Wednesday evening roundup

I was at work late enough today that I had to go out another entrance (or exit), on account of which it made sense to use a different metro entrance. Which entailed walking past the Verizon Center. Which is always an experience. Sometimes you can tell who's playing (I think I blogged about the time hordes of screaming, pre-teen girls were emerging from the metro in droves--that was for the Spice Girls); sometimes, you have no idea but it's fun to guess. This evening, it was sports rather than meeting; I couldn't tell you who or what, but I could tell you that I certainly didn't look like I gave a shit as I walked past. So it surprised me when one of the guards? scalpers? what have you? said, "trying to get a ticket, ma'am?" I mean, if he was a scalper, you can't blame him for trying-- waste nothing but breath. But you have to wonder.

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There was a segment of yesterday's phone conversation that I forgot to blog. I remembered it because I'm watching (well, listening to) last night's Colbert Report, in which he says, "Mom, get off the phone!" which was certainly a frequent refrain in my childhood. Mom would listen into everything--the more difficult and personal the conversation, the more determined she was to listen. When I called about a job, she was on the line. No call was too trivial; when a magazine called me to ask to renew, she spoke up to say "no" for me. But I digress.

Mom: Did you know it's Nina's birthday today?
A.: Of course.
Mom: Really? How did you know?
A.: I know Nina's birthday.
Mom: You're good. Then again, I was good at your age.
A.: I'm not that good. I mean, you know Natasha's [Nina's mother] birthday.
Mom: Yes, but that's different.
A.: How?
Mom: You were little when Nina was born.
A.: You were little when Natasha was born.
Mom: I suppose. Did you wish her a happy birthday.
A.: Of course.

How else could one answer that question? "Actually, I told her to f* off"?

I'm probably being unfair. It's because I'm tired. All in all, mom is being very nice.

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Now for your roundup.

Dunleavey reviews "Shopaholic."

Milbank reviews your elected officials on Twitter.

The Post also has a quasi-interesting article on what the recession means for dating. Interesting not because of the insights, but because it's funny how people can live in the same city and still inhabit a different planet.