Lunchline: Marion Barry's swag is amazing

If you have difficulty viewing this newsletter, click here to view as a Web page. Click here to view in plain text. Wednesday, April 4, 2012 I bought "Angry Birds Space" yesterday and it was the best decision I've made in a long time. Also, the new Mark Wahlberg & Seth MacFarlane movie looks like it'll be the funniest movie all year. Majorly NSFW, but not if you wear headphones. Yesterday was election day in D.C. and Maryland, but only one result really mattered. Marion Barry won the Democratic primary in Ward 8, after his first major opposition in some time. And more importantly, he spent all night bragging on Twitter about his victory. And one gem was just too good not to share. Just before midnight he wrote: "Twitter officially BLOWN UP from SOUTHEAST Washington, DC! We tweet with swag over here. It's called twaggin if you didn't know." That is awesome. My dad used to tell me that when he was a kid, he just assumed there'd be flying cars by the year 2000. Alas, such was not the case, but a Dutch group has invented a version of what some call "one of engineering's many Holy Grails." I'd contend that a flying car is nothing other than a small plane, but whatever. The Post's Emi Kolawole reports on the innovation. Call me when it can turn into a briefcase when you're done flying it. NBC has apologized for its edit to the George Zimmerman 911 call in the Trayvon Martin case. On the "Today" show, the portion aired cut out a portion of what he said, which some believe unfairly portrays Zimmerman. Personally, I'd contend that the unedited version sounds worse, but that's me. The Post's Erik Wemple explores the ethical issues surrounding the flap and the general problems with issuing public apologies. Canada knows what it's doing when it comes to pennies: They're getting rid of them. I've contended for years that the U.S. needs to do the same if for no reason other than convenience. They are useless. The truth is that pennies in this country cost twice as much to make as they are worth. Think about that. The country is losing money on manufacturing something nobody wants. Slate's Matthew Yglesias breaks down the financial history of the 1-cent coin. You think I've been too harsh on the Wizards this season? Think again. How about that they're in competition for the worst record in franchise history? And for a franchise that hasn't done much, that's pretty awful. If you're wondering how many wins they have, go get a friend — you'll only need three hands to count them all. They need three more wins to barely squeeze past a franchise-worst winning percentage. The Post's Michael Lee reports on the brutality. Extra Bites • Every once and while, something happens in Baltimore that's absolutely cool. And this Open Walls project, which features revitalizing street art in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District, is exactly that. • After Louis C.K. pulled out of the Radio-TV Correspondents Association dinner, they replaced him with Wayne Brady. This is what we call a "safe pick." • My kid sister, who's in fifth grade, forwarded me a video this morning. Made my day. Check out my Facebook fan page, my Twitter feed, or e-mail me at clinton.yates@wpost.com. Get The Washington Post, your way. Want to stay on top of the latest news, features, commentary and more? Here's how: Mobile: Alerts: Social Media: Applications Web site E-mail SMS RSS Feeds Facebook Twitter SEND TO A FRIEND UNSUBSCRIBE NEWSLETTER CENTER GET HELP Washington Post Digital E-mail Customer Care 1150 15th Street NW Washington, D.C. 20071 ©2012 The Washington Post Privacy Policy