11.13 - day late, still great
I’m trying out sending MIDC on Fridays instead of Thursdays. If you have a preference, shoot me a note :)
what’s going on in washington d.c.?
There are two virtual film festivals this weekend - the DC Environmental Film Festival and the Immigration Film Fest. For the former, a $35 festival pass will give you access to a range of signature films, including one about the Flint water crisis and one about the erosion of Louisiana’s wetlands. The latter festival’s films include a feature on a gay Iraqi refugee’s struggle after being falsely labeled a spy by the U.S. government and one about an Iranian wrestler who resettles in a small Norwegian town.
There’s something warm and fuzzy about holiday lights and Meadowlark Botanical Gardens is starting the season early with their evening lighted winter walk. From now until January, you can buy $15 tickets to wander the park.
Get excited. ZooLights, the National Zoo’s annual holiday light show, will be on the move this year. ZooLights Express will drive its 24-foot lighted truck around D.C. neighborhoods on weekends starting on November 27.
let’s talk food and drinks
NoMa’s Wunder Garten’s fall fest is in full swing, with a Laos in Town pop-up this weekend, as well as watercolor painting and “chunky blankets & brews” classes.
Stable DC on H St NE is serving up fondue in private wooden indoor chalets and expanded outdoor seating full of heaters and blankets.
Want to eat what Dr. Fauci is eating? He recently told CNN that he has been ordering from local restaurants a few times a week and Eater DC dug into which restaurants are the most likely recipients of his patronage. Given his Wesley Heights home and some investigative reporting, likely candidates include Chef Geoff’s, 2Amys, and Millie’s.
what’s on our minds?
Washingtonian published a feature article on self-described “forever DC people” who have ditched the city during the pandemic. It’s an interesting read to see what creative approaches people have taken - buying a farm! moving to small European cities! - but ultimately, the story takes a few interesting anecdotes about some residents who chose to leave and frames it as a broader trend. Is it a broader trend? Maybe - but I personally believe the stories of “cities dying” are a bit premature.
If you’re out and about Saturday, stay cognizant of a plethora of planned pro-Trump and white nationalist rallies (read - Proud Boys), as well as counter protests, on/near the Mall. The rallies could turn into duds, but experts are warning of the high potential for violence given the groups’ histories (read - Charlottesville).
Quick links to other weekly #goodreads:
How Trump’s erratic behavior and failure on coronavirus doomed his reelection - per Washington Post, “The same impulses that helped lift the president to victory in 2016 contributed to his undoing four years later.”
How western travel influencers got tangled up in Pakistan's politics - per The Guardian, “Travel bloggers have flocked to Pakistan in recent years – but have some of them become too close to the authorities?”
The Social Media Managers Are Not Okay - per OneZero, “They’re on the front lines of a relentless and overwhelming news cycle that is pushing them to the edge.”
Twitter’s Next Trump Problem - per The Atlantic, “Trump is exempt from many of Twitter’s policies because of his status as a world leader. Come January, he could lose his favorite toy and most powerful weapon.”
what are we watching/reading?
City So Real on Hulu. This documentary series follows the lead up to 2019’s extremely competitive Chicago mayoral race. With 14 candidates ultimately on the ballot, this series dives in to the intrigue, specific Chicago election quirks (ballot qualifications!), and, at times, monotony of a mayoral race. While I’m not particularly familiar with Chicago politics, I was immediately hooked by the up close view of candidates and their future constituents mulling the meaning of the election and Chicago’s future.
Freaky in theaters. I haven’t been to a movie since the pandemic started, but I may head to a theater (VA or MD only) to see Freaky, a slasher/body swap flick that The Atlantic is describing as “The Most Purely Enjoyable Horror Movie Made in Years.”
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‘til next time -courtney