Lunchline: Three stars, two bars

If you have difficulty viewing this newsletter, click here to view as a Web page. Click here to view in plain text. Thursday, June 14, 2012 I got two e-mails yesterday. One called me a racist for saying that white people shouldn't use the n-word. The other told me thank you, because she finds herself, as a white woman, constantly explaining to white men why that word shouldn't be used. I'd love your thoughts. I'll have more on this in column form next week. Today is Flag Day. Which means if you have anything remotely three-stars-two-bars-related, this is the day to rock it. It's also the day to show off your D.C. tattoo if that's a decision in life that you've decided to make. I usually consider this kind of thing kind of trite, but since I rep my city when I can, I'll be participating in the second annual undertaking of this event myself. The Going Out Gurus have the details on the celebration down at Dupont Circle this evening. The Arlington trolley project seemed a little too good to be true at first. The idea of a streetcar running from Baileys Crossroads through Arlington along Columbia Pike was under serious consideration, until the numbers were scrutinized. There was a county meeting last night to discuss it and some other options were explored as well. The State of NoVa's Tom Jackman reports on how those gatherings went and when the trolley might come to the burbs. I've never been to Piratz Tavern, but I definitely want to go. The place is designed to give you whatever a real pirate experience is supposed to be, which sounds about as authentic as drinking soda at Medieval Times. But when Spike TV tried to give the struggling place an overhaul for the show "Bar Rescue," things did not go well. Namely, they picked a fight with the pirates. Bad idea. The new episode premieres July 22, and The Post's Mike Rosenwald has a preview clip. The zings going back and forth are EPIC. Many of you are familiar with 1980 case in Australia of a dingo dragging off and devouring a baby from a Seinfeld episode that referenced it. At the time, and in the years since, the theory that one of Australia's wild dogs had made off with the child struck many as an absurd defense by a mother accused of killing her child. Well, three decades later, a medical examiner says she was right. Slate's Brian Palmer explains what other creatures are in the business of eating small human children if given the chance. Golf is far from my favorite sport. But I do watch the U.S. Open, which starts today. It's the rowdiest and often the most difficult golf tournament of the year, and it's a major. And this year's early pairings have Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson paired up with Bubba Watson, my favorite golfer on tour right now. Should be interesting. The Post's Barry Svrluga previews the field from the Olympic Club in San Francisco. And there's a picture of one of Watson's awesome drivers. Extra Bites • Back before Ice-T was the other guy on "Ice & Coco," he was actually a pretty influential rapper. And by that I mean a major OG in the game. So when he makes a movie about the history of hip-hop, I go see it. It comes out tomorrow. Check your local listings. • I'll likely be listening to Charli XCX's "Heartbreaks and Earthquakes" all day. Idolator points out it contains "nostalgic rips from '90s teen angst movies." Win! • You don't like hockey fights? Neither does this kid's mom. 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