The Smithsonian Folklife Festival opened for business yesterday, featuring Texas (?), NASA (??), and the kingdom of Bhutan (whew). I’m interested in learning more about NASA’s “culture,” one built upon “stirring the public imagination.” Also, astronaut diapers.

Human Guinea Pig‘s Emily Yoffe submits herself to the life of a day care worker at D.C.’s Gap Community Child Care Center, and learns that babies are manipulative little bundles of joy. Writes Yoffe, “A recent science column in the Wall Street Journal described a study that found that you don’t even have to like kids to have your brain’s fusiformgyrus produce instantaneous good feelings when you see a baby’s face.”

Self-referential Window Covering Of The Day: Prince of Petworth posts this sweet pic of a window obscured by a sign that reads “Do not knock on my window.” I smell dare!

Mr. T in D.C. should really go to the dentist. For now, a freaky dental scene squeezed within Marathon Man’s stolen diamond—Nazi—Dustin Hoffman-as-unfortunate-grad-student plot is T’s excuse for not getting his impacted wisdom tooth removed. My current excuse is “shitty dental insurance.” Besides, can’t have too many teeth, am I right?

New Columbia Heights claims the Heights metro “smelled like cookies” yesterday. Hmm. Are they making cookies out of old backpacks and gasoline now?

Brightest Young Things helps you indulge your zombie-themed nerd fantasies.

All Our Noise celebrates the quinceañera of the Flaming Lips’ “Transmissions from the Satellite Heart”—-all grown up!

Tonight at Fort Reno: Zulu Pearls, Dress Up, and The Shakes.

Photo of this totally sweet dude in the Metro by mattlemmon.