I guess I didn't get the memo.

Apparently, this is not the time to ask Councilmember Marion Barry or his staff about Sharon Bowen. Barry paid Bowen $50,000 to work on poverty issues in 2007 and 2008. Bowen was another Barry girlfriend.

Why not today? HBO is premiering a documentary on Barry's life. It's either that or he's dead. When asked about Bowen's supposed organizing of a poverty summit, Barry's spokesperson Natalie Williams made it clear that the press should be focusing on more important things---like legacies.

Read More "Today Is Not The Day To Talk About Barry’s Fishy Contracts" »

In reporting out our story on Sharon Bowen, a woman linked professionally and personally to Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry, it was difficult to figure out what she exactly did for the residents of the District.

Between spring 2007 and spring 2008, Barry had awarded her $50,000 in taxpayer-funded contracts. From our sources, we kept hearing two things: Bowen was a "class act" and Barry's girlfriend. None of our sources could talk with deep knowledge about her actual work. All city records have to show for it are invoices written by Bowen and the Barry-approved personal services contracts.

We are just supposed to know that Bowen worked in the areas of poverty reduction (specifically on organizing a Poverty Summit), working with the Ward 8 Business Council, and to "ensure that the vision of Councilmember Marion Barry is fulfilled."  Does this seem like $50,000 worth of work?

When asked about Bowen's work, Ward 8 Business Council Executive Director James Bunn admitted it wasn't rocket science. He said Bowen essentially went door-to-door to identify Ward 8 businesses. If she made a report on her findings, he didn't see one.

Read More "Councilmember Barry: What Did Sharon Bowen Actually Do?" »

Contrary to predictions made in this space recently, last night's BCS championship game telecast on Fox-5 was NOT overrun with commercials for CashPoint.

That's a locally-based financial outfit that hands out quick cash loans -- with no credit check -- to any sad sack who turns over a car's title and a spare key.

I missed most of the first quarter of Florida/Oklahoma, but saw only two of Cashpoint's beautifully awful spots during the rest of the game. Quite a departure from Monday's BCS matchup of Texas and Ohio State, when viewers were forced to endure/treated to another, um, underproduced CashPoint ad every several minutes.

Instead, local breaks previously filled by Cashpoint spots were filled with ads for either a starving artist bazaar at a local hotel or a sell-off of overstocked electronics and computer equipment to be held at the DC Armory.

Anybody still doubt we're in a depression?

On a more upbeat note, however: Anybody who followed the advice given in the same blog post and put their paycheck on Florida and gave the four points has no need today for economic stimulus.

The season's final BCS game comes with Thursday's Florida/Oklahoma matchup.

If past is prologue, those viewing the alleged national championship game on the local Fox affiliate better be prepared for a barrage of wonderfully underproduced and low-aiming commercials for an outfit called CashPoint.

That's a Virginia financial firm that gives equity loans to car owners.

The best/worst of the fantastic/horrific CashPoint ads that aired seemingly every few minutes in Monday's Texas/Ohio State clash had a cleavagey female in a retail store fawning over something in a jewelry case and moaning, "I would do anything for any guy that would buy me that!"

Read More "BCS Bowl Broadcasts Bring Out Sub-Prime Time Commercials" »

Earlier this week, the New York Times published a fascinating piece about a California couple who tried to live for a month on a $1-a-day food budget. Their mission was certifiably insane, but their motivation was noble. After all, as reporter Tara Parker-Pope noted, "The World Bank says nearly a billion people around the world live on a dollar a day, or even less..."

Here are the money quotes from the story:

The budget forced them to give up many store-bought foods and dinners out. Even bread and canned refried beans were too expensive.

Instead, the couple — Christopher Greenslate, 28, and Kerri Leonard, 29, both high school social studies teachers — bought raw beans, rice, cornmeal and oatmeal in bulk, and made their own bread and tortillas. Fresh fruits and vegetables weren’t an option. Ms. Leonard’s mother was so worried about scurvy, a result of vitamin C deficiency, that they made room in their budget for Tang orange drink mix. (They don’t eat meat — not that they could have afforded it.)

In other words, they had to live on crap, which helps you understand why poverty inevitably leads to a shorter life span. You can read all about Greenslate and Leonard's experiment on their---what else?---blog, http://onedollardietproject.wordpress.com