Results tagged “bestof”

Gothamist asked its readers if bicyclists should ride with the cars on the roadway—not the walkway—of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Shanghaiist found out that somebody (possibly government related) is sending journalists in China targeted malware ridden emails, though we haven't figured out why yet.

• LAist reported that the MagLev train from Anaheim to Las Vegas is more "it will happen" than "wishful thinking"--but Republicans still think it's "wasteful spending."
• Gothamist had a crazy week: First Kanye disses Taylor, then the city health department suggests banning smoking in parks and beaches...and then a local news anchor said, "Keep fucking that chicken."
• Torontoist interviewed Dan Zinman, a man aiming to offer the province of Alberta—sorry, that'll soon be Colberta—to Stephen Colbert.

• Chicagoist scoped out the spectacle, the crowds, and the madness surrounding Oprah's 24th season premiere, which shut down a stretch of the famed Magnificent Mile (aka Michigan Ave) and sent some residents and city officials into a tizzy.
• Gothamist had mixed feelings about a video showing a would-be bicycle thief getting a serious beatdown from the bike's owner and his friends—the lesson is: Do not steal bikes, bro!
• DCist captured images of the 22 "ghost bikes," bicycles that are painted white as a memorial to cyclists who have been killed while riding, that were placed by an activist around the same intersection where a previous "ghost bike" was recently removed by the city.

Gothamist was amazed that former Giants star Plaxico Burress pleaded guilty and will face 2 years in prison for charges related to the November incident where he brought an illegal gun into a Manhattan nightclub and accidentally shot himself because the gun was falling down his pants.

DCist revisited the saga of Molly, the stolen and ultimately returned local dog, when aggressive animal rights group PETA decided to speak up on the issue of leaving your pets tied up alone on the sidewalk.

DCist went to the official launch of Google Moon and geeked out over astronauts while celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing.

Phillyist nominated the administrators of the suburban pool club that allegedly kicked out a number of urban youth on basis of their race as its assholes of the week.

• DCist was shocked when a local newscaster threatened a gay blogger on live TV while they were discussing Kirby Dick's new film, Outrage, a documentary about outing closeted politicians who fight against marriage equality legislation.
• Shanghaiist knocked-off that super pretentious piece on bike culture by the New York Times by showing its own counterfeit bike style.
• Seattlest, staring at a week full of rain, started hunting for cheap flights to LA.

DCist couldn't help but notice that the Obamas' plan to give away tickets to the White House Easter Egg Roll entirely online didn't go so well.

Phillyist really digs roller derby.

Chicagoist talked to the mastermind behind Circus Cats.

Londonist followed in the footsteps of ambitious Victorian tourist James Patterson by completing the epic Patterson Challenge in 8 hours (and near-blizzard conditions).

Phillyist wondered just how much a star ball player is actually worth.

• Torontoist scoured Toronto to find the city's finest punny business names.
• Gothamist was stunned when a plane with failed engines landed safely into the Hudson River. All passengers survived, thanks to the pilot, crew, and amazing rescue efforts from commuter ferries and authorities!
• Bostonist drank a cocktail named after Superman's Fortress of Solitude and got ready to swill some inaugural beer.

Photo by Flickr user bretneilson.

• Torontoist exposed infamous local fiend Dimitri the Lover's new protégé, Pavel the Lover—a man who approaches underage girls, calls them "elegant," and passes them business cards asking them if they'd like to "swing on a star."
• SFist was disheartened to hear that Equality California's executive director refused to attend next month's inauguration due to Barack Obama's regrettable decision to have anti-gay and prop-Prop 8 pastor Rick Warren deliver the invocation, but perked up when attorney general and former (and future?) CA Governor Jerry Brown said that same-sex marriage ban Prop 8 was invalid.
• Bostonist interviewed Jamie Sneider, a comedian who likes to be naked and checked out the action at Fenway's Cask'n Flagon, where fists flew at a charity ball.
• Phillyist revealed the ten names rejected by the Campbell family before they settled on naming their son for the Fuhrer.
• Chicagoist watched Governor Rod Blagojevich's quick speech and marveled at a local artist's interpretation of Blago in the nude, toasted Drew Peterson for getting engaged while his fourth wife remains missing and his third wife remains murdered, and talked about not much plowing and calling dibs on parking during a snowy week.
• DCist commenters had a lot to say about whether MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski was really mugged outside the Georgetown Ritz Carlton or just fell prey to an aggressive panhandler.
• Seattlest's coverage of Snowmageddon 2008 started off fun, with visiting reindeer and snowbound drink suggestions, but then two charter buses nearly took a 30-foot header off Capitol Hill onto I-5.
• Houstonist started scheming to turn a Space Shuttle into a taco truck, a teaching lab or an arts center if they could get their hands on $42M to buy one when they are decommissioned in 2010.
• LAist wondered if Obama choosing evangelical minster Rick Warren to speak at the inauguration would pick at the Prop 8 wound; to prove Prop 8 was still a priority, protests were organized this weekend, as supporters of the Prop filed a lawsuit to nullify the 18,000 gay marriages that took place in California this year.
• Shanghaiist was amused by this video of a Canadian guy singing The Star Spangled Banner in Chinese.
• Londonist salivated over space shuttles and skating Santas.
• Gothamist got to see Governor Paterson (1) get spoofed on Saturday Night Live, (2) express his anger about it, and then (3) refer it the spoof again when he introduced a bevy of new taxes, including an "iPod tax" and "non-diet soda tax."

Continue reading "Week Around the Ists"

">got interviewed by WDSU news, was there to snap the Saintsations board the London Eye and will be sitting in the Wembley press box for Saints V Chargers today.

• Bostonist was at Fenway Park to watch the Red Sox win a pretty awesome baseball game.
• Chicagoist watched the city rock the early vote, chatted about the third debate, and got pumped for the Muppets.
• Phillyist is positively euphoric about their home team.

• Londonist explored the hidden basement levels of the British Library.
• Phillyist wondered whether AT&T was treating them just like everyone else.
• Bostonist got all worked up about grammar. A local man, member of the Typo Eradication Advancement League and apparent troublemaker, was busted (or is it got busted?) fixing/besmirching an historic sign at the Grand Canyon.

• Torontoist featured video of an absolutely insane series of explosions at a propane facility in the north end of the city last weekend.
• Despite an eventful week at the Olympics, Phillyist focused on local, Philadelphia teams.
• Seattlest, freshly aware of their "Junior High Readability Level," implemented a new weekly feature spotlighting a local they’re totes crushing on. First up, a guy they met at the Seattle Tattoo Expo.

Color us honored! When we thumbed through the massive, two-lb. "Best Of D.C." edition of this week's Washington City Paper, we were surprised and delighted to find that publication's readers had awarded us "Best D.C. Web Site." Best locally-focused blog, OK, but best web site? Washingtonpost.com was a runner up? Allow all of us here at DCist HQ to deliver a collective "gee golly." That was just awfully nice of you, City Paper readers.

A month ago, the Washington Redskins needed to win out the rest of their season and receive a ton of help from the rest of the NFC in order to make the playoffs. And it needed to start in the short week between a Sunday's loss to Buffalo and a Thursday night game with Chicago. And then it needed to start after Sean Taylor's funeral. And then it needed to continue despite losing starting quarterback Jason Campbell. And lastly, it needed to include three more victories over teams with playoff aspirations. Two of them on the road.

Over at Huffington Post, Andrea Batista Schlesinger of the Drum Major Institute has a nice roundup of what she thinks are the best public policy initiatives of 2007. Number six on her list is the D.C. Voting Rights Act, and she has a solid grasp on why congressional representation for the District is so important:

Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C's indomitable delegate, can debate with the best of them, but without the D.C. Voting Rights Act, neither she nor anyone else D.C. residents elect to Congress can cast a binding vote. No matter that the District's population is greater than, say, Wyoming's (two senators and a representative, thank you very much) or that its residents pay taxes and serve on juries, or even that the U.S. is a signatory to international treaties guaranteeing full voting rights.

If you're a regular reader of the Arts Agenda, be sure to check out yesterday's summary of the benefits of becoming a member of one of the local arts venues in D.C. Right after we put that online, we heard that WPA is relaunching their online database ArtFile (one of the benefits of becoming a WPA member is a free artist profile on the site, where you can store images of your work). Visitors can browse the site for free and save "lightboxes" with work of their favorite local artists.

Jim Bowden has been a busy man this offseason. Since we last left the Nationals, they have acquired outfielder Elijah Dukes, infielder Aaron Boone, pitcher Tyler Clippard, and catcher Paul Lo Duca. They have also signed outfielder Wily Mo Pena to a one year deal. Betting that he can't possibly have two horrible years in a row, the Nats have also signed outfielder Ryan "more strikeouts than total bases" Langerhans to a one year deal....

The cold weather - and holiday festivities - descended upon Gothamist. The Rockefeller Christmas tree was lit, Broadway stagehand finally ended their strike, and NASCAR decided to run their victory lap through Times Square. There were disturbing photographs revealing the working conditions in which many city manholes are produced and ninjas were also a hot topic, either robbing homes or entering into alibis. But the city was really rocked by how Rudy Giuliani's visits...

December begins tomorrow, and that means only one thing: it's time to take that special person in your life to a holiday concert. Do you want to subject him or her to the same old carols, something historical, or something really weird? Here is a list of your options, not including the many performances of Handel's Messiah or The Nutcracker, to be previewed tomorrow. THE BEST OF THE BEST: >> For those who never want...

Former D.C. Police Chief Charles Ramsey has been named police commissioner of Philadelphia by Mayor-elect Michael Nutter, reports the Associated Press. Ramsey came to D.C. in 1998 after serving for 31 years in his hometown of Chicago, and became Washington's longest-serving police chief in more than three decades, serving as top cop in the District until the end of 2006, when he was replaced by incoming Mayor Adrian Fenty. Since we've had a little bit...