D.C. Sandbags Residents: Did our friends at TBD pick the right time of the year to launch a website with sections devoted to “Weather” and “Commute,” or what? Yet again, heavy rains led to flooding around the region, snarling traffic and almost making people nostalgic for the good old days of 100 degree highs. (Almost.) For the second day in a row, the District gave away sandbags, which could either be used to keep water out of houses—or to lounge on while waiting for the bus to make its way through evening rush hour. -4

Busman’s Holiday: Speaking of buses, William Jackson, the kid who hopped on board a Metrobus last month wearing a uniform and proceeded to drive it along the B2 route for several blocks, will plead guilty to unauthorized use of a vehicle. Sure, Jackson eventually crashed the bus into a tree, destroying the front of it. But no one was injured, which—by Metro standards—is a successful run. And at least he didn’t punch out McGruff the Crime Dog while driving. Why not give him a job? +3

Martini Flambé, Please, Bartender?: There are plenty of hazards to look out for in many neighborhood bars—a wayward dart, a fight breaking out, that last round of tequila shots you really, really should have passed up. At Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern, in Herndon, there was one more—the bartender could have breathed fire on you. Virginia authorities recently banned what had, inexplicably, become a Friday night tradition at the pub, in which bartenders would spray flaming jets of alcohol at midnight. Now, did the charges (which include “manufacturing an explosive device” and could carry 45 years in prison) go a little too far? Probably. Still. Now you know you can drink in Herndon without getting singed—and if you’re in Herndon on a Friday night at midnight, you may need a drink anyway. +2

Stay Tuned for Dexter: First John Riggins took to YouTube to pound away at Dan Snyder the way he used to pound away at NFC East defenses. Then LaVar Arrington got a Washington Post blog. Now comes word that Dexter Manley will soon have a 30-minute TV show billing itself as “the fastest hour in television.”Truly, this is the dawning of a burgundy-and-golden age of Redskins nostalgia. +3

Yesterday’s Needle rating: 36 Today’s score: +4 Today’s Needle rating: 40