In the aftermath of Barney Frank's "What planet are you on?/Trying to have a conversation with you would be like arguing with a dining room table" bark to the crazy-lady constituent who recently invoked Nazism in referring to Barack Obama's health plan, the Boston blog That Hottness offers up the "Top 5 Barney Frank Takedowns."

At least those caught on film.

They're not all exactly takedowns; some are just good comebacks. There is a difference. Confusing the two has serious implications for determining whether Frank is, in fact, as I said in an earlier post, mean.

I say again: He is. Even - perhaps especially - if he's right.

As someone who has herself borne the brunt of a verbal tirade by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and who has never been a fan of the way he feels entitled to speak to people as if they are pond scum, I come forth, nevertheless, in the congressman's defense after his takedown of a woman at a health-care forum in his home district Tuesday night.

Read More "The Barney Frank Tirade: He’s Mean, But He’s Not Wrong" »

I joined the Washington City Paper family this week, replacing the beloved Jule Banville, the recently departed asst. managing editor and D.C. brunch-culture-hater who was kind enough to leave in her office some very important things, such as an AP Stylebook, two dictionaries and a bottle of Tylenol. She left a rotten banana, too, but I think that was a mistake.

Please allow me to make this, my inaugural City Desk blog post, an introduction of sorts.

I come to you via reporting stints both near and far. Looking back, I’d have to say the highlight of my first journalism job, in 1995, was the time I asked a Prince George’s County public information officer out of gruff-cop central casting for an update on the condition of a homicide victim ("She's still dead!" he laughed, and then said it again for good measure, causing me to turn a shade of purple I have tried very hard to avoid since.).

Read More "Day Three at City Paper: Meet, Well, Me" »