Part of the Radio Shakeup that happened at noon today, killing off Z104 and replacing it with WGMS, moves WTOP to 103.5, WGMS’ old radio dial home, and frees up 107.7 on the FM dial for the Washington Post?!

Okay. Slowly.

Z104 (104.1) is gone. Replaced by WGMS at 104.1.
WGMS (103.5) is now WTOP.
WTOP (107.7) will become Washington Post Radio.

While negotiations are ongoing for the broadcast rights for next season of the Nationals games, it’s looking like Bonneville Broadcasting (the parent company of all of these stations) will get the rights and spread the games between the new Washington Post Radio and WFED 1050AM.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Amendments exempting Hookah Bars, Tobacconists and Cigar and Cigarette Bars from the Smoke Free DC legislation have been rejected by a majority of the council, which would doom places like Chi-Cha Lounge and other such places to closure or re-tasking in the face of the ban. Both attempts failed 8-4, because apparently, intoxicants like 180 Smoke e cigarettes  hadn’t come to the market to be abrogated.

Councilwoman Schwartz is now attempting to amend the bill to permit restaurants and spaces under 750 square feet to be waived until such time as the business is sold or changes configuration.

[Update] Schwartz’s amendment failed.

There’s now a motion to reconsider the hardship clause before the council, Councilman Graham sponsoring.

He has now yielded to Councilman Fenty. Councilman Fenty has an amendment before the council: Amend the Smoke-Free law to provide guidance for the Mayor’s Office regarding the exemption to the smoking ban for financial hardship. It would add a 15% threshold year to year, for businesses.

Councilman Catania suggests this may be unwise due to the fact that the standards for economic hardship should be evaluated on an individual basis. His argument was successful, and the amendment was rejected , 9-3 against.

Councilman Fenty brought another amendment, to implement the bill much more quickly than 1 January 2007, but rather a date on 1 July 2006.

Councilman Catania has countered: restaurants will be forced into compliance upon completion of the legislation, while bars have a year to seek outdoor space for smokers to congregate. The department of health will have difficulties hiring appropriate staff and the limitations of the current department’s training department, according to Councilman Catania.

Councilwoman Schwartz has noted that the bill has said the department may do inspections. The language was specific to avoid financial costs. Thus, inspections would have fiscal cost at any point if they’re required. Councilwoman Schwartz has also pointed out that the bill’s current date of 1 Jan 2007 is conveniently after the council election, when the politicians will not have to pay the consequences immediately. She is for the move-up of the date to 1 July 2006 as it will force the issue as part of elections.

Councilman Catania objects that this will allow for another full holiday and New Year’s season.

Councilman Brown requests a friendly amendment to allow the date to be changed to 15 September. His request is denied. His attempt to amend the amendment failed.

The amendment to change the date has failed.

This is getting a bit confusing for me, as two amendments concerning hookah bars and tobacco resellers were just passed that made absolutely no sense to me.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Z104, purveyor of crappy morning shows and more commercials than I thought was possible on a “music” station, is now gone. They shut down at noon today to make way for WGMS, DC’s highly regarded classical music station. Subbing for Matthew Blades will be James Bartel. Of course, that’s one less competitor for Elliott in the Morning, and the rock and roll music the kids these days like to hear. Last year, it was WHFS turning into El Zol, this year it’s Z104 turning into WGMS.

The big question remains: Who will broadcast the Nats games this spring?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

You following the Smoke Free DC progress? You pick your side in the debate? You wanna know what’s happening now?

Well a citywide ban on smoking in restaurants, bars and other public areas appears headed for final approval today by the D.C. Council, according to both supporters and opponents, and you can watch history live on the DC Council channel. At work? Well then stream it live from the website http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/ like I’m doing right now.

Technology: cool. Democracy: very cool. Using technology to watch democracy saving my health: priceless.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Well, Wonkette is dead, long live Wonkette. That’s right, Ana Marie Cox is on her way to becoming a famous author with her new book Dog Days, and she’s now retiring from the political gossip market. So, Gawker’s found a replacement for her…with a dude. David Lat ghost-wrote Underneath Their Robes, as Article III Groupie, and now will assume Wonkette’s duties.

I’m a bit confused about the whole gender/suffix thing at the moment, but welcome David to the crazy menagerie.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Yes, I mean it. Drop trou and give someone eyeful. Moon your friends and neighbours. If you can keep your seatbelt on, you can probably even moon folks from your car, teenager style. Yes, you can do all that and not be indecently exposed according to Judge John W. Debelius III, of the Montgomery County Circuit Court.

He ruled yesterday that mooning, while distasteful, is not illegal in Maryland, with this classic quote in the Washpost article:

“If exposure of half of the buttock constituted indecent exposure, any woman wearing a thong at the beach at Ocean City would be guilty.”

Woops, so I guess you only get to flash one cheek at a time, or maybe just the top half. Either way, you’ll not be guilty of indecent exposure, but the judge will think you guilty of lesser crimes. To quote the WashPost again:

Debelius made clear his disdain for the defendant, calling the alleged act “disgusting” and “demeaning.” The outcome could have been different, he suggested, if the man had been on trial for “being a jerk.”

Luckily for the moonies of Maryland, “being a jerk” is not a criminal offense.

Update: How did I miss this? Seems mooning in DC is legal too, as the D.C. Court of Appeals ruled that indecent exposure is limited to a person’s genitals way back in 1986. And the final quote of the article may just be the best:

James Maxwell, one of McNealy’s attorneys, said yesterday’s ruling should “bring comfort to all beachgoers and plumbers” in the state.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

If Damn Yankees was too feel-good for you, then maybe you’re the audience for Fat Pig, a Neil LaBute play being put on at Studio Theatre. LaBute’s work probably qualifies more as feel-uncomfortable, though often darkly funny. All his plays that I am familiar with like “The Shape of Things,” “Your Friends and Neighbors,” and “In the Company of Men” explore the ways people can be crappy to each other. Fat Pig, about how a man’s friends respond when he dates a “plus sized-and then some” woman will likely be no different.

I’m endeavoring to go into it cold so I can’t speak to how Fat Pig compares to his past work, but I’ve yet to be disappointed by LaBute. I’m also not expecting to be disappointed by Kate Debelack in the lead, but as she’s a friend I’m not impartial on the matter.

Previews start tonight and opening night is Friday. I’ll post my thoughts after I see it Saturday.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Well, K St. Blues notwithstanding, one of DC’s lobbyist-Kings, Jack Abramoff plead guilty to felony tax evasion, fraud and conspiracy to bribe a government official. He faces 30 years of prison, though it’s more likely he’ll get around 10 years in Federal Pound Me In The Ass Prison, in exchange for helping the Feds take down a half dozen or so members of the House and Senate. So, K St. gets dealt another black eye, and the Hill pays its own price.

I suppose it should piss me off how obvious this seems, or how deep this seems to go, but it really doesn’t. Is it so bad that I’ve come to expect the absolute worst from lobbying firms on illustrious K St., when I know they’re capable and able of doing good without resorting to payola, bribery, and unabashed-favor-baiting?

Perhaps Lucky was right when he called DC a city of liars and cheats…

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

In the wake of Howard Stern’s departure, DC 101 is airing some weird ads for their Elliot in the Morning radio show. They’ve ponied up for some large network spots, including ads during Scrubs tonight, and last night during Las Vegas that have me scratching my head. See, the ads themselves are supposed to be edgy, but they’ve just got bad camera work. They’re trying to be semi-wholesome, but the show’s big along the Howard Stern lines. Sure, no strippers in the booth, but I’d say they talk about sex a good deal (hey, their latest promotion involves an STD map.) and other things along those lines, trying for the new radio audience that’s available post-Stern. Why not focus on that, instead of Flounder grinning like an idiot?

Anyone else catch these ads? I mean, I’m used to being wrong, so maybe someone with more…expertise can explain the gap that I’m seeing between what the show is and what it’s advertised as?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Local blogger K Street Blues has a hysterical take on the search for the new voice of the Metro.

So what if Metro got some politicos and famous-for-D.C. types to do their announcements? Some examples could be…

Bill Clinton: “I did not stand in the way of those doors, on the Metro train.”

George H.W. Bush: “Read my lips: Stand clear of the doors.”

James Carville: “It’s the closing doors, stupid.”

Howard Dean: “Yyyyyaaaaarrrrrrgggghhhh! Stand clear!” (Or, alternatively, “The doors are gonna close at Dupont Circle, and Woodley Park, and Cleveland Park! They’re gonna close at Farragut West! And King Street! And Wheaton!”)

JFK: Ask not what what the Doors can do for you, ask what you can do for the Doors.

Dan Snyder: Stop thinking about the doors or I’ll trade you.

Nixon: I am not a door-blocker.

Oliver North: I don’t think there is another person in America that wants to close these doors as much as I do.

Oh this is just fun. Contribute your own in the comments.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Amy Storch, wife of DCFoodie Jason Storch and the other dinner guest at the infamous Buck’s Fishing and Camping dinner that resulted in the cease & desist, shares with usthe story of what happened that night.

And also, an adorable baby photo. Awww.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

So, it’s the third day of 2006. And a dreary melancholic day it is. But that doesn’t mean you have to throw your New Year’s Resolutions out with the tinsel! Resist the temptation to chow down on all those chocolates and cookies your evil co-workers are trying to unload in the office kitchen or cafeteria, and stick to your resolve. Yes, this is the time when so many of us aim to be better about food, fitness, and body image. You’ll see gyms hawking their deals all over the place for the next few weeks as they take advantage of everyone’s guilt over the holiday binge. So I thought I’d add a shout-out for the man who helped whip me into shape last year, Karim Steward and his cadre of top-notch trainers at One World Fitness.

One World Fitness is a small private gym at 14th and S Street that’s personable, inviting, and completely non-threatening. Oh, and they will kick your ass. If you’re the sort of person who needs the extra motivation of a personal trainer I highly recommend this place. It certainly jump-started my 2005 resolution, so maybe it can do the same for yours in 2006.

Sadly, my kitchen renovation currently trumps my training budget (there’s a certain irony there, no?) so I have to take a break, but I will be back eventually to continue getting stronger than I once thought a resolutely non-athletic girl like me could ever be…

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Michael’s post jogged my memory, reminding me to write about my own New Years’ celebration up in Baltimore. My friends Dave and Jason invited Tiffany and I up to Tapas Teatro in Charles Village for a New Year’s dinner. Boy am I glad we went. The Tapas were easily as good (if not better) than my favorite Jaleo. When you go, make it a priority to take advantage of their cheaper-than-DC winelist and certainly cheaper-than-DC Paella. The parking garage across from the restaurant is a scant $2, and on this night had some awesome reggae blasting from the office. We ended the evening at the Charles St. Lounge right next door to the garage for a nice beer, and some killer garb on the bartenders who were straight out of the 1920s.

If you get the chance, head to Charm City to check out the theatre, or some tapas, or even a drink afterward.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Chris Needham of Capitol Punishment was kind enough to grant reposting rights for this criticism of the Bob DuPuy’s editorial in today’s Washington Post. We have done minor editing to the HTML code, but the editorial’s text appears here unedited. Thank you, Chris!

Robert DuPuy, ever the artful negotiator states his case in a Washington Post Op-Ed today. Needless to say, he puts a favorable spin on events.

Thirty-three years after the Washington Senators left town, the District government won a multi-city competition to relocate the Montreal Expos to the nation’s capital.

Except that it was a competition in name only. The only serious contender was Northern Virginia, and the politics of stadium financing were probably even messier there, forcing their proposal to be located somewhere closer to Winchester than DC.

Now that the District has a team, the D.C. Council is trying to walk away from the agreement that brought the team here in the first place.

Except for the fact that the DC Council was never a party to the original negotiations, hence they can’t actually walk away from it. The BSA bears the signatures of Tony Williams and Marc Tuohey. And DC Law requires Council approval of all expenditures over something like a million bucks. It’s a bit disingenuous to say that the Council is killing an agreement that they’ve never considered previously.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs Continue reading →

Since Darpino asked, I’ll share my New Year’s Eve story.

Right up until the last possible minute, we had no idea what to do. As I noted before, sometimes we have a party, but this year we started tearing up three layers of linoleum from our kitchen floor (more on that later for you renovation geeks) which rendered a party pretty impossible. There was an eleventh hour call to go to Baltimore, but fear of amateur night drunks and cops galore on the ride back squashed that idea. So we settled at last on “low-key, someplace local.” We were just going to go around the block to Bar Pilar, when an ad in the City Paper for New Year’s Eve at Asylum caught our eye. “Martini luge? Retro Pin-up Girls? Pole Dancing?” Honestly, what more can you ask for $10? So off we went, with a healthy dose of scepticism, which it turned out we needed.

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Personally I was disappointed when the new team was named the Nationals rather than the Senators, though I understand the reasons for not re-using the name. However, I’m less obsessive a fan than Joe Boyd, the lead character in Arena Stage’s production of Damn Yankees, who is so rabid in his support that he agrees to sell his soul to the Devil just to give the Senators a winning season over those damn Yankees.

Arena’s production is quite good, and while I’m not really qualified to speak about what people who don’t like musical theatre would enjoy, I think it has pretty broad appeal. I saw it Friday and I highly recommend it.

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Saturday night will be the Night of 100 Elvises at Dr. Dremo. They’re celebrating Elvis Presley’s birthday and are asking, “For the love of God and beer, wear an Elvis costume to Dremo’s this Saturday. We are trying to get 200-300 Elvises in attendance at our annual salute to the King’s birthday. Make it a good get up, not a cheesy attempt, and you shall be rewarded. You may win the $100 cash first prize in the costume contest. At the very least, you will not only get in free, but you will be moved to the front of the line.” Of course, you also get in free for being dressed like Elvis.

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Dumb: Robbing a Politician.

Dumber: Robbing a sitting Councilman in his home district.

Dumbest: Robbing Marion Barry at Gunpoint in his Apartment in Southeast.

Seriously, how dumb do you have to be to think this is at all a good idea? Anyone want to start a pool as to when these kids turn up at a local police station, with a few extra bruises? Or do you suppose folks in the Eighth will just use rubber hoses?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

The Post has a great profile of Kerry Skeen, founder of soon-to-be-defunct Independence Air and some of the issues that he considers to be the reasons for their demise:

Even as fuel prices climbed and the airline tried to grow, competitors slashed their prices, awarded bonus frequent-flier miles and added flights on routes where they competed with the beleaguered airline.

“Every outside pressure kind of manifested itself,” Skeen said.

You can’t expect the marketplace to be static when you introduce further competition. If your fares become loss-leaders to get people on board with the new brand, you have to expect other airlines to introduce countermeasures to protect their business. Skeen didn’t plan for that when Independence launched, and so the airline suffered. Of course, flying high cost dinky planes doesn’t help you either. While the destination is important in airlines, how you fly there and the customer experience is equally important.

I’m a big guy, which makes me hate tiny commuter jets. They’re not comfortable to fly on, and when you’re crammed into one for two hours, there had better be good reason to fly them. With most other airlines offering real planes for the same trips, I know which way I’ll go. Sorry, Kerry, it sucks that you blew your chances to get out of the business with your shirt. It’s just a shame that now 2800 people are out of work because of it.

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

While Jen is right, small-town Florida isn’t up to speed, we both have family down here, which means the obligatory trips home. Unlike Jen, I love coming down for a long weekend at a time – it’s the only way to ensure a deep, rich tan all winter that strikes envy in the hearts of ass-white snow-bunny Yankees.

Starting today, sun runs for us with family on the Space & Treasure Coasts will be getting so much easier and quicker. Delta Connection carrier Comair are introducing the only non-stop flights between Melbourne and Washington, D.C.’s National Airport. I just checked the schedules and the 6:45pm departure time from DCA pared with a 6:45am departure from MLB means you can get your full sun + fam dose for a weekend, without missing a minute of work.

Sees ya soon on a beach like this:

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs