A day after Washington’s loss to…yes—hated rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, I find myself indulging in that oft-snarked out tendency of Redskins fans: the telling of sweet little lies. At least we didn’t get run out of the stadium, as we did against the Patriots. At least we didn’t collapse stupidly, like we did against the Eagles. At least the team we struggled with was a quality team (insofar as anything the NFC produces this year......

Meh-NAH-meh-nuh? Meh-NOH-meh-nuh? Meh-noh-MEE-nuh? A nonsense word, an inside joke, or derived from that fantastic old school Muppet Show sketch? Whatever it is, it's not much of a telling name for a band with such a wide array of musical backgrounds and interests. Their debut I Am the Fun Blame Monster! was characteristically all-over-the-map in its creativity, but erred on the side of goofy and even a little obtuse. Then came Under an Hour, a score......

Well, we are reaching the end of the season. The Nationals stand two games away from their stated, and admittedly pathetic, goal of 72 wins -- one better than last year. They have 5 games remaining, two against the Mets and three against the Phillies, all on the road. Given that the Nats are 30-46 on the road this year, these last two wins should be tough. That said, the Mets seem desperate to see......

D.C. United left the field last night earning two less points than they should have. The circumstances of their disappointing 1-1 draw with Monarcas Morelia were among soccer's most frustrating; United conceded a late goal to a 10-man opponent. In letting the win slip away, United could blame excruciatingly inconsistent officiating. They could point to RFK's shoddy infield as a source of their misfortune. They could take refuge in the fact that Morelia's goal......

If you consider yourself a fan of The Fiery Furnaces, chances are, you’re the type of person who appreciates a good surprise. Though the siblings Friedberger debuted in 2003 with Gallowbird’s Bark, a fairly straightforward (if surprisingly literate) take on bluesy garage rock, things quickly took a turn for the weird. The band returned only a year later with the 76-minute Blueberry Boat, a delightfully overstuffed homage to the rock operas of the Who that......

Saturday at the Black Cat: Jukebox the Ghost EP release party, Exit Clov, Le Loup. $10, 9 p.m. Of the three local bands on the triple bill Saturday night at the Black Cat, Exit Clov seem to be everyone’s favorite local group. Le Loup seem to be the new kids getting the rave reviews and big turnouts. But with their first “real” release, GW-kids and Three Stars alums Jukebox the Ghost officially throw their hat......

Yes, that's a fire hydrant that's become home to a swarm of bees on 16th and P Sts., NW. The note attached says a beekeeper has been called to take care of the problem. Anyone have some Raid? >> The DCist Department of Cryptozoology would like to propose formal protection for Bigfoot as an endangered species. One Canadian lawmaker is moving to do just that. Who else is picturing Marion Barry arguing for an......

The Smithsonian Institution's woes have been front and center in the news lately, and now it has sent its first victim to the chopping block. In the wake of last week's fairly crushing – though not entirely surprising – report on the state of the museums, Secretary Lawrence M. Small has submitted his resignation, announced today by the Board of Regents Executive Committee. Some have noted that Small may only be the first of the......

>> We always suspected Maddy Albright was much like Santa Claus -- not so much due to a reputation for gift giving as for being magically able to keep her eyes locked on our every move in order to judge whether we have been naughty or nice. Safeway, ye know not what ye have done. [Yeas and Nays] >> Art-o-matic will take place this year after all, from April 13 through May 20 this......

Can you stand all the excitement that comes along with sifting through so many election results, race by race, this morning Washington? For political junkies like us, and we're sure, like many of you, last night was an up way past our bedtimes, whiskey-infused, edge of our seats, shouting about the relative quality of cable news commentators' hair dye jobs kind of time. And it's not totally over yet. But before we get to the......

There isn’t a more arresting falsetto in rock right now than TV on the Radio’s Kyp Malone’s. This would be a feat in itself, were he not in constant harmonization with lead singer Tunde Adebimpe’s intense vocals -- taking TVOTR’s sound to another level of cool. In fact, were these two not harmonizing, perhaps TVOTR would be just another trip hop, art-rock, doo-wop, retro-funk, Brooklyn-based mash-up collective. To put it another way, this band is......

What, pray tell, do you consider the most pressing issue facing the United States Senate? Is it the war in Iraq? The Israel-Lebanon conflict? Global warming? The energy crisis? The low minimum wage? Immigration? Flag burning? Health care? Are you sad yet? Fortunately, the New York Times' crack political reporters have singled it out for us: the interminable crowding of the Senators-only elevators. In an article only D.C. could inspire, we get a glimpse into......

Local blogger the Nabob has a modest proposal over at Pygmalion in a Blanket for all you kids out there grappling with the reality of the 10 p.m. curfew law (in case you've missed it, here's a breakdown of all the new rules going into effect tonight). His solution? It's the Nabob to the rescue: I’m officially offering my services as a grown up to anyone wanting to violate the curfew tonight. It’s not cheap,......

Food with a Side of Sexy? In Wednesday’s Food Section of the Washington Post, we were served alternately sexy and prudish food features. Sexy: In response to a reader who asked Tom Sietsema’s opinion on “sexiest food," he responded, “Mangoes in the bath tub get my vote. Or caviar on scrambled eggs, served in bed.” Hmm. Mangos in the bathtub. I had not yet thought of that. What else would you add to the......

Along with lilac and hyacinth, the sweet sweet smell of summer concerts is in the air. Here's a breakdown of some exciting dates so far. >> Belle & Sebastian, Broken Social Scene & Ted Leo + Pharmacists, Merriweather, July 8. If you're interested, the belle tix presale started today. Tickets go on sale en masse this Saturday at 10 a.m., via Ticketmaster or the Merriweather or 9:30 Club box offices. >> Wolfmother's been doing their......

Rorschach Theatre's production of A Bright Room Called Day does an excellent job of bringing on the tension. Sometimes it's during a young woman's vehement, Reagan-hating scenes set in the early 1980s. In her fervent state of alarm and outrage, she would be just as at home standing in front of the White House today, railing against the current adminstration. Sometimes it's in watching the breakdown of one character, a tortured homosexual man (Alexander Strain),......

The weekly Ist wrap-up is written by Seattlest editor Dan Gonsiorowski. After Wired ran a story documenting the GoogleCenter of the United States a bunch of ists jumped on the opportunity to figure out their own middle. Gothamist, Chicagoist, Bostonist, DCist and Seattlest all zoomed in on their creamy GoogleCenters. A crack cartography team is hard at work determining the GoogleCenter of the Ist-a-verse as you read this... Austinist read a book about Olympian Bode......

A breakdown in contract talks today led to a strike by the Transport Workers Union Local 100 in New York City, disrupting some 7 million passenger trips and causing economic damage estimated at around $400 million (and providing lots of dramatic images of New Yorkers hoofing it across bridges and through town). Seeing the chaos makes us wonder, how satisfied are D.C.'s transit workers?......

As we in the DCist newsroom say, you can never have too many society magazines. Via U.S. News & World Report's Washington Whispers, we hear that Capitol File, a new Washington society magazine, hits the streets tomorrow. According to editor-in-chief Anne Schroeder, the new magazine reveals that "Washington is fun and sexy." Not to self-promote, but we at DCist have been publishing that fact for the better part of the last year. Or making fun......

File this under “obvious.” Getting into and out of Adams Morgan can be a baffling ordeal for the navigationally challenged. Whether you’re a newcomer to D.C. (finding your way by that helpful grid system you’ve heard so much about), or an out-of-towner detraining at Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams-Morgan (expecting Adams Morgan to be right there), it’s easy to suffer some sort of temporary mental breakdown. And everyone knows that parking is nowhere to be found and that......

Ambivalent Images took this photo of a statue and monument in Lafayette Square across from the White House, but didn't know who it memorialized. Well it's Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau, the French general sent to aid George Washington during the American Revolution. This statue was Checkpoint No. 3 in the 2003 Urban Challenge, which this DCist ran. Now on to the Morning Roundup ... More on Anthrax Scare: While it looks......

DCist was alarmed to see Corduroy on the D.C. Department of Health's February Food Closure List. The closure of the popular restaurant took place on Feb. 24, with the restaurant re-opening later that same day. The only other establishment to be closed in February was New Star Market in Northeast, shut down for (among other things) operating without a license and evidence of rodents inside the establishment. Corduroy has been lauded by local foodies for......

I've heard people mention that the ratio of women to men in this city [is] abnormally high on the female end. Is this true? If it is, as a young guy I really have no excuse... Hate to break it to you, Mr. Young Guy, but you really have no excuse. Not only is the District teeming with women, but, as you suspected, the ratio of women to men is indeed significantly higher here......