America’s Lawn has events [running into issues] Fort Reno concerts: off again [on again?] Metro fares go up three percent [Metro is now 3% more annoying] Pop up buildings in D.C. [may get the middle finger] D.C. is about to have a tour guide boom [requirements get easier] Kenyan musicians …

Sure, this video has all the charm of your typical mid-century educational videos with a deep-throated narrator and plodding atmospheric music, but its subject matter is something you know very well. It’s about the jewel of WMATA, Metrorail, and specifically how it was built, which is pretty cool. Even if you don’t appreciate long wait times, crazy passengers and all other fun Metro benefits, you can definitely appreciate it as a feat of engineering. Check out from 1:45 on to see footage of how workers tunneled under the earth to make Metro possible. via

Idiot kid gets arrested when he refuses to sit down at Portugal. The Man [National Zoo concert] The National Mall gets heavy use [so step gently] Marion Barry is being exploited [and coming out with a book] They arrested some Bloods in [Montgomery County] The Silver Line could mean [longer …

Look up at your calendar, folks. It’s May — which means spring in the District is finally upon us. Put away your snow boots, stock up on the deodorant and prep yourselves for #DCspring2014. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered on where to go from here. Wait, is it REALLY here? Ways you know: There’s always  a line out the door of every salad place downtown. Swimsuit season folks. Parking: Ha. Good one. That special dead-of-August feeling is looming. Weather forecasters predict 80 degree weather, not exceeding 90. That’s a mild spring day in the District. Your Google Cal has no availability. You may wait for the bus forever. No, really. As in, it will never arrive. Tourists are taking pictures of everything. Corner of random building? Picture. Group of flowers. Picture. Beer? Picture. You feel your inner athlete resurface, only to one day twist your ankle on a sunrise monument run. Your inner athlete will retreat back to your living room for the remaining warm weather. “IT’S NOT THE HEAT. IT’S THE HUMIDITY!” is always being yelled now. Cherry blo- well, they’re gone now. No Instagram for you. There are too many activities to pick from. All in the same night: your friend’s party, an acquaintance’s party, a spring happy hour, three concerts you want to see. Brunches are getting a lot more aggressive. People are finding really creative places to lay out when the sun’s shining. Prep to Sweat: Throw out that old pair of flip flops you’ve had for 2 years and get some real summer footwear. Air out your seersucker apparel if Derby Weekend didn’t make you do that already. Buy excess sunscreen, bug spray and perfume. Get all koozies in a prominent place in your home for easy access. Familiarize yourself with reading weather radar. You’re gonna need it. Ready your 1 liter reusable water bottle, preferably one that effectively hides booze. Get a few sessions of hot yoga in to simulate the insane heat, humidity and close proximity of strangers you are about to experience. Plot a map of all rooftop bars to consult at a moment’s notice. Plot a map of well air-conditioned, commercial building lobbies to duck into at a moment’s notice. Fluff your couch cushions because everyone you know wants to visit “when it gets warmer.” Major mistake, friends, relatives & obscure college classmates. Find your damned sunglasses. Steel yourself against the crushing loneliness that will inevitably surface when your friends have plans to get out of town, oh, every single weekend. Know that you can always make it that one more block to the bar, no matter how close to collapse you feel. Remind yourself of the best angle at which you can stand to feel the feeble air conditioning drifting out of the columns on underground Metro platforms. Pro-Tips Congress is on recess. PARTY! An umbrella makes an excellent walking stick and tourist tripping device. Ladies: You can wear your hair up 5 days in a row and no one will judge you. The National Mall gets its own zip code when it fills up. You will go to unreasonable lengths to get a ride to a summer festival (aka a $150 Uber ride). Many people in DC have winter climate pups. No one likes a sweat stain, not even the Hollywood for Ugly People. Jazz in the Garden exists. Google it. It’s awesome. It’s also BYOB. Biking in traffic is a lot harder than Capital Bikeshare promotional photos make it out to be. DC “natives” come up with quite creative excuses to partake in a 3-day weekend vacation. Do with this knowledge what you will. The amount you sweat outside will never equal the amount of beer you’re taking in. Sangria: it’s a lifesaver.

Stretch out your tweeting thumbs, round up your b-cards, and grab those Crest Whitestrips because it’s finally here– it’s White House Correspondents Dinner Weekend. If you don’t know what we’re talking about, then odds are you are a nobody — it’s #nerdprom weekend and it’s going to get a little …

Nice. Real nice. via

It has been 0 days without a shoe being thrown at Hillary Clinton #NATIONAL Obama nominates his Bro; NASA is building a flying saucer; Sebelius (and Seacrest) Out; #CancelColbert worked; Bacon prices rising; we want more more fake car noises in TV news; goodbye Ultimate Warrior; did you change all …

House of Cards not getting that big tax break after all [sorry Spacey] The Nationals beat Miamiiiii[iiiiiiiiii] Peeing in your coworker’s coffee [not a good idea] Bob Cusack, The Hill’s managing editor, will [make an appearance on Veep, NBD] Major website security flaw discovered  [change your passwords on Friday] Love …

Le Diplomate is failing [just kidding it’s making boatloads of cash] Goodbye Snow photos [god we hope so] Metro car door freezes open [that’s brisk, baby] WaPo expanding to China [yes that is a real thing, thanks Bezos] Cherry Blossoms have a peak date [taking bets on the accuracy of …

Your escalators could be broken WHILE in Russia. From NPR: There have been many experiences here in Sochi that have been foreign or unfamiliar. But this broken escalator made me feel right at home. It’s just like Metro back in Washington, DC, which suffers from near-constant escalator failures and repairs. …

Fruit ketchups [are happening] Politico picks the 10 craziest [government boondoggles] VA Gov [on the charm offensive] Popville PSA: [do not clip your nails on the metro] CityPaper PSA: [stop skipping out on your restaurant reservations] Photo by Stephen Ball

Meet Joseph Kopser. Joseph is the CEO and co-founder of RideScout, a mobile application that helps users navigate cities more efficiently. After launching in Washington, DC in November 2013, RideScout is beginning to expand to other U.S. cities and has plans to make a big splash this spring. Joseph made some time to chat with FamousDC on how he plans on changing the way people travel.

Cook like Pizza Paradiso [cookbook] Takoma Park VFW open to non-vets [now serving $1.75 drafts] Guy on the Metro grossing passengers out [it’s not what you’re expecting] Franklin School will become art gallery [so fancy] 40,000 oysters live another week [too frozen to harvest] Jessica Meyers and Jeff Kearns [fell …

Easiest turkey ever [inflatable] Even more tickets coming to H St NE [streetcar] Millennials making DC some cold hard cash [big spenders] City Paper explains why restaurants are raising their prices [diplomate] Guy plants a banana peel on Metro elevator, sues metro, now tried for [fraud] (a banana peel? really?)  …