'Tis the Season To Self-Indulge

Oh goody! Even if most of the country is currently sitting on the edge of their seats, wondering if they'll be able to afford Ramen or chickpeas for Christmas Dinner, at least self-gifting is on the rise in famed not-America Washington, D.C. Hooray! There really has never been a better time to be rich/want a flat screen teevee. And, if Obama's Great Compromise means that the rich will have more money than one can ever really spend, well then, it's time to get spending in the District.

The Washington Post knows that self-gifting means Economic Recovery, not that people often buy things for themselves. Or, better yet, that the super rich in the bubble that is D.C. have never actually gone without during the recession:

"The economy is picking up a little bit," said Lisa Bennett, as she sipped a Bellini on a recent evening at a cocktail party at Bliss Spa in downtown Washington for its top customers. Bennett said the sense that the recovery is on track made her feel a little less guilty about spending $200 online at Ann Taylor for herself while she was scouring the Internet for gifts for her teen cousins.

It's good to know that economic forecasts are based on what Bellini-drinking facial-getting Washingtonians can "sense."  If you listen closely, soon you should be able to hear the sounds of people spending, spending, spending to make the world a better place for working families. To help jump-start this, here are some splurge-worthy restaurants in D.C.:

•  Central 

•  Bourbon Steak 

•  The Source 

•  Komi 

•  Mini Bar 

•  Cirtonelle 

•  1789 

•  Vidalia 

•  Zentan 

•  City Zen 

•  Equinox 

•  Sushi Taro 

Spend 'til you drop, spend 'til you’re fired, and then spend some more.  And then argue about spending more. And then spend more. You simply cannot be a Scrooge when you are celebrating yourself this holiday season. [ WP ]