Headline of the DUH!

Imagine my surprise to see this one:

NOT... I would say this comes as a shock to few.

However, how many people will see that and ignore the issue [because they are too busy campaigning in SC] of improving education in the city where they hold jobs.

Today's news... No surprises here.

So recap of DC events of note via the Washington Post:

Tomorrow is the meter vs zone decision. I am pulling for meters and turns out a lot of other riders are too: Many D.C. Cab Riders Are Eager For Meters

We finally find out who stays in New York Avenue hotels - Europeans! Judge Shuts Down Hotel, Calling It a Health Threat
(Maybe they just didn't interview the prostitutes?)

TOLD YA SO!

Celebritology reports:

The Associated Press is reporting that Britney Spears has to turn over custody of her children to Kevin Federline by Wednesday:

Superior Court Judge Scott M. Gordon ruled that Federline will take custody of Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, beginning Wednesday "until further order of the court."

Oh Thank God! FINALLY! I knew K-Fed would get those poor babies! (Just go back a whole bunch of entries.) Told. Ya. So. Hah!

Reference: http://ihatethedistrict.blogspot.com/2007/09/i-was-wrong.html

http://ihatethedistrict.blogspot.com/2007/08/nit-wit-brit.html

More on SCHIP

And another reporter has this to say: Bush, Democrats Duel On Children's Insurance

So this reporter is neglecting to mention that there are a good deal of Republicans supporting this bill and that BUSH is characterizing it as a partisan disagreement with the Dems.

The man is just uneducated... AP's more detailed take on his veto's here.

SCHIP

Just posting a link to this one: Veto Threat Angers Republicans
Read through, then check out the link to the comments. I'm pretty sure you can guess my opinion on the matter.

(If you don't know what SCHIP is, check Wiki.)

I was wrong...

Reliable Source says this:
A court commissioner ordered Britney Spears (left) to hire a parenting coach to show her how to raise her children, according to documents posted on TMZ last night. The L.A. court scolded the pop singer for "habitual, frequent" drug and alcohol use -- but also denied her ex-husband Kevin Federline's request to have more custody of their two kids, now shared 50-50.

I totally thought he'd have those kids by now. Keep trying K-Fed. How long can Britney really last on twice a week random drug & alcohol screenings?

Call Laura Sessions Stepp!

"I think I do sleep better now," she said. "And it's definitely much easier to have another person in the bed if the occasion arises."

I read this article and had an immediate reaction of 'why did I just do that?'
Uhhh what a WASTE of newspaper space. Also makes me feel old in an 'when I was your age' type of way. Like, when I was your age, we slept on crappy twin xl's because that's what you do in college. I don't think colleges are supposed to encourage sharing beds. Plus, that's a good way to gain spacial perspective: how do you fit to fully grown adults into one twin bed? GRE practice, I think so!

(Anyway, Laura Sessions Stepp might want to write a rebuttal to that article, since now colleges are clearly ENCOURAGING girls to hook up with guys by giving them big beds. Watch out for grey rape.)

Meters vs. Zones vs. Meters vs. Zones vs....

In 1996, the commission voted to require meters in all cabs by 1998. The decision was made after a city-financed study concluded that the zone system charged too much for short trips and not enough for long ones. The meters were never installed.
Read article here

Well, my personal opinion is that we need real meters, I just don't understand why DC keeps trying to be different and "individual." As the nation's capital shouldn't it set a bar for the rest of the country? Isn't that why they have such a great educational system? Oh... Wait...

I have in the back of my head something we studied in econ (of law maybe) about whether the cab driver is better off cheating & wasting time to get a higher fare or taking the quickest route.
Economics says: Quickest route - may be a lower fare but then you are able to start looking for a new passenger.
(If anyone has read this & has a reference for it I'd much appreciate the help.)

"I don't need to walk around in circles, walk around in circles, walk around in..." - Soul Coughing
(Listen here)

Just the headline you DON'T want to see:

Thanks, Washington Post. Live Chat at 11, yay!

Street Smarts

So apparently a 22 year old woman gets into a van with a strange older man who offered her a ride to Crystal City, and then is attacked and assaulted. I just don't understand how this girl's street smarts could be so non-existent...
Situation - you're at a party & drunk & the metro is shut & you need to get home. Do you a) hail a cab b) get hailed by a strange man. From the men I've seen around here he probably hollered out the window to her in a pretty crude way too.
I don't know, I guess she was from Dallas and maybe that made her a little more trustworthy, but HONESTLY?

Don't ever do something so stupid as to get in a car van with a stranger.

Read about it.

Dear Ms. Erway...

From Washington Post: "During the whole campaign, he was hugged-up on black people," said Michelle Erway, 26, a black federal government contractor from Northeast, whose 3-year-old son will enroll in a charter school this fall. "Now that he's in office, he's hugged-up on white people. I lost a lot of respect for him after he was elected."

Oh, seriously! You think he's flip-flopping on his race choices? Let Mr. Mayor choose the best (wo)man for the job, regardless of the color of their skin or whatever.

How would you feel if Hilary was "hugged-up" on women during her campaign, then wins the election (god help us) and gets "hugged-up" on fellows. FELLOWS. MEN. Good lord, but there are more women than men in this world, what is she doing? What if all the women are incompetent?

(Disc. I'm white & female. I think Hilary is shady & that Fenty should fix this city with the best resources available. They could be green kitten-eating aliens for all I care, but if they can make DC magic happen then let it be!)

Foodstamp Challenge

I think this is cool: Lawmakers Find $21 a Week Doesn't Buy a Lot of Groceries (Washington Post).
Cooler still: they are keeping blogs -
http://foodstampchallenge.typepad.com/
http://timryan.house.gov/

VT

Jay Matthews is a fucking idiot. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/16/AR2007041600834.html?hpid=topnews

Because he said Tech had a good reputation, but this will tarnish it. Of all the articles to write immediately after this tragic event, one that suggests that the school will suffer in rankings is absurd.
I absolutely believe that that campus community will band together and maintain all reputations they had.

Again, Jay Matthews is a fucking idiot. This column is another one that makes me want to smack him!

Clearly you're joking, right...?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/interactives/shopper/030107.html

The ins & outs
In: TSA
Out: Privacy

Wait, those two go hand in hand.
And in my hand, well, I will not be sporting the so-called fashion of see-through purses. See italics from article below. How ridiculous. If you follow the link, the article has a photo of the bags from Coach & Chanel, along with the price... If you can find me someone willing to pay $500 for a plastic bag, we'll I've got a bridge I'd like to sell you.
COME ON!!!!!!!!
Clear lucite accessories might be ok, but the "plastic" bag thing? It happened a few years ago and it didn't stick! I wish I could find a reference for that, if I do I'll post it later.


"Blame it on MySpace. On Facebook or YouTube. These oh-so- popular social-networking sites have changed us all by issuing a societal decree: Your life isn't real unless you bare it for all to see. And all this new technology has led to a staggering amount of transparency among us.

Now the concept has snaked its way into fashion. How else are we to explain the proliferation of all things invisible this spring?

Citing inspiration from the zippered plastic bags used for carry-on liquids on planes, designers including Karl Lagerfeld and Oscar de la Renta have crafted handbags from see-through polyvinyl chloride (PVC to you and me). Of course, for decades department stores have required employees to schlep their stuff in clear purses--but that's to discourage internal theft, hardly a positive story line to parade down the runway.

Also striking in their clarity: Accessories made from clear acrylic (trademarked under such familiar names as Lucite and Plexiglas) abound this spring. A revival of a mod '60s sensibility for see-me '07, they're luxury products for a new class -- one that has no need for a silly thing like personal privacy.

-- Cory Ohlendorf, The Washington Post"

Because Lewis 'Scooter' Libby taught us nothing

I love that Bushie (aka President Bush's son) is letting his aides testify. Sort of.

WaPo (& the Merideth Viera clan) says "The White House, however, limited the kinds of questions the aides would answer and said the interviews may not be conducted under oath or transcribed. The conditions enraged congressional Democrats, who vowed to go ahead with plans to issue subpoenas as early as today that would compel the aides to testify."

Good for the Congressional democrats.

In other news, PB's son also plans to veto a bill to give DC a vote in the house... Because it is... UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/20/ AR2007032000111.html

"Islam doesn't mean peace, it means killing everyone for peace"

Teacher Charged After Uproar Over Arabic

A substitute teacher was charged with disorderly conduct Monday after she allegedly lashed out at a group of Gaithersburg high school students for using words in Arabic while practicing a commemorative speech to mark the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/12/ AR2006091201401.html

assalamu alaikum :)

Oh goodness, what an idiot. Honestly I would love to meet someone of her caliber and spout lovely arabic poetry just to get her riled up or something.
I bet she still eats freedom fries.

intern season

Wow, probably the dumbest article I've ever read. Interns paying $1250 a month for a tiny bedroom in a shared apartment?
You are very very obviously getting ripped off.
And another one complaining that $250 is too much per month for a dorm room?
WHAT IS GOING ON!?!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/15/AR2006061501963.html?nav=hcmodule

troglodites

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/14/AR2006061402155.html?nav=hcmodule

YES. I think this is a good idea, and a way for metro to generate revenue, because they could charge people to apply for permits to play in the metro. Use just about any other subway system in the world and you will find people playing music. Oh DC, get with the times baby.

More for the Edu-Sationalists

How Bad Do You Have to Go?

At Some Schools, It's Bathroom Breaks vs. Grades

The Washington Post does it again, fueling the edu...blogger crowd and chastising NCLB for making us bring lice to school and pee our pants and not protest...

But if there's a kid in an AP class who can't respect class enough to only pee when necessary, s/he is probably not mature enough to be in a "college level" class, let alone go to real college......

"It should be like college, especially for seniors. We can vote. We can go to war. We should be able to pee whenever we want."

More on the gym

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/05/AR2006060500826.html?nav=hcmodule

I did used to get up at 4:30 for practice, but this is insane...