Like Porn For Techies

It's like porn for techies...no not pocket protectors - FOSE. It's one event that supernerds come out of the basement for, like Macworld is to San Francisco, ITEX is to Vegas, FOSE is to Washington DC. It's were vendors come to unvail the latest technology before governement contractors and burocrats alike in hopes to snag some of those tax dollars, and we hypergeeks eat it up. We plugged in for a street talk.

SEXY HAIR

Hair is a big deal. If a women ever tells you otherwise, she's lying (or blind). It is such a big deal that throughout college I would fly home to San Diego for scheduled maintenance.

When my stylist Michelle had a stroke, at the ripe age of 30, (thank god walked away unscathed), she decided to retire and spend time with her fabulous boys. The rest of us were left in an abyss of coiffure hell. (alright a SLIGHT exaggeration.) Two years later I decided that the 15 inches of hair and I needed to start shopping for a new chop artist.

The ladies of chez copa luckily found Diana at Piaf downtown. But in a recent deja vou, she is taking some time off for her new baby (congrats!) and I was once again left with a rocking poof. In fit of frizz I took a coworkers advice and tried out Meghan at PR &Partners. YES! SHE WAS AMAZING!

Consider this my recommendation. If you are reading this and within 3 hours of Shirlington VA you have to try Megan out! She's FANTASTIC, and reasonable price wise.I walked out with cut, shampoo, blow out, and two toned highlights for $115. Tell her Jen (Wahine) sent you.

A Real Page Turner

Last weekend the DC Sigmas met at the new Southern/Belgian Cafe, Marvin,  for the monthly book club.

Being the erudites you would assume a sorority alumnae book club to be, we discussed, My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler. (My thoughts on the book). Nothing like chatting about someones sexcapades and romantic blunders over Bloody Mary's and Belgian waffle bacon egg and cheese sandwiches.

Stay tuned for next month's selection:

The votes are in! This month's DC Sigmas book club selection is  The Duchess.We're gonna switch up the neighborhood this time from U Street to Cleveland Park. Here are the details for the gabfest:

Book Club Meeting:
Sunday June 21st
2 pm at in Cleavland Park
Dino Restaurant (on the patio if weather is nice) .

This is by no means exclusive, if you haven't had a chance to join us yet, make this your first one! Bring a friend. This should be a nice beach read and why not share your thoughts with some awesome ladies?

We took a little vote last week on which book to read and although Duchess was the winner, Bitter is the New Black came in a close second. So I'd like to go ahead and make that the July selection if there are no objections.

Duchess by Amanda Foreman: (link to amazon, if you're buying online its the best price)
Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster (Here's the link to amazon, if you're buying online again its the best price I've found)

Public Service Announcement

This is the video we were working on here at the station in honor of National Military Appreciation Month. It came out splendidly. Well done Oliver. Megs....go home and watch this..it's that good.

There Can Only Be One [Media] Sherriff In This Town

Jon Tollefson is back among the living here in DC, just in time for his birthday! Happy Birthday Jonney T!

In honor of his Yuppyness, we celebrated on the rooftop at 18th St Lounge! Then the rest of us media/legal/govt. hounds, we ducked out early for bed time, while the jet setter mingled. God it's good to have you back!

Holy Train Wreck!

Being 2500 miles away from the majority of my family can be hard at times, the hardest being everything you miss out on. So when the circus travels, I am the first inline to buy tickets.


This weekend was the Benson Family Three Ring Circus and it hit Virginia. Saturday marked my baby cousin Rachael's graduation from Liberty University. Out of the woodwork crawled her brother, Mom, Dad, her maternal grandparents and uncles. On the other side was the Grand Matriarch herself..Goose and the first lady..Aunt Kathy.

So Friday night I drove down to meet the clan. Only in my haste I remembered my toothbrush (two points) but forgot all make-up. Thankfully Goose and KB parked their RV in front of a 24 hour Walmart. Shut-up nugh-ugh right? For any atheists in the group I've got you some evidence of the divine right here. Divine sense of humor. Haven't rocked the Cover Girl in about 10 years, and after a re-acquaintance I won't be making any plans to switch back. But in a pinch...it was better than chalk and moisturizer.



The next morning we thought we'd get a leg up on the parking competition by pulling into the parking lot at 7 am. Wait for it....still in our pajamas. While grads were channeling their best grown up look - the three of us were re-enacting the walk of shame - complete with smeared mascara, one with a cane. 'No Shame' It's genetic.


After the two hour Jesus Sing -along and the pro-life/anti evolution rantings of the Clear-Eyes King - (I half expected Ben Stein to break out in a little diddy)we finally celebrated the accomplishments of Rae.


Sneaking out of town it was off to the Train Depot - all 15 of us - for some hamburgers, homemade Strawberry cake, and diet coke. Goose and I snuck off to get with Jesus and the 5 Catholics in Lynchburg and back to dinner. It was at the other train depot and again we had some burgers and I again depleted the restaurants supply of diet coke as I mourned the loss of the Caps.


Side note - while we were celebrating Rabie - Wanda Sykes was getting her comedy on with POTUS, FLOTUS, and the rest of Team Crack the Whip at the White House Correspondents Dinner. In total appropriateness Tommy was corresponding via text on just how many times I would need to change my pants, if only I were there. Whew - thank goodness my family saved me from such an embarrassing and costly evening!

Well I had no problem taking my single use knickers back with Goose and KB for another night in the Bounder!



Day 3: Rolling out like the storm chasers in Twister, complete with motor home, our caravan charted our course through history. Sounds gallant - Alma check your battery.



First stop on the tour: Appomattox - the historic location where the country reunited by the north and south signing a truce, ending the civil war. [insert bugle noise here] Still on my first cup of coffee all I could think was - once you've seen one dark, musty, old house - you've seen them all. Please I live a mile from Alexandria, Va. Throw a ghost in there and I'd go TMZ on their asses but I was content taking Maggie (goose's dog) out for her poop.



Then it was back in the car for Williamburg. My skin hasn't seen sun since Gore invented the internet so I rocked the sunroof open and drove to the beat of my own....ipod. Side effects included a royal burn and a sore neck.


We made it to Colonial Williams burg just 2 hours before they buttoned the hatches so we threw goose on an authentic Colonial carriage ride (aka the kneeling shuttle bus) and whizzed her through the Governor's mansion. Happy Mother's Day! Not in the most attentive of moods, I am impressed I was able to focus so intently....on our tour guide's mustache. Good thing she lectured with her eyes shut or else I'm afraid she may have found me creepy.


Completely oversaturated with family, history, and caffeine, Goose vetoed the Kings Tavern with the rest of the clan. I couldn't have signed that bill fast enough as we hit up Pete's - a hole-in-the-wall college hangout - for some pizza. Not gonna lie - delicious. (Warning - that may have been the diet coke talking.) Full of grease and asperteme Grant and I took to the 95 ....in silence....shocker right?

Put Your Feet Up, Stay Awhile

Brilliant! I've been doing a lot of travel recently, those layovers can be murder. On a recent blow through in Texas I about piddled myself with excitement when I discovered their version of airport chairs. Look they are like recliners. Gone of the days of folding myself up like a pretzel between the arms of the 80's vinyl throwbacks and my just-barely-regulation-overhead-bin-sized luggage to catch a little shut eye.

How To Talk To A Conservative If You Have To

Share your coffee creamer with them, apparently they drink coffee just like us moderates. Ann Coulter was in studio to promote her new book.

I wasn't aware and was a little shell shocked when I turned around in the kitchen to see her making coffee before the show.

I've gotta say, she puts on a good show in front of the cameras getting everyone's blood pressure rocking, but off stage, she's way cool.

Boot Scootin' Yankees

Where Black People and White People Buy Furniture.....

I'm An 8!!

Took Aunti Jo to glow in gtown for a little spray tan before the wedding this weekend. We look FANTASTIC (if I do say so myself.)Pics to come. I can see why people get addicted to it.(They have a facebook group- join for a really good coupon. Saved us 15 bucks)

Jo by the way was hilarious. I think Ross may have been loosely based on her. One word of advice - make sure your shower cap sits on your hairline...not diagonal across your forehead. Thank god for full coverage foundation.

Ryan, Josh, and Jen Salute Troops

Here it is folks....my interview with Josh Kelly and Ryan Cabrera.

NOT YOUR FATHER'S PEP TALK

Talk about a team rally....we need a few more of these pep talks like these before the work day...

Putting The 'Fun' In Disfunctional

From the Wahine Web Research Labs
(Translation: I stole this from Meg's g-chat away message)

Have a Completely Inappropriate but equally Happy Mother's Day!

I Am Serious... And Don't Call Me Shirley

Brace yourself for a low flying understatement: American Airlines sucks. With the economic downturn, they've only gotten worse.

After a few minor delays with the company, one spanning 26 hours and three airports to get from San Diego to DC, and the most recent involving a 7 hour delay, at JFK, because of a crack in the windshield. I get it - don't trap me in a questionable aircraft, but JFK is a HUB, find me another plane.

Well either the Wahine has some very influential readers, or the company is fed up getting hate mail because look what popped up in my in box: And you know how I love my airline miles!

Dear Ms. Richer:


When your April 17 flight didn't operate on schedule, we, too, were disappointed. Please accept our apology for any inconvenience this flight delay may have caused you. We know how valuable our customers' time is and all our efforts are focused on the on time departure of each and every flight. We'll continue that focus, and the next time you fly with us we'll do our best to ensure you arrive at your destination as scheduled!


Just to give you a little encouragement to fly with us again sometime soon, I've credited your AAdvantage® account with 5,000 bonus miles. This mileage adjustment will appear in a few days. To view your account, go to http://www.aa.com/aadvantage.Again, we are sorry for the delay of your flight. We'll do better next time.

Brown Baggin It

Last February, in honor of Singles Awareness Day, Tommy hosted a little soiree while he did his show live at the Hard Rock Cafe. Of course, with Chez Copa in tote.

What's not to love - a bunch of awkward singles, discounted booze, swag bags and -oh pinch me- a Photo booth! And yes, I did intentionally try to walk off with the Elvis glasses. I was caught. But we did walk off with some pretty awesome swag including a free facial gift certificate from Shiseido. So today at lunch I cashed that bad boy in.

The lovely Shiseido consultant escorted me to a back room at Bloomingdale's, Chevy Chase, equipped for such a challenge. Then for 40 minutes she gave my face a full rub down with all the fancy shmancy products that will never make it into the Jen-Richer budget. Despite the company's claims, I'm not sure how much long term good was actually done. But I did leave refreshed and look nice and shiny. And as a former Labrador in another life: I'm telling you the best part of the whole thing was when she rubbed my ears for 10 minutes. I took all my strength not to wag my imaginary tail.

And The Digi-Clouds Parted....

For all you facebook skeptics here is a warm and fuzzy. So a very close relative (alright screw anonymity, my dad) and his brothers grew up very close. From my recollection, they were inseparable. When my grandmother, their mother, passed...so did their relationship with each other. (Some families are better at handling loss than others) Any bad blood surfaced with the absence of the iron handed but lovable matriarch. That was 10 years ago and they have yet to talk.

Now I have been encouraging the family to chat via listserv (baby steps) and now join facebook to share pictures, stories etc. Finally my uncle and dad caved and jumped on the bandwagon. Being the cyber-meddler I suggested they 'friend' each other. And....

 

A small step for mankind....a digi-leap for the Wahine! P.S. feel free to hunt dad (Matthew C. Richer) out of Facebook.

Book Reviews

With all the airline miles I've been racking up - I've been doing a little page turning too. Everyone else is using the economy as a scapegoat so I'm going to attribute the tacky inflight movies up to the recession as well.

This month's reviews are two media hounds only in slightly different flavors: Barbara Walters and Chelsea Handler.

I'll start with Handler. I may be the only one in my generation who hadn't heard of this comedian. But about two pages into this book I was hooked. I read this bad boy in one sitting (discretly of course on my bicoastal voyage.) With a title like My Horizantal Life, even I blushed a little. But the clever snapshots of this poor woman's sexual exploits are a stand up godsend to the likes of Tucker Max and crew.

And although not as graphic as I was expecting, whew, the visuals are just classic. Like a woman in a green M & M costume shoving herself through her first floor kitchen window, legs flailing because she locked her self out. Only to be rescued by her ex-bf/landlord at 6 am as we walks casually through the front door and pulls her through, wire costume and all. HILARIOUS.

Babs was a great read as far as a memoir goes. But not going to lie - as a journo junkie, I was drawn to the 500 page brick in hopes of tale of a self-aware ball buster who blazed a trail for journalistas.  What a got was a way too detailed affair list and a passive narrator who interviewed "just the nicest/kindest/sweetest" people. Hokie Dokie shallow cookie. Sure everything was sugary sweet. Look Babs you're on the verge of retirement from one of the greatest careers EVER. I'm sure you stepped on a few feet to get those interviews. Let your hair down and ask yourself the questions you would ask those in your hot seat.

Nonetheless, she is one of my career heroes because as she says she has, " traveled everywhere and met almost every important person there was to meet. I achieved more than I could ever have imagined."

Here are a few lessons I walked away with from Audition:

"No matter how high my profile became, hom many awards I received, or how much money I made, my fear was taht it would all be taken away from me." I've worked as hard or harder than anyone else, accepted most every assignment, done my homework, kept my complaints to myself, finished the job and move don. That is not a bad formula for success."

On her career:

"I am most often asked whether being a woman in what was an still is to a degree such a predominantly male profession has been a hindrance or help - the answer is both. On the negative side, there are always those who were threatened by the thought of a woman as their professional equal. But there are other times when being a woman can be an advantage. Sex rears its happy little head and a sought after male subject chooses you to do the interview in the hope that somewhere along the line the romantic side- or at least the flirtatious side- will surpass the professional. 

I have absolutly used the latter to my advantage on occasion.
On interviewing, get to know the person behind the person. In the case of Martha Stewart rather than focusing on life in jail, she delved into Martha's childhood. Among the few nuggets:

"BW:Why does everyone hate you?
MS: I think sometimes I may be insensitive, but I have a job to do."
BW: "Martha as a child was turning out to be every bit as formidable as Martha the adult. But at least you could understand her drive and her huge accomplishments."

Confession: It's no secret I'm attracted to power...hell just look at what city I moved to. It was like a magnet...I even told my mother as I was packing up for the east coast I was going to marry a politician. Well died when I met the future POTUS pool at GW.(just ask them.) But it has never ceased my desire to interview them. Babs may have nailed what is so attractive about them.

"Heads of State. Oh the power, oh the glory. Oh the climb, Oh the fall. From the democratically elected to the chosen at birth, chosen by coup, chosen by war, chosen by edict, chosen by hook or by crook. I have tried to think of what each had in common with the others. One quality stands out: belief in yourself. The conviction that only you can do the job."

But even more attractive than their confidence is the interview appeal.

When I am doing an interview with a so-called enemy, I keep my personal opinions to myself and let my questions tell the story. If the person hangs [themselves] with the answers, I have also done my job. In any case I consider it importatn for a journalist to be able to present the views of people even our own goverment can't or won't talk to."

Noble but difficult. But herin lies the power of the interview. They're exhausting especially when you have to stay one step ahead of the interviewee by framing the question so you get the answer you're looking for. Walters technique for preparing for an interview is simple but effective:

"I wrote down on 3x5 cards as many questions as I could think of, then asked anyone who walked into the office, 'If you could ask any question of whomever, what would it be?'"

  Staying ahead of the interview is half the battle. The other half is staying removed. Tragedy is a separate beast all together.

"It affects you, it stays with you. You don't remember it every day, but it is part of what makes you appreciative of your own life and sensitive to to enormous difficulties that others face."

And when the danger arrives on your doorstep, "a reporter usually loses all fear. For a time you put your real life aside. "

YEAR OF THE WHITE SANGRIA

Another one for the books kids...Foxfield 2009: Year of the White Sangria. This year, the horse race reunited old friends and brought some new faces as far as New York (Liana and Adam) and as close as DC. While the Manhattanites caught their flight, Angela and I hurriedly packed the SUV with junk food, drink recipes, and of course CORN HOLE Friday night.

Then it was down the 29 we went into Charlottesville for the weekend. As expecteded Saturday morning we totally overslept. When from the kitchen there rose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter. Rubbing my eyes and readjusting my shorts I headed downstairs, when my dreams were answered and in my hand a splenda cappuccino appeared.

I love the Egelmans! Well the parents headed to the airport, on a mission to shop electron microscopes in Europe, the four of us rushed to get inline for the infield plots.

Arriving 'late' the green infield section was much more crowded this year. Looks like 2008 was a big graduation year, because the typical 4 to a plot exploded to about 15. True story.

Like the racers leading their prize mares, we navigated our Saturn through the plots of pre-gamers to sit in the 94 degree sun for the rest of the day while we 'hydrated' and made friends with the other proud parents.

The new electric pink corn hole set was hit. I'm still touting a 2 point scoring average, but Adam was the winner - eliciting even law enforcement to comment. (One cop told Adam he sucked, then told me he was concerned he pissed Adam off. I told the cop he was married so he was free to leave but his partner was free and introduced him to Angela. Whether it was their new buddy or their concern for further debauchery - They came back to check on us often.)

As the sun set, we attempted to return to the Egelman castle to no avail. (blocked road) so into to town our sunburnt preppy asses went. What a show.

For Reference:

2006: Year of the Gin and Tonic
2007: Year of the White Cranberry (Margarita)
2008: Year of the Mojito
2009: Year of the White Sangria

Feel free to join us in '10 and submit your drink suggestions.

May is National Military Appreciation Month.

SHOW YOU CARE

VISIT THIS SITE:

They stand at attention, their uniforms tell stories of courage and commitment. They are members of the U.S. Military, prepared to risk their lives for our liberty. For that, we are forever grateful.

We've dedicated an entire section of our website to honor them and their families. Check it out, spread the word, send us your pictures and videos, and lets all do our part.

The Young and The Guest List

Thursday April 16th: What’s it like inside one the most crashed party in DC? Delicious.

Washington Life Magazine creates it’s annual list of DC’s 40 under 40. "In a city filled with some of the nation’s most dynamic young people, the 250 individuals who comprise this year’s Young & The Guest List repeatedly stand out; as leaders, risk-takers, givers, connectors, and changemakers," says the editors of WLM.

This year they featured our good Friend, up-and-coming DJ  Tommy. From that list they build an evening of glamour to honor these social royals.

From the 10^th floor of the Art-O-Matic building, event coordinator Andre Wells transformed the unfinished floor into a swanky loft.  With no less than four bars serving top shelf beverages that was just the collateral of a good time. From the couches socialites like Philippe Cousteau and  Luke Russert mingled while newsmen like Jamal Simmons and Patrick Gavin took a night off to be the story. Guests include Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates Yousef Al Otaiba, Caron Butler, Charles Percy Rockefeller, Brian Zimmerman, McPharlin Longyear Broderick, Amy Holmes and White House staff Yosi Sergent and David Washington.

Tommy did his show live from a table near the pedestals featuring live models . I ran into a few old friends: my little Tiffany Tabar, from my Hyatt days: Amal Zaari and made a few new ones – Tommy’s roommate : Sheryl, Anna Sproul and Adora Andy. Between dancing, jee-jawing and making the laps, Flax and I were able to squeeze in a little time for some checkers.