Dick Heller, the man who sued to overturn D.C.'s handgun ban, arrives by bicycle to pick up his gun registration today. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

The Post caught Dick Heller, original plaintiff in the U.S. Supreme Court court case that eventually made it legal for D.C. residents to own handguns for personal security, picking up his handgun registration certificate this morning.

Heller, a security guard, may now legally keep the gun he registered in his home, though it has to be locked up and unloaded under the current law. He also recently filed another lawsuit arguing that the District’s registration process is unduly “onerous,” and that the rules regarding when a gun can be legally loaded and prohibiting the ownership of semiautomatic weapons do not comply with the Supreme Court ruling.

No, you're not having a waking nightmare. It's really happening. So says Patrick Gavin and Jeff Dufour in their Yeas and Nays column in the Examiner.

We can now exclusively confirm that Lifetime has picked up the show and filming begins in September. The half-hour show is slated to air in November and has scored a crucial timeslot: Immediately following Lifetime's popular reality show, "Project Runway" (which will switch from Bravo to the Lifetime network this fall).

So, we know we're supposed to be horrified. And trust us, we are. But now that it appears there's really going to be a reality TV show that follows the infamous Late Night Shots crew as they stumble around drunk between the only two Georgetown bars they're willing to go to, we have to admit there's not a chance in the world we're going to be able to keep from watching this thing. Even worse, we're going to have to blog about it, giving the show exactly the sort of free publicity it surely desires. Are we aware we're playing right into their hands? Yes. Are we proud of ourselves? Of course not. Are we already programming our TiVos? You betcha.

The photo above is of future LNS reality TV star Krista Johnson. Click through to the Examiner's story for photos of the rest of the cast, which includes Katherine Kennedy, Sophie Pyle and likely Johnson’s younger sister, Alexa.

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

Word came down today that more staff cuts are coming for Washington City Paper. According to a newsroom insider, Creative Loafing—which acquired the City Paper along with the Chicago Reader alternative weekly in summer 2007, and proceeded to lay off many production and editorial staffers by the end of that year—told City Paper staff that they would need to cut the publication's budget by $170,000. City Paper ran a profit for 2007, apparently, but with the summer doldrums came a couple of bad months for advertising sales. The Loaf's line with its creditors is said to be so thin that even a somewhat foreseeable setback must result in staff cuts. UPDATE: City Paper Editor-in-Chief Erik Wemple confirms the cuts: "Like a lot of media companies, we are going through an exceptionally rough period, and indeed we are discussing how to cut expenses. I don't want to cite any figures at this point because we are trying our best as a company to minimize the impact. But yes, layoffs are part of the discussion."

A suspicious package at 15th and K Streets NW has prompted police and hazardous materials responders to close off McPherson Square. The package in questions is reportedly some containers placed near a dumpster that appear to contain a chlorine-like substance. One reader tells us that fire trucks are lined up along 13th Street and that the MPD are clearing people out of the park. We'll update when we learn more. More: Current street closures due to the haz mat investigation are 15th and K St. NW; 14th and New York Ave. NW to Vermont Ave, to 15th St.; and, 15th and I St. NW.

Update: Kyle Gustafson visited the site and took some photos of the activity.

On the heels of the announcement that Lifetime picked up the Late Night Shots-inspired reality show that's been in development since early this year, we now have the title. According to the Post's Lisa de Moraes, they're going to call it Blonde Charity Mafia. That's the nickname three of the show's main characters have given themselves, due to their reputation for throwing elaborate parties that raise money for charitable causes.

So what do you think of the name? It doesn't exactly scream "Washington, D.C.," but maybe that's all for the best. At least this way, the title accurately reflects that the show is following the lives of these specific characters, and not pretending to represent some larger view of what the lives of young people in D.C. are really like.

A Late Night Shots thread discussing the title is largely filled with skepticism about its appeal. Some excerpts:

"Real Housewives of Orange County" is pretty straightforward and appealing because of the location. Blonde Charity Mafia will evoke feelings of anger in people who don't even know what it is.

The last time I heard the phrase, "Charity Mafia" thousands of compassionate Americans were being robbed by fake telemarketers who stated that donations were going to Katrina victims and instead went to underground crime organizations. This business model was of course purchased from CEB.

god this is embarassing

D.C. Public Schools have borrowed a lot of ideas from New York City Public Schools since Mayor Adrian Fenty gained control of the system and handed the keys to Chancellor Michelle Rhee. Add one more to the list: paying students for academic achievement.

DCPS today announced its new cash incentive program, dubbed "Capital Gains", aimed at middle school students. Students enrolled in select middle schools can earn money for things like attendance, behavior, homework completion and grades. This is only a pilot program, so not every middle school will participate at first.

The program was created by economist Roland Fryer of the Innovation Lab at Harvard University. Fryer already implemented a similar program, called "Spark", in New York. Harvard will be footing the bill for half of the $2.7 million program, the other half coming from the District. Here's how the announcement describes how it will work:

Schools will track student performance on several metrics through an online database, created specifically for the program, and will reward them with cash every two weeks. Money will be deposited into student bank accounts.

How much money? D.C. Wire says it's up to $100 every two weeks, and that students will get debit cards linked to accounts that will be set up in a bank.

So, paying students for achievement: sending the wrong message, or hey, anything that works?

Over the last few days, MPD officers have been spotted standing at the corner of 14th and Irving Streets NW ticketing people for jaywalking. We saw them at about 5 p.m. yesterday and received emails saying they were out on Wednesday as well. One bystander said she saw police stop one guy crossing against the light when no cars were around: "he had his headphones on and was crossing the street and the cop chased after him and whistled at him. He looked so bewildered and confused." Other DCists report seeing police doing jaywalking duty at 14th and U and in Dupont, and Greater Greater Washington noted police were ticketing bicyclists at 16th and New Hampshire, again. All of this is to say, be on the lookout for increased chances of getting a ticket on your way home.

Criminy, this news from the Examiner is unsettling. On Monday, D.C. police arrested Edwin K. Wright, 23, on charges of sexually assaulting three women in a single hour in downtown Washington. Wright was detained by a group of citizens after the third incident, when he tried to rape a woman outside a K Street office building.

The timeline went something like this: during the Monday evening rush hour, someone matching Wright's description punched a woman in the back of the head on Pennsylvania Avenue. A short while later, Metro Transit Police got a report that the same man may have tried to kiss and grab the breasts of a woman in the Farragut North Metro station. Then incredibly, at about 7:10 p.m., a man matching the same description grabbed a woman outside 1500 K Street NW and proceeded to sexually assault her. The Examiner says a small group of passersby who heard her screams then chased Wright across the street, eventually catching him and holding him until police arrived.

The names of the people who made that citizen's arrest isn't in the story -- but if any of them are reading this, allow DCist to thank you on behalf of our community. As disturbing as this story appears to be, it's a lot less painful to read it knowing the suspect was apprehended. You're all heroes in our book.

Photo by kenyaoa

"Revolution girl style now!"

Most of the girls who took the stage at the 9:30 Club early in the day on Saturday weren't yet born 17 years ago when that rallying cry kicked off the International Pop Underground Festival and gave a name to Bikini Kill's first record. But if the exuberance onstage and in the crowd was any indication, the spirit of that revolution is still going strong. Saturday's showcase was the culminating event of the week-long Girls Rock! DC rock 'n' roll day camp for girls, which we visited last week as the girls learned the ins and outs of being in a band: playing their instruments, working together, booking shows, and writing songs. But what was in evidence as the eight bands and two DJs that took the stage Saturday was that the counselors managed to impart something even more intangible: how to rock.

The mood in the club was electric from the moment the crowd began streaming in from a line that stretched around the block. No small feat, considering that the doors opened at the very un-rock 'n' roll-ish hour off 11 a.m. The campers were already occupying the balcony as families and friends entered the room; as they saw people they knew, the mutual cheering began and didn't end until the show was over two hours later.
First up was an introduction from camp organizers, where they talked about the camp's mission and core values. What would be the driest portion of the program for any other non-profit organization's signature event instead elicited enthusiastic cheers. Six Electric Hearts, none of whom appeared to be more than 11 or 12, then came out and the place erupted. The girls looked a little shell-shocked at first, under the stage lights with a hyped up and reasonably full house crowded into the club. But drummer Annabelle Walker clicked off the tempo, bassist Chloe Lewis screamed out a "5, 6, 7, 8!!!", and the band launched into a fully realized song about a faerie ball and fantastical tea parties. Subject matter-wise, we can imagine Mary Timony covering it on her next record.

The transitions between all the bands was lightening-quick. GR!DC's organizers expertly planned things, and as one band was exiting, the next was entering, patch cables being switched out from the outgoing instruments to the incoming. It kept the pace rolling much faster than one might expect from past experience with more traditional kids' musical recitals, and more importantly, never let the energy level in the room drop.

The Fire Angels came out next with a girl-centric call to action ("Change the world/Spread the word!") that played well to the crowd. They were followed by Global Rave, who seemed to have already built themselves a following judging by the crazed response when they came out. Their song had a strong bottom end, owing to their two-bass-no-guitar attack, and vocalist Amber Rounds' strong melodic sense balanced it out nicely.

Girls in the camp weren't only put into bands. Two girls learned how to DJ, and the first was DJ RK, who skillfully worked the turntables while all the camp counselors came out on stage to dance. If a DJ's success is measured by the number of bodies they get moving, DJ RK had a very good set indeed. She was followed by Burning Flowers, who took a lesson on getting the audience involved to heart, as they engaged the crowd in a call and response of "Girls Rock!" during their song. Poison Control's turn came next, and their drummer Helen Warren was so amped to be on stage that she started counting off the start of the song before all the instruments were even plugged in. "Oh, you're not ready!" she smiled as she realized she was a little early out of the gate.

Whether there were lessons on "starting a movement," we're not sure. But the next band, Jam Session, was looking to do just that. Their hand-drawn poster in the program declared that they were "100% Alternative Hamster Music," which translated onstage into a frenetic song about the tiny animals that seemed to mirror their rapidly shifting attentions, as they engaged in an almost avant-punk medley of loosely connected mini-songs that included somber organ, simulated wind sounds, screaming, sing-song pop, beat boxing, and salsa. The set culminated in a trademark hand signal, as the band told the crowd to, "Show us your paws!!!", and the crowd dutifully mirrored the band, holding hands in the air with fingers curled into tiny hamster paws.

It would be hard for any band to follow that, so we were treated to another DJ break, this time from DJ MK, who was a master of the smooth transition and inspired yet more spirited dancing. The Beat Queens were next, and they also took audience participation lessons to heart, as well as building a persona for the band: each of the members had a "Queen" inspired name. There was Queen of Hearts, Little Queen, Dancing Queen, and even Queen Lollipop, and each band member wore glittering necklaces and tiaras. "We're the Beat Queens, and we're ready to ROCK ROCK ROCK!" they sang, fists pumping to the final words of the phrase.

The final band was Flaming X, who also had their own trademark hand signal (arms crossed in an X, fingers fluttering for the flames), and an ambitious composition full of tempo changes and more call and response with the audience.

No concert of this sort would be complete without a big finish, in this case the singing of the official camp song with all the campers on stage at once. All the girls came out and lined the stage for the final song, and when it was over, there were hugs and there was dancing, and there was a general sense of euphoria that was not only on stage, but throughout the room. A smile split every face in the crowd, and as we watched the girls celebrate the end of the camp, there was a palpable sense that they had all experienced something that was not your average summer camp, but something that they'll remember and cherish for all their lives, lives which are sure to have music in them.

It was an inspirational morning, for the girls, but also for the audience. Creating and fostering a community is part of any good rock scene. It's what "Revolution Girl Style" was and continues to be all about, and everyone in that room felt a part of a happy rocking family. I'm sure plenty of people came away from the show thinking, in a few years, watch out: these girls are going to take over this city.

To which I say, why wait a few years?

What an interesting shot of a miniature model of Union Station's exterior. I mean, look at that detail on the rear of the Circulator...wait a minute. Flickr user Jet Back to the Lab just fooled us good. We've featured some tilt-shift photography before, but never a photo taken with a tilt-shift lens (in lieu of a Photoshop alteration). Jet Back borrowed such a lens for the weekend and took a set of amazing pictures around Union Station and inside Rock Creek Park which will have you asking "is that really not a model?" EXIF.

Written by DCist contributor Whitney Satin

Dupont Circle office workers and residents have been taunted all summer long by the knowledge that a brand new cupcakery was slated to arrive in the neighborhood. At long last, it’s time to stop pressing those faces against the window in eager anticipation and instead partake of some actual confectionary consumption. Hello Cupcake opened its doors at 10am today, bringing a touch of whimsy and, more importantly, instant cupcake gratification to the stretch of Connecticut just south of the circle. The interior, designed by owner and executive pastry chef Penny Karas's architect husband, includes charming details. The underside of the counter resembles swirls of frosting. Wall-stenciled pink and brown flowers and glass jarfuls of colorful sprinkles give the store a distinctly playful look, while pink and crystal chandeliers strung above several café tables underscore the fact that this is a place to sit, relax, and enjoy a momentary escape from downtown DC’s hustle and bustle … presumably while licking buttercream frosting off of the fingers, of course.

Penny grew up with a passion for all things cooking and baking while helping with the family’s restaurant business, and she knew that establishing her own culinary outlet was only a matter of time. For the past several months, Penny’s family and friends (and even her dog) have served as willing test subjects as the one-time PR and marketing professional took to the electric mixer to experiment and adapt some of her favorite cake and frosting recipes. For those of us on the cupcake bandwagon, the happy result is Hello Cupcake’s repertoire of 22 different flavored cupcakes, with more creations currently in the works. The menu rotates daily but always includes a seasonal offering, as well as vegan and gluten-free versions of most regular flavors (dog-friendly options, Pup Cakes, are also on the way). Penny’s first finalized recipe, the Peanut Butter Blossom with a Scharffen Berger chocolate base topped with peanut butter frosting and a chocolate kiss, has also proven to be the most popular in pre-opening test runs.

We have our eyes set on some of the more offbeat flavors, including Chocolate Chai, a chocolate base with chai buttercream, Maya Favorite Cupcake, a cinnamon-chocolate cake topped with chili-infused chocolate ganache and hot pepper “sprinkles,” or the summer seasonal Root Beer Float, whose heavily spiced cake base Penny admits was a bit of an unintentional test kitchen creation. And if you're looking for the popular Red Velvet, you'll have to wait a little while, Penny's recipes contain all-natural ingredients, something that doesn't include the artificial red dyes found in most red velvet recipes. But she hopes to find something that will work soon.

For those who are interested in more than just a one cup fix and looking for some party cupcakes, she has plans for themed assortment boxes, like English garden party with floral flavors, and a boozy box with mojito-flavored cakes.

And then there's the million dollar question, any plans to expand? Obviously, Hello Cupcake needs to get past the first day, but Penny expressed that it wasn't out of the question, especially with the setup and design.

The $3 a piece cupcakes are baked fresh daily, and opening day proves no exception: bakers have been at work in the kitchen since 3am this morning to hopefully stave off a potential supply shortage should cupcake enthusiasts turn out in large numbers. The store is currently open Monday to Thursday from 10am-7pm and then Friday and Saturday from 10am-9pm. For those of you lured in by the deliciously sweet smell of baked goodness wafting onto the street – what do you think? Will Hello Cupcake contribute to DC’s dominance in the cupcake scene?

A few people have already started taking a spin around our Touch Up D.C. contest. On this rainy Friday, we've got our first impressive pick. We love Schodts' kaleidoscopic ode to public transportation and pandas, two of our very favorite things. Keep those submissions coming; there's no real deadline, we'll just post selections as they come in through September.

Last week we brought you extensive coverage of the D.C. delegation's activities at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Now that the Republican National Convention is underway in St. Paul, can you expect the same kind of reporting? No, but it's not for lack of trying.

DCist submitted a request to be credentialed for the RNC several months ago. On July 7, we received a reply from the RNC Special Press Credentials Office with the following message: "Unfortunately, due to the overwhelming interest in covering our convention, we are unable to accommodate your request for Special Press Credentials."

In early August, we got in touch with DC Republican Committee Executive Director Paul D. Craney to make one last try at it. We noted that we didn't want to leave D.C.'s Republican delegates out of our coverage. Craney got in touch with the RNC credentialing office, and he told us the answer he got was the same. They said they have a limited number of passes they can award, and they filled that number.

Considering the small size of D.C.'s Republican delegation, we suppose the RNC has a case to make for leaving us out -- though one single pass for a mobile blogger hardly seems like a burden. But in the interest of making sure our readers understand that it was our intention to cover both conventions, we wanted to let you know we tried.

Take a look at the three photos below. The first is an image from John McCain's acceptance speech in Minnesota last night. The second is a photo of the building that was hugely projected behind him, which turns out to be Walter Reed Middle School in North Hollywood, CA. Why would McCain have that photo behind him last night? Talking Points Memo smartly speculates that the GOP must have intended to have a photo of D.C.'s own Walter Reed Army Medical Center behind McCain, but came up with the wrong image when they nabbed one off the internet.

There are probably quite a few working bands on the East Coast who would pay good money to sit in on a workshop run by Vicki Savoula and Amanda MacKaye. The Black Cat talent buyer and the Fort Reno summer concert series organizer held a masterclass yesterday to teach a group of aspiring musicians how to approach booking their bands at some of D.C.'s most famous venues. Didn't get an invite? That's probably because you're not a girl between the ages of eight and 18.

The week-long Girls Rock!DC summer camp came to a close today, the first of its kind in the Washington area. Over the course of the camp, 43 D.C. area girls received instrument lessons, music history classes, and practical workshops designed to teach them the ins and outs of how the music scene really works. They also formed a total of eight bands, with names ranging from Burning Flowers to Global Rave, that were each tasked with composing and arranging a single song. All eight bands will be performing their original songs at the Camper Showcase at the 9:30 Club on Saturday.
Girls Rock!DC is clearly a labor of love for the 60 to 70 volunteers, all women, who have been involved in organizing, teaching and producing the camp. Conceived and run by a large core group of committed musicians, music industry insiders, artists and just plain old women who thought it sounded like a lot of fun, it was hard to tell who was more thrilled to be at camp this week: the campers or the adults.

"I would have loved to have had the opportunity to do this when I was young," explained Allison Krayer, a volunteer drums instructor. "When I was 14 and started playing, I didn't know a single other girl drummer."

Nearly all of the equipment, including the space (at the Kingsbury Day School, 5000 14th St. NW) for the camp came from donations from the community. Camp spokesperson Ebony Dumas said the Atomic Music Stores were especially helpful in making sure they had all the instruments, cables and pedals the girls would need.

In a room named after Ann and Nancy Wilson, girls aged eight to 10 got a basic lecture on how to mike a guitar properly and how amps work while band posters for Heart and Smashing Pumpkins hung in the background.

Upstairs, Savoula and MacKaye let girls aged 11 to 13 in on a secret about how to get booked more often at Fort Reno or the Black Cat: send them follow-up thank you emails after every show. Even in rock, politeness matters.

Things were a little more tense in the band practice rooms. With only two days left before taking the world famous 9:30 Club stage, the members of Global Rave were still hammering out their lyrics and trying to figure out a way to practice minus their keyboardist, who had missed camp that day.

MacKaye says that among other things, she thinks the camp offers girls a more realistic look at what it's like to be in a working band.

"It's not necessarily because you pick up a guitar, suddenly you're playing the Verizon Center," she said, in a nod to the overwhelming popularity of Disney Channel character Hannah Montana. Instead, MacKaye hopes the girls at camp gain an appreciation for the intimate relationship to music making being heavily involved in a local music scene can provide.

Overall though, the message of Girls Rock!DC is female empowerment. The women who run this camp want to make sure their younger counterparts know that they can be the future of the music scene if they want to be, and that a community exists to help them get there.

And even if the girls won't end up magically becoming international teen sensations, they will have their chance at a rock dream this Saturday. The 9:30 Club Girls Rock!DC Camper Showcase begins at 11 a.m. and runs until 1 p.m. Tickets are $5 to $10 on a sliding scale, and available at the door.