Power to the People: Wednesday night's snowstorm took out electricity to so many Pepco customers that the utility's outage maps weren't even working most of the day today. Turns out there may be a good reason why: Pepco didn't request extra help keeping power on until hours after most other area companies had done so. Service should be back by 11 p.m. tonight, but if you're reading this, chances are you already have power anyway. (At least this time they didn't blame the trees.) -4

Metrobus-ted: Just how bad was the commute Wednesday night? Bad enough that most Metrobuses on the road during the snowstorm couldn't manage to go more than 6 miles an hour, which is pretty slow. Some roads wound up blocked by stuck buses; others were just congested and icy, leaving buses caught in traffic the same as cars. In Silver Spring, the 70 bus moved only a few feet in the hour The Washington Post analyzed. Next time: Buy skis. -3

Have a Lucky Day: Sure, it was manipulative and one-sided in its portrayal of public school teachers' unions and the politics of education reform—but there's no question the lottery scene in Waiting for "Superman" made for great drama. The same drama is now playing out in real life, though mostly via websites, not in auditoriums with film crews around: DCPS opened the lottery for the 2011-12 school year today for out-of-boundary schools or for pre-school or pre-kindergarten spots. (Charter school lotteries are held at different times throughout the year; don't forget to apply for a spot in the Washington City Paper School—guaranteed not to make adequate yearly progress, or your money back!) +2

House the Rich: What recession? Sales of homes that cost $1 million or more were up about a third last year over 2009; one rowhome in Dupont Circle recently sold for $1.699 million, paid in cash. (We hope the buyer used lots and lots of $2 bills.) Affordable housing is still hard to come by in the District and elsewhere in the region, though—but if the millionaires are moving, at least the rest of us can live in their discarded cardboard boxes. +1

Yesterday's Needle rating: 53 Today's score: -4 Friday bonus: +2 Today's Needle rating: 51

This is rich. If you're among the first 50 people to bring a "pink slip" or some other document that explains you were recently shitcanned, plus a resume, to a plastic surgery clinic in Pentagon Row this Friday, a licensed technician there will give you shots of Botox. Why?

"A study published in the journal of Dermatologic Surgery found that women who had undergone Botox® injections in their brows, foreheads and eye wrinkles accrued higher attractiveness scores—a quality that lead researcher Steven Dayan says improves the first impressions people make when meeting a potential employer. Dayan...also posits that the confidence inspired by Botox® could give job–seekers a confidence boost and competitive edge in the interview process."

The recently shitcanned are invited to Reveal, 1101 S. Joyce St., Suite B6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. along with recruiters looking for people desperate enough to think plumping up their worry lines will land them a job.

photo by gruntzooki.

The problem? Fixated First Cousin (FFC) is stuck on the unfriended relatives and sees this status update as an opportunity to dig at Crusty Newspaper Editor. Second problem? Both of them are old and don't know when to take it offline.

Trainwreck exchange after the jump.

Crusty Newspaper Editor's status:
sat in the sun and watched the [team] boot the ball and the game — at least three errors by time I left to go to the job fair, which in itself was an interesting experience. It was my first. To say employers (or those who were represented there) do not have need of editors and writers is an understatement. But it was fun to introduce myself and ask questions.

Fixated First Cousin: so you didn't know these people,like family you don't know, but it was fun introducing your self and asking them question....what did you ask? You must of told them about your self some, right? hummm I wonder.

CNE: Don't take me to task because I haven't made "friends" with every relative who is on Facebook. I told you yesterday that most I didn't even know existed. You give me a name, and I don't know who they are. So how could I have searched them out or even know they existed. As for having "fun" today, the "fun" came in overcoming my reluctance and forcing myself to shake hands and introduce myself, and ask if they needed someone on staff with my skills. This was a big deal to for me to overcome. So stow the veiled criticism.

FFC: I beg your pardon, I still think, if you can talk to strangers and find out things, how hard is it to talk to blood and guts family, no offense.

CNE: There is a difference between hunting down second cousin removed twice...and chatting about Great Aunt Maude, and going up to someone, shaking their hands and asking for a job. If it makes you angry that I haven't hunted down all our relatives, bath in your anger. I don't care.

FFC: I'm just a plain simple girl, only went to high school, some night classes in typing, but I don't spell well enough(thank God for spell check) I hope you are not mad at me?

CNE: I'm trying to keep a roof over our head and feed my family, and not having a lot of luck at it, and you are giving me grief for not connecting with every relative on FB. Yes, it makes me mad that you are pushing. If you have that much time, contact them all and have them ask me to be a friend. That would save me time. Right now I'm busy trying to find work. That's what is occupying my mind. Not chatting with family I don't know. First things first, in other words. And I apologize. I'm disappointed the job fair was such a bust, and I'm taking it out on you. I'm sorry. You just hit a sore spot on the wrong day. Not your fault.

FFC: I'm not angry, just can't understand why you find it so hard.
You must of did some reporting to find facts on the things you write about, and I don't see what you mean about 2nd cousin removed etc.. I got lost there.
oh man, I'm not pushing
just making a observation about the thing about how hard it is for you and family, don't me to anger you

CNE: Enough ... change the subject.

FFC: Like I said, I'm just simple and we are related, you and me, we have Dads who were brothers, we were the 1st grand kids, now you made me cry..............

CNE: Women ...

FFC: goodbye, and I'm sorry you are so sad and hurt, please forgive me, I wont talk to you anymore, in case I make you angry

Reasoned Third Party: Relax! If [he's] having a bad moment, just stop for a bit and pick it up another day. Geez!

After 35 years, Masters Tuxedo and Costumes on Columbia Pike in Annandale is closing shop. Until the end of this month, wigs, costumes, mascots, and other whackiness are going out the door for 75 percent off their original costs.

Although a touch picked over, there are still choice items to be had and tried on until the electricity in your hair can power up your iPod. As far as big-head mascots, what's left includes "Teletubbies, Winnie the Pooh...we have some bunnies, a lot of animals," says Luke, a manager who did not want to give his last name. Bert and Ernie heads, he confirmed, are still there.

Costumes that had been rented and are now for sale include '70s stuff, flapper outfits, original-style Star Trek gear. "We're pretty much out of the medieval and colonial stuff," Luke says, indicating the Ren-festers and William & Mary kids have already been through.

Luke's worked there for five years and is losing his job. "But we've known about it since November," he says. The other store in Arlington on South Four Mile Run is already closed. And in Annandale, there's a new tenant lined up. Apparently Taekwando, unlike 'fro wigs, is recession-proof.

Photo courtesy of the Masters Costumes Web site.

Take this morning. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke tells Congress, according to the Post, that the economic contraction is "severe." Yet the markets are up, with the Dow posting a gain of about 90 points. I guess the markets already knew about that "severe" part. Let's see, what else could push the market up? Perhaps some layoff announcements!

No, what really appears to have sent a wave of hope on Wall Street was Bernanke's statement to Congress that the recession would end this year, after continued trouble throughout the first six months. Good thing that that guy from "Lie to Me," that terrible Fox program on outing fibbers, won't get a chance to cross-examine Bernanke. Does anyone else really believe that this economy is going to start coming back to life as soon as, like, August?

(200 block of West Glebe Road, Alexandria, Dec. 1)

The media have been making causal jumps between the economic downturn and the rise in luxury commodities, essentially asserting that these industries are "recession-proof": Amazon sales are up. Consignment sales are up. Cosmetic sales are up.  English coffee sales are up. McDonald's sales are up.

Seems to make sense: during rough economic periods people seek solace in indulgent spending, a type of economic escapism.

But linking rising sales in luxury goods to economic hardship is complete bullshit.

"The whole idea of recession-proof is a bit of an oxymoron," said Martin Evans, professor of economics at Georgetown University. "The idea behind it is that income affects price [price elasticity of demand] as everything else stays the same [certis paribus], so if everything remains equal, nothing changes [equilibrium]. This is not a sufficient explanation because everything else is not equal: consumption changes, relative prices changes, and the economy hits every individual differently."

But, wait! McClatchy insists that, "Despite the spooky state of the economy, shoppers are still shelling out money for Halloween candy."

What do you think, professor Evans?

"A rise in candy sales does not mean everyone is buying because the economy is bad. You might as well say that candy sales are up because there hasn't been much rain this season."

It's easier to cast a simple narrative when reporting on something as complicated and jargon-filled as macroeconomics. But is the media's over-simplification also a fabrication?

"Attributing something to a causal mechanism is almost inevitably wrong; it's over-simplifying and presents a false representation of economic links. I'm not saying there is no casual relationship to describe, but to describe trends in terms of the whole explanation is simply misleading."

I guess the recent rise in Russian art is just a coincidence.