31 March 2006
Tips for D.C. Tourists, # 79
slaughter house 5
If you don't like it, you can get together with Kurt Vonnegut and write an anti-glacier book.
MetroWest Development Is Approved In Fairfax
By Lisa Rein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 28, 2006; A01
Fairfax County agreed last night to let a developer replace a neighborhood of 65 single-family homes at the Vienna Metro station with a massive complex of mid- and high-rise towers that could transform the way people live, commute and work in Washington's largest suburb.
...
Instead of sprawling cul-de-sacs, MetroWest will cluster offices, stores and 2,250 townhouses, condominiums and apartments south of the Vienna Station, making the project the centerpiece of an effort to concentrate development in dense, urban settings.
It's a vision that's sweeping land-use decisions from Largo to Tysons Corner, where planners and politicians -- to the chagrin of many neighbors -- are accommodating the region's demand for housing with densely packed homes on slivers of land near public transit with the goal of coaxing people from their cars.
MetroWest's many critics have argued that the mini-city will bring too many cars to the congested roads off Interstate 66 and too many riders to the crowded Orange Line. But county leaders said the cluster of 13 buildings on 56 acres will concentrate growth in the only space left in Fairfax, the Metro station's back yard.
..."You're ignoring the public's pleas for caution," Mark Tipton, a neighboring homeowner, told the supervisors. He called Pulte's pledge to accept fines "an excuse to grant the outrageous density in MetroWest. . . . It's like buying the right to create traffic congestion."
The MetroWest proposal, by its sheer size, generated fierce opposition from neighbors in leafy subdivisions. Town of Vienna officials down the street opposed it from the start.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/27/AR2006032701624.html30 March 2006
getting clean
- SENATOR TOM COBURN, Republican of Oklahoma, who said new lobbying rules passed
by the Senate were too weak. NYT Quote of the day.
These are some of the senators who voted against the bill, which I think offers a compelling suggestion that the bill that passed really is not enough...
John McCain (R)
Barack Obama (D) of Illinois
Russell Feingold (D) Wisco
John Kerry (D) Mass
James Inhofe (R) Oklahoma
Jim DeMint (R) South Cack
Lindsey Graham (R) South Cack
29 March 2006
"If I go crazy...
The alarm went off and I woke up with a serious hangover & splitting headache - a little sore from sleeping on my buddy's floor - and on the radio was Kryptonite, by 3 Doors Down. Now, the "...then will you still call me Superman" part of that song landed it on the top 40 radio, a factor that probably turned you off...well, either that or the incredible guitar-pop sound. At any rate, the lyrics are good and I enjoy the song. You can add it to the list of cheezy songs (previously mentioned here and here) that I am glad I like, and feel sorry for you if you can't enjoy it. One of these days, I will actually write about the song that gave me that thought...
on the iPod:
Son Volt; Trace
Soul Asylum; Grave Dancer's Union
28 March 2006
Mo' Money
Big Oil's Big Windfall
A public already groaning under huge deficits does not need more red ink. An oil industry already rolling in record profits does not need more tax breaks. But both are sure to happen unless some way can be found to claw back from a decade's worth of Congressional and administrative blunders, aggressive lobbying and industry greed.
According to a detailed account in Monday's Times by Edmund L. Andrews, oil companies stand to gain a minimum of $7 billion and as much as $28 billion over the next five years under an obscure provision in last year's giant energy bill that allows companies to avoid paying royalties on oil and gas produced in the Gulf of Mexico.
The provision received almost no Congressional debate, in part because Congress was lazy and in part because the provision was misleadingly advertised as cost-free. The giveaway also seemed a natural sequel to a measure passed in 1995 to provide royalty relief. But that measure came at a time when oil prices, and new investment in oil and gas exploration, had declined. It also included an important safety valve: in any year when oil prices exceeded a threshold, about $34 a barrel, companies would have to resume paying royalties.
However, in what appears to have been a bureaucratic blunder, the Clinton administration omitted that crucial escape clause in all offshore leases signed between the government and the oil companies in 1998 and 1999. It seemed a harmless mistake at a time when oil prices were still below $20 a barrel. But times changed. Prices have been above the cutoff point since 2002, and an estimated one-sixth of the production in the Gulf of Mexico is still exempt from royalties for no good reason whatsoever.
That blunder was compounded, again and again. First, a court decision in 2003 effectively doubled the amount of oil and gas exempted from royalties. Then the Bush administration offered special exemptions for "deep gas" producers, drilling more than 15,000 feet below the sea bottom. Then came the 2005 energy bill, which essentially locked in the old incentives for five more years.
At least one oil company has the grace to be embarrassed by all this. "Under the current environment," one Shell official told Mr. Andrews, "we don't need royalty relief."
But some companies seem to want more. A lawsuit filed by Kerr-McGee Exploration and Production would greatly expand the royalty relief. If the suit succeeds, the lost revenue may rise to as much as $28 billion.
Edward Markey, a Democratic member of the House from Massachusetts, has proposed a bill that would keep any new contracts from granting relief when oil and gas prices were high, and would instruct the interior secretary to try to renegotiate existing contracts. That is a fair and overdue remedy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/28/opinion/28tue1.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin27 March 2006
Tips for D.C. Tourists, #48
On days like today, when it is chilly but sunny and your pasty white ass has been cooped up in N. Dakota all winter, you need to wear sun-block. Check that - don't wear sunblock. There is nothing more humorous or entertaining when you get on a jammed rush-hour metro ride home after the longest Wednesday in the world than to find a midwest redneck tourist fried to a crisp because he didn't wear sunblock, invariably rocking a white tanktop with an eagle and a waving american flag printed in the background with some catchy slogan like "Proud to be American," with about 4 inches of mullet hair hanging out the back of his newly bought mesh-back FBI hat, and serious raccoon eyes giving away the fact that he still wears Oakley Razor Blades.
on the iPod:
Weezer, The Blue Album
26 March 2006
"I reached in the Miller cooler...
Just saw The Cooler last night. It got bad reviews, but I think it is good. Rarely is there a casino movie that gives you glimpses of father/son strain and friendship loyalty (or idiocy) and strings in a solid love story that is touching and inspiring, but doesn't get too girly. You should see it. It will bring you good luck.
On another note, you can tell good music by its durability - and great music is that which amazes you everytime you spin it again after a couple months. Just like what I was listening to today. And if you have any doubts about Neil Diamond, give a listen to that live rock & roll version of "Dry Your Eyes."
on the iPod:
The Band; The Last Waltz
22 March 2006
dedicated
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Super Bowl trip adds 4.5 years to prison sentence
POMPANO BEACH, Fla. -- The brother of Pittsburgh Steelers safety Tyrone Carter had his sentence for driving with a revoked license increased from six months to five years because he failed to report to jail on time.
Tank Carter was scheduled to report to a Broward County prison on Jan. 6, but decided against it when his brother told him the Steelers had a good chance of going to the Super Bowl. On Tuesday, Broward Circuit Judge Stanton S. Kaplan increased the sentence. "Even knowing what I know now, I would do it again," Carter said. "It was the greatest game in my life."
Carter watched the Steelers beat the Seattle Seahawks from the 50-yard line in Detroit and partied with rapper Snoop Dogg after the game. The brothers have been close since growing up in a rough section of Pompano Beach.
"I would have done the same thing," Tyrone Carter said of his brother's decision. Winning the Super Bowl meant "we finally made it together."
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2379521
21 March 2006
Albums (2)
The interest that underlies this approach of focusing on the context that different songs give to the adjacent songs also led me to really enjoy concerts of so-called "jam bands" that shift their set list on a nightly basis. You often hear people say that so and so band never plays the same song the same way. Well, that may be true - but seeing slightly different versions of the same song over and over also gets old. But, when you add the context that other songs in the set create, there is another dimension to explore. Is this dark song plunging into something, or is it a step on a journey.
Part of the change in my perspective that I mentioned in that earlier post is that I realized that soundtrack albums, which I previously shunned for the same reason I shunned greatest hits records, actually have some of the same characteriztics as a live show. The movie maker gets to select these songs and put them in context with each other. The soundtrack that kicked that off for me is Garden State. (a movie which I initially dismissed as likely overrated, but when I saw it was plesantly suprised)
Other notable soundtracks - The Big Chill, which was the first CD I ever bought; Dazed & Confused; Until the End of the World, which has substantial, if not entriely, original material. You can also throw in Born on the Fourth of July, which has a great cover of "Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" by Eddie Brickell, and a lot of solid score from the movie, and Judgment Night - which I have previously written about.
on the iPod:
Rosanne Cash, Black Caddilac
Cowboy Junkies, Live 6/10/2005
20 March 2006
"a day without a buzz...
I'm back from spring break. Springbreak is good, although it makes tomorrow's forecasted snow & sleet a little hard to stomach.
I went down to Charleston to see some friends of mine - The Flatt City Bluegrass Band (linked at right) open for the Steep Canyon Rangers. I'm a little sort on time, so I can't link them for you - but google that shit. If you like bluegrass - real bluegrass - you will like them.
I have been to Charleston three times in the last 2 years, and every time i ask myself why I don't live there.
On the iPod:
Fugazi, Live 6/19/1990
15 March 2006
Mike Wallace
The other big exception was 60 minutes. Every Sunday my mom would make her famous home-made pizza and she, my brother, my dad, and I would get together as a family and watch the show, talking about the issues it raised. In the last few years, especially with the war in Iraq, the investigation into September 11th, and controvercy surrounding Pres. Bush's supposed military service, I think the show has slipped a little. Lately it has come off as more political and biased - although there was an article this week about some of the good progress that has been made in Iraq. But the better articles are politically neutral and more obscure.
Nonetheless, the show has been part of my life, part of my family comming together, and provided material with which my parents were able to teach me to be more aware about the world around me. And Mike Wallace was a part of that.
Of course, he was more than just a 60 Minutes reporter - in the 40s he announced radio shows including the Lone Ranger. He has seen and been a part of almost the entire development of broadcast media, and each time someone like him steps aside, we lose a little perspective on how far media has come.
On the iPod:
U2; Joshua Tree
13 March 2006
Tourism in Washington D.C.
Rule #1)- all the other tourists are already wearing polo shirts with american flags printed across, so you can leave yours at home.
Rule #2)- although you are on vacation, the rest of the world is still working - just try to keep that in mind when you are on the METRO.
Rule #3)- if you are from the south or mid west or, well - really anywhere other than a big city in the northeast - you probably think that escalators move so you don't have to. This is incorrect - escalators move so that you can get up them faster as you walk. If you see everyone standing to the right and walking to the left, you should follow their lead. DO NOT just stand to the left and laugh about it. Remember rule #2.
Rule #4)- leave your sunblock at home. There is nothing more amusing than riding home on the train at 5pm and seeing someone who is totally fried to a crisp from walking around on the mall all day. Once again, remember Rule #2.
09 March 2006
I will follow it down...
...to where the weather suits my soul"
today was made for listening to Emma Gibbs Band, and incidentally I just noticed that Richard Upchurch has redesigned (read: designed) his website - complete with several mp3s to download.
On the iPod:
Emma Gibbs Band, Out to the Country
 Partly Cloudy | High |
 | ||||
| ||||
|
08 March 2006
it's spring
Skipping class yesterda to go for a jog was is a good indicator, but waking up with an insatiable desire to listen to the Allman Brothers & Widespread Panic is undeniable proof.
The weird looks people walking around in a full length coat with gloves & a scarf are getting provides further confirmation.
Today is the first day of spring.
On the iPod:
Allman Brothers; Brothers & Sisters
Widespread Panic; Ain't Life Grand, Everyday
07 March 2006
Mr. President
I was on the elevator at my internship today and a guy steped on. As the doors closed he turned to me and said "You're looking quite presdential today, with your red tie."
Great, I thought. "Yeah," I replied, "I was worried about that this morning when I was getting dressed."
He responded: "Yep, I wonder what George Bush is wearing"
which pretty much just means that I'm sticking it to myself.
On the iPod:
Cowboy Junkies; 2.29.2000, Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA
Dire Straits; Money for Nothing
02 March 2006
Effa Manley
Pre-Negro Leagues Candidate Profile:
Effa Manley
Born: March 27, 1897, in Philadelphia, Pa.
Died: April 16, 1981, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Effa Manley co-owned the Newark Eagles with her husband Abe Manley, whom she married in 1935. She ran the business end of the team, handling scheduling, travel, payroll, promotions, contracts and all the other daily details, from 1936-1947. In addition to her baseball pioneering efforts, Manley also played an active role in the Civil Rights Movement. She often used the team to help promote civil causes such as an Anti-Lynching Day at Ruppert Stadium.
Manley made one of her strongest contributions in the area of advertising. Cum Posey remarked that the league as a whole could learn something from her. She promoted the team and the community, making the Eagles a success during her tenure.
Her husband was treasurer for the Negro National League, but in reality, Effa handled those responsibilities as well, attending league meetings and speaking up when she saw injustices.
Manley worried about her players on and off the field. She worked hard to improve contracts, travel and accommodations during the season, but she also helped her players during the off-season and after their careers ended.
Manley's greatest success with the Eagles came in 1946 when they beat the Kansas City Monarchs in the World Series.
Over the years Manley had a number of great players under contract for the Eagles including Monte Irvin, Larry Doby, Max Manning and Leon Day.
Manley made another important contribution to the league after Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey integrated baseball. She lobbied Rickey and the other major league owners to get compensation for Negro leagues owners for the players they lost to the majors. The precedent for payment was set with Eagles star Larry Doby.
She co-authored a book in 1973 on black baseball and regularly wrote to the Hall of Fame, encouraging them to recognize the league and its players such as Mule Suttles, Dick Lundy, Biz Mackey and Fats Jenkins.
from http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/manley_effa.htm
----------------------------------------------------------
"Manley was white, but married a black man and passed as a black woman, said Larry Lester, a baseball author and member of the voting committee."
From http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/28/AR2006022800241.html
01 March 2006
I CAN SEE!!
My brother & I quoted one of the opening scenes to Trading Places - where the police arrest/harrass the homeless Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy), and he thankt them for his returned sight & legs - over & over & over. Too many laughs to count. One of the first times I remember seeing boobies was when Ophelia (Jamie Lee Curtis) took off her top in front of the mirror after rescuing Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Akroyd). She was pure sexy, and that movie was pure fun. One day I will corner the market on frozen orange juice.
...and incidentally, today I went and got contacts. I can see. They are weird, but hopefully once I get use dtop popping them in & out life will be easier than trying to read my computer screen through the glare of my glasses.
On the iPod:
Pearl Jam; Vs., Rearviewmirror