Results tagged “ahref”

I could have picked any number of photos from Flickr user grundlepuck for today's Photo of the Day entry, but when in doubt, go with the long exposure. This shot was taken on a Canon PowerShot S3 IS. The EXIF data can be found here.

Today's photo was taken by Flickr user andertho on a Lomo Fisheye, a camera I own but don't use nearly enough. Since it's a film camera, there is no EXIF data. Andertho has a few more fisheye shots here. If you have some, or have a fave on Flickr, leave a link in the comments.

Overfishing. Mercury. Enslaved fishermen. There are enough ideological pitfalls to sushi consumption already. So when we read Martin's post earlier today, it made us sad. We just want some eel and spicy tuna rolls; not to support a crazy cultleader's bid for world domination via the seafood market. Judging from the comments on the original post, many of you feel the same way.

This Monday will bring the first installment of the F.W. Thomas Performances, and you, gentle DCist readers, are largely to blame. The series, which bills itself as a "monthly literary variety show featuring live presentations from area writers, artists and musicians," was started in part because of the great turnout for a reading by writers John Hodgman, Adam Mazmanian and others here in D.C. in December — an event that we're told DCist readers showed...

Good morning, D.C. In addition to scattered showers and thunderstorms, today brings news that the Circulator bus line is nearing its millionth passenger. Not too shabby — although the city's busiest buslines put up those kinds of numbers every month and a half (probably less, given the age of the linked numbers). But officials say that Circulator ridership has been increasing steadily; assuming the service survives the looming Tourmobile legal apocalypse, its planned route around...

Good morning, D.C.! It's Friday and the weather is beautiful. Shouldn't you be playing outside? Yeah, us too. Well, if you can't sneak away from your computer for some physical activity, you can at least sneakily watch others get theirs: WTOP is reporting that George Mason's afternoon practice is going to be webcast live, beginning at noon. You can tune in courtesy of NCAASports.com and Indianapolis' WISH-TV. Immigration Protest Draws Students To Ballston: The Post...

Welcome to the second day of spring, Washington — and, if forecasters are right, to what might be the last snowy day of the season. That's right: parts of the region are expected to get as much as three inches of snowfall beginning this morning and ending around midnight. It just a week ago that we were cheerfully reflecting on the pleasant weather and how it would probably never be cold again, ever. We were...

Today's Opinion comes to us from proud biker and DCist's tech guru, Tom Lee.

Good morning, Washington, and happy St. Patrick's Day. One day into the tournament, we hope your NCAA bracket is shaping up well. We know it is for the GW Colonials — they eked out a three-point win over UNC Wilmington in overtime last night. Their next game will be against Duke at 1:10 on Saturday. Maryland Mulls Response To Utility Rate Hikes: Last week we discussed the steep electricity rate increase that will likely face...

We thought it was just the DCist staff that had been under the weather recently — after all, spending your days in front of the computer screen and your nights at blogger happy hours is not exactly a prescription for robust physical health. But WTOP reports that we're not the only ones. Prince William County has noticed an increase in absenteeism among its busdrivers, for one thing. And as you can see from this not-actually-that-helpful...

In general, it's hard for Washingtonians to poke much fun at others' mascots. From the hopelessly politically incorrect Redskins to the dull and non-threatening Wizards to the uber-generic Capitals and Nationals, D.C. is mired in moniker mediocrity. Even our soccer club's name elicits groans, though the half-hearted attempt to appropriate European football heritage does stand head and shoulders above its competition. We now have our free pass to poke fun, however, as it appears that...

Good morning, Washington. It looks like today's going to be sunny and warm, leading into a generally pleasant-sounding weekend. Hurrah! Now for some unpleasant-sounding news...

Maryland Electricity Prices Likely To Increase: NBC4 is reporting that this summer's utility bills are likely to contain a nasty surprise for Maryland customers. Rising gas, coal and oil prices could lead to a 1/3 to 3/4 increase for as many as 1.6 million consumers. Don't gloat, Virginians: according to the article, you may be facing the same situation next year when current rate freezes expire. D.C. utilities will presumably remain as affordable, reliable and all-around delightful as ever.

Dangerous Dogs In Va.: Yesterday marked one year from the day that a Spotsylvania woman was killed in front of her house by three loose pit bulls. And strangely enough, it also brought two new dog-attack stories. First, a pit bull was shot by police in Falls Church after biting two people. Second, the Virginia House of Delegates passed a new law increasing penalties for owners of dogs involved in serious attacks.

Navy QB Faces Rape Charges: Naval Academy MVP Lamar Owens is accused of forcing himself upon a 22 20 year-old midshipman while she was intoxicated, according to the Post. Owens' defense seems to have been significantly weakened by the prosecution's recording of a phone call in which he confessed to the victim and expressed his contrition. And WTOP reports that Owens' legal situation might be even worse than first reported: he may now also face charges related to the violation of a previous order requiring him to stay away from the alleged victim. The next hearing in the case won't occur until April 3.

Briefly Noted: Maryland changes back from touchscreen voting machines to paper ballots... More squabbling among P.G. County firefighters... Winston Churchill named honorary Virginian... String of robberies targets N.W. cabdrivers... $100k lottery prize remains unclaimed...

Image posted to DCist Photos by easement.

Via the Post, we see that the National Park Service has issued its official guess at when the cherry blossoms will reach their peak. The verdict: March 27 - April 1, a range of dates that's conveniently in the middle of this year's National Cherry Blossom Festival. This year's festival will include events ranging from soccer tournaments to kite flying to two different kimono exhibitions. You can find a list of all the events here....

Hi there, Washington. Check out this lovely photo from Flickr user LaTur. It looks like we're in for more of that kind of sunny weather — today's going to be clear, windy and cold. Kaine Aide's Remarks Draw Republican Ire: William Leighty, Governor Tim Kaine's Chief of Staff has gotten his boss in trouble with Virginia Republicans after implying that the governor would discriminate against legislation drafted by lawmakers hostile to his transportation agenda. Leighty...

Mornin', Washington. We hope you had as much fun as we did at Unbuckled last night. Thanks to the Hard Tomorrows, Olivia Mancini and the Housemates, and our own DJ Leafblower for providing a night of great music. Most of all, thanks to all of you for coming out. We had a blast. Hospital Proposal Hits Roadblock: The Post reports that Mayor Williams' plans for building a hospital in partnership with Howard University has run...

, but recently Ask DCist has stopped waiting for questions and taken to scouring the city for citizens in need. Sadly, as internet geeks our powers are pretty much limited to answering questions. Also, in lieu of a badass orbital command center with sophisticated remote sensors, we're pretty much stuck with our couches and RSS readers. But that won't stop us.

Good morning, Washington. We imagine that by now you may have already heard about the fallout over 84 year-old Maryland Comptroller William Schaeffer's inappropriate remarks to one of Governor Ehrlich's female staffers. Schaeffer was initially unapologetic, but Ehrlich says that he later expressed regret — although it's not clear whether he has yet apologized to the young woman in question. The Post covers the issue here; ABC 7 has video of the incident here. Spotsylvania...

On Saturday, R&B Coffee will take a unique approach to fundraising: they'll be doing it in two worlds at once.

The Happening is a charity event that will occur simultaneously at the coffeeshop's H Street location and in a recreation of the coffeeshop that exists in the online world Second Life.

This isn't unprecedented: Second Life has hosted cultural events before. For instance, Stanford Law professor and intellectual property expert Lawrence Lessig gave a talk there not too long ago. Second Life differs from other persistent virtual worlds in that users can own property and objects within it. You don't see too many other software companies that keep an in-game embedded reporter on staff.

The Happening "will feature music, art, dance, film, poetry, and a fashion show," as well as an appearance by Make Magazine's Phillip Torrone, who'll be demoing his portable virtual reality rig — and presumably pulling off the neat trick of being in two places at once. Tickets to the physical event are $20 in advance or $25 at the door, and attendees must be 18 or older. Basic membership in Second Life is free, but spaces for the event are limited. For more information, visit The Happening's website.

UPDATE: Via email and comments, the folks from The Happening inform us that there's actually no minimum age for attendees.

Thanks to David for the tip.

Good morning, Washington. It looks like today's going to be cloudy and cold, with the weekend bringing snow — snow! — at long last. We know, we know: it'll just be godawful slush and freezing rain, and in the unlikely event that it sticks around until Monday, we'll no doubt still have to go to work (we'll just be more cold & damp than usual when we arrive). But it doesn't matter; we still get stupidly excited at the prospect of flurries.

Teens Forced To Rob Banks: The Post reports that yesterday's story about a fourteen year-old bank robber is more complicated than it first seemed. This was apparently the second recent incident in which a teenager was forced to enter a bank and demand money under threat of violence from one or more assailants. The first of these crimes occurred three weeks ago.

MLB May Respond To Stadium Legislation Soon: The Post recounts the horse-trading that went into Tuesday's marathon council session. It all sounds a bit silly to us, with council members alternating between digging in their heels, declaring victory, and explaining that they had no idea what they were voting on. It might not be long before we learn whether that gamesmanship will pay off: Major League Baseball says it may respond to Tuesday's resolution as early as today. The deadline for a response from MLB is March 7.

WMATA Reforms Delayed: The city council isn't the area's only dysfunctional deliberative body. NBC4 reports that yesterday's WMATA board meeting ended prematurely after a dispute erupted about some members' need to depart for a commitment in Richmond. As a result, proposals to extend rail service and cut some bus lines were left on the table.

Va. Legislature Shelves Sex Offender Proposal: Speaking of Richmond, Virginia's state legislature has suddenly made itself look relatively circumspect: the State Senate's Education and Health Committee has decided to temporarily shelve consideration of a measure that would allow for the physical castration of those convicted of sex crimes.

Briefly Noted: Food Cafeteria fight sends boy to hospital... UMBC student charged with murder of MySpace acquaintance... Williams courts fellow mayors from around globe for voting rights support... Former Hagerstown cop charged with making various threats...

Image posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user ohad*

Today the Post confirms the rumors that have been swirling over the past week: beginning next season newspaper columnist/television host/radio personality/D.C.-area curmudgeon Tony Kornheiser will be joining the Monday Night Football broadcast. The news comes as part of a slew of changes for the venerable telecast, as the program makes the move from ABC to ESPN. Kornheiser will be parnered with Joe Theismann and Mike Tirico. Neither John Madden nor Al Michaels — the program's...

Good morning, D.C. The picture to the right — posted to DCist Photos by Ryan Shepard — is an illustration of J. Cuthler's Brewery that was originally published in 1884. Fourteenth & E has changed a lot since then, but tonight you have a chance to help save different piece of Washington's brewing history: the Heurich House Happy Hour is this evening. You can find details on all the alliterative fun here. And while...

Yesterday WMATA unveiled the new voice of the Metro: Randi Miller's dulcet tones will soon be the ones gently reminding you not to crowd, lean on or get caught in the doors.

Good morning, Washington. We hope your commute your commute to work yesterday was better than ours. We ran into snarled traffic in two different locations thanks to newspaper machines that had been blown into the street. Chalk another one up for the new media: we may not have sources, offices or salaries, but we're indisputably less susceptible to wind. Today looks to be about as cold and blustery as Thursday was — WAMU says...

Good morning, Washington! We hope you're as groggy and headachey as we are this morning: it'd mean that you did your patriotic duty as a DCist reader and came out to our happy hour last night. It was great to see old friends, meet new interweb luminaries, and generally hang out with folks who like this town as much as we do. Thanks for coming out. We'll have to do this again. Soon. Oh,...

Good morning, Washington. Has your tap water been tasting better recently? There might be a good reason: the Post reports that, in a letter sent to its customers, WASA states that levels of lead in the District's water have fallen to less than half of the maximum allowed by federal regulation. The improvement is in part thanks to the addition of orthophosphate to the water supply — which, for all we know, may be a taste sensation in its own right.

Police Will Issue Sunday Parking Tickets: It looks like the recent parking activism in the third district has achieved its goal: the Washington times is reporting that the D.C.P.D. will begin issuing tickets to illegally parked churchgoers. The police department doesn't yet know it will begin issuing tickets; a police spokesman says the department is still hoping that residents and churchgoers can work out a mutually agreeable arrangement.

Investigation of Reporter's Murder Continues: Perhaps unsurprisingly, local journalists' coverage of the murder of one of their own has been intense. Yesterday we mentioned that police are looking for two men and a dark sedan in connection with the attack. WTOP now reports that questions have arisen regarding the official response to the crime — specifically with regard to ambulance response speed and how police began the investigation at the crime scene. It seems safe to say that we'll be hearing more before coverage of this sad incident concludes.

Briefly Noted: Handful of MARC stations set to close March 6... Williams wagers Ben's chilidogs against Seattle mayor's salmon in bet over 'Skins next game... New bill provides aid to grandparents raising kids... Mayor says stadium lease could be resolved by week's end...

DCist is throwing a Happy Hour, and you're all invited. This is our chance to prove we're not just Internet dorks, speaking in binary as we hatch nefarious blogger plans in smoke-filled rooms (what will become of the smoke-filled room in smoking ban DC? Will tomorrow's Abramoffs operate out of hookah bars?). It's your chance to put faces to names and drinks to lips, to tell us in person how much we do or do not suck, and to see the interweb's finest stumble around in an effort to find the loo. Will there be lots of vaguely familiar names from the local media? Absolutely. Will you see John Roberts rubbing elbows with Gilbert Arenas? I mean, it's possible. But it's going to be a great party, complete with half-price Coronas and five-dollar Jack drinks, music spun by reputable DJs, and a no-holds barred dance off between Martin and Jonathan Rees.

Thanks to Patrick Gavin, an editor at the Washington Examiner for tipping us off to a change in the paper's editorial page: starting today, the daily paper won't comment on televangelist Pat Robertson's various pronouncements. Robertson has recently made headlines for saying that Ariel Sharon's recent stroke was a form of divine vengeance.

Refusing to dignify the mean-spirited religious theories of a kook wouldn't merit attention but for the Examiner's parent corporation. the Washington Times Phil Anschutz, who owns the Examiner, is widely perceived to have a conservative slant. Robertson's affinity for the Republican party and his status as an evangelical leader prompt one to naturally assume that he'd be in the good graces of the paper. Perhaps this is just a case of decency trumping party affiliation.

UPDATE: This post originally stated that the Washington Examiner was owned by the Washington Times. That is incorrect, and the post has been updated to reflect this information. This writer apologizes for the error, and thanks our commenters for pointing it out swiftly.

Good morning, Washington. As you've probably heard, a commuter train derailed yesterday in Prince William County. Impressively, VRE says that its trains will return to a full schedule today. Riders were initially warned to expect delays as long as forty minutes, but it now looks like things are more or less back to normal. Agreement Reached On Howard Hospital: Mayor Williams and Howard University President H. Patrick Swygert have reached an agreement surrounding the...

Good morning, Washington. Are you ready for the new year? We can't say that we're quite ready to say goodbye to 2005 — it's been a pretty good year for us. On the other hand, it'll be nice to have a new set of resolutions to ignore. Have you got any? District Spends Lavishly On Travel: In a story that strongly recalls November's contracting scandal, the Post reports on D.C.'s big-spending attitude toward employee...

Good morning, Washington. If you're reading this, we're guessing that you're stuck in an otherwise desolate office, playing on the internet and counting the hours until you can start making merry. Personally, we're counting the hours until we begin our Christmas shopping. DCist wishes all of you a safe and happy holiday weekend.

McDonnell Declared Va. Attorney General: A remarkably close electoral battle is over, and Robert McDonnell is the victor. The Washington Times reports that the Republican candidate's victory over R. Creigh Reeds was made official yesterday by the Richmond Circuit Court. The final margin was 360 votes — a mere 0.0166% gap.

Warner Pardons Men Cleared By DNA Evidence: We've written before about Phillip Thurman and Willie N. Davidson, the two Virginia inmates whose innocence was recently proven by a better-late-than-never examination of genetic evidence. Yesterday their exoneration was made official: Governor Warner pardoned both men, who had served twenty and eleven years in prison, respectively. Three other men were also cleared by the evidence review. Governor Warner has ordered an expanded examination of old DNA evidence as a result.

Teacher Charged With Bizarre Threats: Forty year old Michelle Dohm has been accused of stalking students and making bomb threats at Thurmont, Md.'s middle school. The former sixth grade teacher has been fired. The charges she's facing carry a maximum penalty of 100 years in prison.

Briefly Noted: Man robbed in Towson Center Mall bathroom... Carry-on ban on scissors and similar items officially over... Soybeans are now Va.'s top crop... Post recounts amazing story of woman's lost and found thesis... Pitbull owner convicted of involuntary manslaughter...