Category Archives: The Daily Feed

capitals hockey, The Daily Feed
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Caps Squeak Past Senators

IMG_6453.jpg
Nicklas Backstrom
courtesy of ‘bridgetds’

The Capitals got early goals from each of their dynamic duo of Swedish centers, then hung on for a 2-1 win over the Ottawa Senators last night at Verizon Center. Nicklas Backstrom scored a power play goal in the middle of the first period. Marcus Johansson lit the lamp with a nifty wrap-around three minutes later and the Caps looked like they were going to blow the doors off the Senators. But lackluster play by the Caps in the second and third periods allowed Ottawa to stay in the game. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Friday Happy Hour: Chokin’ in Manhattan

Manhattans were the one of the first cocktails I started drinking, back around my ole’ college days. While sophisticated on the outside, they are accessible and sweet – and a total gateway drink. My friends and I would seek out places that made them “well” – though, honestly, we could really only discern when they were really, really bad.

While I still like a well-made Manhattan, it just is not something I find myself ordering at a bar all that often any more. There usually has to be some kind of “hook” to get my attention on a menu – maybe they barrel-aged it or use some interesting house-made ingredients. In the case of Tryst and their Chokin’ in Manhattan, they add one of my favorite liqueurs, Cynar.
Continue reading →

The Daily Feed
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Hot Ticket: Jammin Java 10th Anniversary Bash!

Saturday night marks the 10th Anniversary of the opening of Jammin Java, one of Northern Virginia’s best kept secrets, and to celebrate they are throwing an anniversary bash. Whether you’re a longtime fan of this coffee shop turned initmate concert hall or have never been exposed to their funky blend of caffeine and live tunes, Saturday’s party promises to be an excellent way to celebrate this unique venue or to check it out for the first time.

The entertaiment for the night centers on local music hero Luke Brindley; who will be performing solo, as part of The Brindley Brothers reunion, and headlining with his group Deep River. After the Brindley-palooza, DJs will be dropping some science with a dance party into the wee hours of Sunday morning.

Jammin Java 10th Anniversary Bash!
Deep River
w/ The Brindley Brothers (reunion) & Luke Brindley (solo)
@ Jammin Java
227 Maple Ave E
Vienna, VA 22180
8pm – $15

capitals hockey, The Daily Feed
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Caps Top Pens 3-2 in OT

Photo courtesy of
‘IMG_7158.jpg’
courtesy of ‘bridgetds’

Whenever the Capitals take on the Penguins, the game is always an intense roller-coaster ride from start to finish. Last night’s contest in Pittsburgh was no different. The Caps squeaked out a 3-2 overtime win despite being dominated much of the game.

The good:

  • Forwards Alexander Ovechkin and Mike Knuble both posted their first goals of the season. Both players seem to come alive whenever this rivalry is in play. It seems this always-intense rivalry finally got Ovechkin’s motor running. The captain had one goal on three shots and collected five hits and a +1 on the evening.
  • Goalie Tomas Vokoun showed a much better side of himself, stopping 39 of 41 shots. He kept the Caps in the game in the first and third periods while the rest of the team lagged.
  • The Caps penalty kill shut down four of five Penguin power plays.
  • The lone power play for the Caps came in overtime. Dennis Wideman cracked in a nice Nicklas Backstrom pass from the slot. The goal is Wideman’s second of the year. Continue reading →
Fun & Games, The Daily Feed
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Nationals Pumpkin Carving Contest Accepting Entries Through October 26

Photo courtesy of
‘Washington Nationals Pumpkin’
courtesy of ‘InspirationDC’

Nats Fans: Feeling Festive? Really into Halloween? In the mood to carve a pumpkin?

Whatever your motivation might be, the Washington Nationals are running their annual pumpkin carving contest this fall and are accepting entries up until Wednesday October 26 at 2 p.m.

Fans who enter have the chance of winning a game-used ball from the 2011 season. All you’ve got to do is submit a photo of your Nats-themed creative carving!

More information, including carving stencils and entry details can be found on the Nats’ website.

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Uncorking the First DC Wine Week

Photo courtesy of
‘on the table’
courtesy of ‘cerotio’

October 15 – 22 marks the first-ever organized “wine week” in DC. Much like the beer weeks we have come to know, DC Wine Week exists to educate and engage patrons with wine and encourage them to sample some new tastes in new places.

Created by two wine-loving friends, Lisa Byrne of DC Event Junkie and Vanessa French, DC Wine Week has events scheduled all over town. They range from the extravagant – a Champagne “Experience” at Bourbon Steak – to the more accessible classes, tastings, and happy hours. An invitation-required party at Sonoma launches the week on Saturday night – and a big closing party at One Lounge will wrap it up on the 22nd.

Weather you are a wine newbie or a dedicated oenophile, DC Wine Week hopes you come out, taste, and meet other wine people in the area.

Entertainment, Music, Night Life, The Daily Feed
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Hot Ticket: Yuck @ Black Cat 10/12/2011

image courtesy of Yuck

Head to the Black Cat tonight for young British noise-pop-rockers Yuck. Fans of Dinosaur Jr. or Sonic Youth will likely enjoy Yuck’s melodic, catchy, distortion-filled-fuzz-rock. Clearly reminiscent of the early 90s alternative noise bands, but with their own fresh take, Yuck’s live show is energetic, goofy and fun.  Check out their catchy noise anthem “Holing Out.”

Yuck

Porcelain Raft

$15/8pm

Black Cat

History, The Daily Feed
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Smithsonian Snapshot: Pneumatic Mail Delivery

Pneumatic Mail Container; photo courtesy Smithsonian Institution and the National Postal Musem

Today’s Smithsonian Snapshot looks at another method of mail delivery that dominated the early 20th century metropolitan landscape: the pneumatic mail container.

In the late 1890s, networks of pneumatic tube systems were installed under city streets to move the mail. Each pneumatic tube canister could hold up to 500 letters. The canisters, also known as carriers, were air compressed through the system, traveling in a spinning motion at an average of 35 miles per hour. At its peak productivity, 6 million pieces of mail traveled through the system daily at a rate of five carriers per minute.

In 1893, the first pneumatic tubes were introduced in Philadelphia; in 1897, the service started in New York City. Boston, Chicago, and St. Louis also eventually incorporated the system. By 1915, six cities (including Brooklyn) had more than 56 miles of pneumatic tubes pulsing under the streets.

During World War I, the Post Office Department suspended the service to conserve funding for the war effort. After the war service was restored in New York and Boston. By the 1950s, it became clear that the end of pneumatic tubes was in sight as increasing mail volumes and changing urban landscapes made it impractical. While post offices and businesses moved with relative ease, the underground pneumatic system did not.

The Daily Feed
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It’s okay, your SmarTrip is safe

Photo courtesy of
”
courtesy of ‘Chris Rief aka Spodie Odie’

In a security-related story this morning published on usually reliable Ars Technica, it was suggested through photography that SmarTrip cards might be affected by the security vulnerability mentioned in the story.  Several other cities’ transit cards are at stake, including San Francisco’s Clipper card. Given the similarities of the BART and Metrorail systems, it may have been a natural assumption that SmarTrip was also vulnerable to the hack, which would reveal the encryption key used to store all your trip and fare data on your card.

We contacted Metro this morning for comment, and Dan Stessel speaking for WMATA said, “This attack is against the Mifare DesFire which we do not use on SmarTrip.”

Of more concern would be the numerous buildings in the DC area that may use these cards as part of their security systems. HID systems, which handles many government facilities in the area, is said to have used these cards at many locations, as part of a push to comply with a Presidential Directive concerning security.

Entertainment, The Daily Feed
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DC’s LGBT Film Festival Celebrates 20 Years

Photo courtesy of
‘105.’
courtesy of ‘Lauren PM’

Ready to party with one of the proudest crowds in town? Reel Affirmations, DC’s international LGBT film festival, celebrates its 20th anniversary this week with happenings around GWU’s campus and other local venues from October 13-22.

The festival began in 1991 and has grown into one of the largest LGBT events in the region. In addition to screening over 85 films from 23 countries, Reel Affirmations includes an opening night film and party, a women’s filmmakers brunch, and a closing film and party.

This year, the festival has added a few screenings and light receptions at participating embassies. Because of the small space and security regulations, embassy screening passes must be reserved in advance by Thursday, October 13.

To take part in the festival, you can buy individual tickets, six-pack passes, full festival passes, and VIP sponsorships that include special receptions and seating options. Some of the venues are super-small, so order your tickets in advance to be certain to get a seat.

The Daily Feed
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Frank Kameny, Gay rights pioneer, dead at 86


Dr. Frank Kameny, photo by Max Cook

Some sad news this evening, gay rights pioneer Dr. Frank Kameny has passed away at his DC home at the age of 86. Natural causes as presumed at this time. Kameny, then an astronomer with the Army Map Service, filed what is believed to be the first civil rights case for his dismissal by the Army over his homosexuality. He took his case before the highest court in the land in 1961, only to be denied justice.

Kameny became a crusader for equal rights, fighting for those who had their security clearances revoked, their lives ruined, by an aggressive policy in the government against gays. In 2009, Kameny finally received the apology that he was due back in 1957, courtesy of the director of OPM under the Obama administration.

The intersection of 17th & R Streets NW was dedicated to Kameny in June of last year.

Kameny was a stalwart figure, who stood up for his rights, and the rights of others who were being marginalized. It is a sad end to National Coming Out Day, and we stand with the LGBTQ community in honoring Kameny’s legacy.

The Daily Feed
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Third Annual Week of Bacon at Restaurant 3

Photo courtesy of
‘a magic number’
courtesy of ‘christaki’

Let out a great big yell, “IT’S BAAAAACOOOON!”  From October 13 through 22 Restaurant 3 is hosting their 3rd annual Week of Bacon.

Kicking off the week is a pig roast on the 13th with pulled pork sandwiches. The rest of the pork-tastic week features a bacon tasting dinner menu for $30 per person that incorporates bacon through every part of the meal, including dessert with a maple bacon ice cream. Restaurant 3 is also offering bacon bites at the bar and bacon-curing demonstrations during happy hours from 4 PM til 7 PM during the week.

If you can snag a spot, you can keep the magic of the bacon week alive in your own home by taking a free bacon curing class on October 16th at 3 PM. The restaurant’s chef, Brian Robinson, will show you how to cure bacon, give you bacon samples and share some of his curing rub recipes. You can try to get into the class by emailing events@restaurantthree.com.

And if that’s still not enough cured pork for you, you can also buy a pound to go of the restaurant’s house-cured bacon.

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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ChurchKey and Eat Wonky Bring You Wonky Tots

Photo courtesy of
‘wonky dog @ Eat Wonky truck- Washington, DC’
courtesy of ‘Plantains & Kimchi’

Sometimes you find yourself remembering two different dishes you’ve eaten and think to yourself, “If only there was a way to combine both of these dishes.” Wanting the flavors of two dishes to dance upon your tongue doesn’t necessarily make you greedy. So I was happy to see that two of the tasty foods I’ve eaten are coming together this week in the form of Wonky Tots.

ChurchKey’s tater tots from chef Kyle Bailey are teaming up with Eat Wonky’s squeaky cheese and gravy. It’s poutine 2.0 with tots.

You can get the wonky tots this week only from Eat Wonky, but there are just 20 orders available per lunch shift. In other words: hurry. You can stalk the truck’s location @eatwonky or @churchkeydc.

Essential DC, Life in the Capital, News, The Daily Feed, The District
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DC Mourns Steve Jobs At Apple Store

If you walk by the Georgetown Apple Store, you’ll find that to left of the store’s entrance, DC Apple lovers have created an impromptu memorial to Steve Jobs filled with posters, letters, flowers and many apples. Personally, I found these tributes to be the purest and most genuine expressions of how Mr. Jobs and his company have inspired so many people and how the DC community is mourning the loss, and solidarity with the Apple community and Jobs’ family and friends. Continue reading →

Food and Drink, The Daily Feed
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Friday Happy Hour: Blackened Gold at Toki Underground

I love Toki Underground. Super cute, great location, delicious vegan ramen, and they keep hours that suit me – which is to say, I can sit and eat a totally respectable dinner at ten on Tuesday and it is no big deal. Should you want something to drink with your ramen and dumplings (or to sip on while you wait for a seat) they have a list of sakes and unusual Asian beers – and they also mix up some interesting and tasty cocktails.
Continue reading →