Category Archives: The Daily Feed

The Daily Feed
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License plate tragedy

Photo courtesy of
‘Eat the kids first!’
courtesy of ‘gotgenes’

Gawker network (motto: “all your passwords are fit to print”) site Jalopnik breaks the news: the best VA license plate ever has been revoked by the DMV. It’s not so shocking that they’d revoke the plate – the humorlessness and kowtowing to the Imsooffended Brigade of DMVs everywhere is well-established – but that they claim the underlying issue is the plate promotes oral pleasure of the pedophilia kind.

Today’s entry in things I never thought I’d type:

I would think it’s obvious the joke is about cannibalism, not pedophilia.

I have to wonder – what will they claim this one is about? BSDM sex?

License plate

The Daily Feed
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ICYMI: January 4th 2011

Today’s edition of ICYMI is powered by 1990s flashbacks, the awesome power of the animated .gif, the idea of Mary Cheh hunting parking ticket scofflaws like vermin, and the fact that it’s still light outside at 4:55pm. Enjoy the hysterical Ovechkin ad on ESPN, above, and click through for a few more great things to read at home.

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The Daily Feed
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Is Restaurant Expansion Always a Good Thing?

Photo courtesy of
‘Komi’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’
There’s no doubt about it that one of my most hated conversations is one that ends with, “we’ll have a table ready for you in 45 minutes.” But I’m hungry now. So it would seem like a little more space for me to plant my hungry butt would be a good thing. And a lot of times, it is. When Ardeo+Bardeo increased their seating with their recent makeover, it was great. Same goes for Lauriol Plaza when it moved up the street a few years ago to its current feat of massive architecture.

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Fashionable DC, The Daily Feed
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The Fashion Magpie: Tari DC, A Different Kind of Consignment

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘erin m’

When Julep–a well-stocked consignment shop in Georgetown–closed its doors in the spring of 2010, I was thoroughly disappointed.  I had been peddling my clothes there (with great success) for months, an arrangement that had come to be handy in my bi-monthly “closet-cleaning” practice, not to mention useful in funding the purchase of new and exciting wardrobe additions.  You can imagine my delight when I learned that the same space (1525 Wisconsin Ave, N.W.) had been purchased by Sara Mokhtari, a real estate developer seeking to launch a consignment boutique of her own.  When Tari DC opened its shutters in late November, I made it my business to set up an appointment to consign some of the items that had been gathering dust in my apartment and quickly realized that this shop was entirely different from your run-of-the-mill second-hand store.

For starters, the ambitious and charming Mokhtari had totally renovated the interior with dark paint, exposed brick, dramatic sconces, and an enorma-TV on the wall.  The space now appears vaguely European, much more attractively appointed, and altogether the way I would imagine a consignment shop owned and operated by the Kardashian sisters.  (Meant as a compliment.)  Then there’s the merchandise, which caters less to Julep’s former target audience (Georgetown’s young professionals and college/graduate student population) and more to frequenters of higher-end outposts.  (Think Christian Louboutin and vintage fur rather than last season’s J. Crew and Shoshanna.)

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News, The Daily Feed, Ward 5
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Dispatches from Ward 5

Photo courtesy of
‘Brookland Hardware’
courtesy of ‘mediaslave’

First in a series where we bring you the best from neighborhood mailing lists, ANC and civic association meetings, and other neighborhood news sources.*

In Brookland, the Patel family reopened the Newton Food Market on 12th Street on New Year’s Eve. The father, Raj Patel, was killed during an attempted robbery on December 20. If you’re in Brookland and you want a snack or a soda, I suggest you buy it there, instead of at the CVS across the street.

On the Ward 5 list, the discussion this week was about the planned  public art installation on the new New York Avenue bridge. The sculpture, which will frame the vista from the crest of the bridge with abstract metal trees, was designed by Kent Bloomer, a Yale School of Architecture professor and a specialist in architectural sculpture. Bloomer has done a wide variety of architectural ornamentation around the country, including one at National Airport. The Ward 5 list discussion predictably centered around how much the project cost and why a DC artist couldn’t have been found. (Probably because architectural sculpture is a pretty specific discipline, and DC isn’t exactly crawling with practitioners.) Bloomer gave an informative interview to Next American City magazine a few years ago about building ornamentation in urban environments that’s worth a read, what with DC being so chockablock with it. Continue reading →

Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Art + Athletes = Everybody Wins

This Wednesday night you can start the new year off doing good for others by attending a benefit for Bread for the City at one of our favorite galleries here at We Love DC – Morton Fine Art. Amy Morton calls the evening a mixture of “art and good people from the neighborhood,” a night of “fun and positivity.”

Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door, running from 7-10pm. The event is hosted by DC United’s Ben Olsen – did you know he’s a Shaw resident and art collector who’s also a painter himself? Also on board is the Redskins’ Chris Cooley, artist Rosemary Feit Covey, and photographer Susan Burnstine.

Bread for the City has been providing social services to DC’s low-income residents since the mid-1970’s. The organization helps with such necessities as groceries and clothing, while also running medical and legal clinics. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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So, about that Christmas tree

Photo courtesy of
‘Dead Christmas tree’
courtesy of ‘kirinqueen’

Yes, today was the first day that you could dispose of your Christmas tree, but if you didn’t get all the decorations off yesterday after a Winter Classic hangover that had you asleep on the couch, don’t fret, you’ve still got time.  Trees need to be stripped of all their ornaments and lights, but you can just take them to the treeboxes on your street any time between now and January 15th and DPW will swing through and pick up the trees and turn them into tasty mulch for your garden.

Don’t bag the trees and wreaths, though, as that will interfere with the process.  Just leave the naked tree and branches out in your tree box any day between now and January 15th. Don’t be surprised, though, if your tree isn’t picked up the next day, though, as the windows are general, it could take a day or so for your tree to be picked up. If you’re still rocking the tree come January 16th, that’s fine, you can still dispose of it on trash day depending on availability in the trash trucks.

The Daily Feed
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Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and World Fair Use Day

YouTube Preview Image

Das Racist, originators of the above song, will be appearing at World’s Fair Use Day. I share this with you with some reluctance, because my darling wife hates that song so much – almost as much as I love it – that I fear she’ll drive over to the Washington Post conference center next Thursday and attempt to taser them. Contributing to my concern is that she could make it a two-fer and go after the top dog *cough* behind The Cheezburger Network, the scourge of grammar-obsessed kitties everywhere.

Oh well. Journalism is about tough choices. I’ll visit you in jail, sweetie.

Ashok Kondabolu, Himanshu Suri and Victor Vasquez are only a few of the folks who will be spending the day discussing that nebulous and ill-defined aspect of copyright law, fair use. Their panel on fair use in hip-hop is one of the earlier items of the day, later followed with discussions about fair use in visual art, gaming, and finally humor – where Cheezeburger’s Ben Huh will be speaking.

The event is open to the public, so if you’re free during the day and interested in sampling and remixing or are a “policy wonk” – one of the options listed on the RSVP form – you can sign up to attend. I’m going to try to be there, so if you see me say hi. I’m the one with the pizza butt and taco smell.

News, The Daily Feed
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Vincent Gray, new councilmembers sworn in yesterday

Vince Gray giving his Inaugural Speech
Untitled by Max Cook

Yesterday morning, despite the drizzle and grey of January, Vincent Gray raised his right hand at 11:58am to swear an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America and to be the Mayor of the District of Columbia. He became the sixth person to do so since Home Rule was re-established in 1975.

In the speech that followed, Gray was largely positive about the people that make up the District, but generally vague about the future of his administration. Beyond some firebrand’s words about representation, the speech was largely devoid of content except to play to the continued theme that Gray has revolved around since his September primary victory: that DC, despite all of its numerous divisions, could become One City under the leadership of the Mayor. Continue reading →

Arlington, Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Rustico Ballston Adds Brunchytimes

Photo courtesy of
‘6.21.10’
courtesy of ‘Paige Weaver’

Ballston is popping these days with some of my favorite restaurants. Since the new Sweetgreen location started dishing up salads, and Buzz promises to open thier doors soon, what I once considered a foodie dead spot (minus Willow) is now on my radar. Especially with the news that the Ballston location of Rustico has launched Sunday brunch, which they began serving on Jan. 2. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Would You Buy Frank Kameny a Drink?

Photo courtesy of
‘Frank Kameny’
courtesy of ‘maxedaperture’

At 85, Frank Kameny has solidified his place in history as a leading figure in the country’s gay rights movement. When he was fired from the Army Map Service in 1957 because of his homosexuality, he became the first American to bring a civil rights case based on sexual orientation to court. Proudly, openly gay in a largely closeted era, the former astronomer quickly became an outspoken activist for LGBT rights. He co-founded the Mattachine Society of Washington in 1961, one of the nation’s earliest gay rights groups, picketed the White House, and became the first openly gay Congressional candidate when he ran for DC’s House seat in 1971.

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The Daily Feed
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Redskins Cheat Sheet: Week 17 vs NY Giants

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

The Redskins Cheat Sheet takes its final voyage of the 2010 season in these first days of January. Thanks for sticking with us throughout the season, and hopefully we’ve made talking about the ‘skins just a little bit more bearable for your office conversations every Monday throughout the last few months.

I swear the above photo was tagged in our Flickr pool for the Redskins. Seriously.

With last night’s 17-14 loss to the Giants, the season came to its merciful end in potentially the most poetic moment ever: backup quarterback Rex Grossman setting back on 4th down, effing it, and going deep downfield – to a completely wide open patch of the RFK turf where no receiver was standing.

What else do you need to know to survive the last conversation about this year’s ‘skins? After the jump, come along now. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Paul teaches Wall a few lessons, Hornets dump Wizards

Photo courtesy of
‘John Wall’
courtesy of ‘Keith Allison’

One good thing to say about the Wizards is that they are competitive.

Well, for stretches.

They hung with the high-flying Heat a couple weeks ago before blowing it at the end. They gave the Bulls a good game a couple of days later prompting Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau to praise the young team. Against the Hornets on Saturday, at one point they held a 13-point second quarter lead. Then Chris Paul, Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor asserted their will in the second half of the contest to claim a New Orleans victory, 92-81 at Verizon Center. Continue reading →

Crime & Punishment, The Daily Feed, The District, WTF?!
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Heavyweight DC lawyer vs. the DC judicial system

Photo courtesy of
‘Nacho #19’
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

Via Legal Times comes this story about a DC lawyer who was arrested for “disorderly conduct” (after insulting a police officer), was asked to pay $35 at the station and forfeit the right to a hearing or be taken to the District’s central cellblock. He did so in order to avoid being taken, as they say, downtown, but is now suing the DC government, and the specific officers personally, on the basis that the “post and forfeit” procedure is neither bail nor fine and is therefore unconstitutional. The suit demands $1.2 million in damages for the lawyer and an additional $700,000 for his wife.

According to the most recently-available statistics, about 95 percent of pending lawsuits end in a pre-trial settlement. This means that just one in 20 personal injury cases is resolved in a court of law by a judge or jury.  If you re in a tough spot, consider Connecticut Bailbonds Group services.

You might be rolling your eyes at this point at the idea of a lawyer kicking up that kind of a fuss over a $35 fee; this is the town that brought us the Infamous Pants Lawsuit, after all. But when I read the LT item, the lawyer’s name, Hamilton P. Fox III, sounded familiar, so I did what any self-respecting web writer would do: I Googled.

Hamilton Fox was an assistant prosecutor on the Watergate Special Prosecution Force. He was an investigator on the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct in the 1983 Congressional page scandal. He was a defense attorney on appeal for Jonathan Pollard, the naval intelligence employee convicted of spying for Israel. My point is: this guy actually DOES have better things to do than sue the District over $35. And this IS the risk one takes as a police officer in the District: that the guy you arrest under broad discretionary authority that may or may not stand up to judicial scrutiny might actually have the legal chops to call you on it. Continue reading →

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Wizards Top Pacers Without Coach

Photo courtesy Patrick Pho

It maybe the holidays for many of us here in DC but for the Wizards it was all business as the team was close to full strength after a holiday road trip in Texas. After losses to San Antonio and Houston, the team remains win-less on the road perhaps a return to Chinatown to take on the Indianapolis Pacers would turn things around. The Pacers traveled to Washington, DC with a road losing streak of their own- a six game stretch without a road win.

Well it looked like the home cooking helped. With John Wall, Andray Blatche, and JaVale McGee back on the floor the Wizards topped the Pacers 104-90.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Caps shutout Habs: Don’t call it a payback

Photo courtesy of
‘1ST’
courtesy of ‘MissChatter’

It was not about payback.

Payback comes in April. Or May.

It was just a game. In December. And for the Caps, it was a good one.

Washington continued its climb out of its November/December funk, claiming a 3-0 victory over Montreal at Verizon Center on Tuesday night. Semyon Varlamov picked up his sixth win, and second shutout, of the year with 25 saves while out-dueling Carey Price and setting the tone for what turned out to be a solid defensive effort for Washington.

“No, not really. We wanted to beat Montreal because they play Tampa next,” coach Bruce Boudreau said when asked if beating Les Habitantes made the win more special. “We figure if we can beat them then all of a sudden they go down there and are more desperate and hopefully come up with a good couple of games in Florida. No, because if we are sitting here in April and we play whatever team and we don’t have success, it is going to mean nothing and you guys [the press] are going to be all over us again.”

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News, The Daily Feed
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Buy a raffle ticket, help DC Central Kitchen!

Photo courtesy of
‘Wayne Kramer Visits DC Central Kitchen’
courtesy of ‘DC Central Kitchen’

I try not to beat the drum too hard for charity, because constant demands for donations and stuff tend to be tedious, but this one is too good not to talk about.  So What’s the Deal and We Love DC (and also ARLNow.com, K Street Kate and EatMore DrinkMore) have teamed up with area charities to hold an awesome Raffle & Silent Auction.

A $5 donation to DCCK through their charity page at So What’s the Deal gets you a raffle ticket, and $10 gets you three.  The prizes? Pretty awesome: $20 gift cert to Ping Pong Dim Sum, $10 at Lounge 201, $25 to Playbill Cafe, a subscription to Washingtonian Magazine, tickets on the Boomerang Bus, a dozen cupcakes from Curbside Cupakes, a $50 gift cert to Vapiano, and still more.

Better yet? The blog that raises the most charity gets their donation matched by So What’s the Deal.  Go grab a raffle ticket.  $10 means lunch to you, but it could be a job for someone through DC Central Kitchen.