On public computers inside Brooklyn's public libraries, you are welcome to watch pornography. No, really. The Village Voice's Runnin' Scared blog confirmed it after hearing about a fight that broke out between a guy who was watching porn and another guy who wanted to use the computer. This, of course, begs the question: are the District's libraries similarly cool with customers watching pornography inside its facilities? more ›

Friend of DCist and proprietor of We Love DC, Tom Bridge, shares the visual evidence that Apple employees at the company's store in Clarendon were very, very excited about this morning's launch of the iPad. How thrilling, the running of the nerds! more ›

Are you a nerd? Do you really like baseball? Have you often considered that a life completely controlled by robot simulators might actually be preferable to all this "free will" jazz you hear so much about? If your answer to all three of those questions is yes, then yesterday was probably a big day for you: Baseball Prospectus, the hardball geek's bible, released its annual Player Empirical Comparison and Optimization Test Algorithm -- or PECOTA -- projections for players and teams for the upcoming season. And guess what? They actually think that the Nationals will be decent. Like, over .500 decent. The Prospectus projects that the Nats will finish 82-80, which, in a somewhat-depleted National League, would be only three games out of the Wild Card slot. Three games out of the playoffs, people! more ›

It's almost as if the District's Office of Tax and Revenue has been looking for more ways to come across as a bunch of buffoons. Today the Examiner reports on how one persistent Capitol Hill resident, Noah Meyerson, was responsible for forcing the office to fix an error they had not even detected which allowed roughly 300 homeowners to skip out on an entire property tax payment last year. more ›

When we saw this photo, we immediately thought of Legos — it looks like a bunch of bright yellow blocks and one of the window rectangles. We can almost imagine the little smiling yellow men lounging around inside, using one of those triangular computers or holding one of the cup pieces. Here's the EXIF data. more ›

>> "Florida's top police agency said Wednesday its investigation into former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley's lurid Internet communications with teenage boys has been hindered because neither Foley nor the House will let investigators examine his congressional computers." [AP via TPM] >> "A New Carrollton mother accused of leaving her five young children in filth pleaded guilty in the case on Thursday." [NBC4] >> "A D.C. Superior Court judge today sentenced a former D.C. police... more ›

DCist reader Torrey writes: I was hoping you knew of a good local computer repair shop. It's for my personal laptop. I have been looking all morning and I cant find anything but GeekSquad in NW. Computer repair is an awful business to be in, and an even worse one to have to patronize. NBC4's Liz Crenshaw did a piece on it a week or two ago and reached a depressing conclusion: faced with a... more ›

Eating In is coming to you one day early this week to allow you to prepare for your Fourth of July cookout. Plus we know no one is going to be sitting in front of their computers reading blogs tomorrow. We’re sure you can guess what the theme for this edition might be. If you answered “What is Summer Cookout Food” then you are correct! There are a few things to consider when preparing... more ›

>> "The D.C. inspector general's office has confiscated computers from the offices of the National Capital Revitalization Corp., the quasi-public agency that develops District land in low-income areas and that the city plans to abolish by September." [WaPo] >> One of the victims of the Unifest crash may have died. [City Desk] >> "Investigators are looking into who altered pro wrestler Chris Benoit's Wikipedia entry to mention his wife's death hours before authorities discovered... more ›

The Examiner reports that renovations are underway at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, the central branch of the D.C. Public Public system. The improvements come after former Mayor Anthony Williams' proposal to replace the building with a new flagship library two blocks away on the site of the old convention center was first tabled by the D.C. Council and then shelved by the Fenty administration. Improvements to the outdated and long-neglected MLK Library... more ›

By DCist contributor Paul Ghosh-Roy Is it a burlesque band? Gypsy rock? Electronic klezmer? Mediterranean dub? Carnival musicians in the off season’s? It’s difficult to categorize Balkan Beat Box’s sound, but you can call it good. On Saturday night, six members of Balkan Beat Box donned their pig masks and came to Rosslyn to bring the Balkan dance party. Pig masks? Yes, this show started with the pig mask-bedecked band wandering through the aisles of... more ›

FRIDAY: >> Don't forget to check out our guide to the Six Points Music Festival as it takes over the town in its second weekend. We're going to once again heartily recommend you head to Iota to catch Unbuckled alums Middle Distance Runner headline a show that also features Unbuckled alums These United States, plus Pittsburgh's Black Tie Revue. Get there early -- this is going to be a packed house for sure. $10, 9:30... more ›

If you managed to stay inside basking in the glow of fluorescent lights and humming computers, congrats. Our informal survey of the city's green spaces indicates that most Washingtonians didn't share your stamina and came up with some excuse to get outside. Whether you were "taking the dog to the vet," "coming down with a touch of the flu" or just dealing with the House's voting malarkey, we now proudly offer "Go Home Already:... more ›

MONDAY Andrea Mitchell will finally tackle the question that's been plaguing television news viewers for the better part of the last decade: Why is no one willing to tell her that with each passing face lift, she looks more and more like a Hollywood version of an alien? Apparently, she's just too much of a tough talker for people to stand up to her, as she reveals in her new book, Talking Back: ... To... more ›

Happy Friday, folks; may this day be the start of a fantastic, 80-degree yet cloudy weekend. On that note, who loses 1,137 laptops? It seems that, having announced the missing laptops Thursday night, only the Commerce Department is capable of such feats. NBC 4 tells us that since 2001, the laptops, 672 of which belonged to the Census Bureau, have vanished. Says Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez. "The amount of missing computers is high, but... more ›

So, it’s pretty miserable out there this week, eh? Well, we don’t think it’s because of the heat. We don’t even think it’s the humidity. more ›

Wasabi Wa-opens I have been searching for a good cafeteria-style Japanese place for a while. Since I'd be happy to go to Kotobuki every single day for lunch if it weren't in Outer Mongolia, the opening of Wasabi gives me great joy. Conveniently located at 17th and I Streets, NW, for you downtowners, it's a welcome addition to a scene dominated by places like the Park Place Gourmet. While my lunchtime map is roughly bordered... more ›

Happy Fourth of July, Washington! We hope you've got a good spot staked out for watching the fireworks. And we hope you've been having a good time not working — your morning roundup writers certainly have. That's because there's practically nothing to round up. With the local media mostly off for the holiday, the news is slooow. But that's not such a bad thing; we should all be manning grills, not computers. Here's to a Fourth that's pleasantly-paced, safe, and doesn't involve riding Metro to the mall. Legislators Claim Smoking Ban Success: Montgomery County legislators Isiah Leggett and Phil Andrews say that the county's smoking ban has been good news for its restaurants, according to WTOP. They cite a 19 percent increase in sales over the last two years as proof. Ban opponents say that this is a faulty measure, however. They maintain that since 77 percent of the county's restaurants were already smoke-free, the overall sales increase is largely meaningless. Zoo's Panda Party Planned: As you may have heard, the zoo is throwing Butterstick a birthday party on Sunday. Looks like the press release just went out: WJLA reports that "there will be entertainment, educational programs, children's activities and best of all, free cupcakes for the first one-thousand visitors." Educational programs? Nuts to that. You should come to our party for the Stick instead — we promise you won't have to learn anything. And we'll see what we can do about the cupcakes. Second Gorilla Dies At Zoo: It's not a good week to be a D.C. gorilla. On Saturday a gorilla named Kuja died during the implantation of a "cardiac device" — now another, older animal named Mopie has collapsed and died. The exact cause of death isn't yet known, although Mopie was known to have heart problems, but he seemed to be in good health as recently as Monday. Briefly Noted: Fourth of July weekend off to a violent start... Ocean City riptide proves to be deadly... Area should be back to full power by tomorrow morning... Evacuation plan to be used to help clear the city after tomorrow's fireworks... This Day In DCist: One year ago today the news was just as slow as it is today. And by and large we took the day off, too — but DCist cofounder Mike Grass did take the time to write some Fourth of July impressions. Image posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user commonroman. This entry written by DCist staff member Tom Lee. more ›

Need we say more? We were just forwarded an email from an intrepid downtown employee who reports that due to a computer malfunction, the Potbelly Sandwich Works at 14th Street NW and New York Ave. is unable to charge their customers anything. Yes, word on the street is that until those computers get back up and running, anyone who orders will receive their sandwich, drinks, everything, absolutely gratis. So if you skipped lunch and work... more ›

The Post identifies an interesting criminal trend in the District: church robbing. Perhaps not as lucrative as banks or liquor stores, churches still present inviting targets, particularly as security tends to be much more relaxed than in other places of business. Thieves have gotten away with computers and other electronics (including a vacuum cleaner) and with wallets and credit cards. According to the Post, 12 Northwest churches have been robbed in the past two months. more ›

We've spent time talking about how great it would be if D.C. was a little more free WiFi-friendly than it is -- and thankfully, it soon may be. The Post is reporting this morning that D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams has asked companies to start bidding on a contract to build a free wireless internet network that would cover the majority of the city, including often underserved poorer neighborhoods. The network could become operational in... more ›

When the spirit moves us, DCist spouts off about what's missing in the D.C. area. With the recent news that 7-Eleven will be eschewing Slim Jims and six-packs in favor of fresh produce and sandwiches (don't worry -- Slurpees are safely entrenched), we couldn't help but think of the very best convenience store of them all -- one that already blends snack foods with its own fresh, special fare: Wawa. And then we lamented the fact that there are no Wawas in the District of Columbia proper. Or even in Arlington, Alexandria, or Silver Spring. Indeed, the closest Wawas are in College Park, Md. and Woodbridge, Va. And that's simply too far for our tastes. more ›

Various candidates for public office in the District maintain blogs. Adrian Fenty has one, Michael Brown claims to have one, and Marie Johns is trying to get hers off the ground. The most active of the bunch, though, is A. Scott Bolden, who is currently challenging Council-member Phil Mendelson for his coveted At Large seat. Bolden has been blogging off and on since late October, and has used his online perch to comment on everything... more ›

We have to give Montgomery County props -- they'll defend the First Amendment to the death, no matter how tasteless the reason. NBC 4 is reporting that county officials are ordering all security guards for the county's libraries to undergo further training on the First Amendment after a recent incident where they tried to stop a library patron from using the public computers to view some XXX-rated material. Apparently Montgomery County has no objection to... more ›

We here at DCist are all about community development, and certainly the knowledge contained in our public libraries is a valuable resource that should be kept well maintained and freely available. Reading is FUNdamental, no? We just wish that for once, a government task force could report back to the mayor without bringing along a nine-digit number. The latest to issue a draft report thusly was the Mayor's task force on D.C.'s public libraries, which... more ›

By DCist Food and Wine Writer Michael Mugmon. more ›

Four months ago the 2006 mayoral race was pure speculation. Come next week, though, we will finally have a confirmed slate of candidates -- and a year's worth of campaigning ahead of us. Council-members Adrian Fenty (D-Ward 4) and Vincent Orange (D-Ward 5) have been in the game for the better part of the summer, while former Verizon executive Marie Johns only recently joined the race and Council Chair Linda Cropp and lobbyist Michael... more ›

We here at DCist love happy hours. After all, we've thrown a few ourselves (at The Reef, Big Hunt, Biddy Mulligan's, and Chief Ike's Mambo Room), and we try to emerge from behind our computers now and then to attend those put on by fellow bloggers, residents, and activists. more ›

Ahh, it's been so nice to disconnect from our computers this Memorial Day weekend. We hope you were able to do the same. But the DCist crew was busy this weekend. DCist not only joined Rolling Thunder on our Harley and snapped this photo, we also shared drinks with Jessica Cutler aka Washingtonienne. And then on our way to an East Carolina-style barbecue in Columbia Heights, we bumped into Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld eating at... more ›

Via Boing Boing this morning comes news that Digital Rights Management may be sending dollars down the drain in Fairfax. Tax dollars, that is. According to a report from Phil Shapiro of the Digital Divide Network, the Fairfax Public Library system got the great idea to distribute downloadable books. There's just one problem. The books are in Windows Media Format. That means they don't play on Macs, iPods or computers running the GNU/Linux operating system. Apparently, they've never heard of MP3. more ›