If you're not looking forward to setting your Thanksgiving or Christmas table with your best Ikea acrylic, you might want to take a short road trip this weekend to get some new wares. The Valley Craft Network, a 26-year old association of professional artisans and craftspeople, is holding its annual holiday studio tour this Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nestled in the Middletown and Pleasant Valleys west of Frederick, Maryland, the... more ›

Good morning, Washington. For those of you who were inconvenienced by yesterday afternoon's Red line mishap, we're sure you'll be glad to hear that the suspect who Montgomery County police chased into the tunnel got away. The whole incident started just after 2 p.m. when officers, acting on a suspicious-person call, spotted Michael J. Brown, a man known by area police and who is wanted in Baltimore for several charges of theft. After a chase... more ›

>> Since you'll probably want to wake up in time to see the total lunar eclipse tomorrow morning (more on that in a bit), you might want to call it an early night. But if you're feeling frisky... >> Hanson doesn't play until mid-September, while Megadeth and Cannibal Corpse are both about a month away. So, you'll have to settle for the Black Cat Backstage tonight, where The Chance and J. Forté + the... more ›

While SFist cringed at the fatal dose of crime littering the Bay Area, it found solace in Hillary Clinton's San Francisco campaign headquarters opening, which featured loads of exposed mammary glands. In other news, SF Taxi Commission ruled that Satan's cab must keep its (in)famous medallion number, 666; and in an un-fashion-forward frenzy, San Francisco Fashion Week (chortle) bars bloggers from covering and getting smashed at their shows and parties, respectively. Also, they found a... more ›

In the summer of 2003, Chef Ed Hanson opened a pizzeria on the western edge of a neighborhood that had just renamed itself Penn Quarter. Four years later, Ella’s Wood Fired Pizza, named for Hanson’s young daughter, remains a rarity in downtown Washington: it is an independently owned--and not the least bit pretentious--place to enjoy a drink and a bite to eat. Located at 901 F Street, Ella’s features neither a unifying decorative theme (Matchbox)... more ›

No, he didn’t make An Inconvenient Truth, but climate change policy wonks will probably turn out to throw Joseph Romm a bone as he signs Hell and High Water: Global Warming—the Solution and the Politics—and What We Should Do. At Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW., at 7 p.m. more ›

For once, we could afford to buy a CD at Tower Records. Unfortunately, the pickings were slim and the occasion sad. In October the national record store chain succumbed to the pressure of its online competitors, selling the assets from its 85 stores to a liquidation firm and marking the end of a generation of music buyers who preferred to curiously browse through unknown bands at the advice of knowledgeable, if surly clerks. Since then,... more ›

Written by DCist contributor Eli Resnick Last year's Washington Capitals were bad at everything. This year's team, while still decidedly bad at many things, has some distinctly strong aspects. For instance: they ice-skate very quickly; they have several decent offensive players and a loaded power play; and, oh yeah, they're insanely tough. We're not just talking about a team loaded with Hanson Brothers indiscriminately pouring violence on opponents, teammates and fans alike. We're talking about... more ›

It was five years ago today that the U.S. was hit by the deadliest attack in its history, leaving almost 3,000 people dead and launching a global crusade against terrorism. In that time, much has been said about securing the homeland to avoid another attack -- and billions more have been allocated to actually doing so. District residents have observed the march towards security both as residents of the city and the nation's capital, most... more ›

Following up their popular May event, Sarah Goforth, Mary Hanson and the folks at the National Science Foundation will be holding their monthly Café Scientifique out in Ballston at The Front Page. Neuroscientist Kathie Olsen will be expounding under the evening's heading of Your Phantasmagorical Brain!. more ›

With so much of the District wrapped in a political bubble, sometimes it's nice to take a break and remember that there are things in this world not based on massive plumes of hot air -- science for instance. Café Scientifique, a monthly event organized by the National Science Foundation, (NSF) helps connect the scientific experts and the average viewers of NOVA. Held in Arlington last month, the first Café Scientifique had such a great turnout, that the science buffs are doing it again. more ›

Good morning, Washington. Today will be cloudy and cool with a 60 percent chance of rain in the afternoon. Today the National Zoo is releasing the first tickets to the general public to catch a glimpse of the baby panda - go to their website and get yours, if you can. If you work on the hill the AP is reporting the smoke which caused an evacuation of the Rayburn House Office Building this morning was caused by overheated cables. more ›

As the Hot Ticket turns into the pleasantly, autumnally cool ticket, there are certain hot items that will go without saying from now on, so don't ask why we haven't mentioned them. These are: 1) You should all be ashamed for not going to Nats games while there are a few left in this inaugural season, but we're not going to mention this anymore. 2) There is, apparently, a professional football team in the area,... more ›

Yesterday's copycat attacks in the London Underground might have pushed already nervous WMATA officials to consider what has before been the sole province of air travel security -- searching passengers bags and packages in stations and on trains. more ›

Metrorail riders are very familiar with the distinctive voice of WMATA's police chief, Polly Hanson, telling us over the intercom to ask: "Is that your bag?" when we see unattended items on the train or in stations. Polly has gotten us into the mindset of safety first, and we thank her. Click here for complete WMATA safety and security guidelines. Now we have a new guy to listen to, but you'll be lucky if you... more ›

Transportation News: -- Flooding had closed the Mount Vernon Square-7th St. Convention Center station on the Green and Yellow lines. Shuttle bus service had been provided from Gallery Place-Chinatown. This morning, a WMATA alert referred to the station by its old name, Mount Vernon Square-UDC, which the wires and the Post picked up as well. As of 7:55 a.m., the station had reopened, though escalators were not working. -- WMATA's police chief, Polly Hanson, has... more ›