The White House blog was a veritable smorgasbord of social media on Monday afternoon when President Barack Obama conducted his first online YouTube question-and-answer session, while over on Facebook, a simultaneous conversation took place about his answers.

Obama was responding to a selection of over 11,000 questions submitted by users, some in videos and some via e-mail, which were chosen in a vote process during which more than 630,000 ballots were counted.

The most popular questions concerned issues of Internet neutrality (Obama is a big fan) and Sudan, about which the president tried to explain why “it’s so complicated.”

“This was terrific,” Obama said as the discussion wrapped up at 2:30 p.m. “I hope we can do this on a more regular basis.”

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett’s (R-Md.) legislative aide, Annie Baker, had a big date recently — and hundreds of thousands of people heard all about it.

The staffer was featured last weekend in The Washington Post Magazine’s “Date Lab” blind-date feature, and it’s made her a semi-celebrity on the fourth floor of the Rayburn building.

“My friends and I were a little bored over recess, so when someone sent the application to me, I thought, ‘Why not?’ ” said a cheerful Baker during a phone interview with ITK on Monday.

Less than a month later, Baker was set up on a date with Stephen Richer, director of outreach at the Washington Legal Foundation. The pair hit it off, and they’ve seen each other once since the date, despite their “really busy schedules.”

But the big surprise was the Post’s promotional campaign. “They put out a TV commercial on Friday morning,” said Baker, “and my friend Dave sent it to just about everyone we know.” One person who doesn’t know yet is Bartlett, but Baker said, “He’d probably laugh.

“After all, you’re only young once, right?”

Technology has changed how we communicate, watch television and travel the globe. This week, Capitol Hill staffers will be able to enjoy how technology has upgraded their afternoon Snickers bar experience.

The National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) is planning to debut a "digi-touch" vending machine for congressional officials in the Cannon Caucus Room on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to noon.
 
The digi-touch looks and acts like the Apple iPad, and while the touch-screen vending technology debuted several months ago it has yet to make its way into businesses across the county.
 
After making an initial selection on the giant screen, users can read the nutritional information of the selected goodies before making their purchase. (And perhaps feel guilty enough to choose something more nutritious than a candy bar.)
 
Final selections twirl around on the screen before dropping down to the bottom like a normal vending machine. Does this guarantee that your snack of choice won’t get stuck in the machine? Not exactly, but hey, it’s an upgrade (although not quite as futuristic as the ipad tower pictured here)
 
A NAMA spokesman told ITK that the company that makes the digi-touch would be thrilled if the machines were installed on Capitol Hill. In the meantime, they’re content just to give lawmakers and staffers a chance to interact with the next wave of snacking technology.

House lawmakers and Latino celebrities will unveil a new census campaign Wednesday afternoon on Capitol Hill. 

The bold-faced names, including Disney's Demi Lovato, actor Wilmer Valderrama and actor Luis Guzman, will urge Americans to fill out the government form.

Latinos were the most under counted during the last census, an estimated 700,000 in Los Angeles county alone, according to Maria Teresa Kumar, executive director and co-founder of Voto Latino.

“The hope is that we reach and empower the youth, who are gatekeepers in most Latinos households,” Kumar said. “Participation is crucial and the act of not participating translates into an estimated 10,000 per person in federal funds.”

Reps. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.), Michael Honda (D-Calif.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.) are scheduled to appear at the press briefing.

Sen.-elect Scott Brown (R-Mass.) showed off a toy version of his much celebrated pick-up truck on the Jay Leno Show last week -- and now there's a perfect sized "Scott Brown" to drive it.

Herobuilders introduced three different action figures of the soon-to-be senator this week, each priced at $34.95, and CEO Emil Vicale says all three versions are selling like hotcakes.

The "2012 Executive" doll is dressed in a campaign-ready gray suit and a party appropriate red tie. Alternately, the "Cosmo Man" version is shown sporting only a fig leaf, a reference to Brown's 1982 nude photo shoot for the ladies' mag.

But the biggest seller is the "Everyman" version, which arrives wearing jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt that riffs on the iconic Mastercard commercials; "Driving to D.C. in a pickup truck? Priceless."

Herobuilders has shipped the dolls "all over the place," not just to Massachusetts and inside the Beltway, and the site is getting more than 2,000 unique visitors a day.

But despite Scott Brown's popularity in political circles these days (well-spoofed on Saturday Night Live), Vicale said Brown is no match for the company's perpetually best selling action hero. "He can't touch Sarah Palin!"

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) may not have the most Twitter followers for House Republicans (Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) has that honor), but she’s making a difference in her own way.

Ros-Lehtinen is leading House Republicans in “clout and influence,” according to the Miami Herald. She earned this title for her consistent use of “retweeting” or reposting what someone else already said.

"Every day, I work hard in trying to reach more folks through new media," Ros-Lehtinen said. "All of us need to branch out to get a wider audience."

Ros-Lehtinen’s Twitter name is twitter.com/IRL.

"I'm excited that our GOP conference is working overtime to get all our members involved," Ros-Lehtinen said. "Thanks to all my followers and please tell your pals to join!"

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) welcomed Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) to a Foreign Relations Committee hearing last week on what happened to be her 63rd birthday.

"I want to welcome Sen. Shaheen here today on the occasion of her 29th birthday," Kerry told the assembled audience.

Shaheen quickly corrected the record. "Actually, it's 30."

Kerry, apologized for the error. "30. Thanks for being truthful," he deadpanned. "We appreciate it."

Local blog D.C. Fab is reporting that Georgetown Cupcake owners Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis will be the stars of a new reality show.

Like two Julia Childs of our time, the show, which will be on TLC, will be a how-to for those of us who can't get enough of the frosting-topped bites of heaven.

The show will go behind-the-scenes to reveal the secrets to how their business became a local phenomenon.

The two will be celebrating two years of sweet success on Valentine's Day.

Jon Hamm, star of AMC's Mad Men, spoofed Sen.-elect Scott Brown on this weekend’s episode of Saturday Night Live. In a sketch that parodied Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) discussing the future of the Democratic party’s agenda, Hamm kept popping into a conference room where the Democrats were talking. 

With a flashy smile and apologetic attitude, Hamm kept entering the room in the sketch, first mistaking it for the cafeteria and then wishing to change his shirt because he spilled taco sauce on it.