Yearly Archives: 2010

Fashionable DC, Life in the Capital, The Features
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The Devil Wore Hose

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘erin m’

It’s oppressively hot this week. A scorcher. Another record-breaker in a year unfavorably full of cruel weather. Some of you will be able to go about your work day in “summer business casual,” but for others, you’ll soldier on in full battle gear. And for many women in our unfairly unfashionably maligned city, that means pantyhose.

Ugh. Really?

Though sales of pantyhose have been on the decline since the mid-nineties, there are still offices that require them for women’s dress year-round. The excuse normally given for such a dress code is that they give the wearer a “polished, professional look.”  As they are more precisely termed actual underwear, I find it a bit vulgar to be told by anyone other than my mother that I should be wearing pantyhose. Wear hose when the garment requires it – something form-fitting and unlined, for example – but with a knee-length lined skirt? If one is well-groomed there should be no need.

And in disgusting 100-degree weather, there is no need to wear pantyhose other than to cover what is bare – which implies that it’s wrong to bare your legs in an office. Why? I’m by no means a radical feminist, but I can’t stand rules with no discernible logic, and especially not rules that are based on perceptions rather than facts. After all, it’s not so long ago that business women in this city were told never to wear pantsuits, only suits with skirts. What was the logic there?

Let’s step back for some history, a fun fashion tangent on clothing codes, before we shred more hose. For example, high heels. Did you know high heels started out as a male fashion necessity?  Continue reading →

Music, We Love Music
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Delta Spirit loves DC, and DC loves them back

Photo courtesy of
‘A Little Bit Softer Now’
courtesy of ‘Karon’

As far as I can tell, there’s a guy at every concert, ever, who takes it upon himself to yell “Freebird.” That Guy is always there, trying for a chuckle, being ignored, hoping, just hoping, that the band will hear his plea. That Guy, like everyone else who saw Delta Spirit at the 9:30 Club on Saturday night, had the time of his life this weekend. Because Delta Spirit’s just that kind of band: Americana rock shot straight through the decades that reminds your soul what fun is supposed to feel like. You want “Freebird?” Yeah, sure, they’ll give you “Freebird.” Because it’s fun, and that’s what their show is all about.

I got handed a copy of Delta Spirit’s last album, “Ode to Sunshine,” in 2008 (put ’em on my Top 5 that year, too). The music-obsessed friend who passed it along is probably personally responsible for a few dozen of the fans at Saturday’s show: each of us spread the word (over)enthusiastically to another few people, and I like to imagine the fandom spread across the city from person to person, like the flu in winter, only better. I tell you this by way of explaining that yes, I am a huge fan, and no, this is not an unbiased review of Saturday’s show. Based on the limited sample of fans-who-also-tweet, I am not alone in having put this one high on the list of best shows ever. (Karon Flage, whose photos you see illustrating this post, took my extra ticket on a whim never having heard of the band, and she left a convert, too.)

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Road Closures in Arlington for Sen. Byrd Funeral Processio

Photo courtesy of
‘goodbye to the Hill’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

If you’re planning to be driving through Arlington today around noon, you will want to check the road closures as there will be rolling blockades as the procession goes from around 3500 North Glebe Road to Arlington cemetery via Route 50.

The Senator, who died last week, is to be laid to rest early this afternoon with full honors.

All Politics is Local, The Daily Feed
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Vince Gray meets with DC bloggers

Photo courtesy of
Photo by Dave Stroup, We Love DC

On Monday, DC Council Chair and candidate for mayor Vincent Gray sat down with DC bloggers at Ben’s Chili Bowl. For nearly ninety minutes, Gray answered questions posed by bloggers from DCist, We Love DC, Greater Greater Washington, Borderstan and the District Curmudgeon. The event was part of the Gray campaign’s effort to tap into new media, and it provided a chance to talk about topics including education, crime, poverty and transportation.

This was my first chance to meet with Gray, who is challenging the incumbent Mayor Adrian Fenty for the Democratic nomination for mayor. The meeting was interesting, and shed some light into Gray’s attitude towards DC government, as well as his campaign style.

Gray is an experienced politician and also a bit of a policy wonk. The first impression you get is that he knows what is going on, and that he doesn’t always need to fall back on talking points. It is obvious that Gray is running a campaign aimed directly at people who have felt left behind by Fenty. Gray stresses that he is a uniter, and that he wants to be the mayor of “all of the people, not just some of the people.” He aims to bridge the divide between rich and poor, Northwest and Southeast. He feels too many people have been left behind, and that too many people don’t feel invested in the city. Continue reading →

News, The Daily Feed
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Electrical Fires on H Street, Penn Ave Plague Capitol Hill

Photo courtesy of


‘Eastern Market Manhole’
courtesy of ‘Kevin H.’

Two big electrical outages in DC plague the Capitol Hill neighborhood this morning.  An electrical fire in underground conduit at 12th and H Street NE, and a generator fire at 7th & Penn Ave SE, have put two commercial strips in Capitol Hill in a bit of trouble this morning.  

DC Fire & EMS responded with a Foam/Hazmat truck to 12th & H last night around 11pm as the underground electric conduits had caught fire.  While they were able to, with Pepco’s help, put out the fire there quickly, the damage was done, and much of that area is without power. If you’ve got plans for Granville Moore’s, Sticky Rice or The Black and The Red later, you may want to call in ahead and make sure they’ve gotten power back.

In addition, a generator at 650 Penn Ave SE overheated, and that means that corner of businesses, from Peregrine Espresso, around to at least the Yes! Organic Market are out currently out commission. Peregrine announced that they are closing until Pepco restores power.
Now, they’re contacting one of the best panel upgrade services to help them get their power back up.

News, The Daily Feed
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Scorching Heat, Take Precautions

Photo courtesy of
‘By the light of 100 suns’
courtesy of ‘euphro’

The next two days, we’re in for some absolutely scorching heat. Capital Weather Gang is forecasting that we’ll hit 100 for Tuesday and Wednesday, and that relief, should it come, will mean low 90s again. In this sort of baking weather, please do try to look in on elderly or disabled people in your neighborhood.  Cooling Centers will be open from noon to six today and tomorrow, at One Judiciary Square, the Reeves Center, the King Office Building and 920 Rhode Island Ave NE to help those who are without any climate control.

The humidity will also play a factor in your discomfort on Wednesday, as the front begins to break. Today should be just awful, while tomorrow will be super extra extreme awful. Expect heat index values up near 110. While today’s 101°F forecast will not break the 103°F record set in 1999, tomorrow’s 100°F forecast will likely eclipse the 1991 record of 99°F.

Please take steps to make sure that you’re getting enough water today. If you’re looking for some exercise, take a swim, DC’s pools are free to all residents! Limit outdoor work during the heat wave, I promise the lawn can wait until Thursday or Friday when things will be a bit cooler. Look for storms by the weekend.

Business and Money, The Daily Feed
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Will DC Save Money, Live Better With Wal-Mart?

Photo courtesy of
‘Welcome to Wal-Mart – We have blue light special’
courtesy of ‘kowitz’

I didn’t think I’d see the day that Wal-Mart would move into The District; but then again I never thought Costco would move into New York City or that Target would inhabit Columbia Heights.

The ongoing effort for the retail giant/labor union foe to build a location within Washington, DC may have come to a head this week. After announcing a deal to build a 2nd store in Chicago, the Washington Post is reporting that Wal-Mart is now close to finalizing a deal open a store in Northeast DC.

Anonymous sources within Wal-Mart told The Post that a deal should be in place by this fall to open a store on New York Avenue NE near the intersection of Bladensburg Road. The proposed site is 11 acres wide and wouldn’t need any zoning changes, a problem that came up for previous sites Wal-Mart has checked out. With a reputation like Wal-Mart’s, the corporation is looking for a location that would require the least amount of hassling. Right now the proposed piece of land is home to various auto parts shops and the Skylark Lounge, a strip club.

I wonder which would be more despised: a strip club or a Wal-Mart?

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Thank You, Engine 17

Engine 17, DC Fire/EMS

The sound of my neighbor beating a pot with a spoon woke us about 4:30 this morning.  Getting up to see, there was a low haze in the air, and an odd smell.  Donald was dragging his hose into the alley behind our place and spraying against the fenceline behind the house on the far side of the alley.  I opened the window and asked if he needed a second hose, and he shouted, “Yes!”

I threw on some pants and went out to spray down the woodpile, while Jackie called for the fire department.  We couldn’t have been spraying more than 5 minutes when Engine 17 came down the street to assist.  They dug through the woodpile and sprayed down the whole area and got the last of the embers out.

This is a quick reminder: launched fireworks are dangerous things, trebly so in this dry heat, as they have a tendency to ignite everything around them.  Keep it to the legal sort that don’t fly.  Keep a fire extinguisher nearby.

The Daily Feed
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Stammen Struggles Early, Nats Try To Rally, Fall To The Mets


Photo by Ian Koski/Nationals Daily News

“A lot of good things happened in that game [today],” according to Nationals Manager Jim Riggleman, but the team still came up short with a 9-5 loss to the New York Mets in the Nation’s capital on Independence Day.

While Riggleman isn’t completely off base by saying the team had some positive moments (they did), there was still a dark cloud hovering over the Nats for the first 3.1 innings pitched. Starter Craig Stammen struggled to find control over his pitches and dug the Nats into a deep hole early in the game. Continue reading →

Entertainment, The Daily Feed
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We Love DC Does Top Chef DC: Episode 3

Photo courtesy of
‘Ribs009’
courtesy of ‘photopete’

When we last found our culinary heroes they were faced with challenges that would strike fear into any Top Chef contestant: Dessert & Grilling. Desserts spell death to a Top Chef contestant but I’m surprised that so many of the contestants were hesitant over grilling.

I know guys who can’t cook but are able to roast a steak or burger over an open flame. I agree with Tom’s take on the episode that perhaps these contestants are great Chefs- but not necessarily good cooks.

I’m afraid that the days maybe numbered for DC’s local favorite Timothy Dean. He’s been in the bottom four twice and I wonder how long his status as “the local” will keep him from packing up his knives?

Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Capps Selected As All-Star, Zimmerman Up For Bid via “Final Vote” Fan Ballot

Photo by Cheryl Nichols/Nationals News Network

Reliever Matt Capps will be representing the Washington Nationals in the 2010 MLB All-Star game in Anaheim. This will be his first All-Star Game.

“You work your whole life for it,” Capps told The Washington Post’s Adam Kilgore. “To be voted on by the players, your peers and people you compete against, that makes it all the more special.”

The selection of Capps to the All-Star team is quite emotional for the pitcher having lost his father to a heart attack last October.

“It kind of hit me this morning when they told me,” Capps told Kilgore. “I wish he could see it. He’ll be with me.”

Capps is second in the major leagues with 22 saves this year.

The right-hander might not be the sole National representing Washington in sunny California for the mid-summer classic. Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Happy Fourth of July from Nationals Park


Photo by Rachel Levitin

Happy Fourth of July to all residents in the greater D.C., Maryland, Virginia region. If you’re not already out getting your barbecue on or planting yourself atop that perfect spot on the National Mall, we do have some words from Nationals Manager Jim Riggleman regarding today’s Mets-Nats game live from the Nation’s capital on this, our Nation’s birthday:

“It’s very special. Washington was without baseball for a long time […]but Washington should have baseball. It’s a great thing that the Lerner family has brought baseball back to Washington and it’s all about what the country’s about. It’s patriotic, it’s Washington, D.C., it’s the capital, it’s baseball, it’s a beautiful day, it’s Sunday, it’s got all the making of a great day and baseball in Washington is very important, it’s our nation’s capital and it’s a perfect scenario.” Continue reading →

The Features
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Happy Birthday, America (and We Love DC!)

Photo courtesy of
‘Eastern Market Flags’
courtesy of ‘Mr. T in DC’

Today marks 234 years since 56 men stood on the steps of an assembly hall in Philadelphia and stood up for the rights of this nation against a tyrant king. We celebrate today for the declaration of our self-evident rights, among them Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. We celebrate today for the strength of conviction that freed a nation of subjects and made them into a nation of citizens.

What this nation has accomplished in her short life is nothing short of astounding. Though we may disagree about our recent past, there is much to celebrate in this country today, and I hope that we will all put aside our politics for a day to celebrate her many strengths and achievements.

Today is also a special day for us, as two years ago ten writers banded together to form this site. We launched on July 4th, 2008, declaring our independence from another site, now vacant. Today we stand twenty-eight strong, and DC’s best locally-owned blog. For that, we have you to thank, dear readers, and we appreciate your support these last two years. Look for an announcement about a party in your honor in the near future.

News, The Daily Feed, WMATA, WTF?!
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Citing Safety Concerns, Metro Pulls All 4000-Series Cars

Photo courtesy of
‘Metro couple’
courtesy of ‘logan.brown’
At just four minutes to midnight on July 4th, WMATA announced that all of the 4000-series cars on Metrorail were being removed for safety concerns related to their door motors. The timing, while awkward, may prove advantageous given the lower than average ridership week and the federal holiday. The 4000-series cars apparently have an issue with their door motors that can occasionally cause a door to open while the train is moving. Each of the 100 cars will need to have all of its door motors removed, inspected, cleaned, and replaced before the cars can come back into service. It’s expected to be a process that will take 2-3 weeks. Early next week is expected to be the worst of the situation, as cars will be coming back online in pairs as the work is completed.

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Nats Come From Behind to Beat Mets

Pudge Rodriguez Swings
Photo by Max Cook, We Love DC

Though Stephen Strasburg’s start this afternoon would be the shortest in his brief tenure with the Nationals, going just 5IP and giving up a pair of runs to the Mets, the Nationals would rally late and pick up a victory. Strasburg struggled early with control and location, and gave up a pair of walks in the top of a 37-pitch first inning that left the Nationals down a run. He would be lifted for a pinch hitter (oddly, it was J.D. Martin who would hit for Strasburg in the 5th) after 96 pitches and five innings of work.

Continue reading →

Sports Fix, The Daily Feed
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Nats Finish First Half With 5-3 Loss to Mets

Tony Plush Shoes
Photo by Cheryl Nichols, Nats News Network

Tonight marked the halfway point for the Nationals’ season, and with a 35-46 record, a full ten game improvement over their 25-56 first half last year.  The bullpen tonight showed a bit of that ten game difference, with Joel Perralta, Sean Burnett, Miguel Batista and Doug Slaten combining for 5 2/3 of scoreless ball after starter Luis Atilano dug a 5-0 hole for the Nationals.  They’d scatter four hits in that span, and kept the Mets largely in check, hoping for an offense that would wake up.  In the ninth, they’d do just that.

Continue reading →

Life in the Capital, We Love Arts
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Chuck Close at the Corcoran


All photos by Max Cook

It would be an understatement to say that the Corcoran Gallery of Art has had an impressive track record over the past few years, hosting art exhibits that have been inspirational, education, and just downright beautiful.  Between the Annie Leibovitz, Richard Avedon, Edward Burtynsky, and Eadward Muybridge exhibits, I’ve walked away from the gallery with a sense of wonderment and a better understanding of the artist, not to mention a better appreciation of their art.

That’s not to say that I’ve been impressed with every exhibit on display at the Corcoran.  While I had high hopes in viewing the William Eggleston exhibit and understanding why his work is held in such high regard in the photography world, I was less than impressed.  My feeling was that he was an artist that did something first, but not necessarily best, and that is sometimes enough to carve a name for yourself.  In fact, even though Eggleston is known as one of the early adopters of color film, I found that I preferred many of his black and white photos to his color shots.

But if art was loved by everyone, none of it would be good.  This week I was fortunate to be part of a tour of the Corcoran’s latest exhibit, Chuck Close Prints: Process and Collaboration, given by none other than the legendary artist himself.  While I found Leibovitz to be somewhat annoyed with the press and anxious to leave, Close was gracious, patient, and answered any questions that were asked of him.  I will always remember something that he said, and that is that we learn more from things that we don’t like than from things that we do like, which may mean that for me, viewing the Eggleston exhibit was more important that I had once thought.

Continue reading →

Downtown, Entertainment, Fun & Games, Music, Night Life, Special Events, The Features, We Love Music
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We Love Music: July Music Preview

Photo courtesy of
‘American Flags in Bensonhurst’
courtesy of ’emilydickinsonridesabmx’

Besides birthday’s in general, the Fourth of July is pretty much my favorite holiday. It’s a much needed mid-summer mini mental vaycay that recharges those brain batteries over a long weekend. Then, it’s on to the long awaited arrival of the dog days of summer.

We’ve got a simmering slew of fun shows you might not have necessarily found on the front page of Ticketmaster for the month of July. They’re guaranteed to give you some solid summer memories should you choose to partake, so check ’em out! Continue reading →