Your guide to the region's top events, mixed with some commentary about life, media, gossip and politics in Washington, DC.
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Alejandro Salinas
Latest update: The cast was at yesterday's National Equality March.
View Real World Watch: Where Are the Members of Real World DC Hanging Out? in a larger map
MTV's Real World is moving to our city. It's inevitable. So why not have some fun with the situation?
Therefore: we present our Real World DC Watch Map.
That's right, following the tradition of Gawker Stalker and Gossip Girl, we've created a map that will document the whereabouts and shenanigans of Washington's newest residents. We want you, reader, to send us tips reporting on your candid encounter(s) with MTV's latest batch of twentysomethings.
Saw them in line at Ben's Chili Bowl? Causing a scene at Lauriol Plaza? Throwing up near Adams Morgan? Let us know by sending your tips to realworld@washingtonian.com, or by using #rwwatch on Twitter.
Filming supposedly starts June 20, so keep your eyes peeled. Send your Real World DC sightings to realworld@washingtonian.com and we'll post them on our map above (as well as keep a static list here for your reference purposes).
What happens when people stop being polite, and start reporting Real World sightings to the internet everywhere the cast goes? We'll find out!
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McLean Robbins
Emmy Rossum and John Legend. Photograph by Julie Fischer.
What: W Washington D.C. hotel’s grand-opening fête.
Where: W Washington D.C. hotel (515 15th St., NW).
When: Thursday, October 8.
Ticket prices: Invitation only.
Who: An eclectic mix of more than 500 guests, including some Hollywood stars, White House staffers, media personalities, and the local socialite set. “I’m excited by my proximity to Mr. Obama,” gushed Phantom of the Opera actress Emmy Rossum about the hotel’s position near the White House. We also spotted Obama’s bodyguard, Reggie Love; MSNBC’s Norah O’Donnell; Capitals hockey player Alex Ovechkin; Washington Wizards player Caron Butler; and CNN’s John King, Dana Bash, and Suzanne Malveaux. Singer John Legend played an hourlong set in the ballroom. Sadly, rumors of an appearance by Robert De Niro were false.
Why: Although the hotel, purchased and renovated by Starwood Hotels, had a “soft” opening in July, this was the official debut party, complete with a purple-carpet entryway—a play on both the de rigueur red carpet as well as the hotel brand’s signature color.
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Sophie Gilbert
Joe Wilson watchers must be thrilled: America’s most notorious heckler was in Washington this week to address the GW Young Republicans. Hopefully his audience treated him with the same respect and politeness that he treated... never mind.
In other news, Judge Carter starts the week by continuing on his bad news bears theme, but by Friday he’s trying to remove Charlie Rangel and doing a lot of retweeting. It’s nice to see that John Boehner has lost none of his passion for biting wit, and that Tony Blair is still useful these days. Denny Rehberg seems to have a lot less fun on his birthday than most people, Mike Honda likes garlic, Claire McCaskill used to be a cheerleader and David Vitter is still fighting Obamacare, regardless of what the Congressional Budget Office thinks. Also, our condolences to Arlen Specter after the loss of his sister.
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Alejandro Salinas
George Gustav Heye Center board member Howard Teich, singer Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell. Photograph by Leonda Levchuk.
What: National Museum of the American Indian 20th Anniversary Gala.
Where: National Museum of the American Indian.
When: October 7, 7 PM.
Ticket prices: $500 regular admission, $1,000 VIP.
Who: The charming, no-nonsense former Colorado senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, that’s who. Campbell, who now is a member of the museum’s board of trustees, was an honoree at the event. “I refer to myself as a recovering senator,” he cracked during his speech. Also honored: Hawaii senator Daniel K. Inouye, who sponsored the NMAI Act during his 18-year tenure on the Committee of Indian Affairs. Prior to his speech, we spotted Senator Inouye munching on miniature skewers of chicken and bison, served with a sweet-potato sauce.
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Sarah Zlotnick
Adra Williams, Kadrieka Maiden, Donna Lee, and Laura Carlson at the Walk This Way Fashion party Tuesday night.
>> See the photo slideshow from the night here! What: Walk This Way fashion show.
Where: Liaison Hotel rooftop.
When: October 6, 6 to 10 PM.
Ticket prices: $125 regular admission, $300 VIP ticket.
Who: Washington’s glitterati were out in full force to fight domestic violence. NBC4 sports anchor Lindsay Czarniak, wearing a strapless pink dress and a pearl-illusion necklace, emceed the evening from atop a water-surrounded runway. Redskins running back Clinton Portis cohosted and brought out fellow players Jason Campbell, Gary Clark, Santana Moss, DeAngelo Hall, Albert Haynesworth, and Stephon Heyer to walk the runway. DC United kickers Bryan Namoff, Santino Quaranta, Devon McTavish, and Ben Olsen were seen tossing back drinks. R&B Singer Ginuwine, a ’90s favorite, was out promoting a new album, and K Street Kate blogger Kate Michael was also seen milling about.
Why: To support Becky’s Fund and serve as a kickoff for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Founder Becky Lee’s organization works to combat abuse through educational programs and awareness events and provides assistance to domestic-violence victims.
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Emily Leaman
This week, we try some hobbies on for size with the ladies from Dilettante Club.
The Dilettante Club tackles its latest challenge: learning to play bridge. Left to right: Nicole Bono, Amy Schirmer, Kathleen Canedo, and Amanda Lonsdale. Photograph by Chris Leaman
What’s a dilettante? According to Webster’s Dictionary, it’s “a person having a superficial interest in an art or a branch of knowledge.” In other words, a dabbler.
That’s exactly what the four women behind the blog Dilettante Club consider themselves. They’ve tried lots of hobbies, but none has stuck permanently. And that’s why they formed the club three years ago—to indulge their inner dilettante and give them an excuse to do lots of activities one time only.
Here’s how the club works: Once a month, the group assembles for an activity. The activity must be a one-time event that runs no longer than five hours, cost $100 or less, take place in Washington, and end with a recap over drinks and food. Activities have run the gamut from hula-hoop-making to ceramics to palm reading to self-defense. The group’s successes—and hilarious failures—are then documented on the blog.
The club was formed after a cocktail party when the women discussed their sordid hobbying pasts. Kathleen’s dilettante tendencies led her to hold ten jobs in 15 years. Amanda has dabbled in languages and knows several—but only at a novice-to-amateur level. While Amy became a dilettante for strictly practical reasons—she learned flute, for example, to join the band and avoid gym class in grade school—Nicole has tried lots of activities, such as field hockey and dancing, for the cute uniforms.
We caught up with the dilettantes to talk about—what else?—hobbies. Read on for their favorite and least favorite activities, the strangest thing they’ve ever dabbled in, and one activity they hope they never have to try.
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Gwendolyn Purdom
What: Fight for Children golf tournament.
Where: TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm.
When: Monday, October 5. There were golf tournament and spa events all day followed by a cocktail reception and dinner.
Ticket prices: $1,000 for a day of golf, $500 for non-golfing events.
Attire: Polos, khakis, and visors galore.
Who: About 100 Washington businesspeople and philanthropists took a swing at the Inaugural Golf Challenge to benefit the Fight for Children organization—better known for its annual Fight Night fundraiser. The event, which raised more than $135,000 for education and health-care programs for local low-income youth, drew a handful of semi-boldface names including former Redskins Brig Owens and Brian Mitchell and actress Gloria Reuben. Musical performances by saxophonist Ski Johnson and the Grammy-nominated R&B singer and DC native Kenny Lattimore closed the night on a smooth note.
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