Peer into the future on the Mall, loosen your belt in Georgetown, and rotate clockwise while standing on the North Pole at the Hirshhorn. Whether your idea of a good time is raving with the same sex or ogling naughty schoolgirls, this week’s Ten Under $10 has something for you.
1. Arrgh! Apparently there’s no spell check aboard the S.S. Bad-Idea-for-a-Bar, but there are great specials on Thievin’ Thursdays at at Piratz Tavern in Silver Spring. Granted, the place looks like a miniature-golf-course-meets-Johnny-Depp-inspired Epcot ride, but it’ll all blur together with $5 rum “Piratz drynks,” half-price “grog” (a mixture of three types of rum and ginger beer), and $3 Coronas, Amstels, Heinekens, and Blue Moons from 5 to 7. Fill up on half-price appetizers, befriend a parrot, and try not to stumble off the plank.
2. Populists, unite! Environmentalist/Green Party candidate/lecturer/consumer watchdog/author Ralph Nader will sign copies of his new book, Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us!, at Busboys and Poets on Thursday at 6. Taking a page from Thomas Paine and Upton Sinclair, Nader’s novel imagines what our nation would be like if the wealthiest individuals suddenly became altruistic do-gooders. Supporting Nader by showing up to the event is free—though if you’re a Democrat, it might cost you an election.
3. Debate teammate? Volunteer worker? Fraternity member? Please, that’s so 2002! These days, no college résumé is complete without highlighting that you were part of your university’s solar-house-building team. Friday kicks off the annual Solar Decathlon competition on the Mall, which pits 20 universities against one another to see who can build, design, and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered house. Houses will be open to the public from 11 to 3 on Friday, and admission is free.
4. Between Fox News terror alerts and Disney films portraying cartoon characters flying on carpets, the American media’s portrayal of the Arab world isn’t exactly balanced. For a more representative look at Arabic life, head to the 14th annual Arabian Sights Film Festival, October 9 to 18 at the E Street Cinema and the National Geographic Society. The festival will showcase a range of contemporary, provocative films from Morocco, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Egypt with English subtitles. Tickets to each screening costs $10 and often include an opportunity to meet the film’s director following the show.
5. Whether you roll out of your dorm room or sashay out of your stately rowhouse, just remember to bring your hunger to the 16th annual Taste of Georgetown on Saturday from 11 to 4. This year’s edition features a neighborhood menu from more than 30 local restaurants as well as more than 60 dishes and wines to try. Food tickets are $5 and wine tickets are $10. After loosening your belt, stop by the Washingtonian tent (we’re a sponsor!) and say hello.
6. Ladies, channel your inner Lolita, hike up that skirt, and study up on Britney Spears videos, because Town Tavern is hosting its first annual Naughty Schoolgirl Night on Saturday. Listen, we don’t normally encourage readers to flaunt their femininity, but ladies dressed to fit the theme drink free from 8 to 11, and the hottest schoolgirl will win an entire year’s worth of free drinks. Admission is free, though you may have to buy your dignity back at the end of the night.
7. Mandu’s East Meets West happy hour runs every day from 4 to 7. There’s Kirin Light, Harbin, and Tiger beers for just $2. Liquor drinks and sojutinis are $4, while select appetizers are just $3. Gombae!
8. After opening many times for other Washington bands, the Electricutions are finally headlining a concert, bringing their punk-rock power chords to Comet Ping Pong for a free show Friday at 10. Get revved up on the venue’s three free Ping-Pong tables until 9.
9. Aside from having a killer name, Guido van der Werve is a man of many talents: He’s a composer, classical pianist, chess player, and a talented filmmaker. Sunday is your last chance to catch his free exhibit at the Hirshhorn, featuring ten short films he describes as “possible scenarios of imaginary realities.” See Guido rotating in the opposite direction of the earth’s spin in the North Pole, playing piano while floating in a lake, and launching an asteroid from where it came. Guido lives and works in Amsterdam. Open daily 10 to 5:30.
10. What better way to take the edge off after a long day at church than by heading to DC9 for an electro-gay dance party? Sunday’s bash is the final installment of the five-year-old monthly event called Taint and will feature DJs who have spun at the party over the years. The rager goes from 9 PM to 2 AM, revelers must be 21 or over, and tickets cost $5.
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