Though perhaps the inclination when it starts to dip past the point of freezing is to stay inside with a blanket and a cup of something steaming, there are so many things to do and see outside -- whether it's the White House or Capitol Christmas trees or one of the many holiday fairs -- that it's almost a shame to spend all of December on your couch. Flickr user sintixerr caught this scene......

We'd like to waste about $800 sitting in traffic this year, please. That, at least, is the average annual cost for Marylanders who choose to drive during peak periods, (yet another) new Texas Transportation Institute tells us via Capitol News Service and WTOP. The total congestion cost, the study says, is $3.1 billion annually. We can think of some pretty good things to do with an extra $800. And they have nothing to do with......

Good morning, Washington. Remember that recent weird burglary at Ward 8 Council member Marion Barry's house -- the one that Barry seemingly didn't want investigated in favor of telling the police they had more important things to do? Well, Harry Jaffe got hold of the police report, and it turns out Barry may have had good reason not to want it looked at it too closely. Apparently the former mayor had a large collection of......

Early yesterday morning, the tragic news was announced. On Myspace, a bulletin appeared that read: Ian Mackaye, lead singer of influential hardcore band Minor Threat as well as Fugazi passed away today in a Baltimore hospital room. Outside a Fugazi show in New Jersey last night, the singer was struck by a car passing by the front of the Ventura Theatre. Brunswick police say that the driver allegedly stopped, but then fled the scene. There......

Because we like to bring you great bands and great things to do around D.C. as often as we possibly can, DCist has teamed up with Bliss Pop and Brightest Young Things in the name of a great night at the 9:30 Club. On September 8, join your favorite internet types and your favorite music types as DJ Will Eastman, Georgie James, The Dance Party and Soft Complex fill our city's finest music hall with......

[Editor's Note: With the Nationals readying to begin their third season in D.C., change is constant and questions abound. Last week, we took a look at this year's lineup in our Season Preview. Today, we discuss this year’s most pressing questions with some of the Nats' best bloggers: Chris from Capitol Punishment, Basil from Federal Baseball, and Brian from Nationals Farm Authority.] DCist: Since the Lerner/Kasten team took over the team, every move is justified......

FRIDAY: >> DCist Exposed opening reception, OBVS. 6:30 - 9:30 p.m., at Warehouse. >> If you're looking for more hip art happenings afterward, head over to the Hirshhorn After Hours party, which goes until midnight. It's a celebration of the opening of Virgil Marti and Pae White's new site-specific installation in the Hirshhorn lobby, which is the latest in the museum's Directions series. Ian Svenonius is spinning and it looks like there'll be a number......

Thursday: >>We haven't heard the details of what's going on at Warehouse tonight, but you can stop by for the first evening of Freaky Art, in which "Artists Dana Ellyn and Russell U Richards set your funny bone for laughter and pain." The last day of Exchange, Baltimore @ D.C. is this Saturday, so you get a two-fer. Warehouse is open tonight from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday: >>It's Second Friday, so make your way......

Yesterday, we fed you last-minute options for saving face with your sweetie. Today, we’ve put together a list of Valentine-y things to do for the less-committed that don't involve reaching deep into your wallet for dinner and drinks. Love Shack For those of you who are halfway through your 60-day Valentine, take your sugar to a hotel bar. If you’re looking for elixir, CityZen will serve you some potion -- or, at the very least,......

MONDAY >> E.L. Doctorow has had a storied career -- a National Book Award for 1986’s Ragtime, a pair of film adaptations, and a prestigious position at New York University. Keep this in mind and don’t ask him about whether that story you heard about your Spring Breaking friends getting pulled over in Atlanta and tossed in the clink for joking about General Sherman’s relative velocity is an urban legend or not. He’s just got......

Vince Wadhwani likes cities. After a stint as what he describes as an "engineer in the midwest," Vince moved to Washington, D.C. not only to get an MBA but also for the urban lifestyle - the public transit, the fun things to do, and unique businesses to explore. However, Vince was irked by the omnipresent corporate chains, which he views as part of the suburban world he thought he had left behind. In order to......

FROSTBURG, Md. -- From the DCist mobile command center on I-68, we present to you our picks for stuff you should do this weekend. (Actually, we did this early this morning, we think we'll be around Frostburg around lunchtime. But wouldn't it be cool if we did have a mobile command center? C'mon Jake, can you spare a few pennies for that? We promise we won't take it on any joyrides ...) Anyhow, with Catherine......

Happy holidays, everybody! This morning roundup will be briefer than usual, given that we've still got to wrap some presents, bake some goodies, and drink several glasses of mulled wine along the way. CapitalWeather gives us the outlook for the next ten days (sorry, no snow, but plenty of cold). If you're hanging out in the city, remember to check out our post about restaurants that are open at this time of year. And if......

What's a young, literary-minded D.C. denizen to do, when she's bored with this "boring/overly political/unartistic/gentrified/dangerous" city? If you're anything like "Zoe," the answer is of course: start a blog. Don't let the simple title, "Fun things to do in DC", deceive you: imagine one part existential angst, one part irony, and a whole lot of literary references. It's fun, but ultimately a list: Drum in a circle at Meridian Hill Park (Part I) (Part II),......