>> The District has agreed to put a cap on the number of inmates at the D.C. Jail at 2,164. [WaPo] >> "Chapter Three: The Reason I Want to Get into the Right Lane is That It's Dangerous Over Here On the Left (And Not That I Have Failed to Sufficiently Appreciate the Grandeur of Your Magnificent Internal Combustion Vehicle)." [Megan McArdle] >> The Attorney for De'Onte Rawlings' family says he is going to... more ›

The SILVERDOCS AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival was such a huge hit with film fans in its fifth year that it didn't end until yesterday -- a full day after its official closing. Festival organizers arranged to have several of the most popular films screen again on Monday to meet the high demand for tickets. On opening day it was apparent that the festival had outgrown its format of showcasing a large number of films over... more ›

They'll Turn You Into Marshmallows I know we posted about this earlier this week, but it's totally worth revisiting. Sing to the Tune of "I Want it Now" by Veruca Salt in 'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory' I want a feast! I want a ball feast! Free beer and bull's nuts Crown royal and bull's nuts, Can't eat enough bull's nuts, Give them to me now. Fifteen's the fee Saturday at eight Testicle Fair... more ›

FRIDAY >> Start the night off right at the DCist Happy Hour at 51st State. We'll all be there to celebrate our nation's veterans in the traditional manner: by drinking heavily. >> Who doesn't love a DJ who posts iPod playlists on the Internet so you can recreate a great night of dancing anytime, anywhere (especially when those playlists include choice selections like Kaiser Chiefs, The Rapture and James White and the Blacks)? Come celebrate... more ›

Labor Day is just around the corner, a time of relaxation, barbecues, final trips to the beach, heavy traffic and...dozens of plays crammed into one weekend? more ›

Djakarta is the artist behind the “Niggaz4Life” pieces, currently on display as part of the E2: Carving a Path exhibition, previously mentioned on DCist. Her work derives its title from NWA’s classic rap album and song “Niggaz4Life,” released in 1991. Djakarta’s video work is a montage of film clips from popular Hollywood films that portray black people singing, dancing, and mugging for the camera with the exhibit’s namesake song as a soundtrack. Her two-dimensional works are imitations of the classic military recruitment poster, featuring prominent celebrities Vin Diesel, Mariah Carey, and Tiger Woods as central figures. The posters are samples from a city-wide poster campaign, wherein posters were placed on telephone poles, newspaper boxes, walls and even inside newspapers. We caught up with Djakarta recently to talk about her artwork and the social issues that inspired it.

What is the intention behind the posters and postcards?

These are like Army recruitment posters, but inverting the message so that instead of one person pointing at the masses and saying “I Want You,” it’s the masses of black people saying “We Want You,” so they’re like wanted posters. It’s easy to identify the celebrities, and I wanted to catch people’s attention and make them ask questions. I like the juxtaposition of these clean-cut mulatto celebrities who don’t really associate themselves with being black have “Niggaz4Life” stamped on their forehead or stamped across their chest in a poster that say “We Want You.”

And hopefully when people see “Niggaz4Life” they’ll go “whoa.” They won’t think Mariah Carey has a new CD out. They know that’s definitely something she’s not going to attach to herself to, and the same with Vin Diesel and definitely not Tiger Woods, so hopefully it just causes people to think a little bit more.

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Goodness - there are concerts flying so fast at our head that we hardly know where to look. Should we go to Crooked Fingers at the Black Cat, or Steve Earle at the 9:30 Club? Indie Rock Karaoke at DC9, or Jump, Little Children at Iota? Or - the best option of all - the Backstreet Boys show at the 9:30 Club on March 30? Tickets go on sale this Saturday at noon, and we... more ›

DCist has been an REM fan since they were young and impressionable, so it's almost impossible for us to be objective about Michael Stipe, Peter Buck and Mike Mills. Last night's show at DAR Constitution Hall was a fun, lively and politically charged concert that hinged more on lead singer Michael Stipe's personality then the music. The band tore through a mix of old and new songs, sticking with their political activist theme for the... more ›