If we ever doubted the creativity of DC Twits, we promise to never make that mistake again.  The FamousDC Twitter Challenge has been outstanding thus far.  In some cases, the competition is so close, it looks as if we’ll have to break out the polls early – and let the …

The entire FamousDC Twitter Bracket can be viewed by clicking here. Today’s match ups are below.  Remember, the competition for the NW brackets begins now and ends tomorrow at 4pm . Good luck! @almacy vs. @acarvin @briandevine vs. @robertbluey @katieharbath vs. @humanfolly @matthewgagnon vs. @dcconcierge @ontheredline vs. @newmediajim @lizglover vs. …

UPDATE: Thanks to all the folks who are sending in tips.  The brackets look great.  Please note: No politicians will be featured in this bracket.  We’re saving them for later! Last chance to enter your favorite DC twit .  Competition begins early next week.  [Brackets released on Monday] @leslieann44 @lizglover …

It’s official:  The MSM can’t get enough of Twitter.  According to our unofficial report, 90% of news stories lately reference the words Twit, Tweet or Twitter. Don’t believe us?  Proof is here, here and shark jump here . It was also just last week when Politico’s Patrick Gavin crafted a …

We were inspired by Vox’s Confession of a Member of Congress, so we decided to take this to the next level. The following is compiled from conversations with several current Congressional staffers over the weekend. We promised anonymity in exchange for their honesty. Confessions of a Capitol Hill Staffer 9 secrets from the inside By: A Congressional staffer on February 10, 2015 I am a Congressional staff member. I’m not going to tell you from where, or from which party. But I serve, and I am honored to serve. I serve with good people (and some less good ones), and we try to do our best. It’s a frustrating, even disillusioning job. Constituents call us on a daily basis and yell about things they either saw while “upping” with Chris Hayes on MSNBC or listening to Rush Limbaugh discuss how Obama wants to take their retirement away. My parents want to know why I’m not making more money and my boss – the Honorable Member of Congress – constantly tells me that I’m lucky to have this job and there is a “line all the way back to the district” filled with young people who would swap seats with me. So here are some things I wish the public, the media (and my parents) knew about the lowly paid public servants shuffling up the escalator at Capitol South each morning. 1. This is nothing like Game of Cards or The West Wing I wake up each morning in a group house, wait for my turn to use the shower, take the Circulator to the hill, and hustle into the office only to be yelled at on the phone by fired-up constituents. I’ve done the math: these callers account for 0.6% of the entire population of our district. This is not a glamorous lifestyle. The only thing our bosses have murdered recently is the other party’s hopes for a smooth passage of their favorite bill this Congress. Reporters don’t care what information we can offer them, they have a better source already. We understand we’re all working for and towards something greater: one day being a big enough deal for Mike Allen to mention my birthday in Playbook. 2. I can smell out an open bar reception like a bloodhound I’ll eat three bowls of chips at Tortilla Coast before I order my first beer. Sometimes they charge you for the second order. Sometimes they don’t. I always hope they don’t. 25-cent wing night at Capitol Lounge is my weekly Thanksgiving. Do you know how many wings you have to eat to get full? My number is between 12 – 15. Cheap beer helps too. We don’t have money. Most of us struggle on a weekly basis to survive in this expensive city. If someone tells me about an open bar reception – I’m there. I’ve learned about human resources management, horse racing and the challenges of moving coal on a train. They all had one thing in common: free beer within walking distance of my office and the Metro. 3. We don’t always agree with the boss. A small part of us dies when we’re drafting talking points (or watching senior staff draft talking points) for a bill that is completely unlikeable, or will be unpopular in the district, or that we personally completely oppose. We know the boss is pandering to the vocal minority. We know the boss is falling in the party line. We know the boss will trade a vote on this for a favor at home. Maybe you don’t know that, but I do. I usually shove this out of my mind when I buy a dozen beers at the cheapest happy hour I can find. 4. This is basically an extension of college When our offices were in Cannon HOB we used to have hall parties. I’ve seen a keg rolled down the hallways into the office as soon as the boss was “wheels up” heading back to the district. The Congressional softball and touch football league are the next step from college intramurals. You office is your dorm hall and your state delegation is your fraternity. 5. My mom thinks I work for the President of the United States I answer constituent letters all day. Eight hours a day I am answering some constituent concern. The border, Obamacare, or bad credit ratings – I answer them all. My writing is top notch and it will help when I get into law school, but I am not shaping any policy. That doesn’t stop my mother. She tells everyone that asks about me that I work for the President. “Close Advisor.” She is always “surprised you haven’t seen him on TV yet.” I answer mail to people with enough time to send a letter (!?) to their Member of Congress. 6. Once you figure out your way around Rayburn – it is time to go The building is confusing. The second number is the floor level. There are escalator doors that only go up. Whoever designed this really wanted to confuse everyone. This is a great gig. I once had the opportunity to attend the State of the Union after we had a last minute cancelation. A friend of mine works for the Vice President’s office and he took us bowling in the basement of the White House. My friends might make more money at Deloitte right now but they haven’t seen Bono casually walking the hall outside their offices. 7. Most form letters sent to the office are filed in the “Z Drawer” We don’t know how much money the vendors make creating these emails, postcards and form letters – but we know where they all end up: Drawer Z. Also known as- the trash can. We may count them. We may give an estimate of how many letters showed up. But we all get the joke. Someone is paying to create this outcry. They’re not legitimate letters. We know this. The boss knows this. We don’t play along. 8. Congressional staffers are either still on their parents’ dime or struggling to pay rent We aren’t all trust fund kids, but most of the staff in my office are still getting money from their parents. They may pay rent, gas, or car payments. The helicopter parents are still hovering just like college. Actually, most of them are either big donors to the boss or work in the lobbying business. Me? I live in a group house on Capitol Hill with two friends. The three of us split a $1,600 per month row house in a sketchy part of the city near H Street, NE. Thanks to the good people at Legistorm all of my friends, reporters and colleagues know how much I take home on a monthly basis. This works both ways. The entire office looks up lobbying fees for the contract guys who come in and treat us like stepping stones on the way in to talk with the Chief of Staff. 9. Your social media commentary can get you fired in 24 hours Hill staff are careful and scared. Twitter pages are private. Facebook profiles don’t include your last name. Instagram is completely fake. Why jeopardize a $40,000 a year job and embarrass your parents for something you wrote on Twitter? Reporters love monitoring this and making examples of the offenders. Staffers who aren’t intentionally vague about what’s going on at work or, who are simply straight-up classless about what’s happening in the world, get called out. Any follower within gated protected accounts who has the power of the screenshot at their fingertips can and will send a stupid post out to reporters. As a measure of protection, we try very hard to make sure our feeds are full of only kittens, photos of us doing cool things in D.C., or press releases we’ve written. And those of us who attempt about managing the boss’ Twitter account on their phones: these Congessional offices are one beer away from having a deleted Tweet front-and-center on Politiwhoops. Banner photo by AOC Feature photo by Antwain Jackson

When you represent big names like Google, Facebook, Amazon, and eBay on the Hill, your launch party is definitely going to attract a cast of characters. The Internet Association (IA) pulled out all the stops for their much anticipated party at Capitale last Thursday, successfully bridging the gap between policy wonks, trendsetters, and the rising DC tech scene. Politico’s Mike Allen, Queen-Bee Heather Podesta, The Pink Line Project’s Philippa Hughes, a few of the BYT cast, and a few rouge Hill interns chewed the fat (actually, the sushi) with MOC’s and CEO’s like Rep. Paulson, Rep. Upton, and IA’s own Michael Beckerman. Rep. Judy Chu was also spotted tagging on the virtual “graffiti wall.”

#Weekend Awesome events: We know you want to escape reality – Parallel Universe at Artechouse will help you do just that; Get ready beer baes! The Bruery store – a California delicacy – opens its doors at Union Market today!; Edgar Allen Poe would be 209 years young this January and …

#Weekend Awesome events: Lace up your Keds – it’s 90s night at Nats Park as the Nationals take on the San Fran Giants; Rosé your way to the Summer Soirée today at the Ritz Carlton; A bubble race?! You have to see it to bub-lieve it – tomorrow at RFK; 3 …

#MANAGINGEDITOR   KATHRYN LYONS Managing Editor for FamousDC Weather: We’re not gonna rain on your weekend parade because Mother Nature already has that covered. Expect a super cloudy day with rain this afternoon and tonight. With highs in the 50s and lows in the 40s, temps today are lower than usual. …

Weather: You thought you’d just roll right into spring without winter, didn’t you? Well, that’s not the case – at least for this weekend, as DC is back on track toward winter temperatures. The rest of today will see clouds and a slight breeze with highs in the mid 40s and …

Weather:  There’s no doubt that you’ll need a winter jacket this weekend. Jack Frost is making his way into DC and he’s bringing temperatures as low as 33 degrees with him. The good news? Skies should be mostly sunny. So while rocking your awesome parka, you can still look styled in …

Weather: Y’all, it’s finally feelin’ like fall. This weekend is bringing some prime weather for rooftop cocktails, strolling through farmers markets and apple picking. Saturday and Sunday will see temperatures in the mid-to-high 60’s and partly sunny skies so make sure you bring your jacket out before you start the …

FRATES-MOE LEADERSHIP IS #FML2016 Forget Trump and Hillary. We need candidates for the highest office that we can trust. Americans are looking for another way. Another path. A new avenue. New blood. New leadership. And who do we all trust more than anyone else? The media…obviously. That is why FamousDC is excited to …

Weather:  Mother Nature is finally cooling her sh*t and keeping the temperatures warm but not unbearable this weekend. Highs of 90 with lows of 70 and not a drop of rain in sight. Awesome events you can attend this weekend: The Rock and Roll Hotel is still going strong and continuing its …

#WEEKEND Weather: We’ve got a sunny weekend ahead of us and Sunday is basically beach weather with highs in the 60’s. Get outside!  Awesome events you can attend this weekend: Have you registered for The First Annual DC Bike Ride yet?; Get your tickets to “The Brunch Room” Episode 3 – these guys know …