Ever have trouble operating a roll of paper towels? Hang in there. The folks over at SkyMall have just the thing.

The write-up says it all:

No more wasted paper towels! The Towel-Matic’s sensor-activated control dispenses one sheet, two sheets, or the new half sheet with just a wave of your hand. It never unravels. Built-in optical sensor automatically identifies the perforations on the towel and stops right at the line every time.

One-handed operation guarantees perfect tearing and helps prevent the spread of germs. Designed for tabletop, wall mount or under-cabinet mount.

Requires 4 D batteries (not included).

Ah, so the batteries aren’t included. That may explain why the Towel-Matic is available for a song—only $59.99!

The Dish: Tagliolini alla G.W. Bush

The Location: Trattoria Italiana, 2651 Connecticut Ave. NW, (202) 332-2207

The Price: $18.99

The Skinny: If you’re looking for a way to fill up the time (still more than a year) that we have left, try contemplating how appropriate Trattoria Italiana’s tagliolini alla G.W. Bush is to its namesake. Both the chicken and shrimp wrapped in the pasta are a little on the bland side and not particularly convincing. And the dish will set you back enough—nearly a Jackson—to have you hoping for a tax cut. On the other hand, the dish as a whole, unlike its namesake, actually leaves both a pretty decent aftertaste and semi-fond memories. The menu lists a penne-and-portobello offering that I haven’t tried yet, but based solely on the fact that it’s named for a different George, I’m willing to give it a shot.

Speaking of libraries, I stumbled across this list today of “Facts and Statistics About DC”.

One of the tidbits:

DC has 715 libraries—only 118 fewer than New York City.

Now, I like books as much as anyone else, and I love libraries.

But are there really 715? At first blush, it wouldn’t seem like it. I guess you could bump the number up if you include libraries at schools, colleges, law firms, and so on. And then there’s this place. Anyone else got any idea where all these libraries are?

A message posted last week on Cleveland Park’s Yahoo group:

We have a raccoon which frequently climbs to our 2nd story flat top roof. It is so brazen that it will watch through the skylight while we eat. It seems to think the roof is a private outdoor privy & deposits droppings. Any suggestions for a repellant? Does the city provide a trapping service? Any suggestions short of violence?

(Emphasis added.)

Not the first report we’ve seen of a voyeuristic raccoon. Can we call it a trend?

I’ve noticed the following sign in the Adams Morgan McDonald’s:

24-Hour Video Surveillance!

Thanks for letting me know.

But is that exclamation point really necessary? Why the enthusiasm? I’m really not all that excited at the prospect of being surveilled while ordering a double cheeseburger (plain) and fries. Maybe it’s meant to be ironic.

If there’s anyone you should be keeping an eye on, McDonald’s, it’s this guy.

Walking in Mount Pleasant recently, I noticed a few jack–o’–lanterns still out in front of some homes. By now, of course, some look like they’ve started to decay.

What a great idea, I thought. Think about it: With Halloween’s preoccupation with skeletons, ghosts, tombstones, and so on, what good does a bright, shiny, healthy-looking orange pumpkin do? For my money, a scary face staring out at you from a pumpkin that looks gangrenous cuts a lot closer to the spirit of the holiday.

So if you carve pumpkins for Halloween next year, be proactive. Do it a few weeks earlier. Let ‘em rot for the trick-or-treaters.

In case you missed the last report, there’s a fresh animal sighting in Takoma:

From a post last night:

earlier today, i walked out to the vacant lot behind my house, and to my surprise, saw a deer there - a buck in fact. first time in takoma! the animal looked frightened and not quite sure what to do. i can imagine it wandering around the streets, not sure how to get back to the park from which it no doubt came.

But it wasn’t the first time in Takoma, according to a response this morning:

If he was a fairly small buck, three to four feet high, he’s probably the one I saw a while ago in the yard next door, about ten feet from my window. That would mean he passed by the houses of lots of folks on this list, possibly strolling down 5th from Dahlia to Van Buren, or more likely through yards and alleys.

Anyway, drive carefully, a Montgomery County Council member was seriously injured when his car and a deer collided and the deer came through the window.

It’s true.

The Dish: broccoli-and-cheddar soup in a sourdough-bread bowl

The Location: Panera Bread, 4238 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, (703) 527-8701

The Price: $4.99

The Skinny: When I wandered into the Ballston location of Panera Bread last night, I first set my sights on a sandwich. Perhaps because I was looking to cure some lingering grumpiness over the weather—I ended up reaching for my winter jacket last night, for the first time this fall—I scrapped that plan when I saw that they offered soup (your choice) in a bowl carved out of sourdough bread. Sure, soup in a bread bowl is a simple idea, and it isn’t exactly a new one. But Panera’s cheaply priced version didn’t disappoint. The cheddar-and-broccoli soup I chose offered up broth that was thick, filling, and (natch) cheddary. As a whole, the dish followed a welcome (if predictable) trajectory—it started out as soup, became a doughier soup as I worked my way into the bowl, and then finally turned into a hollowed out chunk of bread, which I tore through, enjoying the tangy sourdough.

If you’re looking to do some dining this weekend, check out City Paper’s extensive database of local options. We invite feedback from readers just like you, and restaurants that have been surveyed by five or more readers earn a ranking of up to five sporks.

If you’re looking for inspiration, here’s a sampling of restuarants that only need to be rated one or two more times to earn a spork rating.

• Chi-Cha Lounge
• Extra Virgin
• Panjshir Restaurant
• Tapatinis

YOU WILL MEET THE RIGHT PERSON ONE DAY

Title of a recent message posted to the Brookland’s Yahoo group: “Anyone Carpooling to hazardous waste drop-off ?”

A Restaurant Rater reports on a recent dinner at Komi:

This was a fantastic experience with excellent service. Every member of the wait staff visited our table at least once during service, and our primary waiter visited 20+ times.

More than 20 times. Is it me, or is that something of a record? What’s the most you’ve ever been visited by a server during a single meal? And at what point do visits from staff become overbearing?

In case you haven’t heard, there’s a new study out exploring the benefits of workplace cussing. According to this article on the study, dropping the F-bomb around the water cooler can be a good thing:

Regular swearing at work can help boost team spirit among staff, allowing them to express better their feelings as well as develop social relationships, according to a study by researchers.

It shouldn’t be too difficult to find something to swear about: Every workplace has its frustrations, be they minor or otherwise.

From a recent post to Takoma’s Yahoo! group:

I just saw a young deer in the yard next door (on Piney Branch between Dahlia and Blair), but he’s gone now. I imagine he came in from the alley off 7th Street. Looked like a young male (small, with antlers). Does one call somebody about a wandering deer after he has gone off?

I say let it slide. But what do you think? Anyone know what the protocol is on this one?

The Dish: yum ped yang

The Location: Neramitra, 2200-I Crystal Drive, Arlington (703) 413-8886

The Price: $7.95 at dinner

The Skinny: Heading to Crystal City’s Neramitra last night, I wasn’t in the mood for anything particularly spicy. At the same time, it had been too long since I’d had duck. So after settling into the restaurant’s outdoor seating area, I decided to take a chance on Neramitra’s spicy yum ped yang, essentially a duck salad. And when I tore into the duck meat, I wasn’t (thank God) overwhelmed. Since the dish’s spiciness merged well with the flavor of the crispy duck pieces, I ate happily. And in relative comfort. But that spiciness seemed more prominent when I tackled the rest of the dish, which had me reaching for my water glass. I eventually did get used to it—this afternoon, as I picked through the leftovers. But next time I’m at Neramitra, I should be able to enjoy the whole thing.