Category Archives: The Daily Feed

The Daily Feed
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Lebron James at Josephine Wednesday night

Photo courtesy of
‘00069882’
courtesy of ‘Keith Allison’

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that the Lebron James is probably the second or third most popular living NBA player. He’s in town on Wednesday night with the Cavs, as they take on the Wizards. And, if you want to tell him how much he sucks/rocks, he’ll be at Josephine after the game to host a party. Now, he’ll probably have his whole fifteen-person entourage with him, so Wizards fans might want to take a few friends if they wanted to send Mr. James a message.

The Daily Feed
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Perez Hilton Scorned by TWT

Photo courtesy of
‘Perez Hilton’
courtesy of ‘thomasrdotorg’

Fishbowl DC has the details of the latest journalist to meet the ire of Gossip-blogger and remora-par-none Perez Hilton, and it’s a local: Stephanie Green from The Washington Times. Given the opportunity for an exclusive by Hilton’s publicist, Green took the story, and published an article based on the segment with the publicist. You know, as you might expect from any writer who was pitched a story would do. The small problem? The publicist said that Hilton decided to pass on the story with the Times, in a one-line email, and went about her day. Apparently, that was supposed to kill the story, but Green, being good at her job, decided not to roll over and be Hilton’s lapdog.

Bravo, Stephanie, Bravo. Hilton’s bark is a lot worse than his bite.

News, The Daily Feed
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Streetcars En Route

streetcar.jpg

The Streetcars that will ride the rails in Anacostia in 2011 or 2012 left Ostrava, Czech Republic today first via flatbed truck, and then they’re bound for a cross-Atlantic ship to get here to the District in about 4-6 weeks. The three cars cost $10M to procure and have been in storage at the manufacturer for the last two and a half years. In addition, we’ve had to extend their warranty, despite being kept in storage since manufacture. They’re a fairly hefty investment in the new streetcar system, and hopefully we’ll one day see them on our streets! No word where they’ll be stored while we wait for the rails to be built.

News, The Daily Feed, The District, WTF?!
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We’re Number 1!

Photo courtesy of
‘Cabbages and Condoms’
courtesy of ‘wharman’

I shouldn’t have to write this. I really shouldn’t. Folks, if you’re not grown up enough to cover your willie when you go to have sex, maybe you shouldn’t be at home with the Astroglide, okay? The CDC has released a study that shows that DC is #1 for per capita syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia infection. I’m gonna let that sink in for a second.

You’re three times as likely to get gonorrhea in DC than you are in VA or MD. That’s outrageous. That number goes up even higher for the other diseases. So really, folks, if you’re having sex and you don’t know the other person’s status (or, if you for any reason don’t trust it) then please for the love of god use a condom? This is just embarrassing.

Usual disclaimers about DC being an entirely urban “state” for demographics purposes, and I don’t believe the CDC breaks it out by metropolitan areas, where, I hope, Baltimore still has us beat.

News, The Daily Feed
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Ex-Maryland Police Chief Sells Stolen Gun To Civilian

Photo courtesy of
‘Guarding Justice’
courtesy of ‘Photos by Chip Py’

You know the economy’s bad when you’ve got local officials selling off their “office supplies” to make an extra buck.

Former Morningside, MD Police Chief David Eichelberger was indicted on five counts after allegedly stealing a gun from the Morningside Police Department. To make matters worse, Eichelberger sold the Glock handgun from the back of a police cruiser to a civilian back in July — a month before Eichelberger was named chief of police.

“The person that the former chief sold the gun to eventually notified the mayor of the town of the sale,” Attorney Glenn Ivey said.

Maryland State Police are still investigating the case, but as of now Eichelberger is facing a five year prison sentence.

News, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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10 Years Later & People Are Still Talking About “The Blair Witch Project” — Really? Really!

Photo courtesy of
‘Blair Witch Project’
courtesy of ‘Catchpenny’

The appeal behind The Blair Witch Project never made any sense to me. In fact, I’m jealous that someone thought of such a simple idea and made a decent profit off of it.

With that said, Burkittsville, MD officials announced today that the small western Maryland town will be replacing the four “Welcome to Burkittsville” signs stolen throughout the area over the past decade due to Blair Witch fans.

“You really can’t imagine how crazy it was during the whole Blair Witch saga,” Mayor Debby Burgoyne said.

The black on white “older-style”  signs will be replaced by blue ones with white letters and red stars, according to  Burgoyne.

Officials are saying that a local history society has obtained one of the old signs. The rest are set to be auctioned a later date.

The Daily Feed, We Green DC
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Bag It

Photo courtesy of
‘String grocery bag’
courtesy of ‘bradipo’

Starting Jan. 1, if you want to tote your vittles or booze home from the store in a disposable bag, it’ll cost you 5 cents. All monies collected will go to the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Fund to clean up the river.

Yesterday, DC announced the Skip the Bag, Save the River education campaign and, in a sign that someone’s thinking, that it would give free reusable bags to 122,000 low-income residents and senior citizens.

I am all for this. In addition to keeping the river clean, it could save DC residents money. Money spent on trash removal now is passed along in water bills and taken away from programs that help people. And it will lower the environmental costs of producing one-use bags from oil or trees, transporting them, and disposing of them.

One tip: Come Jan. 1, keep your empty bags by your door or in your car where they’re easy to see and grab.

The Daily Feed
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Bambi isn’t so cute when he’s destroying your park.

Photo courtesy of
‘buck up!’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Fairfax County’s deer population is so out of control that they’re actually permitting hunting in Colvin Run and Laurel Mill parks. Experienced hunters who are members of Suburban Whitetail Deer Management of Northern Virginia will be able to enter the parks in early morning hours to hunt deer using compound bows (not firearms), and meat will be donated to local homeless shelters.

I don’t have the same problem with this that Chris Needham of NBCWashington seems to have. While deer are indeed beautiful, majestic animals, and Bambi was an adorable fawn, they are also basically pests. Big, pretty, pests that can defoliate acres and acres of land. And as someone trying to constantly examine the ethics of meat production and her own consumption, I can’t help pointing out a clean shot from an experienced hunter (after a few years of frolicking in natural habitat, I might add) is a relatively humane way for a mammal to meet its end, certainly no worse than getting ambushed by a mountain lion, and rather a lot better than dying of starvation because of overpopulation.  And finally, venison is a cheap, readily-available source of lean protein, making it a perfect thing to donate to food-related charities that are already feeling the pinch of reduced donations and increased demand for services.

So bring on the deer hunt, y’all.

Adventures, Entertainment, Fun & Games, The Daily Feed
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It’s Here! It’s Here! It’s Almost Here!

Photo courtesy of
‘Twilight candy’
courtesy of ‘Joe in DC’

I didn’t see the 2008 blockbuster Twilight in the theater. In fact, like many non-tweens, I pretty much missed all the hype/hubbub surrounding its release. I figured it was one of those Miley Cyrus/Hanana Montana movies, and lord knows I’d never go anywhere near that crap. But then one wintry Saturday night, when I had had a little too much to drink the night before, and my roommates were headed out for the evening, and I’d have the place all to myself I ordered it On Demand and, to my embarrassment, got hooked. To redeem myself a bit, I’ll note that all I did was watch the film (albeit 2-3 times), but I have not purchased any of the books or paraphernalia.

However, I will be seeing the sequel New Moon in theaters this Friday. Yes, I’m actually willing to pay the $12, so I’m expecting an angst-filled, action-packed, highly entertaining movie that will leave me dying to see the next film Eclipse.

Like most blockbusters, local theaters are showing the new movie from The Twilight Saga starting at 12:01am Friday morning (Thursday night), of note is AMC’s Georgetown Theater which will show the movie in all of it 6 theaters.  At least, I’m not SO desperate to see it that I’ll lose hours of my precious sleep.

News, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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American Red Cross Auctions Off History To Close Defecit

Photo courtesy of
‘Hospital’
courtesy of ‘saturnism’

Rose Percy’s long stint with the American Red Cross comes to close today. The 23-inch, Tiffany jewelry wearing,wax doll is being auctioned off  in an effort to expunge the $33 million budget deficit the Red Cross has amassed over time.

Rose isn’t the only treasure being sold. Nurse uniforms from World War I in addition to the numerous other historical items from the Civil War era and before will be the hot items to spot in the auction.

Roger Lowe, Red Cross spokesman, said, “It’s a chance to buy a piece of history.”

All proceeds from today’s auction will benefit Red Cross general fund, which aids in the effort to execute their humanitarian mission.

To see a complete list of auction items, click here.

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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The Passenger Embarks

Photo courtesy of
‘Peychaud Rinse’
courtesy of ‘Samer Farha’

The long-awaited new venture of the brothers Brown is set to open this Thursday. Yes, The Passenger is ready for embarkation on 7th Street, in the old bar space of the Warehouse Theater complex. It sounds rather rock-n-roll to me, with Tom Brown (formerly of Cork) slinging up made-to-taste cocktails, including seasonal pitchers, along with what will no doubt be a phenom wine list and beer – canned or draft.

Derek Brown’s internal combustion engine, the Columbia Room, won’t open til early 2010 – this is a smaller bar-inside-a-bar modeled after tiny Japanese bars with high personal interaction between bartender and guest.

Back over the summer, purely by chance, I ended up sitting next to their concept meeting outside at Room 11 and really struggled with writing about anything I’d heard that evening. I could’ve started a whole slew of rumors about what Tom and Derek were planning, but honestly, they don’t need the buzz, already being cocktail legends with a loyal following in the city.

Bottom line? I think it’s fantastic the two brothers are finally getting to work together, highlighting their different styles in one place.  You can expect a funky interior that still stays true to the surrounding historic architecture, complete with a “dining car” in the back, but nothing incredibly high-end or elaborate – there’s a dedication to building a low-key neighborhood bar feel as well. Will it become a total scene because everyone and their mother wants a hand-crafted cocktail from these guys now? Will this finally revitalize that rather raggedy stretch of street? We’ll find out.

The Daily Feed
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DC Foodies, Listen In

Photo courtesy of
‘On a Stick’
courtesy of ‘lorigoldberg’

The American Marketing Association is hosting one of its speaker series this Wednesday, November 18 on Food and Beverage Marketing. Learn about the attention you’re not giving to the industry that devotes itself to providing quality food and drink as we experience life. Meet local industry leaders, restaurant marketing executives, and food industry experts and learn how our Washington, DC area restaurants and specialty food stores market their products and services.

From 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Liaison Capitol Hill hotel you can hear and learn from:

Lamar Brown, Owner, Carafe Wines, Alexandria
Anthony Hesselius, Senior Publicist, Linda Roth PR
Stephanie James, Marketing Manager, Red Hot and Blue
Elizabeth Scott, Corporate Sales and Marketing Manager, Capital Restaurant Concepts
Jose Poblador, General Manager, Art and Soul Restaurant, Washington, DC

The conversation will be moderated by Kassandra Robinson, Senior Director of Marketing and PR for the Capital Area Food Bank.

The cost is $60 for non-members and $30 for students. It’s an additional $10 on site, so get your tickets in advance! Pre-registration closes today at 5:00 p.m.

Essential DC, Food and Drink, Life in the Capital, News, The Daily Feed, The District
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Five Guys Makes Ad Age’s “America’s Hottest Brands” List

Photo courtesy of
‘Five Guys’
courtesy of ‘SWP Moblog’

Well, lookie here, Lorton-Baltimorebased chain Five Guys has made it on to Advertising Age’s “America’s Hottest Brands” List. Long heralded by DCites for its juicy, meaty burgers and specially spiced cajun fries, the Five Guys chain is exploding, opening shops along the Northeast corridor and infiltrating the Midwest.

The secret to Five Guys success, apart from their menu offerings, is good old fashioned customer service. You really can’t beat a good burger, some spicy fries and a smile.

*Rob C and Billy are correct. Five Guys is currently headquatered in Lorton, VA. The first Five Guys location, now closed, opened in 1986 at South Glebe Road and Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA.

Music, News, The Daily Feed
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Library of Congress Announces McCartney To Receive 3rd Annual Gershwin Prize

Photo courtesy of
‘Paul on the Jumbotron’
courtesy of ‘ameschen’

The Library of Congress has “come together” to honor former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney, with their 3rd annual Gershwin Prize for Popular Song that “celebrates the work of an artist whose career reflects lifetime achievement in promoting song as a vehicle of musical expression and cultural understanding.” The prize commemorates American composers and brothers George and Ira Gershwin who complete catalogs are managed by the Library of Congress.

“It’s hard to think of another performer and composer who has had a more indelible and transformative effect on popular song and music of several different genres than Paul McCartney,” said James H. Billington, librarian of Congress.

McCartney will return to DC to accept the award next spring and is honored to accept the prize due to his admiration of the Gershwin songbook.

An all-star line-up of a tribute concert in his honor is scheduled to take place. No further details have been made public yet.

Previous winners of the Gershwin Prize include Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder.

The Daily Feed
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Free? Yes. Fast? Not so much.


Snail_Macro by Dave & Karin

Here I sit in Steam Cafe at 17th & R Street NW, working from home, or rather a garden home office.  I’m here because my Verizon DSL, while reasonably fast, keeps dropping out about every five minutes or so.  While I appreciate the fact that Steam offers free wireless to their customers, the speed leaves a lot to be desired at between 30-80Kb/second.  That’s fine for sending e-mail and a bit of web browsing, but downloading big files is downright painful.

So now, I’m looking into internet options in my area and found Eatel. Glad that I changed my connection since it’s now stable and I don’t have to go out just to get fast internet.

The Daily Feed
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Black Rooster Pub Saved! Reopens Today

Photo courtesy of
‘Open!’
courtesy of ‘Pianoman75’

Just when we thought all was lost, the Black Rooster Pub conquers “peace.”

Tom reported in late September on the Black Rooster Pub losing its leased space that it had held since 1970 because the landlord rented out their space to the adjacent Peace Corps headquarters. This move would have ousted a longstanding neighborhood stronghold, and we would have been stuck with even less retail space along the office-building-crowded L street corridor.

Well, your cries were heard, and the landlord has reversed its decision to close down the pub. The Black Rooster officially reopens for business today, so stop by on your way home for a pint and celebrate the revival.

News, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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The Sky is Falling!

Photo courtesy of
‘227 Images Perseid Meteor Shower’
courtesy of ‘aresauburnâ�¢’

The sky is falling! Or at least … it will be.

At around 4 a.m. Tuesday, the Leonid meteor shower will blaze across the sky at an average speed of 20-30 meteors per hour.

Back in the day, c.1833, the Leonids’ “were seen to ‘fall like snowflakes in a blizzard,’ with estimated rates of several dozen per second,” according to Sky & Telescope Magazine.

What’s your best chance of seeing this stellar light display? City dwellers might find the meteors a bit more difficult to see but the stargazers further out from the orange glow of the urban sky have the best chance of catching the show.

Skies will be partly cloudy in the early Tuesday hours, according to NBC4 meteorologist Tom Kierien. So be on the look out for a few random streaks of light running through the sky. Is it a bird? Probably not. Is it a plane? There’s a chance, but at that hour in the morning your best bet is that it’s the Leonid meteor shower giving you a show.

The Daily Feed
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Curbside Cupcakes Happiness

Photo courtesy of
‘Cupcake Frosting’
courtesy of ‘christaki’

I don’t know what it is about food trucks/stands/vans that appear out of nowhere and then move on, but it makes me want to buy what they’re selling. DC’s latest roving food trend is the bright pink cupcake van called Curbside Cupcakes.

I just took advantage of them (oh yeah. It was good, too.) being at Union Station during lunch today and tried the red velvet cupcake. It was a little on the small side, but it was super moist and fluffy–exactly how I like my cupcakes. Plus, the people working in the van are ridiculously nice. Cupcake van FTW! If you want to track them down and try the cupcakes for yourself, check out their Twitter or Facebook.

News, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Washington Blade Closes

Photo courtesy of
‘guilty pleasures’
courtesy of ‘NCinDC’

This morning at 11:20, the Washington Blade tweeted, “Washington Blade, like all Window Media publications, is closing today. Thank you for your support. (Keep following us for developments.)” The Blade was owned by Window Media, which also owned Southern Voice, which was in turn bought by Avalon Equity Fund, which is now in receivership and closing publications. Today’s move was part of four GLBTQ outlets closing, the Blade, which just turned 40, Atlanta’s Southern Voice paper and David magazine and the South Florida Blade.

In addition to shuttering the paper property, the digital archives at Wash Blade is now reporting down (Update, 12:10p: the servers are alternating between down, up, and the Site Down page, probably under heavy load). The Blade has been a DC institution for 40 years, and its loss will be very hard on the DC area in specific. Started in 1969 with humble beginnings as a mimeographed paper, the Blade has a long and storied history that I can’t believe will just be destroyed like this. I recently heard a great segment with their editor on the Kojo Nnamdi show celebrating their great history.

Washington is a poorer place without the Blade.

UPDATE, 12:55p: Via Politico, the Blade’s staff is working on a new venture already, with the first meeting being tomorrow, under the helm of Private Citizen and former Blade editor Kevin Naff. Anything we can do to help Mr. Naff and his fine staff, he need but ask. I’m very, very glad to see Mr. Naff crafting his own Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, and I hope it’s up and running very soon.