celebrity

Photos: ‘Top Dog’ Contest in Crystal City

By ARLnow.com

Fox 5 Morning News anchor Steve Chenevey, 94.7 Fresh FM morning show host Tommy McFly and an Arlington County K-9 police officer were among the guest judges at the ‘Top Dog’ talent contest in Crystal City last week.

The contest was held by the pet-friendly Residence Inn Arlington Capital View, in order to select a new canine mascot for the hotel. Pooches were put through a series of “American Idol”-style challenges, complete with commentary from the judges after each pair of performances.

In the end, Sweet Dee, a pug, captured the top prize.

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Herman Cain Draws Crowd at Pentagon City Costco

By ARLnow.com

Republican presidential candidate and former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain drew throngs of supporters and a sizable national media contingent to the Costco in Pentagon City today.

Cain was at the store signing his new memoir, This Is Herman Cain! The front-running candidate warmly greeted supporters, who had waited in a long line to meet Cain and get his signature on their copy — or, in most cases, copies — of his book.

The signing was scheduled to last an hour. Later today, Cain is expected to to attend the Value Voters Summit in D.C.

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Herman Cain to Sign Books at Pentagon City Costco

By ARLnow.com

Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, who’s tied for first among a crowded GOP field in a new CBS News poll, is scheduled to appear at a book signing in Pentagon City later this week.

The former Godfather’s Pizza CEO will sign copies of his new memoir, This Is Herman Cain!, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. on Friday at the Pentagon City Costco (1200 S. Fern Street), according to the Costco web site. Following the book signing, Cain is scheduled to attend the Value Voters Summit in D.C.

The Pentagon City Costco is no stranger to book signings by high profile political figures. Condoleezza Rice and Laura Bush both held signings at the store last year.

https://www.hermancain.com/event/value-voters-summit

Your Favorite Local Famous Person Spotting Stories

By ARLnow.com

On Thursday afternoon, First Lady Michelle Obama spent 30-40 minutes shopping at the Potomac Yard Target. Instantly, the shopping trip became national news.

“Never has a Target dash caused such a ruckus,” wrote Politico’s Julie Mason.

While the First Lady shopping at Target during a recession is the sort of thing that makes headlines, there are plenty of non-headline-making errands run by top U.S. officials, lawmakers and media personalities every day. And thanks to our prime location just across the river from the Nation’s Capital, many of those shopping trips and restaurant visits are taking place right here in Arlington.

In the comments section, share your favorite story of spotting a famous so-and-so out and about in your neighborhood.

Fmr. Arlington Resident Lands Big Role in ‘Moneyball’

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) Reed Thompson, 28, didn’t move to Los Angeles with the intention of becoming a Hollywood actor.

The one-time Arlingtonian says he moved there on something of a whim after graduating from the University of Texas, to avoid moving back in with his parents. Thompson was working for an investment firm, in fact, when he received a fateful phone call a while back, asking him to audition for a new movie about baseball. Fast forward to present day and Thompson now has a supporting role in a blockbuster movie — Moneyball, which opens in theaters today — playing the younger version of one of the biggest stars in the world, Brad Pitt.

The path from Arlington’s Country Club Hills neighborhood to the big screen might never have happened, Thompson says, if it wasn’t for one simple request from a friend that he almost turned down.

A photographer friend in L.A., who was building her photo portfolio, talked a reluctant, recently-graduated Thompson into doing a bit of modeling for her. Somehow, years later, one of those shots landed on the desk of a casting director at Sony Pictures, who called Reed and asked him to audition for a part in a movie starring Brad Pitt. After all, Reed — who moved to Arlington from Texas in middle school — is a dead ringer for a younger version of Brad Pitt, even though he insists he doesn’t personally see the resemblance.

Thompson, a former student athlete at Gonzaga College High School in D.C., eventually made it though all the script readings, screen tests and baseball tryouts, and was cast in the movie. With no formal acting training, Reed embarked on an effort to learn the craft as quickly as he could.

“Since then I’ve been in class every week,” he said in a phone interview from Los Angeles last night. “I told myself, if I’m going to do this I might as well do it 110 percent and give it my all. It’s not as easy as you think it is… the people that you watch on television and the movies, they make it look really easy because they’re good at what they do.”

Luckily, Thompson had some help on set — advice from the film’s director, tips from fellow supporting actors and, of course, being able to watch Brad Pitt up close.

“I was able to watch a lot of the scenes anytime I wanted to go to the set,” Thompson said. “I was able to watch him and kind of say, okay, maybe I can try to mimic some of the stuff that he does in his scenes, whether it’s a face or a movement or anything like that.”

It helped, too, that one of the most famous people on the planet happened to be friendly and approachable.

“Brad is the nicest guy, super down to earth,” Thompson said. “He’s like one of your good friends. He’s not pretentious… he’s not a diva.”

“It’s surreal,” Thompson continued. “Someone who’s like that that’s in every magazine… to have him know who you are and to be on a first name basis, that’s amazing.”

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Pauly Shore Coming to the Drafthouse

By ARLnow.com

Pauly Shore will be performing stand-up comedy at the Arlington Cinema Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike) next month.

The former MTV host also has writer, producer and director on his resume, but he’s best known for his starring roles in mediocre 1990s comedies like Encino Man, Son in Law, In the Army Now, Jury Duty and Bio-Dome. More recently, Shore has had guest roles on TV series like Entourage and the short-lived “reality” show Sunset Tan.

Shore is scheduled for four performances (an early show and a late show) on Friday, Sept. 16 and Saturday, Sept. 17. Tickets are currently on sale for $25.

“Shore’s stand-up is sprinkled with autobiographical tidbits from his wacky life,” according to the Cinema Drafthouse’s web site. “His goal is to make sure the fans leave the show learning something about him.”

Tea Party Star O’Donnell Speaks at Arlington Rally

By ARLnow.com

Former Delaware U.S. Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell joined the Northern Virginia Tea Party organization for a small rally at Fort C.F. Smith’s Hendry House in Arlington this afternoon.

O’Donnell, promoting her new book “Trouble Maker,” told the audience that the Tea Party movement should not “take the bait and respond respond in anger” to attacks by the “not-so-nice liberal media.” If they can “rise above it,” O’Donnell said, the Tea Party can bolster its image as “a middle class movement” instead of “the angry extremists that they’re accusing us of.”

The advice comes less than 24 hours after O’Donnell walked off the set of CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight for what has been portrayed in the press as frustration over a line of questioning about gay marriage.

Joking that the interview is now “infamous,” O’Donnell explained that she was late for another appearance and that Morgan’s questioning before the gay marriage question was “rude.”

“It was very sexist, the line of questioning,” she said. “I think I was a good sport leading up to his questions. He took a decidedly creepy turn… He asked question after question after question about sex. Then he threw a question about gay marriage in there… He wouldn’t let up, and I was well over a half hour late for a Republican women’s event covered by C-SPAN.”

“I think Piers Morgan exaggerated what happened,” O’Donnell added.

In addition to taking digs at the media and talking about her book, O’Donnell repeatedly implored audience members to stand up for “the power of our principles.”

“These principles are nothing to be embarrassed about,” she said.

O’Donnell also discussed the need for the Republican Party’s “D.C. cocktail crowd” to unite with the Tea Party to better pursue the goal of smaller government.

“Just like America is at a crossroads, the Tea Party is at a crossroads… Right now we need leadership, we need stability,” she said. “If the Republicans as a party can unite and stop shooting within the tent… then we can make sure Barack Obama is a one-term president.”

“We crave freedom, and when you articulate that to people they get it,” O’Donnell added.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

New Mexican Restaurant Coming to Clarendon — A Craigslist help wanted ad reveals that Lime Fresh Mexican Grill is planning on coming to Clarendon. [Clarendon Culture]

Boehner at Guapo’s, Again — House Speaker John Boehner was spotted at Guapo’s in Shirlington Village Wednesday night. This is Boehner’s fourth such visit to the Mexican restaurant, that we’re aware of. While there, Boehner posed for a photo that was then posted on a local blog. [Shirlington Village Blog Spot]

Arlington Establishments Up for Radio Awards — Several Arlington businesses and neighborhoods are nominated in HOT 99.5’s “Hottys” award contest. Among the Arlington nominations: Whitlow’s for best bar, Lyon Hall for best restaurant and best bathroom, Goody’s for best drunk food and Clarendon for best neighborhood. Users can vote for each item by clicking a Facebook “like” button.

Flickr pool photo by Christaki

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Power Returns for Most — Only 10 Dominion customers in North Arlington are still without power after Sunday’s powerful storm. Crews worked overnight to restore power to hard-hit neighborhoods. As of 11:00 last night, there were nearly 220 homes without power, compared to 1360 customers early yesterday morning.

$800,000 to Gussy Up Sewage Plant — Arlington’s Water Pollution Control Plant is set to receive $700,000 to $800,000 worth of landscaping and other visual improvements, if a contract is approved by the County Board this weekend. [Sun Gazette]

Reading Aloud to Dogs at Central Library — “Paws to Read” is a program that allows children to read books aloud to dogs in Arlington Central Library. Dogs, unlike humans, are non-judgmental when it comes to reading ability, inspiring confidence among the young readers, according to the volunteers who help run the program for the nonprofit group People Love Animals. [Examiner.com]

Mysterious Mansion’s Celebrity-Filled Past — Charlie Clark examines the history of “The Cedars,” a “mysterious mansion” in Arlington’ Woodmont neighborhood. The historic property is owned by the Fellowship Foundation, which runs the nonpartisan National Prayer Breakfast. [Falls Church News-Press]

Flickr pool photo by Mennyj

Jeff Bridges and Gov. McDonnell Visit Barcroft Elementary

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 2:00 a.m.) Academy Award winning actor Jeff Bridges, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack stopped by Barcroft Elementary School today to launch a statewide anti-childhood-hunger campaign.

Kids, teachers, school officials, politicians, photographers and reporters crammed into the school’s auditorium to watch the hour-long event, which was part press conference and part school assembly. Bridges, McDonnell and Vilsack were joined on stage by representatives from the Federation of Virginia Food Banks and the non-profit group Share Our Strength. Also on stage were a pair of wise-cracking vegetable puppets.

“I’m surprised that broccoli is here today,” said Vilsack, gesturing to one of the puppets in front of the youthful crowd. “I just had him for lunch.”

The campaign — dubbed No Kid Hungry — seeks to reduce childhood hunger nationwide by connecting kids and parents with existing (but sometimes hard to find) food assistance programs. Today’s event marked the start of the campaign in Virginia, where fewer than 20 percent of eligible children are enrolled in summer nutrition programs, according to a new report.

“It’s not acceptable and we need to do much, much better,” McDonnell said of childhood hunger in the state. “There’s plenty of money that’s in these programs at the federal government level… we just need your help, you young people, to tell your parents, tell your friends about the fact that these programs are available.”

Bridges says he became the national spokesperson for the No Kid Hungry campaign to help promote a “big picture” solution to childhood hunger.

“One in four kids are hungry in this country,” Bridges said. “It doesn’t have to be that way. We have enough food, we know how to end it… I feel it’s patriotic to care about the health of our kids.”

Asked about President Obama’s pledge to end childhood hunger by 2015, Bridges conceded that it would be tough to accomplish.

“It is kind of unlikely in a way, but it’s certainly not impossible,” he said. “But goals, the purpose of a goal, is to bring attention to something. So you might fail in achieving that goal, but if you don’t even set that goal, then you’re going to have to settle for the status quo.”

More photos after the jump.

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Jeff Bridges to Visit Barcroft Elementary

By ARLnow.com

Actor Jeff Bridges, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Gov. Bob McDonnell will help launch a new statewide anti-hunger campaign at Barcroft Elementary School (625 S. Wakefield Street) next week.

The Academy Award winner is the national spokesperson for No Kid Hungry, a campaign that aims to “end childhood hunger in America by 2015.” The organization says they hope to do so by creating “public-private partnerships at the state level to break down barriers that prevent kids from accessing the food they need.”

The Barcroft event, which is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, is the launch of No Kid Hungry’s Virginia campaign. According to a press release, more than 218,000 kids in Virginia are facing hunger. The state campaign will specifically attempt to stamp out hunger this summer by increasing participation in food and nutrition programs like the Virginia Summer Meals for Kids Program.

Spearheaded by the anti-hunger group Share Our Strength, the Virginia No Kid Hungry campaign is receiving support from the Walmart Foundation, the Sodexho Foundation, Kaiser Permanente and Dominion Resources.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

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