By Tom Bridge
DSC_7086
Originally uploaded by choofly
It took some overtime (wait, overtime in tennis?! Yep, and the rules are weird) but the Boston Lobsters despatched with the Washington Kastles (who are, as it turns out, owned by Kastle Key, phew.) as part of their home opener. Serena Williams seems to have been dominant in the Women’s Singles match, but I’ll be damned if I can read this box score.
Anyone catch the match?
By Tom Bridge
You may have guessed that we love food here at WLDC. Between Carl’s videoblog on Noodles yesterday and our own review of Hell Burger, that’s an impression we’re doing our best to support. However, we recognize that we don’t hold the monopoly on food thoughts. So, we encourage all of you armchair food critics to get in on the Washingtonian’s “You Be The Critic” contest. At stake? A gift certificate for dinner for two (value: $150) at Hooked, in Sterling, of which they thought pretty highly.
Entries should be 75 words, be uniquely descriptive, be irreverent and be amusing. Give it a go!
Slate’s Interviews 50cents feature has a video interview today with a young woman who explains why she loves DC more than California. Bonus points for the random people crossing between the camera and the people being filmed.
By Tom Bridge
Yesterday I mentioned that I was in the market for a Wii, and boy did you guys deliver with the suggestions! ajw_93 let me know that the Target on Route 7 near Bailey’s Crossroads had been spotted with a couple, and sure enough, there was a single solitary Wii in their cabinet at a little after 8pm. It had only been restocked just the previous hour, making me surprisingly lucky!
Sure, I could have gone The Craigslist Route, but I wanted a fresh & new wii! I was up way too late last night playing mock tennis. Thanks everyone!
By Don
Obviously we’re focused on DC and the immediate area, but that immediate area includes Northern Virginia. Today’s Kojo Nnamdi show will spend a half hour talking about Virginian identity and have the directory of the Virginia Folklife Program, Jonathan Lohman , as a guest. As you might imagine, we here are interested in issues of regional identity and identification…
Virginia Locality Name Map, courtesy of taberandrew
By brownpau
Metro Nesquik Ad
Originally uploaded by brownpau
The current zoetrope-style tunnel ad between Gallery Place/Chinatown and Judiciary Square features the NesQuik Bunny telling you to go to your happy place.
By Carl Weaver
My lovely wife and I did this review video when we went to the new Noodles and Company at Ballston Mall recently.
By Brittany
Originally uploaded by maxedaperture
I would like to take this moment to give props to one Mr. Kevin Wadzuk (AU Class of 2006) of Campus Progress for his post on the Social Capital blog today, “How to Piss Off a DC Resident.”
The Social Capital blog is a project aimed at the droves of interns, students, and sundry kids who flood our streets and subway cars each summer. He has dispensed some obvious, but all-too-needed advice for the younguns: stand to the right; do not speak of what you do not know; respect your temporary (resume-boosting) home.
Shame the kids need to be told, but then many of them do come from places like New Jersey (gads!).
By Tom Bridge
Busted Ass Bus
Originally uploaded by tbridge
If you’ve wandered over to WMATA in the last couple days, you’ve seen that they’re now adding bus delay detail to the top crawlbar so that you can tell just as easily that bus traffic is fubar, as well as the rail traffic.
One thought, though, Metro, could you put the route number before the message, instead of having to wait to see it later in the message?
By Tom Bridge
Wii Logo
Originally uploaded by Ian Muttoo
I’ve been kinda jonesing for a new thing to tinker with, and several of my friends have mentioned that Wii Fit is pretty much awesome. So, I was thinking, where the heck do you find a Wii? I’ve never actually seen one for sale, I’ve only seen displays that require you to talk to someone and try to find one, and they usually disappear to check and then never return.
So, if we wanted a Wii, how the heck do we find one? I’ve heard tell of a magical service that will text you based on various stocking systems’ results, but I haven’t found it yet. Any place carrying them in stock just yet? I’d love to be a less out-of-shape geek, and if I can get there while playing video games…
By Tom Bridge
In a battle that features local chef Teddy Folkman and chef/TV personality Bobby Flay and some tasty mussels, you can watch DC acquit itself quite well on the Food Network tonight at 9pm. Thanks very much to Amanda at Metrocurean for reminding me!
What’s better is that the judges were kickass foodbloggers Jason and Amy Storch! You can read all about Amy’s behind-the-scenes time in two parts, as she’s pretty much hilarious.
Dr. Granville Moore’s Brickyard originally uploaded by chrisafer.
By Tom Bridge
I remember being young and on one of my family’s frequent summer roadtrips across the Great American West, and wondering aloud to my family what the Rocky Mountain Oysters were on the menu at this little dive restaurant in Montana. After the laughter subsided, my Dad explained what they were. I ordered something else. But, if you’re interested in some tasty testes (a phrase I never dreamed of writing) then the Montana State Society has something for you.
Testyfest 08 will take place on Saturday July 12th at the American Legion in Virginia Square. Cost is $20 for an all-inclusive banquet featuring those lovely jewels of the west. That’s also inclusive of beer, bourbon and soda, so it sounds like it could be a pretty solid deal. The Wil Gravatt band will also be playing starting at 6pm.
If you think that’s strange? It’s the fifth straight year Montana ex-pats have been doing it. How awesome is that?
Testicle Festival 2008
American Legion
3445 Washington Boulevard
Virginia Square METRO
Arlington, Virginia
By brownpau
The DC Pedestrian Master Plan is a long-term project to study and actively improve Washington’s state of walkability and pedestrian safety. The final draft of the plan report is up for review, and Ward 6 Councilor Tommy Wells is holding an open meeting with DC DDOT to invite public comment on Tuesday, July 8th, 6:30PM at St. Peter’s Church.
More info: Tommy Wells – Ward 6 Meeting on DC Pedestrian Master Plan.
By Tom Bridge
Tomorrow night, the DC area’s newest sports franchise takes to the court for the first time. The Washington Kastles (yes, with a K. Seriously, unless I found out that they’re sponsored by Kastle Key, I can’t explain the typo.) will take on the Boston Lobsters tomorrow night at the temporary facility at 11th & H, on the old Convention Center site.
Who’s on the team? Well, Serena Williams, for one. Tickets run upwards of $40 to $60, and premium seats are available for a good chunk of cash.
By Brittany
Photo courtesy of Hood Booking
My friend asks me if I am going to the No Age show then looks confused when I say I have never listened to them.
“They are really good; all swirly and noisy, but with really poppy hooks. They’re on Sub Pop,” he says.
Given the art-punk skater background of the duo, I think I expected Lightning Bolt and I will admit to you, at risk of any street cred I ever had, that I actually am not super in to Lighting Bolt. Take away my right to blog about music if you must, but that is the truth.
When I finally gave them a listen, I was surprised. First of all, the songs are short (under three minutes) but avoid feeling rushed. This is but one sign of the well-edited pop sensibilities that keep the layers of swirls, fuzz, and noise in check. Their recent release “Nouns” is the rare sort of record that rewards headphone listening but would not be out of place in the background of a (relatively hip) dinner party – simultaneously accessible and engaging.
To answer my friend’s question: I am definitely going.
No Age plays the Rock and Roll Hotel on Tuesday, July 8.
By brownpau
Smithsonian Station is closed for security and crowd control reasons every Fourth of July, so Orange and Blue Line trains pass right through it without stopping. Fuzzy mobile video shot from a train skipping through the station last Friday, with background tourist chatter:
By Don
Temple Ahead, courtesy of diskychick
No, not me (sorry) – the gun lawsuits. Now that the Heller battle is over (though it seems like the city is determined to get challenged as quickly as possible) the NRA has moved its focus on to Chicago. SCOTUSBlog has a roundup of the quintet of new suits, which I offer you a link to just in case you want to follow the traveling circus as it heads off to the north-west.
By Carl Weaver
Carl, screwing up a potentially nice picture
at Luray Caverns
Luray Caverns is a great little place to go and only about two hours away from DC. Here is how I recommend scheduling your time. You can drive to Luray, VA in about two hours if you go on I-66 to I-81. Tack on an extra hour if you opt to take the very beautiful Skyline Drive between Front Royal and Route 211, which will take you right into Luray. There is a $15 fee to take the Skyline Drive but it is worth every penny. Just do it.
The caverns themselves are beautiful, filled with stalactites, stalagmites, rocks and other things that are underground. The young woman behind us in line was scared of encountering bats but this is a squeaky-clean cavern, complete with lights, a paved walkway and tour guides who talk about the various things I would know more about, had I paid attention in my geology class. No bugs, from what I could tell, and thus no bats.
Continue reading
By Ben H. Rome
Abstract Jungle
Originally uploaded by Ghost_Bear
Coming up this Saturday, July 12, the Washington Photo Safari is having their next Monuments and Memorials event. Led by architectural photographer E. David Luria, it’s a great way to spend the morning shooting various landmarks in the city and learning some great photo tips and techniques along the way.
I’ve been on some of these and they’re fantastic. Mr. Luria is extremely personable and a great photo guide; he’s quite capable of enhancing your photography skills, regardless of whether you use a simple point-and-shoot or a complex SLR digital camera. It’s well worth the money spent. (Transportation for this one is provided and covered by the fee.)
There’s a lot of events by the WPS; check out their calendar for other possible ideas. And maybe I’ll see you there!
By Tom Bridge
When my friend Lisa tweeted the other day that Wagamama might be coming to Penn Quarter, I got really excited. Wagamama is a noodle house that originated in London. They generally serve ramen, but this isn’t the ramen you buy in bricks from the grocery store, or in freeze-dried cups from Cup O’Noodles. No, this is the real thing. Served with piles of edamame or some tasty duck gyoza, it’s the real deal.
Metrocurean says they’ll be in the heart of Penn Quarter at the old Olsson’s location. No dates are official yet, but I have a feeling I’ll have a place to go for ramen come the winter-time, when I’ll want it most. Eating at Wagamama in London was one of the highlights of my trip there (okay, so it wasn’t as good as Zaika, but still!) and we’re looking forward to having one right here in DC.
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