Hemphill Fine Arts opened two shows this past weekend, showcasing James Huckenpahler’s digital prints in Mindless Pleasures and David Byrne’s furniture design in Furnishing the Self – Upholstering the Soul (Chairs). And while both shows are housed in the same gallery space, they displayed art at opposite ends of the spectrum in both medium and in feel. The first of the two shows at Hemphill is Huckenpahler’s computer art presented in Mindless Pleasures. His work…

City Paper really needs to pay employees more This blog post from City Paper’s Jessica Gould seems to imply that perhaps City Paper is not paying its employees quite enough. Recalling The Simpsons episode, “Lisa Gets an A”, Gould discusses going to Whole Foods with the purpose of compiling a lunch entirely from the free samples. As she went for a sample, one of the employees “caught her in the act.” I’m all about…

By DCist Contributor Stephanie Taylor Halloween is fast approaching, and because the scariest day of the year was inconsiderate enough to fall mid-week this year, much of the drunken pin the rib on the skeleton madness begins next weekend. But the District has very few true costume shops. If you’ve sorted through your closet and still haven’t found a winner for this year’s costume, we thought we’d offer a few suggestions as to where to…

By DCist Contributor Vince Wadhwani of BuyIndie.net Location, location, location. Last year Sticky Fingers occupied the small, cramped space across the street and down the stairs from Lauriol Plaza. While there’s no denying the quality of the vegan cookies, the shop itself didn’t quite have the required room to operate comfortably. The new occupants, Biagio Fine Chocolate, have done a remarkable job taking what was an unattractive space and turning it into an inviting, seemingly…

>> After bitching about extreme lack of tickets to Friday’s sold out Arcade Fire show, our friends at Washingtonian Magazine alerted us to their ticket giveaway. Only one seat is up for grabs, you didn’t want to bring your girlfriend anyway, right? Contest ends Thursday at noon. >> Tim Westergren, founder of Pandora Internet radio, hosts a meet up tonight at Be Bar. Open to listeners and non-listeners alike, guests can chat about the…

Today DCist begins a new supplement to our weekly agendas. If you still don’t have plans for tonight we’ve got an assortment of activities to get you off the couch and out enjoying all the area has to offer. >> Jumping on the cherry tree bandwagon, Black Cat hosts The Cherry Blossom Jam. Rap artists Marsha Ambrosius, of Floetry fame, Chrisette Michelle, Frestile and MN8. [1811 14th St. NW, $22, Doors open at 8…

By fashion contributor Rachel Cothran. See more of her writing and street photography at her web site Project Beltway. Tucked in an alleyway off 18th Street in Adams Morgan, an off-beat shop hides behind ugly metal double doors, but the clothes you’ll find inside are often diamonds in the rough of D.C. fashion. At Unsung Designers, polos and pearls are tossed aside for one-of-a-kind dresses in original prints and killer heels you won’t ever see…

We get it. You have strong feelings on the smoking ban. The little number next to the “Smoking Ban May Get Tougher…” link at the top of the page can attest to that. Overheard has resolved not to take a public position either way on the issue. We are uniters, not dividers. But we will say this: people carrying conversations that were taking place at a semi-private table in a noisy bar out into the…

Though you might not realize it upon entering the poster-decked bar which probably would be right at home next to Don’t Tell Mama on Restaurant Row, the tiny back room of the Playbill Café has its very own puppet show going on. These puppets have a weightier task ahead of them than the jovial characters on Sesame Street, or even the dysfunctional lot over on Avenue Q. Puppets, and various other props, are what drive…

>> The Washington D.C. Human Trafficking Meetup which tonight hosts freelance photographer Kay Chernush in the Langston Room at Busboys and Poets. Chernush will present photos she took while on assignment for the U.S. State Department in India, Thailand, Italy and Hong Kong in 2005 for their annual Trafficking in Persons Report which “serves as the primary diplomatic tool through which the U.S. Government encourages other countries to help fight forced labor, sexual exploitation, and…