Monthly Archives: June 2009

The Daily Feed
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Free shredding is more available than you think

Photo courtesy of
‘Shredder 2’
courtesy of ‘KOMUnews’

More available than you’d think if you’re watching much NBC4, that is. Not to disparage the upcoming free shred that NBC4 and PNC bank are offering on June 20th, as it’s a darn sight more practical and cheap than buying your own shredder and sitting there feeding things into it. However District residents don’t need to drive out to NVCC in Annandale – they have two locations run by the DC government where they can bring their documents to be shredded, open on any given non-holiday Saturday. Schlep your old documents to Benning Road Trash Transfer Station (3200 Benning Road, NE) or the Fort Totten Trash Transfer Station (4900 Bates Road, NE) between 8am and 3pm.

While you’re at it you can bring any old motor oil or electronics or any number of other kinds of waste that they’ll take care of responsibly recycling/disposing.

Monumental, The Features
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Monumental: The Arsenal Memorial

Photo courtesy of
‘Arsenal Monument’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’

Awesome photographer Kim Baker pointed me to the Arsenal Memorial for this week’s Monumental column. It’s part of Congressional Cemetery over in Southeast, just south of RFK, and a really amazing place to go see. Congressional is the first national cemetery, established 200 years ago. Many former members of the House and Senate are buried there, alongside Washington’s elite, including the King of the March, John Philip Sousa.

June 17, 1864 was a hot day in Washington. In the arsenal at 4th Street, a staff of 100 people was busy assembling shells for use by the Union Army in the Civil War. What happened that morning is one of the original cases for good fireworks laws. A few pans of flare pellets set out in the sun to dry would spontaneously combust and throw sparks through the open window of the arsenal. What happened next is right out of a Michael Bay movie. More than 20 people died when the whole gunpowder store went up in a massive explosion. 18 were burned to death in the explosion and three more died in the ensuing panic.

The memorial was the result of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, who ordered that the department would bear all the costs of the funeral for those who died in the explosion and fire. The monument that stands there bears the name of the 21 who died, as well as a marble figurine of a woman with folded hands. It was the result of a citywide collection in the following year, which raised $3,000 to allow Lot Flannery to create the monument that stands at Congressional now.

Arlington, The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Finally, a Theme Song for Arlington

Remy.png

It’s about time that my town got its own damn theme song. I mean, we’re straight up ghetto here in Arlington. Finally, we got ourselves a songwriter who can tell the world how Arlington really is. Seriously nice job, Remy, I gotta say, best line ever?

So many places to choose
you’re gonna like to pick
I’m in Courthouse so much that
they call me Michael Vick

Click through for the awesome video shot on the mean streets of Arlington. It’s seriously the funniest shit I have seen in months.

Much love to FamousDC for pointing out this gem.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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GMU students and area natives drafted by MLB

Photo courtesy of
‘0610-3689’
courtesy of ‘jodycl’

Five George Mason University students, three of them local to the area, were picked in the MLB draft yesterday. Left Fielder Scott Krieger is from the Towson, MD area and was a 19th round pick. Jordan Flasher is a pitcher from the Manassas, VA area and was a 21st round pick. Justin Bour was picked in the 25th round and hails from Centreville, VA. Congratulations to them and to GMU, which has never had five players drafted in a single season before.

The Daily Feed, We Green DC
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Vote for the Greenest School

Photo courtesy of
‘Recycling Kid’

The Arlington Traditional School has been named one of 20 finalists in Walmart’s “Earth Day, Every Day School Challenge.” They’ve received a $500 gift card to continue their efforts and are now up for the grand prize. The school with the most votes wins $20,000 to further environmental projects.

To be fair, I’ve not read all the entries. But hey, these boys and girls are local. They recycle, they plant gardens, and best of all they’ve got a plan to reduce pollution in Lubber Run. Maybe they can take on the Alexandria waterfront next.

They have my vote!

Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The Features
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Go Daddy: Fathers’ Day Activity Round-Up

Photo courtesy of
‘Father and son’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’

I’m a lucky girl to have a Dad like mine. He’s generally hilarious, he is very easy to talk to, and likes to do fun things. Can a girl ask for anything more? And lucky for me, he’ll be in town on Father’s Day, this year! So I started researching all kinds of good things to do in the city with my Dad and figured I’d share, just in case you all were looking for fun things to do with your Dad for Father’s Day (or whenever he in town next).

We’ve got sporting events, places for the history buff, outdoor activities, manly museums and more. So in no particular order, here are some fun suggestions of things around DC to do with the man who loved you first.

Continue reading →

All Politics is Local, Downtown, Essential DC, The Daily Feed
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Is Adrian Fenty the Next Obama?

Photo courtesy of
‘well-dressed mayor’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

The Daily Beast seems to think that it’s possible.  In today’s “Big Fat Story,” Fenty was proffered amongst six rising, African-American political stars that the publication feels are following in the President’s foot steps.  The Daily Beast cites the Mayor’s landslide victory and his work with the DC school system as being Obama-like qualities. While there is little doubt that Adrian Fenty, or any politician, would love to see success like Obama’s, the real question is whether or not he has the character to move outside of DC city politics.  What are your thoughts?

The Daily Feed
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Jah Concert! In Farragut Square Park

 Sounds_Logo_CMYK

Hear those sweet sounds as you leave your mid-town work, lobbyists? Those are the Sounds in the Square, Farragut Square Park, to be exact, at Connecticut Avenue & K Street, NW. Thursday in June and July, the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District will present their concert series. Tonight’s jam is Jah Works, a (you guessed it) reggae band. Upcoming concerts include a salsa band and a Dave Matthews Cover Band. At the end of the music-times, there will also be prize giveaways. Reggae and free things? Oh, Golden Triangle, you know what I like…

The Features, Thrifty District
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Thrifty District: Getting An Oil Change

Photo courtesy of
‘T.J.’s’
courtesy of ‘lorigoldberg’

One of the many merits of DC is that public transportation is expansive enough and the city walkable enough that having a car is generally an unnecessary luxury. In fact, if you don’t have a car, you should be thanking your lucky stars for a number of reasons, most of which have to do with the District DMV and the exorbitant cost of getting your plates switched over. Another delightful task comes up every 3000 miles, and if you live on Capitol Hill, getting your oil changed may cause you to want to tear your hair out. You can save money by changing the oil of  the car yourself. There is a guide on GrandPrixTimes you can follow. They also have the latest Grand Prix news and other car maintenance tips for the average car owners. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed, The District
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Holocaust Museum shooting press conference imminent

Photo courtesy of Me
PostHunt09-47
courtesy of Me

There’s going to be a press conference about yesterday’s shooting any moment now. You can tune in to any local station or the major cable news networks to watch, though at the moment NBC4 is talking about the slain guard and CNN Is discussing hate crimes in general.

Update [11:15]: Clearly ‘imminent’ means different things to different people. NBC4 seems to have recognized this and cut away. CNN is keeping an image in the lower corner and says that Mayor Fenty will be opening the press conference.

Update [11:38]: We’re still waiting for the conference to start, which makes me wonder if the delay is because they’re waiting for something specific to happen before they begin. My bet is they’re working to officially charge alleged shooter Von Brunn and want to announce that they have done so.

Update [11:46]: The conference has begun.

Update [11:47]: Recap below the fold.

Continue reading →

Food and Drink, Fun & Games, The Daily Feed
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Tastes Like Chicken

Photo courtesy of
‘chicken2’
courtesy of ‘yodellingllama’

Two parts delicious, one part hilarious, and one part disturbing, the Delmarva Chicken Festival is coming to Queen Anne’s County, MD for the 60th year in a row. Highlights include a “trademark giant fry pan,” “chicken capers” (games for kids), and of course, lots of chicken cooked any way you like it. Unfortunately, the pageant (for the titles of Little Miss and Miss Poultry Princess, natch) is no longer, but they do promise some live entertainment– chicken circus, perhaps?

The festival is next weekend, June 19 and 20, at Queen Anne’s County 4-H Park near Centreville.

Alexandria, News, Talkin' Transit, The Daily Feed, WMATA
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Slow Downs on the Metro this Weekend

Photo courtesy of
‘Moving Red Line’
courtesy of ‘Amberture’

WMATA is warning customers to expect delays on the red and blue lines this weekend due to track maintenance.  Trains will be single tracking between between Van Ness-UDC and DuPont Circle stations, and between Van Dorn St and Braddock Rd stations. Delays on the red line will take place all weekend, while service on the blue line will return to normal during the evenings.

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Free Buffet + Wine at New Bistro Bistro B

Photo courtesy of
‘Baker on Broadway’
courtesy of ‘albany_tim’

Thrillist reports that new french eatery Bistro Bistro B is handing out a bunch of free food and booze tonight. To celebrate tonight’s grand opening, the restaurant is hosting a free buffet (with free wine) from 6 to 10 p.m.

Information about Bistro Bistro B is particularly hard to locate (even for those of us with press credentials) so if you go, please report back. Even my always-in-the-know foodie tweeple are generally mystified and without menus, so I’m all curious now. Fare is rumored to be very traditional french and under $20 a plate.

Bistro Bistro B is located at 1727 Connecticut Ave. in Dupont Circle.

The Daily Feed
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Mourner’s Kaddish for Officer Johns

Photo courtesy of
‘offering’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Friend-of-We-Love-DC Ketzirah Carly will be saying Kaddish for Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns, the security guard killed in yesterday’s shooting, in front of the Holocaust Museum tomorrow evening. You can learn more about it on her blog, and let her know if you’ll be joining her. Even if you’re not Jewish and don’t know the Kaddish, I’m sure you’ll be welcome.

The Daily Feed
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Riding for Charity? Don’t Forget to Stop.

Photo courtesy of
‘Hammertime!’
courtesy of ‘marciadc’

Oh Loudoun County. Generally, when you play host to a road race or other charity event that takes place on the public roads, you’ve got course officials that arrange for stop-sign waivers. Except this time, you just parked your deputies at intersections in Purcellville with their ticket books and held your own charity fundraiser at $91 a violation.

It sounds like the organizers may be also at fault for failing to engage with local and county police to avoid this kind of thing, though. Either way, sounds like a good way to just roll in some easy dough for the counties instead of actually making the ride safer.

Getaways, The Features
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Getaways: Nags Head, OBX

Nags Head Beach, OBX

My senior year of college, I read Herman Melville’s Moby Dick during spring break, which I spent quietly with my grandparents in Florida. This may have been a regrettable decision, because now the book and its contents are so knotted up with my experience sitting in the sand peering out onto the infinite sprawl of the ocean. Ishmael gets antsy and fed up with the people around him; he has to go to the sea. “With a philosophical flourish Cato throws himself upon his sword; I quietly take to the ship.” I didn’t take to the ship, but I did take to the shore — the Northern Beaches of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Standing in the surf with my back to the mainland, the wind whipping away any human sound, I was able to regain a small measure of the calm that city life whittles away. 

The Outer Banks seem to become the favorite place of basically everyone who visits there. The 200-mile long strip of islands cover about half of the North Carolina coastline, and can be easily reached from most of the mid-Atlantic by Interstates 64 and 95. The series of islands, from north to south, include Bodie, Roanoke, Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands. Bodie Island, the northern-most peninsula of the OBX reaches as far up as Virginia Beach and boasts several communities, among them Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head. If you’re going to the OBX, you’re most likely going to relax on or near the beach — something you can achieve in pretty much any community on the islands. For us, Nags Head was the place, just a couple miles down from the Kitty Hawk memorial to the Wright Brothers and their first flight. 
Continue reading →

News, The Daily Feed
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Real World DC is now Official

Photo courtesy of
‘Real World DC House’
courtesy of ‘squidpants’

MTV seems to be late to their own party. Today, after days of buzz about the Real World, and where its house would be, MTV has confirmed that Real World 2010 will be filmed in DC this summer. If you’re shocked, still, perhaps someone nearby will get you some smelling salts. MTV is promising “from sexy hook-ups to blood-boiling fights,” which has me looking for the nearest bucket to vomit in.

The Daily Feed
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Screen on the Green, It’s Back!

Photo courtesy of
‘DSC_1548.jpg’
courtesy of ‘Spodie Odie’

The Post is reporting that HBO, Comcast and the Trust for the National Mall will jointly foot the bill to bring Screen on the Green back to its many fans. HBO’s big wigs cited the outpouring of disappointed e-mails and letters from dedicated SOTG lovers as the reason for the change of heart. The first film will be “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” on June 20 and the series will run through August 10. Before each feature film, the Trust will screen a public service announcement about helping to restore the mall. “Screen on the Green offers us a terrific opportunity to reach tens of thousands of Washingtonians who care about the National Mall,” the Trust wrote in an e-mail to its supporters. Hope you haven’t retired that really weird, cultish, crazy awesome HBO dance yet.

Food and Drink, Fun & Games, Night Life, Penn Quarter, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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A Chef Spit-Roasted Garden Dinner

Photo courtesy of
‘Ladelling the pig’
courtesy of ‘jACK TWO’

Penn Quarter’s trendy happy hour spot Poste is introducing a new farm-to-table concept by chef Rob Weland. ‘Poste Roasts’, an affordable family table dining concept served out in the garden, features a spit-roasted locally-sourced animal (guest’s choice) on the garden’s new grill. Weland serves it with a complementary side that features ingredients from local farms and the restaurant’s organic garden.

The dinner, served for 6 to 12 people,  is available every night except Thursdays. The meal is eaten outdoors, at the chef’s table in the restaurant garden. Unlike other larger dinners like this in the area (Planet Wine or The Majestic) – Poste Roasts will only set you back $27 per person (excluding dessert and wine). If you’re up for it, you can spring for more specific pairings with VA wines for each roast as well.