By Ashley
‘Fojol Bros. of Merlindia’
courtesy of ‘Dave Kleinschmidt’
El Floridano is closed today due to last night’s epic storm and District Taco is making a rare appearance in Ballston – adjust your lunch plans accordingly!
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By Rebecca
‘MacArthur Marquee’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’
After years of scouring, the DDOT historians have posted some fantastic photos of our beloved city from the 1940s thru the 1960s to their Flickr account. The set features cityscapes from all over the district, including an awesome shot from an open air parking lot on H Street NE, a Harlem-esque looking F & 13th Street, and Tenley Circle with streetcar tracks.
My favorite pic is the shot of Rosslyn looking over the Key Bridge to DC taken in 1945. It’s amazing to think of the now skyscraper filled neighborhood as only having two and three storied buildings. Some may remember one of last remaining relics of that era, Tom Sarris Orleans House, which tragically closed in 2008. That place was definitely a DC insiders go to.
By Dave Levy
‘Nats Dogs’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’
Over the weekend, ESPN’s Outside the Lines looked into the health status of stadium concessions around the country. The results weren’t pretty, but standing out among some of the results (in the bad way) was Chinatown’s Verizon Center. 100 percent of the vendors inspected had some sort of critical violation, with at least ten of the stands cited for the presence of mice droppings, an automatic critical offense. That might make you think twice about eating before you get to your next Caps game or concert.
Other parks and stadiums in the region fared better – not exactly a challenge, though. Nationals Park had critical violations at 25 percent of vendors inspected, while 36 percent of FedEx vendors were in critical shape.
By Ben H. Rome
‘Storm w Monument’
courtesy of ‘Amberture’
Record heat (our fourth 100+ degree day this summer!) and a monster storm seemingly dominated the weekend, but one look at our Flickr pool says otherwise. Try to think of more pleasant things this morning aside from sweat, humidity, and lack of power; you can use our Flashback to kick-start the daydreaming. Continue reading
By Tom Bridge
‘Stormfront’
courtesy of ‘Amberture’
It’s finally a beautiful morning in DC again. There’s sunshine expected most of today, but it’s not the sort that comes with heat advisories, and right now it’s a balmy 77°F as I type this. First time I’ve felt comfortable in a week. The storm that pounded the area has left some problems behind, though, and cleanup is a big part of that. More than 70 trees were down and blocking roadways last night, according to DDOT. If you lost a branch or two in your yard, or worse blocking a sidewalk, do try to clean it up and set it in the grassy area between the sidewalk and street, or near a tree box, and DDOT will swing through and pick it up. For large limbs, please call 311.
If you don’t have power, you’re not alone. Pepco has 240,000+ without power this morning in DC and Maryland, with approximately 25,000 households in DC affected. Check their storm map and you can see where the worst of it is. In addition, WSSC has enacted water restrictions after the damage, as power was cut to their primary treatment facility for Montgomery and Prince George’s County. Power was restored at 6am, but the WSSC is still far behind where they should be in treatment for the time being, and are keeping the restrictions against watering lawns, filling pools, and running partial dishwasher and clothes washer loads in place.
How’d your neighborhood fare in all this?
By Rebecca
‘ka’
courtesy of ‘CstrzRock’
If you enjoy all the roller coasters, water rides, shows, family attractions for all ages, funnel cake, cotton candy, etc. already available at Six Flags America! then as of today you’ll be able to add chili and half-smokes to your list.
Our favorite chili and half-smokes from historic Ben’s Chili Bowl will be served at two locations: Hurricane Hot Dog in Hurricane Harbor water park and Colonial Cheesesteaks in the theme park. This endeavor will be Ben’s first theme park location and only the fifth place in the Washington, DC area where guests can dine on these famous DC eats.
By Tom Bridge
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’
Daniel Schorr, 93, passed away this morning at Washington Hospital Center. Schorr has been one, if not the, most senior reporting journalists in the United States. His career dates back to the 1950s, when he reopened the Moscow bureau of CBS News, and in 1963 he had the first foreign interview with Nikita Khruschev. He was on Richard Nixon’s list of enemies in the 1970s. He went to work for NPR in the 1980s, and had not officially retired.
I loved his voice and his demeanor. He was unafraid of telling you not just what happened (in excruciating and omnipotent detail), but what it meant. That sort of insight is largely absent from our modern blowhole media, where the cable news networks blather on without context or history. I will miss Daniel’s presence on my radio on Saturday mornings.
Though Studio 2A at NPR is named in his honor, I would hope that NPR might do more to honor the legendary journalist, whose career should stand as monument to all who work in the space today, and in the future. Put his name on your front door, NPR. Remind yourself every day that you’re not Fox or MSNBC, and that you’re proud of that. Do that for yourselves, and for the memory of one of DC’s finest journalists.
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’
As mentioned earlier this morning, DCPS was soon expected to pink slip a number of teachers. Well, the tally is in: 226 241 teachers will be let go, effective August 13th. The Washington Post reports that the firings will be contested by the Washington Teachers’ Union.
Another 737 teachers were rated “minimally effective” by Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s new IMPACT evaluation system. These teachers will have one year to improve classroom performance before they too face possible dismissal.
Not surprisingly, debate over IMPACT has been reignited by today’s announcement. Critics say teachers were not adequately prepared for the program’s new set of expectations, and that test scores are a poor measure of teacher performance. Proponents view it as a bold, progressive move to overhaul the city’s failing schools.
Since this is IMPACT’s first year in place, it’s hard to tell whether these ugly numbers will lead to beautiful things for DCPS. But with test scores on the rise, the promise for positive change is most certainly there.
Inside Rogue States in Dupont/Photo by Rachel Levitin
Every two weeks when pay day comes around I like to treat myself to a lunch that isn’t home-made, off the dollar menu, or from Subway. While I’ve done the whole Five Guys thing, I’ve still never made it to any of the gourmet burger joints in town (shocker, I know, since there are so many). Today I changed that. Continue reading
By Dave Levy
Jeremy: Someday you’ll look back on all this and laugh, and say we were young and stupid.
John: We’re not that young.
To commemorate the fifth anniversary of the release of one of my favorite movies of the last decade – not to mention the fact that I was nursing a hangover that was directly the cause of a reception – I popped in my DVD of Wedding Crashers and settled in for an afternoon of air conditioning and laughter a few weeks back. Maybe it’s because I hadn’t seen the movie in awhile, or the fact that I had finally lived in Washington long enough to appreciate, but I finally appreciated the fact that the film did a pretty solid job at capturing a few aspects of its D.C. setting.
It’s been a hot week, so this actually turns out to be a perfect time to wrap it up by thinking about the better things life: movies, weddings and partying. As a kicker, let’s consider a few other aspects of the movie that play well into D.C. culture.
By Ashley
‘dolores park popsicle’
courtesy of ‘apasciuto’
Have you heard? It’s supposed to be really, really hot this weekend. And what’s the best way to deal with the pain of an unimaginable heat index? Frozen booze.
Lucky for us Washingtonians, we have plenty of options. At Cafe Saint-Ex, you can see if one of their Poptails will cool down your core body temp. Made with St. Germain, sparkling white wine and lemon simple syrup, it just might be refreshing enough to distract you from the humidity. Might. Right now they only have one flavor, but mixologist Jonathan Fain hopes to roll out more in the near future. Another restaurant in the popsicle game is Potenza, where you can sample three frozen treats based on some of their most popular cocktails. I’m most excited to try the Orvieto, made with fresh strawberries and balsamic syrup, lime, basil and vodka.
‘Thomas 08’
courtesy of ‘yospyn’
You have all heard of the craze called the pop-up art show? Now, the concept has translated into the fashion world.
The H Street Temporium is a pop-up, temporary store that will be featuring DC’s best designers. The Temporium will run from July 23rd through August 15th and is located in the former R.L. Christian Library at 1300 H Street, NE.
Designers will include Dopeville, De*Nada, Useagoods, Kristi Love, Hugh & Crye, Derringer Friday, and many more…
Now go and shop till you drop!
By Dave Stroup
‘DC and US Flags’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’
Last week the feeling was game on. This week, 53 days out from the primary, there hasn’t been any notable shift in momentum in the Mayoral race. Kwame Brown’s personal debt is still making the rounds in the Council chair race, and there’s been some rumblings in the races in Ward 1 and Ward 5. Let’s get to it, shall we? Continue reading
” A Potomac River Afternoon”, Collage, Megan Coyle.
When you think of a collage, I am sure you automatically revert to your younger days – all the fond memories of snipping and glueing and taping while sitting under harsh fluorescents in your elementary school art class.
But, collage artist Megan Coyle’s exhibit, Stories in Paper, which is now on view at The Art League, will most definitely change your perspective on the art form. Coyle’s work is anything but juvenile, she creates intricate “paintings” full of textures and layers using an unconventional medium.
Coyle says, “Utilizing this method allows me to create artwork that captures the essence of a painting, but broadens my palette to include textures, pattern, and fragments of photographs from magazines”.
Stories in Paper will be exhibited at The Art League of Old Town Alexandria through August 2nd.
By Dave Levy
‘The Zac Brown Band’
courtesy of ‘slgckgc’
For the first time in a few months, the full green line trains heading towards the Navy Yard are not because of another night of Strasmukah. With the Nationals on the road, the concert stage has been wheeled into the outfield for tonight’s show featuring Dave Matthews Band and Zac Brown Band. The show officially starts at 7 p.m., but it sounds like a lot of the town will be getting ready early (rumor has it that the Bullpen, just outside the center field gates to Nationals Park, will be open at 3 p.m.).
Are you going? I know I’ll be there, along with a couple dozen thousand of my fellow Dave and Zac friends.
An all call to any photographers going: be sure to grab some pics and add them to our Flickr pool.
By Ashley
‘froyo’
courtesy of ‘laurarotondo’
Once again, it looks like you Farragut Square folks are going to luck out. Have a D.C. Slice for me!
Continue reading
courtesy of ‘MissChatter’
It can’t be said enough that the cliché “There’s no ‘I’ in team” is completely relevant in major league sports, but the way the Nationals pitching staff appears to be playing this season it’s hard to believe they’ve taken it to heart.
Stephen Strasburg is the obvious choice for an ace after coming into the mix two months after Opening Day. Livan Hernandez continues to prove why he was added back onto the roster during Spring Training, especially after two complete games this season. But what about the rest of these guys? Continue reading
By Max
2010 Washington Kastles by Max Cook
It was looking like the Washington Kastles were headed to the World TeamTennis playoffs again to defend last year’s championship title, however with a 24-15 loss in Boston last night, their season has come to an end. Had they beaten the Lobsters, they would be battling the New York Sportimes in the conference championship, a rematch of last year’s playoffs. Those fans who purchased tickets for the potential championship match tonight are entitled to a refund.
Congratulations to the Kastles for another hard-fought, fun month of tennis. Fans were treated to the amazing talents of Venus Williams, Leander Paes, Rennae Stubbs, Bobby Reynolds, Angela Haynes, and Victoria Azarenka, not to mention opponents including John McEnroe, Martina Hingis, and Anna Kournikova. Best of luck to those who are headed to the US Open later this summer.
By Tom Bridge
‘Tearing up Asphalt on 17th Street’
courtesy of ‘Paul Frederiksen’
Asphalt is one of those great words in road construction that you just marvel as its wonderful mélange of language influence. The word dates back beyond the Greeks in origin, and while it generally refers to sticky/oily stuff, the modern usage is that of a bitumen petroleum product added to road macadam. Bitumen can also be called tar, which leads us to tarred macadam, or tarmac, which is the modern substance we see covering most of the roads of the Eastern United States, mostly due to its malleability in the face of freezing winters. That same malleability is, in the beating heat of summer, a bit of a problem. Dr. Gridlock tells us that due to the high heat and humidity, it’s unlikely the road surfaces will be able to contract in the cool of evening, and we might see some issues on area roads over the next few days as temperatures soar.
In DC, if you spot roads that are buckling badly, it’s probably a good idea to call DDOT at 311 to let them know, or tweet @DDOTDC. In Maryland, fill out an online form. In Virginia, if you’re in Arlington, call call 703-228-3000, or in the rest of the state, fill out this online form.
Jason Wright, Artist – Image Courtesy of Jason Wright
You normally don’t here the terms extreme sports and art in the same sentence, so I was quite intrigued when I heard about Jason Wright’s show called Take You Home – on display at Gallery Plan B. You see, Wright lives the dual-lifestyle of professional skydiver (check out the video below) and knife painter, effortlessly swooping in-and-out of each role, and drawing inspiration from these experiences in order to bring something fresh to the art scene. In this interview, Wright talks with WLDC about his work, his passion for life, and what it is like to live in D.C. every summer.
We Love DC: How did you get to be where you are today? Artist and professional athlete isn’t the most common title to have.
Jason Wright: I grew up in Hawaii, and Hawaii is still home for me. While living there I was completely immersed in that culture, skateboarding and surfing all the time. It was at this point that art fused with me and I began illustrating for skateboards. In that kind of art culture you also get to experience things like music (I was in multiple bands) and even the culinary arts (I wanted to be a chef at one poskyint), the art world is very friendly and was a perfect fit for my free spirited type of personality. I always followed my own path in life and let my passion lead the way. Next, I ventured into snowboarding and becskause of injury it was taken away from me, but all of the traveling I got to do at the professional level was good for inspiration – meeting different people and attending different galleries.
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