‘silhouettes, part 2’
courtesy of ‘NCinDC’
Regular metro riders likely have heard this, but if you’re a weekend warrior who takes the yellow or blue lines you should be aware of this: the rails are going to be completely stopped at Pentagon station this weekend, requiring a shuttle ride to get to either side. WTOP has details on the closures and what that means.

The Washington Post has drank the Microsoft kool-aid and is hosting several photosynth projects on their website. It’s neat technology, though you’ll need to install something on your local computer to support it. Is it worth it? Well, WaPo describes it thus: “With a 360 degree view and the ability to zoom in close enough to see the smallest details of Lincoln’s eye, users can explore the memorial more closely than they ever could in person.”

Available ‘synths:’

The Lincoln Memorial
The National Museum of the American Indian
The Air and Space Museum

While looking for something else (don’t ask) I hit upon the wikipedia page for the internet phenomenon that is a picture of a kitten fleeing domo-kun and the caption “every time you masturbate, god kills a kitten.” I was about to click away when I noticed this:

The phrase originally appeared as the headline “Fact: Every Time You Masturbate, God Kills a Kitten. How Many More Have to Die?” with a kitten photo on the cover of The Gonzo, a satirical publication produced by students at Georgetown University, in 1996

Who knew? Sadly it seems that the online archives of The Gonzo are no longer active. Does anyone know of a live source?

‘Eureka!’
courtesy of ‘kevinphaines’

Via today’s Daily Candy DC comes the thing I would totally give Tom for Valentine’s Day if only we were going to be in town this weekend. You can hire a barbershop quartet from the Alexandria Harmonizers to serenade your Valentine for a very reasonable rate. The quartet, serenades your beloved with a song, and then presents him or her with a card and a gift. Be sure to book them right away. I imagine that the schedules are filling up rapidly. Because seriously! Barbershop quartet! How awesome is that?

‘H E A R T’
courtesy of ‘Bunnyrel’

So there’s this really crazy web site that will set you up with a time, a place, and a stranger for a spur-of-the-moment blind date. The site is aptly called Crazy Blind Date, cause what you will be doing is, well, flat out crazy. I mean, maybe it’s crazy cool, or maybe it’s just plain crazy crazy, but either way, you’re going to have a story to tell when you’re done.

So if you’re valentines-less and of the bold variety, hook it up! This site is free, so you’ve got practically nothing to lose. You go through the “date wizard” and you can choose to go on a solo date, a double date (with a friend or a stranger) or just go balls to the wall and be placed however Crazy Blind Date wants. Choose when you can go out (tonight! tomorrow! next week!), choose the time (now! later!), choose the area of the city (Georgetown! Clarendon! Capitol Hill!) and then choose how short of a notice you can get yerself together and out. Choose the type of venue you’re down for, bar or coffee, and then describe your ideal date. You can then choose your gender and age preferences, then you can get more specific – you’re looking for x race,  x height, a nonsmoker, the typical dating site thing.  A few more pages of questions, some email and phone confirmations, and you’re off…

Is this Crazy? I think so. But crazy good? Possibly! Crazy bad? I hope not (for your sake)! But how will you know unless you try?

‘Metro Rider, Express Reader’
courtesy of ‘chip py the photo guy’
Tom took a swing  at Fletcher for his choice of question at President Obama’s news conference the other day but he was one of many folks who took issue with it. It seems like every one of Tuesday’s WaPo chats included mention of it. Out of the three times I saw it only one Post writer gave anything other than a weasely defense of it.

Below the fold, see if you can match the quotes with the speaker. Continue reading →

President’s House, Gallaudet University
Originally uploaded by NCinDC

Rebecca over a Inspiration DC pointed out that the application process has begun for interior designers looking to shape up this year’s DC Design House.

The 2009 house, Georgetown’s St. John’s Episcopal Church Rectory, features 16 “spaces” for the designers to create their masterpieces.

Apartment Therapy DC has a peek at the interior rooms, all empty and waiting. The redesigned house will open to the public April 18-May 10th, with proceeds going to the Children’s National Medical Center.

‘Baby’s first christmas ornament’
courtesy of ‘wfyurasko’
In Salon’s coverage of last night’s Washington Post embarrassment White House press conference they comment on President Obama calling on a Huffington Post reporter, asserting that it was the first time a new media professional has been called on at a White House press conference. (Presumably calling on Jeff Gannon didn’t count, as that represented recognition of the oldest media profession…)

So congrats to our fellow new media bretheren. I took a quick look at the HuffPo website to get an idea of their DC presence and noticed they have an opening for a “Reporting/Editorial Internship” post. So if any of you are so turned on right now by their brush with news celebrity that you want to get in on the ground floor, here’s your shot.

Looking Dapper for Barack Obama
Originally uploaded by starbuck77

I covet cloche hats. I think they’re classy, adorable, practical and unique in the sea of polartech hats lining Metro platforms. When I was searching for the perfect cloche, I found it at Georgetown’s Proper Topper. It’s a great one-stop-shop for hats of all shapes and kinds.

If you’re on the market for a hat, or other winter wear, Proper Topper’s Gigantic Get-Ready-For-Spring sale is already kicking. The sale includes all books, leather goods, hats, gloves and fall/winter clothing. They’re slashing prices on everything – $90 clutches are being slashed to a much more reasonable $39, and covet-worthy cloches are on sale for as little as $20.

Happy shopping, or should I say Topping?

‘toolbag’
courtesy of ‘erik jaeger’

Dear Michael Fletcher.

Thanks so much for going to the Press Conference tonight and covering the event for our local paper. But seriously, you can ask the President anything, and you ask him about Alex Frakking Rodriguez?! Seriously?!

Was there nothing about the economics of the United States, or pressing foreign policy matters that you have to ask a sports question?!

Man. I hope this is a hazing prank or something and that Howie Kurtz is laughing it up in the wings right now.

S Street Dog Park by Max

We noted a few weeks ago that the city had plans to spruce up the S and T Street Parks, making one a dog park and the other a park for actual human beings.  Well, those days are here my friends.  Today a fence went up around the park in preparation for construction which is rumored to take 6-7 weeks.  Who wants to wager that it takes longer than that?

The ground breaking ceremony is slated for Tuesday afternoon at 3:45 with Mayor Fenty in attendance.  Really, 3:45?  Can’t we pick a round number?

Stay tuned to WLDC for construction updates, and don’t worry, there won’t be anything regarding pounds of poop.  Poop is for Petworth.

‘Noir City’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’

Of all the gin joints, in all the world…the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, MD is showing Casablanca this week as part of their series of romance classics this month. How can you not love that movie?! You can catch it at 4:30 pm today and tomorrow, but if you can’t skip out of work early there is also a 8:45 pm  screening on Thursday.