Today: John's guest is Diana McLellan, Washington's famed "Ear" gossip columnist. She's invented a new device to hide unsightly trash cans.  Creative camo helps to keep an urban eyesore out of sight (Post, Dec. 10)  John Kelly: And so we meet again. Please join me in welcoming a special guest this afternoon. Diana McLellan may not have invented gossip, but she covered it inventively. During her years as the Ear--writing first in the Evening Star, then The Post and finally the Washington Times--she produced some very entertaining, piquant, laugh-out-loud funny stories about the famous and infamous in town.  Now after digging up dirt she's trying to cover it. I wrote yesterday about the  , a handy device for camouflaging a trash can. I described it as a trash can cozy. You might think of it as a trash can condom.  Diana moved to Washington from England when she was 19 years old. She still has a delightfully musical English accent and is as feisty as ever--which she probably doesn't like me saying, since it suggests we should be surprised that she's alive and kicking.  She wrote a book on her Ear experiences and is also the author of the acclaimed  "The Girls: Sappho Goes to Hollywood,"  a book about the golden age of Hollywood lesbianism.  She and her husband live on Capitol Hill. You can tell which house is theirs because you can't see the garbage can. She's here today to answer questions about her invention and also, I hope, reminisce a bit about her days as the Ear. One wonders how she would have approached the Salahis, Tiger Woods, etc....  And now, let's get this party started....  Washington, D.C.: Does the fact that Fenty is trying to bring an international bike race to D.C. merit any notice according to the WaPo? The folks at the Gray Lady wrote about it on Thursday, the day of the meeting. Why no attention from either the sports or metro pages? Is it because he's not riding (in a park during lunch hour)?  washingtonpost.com: Washington Seeks 2012 Giro Start (The New York Times, Dec. 11)  John Kelly: I'm told that we ran a story in the Metro section but I confess I can't find it right this sec.  Funny you should mention a bicycle race, though. I'm working on a column about Logan Circle and I find references to a bicycle race that was held there--in the 1880s. Those high-wheel bikes would whip around the circle.  I think a pro bike race in D.C. would be cool, but I also liked that auto race they had in the RFK parking lot a few years back.  Raleigh, N.C.: Answer man -- help me! I've decided on no "made in China" Christmas presents. What a challenge! After looking at clothes in many stores (Dillards, Macy's, Kohls) I couldn't find anything not made in China. So far, I have ski goggles (made in Italy) and ski socks (made in USA) for my grandson. For my granddaugher I have a book and cosmetics (cleanser and moisturizer bought from a neighbor) and AVON Black Suede cosmetics for my son. I found my daughter some socks (made in USA) but need more ideas for her and others. Thoughts anyone?  John Kelly: I'll throw it out to the chatsters. Craft shows are a great place. You know the stuff was made in some guy's basement. My Lovely Wife just yesterday purchased several handmade wooden kitchen implements. No kid wants to get a spoon, of course.  But if I may: Why no products from China? I wonder if we should be supporting their economy, just to keep them from calling in their loans to us!  Crystal City, Va.: Hello John: Do you know of anyone or place that will accept left over holiday gift wrap; in the Northern Virginia area? Thanks for your help!  John Kelly: Not off the top of my head. You might try calling elementary schools or preschools to ask if they'd like it for crafts classes. Or a homeless shelter, for use in wrapping presents that might be donated.  Anyone else have any suggestions?  Takoma Park: A while back you mentioned a possible reunion of the Hangmen. Any update on the subject? Paul was the equipment manager for the Jefferson Airplane and later the Starship, the last I heard. John Guernsey was giving piano lessons in Silver Spring...  John Kelly: You know I just got an e-mail from one of those guys the other day. Of course, now I can't find it in the sprawl of my in-box. As soon as I find out, I'll let everyone know.  Care to elucidate as to who the Hangmen were, for readers who may be unfamiliar with their work?  Woodbridge, Va.: I hope Tiger thanks his lucky stars that he didn't make any of his paramours pregnant. As far as I know, you never heard of this happening to Nicklaus, Palmer, etc., back in the day.  I also think he should take the year off and regroup. Does he really think he will be able to go on a golf course and act like nothing has happened?  John Kelly: We should probably all read Paul Farhi's piece today about what we know and what we don't know about Tiger.  Now, it certainly doesn't look good, if by "good" we mean a committed, monogamous relationship that does not involve nightclub hostesses. (What IS a nightclub hostess, anyway?) But the Woods marriage is obviously damaged. Can Tiger really be expected to sit off for a year, maybe move the family to Sweden, beg forgiveness and rebuild the relationship? It would be great if he could, but give up golf and possibly give up his dream of winning the most Majors ever? I'd love to see him do that--what a story of redemption--but isn't it more likely they just split up?  Tenleytown, D.C.: I need mistletoe! Any idea where I can buy some around D.C./Bethesda?  John Kelly: Hoping to get some, huh? And by "some" I don't mean mistletoe.  Don't the bigger Xmas tree lots have the stuff? Or well-stocked garden centers? Can any chatsters offer advice?  And while we're on it, where can I get a good deal on myrrh?  Alexandria, Va.: My parents have an old metal trash can in their attic. I haven't seen one in year on the curb.  John Kelly: Hold on to it. They're antiques. Most towns in England have gone to uniformed rolling trash cans called wheelie bins. Being naturally suspicious, some citizens accused the government of putting tracking devices in their wheelie bins. Sounds likes the rantings of the tinfoil hat brigade, right? Then it turned out there WERE tracking devices in them. Transponders were put there so the local governments could tell who was throwing away how much, who wasn't recycling, etc. The thinking is that they may start taxing people who produce "too much" rubbish, and the way they'll know that is by weighing each bin as it's lifted onto the truck. Could it happen here?  John Kelly: Diana: Why a trash can topper? Is a garbage can really so bad?  Diana McLellan: Because the whole city is blighted with hideous garbage cans - it looks as though alien life forms have landed in all these high-priced front yards.  Silver Spring, Md.: I wonder whether a device that would hide a garbage can wouldn't just give the collectors an excuse to pass it by?  Diana McLellan: You whisk it off before you put out the can. It's very light. You feel like the Queen unveiling a bust.  Miami, Fla.: For Diana McLellan: I can't help noticing that the beginning of the newspaper death spiral coincided with the end of the Ear (or Diana Hears, as the chiseling Post lawyers forced you to call the column in the Times). If the newspaper industry groveled before you and begged you to save it, would you start writing the column again?  Diana McLellan: Not I! You get so gossiped-out you feel as though you're made of tissue paper. Garbage is the new gossip, for me!  John Kelly: I'm trying to cajole Diana into writing her memoirs. She is resistant.  Anonymous: "(What IS a nightclub hostess, anyway?)"  I could tell you, but Gloria Allred would sue me.  John Kelly: Don't these people have JOBS? That's what I wonder about the Salahis, too. I mean, I know not everyone works at the 7-11 or punches a clock at the steel plant, but my tiny middle-class brain has a tough time understanding what these people "do." I'd love to be rich myself, but I think if I were my life would revolve around more than planning parties and not paying for things.  Fairfax County. Va.: Will Diana take orders for her topiary trash-can toppers? Can she make them in different sizes?  Diana McLellan: So sorry. I don't have a sweatshop in the breakfast nook yet. Trying to get someone to manufacture them. Everyone who sees mine falls in love with it. One guy wanted to wear it for Hallowe'en. I actually made a Topiary Topper Christmas tree this year. Yes, my design patent pending covers all sizes and shapes - a simple cylinder with a round or rectangular top. If your can is really huge (pardon) I have another idea for a bigger wheelie-wig ...  Myrrh: You might try bead stores(of all places). Myrrh is sold as "perfume necklaces" which outgas as they warm from body heat.  John Kelly: Hmmm. It'd be the one time people would welcome my body outgassing.  Next question: Who sells the best frankincense around here? And don't forget, we're still trying to find that person some mistletoe.  Silver Spring, Md.: Speaking of garbage, where does Diana stand on the Marmite question?  Diana McLellan: Wild about Marmite! It's delicious on heavy wheat bread, with a scraping of light mayo. It evokes this Hunger that nothing else can feed. And Maggie Hall's book is now my favorite loo literature  Mt. Lebanon, Pa.: What's so unsightly about a battered garbage can on the front curb? It's not like it's got a congressman rotting inside.  Our municipal landfill wouldn't take the garbage if it did! They're very strict here, I can tell you.  Diana McLellan: I hear that in England those wheelie cans have been used for all kinds of crimes, including kidnapping. Also, over there, they have races, with motorbikes pulling the cans, with some poor guy floundering around inside  Q: What do you call a battered garbage can with a congressman rotting inside?  Gift wrap suggestion: Save it for next year.  Or you could wrap your garbage can with the stuff!  Fresh Mistletoe: Call some local florists, try Johnsons, check e-Bay (several hard-up farmers are clearing the stuff out of their trees and selling it for the Holidays.)  John Kelly: Florists! Of course. That's a good idea.  I wonder if you hang a rebus from the ceiling. Maybe something like this:  Garbage, Cans: We (NE Cap Hill) have alleys and thus no need to hide our trash cans. What I do need is a way to get the law enforced.  D.C. Code says you keep the trash cans in your property and put them in the alley after 6 the night before pick up (and bring back in the other day). Almost everyone has fences. The first 5 years or so, all worked fairly well.  A few years ago, some renters moved in (not knocking them, just that as short-termers, how/why would they know?) and they just left their trash cans in the alley. It sort of spread, and now people just take each bag from their kitchen, plop it in the can in the alley, and go back in and close the gate. If the can's full, trash bags on the side. Not surprisingly, humans and animals rip the bags open and now the alley is always strewn with trash. You can call DC for an alley clean up, but that only lasts so long.  I saw some people at the other end of the block had blown up and laminated the D.C. Code sections and nailed them on their garage door. What can I do? People come and go, and are rarely home, so talking to them seems impossible (all the long-termers still follow the rules).  John Kelly: I know that in our neighborhood when there's some garbage/recycling transgression, the trash guys slap a brightly-colored notice on the can. But since they only see the trash cans when they're in the alley--where the bins are allowed to be on trash day--that's not gonna be much help.  Is there a neighborhood list-serv that the word could go out on? Or maybe the ANC could send a letter?  Alexandria, Va.: The irony is that fake ivy is gaudier than the trash can it is attempting to conceal. For me to even be slightly tempted by this beyond the "this is insanely tacky" level, it would have to at least be designed so the plants were real.  Diana McLellan: This is the only decent fake ivy I've ever encountered, dark and glossy and blows in the wind. For years, I tried to train my own ivy to coil lovingly round my garbage can. It stubbornly refused. This, when I finally found it, looks EXACTLY LIKE THE REAL THING, and nestles so happily in its ivy nook. Only when they see me whisking it off do passers-by realize it's phony. And they want one immediately! When I was researching exploring my patent, somebody did invent a huge framework gadget - I think it was in the 1940s - to cover cans with real ivy. It wad a hefty mechanical Leviathon, tricky and cumbersome to operate, like the kind of machinery that opens a canal lock.  John Kelly: I've just been informed that my rebus is not working. Try this:  (A lot of work for a lame joke!)  Why no products from China?: I could just say "because they're evil" but: because their economy now embodies the worst of pre-reform and pre-union capitalism. Sweatshops, slave labor, pollution, and political repression. I proudly carry on my late father's boycott of anything made in China, but it's getting increasingly difficult to find goods not made there.  John Kelly: Maybe this is the year for books. As long as you don't buy a pirated Harry Potter, you should be okay.  The Coral Gables are tossing their dealy-boppers (sp?) into the air as they heard you are on with John Kelly today . . tell us, since you've covered many an indiscretion by Washington pols and pundits . . do you have any advice for the guy who lives up the road from us . . Tiger?  Diana McLellan: He should probably obtain a Topiary Topper made in one of the more exotic configurations of EZ-Iv, pop it over his head, and creep out on his assignations in that - like Birnham Wood going to Dunsinane. I suspect those are Libertarian Coral Gables residents, no?  John Kelly: Diana: Al Kamen's column today mentions a teenage girl who gate-crashed the White House way back in FDR's day. So I guess there's nothing new about it. But what do you make of the Salahis? There was no reality TV back in 1938--or in 1978. Do you think reality TV just inspires more people to ridiculous lengths?  Diana McLellan: Really. Where are Standards?  Made in America: I suggest the clothing store American Apparel. Another idea, you could shop for local, homemade gifts, such as knitted sweaters or handmade pottery. Most communities have sales this time of year.  John Kelly: Are you telling me American Apparel stuff is really made in America? I thought it was just a name. Next thing you know Mr. Abercrombie and Mr. Fitch will be hunched over a sewing machine.  Near Embassy Row: John -- Have you (or anyone else) ever done a piece on the man who stands, day in and day out, on Mass Ave. across from the Observatory Circle holding up various protest signs? I saw him out in brutal weather last weekend and was in awe and became curious about his story.  John Kelly: We did run a story once. I'll see if I can find it before next week and link it from that chat. Unless, by some wizardry, I can find it in the next 20 minutes.  John Kelly: Diana: Do you read gossip anymore or have you sworn off it completely? I'm wondering what you make of stories like Tiger Woods. Would writing about that sort of thing have been unthinkable when you were the Ear in the 70s and 80s?  Diana McLellan: Truthfully, I find today's gossip hopelessly humorless. The juicy stuff all ends up on the front page, instead of creeping up, rat-like, on readers via the gossipy back door. Nothing is unthinkable. I always said, if it's not to tacky to do, it's not too tacky to write about. It just takes a certain delicacy to mock it properly. If I may say so.  Frankincense and myrrh: can be had from any number of New-Age-type shops, as well as from some health food stores. The New-Agers usually present them in cute teeny boxes as well, but it's cheaper to buy the little plastic baggies of the products.  Anyone for a Monty Python repeat of "It is an aromatic balm." "A BOMB?!"  John Kelly: As nice as frankincense and myrrh are, what people really want this year is gold.  Buzz Kill Bill: Just because the socks were "made" in the USA doesn't mean that the dye used to color them or the fabric used to weave them wasn't made in China. So keep in mind that "Made in USA" could really mean "Assembled in USA."  That's why it's amusing when you hear people say they only buy American cars and disdain foreign models. Those cars are filled with parts and plastics that are manufactured all over the world -- the only thing "American" about them is that they were screwed together here (maybe). I'm not saying that's bad -- it still supports American jobs -- but since Honda and Nissan have manufacturing plants here doesn't that make them just as "American"?  Like it or not, when the rubber hits the road, capitalism often trumps patriotism -- stuff is manufactured in whatever country will do it cheapest.  John Kelly: I, for example, am sitting in Mumbai with a stack of John's old chats next to me while he is off getting a massage from the Swedish prime minister.  For Ms. M.: I came to Washington in the 1970s when your column was a "must-read." Succinctly, what, in your opinion, has changed in the D.C. "gossip" game through the decades?  Diana McLellan: People don't seem to have as much fun gossiping now. In the Olden Times, people who phoned in were often laughing so hard they could barely spit out the good stuff.  re: Jobs: Perhaps if the Salahis had jobs, they would be able to pay their bills!  With respect to Tiger, I'm not sure why the media thinks he was seen as some sort of moral compass. I didn't see anything he did publicly to merit that.  If anything, watching him play golf would give one the impression that while he is a phenomenal golf talent, he's prone to boorish behavior (and tolerates even worse behavior from his caddie) and is a sore loser.  John Kelly: That was certainly the gist of Tracee Hamilton's column yesterday. I don't make athletes role models, but even if you don't, you have to be taken by the scale of the alleged infidelity. I wonder where these men find the energy, not just for the romping but for the mental plate-spinning they must go through to keep it from their wives.  Alexandria, Va.: How do I purchase a Trash-Can Topper for my trash can, which appears larger than Diana's? Mine is 25 inches wide, 36 inches deep, and 44 inches high (a Fairfax County trash can)?  Diana McLellan: They aren't for sale yet! They're not made yet! I'm waiting for an answer from the folks! But there's nothing on earth to stop you from custom-making your own, as I did. Be sure to make it loose enough so you don't have to wrestle with it on the streets of Alexandria, very undignified.  Not Made in China: Etsy.com  The Website for hand-crafted goods. Everyone lists where their items are made.  Another site, for you patriots:  Also, if you are concerned about the conditions under which the folks work to produce your gifts, try this site  It's a world-wide federation, so some of the members work in China, but identify the location and they pay a livable wage.  There was a photo of Michele Obama helping her husband put the Nobel pin on is lapel yesterday. I could have sworn the caption would read, "Look Barack, on the back it says 'Made in China!'"  John Kelly: I wonder if they got the kids souvenirs that said: "My Daddy went to Oslo to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and all I got was this lousy T-shirt."  Hefty mechanical Leviathon: Diana even writes with a pleasant British accent.  John Kelly: Doesn't she? I think it would be wonderful to discover that she actually was raised in Duluth and settled in Washington after slipping away from a 4-H club visit in 1957.  Diana McLellan: You found me out.  About American Apparel: American Apparel uses a vertically integrated business model which minimizes the use of sub-contractors and offshore labor. Knitting, dyeing, sewing, photography, marketing distribution and design all happen in our Los Angles facilities  John Kelly: Too bad I'd have to lose about 50 pounds to fit into any of their clothes.  not made in China: I bought a roll of red wrapping paper from Target that was made in the USA. Would that be an acceptable gift? What would you wrap a gift of wrapping paper in?  Washington, D.C.: I sense a future Weingarten chat on the subject of "Topiary Toppers."  Diana McLellan: I hope he interviews me. I will wear mine.  Washington, D.C.: If I were Elin Nordegren, I'd kick Tiger to the curb so fast, he wouldn't know what happened to him. From her point of view, his multiple affairs endangered his wife's health and life by exposing her to STDs, including AIDS, before and during her pregnancies, and that's not even taking into account the whole facade of a loving husband, and the psychological pain that Elin must be feeling. Tiger makes John Edwards look chivalrous, and boy, that takes talent.  Pre-nups were designed for cads like Tiger.  John Kelly: Surely she must have had some inkling of what she was getting into? Part of marrying him must have been an acknowledgment that he wasn't exactly a regular guy. Not that that excuses his behavior, just that she must have been willing to accept a bit of psychological discomfort in the marriage. I mean look how long he's away from home for his job.  re Near Embassy Row: That was a great article, but so heartbreaking. I had always been curious about him too, as I used to drive by there every day. (He lost his spot for a few weeks in late 2000, when that corner was crowded with Republican protesters yelling at Al Gore to "get out of Dick Cheney's house.")  The target of his protest is the Vatican Consulate. (Is that the right term? I seem to recall it's not an "embassy," per se.) He was molested by a priest as a child in Poland, and it was clear in that article that it just destroyed him. Really sad. But still worth reading.  John Kelly: That's my memory of it too. I'll try to find it next week, just in time for Christmas.  Capitol Hill, D.C.: Ever since those ugly green and bright blue monsters arrived on my front steps several years ago I've been plotting on the best way to hide them in my postage-stamp front yard. Metro bus-like sheath in red brick pattern to match my house? Some artsy statement? I wound up planting small bushes that will eventually grow to hide the trash cans but Diana McLellan's Topiary Trash Can Topper is a much better solution to a problem in beautiful historic districts like the Hill. Where can I sign up?  Diana McLellan: Thank you, darling. Simper. I know that in England they came out with sticky-backed pre-cut plastic panels with pretty flowers on them, to glue upon the beasts. But there the beasts still sit, looking terribly sad in the rain. Why don't you phone or e- EZ-Ivy and DEMAND they start producing Topiary Toppers?  re No Gifts From China: You may not want to GIVE gifts from China but no boy WANTS gifts of cosmetics from Avon -- especially something called Black Suede. Frankly, I think you are not looking hard enough, as there are plenty of items made in other countries, especially those that are food or coffee related.  John Kelly: Where is Jockey underwear made?  Potomac Yard, Va.: One thing I remember from reading the history of Potomac Yard is that the orange trains from Florida got priority over regular freight. I don't know if they still do.  John Kelly: One of the guys I interviewed mentioned those trains. (I think the may have been tankers full of orange juice.) But he didn't mention whether they had priority or not. That would make sense.  almost every county has a "farmers' market' now: With not only locally grown food, but home made crafts. In Richmond, I like the Goochland County farmers' market, held once a month at the community college. I got a Japanese Maple sapling, eggs, tea cakes, hand knitted hat, and soap.  John Kelly: Good suggestion. Thanks.  Re: Book/China: Got to be careful -- the book may have been printed and made in China -- look in the fine print to find out! Rarely are books actually printed here in the U.S. anymore -- most done in Asia...  John Kelly: I just pulled two hardbacks and a paperback off my shelf and all three were printed in the USA. That may not be the case with big color picture books, but looks like the novels and nonfiction I read are made here.  Washington, D.C.: Diana -- Love your idea! But how about a native plant instead of the terribly invasive and non-native English ivy? Even though it's a faux plant, you could make a statement about landscaping (your trash bins) with native plants!  Diana McLellan: In fact, the stuff's manufacturers, in theory at least, are prepared to make other foliage types, including philodendron, privet, holly hedge (ouch!) etc. So far, no kudzu. But I agree - periwinkle would be terrific, and so (though rather unconvincing as a bush) would be Lady Bird Johnson-style bluebonnets ...  McLean, Va.: You want myrrh? Three Kings Gifts  John Kelly: I didn't notice any prices....  Alexandria, Va.: I've always suspected the gold Wise Man just stopped off at the Bethlehem CVS on the way over to the manger.  John Kelly: YEah, they probably threw in some Tic Tacs with their presents.  English Accent: I work with a guy who speaks with an English Accent. He was born and raised in North Carolina.  John Kelly: He must be descended from the Lost Colony.  Perhaps if the Salahis had jobs, they would be able to pay their bills! : Except that the Salahis are the perfect example of people who could very easily have jobs but find that putting their energy into scamming is far more satisfying.  How long, John, do you predict their 15 minutes will last until they're seriously prosecuted or Reality TV dumps them and they're on their won? Seems to me they're running out of chips.  John Kelly: I predict they won't be prosecuted and that after a brief lull they will roar back when their TV show comes out. They'll become a cultural punch line, but they won't mind.  D.C.: To Diana. Maybe you can answer this question: What are/were the 'cave dwellers'? I imagine some old secret social strata but nobody I ask can tell me.  Diana McLellan: I once did a piece for Washingtonian on them, when I was so-called Washington editor. They're really just the families, usually WASP and well-off, who got to Washington, generally from Britain, first. They used to be the backbones of the Metropolitan Clubs, later the Chevy Chase Club, etc. They summered in Maine or Newport; their daughters had debuts at the Mayflower; and they always smelled slightly of mothballs in the winter.  More about American Apparel: Yes, they make their clothing in downtown Los Angeles using legal workers who are paid a fair wage and receive health benefits. That's all good. But the founder has been accused of sexual harassment on a number of occasions and his ads sometimes border on porn, child porn in some cases. So while purchasing their clothing supports some really honorable things, it also supports some not so honorable things. Just sayin'  John Kelly: I think the only safe thing is to raise a sheep, shear it, weave some wool and knit something. Just don't knit an afghan. That sounds foreign.  Alexandria, Va.: There's something to be said for the old metal garbage cans. Oscar the Grouch just wouldn't be the same coming out of a rolling plastic mini-dumpster.  Diana McLellan: And they make such a lovely noise, too, when you bang on the lids.  "local" gift for a boy: Gift certificate to local batting cage (better for him than a video game).  John Kelly: A great idea. There's probably plenty of girls who would like that too. Elin would like a gift certificate to the driving range.  Silver Spring, Md.: "I know that in our neighborhood when there's some garbage/recycling transgression, the trash guys slap a brightly-colored notice on the can."  We call that the "orange sticker of shame." Usually it's for putting things out that they don't take -- like tree limbs, construction material, old Mazdas...  Diana McLellan: I think we should all be issued stickers to plaster on people we disapprove of.  Fie on Christmas! : I still have to buy gifts. My siblings aren't telling me what their kids want, and I don't want to think about it.  Diana McLellan: Give money! Save your blood pressure!  John Kelly: I'm sure what Diana MEANT to type was, Why not make a contribution in their honor to John Kelly'sChildren's Hospital campaign?  Alexandria, Va.: Where can I buy a larger-size topper for my trash can? I live in Fairfax County.) Will she make individual ones? How much do they cost?  Diana McLellan: Still no sweatshop here! All I've done is invent 'em; I sit like Cinderella awaiting my manufacturing prince. But you can make you own! Just like a tea-cozy, only bigger.  John Kelly: If you do make one, e-mail me a photo: kellyj@washpost.com. I'll do a gallery of them.  John Kelly: I'd like to thank Diana for joining us today. She's been a great guest, very fast on her fingers. I would have expected nothing less.  Thanks to all of you for spending an hour in our company. I'll see you again next week. Stay warm and safe this weekend.  Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.
Chat with Post Metro columnist John Kelly chats about the people and stories that don't make the front pages, plus his latest columns.