Category Archives: The Daily Feed

Foggy Bottom, The Daily Feed, The Great Outdoors, WTF?!
By

Press Button, Receive Mud

It’s usually pretty simple to get across Rock Creek Parkway when walking between Washington Harbour and Foggy Bottom near the Watergate (map) — the button to get a WALK light is actually responsive, and vehicular traffic at that particular location is unusually generous to pedestrians for a DC intersection.

But when it rains, then comes the challenge: the button lies behind a muddy moat (okay, puddle) through which one must wade and risk the wetting of feet and pants legs to get a WALK light.

Muddy Crossing Button

And it gets worse in winter, when the puddle freezes over. Can someone get that paved, please?

Arlington, Food and Drink, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
By

Peanuts in the Men’s Room

Peanuts in bathroom sink

I wish the title of this post were a metaphor for something instead of a real description. When I was at the Marymount University library yesterday, I found peanuts in the sink, on the lip of the sink and on the floor. They led in a haphazard way to one of the stalls, where apparently someone had been a bit hungry. Dear Toilet Muncher – bathroom eating is bad enough, but if you are going to snack in the loo, can you at least be clean about it?

Business and Money, The Daily Feed
By

And the coffee kerfuffle heads to the big leagues…

Photo courtesy of mezzoblue

Well, big media anyway. Tom tells me that a reporter for the Washington Post was in Murky today talking to owner Nick Cho and barrista David about the recent tempest in a teapot coffee cup. The Murky staff was given the impression the story would run in tomorrow’s Metro section, but there’s always the possibility it’ll be up on washingtonpost.com before that point. Last I heard about it a year or two ago it was the decision of the writer whether they wanted to engage in advance web publication, don’t know if that’s still the case.

Newspaper article, courtesy of mezzoblue

The Daily Feed
By

Spider Kelly’s: Take a Pass.


Spider Kelly’s
Originally uploaded by tbridge

Tiff and I met a friend for dinner at the newly-open Spider Kelly’s in Clarendon last night. We figured we’d take a flyer on the new location from the guys who brought the world Clarendon Ballroom.

Spider Kelly’s advertises that they will have no dress code, and no cover, ever, which is a cause that I can get behind. Basically, the short of our dinner was: The food’s mediocre, the prices are way too high ($8 for a burger? It better be Ray’s Hellburger.) and the service was tepid.

Might be worth a stop if you were craving some banana pudding, but for anything else, head to the other side of the Ballroom where Liberty Tavern has an incredible menu for the same price. Or, head around the corner to O’Sullivans for a burger that’s not nearly that ludicrously priced, and just as serviceable.

All Politics is Local, The Daily Feed
By

Fancy Red Digs for La Raza

National Council of La Raza

Now check out the hot red front door for the National Council of La Raza. Swank, eh?

Now when you see a nonprofit with an expensive office like this, what do you think? Congrats for them to have the funding to buy or lease such high-dollar digs. That the Class A office space denotes legitimacy and respectability for what was once an upstart organization.

Or do you wonder if their membership dues and charitable donations could be spent on less flash and more forward motion? You could argue that the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization int he USA could have higher priorities than a bright red entry way.

Life in the Capital, Media, The Daily Feed
By

“Hottest Media Types” Nominations

Apparently, Media Bistro’s Fishbowl DC is holds an annual contest to determine the “hottest” media types in DC for 2008. Categories include women and men, who work on-air, off-air, and in PR.

I have pretty mixed feelings about contests like this. It all seems a bit bloggers-in-bikinis. That said, as long as they keep things reasonably appropriate and – very important – gender-balanced, I cannot get too upset.

Nominations are currently open. I think We Love DC’s Tom Bridge would be filed under “male, off-air” (not that I am just saying that because he is the boss, or anything…)

The Daily Feed
By

Aspiring Filmmakers Given Leeway



Originally uploaded by vescudero00

The deadline for the Second Annual Film Festival in Alexandria has been extended to close of business on July 30. The theme this year is “Politics in the USA” and the festival runs from September 25-28. There’s also a youth division for aspiring filmmakers 18 and under.

For more information and a submission form, head over here.

Life in the Capital, The Daily Feed, The Hill, The Mall
By

Hill Staffer Hate

Via DC Blogs, we have a WhatLizSaid rant on hill staffers: “This is what your Harvard education has gotten you. Rule your coffee getting domain with an iron fist! “ She’s nice enough to qualify that there are nice, normal staffers, and then there are those staffers, so puffed up by proximity to political power and prestige that they must try to vocally and bodily exert an imagined sense of superiority over DC’s lowly Capite Censi.

Honestly, I can’t recall any runs-in with such brutes, despite living right on the Hill, but then I don’t work in government or play softball/kickball on the Mall, nor do I frequent local bars much. Are the stories true? Is there really such a high population of boorish hill staffers?

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
By

Stacy’s Coffee Parlor – Good Coffee, Good Folks and Good Books

Stacey's Coffee Parlor

I love coffee shops that encourage things like reading, sharing and creating community. After the recent tempest in a coffee pot I started, I was not sure whether I would be welcome back at Murky, so I went for a place I had not been to before. Stacy’s Coffee Parlor in Falls Church fit the bill. The folks who were here when my lovely wife and I arrived all apparently knew each other, as well as the guy behind the counter and I felt immediately welcomed.

Stacy’s has ice cream and food and truffles and pastries and other good stuff to eat, in addition to all the requisite coffee drinks a person could want. Art on the walls, open mic night, regularly scheduled music – it all got my attention. What really clinched it for me was the library, whose sign encouraged reading, taking and sharing. It’s not a huge library but it’s something. You don’t see that in a lot of places, and I was glad to find it so close to home.

Definitely check it out. It doesn’t have the same vibe as Murky but it has its own unique feeling. The best part? It is head and shoulders above Starbuck’s and has free Wi-Fi. Stacy, I am glad you are my new friend.

The Daily Feed
By

A Dupont Circle Mid-day Nap

washington dc by wayan
Photo by Wayan

You know you are envious of these two young beauties, taking a mid-day nap in Dupont Circle.

More than you or I, they are enjoying the cool breeze and inviting shade of this National Park. I am walking by to a meeting, your reading this stuck inside, and both of us miss the days when we could spend lunch napping.

Or maybe just the social life that needs a mid-day nap.

Downtown, Talkin' Transit, The Daily Feed
By

Weinermobile on K Street

Random Washington DC

Since its invention in 1936 by Oscar’s nephew, Carl G. Mayer, the Weinermobile has been a marketing icon. And not for the first time, was it recently seen on Washington DC streets.

Here it is touring K Street, probably giving a Congressman a lift to a mid-day power lunch.

The question must be asked then: If you were in a position of power, and had the opportunity to take the Winermobile for a spin, would you? And where in DC would you go?

Essential DC, Monumental, The Daily Feed, The Mall
By

Schmap Guides

Schmap makes interactive map/tour-book hybrid guides that you can reach on the web or download to your computer or iphone. You can click on map-points to see places of interest (with photos solicited from local Flickr photographers), directions, and information.

The D.C. edition seems like a great choice for those going out on “local tourism” adventures, but trying to keep touristy image to a minimum.

Many editions exist for cities around the world and all are available for free. An updated version of the Washington guide will be published mid-August.

The Daily Feed
By

Drupal DC Meetup Pop Quiz

washington dc by wayan
Photo by Wayan

I am here at the Drupal DC monthly meetup and we already have a decent pop quiz:

At what now-defunct dot-com did you learn foosball?

I honed my twirling skills at the long gone Worldwide Retail Exchange. The largest B2B that no one ever heard of.

And you?

Comedy in DC, The Daily Feed
By

Liz Winstead is Classy

I met some friends at the Arlington Drafthouse last week to see Forgetting Sarah Marshall, a movie that pretty much demanded to be seen in the company of a few pitchers of beer. On the way in I noticed a few posters for upcoming comedy shows, including one shilling for “Daily Show Co-Creator Lizz Winstead” on Aug 8 & 9. Sounds good – I’ve seen her on tv and found her amusing.

I’m a little less enthused after seeing her delightful performance in the above video. I suppose she doesn’t think of people coming to see her here in our neck of the woods as “losers,” as she calls the people who were coming to the show she’s talking about in the video. Let’s hope that – if she doesn’t cancel on them – the AD management sees the above video and makes sure not to serve her any booze before the show…

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
By

Durian Ice Cream Recipe to Beat the Heat


Durian by US Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center

Okay, so it’s not quite a scorcher today but you should make this recipe now in preparation for the big heat wave that is surely on the tail of this cold front. My friend Grace of Fearless Cooking TV asked me for the recipe after hearing that I was so brave as to make durian ice cream. What? You don’t like durian? Shame on you! You can use any other fruit instead, but not with the same unique flavor and scent.

You will need to follow your ice cream maker’s instructions on how to do it precisely, but here are the ingredients I used to make a quart of ice cream:

  • 2 eggs
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups cream
  • 2 cups durian pulp (substitute other fruits if you can’t hang with durian)

Beat together the eggs and sugar until it’s good and creamy. Then mix in everything else, put it in your ice cream maker and when it’s done, just freeze it for a day or so. It’s easy and delicious. Want to try durian ice cream? Just let me know. I have a quart of it and my lovely wife won’t go near it.

The Daily Feed
By

Painting Over Graffiti


Graffiti – AC/DC Lane, Melbourne CBD
Originally uploaded by Toots Fontaine

DC’s spending $100,000 over the next year to eradicate large graffiti murals by hiring folks to paint murals over them. The first mural went up this weekend in Northwest at Georgia & Fairmont near Howard.

All surfaces must be clean, dry and free from anything that will interfere with the adhesion of the materials to be applied. Remove loose and failing material by scraping or brushing with a stiff bristle brush to a sound edge. Feather sound edges with a fine grade abrasive paper. Prior to painting, the moisture content should not exceed 18%. Remove all dust. Remove all visible signs of organic growth and treat the areas with Zinsser Mould Killer in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. In areas with sound paint clean down with Zinsser Universal Cleaner & Degreaser to remove any contaminants. Rinse thoroughly with clean water to remove all residues. Allow to dry. According to powder coating dublin, you should fill any cracks and small surface defects with a suitable filler in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Allow to dry. Rub down with a fine grade abrasive paper. Remove all dust.

If you’re painting over a wall with a paint that is close to the previous color, then in general, you don’t need to prime existing paint. To prepare for repainting:

  • Wash the wall to remove any grease.
  • Fill any holes and cracks with suitable filler, perhaps using flexible filler for cracks.
  • Sand and prime the filled areas—priming will seal the filler and keep it in place. You might want to sand and reprime the whole wall to avoid a patchy look.
  • Repaint the wall with at least two coats of your new color. If you’re painting over a dark color with a lighter one, you might need more than two coats to stop the previous color from showing through. If that’s the case, using a primer or basic white matte emulsion for the first coat (or two if it’s really dark) is a more cost-effective option than using the more expensive colored paint for all the coats. Unfortunately, you don’t always discover that in time.
  • Finally, paint in full daylight—especially for the final coat—so you can see where you’ve been.

12 other murals will go up this year; the designs for 6 have been approved already.

Crime & Punishment, History, News, The Daily Feed, The Hill
By

Stolen Shakespeare First Folio Recovered

December, 1998: “I shall steal this priceless edition of Shakespeare’s First Folio from a Durham University exhibition! The perfect historical literary crime! Ha ha!”

July, 2008: “I wonder if this First Folio I stole is authentic? I shall bring this to the Folger Shakespeare Library and leave it with them for analysis. No way they can tell if it was the stolen one, and what will they do if they can? Call the FBI who in turn will alert Scotland Yard? I think not! Ha ha!”

(The suspected thief was apprehended by authorities back in the UK — in the town of Washington, of all places — then questioned at Durham and released on bail.)

Arlington, Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
By

Welcome to Murky. You Don’t Get it Your Way.

I am at Murky Coffee, where I just heard a conversation in which the barista told a guy that he was not allowed to pour his espresso over ice.

“But that’s how I want it,” the guy said.

“You can’t have it over ice. It ruins the quality of the coffee. It’s also against our store policy,” the barista said. After the customer left the counter, the barista was fuming and told his coworker, “I almost told that guy not to come back.”

Thanks, Nick, for hiring such helpful young people who uphold basic tenets of customer service. Where would the world be if customers could get what they wanted? This young fellow did a good job protecting the ignorant customer from cold espresso.

Barista guy – get over it. It’s just coffee, not a matter of safety or health, and the guy knows how he wants it.