Category Archives: The Daily Feed

News, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Local Business Owner Strong-Arming Bloggers?

Photo courtesy of
‘Soda jerker flipping ice cream into malted milk shakes. Corpus Christi, Texas (LOC)’
courtesy of ‘The Library of Congress’

News came in overnight that David Shott, the owner of yet-to-open Du Vin Osteria at 14th & Florida, had threatened two local bloggers – Prince of Petworth and U-Street Girl – with legal action unless they removed comments from their blog entries concerning his new establishment.  The strong-arming appears related to comments made by a former Union Row Resident, who was reminding readers of a 2008 interaction with the Union Row community by Mr. Shott. Mr. Shott’s threat of legal action is an empty one, as comment forums provide the blog owner, but not the commenter, safe harbor under the Communications Decency Act.

We have requested comment from Mr. Shott by email, but have not received one.

Generally, we consider it in poor form to strong-arm bloggers concerning the comments that are posted on their site, as it stifles an open community.  This is a place to engage your customers, not threaten them.

As a precaution, I would point everyone to our comment policy before they decide to write in below. We will also note that the comments are the property of their author, and not of We Love DC.

The Daily Feed
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The Heads of State DC Poster

Washington DC Poster, courtesy of theheadsofstate.com

Washington DC Poster, courtesy of theheadsofstate.com

I am drooling over the awesomeness of this Washington, DC travel poster by The Heads of State.  The red, white and blue motif is totally appropriate for the nation’s capital city and I’m totally digging the subtle Old Glory layout.

The font and stylized clouds also have me harking back to the post-War days, and for some reason images of Howard Hughes “Spruce Goose” and an airline pilot uniform clad Leonardo DiCaprio in “Catch Me If You Can.”

This limited edition, 14″ x 24″ screenprint is a sweet way to decorate your pad and for $30 bucks it’s also a fantastic way to show some DC love. Continue reading →

Essential DC, Food and Drink, Fun & Games, Technology, The Daily Feed
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Ben’s Chilli Bowl, There’s An App For That … On The Way

Photo courtesy of
‘Just what I wanted’

Can I get an iPhone App with my half-smoke? Pretty soon you can.

Son of the late Ben of Ben’s Chili Bowl, Nizam Ali, is looking for you tech-savvy DC residents to develop the latest in Chilli eating technology.

The Washington Examiner reports that Ali hopes that the contest designed for people who know and love Ben’s will encourage them to share their good ideas for what the app should be.

Final contest rules and guidelines aren’t set in stone, but the date is – April 5.

If you want to be the one to create an iPhone app for a 50-year-old business, get to thinking! Opportunity is a-knockin’.

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Get A Buzz At Northside Social Coffee & Wine, Opening Monday

Photo courtesy of ‘SOVA Coffee Shop and Wine Bar’ courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’

If you like a good buzz (alcoholic, non, or both), look no further than Northside Social Coffee & Wine. Its Clarendon location opens next Monday due to some hard work by the Liberty Tavern Group, according to Thrillist DC.

The menu features all the greatest legal buzz creators including espresso and vino from inside the comfortable confines of a residential, “window-/wood-lined double decker house” which, according to Thrillist DC, was previously everything from a home to a fire station and even the Clarendon Citizens Hall in its past lives.

There is also food on the menu for the imminent moment you should decide, “Gee, I’m hungry.” Classy sandwiches that aren’t a simple deli meat meets cheese combo make for an edible experience instead of the standard coffee shop food affair. This stuff’s got foodie flair written all over it – a herb butter/Gruyere/marble rye Westphalian Ham, a mache/onion marmalade smoked salmon salad, poached gulf shrip – sounds delicious to me.

20 wines or so are scheduled to be on the opening menu. I do however beg you beer drinkers to fear not, there’s a microbrew list on tap with three draft beers and bottles as well. Click here for a complete menu.

Northside Social Coffee & Wine is located at 3211 Wilson Blvd. in Arlington.

News, The Daily Feed
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MPD Cancels Expansion Plans

Photo courtesy of
‘The Line Up’
courtesy of ‘jacobpstein’

Chief Cathy Lanier announced yesterday that the MPD’s plan to expand the force by 5% has been put on hold due to budget pressures. 5% may not sound like a lot, but it would have meant an extra 200 police officers for the District. Instead, MPD will remain at its current level for the foreseeable future while the budgets return to normal. Recruiting officers and training officers are back to walking the beat and working desks until things pick up again. The good news is, there’s always the Capitol Police, the Federal Protective Service, and the dozens of other policing agencies that exist in DC for specific departments, to back up the MPD in case of any major emergency situation.

The Daily Feed
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Free Food Alert: Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day is Today!

Photo courtesy of
‘a free scoop can gather a crowd’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

You know that spring has arrived when Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day is here!  Today from noon to 8 PM, stop by a participating Ben & Jerry’s scoop shop to get a free ice cream cone in your favorite flavor.  All four of DC’s Ben & Jerry’s stores are participating, so head out to one of these locations:

Keep in mind that lines may be long, but that free scoop of Phish Food or Peanut Butter Cookie Dough will be totally worth it!  Let us know in the comments how long you had to wait for your scoop.

The Daily Feed
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Starbucks is Buying Breakfast

Photo courtesy of
‘Starbucks’
courtesy of ‘SWP Moblog’

Tomorrow as you rise, weary and bedheaded, know that you have something waiting for you. Before 10:30am tomorrow, if you buy a Starbucks drink (barista-made, brewed or iced), you’re getting one of their tasty pastries for free. So rise early, knowing that an apple fritter, or a bran muffin, or an iced scone, are yours for the asking with that printed coupon, so long as you make it in before 10:30. Do not fret, little one, your day shall start right.

The Daily Feed
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Architect Paul Devrouax Passes

Photo courtesy of
‘Washington, D.C. Convention Center’
courtesy of ‘NCinDC’

Architect Paul S. Devrouax, JR., FAIA passed away earlier today of causes not yet known.

Devrouax was the founding principal of Devrouax and Purnell Architects, a DC-based architecture firm that was established in 1978 and was the creative genius behind well-known city projects such as Nationals Park, the Convention Center, and the City Museum.

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Morty Krupin Hangs Up His Apron

Photo courtesy of
‘lox sandwich’
courtesy of ‘stu_spivack’

Owner of Morty’s Delicatessen in Tenleytown, Morty Krupin, 71, hangs up his metaphorical apron today. This is his first official day of retirement. Morty’s, a staple in DC dining, will continue to severe up some of the finest New York deli eats in town despite Krupin’s retirement.

Whether you had the white fish salad, a bagel and lox, matzo ball soup, or even the pickles they place upon your your table at arrival, Morty’s is a place where us transplanted DC residents who just so happen to be of the Jewish persuasion (and even if you’re not, you still love the food and atmosphere) go for the comfort-food our Bubbe’s (Yiddish for Grandma) would serve at all the biggest holidays. These foods include: gefilte fish, challah, potato pancakes, and hot pastrami sandwiches.

Krupin and his wife Diane will be moving to Florida and told WTOP, “Maybe I’ll pick up a hobby. I never had time for one. I don’t have the patience for bridge or chess. We’ll see what happens when we get down south.”

Morty’s Delicatessen, located at 4620 Wisconsin Avenue NW, will stay open even without Krupin’s daily presence.

We’ll miss you, Morty. Come back and visit. Thanks for keeping your doors open and, most of all, thanks for the eats.

News, The Daily Feed
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Rainbow Media buys DCist Parent Company?

Photo courtesy of
‘$10,000 in cash’
courtesy of ‘NickStarr’

In a deal said to be worth approximately $5-6M, it is rumored that Rainbow Media, a wholly-owned subisidiary of New York’s Cablevision system, has purchased Gothamist LLC which owns the DCist blog here in DC. When asked for comment, DCist Editor Sommer Mathis said she had seen the story, but hadn’t received any information from Gothamist concerning the disposition of any deal.

The story remains unconfirmed, and could be incorrect, but the idea of large media outlet systems like Cablevision purchasing up medium- and large-sized blogs has all kinds of far-reaching consequences. The parallels between websites and radio stations is one that we would do well to remember in this particular situation.

More as the details unfold.

Business Insider says talks are still going on, and Jake Dobkin, despite repeated attempts to get anything else, just said, “No Comment.”

The Daily Feed
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Relax, This is Just a Test

Photo courtesy of
‘DSCF5781’
courtesy of ‘joelogon’

Metro announced today that two emergency response exercises will be happening Sunday and Monday next week, so here’s a heads up not to panic when you see “numerous police, fire and emergency response vehicles, first responders and volunteer ‘victims'” in the middle of the night this weekend.  One drill will simulate an explosion on a Metro train in the tunnel between Rosslyn and Foggy Bottom at 1 AM on Sunday morning, and trains will single-track around the ‘accident’ from 11 PM Saturday night to closing at 3 AM on Sunday morning.  The second drill, which will simulate a Metrobus explosion with multiple injuries, will happen on Monday morning at 10 AM at the RFK Parking lot.

These drills are meant to test Metro emergency management and regional emergency response crews.  Here’s hoping they pass!

Life in the Capital, Media, The Daily Feed
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Law & Order’s Mariska Hargitay Talks Hollywood, Global Health

Photo courtesy of
‘Library of Congress Reading Room’
courtesy of ‘tzk333’

Can’t get enough Law & Order even though it’s on every single hour of every day? Mariska Hargitay, of the procedural’s Special Victims Unit series, will be in the District this week to talk about Hollywood’s portrayal of global health issues. Hargitay is joined by the show’s executive producer Neal Baer,  as well as representatives of both the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Hollywood, Health & Society (the sponsoring organization).

The group’s focus will be a discussion on how entertainment can play a role in support for global initiatives around developing healthcare. Fishbowl DC has more details on the event, which will be held this Wednesday night from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Library of Congress in the Mumford Room (6th floor) of the Madison Building.

The Daily Feed
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Constitutional Challenge to the Health Care Bill?

Photo courtesy of
‘Constitution in the National Archives’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Virginia could be the first state to issue a Constitutional challenge to the Health Care legislation passed by the House yesterday. Last Thursday, before the bill had passed, Virginia AG Ken Cuccinelli announced that he would bring suit, stating that the legislation “violate[s] the plain text of both the Ninth and Tenth Amendments.” Presumably, he’s referring to the insurance mandate that would require eligible Americans to purchase health insurance by 2014 or face fines, something the Va. Legislature determined would be illegal several weeks ago. Will this happen? Probably. Cucinelli is, to say the least, a staunch conservative and has the energy to pursue this. Does he have a case? Actually, maybe.  If history has shown anything it’s that the “plain text” of the Constitution is anything but. Still, the 10th Amendment states that powers not specifically enumerated to the Fed by the Constitution belong to the states and the people. The trick is showing that the Fed has overstepped its bounds in this instance. Typically, courts rule in favor of the Federal government in 10th Amendment cases, but they do occasionally swing towards the states’ rights side. With the Supreme Court being fairly conservative, at the moment, anything is possible.

The Daily Feed
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Cherry Blossoms to Bloom a Little Earlier

Photo courtesy of
‘Early Cherry Blossoms 2010’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Because of this totally gorgeous and amazing weather we’re having, the cherry blossom blooming process has accelerated a little bit. Peak bloom is now expected to be March 28-April 9, rather than March 31-April 11 as originally predicted. Yes, it’s only 3 days earlier, but after this godawful winter we’ve just had,  will take what I can get.

The Daily Feed
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A Property Update…

Photo courtesy of
‘C&O at twilight’
courtesy of ‘brownpau’

In January 2012 (although these dates are never quite as fluid as they yearn to be) Georgetown will become home to a new and ultra exclusive hotel.  Capella Hotels and Resorts, which currently have six properties across the world and are slated to add five more -including the DC property,  will be redeveloping the old American Trial Lawyers Association building at 1050 31st Street NW, which borders the historic C&O Canal.  The Capella Georgetown will feature 48 guest rooms and suites, a restaurant, lounge, executive boardroom, rooftop pool and bar, and full-service spa.

From the look of the 5-story rendering, the plans for the hotel’s design looks like it will fit right in with its surrounding landscape.  I just wonder if The Capella Georgetown will get the interior right.  No more extravagantly ornate details, dated color-schemes, or uber-modern finishes please!

An architect and designer have not yet been selected for the project.

Read more about this property update and see the rendering in the Washington Business Journal.

The Daily Feed
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Street Cleaning Starts This Week

Photo courtesy of
‘Downtown BID Street Sweeper’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Today marks the return of spring street cleanings, which means that you will once again need to pay attention to your neighborhood’s street cleaning rules. Failure to do so is a $30 ticket, and you know you don’t want one of those. Worse: the street sweepers in DC are camera equipped with license-plate recognizers which means you’re probably going to get a ticket-by-mail. I don’t know what it is about tickets by mail, but I only tend to get the second notice with the higher fine, so be careful and just move your car ahead of time, okay?

The Daily Feed
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Protest Hangover


"All That Defies the Worst Which Pen Expresses"
Originally uploaded by Kevin H.

If you see this city looking a bit haggard this morning, or nursing their fourth cup of coffee along about 11am today, it’s because there was a protest for everyone this weekend. There was the Kill The Bill group on the Mall up by the Capitol, including some seriously angry and possibly deranged folks who called Rep. John Lewis and Rep. Barney Frank names that I had thought had gone the way of the dodo in polite society.

There was also the Immigration Reform march on the Mall on Sunday, drawing tens of thousands to hear speeches on immigration reform. There were, according to reports, just as many Mexican flags as there were American flags, which seems odd to me.

And lastly, there was the Iraq War Protest in Lafayette Park on Saturday, protesting the continuation, albeit curtailed, of the Iraq War. Cindy Sheehan made an appearance, and was once again arrested in a stupid moment of symbolism that embodies her continual cry for help in the form of some serious therapy.

So, we will look a little haggard this morning, here in the city. There was something for people of every political flavor this weekend. It’s nice to live where that happens, isn’t it?

News, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Nats Demote Storen, Strasburg to AA Harrisburg

Photo courtesy of
‘take me out to the ballgame…’
courtesy of ‘staceyviera’

The Nationals today sent prospects Drew Storen and Stephen Strasburg to the minor leagues, and to the camp of AA Harrisburg. This is actually a huge relief for Nationals fans everywhere, because it means that despite their strong Spring, they’re going to give these guys some time in the minors before bringing them up to the Show.

Thank God.

My biggest fear was that these guys would do so well in the major league camp that they’d have no choice but to bring them up from Viera to Washington for Opening Day and that would have been a huge mistake. Instead the Nats are going to give them a few months of confidence-building starts in AA Harrisburg and AAA Syracuse to build their pitching acumen and get used to the concept of professional baseball.

Look for them both to join the Nationals after the All Star Break, when they’ve decimated everyone they’ve faced in AA and AAA.

News, The Daily Feed
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Omar Karim Gets Testy on Kojo


video courtesy of the Kojo Show

Omar Karim was on today’s Kojo Nnamdi Show, and boy did he get testy. I mean, I’ve seen some political figures get this angry, but in the clip above, Karim does everything except challenge analyst Tom Sherwood to pistols at dawn. Karim is one of the principals behind Banneker Development which has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, chief among them, they’re the beneficiaries of several contracts to build recreation centers in the District, which the Council will be reviewing for improper award. Karim defends his company’s record, and his relationship with the Mayor, which Karim describes as pretty mundane. Either way, it’s some entertaining watching, as Karim is certainly a fiery guy.

The Daily Feed
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Metro Wants Your Opinion on the FY 2011 Budget

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

Metro’s in a bad way. They’re facing a $189M budget deficit for the fiscal year starting in June, and proposed service cuts are pretty draconian. There will be a series of six hearings related to the deficit, and Metro will seek public opinion for how to address the major gap in funding and the service level of the transit system at large.

Some of the options for the service reductions are pretty draconian, and include the removal of 8-car trains from service, and closing three stations on the weekends, as well as reducing the frequency of approximately 40 bus lines. The options right now would make an already crowded-to-capacity system practically unusable. If these aren’t the sort of thing that you’re comfortable with, maybe a fare hike is more what you’re looking for. Options there include increasing the peak charge from $1.65 to $2 each way, and the maximum to $5.45, and peak-of-the-peak charges of $.50, as well as $.35 hikes in bus fare, and peak-of-the-peak charging for Metrobus, as well.

No matter what you do, you should check out Fair Share for Metro and use their tools to contact your representative to let them know how important Transit issues are to you. Click through for the locations of each hearing, they all begin at 7pm.

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