Hello Kitty for President Store Review

Cloture Club contributor Alex recently had the opportunity to visit the new Hello Kitty For President office. Located at 918 F Street NW (near the Gallery Place/China Town Metro). The famous and well known brand Hello Kitty fan base has grown over the last five-ten years significantly and has brought their products to the DC market.

Online fans started the idea of having Hello Kitty for President and the US base for Sanrio (Japanese company) was over whelmed with the interest that they went with the idea and created the campaign. Given the current election environment in Washington DC, with the idea of friendship and a positive election atmosphere (for fun) was created.

The pop up store had original hello kitty artwork displayed by featured local DC artists. Creators of the store worked closely with Sanrio on the concept. Sited as “not to be “stiff” but more of a homegrown feel and fun. You can see by the photos there were original tapestry creations featuring hello kitty and a large hello kitty quilt on the wall with painted signs around it. It’s interesting from a branding standpoint that this brand has been able to range from small to adult. The artwork was most impressive at the event, in conjunction with the overall concept of using the current more tense election atmosphere to create more of fun and silly idea that would also spread the brand.

Exclusive to Cloture Club

They’re hosting a VIP party with DJ Biz Markie! We’re giving away 15 VIP passes to the Hello Kitty Presidential Party THIS Saturday for those who sign up in our comment section.

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So what's everyone doing tonight for Halloween?

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Amazing Photos of Hurricane Sandy in NYC and DC

We put together a compilation of a few photos of Hurricane Sandy for NYC and DC. Check it out!

Firemen search for people trapped in their cars at 14th street and Avenue C in Manhattan

Lights Out in the NYC Village

Newark metro is flooding

Street Flooding

River heads into the city

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Bonus!

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And so it begins... Newark subway in NYC is flooding.

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What if Gungnam style was a rain dance?

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Photo of the Week – Fall in DC

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Giveaway – Screening tickets to Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln movie

We have 2 tickets to Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln Movie for next Monday, November 5th at 7:30PM in Silver Spring’s Regal Majestic. Want to enter the giveaway? Enter by posting a comment in our comment section! Make sure to leave your email address so we can contact you.

Screening:

Monday, November 5

900 Ellsworth Drive

Silver Spring, MD 20910

Lincoln Movie Details

Lincoln is an upcoming 2012 biographical war drama film directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Daniel Day-Lewis as United States President Abraham Lincoln and Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln. The film is based on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s biography of Lincoln, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, and covers the final four months of Lincoln’s life.

Lincoln Movie Trailer

The timing of the film’s release coincides with 150th anniversary of the days leading to, and the issuance of, the Emancipation Proclamation.

Want to enter the giveaway? Enter by posting a comment in our comment section!

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17 Ways You Know You’ve Become a Washingtonian

Here are some ways to determine if you’ve become a Washingtonian!

1) When you find excuses to get out of visiting your friends that live in Virginia.

2) When you refer to your home state as “the district”.

3) When you feel angered by someone standing on the left side of the escalator.

4) When you keep the one weird friend around because he or she has a car.

5) When you won’t go to H street because it’s “just too hard to get to”.

6) Ikea is no longer an excuse to visit Maryland.

7) When you’re on a first name basis with the neighborhood homeless person (RIP Pete).

8) When you learn how to avoid the clipboarders… “Can I ask you one question” – “No! Stranger Danger”

9) When you know where to stand for the metro doors open.

10) When you have figured out how to find a cab after hours in Adams Morgan.

11) When you can identify an intern by the inappropriate attire or the color of the badge they’re wearing.

12) When you refer to neighborhoods as “up and coming” or “gentrified”.

13) When you have paid more in parking tickets than your car payment/student loan.

14) When you can name the differences between DC cupcake stores.

15) When you hate people who ride bikes or segways.

16) When you base your morning commute on whether or not Congress is in session

17) When you don’t flinch at the bar tab, but you flinch at gas prices

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Our latest post, 17 ways to determine if you've become a true Washingtonian! Like? Give us a thumbs up! #4 - When you keep one weird friend around because he or she has a car http://www.clotureclub.com/2012/10/17-ways-you-know-youve-become-a-washingtonian/

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Take Notice Everyone!!

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This day in history, in 1881 the famous shoot out took place in Tombstone, AZ. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-earps-shoot-it-out-at-the-ok-corral-in-tombstone-arizona

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Our sports columnist Alex will be chatting with Wizards basketball player, Emeka Okafor today at 1:30pm for an exclusive interview. We need your help coming up with some questions. What would you ask a NBA player?

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Moombahton Massive Review

D.C. is massive… At least that is the feeling that pervades the monthly Moombahton Massive events at U Street Music Hall!

The District of Columbia has always been home to a diverse and important music scene. Past figures such as Duke Ellington and Chuck Brown have pioneered genres of music and brought the spotlight on D.C. The U street corridor, formerly a Jazz haven in the past, has recently been ground zero for the emergence of a new genre of electronic music born and cultivated in D.C.

Moombahton began as a fusion of electronic dance music with reggaeton tempo and samples. Now moombahton covers a broad range of subgenres and has taken hold worldwide. D.C. DJ and producer Dave Nada created the genre in 2009 when he played a remix of a popular Dutch house song “Moombah” slowed to a tempo of 108 beats per minute while playing a skip party for his high school cousin. Along with partner Matt Nordstrom the two form the duo NADASTROM. Throughout 2010 NADASTROM along with support from local DJ Tittsworth started spreading moombahton. NADASTROM played weekly shows featuring moombahton at Velvet Lounge on U Street. Moombahton exploded internationally after it went viral and gained support from Mad Decent record label head Diplo and was featured on BBC Radio One.

After one notable producer named Munchi became ill and was burdened with substantial medical bills the idea of holding a ‘Moombahton Massive’ party to raise money was put into action at U Street Music Hall in mid 2011; since then over 18 iterations of the party have happened. The nights are usually headlined by NADASTROM themselves and often feature other influential moombahton producers as the opening acts. Moombahton Massives are exhausting events often going into the early morning.

Courtesy Evy Mages/FTWP

Moombahton Massive XIX went down on October 17. The event always draws a broad cross section of the D.C. social scene and the atmosphere is the perfect balance between relaxed swinging vibes and high energy bumping sounds. Another draw is the empanadas served all night which are cooked up by ‘Mama Nada’ herself and sometimes served by Nada’s wife Jen Lasher, who is a successful DJ and producer in her own right.

Openers on Wednesday featured famous moombahton artists Sazon Booya, Melo, and Sabo. The three are known for hits such as Coolin, remixing Mos Def’s Ms. Fat Booty and Dusted respectively. NADASTROM started with an opening set at 10:30 and were followed by the supporting acts until they went back on at 1:00 AM for their main set.

NADASTROM always seems truly at home performing at U Street Music Hall and threw down a wide variety of sounds ranging from a Latin feel to hard hitting electronic sounds. With hardly a down minute crowd favorites such as their remix of Alex Clare’s Up All Night and JWLS Bashin stood out. U Street Music Hall is home to one of the best sound systems in the city, if not the country, and offers a rare opportunity to see the Godfather of a worldwide influential genre of music native to the District of Columbia perform in an intimate venue for ten bucks or less.

Whether it is the Jazz of yesteryear or the electronic sounds of today, the U Street Corridor and Washington D.C. continue to be a pioneer music community.

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The 2012 presidential debates according to the internet.

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Give this photo of Mitt Romney a good caption!

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Who Won Last Night’s Debate?

Barack Obama and Mitt Romney sparred against one another in the final presidential debate of the election season last night. The presidential contenders clashed on foreign policy with election day just two weeks away. Who do you think came out of the debate in a stronger position to win on November 6?

So tell us Cloture Clubbers, who won last night’s debate?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

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Fashion Passion!

A recurring theme in my advice is that it is important to follow our passions. Some of my clients struggle to discover what it is that motivates them, and then, once they realize it, contemplate how they can achieve their desire. If our passion falls outside of our day job, do we always need to give up our full time position to realize or practice our bliss? As I mentioned in previous columns, while it would be wonderful if they were both the same, this isn’t always the case. Even following our passion on the side creates challenges since time is a valuable commodity.

When I think about all the people who have expressed their dilemma and lack of time, I’m reminded of one client’s success story. Several years ago, I met Jennifer through a mutual friend (sound familiar?), and the three of us had lunch at Johnny’s Half Shell to find out if a mentor relationship would be of value. Jennifer was working as a lobbyist while getting her J.D. – not an easy task! During our discussion, she mentioned a passion for fashion and expressed her desire to write a blog targeting Capitol Hill. Although she liked her profession, the more she talked about her “side” bliss, the more her eyes lit up over the possibilities. I suggested that she get the courage to follow her dream even if it was only part time. Several months later, I received an invitation to attend the opening of her project: http://fashiondelegate.com.

As I was driving to her event on a Saturday afternoon, I envisioned a small gathering of friends in a cozy restaurant or perhaps an intimate group mulling around someone’s backyard. I passed the correct location several times and was confused because the size of the place was huge and not what I expected. That’s when I stopped scratching my head and realized two things: 1) I was at the right location and 2) Jennifer does nothing small! Before me was the home of a prominent Washington Redskin player and I felt like I was attending the opening of a Hollywood movie premiere. Needless to say, I was extremely impressed not only by the quality of the event but how someone with so much on her plate could pull this off.

Jennifer had the courage to follow her passion. She agreed to share some of her insight for my readers about how she followed and found her bliss:

Arnie: How and why did you get interested in fashion?

Jennifer: Fashion and politics are the two loves of my professional life. I came up with Fashion Delegate – a fashion meets politics site – to serve as a platform for political style in DC. We also use the site to promote and bring awareness to policy issues that affect the fashion industry on Capitol Hill. The fashion industry is often underrepresented and misunderstood on Capitol Hill.

Arnie: How were you able to fit your job, JD and the blog into your schedule?

Jennifer: Going to law school and grad school while working taught me a lot about time management – efficient but effective. Now that I’ve completed school, running a website and working full-time is a catwalk (wink).

Arnie: What was your greatest challenge?

Jennifer: My greatest challenge is going through the journey. When you are passionate about something and begin the process to accomplish it, the goal is to be successful. But success carries strain, which is often in the journey. My challenge has been enduring the journey.

Arnie: Would you recommend to our readers to follow their own passions?

Jennifer: Life is about purpose and purpose comes from passion. Everyone should pursue their passion; it’s our gift to life.

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Arnie Thomas is President & CEO of A Thomas Group LLC. He mentors, consults on client services, relationship management, leadership development, strategic consulting, and professional speaking. For more information or to set up a consultation, please email him at athomasgroup@gmail.com.

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Enjoy Arnie Thomas’s Fashion Passion!, check out other exclusive articles!

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Real Headline: Relative shoots costumed girl after mistaking her for a skunk. "A little girl was fighting for her life early Monday after she was shot outside a Halloween party by a relative who mistook her costume for a skunk." http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/22/relative-shoots-costumed-girl-after-mistaking-her-for-a-skunk/?hpt=hp_bn1

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Redskins Vs Giants

Redskins Vs Giants

If yesterday’s tough 27-23 loss for the Washington Redskins to the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants taught the NFL world anything, it was to watch out for Robert Griffin III (RG3 if you will). Yes, the naysayers will point to the few, yet still present, errors the young quarterback displayed in yesterday’s heartbreaking defeat for Redskins fans everywhere: RG3 had some bad reads, leading to two turnovers, contributing to the team’s total of four in the game. Up until that point the Redskins had five turnovers all season. And prematurely, you have sports blogs and even ESPN analysts asking the ever popular sport’s question, “Come on is he really that big of a deal?” And the answer is quite simply, yes.

When was the last time you saw a rookie NFL quarterback deep in his own territory, on a four-and-10 play, with no receivers in site, make a desperate scramble and complete a 19-yard pass? And in the next play takes the ball himself, sprinting 24-yards past the defenders, reminding us of his 2008 Big 12 conference championship win in the 400-meter hurdles. The play sets up a picturesque, 30-yard touchdown pass by RG3 to an open Santana Moss, silencing the Giants fans at MetLife Stadium. Yeah, my thoughts exactly.

Eli for the win!

RG3 may not be a massive, physical presence on the field, such as a Ben Roethlisberger, but he knows how to run the ball and he can see the field, far better than anyone in his NFL class should. You could almost compare RG3’s style of play to a younger Michael Vick. Both players like to run the ball and use their speed, but RG3 also has the passing game to complement it all, which was evident in yesterday’s game. RG3’s ability to move the offense quickly and effectively up the field, and vision on the field at such a young level had the Giants players even singing his praises. “I’m pretty mad at the football gods for putting him in the NFC East,” Justin Tuck said post game, according to the Washington Examiner.

But alas, RG3 can only run so fast and throw such eye-catching passes to his receivers, until it’s time for the defense to get on the field and do its job. And that’s where the Redskins took a tumble. The first two quarters, the Redskins defense held off Giants QB Eli Manning seemingly well, and was effective overall, allowing RG3 and the offense to continue running the ball. And then seconds after Moss’s heroic touchdown catch that lifted the spirits of Redskins fans everywhere, the Giants offense came back and Manning showed up. Manning launched a 77-yard pass to receiver Victor Cruz, who then ran behind the Redskins defense, which looked to be pretty much caught flat footed, to score a touchdown. Then with the ball back in the hands of RG3 and the offense, the Redskins could have taken it down the field with under a minute left in the game. But Moss, who was just seconds ago the savior, fumbled the ball, ultimately turned it over to the Giants, who then pulled out the win.

Playing RG3 for every play!

So what have we learned? RG3 is a force to be reckoned with, but can’t do it on his own (hello defense), Eli should put Captain Clutch on the back of his jersey, and Moss needs to remember to hold on to the ball.

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