We were getting set to remind everyone that time is running out to catch the wildly popular Stephen Colbert portrait hanging at the National Portrait Gallery, but a spokesperson at the NPG has just told us they've decided to extend the run of the "painting" until April 1 - April Fool's Day. The portrait was hung on Jan. 16 between the 2nd floor bathrooms of the museum as part of a lengthy three-part gag......

The Colbert Report has been blissfully, if not nearly at full speed without its striking writers, back for a little more than a week now on Comedy Central. For three nights straight they've been running a series showing Stephen traipsing all over Washington with a portrait of himself strapped to his back, trying to convince one of the Smithsonian museums to actually hang it up. Without dwelling on how we managed to miss out......

>> Maryland police apprehended the prisoner who stole an officer's gun and escaped from custody from a Laurel hospital. [WTOP] >> Shortly after abandoning his run for the White House, Stephen Colbert ended up in a three-way tie for a seat on the Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District Board in Williamsburg. Sadly, he won't be able to serve if selected by a hat draw (seriously), because he's not a registered voter in the......

Another classic installment of the 434-part Better Know a District series from the Colbert Report last night saw host Stephen Colbert question whether Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) realized that when he voted for the D.C. Voting Rights Act, it applied to Washington, D.C., and not his home state of Washington. Just another example of how Colbert is doing his part to keep our disenfranchisement in the public eye. Smith was also willing to admit......

Last night Fairfax's Rep. Tom Davis (R) sat down with Stephen Colbert to better know Virginia's "Fighting" 11th District. While it was great to see another local politician step up to the plate, Davis seemed a little befuddled by Colbert's style. For example he likes the Doobie Brothers, but has no idea what a "doobie" is, and probably won't be participating in any program to tag and track Republicans. Whew! Maybe Davis's performance just......

Attending Saturday's White House Correspondents dinner continues to get less and less appealing. First, it was announced that Rich Little, a comedian whose popularity peaked in the 1970s, would host. Compared to Stephen Colbert's able hosting last year, we weren't terribly excited about seeing Little's famous Richard Nixon impression. Now it turns out that American Idol's latest cast-off, the adorable yet dubiously talented Sanjaya Malakar, will be there too. In an apparent coup by People......

As you make your way to lunch, why not scrap the salad and go for a scoop? In an effort to make tax day a little easier, Ben and Jerry's is offering a free scoop of ice cream to customers between noon and 8:00 p.m. today. Maybe it's to time see if Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream inspires feelings of patriotic pride while you fork over cash to the IRS. Be warned, lines tend to get......

Some D.C. powerbrokers are finding a new way to count time. Several clever entrepreneurs have created the Bush countdown clock, which measures the time left until the end of W's administration: January 20, 2009. The key chains are calibrated down to the second. The owner of Backwards Bush says he uses the clock as "a coping mechanism," and doesn't mean any disrespect. The trinkets have been appearing in the hands of Democrats all over the......

Back in the day, people would gather to lobby, write letters and protest for a cause. These days, all it takes is access to a computer and a creative approach to using online tools. And while the fight for District voting rights has involved a good amount of old-school tactics, online activists have more resources at their disposal than ever before. Newly-elected Shadow Representative Mike Panetta has been leading this fight in recent years, employing......

>> We realize it's been a while since we stirred the pot on Butterstick mania, but there's a new way to celebrate your love for all things panda. Keds has their own (surprisingly cute) panda shoes. No, they're not made of real pandas, but these canvas creations might be some comfort after Tai Shan is ripped from our grasp and shipped off to China this fall. >> This Mardi Gras one local blogger (sorta) remembers......

Monday >> This past December, Matthew Ryan released his latest album, From A Late Night High-Rise, a collection of songs inspired by the death of his friend and the sentencing of his brother to 30 years in prison. Tonight you can experience his acoustic contemplations on stage at Iota Club with Tim Easton. 8:30 p.m., $12. >> Do you want to see Silver Spring's Flaming Cooters? Did you ever think you would hear those words......

>> We don't know about you, but our mom used to tell us if we can't take care of our own toys, we didn't deserve them anyway. Which leads us to wonder how the FBI feels about having a cache of weapons and equipment stolen from two cars parked on Capitol Hill Sunday. Now the Feds are working with local authorities to find the pilfered guns. This begs the question: Is it sound policy to......

> > Totally uninformed theory: Wonderland robbery actually masterminded by the mild-mannered members of Norfolk & Western? Just putting it out there... > > Xmas In Washington play to feature Marion Shepilov Barry playing a heroic angel who sings "Stormy Weather" (WTFx10?!?) and comes to the rescue of Katrina evacuees separated from their children. Gloria Hightower says Barry's star turn comes from a desire to make the character "realistic"--which can only mean the following......

TUESDAY We were wondering what the best way to entice you to come hear Maria Arana discuss her new book Cellophane, an alternately hilarious and disturbing tale of her native Peru, but then we remembered it was being held at the Inter-American Development Bank Conference Center Auditorium and we thought, heck, who DOESN’T spend Tuesday night at the Inter-American Development Bank Conference Center Auditorium? 1330 New York Ave. NW. at 6:30 p.m. Free. WEDNESDAY Over......

MONDAY When it comes to issues of globalization, nobody rocks the field like Joseph Stiglitz, whose last book, Globalization and its Discontents, should be a must-read for everyone who thinks they can change the world with a papier-mâché puppet. Now he’s back to discuss the ways of Making Globalization Work. Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW, at 7 p.m. TUESDAY She’s short. She’s tenacious. She’s stalking Stephen Colbert. No, we’re not talking about Senator......

We're still howling with laughter after last night's appearance by Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton on the Colbert Report's always hilarious "Better Know a District" segment, so we thought we'd share it with those of you who might have missed it. Some of us feel certain that Norton was trying to play along with the gag and was simply edited in an unflattering manner — others are making the case that she didn't quite grasp the......

Editor's Note: Over the next two weeks, DCist will be bringing you a veritable onslaught of coverage of the first annual Capital Fringe Festival, which kicks off today. Here, we share with you our critic's take on The Worst President Ever, which we caught last month before its festival premiere — check back in regularly for more crucial Capital Fringe info as the Festival unfolds.. Oppressive acronyms. Mary Cheney. Ann Coulter. Britney Spears. These are......

It's one of those great D.C. occasions where out-of-staters turn the city into a melting pot of American tradition. It's for a good cause. It's sure to be a good time. And, it's too bad Stephen Colbert couldn't stay one more weekend in town because it's got the one thing on which he places his highest premium: balls. We speak, naturally, of the upcoming Third Annual Testicle Festival, brought to you by the good people......

This photo from Flickr user epmd is strictly business and a nice representation of the weather we've enjoyed for the last few days. I walk by the two big beds of tulips in McPherson Square every morning during my commute and it's a great way to start my day. This shot was taken on a Canon EOS 20D. You can find the EXIF data here. Lots of other goodies in the DCist tag pool......

FRIDAY: Tired of us telling you about good concerts that have already sold out? Ready to get your St. Paddy's Day celebrations started a week early? Well consider Fado Irish Pub as here to the rescue. They'll be hosting a raffle tonight at 8 p.m. for tickets to the sold-out Pogues concert at 9:30 Club this very night. So if you're desperate for the good craic and without tickets, run on down to the pub......

Courtesy of our friends over at FishBowlDC, we're getting word that Stephen Colbert is going to be the MC for this year's White House Correspondents Association Dinner. With a fake news style taken straight from Bill O'Reilly, Colbert has been amusing audiences as of late with his Colbert Report (silent on the t's, of course -- "It's French, bitch," exclaims Colbert). Just this week, he happily took credit for his show turning Canada conservative in......