An open letter to her boss, who was recently fired Check out Serena Lu Chang, a WeirdCurves-endorsed blogger, over at McSweeney's.   ¶ 5:58 PM

  It's nice to see that my taxes fund at least one good thing I am a new fan of the free movies at the Library of Congress. NM and I went for the first time last night to see "The Night of the Iguana." About 15 people sat or stood in a line near the theater's entrance. A couple of them seemed to know one another and they all definitely knew the line protocol. One woman was very clear in directing us to the end of the line when we inquired to no one in particular about whether or not that was the line for those with reservations or for standbys. One nice man looked up from his newspaper and directed us to the standby area. At about 6:30 p.m. we watched those in the know file into the theater. The man in charge of the reservation list knew about a third of the people by name. As the theater was closed for six months for construction to make it ADA compliant, the regulars were very curious about what changes had been made. There were a couple of complaints, but most people seemed pleased. The theater now holds just 57 people and has new seats and carpet. The man with the list motioned for NM and I to enter at 6:50 p.m. (when standbys are allowed in). People chatted with one another and checked out the remodeled space. I liked the intimate atmosphere of the venue. I felt like I was at some sort of movie-watching party instead of in a theater with strangers. The theater was nearly filled by 7:00 p.m. The man with the list gave a little speech and the film started. The projectionist stopped the film after about three minutes to allow a group of latecomers to come in and find a seat (that doesn't happen at Bethesda Row). The movie started up again and played without further interruption.

I thoroughly enjoyed the film. The dialogue was witty and edgy, the plot was well-paced and the acting was delightful (even the melodramatic bits). Check out the trailer here. It's definitely worth watching.  ¶ 3:01 PM

  Tabloids and alcohol As part of their summer promos, the lounge at Hotel Helix started hosting Tabloid Tuesday this week. They need to work on their marketing because NM and I were the only two to show up a couple of nights ago. Here's the deal with Tabloid Tuesday: half-priced burgers and domestic beer, $7 Scoop cocktails and all the tabloids you can read. As you flip through the tabloids, look for the special "gossip"--find one and you get a free Scoop (rasberry and vanilla vodka with a scoop of vanilla ice cream). I can't tell you for what exactly you will search because the staff had not figured that out when we were there. When we asked, they just gave us free drinks. I don't think that I would pay for a Scoop, but I'd drink one again for free. If I want a sweet cocktail, I'll wait until Thursday when I can get a Dingdongtini (pretty much a White Russian with a big 'ole Ding Dong floating on top).  ¶ 10:30 AM

  It's pretty much my favorite movie Everyone must see "Napoleon Dynamite." After the first two minutes, I thought to myself "I cannot wait to buy this on DVD." Brilliant film! Especially considering that it was made with a $200,000 budget. I really want this.  ¶ 8:38 PM

  The coyotes are coming Don't we put up with enough as it is? Almost daily murders, taxation without representation, outrageous housing costs and now this.   ¶ 10:15 AM