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Gary Tischler • March 8, 2012

Even as the Michigan and Arizona Republican primaries have gone into the record books, I’m going on the record to say what I’ve been saying pretty much since around the primary days of Iowa and New Hampshire.

It’s over.

I don’t know how many times I have to say it. The GOP primary race is over.

Romney will win, has won even as he muddles on. He’ll win even if he loses Ohio on Super Tuesday tomorrow.

I don’t pretend to be a seer here by any means. I mean, even when Romney wins, he loses or ties. If anyone could screw up a sure thing, it’s the honorable Mitt Romney of BYU, Utah, Michigan and Massachusetts.

But still: it’s over.

Why? Because nobody among the rag-tag band of survivors from the original rag-tag band of announced candidates can win.

The media loves to talk about members of the Republican establishment — Bob Dole, a lobbyist or two in New York and Fred Thompson perhaps — who are panicking with almost every vote cast for, at first, Newt, now fading faster than a silver bullet gone astray, and now Rick Santorum, who was unceremoniously booted out of the Senate seat he had in Pennsylvania when last he ran for office.

Santorum has become the defender of true conservatism, and certainly typical of the 2012 crop of GOP candidates suffering from terminal foot-in-mouth disease. Just recently, when he called President Barack Obama a “snob” for insisting that everyone should go to college, GOP governors were reduced to defending Obama. Of late, he picked a fight with President John Kennedy over the issue of separation of church and state, which the former senator apparently doesn’t believe in much.

Santorum, avoiding the jobs issue, has gone all in with no chips on the values issues: abortion, contraceptives, gays and religion. Which is why I repeat: it’s over.

Santorum is heading into Super Tuesday hoping to win Ohio, Gingrich hopes to win in Georgia, and Romney is going to win . . . period. Santorum got swamped in Arizona where he did badly in the debate but got a split of delegates in Romney’s home state of Michigan. So, he figures a tie is not like kissing your sister, of which he would disapprove vehemently in any case.

This GOP race for the nomination has been a farce. As that great political sage and seer Stephen Sondheim wrote, “Send in the clowns, don’t bother they’re here.”

You gotta admit: Romney is a fighter especially with a bunch of opponents that hardly resemble murderer’s row. More like doofus row. He flustered Perry, ignored Bachman, was nice to the pizza guy, shot Newt out of the water in Florida, and now has Santorum by way of Obama in his sights. Romney is like the Harlem Globetrotters who routinely are matched with designated loser teams, which they dispatch with ease after much hilarity. Romney’s opponents have been somewhat similar —they’re not in his class. Yet Romney appears to have trouble winning and winning over the GOP base. This allows him to be the front runner and the comeback kid at the same time, a neat trick come to think of it.

Along the way, the former governor of Massachusetts has shed almost every shred of what could tag him as a moderate to court the party’s base, otherwise known as the Tea Party and Christian right. He’s accepted the endorsement of Donald Trump and, most recently, the governor of Arizona who appeared to notice, after yelling nose to nose at Obama, that Romney had a double-digit lead and made her endorsement on Meet The Press.

Nevertheless, he has failed to seal the deal. The right is suspicious of him, the independents and moderates are aghast every time he says stuff like how nice the trees are in Michigan, that his wife drives two Cadillacs or that $350,000 isn’t a lot of money.

So, why does the Republican Party seem so fragmented, so ill at ease, united on hardly anything except “We don’t like Barack Obama, the lying elitist socialist Muslim from Kenya who’s going to destroy the American way of life”?

The trouble with Romney is nobody really knows what he stands for, what his core principles are — except that what’s good for business is good for America . . . so let’s cut taxes. When you get his slogans — drop Obama care, stay in Afghanistan, lower taxes, you get bromides which sound with every telling a little closer to Tea Party rhetoric.

He’s the spitting image of a presidential candidate — those teeth, that hair, those boys, those blue jeans ensembles. His wife is the perfect candidate’s wife: she’s funny, blonde, gorgeous, smart and down to earth. It’s a wonder Gingrich hasn’t proposed to her.

Nothing sticks to Romney. He has turned detachment into a plus, minus the irony that usually accompanies it. Most importantly, he’s detached from the lives of most Americans. If the nomination process has done anything, it’s to expose that detachment, that disconnect.

One media writer who supports Romney nonetheless admitted he was “a dork” and that he would present himself as the brainy doctor who would cure the economy. Good luck in convincing the middle class of that one.

But the GOP race?

It’s over. Don’t say a word, Yogi Berra.

Michelle Kingston • March 5, 2012

One Georgetown University student was sexually assaulted at 36th and N Streets at 2:15 a.m. on Sunday. They were physically injured after being beaten by the suspect who is described as an 18-22 year old white male standing 5-foot-11 to six feet tall with short brown hair, wearing a dark shirt and blue jeans.

Later that evening, 2 students were victims of an armed robbery at 9:30 p.m. at 33rd and N Streets. According to the Department of Public Safety, 2 men approached the students. One of the suspects pointed a two-tone, semiautomatic hand gun at the students and demanded money, while the other suspect searched the student’s pockets and took their wallets and cell phones. Both suspects fled the scene by foot towards Wisconsin Avenue.

The suspects were described as black males wearing dark clothing. The gun carrier was wearing a mask and stood at 5-foot-6 and the other suspect stood at six feet tall.

University officials are urging Georgetown students to not walk alone late at night. The Metropolitan Police Department is handling both incidents and currently investigating. The Department of Public Safety encourages anyone with any information to contact them at (202) 687- 4343.

Gary Tischler •

Watching the 2012 Oscar Awards made you feel:

1) Thrilled

2) Bored

3) Old

4) Nostalgic

5) Made you miss Billy Bush

6) Didn’t watch it

If you picked 6), I can’t say I blame you.

As for me:

1) Thrilled (sometimes)

2) Bored (often)

3) Old (uncomfortably so)

4) Nostalgic (comfortably so)

5) Made you miss Billy Bush (surprisingly so)

Some highlights of the evening include Angelina Jolie’s gam thigh-high striking pose of grand dame movie star, Meryl Streep, who broke her almost three-decade losing streak and made her husband cry, and George Glooney, who didn’t win, but kissed Billy Crystal on the lips. We also got to see a portion of the sink scene from “Bridesmaids,” thank you so much. And, rumor has it that one flew out of the cuckoo’s nest, otherwise known as the dress that Jennifer Lopez almost wore.

The biggest thrill was not Jennifer Lopez—missed that because Robin Roberts was busy talking to Prince Albert of Monaco on ABC’s red carpet show. It happened right in the middle of things when Cirque du Soleil’s “Iris” performers put on a startling, gorgeous homage to movies, with flying Cary Grants and heart-stopping flights without nets, like a convention of lithe stuntmen and women.

Let’s not forget Christopher Plummer’s acceptance speech. After being reminded once too often that he was the oldest Oscar winner ever, at age 82, first by a gabby English red carpet reporter, then by Billy Crystal, he took the Oscar and looked at it sweetly and asked, “I’m only two years older than you, where have you been all my life?”

Thrilling, too, was the odd fact that every time they ran a clip of the charming dancing fools from “The Artist,” (the semi-French, semi-silent film which won the Best Picture Award as predicted), it energized the place in ways that no amount of banter by presenters trying and failing to be funny—that was for you, Emma Stone, and you Robert Downey Jr., or even the ladies from “Bridesmaids”, although God knows they tried manfully or womanfully—could match.

Humorous was the skit number featuring a 1930s depression audience watching a test screening of “The Wizard of Oz” and their reactions. Thank God that wasn’t real.

Crystal—after many a winter’s absence—returned to his old hosting role with aplomb—the clips, being kissed by Clooney’s “The Descendant’s” character, running into Justin Bieber, the odd on target quip. And yet, it wasn’t the same. It was predictable and a little wan, like that little bad boy’s smile after a joke that didn’t quite land as sharply as it should have.

For the most part, however, I was bored by the predictability of the big awards—maybe a long awards season seems to settle the choosing of the winners to the point of an absence of any sort of surprises. Ergo, if you’d been paying attention you knew the French guy was going to beat Clooney for best actor, and that “The Artist” was going to win Best Picture, and best director, and best dog, if there had been a category.

The only semi-surprise was Streep’s win for best actress as Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady”, a film that did not match either “Harry Potter” or the latest “Transformers” receipts. A popular semi-favorite in that category, Viola Davis of “The Help” did not win, but Octavia Spencer from the same movie did win best supporting actress. She immediately turned into emotional, wordless, joyful mush, providing a refreshing authentic moment.

The two films that could be considered the big winners were “The Artist” which was a French film with few, if any, words, some barks and the sound of tap dancing and phones, that paid kinetic, original tribute to the golden age of Hollywood as it was beginning to learn to speak, and “Hugo”, Martin Scorcese’s homage to Paris and the founder of narrative film. Our political right wing—ever suspicious of all things French—will find further proof that something’s rotten in Hollywood by that pervasive French and Parisian flavor to the proceedings. On the other hand, the French to a man and dog said, “I love this country.” Go figure.

“The Artist” and “Hugo” were about old Hollywood. They are films about the movies when they were both movies and cinema, oozing nostalgia. So for that matter, an alarmingly thin Jolie, who in a splendid gown, her hair down like a gorgeous witch, struck a pose that made her seem like she was auditioning for some far-in-the-future remake of “Sunset Boulevard.”

All of which made me feel both pleasantly nostalgic—the older you get, the more there is to remember—and old—the older you get, the more there is to remember.

When Plummer mentioned his daughter Amanda, I remembered Tammy Grimes, whom I had an occasion to interview twice over the years, was her mother, and when the French producer of “The Artist” paid tribute to the late director Claude Berri as his inspiration, I remembered seeing both “Jeanne de Florette” and “Manon of the Springs,” two remarkable films Berri directed in the 1990s, at the Key Theater, which of course is no longer there.

Michelle Kingston •

The Federal Highway Act of 1956 changed the lives of Americans. Thousands of jobs were created, cars were purchased and suburbs emerged. Our economy thrived and revitalized our nation. Trains were no longer needed as automobiles were affordable and all the rage.

56 years later, it is 2012. Cars are not as affordable. Gas prices are through the roof. Our carbon footprints are larger than life. And our economy, well, we all know how that is.

To help with job creation and get America moving again (and fast), many are in support of bringing the High Speed Rail to the United States. The HSR will connect major cities together with a 17,000 mile national high speed rail system with an estimated completion date by 2030.

The trains are revolutionizing the world as they speed across countries at 220 miles per hour. They currently operate in more than 20 countries worldwide including the UK, France, Spain, China and Germany. In Japan, 9 billion passengers have been riding the trains for over 45 years without a single fatality. Ten more countries are under construction including Saudi Arabia and Italy. Turkey, Morocco, Russia, Poland, Brazil and Argentina are among the 14 countries currently under development.

The High Speed Rail Summit, an independent, nonprofit trade association focused on advancing the speed rail in the country, will be meeting in Washington, D.C. on February 28- March 1 where supporters and opponents of bringing the trains to our nation can voice their opinions. Numerous highlighted speakers who will be in attendance include U.S. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Congressman John Mica, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and U.S. Congressman Jim Oberstar. They’ll inform the public and continue to gain popularity and support to begin building the trains that could reshape our country’s transportation system and kick our economy back in to full gear.

The speakers will discuss the many challenges with launching a major new infrastructure project as large as this, such as the high cost to begin the project (just $98 billion in California alone), but will also stress the importance of bringing the high speed rail to the United States. The High Speed Rail Summit said the project will not only revive our economy and add millions of new jobs, but it will reduce our dependence on oil, reduce congestion and provide safe and affordable transportation. These trains have the ability to take 18.6 million cars off the road, said Peter Calthorpe for the New York Times. “This type of development means less air pollution, fewer respiratory diseases, less water consumption, efficient local infrastructure and lower costs to local governments,” he said.

With the pros and cons piling up across the country, it might be difficult to decide to stand for or against the High Speed Rail. Join others this Tuesday- Thursday at Alion Conference Center, 1100 New Jersey Ave S.E., directly across the street from Navy Yard metro station, for speeches, networking events and programs to establish an opinion on the project that could quite possibly change the way Americans travel. Again.

Register here:

YouTube Video: High Speed Trains Around The World

Georgetowner •

Young Innovators Seminar and Exhibition

MARCH 2ND, 2012 AT 10:00 AM | EVENT
WEBSITE

Learn more about how to support and promote young innovators at this event with speakers including White House Director for Youth Engagement, Ronnie Cho, and Sweden’s Minister for Enterprise, Ms. Annie Loof, who are helping to get the youth’s ideas to market

Address

House of Sweden

2900 K Street NW

Tilar Mazzeo & Stacy Schiff

MARCH 2ND, 2012 AT 07:30 PM | $15 | TEL: (202) 675- 0342 | EVENT WEBSITE

Mazzeo is a New York Time best-selling author of books on wine, travel, French culture, and the history of luxury, including The Secret of Channel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World’s Most Famous Perfume. Schiff is the author of Vera, winner of the Pulitzer Prize, and most recently, Cleopatra: A Life, named one of The New York Times’ 10 Best Books of 2010. Reception and boook signing to follow.

Address

Folger Shakespeare Library

201 East Capitol Street SE

Washington, DC 20003

Family Day 2012: Up, Up, and Away!

MARCH 3RD, 2012 AT 10:00 AM | TEL: (202) 639- 1700 | EVENT WEBSITE

Inspired by themes of space and travel as seen in Are We There Yet? featuring special hands-on art workshops, performances and more

Address

500 17th Street NW

Washington, D.C. 20006

The Art and Words of John Paton Davies, Jr.

MARCH 3RD, 2012 AT 12:00 PM | TEL: (301) 581- 5100 | EVENT WEBSITE

Monoprints by the celebrated diploment turned artist, John Paton Davies, Jr. will be on display

Address

Strathmore

10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, MD

Preparing for the Ball: Dancing

MARCH 6TH, 2012 AT 07:00 PM | 10-12 | TEL: 202-337-2288 | EVENT WEBSITE

Second in a series of four 19th-century skills & etiquette workshops, with the “American Ladies,” Pat Sowers and Jackie Geschickter. Become immersed in Jane Austen’s world at Dumbarton House’s annual Spring Ball on March 24. To prepare for the festivities, attend one or all four classes on period games and dances. Series includes: Feb. 28, Gaming; March 6, Dancing; March 13, Gaming; and March 20, Dancing. Classes are held in the Belle Vue Room. Each class $12; Members $10.

Address
Dumbarton House

2715 Q Street, NW,

Washington, DC, 20007

Dalton Pratt hosts a trunk show for Kara Ackerman Jewelry

MARCH 8TH, 2012 AT 06:00 PM | $45.00-$2000.00 | DALTONPRATTDC@GMAIL.COM | TEL: 202-333-3256 | EVENT WEBSITE

Dalton Pratt invites you to a trunk show featuring Kara Ackerman fine and fashion jewelry. Thursday, March 8th 6:00 to 8:00 pm cocktails, Friday March 9th and Saturday March 9th 10:00 am to 5:30 pm.

Address

1742 Wisconsin Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20007

Gary Tischler •

As usual, as always, the Helen Hayes Awards nomination announcements give great joy to those individual artists who have been nominated and generate a lot of grousing, head scratching and more than a little controversy.

The folks at the Helen Hayes Awards, which tally up the work of a hierarchy of judges to arrive at their nominations, have been at it for 28 years now, and, as with all awards processes, you’re not going to make everybody happy. This is true for the HHs, as well as the Oscars, Grammys, Tonys and so on. But the Helen Hayes Awards have always had a kind of ebb and flow throughout their history, almost a celebratory duty to reveal the depth and breadth, the true size and variety of the talented groups and individual artists that comprise the Washington theater community.

Theaters come and go, and those that stay are eventually rewarded. It took Joy Zinoman, founder of the Studio Theater, a number of years to receive an outstanding director, while her successor David Muse is up for two this year (and deservedly so) for “The Habit of Art” and “Venus in Fur.” Small theaters often struggle for years to get recognized, but look what’s happened in recent times to Toby Orenstein at Toby’s Dinner Theater and Adventure Theater, the surging children’s theater in Glen Echo that is starting to be recognized.

Others have instant success: take note of Signature Theater’s instant blowout with “Sweeney Todd,” which debuted under Eric Schaeffer and seemingly never stopped. And Synetic Theater, the Georgian (as in Russia) troupe that specializes in mounting silent Shakespearean works and classical theater by way of movement, choreography and silence, is popular with judges and critics every year, often walking away with outstanding ensemble, direction, choreography and design awards.

But 15 nominations for Synetic’s version of “King Lear”? Really?

The nominations, including several for acting, raise questions about the nominations that are showered on Synetic. The problem with the group — headed by the husband and wife team of Pata and Irina Tsikurshvilli — is a kind of contradiction. I think it’s a remarkable group, and there is no argument with the fact that the troupe is a Washington treasure. Its style is unique, original and often downright astonishing. There’s no other company doing work like Synetic except perhaps major dance companies. Synetic is in a category all its own for which there is no real competition. It seems to me at least that matching actors, for instance, who don’t have to memorize lines or speeches, or deal with the niceties dealt with by actors in even the most cutting edge new plays seems unfair to both. Just saying.

Traditionally, the awards constitute a combination of old and new, and honor both resident and non-resident plays. But those distinctions sometimes blur. For instance, the Kennedy Center, which imports much of its theatrical offerings, including highly anticipated national tours of Broadway shows, has also been a successful producer under its president Michael Kaiser. Last year’s ground-up production of Stephen Sondheim’s “Follies,” which starred Bernadette Peters and was directed by Schaeffer, could be expected to get a few nods. It did, competing with the award for “Best Musical” with “Liberty Smith,” a popular family take on the American Revolution, at Ford’s “Pop,” a musical about Andy Warhol at Studio, “Hairspray” at Signature and “Side by Side with Sondheim” at Signature.

Schaeffer, Peters and other artists did not make the list, although Jan Maxwell did.

“Best Resident” play nominations were given to Folger’s mounting of “Cyrano!,” Synetic’s “King Lear”, Arena’s “Ruined,” the haunting, stark “A Bright New Boise” at the Woolly Mammoth and “Venus in Fur” at Studio.

My favorites for actors and actresses: Ted van Griethuysen playing W.H. Auden in “The Habit of Art” at Studio Theater, and the remarkable Erica Sullivan for her quick-silver turn in “Venus in Fur.” I’d also give the nod for best performer in a musical to the immensely appealing and energetic Geoff Packard, who made “Liberty Smith” as good as it could possibly be. And I’ll still take “Follies” as best among the musicals, and “A Bright New Boise” in a tie with “Venus in Fur.” (They often have ties at these things).

Winners will be announced in the annual gala at the Warner Theatre April 23. For a complete list of nominees, go to www.TheatreWashington.org.

Ari Post •

After a long standoff between citizens, business owners and community organizations, the Glover Park ANC has voted to raise the cap of its 16-year-old moratorium to bring in more bars and restaurants—by two.

Two more liquor licenses for beer, wine and spirits have been brought into the commercial strip that has been struggling to attract commerce for years. Empty storefronts and underwhelming establishments run up and down the blocks of Glover Park, with retail scarce and new businesses almost nonexistent—unless you can’t the new Chipotle, which sticks out like a very fancy weed.

The neighborhood has long struggled with revitalization efforts, caught between lifting the moratorium altogether to bring in more bars and restaurants, and its residents resisting for fear of their neighborhood turning into a raucous bar crawl avenue and party scene every weekend. As Washington City Paper pointed out, “It’s a familiar debate: Places like H Street, Barracks Row, and U Street have all flirted with the idea of turning off the taps.”

This is the first increase in liquor licenses for the neighborhood since 2008, when three new licenses were released and all but devoured by the already-existing Surfside, Breadsoda and Rocklands.

Still, the Glover Park Citizens Association (GPCA) is fighting to lift the moratorium entirely. “By not recommending to end the [liquor license] moratorium completely the last time this debate happened, the ANC missed a chance to promote growth and diversity in our neighborhood eateries… Liquor licenses are necessary for Glover Park restaurants to compete with restaurants in other nearby areas,” GPAC said in a joint statement on their petition website, [GPMoratorium.com](http://www.gpmoratorium.com/#!).

The next GPCA meeting to discuss the moratorium is Tuesday, March 6, at 7pm at Stoddert Elementary on Calvert St. For more information visit [GPAC](http://www.gpcadc.org/) online.

Marit Fosso •

Experience a bit of Spanish culture in Washington, D.C. from February 29 to March 7 at the annual Flamenco Festival at the GW Lisner Auditorium. Performances range from traditional gypsy flamenco to contemporary and Spanish classical dance. The Flamenco Festival will also be presented at venues in New York, Miami and Boston.

The festival kicks off with Gala Flamenca on February 29, where three of flamenco’s leading female dancers – Rafaela Carrasco, Olga Pericet and Carmen Cortés – will share the stage.

On March 2, Olga Pericet will combine different dance-styles, challenging technique and impressive athcleticism in her performance Rosa, Metal, Ceniza.

The following night, March 3, award-winning dancer, Manuela Carrasco, will show-case the essence of gypsy flamenco in her new show Suspiro Flamenco.

To round up the festivities, Rafaela Carrasco will perform the show Vamos al Tiroteo on March 7, together with four male dancers, a live band and two flamenco singers, to a selection of popular Spanish songs.

For more information, please visit www.spainculture.us or www.flamencofestival.org

Coming up in our next issue, look for more information on the Spanish Cultural Program for Spring/Summer 2012, including an interview with the Ambassador of Spain!
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Gary Tischler • March 1, 2012

Serendipity isn’t always what it’s cut out to be.

But the death of Whitney Elizabeth Houston at the age of 48, her body found in a bathtub the afternoon before the Grammy Awards Show, in the same hotel where a gala honoring mega-legendary record producer Clive Davis, who discovered and promoted the singer from her teens onward, was a trainload of serendipity that couldn’t help but put a ghost in the machine of the always slickly fueled awards show.

Houston’s death sent a shock wave through the proceedings, through the land of music videos, and the gathering of pop, rock, hip hop, rap, country music stars and anybody (and is there anybody that hasn’t) who ever heard the first thrilling surge of “I Will Always Love You.”. The song and the images of Houston at her youthful, stunning, energetic peak were everywhere by Sunday and Sunday news time. Houston with a pedigree and a gift that fast-tracked her to super-stardom in the music world hadn’t had a major hit or album in years, but she got one almost instantly when news of her passing burst out like baleful thunder, as a compilation album streaked to the top of the lists like a rocket. Such is the death of music stars: the same happened to Elvis, John Lennon and Michael Jackson.

In the news — in spite of the Rev. Al Sharpton’s admonition to celebrate the life of Houston, to concentrate on the joy her music and charisma brought to people — it was a split and inevitable decision, a rise-and-fall story of extreme proportions.

Here was this gifted young girl — a teen who led her church choir in New Jersey—with a mother who was a famous gospel singer, a godmother who was the queen of soul and a cousin that was in some ways the perfect interpreter of pop music as written by Burt Bacharach. That trio would be Cissy Houston, Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick, and they would provide the musical influences that were the essence of her singing. Producer Clive Davis, after hearing her sing backup with Chaka Khan and other singers, guided her career and signed her to a contract.

She was almost perfection: thin and slender, she was on the cover of Seventeen magazine, she spawned hits with a voice that could break chandeliers and she hit incredible notes that lasted longer than Michael Jordan’s hang-time. She had the best combination of all — an effusive, charismatic personality, a voice nobody could top nor has anyone since, an astonishing beauty made for the age of music videos. In the 1980s and 1990s, she was arguably the biggest female star in the pop music firmament, rolling out a string of hits like “How Will I Know,” “The Greatest Love of All,” “Saving All My Love For You” and the infectious “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” where Houston, with a rich, birds-nest Afro, danced with everybody that saw the video.

Then came “The Bodyguard,” a classy trashy, perfect formula movie that critics disdained and predicted a quick departure. Let’s see: There was Houston, no actress but able to do a world-famous diva star, there was Kevin Costner with a brand new rough-butch haircut and only the biggest male movie star in the world at the time, there was a pop crossover soundtrack that sold millions maybe billions, there was crossover romance and there was “I Will Always Love You,” which Houston managed to sing twice. What’s not to like?

That was followed by a part in “Waiting to Exhale,” a serious black-chick flick and a big hit, cementing her bonafides as superstar, Hollywood-style.

And if the story had stopped there, it would be perfect.

But it didn’t.

Because Houston met and married Bobby Brown, a volatile R&B singer with a record — and it wasn’t hit singles but a rap sheet. They loved and battled, and pretty soon you could read all about Houston every time you stepped into a supermarket checkout line about fights with Brown, alleged abuse and drug abuse of all kinds. When given a litany of drugs on national television of drugs she abused, there were many, many, a shocking admission by a major public entertainment figure of her stature.

Nothing was ever the same. There were more fights with Brown, separation and a divorce, and Houston got custody of their only child. There were shoddy live concerts and cancellations. It seemed as if her life had become one big train wreck, in spite of the emotional support of friends and family. There were comeback attempts, but her voice and her great, natural beauty had taken a beating.

The sadness is that it’s a familiar story, sans details and particulars — those great soaring rises to fame and wealth, and the long fall down. The music industry especially is full of such stories. The surprise was not that her sudden death Saturday was a shock, but that the shock was not a shock of surprise.

The cause of her death was not announced officially by the Los Angeles County coroner’s officer, awaiting results of an autopsy, but rumors of drug use and instances of recent erratic behavior once again were the talk of the blogosphere.

Watching the Grammy Awards show was to see an example of a world of which for a long time she was the queen, but it’s a kingdom that has rashly changed since her reign. It was full of fireworks, huge production numbers by the like of Ms. Perry, and Rhianna, mismatched to Cold Play, and voices that couldn’t match Houston’s on a good day. It was full of old-timers, the Beach Boys saddled up, and sometimes saddled with old band-mate and genius Brian Wilson who sat like a tree at the piano, Paul McCartney needing a hundred violins or so to bring off his number, mixed with another controversial Brown named Chris, and the impeccably wispy and dull Taylor Swift, whose pouty “Mean.” which she sang forever, seemed to be the best that country music had to over this year.

When an oh-so-brief clip of Houston singing you know what or “the Star-Spangled Banner” appeared, you knew there was no one there who could match or let alone top her. Her gifts were so apparent, her voice such a gift, that they needed little embellishment. It should be said that Jennifer Hudson, no slouch in the big voice department, honored her well with her rendition of Houston’s greatest hit in a respectful, tear-producing tribute to Houston at the end of the program.

The rest, unfortunately, will not be silence, but endless blogging, rumors and tweeting. Once again, Houston will rule the checkout line.

We would all be better off to turn aside from the roar and gossip of the fame machine. Better yet, find somebody to dance with. And that song will always be there, in your head and heart, when all the Enquirers and Access Hollywood reporters run out of breath.

Georgetowner •

Random Acts of Kindness Day

February 17th

Did you know that this week is Random Acts of Kindness Week? Take a moment this week to do something nice for others…

Take a look at how some of Georgetown’s businesses will be celebrating Random Acts of Kindness on February 17th:?

Sprinkles Cupcakes: 1 free mini cupcake per customer?

The Dog Shop: free dog treats and 10% off sales donated to Lucky Dog Animal Rescue?

Vineyard Vines: free shipping and gift wrap?LUSH: complimentary facials/hand treatments?

Alchimie Forever: a customer will be randomly selected from Facebook for one gift certificate?

Bangkok Joes: show your Facebook post to receive a free spring roll

Where: Georgetown Businesses

CAG Georgetown ARTS Show 2012

February 16th-20th, 11am-5pm

The talent of Georgetown resident artists will be on view at the 3rd Annual Georgetown Arts Show.

Address

House of Sweden

2900 K St, NW

Admission: Free

Contact: 202.337.7313

Out of Sight

February 18th, 2012 at 10:30 AM | $5

Life and Works of Enslaved and Domestic Servants at Tudor Place — Come tour and explore the changing nature and routines of domestic service from 1816- modern times.

Address

Tudor Place Historic House and Garden

1644 31st Street, NW

Washington | DC | 20007

National Eating Disorders Association’s 2nd Annual Washington D.C. NEDA Walk

February 19th, 2012 at 11:00 AM | $20 | Event Website

National Eating Disorders Awareness week’s 2nd annual Washington DC NEDA 5k Walk

Address

The National Mall across from the Smithsonian Castle

St. Jude Gourmet Gala

February 21st, 2012 at 05:30 PM | $350 | daniela.romero@stjude.org | Tel: (703) 351-5171 | Event Website

The Heisley Family Foundation will be hosting the 14th annual St. Jude Gourmet Gala featuring a cocktail reception and silent auction from 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM followed by a program and restaurant tasting 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM. Business attire requested.

Address

National Building Museum

401 F Street NW

Washington, DC