Category Archives: The Daily Feed

The Daily Feed
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Snowpocalypse Shutting Down IAD

Photo courtesy of
‘going nowhere fast’
courtesy of ‘booleansplit’

If you think you’re flying out of Washington DC tomorrow morning, like I thought I was, you best call your airline right now. United has canceled everything before noon out of IAD, BWI, and DCA. Calling in a panic to my special frequent flyer line, I got one of the last empty IAD to SFO seats for all of Monday. For everyone else, welcome to the madness.

Word is that all the major airlines are canceling their flights before noon and rerouting other flights, telling folks it will be Wednesday before the snowstorm overflow passengers will all get to their respective destinations.

Downtown, The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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Metro Readies for the Snowpocalypse


Brentwood Maintenance Yard
Originally uploaded by AlbinoFlea

Metro’s getting ready for what looks like it could be a fairly large snowpocalypse this evening. They’ve gotten their de-icing trains on the tracks, as well as 2,200 tons of salt and other ice-removal agents ready for use across the 100+ miles of track and parking lot. They’ll be starting the de-icing trains loose on the first runs of the morning tomorrow, and throughout the storm today. Bus routes are subject to plowing in the various jurisdictions that they cover, so that’ll be a game-time decision for most places depending on how bad the storm gets.

Of course, be sure to check in with OPM’s Status Page to see if you even need to go to work…

Entertainment, Music, Special Events, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Geriatric Superstar

Jesus Christ, Superstar starring Ted Neeley

So here I am, sitting on my couch, watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy on TNT (there’s a great way to lose a weekend, by the way), when I see an ad for a production of Jesus Christ, Superstar coming to the Warner Theater March 17-22. Having been a fan of this particular show since I was a kid (and it’s a popular choice for musical companies during Lent), I stopped to take notice… and saw that Ted Neeley is playing Jesus.

Okay, what the hell. Ted Neeley is the best-known Superstar Jesus. He played Jesus in the movie in his 20s, played him on Broadway, played him in the touring production for the movie’s 20th anniversary in the 90s, but people: Ted Neeley is 65 years old. For the record, that’s nearly twice as old as Jesus of Nazareth ever lived to be. I caught a performance on that tour in the 90s- he was sounding a little rough then, and that was 15 years ago. And look, no disrespect to Neeley- the lead roles in Superstar are vocally challenging even to performers in their prime. There’s a lot of high-pitched shrieking to be done, and it’s a strain.

Is there really no one else who can believably play this role that we’ve got to trot out a guy who is nearly as old as my grandfather to play someone about my age? Are audiences really so unwilling to see other people playing Jesus?

The Daily Feed
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Jim Bowden Resigns


Jim Bowden @ NatsFest
Originally uploaded by Scott Ableman

One other crucial bit of news here, despite the impending snowpocalypse: Jim Bowden resigned this morning, saying that the media’s “false allegations” of corruption made it impossible for Bowden to represent the Nationals in an effective way. I suppose he should get the benefit of the doubt, but I can only remember Bowden as a monumental failure, and resigning in disgrace is about as good as it gets.

From the Nationals’ press release comes this important statistic: “Bowden was with the Nationals from 2004-2009. The team never finished over .500 during his tenure, their best season was in 2005, when they went 81-81.”

Good bye Bowden. Please don’t ever, ever come back.

The Daily Feed
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Snowstorm Inbound


Twins
Originally uploaded by M.V. Jantzen

Imagine my dismay this morning to awake on the 1st of March and find a fresh layer of snow on the ground. I was just starting to hope for some crocuses and daffodils, and now I fear for the little blooms. The Capital Weather Gang has an summary of the current weather system and predictions for the DC area, which mostly include us getting socked in the teeth with anywhere from 4 to 10 inches of the white stuff.

It’s been a snow-free winter here in the District, and it’d be nice to get one big storm before it’s all out, but I was really hoping we were done with all this crap!

The Daily Feed
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Washington Humane Society Adoption Mobile


I can haz adpoted plz?
Originally uploaded by carlweaver

As long-time readers may remember, my Lovely Wife and I lost our kitty last year, not long after losing the first one. We are talking about getting new kitties but we (meaning I) are not ready yet.

We were in Takoma Park today wandering around and came across the Washington Humane Society Adoption Mobile. This is a pet-fitted RV that goes from place to place to advertise their services, stocked full of cats and dogs waiting to be taken home and loved. It was good for me to see the animals, when, following Lovely Wife, who has a ticking biological clock for new cats, I found myself in the RV adoring all of them.

I’m still not ready but I think we are also not grieving as much as we were. Maybe we are getting closer to bringing a new furry member of the family home. Have you ever adopted out of the Adoption Mobile? Anyone have experience with the Society?

The Daily Feed, We Green DC
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Go to Jail for Mother Earth


‘the very scary but not secret service’
courtesy of ‘spiggycat’
How deep is your love for Mother Earth? Say you’d spend some time in the slammer to save her? Well, here’s your chance!

On Monday, you can join a couple thousand of your closest friends in a march to the coal-fired power plant on Capitol Hill (source of some hot air in Congress). There the gang will peacefully surround the gates–and risk arrest–to call for action on global warming.  The action starts at 12:30 p.m. at Spirit of Justice Park.

Capitol Climate Action is being billed as the largest mass civil disobedience for the climate in U.S. history.  So far, 100 organizations have endorsed it, as well as folks from Daryl Hannah to Paul Hawken to Will.I.Am.  So get ready for that orange jumpsuit.

The Daily Feed
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Get a teabag, morans!

Photo courtesy of Eexlebots
Get a Brain, Morans
courtesy of Eexlebots
The flickr page for this version of the infamous ‘morans’ picture has a comment from someone claiming that it was a joke sign at a hoax protest. The Washington Independent has a picture set from a recent protest at the White House that wasn’t a hoax, though it’s unclear whether the people in that sign were unaware of the colloquial meaning of ‘tea bag’ or not. I’m assuming they are, but either way it’s damned funny. More funny protest signs!

The Daily Feed
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Blogging from the Metro coming soon!

Photo courtesy of
‘You Don’t Say….’
courtesy of ‘chip py the photo guy’

There’s been talk of this for a while, but WMATA announced a little more of a timeline today: Twenty of the busiest stations will have cell phone service by the end of this year, and the entire system will have it by 2012.

While I certainly have no interest in listning to a train full of people shout to be heard over the tunnel noise, I look forward to actually being able to text and use Twitter from the train- many has been the time when the people I’ve been on my way to meet have tried to reach me, only to be thwarted by the Metro Cone of Silence.

The Daily Feed
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Read the Love

Photo courtesy of
‘We Love Unicorns and Rainbows’
courtesy of ‘tiffany bridge’

Today’s Washington Post contained the four essays entered into their “What it means to be a Washingtonian” contest which  John Kelly identified as his favorites. Kristin Stadum isn’t the winner but her essay is my favorite, and is similar to how I feel about living here.

What’s amazing to me is that the article introducing them on the front page – which I cannot find a version of online – said they received “more than two dozen” submission.

Only 24? Seriously? That’s how many people felt moved to write about our beloved city? I’m a little shocked, but maybe it’s just reflective of the level of vitrol the average John Kelly reader has. The content of today’s chat was surprisingly snippy, I thought, but perhaps I’m just accustomed to the goof quotient in Weingarten’s chats.

The Daily Feed
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Travelers Play “Hide the Sausage” at Dulles

Photo courtesy of
‘Sausages, we don’t need your stinkin’ sausages’
courtesy of ‘theopie’

No, literally. WTOP reports on the weird stuff people have tried to smuggle into the US this week, including pornography (helloooo, we have the Internet here too, you know), cigarrettes, currency, and a staggering variety of meat products. Pork seems to be the most popular, including the sausages a woman tried to hide in a shrink-wrapped puzzle box.

It’s a slow news day, my inner 12-year-old approves of anything that gives me legitimate reason to use the phrase “shrink-wrapped sausage.”

All Politics is Local, Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed
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DC Voting Rights Act Passes the Senate!

DCVRA.png

This just in, S.160, the DC Voting Rights Act, has passed the Senate 61-37! It’s onward to the House, at this point.

There were a couple of amendments attached today, including:

The Ensign Amendment, which relates to Gun Control

The DeMint Amendment, which relates to the FCC and the Fairness Doctrine

The Durbin Amendment, which also pertains to the FCC, but to Media Ownership Diversity.

Get the full text of the amendments and the bill via Thomas at the Library of Congress

The Daily Feed
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I declare Eric Nuzum our official mascot

Photo courtesy of
‘Hey lady’
courtesy of ‘erin m’

Not just because I keep linking to his stuff (the dude entertains me, what can I say?) or because he works for my radio station of choice, but because the heavens have aligned and shown him to be The [WLDC Blog] Chosen One.

But the best part: my office has a view of the capital.

Well, technically.

The picture above and to the right (click to enlarge) is the view out of my new office window. Look just to the left of the center of the photo. You’ll see a church steeple. Slightly to the left of that steeple is a pointy thing rising above a long flat roof.

That “pointy thing” is the Freedom Statue on top of the Capitol building.

Yep, the only part of the building that he can see is a part that, if you look at the  upper left corner of your browser window, or on my business cards, or our stationary, or our flickr icon… well, you get the picture. Lady Freedom is our adopted mascot and she’s just barely visible over the rooftops to Mr Nuzum. You’ll have to click the link above to see his picture of how the Lady just is barely visible – I couldn’t put it here. *cough*creative commons*cough*suggestion*cough*

Any of you have a just-barely-visible bit of the DC skyline visible to you from your workplace or home?

News, Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Bye Bye Bowden?

Photo courtesy of
‘Washington Nationals Executive Offices’
courtesy of ‘afagen’

The long nightmare of Jim Bowden may finally be over for Nats fans. Baseball Prospectus is reporting that the Nats are close to firing Bowden, and replacing him with Tony LaCava from Toronto Blue Jays’ front office. Bowden’s currently under FBI investigation for involvement in a bonus-skimming scandal that has been going on since the mid 1990s. Bowden’s right hand for scouting in Latin America, Jose Rijo, is about to be fired for his part in the Esmailyn Gonzalez scandal.

Most interesting in all of this, is that Bud Selig has reportedly issued the Nats an exemption from the “Rooney rule” which would require them to interview at least one minority candidate in the process. While I’m generally for diversity, this seems to be a special exemption due to the fact that our GM could be about to be fired for cause. This close to the start of the season, it would be rather unfortunate to have to spend a lot of time interviewing candidates.

The Daily Feed
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DC’s Worst Starbucks?

Starbucks by SWP Moblog

Let’s face it, you either love or hate Starbucks.

If you hate Starbucks, we understand, but this post is not for you so just skip to the next one below.

If you love it (or at least like it or are OK with it) tell us which one you think deserves the title of DC’s Worst Starbucks, or StarSUCKS if you will.  My vote goes to the one located at the corner of Connecticut & R St NW.  Continue reading →

Arlington, Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Incoming: Le Pain Quotidien

Photo courtesy of
‘At Le Pain Quotidien’
courtesy of ‘TreyDanger’

Tuesday night Matt and I were on a run down the Clarendon strip in Arlington, and we passed painters and workers busy preparing the new store front of Le Pain Quotidien, the Belgian cafe & organic bakery poised to open under the Clarendon Gold’s Gym.

I’d never heard of Le Pain Quotidien (PQ for short), but upon further googling, PQ is another Euro import, one I’m getting pretty excited to meet. With locations already in Capitol Hill, Georgetown, Alexandria and Bethesda, Le Pain Quotidien operates under an organic philosophy (head on competition, Whole Foods) and is part bakery, part cafe. The bakery part is most exciting to me, as I was hoping for an uprising bakery trend in 2009. PQ claims to bake all their breads in-house, and knead by hand, to boot. They also offer pastries, alongside the breads. Then there’s the “communal table” – the cafe seems to be following in the Wagamama tradition of seating strangers together at big, long, cafeteria-style tables.

I’m thrilled to welcome Le Pain Quotidien into my ‘hood, I’m already picturing Sunday morning strolls for baked goods and coffee, and late night tete-a-tetes with friends over cider and tartes.

The Daily Feed
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Garden Season is Coming!

Photo courtesy of
‘inside butterfly garden davao philippines’
courtesy of ‘burgermac’

While it’s still grey and cold, it’s good to know that Spring is coming. There was one single, solitary forsythia bloom on the hedge above our place this morning, and it’s a harbinger of better things to come. But, while you start thinking about springtime, I know a bunch of us here are thinking about gardening and all manner of pursuits outdoors. This weekend is the big DC Garden Show out at Dulles Expo Center. It runs from today all the way through til Sunday, and if you’re like me and desperate for some green instead of the brown & gold that we’re stuck with at the moment, go on out!

The Daily Feed
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This one’s for the ladies

Photo courtesy of
‘NO PHOTOS at House of Blues’
courtesy of ‘revjim5000’

Tickets to the Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine seated show at the 9:30 Club on April 15 just officially went on sale this morning! They have been available for presale for a while now, though, so I won’t be too surprised if they sell out fairly quickly.

If you’re not in the know, Richard Cheese does hilarious covers of popular songs, turning everything from Nirvana’s “Rape Me” to Snoop Dogg’s “Gin and Juice” into swingin’ lounge music. You’ve got to hear it (or see it, in April!) to believe it.