Wonkette

Erik Prince, Blackwater’s founder and owner, is testifying before Congress about how his mercenary army keeps shooting civilians in Iraq. Henry Waxman opened the hearing by applauding Prince for serving in the military even though he’s rich and politically-connected. And we applaud Prince for then quitting the military to go into the private sector, using all that taxpayer-funded know-how to make himself millions of dollars. Of course, every now and then, one has to give back a couple of those dollars. Like when one of your employees drunkenly kills a civilian and you need to shut up his whiny family. And just how much is that life worth? MORE »

Auditor Decapitates Duck [FedBlog] MORE »

They’re dropping like flies: CNBC/Wall Street/Hedge Fund bigshot Seth Tobias found floating in the pool of his Florida mansion. [NY Daily News]

We were just getting over the tragic death of that Ohio Representative who was found dead in his Washington apartment this morning when the latest shocking news arrived: Former Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn of Washington state was also found dead in her apartment this morning, in Alexandria. Both reportedly suffered “heart attacks,” both were relatively young (68 and 66) compared to say, John McCain or Robert Byrd, and both were Republicans. What did they know?

And where is Alberto Gonzales, anyway?

Former Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn dies at 66 [Seattle P-I]

Jason Robert Drake (or Robert Jason Drake), the ex-marine who shot Ralph Gonzalez and another GOP-connected man in a Florida house before turning the gun on himself, was apparently once married to a local blogger, who didn’t seem to know he was gay. [Crazy Girl City]

An emailer writes:

As per the claims of a lover’s quarrel, Ralph (aka Rob) has been a fixture of gay.com for a long while.

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GOP Consultant and Rep. Tom Feeney friend Ralph Gonzalez was found dead in an Orange County, Florida home, yesterday, alongside two other bodies, all of whom had been there since possibly Tuesday. Authorities gave next to no details whatsoever as to what the hell was going on, except that it looked like a “murder-suicide.”

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* How to torture and kill Marines. [Sometimes You Have To Kiss a Few Frogs]
* Would you give up your seat for a pregnant woman, even after vicious urban-style warfare to capture that very resting place? Even if you’re going to Shady Grove? [Urban Baby-DC]
* “When is a pick up not a pick up? When it’s a pyramid scheme.” [Grateful Dating]
* Bloggers, beware: “Being a blogger presents serious liabilities. Industry colleagues and potential employers have all ended up on this blog thanks to Google Search (damn you).” [Big Sky Girl]
* Interns overheard: “Now is your opportunity to shine. Because now is your opportunity to delegate. That’s right Washington, it’s summer, and the interns have landed.” [DCist]

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When last we read charming old pervert John Derbyshire, he was advocating the execution of the British naval hostages for treason. Today, of course, he’s calling the students of Virginia Tech cowards. MORE »

* Here’s a terrifying sketch of the man who raped a woman in broad daylight outside a Checkers at 14th Street and Maryland Avenue while another man restrained her 3-year-old daughter. [Frozen Tropics]
* Yesterday a man was stabbed to death in broad daylight at 51st Street and Banks Place, NE. [stop, blog and roll]
* Last night there was a big apartment fire at 6th and O Streets, NW. 40 people lost their homes. [Life in Mount Vernon Square]
* DMV moving from Gallery Place to SW. [Gallery Place Living]
* The DC Madam’s Shock and Ahhhhh … [City Desk]

Nice going, Walnuts:

The latest massacre of Iraqi children came as 21 Shia market workers were ambushed, bound and shot dead north of the capital. The victims came from the Baghdad market visited the previous day by John McCain, the US presidential candidate, who said that an American security plan in the capital was starting to show signs of progress.

Lorry bomb kills children in school [Times of London]

* The taste of DC water to change. [Read Express]
* Murder at 1714 Lyman Place, NE. [stop, blog and roll]
* New Belgian restaurant. “Dig the idea of camping out at the bar with a Belgian beer and platter of oysters? Thanks to free Wi-Fi, you may even be able to get some work done while knocking back a few Duvels.” [metrocurean]
* Tranquil Space owner Kimberly Wilson has a new book and is getting kind of famous. She makes an iPod playlist, including Eminem, for the Happy Booker today. [The Happy Booker]
* “It doesn’t cost extra money to pop the collar! Watch this. I just popped my collar. And now I’m unpopping it. I DID NOT HAVE TO PAY A COLLAR TAX!” [why.i.hate.dc]