‘Swim at Your Own Risk’ suits encourage women to dive right in

Supporting the Special Olympics by taking the icy Polar Bear Plunge at Catholic University this weekend? Or shopping for your spring break beachgetaway? Two local women want to help you suit up.

Karla Colletto, a Vienna-based designer who has specialized in swimwear since 1987, partnered with Pum Lefebure, chief creative officer at D.C.’sDesign Army, to develop the Swim at Your Own Risk Collection.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2015/01/27/swim-at-your-own-risk-suits-encourage-women-to-dive-right-in/

The Problem With The ‘Dad Bod’

What is this whole “dad bod” phenomenon? Have you heard about it? It’s been making the rounds of cable and network news shows, even “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” had a (brilliant) segment about it. Timemagazine broke down the economic case for the dad bod, explaining that some women would rather have guys with imperfect physiques but large bank accounts.

http://www.kveller.com/the-problem-with-the-dad-bod/

Use these ballroom dance steps to class up your New Year’s bash

Getting carried away at a party is a holiday tradition. But if photos of you twerking wind up on Facebook, you might kick off 2015 with regret.

To ring in the new year in style, opt for time-tested ballroom dance moves, suggests Garry Gekhman, co-owner of the Chevy Chase Ballroom and an organizer of the Yuletide Ball (yuletideball.com) — a series of amateur and professional competitions and a cancer fundraiser — Jan. 8-11 at the Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2014/12/23/use-these-ballroom-dance-steps-to-class-up-your-new-years-bash/

An American Icon, Kennedy Center Thrives on International Exchange

The Kennedy Center may be as American as apple pie, but its programming has a decidedly international flavor.

That's no accident. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a quasi-federal agency with a board appointed by the U.S. president and a congressional mandate stating that it should put on its stages the best in arts and culture and be reflective of the people of this country.

http://www.washdiplomat.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12200:an-american-icon-kennedy-center-thrives-on-international-exchange&catid=1534:august-2015&Itemid=558

Iconic American Furniture Maker Reflects on International Influences

Furniture maker Tom Moser prides himself on creating unornamented pieces derivative of 19th-century American primitive forms using hardy American wood, mainly cherry and walnut. But in talking with the 80-year-old designer — who recently reopened Thos. Moser Handmade American Furniture in Georgetown — a foreign influence becomes apparent. We sat down with him while he was in town for the reopening of his 5,500-square-foot showroom off M Street to find out where he finds inspiration after 43 years in the business, including about 35 years with a store in Washington.

http://www.washdiplomat.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11846:iconic-american-furniture-maker-reflects-on-international-influences&catid=1532:june-2015&Itemid=557

At the new Flywheel studio, cyclists compete against each other

When the lights go down and the music goes up, it’s on. Riders on the 63 stationary bikes in a Flywheel class aren’t just trying to break a sweat. They’re trying to best themselves and their cycle classmates.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2015/03/31/at-the-new-flywheel-studio-cyclists-compete-against-each-other/

For Boston Police, social media experience pays off after bombing

After two men set off bombs during the 2013 Boston Marathon, the city’s police department pulled out all the technology stops to help keep order and identify and capture the suspects. But one of the best performing tech tools wasn’t a high-end system available only to law enforcement officials.

The Boston Police Department’s (BPD) use of universally available social media after the deadly event has been lauded as exemplary.

https://gcn.com/articles/2014/05/09/boston-police-social-media.aspx

Texas converts 254 county courts to e-filing

It may be hard to imagine any process still being paper-based these days, but that’s how the legal system worked in Texas until recently.

“Before we had e-filing in the state, everything was very much paper-based,” said David Slayton, executive director of the Texas Office of Court Administration (OCA). "And that meant basically attorneys and litigants who represent themselves having to deliver documents to the court in paper form."

Legal parties had to mail or hire someone to courier documents to the courthouse, and clerks then had to process the paper and get copies to judges. Ensuing orders were also routed via paper.

There was also the issue of storing all that paper. “Of course any document that was filed with the court was filed and stuck in some file room or warehouses for older files,” Slayton said.

https://gcn.com/articles/2015/10/15/texas-efiling.aspx

13 Signs You’re a Fairfax Parent

Fairfax County. It’s not as nighttime cool as its pseudo-urban neighbor Arlington County and lacks the Redskins players population of nearby Loudon County, but it is the most populous county in the state. So there’s that. But none of that matters to kids who just know it as chock full of playgrounds, splashpads and a real, live space shuttle (inside the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center). Here are 13 signs that you’ve got a little Fairfaxian on your hands.

http://redtri.com/dc/13-signs-youre-a-fairfax-parent/

10 Underground Hideaways Kids Love

“The DaVinci Code” taught us to look twice at Washington’s infrastructure, and indeed there is more than meets the eye. Plenty of secret and not-so-private meetings happen underground in tunnels and passageways connecting some of D.C.’s best-known buildings, and in recent years, the Obama administration has made more of the subterranean District less restricted. Then there are the better-advertised subterrestrial sites: caverns, public transportation access and even a shopping mall. Whether you’re looking to rub shoulders with members of Congress, admire centuries-old rock formations or just grab a bite to eat, here are nine — almost 10 — ways to see the region below street level.

http://redtri.com/dc/underground-hideaways-kids-love/

How to pick a better running shoe

Whether it’s jogging around the block or racing in the 40th annual Marine Corps Marathon on Oct. 25, running is a high-impact activity. Nearly 70 percent of runners will experience injury from running, according to the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. One preventive measure is using an appropriate shoe.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/how-to-pick-a-better-running-shoe/2015/10/05/936c2b06-5d49-11e5-9757-e49273f05f65_story.html