We’re back, it’s Monday, and you had an awesome weekend. There’s so much that happened this weekend! Here’s a quick précis so that you don’t feel lost if you didn’t follow every strand of the weekend.
Oh My God, Baby Panda! Just when we were all ready for disappointment, Mei Xiang gave birth to a little bundle of giant panda last night at around 10:46pm. There’s no name for the little girl or guy yet, but many are hoping that this one is Butterstick II: Electric Cutebaloo, or maybe just Parkay Tub or somesuch. I’m sure the Internet will have a proper name for the cub before long, and the Zoo will find an appropriate Chinese name for the cub, too, I just hope it doesn’t match another Chinese restaurant.
Your Takeaway: The zoo is going to be just packed when that cub is released to the panda enclosure. Plus, there’s a webcam (Windows Media required, because everyone has that, amirite?) Don’t say: Aw man, another welfare panda?!
Rough Sportsball Weekend, huh? Yeah, it was rough. The Caps are locked out, the Nationals got swept by the Braves in an ugly series in Atlanta, and the Redskins penaltied and coached their way out of an easy win in St. Louis. This weekend was a reality check against the often unchecked enthusiasm of DC Sports teams, and that can make for some tough and panicky moments. Chill, though, RGIII proved he was for real with a ridiculous bomb of a touchdown, and the Nationals still lead the NL East by 5 1/2 games with less than 20 games to play. There’s no good news for Caps fans, though, beyond the extension of John Carlson, which is good, since it may be late 2013 before there’s another game played in the NHL.
Your Takeaway: The Redskins were never going to the Super Bowl. The Nationals aren’t infallible. The Caps aren’t going to be playing anytime soon. But, there’s still joy to be had in DC, sports fans. The Nats remain atop the NL East, the Skins have one helluva quarterback, and DC United is in the playoff hunt. There’s a lot to love here, even despite the bad weekend. Don’t panic, friends, don’t panic.
Boy that H Street Festival was something, yeah? It sure was! Holy Toledo, H Street was an absolute crush of humanity on Saturday afternoon, with wall to wall bodies enjoying the perfect weather and some good outdoor festivaling. There were food trucks galore, all manner of cool local art, and who doesn’t love a festival that attracts a whole company of Rock Opera Enthusiasts down from Baltimore? Last year’s crowd was estimated at 50,000, and I’d be surprised if that wasn’t a far low end for the number of people there Saturday.
Your Takeaway: Where did all the people come from? Moving around was a real challenge in places, but it was worth it to see what was up on H Street. Major applause for Gallaudet University’s stage, which had some awesome signing karaoke contests going down. Raised hands with jazz fingers, guys, bravo zulu for the best stage on the festival. Don’t say: I don’t get what the excitement for Northeast DC is. At least, don’t say that anywhere I can hear, anywhere.
Councilman Michael A. Brown can’t handle his own affairs. At least, certainly not his automotive affairs. The Post had the news, courtesy of a FOIA’d driver record, that Brown has had his driver’s license suspended five times in the last eight years, including a 9-month suspension of his license for amassing 10 points on his license. To lose your license to points, that requires multiple violations (3-5 most likely) that are handled by a police officer in a cruiser; tickets from automated speed cameras don’t count as points on your license.
Your Takeaway: This isn’t Brown’s first rodeo, nor even the only rodeo he’s got going on right now, what with the $110,000 missing from his campaign coffers. Here’s the big question for you: should someone who can’t manage his campaign finances or his personal affairs to this point be counted on to serve the public? I know, administrivia isn’t my finest suit either, but then again, I’m not running for council, either. Don’t say: Who hasn’t had their license suspended?
I live and work in the District of Columbia. I write at We Love DC, a blog I helped start, I work at Technolutionary, a company I helped start, and I’m happy doing both. I enjoy watching baseball, cooking, and gardening. I grow a mean pepper, keep a clean scorebook, and wash the dishes when I’m done. Read Why I Love DC.
