Control Center at the Newseum

The Newseum is touts itself as "one of the most technologically advanced museums in the world." These guys sit in the glass-enclosed control center. Newseum visitors can watch them work as part of the overall experience. As I watched this guy, he was g-chatting. Slacker.
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Layoff Cake

I was recently put in charge of planning a going away party for a colleague who moved away, Jess. I pride myself on my hostessing skills, so I arranged for music, food, drinks, wine and a fancy cake, which was to be delivered to the office this afternoon.

The cake was delivered around 1:15pm, two hours ahead of schedule, while I was in the middle of a conference call. My colleague, Monica, ran out to get the cake and tip the delivery guy. She was gone for awhile. She came back with a worried look on her face, just as I was finishing my call.

"Okay, don't freak out, I fixed it," she assured me.

"Fixed what?" I asked.

Apparently the cake was delivered and read "We'll miss you, Jeff" instead of "JeSS." To make matters worse, the guy covering reception when the cake was named Jeff, so when he opened the box to peek, he thought he was getting fired. A layoff cake. Here, eat your sorrow.

Monica immediately took the cake to the kitchen to do damage control. She lifted the bottom two swoops of the (luckily cursive) f's off. It looked more Jess-like.

As we were in the kitchen admiring her skills, the CEO and another high-ranking staff member walked in. The CEO peeked over my shoulder and said "That's a beautiful cake! Who's it for?"

"Thanks," I replied, "It's for Jess. We're having a going away party for her at 4... you should come!" (I hadn't previously invited the CEO because I work in a pretty big office and, frankly, I'm nervous about sending an email to the CEO.)

"I'd love to! I'll definitely be there!" the CEO affirmed. "...I could have sworn the cake said Jeff, though...!"

Monica and I stand there stupidly for a good ten seconds before responding, dryly, "It did."

Way to appear competent.

Luckily, the cake was delicious. Jess was sent off with a bang, and Jeff is still happily employed.

False Advertising

Washington Sports Club, why do you have a Metro Ad with a middle aged man in a wearing a wetsuit, holding a surfboard, accompanied by text that reads "exercising slows signs of aging." Last I checked, you can't surf at WSC. Pretty sure you don't even have pools. Why don't you show someone on a treadmill? You're probably doing a better job tempting people to use potential membership money to buy a beach pass. Just sayin'.

Sorry folks, no picture. Ill work on it.
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Haunted Metro

Currently on the way home with Mich... Our Metro train (yes, the entire train, not just my car) has ONLY 3 scant emergency lights on. Redline to Shady Grove, next stop HELL.
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CVS takes funny money

I snapped this photo at self check out at the CVS located at 8th and E Streets NW, Washington, DC. Apparently you can pay with all major credit cards or a twenty-five dollar bill displaying a "Jackoln" (or "Linkson") two-headed presidential monster. Now you know where you can spend the "evidence" of your counterfit experiment that went awry. You know, if you had one of those.