‘Every Four Years: Presidential Campaigns and the Press’ Exhibit Opens at the Newseum (photos)
• March 1, 2012

Every four years, Americans elect a president, and candidates and reporters face off on the campaign trail. On Feb. 17, just in time for Presidents’ Day weekend, the Newseum is opening a new election year exhibit, “Every Four Years: Presidential Campaigns and the Press” featuring 120 artifacts from elections past. The exhibit will be open through the next inauguration day and will close Jan. 27, 2013. It is sponsored by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and The Washington Examiner. A 250,000-square-foot interactive museum of news, the Newseum is located at the intersection of Pennsyvania Ave. and Sixth St., NW, in Washington, D.C. View our photos of the exhibit by clicking on the photo icons below. [gallery ids="100494,117933,117945,117956,117961,117969,117977,117985,117993,118001,118009,118017,117924,117913,117901,118053,117829,118045,117840,118039,117852,118033,117861,117869,117880,117891,118025" nav="thumbs"]

Weekend Roundup February 16,2012
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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

Alleged Wife Murderer Claims Archangel Gabriel Tells Him What To Do
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Albrecht Muth, a 47-year-old Georgetown resident, was charged in the murder of his 91-year-old wife, Viola Drath. He is now being hospitalized.

According to the Associated Press, his doctors are calling him delusional. Muth claims that he sees Archangel Gabriel who gives him instructions on what to do.

While in jail, he had been starving himself, but has begun eating again. He says he does want to continue with his 40-day fast soon, however.

“He thinks that he is chosen like Moses and Jesus, that he will be protected in his 40-day fast,” said Maria Amato, lawyer for the D.C. Department of Corrections.

On Tuesday, Muth was ruled temporarily incompetent for trial by Washington, D.C. Superior Court Judge, Russel F. Canan and was moved to St. Elizabeths psychiatric hospital in Washington, D.C. where he will receive a full mental evaluation, according to the Huffington Post. After the doctors at St. Elizabeth Hospital have evaluated Muth, the D.C. Superior Court judge will revisit his ruling.

2 New Shops Set to Open in Georgetown
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The Dutch outfit Suitsupply, known for its quality suits at reasonable prices, will be opening its doors at 2800 Pennsylvania Avenue at the Four Seasons. The only other US location is in New York.

Move over Einstein’s Bagels, Noodles and Company is taking over Einstein’s Bagels old location by the Safeway building at 1855 Wisconsin Avenue. Dine in or take out a wide array of menu options, all containing noodles of course.

Bonhams NY Barkfest 2012 for Westminster Dog Show Week
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My mom loves both dogs and dog art -– there’s little better than that combination for us. So, she took me to the Barkfest annual charity brunch at Bonhams Auction House on posh Madison Avenue in Manhattan Feb. 12. It was fun for a Georgetown pup to sniff out the buffet brunch which included dog treats on the tables with the bagels and mini muffins. The event benefited a worthwhile cause: the American Kennel Club’s Humane Fund, a charity which promotes responsible pet ownership.

While the 130 humans, many of them collectors or breeders, checked out the prized dog art collection, I met a canine celebrity, London, the reigning AKC/Eukanuba national champion, whose show name is Grand Champion Jaset’s Satisfaction, as in the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” He’s a black standard poodle and competed at this year’s dog show at Madison Square Garden. He is much larger than I am and among the 50 dogs at the brunch. He strutted around me and was primping and posing on the eve of his Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show appearance. We also met Clare, a four-month old Havanese, closer to my size, with owner Joan Ambrose, who had her father, P.J., the number one of the breed.

Richard Vulliet, a veterinarian and professor at University of California at Davis, attended the brunch without Magnum, his Canaan, the reigning national champion. “He’s in ‘doggie jail’ because he’s showing tomorrow,” Vulliet explained. He described his dog as “a coyote crossed with a Holstein cow.” The Israeli government uses the breed as bomb sniffers. Vulliet shared with us the exciting potential of his extensive research in California using stem cell technology to extend dogs’ lives. That deserves a big “woof.”

Bonhams annual “Dogs in Show & Field: The Fine Art Sale” of dog-related objects and art coincides with Westminster week. “The AKC has the largest and best collection of dog art in the world,” said Alan Fausel, director of fine art at Bonhams NY.

And, yes, you might have heard about this year’s winner of the 136th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show: Malachy, the Pekingese, is more my size but with a lot more fur. [gallery ids="100495,118041" nav="thumbs"]

President Clinton PBS Documentary Airs Tonight
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While you may have missed former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton strolling around 36th and Prospect Streets near his alma mater Georgetown University, after dining at 1789 Restaurant Feb. 17, you can tune into public television tonight for the start of a two-part documentary on Clinton, just in time for Presidents’ Day.

Public Broadcasting Service’s “American Experience” takes on the Clinton years in a four-hour, two-part treatment, which airs 9 p.m., tonight and tomorrow (locally, WETA and WHUT).

Clinton began his presidential run in autumn 1991, giving his “New Covenant” speeches at Georgetown University’s Gaston Hall. At the time, Georgetowner editor and publisher David Roffman gave an assignment to one of his editors to cover the address by the Arkansas governor who was seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. Roffman had thought it a minor local event as he believed Clinton did not have a chance to beat Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.).

Georgetowner’s Mary Bird talks Cats with the Washingtonian
• February 23, 2012

The Georgetowner’s very own society columnist, Mary Bird, was featured in The Washingtonian this week with her two 13-year-old Burmese cats, Sam and Slutie. The article, “Love Your Pets: Crazy For Cats,” written by Gwendolyn Purdom, headlined six D.C. area cat lovers.

More than a lover, Bird is a supporter, too. Involved in various animal societies, she spends a lot of her time making sure animals are being taken care of as well as she treats her own.

Bird’s cats have taken over her apartment. “Their stuff is all over this place,” she said in regards to their toy baskets and framed photos.

These two are actually the second set of Burmese cats that Bird has spoiled. The original Sam and Slutie passed away years ago and her late husband, Collins Bird — who ran the Georgetown Inn — insisted they purchase Sam 2 and Slutie 2. “We’re not changing their names,” she said he told her.

Today, Bird resides in her apartment near Washington National Cathedral with the felines who do not step outside often. “Their paws have never touched pavement,” she told Purdom. “They have their annual visit to the vet, which is very traumatic.” Aside from this, the 2 of them stay indoors and continue to be loved by their overly kind and caring owner, our Mary Bird. [gallery ids="100513,118819" nav="thumbs"]

New Column to Highlight Non-profits: ‘The Beltway of Giving’
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Washingtonians have a benevolent spirit. When we give, it’s in a big way. Gala and charity events at $1,000 per person do not turn donors away. That spirit brings out their pocket books for round-trip, first-class tickets to Paris, week-long excursions to Cape Cod and Georgetown Cupcake parties for their children and 20 of their closest friends. You might think the charity circuit in this town is all about the allure that comes with the ball gown or the whispers of which politico or celebrity will be seated near or at your table To some degree, you might be right, but it doesn’t take $1,000 to give or make an impact for a deserving charity.

Donors, both big and small, accounted for more than $346 billion in charitable donations last year, according to Atlas Giving, a company which forecasts giving trends each month across the United States. Atlas found that individual donors within the U.S. accounted for 75 percent of giving in 2011, followed by foundations at 13 percent, bequests at 7 percent and corporations at 5 percent. In 2012, the company predicts that philanthropic giving is expected to grow by nearly four percent to $360 billion.

The nation’s capital is filled with charitable organizations of all sizes which are worthy of our attention and dollars. That is what this new column, “The Beltway of Giving,” is all about: highlighting worthy causes and their signature fundraising events that bring in the dollars to keep programming at full capacity. We will report on such deserving non-profits as the D.C. Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative which provides more than 30,000 D.C. public school students and their teachers with free arts experiences and transportation each day to shows at the Washington Ballet, Shakespeare Theatre, Kennedy Center and more as well as fundraising powerhouses like Share Our Strength working to eradicate hunger by 2015 across the nation. SOS has raised almost $350 million over 20 years to fund food and nutritional grant programs in local communities. These are just two examples of the D.C.-based charitable groups, making meaningful contributions within the Beltway and beyond.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Louise Kennelly, executive director of the D.C. Collaborative, and Debbie Shore, co-founder of Share Our Strength, both of whom will be profiled, along with their organizations in our next column. The D.C. Collaborative and Share Our Strength will host two top fundraising events this spring. Taste of the Nation 2012 is Share Our Strength’s largest revenue-generating event of the year: 85 of D.C.’s most notable chefs and mixologists from the metropolitan area, including Volt, Rogue 24, Citronelle and Graffiato, will join local foodies at the National Building Museum on April 2. (Tickets, $95 to $150 — http://taste.strength.org. The D.C. Collaborative will host its Second Annual Patriotic Arts Celebration at Lincoln Restaurant, April 25. Guests will enjoy Lincoln’s signature bites, performances from D.C. public schools students and soundscapes from DJ Jahsonic. Tickets, $25 — www.dcahec.com

If you have a notable charity or event that you believe should be featured, we want to hear from you. Email: dcthisweek@gmail.com

Jade Floyd is a managing associate at a D.C.-based international public relations firm and has served on the board of directors for the D.C. Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative for nearly five years. She is a frequent volunteer and host of fundraising events across the District, supporting arts, animal welfare and education programs.

Giving Radar: Upcoming Events You Can Support

February 29: Film Screening of Dark Girls, benefiting the Paul Public Charter School hosted by the Duke Media Foundation, Black Benefactors, Black Philanthropic Alliance and Jackson and Associates Group. Tickets, $25 to $50 — theconversationwomenofcolor.eventbrite.com

March 3: Washington Project for the Arts 2012 Art Auction Gala and dinner with chef Barton Seaver, including live and silent art auction with works by Billy Colbert, Ken Aston, Sondra Arkin and Joan Belmar. Tickets, $300 — http://auction.wpadc.org

March 13: Everybody Wins!, D.C.’s largest children’s literacy and mentoring program, 17th Annual Celebration Gala, with David Rubenstein of the Carlyle Group, as keynote speaker.  Tickets, $150 — www.everybodywinsdc.org

The Games of Tax Rates and Jobs Creation
• February 22, 2012

Remember that entertainer who puts a sponge ball under one of three cups? You watch closely as he moves them around. He stops, picks up the cup with the ball under it, and you’re proud for not having been tricked.

He does it again, but this time his hands and the cups are a blur. When he stops, you have no idea where the ball is. Someone guesses, points to a cup, and misses. The cup magician raises another cup, and there’s the ball. The crowd claps, and some leave money in his hat.

The cup magician, a small business job creator, has a tax question. How much tax should he pay on the money in his hat? Is it earned income with a possible 35-percent rate? Or can an imaginative tax guru figure a way to characterize this process as investment income, perhaps as a dividend from the capital investment in the cups and sponge ball, resulting in the lower 15-percent rate?

Suppose that instead of using a sponge ball, the magician put stock certificates under the cup and moved them around. That’s good tax planning. Moving money and investments around is clearly an investment activity. Hence, he would be entitled to the lower 15-percent rate.

The logic behind lower capital gain rates is that patient capital creates jobs, and the investor incurs the risk of loss. The investor also has the advantage of when to sell and, therefore, when to pay the tax, or to not sell and owe no tax. Employees don’t enjoy that luxury of determining when they pay their tax.

The tax rate on dividends is also 15 percent because they are generated by the capital investment. Because dividends are paid to shareholders from corporate earnings that have been taxed, Republicans want to eliminate all taxes on dividends.

Lower tax rates on investment income are among the largest loopholes in the tax code and have been the centerpiece of Republican economic policy for years. So, the big question is whether lower taxes on investment income spur economic activity and create jobs.

Here is a 30-year tax history in a nutshell:

-Ronald Reagan reduced rates on earned income, increased rates on capital gains,
increased deficits, and generated 11 million jobs.

-Bill Clinton increased rates, reduced deficits, and generated 22 million jobs.

-George W. Bush reduced tax rates, doubled the national debt, and created no jobs.

That’s right: PRESIDENT REAGAN RAISED RATES ON CAPITAL GAINS. During his second term, Reagan reduced tax rates on earned income and increased (yes – INCREASED!) rates on investment income from 20 to 28 percent.

President George W. Bush lowered taxes on investment income to 15 percent, the lowest in US history. That tax cut created no jobs (arguably lost jobs), reduced revenues and doubled the national debt. Would someone – anyone – explain why more tax cuts will work now?

On a personal level, I bought some Apple stock for $325 per share. It’s now worth $425. I also earned dividends from Microsoft. The tax rate on my Apple and Microsoft investment income is half the rate on my salary income. Did that income generate twice as many jobs as my salary income?

The Republican presidential candidates think so.

On a large scale, Mitt Romney paid $6 million tax on $41 million income over the past two years. Lower taxes on his investment income saved him $7 million. Did those tax savings – some of it parked off shore and some in Switzerland (until he ran for president) – create tons of jobs?

The Republican presidential candidates think so.

History has proven otherwise, but bidding taxes down attracts votes.
Until rates get to zero – which happens to be Ron Paul’s proposal – what’s a tax savvy cup magicians to do? Replace those sponge balls under their cups with stock certificates. That will cut their taxes in half. And maybe put more cup magicians to work

Welcome duo, Georgetown’s Newest Boutique
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Georgetown’s newest addition of contemporary women’s clothing, duo (with a little “D”), will celebrate its grand opening this Saturday, February 11. A sibling venture—as Georgetown is becoming known for, with the Cupcake Sisters and the Pie Sisters, among other family-owned and operated businesses in the area—duo is the work of sisters Kyle and Elizabeth Barber, who promise to bring affordable, contemporary fashion to the neighborhood.

The newest boutique in town features upscale, designer apparel and one-of-a-kind hand-crafted accessories, catering to the trendy fashion sense of the District and offering a mix of established and up-and-coming designers, including Greylin, Ali Ro, Amanda Uprichard, Addison Story and more.

“We also have Cynthia Steffe’s new line Cluny, that’s just been released through Neeman Marcus,” says Elizabeth. “That’s one of our favorites.”

“Addison Story isn’t around as much either, but I love it,” adds Kyle. “It’s kind of whimsical, with flowy tops and mixes of silk and fun patterns. Stuff that be worn to work, but also out to happy hour.”

Duo is looking to be a wonderful addition to Georgetown’s retail district, appealing to young professionals, who want to wear designer clothes without having to pay typical designer prices. The store’s price points are generally between $150 and $250, but there are plenty of items around $50.

The shop will also carry Kyle’s custom designed, handmade jewelry. “I started making jewelry years ago for family and friends, and people loved it,” Kyle says. “And I was tired of looking around and seeing people wearing the same stuff, that was also way more expensive than I thought it was worth. My jewelry definitely has a bohemian edge—it’s a combination of designs and materials. I love to find vintage earrings and incorporate them into more modern materials. To me—and everyone else has been very excited about it, too—it’s affordable and totally unique. You’ll never see anyone else wearing it.”

One line of Kyle’s jewelry will be putting a portion of all proceeds toward charity.

Kyle and Elizabeth have been working toward duo for a while now. Kyle has her Masters in education and has always been rather crafty. The store is something the sisters have always wanted to do. “And now seemed like a good time to join our interests together,” says Elizabeth.

Join duo on Saturday for champagne, mimosas and hor d’oeuvres all day, from 10am to 7pm, and welcome them to the neighborhood. Duo is located at 1624 Wisconsin Ave., just next door to Urban Chic.

For more information visit duoDC.com