Metro. Metro. Metro.

Hey ... In case someone who reads this blog isn't my Facebook friend - Metro is on Facebook.

Yea ... I am really excited.

They are here.

And yes you should add them as a friend.

Additionally - as you don't know.  I've been meaning to write a post about all this garbage with Metro considering service cuts due to the budget shortfall.  I am being extremely lazy and have not been able to get around to writing it (sorry), but I'm sure you've read it on every other DC blog.  Though no one is advocating for fare increases as much as I am.

Anyway ... WaPo ran a story over the weekend about Metro's fan page, and decided to quote me (though they didn't inform me that they were doing so) ... needless to say I am quite flattered/excited.  The article is here - you should go check it out and give WaPo some hits.  I'm not sure if it was published in the actual paper, but I doubt it - after all who reading a physical paper knows what social networking is.  And I took a little excerpt from the article, so you should enjoy:

Metro could certainly use friends like one poster named Tim.

"I really think that Metro needs to stop talking service cuts and start talking fare increases," he wrote. "I understand that we raised fares only a year or two ago -- but I would much rather be paying an additional 50 cents per trip than I would have to deal with trains/buses coming less frequently (they already don't come frequently enough)."

Good Morning

... and in case I don't see you, Good Afternoon, Good Evening, and Goodnight!  

(Just watch the first 10-15 seconds)

Okay, now on to some more important business... Anyone else a little tired of these ridiculous Pittsburgh posts?

1. Over at WaPo they published an opinion article from some nut-job former employee, Jeanne McManus, who basically says that Obama was wrong to comment on how Washingtonians can't deal with the weather.  You can read it for yourself, here, her main defense is not that we can handle weather well (because we can't), but that we can handle other things.  Are you kidding me?  I'm sorry, there are two things that every Washingtonian must recognize:

1. No one in the Metropolitan Washington Area knows how to handle weather of any kind - whether that be snow or rain - or anything else mother nature throws at us.

2. People from Maryland do not know how to drive, Virgina drivers are slightly better, and DC drivers are just a tad better than that.

2. Ummmm ... Another score for Washingtonians.  Yesterday a man was attacked at the corner of 14th and Parkwood in Columbia Heights - around 5pm.  He laid on the ground, unable to get up, for about 20 minutes before someone helped him.  People were passing him by, walking around him, walking over him -- ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  Would it have killed you to take out your cell phone and call 911.  WaPo has the article here.  Bonjangles is 'disappointed' and I am pissed at the lack of common decency displayed.

3. Patchus is so obsessed with Google he apparently wants to name his daughter Google.  This is on the great rumor/news this week about GDrive.  We have heard about GDrive for probably a good 2 or 3 years, but in the past week we have seen code in Picasa and around other Google web products mentioning the GDrive.  While this could just be another rumor, and have another purpose- I would be so excited if Google launched a drive.  We need more space in our own personal cloud to store things - and Google does everything so well.

4. Mac & Cheese.  I made Mac and Cheese this past weekend, and today The Paper of Record had a great article about it, here.  You never really think about how many different ways there are to make it - but there are.  They ended up making Martha Stewart's 'Perfect' Mac & Cheese, but also mentioned Ina Garten's and Alton Brown's as good varieties.

5. Verizon FiOS.  America.  The Senate's version of the stimulus bill would likely make Verizon eligible for over $1 Billion in tax credits for bringing extremely high speed broadband (100 Mbps) to our great nation.  Verizon, I want you now.

6. A nice closer.  I borrowed this from Friend of the blog, Tim, over at The 42 Bus.  It's a little long, and normally I wouldn't watch it - but its kind of interesting:

Metro!

First off - MPD Chief Cathy Lainer is bringing back All Hands on Deck at least eight times in 2009, according to the Examiner, here.  I think this is a great initiative, especially with crime on the rise. Keep up the good work Chief Lainer.

WaPo reports that the DHS Project at Saint Elizabeth's has passed another hurdle - getting approval from the NCPC.  I'm all about this.  Read the article here.

Now onto WMATA, I have a few things to discuss ... the first being their budget.

Metro's budget is a mess ... just like transit agencies and governments around the country.  They need to find $176 million in order to operate a balanced budget.  Yesterday, Catoe and his team of fools proposed two cuts - $103 million in operating expenses (operational/admin), and $73 million in service cuts.  They are going to cut about 8% of their workforce - totally 891 positions, which kind of sucks.  But the service cuts are what have me more angry ... I understand the economy is hurting, but that is exactly not the time to propose service cuts - we need more/better service.  The last time the Board voted to increase the Fare (in 2007), they vowed not to do it again until 2010 - who cares.  

While I think the service you get for your $1.35 is lackluster - I propose increasing fares, to a base fare of about $1.50.  I also propose the introduction of Unlimited Monthly passes - available to SmarTrip users only.  Now of course, I haven't done any calculations in regarding these numbers - I think raising the fares is the only option, as I personally don't consider service cuts to be a smart idea.  Cutting service, in any economy is stupid - in a bad economy, it's really stupid.  People need public transportation now more than ever.

Onto the next topic ... which Imagine, DC got me thinking about this morning - another failure (budget cut) during Metro's planning phase ... only two tracks per line.  While putting a second set of tracks (or even just one extra track) on each line would have been extremely costly - I think it would have been better for everyone in the long run.  Imagine DC asks why we can't keep Metro open 24/7 and just single-track around scheduled maintenance - and a commenter responds very smartly, that running the trains just slows everything down to the point where it is basically not worth it.  I really do wish Metro had express tracks ... wouldn't that be lovely.

And finally ... TSARchitect came up with a new Metro map (you can view the map here), that is truly amazing.  I don't want to steal his hard work without sending you over to his site for the ad revenue, and for his much more in dept analysis.   My favorite part is that he has added in a 'brown' line - which runs on a circuitous route around the city.  Also the Blue line is not routed along its long proposed M Street run, with TSAR putting it:

this plan does not run the new Blue Line down M street and back into its current configuration. Instead, it runs the Blue Line north, through Adams Morgan, Shaw, Gallaudet, and Trinidad to create a new corridor mostly on Florida Avenue.

I'm not going to steal his thunder ... go read his whole thing.  It really is another great improvement on our ever-lackluster Metro system.

Digital TV, TiVo, etc

The Obama administration came out publicly yesterday and requested that the switch to Digital TV - scheduled for February 17th, be delayed.  The Paper of Record has a story about it here.  I have pretty mixed feelings on this whole issue.

On one hand, Congress first acted on this in 2005.   We need to get on this people, delays will only push things back further and slow progress.

On the other hand, apparently the government is almost out of money for its voucher program - with several million homes still without a digital converter box.  I don't know if these people have been living in caves that they haven't gotten the memo that their TV is being cut off - but I do understand the confusion surrounding the program and the lack of information being disseminated to these people.

The way of telling people with analog signals about the switch was to broadcast a few times, during prime time over the analog waves and telling people they needed a converter box.  Um.  No.  Shut off TV for a day, just displaying only that message.

I would support the Obama Administration's action if on February 17th people without DTV just saw a message directing them to the DTV Transition website or telephone number - telling them that they would no longer have TV.  Then regular TV would be back, then the same message a week later ... repeating until sometime by the end of March when analog signals would be cut and the country went full DTV.  That's my plan, Obama are you on board?

Switching gears - TiVo!  NYT has the dish here - but TiVo introduced a new beta search this week at CES.  If you have a Series3 or HD, you can check it out inside the music, movies, etc menu.  It is really cool.  As you type in a show or actors name it chooses the most popular to display first - also surrounding you with cool clips and videos about that and other shows.  I can't wait for this search to come out of Beta, because its awesome.

And finally on the etc note ... according to WaPo, here, 213 venues will be open until the 4am last call during Inauguration weekend.  About 70 venues still have pending issues with ANCs and citizens associations.  All I can say is AMERICA!

Round it

To start with a WSJ article on iTunes being DRM-free from this point forward ... interesting.  If you want any deets about iTunes, DRM, what this means, etc - read the article.

The Times (UK) has a very interesting article about 'Ghost Buses' and 'Parliamentary Trains' - basically services that run to maintain the illusion that service hasn't been disrupted, but that no one uses.  In particular they talked about the DfT's decision to reassign rail cars to another route, effectively discontinuing service on one route.  But due to a law passed in 2005, in order to discontinue service they would have had to hold a public hearing - which they didn't want to deal with, so instead they replaced it with a bus service.  The bus runs empty everyday, and thats the way DfT wants it ... it costs about $1,000 a day to operate by the way.  Very interesting article - read it here.

The Paper of Record had an editorial on Monday about why Obama needs to take Transportation seriously.  Seriously!  He does!  I won't go on and on about this, but you know how I feel ... we need to make transportation infrastructure building and renewal a top priority.  It's here.

In a very interesting move, and something that I agree completely with ... Anne Arundel County has passed a law requiring all newly built homes to have sprinkler systems.  The law will take effect later this year, and you can read the brief WaPo piece here.  I personally think this is a very good step for the County, and will help homeowners in the long run.  If I ever had the opportunity to build my own house, I would certainly include a sprinkler system - the danger of fire is too great.

I just threw up.  An Obama West Wing Intro.  Watch it:

Some articles that I found interesting:

* Lifehacker found an interesting website called WattzOn ... which tracks personal energy consumption, very interesting.  Check it out here.

* Third-Hand Smoke.  What?!  Yes ... apparently its for real.  The BBC reports on how people have to take into account that the fact that people may have been previously smoking in the room.  The toxic particles can linger in the air and cling to fabric.  Interesting, here.

* NYT Op-Ed about G.W. Bush: Here.  I'll save you from a long comment, but in the end I think the man just received a bad hand of cards - and only time will tell for sure.

* On the G.W. Bush note ... AMERICA!  The greatest book ever made, okay jk.  Gawker has a copy of (and an article about) the The Bush Administration's book of accomplishments.  Yes this is a real 100-page book, you have to check it out - here.  (via THatch)

* NYT Op-Ed on Agriculture: Here.  This is something that we never talk about in this country, yet something that will certainly impact the world in our lifetime.  We absolutely decimate our soil and destroy our lands in the name of getting ourselves fed.  I'm personally more passionate about water resources - as I see it as something that will much sooner be an issue - but we need to keep our nation's future safe.

* NYT Op-Ed on the Financial World, and how it will never be the same: Here.  I suggest reading this one for yourself (it is 4 pages H), it is certainly worth the read.

* HuffPo ... on Education: Here.  I would normally never put a HuffPo post in my round-up unless to make fun of it, or point out how blatantly liberal it is ... but this one made some good points.  It talks about what America needs from education - its short and to the point.

* Via NYT, the NYC TLC is testing a 'black box' of sorts in some cabs throughout the city.  The study is expected to last about 13 months - and we will see what comes of it.  (here.)

* Energy Efficient TVs ... hmm, sounds like a good idea to me.  (Here.)

Snipets from Adams Morgan

I occasionally peruse the Adams Morgan message board ... which, by the way, I am often shocked is still in use. I, for some reason or another, associate message boards with the forgotten times of AOL ISP monopolies; I find it surprising that there is so much activity on local message boards in a world where blogging is growing exponentially. There is an interesting article here about how the anonymity of message boards brings out the worst in people ... and I definitely have to agree with that in the case of the Adams Morgan Yahoo message board. Blogs and message boards are not mutually exclusive, but I just don't know anyone that contributes to message boards these days ... well, besides my mom.

Anyhoot, two items that I found particularly interesting:

1. A link to a WaPo Christmas Day opinion article from ANC 1C Chairman, Bryan Weaver, discussing the alarming nature of a recent shooting in Adams Morgan -- Callousness Against Hope in D.C. Commissioner Weaver discusses how disappointing it is that people have such a jaded response to crime and are unconcerned with the loss of human life. He makes a very good point in this article and I was shocked to see people asking for an apology from Weaver on the message boards -- gimme a break, AdMo residents.

2. There has been a crazy flurry of messages concerning the new interesection at 18th and Columbia Roads (where the festivus pole is). You can see the official changes to the intersection here, which are not totally completed, by the way. The problem with the intersection after the change is that people want to turn right to get across the bridge to Woodley Park ... but this is next to impossible because of pedestrian traffic. This causes a severe backup of traffic on Columbia Road, which I myself have experienced while riding the 42. The original intentions of the changes were to make the intersection safer to pedestrians ... so I'll take pedestrian safety over faster moving traffic anyday.

Why am I in the office...

* The latest in the saga between TV Network distributors and cable companies has taken an ugly turn.  Viacom has scheduled a fee increase for their MTV Network channels - about 20 in all, including Nickelodeon, MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, and Spike.  And Time Warner Cable is refusing to pass that fee along to consumers.  If no compromise is reached, the channels will be shut off effective midnight tonight.  Viacom has been taking out full page ads in the newspaper telling Time Warner customers to call and urge Time Warner to change their position on the matter.  The Paper of Record - here.  You can see a video from the WSJ, cite H - here.  NYT ArtsBeat also has a take on it, here.

Okay ... this is getting to be ridiculous.  It is Viacom's content, they can charge whatever they want for it.  If people don't like the price they simply won't get that package.  Time Warner is not on some crusade for the consumer as they claim to be - they are just in a petty fight with Viacom trying to prove who is stronger.   I mean I don't even know what to say - anytime I hear about things like this happening I just get really upset, its bothersome and makes me hate cable companies even more.

* Ford Fusion Hybrid: 41 mpg city; 36 mpg highway.  It's a mid size, and will cost about $27,000 when it goes on sale this Spring.  Here.  This may seem like an interesting time to release a pretty awesome Hybrid, but I think it will prove itself for Ford in the long run.

* Back in 2002 when I took my first SAT II ... I took three of them, even though I was only supposed to take one - that was because they had Score Choice.  So if I didn't do well, I didn't have to release the scores to any school.  That was the last year they did that, and did away with Score Choice.  Well apparently its back - except this time for the SAT I.  The College Board is saying it will help to reduce stress; I am saying it will help to reduce the effectiveness of the SAT.  Some selective schools are not that happy - and say that they would prefer to see all the scores, knowing that students could do really poorly their first time around, and I have to agree with the policy.  I really can't believe the College Board is trying to bring back score choice.  Via The Paper of Record, cite GWSkank - here.

* WaPo has 2008 in review ... 5 pages of it.  A good read.  Here.

* The Obama's will be moving to DC this weekend ... the girls start school on Monday.  They are moving to an undisclosed hotel suite.  Via The Paper of Record - here.

* The Federal Government is tightening their no smoking rules at Federal buildings.  As per a new GSA regulation published last week, smoking is now to take place 25 feet from buildings.  It is also banned in courtyards and previously approved 'smoking-rooms' in certain buildings.  Via WaPo, here.

* NYT CityRoom ran the greatest headline to a post ever this morning, Choice of Kennedy for Senate No Longer Seem Inevitable ... Oh CityRoom, so right - thank you!  Here.

* Don't drink and drive tonight.  1-800-200-TAXI.  SoberRide sponsored by ... someone.

Slumdog and some other musings

I didn't get a chance to write about this when I first sat down this morning because I was little busy, but last night I saw Slumdog Millionaire.  Wow.  Very, very good movie.  I have embedded the preview, if you have not seen it yet - I suggest watching it, I think it will really make you want to see it.  It is about an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai who gets onto India's Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, gets within one question of one million ... and is arrested on the accusation of cheating.  The movie is a story of how he got to where he is now, what he does, and of course an amazing love story all intertwined.  If you think it sounds cheesy and stupid, I promise it is not.

Just as interesting as the movie was, I think one of the most insightful parts for me was actually watching this kid grow up ... the life of a slumdog orphan.  Seeing what the slums of Mumbai are like, and traveling as Jamal made his way around the city and around the country.  Sometimes ending up dealing with the wrong people, always needing money, and working as hard as possible just to make it to the next day alive.  I really recommend going to see it, and let me know what you think.  In addition, the soundtrack is also amazing - I have embedded my favorite song right below the YouTube Trailer.

Jai Ho - A.R. Rahman

* We lead with an ad-parody from Portfolio.com's Best and Worst Overlooked Ads ...

* More on that 66-inch water main break this morning ... over 15 people had to be rescued and Montgomery County closed schools 2.5 hours early.  Apparently it is safe to drink water though, and everyone should have full water service.

* Per WaPo, Fenty and crew are accepting bids for 11 of the 23 schools that were closed down this year as a result of Rhee's Righteous Realignment.  Developers can submit proposals which include office space, affordable housing, high priced housing, and/or retail.  Of the schools, a good number are in prime real estate locations - including Steven's Elemtary School located between K and L in Foggy Bottom/West End/Golden Triangle.  WaPo article is here.

* Shocker found in the CityPaper this morning ... Circus Chairman Vincent Gray  (who is also Chairman of the Anti-Fenty Committee) is upset that Michelle Rhee was on the cover of TIME.  Not only is Gray a few weeks late in reading this issue of time, but this particular blogger thinks he is quite peeved that TIME was writing about Rhee and not him.  Gray is not a fan of Rhee, mainly because she is trying to get things done - and he prefers that things get done at a slower pace and with him getting credit for them.  Sadly for him (but luckily for DC residents), Rhee doesn't care what Gray and the other ringleaders think - and is fixing schools with or without their support.

Gray claims to be upset by a quote attributed to him by the author of the TIME article, Amanda Ripley, saying "dealing with Rhee [was] a 'nightmare.'"  Gray is all up in arms because he would never be stupid enough to say this to a TIME reporter, but was stupid enough to say it on the record at a Circus meeting over the summer.  Ms. Ripley found the quote from LL's CityPaper blog, and proceeded to basically copy and paste into the TIME article.  Now, normally I'd say that Ms. Ripley was perfectly in line ... Gray did say this and its a part of the public record, but according to Gray she never even contacted his office for a clarification or comment on the quote.  It seems to me that a reporter writing a cover story for a national news magazine might want to get some more information on quotes before she publishes them.  Gray wrote the editor of TIME a really nasty note about how he should have been given a chance to speak for himself.  Even though I think he is a slimeball and any modification to that quote would have been a complete lie, Ms. Ripley really should have at least shot off an e-mail.  You can read the whole thing over at the CityPaper.

* Continuing on the schools note DCTeacherChic brings up a great point - if the WTU 'spent half as much time protecting the jobs of terrible teachers and twice as much time negotiating higher standards and improved resources for teachers, DC children would be much better off.'.  She is beyond right in this assertion.  Even though I feel that Union's are the absolute spawn of evil, I would be willing to negotiate with them - if they were willing to acknowledge any real concessions.

* GGW has some more about LaHood and not understanding the links between transportation and climate change.  Read about it here.

* WaPo talks about how the Purple Line might actually see construction - after being discussed for over 30 years - thanks to the pro-infrastructure spending of the incoming administration.  While I tend to agree with the Post that the Purple Line probably won't eliminate that much congestion along the Beltway, I think it is very necessary ... it is currently impossible to get across the route it will serve.  And buses just aren't an option - there is too much of a stigma against them.  Light Rail is the way to go.

* Trinidad is getting 30 crime surveillance cameras thanks to a program called CitySafe (a joint venture of Target and Sprint-Nextel).  This should help in crime reduction!  Via WaPo - here.

* Last but not least - Obama SmarTrip cards and one-day passes are now available for sale on Metro's website.  I would link directly to it, but then I'd be losing advertising revenue - lol jk, Google Transit joke. - link here.  I've tried to buy one like four or five times today and have not been able to get the transaction to complete - let me know if you have more luck.

Good Morning World!

and in case I don't see you Good Afternoon, Good Evening, and Good Night. This is going to be a morning roundup of sorts - though it is kind of late and I have to get my day going.

* I am home, home ... I'm not really sure what to call it anymore - because I call DC home, so calling NY home is tricky too. I called it my parents house to someone yesterday and that kind of freaked me out and made me feel like I was 40. So I guess home, home works ... perhaps 'where I grew up' but that is really a mouthful. Let me know if you have any thoughts on this issue.

* Anyway ... at home, home. It's snowing. It's actually sticking. It makes me feel cold. I need to go find my boots.

* People ... John Catoe is losing Cocktail's Moron of the Week vote ... get over there and vote. Link here! Yes I am trying to artificially inflate numbers with a lackluster blog population.

* Ummmm ... so we gave Patchus guest blogger privileges and he is gracing us with some posts. You may notice several spelling errors and grammatical mistakes, but its not his fault - he grew up in the 52nd State ... Ontario, and they don't have proper schooling up there. One day he will learn the English language.

* Stole this link from GGW - cool article in WaPo about public spaces that have been snatched from the public since September 11th. GGW got me thinking about all the barricades that we have put up since September 11th, and if they will ever come down. Anyway the article is interesting - it talks about the West Steps of the Capitol, which I have never been on because they are closed. AND! It talks about a Candlelight tour of the White House, which I have never even heard of. I immediately called my Representative from Home, Home and inquired - the intern had no idea what I was talking about, but I left a voicemail for the Scheduler.

* WMATA approved the prices from Inauguration (rush hour fares, and charging for parking). Interestingly enough SmarTrip will not be used for parking on Inauguration Day - they just don't want to deal with it - and parking will remain its current price of $4.00. According to Metro, they are unable to make it the consumer-friendlier $5.00 because they would be required to hold a public hearing on it. Via WaPo, Dr. Gridlock - here.

* Via DCist, the Fenty Administration has released a holiday picture of the family. The baby, Aerin, is like only three weeks old, but look at all the hair on her head. I don't know much about babies, but I was shocked to see so much hair. Anyway - the family looks good, although if I were Michelle Rhee's boss, I would want her in the Holiday card too ... maybe next year.


Ok I'm hungry ... out!

The day is over

Okay ... so the day is over and most of you are probably begging for the second that I get away from my computer - so I stop posting.  SORRY!

A few roundup items:

* This one is shocking (not at all) - TIME has selected the one and only, the man of change, President-Elect Barack Obama as Person of the Year.  I have not read any of this yet - but I'll link you to it anyway, I'm sure it is a good read.  TIME selected him, "For having the confidence to sketch an ambitious future in a gloomy hour, and for showing the competence that makes Americans hopeful he might pull it off."

* Also of note on TIME's website -- Pictures of the year.  You can see them here.  Some of these pictures are truly worth 1,000 words - and it is a interesting way to remember the year.  I should also say how I am always impressed with the fact that TIME has managed to secure the website, time.com, they must have bought that back in like 1990 - or payed a large sum of money when they did buy it.  Just always interesting to think about those things.

* Apparently I missed part of the memo with the whole Bojangles (Jim Graham) parking thing.  First off, he had a cosponsor - Tommy Wells - who is now making his way to my blacklist.  But as David Alpert over at GGW points out the CouncCircus just isn't thinking when they continue to back the policy of free Saturday parking.  Downtown is a cool place to be - we do not need free parking to draw them in and the city is loosing tons of money in the process.  You can read Dave's write up here, its really good.

* I also noticed in WaPo this afternoon something else I had missed at the 3-ring circus yesterday - they actually did something smart.  The council voted to change the fee/tax structure for stormwater usage, based on how much of your property is covered with a building, asphalt, or other non-porous surface that runs water into the city's storm water system.  This is a great idea.  Fenty needs to sign it, and I hope he does.

* The Blade is reporting about the shooting at 11th and Q - in what is likely another directed hit against a gay person.  This is starting to become disturbing, because these people are being targeted.  And this person wasn't targeted leaving a gay bar, he had just come from Fox and Hound (straight bar), and was then shot in the head.  The Blade article is here, and ANC Commissioner Jacobson has a very good write up in his blog about how to stay safe - check it out.

* Amazing picture - if you are my friend on Reader - you've seen this already.  But check out these pictures of the Space Shuttle on the back of its Boeing 747 carrier on its way back to the Kennedy Space Center.  Amazing, awesome, etc.  (via Gizmodo, cite Hayes)

* In case you didn't get the memo - last call for Inauguration is now 4am instead of 5am.  GWSkank was really upset about it last night, but he hasn't posted today as I thought he would.  Bars and clubs will need to pay a fee in order to stay open (good idea), and will still be able to stay open 24h if they so please.  Looks like its time for a ToGo Cup.

* Apparently a quarter (yes 25%) of all NYC subway deaths between 1990 and 2003 can be attributed to being drunk.  Wow.  Crazy.  (Via Daily Intel, here)

* So we are making an attempt to track feeds ... which if you weren't aware is quite difficult with a regular tracker.  We've been using Google Analytics (which is awes) for normal visits, and today Cocktail recommended SiteMeter (which seems cool) ... and now we have a third joining the ring - FeedBurner (which is owned by Google).  From what I understand, your current feed should automatically update and we should start being able to see how many people are subscribing.  But who knows, if that doesn't work - I am going to post the Feedburner URL here and expect you all to change.

* Also another housekeeping note - if you read this via a RSS aggregator - you will see ads at the bottom of all the posts.  If you seem something interesting, click it, buy it, whatever.  Same goes for the people looking on the regular site - sometimes the stuff is pretty cool.

* Upcoming posts!  Maybe tomorrow, maybe whenever I have free time.  Net Neutrality.  Inauguration stuff.  Transportation stuff.  Lala.  12 laws of life.  Minister of Education.  And last but not least, one of these days I'll write about the Iron Chancellor!

* I am off to Nooshi - I leave you with this cool thing below!

* Um ... cool.  A bike parking system that is amazing, simple, and should be installed everywhere around this country.  Via GGW, here, who apparently got it via BoingBoing from a tipster named Alex.

Wednesday Morning

A few things ...

* I'm still hoping that Fenty will veto Mr. Bojangles' (Councilman Jim Graham) initiative to get 8 year olds drunk.  We will just have to wait and see.

* In other DCCircus news, yesterday was Councilman Carol Schwartz's last day, she spent a good portion of the day taming lions and parading around with penguins.  I can't really say that she will be sorely missed by this blogger, but hey - at least she is actually from the party which she claimed to identify with during the election (cough, Mike Brown, cough).

* And I mentioned this yesterday - but I am beyond excited for FiOS ... yes we have known that the Office of Cable Television approved this a while ago, but it still needed to be officially approved by the Circus - which they did yesterday.  They also spent their time approving about 10,000 resolutions naming buildings and streets for people ... ah the importance of being on a city council that has no real governing power and can be overridden by Congress.

* In a small note of housekeeping, due to Bojangles actions this week - the list of people in the Circus who are currently in my favor has dropped to an all time low of one.  Congrats Mary Cheh for being the only member who actually seems to care about the people.  Now if only we can get that Election Machine subpoena enforced...  Bojangles has landed himself in the same category as the Ringleader himself, Gray, and the only person bold enough to blatantly lie on his ballot application - Mike Brown.  Bojangles, Gray, and MBrown are so ridiculous they actually make Jack Evans look legit and not at all corrupt, which is impressive.

Okay ... enough about the Circus, now onto the real fun -- INAUGURATION!

* We all heard of WMATA's plan to increase service to unheard of levels, yet still charge off-peak fares and not charge for parking.  Well thankfully John Catoe and the team of intellectuals over at Metro decided they should try to lose a little less money than they were already pouring down the drain.  Metro wants to charge rush-hour fares on Inauguration Day and also charge for parking - both excellent ideas which I fully support.  People are going to take Metro either way, and considering the $1.65 doesn't really cover the service anyway - its a good idea to not lose as much money as humanly possible.  I'm also all about Metro charging for parking - they want to charge a modest $4.95 (ballpark), whereas I think they should be gouging people - like $10-20...really.  Metro is going to hire a parking contractor in order to ensure those without SmarTrips are able to use Metro's lots, which seems like a good idea - although you may remember the reason Metro switched to SmarTrip only lots was because their parking operator PennParking was skimming off the top.  (That whole thing was via WaPo)

* Cell phones ... looks like you shouldn't even bother, jk!  It seems as though its not just Metro, DDOT, restaurants, and bars that are going to be feeling the strain of an extra 3 million people in the city -- according to WTOP, here, cell phone users are screwed as well.  The CTIA (the spokesperson for all wireless providers) is suggesting that you text instead of call people - as texts put less of a strain on the network and are more likely to go through.  They also advise not trying to send picture messages - as everyone will be doing the same thing and its just not going to go through.  Of course cell phones of first responders and public safety authorities will have priority on all the carrier's networks - which is probably a good idea, and Sprint is increasing its iDEN network (the push-to-talk network) capacity by 90% in DC.  Other providers will likely also be increasing their network capacity.  Considering I can not connect to AT&T's network under ideal circumstances - I have no hopes of it actually working during Inauguration.  The good news is that so many VZW users will be in Metro, packed into trains and falling off platforms, that their network down there will collapse too - so on Inauguration Day, no one can use cell phones in Metro - haha.

* On another Metro note - they are advising that you don't bother.  Basically if you live in the city, Metro expects you to keep out.  Trains will be too crowded.  They say to take buses - haha - right, because those are always running on time.  I plan on sitting back with a bottle of Maker's Mark, a bowl of my newly discovered Pimento Cheese, and some Wheat Thins - the best way to enjoy Inauguration.

Okay that is the end of the Inauguration thing ... now onto more random updates.

* Writing about Pimento Cheese a second ago had me thinking again, wondering what it was.  Do you have any idea?  If you have heard of Pimento cheese, please comment - because I had not up until a week ago.  It is really good - and disgusting all at the same time.  A little research led me to discover it is a Southern thing (surprise, surprise), and it is basically just Cheese and Mayonnaise.  NPR has a write up here.

* Also ... noted this morning the French Competition Agency (whatever that is) has declared that the 5-year exclusivity agreement for the iPhone between Orange (aka French Telecom Mobile) and Apple - is illegal.  This is similar to Apple's agreements with mobile providers around the globe (it is with AT&T in the United States if you didn't get the memo).  Anyway, while I'm quite pleased about this - as I find these exclusivity agreements annoying (honestly, who would be on AT&T's network by personal preference) - but once again the French have proven that they don't understand the concept of capitalism.  Since the government has decided to intervene in capitalism, perhaps the French people should just stop voting too - the government can decide their leaders instead.

* All this talk about AT&T has me thinking about how much better Verizon Wireless is - oh I miss you Verizon.  And speaking of Verizon Wireless -- let's talk about Verizon Wireful again, FiOS is coming.  FiOS is coming.  FiOS is coming.  FiOS is coming.  I don't think I've been this excited about a cable provider in a long time.  But I have realized that everyone may not know what Verizon FiOS is ... well first off it stands for Fiber Optic Service, which basically means awesomeness.   I am going to write a post about FiOS - and the link will be right here, but it will also be right below this post.

* Also - big news for Zipcar fans out there!  Although Zipcar has yet to make a profit, even after merging with their only real competitor, FlexCar,  over a year ago - they are catching some attention.  So much attention that Hertz (yea the gigantic car rental corporation) is launching their own version.  It is called Connect, and is exactly the same thing as Zipcar (even down to the green in their logo), and is currently available in NYC and Park Ridge, NJ (soon to be in London and Paris as well).  While I welcome Hertz as a competitor I feel as though they will probably fail - whenever big companies like this try to be young and hip - they just don't get it, and end up floundering.  You can check out the article in the Paper of Record - here.  Also ... as a shameless plug - if you don't have Zipcar you should really get it.  It is the best thing ever, you can sign up -- and get $25 free driving by clicking here!

Jim Graham ... likes drunk kids

Let me start this post off by making something clear: Underage drinking is acceptable.  And the drinking age should be lowered to 13 ... but for now the drinking age is 21, and that means that minors should be unable to buy/drink liquor.  Do whatever you want behind closed doors ... In fact, I encourage you to drink behind closed doors - you just can't go out -- sorry.

I was shocked to see this WaPo post from Loose Lips this morning over at the City Desk.  Councilman Jim Graham has introduced legislation to give bar/club owners who are caught serving a minor a warning on their first offense.  It is currently a $1000 fine and the suspension of their license for 2 days.  I'm sorry ... are you kidding me?  A warning?  What is this pre-school?  Even more ridiculous is Graham's reasoning after listening to the testimony ... "a distracted employee or an employee who didn't understand the importance of checking ID. These were not cases of places that just didn't care." what!?  hahaha.

Lets go over this ... 'an employee who didn't understand the importance of checking ID' - that place deserves to be shut down for a week.  If the employees don't understand that they have to check ID, what else aren't they clear on?  Perhaps they aren't clear on washing their hands after going to the bathroom, or not spitting in customers food.  Lame excuse.

Excuse 2 ... 'distracted employee' - if a jail guard was to be distracted and left a cell door open, would we take pity on him.  If that same restaurant was too distracted to realize that he was pouring rum into my Rose Kennedy ... would I be pleased with him?  should the management?  NO.

THIS IS UNREAL.  UNREAL, PEOPLE.

Oh ps ... Jim Graham also called DC's capitol of underage drinking -- Lauriol Plaza -- a respectable place.  They are respectable about making great Margaritas ... that is about it.  Checking IDs -- not so much.

I won't forget this Jim Graham.  This is just unreal.  I'm sorry.  How much are these people paying you to introduce this legislation.

In case you were wondering DC's ABC Board is completely against it.

The Council has tentatively approved the measures and is voting for sure tomorrow.

To find your Councilman - visit here!   Please contact him/her today!

If you live in Ward 1 - email Jim: jgraham@dccouncil.us

Some morning thoughts...

Okay people -- Happy Monday.  This Monday post thing won't be regular because normally I don't have time to not to work on Monday, but today is your lucky day!

My Google Reader had 1000+ unread items and I'm about halfway through with that ... so I am taking a break.  I realize that most people have no idea what Google Reader is, and calling a RSS aggregator does not really help people understand.  You can read about it on my favorite site - wikipedia - by clicking here.   I guess the best way to explain it is that it looks at all the blogs and news sites that you like ... and puts them into one place.  If you are reading this, and don't use a RSS reader - I suggest you get on that.

Here is a round-up of random things I found interesting this morning...

• Via the T4 blog, the Associated Press reports on a study that not at all surprisingly has found that leaner nations walk, bike, and use mass transit to get around.  What a shock ... Americans, who can't seem to function properly without a car are obese - and the rest of the world is thin -- not surprising.  Read here.
  
  
• WaPo reported over the weekend on the plans for the 'New New Deal' and that the ready-to-go projects will likely be the first funded.  These are projects that have been on the back-burner in DOT offices around the country because they really aren't a huge priority, but if the money is there - they are ready to be done right now.  The article is here.
  
  I have two thoughts on this issue ...
  The first is that our roads and highways are in a state of disrepair.  Any funding that can be put towards roads that are falling apart should be.  There are also many cities around the country that desperately need new roads to be built - roads that never were due to 70's highway opposition.
  2nd, roads are dead.  We need to get over it.  Trains, trains, trains.  Let me say that again; trains, trains, trains.  Why do we delay this so much ... why are Americans so afraid of trains - I just don't understand.  Let's get on it people.
  
  Either way - we need to get on it.  This money needs to be spent ASAP.  This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and we can't sit around and bicker about spending it because before we know it the opportunity will be gone.
  
  
• Our friends over at Beyond DC have a post about the auto-bailout.  Here!  They list four points that they would use as 'strings' for giving out the money.  I practically vomited when I saw this list, but I guess everyone is entitled to their personal opinion.  I will go down their list, and write my comments afterwards.
  1. No more off shoring.  Fine, no more off-shoring, that seems legit to me.  As long as we can agree on one other matter - no more unions.  The auto industry should agree to not off shore any jobs, if Congress scales back laws and statues which basically necessitate the creation of unions.  While they are at it, Congress should void the current union contracts - let's start with a clean slate.
  2. 10% of each companies output be converted to things unrelated to vehicles traveling on roads within the next 7-8 years, 20% by 15 years.   I have a wild idea ... no.  Okay, I get it - if we are going to throw money at these people we should have a say in their business model - that makes sense - like a shareholder.  But to tell a company to change businesses seems ridic.  Tell them to make buses or something, I don't care - but don't force them out of their own business.
  3. No golden parachutes, luxury jets, etc.  Not that I think we should  be meddling, but fine.  I'll agree to this one - sort of.  I don't know what a 'luxury jet' is, but I can tell that most of these CEOs and their executive teams need private jets to get around.  It's just easier for everyone to not have to fly commercial.
  4. Make clean cars.  Fine.  I think they got that memo already though.
  
  
• Speaking of the Big 3 and cars -- this AP story is very exciting.  Even as gas prices are hitting record lows, driving continues to decline.  Woot!!  Come on people - now start using mass transit instead of just staying at home.
  
  
• In New York news - via SubwayBlogger - the MTA unveiled the new South Ferry Station to reporters last week.  It will be opening to the public sometime next month.  How exciting!  The most exciting part is that the entire train will be able to platform - currently only the first 5 cars (trains are 10), of the train platform at South Ferry.  View the NYT (Paper of Record) article here.
  
  
• Oh and just a comment on this whole 5am bar thing for Inauguration.  Get over it people ... honestly - I'm sorry.  Let's live a little for once - this happens once every 4 years.  I personally don't understand why bars are ever forced to have last call - in my world they'd be open 24 hours.  But whatever.  Anyway ... write Senator-to-busy-running-for-Governor Feinstein and tell her to BACK OFF!  You can click here to email her, or you can feel free to call her DC office at 202.224.3841.  I won't even bother listing anything about the Senator from Utah because that is just no hope - we already know they hate DC and drinking.

That's it for now ... bye bye.

Sidebar: Did you know a post can only have 20 labels.  Odd.  I'm a label whore.