Category Archives: The Features

These are our features. They come back either weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.

capitals hockey, Sports Fix
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Flyers Flatten Caps, 5-1


Photo courtesy of bridgetds
Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov
courtesy of bridgetds

The Caps carried their resurgent power play and a two-game winning streak into last night’s game against Conference-leading Philadelphia Flyers. But they came undone through a combination of Philadelphia muscle and poor goaltending. A series of soft shots and deflections got past starting goalie Tomas Vokoun as the Caps fell to the Flyers 5-1.

In the first period, the Caps came out looking like a different team than a month ago. With a disciplined approach they took the action to the Flyers, maintaining the puck in the offensive zone for most of the period with strong physical play. The aggressiveness paid off when the Caps drew two power play chances. But the Caps failed to shoot the puck on the man advantage and were unable to score on Flyers’ netminder Ilya Bryzgalov. The Caps lost the momentum, and tide turned.

The Flyers, meanwhile, shot the puck at every opportunity. Scott Hartnell put Philadelphia ahead 1-0 when he beat Tomas Vokoun between the legs on a clear shot from the top of the faceoff circle after 16 minutes. “I don’t think we had that kind of energy and emotion we had before,” said captain Alex Ovechkin of the first goal. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Food
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We Love Food: A Look at Medium Rare

Photo courtesy of Plantains & Kimchi
service @ Medium Rare, Cleveland Park
courtesy of Plantains & Kimchi

I’ve wanted to try Medium Rare ever since it opened earlier this year but, for some reason I rarely make it north of Dupont Circle. However, I managed to make it to the steak-frites restaurant twice before I decided to write it up.

Simple concepts can be executed nicely and Medium Rare almost hits the mark. As you might already know, the restaurant’s menu is based around one main dish: steak frites. Unfortunately, it’s nothing to write home about as the steak’s sauce was forgettable. While the concept of Medium Rare is excellent, it’s hard to compete with many other places in DC that do a better steak frites.

I did like the restaurant’s décor–it’s dark, fun and energetic. The restaurant has a great vibe and is a good spot for a variety of occasions, whether you go for a casual date, with a group of friends, or with family. Medium Rare is a nice neighborhood place and always seems crowded.
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Entertainment, The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: You, Nero


Photo by Scott Suchman

Nero is perhaps most well known as the Emperor of Rome who let the city burn as he played the fiddle. A widely known piece of history that isn’t entirely true yet perfectly paints a portrait of a ruler who cared more about himself than his people. The vanity of Nero could easily be compared to others in history- from Napoleon to today’s mega-celebrities and athletes.

Danny Scheie steals every scene as the self-absorbed ruler of the early Roman empire in Arena Stage’s production of You, Nero. From the moment Scheie enters the stage we feel Nero’s ginormous presence fill every inch of the Finchandler Stage. In a fitting moment of irony one of his first lines to the audience is a woeful, “Poor me!”

Of course we take less pity on him and more laughter as we take-in Nero’s over the top appreciation for himself.

Despite a fantastic job by Jeff McCarthy in the role of Scribonius, a role McCarthy took on only days before the opening, he is simply a guide through this hilarious send-up of ancient Rome. The real star is Nero and Scheie reprises the role he first performed in early West Coast productions with panache, pizzazz, and flamboyance.

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Featured Photo
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Featured Photo

Photo courtesy of ep_jhu
Crossing The Moon
courtesy of ep_jhu

There are many ways a photograph comes into existence, artistically speaking. A photographer can simply leave everything to chance; just got out the door one day, and find a photo in what is presented to him or her. Or a photographer could plan out a shot ahead of time. If one goes this route, it’s amazing what details a photographer can control, such as the placement of celestial objects. As humans have known since ancient times, the moon and sun follow a predictable course through the sky. While this information is normally used for assisting with farming and keeping time, it’s also possible to use it to create striking photos.

Take ep_jhu’s photo above. Knowing the time and placement of the setting full moon allowed him to catch Luna as it was setting against the city’s skyline. The photo gives a fascinating scale for both moon and buildings. In fact, the shot is very reminiscent of Ansel Adam’s famous Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico. It is a simple and stunning, well planned shot.

And if you’re interested in planning out a moon (or sun rise) shot, I can recommend the Photographer’s Ephemeris. It will give line of sight views on the tracking of both the moon and sun, along with all three times for settings. A well informed photographer could not ask for more!

Entertainment, The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Spoiler Alert: Everybody Dies


Photo by Michael Brosilow

In my previous job I analyzed the prevalence of fear and risk in current events and news. So if I know anything about society, it’s that we love to worry.

We are afraid of a lot of things: invasion of privacy, food contamination, and deadly diseases. West Nile, Cancer, and Swine Flu are just some of the buzzwords that have infiltrated the evening news in recent times.

The problem is we have become so scared stiff we have lost all perspective in measuring and weighing risk. In the summers of 2001 & 2002 it was “The Summer of the Shark”, to which The Daily Show pointed out- more people are killed by falling coconuts than by shark attacks.

Does that mean we should wear helmets outside? Does that mean we need to constantly sanitize our purses and make sure our kids don’t eat french fries so they don’t get cancer?

My answer is no- but don’t take my word for it, the players of Chicago’s Second City are here to shine the light on death, doom, and gloom in their production of Spoiler Alert: Everybody Dies. The renown Chicago-based comedy troupe returns to Woolly Mammoth Theatre to offer up another show of sketches, songs, and shtick.

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Sports Fix
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Patriots defeat Redskins 34-27

Photo courtesy of Keith Allison
Santana Moss
courtesy of Keith Allison

A game as good as Sunday’s match-up between the Patriots and Redskins shouldn’t have ended the way it did. With CBS refusing to show a replay of the Santana Moss penalty it is unclear whether or not there was a penalty, but there was no foul once Santana Moss came into view on TV. The closest defender to Moss was four feet away. On the second to last play of the game Moss was as open as any receiver could be and it didn’t look to be because he pushed off. If CBS had shown a replay to clarify the call and found an angle that showed the foul that would have helped, but they didn’t and what was seen remains all the info available.

Santana Moss wasn’t happy with the call and it cost the Redskins on the next play. They still had one more down to try and get back the score that was taken from them. Moss too busy being upset about the previous play lost concentration when the ball came his way and shoveled it into the waiting arms of a Patriot’s defender. It was a typical ending to a Redskins game that got off to a promising start.

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Weekend Flashback
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Weekend Flashback: 12/09-12/11

Photo courtesy of kimberlyfaye
(344/365)
courtesy of kimberlyfaye

Christmas Season is in full swing! If you haven’t done it already, you’ll be spending this coming week and weekend doing shopping, tree raising, and party planning. And after that, then all those last minute people (such as myself) will get to work; so leave some for us lazy people. And to distract you…I mean entertain you, for a little while, check out this past weekend in photos. Continue reading →

Sports Fix
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Lamont Peterson brings a Title to DC

Photo courtesy of dbking
_MG_0874
courtesy of dbking

As soon as the decision was announced the crowd erupted with the fury they had held in all night. For most of the evening the cheers of Amir, Amir were louder and more numerous than those of DC, DC. It sounded like the typical Nationals vs. Phillies game that happens in DC, or the games the Capitals played against the Penguins before the arrival of Ovechkin. Perhaps that is why the crowd was so reluctant to be loud before they knew a winner was in hand.

It has been 20 years since a major championship has been won in a major sport by a DC based team. In recent years DC faithful have had to suffer through the Dan Snyder led Redskins, back to back 100 loss seasons by the Nationals, Capitals early exits from the playoffs, and the Wizards. As soon as the decision was announced all that recent heartbreak turned into utter joy and Hall E of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center erupted with cheers.

The fight itself was one of the better fights in recent memory, and before going much further the controversy should be discussed. It is rare these days to find a major boxing match that is lacking in controversy, and those that focus on the two points deducted from Khan will end up missing the athletic battle this fight was. The problem with blaming the two point deduction is it focuses more attention on just how close this fight was. It wasn’t predicted to be a close fight, and when a fighter is as heavily favored as Khan was going into this fight then two points shouldn’t make that much of a difference. Plenty of people doubted the fight would even reach the twelfth and final round where the second, and more controversial, of the points was deducted.

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Sports Fix
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Redskins Preview Week Fourteen: The Patriots

Photo courtesy of Keith Allison
Tom Brady
courtesy of Keith Allison

Ever since Drew Bledsoe went down with an injury and Tom Brady emerged on the scene the Patriots have been the class of the NFL. They have down it not just by having one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but also by mixing in talented by high risk players with a steady flow of high character and work ethic football players. It is a method where the big name players like Randy Moss or Albert Haynesworth aren’t the focus or the focal point for a season.

Tom Brady is the face of the Patriots and over the last few seasons he has been one of the most consistently great quarterbacks the NFL has seen. In 2011 Tom Brady has been just as good as expected passing for 3916 yards, 30 touchdowns with 10 interceptions, and 66.7 percent of his passes completed. All of this has added up to the Patriots having the second best passing offense in the NFL in both yards a game and touchdowns.

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We Love Weekends
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We Love Weekends: December 9 – 11

Photo courtesy of m hoek
XMAS BIKE
courtesy of m hoek

Happy Holiday Shopping Season, folks. If you don’t recognize that thing in the sky or the feel of your skin it’s called “the sun” and “being dry.” Capital Weather says it’ll still be cold this weekend but it’ll at least be dry. What will you do with the time?

Brittany: This weekend is all about seeing friends (how, exactly, did I agree to six holiday parties?) – and buying gifts. Friday night, my pal Denman will be spinning future bass at the 9:30’s Back Bar (part of their new collab with U Hall) at a night called ZOOo00OOM! I do not really dig malls or mass-produced gifts, so Saturday I will be stopping by GRUMP Holiday Market and Cheap Art Sale for SMYAL for hand-made items and maybe the Thelma’s Vanity Trunk Show in Anacostia for some vintage finds. Along the way, I will take a culture-break from the commerce for Audio Warhol at the NGA. Sunday night, I will be out in VA for a Cricket Cemetery showcase (the label is run by a friend who is also in one of the performing bands) for some super fun “rock music” at Galaxy Hut. Continue reading →

Entertainment, Music, Night Life, The Features, We Love Music
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We Love Music: Tori Amos at D.A.R. Constitution Hall, 12/5/2011

http://www.flickr.com/photos/coffeeonice/

all photos by "D"

Ruby-tressed siren Tori Amos brought a breathtakingly beautiful evening of music to DC’s D.A.R. Constitution Hall on Monday night. She is in the midst of a world tour in support of her latest album, Night of Hunters, released in September on Deutsche Grammophon Records. The album is described by Amos as “a 21st century song cycle inspired by classical music themes spanning over 400 years.” For the tour she brought along the string quartet who played on the album, Apollon Musaget Quartett, from Poland.

Seeing Tori play in DC, her hometown, is always a special experience, and Monday night was no exception. The stage of Constitution Hall appeared at once both grand and intimate- set with beautiful, draping curtains, drawn to expose a backdrop that was at times illuminated to look like a sky full of twinkling stars. Above her glossy, black, Bosendorfer Grand piano hung a chandelier. First on the stage came the string quartet, and they began a musical introduction. Then Tori entered the stage to a sea of applause, and bowed, as she always does, to her fans, before taking her seat at the piano. Continue reading →

Music, The Daily Feed, We Love Music
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Tonight: Tubachristmas!

Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Beall
Tuba bus.
courtesy of Jeffrey Beall

Got plans tonight? Cancel them, and head over to the Kennedy Center for the 38th anniversary performance of TUBACHRISTMAS. 6pm. A volunteer group of tuba players (edit: and euphonium players. Whatever.) will gather and make a joyful noise unto the Millenium Stage. From past experience I can safely say you can stand or sit pretty much anywhere in the hall for good sound.

We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Much Ado About Nothing

Kathryn Meisle as Beatrice and Derek Smith as Benedick in the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Ethan McSweeny. Photo by Scott Suchman.

Shakespeare Theater Company’s production of Much Ado About Nothing is odd. Not on stage – there it’s very entertaining with only minor flaws. Odd in selection, odd in its last-minute casting kerfuffle, odd in tone choice.

The selection and tone choice weirdness is the most prominent. Why do this now, two short years since Folger did their own production of Ado with a Caribbean bent? It’s a well-loved play and good fun but this seems like very recently-trod ground given the similarity in cultural tone. The play notes credit the concept to a 2007 production by Vivian Benesch at Chaucautua in New York, where Director Ethan McSweeny is artistic director alongside Ms Benecsh, so it pre-dates Folger’s production, but why not stretch a little and give us something a little more divergent than what happened down the street?

Deja vu aside, the show swings for the fences and pretty consistently delivers.

Continue reading →

The Features, Tourism
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Holidays at the White House

Photo courtesy of tbridge
The White House Driveway
courtesy of tbridge

The White House’s Office of Public Engagement and Office of Digital Strategy combined yesterday to host about 150 people for another White House Tweetup at the Old Executive Office Building, and upped the ante by providing with it a tour of the White House made up for Christmas. I was fortunate to be a late addition to the group, and Tiffany and I joined the audience for a program with a number of administration officials, from the pastry chef and the florist, up to the President’s CTO and the head of the Office of Digital Strategy.

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Featured Photo
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Featured Photo

Photo courtesy of pablo.raw
Flamingo
courtesy of pablo.raw

The eyes, the eyes, the eyes. I’ve said it before: to get a good wildlife shot, you have to aim for the eyes. Now, Pablo’s shot may not be a strictly true wildlife shot (wild flamingos not be native to the DC area, especially in the colder months), but it certainly is an excellent animal shot. And once you get beyond staring at the eye, you start seeing the wonderful detail of the bird’s feathers and beak, which is nicely highlighted by the black background. A shot to be proud of, that is for sure!

The Features
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A Choral Christmas: A Round-up of Holiday Concerts

Photo courtesy of
‘Columbia Heights Holiday Tree’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

This is a phenomenal part of the year for music, and one of the best cities in the country for choral music. Between the Cathedral Choral Society, the Washington Men’s Camerata, the Choral Arts Society of Washington, the Christmas Revels, the Folger Consort, Choralis, the GMCW, you could pack your December full of great concerts, and we’ve got a good look at what’s coming this Christmas to audiences all throughout the DC area.

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Sports Fix
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Jets defeat Redskins 38-19

Photo courtesy of Homer McFanboy
dolphins3
courtesy of Homer McFanboy

This past Sunday’s game against the New York Jets got off to a good start for the Redskins with two young offensive players continuing to show development. Fred Davis caught a long pass to put the Redskins in scoring range and then Roy Helu ran it in. Helu had a good first half and finished with 100 yards on 23 carries. Most of those yards came in the first half as the Jets figured out how to stop Helu and the Redskins were unable to adjust.

Adjusting in the second half has been a problem for the Redskins all season long. They are able to be competitive for a half. Consistently this season anything that was working in the first half of the game has ceased working in the second half of the game. The Redskins coaches either can’t figure out that they need to adjust or they lack the personnel to make those adjustments.

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Weekend Flashback
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Weekend Flashback: 12/2-12/4

Photo courtesy of
‘MPD watching the perimeter while the arrests take place’
courtesy of ‘Joe in DC’

One more weekend down. The inevitable march to the Holidays and the New Year goes on. I don’t know about the rest of you but I’m looking forward to the coming of the Holiday Trinity, for no other reason than to get the traditional Kwanzaa gift. If the idea of Robot Santa and Kwanzaa-bot coming around fills you with dread, then take a few minutes and relive the weekend with this flashback. Continue reading →

Entertainment, The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Krapp’s Last Tape

John Hurt in the Gate Theatre’s production of Krapp’s Last Tape. Photo by Tom Lawlor.

There are moments when economy, especially in words, must suffice.

(Shakes head. Backspace, backspace. Types.)

John Hurt. Krapp’s Last Tape by Samuel Beckett. Produced by Dublin’s Gate Theatre, at Shakespeare Theatre Company this weekend only. 55 minutes.

55 minutes of your life spent watching a master actor perform a master playwright’s reflection on the absurdity of life, memory and regret.

(Shakes head. Backspace, backspace, backspace. Types. Rubs chin. Sighs.)

Words leave me. Just the memory of Hurt’s haggard face under hard white light, the deep black of time surrounding him like a Francis Bacon painting.

Words leave me. To be haunted by a performance you cannot describe… feels liberating, to be defeated by time, by memory.

(Shakes head. Backspace. Stops. Stares at the floor. Mutters, “Idiot.” Types.)

Krapp’s Last Tape in limited engagement through December 4 at Shakespeare Theatre Company, located at 450 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004. Closest Metro stop: Gallery Place/Chinatown (Red/Yellow/Green lines), Archives/Navy Memorial (Yellow/Green lines). For more information call 202-547-1122.

Sports Fix
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Redskins Preview Week Thirteen: The Jets

Photo courtesy of
‘Mark Sanchez’
courtesy of ‘Jeffrey Beall’

Last Sunday the Redskins won their fourth game of the season. After starting out 3-1 the Redskins then proceeded to lose their next six games to fall to 3-7 before winning last week. While the Redskins were 3-1 there was talk of a playoff run, but for that to happen now the Redskins would need to win out and have a lot of luck on their side. The week four talk of playoffs was fun at the time, but that wasn’t the expectation for the Redskins. The Redskins were expected to finish as possibly one of the worst teams in the NFL by national publications, and at or around last season’s record by local prognosticators.

The Jets on the other hand were expected to contend for the AFC East and some even predicted they would be a better team than the Patriots. At 6-5 the Jets are a disappointing team. The reason for the Jets disappointing record is the play of their quarterback Mark Sanchez. Coming into the season Sanchez was thought of as one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL, but finds himself ranked as the 19th best QB according to QB rating and has thrown the 10th most interception whil completing only 56.3% of his passes.

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