DCist was pleased to learn today that we've been selected as the official blog to represent the District of Columbia at this year's Democratic National Convention in Denver. DCist will be part of the State Blogger Corps, which is a new cadre of bloggers who cover state and local politics that the Democratic National Committee has invited to sit with their own delegations on the convention floor. You can find a full list of......

For some, "Hell is other people," but for one local blogger, hell is just one person: the maitre d' at Kramerbooks & Afterwords, who governed over last Sunday's brunchtime with a haughty manner and a tendency toward "psychological abuse." There were snippy quips over bathroom tokens, for example, and memories that seem to have been remembered in German. But the whole matter ended up taking an existential turn for the worse:I also heard Herr Säuglingsmörder......

Remember the HGTV Change the World, Start at Home contest we told you about last month? Anacostia was one of ten needy neighborhoods in the United States identified by the cable channel that was eligible to win a "neighborhood revitalization" package if it received enough votes online -- and Anacostia has won! Anacostia will be the beneficiary of three specific revitalization projects: Homes on S Street: HGTV, Rebuilding Together and the National Trust for Historic......

We've mentioned it briefly before, but it's worth reminding everyone that a D.C. neighborhood is in contention to win a makeover from HGTV, and a lot of local bloggers are asking you to cast your vote to help make it happen. In partnership with Rebuilding Together, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Natural Resources Defense Council, HGTV's Change the World, Start at Home contest has identified D.C.'s Anacostia as one of ten needy......

A Post business columnist and an independent music non-profit have joined the chorus questioning Live Nation's proposal for a Silver Spring music hall. Last Friday, Steven Pearlstein wrote that while I.M.P. boss Seth Hurwitz has fought against competition for his 9:30 Club before, and his alternative proposal to Live Nation is in his own best interest, "he's put forward a financial proposal attractive enough that county officials cannot ignore it." Under their non-binding letter of......

Good morning, Washington. It's news of the weird day today on DCist, as the Post tells the bizarre story of two 2nd-year engineering students from U-Va. who have been charged with the kidnapping of a man in Tysons Corner and demanding $500,000 in ransom. Both the two kidnappers and the victim are Chinese nationals who had been living with host families in Virginia while attending college. Police arrested Guanyu Lu and Baichuan Shu, both 19,......

>> Art Whino, the new 22,000 square foot exhibition and studio space at 717 N. Asaph St. in Old Town Alexandria, holds its grand opening tonight. The gallery's debut event will be soundtracked by DJ Stylo, and marks the start of two new exhibits: a solo show by artist Derrick Wolbaum and a group show of Pop-Surrealism work in the Permanent Gallery. The opening reception is tonight from 6 to 11 p.m, admission is free.......

We first heard about washingtonpost.com's intentions to launch a comprehensive directory of D.C. area blogs last January, when they gathered a bunch of invited local bloggers to come have free soft drinks and chocolate-covered strawberries so they could pick all of our brains about how best to reach us on the interwebs. Today, we received the first word that the Local Blog Directory is up and running and available to users to register. Generally,......

For those folks who tune into Washingtonian food critic Todd Kliman's weekly chogs, we know he can get a little outta control. If you were paying attention to the chog this morning, you may have noticed this rather interesting exchange: DC: Hi Todd, Several well known chefs are lending their names to new restaurants in DC... Do you agree with DonRockwell of donrockwell.com that the latter two are merely "hype-driven, let's-give-the-restaurant-critics-an-erection outposts" or do you......

Like ravenous dogs preying on fresh meat, local bloggers have pounced on the news that local organic grocer Yes! Organic Market will be coming to the Union Row building project, located at 14th and V streets NW. In a press release from Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham, the 5,000 square foot market is scheduled to open in Spring of 2008, offering residents, “natural foods as part of a unique shopping experience.” Despite the ominous approach......

Former Editor-in-Chief Ryan Avent writes a weekly column about neighborhood and development issues. It was good that the lunch keynote didn’t last any longer; I was ready to hand Jim Abdo a check. Those of us on the academic side of the development industry aren’t used to such raw displays of enthusiasm. After following Abdo through his slide presentation on the history of his business and the mammoth project he’s begun on New York Avenue......

>> Plans for the District's biggest hotel, with 1,400 rooms, near the Washington Convention Center, are on the verge of being shelved. [WaPo] >> A healthy baby boy was born on I-270 this morning, proving once again that life is really just God's cheesy network sitcom. [WJLA] >> Apparently those recent repairs at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library didn't include water fountains, ceilings or bathrooms. [City Desk] >> A photography exhibit that......

Bloggers across this fair nation thought they couldn't get a bigger gift from a Virginia senate race than they did last year, after the epic and appalling Macacaness of Sen. George Allen's eventual defeat to Sen. Jim Webb. But via Wonkette, it would seem we could all have been wrong. Rumors are flying that Pat "Homosexuality is Not Only Immoral, but Filthy" Buchanan is considering a run at the seat being vacated by Sen. John......

It's back to school time, and that means we're once again recruiting new writers to become part of our growing team of city bloggers. As you know, we aren't able to pay our contributors -- so please don't apply unless you're ready to do it for the love of exploring D.C., engaging in important debates about the direction of the city, or are just the kind of person who's happy enough to see your name......

Happy Birthday to us! We here at DCist can hardly believe it's been three years since the official launch of this humble little web site, so we couldn't let the occasion pass by without the slightest amount of fanfare. It was three years ago today that founding editors Rob Goodspeed and Mike Grass first launched DCist, the fifth site in the -Ist empire, which now includes fourteen cities all over the world. What started as......

As proof that bloggers need to get more sleep, we accidentally left one of the biggest music events of the week off of yesterday's This Week In Jazz post. For shame. Fear not, jazz-lovers, for today we remedy the problem by informing you of Saturday's Planet Arlington World Music Festival. The festival, which begins at 4 p.m. at the Iwo Jima Memorial grounds, will feature Hugh Masekela (pictured, Legendary South African Trumpeter), Lila Downs (Latin......

This one has been covered already by a few of our fellow bloggers, but it's almost too good to pass up. Yesterday Wonkette reported that departing White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove was looking to get even with some students at American University who had the tenacity to show him their asses. See, back in April Rove gave a speech before the university's College Republicans, meeting with some feisty protestors as he made......

There won't be any hand-wringing or head-scratching over why the Washington Post's foray into radio failed. Today's Post article on the issue pretty much sums it up as well as anyone could hope to: "[Post Radio] was not able to draw even 1 percent of listeners during its first year." Ouch. The Washingtonian's Harry Jaffe wrote earlier this month of the project's coming demise, and today provides more insight as to why the whole venture......

Most bloggers rely on nicknames or online handles to keep their ramblings at least somewhat anonymous -- and that's not terribly different than some of the District's notorious criminals. In this morning's Post, we learn that District police have started keeping tabs on the street names criminals use, entering them into a database and linking them to names, addresses and other identifying characteristics. So far, police have thousands of street names on file, everything from......

As Sommer mentioned earlier this week, I was fortunate enough to have been invited to speak on a panel on D.C. voting rights at the YearlyKos Convention, a huge gathering of progressive activists and bloggers in Chicago. This morning I will be sitting alongside D.C. Shadow Rep. Mike Panetta, Danny Rose from DC Vote and Kesh Luddewhetty of DC for Democracy, all of whom will detail the current fight for voting rights, where it stands......

While SFist cringed at the fatal dose of crime littering the Bay Area, it found solace in Hillary Clinton's San Francisco campaign headquarters opening, which featured loads of exposed mammary glands. In other news, SF Taxi Commission ruled that Satan's cab must keep its (in)famous medallion number, 666; and in an un-fashion-forward frenzy, San Francisco Fashion Week (chortle) bars bloggers from covering and getting smashed at their shows and parties, respectively. Also, they found a......

Yesterday we introduced you to The XYZ Affair in preparation for tomorrow night's big Unbuckled show at DC9. Since we've already done the whole long, serious interview thing with Le Loup, we asked the seven-piece musical hivemind a few sillier questions to get you all ready for a night of great music and great fun. 9 p.m., $8. What are you looking forward to most about Unbuckled? Rebuckling! Bloggers: hot or not? Bloggers are so......

We know this whole mid-week holiday thing can do a number on you, so before you launch into another D.C. summer weekend, mark your calendars for next Wednesday, because that's when DCist is bringing you the sixth installment of our concert series, Unbuckled. We'll convene at DC9 on July 11 to bring you the ebullient sounds of D.C.'s speedy success story, Le Loup, and Brooklyn's more-mature-than-their-years pop rock outfit, The XYZ Affair. Unbuckleds of......

The particulars were leaked a while ago, but that doesn't make it any less sweet: the Capitals are unveiling their new jerseys tonight, and we have to say that they look fantastic. The style of the new sweaters mimics certain aspects of their traditional jersey (worn from 1974-1995), such as the solid red base and the emphasized hockey stick as the letter "t". Though bloggers Uni Watch gave the Caps a mixed review for......

Former Virginia Senator George Allen has apparently completed his rapid descent from Presidential hopeful to also-ran to punchline to historical footnote. Today, The Politico reports on an official GOP Internet guide, which, along with providing some material that undercuts the popular idea that the Republican establishment is a clearinghouse of outright media geniuses (such as the note that "Most newspapers are now online and have an archive section." Woo! You think?), holds out George Allen's......

Written by Vince Wadhwani When Vegetate and Queen of Sheba applied for liquor licenses in September 2005, Shiloh Baptist Church unexpectedly protested, causing both restaurants a lengthy delay which, in the case of Queen of Sheba, is still ongoing almost two years later. For Vegetate, however, the news is brighter, with legislation being passed earlier this year allowing them to serve wine, beer, and cocktails. Many restaurants may have folded up under the pressure of......

A track on a couple soundtracks, buzz spewing from the URLs of a few hundred bloggers, some decent press in Spin – used to be that was enough to get you a record label deal. The Eames Era may not have found the going so easy, but after a wonderful little set at Iota on Monday night, they seem poised for a bigger breakthrough. The band’s basically four dudes – two guitars, bass, drums –......

MONDAY >> DC9 scoured the globe for tonight's lineup. The Comas hail from Brooklyn and Chapel Hill and specialize in the darker shades of psychadelic rock. The Veils are here all the way from New Zealand, with some "if you like The White Stripes, you'll love The Veils"-style blues-inspired rock. Locals Zulu Pearls round out the lineup with solid, basic, indie rock. We're incapable of hearing their name without thinking of "Zuzu's petals" from It's......

Yesterday's WUSA newscast brought an exclusive interview that'll be of interest to anyone living near Shaw: apparently the Fifth and O and Seventh and O crews have agreed to a truce. The linked video includes a group interview conducted by Bruce Johnson in which the gang members express bewilderment at the extent of their years-long feud, and hope for a lasting truce. We certainly wish them the best of luck. Several current and former DCist......

We love it when local bloggers take it upon themselves to explore the nooks and crannies of our city and report back to us. Today we were introduced to a new blog by Lia Pendarvis with the promising (though hilariously unflattering) title, The Lavatory Lady. As a mother of two young boys who are not only always on the go but often have "to go," Lia confesses she spends an inordinate chunk of her daily......