Three Cheers For My Fellow Nats Fans
Sun Mar 30, 2008 at 05:22:51 PM PDT
I know, I know never blog after finishing off a nice bottle of Chilean Sauvignon Blanc but man, oh man I flipped to catch the Nationals home opener and wow. The boo birds were out and no ESPN didn't even bother to filter out the crowd noise. They must have known ahead of time that it would be boos right? Wow again 'cause you blink and you would have missed it too -- President Bush ran out onto the field, threw out that first pitch and ran like a coward back to the bullpen to a rather loud chorus of those boo-birds.
Of course though the announcers did not note the elephant in the room -- they ignored the booing and began to um actually talk about BASEBALL.
Hahahahahahaha.
Ticking Time Bomb -- Our Crumbling Infrastructure
Wed Aug 01, 2007 at 05:25:03 PM PDT
By now many of you may have seen the bridge collapse in Minneapolis. I'm heartsick over it and scared about the bridges I drive over daily. No cause can be determined yet of course but this should be a wakeup call to us all -- much of our transportation infrastructure dates back to the 1950s and 1960s, a fair bit from WPA projects from the 1930s -- heck some like the Brooklyn Bridge dates back to the 19th Century.
We are all at risk due to our aging infrastructure. We have not put major dollars into repairing our roads, bridges, tunnels, trains and mass transit since the Interstate Highway System was mostly complete in the 1970s. Just today it came out that the Feds are rejecting the Virginia Metrorail expansion to Dulles Airport as "too expensive".
We need fewer tax breaks for Grover Norquist and his crowd and of course less money spent on crazy wars without end. We need to come home and rebuild our crumbling country. I swear to god I do not want to see any more bodies sacrificed to the altar of low taxes because we're too cheap to keep our bridges safe.
It's the workers fault for not going on vacation????
Tue Jul 03, 2007 at 05:44:56 PM PDT
I watched NBC Nightly news an hour and half ago and after thinking about it, silently stewing about the story I feel compelled GASP to write a diary about it. In short apparently it's our own damn fault that we are workaholics and don't take time off. WTF?
The story title is " Americans leave vacation days unused" on the front page of this link:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/...
Watch it and seethe like I did.
Can This City Be Saved? Tysons Corner, VA
Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 06:52:26 PM PDT
If you've read Joel Garreau's book Edge City, you'll be familar with Tysons Corner, VA -- a place that is the polar opposite of good city planning. It sort of mushroomed in the span of about 20 years from the late 60s to the late 80s. It's the 12th largest business district in the US as a matter of fact.
Flash foward to the 21st century and the realization that Tysons Corner needs to become a "real city" in order to continue to thrive and function. Thus planning for an extention of DC's metrorail from Falls Church to Dulles Airport (via Tysons Corner).
I've just gotten back from a meeeting of the Tysons Tunnel folks. An interesting crowd there. Lotsa business suits and chamber of commerce folks.
A Thanksgiving Pie Scandal
Thu Nov 23, 2006 at 11:55:46 AM PDT
Say it ain't so Joe! Front page above the fold with a huge color photo in today's edition of The Washington Post. That cutesy country store on Route 7 in western Loudon county that makes those wonderful "homemade taste" pies? Not quite what it seems....
A Closely Held Recipe for Success
At Loudoun's Hill High Country Store, Cherished Pies May Taste Familiar
Trees are Dangerous
Fri Jul 14, 2006 at 07:47:39 PM PDT
I hate my job! Help me plot my career escape!
Sun Jul 09, 2006 at 10:13:46 AM PDT
As some of you may recall, I spent a miserable winter unemployed after 16 wonderful productive years at the National Academy of Sciences. Emotionally devastated by the unexpected lay off and ill preparted to undertake a job hunt having not had to really job hunt in earnest ever in my life, I was a text book case of "What Not To Do When You Are Looking For A Job".
I took the very first job that was offered me -- hey it paid $5,000 more than I had been making. As it turns out, the job is at a DOD base in Northern Virginia doing purely accounting office grunt work. I hate the work, the office environment is toxic and I feel like I'm working in a prison.
Not wanting to repeat mistakes made, I need to get myself on the road to a better career path, one that plays to my talents: database design, history/politics, statistics, excellent people and public speaking skills, and a quirky creativity that infuses everything I do. So here I stand with hat in hand in need of the wisdom of the Kossack crowd. I need your help to guide me back onto a better career path.
I don't get all this Mark Warner Bashing
Sun Jun 11, 2006 at 09:37:07 AM PDT
Sampling the diaries about Mark Warner's performance at YearlyKos I must say I'm astonished at the reaction to him (I couldn't go because I just stared a new job after 2 months of unemployment). Sure I can respect a person who says, "As a hardcore progressive I perfer a more liberal candidate -- Russ Finegold is my guy." but many are bashing Warner for being things he most certainly is not and applying limus tests that they don't seem to be holding others too. The stupidest by far was one poster who said he was a Democratic version of George Bush. Wrong. Really wrong. Completely and utterly wrong.
I grew up in Northern Virginia and call it my home, so I've had a front seat to Warner's rise to prominence.
A Feisty Bitch has Passed, Vixen 1993-2006
Tue May 09, 2006 at 06:06:02 PM PDT
I first met Vixen when she was four weeks old. I knew then as she sat on her brother's head to better get to mother Melissa's teat that she was a piece of work. Foolishly? perhaps, we told Carol the breeder, "yes, that's the one we want!" Uh little did we know how "special" our 13 years with her would be.
I Need a Job -- Tell Me Your Best Job Hunting Stories
Wed Jan 25, 2006 at 06:10:09 AM PDT
The countdown to unemployment winds down for me. As of February 1st, 2006 I will move to a status that is new and frightening for me --
Unemployed.
It was totally unexpected -- well not really -- we knew the office lost a huge contract -- over 30 percent of our overhead was funded by this government agency's contract. But I told myself that I was indispensable to the office, that they wouldn't RIF me because it would be foolish to do so. Silly me!
The first Green Pope
Fri Jan 20, 2006 at 08:38:47 AM PDT
For whatever reason some of the antics of Pope Benedict have struck me as highly entertaining in the farcical sort of way. So I bust a gut laughing when I came across
A Holy Roller
The pope who wears Prada has a new set of chic custom wheels.
Pope Benedict XVI, who has made headlines with his high-style red designer loafers and his Gucci shades, is tooling around the grounds of Vatican City in an electric car outfitted in luxurious Natuzzi Italian white leather. His latest fashion statement was donated to the pontiff by Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), a subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler, and Natuzzi.
Okay, okay I confess that the thought of the Pope sitting in white leather Natuzzi seats give me the giggles. Who knew the pope had a thing for Italian white leather? But seriously I'll give Benedict his props for "going green".
VA Gov: Kelly Timbrook don't call me friend!
Tue Nov 01, 2005 at 04:50:14 PM PDT
I got an interesting letter in the mail today -- it looked "handwritten" and was from one Kelly Timbrook of Winchester, Virginia. Does that name ring a bell with anyone? Curious I opened the envelope and inside was a multipage "handwritten" letter from Ms. Timbrook:
"Dear Friend, "
Jerry "Kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out" KIlgore
Tue Oct 11, 2005 at 05:53:52 PM PDT
Is Jerry getting desperate or is he just naturally blood thirsty? He's now running a new attack ad that goes along these line (sorry it's not online anywhere that I know of yet)
Tearful Beautiful Blond White Woman discussing the man who murdered her husband. Prominently noted is the fact that the guy was in the US illegally. Then the zinger -- Tim Kaine called for a moratorium on the death penalty. Then Tearful Beautiful Blond White Woman laments that Tim Kaine won't let us murder her husband's murders and that's soooo offensive to her.
Now not to be insensitive to her loss but come on now.
If a VA governor's debate falls in a forest does anyone hear?
Mon Oct 10, 2005 at 08:33:25 AM PDT
Last night at 7:00 EDT in a TV studio in Richmond the final of three bebates between the two Virginia gubanatorial candidates Jerry Kilgore and Tim Kaine took place. It was advertised as the only debate to be "broadcast statewide". Dispite those lofty claims by Larry Sabato, it's higly doubtful that many Virginian were watching the debate live or even on a delayed basis last night --
Inflation and the Price of Gold -- how much Govt interference?
Mon Aug 22, 2005 at 07:10:15 AM PDT
There have been a number of good diaries from the "experts" regarding possible government ginning of statistics to pretty up numbers. On many blogs it's an article of faith that inflation numbers put out by the US government drastically understate the real life inflation the average American is facing.
Historically one key indicator of inflation has been the price of Gold. Gold Bugs were in their heyday in the late 70s/early 80s as inflation raged and the price of Gold reached astronomical heights. I do not consider myself a "Gold Bug" i.e. a person who advocates investing large chunks of money in gold and I'm highly skeptical of any whiff of "government conspiracies".
Walton Beach too cheap to hire lifeguards
Fri Jul 22, 2005 at 07:54:33 PM PDT
Dangerous Currents Stalk Florida Panhandle
Despite Dozens of Drownings, Many Beaches Have No Lifeguards
Although it is often little understood, the rip current is a common danger that claims an average of 100 lives from coast to coast each year. It occurs when a sandbar traps the water from incoming waves and creates a kind of artificial pond. When there is a break, or a rip, in the sandbar, the water in the artificial pond flows back out to sea and causes the rip current. The flow can be up to eight miles per hour.
Red Light/Speed Cameras = 'Spy' Camera?
Thu Jun 30, 2005 at 09:56:08 AM PDT
N. Virginia to Turn Off 'Spy' Camera
I saw the headline as I walked up Wisconsin to grab some lunch and did a doubletake. Spy camera? Huh? Of course many of us have come to expect such inflamatory journalism from the Moonie Times but still the nagging question lingers in my head:
Why in the world would anybody think Red Light Cameras and Photo Radar are an invasion of privacy?
How is this different from the cop sitting alongside the road and observing with his eyes your red light running? Isn't it simply a question of human eyes versus mechanical ones? And if this is an invasion of privacy is it also an invasion of privacy for VDOT to have cameras watching the Beltway for accidents? How about cameras watching you rob a bank?
HOT Lanes -- Commuter/Environmentalist Nightmare
Mon Jun 20, 2005 at 06:08:44 AM PDT
This morning The Washington Post finally tackles the issue of HOT Lanes (High Occupancy Toll Lanes) after months of uncritical rah, rah cheerleading for them. This issue has mostly flown under the radar as in theory the concept sounds good (like London's congestion pricing) but the devil is indeed in the details. Yet again there is no such thing as a free lunch!
Lessons of Calif.'s Toll Lanes
Appeal and Hazards Offer Glimpse of Va. Beltway to Come
Soon, though, the secret was out. More and more drivers filled the Express Lanes, and on some nights the drive wasn't so express. Road operators reacted by jacking up the peak-hour fees -- to $2.95, and later $4.75, then $5.50 and more. Last month, Gottesman was staggered to learn that his evening drive would now cost as much as $7.75 a day.
More on the flip side...
