Remember the Segway? The high-tech scooter that was supposed to change the world, and mostly ended up changing the life of Paul Blart in "Mall Cop"? Turns out the much-mocked machine was simply miscast. Published June 28, 2012
Having set a world record, George Washington's personal copy of the Constitution is heading home. Published June 22, 2012
When a book containing George Washington's personal copies of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights was first sold at a Philadelphia auction house in 1876, it was purchased for $13 — about $277 in today's value. Times have changed. Published June 20, 2012
Founded by a pair of triathletes who found their pastime to be both too easy and, well, too boring, the Spartan Death Race is the premier event in a series of increasingly popular outdoor obstacle-course competitions that combine elements of "Survivor," Navy SEAL "Hell Week" and "Jackass." Published June 13, 2012
On Memorial Day, more than 100 local volunteers will hand out 50,000 Ecuadorean roses and 1,000 red, white and blue flower bouquets at four Arlington National Cemetery locations, including Section 60, one of the burial areas for soldiers killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Published May 27, 2012
World history is littered with dictators who just happened to be — ahem — towering athletic giants. In honor of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who recorded an impressive two goals and one assist in a recent hockey game, we present a few of our favorite dictathletes. Published May 16, 2012
The parallels between Soviet-era repression and Vladimir Putin's authoritarian rule are at the heart of "Lest We Forget: Masters of Soviet Dissent," a new exhibition of paintings and drawings by Leonhard Lapin and the late Alexander Zhdanov at Charles Krause/Reporting Fine Art gallery in Washington. Published May 9, 2012
When Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo made a preseason prediction that Nationals Park would become "the ticket in town" — and team manager Davey Johnson subsequently called Washington "a baseball town, not a football town" — both men raised eyebrows. Published May 7, 2012
A former creative consultant to the Democratic National Committee, Mark Katz helped pen gags for President Clinton's appearances at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner, working in what administration insiders playfully dubbed their "comedy war room." One joke — written in 1998, following the Monica Lewinsky and White House fundraising scandals — never saw the light of day. Published April 26, 2012
During his five decades in comedy, impressionist Rich Little has performed in glitzy Las Vegas casinos and backwater Canadian nightclubs, on television and in films, before intoxicated hecklers and dignified heads of state. For sheer degree of difficulty, he said, one venue tops them all. Published April 25, 2012
In theory, the star-studded annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner is a plum gig, a once-in-a-lifetime chance for comics to enhance their national profiles and gag writers to put material in the mouth of the world's most powerful person. In reality, it's a nerve-wracking pressure cooker for comics and presidential joke penners alike. Off-color and ill-advised jokes can ignite national controversy; political cracks can touch off outraged partisan food fights. Published April 25, 2012
When Jon McNaughton decided to paint an image of President Obama holding a burning U.S. Constitution, he figured he would face critical dismissal and online scorn. But literally suffer for his art? Nah - that's what models are for. Published April 17, 2012
Forty minutes into his first overseas conference call - after breaking down his game, the scoring system, how trading New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady for Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg would actually work - Toby Mergler asked his new developers if they had any questions. Yes, they replied. What is football? Published April 10, 2012
On initial review, the metaphor sounded ridiculous. There was Keith Olbermann, fired from his much-hyped, short-lived gig on Current TV, speaking with David Letterman on Tuesday night, characteristically bombastic in a televised mea sorta-culpa. Published April 4, 2012
Here's the thing about March Madness, and by extension big-time college sports: If you're a true, markets-know-best believer in the prosperity-creating, All-American double helix of economic opportunity and liberty, you ought to find the whole extravaganza infuriating. Not the dribbling and dunking. The system. Published March 30, 2012
For conservatives, the notion of appearing on Bill Maher's popular weekly politics and comedy program can seem one step removed from entering the Roman Coliseum via underground trapdoor, circa 80 A.D. After all, Mr. Maher — who will be performing standup at Strathmore this Sunday — unapologetically leans left, his studio audience tends to follow suit, and the show's three-person panel discussion format typically leaves solo right-wing guests outnumbered. That said, conservatives who have appeared on "Real Time" insist that the experience can be both beneficial and enjoyable — provided guests follow a few simple guidelines. Published March 28, 2012
Jordi Munoz had no training. Scant schooling. Little money. He also had a video-game console and nothing else to do. So he built his own drone. Published March 14, 2012
Never mind November. At this point in the election cycle, the American people already seem to have made their choice. None of the above. But fear not. There's a vast universe of political alternatives out there you might not be aware of. Chances are, there's a party just for you. Published March 7, 2012
Three men seemingly out of pop culture time, they come to us clean-cut and edge-free, dripping with sincerity, owing more to Christopher Reeve's straight-arrow Man of Steel than to Christian Bale's brooding Dark Knight. Fashionable as George Will and as ironic as Ward Cleaver, they're the kind of characters former New York Yankees manager Billy Martin derided as "milkshake drinkers." Published February 21, 2012
According to the Nielsen Co., Whitney Houston's signature hit, "I Will Always Love You," was played 2,137 times on U.S. radio stations between Saturday and Monday — up from 134 plays of the song during the same time period last week. Published February 14, 2012
