DCist

Go Home Already: The Inside Story

Sommer Mathis — 2009-11-24T18:15:12-05:00

Photo by geoff.greene

Forbes says women in D.C. on average make more money than they do anywhere else in the country, which would be nice if this wasn't one more list that ranks the District of Columbia as it compares to states, instead of cities. But at least this is promising: "On average, women make 80% of men's earnings, but in D.C. they earn 92.2% as much as their male colleagues."
Betsy Rothstein, former gossip writer for The Hill, is moving back to Washington to become the new co-editor of Fishbowl DC.
Borderstan writes about a daytime robbery at 16th and U Streets, noting that of two suspects who were arrested in the crime, one had been awaiting trial on carjacking charges from Prince George’s County. 'Call me naive, but I thought carjacking probably got you thrown in jail without bail.' OK: you're naive.
The Other 35 Percent updates on the latest legal wranglings between infamous former ANC 2C commissioner Leroy Thorpe and Convention Center Community Association president Martin Moulton. Among Thorpe's allegations against Moulton (which have all been dismissed) were that Moulton 'is "obsessed" with Thorpe,' 'approached Thorpe at a community picnic, greeted him, and extended his hand to him for a handshake,' and that he 'e-mailed Thorpe asking for a turkey in 2007.'
The Washington Post has announced it will shutter its bureaus in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles at the end of this year, Michael Calderone reports in Politico.

Are the Redskins Actually Less Popular This Year?

Aaron Morrissey — 2009-11-24T11:20:07-05:00

Photo by frank.thorp.

The first paragraph of Reed Albergotti's Wall Street Journal story today about the decline in popularity of the Washington Redskins tells you pretty much all you need to know about what he thinks, at least of our city.

In a town drawn up by a Frenchman, a place brimming with people who hail from somewhere else and who don't agree about much of anything, the Washington Redskins managed to attain something any professional sports franchise would kill for: a giant fan base that loved them unconditionally.

Always nice to see that there's still some reporters who haven't hopped on the post-Obama "D.C. is great!" bandwagon.

From there, Albergotti goes on to call D.C. a "preposterous swamp," we can only assume because the L'Enfant bit was not enough of a cliché dig. In order to solidify an argument that the Redskins just aren't the draw that they once were, Albergotti highlights, among other slightly more legitimate points (like, you know, the fact the team has two playoff wins in the last ten years and tyrannical, profit-thirsty ownership): a Harris Interactive poll ranking nationwide popularity, John Riggins' occasional tirades, and the arrival of the Nationals four years ago.

That's right, the Washington Nationals are one of the reasons the popularity of the Redskins is suffering. We'll pause while you finish that hearty laugh. On the bright side, at least Albergotti didn't feel the need to spend 3,600 words on a reminder as to why the Redskins' name is offensive.

Despite the articles' many obvious flaws, the underlying question Albergotti is offering is legitimate, if difficult to answer accurately. To be sure, this season has featured one crappy moment after another. But one of Albergotti's few on-the-mark points is that 2009 has seemingly been the rock bottom of a mediocre-at-best, simply awful-at-worst decade for the Redskins. Any organization, sports or otherwise, would suffer from that kind of ten-year stretch; most, if not all businesses that experienced such repeated failures would have caved under the weight of poor public perception by now. That conclusion is what the article is missing – the dip in interest this season is not really an indicator that Washington is no longer a football town, but more a sign that the team's normally enthusiastic fans are finally hibernating, waiting for the sweet, sweet turnaround.

Go Home Already: Shouts and Murmurs

Sommer Mathis — 2009-11-23T18:40:14-05:00

Photo by Command Z

The Silver Spring Penguin covers the annual Silver Spring Thanksgiving parade, complete with local politico spotting.
NPR's Carl Kasell to retire at the end of the year, Fishbowl DC reports. 'He will continue his second role as official judge and scorekeeper of the weekly NPR news quiz "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!",' though.
WashTimes runs optimistic article about Howard Theatre renovations, despite reality reported therein: they've only raised $1.6 million of the estimated $22 million needed to get it done.
Examiner covers D.C. Council proposal to abolish the oft-criticized Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals and replace it with something more "professional."
A D.C. man was shot and killed in Temple Hills, Md. Sunday evening, the Post reports. Deandre Smith, 22, suffered from a gunshot wound to his body and died later at a nearby hospital.
One idea for Tuesday night: you can get $14 Wizards tickets, courtesy D.C. United. The Wizards are going to honor United's Ben Olsen, who recently announced he will retire.
New blog, Anacostia QUE, to watch (via Congress Heights on the Rise.)

Gilbert Arenas Looking for 1 Million Twitter Followers by Not Tweeting

Andrew Wiseman — 2009-11-23T14:02:34-05:00

Like Ashton Kutcher before him, Wizards star and goofball Gilbert Arenas (aka Agent Zero) has taken up the quest get to one million followers on Twitter. But Arenas's plan is different: he wants to get it done while not tweeting at all. Arenas has promised not to use the account until he gets to the one million mark. Currently he's got about 5,000 followers, so there's a long way to go. You can sign up to follow him at @gilbertarenas.

The AP picked up on Gilbert's latest antics, as did Dan Steinberg, who interviewed teammates about the quest, eliciting an eye-rolling response from Brendan Haywood. Teammate JeVale McGee helped Gil get the word out -- but we only mention that because his Twitter name is BigDaddyWookie.

Despite his zero tweetcount, Gilbert has started putting out TwitVids (see above), although they aren't getting posted to his account, despite what the Washington Times says. So far there's only one, where Arenas says people should follow him or he'll smack them with a belt. And then he smacks teammate Nick Young with a belt.

Good to see that Gilbert is back to his weird ways. He flirted with getting serious and stopping the goofy Agent Zero antics, but then changed his mind and made a funny video about it.

Week Around the Ists

Sommer Mathis — 2009-11-23T08:05:15-05:00

Gothamist was saddened after seeing why Sad Panda is so so sad.
DCist caught up with the dapper gents and ladies who took to the streets in high style for the D.C. Tweed Ride.
Torontoist Googled its city. Googled it hard.
Seattlest sputtered in disbelief at a grassroots campaign in favor of a proposal to dig the world's largest open-pit mine.
LAist wondered if the city's drivers are ready to go Dutch--as in be taxed based on miles driven instead of the current taxes levied on roads and new car purchases.
Bostonist interviewed Russell Ferguson of So You Think You Can Dance.
Shanghaiist rounded up all the news you'd ever need to read about Obama's town hall in their fair city.
Phillyist wondered if all the fun was on its way out of town.
Chicagoist focused on Oprah Winfrey's announcement that she plans on ending her show in 2011--which resulted in Mayor Daley blaming the media--causing Chicagoist to reflect on the Oprah of yesteryear.
SFist yearned for a McRib sandwich comeback.
Londonist mapped every London location that Sherlock Holmes visited. So now you know.

The Hi-Lo: Season Tip

Aaron Morrissey — 2009-11-22T15:00:02-05:00

Photo by ohad*.

Leaves have fallen and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. You know what that means -- turkey! Also, it's time to get back to the hardwood. Welcome to the first edition of The Hi-Lo, DCist's new roundup of the week that was in DMV college hoops.

College basketball -- unlike any other widely beloved American sport -- opens with such little fanfare that you could be forgiven for completely forgetting about it. Most big schools open with patsies, teams are still finding a rhythm, and scores are routinely in the 60s. But that's not to say that there isn't plenty happening that you should be aware of.

For instance, the increasing quality of the Colonial Athletic Association has proven itself again. Sure, current Oklahoma head coach Jeff Capel probably scheduled Virginia Commonwealth this year as a favor. After all, he had helped to build the program, one which now boasts three straight years with 24 or more wins and a first-round upset of Duke in the tournament. But the fact that the Rams put a licking on the Sooners, coming up with an inspired performance in a 82-69 victory, shouldn't come as a shock. It's yet another reminder that the CAA's reputation as simply "that conference which sent George Mason to the Final Four" is outdated.

The Hi:

Say what you will about VMI's tactics, but they are one damn entertaining team to pay attention to. Here was their week: a seven-point win over Army, getting smoked at Richmond by 44, then beating D-II West Virginia Wesleyan 111-92. Watching the Keydets is like watching an NBA Jam game come to life. (This writer understands you, basketball purists: The "who needs defense?" ethos makes you want to cry.)
George Washington, on the back of Lasan Kromah's 21 points, dominated Maryland-Baltimore County 94-51 yesterday. GW is now 3-0; though, let's not get ahead of ourselves here. The Colonials started last season 6-2 before dropping 11 straight games in mid-season en route to a 10-18 record.

The Lo:

Anyone want to lay money on Georgetown -- currently #20 in the AP poll -- still being there at the end of the season? No? The Hoyas sandwiched two road gimmes (~~Greg Monroe's vacation~~ Tulane and Savannah State) with a thoroughly unimpressive one-point win over Temple on Tuesday. A ridiculous, ESPN–mandated 4 p.m. tip on Tuesday obviously drew a paltry crowd at the seemingly-cavernous Verizon Center, though it was probably for the best. Not even a game-winning shot from Monroe could salvage this train wreck of a game. Don't believe me? Georgetown had more turnovers (16) and fouls (18) than baskets from the field (15). Fun fact: the win did break Temple's streak of 68 straight wins when holding opponents to under 50 points.
Boy, does the early season scheduling of the big local ACC trio stink. Maryland -- probably the DMV's best chance at a Final Four team, beat minnows Charleston Southern, Fairfield, and New Hampshire by an average of 31 points. Virginia Tech, on the other hand, could only muster 14- and 13-point wins over Brown and UNC Greensboro, respectively. Virginia has cruised against Longwood, Rider, and Oral Roberts, but lost to South Florida. Between the three, they only play one ranked team in the pre-conference slate (Maryland at the BB&T Classic against Villanova on 12/6). And while Tech and UVA have eight major conference opponents combined in the non-con, they are really scraping the bottom of the barrel (Iowa, Penn State twice, Stanford, Auburn, Georgia, South Florida and Seton Hall). Way to boost that RPI, fellas.
Howard only scored 33 points against Georgia State last night. Oof.
American, fresh off last year's Patriot League championship and berth in the Big Dance, has started this season 0-4, dropping three straight in Tenleytown.

Setting the Pick:

It may have been a terrible way to lose a basketball game -- by one to the sixth-ranked team in the country on a three with 13.3 seconds left after leading by as much as 13 -- but George Mason proved that, once again, it will be a massive pain for everyone, especially in the CAA. Jim Larranenga again showed that Mason will be rely heavily on intensity, even when there is a gulf in class. Despite being out-rebounded 37-23 (15-5 on the offensive glass), Mason held Villanova to 35.8% shooting from the field and forced 16 turnovers from a team with a load of experienced guards. Mason dropped another one to #19 Georgia Tech on Friday, but came back nicely to dramatically beat Indiana today. Playing teams like that, 1-2 isn't a terrible return, and the competitive experience could prove invaluable.
Yet another CAA concern: Is Old Dominion for real? The Monarchs have started the season 4-0, but will be tested in the week ahead with games against Missouri and Richmond -- and later with games against Georgetown and Dayton in mid-December. Time will tell.

Riding the Pine: Morgan State keeping things close with Louisville, as I type...Mount St. Mary's obviously looking to garner votes in Dan Steinberg's Atlantic 11 poll, beating American and Loyola early...Coppin State played the Washington Adventist Shock, which could be a Christian electrician company for all we know...Early candidates for worst team in the area award: Navy, Liberty, Hampton, Norfolk State open a combined 3-10.

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DCist Predicts: Redskins @ Cowboys

Graham Hough-Cornwell — 2009-11-22T10:54:43-05:00

Photo by dharmabumx.

It didn't take much to turn Redskins fans' frowns into smiles: a fake field goal throw for a touchdown, an injury to starting Denver starting QB Kyle Orton, and, finally, a win over a halfway decent team to celebrate. The future still looks bleak, but yes, the Redskins are now 3-6 after last week's 27-17 home win against the Broncos. Redskins fans seemed to hold their heads high this week, knowing that this team -- perhaps definitively -- is not the worst in football. We might even get to enjoy another win or two before the season's over!

This week, though, is a whole different story -- Dallas week, as we say here in Washington. We've had some success against the hated Cowboys in the past few years, taking five of the last eight. That's not an incredible clip, but given the team's relative mediocrity, it's worth mentioning. If Albert Haynesworth can shake off an ankle injury and if Brian Orakpo and Andre Carter can get to Tony Romo, I foresee the 'Skins keeping it close, but not close enough: 24-20, Cowboys.

Haynesworth is currently listed as questionable, and many were surprised last week when his injury turned out to be a real knock, not just a chance to lie down, drink some Gatorade and eat one of those little energy bars. Missing him might be the difference, as he occupies enough blockers to free up the outside pass rush for others. On the other side of the ball, this week's buzz centers on the performance of Ladell Betts. Anyone who has spent considerable time around this writer for the past two years has heard a vociferous insistence about the need to get Betts touches. His performance at the end of 2006, when he started the last seven games but still went over 1,000 yards for the season, was tremendous. If last week was any indication, Betts is still capable of bursting through holes with more quickness and power than the still-concussed Clinton Portis has shown over the past year. Last week's determined performance, in which Betts ran for 114 yards and a touchdown, made it pretty clear that this team's best chance to win is with Ladell in the lineup.

All that said, the Cowboys have a little more firepower in their backfield than the Broncos, and Tony Romo -- much as it pains me to admit it -- is certainly a better passer than Chris Simms. 'Skins defensive back Carlos Rogers was so bad last week that he got benched, and, besides a big interception, DeAngelo Hall wasn't a whole lot better. If called on, can Justin Tryon really deal with the Cowboys aerial attack? It looks like Rogers will start, but the major, catastrophic breakdowns have come early and often in the past few weeks, and frankly, I'm nervous. But as usual, the recipe's the same: limit mistakes, get a big turnover or two, run the ball for somewhere around 150, and maybe we get a win.

That's a big maybe.

Overheard in D.C.: Careful What You Wish For

Andrew Wiseman — 2009-11-20T16:50:10-05:00

Photo by chesapeakelover

It can be fun to think about things you'd like in an ideal mate. But sometimes, things sound better than they actually are.

Overheard of the Week

At Asylum, Thursday night:

Female Waitress: "For some reason I have wings coming out my ass tonight!"
Male Bartender: "That would be a real selling point for chicks. Dude, if you could shit out buffalo wings, I'd marry you."

After the jump, musical instruments, salad, the winner of last weeks' contest, and more.

Hear anything funny/weird/insane? Send it to us and be the envy of your friends and coworkers! overheardindc(at)gmail(dot)com

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GS stands for Genius Services

In a Federal office building:

Man shouts over the cube wall: "Jack?"
Guy responds: "Yeah?"
Man: "You in?"
Jack: "Uh..."

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Who doesn't? Caesar, Cobb...

Tuesday on Colesville Rd. near East-West Hwy:

One mid-20s woman following another out of an apartment building: "I like to toss salads!!!"

They stop in their tracks as the first woman turns, surprised. They silently stare for 3-4 seconds before breaking into hysterical laughter.

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Great way to start the day

Friday morning on the S2 bus:

A man in his 30s looking a bit rough is speaking to an apprehensive woman dressed in work clothes. He earlier asked if she was married and if the ring she wore was to throw men off.

Man: "So you going to one of those 9-5 work things?"
Woman: "Yes."
Man: "I am glad I don't have one of those."
A few minutes pass.
Man: "I am doing the walk of shame."

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With his eyes?

At the Barnes & Noble in Bethesda:

One 20-something woman to another: "I mean, ethically, he just sees the way an animal sees."

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Flutes, however, are assholes

At the Kennedy Center:

As the 5-minute standing ovation dies down after Joshua Bell's performance of "Symphonie Espagnole":

Guy: "Alright. Maybe I don't hate the violin."

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H1N1 has some strange symptoms

8 a.m. Tuesday morning in Farragut Square:

Middle-aged man on his mobile phone: "I've had at least three incidents this year when I have sneezed and buttons flew off of my shirt... it's no good."

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Nicest wife ever? Or most passive-aggressive?

On the 90 bus on U Street:

Woman on cell phone: "This is your wife calling. I'm just calling to tell you your former wife, Miss Amy, is on her way up so you better get your clothes on. "

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Thanks, Dr. Cheech!

At Vermont and L at 12:30 p.m.:

Young woman on cell phone: "...instead of going to rehab she's working at a pot farm instead..."

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And finally, the contest winner from last week's overheard!

bikerate with "Blue's Clues sex party." Honorable mentions go to Little Donny and cannonsky.

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Thanks to This Week's Advertisers

tien mao — 2009-11-20T16:00:00-05:00

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on DCist.

Ballroom with a Twist, a new production with dancers from So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars, tonight and tomorrow at the Music Center at Strathmore.
John Mayer, find tickets for his Battle Studies tour with the AMEX early on sale.
GroupOn, using collective buying power to bring you one ridiculous coupon each day.
American Apparel, with 8 stores in DC, you can look your best after dark.

If you're interested in advertising on DCist or any other site in our network, check out our online mediakit.

Go Home Already: What Lies Beneath

Sommer Mathis — 2009-11-19T19:15:04-05:00

Photo by m hoek

BREAKING now: an arrest has been made in the Nov. 7 slaying of liquor store owner Rufina Hernandez, D.C. police are saying. More on this to come after a 7:30 p.m. news conference. [WJLA/ABC7]
The U.S. Postal service has declared its own War on Christmas: they are dropping the popular national program where volunteers in North Pole, Alaska open and respond to letters addressed to Santa. The decision comes amid fears of the possibility of pedophile infiltration in the program. [AP via NPR]
Charlene Lugar, the wife of Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) was arrested last night by the Fairfax County Police Department for driving while intoxicated and a hit-and-run. Looks like she hit a parked car. No one was injured. [USAToday]
A lawsuit filed by developer The JBG Cos. designed to halt the groundbreaking of the Convention Center Hotel will be allowed to proceed: "Although the judge has not issued an injunction — an order that would block construction — the suit appears to have succeeded in stalling the project." [Washington Business Journal]
The grim discovery of a body inside a PG County trash compactor gets so much grimmer: the body was that of a homeless man who had been sleeping in a dumpster when he was picked up and compacted by a recycling truck. [Washington Post]

New Whole Foods to Open Up Exactly Where it is Needed Least

Sommer Mathis — 2009-11-19T18:50:34-05:00

Photo by Maryland Route 5

Gotta concur with DCmud's sarcasm in reporting this piece of news concerning an expected ribbon cutting next year for a new Whole Foods at the Shops at Wisconsin Place development, located at the Chevy Chase/Friendship Heights nexus.

While the Bethesda-Chevy Chase corridor may seem like a scripted stage setting for the Whole Foods phenomenon, Chevy Chasers have until now had to drive all the way down to Tenley for their organic Gruyere, or eke by (gasp) on Giant or TJ's foodstuffs.

Ruth Samuelson made a handy little map over at Housing Complex to illustrate the point: this actually makes the third Whole Foods location on Wisconsin Avenue, all clustered relatively close to one another. Surely some other neighborhood, like say, Capitol Hill, could use a spot to buy organic arugula sooner than this one. Then again, my feelings on the "Fetishism of Whole Foods" are well established, so it's probably wise not to get too worked up about it.

Pet Worth: This Month's Highly Adoptable Animals

Meaghan Gay — 2009-11-19T11:50:31-05:00

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Last month, we launched our first collaboration with the Washington Humane Society and highlighted a handful of dogs that needed to find a home. The WHS's goal to "increase adoption, decrease the number of animals in need, and teach responsible pet ownership" is one that we truly believe in, and we're happy to report that two of the dogs we featured in October, Tancho and Nina, found homes!! Nina's new owner saw our photos and knew that she was the right dog for their family. She now lives with a family of five, two young children, two adults and another pit bull who is Nina's new best friend. Sumi, the beautiful and smart Akita mix is still at the shelter waiting to be sprung. Kate was diagnosed with heart worms and has been moved to the Washington Animal Rescue League to recover. She will be up for adoption again once she gets better.

This month, we have more dogs, plus some of their much anticipated feline friends.

Copper
Copper is a 6-year-old Golden Retriever and Chow mix. He is a very relaxed dog who likes walks and affection. Copper was a stray and came to the shelter very skinny, but has since put on weight and is now a healthy boy. Copper would make a great family pet and is good with other dogs, but not cats. This dog will hang by your side and want lots of love. Copper's eyes show how kind and sweet he is.

Champ
Looking at beautiful Champ, a Shepherd and Akita mix, you would never know that he came from an abusive situation. Champ will listen and sit patiently, and likes to be praised. His history of abuse has led Champ to be a bit nervous, and he doesn't like to share his food, so he will require an owner who can understand his fears. Champ is dog friendly, so he can be in a home with another dog, but not with cats. At only 2 and a half years-old, Champ is still very energetic, but he is past the puppy wiggles stage.

Honey
Honey made a long journey to D.C. She's originally from California, and came cross country with her previous owner, who turned to WHS when they could not find a place to live that would allow dogs. Honey's personality is a little bit puppy, and a little bit surfer cool. She is 6 years-old, but very energetic. She's great with kids, and will be friends with a cat on a case by case basis. She also loves her fellow dogs. Honey is a Pit Bull mix, and I am convinced that the mix is partially meerkat. Honey does a trick where she will sit on her back legs like a meerkat and reach her front paws in the air. It is almost as adorable as she is.

Destiny
The last little dog has a big name, Destiny. Destiny is a 10-year-old Jack Russell terrier, a breed that often lives until the upper teens in years. Destiny lived with a family her whole life, but was given to the Humane Society after their daughter moved out and Destiny became stressed by the separation. Despite a few white hairs, Destiny behaves like a much younger dog. She will be a great lap dog at times, but she also likes to play. She can be nervous around other dogs, but will be OK once she meets and adjusts to them. Destiny needs an owner who can manage her nervousness, and then she will be a great family pet.

Dr. Beau
Dr. Beau is a 1-year-old cat whose previous owner was a hoarder. Once Dr. Beau gets comfortable in a situation, all he wants to do is play. He came in with another cat who was adopted, so Dr. Beau is looking for a new buddy. A home with another cat would be ideal.

Kodiak
Kodiak is a 1 and a half year-old who loves getting rubbed. Kodiak likes people, cats and dogs. He is a big love bug. Kodiak is an indoor-only cat who likes to use a scratching post. He's already litterbox trained, so he is ready to be part of a family.

Butch
Our last cat is Butch, who is just over a year old. Butch likes dogs, but not other cats, so he needs a home where he is the only kitty. Butch is not a lap cat; he likes to play and be boisterous. He is also litterbox trained and uses a scratching post.

If you are interested in adopting any of the animals featured, please contact the Washington Humane Society.
All of these dogs are located at the Georgia Avenue shelter:
7319 Georgia Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20012
tel: 202-723-5730

If you want to help but cannot adopt an animal, you can donate to the Washington Humane Society. A $150 donation will cover the average cost of an animal's stay, and help WHS complete their goal of finding a good home for every animal. If funds are tight and you would like to donate some of your time, you can volunteer with the animals at one of the shelters. Lastly, you can also check the list of goods that are on the shelter wish list and to see what you may be able to donate.

Morning Roundup: Deals and Steals Edition

Sommer Mathis — 2009-11-19T09:51:26-05:00

Photo by M.V. Jantzen

Good morning, D.C. With Thanksgiving now just a week away, the local media are breaking out the chestnuts: yep, you guessed it, it's time to start panicking about holiday travel. The first thing you do when you want to freak out about getting home for Thanksgiving is call the AAA spokesperson. That guy is always going to give you a great, terrifying quote about how bad traffic is gonna be this year. So after checking all the local news outlets on this one, what are we to conclude? Traveling next week is going to be annoying, just like every year. But if you're interested in the specific predictions, it looks like train and automobile travel might be up slightly over last year, while air travel may go down a bit. Good luck to you all!

Day Two of the 'Vince Gray Under Fire' Show: Let's see how the D.C. Council Chair is handling himself in the wake of the multiple allegations he faced on Wednesday. First, it looks like being somewhat contrite about his use of Council stationary to raise funds for the local Democratic party has paid off: the Washington Post declined to follow up on its story about Gray's letter to Comcast today (the Examiner does offer a second day wrap-up story of their own, though.)

But Gray has no such luck with the Washington Times, in which Jeffrey Anderson follows up on his original story this morning to report that even a spokesperson for developer William C. Smith & Co. has to admit that the company "would not ordinarily provide construction management services for minor repairs" of the sort they did for Gray. And while Gray insisted on News Channel 8's NewsTalk on Wednesday that the work was merely incidental to a larger architectural development project, the same Smith & Co. spokesperson cast some doubt on that claim, in addition to agreeing that even if that were the case, the work done on Gray's house was still unusual for them. Now, much to his credit, Gray did offer up the actual invoices to the press, which Mike DeBonis has posted on City Desk for your perusal. Does it seem like Gray got a deal?

Anti-Gay Marriage Group Files Suit: Totally expected, but Bishop Harry Jackson and conservative legal outfit Alliance Defense Fund have gone ahead and filed a lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court to try to force a ballot measure on same-sex marriage, as the Post reports. "In the 15-page filing, Jackson and his seven co-petitioners argue that the city's ordinances gives residents the same lawmaking power as the council, except for appropriations." Tellingly, the end of the Post story focuses on how even conservative members of Congress like Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Ut.) have to admit they aren't likely going to be able to stop D.C. from legalizing gay marriage.

Briefly Noted: Metro seeks OK for trip already under way ... Pedestrian fatally struck in Silver Spring ... Computer glitch causes East Coast flight delays ... Commercial real estate vacancy rates continue to look grim.

This Day in DCist: Last year, we offered up our recipe for deep fried pumpkin pies, and the year before that, we got our first look at Office of Tax and Revenue embezzler Harriette Walters.

Go Home Already: Between the Lines

Sommer Mathis — 2009-11-18T19:15:32-05:00

Photo by owash

D.C. Council Chair Vincent Gray appeared on News Channel 8's NewsTalk with Bruce DePuyt this afternoon to respond to some of the ethics questions raised in two different news stories today.
Voting rights activist Nikolas Schiller got asked to remove his tri-cornered hat, part of his standard Colonial costume garb at pro-D.C. events, at today's Congressional hearing on District autonomy, WAMU reports.
Via We Love DC, looks like Top Chef's Richard Blais plans to bring his Flip Burger concept to D.C.'s Chinatown.
More bike lane news: 5th Street NW is getting a new bike lane between the 1100 and 1700 blocks, via CCCA.
First Lady Michelle Obama was at Alexandria's Hollin Meadows Elementary today to tour the school's vegetable garden, WTTG/FOX5 reports.
Chico Harlan, who famously told Washingtonian magazine that he hates sports, is stepping down from the Washington Post's Nationals beat in order to cover ... anything else, apparently. So the Post is looking for a new Nats writer, and Fishbowl DC has the memo.

Meet Former Blade Staffers Tonight @ Hard Rock Cafe

Sommer Mathis — 2009-11-18T16:42:05-05:00

The folks who were all abruptly laid off from the Washington Blade earlier this week are meeting tonight from 6-8 p.m. at the Hard Rock Cafe (11th and E Streets NW), where they hope to greet loyal readers and/or potential investors & volunteers who want to help them get a brand new newspaper off the ground. Read more about what they're up to at SavetheBlade.com, and stop by to join them for a drink tonight. The former Blade staffers changed the name of their Twitter feed today to @DCAgenda, so it looks like they might already have an official name for the new venture at this point.