Conspiracy theorists are awaiting Dan Brown’s new book, The Lost Symbol. Building on his super-bestsellers The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, about conspiratorial elements of the Catholic Church, Brown’s latest—set in Washington—is expected to feature another secret society with an elaborate history and illustrious membership: the Freemasons.

As a May 2006 Washingtonian article explored, the Washington area has a deep, rich history with the Masons. (To read the article, go to washingtonian.com/masons.) As the new book’s release approaches, Brown fans have been looking for hints to the plot—and some have been released on The Lost Symbol’s Twitter feed. Here’s what might come up in the novel:

We’ve known for years that Washington is a great place to live, so it’s nice to see that MTV is finally paying attention. The Real World: DC gets cameras rolling for its 23rd season in the Dupont Circle area this month, and the arrival of seven meticulously selected strangers has the neighborhood abuzz with anticipation. Here’s what happens when locals stop being polite and start getting real about the MTV invasion.

Tempers flared at last night’s Dupont Circle Advisory Commission meeting, which opened up discussion on MTV’s plans to film a season of The Real World in DC. Andrew Huff from the mayor’s office and Kathy Etemad Hollinger, director of DC’s Office of Motion Picture and Television Development, were on hand to field questions.

Huff refused to confirm the exact location of the house, despite reports earlier this week that the cast will live at 2000 S Street, Northwest. But he was able to shed light on a few new tidbits:

• The Real World will begin taping around June 20 and wrap by Thanksgiving.
• Half of crew hired for the show will be locals, Huff said, though he was vague about how many jobs it would create.
• Twelve public parking spaces are being occupied while the house is renovated. After June 20, four to six spaces will be returned for public use. The rest will be off limits to neighborhood residents until the show wraps.

In a move that should surprise absolutely no one, MTV issued a statement today officially announcing that the 23rd season of The Real World will be filmed in DC. We'll pause for a moment to let you recover from the shock . . .

Okay, ready? The statement says that eight young adults will be transplanted to Washington to "live and pursue their passions in the city that many of our country’s most influential figures call home."

The show's creative and executive producer, Jonathan Murray, said, “Young people have never been more engaged in what’s happening in this country and Washington, DC, is the perfect place for The Real World cast to express their opinions and pursue their passions.”

Our own mayor, Adrian M. Fenty, agreed: “In a time when our country has witnessed the impact and spirit of our nation’s young people, it is a pleasure to welcome MTV and The Real World cast to the District of Columbia as they utilize the immense opportunities that the District’s backdrop will undoubtedly provide.” We're assuming he's talking about Adams Morgan.

The statement includes no details about where the cast members will work while they're here, but that should be discovered soon enough—it confirms that taping will happen this summer. The show will air in 2010.

Get more Real World gossip here.  

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At long last, MTV’s The Real World is coming to Washington. We’re still deciding if we should be excited or terrified, but we do know that after 22 seasons of the show, it’s about time the cameras and binge-drinking twentysomethings descended on our fair city. Filming is said to start June 20.

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few days, here are all The Real World: DC facts, gossip, excitement, and hatred floating around the Internet:

• DCist and Wonkette speculated—and the Washington Post’s Reliable Source confirmed—that the cast will be shacking up at the giant brick house at 2000 S Street, Northwest. Someone posted photos of the interior space here, which is being remodeled from drop-ceiling offices to what will likely become an über-mod fraternity-style house with a hot tub, shag carpet, hanging bubble chairs, and communal showers. But that’s just a guess. Also, this guy appears to be their new neighbor.

Editor’s note: When we saw that April 1 was fast approaching on our calendar, we contacted our old pal Arjewtino to see if he’d like to write a guest post about April Fools’ Day pranks. After all, he split our sides with his hilarious Valentine’s Day post, so we thought he’d be the perfect person for the job. Arjewtino, you didn’t disappoint.

The importance of April Fools’ Day in our civilization shouldn’t be underestimated. Aside from Easter and Passover—who’s the prankster always hiding the eggs or the afikoman?—it’s the only day on which we’re encouraged to play pranks on our unassuming friends, family, coworkers, and even strangers.

For those of you who are ready to put on your pranking hats (you can pick yours up at CVS with a printout of this blog post!—um, just kidding), settle down. Before you go unscrewing the caps of salt shakers or emailing your best friend’s girlfriend a fake marriage proposal, you might want to take some time to figure out what kind of prank you’d like to pull. After all, carefully considering your choices could not only save you a lot of time but also a lot of money in unforeseen legal fees. Here are some ideas.

Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs): Committees in the District of locally elected neighborhood leaders, who review matters often pertaining to construction, crime, housing, and economic development in their area.

B-Roll: Extra camera footage that provides color, detail, and visual diversity, which is interspersed with the main footage taken for a story or interview.

CR: A continuing resolution, legislation that allows the federal government to operate until a new budget is passed.

Delta: Short for Delta Force, the elite military special-operations team, whose members are known as “operators.”

East of the river: A term that refers to the neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River, which are known for being the most economically disadvantaged areas in DC.

Foggy Bottom: DC neighborhood around George Washington University that houses the State Department; used as shorthand for State.

Gaggle: An impromptu press conference, usually off-camera.

Half-smoke: DC’s most famous native food, a half-pork, half-beef smoked sausage.

Intel: The real currency of Washington, traded by IM, e-mail, or phone, though the preferred method involves cocktails. Extra points if the intelligence is actually true.

Jump: The place where a newspaper article breaks and continues on a different page.