Yearly Archives: 2010

Entertainment, Music, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Jonas Brothers (Pop)Rock The Warner Theatre at 7 This Morning

JoBrosLiveDC Photo By Ashley Danchuck
Photo By Ashley Danchuk

Early yesterday afternoon hordes of teenage girls and entry level ladies lined-up outside Warner Theatre, according to the Washington Post, to receive free wristbands to a randomly announced Jonas Brothers show that took place this morning.

Getting into the show was an easy feat if you got in line early enough. Just stand outside the theater and wait for a wristband when the theater box office opened at 2 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. Sounds simple for the kiddies who are off of school, but what about those 20-somethings who have no shame in loving the adorable (yeah I went there, feel free to mock me, I can take it) pop trio?

24-year-old Ashley Danchuk, a self-proclaimed Jonas die-hard (she has a tattoo to prove it) and member of Team Jonas (The official Jonas Brothers Fan Club, who received word of the show on Monday night via e-mail), couldn’t skip out on her 9 to 5 to get the wristbands for the show so she had a friend go for her. It resulted in great success. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed, WTF?!
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Texting Bus Driver Files Grievance

Photo courtesy of
‘what else is new?’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Oh this one has me a little bit rage-y, so you’ll forgive me if I’m a little intemperate with my words, and a bit profane. How the hell do you think that when caught texting while driving a metrobus, even after the “no tolerance” policy has gone into effect, that you could possibly try to get your job back? The driver has filed a grievance with his union and Metro and is insinuating that he should not have been fired for breaking DC law.

I mean, I know that unions exist to protect workers from dangerous working conditions, but in this particular case, they seem to be here to protect the incompetent and the criminally stupid. Ah, the ATU 689, standing up for asshats that text while driving a bus full of people up the busy streets of the city.

Gotta love it.

Adventures, Business and Money, Entertainment, Essential DC, Fun & Games, History, Life in the Capital, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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Lax Bros/Gurls Are Taking Over

Photo courtesy of
‘Lax.com’
courtesy of ‘teamstickergiant’

This past weekend Maryland hosted both the Men’s and Women’s NCAA lacrosse semifinals and championships. The women’s Division I championship game at Towson University, saw Maryland take home the national title against Northwestern and, according to the Baltimore Sun, the match drew 9,782 people — the most ever to see a women’s lacrosse game in the US.

The mens’ games started on Saturday at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium, continued through Sunday and culminated with the DI Championship game between Notre Dame and Duke on a scorching Memorial Day. Although attendance for the final game was low, a mere 37,126, the entire weekend’s turnout was 116,289, up from last year’s 102,601 turnout at Foxborough, MA. The games stay in Baltimore for 2011, go to Foxborough for 2012, and 2013 and 2014 are up for grabs.

While the increases in attendance are good reasons to keep both championships in the MD area, in recent years lacrosse has begun to grow beyond its traditional East Coast/Prep School roots. The game’s popularity on the West Coast, Colorado and the South has  been growing like gangbusters, with many footballers taking up sport in the off-season for fitness maintenance. The same is true for female athletes who need to stay in shape for fall season sports like soccer and field hockey.

The sport is also seeing a growth in popularity among the non-prep schoolers, as demonstrated in “City Lax” playing Thursday at Silver Spring’s AFI Silver. This documentary follows a sixth grade, inner-city Colorado lax team as they learn how to play the Native American team sport and take on the prep school crowd.

The Daily Feed
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E-Street Expressway Inaccessible

Photo courtesy of
‘E Street Expressway’
courtesy of ‘Daquella manera’

Due to the new reconstruction project between the Lincoln Memorial and the Kennedy Center, there is no longer driver access to the E-Street Expressway. All westbound traffic on Independence Ave must now go north at either 15th or 17th Streets. The U.S. Park Service says the work is part of a larger project that includes the reconstruction of Ohio Drive and the storm drain system. Some night closures are also expected.

With tourists flooding town and flocking to that end of the Mall, expect traffic patterns to change between rush and non-rush hours – or find a different route for the time being. The project is expected to wrap up in October.

The Daily Feed
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DC Public Libraries Reduce Staff, Programs

Photo courtesy of
‘Wiped-out video shelves at @ArlingtonVALib.’
courtesy of ‘brownpau’

Due to the tightening of its budget, the DC Public Library begins staff reductions today. Most of the current job vacancies will not be filled and an additional 23.5 full time positions are being eliminated, which equates to roughly 40 people. Several programs, including the Youth Outreach Program, have been eliminated and their staff realigned in order to keep as many libraries open as possible. Library hours, however, will not be further reduced.

“The DC Public Library, along with libraries across the country, is facing very difficult economic times,” said Chief Librarian Ginnie Cooper. “We realize that the Mayor and the City Council had tough choices to make with next year’s budget. Even with these reductions, we remain committed to continuing to provide District residents with the service they need and expect.”

The library buildings currently under construction (Deanwood, Watha T. Daniel/Shaw, Georgetown, Tenley, Petworth, Mt. Pleasant, Washington Highlands, and Francis Gregory) will still be completed and opened but the new FY2011 budget doesn’t include any funds to design and build any additional buildings.

capitals hockey, The Daily Feed
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Weber Receives Hall of Fame Honor

Photo courtesy of
‘Newseum WTOP Microphone’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Yesterday the Hockey Hall of Fame announced that Ron Weber, the original play-by-play voice of the Washington Capitals, will receive the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for his outstanding contributions as a hockey broadcaster.

Hired in 1974 when the Caps joined the NHL as an expansion team, Ron Weber had the dubious honor of calling all of the record-breaking 67 losses by the franchise in their first year on WTOP. Nonplussed, Ron stuck with the team for the next 23 years, never missing a regular season or playoff broadcast – a total of 1,936 consecutive games. Chuck Kaiton, President of the NHL Broadcasters’ Association, said in a Caps press release that “Ron has been a key contributor to the growth of NHL hockey interest in the DC area over his two-plus decades as the original voice of the Capitals. He’s very worthy of this honor.”

The Foster Hewitt Memorial Award is named for the late “Voice of Hockey” in Canada and was first presented in 1984 by the NHL Broadcasters’ Association in recognition of members of radio and television who’ve made lasting contributions to both broadcasting and hockey. Ron will receive the award on November 8, 2010 in Toronto.

The District, The Features, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: Yves Klein – With The Void, Full Powers

Yves Klein during the filming of “”The Heartbeat of France” at Charles Wilp’s Studio, Dusseldorf, February 20, 1961. Copyright 2010 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris.  Image courtesy Yves Klein Archives.  Photo by and copyright Charles Wilp.

“I am the painter of space. I am not an abstract painter but, on the contrary, a figurative artist, and a realist. Let us be honest, to paint space, I must be in position. I must be in space.” – Yves Klein

Yves Klein (French, b. Nice, 1928 – 1962) was much more than just an artist, he was an innovator, a visionary, and most importantly in my opinion, a dreamer. Although Klein’s notorious career only lasted a total of 8 years [he suffered a heart attack at age 34], that was all the time it would take for him to turn the art world upside down. As one of the 20th century’s most influential artists, Klein reintroduced what art and nature could be, pushing creativity beyond the traditional notions of what was accepted.

Yves Klein: With the Void, Full Powers is the first major retrospective of the artist’s work in the US in nearly thirty years. Presenting approximately 200 pieces, the Hirshhorn Museum explores a full range of Klein’s work, examining a career that radically altered the world of art.

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Baseball’s Next Superstars: Bryce Harper & Stephen Strasburg

Photo courtesy of
‘$5 Nats Ticket’
courtesy of ‘MudflapDC’

Sports Illustrated posted the cover of their June issue on Facebook today. Thanks to Federal Baseball for pointing this out, but on the top right-hand corner of this issue (hitting stands tomorrow) the headline reads as it does in this post.

(Click here to see the SI cover.)

While we’re still a ways away from seeing Bryce Harper at Nationals Park, young Strasburg will be making his Major League debut (pending weather/extenuating circumstances) on June 8.

Nice to see DC getting some MLB street cred in the sports community.

I mean heck, the Nationals were number one on StubHub thanks to the big June 8 announcement!

Way to start looking like a real baseball town, DC. You’re getting really into this. I like the enthusiasm. Keep it up.

News, The Daily Feed
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Medical Marijuana: $350/oz Plus Tax

Photo courtesy of


‘Oaksterdam’
courtesy of ‘spotreporting’

MSNBC is running a story this afternoon citing numbers from the CFO’s office that DC could stand to make $400,000 in taxation revenue from medical marijuana. So little, I wondered what are the Pros And Cons Of Getting A Medical Marijuana Card? They provide some justification, including the number that blew my mind just a little bit: they’re saying that medicmainal weed will run $350/oz for those eligible to purchase it, and it will be subject to 6% sales tax. You can check out this site for the best scales for weed. According to VapeActive vaping is perhaps the fastest and easiest way to feel the potential benefits of CBD when experiencing chronic anxiety attacks, if you are asking which wax pen to buy then vapeactive.com will give you the answer.

CBD oil is a natural way to reduce the daily stress that is keeping you from living your best life. But don’t take our word for it, check out these studies performed over the last few years. According to Freshbros, a study performed in 2010 showed that CBD helps to reduce anxiety in people with social anxiety disorder, or SAD. To get medicated, file for a prescription and visit the next link to buy smoking accessories.

So let’s see:

Tax on Cigarettes, $2/pack.

Tax on Liquor/Beer/Wine, 12%.

Tax on other tobacco products except cigarettes and cigars: 12%.

Tax on Weed: 6%.

Waaaaait a second…I guess it’s just subject to the same tax as other medications, but c’mon now. If you’re trying to grow marijuana legally in your own home, you can read here to know what legal steps to take.

I honestly just prefer to get the products online, if you didn’t know about this, you can get details at i49.net/how-much-marijuana-can-i-yield-per-plant. Buying quality medical marijuana and CBD products like cbd oil for anxiety is beneficial to those suffering from stress and certain kinds of diseases. You need to know that what you’re taking is safe and regulated. When it comes to buying CBD products online, we highly recommend  that you check out https://synchronicityhempoil.com/.

The Daily Feed
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Driving Like an Idiot to Cost More

Photo courtesy of
‘Woodley Park – Watching Traffic – 12-15-08’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

Mayor Fenty this morning announced the wholesale increase in traffic violation fines, including some that have double, tripled, or in one case, dectupled. The move will generate approximately $7M in additional revenue for the cash-strapped city government before the end of the fiscal year in October. The Examiner has a handy list of the new fines, but the ones that went up the most are:

Passing a Schoolbus with its red blinkers on: Now $500 (from $50)

Failing to secure loads: Now $250 (from $50)

“Coasting”: Now $75 (from $15)

Failure to Yield: Now $100 (from $25)

Speeding (11-15mph): Now $125 (from $50)

Things like good quality driving lessons are crucial, at Ignition we provide good quality, great value driving lessons, that won´t stretch your budget. Unlike some driving schools we won’t entice you with gimmicks and heavy discounts only to increase the price of your driving tuition further down the line. Instead, we believe in a fair pricing system throughout your learning to drive experience, meaning you won´t be learning to drive for longer than necessary. Our introductory offers are a great way to, not only meet your driving instructor and complete your driving lessons, but also familiarise yourself with the controls of the car and to get started, and our block booking discounts will ensure you get good value driving tuition.

The fix for most of us is easy: Don’t Drive Like an Idiot, Don’t Get Fined. This is not rocket surgery.

The Daily Feed
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I Love a Parade


the art parade by kenyee

Have you ever been to an art parade?  I haven’t either, but if I ask you again on Sunday your answer had better be, “Hell yes I’ve been to an art parade! I went to one yesterday, the WPArade!”  Sure we’ve all seen the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, a small town main street parade, and possibly even a gay pride parade, but art parades are a little harder to come by nowadays.  However this Saturday June 5th at noon, the Washington Project for the Arts will be putting on “an extravaganza of artists connecting with community to create a moving visual spectacle of art and culture”.

The parade route starts near Nationals Park at M Street SE and ends at The Bullpen, stopping midway for performances.  The current list of participating artists include Floating Lab Collective, Glade Dance Collective, Irvine Contemporary Art, and many more.  It’s not to late to participate yourself though!  Contact Kristina using the contact info at the bottom of this link.

And on that note I leave you with a performance of “I Love a Parade” on the Judy Garland Show, circa 1963.  They just don’t make TV like this anymore, probably for good reason.

YouTube Preview Image

The Daily Feed
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Crash snarls K Street traffic

Photo courtesy Chris Cooks

The 1300 block of K Street NW is closed due to a multi-vehicle crash. According to D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services the crash involves two cabs, three cars, and a DC Circulator bus. Five patients have been evaluated, one in critical condition with CPR being administered.

According to witness accounts, and DC Fire and EMS, a cab driver may have suffered a medical problem while driving.

If you’re planning on traveling downtown via car or bus, expect delays and avoid K Street.

The Daily Feed
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Dupont-Kalorama Museum Walk

Photo courtesy of
‘Walk More’
courtesy of ‘spiggycat’

Free, free, free – music to my ears!  This Saturday and Sunday, during the 27th annual Dupont-Kalorama Museum Walk, the Textile Museum (check out Art by the Yard:  Women Design Mid-century Britain), the Anderson House, and the Phillips Collection will all be offering free admission.

The Dupont-Kalorama Museum Walk is on Saturday, June 5th from 10 AM – 4 PM and on Sunday, June 6th from 1-5 PM. 

For more information call 202-387-4062.

Entertainment, Essential DC, Fun & Games, Life in the Capital, Music, Night Life, People, The Features, We Love Music
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We Love Music: June Music Preview

Photo courtesy of
‘Earth Day Concert Dancers’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Memorial Day is over, we’re on to June, and that means outdoor concerts and music festivals galore! The District’s got them all this month: Jazz, Folk, Blues, Rock, Pop, Acoustic — even crafts, dance, and all the culture you can stomach in one day (or over the course of many).

Here’s a look at June’s top “tickets” to get your butt outside and reap the benefits of living in a city where the world’s cultures collide with a wide-variety of  well-established American traditions. Continue reading →

Essential DC, The Daily Feed, The Mall
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Washington Monument Extends Summer Hours

Photo courtesy of
‘Standing Tall – Washington Monument’
courtesy of ‘dc-hulls’

We all know and realize that with Memorial Day behind us, the inevitable is obvious. It’s summertime. That also means it’s tourist season yet again. Which, in this case, is a good thing.

Having tourists in town can make for some decent changes, one of which I happen to be a huge fan of — the National Park Service extending the Washington Monument’s hours of operation.

District visitors and residents can now take the 500-foot-level trip to the monument’s observation area open at 9 a.m. and don’t close until 10 p.m. That’s five extra hours of time to gallivant around on of Washington’s most beloved icons.

Tickets are free and available either online or by calling (877) 444-6777. The National Park Service as advised individuals to allow at least two weeks before your tickets will be mailed to your home.

Free same-day tickets are also available beginning at 8:30 a.m. daily on a first come, first serve basis at the National Park Service’s Monument Lodge, located on the 15th Street side of the Washington Monument grounds.

The Daily Feed
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Jim Graham aims to extend bar hours for World Cup

Photo courtesy of
‘celebration’
courtesy of ‘Joe in DC’

Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) plans to submit legislation today that would allow bars to open as early as 7 a.m. during the World Cup. Michael Neibauer at WBJ has the details. The bill, which could be voted on today, would allow bars to obtain an extension that would be valid only from June 11 through July 11. Since the World Cup’s venue is South Africa, many games will start was early as 7:30 a.m. Eastern time. Those establishments looking to extend their hours would need to pay a fee to the District’s Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration and could lose their waiver if the Police Chief feels there is a danger to public health or welfare.

This move would not be unprecedented; a four-day extension was granted for the inauguration of President Obama back in 2009.

You’ve been warned, D.C. With the ever-growing influx of interns, and now the possibility of bars being open nearly round-the-clock, it’s going to be a long summer. D.C. is home to many people with international roots and varied sporting allegiances, so this could get interesting. At this point it’s hard to say how many bars would take advantage of this possibility, though the WBJ piece does mention one–Lucky Bar in Dupont.

The Daily Feed
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Overhead Wires Coming to H Street?

Photo courtesy of
‘Streetcar/trolleybus overhead crossing’
courtesy of ‘Oran Viriyincy’

Over the weekend, Greater Greater Washington had the news that Councilman Tommy Wells is introducing council legislation to provide for overhead wiring to the H Street/Benning Road Streetcar line in order to power the unit. The move would modify the existing 19th century legislation that overhead wires were prohibited in the L’Enfant portion of the city. This would be one step further to getting the streetcars flowing along the H Street corridor, as power has long been an issue in that fight. We’ll be watching this one closely. Judging by our tweets last week, streetcars are a project that has a serious following here, and obstacles to its successful launch will be met with…determination.

Weekend Flashback
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Weekend Flashback: 5/28 – 5/31/10

Photo courtesy of
‘Rolling Thunder Salute, Memorial Day 2010 Washington DC’
courtesy of ‘Photos by Chip Py’

Soldier, rest! Thy warfare o’er,
Sleep the sleep that knows not breaking,
Dream of battled fields no more.
Days of danger, nights of waking.

-Sir Walter Scott

Many thanks to all of our active servicemen and women, reservists, and veterans who put their lives on the line for this country every day. While we enjoy the Memorial Day holiday (which around here is the official start to “tourist season”), we do so in the knowledge that we live in a free country protected by those who volunteer their lives to pay that price. So with a heartfelt thanks, we salute you for your dedication and service.

Linger just a while longer before heading into the shortened work day with some great photographic captures from the weekend. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Phillips After Five

Photo courtesy of
‘Spiral’
courtesy of ‘Karon’

It is going to be a HOT week, so why not stay cool with a bit of Jazz and Art?  At Philips After Five on Thursday, June 3rd you can either enjoy music from Pianist Janelle Gill, Flautist Jamal Brown, and Bassist Zack Pride – or – listen to a Gallery Talk, exploring Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s masterpiece Luncheon of the Boating Party.  I have no idea how one could choose, so, I guess you may just have to check out both!

Phillips After Five occurs on the first Thursday of the month, 5-8:30 PM.  Cash Bar.

The Daily Feed
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Strasburg Scheduled to Make Major League Debut on June 8

Photo courtesy of
‘4TH’
courtesy of ‘MissChatter’

The wait is over. It appears that June 8 is the new June 4.

The Nationals issued an announcement stating that their 21-year-old first round pick in 2009 is making his Major League Debut with the Washington Nationals Tuesday June 8 against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Nationals Park.

Strasburg has dominated in minor league play going a combined 6-2 with a 1.43 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings for Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse.

Welcome to the big leagues, kid.