My most recent Fringe outing was to Tuesday’s late-night presentation of “Naked Cabaret.” As they say repeatedly in the show, “Not that kind of naked – emotionally naked.”

This is the central concept holding the show together – performers Terri Allen, Steven Cupo, Emily Leatha Everson, Judy Simmons and Lonny Smith are supposed to be people together for some sort of group therapy / discussion session, as are we the audience to a lesser extent. On entering we were all asked, nay, ordered to provide a secret on a piece of paper and drop it in the jar. Over the course of the performance they’re picked out and read, though at a few junctures what’s really said are turning points for the overall plot of the show. One of the ones we submitted was never read, though all the items made it out of the jar by the performance’s end, so we know some were discarded.
(more…)

The “new” RFK stadium is a hit! From cleaner concourses (relatively, the joint is 40+ years old), more food options and a hot Nationals team, fans seem to be pretty happy with the improvements. Most of all, fans seem to be excited about the new racing presidents or “Rushmores.” It is a great gimmick that has universal appeal. However, now and again, why not spice it up a little…

Let’s Rock n’ Roll

That’s right, the Nats need to bring the Ex-Presidents from the critically acclaimed movie Point Break to town for a race or two.

The best part is you could probably get the original actors to participate too, I don’t think Patrick Swayze is up too much lately. Gary Busey is probably available to chase them too and any year now, Hollywood will give up on Keanu Reeves’ inexplicable career, freeing him up to participate as well. Because they will give up on him, right?

Less than 48 hours from now, you should be here, at Fletchers Boat house, or as I like to call it, Fletchers International Boat house.

Why? For DC Metroblogging’s Second Anniversary BBQ Bash of course!

I bet you didn’t know we’d be riverside, and better yet, at Fletchers where you can rent row boats, canoes, and even fishing gear if you need a excuse to escape our boring drivel riveting conversation.

If you’re lucky I might even make it a pinata party!

Who says DC is only the 9th Best City for Singles? Certainly not Washingtonian Magazine’s August 2006 issue.

As one of my observant supermodels noted, the current Washingtonian even adds in “blogging” as a fun DC activity. Better yet, its placement of the word blogging suits me just fine – right under the model’s fine ass.

Wait! Might that be a snub by the Washingtonian, mad from a loss of readership and importance to this new participant-driven media medium?

No matter, we still ♥ Washingtonian Magazine!

Think you have what it takes to be “King of the Swingers”? Not afraid to go the “Full Monty”? Can you sing? grind? dance? shake your bon-bon? Then get your rosy red cheeks down to The Rockville Music Theatre for open auditions of RMT’s The Full Monty on August 6th, 7th and 8th from 7 to 9 p.m., please note that auditions are actually being held at the Bethesda Elementary School [Google Map].

Seeing how much their wives enjoy watching male strippers during their “Girls’ Night Out,” unemployed steelworkers in Buffalo New York come up with a bold way to make some quick cash. In the process they find renewed self-esteem, the importance of friendship and the ability to have fun.

(more…)

Congrats to former Wonkette editor Ana Marie Cox on her new promotion!

She’s been named the Washington Editor of Time.com. No word on whether or not this will result in more prurient material on time.com, but my guess is a nice firm maybe.

Photo by DC Metroblogger

Hungry for lunch right about now, if you’re headed to Cafe Phillips on 14th Street, be advised: posted in at least three places is this sign:

“Please Keep All Personal Items In View”

While the hot Mongolian cashiers didn’t comment on the sign and just laughed at my rusty Street Russian pick-up lines, I’m surprised by the command.

Does Cafe Phillips worry it’s a terrorist target? Should we include it on the Homeland Security Watch-List to stop DC from losing its terrorism protection money? Or does it just wanna make life easier for pickpockets annoyed with patrons hiding bags under tables or reduce patron’s forgotten bags after gorging on fresh-sliced meats?

Mayor Williams is calling for a full efficiency review of the MPD as part of the Crime Emergency, to see how efficiently the current police force is being used and to look at expanding the active officer corps on the street to a level as high as 5,100 police officers for the city. Is more police the answer, or is better policing the answer?

I hope that we can stop and examine current policy before it’s decided by fiat that there is significant need for an expanded police force. The better question is: if they need to expand the force, can they do it? It’s fairly difficult to find quality recruits who are willing to work in the MPD. In 2003 when DC added 175 officers, the Post points out it took more than a year to find that many qualified candidates and cope with attrition. How long will it take to add an additional 1,300 officers?

Better yet, where do we focus them? Do we bolster the current districts? Redistrict the city to create a more efficient system? There are a lot of questions we have to answer before it’s decided that we need a larger officer corps.

Forbes.com named the D.C./Baltimore area the 9th Best City for Singles. Although we’re getting two cities for the price of one, the D.C./Baltimore area is down four spots from 5th place in 2005. Cities such as New York (up 3 spots from 8th place in 2005) and Austin (8th Place) beat out the Capitol with higher points in such categories as Cost of Living and Job Growth. How Austin beat us in the Nightlife and Culture categories, I haven’t the foggiest.

We’re a City of Wayan and his super models, a city of fabulous restaurants, The Smithsonian, and Butterstick, how could we have seeped so low?
(more…)

Parking on Mass Ave well after nine, I emerge from my car to find a movable party happening in Dupont Circle. Two jazz musicians, a saxophonist and what sounds like a trumpet, play in the park exchanging solos and occasional duets. The display at the Sun Trust say 9:52 and 88 degrees, and it’s every bit a hot and sticky night in DC. The kind of night where you feel like you’re wearing the blanket you’ve hidden away for winter around your shoulders in the dampness.

Walking down to Big Hunt, I pass the ever-present rose guy, hassling a man to buy his woman a cheap plastic rose. The man’s not having it and his woman looks both smug and perturbed at once. The bar is mostly full, the dark booths hiding their occupants well, and I missed my friends sitting down four booths back. I order a Guinness and watch the TV.

The jukebox at the Big Hunt is something of a technological wonder. Much like one of Charlie Stross’ cornucopiae machines, it seems to produce whatever you can tell it to find by searching through its catalog and selecting what you want. Tonight’s selections run from good 80s alt-rock to current nouveau britpop and back again, and the bar seems to approve, as I saw a few older guys nodding their heads in sync with the beat. They almost looked like a grunge revival version of the guys from Night at the Roxbury. Almost.

A few beers later, having found my friends in plain sight, we leave the bar. They for their downtown hotel and some crash time, me for heat of the summer night and a brief walk before sleeping. As I turn the corner at Connecticut, the Sun Trust oracle says 85, no, wait, strike that, 86 degrees, switching back to the higher value after some considered thought like a politician rethinking his vote. 11:12 it says as I turn the corner to find my car.