Some unknown bandits apparently took a joyride in a truck containing $200,000 worth of President Barack Obama's speech gear -- including audio equipment, TelePrompters and "several lecterns with the presidential seal" -- yesterday. more ›

Of course with grease! more ›

When it comes to deciphering news about Metro -- or pretty much of anything in this crazy town -- I've found that it helps to simply boil things down to real-life versions of popular Simpsons gags. (But, you know, nothing after season eight.) Take, for instance, this morning's Washington Post report about a kinda-sorta shake-up involving WMATA safety chief Alexa Dupigny-Samuels, which is a lot more digestible through the lens of a classic bit from "Treehouse of Horror III." Observe: more ›

By DCist Contributor Aaron Morrissey Dogfish Head Alehouse, the third (and we assume not the last) in a planned series of eateries that serve lovers of the venerable Delaware-based brewery with the American basics, is now open in Falls Church, and DCist popped by to survey the scene in advance of Tuesday night's official Grand Opening party. There’s nothing outstanding about the place upon entering. The immediate thought was the episode of The Simpsons in... more ›

City Paper really needs to pay employees more This blog post from City Paper's Jessica Gould seems to imply that perhaps City Paper is not paying its employees quite enough. Recalling The Simpsons episode, "Lisa Gets an A", Gould discusses going to Whole Foods with the purpose of compiling a lunch entirely from the free samples. As she went for a sample, one of the employees "caught her in the act." I'm all about... more ›

With all the hubbub this past weekend over 07/07/07 – the weddings, worldwide concerts, and the seven new wonders –- it was easy to forget that today is another “lucky” numerical date: 07/11. more ›

LAist was comped front row seats by the Dodgers due to Malingering being struck by a foul ball last week, and she came back with some great photos, and earlier made fun of 4th of July on Venice Beach. But the biggest stories of the week was that the Mayor's Hot Tamale was revealed, and that a Kwik-E-Mart was erected in Burbank. Phillyist was busy doing the Fourth of July up right, exercising their... more ›

Who needs the Kwik-E-Mart?
Now here's the tricky part
Oh won't you rhyme with me?
Who needs the Kwik-E-Mart?
It's already on Flickr-E-Mart
They're in the sticks-E-Mart
It's a marketing trick-E-Mart
The Kwik-E-Mart is really — d'oh!
Who needs the Kwik-E-Mart?
Not me! But then we started to see the photographic evidence. There's this Flickr set of the Kwik-E-Mart in Burbank, Ca. Between the Frostillicus decal, the Krusty-Os and the relatively obscure donut-topping reference, it's clear that this is both a crass marketing exercise and a labor of love. Who needs the Kwik-E-Mart? We doooooooo... More photos after the jump. Photos by Sommer Mathis more ›

Most of us have dreamed of having a pet monkey at some point. Whether it was after watching Mike Myers and his monkey on the SNL skit "Sprockets" or laughing our way through the episode of "The Simpsons" where Homer gets himself a helper monkey named Mojo, the idea of having a monkey as a pet just seems hilarious. more ›

Remember that episode of The Simpsons where Barney is dating a Japanese art student? And they show up at Moe’s and she orders "a single plum, floating in perfume, served in a man’s hat"? We can kind of imagine Blonde Redhead frontwoman (and former art student) Kazu Makino ordering that same thing. And Makino’s otherworldliness is so captivating that, like Moe, we probably wouldn’t bat an eye. more ›

Starting today, the funnies page in the Washington Post will be looking a little different: Mary Worth, Cathy and Broom Hilda have been given the boot to make room for Agnes, Brewster Rockit: Space Guy! and Brevity. Who could have foreseen that America's appetite for comics about stupid, nosy and/or shrew-like women would ever subside? We guess that Cathy's audience eventually found reading the strip to be a little too self-deprecating. There'll be a... more ›

>> Congratulations are in order for the local D.C. blogs that won awards from the 2007 Bloggie Awards. Frank Warren's PostSecret won for Best Topical Weblog and Best Community Weblog, and Wonkette took home the honor of Best Political Weblog. You guys make it look easy, and we know better than anyone that it's not. Way to get that product out on them corners! more ›

Congratulations, everybody: Wired says that we're one of the nation's top ten tech towns, putting us in the company of undeniably geek-friendly cities like San Francisco, Austin and Seattle. But to be honest, Wired's methodology seems a little bit suspect. Other cities made the list on the basis of a high number of comic book stores per capita, the ubiquity of free wifi, or the popularity of the local Dorkbot chapter. Our qualifications? We're desperately lonely: apparently D.C. has more postings on dating site Geek 2 Geek than any other town. We score high for Circuit City penetration too, but let's get real — as much as we hate to throw DC1974 a bone, there's no competing with Fry's for embodying the geek ethos (although we do love Microcenter). No, it's pretty clear why we made the list: the federal government and its attendant inefficiencies. D.C. area nerds may not work on the most exciting projects in the world, but if you want to build gigantic robotic spiders for Raytheon or maintain a database written on punchcards for the Bureau of Indian Affairs — and be well-compensated for doing it — there's no better place to be. That's not to say that there aren't exciting dot-coms in the area. But it's clearly federal largesse that drives the industry around these parts. But it doesn't have to be this way. If you're a like-minded technologist, why not help make this town a little more worthy of Wired's list by attending a 2600 or Dorkbot meeting, the ShmooCon conference, or another geeky get-together? more ›

Good morning, Washington, and welcome to another beautiful fall day. Let's start it with a question for the group — which of the following better exemplifies the proud tradition of local news: WTTG's repeated pre-commercial teases last night warning that "this teddy bear is responsible for the deaths of thousands"? Or this snippet of audio from The Simpsons? Richmond Nixes Transportation Funding: The Virginia Legislature's special session is off to an unproductive start, as the Post reports. The session was called with one purpose: to figure out a means of funding a solution to Northern Virginia's traffic woes. But the Republican-controlled House is staunchly opposed to levying new taxes; Tuesday's decisive vote signalled an unwillingness to compromise. Looks like the governor's alleged optimism may not have been justified. Capitol Security Bosses Were On Leave During Breach: WUSA brings word that a number of top Capitol Police officials were taking lengthy breaks from the job last week, when an armed gunman broke through security and wandered the Capitol until being subdued by civilians. The officials were using up comp time that a recent policy change had forced them to utilize or forfeit. There doesn't seem to be a clear indication that a lack of oversight enabled the security breach — but it sure doesn't look good. BREAKING! Kids These Days Are Out Of Control!: The Post profiles an alarming new development: area students' fondness for t-shirts with provocative slogans printed on them. Astoundingly, the kids are somehow gaming the system, using double entendres and subtle turns of phrase to stymy school administrators' enforcement efforts. It's almost like they're deliberately trying to alarm their elders! More on this important story as it develops. Briefly Noted: D.C. charter schools' poor performance matches that of public schools... Wilson Bridge begins new life as Wilson Reef... Maryland MVA employee faces charges of selling fake IDs... Nats literally off-track... Va. receives millions in new homeland security grants... Md. senatorial race becomes suddenly puppy-centric... Suspect arrested for 15 year-old's murder... This Day In DCist: One year ago we covered an anti-war march and visited Colorado Kitchen. Two years ago we were spotting Segways. Image posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user iceman882 more ›

You know the crazy cat lady that often appears on episodes of The Simpsons? The one who's always screaming gibberish and throwing cats at others? Apparently she and her ilk have a thing for the region. NBC 4 is reporting that 86 dogs and cats were removed from a Stafford Suffolk, Va., home where a married couple lived with their 12-year-old son. So bad were the conditions in the house -- none of the animals... more ›

We run for good causes, we bike for good causes, we even drink for good causes. But one large-hearted local is letting you decide what his hair style should be, and for a good cause. more ›

DCist sees jury duty as an excuse to get the hell out of the office, and maybe, just maybe, actually get to sit in judgment on an O.J. Simpson-like courtroom drama (well, spare that whole murder and being sequestered forever thing). Most District residents see otherwise, apparently. more ›

In a time where it seems international communication between cultures erodes more and more everyday, it's great to see MHz Network's effort going two decades strong. Put it on your "to do" list. Skip The Simpsons rerun for once and sit down and experience television news in Russian or Polish. All programs are subtitled in English. While their fascination with international murder mysteries isn't really my thing, I have to say that their daily 7 p.m. EST airing of Telefrance 2 news is a welcome addition to my program roster. more ›

This post comes to us from DCist contributor Rob Birgfeld In the eyes of many, a good bar must have certain things. Ambience, a good DJ, a nice selection of fine wines, liquor, and various micro-brewed beers. To others, the list of requirements is far shorter; Cheap beer and pinball. Despite the incredible advancements in video game graphics, story lines, and the countless renditions of Golden Tee, pinball remains king of the American dive bar.... more ›

Monday: Long before its Starship iteration, with all its associated abominable number one hits, the band called Jefferson Airplane (pictured) released some of the greatest psychedelic rock anthems of the late 1960s, fueled in part by the guitar and bass work of D.C. natives Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady. The two left the Jefferson collective to work on their blues side project, Hot Tuna, full-time, an undertaking they've continued to today. The duo play an... more ›

How many West Wing fans are left out there? For the loyal few left, this post is for you. The West Wing returned with an all new episode this past Sunday night at 8 p.m. on NBC. Due to dismal ratings last season, the show has been shuffled to the back of the pack in their lineup. NBC execs are hoping it will stand up against ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Fox's The Simpsons, but after viewing last night's season opener, we have our doubts. more ›

Mike Scioscia's tragic illness might have made us smile when he appeared on The Simpsons a decade ago, but around these parts there are no warm feelings toward him anymore. Least of all Nationals manager Frank Robinson, whom the W. Post quotes: "I lost a lot of respect for Mike tonight, as a person and as a manager. There's nothing he can say to me now. Nothing. I don't even want him to approach me.... more ›

If he weren't merely a cartoon character, Comic Book Guy from "The Simpsons," well known for branding things he dislikes as the "worst ever," may have taken aim at mayoral aspirant Vincent Orange. more ›

As DCist wrote a few days back, District officials are struggling to find a corporate sponsor willing to pay anywhere from $1.5 to $2 million a year for the rights to attach their name to RFK Stadium, the temporary home of the Washington Nationals, for the next three years. The Post reported on Wednesday that the U.S. Army, looking to raise its profile and boost sagging enlistment numbers, has pushed to the front of the... more ›

Following a national trend towards capping medical-malpractice awards, D.C. doctors have asked the city to limit the jury-awarded sums that they claim have pushed medical liability insurance premiums to unsustainable highs and are forcing them to consider moving out of the District, reports the W. Times. more ›

Remember Episode 24 of "The Simpsons"? Of course you do. Larry King reading the Bible, George Takei as a Japanese waiter, Homer having 24 hours to live after eating deadly fugu... it was an early classic, hinting toward the future greatness of seasons 3 and 4. Luckily for Homer, the bumbling apprentice chef served him a non-poisonous cut of the fish, which can actually kill in under an hour. more ›

Looking for something to do before you go off to gorge on ham, eggnog, and candy canes? We've got a couple of options for tonight: more ›