Welcome, Express, to the oversaturated Washington general-interest metro blog scene! We’d normally give any print publication’s new blog venture a reflexive “half-assed and doomed to failure” review, but this one, called Free Ride, comes with a pretty good pedigree in the form of Michael Grass, former DCist editor and guy-who-already-knows-how-to-blog. DCist is understandably quiet about it, and while we don’t really care that much about stuff like prospective Columbia Pike trolleys (we like mass transit, we just don’t want to read about it), Grass has already given more coverage to the short-lived live action Super Mario Brothers syndicated kids show (starring Captain Lou Albano) than any of his competitors, so we think it’s gonna go far. MORE »

* Today wasn’t just a slow news day; it was also a depressing one. [DCist] MORE »

It’s the weekend. And even if the weather won’t be quite as nice as it was last weekend, there’s still much fun to be had. MORE »

* People. Please go vote in the second bracket for the DC Anthem. Otherwise, The Magnetic Fields’ “Washington, DC” will win. And that’s like the TERRORISTS winning. Because Stephin Merritt is the most ginormous asshole in indie rock history. You can prevent this atrocity. [DCist]
* Hooray. The Nationals get to keep their dull as dishwater name. Can I get a “Feh?” [Washington Examiner]
* Apparently, there’s a movement afoot from Crystal City property owners to

* Have a listen to Lincoln Ross’ “Come To Washington,” the song that’s angling to become the official DC anthem. After which, life will be totally perfect. [Lincoln Ross]
* And then, participate in DCist’s DC Anthem Poll.
* And then, hear the shocking story of the invasion of the Dancing Flight Attendants of Heineken. [DCist]
* David Gregory gets the puff and fluff from Howie Kurtz. Gregs totally owes us for saving his job. [Washington Post]
* Finally, there’s never been a better time to give a shout-out to Art Buchwald. [Washington Post]

* Rush Limbaugh on Hillary Clinton: “She sounds like a screeching ex-wife.” Heh, he should know. [Media Matters] MORE »

* Tonight the National Press Foundation is holding its 23rd Annual Awards dinner, a black-tie event at the Hilton Washington Hotel. [National Press Foundation] MORE »

• Knowing what the Redskins had invested in their white-on-white unis, why did the Eagles elect to take the field in their away greens? Washingtonian breaks down the superstitions. We say the Skins’ll keep on winning as long as Clinton Portis continues his multi-act hip-hop Fellini routine. [Washingtonian] MORE »

How on Earth can anyone in Washington be expected to give a rat’s ass about Abramoffukkah on a day where Washington’s version of Jesus Christ, Joe Gibbs, has found his way back to the NFL playoffs. AT the very least, we get another one of Clinton Portis’ awesomely cool press conferences. Though we must correct our brother Deadspin: it’s “Pretty Teef.” [Deadspin] MORE »

Drunk soccer teens, community rifts exposed by popped collars, the whining of elitist 9:30 club fans, the end of the beer pong era, and more frickin’ Borf than you can shake a sandblaster at–the DCist Year in Review. [DCist] MORE »

• Tony Williams postpones vote on baseball stadium, the rumor being that he’s losing support on the DC Council. Peter Angelos and David Catania make for some odd — and scorchingly unattractive — bedfellows [Washington Post] MORE »