Category Archives: The Daily Feed

The Daily Feed
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Last Chance to Kayak the Potomac


Fly Fishing from Kayak
Originally uploaded by macmoov

This lovely flickr shot from macmoov reminded me of something I’ve been saying that I’ll do when the weather cools off – go for a kayak paddle along the Potomac.

A little power of google and I find that Thompson Boat Center (located at the corner of Virginia Avenue and Rock Creek Parkway in Georgetown) is running an escorted rental and lunch paddle. This is perfect for kayaking virgins like myself, since they’ll putter alongside of you on a motorized boat, and take you past some notable places. The only remaining lunch paddle this year is on October 28th, and runs from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Not only does next week mark the last paddle, the boat rentals also closes when the water temperature drops below 55 degrees. If you’re not up for a lunch run, then you can rent kayaks on your own, prices range from $8 an hour to $30 per day. See the Thompson Boat Center Web site for more details.

Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Tysons Management on Santa’s “Naughty” List

Looking Down at Santa Claus
Looking Down at Santa Claus, courtesy Flickr user magandafille

There’s a nasty suit brewing between the management of Tysons Corner Mall and Michael Graham, the bearded gentleman who has been the Tysons Santa for the last 18 years. 

Graham, a carpenter from Tennessee, counts on the $30,000 he makes playing Santa, particularly since he bought a house last year. His contract was terminated on short notice, after Graham had already purchased the custom Santa suits and boots to make the whole effect as realistic as his snowy white beard. Tysons management insists that they notified Graham of the early termination of his contract; Graham says he didn’t find out about it until he called to schedule his first day of work. 

The issue seems to center around how much money Graham is paid for Santa- the new events photography company the Tysons management hired says that Graham’s $175 per hour is “ten times the going rate” for mall Santas. And yes, $175 is a lot of money, but as with all things, you get what you pay for, and everyone seems to agree that Graham is a particularly excellent Santa.  If the average mall Santa is making less than 20 bucks an hour, that probably explains the cheesy fake beards, the smelly suits, and the gin breath. And it’s not like your local Santa doesn’t deal with his share of hazards- uptight parents, panicked children, biohazards from kids peeing in his lap… if you want to deliver a quality Santa experience to your shoppers, you have to pay for dedication to the work, no?

UPDATE: One of the commenters at the Washington Times story tracked down some information about what actually is the going rate for mall Santas. It looks like Mr. Graham was not so wildly overpaid at all.

The Daily Feed
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Metro is slightly overstating their case

Ben just told us about the paper transfer transition that’s coming, and while I agree that it’s overall a good move, it’s worth looking at the supposed availability of Smartrip cards for non-rail users. The press release makes availability look pretty extensive.

SmarTrip® cards can be purchased on Metro’s Web site by mail, and at 85 Metro sales offices at Metro Center, the Pentagon, Anacostia and Metro headquarters, at the Northern, Western, Landover, Royal Street and Four Mile Run Metrobus divisions, vending machines at Metrorail stations that have parking facilities, regional transit stores and select Giant stores

Unfortunately when I do a spot check of the area’s zip codes, particularly some of the poorer areas or ones with no rail service, it doesn’t look so great. You can get a visual of the area’s zips by going to this site and keying in 20024 to center the map over the metro area. Metro’s retail outlet finder will let you punch in those codes. Let’s give it a try.

20002: 2 outlets, none sell Smartrips.
20018: 1 outlet.
20019: 2 outlets, none sell Smartrips.
20020: 3 outlets, none sell Smartrips.
22304: 1 outlet, no Smartrips.
20745: 4 outlets, 1 sells Smartrips.
20785: 4 outlets, 1 sells Smartrips.

That’s about as much interest as I have in spot-checking WMATA but frankly I’m unimpressed. WMATA needs to do the right thing by the people who will be hardest hit by this and allow people to buy them from their bus driver.

The Daily Feed
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Paper No More


Metro Bus, Downtown Washington DC
Originally uploaded by chip py the photo guy

Remember when we discussed WMATA’s transfer proposal? Well, they announced it today – starting January 4, paper transfers will no longer be accepted. Additionally, you’ll have three hours to do bus-to-bus transfers, as opposed to the current two hour window.

The move will save Metro $300,000 in paper and printing cost; the value of minimizing fraud is incalculable. Hopefully, the transition will be smooth for everyone involved. I, for one, am glad they’ve increased the locations you can load up your SmarTrip card, including on the buses themselves.

Kudos to WMATA for actually biting the bullet on this move; it’s a good one and the naysayers will see that in the long run.

The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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Missing Tunnel Ad

Remember animated tunnel ads and how cool and innnovative it was to have moving pictures advertising stuff to you in Metro tunnels? I wonder why lately there hasn’t been a tunnel ad movie between Metro Center and Gallery Place? Are there just no clients? Was it because the novelty of it all just wasn’t enough to salvage Day Break and Speed Racer?

For now, there’s still a moving tunnel ad between Gallery Place and Judiciary Square. Right now it is the Quik Bunny telling you something about happy places, as shown in the video above.

The Daily Feed
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Festive Pumpkins Abound!


IMG_1741
Originally uploaded by RSchley

Despite the recent news of pumkin nom-ing evil squirrels, plenty of festive pumpkins have been spotted around DC.

This photo from my close friend Rebecca (flickr user RSchley) displays two of her own pumpkin creations, sitting out along Independance Avenue. And she swears she and her boyfriend didn’t even use stencils! And note the fancy-shmancy scraping technique!

So, dear reader, help me brainstorm. I got myself a big ol’ pumpkin at the pumpkin patch (more on that later this week) – but what to do with it? Evil face pumpkin? Happy face? Or go Rebecca’s route and not do a face… suggestions? What’s your favorite pumpkin carving?

The Daily Feed
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The Teddy Singularity


Teddy x3
Originally uploaded by philliefan99

Thanks to philliefan99 for adding this photo to the We Love DC Flickr Pool. He’s been taking photos of Bobblehead Teddy’s adventures around DC for a while, but he’s really gone above and beyond the call of duty in risking getting sucked into a rift in the space-time continuum to photograph three Teddy Roosevelts simultaneously.

The Daily Feed, The Hill
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Summer House Being Renovated?

Summer House Renovation

My favorite feature of the US Capitol Grounds, The Summer House, is currently fenced off and filled with scaffolding, plywood, and other construction paraphernalia. It appears a restoration or renovation is in progress, probably in tandem with other preparations on the grounds for the 2009 Presidential Inauguration. Here’s hoping it’s open again by next summer; it’s a wonderful spot to relax and get a bit wet, if you know what I mean.*

Continue reading →

All Politics is Local, Media, The Daily Feed
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Oh God, It’s Pledge Week

1572723837_f3177c53bd_m.jpg
No More Cash by Wednesday181

There are few things I live in fear of quite as much as Pledge Week on any NPR Radio Station. WAMU’s week to extort their listener base fundraise for their local efforts is this week. You can donate via their website (my personal choice) and pick up any number of their support premium items. Coffee mugs, tote bags, and radio bookmarks are all part of the package this year. So, get out your wallet, you skinflint public radio listeners, and buy a membership.

But in the meantime, set your radio alarm to WTOP or something, it’ll help with the blood pressure.

News, The Daily Feed
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Ristorante Piccolo Fire

A fire has destroyed Ristorante Piccolo on 31st St NW in Georgetown. The call came in at 5:16 AM and DCFD has extinguished the fire by now, but the report is that the restaurant is totalled, crews are still on scene, and traffic in the area of Wisconsin and M St NW area is a mess.

More from WUSA9, WJLA, NBC4, and FOX5.

Update: Russell has a picture from the scene this morning.

Petworth, The Daily Feed
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Your Heat On Yet?

Taxi looking for warmth

Taxi looking for warmth

We here at the Wayan homestead are in a fight over the heat. As you can see, Taxi, like I is chilled by these 50 degree freezing(!) nights than only make it to 72 in the day. Yet my hot pregnant wife is refusing to heat the house.

While I have no hope of hot air, what’s the verdict in your home? Heat yet?

Or do you just snuggle with cold feet, determined to save a few pennies while embracing the fall chill?

All Politics is Local, The Daily Feed
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McCain Campaign: Northern Virginia Isn’t Real Virginia

real 1 |ˈrē(ə)l|
adjective

2 (of a substance or thing) not imitation or artificial; genuine : the earring was presumably real gold.
• true or actual : his real name is James | this isn’t my real reason for coming.
• [ attrib. ] (of a person or thing) rightly so called; proper : he’s my idea of a real man | Jamie is my only real friend.

That’s what the Dictionary on my Mac says “Real” means. But, to hear the McCain campaign say it, Northern Virginia isn’t “Real” Virginia:

Oh c’mon, this is just as much bullshit of not liking NoVA people saying they’re from the DC area.

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Nationals Pay Rent. Finally.


Nationals Red Neon
Originally uploaded by tbridge

The Nationals and the City have finally resolved their differences regarding rent at Nationals Park. The Lerner family has promised to pay $3,500,000 or so in rent payments for this year’s games to the City on Monday. Bout damn time, guys. If I was this late on a mortgage payment, Sheriff would’ve come by and thrown my ass out.

The Daily Feed
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Enough with the Adverts!

Overwhelming Advertisements

Overwhelming Advertisements

Walking through the Pentagon City Mall, I am accosted by a new level of visual pollution – they now have flat screen TV’s blaring out advertisements from above.

Can we stop the madness?!

I am already in the hose of commerce, already on my way to spend, do I need to have yet another advert blaring at me? Especially when its not even for the malls’ shops but some damn TV show?

Please, turn off the TV’s and put the music back on, I’d like to spend in peace.

Foggy Bottom, The Daily Feed, Travel, WMATA
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Fill out your Metro survey!

Metro Survey I was on my way home on Friday and I received a very exciting piece of paper at foggy bottom! The 2008 METRO SURVEY! . Now I know this is so incredibly, shamelessly, totally geeky, but I love surveys, you can visit here if you want to make yours. I think it stems from my background in PR, I just love collecting and understanding market data. It’s useful in so many ways, it is helpful in planning new communication, deciding fare increases, acquiring station data, and so many things that will help Metro out. But more than that, this survey gives YOU, oh Metro commuter, a voice! You hate how crowded metro is? FILL OUT YOUR SURVEY! You wish there was a station at Tyson’s Corner? FILL OUT YOUR SURVEY! Is the proposed Purple line is the best idea ever? FILL OUT YOUR SURVEY! There are few better ways for Metro to know how to improve than to run a survey and get back well-rounded results. Even if you’re a tourist, fill out that survey! They need this data – I promise you! So dig it out of your purse, the trash can, your back pocket, and fill that sucker out! And best part? It’s free! postage paid! And with 17 questions it’s not the most laborious thing you’ve ever done. So you literally have no excuse. You can return it at any metro station, or stick it in those convenient blue mailboxes on practically every corner in the city. Here’s a mailbox locator link just for you, dear reader, because I want you to fill out your survey so badly. Metro Survey Questions (And no, I don’t work for WMATA, or any part of Metro. I just am truly this passionate about surveys, and in particular the Metro survey!) Images courtesy of Flickr user Needlessspaces.

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Organic norovirus on the way out

Photo courtesy of Mike Burns

Dicky pukes, courtesy of Mike Burns

The Hoya’s website seems to be down right now, but BarfBlog writer and food safety expert Doug Powell quotes them as reporting that Georgetown University has kicked Organic to Go out the door. While GU doesn’t flat-out blame the outbreak on O2G, they state “there was enough reason to suspect a potential link between those items and the virus on campus” and are moving towards in-house item preparation.

O2G categorically denies this as true or even possible, though Powell relates a troublesome past interaction with them. Their representative had plenty of time to mail him repeatedly asking him to remove a past story about them, but when he made note of their dispute and then asked the representative for some food safety and training standards information… they suddenly failed to respond at all.

Something to consider if you are faced with the opportunity to eat at one of their 4 area cafe locations.

Update: The Hoya is back up and the story that Powell cites is here.

Entertainment, Fun & Games, Night Life, The Daily Feed
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Ghost Tours @ National Building Museum

Courtesy National Building Museum

Courtesy National Building Museum

One of the creepiest places to be this fall will be the National Building Museum. And who doesn’t love creepy around Halloween time? The museum is hosting a lantern-lit ghost tour through through the NBM’s dark hallways, spooky basement, and up to the fourth floor balcony.

The hour-long Historic Hauntings Ghost Tours is led by the ghost of Mary Surratt, co-conspirator in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Along the way, Surratt reveals stories of the other ghosts who call the Museum home, including an irritable horseback rider and mysterious faces in the Corinthian columns. Think history meets creepy fun!

Courtesy National Building Museum

Courtesy National Building Museum

The Tours will be offered from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on October 17, 19, 24, 28, and November 3, 16, and 23. The tours are $12 for Museum members and $14 for non- members; prepaid registration is required. Register by visiting www.nbm.org or calling 202.272.2448

BOO!

Entertainment, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson at Union Station

Heading home from Union Station, I unwittingly fell in step with a group of security personnel, only noticing when their leader addressed them, “She’s over there,” gesturing towards the Postal Museum Building, where an Amtrak motorized cart was negotiating a crosswalk. On board, an older woman accompanied two younger girls. My eyes met briefly with those of the long-haired girl, and I nodded noncommittally before walking on, not recognizing her. She looked very worried.

Suddenly a small gang of wild paparazzi appeared as if out of nowhere, a boorish, swarming mob of shoving, yelling, fanny-packed photographers, circling the cart and clicking away. The girls covered their faces, one of the paps yelled mockingly, “I love you, Lindsay!”, and the security team pushed him and the others aside. It took me about another minute to realize which “Lindsay” the photographer had been yelling at.

So I guess I have a nodding acquaintance with Lindsay Lohan now. I got some quick fuzzy video (above) as the cart retreated towards Union Station with the paparazzi in tow, but she’s barely visible. I felt so bad for her being chased by that repulsive swarm that I decided not to go after her for clearer video. No use turning into one of them.

tittergrrl tells me that Lohan and her partner Samantha Ronson are here for “Hollywood Vibes Come to K Street,” a charity event.

Update: Some of these pap photos include the couple aboard the Amtrak cart in question.