Today's the last day to enter Dan Snyder's Cheerleader Pride Giveaway Contest! Tomorrow, folks at Snyder's sportstalker, WTEM, will hold the drawing to find out the five 25-to-54-year-old males who've won the right to have Redskins cheerleaders -- armed with sponges and buckets and zero self-esteem -- come over and scrub down their cars.

Come on, pervs: Get your name in before it's too late!

('Course, this also means time is running out on Cheap Seats Daily's ability to run everybody's fave photo.)

(AFTER THE JUMP: Does Dan Snyder's vacation choice mean he's met his Waterloo? Elba is nice this time of year? Somebody wrote something nice about Dan Snyder? Really? Was it accurate? Not really? Where'd David Donovan learn to fib? Dan Snyder's poster confiscating binge was all a prank? Will anybody get a "Goofus and Gallant" reference?)

Read More "Cheap Seats Daily: Somebody Once Wrote a Nice Dan Snyder Story? Does It Hold Up? No?" »

LL reached a rather distraught Marshall Brown moments ago.

Brown (along with fellow politico and ex-Barry aide Bernard Demczuk) is first among local politickers as a denizen of Ben's Chili Bowl, and as a friend of its proprietor, Ben Ali, who died today at 82. He remembers his longtime friend with this line: "He came here ansd he wanted to do three things: He wanted to have a family, which he did; he wanted to have business, and he did; and he wanted to help somebody, which he did."

Ali, he says, "helped the entire community in any way...whether your church needed anything or your school needed a playground or you just needed a place to meet, you could count on Ben." And, he says, Ali made his restaurant a sort of sacred space for local officials and operatives looking to do a little business, have a quick bite, or make a big splash.

Read More "Ben Ali Created a Political Mecca" »

Sad news for the District of Columbia: Ben Ali, the patriarch of U Street institution Ben's Chili Bowl, passed away last night at around 9:00 pm. A family member said that Ali "passed peacefully," noting that he'd had "health issues off and on." Ali had just recently returned for a cruise with his wife, Virginia---the two were approaching their 51st wedding anniversary.

"He lived a full life and put a lot into the business," said a family member. Asked whether Ben's will close at any point in observance of the passing of its founder, the family member said a decision on that matter hadn't yet been made.

JDLand has her own thoughts on the allegedly slow development around Nationals Park (including both Southeast and Southwest sides). She uses the Post's archives to make the point that the MCI Center didn't exactly create instant redevelopment. [She doesn't use those same archives to chart all the failed promises city leaders have made concerning Nationals Park; nor does she use those same archives to chart how much money the city has dumped into the project].

Another argument she could have made: The problem with all the civic boosters behind Nationals Park is that they are having to sell one of the ugliest pieces of city real estate. The MCI Center was built in a downtown neighborhood with obvious strengths that Nationals Park does not have. MCI Center had Chinatown, MLK Library and other civic destination spots like say the old DCRA building (ha), the courthouses, and police headquarters. Nationals Park was built in a decimated spot with almost zero charm. Anyway, I posted my two cents on the subject yesterday.

Misadventures in D.C. folds up its blog, blames Twitter and Facebook (like real media people!). They write: "The weird thing, of course, is that blogging now seems... well, so QUAINT. So old-fashioned, this idea of taking the time to construct paragraphs of text, telling a story, fleshing out an idea or thought through the process of writing about it. We've been reduced to brief one-sentence status updates (or worse, in the case of Twitter: 140 characters). It's easier to stay in touch than ever before. Yet our communication becomes more superficial with each sign of 'progress.'"

Borderstan collects early April crime stats for Borderstan.

And Now, Anacostia gives its blessing to Cherry Blast.

Bureaucrat310 mourns the crowding of Ben's Chili Bowl now that they've spotted tour buses parked outside the D.C. institution. There's tension between the old men and the tourists:

"I was at Ben's Chili Bowl last night with an out-of-town friend who wanted to "visit the place where Obama eats." It was 2am, crowded and loud! I sat at the counter next to an elderly black man and about three or four of his buddies. Yes, an old guy out past 2am! We'd already ordered as a white college-aged man started shouting his order behind me. The man, for some unknown reason, stuck his arm in between me and the elderly black man to rest his hand on the counter. He accidentally brushed against the black man who did not enjoy being touched - a small argument ensued..."

The 42 taps out a thoughtful rundown of area sports teams and events.

Today from 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. you'll get $1 off a half-smoke at Ben's Chili Bowl if you ask for the "prison break special."

The occasion? Another cold-opening, guaranteed moneymaker from Tyler Perry, Madea Goes to Jail.

The press release from Lionsgate claims that all proceeds will go toward funding Madea's bail. (My guess is the money will actually go into the Ali family's pockets, as it should.)

Customers are also encouraged to make "Free Madea" picket signs, with the best winning its creators tickets to the film. T-shirts, posters, and "other prizes" are also promised.

Even if you don't care a lick about Madea, when's the last time your half-smoke came with a side of clothes?

Among the roughly 1 million customers at Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street tonight was R&B superstar Usher. Upon his exit, Usher waved to the U Street crowd and ducked into the black Escalade with tinted windows waiting for him in the alley. After he skirted the crowd, at least one woman expressed disappointment that he didn't linger with the masses. "Usher, you don't have to rush like that!" screamed a woman. "We're not going to do anything to you."

Henceforth, Washington City Paper reporters will attempt to stop every black Escalade with tinted windows, on the hunch that a celeb lurks within.

Reporting by Jason Cherkis, writing by Erik Wemple

In the wake of members of every other media organization on the planet, I went by Ben's Chili Bowl this afternoon.*

THIS JUST IN: There's still a crowd in and outside the place!

The line should get manageable again sometime around 2017...

*Cliche as this drive-by was, the trip left me totally jazzed. The elation outside Ben's is catchy! Go there!

Photo courtesy of Me

Barack Obama made his first foray as president-elect into local Washington today, joining Mayor Adrian M. Fenty at about 1 p.m. for a chili half-smoke.

The AP and WaPo have coverage, and here's the official pool report:

The president-elect departed the Hay-Adams at 11.35 in the motorcade to film an interview segment with George Stephanopoulos, to be aired tomorrow. He arrived at 11.40 and departed an hour later with DC mayor Adrian Fenty in tow.

The pair reached the 50-year-old Washington fast food institution, Ben's Chili Bowl, at 12.55. The president-elect posed with diners and staff in all three rooms of the restaurant, before returning to the counter to collect his order: a chili half smoke and sweet tea, and cheese fries and water for Mr Fenty. The president-elect paid with a $20 bill, telling the counter attendant who asked if he wanted change, "No, we're straight."

The president-elect and mayor took a two-person table, and joked with diners as they ate. Mr. Obama returned to the counter for shredded cheese, Mr. Fenty's water and some napkins.

Asked about the importance of the visit, Mr Obama said: "it means I'm going to get a hot dog." He said it was his first visit to the restaurant. He would not be drawn on a sporting preference for Maryland and Georgetown.

Oh, and if you're wondering what a half-smoke is, read Dave Jamieson's definitive profile of the foodstuff.

Prince of Petworth offers a first look at the new Ben's side project. Needless to say it's more upscale than the vintage hot smoke spot. It's like Marvin if Marvin offered chili dogs.

Skatterbrain offers a killer indie X-Mas mix for all those that may be tired of the usual Christmas staples.

The Vinyl District wants to know your top ten albums for 2008. Um, So do we. And, well, we put together a really awesome page dedicated to the year in music.

Pop Cesspool has found a pretty dope Swatch commercial.

Bloomingdale (for now) provides some awesome coverage of the McMillan development meeting this past Saturday.

Borderstan is spending the holiday in Hollywood.

Penn Quarter Living insists Obama spends a lot of time in Penn Quarter (working out, eating, inspiring art). Our food blog, Young & Hungry, has his own thoughts on Obama's habits.

Life in Mount Vernon Square has some good advice for all you homeowners. It's getting cold. You have to be careful with your old pipes.

*photo courtesy of our neighborhood flickr pool. Photo by Maryland Route 5.

While you were watching the election returns:

Seven-Eleven, U St. & 11th St. NW

Ben's Chili Bowl, U St. & 13th St. NW

Rite Aid, U St. & 13th St. NW

Ben's Chili Bowl is an epicenter of District Obama supporters. Nearly every employee wears a button---or twelve. Everyone's expecting a clear win for Ben's favorite candidate. But what are they going to do if McCain wins? I spoke to D.C. residents enjoying their election day lunch at Ben's to find out their worst case scenarios.

Carl Clark, Obama merch hawker. Clark says he's been selling Obama buttons, which he collects from a flea market on Florida Ave. & 4th St. NW, for about a month. (Designs range from Obama/MLK "Legacy of Hope" to "Obama: First Black President.") Clark says that if Obama wins, he'll keep picking up some more designs to sell off before the inauguration. If McCain wins, "well, I guess it's all over for me," he says.

Read More "What Would Ben’s Chili Bowl Do?" »

On Ask MetaFilter, a lament:

"Ben's chili is the food of the gods. Sadly, I no longer live anywhere near Ben's, and so I want to try to make it myself. Although I'll probably be adding beans, to make it more meal-like (since I most likely won't be pouring it on hot dogs and french fries). And I want to make it in a crockpot.

"I know the recipe is 'top-secret,' but I bet I'm not the first person to ever attempt it at home."

Does anyone out there know the secret? If so, hop on over to AskMeFi and hope somebody out. I think the recipe actually calls for pouring it on hot dogs and french fries, though. Let's be reasonable.