DCist

Photo of the Day: August 20, 2008

Heather Goss — 2008-08-20T11:59:28-05:00

We were just talking about all the new babies at the National Zoo yesterday, so we were taken in by this shot by RoxandaBear of the new golden lion tamarin twins. Last time I went to the Zoo was in June for my company picnic, and it was so deathly hot none of the animals were dumb enough to go outside (unlike us humans). With the weather so oddly mild right now, you might want to head down there to get your animal cuteness fill while you can. EXIF.

This Week in Jazz

Sriram Gopal — 2008-08-20T11:48:12-05:00

Christian Scott

>> Hawaiian folk artist Gary Haleamau brings his slack key guitar prowess and his unmistakably Hawaiian falsetto style of singing to the Millennium Stage tonight. 6 p.m. Free

>> Many consider alto saxophonist Shenole Latimer a jazz star on the rise. You can catch this up-and-comer tomorrow night at Twins Jazz. Call 202-432-0072 for set time and cover information.

>> Three Stars alums and DCist faves The Young Lions perform on Friday at Jazz in the Garden. 5 to 8:30 p.m. Free

>> On Friday, Jazz Night in Southwest hosts a group featuring some fantastic local players, including vocalist Mavis Water, pianist Jon Ozment, and trumpeter Donvonte McCoy. 6 to 9 p.m. $5

>> This Friday, 18th Street Lounge regulars See-I team up with jazz-funksters Mojai at Jammin' Java. 10 p.m. $10

>> Still in his early 20s, trumpeter and New Orleans native Christian Scott is considered the latest of the Crescent City's horn blowers whose lineage started with the legendary King Oliver and Louis Armstrong and has continued with such marquee trumpeters as Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard and Nicholas Payton. He will be making his area debut as a bandleader this Friday and Saturday at the historic Bohemian Caverns, in support of his electric recent release, Anthem. Tickets to the 9 and 11 p.m. sets are $20.

>> Local vocalist Armand Ntep, a native of Cameroon, brings his blend of African, Latin, and jazz stylings to Twins Jazz on Friday and Saturday. Tickets to the 9 and 11 p.m. sets are $15.

>> HR-57 hosts regulars Antonio Parker and A.J. Parham this Friday and Saturday. 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. $12

>> Tonolec, comprised of musicians Charo Bogarín and Diego Pérez, performs in Spanish and traditional Toba chants, combining instruments and electronica. They appear Saturday on the Millennium Stage. 6 p.m. Free

>> Four Across is a young band that reflects the best of contemporary acoustic jazz. Their compositions retain the harmonic and rhythmic sophistication of jazz tradition while presenting an ensemble sound that is accessible to all. They will be at Twins Jazz on Sunday. 8 p.m. $10

>> Local Brazillian percussionist and vocalist Gigi performs on Sunday at the Bossa Bistro & Lounge. 10 p.m. Free

>> This is a good time to remind all of you that Three Stars alum Thad Wilson leads his excellent jazz orchestra every Monday at Bohemian Caverns. $5 w/ a two drink minimum.

>> Three Stars alum John Lee and Unbuckled 7 alum Matt Grason team up as members of the Fourth Stream Project at the Bossa Bistro & Lounge on Monday. 9 p.m.

>> Next Tuesday is your second chance to see fusion-ites Mojai, as they play at the Bossa Bistro & Lounge. 10 p.m. No cover.

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Charter Schools Adopt New Truancy Rules

Sommer Mathis — 2008-08-20T11:33:10-05:00

D.C. Wire reported late yesterday that the D.C. Public Charter School Board has passed new attendance and truancy policies in the wake of the killings of the daughters of Banita Jacks. The decomposing bodies of the four girls were found dead in their Southeast home after having been absent from school for months. Charter schools will now be required to report attendance statistics on a quarterly basis, and will mark attendance at a threshold rate of 85 percent, and truancy at less than 20 percent.

Please Please Let Gilbert Arenas Do a Reality Show

Sommer Mathis — 2008-08-20T10:47:33-05:00

It's all speculation and rumors at this point, but this is one potential reality TV show we're happy to hype. Mr. Irrelevant caught Wizard's star and highly trained professional blogger Gilbert Arenas calling in to 106.7 WJFK’s Big O and Dukes show, where at some point, he mentioned that he's been approached to do a reality show.

Agent Zero is famous for not partying out on the town, preferring to stay home and play video games, so that's probably why Gil went on to say that his life is "really not that exciting." But we beg to differ. We want more Hibachi-style antics, set amid the NBA star's $1 million poolside grotto. We want more creepy powdered donuts. And by god, we want more phenomenal swag. Imagine the merchandising potential alone for such a show.

Gilbert said he's "thinking about it." Please consider visiting his blog and leaving a comment encouraging him to accept the offer.

Morning Roundup: Safety Hazards Edition

Sommer Mathis — 2008-08-20T09:30:50-05:00

Good morning, D.C. We hope you didn't have plans to take an Amtrak or MARC Penn line train early this morning, as rail service between Washington and Baltimore was halted after a man was struck by an Acela Express train near New Carrollton just after 5 a.m. The Man, whom the Post identified as a maintenance worker, was airlifted to a trauma center in critical condition -- one report says he died, though that has yet to be confirmed. It's still unclear how he was hit by the train. Both MARC and Amtrak service resumed after 7 a.m., but delays of about an hour were expected. Be sure to check all train schedules for delays before heading to Union Station this morning.

D.C. School Renovations Won't Be Done on First Day: We know, you're all shocked to read a headline like this one. The Post details the word from the Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization's Allen Lew, who admitted yesterday that some construction will not be finished on time for the first day of school on Monday. Four schools in particular, Browne Education Center, Emery Education Center, Eliot-Hine Middle School, and Raymond Elementary, are apparently rather far from being finished, though Lew said that none of the work will prevent the schools from opening on time. Teachers and staff at Eliot-Hine were not allowed inside the building yesterday due to unsafe conditions related to construction.

Obama Back in Va.: Everyone's speculating on who Sen. Barack Obama will pick as his running mate, and the Washington Times notes that with the senator in Virginia for a campaign event today, all eyes are back on Gov. Tim Kaine. Could Obama make an announcement today? Tomorrow? On Saturday at his big pre-convention rally in Illinois? What day do you think he'll announce his pick?

Briefly Noted: D.C. man sentenced to 20 years for rape and stabbing ... Man shot multiple times in Montgomery Village.

Photo by Bullneck

Go Home Already: At Least Tomorrow Is Hump Day

Aaron Morrissey — 2008-08-19T17:44:29-05:00

Teddy Roosevelt (albeit shorter than he was some hundred years ago) strolls around his old stomping ground. Photo by philliefan99.

More questions about the policing in Prince George's County: Police say that officer Steven Jackson shot and killed Manuel de Jesus Espina, 43, when Espina forcibly tried to grab Jackson's handgun; eyewitnesses say that Jackson relentlessly beat Espina with his baton before shooting him in the chest while he lay bloodied on the floor. Jackson has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into the incident. [WaPo]

The baseball might be horrible, but at least the soundbites are good for WaPo's Nationals beat writer Chico Harlan. [City Desk]

Didn't get your fill during Restaurant Week? No worries! Plenty of good eateries are extending their RW offerings through at least this weekend, including Cafe Atlantico, Oyamel, and PS 7's. [DC Foodies]

Recent Hall of Fame inductee Darrell Green was voted as the Redskins all-time greatest "franchise player." [ESPN]

You may want to prep the video of frolicking puppies before viewing: a family who had occupied a house for five generations will be forced to leave the property and watch the home bulldozed, in order to make way for the construction of an interchange to the Intercounty Connector. [ABC7]

Yup, we'd say this certainly qualifies as a big-time typo. [Talking Points Memo]

EveryBlock Launches D.C. Version

Sommer Mathis — 2008-08-19T16:52:51-05:00

The hyper-local news and neighborhood information aggregation site EveryBlock launched its D.C. version this week. Enter your address, ZIP, or neighborhood into the search function and turn up everything from blog posts and photos by your neighbors, a map and description of recent nearby crime, real estate listings, relevant local news stories, and public calendar postings. Basically they've taken all the D.C. government's live data feeds and added in RSS for everything else local they could find, and bundled it all together in an attractive package. Take a look around and tell us what you find.

RW Madness: A Look Back at Taberna Del Alabardero

Rebecca Cooper — 2008-08-19T16:29:26-05:00

Not ever having had the luxury of taking anyone to an expense account meal at Taberna Del Alabardero—and having failed on more than one occasion to convince my boss that he should take our staff there for a holiday party or birthday celebration—I chose the Old-World Spanish cuisine restaurant for last week's Restaurant Week pilgrimage. Taking almuerzo there Sunday was a decision that proved delightful at nearly every turn, from the grinning, attentive service to three inspired, perfectly executed courses.

One big key to our enjoyment of this RW experience was certainly the fact that we had weekend lunch reservations, an option that may have flown under the radar because the restaurant is not usually open for lunch on Saturday and Sunday. Adding my own fond memories of living in Madrid, with its long, lazy Sunday lunches followed by a late afternoon siesta—a tradition that thankfully has not fallen by the wayside on weekends in Spain— to Taberna Del Alabardero’s uncrowded dining room and reliable service, and Restaurant Week was, at least this year, all I could hope for.

Although in the past Taberna earned a reputation for offering a very limited menu for Restaurant Week, this was not the case on this season’s menu, which included four first course choices and six second course choices, with an additional three entree choices on a vegetarian menu. Only two items had upcharges: $3 for a scallop, strawberry and green pea appetizer that was worth the money for the hefty portion (three scallops) and $7 for an entree that included a certified Angus beef steak with impeccably marinated piquillo peppers and asparagus.

Fish factored heavily into the RW menu (PDF), with the scallops stealing the show for appetizers—although the Gazpacho Andaluz, named for the rural farming region in Spain where Spaniards claim the cold soup originated, boasted a smooth texture unmatched by any I’ve eaten before and a well-balanced array of tomato, cucumber and garlic flavors. Three of the six entrees offered were fish, and all three wowed members of our party, especially the grilled monkfish (pictured) with sweet cream of carrot and French beans. Elegantly yet whimsically presented, with streaks of black squid ink topping the dish and decorating the plate, the fish was complemented so beautifully by the nutmeg-spiced carrot cream that it prompted the unfailingly carnivorous member of our party that ordered it to exclaim, “I can’t believe the carrot is my favorite thing on this plate.”

Skin-on pan-seared rockfish was also a star, with its savory accompaniment of sauteed artichoke, tomato and sweet Spanish chorizo, and a grilled tuna steak was cooked perfectly with a healthy inch of warm, raw fish in the middle and served with a very common Spanish dish of cooked spinach, raisins, pine nuts and tomatoes. Non-fish choices included the aforementioned steak, which was delicious, garlic chicken and roasted baby goat. The goat was extremely well prepared—the meat was not at all dry or tough, common ailments for goat when it is not braised, and the dish highlighted the meat’s distinct flavor by including the feather-light cheese sauce around the side of the meat/zucchini arrangement, rather than on top, smothering the main attraction.

Dessert was delivered without delay—my only criticism is we could have waited slightly longer for the third course, in order for our entree to settle—and continued to impress. The texture of the Flan de la Casa was right on point, and the citrus pastry cream that went with it a nice contrast. Strawberries macerated in vinegar were incredibly fresh and sweet, making for a light dessert with a yogurt foam that mimicked whipped cream but was much lighter. The rice pudding and Tarta Santiago, an almond sponge cake, were also solid. Add to dessert the best café con leche I’ve ever had in the States, and we all left pleasantly full and ready for our own Sunday siesta. Although Taberna isn't extending their Restaurant Week offerings, as are some other D.C. establishments, definitely keep it in mind for next time around.

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Click Click: Impossible Hair at The Red & The Black

Amanda Mattos — 2008-08-19T15:39:34-05:00

This past weekend welcomed a great indie rock show at the Atlas District's The Red and The Black. The night started out with a super tight set by local act Impossible Hair. Their sound can be likened to the straight forward indie rock of yore, with a dab of new wave sparkle. They consistently hit the audience with with pop sensible, nod-provoking tune after tune.

Impossible Hair were followed by The Rosewood Thieves and Titus Andronicus, from NY and NJ, respectively. The Rosewood Thieves are an indie-folk quintet with Dylan-esque leanings evident on a majority of their tunes. Lead singer Erick Jordan shimmied, swayed, and cooed his emotive tales of love and loss to a captive audience. In contrast, Titus Andronicus took the night on a detour to a spastic state of mind. Titus Andronicus are receiving a fair, and duly deserved, amount of attention these days. They augmented their performance with a makeshift light show that underscored their love for the dynamic. The night wrapped up on a chill note with local acoustic minimalists, Letzkus Lanou.
-Nestor Diaz

There is an image gallery to this entry which you can view at DCist

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About Tonight

Sommer Mathis — 2008-08-19T15:29:28-05:00

Photo by pixelant

MOVIE: Director Miloš Forman is making a special in-person appearance tonight at the AFI Silver Theater for a screening of the classic anti-establishment funny farm flick, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. 7 p.m., $15.

MUSIC: The Andalusians are playing an animal rights benefit with relatively new local indie punk group Petworth at the Black Cat's Backstage. $8, 9 p.m.

READING: Breena Clarke, a Washington D.C. native and alumna of Howard University, will be at Politics and Prose to discuss her novel, Stand the Storm, which is set in antebellum-era Georgetown. 7 p.m.

READING: Arjun Makhijani discusses and signs his book, Carbon-Free And Nuclear-Free: A Roadmap for U.S. Energy Policy, at Busboys and Poets in D.C. 6 p.m.

JAZZ: The Navy Commodores, the U.S. Navy's premiere jazz ensemble, are playing on the Millennium Stage at 6 p.m. Free.

D.C. Teens Urge a Stop to Violence

Sommer Mathis — 2008-08-19T14:44:04-05:00

One good thing to come out of this year's controversial summer youth jobs program is the video above, an ad starring some of the program's participating students (h/t WTOP). The Neighbors of Seaton Place produced the ad with the teens, which calls on community members to put an end to the violence that is all too common on D.C. streets.

The commercial will reportedly begin airing on local cable networks this week, but you can view it via YouTube above right now.

Women's History Museum ISO Home

Kelly Rand — 2008-08-19T14:12:49-05:00

View Larger Map

When Joan Wages, President of the National Women's History Museum, was successful at moving the Suffrage statue to the Capitol rotunda from the depths of the basement, it served as a metaphor for women's history. She wanted to bring the accomplishments and contributions of women into the light and placed in full view for all to see and learn.

Founded in 1996, the National Women's History Museum, a private organization, is currently an online resource offering a cyber museum and exhibits ranging from the suffrage movement to women in World War II. But for the past 12 years, the NWHM has been trying to find a permanent, physical home to house numerous documents, records and archives that highlight these accomplishments.

NWHM has always wanted to be located on or near the National Mall and has pursued two prime locations in the past. "[This is] a city of symbols. We believe that women's accomplishments and contributions should be at the heart of the nation's capital." Wages said.

In 2005 the museum pursued the annex of the old Post Office building at 12th St. and Pennsylvania Ave. NW and in 2007, they went after the Smithsonian's Arts and Industries Building. But these past attempts have fallen through.

Today, they have their eye on a particular parcel of land at the corner of 12th St. and Independence Ave. SW, next to the Department of Energy. Since this space is federal property and close to the National Mall, legislation is required to direct the General Services Administration to sell the property at fair market value.

They helped introduce legislation in 2005 directing the GSA to sell the old Post Office building to NWHM, but it failed. Legislation was not needed when NWHM pursued the Arts and Industries building in 2007, since the Smithsonian soon discontinued their pursuit of private entity tenants.

The new property became available when the National Health Museum pulled out of the site and moved to Atlanta. The NWHM jumped at the location and quickly drafted legislation that closely mimicked that of the National Health Museum.

NWHM has high hopes that the legislation will move, since the bill will first be heard in the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, and the Chair, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, is one of the original co-sponsors. Companion legislation will be introduced in the Senate the week Congress returns from August recess, leaving a few short weeks to pass both chambers before Congress heads out for the year.

If the legislation fails, NWHM will pursue it again next session, though Wages feels this is the year for Congress to act, saying that "women have waited long enough for recognition, now is the time."

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Is Your Landlord Licensed to Do Business?

Sommer Mathis — 2008-08-19T14:03:15-05:00

The Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs is officially launching a new blog next week associated with its Collegiate Off-Campus Housing Initiative, called ThisShouldBeIllegal.com. The basic idea of the web-based program, according to DCRA spokesperson Michael Rupert, is "to try and get college kids to make sure they are being rented to legally." Under D.C. law, your landlord is required to have a business license, and the process of obtaining one prompts an automatic safety inspection to check for things like working smoke detectors and fire exits.

There might be a few tweaks to the site between now and the official launch, but all of the basic functionality is already up and running. It's a nice little web site that incorporates other social networking-based outreach efforts like a Facebook group and a Twitter feed.

Early posts to the blog encourage renters to visit this Business License Verification tool, which allows you to enter a landlord's name or your address to find out if your landlord has complied with the law. If you don't see your landlord's name in the database, it's likely they don't have a license, at which point you can contact DCRA through the blog, their Twitter feed, via email or phone to trigger an investigation.

So what happens if you sick a DCRA investigator on your landlord? Could you end up unwittingly setting in motion a series of events that could lead you to being forced to move out of an apartment you're perfectly happy with? ThisShouldBeIllegal.com says that your landlord won't know it was you who contacted them, and that "most of the time, a simple visit from city inspectors can be just the nudge landlords need to respond to problems quickly and without any hassle." Rupert also told us that typically an investigator would say that the agency is doing a random check on rental properties and ask the landlord to “voluntarily come into compliance,” or in other words, pay the money to get a basic business license and have a housing inspection.

"The only way you would get kicked out is if your place was a fire trap or really nasty," he said.

Schools Roundup: Deal or No Deal Edition

Rachael Brown — 2008-08-19T13:04:25-05:00

WTU President George Parker speaks to the press after a small protest by teachers last week. Photo by Meaghan Gay for DCist.

School starts on Monday, and even though Washington Teachers Union president George Parker recently told a group of protesting teachers that a tentative agreement could be expected within a week, it doesn’t look like we’re any closer to a contract vote for the District’s teachers. The negotiations hinge on D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee’s proposal to offer salaries upwards of $100,000 to teachers in exchange for increased accountability measures. Today, D.C. Wire reported that a recent poll sponsored by the American Federation of Teachers, the WTU’s parent union, found that teachers want to continue bargaining instead of voting on the proposal, by a margin of 3 to 1 among the 400 teachers polled. The findings should be taken with a grain of salt, however, since this is the same poll that was accused of being a “push poll” or biased against the proposal, while being conducted.

What’s been interesting about watching this controversy unfold over the last few months is the extent to which communication has played a role in messaging and side-taking. The debate has been described in terms of a generational battle between younger and older teachers, with younger teachers largely in favor of the voluntary merit pay proposal and many older teachers rejecting it as insulting to their seniority. Perhaps it makes sense then that the various teacher blogs and Facebook groups about the contract tend to support the proposal, while opposition to it seems to take more traditional, grassroots kind of action – robo-calls, meetings, etc.

Rhee has been criticized in the past for her office’s lack of communication with the community, but the Post reported last week that it’s the union that’s under some heat for failing to respond to its members’ questions about the contract, while Rhee has been personally returning every email and text message. "Pardon my ignorance, but why is the Chancellor able to e-mail me back with a multiple sentence response, but George Parker cannot send a one-word reply?" a first-year special education teacher asked the Post. “You don't respond to emails, your voice mail is full, the website is not updated and you release no statements to let teachers know where we are in this negotiations process," wrote another teacher in an email to Parker.

Despite all of the attention and pressure to vote, it increasingly looks like some of the outstanding “deal-breakers” of the WTU will need to be addressed before that happens — a clear appeals process for termination cases, for example. But some of the positions being taken against the contract are flat out ridiculous, and doing a disservice to the teachers who have legitimate concerns. On Raw Fisher Radio today, one DCPS veteran objected to the merit pay as well as increased authority for principals, saying, “It is degrading and insulting for teachers to have to interview with a principal before accepting a position in that school. Teachers are doing a terrific job.”

Last time we checked, a job interview with your boss is standard practice in any career, and D.C. public schools were among the worst in the nation. It’s time for some compromise here, and something’s got to give.

Schools Notes: Here comes the District’s first all-girls public charter school… City Desk posts the list of all DCPS principals for the 2008-9 school year… It’s hard to enforce school choice under NCLB when most of the options are still failing.

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Photo of the Day: August 19, 2008

Heather Goss — 2008-08-19T12:31:05-05:00

Flickr user david.abizaid took this night shot of a church tower in Dupont. He used a 1 second exposure that blew out the street lights a bit, giving the church a whole ethereal glow around it. EXIF.

No New Pandas, Yes New Other Cuddly Animals

Lynne Venart — 2008-08-19T11:58:51-05:00

Photo of Golden Lion Tamarin, courtesy of the National Zoo, Jessie Cohen, NZP photographer

Last week, panda lovers of D.C. shed many tears over the news that Mei Xiang will not be giving us a new baby panda this year, despite earlier signs indicating otherwise. This week, the Zoo would like you to remember that it does, in fact, have many other newborns at which to gawk.

An email sent around by FONZ last night touts the Zoo's twin baby golden lion tamarins, who were born at the Small Mammal House on July 17. The National Zoo has been working collaboratively with other zoos and researchers in Brazil on the captive breeding and habitat re-introduction of golden lion tamarins since 1992, and has been breeding the tamarins since the 1970s. With only 1500 left in the wild, these efforts are key to the species' survival. Over the past few decades, over 178 golden lion tamarins have been born at the National Zoo, and in the 1970s, only 200 were left in the wild. You can view the animals in their free-ranging area, or scroll down on this page to view a webcam.

This summer, the Zoo's Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal also welcomed two Przewalski's horses into the world. Przewalski's horses are native to Western Europe and Asia, and are the world's last remaining wild horses. They were classified as "extinct in the wild" by the World Conservation Union in 1970, and now approximately 1500 live in zoos internationally, all of which are descendants of only 14 horses captured in the early part of the twentieth century. The National Zoo is part of the Przewalski’s Horse Species Survival Plan, which manages the population to ensure health and genetic diversity. You can check in on the two new horses by reading their diary.

Other summertime births at the zoo include a kori bustard chick, two San Clemente goats, a prehensile-tailed porcupine, a greater Madagascar tenrec, a white-naped crane chick, and a tammar wallaby joey.

FCC: D.C. Area Behind in Digital TV Conversion

Sommer Mathis — 2008-08-19T11:45:08-05:00

The Examiner went with a story this morning about how the FCC is worried that too many people in the D.C. metro area still haven't heard about the digital TV converter box program. Seems a little tough to swallow at first, considering the sheer amount of promotion it has already received compared to virtually any other government program. But the FCC is especially concerned about seniors, people with disabilities, minorities, the very poor and non-English speakers, which makes a bit more sense.

I've had my two converter boxes for several months now, so in order to perform my ~~required amount of shilling for government handouts to big media~~ civic duty, here's the story of how it all went down:

Step 1: I went to this web site and filled out the forms to apply for two $40 coupons good toward digital converter boxes. I have two ~~non-HD~~ analog TVs in my house, and two is the maximum number of coupons allowed per person, so that worked out.

Step 2: About a month later, I got my coupons in the mail. They look like the ones in the photo above.

Step 3: I went to Radio Shack to buy two converter boxes and one new antenna (I already owned one pair of rabbit ears). Turns out the converter boxes cost $60 each, and the antenna ran me about $20. So the total cost, with the coupons, of my digital TV conversion was $60. Predictably, the people who work at Radio Shack had trouble with the simple task of running my credit card to process the transaction, which led them to run it through three or four times, which led my bank to put a hold on my Visa check card without me realizing it, which led to some difficulty paying my bar tab that night. So, maybe try Best Buy. There's no real difference between the two brands of boxes available at Radio Shack and Best Buy, and they cost the same.

Step 4: Set-up was very simple once I got the boxes home. The free digital broadcast picture is surprisingly high quality on my old TV set. The additional broadcast channels, like extra weather channels, Local Point, and the new one that plays a ton of old Wagon Train and Knight Rider episodes, are pretty sweet as well.

Have you already converted, or do you plan to? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Photo by christaki

Univ. of Maryland President Supports Lower Drinking Age

Sommer Mathis — 2008-08-19T11:03:38-05:00

NBC4 picked up an AP story about the Amethyst Initiative, a movement to lower the legal drinking age from 21 to 18, noting that C.D. Mote, Jr., the president of the University of Maryland, has signed on as a supporter. Over 100 college presidents have joined the initiative, saying they have observed that the higher drinking age has created a dangerous climate of secretive binge drinking on their campuses.

Johns Hopkins University president William Brody also signed with the effort, which carefully calls for "an informed and dispassionate public debate over the effects of the 21 year-old drinking age." Is your college or university on the list?

Photo by jeffq

This Week In Hip-Hop

W Jacarl Melton — 2008-08-19T10:23:59-05:00

Wunmi

Wednesday:
>> Def Jux rapper Aesop Rock has been an underground hip-hop figurehead for roughly a decade. Now based in San Francisco, the New Yorker will be back on the East Coast at the 9:30 Club. $20, 7 p.m.

>> D.C. area-based Zwei have been performing on the indie soul scene for over five years now. They'll be this week's featured act for two shows at Bohemian Caverns' "Rhythm and Soul" series. $10 in advance/$15 at the door, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Friday:
>> Legendary vibraphonist Roy Ayers returns to the District for an outdoor show at the Carter Barron Amphitheatre in Rock Creek Park. $23, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday:
>> "Still Black, Still Proud...The African Tribute to James Brown" will feature African musical interpretation of the Godfather of Soul's music. Along with some of Brown's original musicians, Wunmi (pictured), Cheikh Lo, and several other artists will be at the 9:30 Club. $25, 8 p.m.

Sunday:
>> It's only fitting that in celebrating a D.C. institution, the area's best known bands are going to be providing the entertainment. Ben's Chili Bowl's 50th Anniversary will take place at the 9:30 Club and feature a go-go heavy slate with Trouble Funk, E.U., and Mambo Sauce, just to name a few. Free, 1 p.m.

Monday:
Oscar-nominated actor Terrence Howard has decided to dabble a bit in music. With an album on the way in early September, he'll be stopping by the Birchmere. $25, 7:30 p.m.

Morning Roundup: Call Me Edition

Sommer Mathis — 2008-08-19T09:56:46-05:00

Good morning, Washington. Once again, the MPD are accused of failing to notify the family of someone they assisted. The Post reports that D.C. police discovered Richard Morris, 61, in an alley with a serious head injury and helped get him to George Washington University Hospital. But despite his family having filed a missing persons report, they did not discover where he was for over a month, and only after Ward 8 Council member Marion Barry intervened on the family's behalf and began sending emails to Chief Cathy Lanier. Morris later died after deteriorating from his head injury. This is the third such instance this year of the MPD failing to notify family members of someone being in the hospital -- the previous two cases both involved people who had died.

Racial Slur Defaces African American Church: The Post says that the First Baptist Church of Chesterbrook in McLean has been defaced by a racial slur. The paper chose not to print the slur in question. The neighborhood seems surprised and shocked by such graffiti.

Foggy Bottom Escalators Should Improve Soon: We Love DC gets to the bottom of the escalator mess at the Foggy Bottom Metro station on Monday. Apparently one escalator has been turned off for a major motor repair, the second one was shut down on Friday after someone's shoe got caught up in it, and then the third went down on Sunday and Monday when it wouldn't move in both directions. WMATA hopes to have two of the escalators repaired this week.

Briefly Noted: Police release name of teenaged Southeast shooting victim ... Woman's car stolen in PG County while pumping gas after church ... Dulles set to get new train system.

Photo by mukulr

Go Home Already: All By Myself

Sommer Mathis — 2008-08-18T18:25:38-05:00

Photo by miamabanta

W Magazine has a poorly researched, hacky story about how Republican staffers who go to the Gryphon Room "dominate" D.C. social life and "hipster" Democrats hang out at Local 16. Since when do they let hipsters in to Local 16? [W]
More awesome generalizations! A survey of bartenders says that Democrats are better tippers, while Republicans drink more. [Washington Business Journal]
Some Metrobus drivers are getting more comfortable seats and bright orange seat belts. [WTOP]
Two teen girls were shot overnight, one fatally, in separate incidents in southeast Washington. [NBC4]
Apparently the Jonas Brothers were also at the White House today, giving the press corps something to write about while Bush is on vacation. [CNN]
Penn Quarter is getting another bank. [Penn Quarter Living]
Mayor Fenty was spotted at the Big Bear Cafe on Saturday. [In Shaw]

Weekly Music Agenda

Graham Hough-Cornwell — 2008-08-18T17:48:45-05:00

Squeeze

MONDAY
>>Yes, Suzanne Vega is the person who sings “Tom’s Diner”, and, lucky for you, we're guessing she plays it at her Monday night set at the Birchmere. Unfortunately for your neighbors, roommates, co-workers, and spouses, you’ll probably be singing its a cappella intro for days. With Christina Courtin. $35, 7:30 p.m.

>> Considering what it costs to see currently touring pop acts these days, a $25 lawn seat at Wolf Trap for the Backstreet Boys seems like a steal. Then you remember that, wait, you can’t remember the last thing they put out (it was actually last fall) and you think the disc you bought back in ’99 is still stuck between the seats in your dad’s old Buick Century. Worth the trip out to Vienna? We’ll let you decide. $25-45, 8 p.m.

TUESDAY
>> Surprise at the Club! It's never-were Three Stars act Good Charlotte. Will Joel Madden bring wifey and the kids? Can you think of another reason to go? $25, doors at 7 p.m.

>> If heavy rock is your thing, Pittsburgh's Don Caballero will be playing with Baltimore's Ponytail at the Iota Club. Caballero are just kicking off a tour in support of their new LP, Punkgasm. Yep. $12, Doors at 8:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY
>> Ever find yourself wondering what The Monkees have been up to since the Brady Bunch went off the air? Find out for yourself. Peter Tork, former guitarist, comes to Jammin’ Java in Vienna. $15, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY
>> BBC music personality's former band and classic new-wavers Squeeze are back on the road. Founding members Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook are still around, bringing their hit parade -- "Pulling Mussels (From a Shell)", "Tempted", "Up the Junction" -- to the 9:30 Club. Hefty price to pay though. $45, with the Spring Standards. Doors at 7:30 p.m.

>> It’s a good night for proto-psych fans at the Black Cat. L.A. veterans Nebula cap off a three-band bill. Totomoshi, fresh off the release of their latest Milagrosa, and Indiana punk group The Coke Dares open things up. $10 at the Backstage, Doors at 9 p.m.

The Jet Age

FRIDAY
>> Bryan Scary and the Shedding Tears (Queen/ELO/Bowie disciples out of New York) headline a mammoth bill at the Black Cat. Former Three Stars pop classicists The Beanstalk Library will be in attendance, as well as the hushed, folky Kitty Hawk. And then there’s The Jet Age, whose winter 2008 release What Did You Do During The War, Daddy? is still riding a wave of great reviews. Definitely the most bang for your rock-and-roll buck this week. $10, Doors at 9 p.m.

>> Just when you thought you were “never gonna get” the smooth, funky R&B stylings of En Vogue ever again, they show up on your doorstep. That is, if you live in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood, where they’re playing the Birchmere. Tickets are $45, but wait – it’s sold out. Can we get a show of hands – who else is shocked that this many people are willing to cough up for a $45 ticket to see En Vogue? Doors at 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY
>> It’s the 8th Anniversary of Bliss at the Black Cat. Natch, Three Stars alum DJ Will Eastman will be there spinning his usual indie rock jams, but this time he’s got Chicagoland’s own DJ Pogo and Wallpaper, making a special live performance. $10, 9:30 p.m.

>> A diverse, all-star lineup pays tribute to James Brown on Saturday night with Still Black, Still Proud: The African Tribute to the Godfather himself. Pee Wee Ellis, Wunmi, Vieux Farka Toure, Fred Wesley, Fred Moss, and Reggie Ward all join in. $25, doors at 8 p.m.

>> Downstairs from Bliss you’ll find something quite unblissful – a manic triple bill of noise, punk, and psych. Three Stars alums The Apes bring their guitarless heavy psych-stylings along with their newest album, Ghost Games. Pittsburgh’s Dirty Faces open with their turn-back-the-clock post-punk, but my guess is you’ll be there for Oneida, the multi-dimensional, instrumental, experimental rockers from Brooklyn. $10/12, Doors at 9 p.m. At the Backstage.

>> I’ve been fearing this day for a long time and it’s finally here. An act billing itself as “It Was Forty Years Ago Today: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” is coming to the DC-area to play Wolf Trap. As the title suggests, they’re celebrating the anniversary of one of pop’s most innovative and influential records. The group was supposed to include Taylor Hicks, but instead includes American Idol loser Bo Bice, Lou Gramm of Foreigner, Denny Laine of the Moody Blues, and they’re all led by Todd Rundgren. Normally, besides a few missteps, we don’t begrudge Rundgren’s McCartney-esque songwriting, but this, frankly, could be a recipe for disaster. $25-40. 8 p.m.

SUNDAY
>> Here's a good way to wind down one of your last summer weekends: a free concert at the 9:30 celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Ben's Chili Bowl. The lineup is heavy on funk and hip-hop, with a lot of local groups turning out, including Mambo Sauce, Trouble Funk, EU, Wes Felton and Friends, and Sage Infinity. FREE, 1 p.m.

Photos from the bands' websites.

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What's Scariest: The Jonas Brothers, Their Fans or Wax Statues?

Sommer Mathis — 2008-08-18T17:32:30-05:00

The tween juggernaut that is the The Jonas Brothers were in D.C. today for the unveiling of their new wax figures at Madame Tussauds. Tonight, they play the Nissan Pavilion. Between now and then, photographer James Calder hopes his ears recover from the screams of the group's fans along the red carpet downtown this afternoon.

For those of you who don't read Teen People, The Jonas Brothers are the biggest boy band in the country right now. They're also famously Evangelical Christians who all wear "purity rings" to symbolize their vows to wait until marriage to have sex.

There is an image gallery to this entry which you can view at DCist]]> At today's event, there were several false alarms when the crowd believed the brothers were about to be "unveiled," leading to prolonged screaming from the throng. When the Brothers finally appeared, they posed together with their statues for about five minutes before making a hasty exit -- which caused the mass of people to press forward to get one last look, nearly crushing each other.

Once the boys had gone, fans were able to take photos with the wax likenesses. Best overheard quote of the event, from a fan as she posed with the statues: "I know they're not real, but I still love them."

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