Washington D.C. Metblogs » dc_katie

Blood Suckers

dc_katie — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 20:52:24 +0000

I can’t take a whole lot of time to post today, as I just started a new job (finally). But, we figured we’d stretch out the Halloween gore to the weekend with a Blood Drive. Come out, Do it.

DC Rollergirls to appear at Caring for Kids benefit in Woodbridge

dc_katie — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 04:12:55 +0000

From our recent press release:

The DC Rollergirls, the National Capitol Region’s only women’s flat-track roller derby league, will appear at the “Caring for Kids” benefit on Saturday, October 21, at East Coast Billiards. The event is presented by Lou-Evil Psycles MC and Catklaw, Inc. Proceeds will assist The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The DC Rollergirls will be available for photographs with fans. These derby queens will bring their luck to the free Texas Hold’em Tournament between 4 and 7 p.m. The evening continues at 8 p.m. with live music by Just Wanna Play, Re-Aligned, and Kat Singleton. Admission is $10.

East Coast Billiards is located at 13989 Jefferson Davis Highway in Woodbridge, Va.

I’m baaack.

dc_katie — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 21:19:59 +0000

After a much needed vacation, Slambam is making a most triumphant return to Metroblogging DC. I hope you all didn’t miss your favorite rollergirl too much!

This week in Roller Derby: The DC Rollergirls are coming out in full-force this weekend at Rush Rink (12th St. SE, 11 AM ) for one of our infamous Sunday Morning Scrimmages. It promises to be off the chain, as C-SPAN and UNIVISION will be out filming the event, and getting short bios of the girls on the league.

Tonight, my girls are making the trek out to Dickerson, MD to check out Markoff’s Haunted Forest. I’m stoked, now I’m a huge fan of all-things creepy, but I’m also afflicted with a morbid fear of the dark, so I’m sure my derby girls look forward to losing their hearing and some skin off their arms as I cringe against them all evening.

If you’re interested in coming out to shriek with us, or checking out the Haunted Forest another time, they’re open weekends, and Oct. 25 through Halloween. I’ll give a full report after I wet my pants this evening.

Worst Idea EVER

dc_katie — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 19:17:44 +0000

Sorry folks, you won’t be seeing any new condos and shops in Southeast anytime soon. Deals to expand the area around the proposed new baseball stadium in Anacostia fell through last week, when the development group failed to reach Friday’s deadline. Unfortunately, now they don’t even have plans for a parking structure for the stadium, and the $21million in the budget isn’t enough to cover garages. But, paving over what little grass is left in DC is a better idea, right?

Here’s the best part:

“[Mayor] Williams had promised that the development would reinvigorate the waterfront and bring new tax revenue to offset the city’s $611 million investment of public money in the stadium project.”

So now, not only will we lose the opportunity to earn the huge chunk of change back, but we’re facing another lonely stadium in the middle of nowhere? The Nats suck anyway, when are these people going to admit this was a huge mistake?

The White Stuff

dc_katie — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 20:19:50 +0000

White or no white? That is the question. Chances are, if you work with women, you’ve heard the “No White After Labor Day” buzz around the office in the last few weeks. Is this a milestone of attire etiquette or merely an antiquated concept of our parent’s generation? One of my coworkers came into work today in a white suit, and winced as she walked past our female dominated division, waiting for us all to pounce on her. We’ve spent the better part of the day talking about it, but haven’t been able to come up with any conclusive concrete evidence to support the rule. I always figured that it was so you wouldn’t lose ivory-clad friends in the snow. So as long as it’s still warm out, why not rock your white pants? Or is the rule only about shoes?

I did some googling today and found a few interesting tidbits on this fashion phenomenon, and discovered that even college students at Howard were on the same page. My favorite quote from the article is from one of the “Howard men”.

“I honestly have never heard about that rule, ever, until right now. . . In terms of fashion, wear what you like, whenever you like, and you’ll be fine”

But did this directive ever effect men? Can you imagine Ludacris worrying about putting on the wrong pair of Jordans on September 1st? Holla at a Scholar!

Actually, the first person to speak up to my white-suited coworker this morning was a dude. “White? It’s September, Debbie.” Believe it or not, he is a hetero male, who happens to come from a lovely Montgomery County family. Let’s keep in mind, that this dressing decree came from a world of high society as a status symbol centuries ago. Old habits die hard, my mom still packs her white shoes around after the Labor Day barbeque.

If high-fashion designers and clothiers are adding white pieces to their fall and winter lines, I think it is safe to say that we have freed ourselves from the chains of this archaic statute of style. Hey, if you can get away with wearing white, work it. I promise I won’t tell Miss Manners.

That’s How We Roll, Capítulo Tres

dc_katie — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 20:59:54 +0000

After a successful evening at the Fight Club, the DC Rollergirls were able to regroup in the A.M. for a scrimmage at Rush Rink in Southeast. If you’re up to the hike on a Sunday morning, you should definitely stop by 420 12th St. SE between 11am and 1 pm and check us out. Hey, who can pass up a free preview of the best that 2007 has to offer the District?

No public events to report for this week, we’ll be having our monthly league meeting in Rock Creek Park on Saturday, proceeded by a league sleepover Friday night. You’re likely to find us stumbling around Adams Morgan sometime that evening, so keep your eyes peeled for a few raucous rollergirls.

In the meantime, if you’re at all curious about the invention and evolution of the sport, check out this Roller Derby History page created by the Bay City Bombers, the former team of my hero, Ann Calvello (RIP xo).

Thats How We Roll, Episode Deuce.

dc_katie — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 05:00:00 +0000

Rollerderby isn’t the only extreme sport on wheels that’s making a comeback. Skateboarding is still alive and well in the district! (You’re so stoked, I can tell.) This Saturday, the DC Rollergirls will be joining the most gnarly skaters in the Nation’s Capital at a totally underground skatespot in a warehouse in Blagden Alley. DCRG has been asked to be ring card girls between rounds for this ballroom boxing style skateboarding competition. Local kickass bands: The Chariots, Lost Tribe, McRad, and Leiana will be playing. So come out, you’re guaranteed an amazing night.

Beau rockin’ the blunt slide.

The Skatepark of Baltimore Benefit: First Ever Fight Club Skate Contest
Location: Fight Club- 916 Blagden Alley NW DC
Time: 8pm till LMS
Music: 8:30pm
Contest: 9:00pm
18 to chill, 21 to spill Bring your IDs kiddos.
Music, Food , Prizes, Rollergirls, HOORAY

Treasures of NW

dc_katie — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 00:21:33 +0000

Generally people use long holiday weekends for vacations, quests and tasks. Okay, maybe we just plan to fulfill a personal agenda, but how often does that actually happen? The only things I effectively completed on my list this weekend were: drinking, sleeping, and hanging out. And I excuted them all rather well, thankyouverymuch. After an excessively unmotivated weekend and a very wet, long commute this morning, I was met with the adversity of an office suffering the last month of the fiscal year; being one day short of the week didn’t lighten the tension in the sales department either, as I’m sure you can imagine.

By lunch time I had to escape, and the deli in the basement wasn’t going to cut it. So, I went down to my car, drove two miles to the outskirts of Bethesda, and proceeded to get lost in North West. If you’ve never taken an afternoon ride through the somewhat-suburban neighborhoods around American University, I highly suggest it. The houses are beautiful, and you’ll find more green here than you may expect for Friendship Heights. No, stoner, I mean foliage. When the sun finally decided to come out, it peeked through the trees and spilled light onto the gorgeous old ramblers along Massachusetts Avenue. Discovering a new reason to love my city is enough to get me through the day. If you live or work in the area, I urge you to escape sometime.

Newborn Cubs at the National Zoo

dc_katie — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 15:20:36 +0000

This Saturday, September 2, visit the National Zoo to say hello to the three newborn Sumatran Tiger cubs. One male and two females, they are the third litter for 13-year-old tiger Soyono. Soyono was born at the National Zoo and the cubs’ father, Rokan, was born at the San Antonio Zoo. Both parents can be found at the Great Cats Exhibit at the National Zoo.

Sumatran Tiger Cubs – 6 Weeks Old
Photo © Jessie Cohen, National Zoo

As of their July 20th health exam, the eight-week-old cubs each weigh between 13 and 16 pounds after weighing only about two pounds at birth on May 24, 2006.

This is the sixth litter of Sumatran Tigers born at the National Zoo. A great accomplishment, considering that the subspecies are critically endangered. Although the Sumatran Tiger faces few threats in the wild, they are victims of poaching and habitat destruction due to the value of their coats and pelts.

Visit the National Zoo/FONZ website for updates, a journal on their development, and even a Tiger Cub Cam live web stream of the babies. They are currently in the process of naming the babies, after a short contest that ended earlier this month.

The name choices are:

Male cub:
Jati (JAH-tee) – teak wood
Bejo (ba-JOE) – lucky
Guntur (goon-TURR, rolled ‘r’) – thunder

First female cub:
Kamboja (kam-BOE-jah) - frangipani (a kind of flower)
Maharani (mah-hah-RON-ee) – queen
Mawar (mah-WAHRR, rolled ‘r’) – rose

Second female cub:
Kemala (ka-MAH-lah) – magic stone
Melati (ma-LAH-tee) – jasmine
Ndari (nDAR-ee) – pretty or beautiful

Talk about the Weather.

dc_katie — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 16:47:21 +0000

You’ve been there: waiting for a bus, taking a smoke break, standing on an elevator… right next to someone. The lack of conversation in such a small proximity is stifling. But what could you say to start a conversation with a stranger? If you’re like me, you probably start questioning your own character for having no more to offer than a polite “Hello.” And then, without fail, your mind-reading companion busts out with some Weathertalk. Oh, you sweet savior of the conversationless. However awkward and forced it may be, Weathertalk is the glue that holds together your cohesive unit at the bus stop. We can all talk about the weather! Hooray Beer! Uh, I mean… Hooray Weathertalk!

And we’re fortunate here in DC, if you don’t like the weather, just go inside and wait a few hours. Write that down, try it later. I guarantee you can draw at least a chuckle from your smoke break companion.