Category Archives: Interviews

Interviews, The Daily Feed
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We Need Interviews!


Random TV Interview
Originally uploaded by Mr. T in DC

I love doing interviews for all you WLDC readers. So I’m putting out the call – I’d like to line up some interviews for everyone’s reading pleasure, because you know we all like to be nebby in other people’s lives…

So if you or someone you know fits the following, contact me at cherokeeace [at] juno [dot] com:

  • Newly relocated to the DC Metro area
  • Small business owner with a unique area business
  • Major / minor celebrity (hey, I can dream) who loves the area or has fond memories of a visit
  • Tourist or recent visitor to the area
  • Long-time resident with an interesting story to share

I won’t guarantee that everyone who contacts me will see their ‘story’ up here, but I will guarantee those that do will be interesting and fun.

Interviews, The Features
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He Loves DC: Frank Warren

Frank Warren, creator of PostSecret

Courtesy of www.postsecret.com

PostSecret is a lot of things–a blog, a number of books, and a social experiment. Basically how it works is people from all over the world draw, paint, or cut and paste their secrets on the back of a 4 x 6 postcard and send them to one man: Frank Warren. I was lucky enough to chat with Frank recently about PostSecret, his favorite moment at an event, DC, and more.

Amazingly, his upcoming event isn’t sold out yet, so you can actually see Frank at GWU Friday, January 23! Frank promised that there would be some surprises, plus there’s a book signing afterward. Sweet.  Continue reading →

Essential DC, History, Interviews, People
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He Loves DC: Peter Earnest (Part 2)

Photo courtesy of Me
Peter Earnest, courtesy of Me

Last week, we introduced you to the Executive Director of the International Spy Museum, Peter Earnest. He sat down with me back before Thanksgiving; we talked for quite a while covering both his personal observations and his professional opinions on the Washington DC area.

Before we continue with the rest of the interview, I need to point out that Peter can be an extremely funny guy. If you doubt, witness the two-part episode that aired about a month ago on Stephen Colbert’s show, specifically the “Fallback Position” segment he does periodically. He did two segments with Peter, an interview and a look at some items in the museum proper. If you’ve not seen them, you must. (Each segment is about six minutes long.) Don’t worry, we’ll still be here when you get back.

Ok, on with our conversation! We cover everything from public perception on espionage to cabbies to people; find out what Peter had to say after the jump. Continue reading →

Interviews, Life in the Capital, People
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Why I Love DC: Jasmine

Photo courtesy of maxedaperture
Washington Monument, courtesy of maxedaperture

All the authors here at We Love DC have written essays on why they love DC. Since I’m the newest addition, it has fallen to me to explain just why it is that I love DC.

I love DC for a lot of reasons, but primarily because DC has character. Name a state that has as vitriolic a slogan as “Taxation Without Representation” on their license plates. The people of DC are pissed, and they want everyone to know about it. How can you not love that? I dig a city with passion.

DC is its own city–it will never turn into NYC, or be confused with LA. The architecture is fantastic, and as a fan of little bronze plaques, I love that it seems like a historic event happened on every corner. My personal favorite is the Wok n Roll in Chinatown, which is the current occupant of the Surratt Boarding House (allegedly where the conspiring to assassinate Lincoln went down).

I don’t know if you know this, but DC is kind of a big deal. Important people do important things here every day. Stuff like, oh I don’t know, running the country. I love people-watching during rush hour and wondering what exactly those guys and girls in the serious suits got up to today. DC is also kind of a must-see for pretty much every American. Just check out people’s reactions when they hear that you’ve never been: “Whaaat?? Not even on a school trip?!” Yeah. I live there. And yeah, I can tell you exactly how to get to that museum/monument/restaurant. (OK, maybe not because directions aren’t my thing, but I can fake it.)

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Interviews, Life in the Capital, People
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He Loves DC: Peter Earnest (Part 1)

DSC_1784

As many are aware (and many more not), my first job in the DC area – what brought me here in the first place – was a full-time position in management with the International Spy Museum. At that time, I made the acquaintance of the Executive Director, Peter Earnest. As founding director, Peter brings to the museum over 35 years of experience with the Central Intelligence Agency, including two decades in the CIA’s Clandestine Service. He’s also served in the Office of the Director of Central Intelligence as liaison officer to the Senate and as an investigator / inspector with the Inspector General. He was a member of the CIA’s Senior Management Service and awarded the Agency’s Intelligence Medal of Merit for “superior performance” throughout his career.

A fascinating man who’s led a most interesting career with the CIA, Peter was gracious enough to sit down and talk about Washington, his career and espionage within DC with me. We had such a great time and shared so much info, I’ve had to break the interview up into two segments. We’ll publish Part 2 next week.

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Entertainment, Interviews, People
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She Loves DC: Carrie Milbank

Photo courtesy of Carrie Milbank

Photo courtesy of Carrie Milbank

I’m an avid viewer of nhl.com’s The Hockey Show, co-hosted by Steven Lee and Carrie Milbank. I was surprised to find out Carrie had some roots in the DC area – specifically, during her initial foray into the broadcasting field – and on a whim, contacted her and asked if she’d like to do an interview for WeLoveDC.

I mean, we love finding out what others have to say about our city, right? So why not ask some of those in the spotlight? It doesn’t hurt that Carrie’s a big Ovechkin fan and did a few interviews for THS on coach Bruce Boudreau and Ovie.

Carrie was very gracious in accepting my request, so what follows is the Q&A session I had with her. We covered quite a bit, from her impressions and memories of DC to the Capitals and her career as a female sportscaster.

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Essential DC, Interviews, Life in the Capital, People
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We Thank DC


In This Temple
Originally uploaded by stuckincustoms

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! As per custom with many today, we here at WeLoveDC want to take a moment and share what we’re thankful for with regards to the DC Metro area, our home.

We all wish you a great and bountiful day today, many leftovers for tomorrow, and good shopping deals over the weekend. But most of all, we wish every one of our readers well and toast at our tables to your health, your happiness, and your prosperity.

Our personal “What we’re thankful for about DC” after the jump.

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Downtown, History, Interviews, Special Events, We Love Arts
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We Love Arts: “Breaking News”

Courtesy of the Folger Shakespeare Library

A true and exact relation of the late prodigious earthquake & eruption of Mount Ætna. London, 1669

The Folger Shakespeare Library recently opened their newest exhibit Breaking News: Renaissance Journalism and the Birth of the Newspaper on September 25. The exhibit runs through January 31, 2009 and is free to the public. I recently had a delightful Q&A session with Jason Peacey, one of the exhibit’s curators and a Lecturer in History at University College London, and Amy Arden at the Folger here in DC.

Give us an idea what a visitor to the Folger’s latest exhibit should expect.

Breaking News follows the story of the newspaper from England to America. Visitors will see many things that they recognize, from the kinds of topics covered – politics, natural disasters, extreme religious sects, crime – to the actual format of newspapers from this period with headlines, columns, and serialized issues. One thing that may surprise people is how much of a role wartime reporting played in launching the newspaper; during the 1640s civil war raged in England between the supporters of the king (known as Royalists) and the supporters of Oliver Cromwell and Parliament (the Parliamentarians). Both sides produced their own accounts of the conflict and printed newspapers in an attempt to sway public opinion in their favor. It was a ripe time to be a journalist!

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Adventures, Essential DC, Interviews, People
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Tourists Love DC: Ryan from Seattle

Photo courtesy of Ryan
National Air and Space Museum, courtesy of Ryan

Tell us a little about you.

Right now, I live in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle and spend my days working in aerospace procurement. My nights and weekends are spent attending live shows and being outside trying to enjoy any good weather Seattle has to offer.

Why did you choose to visit DC?

Simple: I’d never been to DC before. I’m 32 years old and while DC has been in the forefront of my mind because of its historical importance and the constant references to it on the news and in pop culture, I didn’t have a real sense of what it was like. In many ways, it’s America’s most important city and I really wanted to experience it.

Was this your first visit to the area?

Yep.

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Interviews, People, The District, The Hill, The Mall
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Tourists Love DC: Diane from NYC

Di from NYC

Have you ever wondered what might be going through the mind of a tourist to our fair area? We see them all around every day, from all corners of the globe – wandering museums, walking the Mall, riding transit. So what if we took a moment to find out what it is they’re thinking as they visit what we see every day?

This is the first in a periodic series of interviews of tourists to our area. Call us curious, but I’m sure all of us at one time or another want to know what these out-of-towners really think about Washington, DC.

So let’s introduce a recent visitor. Meet Diane, from New York City. She actually was in town for the Cherry Blossom Festival; I had enjoyed talking with her then and felt she’d be a great start to this unique series here on WeLoveDC.

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Entertainment, Interviews, Music
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District Mixtape: Bottles/Cans

Bottles/Cans

Bottles/Cans

Bottles/Cans are performing at the Black Cat Tuesday night. We caught up with them between their stops in Minneapolis and New York to talk about making music here in Washington – even when it means falling through a stage.

A live recording of Bottles/Cans’ song “Everybody Knows,” is introduced by letting the crowd know that “This one is pretty rowdy.” Rowdy is a good general introduction to Bottles/Cans music – swaggering, southern influenced, and steeped in a bit of jazz and blues (and maybe a bit of PBR as well).
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Interviews, Life in the Capital, Music
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District Mixtape: Zulu Pearls


photo of Zulu Pearls at the Black Cat by flickr-rickr

Being a musician in this town can be a challenge. Just ask Zach Van Hoozer, founder of Arlington-based pop band Zulu Pearls. “It seems like there is just no continuity, nothing that holds things together,” he remarks. Indeed, “D.C. can seem like it is just a carbon copy of an actual scene from a bigger city.”

Nonetheless, Van Hoozer, who grew up in the area, leaving only to attend college in Richmond, VA before returning, feels that the iconic, DIY sprit of D.C. has permeated his approach to making music. “If you do not feel that DIY attitude about things,” he remarks, “you just aren’t paying attention.” In a similar, do-it-himself vein, he has also launched YESORNODC, a great website chronicling pop culture, with a special focus on the Washington area.
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