Posts Under "Washington, DC":
February 23, 2009
The first Restaurant Week of 2009 is complete in Washington, and Debbie and I decided to take part in it, visiting The Oval Room for a wonderful meal last Wednesday.
The Oval Room is a favorite of Senators and powerbrokers in Washington, and it's easy to see why. With a grand menu of fantastic choices, the fare was amazing.
Restaurant Week is a cooperation between local restaurants and OpenTable to provide discounted three-course meals (appetizer, main dish, and dessert) to residents who might not otherwise try out a particular restaurant. Many of the finest restaurants in the city participate, and Restaurant Week can be found in many different cities (like New York and Philadelphia). It happens twice a year.
Debbie and I enjoyed a meal that was absolutely amazing. Debbie enjoyed a beet dish, while I had shrimp chorizo (shrimp that had been pressed into what looked like chorizo sausages). Our second course consisted of a wonderful piece of salmon for Debbie, and Chilean Sea Bass for myself, both prepared with excellent sides and a great sauce. For the dessert course, Debbie enjoyed a candied pineapple with "sexy sugar" (we're still not sure what that is) and I had a chocolate brownie with Vietnamese coffee ice cream (which gets better as you eat more of it).
The entire meal cost around $100, when the gratuity was considered, which is far below the price for this particular restaurant, and the value of the meal we ate. Still, it was a great advertisement for the restaurant, as we'll most certainly be back for special occasions (and we might go if we're in the mood for some expensive but amazing drinks). In all, it was a great experience, and one I'm looking forward to again during the August Restaurant Week.
8:48 am | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Washington, DC
January 28, 2009
Obama, who said his girls' school was closed due to the ice storm, gave the tounge-in-cheek remark as the area grapples with the worst storm of the season. Washington DC, which receives on average 20 inches of ice each year. Chicago, on the other hand, gets almost double, at 38.5 inches annually. Obama is, of course, from Chicago.
Word has it that the Obama girls were quite pleased with the snow day, saying that their school in Chicago never closed for ice or snow. Government employees, on the other hand, were not given a snow day; I'm sure that endeared them to the new boss.
2:50 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Washington, DC, Weather
January 27, 2009
Washington was treated (er, can you say that about a winter storm?) to a blanketing of snow overnight. Since it shows no signs of stopping for now (at least until it turns into rain tonight), it's both beautiful and totally paralyzing for the region. Montgomery County closed their schools, and half my office called in to say they wouldn't be in due to the snow.
Snow does provide some fantastic photo opportunities, though, and until it freezes again and turns to ice, it's reasonable to walk around on. So, for those of you who need a picture of the winter weather for your viewing pleasure, here goes (this is also today's entry in the Project365)...
9:50 am | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Washington, DC, Weather
January 22, 2009
Metro worked.
According to a Metro press release the transit agency gave more than 1.554 million rides on Inauguration Day - the highest one-day total ever. 1.12 million of those were by rail, far surpassing the previous record held by the Reagan funeral, and even beating the record set on January 19th - unique as the day before the inauguration AND a Federal holiday.
The fact that so many people could be moved by the transit agency is both a testament to its planning AND the ability of mass transit to, well, move mass amounts of people. With estimates ranging from 1 million to 2 million people on the Mall for the ceremonies, it's clear that Metro did its job. There would have been no way to move that many people into and out of this city in private vehicles or even tour buses. Simply no way.
Lots of people argue that mass transit is an unreasonable expense on the part of governments, that it cannot be viable on its own, and that fares never cover costs. But I believe that Tuesday's events show that mass transit is not simply one option for providing transportation but in many ways the best way to provide it. So many more people were served by the Metrorail system than could have ever been served by surface streets and concrete freeways.
It's worth noting that thousands more came by train and bus, but very few came by private vehicle. In a nation of SUV's and drivers, it's amazing that mass transit played such a huge role in this event.
Metro worked. And that's something we can all agree on.
1:33 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Metro, Rail, Washington, DC
January 20, 2009
The inauguration was not without some final swipes at President Bush, most notably the crowd booing his announcement, and the massive singing of "good bye" to the chopper as it departed. Still, the event's pomp and custom was not interrupted, and everyone was kept safe, which is a massive accomplishment considering that almost 2 million people descended on the city for the event.
As locals prepare to get their city back, this tradition continues, with 56 separate inaugurations, and 44 transitions of power without war, strife, or death. Though it's not always peaceful, and it's not always easy, it is the American way.
Oh, and let me be the first to say: welcome home, Obama family. We're glad to have you as neighbors.
10:03 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Politics, Washington, DC
In a little more than 11 hours, the Bush administration will come to an end.
In a tribute to the power of term limits and peaceful transitions of authority, Americans everywhere will witness one leader stepping off the stage and another of a different party stepping up. Without a fight.
The transition will mean the end of perhaps the worst presidency in American history, too. The drubbing given to Bush's party was the final disgrace for a man who spent a third of his presidency on vacation, but missed a hurricane, ignored dire warnings of terrorist attack, failed to see faulty intelligence on weapons of mass destruction, limited the civil rights he claimed to be protecting, and dismissed the warning signs of a groaning economy ready to collapse. But America has term limits, and tomorrow none of that will matter.
As Mr. Bush leaves office, his legacy is still unwritten. But America's legacy is one in the peaceful transition of power, and a steely resolve to survive even the worst of leaders and most dire circumstances they can create. Tomorrow will testify to that.
12:14 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Politics, Washington, DC
January 10, 2009
Apparently, Obama took them up on the offer today.
Unlike Bush, who doesn't venture past the White House all that often, the Obamas seemed to be more interested in the Washington life. Today, Barack Obama was without his family but with DC Mayor Adrian Fenty (no word on whether Fenty's dog was free as well). This is certainly good news for the city, for a number of reasons.
Fenty, like all Washington citizens, supports congressional representation for DC residents. His presence with Obama also signals that the Obama administration will favor listening to city leaders regarding resident's desires, rather than imposing a particular ideology (the Bush administration imposed a radical right-wing agenda on much of DC throughout the Republican reign in Congress). Also, Obama's appearance with Fenty means that the Obama administration may actually care about the Washington area - a critical thing when asking for transportation dollars or expanded home rule.
But for now, Obama seems content with the quality of the food at Ben's Chili Bowl - even if he did have to ask for extra cheese.
Obama takes a break for some chili and sausage ~ Associated Press, 1/10/2009
6:35 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Washington, DC
December 10, 2008
Wanted: prime parking. Must be able to store 10,000 tour buses. Contact Washington Inaugural Planners.
The Washington Post has been running articles all week talking about the Inaugural, saying that planners estimate that 2 million to 4 million people could come to Washington to see it. It's expected that they'll come in cars and tour buses, planes and trains, and place a strain on the local infrastructure never before seen - or for that matter, planned for.
Some of the items the local news media believes might happen in the apocalyptic event known as the Inauguration:
- Cell phones may fail to work due to the crush of activity.
- So many media outlets want to cover the event that many may not get full access.
- Broadband internet access may be slowed down by the large number of visitors.
- Metro delays could be substantial, with Metro planning 15 hours of rush-hour service (a record) on inauguration day [WMATA].
- Hundreds of thousands of people may remain in DC for days before and after the inauguration, tying up traffic for those of us who live here.
- 10,000 tour buses may arrive, with no place to park.
- DC government officials are urging local residents to stock up on essentials like bread and milk, because supply trucks may not make it through and stores will be inundated.
I, for one, may attempt to vacate the District during the "festivities", or the apocalypse, whichever actually happens. The company may close the office on January 20th, and perhaps even the day before; that would be a reasonably good idea given the crush of people that will make parking, driving, walking, or really, moving at all impossible.
For comparisons sake, the most attended inauguration to this point was Lyndon B. Johnson's 1964 swearing-in. Washington, DC has an average population of 500,000 people, with 6 million in the metro area (that is, the area served by Metro). The minimum expectation to be in Washington is 2 million, meaning that visitors will outnumber residents 4:1.
2:26 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Washington, DC
December 7, 2008
Last night we got our first snow here in Washington. Though we'd had a few flurries in November, this was the first snow to either accumulate or make the streets wet. Some cars (like mine) that hadn't been moved in a while accumulated a quarter-inch or so, which was a perfect reminder to me that I needed to purchase an ice scraper - a task I performed last night.
Friday night my church went to Build-A-Bear and built stuffed animals to give to Toys 4 Tots. We then went back to the Fullerton home to watch Across the Universe, a musical built around many Beatles songs.
In two short weeks I'll be home for Christmas, and I'm looking forward to seeing many of you while I'm there!
9:54 am | Comment (3) | Print | Categories: Holidays, Washington, DC, Weather
November 24, 2008
Apparently for the Washington Post, a $23,000 retreat for 46 government employees was too much.
Raw Fisher of the Post writes in an article titled Where's Firing Fenty When You Need Him? that "...the unbelievable gall it takes to mount such an expedition, especially as the city faces a nine-figure budget shortfall, is certainly worthy of some mayoral attention, in the form of a symbolic firing or two."
His problem seems to be that because we're facing a budget deficit, treating hard-working employees to some team-building is out of line.
He didn't take them to the Ritz. Nor did he order caviar and wine for his staff. He spent $500 per employee, or even less if you count him (which would make a theoretical 47 people). In an era of $500,000 retreats on the taxpayer dime (a.k.a. AIG), $23,000 for some leadership training and some team building doesn't seem that out of line.
There are certainly wastes in the DC government budget worth pursuing. This isn't one of them.
4:54 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Washington, DC
October 5, 2008
The polls have Obama with an eight-point lead over McCain nationally. But Obama has a 67% to 32% lead in the electoral college - a margin that would constitute a landslide if the election were held today.
The big problem is that John McCain is running out of money. He took public financing, some $87 million, and the pricetags of running a campaign in certain swing states (read: Virginia) are astronomically high. Obama has collected some $300 million in campaign donations, mostly from small $5 and $10 donations, meaning that he's been able to push the game to the whole map.
Obama has commanding leads in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Florida, Colorado and New Mexico. He's also gaining ground in Indiana, North Carolina, Nevada, and Missouri. Obama is also pushing hard in Omaha, Nebraska, hoping to win the urban congressional district and add 1 electoral vote. It is for this reason that McCain moved his Michigan money into Maine, hoping to pick up one or two of Maine's electoral votes. Both Nebraska and Maine split their electors based on Congressional districts and the vote in each.
The onus is on McCain to reverse the trend, but doing so would require some sort of massive effort. McCain is playing with a handicap, and that is the noose of the last eight years. The best that McCain can hope for is that the stock market rebounds next week, and that the economic crisis gets off the front page for a while. Even then, with 28 states now leaning Democratic, Barack Obama is in the best position of the year, and it's a question of whether or not the next 30 days will be enough to turn the tide.
Updated at 10/5/2008 @ 7:55 pm This post was written before reading Politico, which reveals that Karl Rove, architect of President Bush's victories in 2000 and 2004, puts the race squarely in Obama's column. According to Rove, the electoral math gives Obama 273 electoral votes, 3 more than are required to win the election. You know things are bad when a partisan like Rove puts the election in the Obama column...
7:51 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Election '08, Washington, DC
September 27, 2008
Week 1 is finished of work for The Bivings Group. So far, I'm enjoying it a lot.
DC has had some interesting experiences in the last week, most notably with the arrival of Sens. Obama and McCain to meet with President Bush. Sen. Obama received a warm welcome from cheering crowds outside the Mayflower Hotel where he was staying. No such reception was reported for Sen. McCain. Washington, DC is 85% Democratic.
There was also some debate this week over whether or not fire hydrants work properly in the District, a holdover from a fire in Adams Morgan last year where fire hydrants failed to properly maintain water pressure and forced the fire department to take emergency measures to douse the flames.
And construction on the inaugural stage has begun in ernest, with Sen. Barbara Boxer, chair of the Inaugural Committee, pounding in the first stake this last week. Washington will be transformed into a large, open-air prison fairground over the next few months while the country prepares to inaugurate the next President.
8:41 pm | Comment (2) | Print | Categories: Election '08, Washington, DC
September 7, 2008
The automobile industry is going to press Congress for $50 billion in loans. The automakers insist that the loans are necessary, with high fuel prices and low demand for profitable SUVs and trucks eating profits and running up huge losses.
In an election year, it will be hard for Congress to say no to protecting American jobs and innovating right here.
But saying no is exactly what Congress should do.
The American automobile industry is famous for claiming market principles should drive the auto industry when Congress tries to increase fuel efficiency or safety standards. And this is not the first bailout of the American auto industry that taxpayers have funded.
The truth is that the market is doing what the market does - killing old industries and rewarding new ones. American automobile manufacturing has been in decline for years. The truth is that the Europeans and the Asians are much better at producing cars than we are.
The human face of these industry losses are the people who find themselves unemployed. Congress should spend the $50 billion in training, business investment, and other aid, rather than pouring it into an industry that will eventually fail.
When automakers from Detroit tell Congress that we're "shipping American jobs overseas" they should be quietly reminded that Toyota produces many if not most of the vehicles it sells in America, in America. So does Honda, Hyundai, and others. VW produces its cars in North America, primarily in Mexico. They should also be reminded that Ford Motor Company, which will make such a claim, produces most of its parts in Mexico, then ships them to Detroit for assembly. For Asian car makers, manufacturing the cars here is cheaper than shipping them overseas, and good, high-paying American jobs come from these investments.
Ford may have invented the assembly line, but his Japanese and European competitors invented better automobiles. That's how markets work. Propping up a failing industry will only prolong the inevitable, cost the taxpayers billions, and do nothing to encourage innovation. It may be unpopular to say no in an election year, but it is right.
Auto industry to press Congress for $50B in loans ~ AP, 9/7/2008
1:20 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Economics, Politics, Washington, DC
August 21, 2008
...to have so many homes you forget just how many you own...
McCain unsure how many houses he owns ~ Politico
9:32 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Bizarre, Washington, DC
August 18, 2008
According to the Washington Post, one of the scientists at the National Aquarium, while discussing the new fish tanks, stated that "D.C. water is abominable. It cannot sustain life." His boss, mortified, tried to quickly assuage concerns that the water was unsafe for people by saying "it's safe to drink!" but the damage seems already done.
So what is it, DC? Safe or not safe?
Washington Post
12:11 pm | Comment (3) | Print | Categories: Health, Washington, DC
August 13, 2008
It's August in Washington, which means nothing moves.
Nothing.
The streets are emptier, the Craigslist boards are slimmer, the e-mail...well, the e-mail keeps coming and so does the work.
But the people are gone.
It's odd, because we've had some unseasonably cool days. Days where the day started in the 60's and ended in the 70's. Today's high of 86 is just an example (last year at this time it was in the 90's).
As we approach the almost-halfway point it's notable that my blog has seen much less posting than normal. That is due mostly to my overbearing work schedule. But to you, my faithful readers, I do hope that there is some loyalty from you to my work.
How has everyone spent their summer?
5:31 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Washington, DC, Weather
August 10, 2008
A new website called WalkScore (www.walkscore.com) rates places based on their walkability. This score is composed of the items in a particular neighborhood. It's interesting because it shows how walkable certain places are in comparison to other places.
My home in Glover Park beats the DC average of 70 with a overall rating of 80. However, it is clear the regions of wealth and privilege in Washington, and the areas that have less money, which are also less walkable.
The entire city city map is here and it's an interesting look. They also list cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles for their walkability.
1:14 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Washington, DC
August 1, 2008
The Washington Post article spends more time discussing the labor disputes over China importing it's own workers than it spends on discussing the new structure, but does a fairly decent job discussing exactly how China built the new structure.
One must wonder if the Falun Gong protesters, who daily picket the embassy near Dupont Circle, will have an easier or more difficult time picketing this embassy.
9:17 am | Comment (2) | Print | Categories: Washington, DC
July 31, 2008
November 21st, the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address, will be the formal reopening of the American History Museum, which has been closed for renovations since 2006. The museum will reopen with a copy of the Gettysburg Address on display, for a limited time, because it has to be back in the Lincoln bedroom of the White House before the next President takes office (I'm sure it complained vigorously about the curfew).
The museum has been closed for the entire time I've been in DC, so I'm excited to go see it.
9:30 am | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Washington, DC
July 29, 2008
The city allowed a proviso for possessing a handgun but still required that it be disassembled except in cases of "imminent danger" which while meeting the Court's requirements, in all practicality means that a handgun would be useless for self defense, which was the Court's primary goal.
Heller's case will likely take years to reach the Court, which may be what the city is hoping for - a Democratic President who appoints liberals to the Supreme Court who in turn overturn the Heller decision altogether. We'll see what happens, but in any event, guns are still outlawed in DC for another 15 years or so.
7:22 am | Comment (2) | Print | Categories: Law, Washington, DC
July 26, 2008
It's been a busy week here in Washington. Lots going on. First, Restaurant Week has been announced, bringing some of DC's finest dining establishments to the locals at about $20 for lunch or $30 for dinner.
Let's see, what else is going on...
Robert Novak, conservative columnist and best known for committing an unidicted Federal crime of disclosing classified information about Valerie Plame struck a homeless pedestrian and tried to commit another felony of hit-and-run...he was stopped by a biker and cited $50 for violating a crosswalk. [WaPo]
Metro had a fun week, with a signaling problem Monday night that literally shut down the entire system for two hours, followed by Red Line problems that stalled traffic entirely on that line for most of Wednesday afternoon. Loads of fun!
Richard Simmons visited the Capitol and apparently did some sort of a dance routine on the steps (not safe if you're eating): DCist.
Congress is thinking about striking DC's gun ban by barring the District from passing such laws. Apparently they missed the Supreme Court decision on the subject. [DCist]
The United States Congress took Union Station to task over threatening and intimidating photographers. Apparently some in Congress think that Constitutional rights matter...who would have thought? [Greater Greater Washington]
And Google Maps now supports walking directions!
Hope everyone else had a great week!
2:24 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Metro, Washington, DC, Weather
July 20, 2008
Today marks 1 year since I moved to Washington. One year ago today I drove myself to the airport, boarded a flight, and headed out for the unknown. It's been a long year with many challenges and numerous learning experiences. But all in all it's been a great year.
9:19 am | Comment (2) | Print | Categories: Washington, DC
July 13, 2008
Here's how the story went...
On Saturday, July 5th, I asked Comcast about static IPs. I was told that no one offered them - there was no such thing. I twittered to @comcastcares about my problem and he put me in touch with the Business Services line. On Monday I called them.
They wanted a three-year commitment or a $99 fee to install the service. I twittered again and I was put in contact with a customer service rep who helped me out. He sent me a contract (a year of service), and I agreed. He said he would schedule my installation (really a dropped-off box) for Thursday night.
On Wednesday I get a call about my install being from 9 AM to 12 PM. I contacted @comcastcares, who assured me that they could resolve that. He was able to get it moved to 6 PM on Thursday.
On Thursday, around 7:30 PM, the tech showed up. He started by telling me that everything the sales rep had told me was wrong - he wouldn't set it up in bridged mode (so I could use my own router) and the statics were handled by someone else. Then, he set up the modem, which didn't work, and spent 45 minutes blaming the Accounts department (who actually turned out to be at fault). He left, and I let Frank know (on Twitter). He was quite frustrated and dispatched the tech back, at which point I spent three hours on the phone with Heather at Comcast trying to get the box online.
Finally, on Friday, Comcast got its act together and got my box online, with the static addresses. I'm a happy customer to have what I needed put together, but frustrated with the overall experience. Frank on Twitter was one of the most competent Comcast employees I've ever dealt with, and I appreciated his help. I just wish his colleagues were the same way.
As a caveat, when I called to disable my residential account, I was told by two representatives that they "had to send a truck to disconnect the cable" since I was "terminating service." I contacted Frank again, and he indicated that he was handling the residential account. We'll see when that's taken care of.
It did raise the question, though, as to what normal customers do when they have problems. Is Comcast this incompetent with everyone? Every time I've worked with Comcast it's taken multiple calls and a lot of time and effort to handle everything. Hopefully this is the last time I have to change something, but I hope that Comcast gets better, for everyone's sake.
Especially for this woman.
8:24 pm | Comment (5) | Print | Categories: Technology, Washington, DC
July 6, 2008
The message is clear: if you own a car, the District of Columbia is not necessarily the place for you.
DC is taking critical steps to reducing congestion and traffic caused by commuters, including installing new parking meters that can be adjusted to charge variable amounts, raising city-owned garage fees, and considering raising the fine for violating a crosswalk from $50 to $500.
Some suburban drivers feel the pinch, and they're not happy. But DC has the worst traffic in the nation, and the highest death rate for pedestrians nationally, while having some of the highest numbers of commuters who do so by foot, bike or mass transit.
AAA accuses DC of an "anti-car" policy. I don't think that's entirely fair, since I think that DC leaders are recognizing that their constituents don't necessarily appreciate the automobiles that clog the streets and make walking impossible in the city. As someone who has considered buying a car, I would still use mass transit to get to certain parts of the city (the Verizon Center, for example), not because it's less expensive but because it's easier. And that's the way it should be.
Drivers Feeling Shunned by D.C. ~ Washington Post, July 6, 2008
11:48 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Metro, Traffic, Washington, DC
July 2, 2008
To mark the evacuation routes in DC, the city has flags on street signs (see above). The problem is, in the dark those are somewhat hard to see. Seriously.
Washington is testing it's evacuation plan this Friday after the national fireworks display by settings lights to draw people from the center of the city quickly. Most people won't even know they're part of the test - exactly what you want if you want to see how people will respond to heavy traffic and traffic flow. Still, in a true emergency there may not be electric power to run traffic signals and people need to know what the evacuation routes are.
Adrian Fenty drew fire last September when he asserted that 99% of DC residents didn't know that the DC flag marked evacuation routes. I didn't know. And I'm sure if I ask a few more people they won't know either.
The problem should be solved soon, though - The Department of Transportation is planning on installing large signs to mark emergency routes more clearly, like they do for snow emergencies.
8:51 am | Comment (4) | Print | Categories: Security, Washington, DC
June 28, 2008
If you listed none, you're right.
What?
Our "Bill of Rights" is something everyone likes to cite as a document that grants them particular rights (e.g. right to free speech, free assembly, free press, right to privacy, etc.) but that's in fact NOT what the document says.
Take the First Amendment (emphasis mine):
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.That could be rewritten to say "Congress can't:
- stop free speech
- make you follow a particular religion
- stop the press from saying whatever it wants
- stop you from protesting the government
The very first Amendment to grant individual rights is the 6th Amendment, which grants the right to a fair, speedy trial with cross-examination of witnesses and a jury of one's peers. This is, in fact, the only Amemdment which explicitly grants rights. The 9th and 10th amendments simply reserve rights to the people.
When I hear someone say "I have the right" (and I've done it too, so I'm criticizing myself), they're dead wrong, unless they're talking about the Sixth Amendment. But in the same vein, when I hear someone rationalize that the government can impinge upon the restrictions laid out in the Constitution, it frustrates me. We've set limitations on our government, explicit ones. They're not significant, or particularly hard to follow. Some of them we don't even really need (see the Third Amendment). But they are there. And they must be followed.
Our government is unique in that we have denied it certain abilities. My friend from New Zealand told me that their "Bill of Rights" is just another law, and that it grants rights that can be taken away by other legislation. In comparison, our Bill of Rights is a document that supersedes all other legislation, not simply because it's in the Constitution but also because it specifies what rights are denied to the government.
The Antifederalists, the main proponents for the Bill of Rights, feared the government. They fought the Revolution to get away from the government of England, which they saw as obtuse and uninterested in the needs of the colonies. They wrote the document to ensure that the government, not the people, were restricted from certain actions. And that places the onus on the government to prove not that we have a right they can deny, but that they have an obstacle that public interest dictates be ignored. And that is the beauty in the Bill of Rights.
6:30 pm | Comment (2) | Print | Categories: Law, Washington, DC
June 26, 2008
The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home. ~ Antonin ScaliaAnd with that holding, the Supreme Court made the first definitive determination as to the meaning of the Second Amendment since the framing of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights in the 1790's.
The decision, essentially a Scalia grammar lesson, articulates that the Second Amendment allows for the possession of a weapon by private citizens for private purposes. After swallowing an NRA brochure, Scalia argues that the two clauses of the Second Amendment do not rely on one another, and thus grant rights to private gun ownership.
The 5-4 decision reflected the conservative bent to which the Court has moved in the past few years, and serves to articulate the damage that the Bush presidency has done to the judiciary. Had O'Connor remained on the court, this decision would have fallen quite differently, if it had been decided at all (though there is no way to determine who voted in favor of hearing the case).
The full effect of the ruling has yet to be seen, as the ruling does not legalize gun posession in the District per se; the details must be determined by the lower court in a manner consistent with the opinion, and DC could still institute policies that would make handgun registration prohibitively difficult (a complex language test, for example, or a prohibitively high filing fee). Criminals who are arrested for gun violations will likely continue to avoid registration, and it is unlikely that conceal-carry permits will be issued in DC, meaning that law-abiding citizens will only be able to posses these firearms in their homes.
Still, the thought of criminals stealing legitimate handguns is frightening, and the Court erred today in it's decision. Here's hoping for an Obama victory, and a quick overturning of this decision.
1:04 pm | Comment (2) | Print | Categories: Crime, Law, Washington, DC
June 21, 2008
The Post article goes into detail, but this is an issue that I've written about before. I contacted a gentleman the National Park Service last week regarding the DC War Memorial, and he indicated that there is movement on fixing up the Mall in general and that monument in particular.
Those of you who have representation in Congress, I ask you to urge your representatives to fund maintenance of the Mall. This national treasure brings more visitors than the Grand Canyon, and deserves a place of national prominence.
12:19 pm | Comment (2) | Print | Categories: Washington, DC
June 19, 2008
Congress has acquiesced to the Bush administration, permitting warrantless wiretapping of American citizens for dubious purposes and shielding phone companies from liability for cooperating.
In a bill that I'm fairly certain included funding a shredder for the Constitution, Democrats worked with the White House to produce a compromise that is neither fair or appropriate.
Democrats that vote for this bill are weak, and should resign from Congress immediately.
As a card-carrying member of the American Civil Liberties Union, I am outraged that my Congress would ever allow a trampling of the Bill of Rights in this way. An inclusion of the right to privacy the Constitution does not contain; but an implicit right to be free of warrantless intrusion on our lives and communiques it does guarantee.
7:24 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Phones, Washington, DC
June 17, 2008
The report discusses, in detail, the threat commercial over-fishing poses to our oceans. It also ranks supermarkets based on their seafood offerings, and challenges them to do better by reducing the sale of endangered fish species and encouraging sustainable seafood practices.
Congratulations to my fellow team members on getting this project out!
11:56 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: DC PHP, Politics, Washington, DC
June 13, 2008
A massive power outage affecting downtown DC and including the White House has shut down traffic signals and much of the Federal government's Federal triangle office complex on this Friday the 13th.
Riders on Metro experienced delays and dark stations due to the power outage and a separate fire on the tracks, while sixty traffic signals are still out around DC. Dupont Circle Metro station has been closed, due to the fact that the 188 foot-long escalators are not functioning. One man was hospitalized after reporting heart problems as a result of ascending the escalators, and fire officials treated nine others for being overheated. Dupont Circle is the deepest station in the system, and climbing the escalators from top to bottom is the equivalent of climbing an 18-story building.
Pepco (the utility company for the District) is unsure as to when services will be rest of the District. Their own headquarters was affected by the outage.
Live Coverage:
WTOP
Washington Post
WMATA (Metro)
DC Government
Updated at 6/13/2008 @ 11:22 am Power has been restored and Metro Center has reopened after a closure from a second fire. Dupont Circle is also open.
10:11 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Electricity, Metro, Washington, DC
June 11, 2008
The House of Representatives authorized Amtrak for another five years, and did so by a veto-proof margin today, marking a stiff rebuke to those like John McCain who would see Amtrak's demise.
Over the objections of the White House, the House passed the bill offering $15 billion over five years to Amtrak. The Bush administration threatened a veto, but the increasing popularity of passenger rail and the ever-decreasing popularity of President Bush limits the relevancy of the President on this issue.
The vote also means that should the bill become law, and John McCain wins the White House, he will be unable to veto Amtrak funding from the budget, as the money was appropriated before he took office. Since McCain will likely be a one-term President (he will be 76 at the end of his term), this means Amtrak will survive his "non-negotiable" position.
The House vote was 311 - 104.
7:09 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Election '08, Metro, Northern Virginia, Politics, Rail, Washington, DC
June 10, 2008
Do you see something wrong with record profits for oil companies and record prices for gasoline?
The Republican Party doesn't.
They filibustered a bill today that would have raised taxes on windfall profits earned by the oil companies and allowed the Securities and Exchange Commission to reign in speculation in the oil markets. For some reason, Republicans thought that targeting speculation, which has been seen widely as the overall cause of increasing oil prices, was a bad thing. Probably because the speculators donate to Republicans.
Tax increases probably weren't the right idea, and history has shown higher taxes do get passed on to consumers. What is so mind-boggling though is that Republicans didn't simply vote against the bill - they voted against DEBATE of the bill. They were opposed to even TALKING about it. Rather than work together to find something to help American consumers, they were more interested in protecting their campaign war chests and special interests, and refused to even discuss this bill.
This is really shameful behavior. The concepts of free speech and free assembly were based on the idea that a free public discourse would ensure a free society. But Congress can't seem to ensure that same free discourse inside the chambers of democracy, and that's disconcerting. And it's a good reason for Americans to vote these people out of power.
Maybe that's why Republicans are so worried.
1:50 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Economics, Election '08, Frustration, Washington, DC
June 9, 2008
Gigaom.com has published an interesting article about how tiered internet service is likely due to the fact that cable companies recognize that unlimited broadband connections end up putting them out of business.
Here's how it works: unlimited internet lets people have access to high quality video through Netflix, iTunes, and other services. Companies like Comcast charge exorbitant rates for lower-quality programming, and as more consumers become tech-savvy, they're realizing they can buy episodes off iTunes and watch movies off Apple TV for much less than what Comcast and others want.
The solution? Cable companies need to limit how much you can download. Gigaom.com speculates that the tiers are designed to limit most people to about 75 minutes of Standard Definition video a day - not nearly enough to satisfy most television watchers. This means cable companies can remain secure in their video connection subscription rates, and help put P2P out of business to boot.
Congress needs to investigate and punish these innovation-crushing monopolies. The internet is the closest we've ever gotten to unlimited free speech, and to let cable and phone companies dictate what and how much of it people can download and utilize is unconscionable and contrary to our best ideals.
1:35 pm | Comment (5) | Print | Categories: Law, Politics, Washington, DC
June 5, 2008
Wow. Just wow.
It's been a crazy week.
Three days of conference. Three days of geeks together, talking about geek things, and drinking bad beer. Not me so much with the drinking, but certainly the talking and geeking out part.
Yesterday we had terrible thunderstorms. So bad it shut parts of the Metro down. Predicted 50% chance of rain today, but since I bought an umbrella it wasn't going to rain.
Invited to speak at ZendCon, a PHP Conference in September in California. Very cool, and quite a resume point (if I can secure the time off).
Today working on the Greenpeace Seafood report. HTML, CSS, PHP, I think some JSP and maybe some ESP or something like that. We release next Friday. Exciting.
Shoutouts to Tony Bibbs, Keith Casey, Mike Ho, Eli White(?) and others who presented phenomenal presentations at DC PHP '08.
8:40 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: DC PHP, PHP, Washington, DC, Weather
May 29, 2008
Having a heart attack? Better not be in DC.
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8:55 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Health, Washington, DC
May 23, 2008
Memorial day is upon us, and so I wanted to warm the weekend up with a bit on transportation.
The headlines that affect you...
- Gas hits $3.83 a gallon. Go ahead. You can cry. Let it out. I'll wait. It's important to get it out now. Seriously. Now that we've got that out of the way...
- 37.87 million of you will take to the roads or skies, which surprisingly is fewer than last year. Apparently $3.83 a gallon hurts some, but 37.87 million still feel the need to travel.
- If you must travel, Metro is getting safer, as they are preparing evacuation plans for all their stations in case of emergency. One has to think, though...why don't they already have emergency evacuation plans?
- American Airlines wants $15 for you to check your first piece of luggage. Though most airlines are struggling, Southwest is still flying cheep fares, in part due to their huge capital resources and ability to buy fuel far in advance. While some of my friends think that airlines should still serve diamond-encrusted champagne on flights, the reality is that the Southwest business model may be the wave of the future. Goodbye, Skymiles, hello Rapid Rewards!
Have a safe Memorial Day.
9:55 am | Comment (3) | Print | Categories: Economics, Frustration, Metro, Travel, Washington, DC
May 22, 2008
Sometimes you just gotta ask yourself: what on earth were they thinking?
The day's headlines:
Congress forgot to send the third title of the Farm Bill to President Bush for his signature or veto, both confirming that neither Congress or the President actually read the legislation they vote on or sign, and also embarassing the Democrats who quickly voted to override a veto that never took place. I can see in some office somewhere: "Hey Bob, you know that scratch paper we used the other day? Well..." What were they thinking? [Politico]
DCist reports that plenty of cabs won't have meters by June 1. With thousands of cabs, only four stations that can certify meters, and cabbies who seemed to think the courts would miraculously side with them, one can only ask, what were they thinking? [DCist]
Someone thought it a good idea to sign me up for a subscription of Men's Vogue. What were they thinking?
The Park Service announced that arsenic levels at Fort Reno park were, in fact, within acceptable levels, weeks after closing the park based on satellite images (as if arsenic could be found by satellite). What were they thinking? [DCist]
28% of Americans still approve of President Bush's leadership. What on EARTH are they thinking?
9:37 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Bizarre, Funny, Washington, DC
May 21, 2008
Honesty is very important to law enforcement. Police officers routinely testify in court, and their word often outweighs that of a defendant, especially in cases where the officer is the only one to see the offense. So you would think that it would be easy to fire a police officer who lied to their superiors.
Nope.
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4:11 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Bizarre, Civil Rights, Crime, Politics, Washington, DC
May 19, 2008
So it's Monday, and after a busy and fun weekend I thought I should share the festivities with those of you too far away to participate.
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12:47 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Washington, DC
May 14, 2008
Andy Carvin is a typical DC resident. He works for NPR, and when trying out a new camera he wanted to go to one of DC's most spacious and beautiful public buildings: Union Station. Problem is, security guards at Union Station seem to have missed First Amendment day, and have a tendancy to harass photographers like Andy Carvin, as he wrote about in his blog.
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10:53 pm | Comment (2) | Print | Categories: Civil Rights, Washington, DC
There was talk from cabbies that the new systems would drive fares higher. Did that happen? Tonight, I got a cab ride from the Verizon Center home, a three-zone fare with a $1 gas surcharge, for a zone total of $12. However, my cab was metered, and the total fare door to door was $10.50, a full $1.50 less expensive than the zone system. This included a $1 gas surcharge for the driver, and a $3 drop rate (the starting point for the ride), as opposed to the $7.50 drop rate for one zone under the old system.
In a time of rising prices, I'm happy to see cab rides come down in price. Even as cabbies are pinched by higher fuel prices and more expensive goods at home, the fact that they're now being paid for the time and distance they travel is a good thing. I'm pleased with the Mayor's decision and I hope that he continues to win the court fight the cabbies are waging to stop the meters.
9:59 pm | Comment (4) | Print | Categories: Taxicabs, Washington, DC
April 20, 2008
It's raining today.
A lot.
They say that April showers bring May flowers. They forgot to mention the lightning and the thunder, though! Continue Reading...
8:01 pm | Comment (3) | Print | Categories: Washington, DC, Weather
April 19, 2008
The Third Way Middle Class Program has issued a "receipt" to taxpayers detailing spending for each family. The report takes the median income tax paid by a family ($13,000) and calculates the amount spent on various government services by each individual taxpayer. The results are quite interesting.
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4:14 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Washington, DC
March 30, 2008
I was asked by someone yesterday why web developers charge so much for the work that we do. He talked about an estimate that he got which seemed outrageous (and all things considered, probably was), and it made me mull a justification for the prices we charge.
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1:05 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: PHP, Technology, Washington, DC
March 28, 2008
I checked my Comcast bill online this morning to discover that my internet rate was DOUBLE what it should have been. I called Comcast right away, and the person on the phone apologized and then said these scary words: "it looks like someone was in your account but there's no explanation..."
Apparently Comcast's account security could use some improvement.
8:14 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Security, Washington, DC
March 20, 2008
I've been here eight months as of today. Thought it was worth mentioning.
6:47 am | Comment (3) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Washington, DC
March 18, 2008
If you had asked me on June 18th, 2007 why I was coming here, I would have told you for one reason: to make a difference. I had this idea that lending my voice to the chorus of others would somehow make an appreciable impact on the region and on the society at large. As of today I have been here for eight months less two days, I have been on-again, off-again with Claire, changed jobs, and watched the economy change around me. Thinking about the time spent and the impact not felt, I felt discouraged at what had been accomplished, or not accomplished.
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9:11 pm | Comment (2) | Print | Categories: California, Contemplation, Relationships, Washington, DC
March 17, 2008
If local government officials get their way, DC roads will become toll roads, under a proposal to be released Wednesday. The plan calls for the implementation of a toll system that would make most DC roads toll roads, including the bridges and roads into and out of the city.
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9:23 am | Comment (3) | Print | Categories: Northern Virginia, Traffic, Travel, Washington, DC
March 15, 2008
I went shopping today. It was a less than pleasant experience.
Between understaffed retail stores, poor customer service from the staff members they DID bother to employ, rude customers who were convinced that they (and generally their sixteen children) were the most important people on earth, large volumes of traffic, products missing or not available and misplaced items, it represented a complete failure of the retail sector to win my heart or my mind. Continue Reading...
11:54 pm | Comment (2) | Print | Categories: Business, Northern Virginia, Pet Peeves, Traffic, Washington, DC
March 13, 2008
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9:35 am | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Economics, Washington, DC
March 8, 2008
As I've worked to start saving money and padding my emergency fund (along with my stock portfolio), I've been watching the money I spend very closely, especially with regards to groceries. Recently I've challenged myself to purchase fresh meals that are no more than $5 per person (so $10 for two, $15 for three, etc.). So far, I've been successful, and even had some pretty amazing dishes (like salmon last night for $6 a serving $4.78 a serving).
I have a feeling that with grain prices and transportation costs increasing, that food prices will subsequently rise over the coming months, making it more difficult to purchase inexpensive meals. Still with sales and careful shopping, I will be successful. I was even able to get a meal at Whole Foods for $4.95 per serving (an accomplishment from what is a notoriously expensive store).
What's your favorite grocery shopping save-money-now tip? Tell me in the comments.
Updated at 3/9/2008 @ 8:28 pm: After further review of the receipt, I have determined that the salmon was less expensive than I initially thought.
9:00 pm | Comment (5) | Print | Categories: Economics, Washington, DC
January 24, 2008
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4:48 pm | Comment (2) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Washington, DC, Weather
January 12, 2008
Metro riders got a surprise today when a stunt, organized by George Mason University student Richard Julian, took the pants off Metro riders - literally.
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10:37 pm | Comment (3) | Print | Categories: Bizarre, Metro, Washington, DC
January 2, 2008
Iowa holds it's first-in-the-nation caucus this Thursday, and the races are tight. Since it's the general consensus among most pundits that regardless of the nominee, if the election were held today, the Democrats would win it. But if that's true, then why is it that the state of Iowa, population 2,892,085, gets to decide for the rest of America who the next President will be?
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12:15 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Election '08, Politics, Washington, DC
December 27, 2007
I made it home to Baltimore with minor delays and I'm back in DC. Going to bed now...
12:50 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Travel, Washington, DC
December 5, 2007
In 2001, at the height of the anthrax attacks that happened right after the September 11th attacks, two postal workers in DC died as a result of handling anthrax-laced mail. And thus began the demise of the Washington, DC postmark.
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9:30 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Politics, Washington, DC
December 4, 2007
Welcome to Washington I guess...
8:25 am | Comment (4) | Print | Categories: Washington, DC, Weather
November 22, 2007
I spent my first Thanksgiving ever away from home this year, and I thought I would take a moment to recap how it went. Claire and I helped Mike and Debbie's kids make butter using a really neat ice cream ball on Wednesday. Then after coming home, we I made rolls. Here are some pictures.
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7:50 pm | Comment (5) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Holidays, Washington, DC
November 17, 2007
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1:47 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Maryland, Metro, Northern Virginia, Washington, DC
November 14, 2007
Roy Pearson, the DC Administrative Law judge who sued a dry cleaner for $67 million alledging a pair of lost pants, has lost his job.
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11:40 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Jobs, Washington, DC
November 8, 2007
The Washington Post published an article today about DC tax employees that stole $20 million in refund money over three years, issuing over 40 checks to friends and family members. With an average theft of $6.7 million a year, one has to ask: how does this happen?
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9:48 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Crime, Washington, DC
November 6, 2007
With oil's seeming unstoppable march forward, many of you (my friends) have asked me about what it means to the global economy and to our economy in particular. I am writing this as a hopeful way to avoid the questions that I receive and to provide a clear example of exactly why the economy is in its current state of affairs.
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9:59 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Economics, Politics, Washington, DC
November 4, 2007
When you read about terrible crimes in the newspaper, they're usually far away from where you are. Distant people in distant cities are victims of horrendous crimes. Tonight, those crimes weren't far away, but right down the street.
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12:01 am | Comment (2) | Print | Categories: Bizarre, Crime, Washington, DC
November 2, 2007
When interviewed regarding the mayor's decision to move ahead with time-and-distance meters instead of the zone system currently in place, Mr. Wright was quoted as saying "The mayor did his thing again. ... He's catering to the public. He doesn't care about the cabdrivers."
Yes, Mr. Wright, Mayor Fenty is catering to the public. After all, they elected him to his position as mayor. And since they ultimately get to reelect him or not, I would think it would make sense for him to cater to the public, don't you? After all, it's the public who placed him in his job.
So for your ignorance, you win the Dumb Quote of the Week Award.
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7:40 pm | Comment (4) | Print | Categories: Taxicabs, Washington, DC
October 31, 2007
If you ask that question of the Washington Teachers' Union, they don't give you a very good answer. See the Washington Teacher's Union opposes turning school district employees not currently represented by the union into at-will employees - a move that would allow them to be terminated immediately if they perform poorly.
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10:20 am | Comment (2) | Print | Categories: Education, Washington, DC
October 23, 2007
Washington Post has an article about constituent services in the District of Colombia, discussing how many council members receive requests from constituents who are asking for more than the filling of potholes and replacement of street lamps. These constituents are asking for help paying for some of life's necessities: rent, groceries, and even funerals.
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7:57 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Politics, Washington, DC
October 21, 2007
The Washington Post published an outrageous opinion piece in the Metro section in the middle of last week entitled "Why Flying Now Can Kill." Without the gory details, the article basically blamed U.S. Airways for the death of a passenger in Phoenix, who became agitated when she was denied boarding of a flight (everyone in America by now has heard of this woman). The editorial tries to pin the blame on U.S. Airways by claiming U.S. Airways overbooks flights, and that was why she was denied boarding.
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1:48 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Travel, Washington, DC
October 20, 2007
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9:30 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Politics, Washington, DC
October 19, 2007
Mayor Adrian Fenty has decided: DC cabs will install time-and-distance meters, bringing them in line with the majority of U.S. cities.
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10:31 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Taxicabs, Washington, DC
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1:21 pm | Comment (4) | Print | Categories: Good Samaritans, Phones, Washington, DC
October 16, 2007
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1:27 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Taxicabs, Washington, DC
September 29, 2007
One word of advice for taking the Washington, DC Metro system on a weekend: don't.
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6:38 pm | Comment (3) | Print | Categories: Metro, Mobile Post, Washington, DC
September 8, 2007
One of the most common questions that people asked me when I told them I was moving to Washington, DC was "why are you planning to move there?" They wanted to know why I would pick up and move so far away from my home, the people that I knew, and the places that I loved. My experience on Thursday night at a Georgetown restaurant is the clear example of exactly why I moved here.
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11:05 am | Comment (2) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Washington, DC
September 5, 2007
There are some benefits to missing an 8-car train first thing in the morning. One of them is that if it's roughly five minutes ahead of you, it will clear the platform and your train will remain relatively uncrowded.
Or so one might think.
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8:57 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Metro, Washington, DC
August 17, 2007
The Washington Post has an article this morning that's fairly interesting, especially considering that it talks about the man who runs the office that my contract serves. While our contract is not in jeopardy, I would presume that his position is, especially given the contents of the article.
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8:38 pm | Comment (3) | Print | Categories: Jobs, Politics, Washington, DC
August 14, 2007
If ever there was a poster child for tort reform (look it up), Administrative Judge Roy Pearson embodies it 100%.
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9:44 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Bizarre, Washington, DC
August 4, 2007
Well, good news...my clearance came through!
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11:08 am | Comment (3) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Friends, Jobs, Washington, DC