Yearly Archives: 2010

All Politics is Local, Entertainment, The Daily Feed
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The Joke Is On Congress As Stephen Colbert Testifies In Congress


courtesy of CSPAN

Like many DCers, I’ve watched a Congressional hearing or two either for work or… well, for work. I mean, who watches hearings for fun? When I heard that Stephen Colbert would be coming to Washington (ahead of his March to Keep Fear Alive) to testify in character before the Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security; I knew that it would be a hearing many would be tuning in for. He was called upon to talk about the issue of illegal migrant farm workers in the US after hosting several interviews and segments on the issue on his show, The Colbert Report.

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Downtown, Fun & Games, Special Events, The Features
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Geckos: The New Cuteness?

Photo courtesy of
‘DSC_0015’
courtesy of ‘RomeTheWorld’

Opening today and running through the first week of January is a new exhibit at National Geographic. “Geckos: Tails to Toepads” features just over 15 species of live geckos of different colors, stripes, shapes, and sizes. While there are also interactive displays and a kids-oriented area, the main attraction are the self-contained terrarium-style displays with all sorts of geckos.

Some of them are pretty tough to spot, like the Satanic Leaf-tail Gecko. (There are four in the enclosure, of which I found only two.) Some are pretty “obvious” geckos, similar in appearance to the animated one on television shilling insurance. And some are just downright ugly. But all in all, they are fascinating to watch and most (if not all) are pretty darn cute – for a reptile.

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The Daily Feed
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Party Like It’s 1989

Photo courtesy of
‘Fluorescent leg warmers’
courtesy of ‘David Jones’

There are so many reasons why Saturday’s Cause for a Dance Party sounds like the weekend’s best bet. Reason one: an exclusive playlist of 80’s and 90’s music. Reason two: permission to wear leg warmers and other era-inspired garb. Reasons three through infinity: A lesson from dance instructor John Chu, who will be teaching the choreography from Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” video. Does that not sound like the most epic evening ever?

Saturday’s event will benefit The Reading Connection, which promotes literacy among at-risk children and their families. Doors open at 8 p.m., but don’t be too fashionably late – the dance lesson starts at 9 p.m.  The party will be held at the Darlington House and a $5 minimum donation is required.

Food and Drink
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Gluten-Free in D.C.

Photo courtesy of
‘Gluten Free Bread’
courtesy of ‘@joefoodie’

There are a slew of dietary restrictions out there I would be pretty upset to have to deal with. Diabetic? Give me my chocolate. Lactose intolerant? I’ll die before I give up cheese. But having to turn gluten-free might be my version of a slow, painful death. No pasta? No bread? No beer? What am I supposed to eat? Lettuce and ice cubes? Well, that’s what I thought before I delved in to the seedy underbelly of the D.C. gluten-free world and found that, well, it might not be as bad as I thought.

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All Politics is Local, The Daily Feed, The Hill, WTF?!
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Fictional character Colbert testifies before Congress DC isn’t represented in

Photo courtesy of
‘Stephen’
courtesy of ‘BrianMKA’

Dear Congress:

You’ll let a comedian come in and testify as a fictional character, but we’re still waiting for voting representation? Thanks for nothing.

Love,
DC, you know, your neighbors

PS: Colbert’s testimony was actually pretty pointed and is worth a watch, which you can do after the jump. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Football and Food, America’s Favorite Combo

Photo courtesy of
‘CIMG0229’
courtesy of ‘Ullisan’
As someone who isn’t the biggest fan of football (sorry Dad) but has a lot of football-lovin’ friends, I try and focus on the football food. If I’m going to a friend’s house to watch, I always bring dip, and if we’re going to a bar or restaurant, I always peruse the menu beforehand. If you’re like me, here are some top food and football choices for this weekend:

  • ChurchKey– Try the Sunday Tailgate Menu, which features brisket chili, half smokes with house-made soft pretzels, and a awesome/disgusting sounding sandwich, “The Luther” made with fried chicken and applewood bacon served between a maple chicken jus glazed donut. Yum/ew. The menu will be available every Sunday game day from 12pm to 8pm.
  • Evening Star Cafe – At the bar, you can try their special game day menu with items such as “Cornbrats” (corn dogs stuffed with brats), meatball grinders, and fried mac and cheese. They will also be tapping a new cask ale every Sunday at 1pm. Coming up, they will be tapping Green Flash Imperial IPA, Stone Arrogant Bastard and NorCal California-Style Bitter. The menu is available at the bar every Sunday during football games from 3:30pm until close. Continue reading →
The Features
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The Rundown: October Edition

Photo courtesy of
‘Marine Corps Marathon madness’
courtesy of ‘BrianMKA’

October is the month for running in the DC area– you can’t beat the weather, and since it is near the end of the running season most runners are already in shape for races.  There are all sorts of fantastic races scheduled in October– everything from 2-mile walks to a full marathon.  Here are just a few highlights in the running world:

October 2-3

Saturday, October 2 is the 24th Annual AIDS Walk downtown at Freedom Plaza.  This 5K features both a fundraising walk and a timed run, and proceeds go to benefit HIV/AIDS programs at the Whitman-Walker Clinic.  If you can’t be there to run or walk, you can even be a ‘sleep walker’ and you don’t even need to show up on race day.  Registration is $35 for the timed run and $25 for the walk.

The Capital Area Gulf Coast Relief Run, a 5K run/walk in Potomac, MD, will be held on Sunday, October 3.  This event will start at Winston Churchill High School, and is sponsored by the school’s Key Club to raise money for communities devastated by the oil spill in the Gulf region earlier this year.  Registration is $30 for the 5K and $15 for a Kids Fun Run.

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The Daily Feed
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Wizards to Rock the Red, White and Blue Starting in 2011

Photo courtesy of
‘It’s been awhile’
courtesy of ‘afagen’

Channel your inner Wes Unseld, folks, because the Wizards are getting closer to the roots.

Earlier this week, teams from around the NBA announced a few design changes to the standard uniforms. Of course, whenever it comes to new colors around the league, local fans are very quick to clamor that the Wizards should switch back to the colors they abandoned when they changed names from the Bullets in 1997. Of course, when Caps owner Ted Leonsis, whose red-clad Capitals’ stock has risen both in league standings and local favor under his tenure, took control of the Wizards earlier this year, it was assumed that the Wiz would join the other squad in Rocking the Red.

It looks like it just may happen. While no official word has come down from Leonsis, Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld dropped a small nugget at the end of Thursday’s press conference:

When asked if the team had changed the colors from the current slate blue, black, gold and white, Grunfeld said, “No. The colors are the same, but as you know, [new owner Ted Leonsis] plans on changing the colors to red, white and blue the next season.”

John Wall red jersey anyone? Anyone?

News, The Daily Feed
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WMATA Call Center flooded

Photo courtesy of
‘mustachioed stick figure’
courtesy of ‘nevermindtheend’

Metro will be operating without their customer service call center due to a flood.  That means all of their customer service lines are down, MetroAccess reservations have switched to online only, and there are a few emergency lines available for reservation checks.  More details as they’re available, but for now, plan on using WMATA.com for anything Metro-related.

The Daily Feed
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More Neighborhood Festivals This Weekend

Photo courtesy of
‘H Street Festival’
courtesy of ‘Edward Hoover’

Two weekends ago we celebrated in Adams Morgan, last weekend it was H Street, and this Saturday we’ve got three more great street festivals: Barracks Row, 17th Street in Dupont, and Clarendon.

Head down to Capitol Hill on Saturday from 11 AM to 5 PM for the Barracks Row Fall Festival.  There will be lots to enjoy here: classic cars, a military chef cooking competition, tours of the barracks, a performance by the Trapeze School of New York, and lots of good food and music.  They still need volunteers too, so sign up if you’re so inclined.

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The Daily Feed
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Free Museums on Saturday!

Photo courtesy of
‘The Museum Of Natural History’
courtesy of ‘Asa Reed Photography’

We’re pretty spoiled with the free Smithsonian museums here in DC, but people outside of DC have to actually (gasp!) pay for museum admission. Lucky for them, tomorrow is Smithsonian Museum Day, which grants free admission to museums across the country. Here in DC, several museums are participating in the promotion, such as The National Museum of Crime and Punishment (tickets are typically $20), the Kreeger Museum (typically $10), the Woodrow Wilson House (typically $7.50), and the Marian Koshland Science Museum (typically $5), just to name a few.

To take advantage of these free tickets, sign up here.  Choose which museum you’ll be visiting, and your ticket (to admit two people) will be e-mailed to you.  It’s as simple as that!

The Features, Where We Live
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Where We Live: Takoma

Photo courtesy of
‘Takoma DC Public Library’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

I went into this week’s Where We Live with limited knowledge about Takoma– I’ve visited a few times, swam at the pool, walked through the pretty tree-lined streets. I knew that Takoma was a beautiful neighborhood, filled with residents who really love living there.  But the Takoma I discovered while writing this feature was just flat-out awesome: it’s a neighborhood  that feels like a small town within a big city, with community events all the time, and even a neighborhood rooster.  Seriously.

History: Takoma got its start back in 1883 as a commuter rail suburb of Washington, offering clean water, fresh air, and a semi-rural lifestyle with access to the city.  Back then the community, which straddled the DC/MD line, was known as Takoma Park.  The area attracted a good deal of residential growth with some smaller commercial areas.  The area eventually took on two names– Takoma (a neighborhood in Washington DC) and Takoma Park (a city in Maryland).  There’s a shared identity between these two parts, and the area has come to be known for its active residents.  Residents successfully joined together to oppose the North Central Freeway Project in 1964, and they had a significant impact on the Takoma Metro station (which sits on the Washington DC side, thus the name) back in the 1970s.  Initial plans called for high-density commercial and residential development around the station and a 500-space commuter parking lot, but residents organized a group called Plan Takoma that developed the alternative of what you see today: a public park, a 100-space parking lot, and the retention of medium-density houses and shops.

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The Daily Feed
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Fiona Tan Exhibit Opens

Photo courtesy of
‘Sackler Gallery’
courtesy of ‘clio1789’

Seeing any exhibit at the Sackler Gallery is an inspiring experience, but seeing Fiona Tan’s first major U.S. exhibition at the Sackler Gallery is just phenomenal. The renowned contemporary artist will be on view at the Sackler Gallery September 25 through January 16, 2011 with Fiona Tan: Rise and Fall.  The artist will be showing a collection of video and photography, “exploring the individual’s place in a world increasingly shaped by global culture”.

The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery is located at 1050 Independence Ave, SW.  For more information contact 202-633-1000.  Admission is free.

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Nationals win third straight, beat Astros 7-2

Photo courtesy of
‘Friday Night Fireworks’
courtesy of ‘alykat’

If you’d told me the Nats would, without Ryan Zimmerman or Adam Dunn in the lineup, score seven runs, I’d have asked you if you meant in a single game, or over a whole week.  The Nats got a boost from unexpected sources this afternoon, grabbing home runs from Roger Bernadina and Danny Espinosa as well as Michael Morse in their 7-2 victory.  The win was their third straight, and they’ve got some momentum together as the Braves and Phillies come to DC for a pair of series that will end their home season.

The businessman’s special today meant a very light turnout at Nats Park, officially 14,633 but in reality more like 5,000, but those who came out saw the Nationals’ infield of Gonzalez, Desmond, Espinosa and Kennedy put on a defensive workshop.  Each of the infielders today had a play that should be on tonight’s SportsCenter.  In the 7th, Gonzalez speared a ball to his right, came up and rifled the ball across the diamond to the outstretched glove of Adam Kennedy.  In the 3rd, Ian Desmond leapt for a ball just over his head, snagged the out, and threw to Kennedy to double off the pitcher Nelson Figueroa.  Danny Espinosa would lay all the way out for a ball to his left in the 6th and flip it to Kennedy to get Michaels at first.

 

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The Daily Feed
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Want to be on the wall at Ben’s Chili Bowl? There’s an app for that

Photo courtesy of
‘Ben’s App’
courtesy of ‘tbridge’

During lunch today at Ben’s, I saw Nizam Ali with an iPad, a picture frame, and a whole lot of velcro.  He was building a picture frame so that just about anyone can end up on the wall at Ben’s.  Mo, the manager, showed me how it works. Grab the app (iTunes, Free) for your iPhone, and snap a photo of yourself.  After it uploads to the service, after a few minutes’ time, your smiling face ends up in the picture frame on their wall!

So, now’s your chance DC, get up on the wall at Ben’s Chili Bowl!

Entertainment, The Daily Feed
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No Free Night Of Theatre In DC: A Step Backwards In Arts Outreach

Photo courtesy of
‘Red Neon, Blue Night’
courtesy of ‘M.V. Jantzen’

According to the Going Out Gurus, there will be no Free Night of Theatre for the Washington, DC area. This year the city was dropped from 2010 slate of cities that will give away free tickets to local productions. According to program organizers, there will be no free tickets in the DC area due to, “limited staffing.” The Free Night website does have Annapolis and Baltimore listed in this year’s free performance offerings.

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The Daily Feed
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Stan Kasten to leave the Nationals at the end of the 2010 season

Stan Kasten with the Media
Photo by Tom Bridge

The gaggle of reporters waited almost an hour to talk to departing Nationals President Stan Kasten this afternoon.  Kasten arrived, flanked by his son, Jay, a junior at Maryland, and General Manager Mike Rizzo. He broke the news that he was leaving the franchise at the conclusion of the 2010 season.  He notified the Lerner family “about a year ago” that he would not be staying with the franchise past his original five year commitment.  Kasten would say, “This is just about me,” likely in response to the rumors that have been flying after the Post’s Tom Boswell wrote a lengthy column this week about Kasten’s likely departure.

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We Green DC
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DC’s Local Food: Polyface Farm

Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm, and his pigs

Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm, and his pigs

If you’ve been to some of DC’s restaurants that tout local fare, or if you’ve read The Omnivore’s Dilemma or seen Food Inc., chances are you’ve heard of Polyface Farm and its charismatic leader, farmer Joel Salatin.

Go to the farm’s Web site, and you’ll see that “Polyface, Inc. is a family owned, multi-generational, pasture-based, beyond organic, local-market farm and informational outreach in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.”

These are all very good things, in my opinion—and it lets you know, if you don’t already, that you’ll get a lot of adjectives from Salatin. So a friend and I recently took a day’s journey to Swoope, Virginia, to check out the wonders of Polyface for ourselves.
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The Daily Feed
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Photos: DC Henge, such as it was, the moon and special bonus storm

Photo courtesy of
‘Washington Monument – Old Glory Aflame – 09-22-10’
courtesy of ‘mosley.brian’

Yesterday had the potential to be a squee-worthy afternoon for DC photographers. The first day of autumn meant the possibility of spectacular light as the sun set directly along the east-west axis of the city’s streets during an event we have come to know as DC Henge, and shortly after that, the harvest moon was set to rise in alignment with the major monuments along the mall. Both are twice-yearly events that drive the photographers wild, but to have both happen on the same day is pretty unusual.

So of course, something had to go wrong. In this case, storm clouds conspired to obscure the moon until it had risen well past the Capitol Dome, and haze kept the sun’s brightest rays a bit dimmer than we’ve seen in recent days. But, because there is always a silver lining in every cloud, that storm gave up some spectacular lightning bolts for the photographers conveniently already in place along the mall. Below the jump, a collection shots featuring the moon, the sun, the storm and other signs of the apocalypse: Continue reading →