Yearly Archives: 2010

The Daily Feed
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Giant getting in on the H1N1 shot trend

Photo courtesy of
‘soldiers’
courtesy of ‘featherbacon’

If you’ve somehow managed to miss all of the health service offerings but still want an H1N1 shot,well, you’re going to have the opportunity to get one along with your milk and eggs, presuming you shop at Giant. While they’ve started offering it at a few Giant pharmacy locations already, whether your particular Giant is going to have the $15 shot is apparently a secret.

Giant promises that they’ll continue to roll out to more locations in the weeks to come, but as of now offer no guidance as to which specific pharmacies have it already on their website. So either call ahead or wait till you’re going shopping anyway. Better yet, use the Google finder for your region which will also let you identify the local health departments who have it at no cost to you. Since the government – and thereby YOU – already paid for the full supply of shots why pay more on top of that to get it?

The Daily Feed
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Amtrak delays due to police activity on tracks

Photo courtesy of
‘DSC_0128b’
courtesy of ‘D©Bloom’

All trains out of Union Station are experiencing delays today due to the investigation of a 14 year old Maryland girl hit on the northbound tracks. The girl was struck while crossing tracks near Middle River Road and Old Orems Road. One set of northbound tracks has re-opened, but the other is still closed while the investigation is completed, which is causing delays for all trains in both directions.

Essential DC, History, Life in the Capital, News, The Daily Feed
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Happy 110th Birthday Eddye Williams!!!

Photo courtesy of
‘It’s Teddy’s birthday!’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

NBC 4 reports that Northeast’s Eddye Williams turned 110 yesterday and marked the event by celebrating with family, friends and D.C. councilman Harry Thomas Junior at her home.

Williams, the oldest known DC resident, enjoys writing poetry and banging on the tambourine. Happy Birthday Eddye and rock on!

News, The Daily Feed
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AG Nickles Wants Your Old Phone Card Balance

Photo courtesy of
‘Genevieve Clark (LOC)’
courtesy of ‘The Library of Congress’

Sunday night Reuters reported that DC is suing AT&T over phone card balances. In essence, for all of those pre-paid phone cards out there in the world, some of them have balances that are never spent. DC is using a piece of law called Escheat that dates back well into feudal England. The concept is easy: If there is property, it must be owned by someone. If you abandon property long enough, it devolves back to someone after a period of time, usually the state.

Thus, as with dormant or abandoned bank accounts, AG Nickles wants to see the same done with phone cards. In specific, he’d like any card abandoned by someone with a billing address in the District, for more than three years, to devolve back to the City, and inserted into the General Fund. Sounds shady, but it turns out to have a lengthy history in the law. Got any old phone cards? Might want to use them all the way up. Call your mom, she hasn’t heard from you in a while.

Featured Photo
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Featured Photo


‘1001a’
courtesy of ‘dr_kim_veis [”o ]’

I’m fascinated, endlessly so, by good portrait photography. It is but a moment in the life of a person — sometimes a stranger, others someone we know, but only through the spotlight. That moment is often telling. The individual’s character, their outlook on life, even their mood are forever immortalized in one sixtieth of a second. The portrait also reflects on the photographer, perhaps in a more subtle way. What does their use of color, light, and framing convey?

Dirk Mevis‘s portrait leapt out at me from the We <3 DC pool. His use of light to highlight not just his subject but also the tableau around her is subtle, yet eye popping. The subject is also intriguing: what’s she looking at? Is she worried? What is she waiting for? And what do those wilted flowers add to the picture? And the darkness?

A good portrait leaves the subject as much a mystery as before. Maybe even more so. This one is worth seeing large.

The Daily Feed
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Two Sports Tidbits To Close The Day

I am here to say, this is totally the best internet rap video since Remy told us about brown flip-flops. Meet The Caps Rap, above. (via DCist). ‘Guin Rabies does sound like a plausible option, but I’d rather not find out.

Also, Redskins fans, Shanahan came in on Redskins One today, and it’s expected that this is largely a formality. But, remember, Danny Snyder is involved, so it’s entirely possible he’ll throw a tantrum.

Update: You can watch his plane land on NBC 4 if you so desire.

News, The Daily Feed
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Arenas Says The Guns Were a Joke

Photo courtesy of
‘Well oiled civil rights.’
courtesy of ‘Kevitivity’

Gilbert Arenas released a statement this afternoon through his lawyer after meeting with the US Attorneys’ Office and MPD. Apparently Arenas moved the weapons as he was concerned about his children’s safety. Perhaps Mr. Arenas had not heard of gun safes before, which is entirely possible for someone trying badly to imitate Plaxico Burress.

While I’m pleased to hear the gun was not drawn in anger, that it was drawn at all suggests a lack of respect for the weapon, for his teammate, for the City of DC, and to the fans of the Wizards. While I would not like to see Mr. Arenas thrown into irons for this one, perhaps a little bit of extra community service and a hefty fine would be excellent reparations. Right after the Wizards terminate his contract.

The Daily Feed, We Green DC
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Arlington Resolves to Go Greener in 2010

Photo courtesy of
‘Rosslyn’
courtesy of ‘william couch’

While many folks were recovering on New Year’s Day, Arlington’s leaders were working to save the planet.

That day, right after being elected chairman of the Arlington County Board, Jay Fisette announced a task force to develop a Community Energy Plan that will set goals and find ways to reduce the county’s greenhouse gas emissions.

It will expand Fresh AIRE (Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emissions), which began efforts in 2007 to lower the county government’s greenhouse gas emissions. So far, the county’s investments in energy efficiency have paid a return on investment of about 20 percent per year in lower costs for government operations.

The task force will include residents, business leaders, property owners, energy and technology experts, schools, federal and state government officials, and regional authorities.

Food and Drink, The Features, We Love Drinks
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Where Is Your Favorite Beer?

Photo courtesy of
‘Down the Bar’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

I know a lot of people who angst about beer-lovin’ favorite Fat Tire, myself included. So when I went home over break, I was thrilled to find Fat Tire in all my favorite North Carolina bars. Which begged the question, if Fat Tire has bridged the Mississippi River and come East, why hasn’t it arrived in the DMV area yet?

So I set out to ask Greg Engert, beer God over at the Neighborhood Restaurant Group all about the process of acquiring certain beers. He’s worked with both Rustico and Churchkey to procure all kinds of crazy beers, including my favorite beer of all time, Chimay Red, and my runner-up favorite Raspberry Lambic.

Greg explained: “In order to get your favorite brand into DC/ VA, there are many hoops one has to jump through. First is actually establishing if the brewer of said beer has the production capacity to ship to a new territory. Presuming production is capable, a distributor in the area has to be procured. Once a distributor has agreed, then the beer will start shipping. With imports, the brewery needs to have ample product, and then both an importer and a separate distributor need to be established as well.”

Which makes perfect sense – your favorite beer from little town in Nebraska nowhere isn’t going to have any easy time distributing to all of the District. But that’s not the only hurdle. Continue reading →

News, The Daily Feed
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A Third Crasher

Photo courtesy of
‘Police Car near White House’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

The Washington Post has learned that there was a third party crasher at the State Dinner in November. The crasher, whose name has not been released, came in as part of the Indian Delegation, and it’s not clear what charges they are facing. They are, however, facing criminal charges and that’s why the privacy.

It would be a travesty if the Salahis went free and this was the dude that got arrested.

Life in the Capital, News, The Daily Feed
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Georgetown’s American Eagle Outfitters Shuts. Tweens Left with Plenty of Options

Photo courtesy of
‘urban adventurer’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Over the holidays, the Georgetown strip lost another retail shop with American Eagle Outfitters shuttering its flip flop, tank top, bikini laded aisles for good.  Luckily for those AE diehards, there are plenty of other substitutes to be found close by, like Vineyard Vines, Abercrombie & Fitch, Rugby, Tommy Hilfinger, Patagonia, etc…..

Like most commercial areas, Georgetown is an ever evolving strip with shops and restaurants opening and closing year round. Unfortunately, during this economic downturn, there have been more departures and less arrivals, and according to CarolJoynt.com there could be more casualties in the horizon.

The Daily Feed
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DCA Power Outage, Ground Stop in Effect

dca closed

Update 1:45pm: Fortunately that was a quickly resolved disruption. DCA is back open and is now green on the FAA map. This may create a residual backup though so check with airlines for flights in/out of DCA to see how delayed they are.

Update 1:17pm: According to WAMU and the FAA, all flights are stopped right now and TSA has halted security screenings.

DCA just can’t catch any breaks these days. Last week, the C terminal was slammed with a massive flood resulting from a water main break. Today there is apparently a power outage. According to the FAA, as well as passengers stuck around the country who can’t take off for DC, there is a ground stop in effect. The image above is a shot of the FAA site as of right now. It is unclear if this is killing all inbound and outbound flights or just some. If you have details, please add them in the comments. Needless to say, if you are flying in or out of DCA, expect delays right now. How long remains to be seen.

FAA details:
Due to EQUIPMENT / OUTAGE, there is a Traffic Management Program in effect for traffic arriving Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington, DC (DCA).

Sports Fix
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Sports Fix: Firearms Edition

Photo courtesy of
‘_MG_5524’
courtesy of ‘dbking’

Redskins
Record: 4-12
Last Two Weeks: 0-3
Place: Last in the NFC East

Well, this is one season no one will want to revisit anytime soon. This morning, Jim Zorn was fired (my only surprise was that he rode their plane home), after the Skins put up their worst record since they went 3-13 in the 1994 season. Zorn finishes his tenure with the Redskins at a tremendous 12 and 20 (.375), or, just where Steve Spurrier finished in 2003. He is the sixth coach of the Skins to be fired since Dan Snyder bought the team in 1999, none of whom have an over-.500 record.

There’s little to celebrate at the end of the season. Jason Campbell still isn’t the Quarterback-leader the Skins are hoping for. Chris Cooley is on the mend, this is true, and he’ll be a bright light for 2010/2011, but there’s a lot of rebuilding left t go.

But if the Skins were to do one thing this off-season to engender trust from their fans? Take Dan Snyder away from the reigns of the team. Entirely. Hire Shanahan and then take two years away from the team, Danny boy, and maybe then you’ll be alright.   Continue reading →

Dupont Circle, The Daily Feed
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Free Reusable Tote Bags for your Lunch

IMG_5330[1]
Courtesy of the Golden Triangle BID

On the first day back at work since the new DC bag law went into effect, the Golden Triangle BID doesn’t want you to be caught by surprise when you go out to grab something to eat.

The Golden Triangle BID’s staff and Ambassadors are handing out 1,000 free resusable tote bags this month – starting at 12:30 p.m. today – to help DC workers save money and to support the District’s initiative.

Where can you get your free bag?

  • Dupont Circle south Metro entrance area
  • 19th Street between L and M Streets
  • Farragut West Metro entrance
Night Life, Special Events, The Daily Feed
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New Year’s Eve at the National Building Museum Receives Major Complaints on GOG

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘erin m’

Update: See below for apology letter. Did they pass the blame?

We love New Years in DC, but what happened here?? 85 “Reader Reviews” (and counting) of the New Years Eve Party at the National Building Museum hosted by the guys behind Gin & Tonic and Late Night Shots gave the party one and a half stars out of four.

At the forefront, this sounds like what you would typically expect at a huge NYE party: long lines, trouble getting drinks, and unreasonably high ticket prices. While some of the complaints about the party not living up to its expectations obviously led to some angry partygoers, some of the comments are pretty serious, including significant damage being done to the National Building Museum.

A lot of people are really, really unhappy with what they got for their money. So somewhere, there was definitely a mismatch of expectations and reality.

To quote one reviewer who pretty much sums up the other commenters:  Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Recycle Your Tree


Dead tree on pavement by mrlerone

Now that the holidays are behind us, there is only one more tradition to take care of: the Annual Holiday Tree Sidewalk Toss.  That’s right, it’s time to take down that fire hazard of a tree and pitch it out onto the sidewalk or preferably, into a nearby tree box.  According to the Department of Public Works, DC residents “are encouraged to place holiday trees and other greenery in curbside tree boxes—without ornaments or tinsel—no earlier than Friday, January 1, and no later than Sunday, January 10″.  The trees are then (allegedly) chipped and combined with leaves that were collected last fall to create compost that is available to residents for free later in the year.

So give some glee, recycle your tree!

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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DC Foodie Happy Hour Turns BYOC (Bring Your Own Casserole)

Blogger Potluck

Now, here’s a potluck you might not want to miss. Hosted by DC’s most food friendly bloggers at a U & 14th street condo, this potluck promises “dips, nibbles, sandwiches, desserts and teatime tidbits,” but really, it’s what you make of it.

I’ll be there Wednesday sporting some mini ham and cheese stuffed brioches – inspired by the highly addictive bacon or breakfast brioche found at Buzz Bakery in Alexandria. What are you bringing? RSVP to attend here.

Special thanks to Union Row and co-hosts Gradually Greener, ModernDomestic, The Arugula Files, Capital Spice, Capital Cooking, DininginDC, WeLoveDC, Beerspotter.

Mark you calendar, and let your dish/bottle forge out a name for yourself in the DC foodie scene.

Essential DC, Fun & Games, People, The Daily Feed
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Zorn Gets the Axe

Photo courtesy of
‘_MG_0229’
courtesy of ‘dbking’

The inevitable has finally happened and the Zorn era is no more. After a 4-12 season and an overall 12-20 record, the Redskins leadership decided that it was time to fire head coach Jim Zorn.  This move, of course, has been speculated for months, particularly after Redskin owner Dan Snyder stripped Zorn of his play calling responsibilities earlier in the season. It really comes as no surprise to most football fans.  Still, I ask myself: was the Redskins abysmal 2009 performance a symptom of bad coaching, or of something deeper?  Many Washingtonians feel that Dan Snyder’s meddling in the day to day affairs of his team is far more to blame than Jim Zorn’s apparent lack of ability.  So, Skins fans, what’s your analysis?  Was this a good move, bad move, or will it even matter?  Supposedly Snyder is courting Mike Shanahan as Zorn’s replacement.  Any thoughts on that?

The Daily Feed, The District
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Updated: Wind Advisory Issued Until Sunday 6pm

Photo courtesy of
’09 Kite Festival – Free as the Wind – 3-28-09′
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory for the Baltimore/Washington, DC area that will remain in effect until 3am Sunday morning. Repeated surges of arctic air could produce wind gusts of 45-50 mph and can make driving extremely difficult for ” high profile” (aka tall) vehicles. So if you plan on being out on the roads be careful.

Update @ 01/03 , 10:10am: The NWS has extended their area weather advisory until 6pm Sunday night. Winds of up to 30 mph can be expected with gusts up to 50 mph.  The wind will lower outdoor temperatures to the single digits and teens.  If you’re heading outside bundle up big time!