Category Archives: The Daily Feed

News, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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DC Schools Facing Layoffs Amid $40M Shortfall

Photo courtesy of
‘100 L Street, NW’
courtesy of ‘rockcreek’

$40M is what the DC Schools are going to have to cut from their 2009-2010 budget, which will likely include staff cuts. Where the cuts will come is yet to be determined, and it’s likely to include some cuts at each of the District’s 127 schools. The Teachers’ Union is decrying the cuts, suggesting that Chancellor Rhee should have known these were coming before hiring 900 new teachers this summer. That part makes sense. Until you know you have to cut, why not fully staff and hope that the Mayor would give you the support the school system deserves?

Where would you put the $40M in cuts?

The Daily Feed
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Virginia Reverses Book Ban

Photo courtesy of
‘Book 1’
courtesy of ‘erin m’

State prison officials in Virginia have reversed their recent decision to ban the very popular Books Behind Bars program run by the Quest Institute. The program was halted last month after officials said the security risks were too great and that the shipments of books made too much work for the already-busy corrections officers.

According to Books Behind Bars, volunteers missed a paperclip and a CD in one of the donated textbooks; the items were subsequently found by officers and did not make it to prisoners. State officials were concerned that someone trying to smuggle an item in to an inmate could use the program to do so.

As a method of compromise, Corrections Department Director Gene Johnson will allow the program to resume, though inmates are now limited to three book requests a month. In return, the Quest Institute will take extra care to remove possible contraband material before sending to the prisoners. Dictionaries, Bibles and the Koran are the most popular requests, along with self-help books, novels and G.E.D. preparation workbooks.

News, The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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Tea Bag Metro?

Photo courtesy of
‘they’ve had enough’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Tax hating, tea-party protesters are angry at Metro. You’d think it would be for being a publicly funded transit system that wastes tax-payer dollars as it ferries the excessively large federal workforce in and out of the city.  It turns out, however, that the tea baggers are upset because WMATA’s service wasn’t up to snuff during their Saturday protest. Texas Representative Kevin Brady is calling for an investigation into whether or not Metro adequately prepared for the number of protesters that were in the city on 9/12. The irony, of course, is that these people were in DC to protest government spending on services, in general. 

See the WSJ article on the subject, here.

The Daily Feed
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Pets and comic books out, sex-ed in

Photo courtesy of
‘Glen Matlock – Sex Pistols Live 2008’
courtesy of ‘Edvill’

14th & You reports that Green Pets and comic book shop Big Monkey Comics will be vacating their current space on 14th between R and S (roughly across from the Black Cat). 14&You describes it as the “loss of their lease” but a subsequent indirect quote from Green Pets owner Linda Welch that they are “victims of rising commercial lease rates along 14th Street” makes it sound more like a renewal that was more expensive than they could stomach.

Local sex-ed business WholeDC confirms in the blog comments and on their Facebook page that they’ll be coming in and taking over some space on the second floor of that building.

The Daily Feed
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Zinoman announces retirement from Studio Theater

Photo courtesy of
‘shocks’
courtesy of ‘D.C.Atty’

Peter Marks has a story in Today’s WaPo about Joy Zinoman retiring from Studio Theater. As you read this you almost certainly are having one of two responses:

  • Holy cow, really?
  • Who?

There’s really no other ground. As Marks points out in his column, running a theater company is an entrenchment that people seem to more typically leave feet-first. If you’re familiar with Joy in particular it’s even more mind-boggling; you’d just as well expect B.B.King to give up his iconic guitar, Lucille.

News, The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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Metro to Rewrite Metrobus Handbook

Photo courtesy of
‘Hazardous Materials by Threaded Thoughts’
courtesy of ‘ThreadedThoughts’

Metro announced this evening that they’re going to rewrite their safety guide to include prohibitions against texting and use of cellphones. The last update to the guide was in 1989. That’s right, 20 years since Metro last updated their bus safety manual. Anti-lock brakes may not have even been on buses yet when the manual was last updated…

News, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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The Redskins may End up in the Supreme Court

Photo courtesy of
‘00205691’
courtesy of ‘Keith Allison’

The harried Redskins may have something new to contend with, on top of sucking at football.  Several American Indian activists are attempting to take their long running dispute over the Redskins’ logo to the Supreme Court.  The activists claim that Washington’s trademark is racially offensive and should be changed.  This case has been batted around the lower courts for some time, and rulings have gone back and forth through the appeals process.  Whether or not the case will actually be heard has yet to be seen.  The Supreme Court hears very few cases, despite that thousands are submitted each year.  For the time being, it seems that the Redskins are safe.

The Daily Feed, We Green DC
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Taking Out the Trash

Photo courtesy of
‘ken’s night out’
courtesy of ‘uberculture’

Okay, so I’ve never passed a blitzed Ken on my morning run, but I sure have seen plenty of tossed beer cans, water bottles and Doritos bags. Not to mention the package of chocolate GU glop I picked up the other day that wasn’t empty after all….

The good news is there’s a simple solution — the folks who use the trails can help keep them clean! Hence the DC Trash Runners. This new group will meet for the first time on Sunday at 10 a.m. at Woodley Park Metro and go for a short run or walk, picking up trash along the way in Rock Creek Park.

Yours truly is helping to kick it off, so of course I think it will be fun. Come join us!

All Politics is Local, Downtown, Foggy Bottom, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, The District
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Save The Georgetown Circulator

Photo courtesy of
‘Driving, Not Reading!!! :)’
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

The Georgetown Monitor reported yesterday that the DDOT is seriously considering a significant cut to the Circulator’s Georgetown service based on budgetary concerns and ridership totals.  Despite Ward 2 DC Councilman Jack Evans’ protests, City Administrator Neil Albert has apparently already signed off on the plan.

The only hope for keeping the service is for DC residents and businesses to appeal to Mayor Fenty directly.  If you’re interested in joining the petition to prevent further Circulator service cuts to this area, GM has a sample letter you can sign.

***For clarification, the DDOT’s proposal would eliminate the Wisconsin Avenue portion of the Georgetown-Union Station Circulator’s route, specifically from M Street to Whitehaven Street.

The Daily Feed
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DC Architecture: Three Views

Photo courtesy of
‘All Souls Church Columns’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Tonight at the National Building Museum, three prominent DC architects share their views on our great city’s buildings. Colden Florance, FAIA, Amy Weinstein, FAIA, and David Jameson, FAIA, have different opinions about DC’s buildings and will share them at DC Architecture: Three Views, a free program that’s part of the museum’s lecture series DC Builds. You need to register, though, so click that link for a chance to ask those architects what exactly they think about that massive HUD building or whether giant columns are in this season.

The Daily Feed
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Is it Possible? New Italian Restaurant in Del Ray Disappoints

Photo courtesy of
‘Therapy Bear’
courtesy of ‘Tyrannous’

I mean it’s Italian food. How hard is that to screw up? And it’s in Del Ray, which is known for its great, local eats.

After seeing Sapore D’Italia, the new Italian restaurant in Del Ray, absolutely packed on several occasions, AND after reading reviews which claim that this restaurant is amazing, I had to go and check it out for myself. Recommending dinner with friends to this romantic new hot spot, we all left feeling sorely misled and disappointed.

My tortellini was soggy and water-logged. The lasagna was strange, with the largest noodles I’ve ever seen, laid on it’s side, and not yummy. The Chicken Parmigiano, the best of our four dishes, could pass as edible, but I could have made it more freshly at home. And the calzone seemed hastily thrown together, with each of the $1.00 additional-charge ingredients sparsely and randomly spotting the cheese. 

And to make matters worse, Continue reading →

Arlington, Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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The Waffles Debate + Win Free Dinner For Two!

3ChickenandWaffles
Restaurant 3’s Chicken and Waffles Dish – but with WHAT side?!

I recently had the pleasure of having dinner at Restaurant 3, where I talked with Co-Owner Jonathan Williams about their Chicken and Waffles dish. He was joking around, saying they were trying to settle a debate on whether the chicken and waffles should be served with a side of maple syrup or a side of gravy. The argument has been raging internally at Restaurant 3 with the Owner and Chef on different sides.

You see, I feel very strongly about this, and what the correct answer is, but I promised to remain neutral and open it up to you, We Love DC readers to decide. Vote in the comments – gravy or maple syrup, and I’ll use random.org to pick a winner to get a free dinner for two at Restaurant 3. Also, in addition to offering the dinner for two, Restaurant 3 will actually alter the dish according to customer feedback. If the majority of the group says gravy, the restaurant will adapt the dish. Hurry, voting ends at noon on the 18th! I’ll announce the winner of dinner for two, and what dish will be served at the restaurant later that day.

To give you a little insight into the debate at Restaurant 3 I talked to the opposing sides. “The balance between salty and sweet is the classic twist on flavors that make Chicken n’ Waffles ridiculously delicious. The chicken has a crisp salty flavor, it is the sweet maple syrup that is the contrast. And who wants to eat a fluffy waffle without maple syrup?” says Jonathan Williams, Co-Owner of Restaurant 3. His Executive Chef does NOT agree. “Chicken n’ Waffles is not a light breakfast dish. It is a savory, hearty dinner dish that combines the sweet Belgian waffle with the crispy fried chicken. A hearty, savory gravy poured atop the Chicken n’ Waffles gives it the kick the pushes the dish into dinnertime.” says Brian Robinson.

So the fate of chicken and waffles lies to you, dear reader – so what do you say? Should it be served with maple syrup, or with gravy?

Crime & Punishment, News, The Daily Feed
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DC Sniper to be Executed Nov. 10

Photo courtesy of
‘Snayperskaya Vintovka Dragunova a.k.a Dragunov Sniper Rifle’
courtesy of ‘brian.ch’

MSNBC reports that a Virginia judge has scheduled John Allen Muhammad, the infamous DC sniper, for a November 10 execution date.  Muhammad was convicted of murdering Dean Meyers during a random killing spree in 2002 that left 10 people dead and several others severely injured. Over the course of three weeks, Muhammad and his accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, shot 14 innocent people in Virgina, Maryland and DC. The pair concealed themselves and a high powered rifle in the back of a specially modified sedan.  Both were captured in 2002 after a concerted effort by law enforcement and local communities and Muhammad was sentenced to death in Virginia in 2004.

Food and Drink, Night Life, The Daily Feed, The District
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Flight of the Gin

Photo courtesy of
‘Gin&Tonic’
courtesy of ‘hildgrim’

Now I’m a big fan of both gin & tonics and wine flights, but I’m not so sure how I feel about the “gin flights” now being served at New Heights in Woodley Park. This alcoholic adventure of rotating gin & tonic features selections from the restaurant’s 30 different and unique varieties of the historic spirit with flavors that range from juniper to candied licorice to olive and honeysuckle, combined with a variety of tonic waters.   As the weather cools, offerings will shift to heavier and more full-bodied gins and tonic waters to better suit the season. Before you dive right in, may I suggest you also take a gander at their food menu, so as to avoid any possible trouble.

The Daily Feed
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The Mysterious W Express

A few nights ago I was stumbling home from Lauriol Plaza when I noticed that my neighborhood gas station at 18th & S magically transformed itself from a BP to a W Express.  I’m sure we have all seen a BP (short for British Petroleum) station and maybe even seen one of their commercials on TV.  They’re a huge global energy corporation right?  Right.  I’m guessing however that you probably know little to nothing about W Express.  In fact, I tend to think of myself as a pretty good master of using the Google and the Bing, but I can’t find any information on W Express.  None.

So I have to wonder how a gas station changes hands from a global energy giant to what appears to be a local rinky dink company, who I might add has one of the worst logo designs I’ve ever seen.  What does the “W” in W Express even stand for?  Where does their gas come from and how good is the quality?  Now I’m sure most people don’t have a preference of which gas company they use, but what if your local grocery store was a Safeway one day and then a “Q Speedy” the next?  Would you still buy food from a store you knew absolutely nothing about?

If you have any information about W Express or are better at Googling than I am, please share in the comments.

The Daily Feed
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Get Ready for A Disaster: Emergency Preparedness Fair

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

You don’t have to be a disaster-phobe to appreciate that working near the White House comes with its own toll. So, to prepare you for the worst (while we all hope for the best!), the Golden Triangle BID is hosting an Emergency Preparedness Fair at Farragut Square Park (corner of Connecticut and K, NW) today from noon to 2:00 p.m.

The fair aims to inform and ready the community for the “unexpected,” which ranges from swine flu prevention, to subscribing to local government agencies’ text alerts, to finding alternate routes out of the city in case of an emergency. Free and open to the public, you can walk through 15 “booths” staffed by representatives from various agencies and organizations, picking up useful maps, hand sanitizers, whistles, and more – to help you actually become better prepared.

When’s the last time you got to tour a firetruck up close? And have you ever directly asked a Metro or DDOT employee about the city’s best evacuation routes? Expect to spend anywhere from 5 minutes gathering up brochures to 30 minutes interrogating the various agency representatives…

News, The Daily Feed
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Children’s National Medical Center Gets $150M Donation

Photo courtesy of
‘Children’s National Medical Center’
courtesy of ‘Daquella manera’

Congratulations to Children’s National Medical Center who will receive $150 over five years from the government of Abu Dhabi. The gift will create the Sheik Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, which will be designed toward pioneering new surgery techniques for childhood conditions. The Institute will have four major foci, including pain management, bioengineering, and immunology. The gift is the largest for pediatric surgery, and one of the largest for a children’s hospital.

Fun & Games, History, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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American Girl Series & Michael’s Craft Store Free Event

Photo courtesy of
‘American Girl Place Los Angeles’
courtesy of ‘Smart Destinations’
Local Michaels’ stores will be hosting FREE crafts event this Saturday, September 19, inspired by the American Girl series.  Participants will create three American Girl® projects that are focused on various periods of American history from the viewpoint of pre-teen girl characters.  It would also be a great time to check out the Halloween supplies they have for costumes.