will be giving a talk at the Corcoran, discussing his new book American Modern (Abrams, 2010), a survey of seven of his most influential projects. O’Brien is the founder and President of Aero Studios, one of America’s most influential design firms, and Aero, it’s home goods boutique in NYC. Furthermore, he has created a line of home furnishings and bedding called “Vintage Modern” for Target, designed a fittings collection for Waterworks, and has been featured in numerous publications such as Elle Decor, House Beautiful and Architectural Digest.
I hope to see you there!
By Max
DC Tweed Ride 7 by maxedaperture
I say, old chap, have you heard about the Seersucker Social? That’s right, it turns out that last fall’s Tweed Ride was such a huge success, Dandies and Quaintrelles has decided to organize another ride this spring that will be even bigger and better. While the time and route haven’t been determined, the date has been set, so oil up your chain and mark your calendars:
“The Seersucker Social, scheduled for Saturday June 12, is set to offer the same delightful kind of unique and alternative entertainment experience by encouraging folks once again to mount their bicycles in high style. While the fall event called for tweed, seersucker has been selected as the ideal vintage fabric of choice to keep cool for the spring ride. Our event partner Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens will provide a fabulous dreamlike setting for the post-ride social.”
While the ride itself will be free, the post-ride festivities at Hillwood will set you back $20. Check back on the Dandies and Quaintrelles website as well as Facebook for more details.
‘Memorial Bridge’
courtesy of ‘dullshick’
Doug Sloan, a candidate for DC’s non-voting representative in the House of Representatives, is calling for DC to shut down bridges and commuter routes into the city for a day to bring Congress’ attention to the issue of DC Statehood.
Oh yeah, because as if the spectre of “Senator Marion Barry” isn’t enough reason for the rest of the country to not want to give DC a vote, shutting commuters out of the city is certainly not going to make anyone feel better about giving DC state-level sovereignty.
Let me bust out a little James Madison for Sloan: The entire reason a federal district was created in the first place was so that the government could provide for its own security without being dependent on (and therefore at the mercy of) a state governor or other local authority. If the Congress met within the borders of a state, a state governor/local council could decline to deploy the local militia/police to defend Congress from attack (which actually happened and directly led to Congress leaving Philadelphia). Or, in theory, a state governor could deploy the National Guard to interfere in congressional affairs (think Arkansas deploying the National Guard to prevent school desegregation). In DC, the National Guard can only be deployed by the President of the United States for exactly this reason.
Using city government resources to blockade the seat of the federal government in order to influence Congress’ decision-making would pretty much demonstrate the exact reason DC isn’t a state.
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