By Tom Bridge
I am here to say, this is totally the best internet rap video since Remy told us about brown flip-flops. Meet The Caps Rap, above. (via DCist). ‘Guin Rabies does sound like a plausible option, but I’d rather not find out.
Also, Redskins fans, Shanahan came in on Redskins One today, and it’s expected that this is largely a formality. But, remember, Danny Snyder is involved, so it’s entirely possible he’ll throw a tantrum.
Update: You can watch his plane land on NBC 4 if you so desire.
By Tom Bridge
‘Well oiled civil rights.’
courtesy of ‘Kevitivity’
Gilbert Arenas released a statement this afternoon through his lawyer after meeting with the US Attorneys’ Office and MPD. Apparently Arenas moved the weapons as he was concerned about his children’s safety. Perhaps Mr. Arenas had not heard of gun safes before, which is entirely possible for someone trying badly to imitate Plaxico Burress.
While I’m pleased to hear the gun was not drawn in anger, that it was drawn at all suggests a lack of respect for the weapon, for his teammate, for the City of DC, and to the fans of the Wizards. While I would not like to see Mr. Arenas thrown into irons for this one, perhaps a little bit of extra community service and a hefty fine would be excellent reparations. Right after the Wizards terminate his contract.
By Donna C.
‘Rosslyn’
courtesy of ‘william couch’
While many folks were recovering on New Year’s Day, Arlington’s leaders were working to save the planet.
That day, right after being elected chairman of the Arlington County Board, Jay Fisette announced a task force to develop a Community Energy Plan that will set goals and find ways to reduce the county’s greenhouse gas emissions.
It will expand Fresh AIRE (Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emissions), which began efforts in 2007 to lower the county government’s greenhouse gas emissions. So far, the county’s investments in energy efficiency have paid a return on investment of about 20 percent per year in lower costs for government operations.
The task force will include residents, business leaders, property owners, energy and technology experts, schools, federal and state government officials, and regional authorities.
By Tom Bridge
‘Police Car near White House’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’
The Washington Post has learned that there was a third party crasher at the State Dinner in November. The crasher, whose name has not been released, came in as part of the Indian Delegation, and it’s not clear what charges they are facing. They are, however, facing criminal charges and that’s why the privacy.
It would be a travesty if the Salahis went free and this was the dude that got arrested.
By Rebecca
‘urban adventurer’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’
Over the holidays, the Georgetown strip lost another retail shop with American Eagle Outfitters shuttering its flip flop, tank top, bikini laded aisles for good. Luckily for those AE diehards, there are plenty of other substitutes to be found close by, like Vineyard Vines, Abercrombie & Fitch, Rugby, Tommy Hilfinger, Patagonia, etc…..
Like most commercial areas, Georgetown is an ever evolving strip with shops and restaurants opening and closing year round. Unfortunately, during this economic downturn, there have been more departures and less arrivals, and according to CarolJoynt.com there could be more casualties in the horizon.
By Karl Johnson
Update 1:45pm: Fortunately that was a quickly resolved disruption. DCA is back open and is now green on the FAA map. This may create a residual backup though so check with airlines for flights in/out of DCA to see how delayed they are.
Update 1:17pm: According to WAMU and the FAA, all flights are stopped right now and TSA has halted security screenings.
DCA just can’t catch any breaks these days. Last week, the C terminal was slammed with a massive flood resulting from a water main break. Today there is apparently a power outage. According to the FAA, as well as passengers stuck around the country who can’t take off for DC, there is a ground stop in effect. The image above is a shot of the FAA site as of right now. It is unclear if this is killing all inbound and outbound flights or just some. If you have details, please add them in the comments. Needless to say, if you are flying in or out of DCA, expect delays right now. How long remains to be seen.
FAA details:
Due to EQUIPMENT / OUTAGE, there is a Traffic Management Program in effect for traffic arriving Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington, DC (DCA).
By Cathy
![IMG_5330[1]](http://www.welovedc.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/IMG_53301-240x160.jpg "IMG_5330[1]")
Courtesy of the Golden Triangle BID
On the first day back at work since the new DC bag law went into effect, the Golden Triangle BID doesn’t want you to be caught by surprise when you go out to grab something to eat.
The Golden Triangle BID’s staff and Ambassadors are handing out 1,000 free resusable tote bags this month – starting at 12:30 p.m. today – to help DC workers save money and to support the District’s initiative.
Where can you get your free bag?
By Cathy
Update: See below for apology letter. Did they pass the blame?
We love New Years in DC, but what happened here?? 85 “Reader Reviews” (and counting) of the New Years Eve Party at the National Building Museum hosted by the guys behind Gin & Tonic and Late Night Shots gave the party one and a half stars out of four.
At the forefront, this sounds like what you would typically expect at a huge NYE party: long lines, trouble getting drinks, and unreasonably high ticket prices. While some of the complaints about the party not living up to its expectations obviously led to some angry partygoers, some of the comments are pretty serious, including significant damage being done to the National Building Museum.
A lot of people are really, really unhappy with what they got for their money. So somewhere, there was definitely a mismatch of expectations and reality.
To quote one reviewer who pretty much sums up the other commenters: Continue reading
By Max
Dead tree on pavement by mrlerone
Now that the holidays are behind us, there is only one more tradition to take care of: the Annual Holiday Tree Sidewalk Toss. That’s right, it’s time to take down that fire hazard of a tree and pitch it out onto the sidewalk or preferably, into a nearby tree box. According to the Department of Public Works, DC residents “are encouraged to place holiday trees and other greenery in curbside tree boxes—without ornaments or tinsel—no earlier than Friday, January 1, and no later than Sunday, January 10″. The trees are then (allegedly) chipped and combined with leaves that were collected last fall to create compost that is available to residents for free later in the year.
So give some glee, recycle your tree!
By Cathy
Now, here’s a potluck you might not want to miss. Hosted by DC’s most food friendly bloggers at a U & 14th street condo, this potluck promises “dips, nibbles, sandwiches, desserts and teatime tidbits,” but really, it’s what you make of it.
I’ll be there Wednesday sporting some mini ham and cheese stuffed brioches – inspired by the highly addictive bacon or breakfast brioche found at Buzz Bakery in Alexandria. What are you bringing? RSVP to attend here.
Special thanks to Union Row and co-hosts Gradually Greener, ModernDomestic, The Arugula Files, Capital Spice, Capital Cooking, DininginDC, WeLoveDC, Beerspotter.
Mark you calendar, and let your dish/bottle forge out a name for yourself in the DC foodie scene.
By Kirk
‘_MG_0229’
courtesy of ‘dbking’
The inevitable has finally happened and the Zorn era is no more. After a 4-12 season and an overall 12-20 record, the Redskins leadership decided that it was time to fire head coach Jim Zorn. This move, of course, has been speculated for months, particularly after Redskin owner Dan Snyder stripped Zorn of his play calling responsibilities earlier in the season. It really comes as no surprise to most football fans. Still, I ask myself: was the Redskins abysmal 2009 performance a symptom of bad coaching, or of something deeper? Many Washingtonians feel that Dan Snyder’s meddling in the day to day affairs of his team is far more to blame than Jim Zorn’s apparent lack of ability. So, Skins fans, what’s your analysis? Was this a good move, bad move, or will it even matter? Supposedly Snyder is courting Mike Shanahan as Zorn’s replacement. Any thoughts on that?
By Rebecca
’09 Kite Festival – Free as the Wind – 3-28-09′
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’
The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory for the Baltimore/Washington, DC area that will remain in effect until 3am Sunday morning. Repeated surges of arctic air could produce wind gusts of 45-50 mph and can make driving extremely difficult for ” high profile” (aka tall) vehicles. So if you plan on being out on the roads be careful.
Update @ 01/03 , 10:10am: The NWS has extended their area weather advisory until 6pm Sunday night. Winds of up to 30 mph can be expected with gusts up to 50 mph. The wind will lower outdoor temperatures to the single digits and teens. If you’re heading outside bundle up big time!
By Tom Bridge
‘Introducing Gilbert Arenas’
courtesy of ‘afagen’
I know, it’s New Years Day, the start of a brand new decade. It’s about fresh starts, and optimism. That is, unless you’re a Wizards fan. And then you wonder how this happens. Gilbert Arenas was reportedly in a dispute with drawn firearms with teammate Javaris Crittenton in the Wizards Lockerroom. On Christmas Eve. Over a Gambling Debt.
Fellas, be glad that Abe Pollin didn’t live to see this. Because this would’ve killed him from sheer embarrassment.
In addition, federal authorities and MPD are investigating the incident. I’m not sure why the feds are involved, as this would likely be an MPD investigation, but if the reports are corroborated, Arenas and Crittenton could face felony firearms charges.
The best comment so far is from abias, a commenter at DC Sports Bog: “Judging by the way they’ve been shooting on the court, was anybody really in danger?”
By Don
‘Plowing Snow in Petworth’
courtesy of ‘Wayan Vota’
At the end of this WTOP article about the District using inmates on work release to clear snow there’s a rather disturbing fact mentioned:
The District spent $4 million of its $6.2 million snow removal budget cleaning up after the storm.
That’s some serious scratch and 60% of the budget – gone on a storm that happened before the official start of winter. With the Capital Weather Gang thinking we’re going to see more snowfall than average this year where will that leave the District financially?
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’
You can win a $25 SmarTrip card from Metro by guessing their New Year’s Day ridership number as closely as possible without going over. Enter online, providing a valid email address (so they can contact you if you win). The deadline to enter is “midnight New Year’s Day,” which I’m guessing in this case actually means 12:00 AM January 2nd, but maybe you want to enter early just in case. The winner will be notified by January 8th.
By Tom Bridge
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’
Hampton Roads/Virginia Beach should be a no-brainer Redskins market, right? I mean, who else would you cheer for? Well, this weekend they pulled the Redskins game off the air so that WVBT could show the Dallas/Philly game that has actual consequences for the playoff picture. That’s just how bad the Redskins are this year. The sports director at WVBT said the Skins were “unwatchable,” and that emails after he read the decision on the air on Tuesday night were running 30:1 in favor of the Cowboys/Eagles game.
Yowch. Sorry Skins.
‘_DSC0463’
courtesy of ‘Eric Gilliland’
Good news! The DC population is at its highest in over 20 years … and it’s still growing!
The city’s population set to break 600,000 in 2010. How do we know that? The Census Bureau had a head count of 599,657 residents as of July 1 which means DC is on pace to pass the 1991 count at 601,000.
WaPo says that this surge in residency pertains to the recent recession and housing market crisis but I think that’s too easy of an answer. The real reason people are sticking around is simple — DC is hiring.
By Karl Johnson
‘MTV’s “Real World” House in DC for 2010’
courtesy of ‘dbking’
Hey, you! Admit it. Just admit it. Your wildest dreams came true at precisely 10:00pm Wednesday night. That’s when MTV aired the world premiere of Real World DC. The District, The USA and the whole freaking world became a better place to live when those 8 strangers got their TV debut and showed the world what the real DC is really all about. But instead of ranting about their intelligence, likability and downright sincerity, I’m here to tell you why the premiere absolutely rocked. It rocked because We Love DC has the best readers on earth and they joined us for a live blogging chat session to discuss the going-ons of the incredibly entertaining first episode, the always beloved after-show and, perhaps the BEST part, the amazing MTV show previews and tasteful commercials (Trojan makes what?).
By Kirk
‘beers’
courtesy of ‘Amberture’
Currently, my cohorts and I are live blogging the Real World and have come to the unanimous conclusion that this season will be impossible to get through sans alcohol. So, dear readers, it has fallen to me to create a drinking game. Unfortunately, in the course of watching the Real World, my mind imploded, so I need your help in devising said game. What are your suggestions?
‘If Poop Grew On Trees’
courtesy of ‘maxedaperture’
The bag tax is going into effect on Friday, and you’ll be paying 5 cents for every disposable bag you use. But to take the sting out of the tax while still getting shoppers to use reusable bags (which is the point of all this anyway), several stores are partnering with the city government to make reusable bags freely available for a limited time to their customers.
At DC Giant locations, baggers will be putting customers’ purchases into reusable bags for free this Friday for a week starting this Friday, up to a quarter million bags (thanks for the correction from Giant’s PR people!). Harris Teeter locations will be giving away bags to VIC card users who spend at least $20. Safeway will be giving away reusable bags through local non-profits, while CVS will be giving them away at their locations (though Wells’ office doesn’t specify for how long). Target, on the other hand, will be providing a 5 cent discount (in addition to the 5 cent bag tax you avoid paying) for every reusable bag you provide.
Personally, I’m not a great rememberer-of-reusable-bags, but when I use them, I always ask myself why I haven’t developed better habits about it. Aside from any environmental or cost concerns, I can fit a lot more groceries in my one Kiva foldable bag (hell yeah that’s an affiliate link), and the sturdy straps on a reusable bag make it a lot easier to carry a heavy order home.
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