June 19, 2007
Morning Roundup: Politics of Reform Edition
It's never a good sign when it's already this steamy this early in the morning, and indeed, the heat index looks like it will near 100 degrees today (actual temps closer to 94). The D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management has some helpful tips to beating the oppressive heat, but this list has a shameful lack of ice cream sandwiches involved. DCist heartily recommends the Ice Cream Sandwich Method of keeping cool today, which involves eating an ice cream sandwich whenever you feel the slightest bit warm. Just keep repeating until you fall into a sugar coma and don't even know where you are anymore, let alone how hot it is.
Dulles Rail Link Approved: The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted 8 to 2 yesterday to pay $400 million toward the $5.1 billion cost of extending the Orange Line to Dulles with an overhead track through Tysons Corner. The vote came as desperate Tysons tunnel advocates were making a last ditch effort to convince the board that an underground extension could be affordable.
Zoning Regulations to be Rewritten: The Examiner reports that the D.C. Zoning Commission is beginning a two-year process to overhaul the city's wildly outdated zoning codes and bring them up to date. The regulations manual for District development hasn't been revised for 50 years. The first of two roundtable meetings for public comment starts at 6:30 p.m. Thursday before the Commission, at 441 Fourth St. NW, Room 220 South.
Briefly Noted: Free summer meal program expects to feed more children this year ... White House press center re-opens ... Marion Barry scheduled to appear in court Thursday on probation violation.
This Day in DCist: Last year we told you where you could find those free coin counting machines at Chevy Chase banks.
Photo by sssdc1
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Could we start off occasionally with something besides a weather report? It's going to be miserable for the next 2 months at least, and I don't need to be reminded of it.
i have been greeted this morning with the half-moon girl ad and the is-she-is-or-is-she-ain't preggers girl ads from american apparel. like i said yesterday, i have no real problem with these ads personally, but they just ain't that safe for a work computer. never heard an opinion from any of the dcist overlords about this.
would any of you like to chime in. i'm curious if this is a consideration for you all?
I hate the green line.
Other than the fact that they're very homely (look, I'm all for the "au natural" look, but these ladies are pretty grody), yes, I find the AA ads to be a little too borderline.
I agree. The ads have a slightly porno-esqe quality to them. I don't mind the ads in magazines, etc, but I don't like to see the ads at work.
As you can probably guess, we don't have anything to do with the ads that appear on our site. Nevertheless, I'm asking about how long they'll be up and I'll let you know.
thanks, sommer. i figured it was probably a gothamist thing.
And really, it's too bad. The first thing I ever knew about American Apparel was that their clothes were 100% sweatshop-free/made in the USA, and made of organic materials. Not to mention, they have a very nice texture. But instead of pushing that aspect, lately they've chosen to take the faux-hipster, Urban Outfitters route in both their models and in their designs. I mean... that shit is just ugly. Give me some nice tee shirts, you know? But no, instead it's "real" models (i.e. "try to look as unkempt, out-of-shape, and hungover/stoned as possible, that's real, unposed... instant youth cred") wearing those fugly one-piece unitard things. Come on, now.
who would want to buy a t-shirt these days without something funny written on it...seriously!
American Apparel is also known for the fact that its "models" are really factory employees, the people who make the clothes in LA, and the photographer is the company's owner.
Ah. That makes it okay, then. I mean, remember how wonderful those Old Navy ads from the late 1990s were?
i HATE the AA ad that has the girl in two different colored bathing suits. the top one she is wearing is beige and the first time i saw it, i was like IS SHE NAKED!? upon further review and the focusing of my eyes, i realized its just a poorly colored bathing suit.
but even so, i still think it's gross and vomit in my mouth whenever i see it.
im being overly dramatic, but ew, i hate naked-looking-things.
Today was my first time seeing "Pleasure Trip". Worried that a coworker would walk by and spot it, I quickly scrolled down past the ad, thereby depriving myself of whatever DCist article was alongside it.
The leotard girl ad is simply an eyesore.
You know what makes me throw up in my mouth a little? The phrase "throw up in my mouth a little."
Ok sorry, that was obnoxious and trollish. If I could delete it I would.
Anyway: I agree, the AA ads are kind of gross, especially now that they've made them animated. I like how their response to accusations of misogynism have resulted in only an increase in the homemade porn feel of the ads.
However, I actually clicked on the comments expecting some kind of "fuck tysons!" discussion. Boo fellow commenters, you're letting me down!