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.