CBDRMMR

Commuter Cars

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 19:43:44 GMT

The Commuter Car, an even smaller enclosed vehicle than the Smart Car, if that was even remotely possible. (via BeyondDC)

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‘Rent’ Film 2

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 17:04:54 GMT

Rent will hit the big screen again. This time around it won’t be a film adaptation, but rather a filmed performance.

Playbill reports that the musical’s final Broadway performance on September 7 (June 1 was the original closing date.) will be filmed as part of Sony Pictures’ venture “the Hot Ticket.” The performance will play in movie theatres nationwide in late September.

The film version of Rent was released in late 2005. Tracie Thoms (pictured at right with Anthony Rapp) played Joanne in the film and will reprise the role onstage. Her run begins today and ends on the show’s closing night. By all accounts, it looks like she’ll have the distinction of appearing in two film versions of Rent in the same role.

Prior to starring in the 2005 film, Thoms auditioned several times for the stage production but was never cast.

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The Beer Upswing

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:01:40 GMT

A new Gallup poll shows the public’s preference for beer over wine is growing by a wider margin here in the States. While beer has enjoyed greater popularity than wine over the past 15 years, this latest poll is the first since 2002 to show a difference of 10% or more between the two.

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Cubicles at 40

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:29:24 GMT

The office cubicle turns 40 this month.

The open-office style was originally known as the “Action Office,” and was introduced by West Michigan’s Herman Miller Company in 1968.

Well, I don’t know about action, but the cube farm has been the bane of my existence for the last few years. Pictured above is a cubicle I once occupied about three years ago. I miss the sanctity of my former office because — you know — it had a door. Not that I always kept it closed, but it was nice to have the option when I needed it.

Someday, I shall have a door again. Yes, I dare to dream.

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Cheap Cheesecake

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:50:02 GMT

If I was a fan of the Cheesecake Factory, I’d be all over their $1.50/slice offer on July 30, but I’m not. (link via Gooster)

It might be a fitting tribute to a recently departed “Golden Girl,” though.

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MTV Eyes ‘RHPS’

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:01:57 GMT

MTV wants to remake the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

If it were anyone else besides MTV, I’d probably be marginally more interested. And really, it’s not as if there aren’t enough bad remakes of other classic flicks floating around.

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Apt Comparison

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:01:18 GMT

From TMZ’s gallery of Muppets and their celebrity lookalikes, Janice the Muppet and Donatella Versace.

Wow, that’s just uncanny… and quite possibly an insult to Jim Henson’s creations.

Speaking of which, the Smithsonian’s Ripley Center currently features the exhibit “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World” now through October 5. The Smithsonian is the fourth stop on the exhibit’s tour, and will hit Atlanta, Chicago, Seattle and several cities in between through at least 2011.

Similarly, the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring is running a film series featuring the Muppets and other Henson creations — “Muppets™, Music & Magic: Jim Henson’s Legacy” — through August 12. This weekend, the AFI Silver is running the Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, which coincides with their “Totally Awesome 2: More Films of the 1980s” series.

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Buy Americaи

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:54:08 GMT

Photo: FredoAlvarez (flickr)

My housemates and I were at a car dealership just outside of Gaithersburg yesterday when I noticed this sign. I immediately thought it might be a good candidate for FAIL Blog.

Can anyone tell me why?

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Totally Pwned

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:50:03 GMT

During yesterday’s hearing on the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT)” policy, Elaine Donnelly probably did more to convince lawmakers it should be repealed than anything else.

And she was arguing to keep DADT in place.

Donnelly treated the panel to an extraordinary exhibition of rage. She warned of “transgenders in the military.” She warned that lesbians would take pictures of people in the shower. She spoke ominously of gays spreading “HIV positivity” through the ranks.

Her arguments caused eyes to roll and — I imagine — tempers to flare. In response to her later statement that she respects the service of gay veterans, Republican Representative Chris Shays of Connecticut* pointedly said, “How do you respect their service? You want them out.”

She was totally pwned.

* Not a word, Michael.

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Ocean Hall Construction

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:21:43 GMT

Via We Love DC, a time-lapse video of construction of Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Ocean Hall is slated to open this September.

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Lego Maniac

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:57:54 GMT

I was a Lego maniac — still am to a small degree, actually — but “Fredo the Lego Maniac” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

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Sophia & Pablo

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:59:38 GMT

Before today comes to a close, indulge me for a minute as I share a favorite Sophia story with you all.

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Estelle Getty, 1923–2008

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:25:58 GMT

Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo on NBC’s “the Golden Girls.”

Picture it: the Bronx, 1985. A young boy, gay before he realizes it, sits in front of the television on a Saturday night. He laughs at the antics of four old broads in Miami, even though he doesn’t always get the joke. For the next seven years, this is his Saturday evening ritual: in his room, usually alone, watching these women crack wise about each other. That young boy was me, and those four women were “the Golden Girls.”

If I told stories in the style of Sophia Petrillo, that’s how one from my childhood would probably sound.

Estelle Getty passed away today just shy of her 85th birthday. She had been battling dementia for years.

It’s weird, I’ve been on a bit of a “Golden Girls” kick lately, watching all episodes in chronological order from my DVD sets. As if I need to really; I’ve been known (sometimes to an annoying extent) to recite lines verbatim while watching it with others. I seem to recall someone telling me, “Okay, that’s scary,” on my recent trip to San Francisco.

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Union Station Hearing

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:25:57 GMT

Greater Greater Washington covered today’s hearing between D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation (USRC). In particular, the hearing seemed to cover two things: maximizing the use of Union Station as an intermodal transportation hub (read intercity rail and bus), and the landmark’s embarrassingly inconsistent photography policy.

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Challenge of the Super Font

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:16:37 GMT

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Imagine a world where Comic Sans (personified) saves the day. Highly unlikely, but it happens in the video above. (video via Gizmodo; hat tip to Trevor via IM)

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A Night at the Drive-In

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:00:57 GMT

In case you missed the Twitter tweets, facebook statuses and my housemate’s journal entry on the subject, I headed out to Bengie’s Drive-In Theater on Friday night. I’d never been to a drive-in. And yes, it was an experience.

Friday’s show was a triple bill: Kung Fu Panda (better than I expected, but still kinda meh); the Dark Knight (Oh. Hell. Yes!); and Get Smart (which we didn’t see — I had to work the next morning and that movie didn’t start till about 2 a.m.).

Overall, I have mixed feelings about the experience. Despite the heat of the day, the grassy field remained cool allowing for comfortable viewing. The food they offered was decent although I think they allowed the popcorn I bought to sit out a little too long.

The outing wasn’t without it’s problems though. The drive-in’s website proudly proclaims that it’s in Baltimore proper. Well… it’s not. The drive-in is located in Middle River, outside of Baltimore city but still within Baltimore County. When we entered the Baltimore address in our GPS device, it took us to somewhere in the middle of the city. Our complaint at the box office got us a brusque response complete with a reaffirmation that we were indeed in Baltimore.

Whatever. That’s like someone saying they live in Washington, D.C., when they really live in Vienna, Va. (There’s a choice quote about that from David Sedaris’ new book, “When You Are Engulfed In Flames.”)

Someone — we supposed the owner of the theater — also seems to enjoy hearing himself talk. When a movie or a cartoon wasn’t running, dude was running his mouth. As the night wore on, it became less informative and more annoying.

I also had an incident at the concession stand with a nearly empty ketchup dispenser. One pump and I had whatever was left in the can all over my shirt. Fortunately I was able to wash off some of it in the restroom and I had an undershirt on. But that it happened in the first place was enough to put me off for a bit.

I have to admit though that $8 for three flicks is a pretty good deal. Nowadays, you’ll be lucky to pay that little for a matinee in most places.

Would I go there again? Maybe, but I’ll smuggle in my own ketchup next time.

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Howto: Kid Wash

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:29:31 GMT

When I have the time¹ — and indeed the space — to setup my homebrew version of “Double Dare,” the Kid Wash will be one of the first things I’ll set up. Yes, I am a dork. (via Lifehacker)

¹ With two jobs, that’ll likely never happen.

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‘West Side Story’ Revival Announced

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:49:31 GMT

West Side Story will be revived on Broadway next March, with previews running sometime in February. The show will not only enjoy a pre-Broadway run at the National Theatre here in D.C. for a month beginning in mid-December, but will also be somewhat tweaked for authenticity. According to Playbill:

The production “will introduce the unprecedented element of selectively weaving Spanish throughout both the book and songs,” according to the July 16 announcement.

West Side Story is one of my favorite musicals of all time, so I find this a bit exciting. I always wanted to take part in a production, but the opportunity to do so never arose. Given the median age of the main characters — or at least my perception of it — I’m probably past it. That and I think I lack the appropriate body type. At best, I suspect I could either be a stagehand or a strangely ethnic Officer Krupke.

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Where Train Travel is FTW

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:48:07 GMT

Here are 21 U.S. railroad trips that will cost less money — and in some cases less time — than their airline trip equivalents.

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Kitty Covers the Girls

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 05:15:27 GMT

From the “It Had to Happen Sooner or Later” file: Hello Kitty pasties. Now your funbags can be free without being excessively obscene. (NSFW – via Shindo)

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Fail Rail

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:00:15 GMT

As someone who abhors air travel — at best I relegate it to one of life’s necessary evils — and is currently unable to drive himself anywhere, I much prefer traveling by rail whenever it’s reasonable to do so. The often ridiculous expense is a trade-off between comfort and — thanks to living within the Northeast Corridor — time.

Taking a long-distance trip by rail has long been an ambition of mine, if not cross country to San Francisco for example, then at least somewhere halfway. To Chicago perhaps. (I’m long overdue for a trip out there.)

Sadly, as GOOD Magazine’s Ben Jervey points out rail travel in the U.S., at least outside the Northeast Corridor, is hardly efficient nor practical for most people.

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A ‘Helms’ AIDS Bill?!

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:39:41 GMT

From the “Oh No She Di’n't” file, Sen. Elizabeth Dole wants to name an AIDS funding bill after Sen. Jesse Helms, who expired two Fridays ago. From the Congressional Record:

SA 5074. Mrs. DOLE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
her to the bill S. 2731, to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2009 through 2013 to provide assistance to foreign countries to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

On page 1, line 5, strike ‘‘and Henry J. Hyde’’ and insert ‘‘, Henry J. Hyde, and Jesse Helms’’.

… The hell?! In case you had forgotten his abysmal record on AIDS in general…. (via Joe. My. God. and Atomic Gay Wonk)

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It Pays to Compose

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:47:33 GMT

As a photo hobbyist, I try to adhere to one rule above all else when on an assignment: take more photos than you plan to use or submit. I certainly hope the photographer behind this unintentionally hilarious shot followed that rule. (via DCBlogs)

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Feist Hits the ‘Street’

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:15:05 GMT

From the “Should’ve Seen It Coming” file, Feist re-worked her song “1234” — made popular by a certain commercial — for the “Sesame Street” set.

This version of “1234″ will air on August 11 as part of “Sesame Street’s” 39th season premiere. Good grief, I’m old! (video via Towleroad)

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Lego Table Seasonings

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:10:17 GMT

Legos recycled into salt and pepper shakers. I smell a housewarming gift in my future. Now, if someone could come up with Lego-based squeeze bottles for ketchup, mustard, mayo and relish, I’d be all set! (hat tip to Michael via IM)

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