Lunchline: The politics of monuments

If you have difficulty viewing this newsletter, click here to view as a Web page. Click here to view in plain text. Tuesday, June 19, 2012 The Tribune Co. announced last night that Arsenio Hall is returning to late night television. It's been 20 years since Dave Letterman basically knocked him off TV. I hope this works for him, but I hope he doesn't bring back that god-awful Dog Pound. So, Metro rolled out Rush Plus yesterday and it seems like it went okay. As in, nobody died, nobody was seriously injured and the system didn't fail entirely. Were there some problems? Sure. But overall, if nothing went totally wrong, you've got to count that as a win for WMATA. The Post's Dr. Gridlock perused the comments he received about the service and broke down some of the varied experiences from riders. Also, he mentions the Titanic. Gary Giordano, that guy from Maryland who was suspected of being involved in the disappearance of a travel partner in Aruba, is now suing over the insurance policy that he took out on her right before they went on a trip last summer. Let us not forget, that this is also the guy who was charged with indecent exposure when the cops found him knocking boots in the back of an SUV in a parking garage. Classy. The politics of monuments are no joke. It takes a lot more than a blueprint and a smile to erect something on the Mall. And in the case of the new planned memorial to Dwight D. Eisenhower, the controversy has been messy. Chief Ike's family was involved, Hitler's name came up and Frank Gehry and his architectural firm were sent back to the drawing board. But, The Post's Phillip Kennicott points out that the book "Monument Wars" puts the whole thing into perspective. Microsoft has a new tablet out. It's called the 'Surface.' The company unveiled it Monday, but quizzically didn't say when it would come out or how much it would cost. Alrighty. It runs on the Windows 8 operating system and has two full sized USB ports. And a kickstand, for when you park it outside of 7-Eleven while you get a Slurpee this summer. The Post's Hayley Tsukayama reports on the product. And Slate's Farhad Manjoo loves it. This weekend is vital to the future of the Capitals. The team has an NHL-high 11 picks in the entry draft and GM George McPhee has some decisions to make. Should he bolster depth in the minors, or maybe try to deal some picks to find talent ready to play for the big squad? The Post's Katie Carrera, who when not being photographed while doing her job, analyzes how the Caps may do with their "high-profile vacancies." Extra Bites • Over the past five years, I've made a conscious effort to get rid of all my physical music. But one American University senior, who interns at NPR, never owned any to begin with. Hear her generation's story of their listening habits. • Apparently, Karl Marx is a popular image for people to put on their credit cards in eastern Germany. Unbelievable amounts of irony there. • Happy Juneteenth, kiddos. Here's how to get at me. There's Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and you can 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