Jason's View from DC

The Cold that Will not Die

2012-02-03T06:52:00.002-05:00

Well I thought I was better but it turned out to be otherwise.

I called my doctor and got an antibiotic. Very very very slowly I'm getting better. Having talked to people who either had this or know someone who had it, they say it last about two weeks or so. My doctor said about the same thing when I saw him last Friday.

All I can say is ugh. Very tired of eating, drinking and breathing phlegm.

I will say this I went from feeling terrible most of the time with only brief moments of feeling OK to feeling OK (not normal or great yet) most of the time and terrible only once in a while.

I'm hoping by staying in most of the weekend to finally shake this thing.

Occupy DC Update

2012-01-31T06:20:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was the day when the bid show down between Occupy DC and the Park Service was supposed to take place. At noon yesterday the Park Service was going to start enforcing the no-camping rule at McPherson Square. It just so happens my office is practically across the street from the park.

I went out about 10 minutes after noon. There were more protesters than usual in the park. There were a whole lot of media in the park. But they weren't all that many police in the park. In fact it didn't deem like they were enforcing the no-camping rule at all.

Occupy DC did put up this huge tent over the statue of General McPherson called the tent of dreams. The Occupy DC slogan was let us sleep so we can dream. No one seemed to be removing anything as noted in a Post article:

A good many protesters opted not to remove their stuff at all. As the noon deadline set by the police approached and then passed, the stuff that had enabled the protesters to endure a winter in Washington — the fox-den hidey-holes of cold-weather whatnot — remained defiantly inside tents. To the office dwellers who came to the park to see what would transpire as the deadline approached, the site looked little changed from the encampment that had sprung up in early October. It was muddy and cluttered. Protesters rallied at the center of the square, engaging in call-and-response chants, and digging in their heels for a stand-off with police that, as of mid-afternoon, had not occurred (the mood was reportedly less raucous and more zen over at Freedom Plaza, the site of Washington’s second Occupy encampment).

It remains to be seen what if any impact the no-camping rule is going to have.

Charlie Brown and Linus Get in Some Play Time

2012-01-30T19:19:00.001-05:00

It's the first video of Charlie Brown and Linus.

No Wonder the Post Office Is Going Broke

2012-01-30T06:41:00.002-05:00

I got a letter in the mail the other day. It was not addressed to me. The address had the same house number as mine. But the street address was 18th Street NW. The zip code wasn't mine either.

The Post Office was 28 blocks off in trying to deliver this piece of mail.

It took me a couple of days to remember to stick this back in the mail so it would get to the right address. I finally mailed it again last Wednesday.

On Saturday what show up on my doorstep, so to speak, but this same piece of mail. Delivered once again incorrectly to me.

I'm going to mail it yet again and see what happens. This time I might actually do it at a post office near work. This will make it much closer to the actually address. It will be interesting to see what happens.

The Great Builder Using Marshmallows

2012-01-29T08:08:00.002-05:00

When Denis and Ed were here we had brunch with our friend Lis. We all went to Stoney's and had something to eat. Lis and I had brunch while the guys had lunch. We then went back to Lis' for a visit with her husband Frank and son Ian.

Here is Ian using marshmallows to help build some shapes. The last picture Ian is telling us how to play a game using the jigsaw like pieces nearby.

We had a great visit!

Saturday Smile

2012-01-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

It's a bright sunny Saturday. What better way to celebrate that than with Peanuts.

Down With a Cold

2012-01-28T07:24:00.002-05:00

And a bitch of a cold at that.

It hit me hard on Tuesday. It's really slowed me down which is why there hasn't been much up on the blog.

I was taken over the counter cold remedies like they were candy. I felt better for maybe 30 minutes after taken a dose and then back to feeling like crap. Over the course of Friday evening things started to get a little better.

And, since I am finally feeling better, I hope to play catch up over the next few days with the blog.

Danger Will Robinson, Danger

2012-01-27T06:14:00.003-05:00

If you are of a certain age you will recognize that line from the TV show Lost in Space. The line of course came from the robot who accompanied the Robinson family when they got Lost in Space.

The actor who provided the robot's voice Dick Tufeld died this past week at the age of 85:

In "Lost in Space," producer Irwin Allen's futuristic retelling of the "Swiss Family Robinson" story that aired on CBS from 1965 to 1968, actor Bob May wore the Robot costume and Tufeld provided the voice.

Besides warning young Will Robinson of impending danger, Tufeld's Robot uttered other lines that became catchphrases for faithful viewers — including "That does not compute" — and needled the antagonistic Dr. Zachary Smith with barbs like "Dr. Smith is a bubble-headed booby."

I always enjoyed watching the show.

Here are a couple of clips.

2Political Episode 68

2012-01-25T18:29:00.000-05:00

2PP068 - 18 January 2012

2Political Podcast Episode 68- is now available. You can listen to it or download it from the podcast site, 2political.com. You can leave comments there as well as download or listen to any episode (you can access the five most recent episodes from the list on the right side of my blog).

This episode was recorded a week ago. It was delayed, then lightly edited, because Arthur is in the midst of a big home reorganisation and refurbishment project (he hopes he didn't make any editing mistakes…). After Special Days, we talk about the Republican presidential nomination sweepstakes. We talk about Romney’s elitism, then about the general issue of income inequality. Thanks to some comments, we get to expand on these and other topics.

Please leave a comment (anyone's welcome—agree or disagree!), or you can ring the 2Political Comment line on 206-350-3982.

Links for this episode:
International Hot and Spicy Food Day
as well as more here, too.
Please explain – Arthur’s blog post about the child poverty documentary that he mentioned.
Romney’s delusion – Arthur’s blog post on income inequality
Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

Get 2Poltical Podcast for free on iTunes

South Carolina Shakes up the Race!?

2012-01-23T21:13:00.002-05:00

Some quick thoughts on Saturday and South Carolina.

Romney took a thumping on Saturday.

Gingrich won by 12 points.

What’s interesting is once again Romney was in this 25-30% zone.

Romney’s speech after SC talked about the right to create wealth not about helping people get jobs.

Here's an understatement from Romney:

Romney said the South Carolina campaign “was not a great week for me” and acknowledged that the focus on his wavering comments about his tax returns contributed to “a setback.” He said he would release his 2010 returns and a 2011 estimate online Tuesday.

The question is does this really shake up the race. Or will it be just a blip on the screen to Romney winning the nomination. I'm still not entirely sure one way or another.

There is another debate tonight maybe that will help set the tone. The problem is that after Florida there's a gap between contests. Also a lack of debates which Newt tends to use to his greatest advantage.

One thing I do know for sure there will be great deal of mud flung around from now on. As everyone is going to go all out to score points with voters.

A Little Wintry Mix

2012-01-22T07:28:00.005-05:00

Friday night into Saturday morning, DC had a wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain. As it turned out there was not much accumulation. I went out later in the afternoon to do a little shopping. I encountered the usual idiots out on the road. These are the people who refuse to clean off their entire car of snow.

Thus on several occasion large chunks of the wintry mix flew off cars. In once case I'm taking about something three to four feet square. Thankfully these didn't land directly on any car. I've never understood why someone can't take the extra five minutes or so and clear off their entire car.

I Made the 5 Minute Chocolate Cake

2012-01-21T14:47:00.006-05:00

Last night I made the 5 minute chocolate cake. It was indeed very easy to make. Although I think it took a little longer than 5 minutes. It doesn't exactly taste like cake. It reminds me more of a cross between a cake and a pancake. I didn't add the chocolate chips which I'm pretty sure would make it better. I might also add a little more cocoa to make the chocolate taste pop more.

All the dried ingredients added.

All mixed up an ready to go.

In the microwave.

This is how it looked when I took it out of the microwave.

This is how it looked out of the cup.

Etta James Passes

2012-01-20T19:21:00.003-05:00

So sad to hear today that Etta James died today after a long battle with leukemia. At Last is such an iconic song. Here she is singing it later in life.

What an amazing voice and talent.

Etta, you will be missed

Linus Stretches Out

2012-01-19T23:42:00.000-05:00

The State of the Race

2012-01-19T19:45:00.002-05:00

Perry's out. He seemed to have very little support in South Carolina so it’s hard to see how this helps Newt, whom Perry endorsed earlier today. But it’s one less person to split the anti-Romney vote.

Big to do in the press about how Santorum really won Iowa. Can’t see how this makes any difference:

Former senator Rick Santorum (Pa.) won the Iowa caucuses Thursday — 16 days after the last vote was cast — when the state Republican party said a final count showed him 34 votes ahead of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.

Biggest problem for Romney is the story about his finances. The rate at which he pays taxes is very much in play. Also the reports of the money socked away in the Grand Caymans. This is the problem he’s facing:

“His personal finances are a poster child of what’s wrong with the American tax system,” said Jack Blum, a Washington lawyer who is an authority on tax enforcement and offshore banking.

And if that idea takes hold, Romney will be in trouble. The take from the Romney's campaign is that they did nothing wrong legally. But it’s the perception that matters more than anything else.

Is Romney still the nominee? Yes, in all likelihood. He’s probably going to win in S.C. and in Florida too. After those two contests it’s hard to see who stays in the race. It will be next to impossible for anyone else to raise any money.

The delegates don’t start piling up until March and April so it will take a couple more months for Romney to get the needed delegates to win the nomination.

Does Ron Paul stay in? He certainly seems to have the money. He also seems not to have anything else to do. It’s possible he still gets his 15-20% in each of the contests. But from April on (I believe) the primaries are winner take all. But Paul still causes problems for Romney.

So it seems that Romney has the nomination all sewed up but as we say in my family we'll see.

"Not Very Much," Really Mr. Romney

2012-01-18T22:05:00.002-05:00

Another awkward moment for Romney.

Well perhaps that’s not exactly the way to put it. More like not realizing the way he says things will make an impression on people.

I’m of course referring to his rather flip remark about the amount of money he earns from speaker fees and characterizing it as “not very much.” Not very much to the tune of $374, 000. Yeah not very much. This from the Post:

What “little” non-investment income Romney has had, he notes, has been from his book, which he gave away, “and then I get speaker’s fees from time to time, but not very much,” he told reporters at a gathering in Florence, S.C. Maybe in his world. Romney’s financial disclosure forms, according to the New York Times, show that he earned $374,327.62 in speakers fees from February 2010 to February 2011, averaging $41,592 a pop. By some measures, that alone would nearly qualify him for being in the low end of the so-called “one percent.” One speech would earn him an amount that’s more than three-quarters the amount of the median household income in the United States.

This is similar to the I know what it's like to be worried about loosing my job.

I guess he's trying to show that he knows what people are going through. But to me it just shows how out of touch he is from ordinary people.

At the Newseum

2012-01-18T06:49:00.004-05:00

As promised here's some pictures from Denis and Ed's visit. Last Friday we went to the Newseum. We got there a little after 11. We decided to eat lunch first. The food in the cafeteria was amazing. I had a shrimp and salmon pasta dish with roasted veggies and some corn bread. Wow it was great.

After that we saw the 4D movie and then went on our way to see the Newseum.

First picture is Denis taking a small break. We were in the place for about 4 hours and we could easily have stayed longer. Second picture is Denis and Ed. Last picture is Denis getting bundled up from the cold. It was a rather cold and blustery day. Thankfully we didn't do all that much walking around.

What if Twitter had been Around during the Civil War

2012-01-18T06:45:00.003-05:00

The premise of this exhibit is what if the events of the Battle of Gettysburg had been Tweeted.

More from the Civil War Exhibit at the Newseum

2012-01-18T06:41:00.002-05:00

The 5 Minute Chocolate Cake for One Person

2012-01-17T22:16:00.000-05:00

Jennifer sent this along to me. I think it looks really great!

I'm going to try it out a little later this week (hopefully the recipe works). I'll let you know how it goes.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..

Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.

The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!

Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Less Than Stellar Customer Service

2012-01-17T17:13:00.000-05:00

Last Monday DC had a little snow. Accent on a little. It was pretty. On some grassy areas there was a small amount of accumulation. This gives you the weather conditions for what happened next with DirecTV.

I came home from work. Turned on the TV. I wasn’t able to get all of the stations. I got a blank screen with a message saying searching for satellite signal. I was able to watch a little TV. Then the screen froze. Suddenly I couldn’t get any station to come in.

There was still a very small amount of snow coming down. But not much. I thought I would try and reset the receiver and maybe I could get the signal back that way. I hit the reset button and it starts. But when it gets to the part where it is accessing the station line up I get the searching for signal. I try to reset again. The same thing happens.

Now the fun really began. I called DirecTV for help.

It actually didn’t take all that long to get someone on the phone. The conversation started with me explaining the type of weather we had. As described above it wasn’t all that bad. The women from DirecTV asked if the dish was covered in snow. I said it was on the roof so I couldn’t see it but I added I doubted if there was much snow on it since we didn’t have much snow.

We then went through a series of tests to see if the receiver was properly connected. Then we ran the reset again. And received the same searching for satellite signal. The woman said well the problem could be the “bad” weather in DC. (Yes all that snow and that thick cloud cover that sure would be a good reason to loose the satellite signal.)

The upshot was that a technician would be dispatched to “fix” the problem. Before I could find out what day someone would be out I had to decide on two for lack of a better way of putting it payment options. The first was a monthly $6 fee which would cover any problems I would have with the receiver or dish or whatever. The other was a $50 one time fee. Actually it was a visit fee if there were any other problems found they would be extra.

I opted for the $50 fee. All of the times conflicted with when my friends were going to be here for their visit. So I said I’d call back. About an hour or so later I tried the TV again and everything was up and working.

I’m working on what to replace DirecTV with. I’d hope to do Verizon. Hoping that FIOS would be available in my area. No such luck. The areas that don’t have FIOS, Verizon partners with DirecTV. Well so much for that. There is the possibility of Comcast but I’m not a huge a fan of them either. I will continue to look into getting something else.

Hopefully in the next few months DirecTV will be a thing of the past.

Linus and Charlie Find Their Spots

2012-01-15T09:17:00.004-05:00

Linus and Charlie have started to find their favorite spots in the house. Linus likes to lie on the couch and Charlie likes my desk chair.

Playing Tour Guide

2012-01-14T10:09:00.003-05:00

I have some friends in town. I've been playing tour guide the last couple of days. They got in on Wednesday night. I left a little early from work. They took a bus from Dulles to L'Enfant Plaza. I met them there. Also had another friend show up. We went and to Starbucks and had something to drink and sat and chatted for awhile.

After that we took the subway to my house. We got settle in and went to an Ethiopian place for dinner. Very good food.

After that we drove around and saw the monuments at night. It was a rather cold rainy night so we stayed in the car but still got to enjoy seeing them.

They were on their own the next day. I had to go to work. Met up with them after work. They had met up with other mutual friends. We all went to the National Portrait Gallery and spent a couple of hours there. It's great that the Gallery stays open until 7 each night.

We said goodbye to those friends and then headed to DuPont Circle to met up with our friend from Wednesday. Had a great dinner at DuPont Italian Kitchen.

Yesterday I was off and we all went to the Newseum.

I have to say I like playing tour guide. It's fun to show people around the city.

I'll have some pictures later.

The Romney Disconnect

2012-01-09T19:38:00.001-05:00

A gaffe from Romney on firing people? I don't think so if you take the quote in the right context:

“I want individuals to have their own insurance. That means the insurance company will have an incentive to keep you healthy. It also means that if you don’t like what they do, you could fire them.”

So the idea that he likes to fire people is a bit much. His rivals are using it against him. Romney says it's being taken out of context. This is pretty funny coming from the guy who took a comment by then Senator Obama completely out of context and put it in an ad attacking the president.

He did add this interesting comment:

The speech came a day after Romney said he had personally feared losing his job. “I know what it’s like to worry whether you’re gonna get fired,” Romney said Sunday at a campaign rally in Rochester, N.H. “There were a couple of times I wondered whether I was going to get a pink slip.”

That may indeed be the case but I think it is fairly safe to say that Romney wasn't worried about money if he lost the job. The idea that he's on the same level of people that loose a job is laughable.

This guy is a millionaire. If he lost a job, he wasn't worried about paying the mortgage, getting food on the table or supporting his kids. Not like the people who did loose their jobs in the great recession.

I'm not saying that rich candidates don't understand these problems. But Romney's attempt to say he's one of the middle class is too much.

Monday Smile

2012-01-09T17:36:00.001-05:00

I know exactly how Lucy feels about this. I'm not a big New Yea's person so once Christmas is over I feel a big let down. This is a very funny series.

Is Romney Inevitable?

2012-01-08T12:20:00.002-05:00

That Romney will win New Hampshire is more or less a foregone conclusion. Yes, something could happen but what exactly to change the almost 20 percent lead is hard to say. Romney is also ahead in South Carolina by 10 points.

Granted South Carolina isn't until Jan. 21 and things could change but Romney will have a great deal of momentum coming out of New Hampshire even if he is expected to win there.

The nomination process is spread out this time. It will take a little while to win enough delegates to get the nomination. This could and the emphasis is the word could allow some other candidate to catch on and challenge Romney. But who might that be. Of those left the only one that hasn't shot to the top and then dropped like a stone is Santorum. The problem Santorum has is that he doesn't have enough money, at least right now, and little if no organization. It also seems he's running into a little bit of trouble in New Hampshire with his social positions:

On Friday, he was aggressively heckled at a wild campaign stop at a restaurant. The event was forced into the parking lot after a fire marshal deemed the building too crowded. As Santorum spoke, he was interrupted periodically by shouts.

“What about equality for the gays?” one man shouted and, after Santorum opened with a request for respect, the man continued, “How much respect do you have for gay people, Rick?”

But the main thing that has to happen to stop the Romney bandwagon is that someone has to win. And win pretty big I'd say. I just don't see where that happens.

The Guys Watch Football

2012-01-07T22:12:00.003-05:00

Charlie and Linus have a favorite spot to watch football. The loveseat in the living room. There was a little disagreement on who would get to sit where.

Looking for Cough Medicine

2012-01-07T17:37:00.003-05:00

I have this cough that won't seem to go away. I've had it on and off for about three weeks or so. I think it comes in part because the weather's changed. It's drier in my house. I'm sleeping with my mouth open and my throat becomes dry. That leads to the cough.

I had some cough medicine at home. In fact I had three of four bottles of the stuff. I took some and it actually did some good. I then looked at the bottles and found that three out of the four bottles had surpassed their expiration date. So I tossed them.

I went looking for some more. It turns out just about every damn bottle of the stuff is cherry flavored. I hate cherry. I'd rather eat dirt than eat or drink anything that is cherry flavored. Yet I wasn't able to find a bottle of cough syrup that wasn't cherry flavored. Except for kids cough syrup which wasn't exactly what I was hoping to loose.

I will continue my search for a non-cherry flavored cough medicine. In the mean time, I hold my nose while I'm taking the stuff and hope I don't gag on it.

Battle in the Bathtub

2012-01-04T23:39:00.000-05:00

The guys have discovered the bathtub. Linus really likes it. And then Charlie came along and they battled for who'd be tops in the tub.

Iowa: It’s a Tie

2012-01-04T17:40:00.001-05:00

And it means the campaign goes on.

Santorum certainly became the conservative flavor of the month the anit-Romney at just the right time.

Romney won but by only 8 votes. Essentially it was a tie. Once again Romney faces the problem of a ceiling he seems unable to break through. The 25 percent ceiling. He did better with evangelicals than last time. But there is still the problem, which the media continues to ignore, that Romney is a Mormon and many evangelicals simply will never vote for this guy. The reason is they don’t think he’s a Christian.

Santorum faces the problem of trying to define himself as something other than the far far right ideologue that he is. He also has little or no organization in the upcoming primaries and very little money. The money part will change. In fact the money part probably started changing last night. The organization part is something that will take time. Time that Santorum might not have. One thing working in his favor is that primary process is strung out over several months. The opening primaries will award delegates proportionately. Only after April (I think) does the winner take all contests kick in.

Romney will win in New Hampshire, that’s a given. In all likelihood that will be dismissed by the media because Romney is expected to win there. What is important for Romney in New Hampshire is to win really big. His goal should be to crush those that remain in the contest. He also has to turn his attention to destroying Santorum the way he destroyed Gingrich in Iowa. What I mean to say is the SuperPac that the Romney campaign has no interaction with.

Newt certainly didn’t take kindly to what happened to him in Iowa:

“We were on a path to have a real policy debate ... and then we got diverted by Romney and his negative campaign, and also Ron Paul, to some extent,” Gingrich said on MSNBC Wednesday morning. “So now we have to go back and figure out how we are going to run in an environment where clearly you have two guys who are willing to say things that are not honest, and who have millions of dollars to pay for doing so.”

I feel a little sorry for Newt but only a little. Since Newt is responsible for this type of campaigning. It started with him that idea of completely destroying an opponent. It wasn’t enough to beat someone on the issues it was important to destroy that person’s reputation. A take no prisoners scorched earth policy. Well Mr. Speaker, pay back is a bitch and now he knows what it’s like.

It will be interesting to see how things play out in the next few days.

GW Women's Basketball

2012-01-04T06:52:00.003-05:00

Monday I went to a GW women's basketball game. They played cross town rival American.

There was a pretty good crowd considering it was the last day most people had off for the holidays.

GW ended up winning 60-49 but at one point American was within 3 points. It was a very entertaining game. You can read more about it here.

Travel Tales

2012-01-03T23:49:00.000-05:00

I had good flights to and from Springfield this Christmas. No snow. No rain. No delays. There were a couple of things that were a little strange.

The flight out from DC to Dallas/Ft. Worth was overbooked. They made an announcement about it. They also said that people in Group 4 would have to fit there carry on luggage under the seat in front of them. If it didn’t fit under there, the luggage would have to be checked. They came on again asking people to volunteer to check their carry ons because again they were overbooked and there would not be enough overhead bin space. The luggage would be checked to your final destination and there would be no charge for it.

Later they came on and asked for volunteers to give up their seats because the flight was overbooked. They offered a $300 travel voucher. They made a point of adding that it had no restrictions on it. Also that you would be booked on the next flight out to Dallas. If Dallas had been my final destination, then I might have been interested in doing that but it wasn’t. So I stayed put.

On the way back there was an even better deal. The flight was from Springfield to Chicago. They started out offering a $300 voucher. You also would have a confirmed seat on the 1:45 flight to Dallas. A little time passed and they made another offer a $500 voucher. The final offer was 1500 frequent flyer miles and the $500 voucher. If they couldn’t get someone to take that then someone would have to be bumped. That would be the last person to purchase a ticket. I think someone tried to take them up on the offer As I learned from the person sitting next to me on the flight to Chicago, a guy did volunteer but he wanted to be rebooked to a flight on Dec. 30. The airline wasn’t able to accommodate him. But the thing is I’m not sure anyone was bumped from the flight.

And those are my travel tales from this December.

A Caucus to Start It All

2012-01-03T17:47:00.001-05:00

And there off!!!!

Our quadrennial process for picking a president starts tonight. Well let me clarify that. This is the first actual voting in the quadrennial process for picking a president. The campaign for some started the night Obama was elected president in 2008.

The big “story” is whether the Santorum surge (doesn’t it have a nice ring to it) will play out to a first place finish in the Iowa Caucus. That’s essentially the only thing the media has been covering the last week or so. I have to say I haven’t been paying all that much attention to it. It seems there are some events toward the end of December that are of more importance than a caucus.

One has to wonder if Santorum is really surging or if he is yet again the conservative flavor of the month. The current anti-Romney. Since the conservatives have essentially run through all the other candidates, Santorum is picking up support. At least there has been some coverage in the media of the difficulty Santorum will have after Iowa. Not much money and little organization. One has to wonder where he expects to win next. One has to ask the question is Santorum this year’s Mike Huckabee.

I’m sure around 10 tonight there will be plenty of coverage on that.

I have to say I’m not much of a fan of the caucus in general. I don’t think it is all that democratic especially if it is held during the week. Here’s my problem with it. Anyone who has a job that starts in the afternoon is not going to be able to attend. It’s not like a primary when you can take 15 or 20 minutes to go in and vote. If you have kids and can’t find an baby sitter you’re not going. Maybe you don’t want to spend an hour or two to participate in the process.

Seems to me there's a better way to start the process for picking a president.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2012-01-02T06:57:00.003-05:00

I will admit that I am a day late but Happy New Year anyway.

There are so many great things to look forward to this year. Since it is now officially 2012, the race for the presidency it really really on.Probably 100 or more Republican debates. All the great political ads from all those super pacs. Thank you Supreme Court. But it will be great to see democracy in action.

I'm really looking forward to getting to know my cats. I'm hoping they don't drive me to crazy. They certainly have been a great deal of fun so far.

There are the usual resolutions. I want to loose some weight. I'm actually rather pleased that I didn't put on as much with all the food there was around the holidays. I also want to get on my bike this year and actually ride it some place. I'm hoping to be a little more organized. Also want to keep the house a little cleaner and with two cats I think I'll more or less be forced to that.

Most of all I just need to have more fun.

Once again HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We All Watch Football

2012-01-01T13:50:00.004-05:00

We are all watching Sunday football. What a great way to start out the new year together. Charlie Brown and Linus are both disappointed that we won't get to watch Denver in the second game this afternoon.

A Few More of the Guys

2011-12-30T23:03:00.003-05:00

A Few Last Christmas Decorations

2011-12-30T15:04:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday

2011-12-30T11:09:00.000-05:00

What better way to celebrate a Friday off then with Peanuts and two new cats in your house.

Getting Used to Their New Surroundings

2011-12-30T08:13:00.002-05:00

Charlie Brown and Linus are getting used to the house. When I brought them home yesterday afternoon I kept them in my bedroom. I thought best not to completely overwhelm them by giving them the full run of the house.

Once they got accustomed to my bedroom, they were very interested in seeing what was beyond the bedroom door. This morning I let them out. They are going a great deal of running around and exploring this morning. I'm going to let them at it. I'll check on them from time to time but I think it best that they do their own exploring. Charlie is having a great deal of fun running up and down the stairs.

Here are a couple more pictures.

The Guys Arrive!

2011-12-29T18:36:00.005-05:00

I picked up the guys today from the Humane Society. They are very nice. Everyone at the shelter was really pleased that Dino a.k.a. Linus and Darko a.k.a. Charlie Brown were being adopted and adopted together. Here are some pictures. More to come later.

Here's Charlie Brown:

Here's Linus:

2Political Episode 67

2011-12-28T07:02:00.002-05:00

2PP067 - 21 December 2011

This post was delayed slightly because I was away.

2Political Podcast Episode 67- is now available. You can listen to it or download it from the podcast site, 2political.com. You can leave comments there as well as download or listen to any episode (you can access the five most recent episodes from the list on the right side of my blog).

After Special Days, we talk about Iowa and the Republican presidential nomination sweepstakes. It’s a wide-ranging discussion we have. We talk about Ron Paul, the end of the Iraq War, and so much more. We even get into a discussion of voting systems.

Please leave a comment (anyone's welcome—agree or disagree!), or you can ring the 2Political Comment line on 206-350-3982.

Links for this episode:
All about Saint Thorlak
And about Junkanoo
PV has some merit – the blog post on PV aka “Instant Runoff Voting” that Arthur mentioned. It has explanatory videos.
Jason’s Blog
Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

Get 2Poltical Podcast for free on iTunes

MERRY CHRISTMAS, 2011

2011-12-25T20:11:00.003-05:00

The Stockings Are Overflowing

2011-12-25T20:05:00.002-05:00

Our stockings had so much stuff in them that they could not be hung on the chimney with care. Second picture is what was in my stocking. I have to say buying for stockings is as much fun as getting the full size presents for people.

Presents to All

2011-12-25T20:01:00.002-05:00

Presents to Me

2011-12-25T19:56:00.004-05:00

I got this great hooded sweatshirt. Here I'm channeling my inner gansta here which I obviously need a lot more practice with.

More Presents

2011-12-25T19:49:00.004-05:00

Here's my dad with a couple of his presents. A turtle to put out in his garden. Then a book about All My Children the soap he liked to watch that went off the air this year. Ed and Jennifer with their new griddle. Jennifer also has on her new scarf. Then a picture of a couple of characters.

The Meal

2011-12-25T19:35:00.003-05:00

Jennifer prepared an absolutely wonderful Christmas dinner. The turkey in particular came out really well. There was of course mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, green beans, rolls and jello. And not one but two types of pies! Lemon Meringue and Dutch Apple.

Joplin 6 Months On, Part I

2011-12-22T19:12:00.003-05:00

Md dad, Ed and I went to Downstream to do a little gambling today (didn't have much luck but then again we never do).

On the way back we went through Joplin. Here are some pictures of what the city looks like. You can follow this link to see the pictures I took six months ago.

Joplin 6 Months On, Part II

2011-12-22T19:03:00.004-05:00

There is some building going on. New homes are going up. Business are being repaired. Most of the debris is gone.But for the most part not a great deal has changed. The last two pictures are of the hospital. There are temporary buildings around it that are open for business but otherwise the hospital itself is as it was.

This definitely puts a different perspective on Christmas.

More Christmas Time

2011-12-19T06:54:00.004-05:00

Some more pictures from around the neighborhood.

Civil 150 — Battles in Oklahoma

2011-12-18T15:54:00.000-05:00

This is an area of the Civil War that you rarely hear about. The part of the conflict that took place west of the Mississippi. Here are two battles that took place in modern day Oklahoma but was Indian territory at the time.

Round Mountain Nov. 19, 1861. The exact location of the battle is unknown. It was also between Confederate forces and Indians not regular Union troops. Here's a summary of what happened:

Internal differences within the Creeks (repeated in smaller scale in the decimated Seminole nation) led the aged Chief Opothleyahola to lead a substantial faction (perhaps 3,500 of which 1,000 were warriors) to seek protection from the Federal Government in Kansas. The Confederates wanted to stop this.

Cooper set out on November 15, 1861, with about 1,400 very green men to either compel submission or “drive him and his party from the country”. He led his men up the Deep Fork of the Canadian River to Chief Opothleyahola’s camp which they found deserted. On the 19th, Cooper learned from prisoners that part of Opothleyahola’s band was at the Red Fork of the Arkansas River, where they were erecting a fort.

Cooper’s men arrived there around 4pm and he ordered a cavalry charge which discovered that the Natives had recently abandoned their camp. The Confederates did find some stragglers beyond the camp and followed them, blundering into the new camp. The Natives fired into the Rebel cavalry and moved large numbers to attack them. This chased the Confederate advance guard back to the main body, but did not end the engagement. Darkness prevented Cooper from attacking until the bulk of the Natives were within 60 yards. A short fight ensued but Opothleyahola’s men broke it off and fell back to their camp.

Cooper did not want his raw troops to try anything in the dark, and waited until the morning of the 20th. Again they found Opothleyahola’s campsite, but the fugitives were gone.

The Confederates claimed victory for pushing Opothleyahola out of the area, but it was only the first of three encounters between Opothleyahola’s Union supporters and Confederate troops.

This set up the next battle. The battle of Chusto-Talasah on Dec. 9, 1861. Here are the details:

After the defeat of Opothleyahola and his Unionist force at Round Mountain, he retreated northeastward in search of safety. He may have been thinking about moving to Kansas and protection of US Army garrisons, or perhaps just moving away from his pursuers.

On December 9, 1861 Opothleyahola and his followers were at Chusto-Talasah, or Caving Banks, on the Horseshoe Bend of Bird Creek when Cooper’s 1,300 Confederates attacked about 2pm. The Natives knew Cooper was coming and had deployed their fighters in a strong position at the Bend. For almost four hours, Cooper repeatedly attacked and attempted to outflank the Natives. Just before dark the attacks succeeded in pushing Opothleyahola east across Bird Creek.

Cooper claimed another victory, camped on the battlefield overnight but did not pursue because he was short of ammunition. Opothleyahola and his followers moved off in search of security elsewhere

Christmas Time is Here

2011-12-18T08:12:00.003-05:00

Took a walk around the neighborhood last night and took some pictures of the decorations people had out. Here are a few of them.

Civil 150 — Battle of Ivy Mountain

2011-12-17T19:06:00.002-05:00

Battle of Ivy Mountain Nov. 8-9, 1861.

Another important border state to both sides was Kentucky. Here's an idea of what Kentucky went through during the war:

Citizens of the state of Kentucky were truly divided over issues that caused the Civil War. The Kentucky legislature did not vote to secede from the Union, but neither did it vote to raise troops to support the Union. Instead, the state declared neutrality. But this neutrality did not last long. Because Kentucky was a strategic border state dividing the South and the North, it was occupied by both Union and Confederate forces. In 1861 and 1862, Kentuckians at home saw a number of battles and skirmishes. By the end of 1862, Confederate forces had been run out of the state. However, the destruction caused by war was not over for Kentuckians. From December 1862 to January 1865, famous Confederate raids by John Hunt Morgan, Nathan Bedford Forrest, Quantrill, and "Sue" Mundy destroyed Union supply depots, bridges, and county courthouses. Kentucky also experienced a period of lawlessness in 1864, when "Bushwhackers" -- small bands of unruly soldiers from both sides -- looted small towns and robbed local farmers of produce and livestock.

This specific battle turned out better for the Union mostly because they controlled the field of battle at the end of the day due to a Confederate withdrawal.

Ivy Mountain is south east of Lexington not far from Prestonburg and the West Virginia border.

Details of the battle:

The Confederates had about 1,000 men, but were chased by a substantially larger Union force, elements of a dozen units.
US losses were about 30, against roughly 250 Confederate casualties.
While recruiting in southeast Kentucky, Rebels under Col. John S. Williams ran short of ammunition at Prestonsburg and fell back to Pikeville to replenish their supply. Brig. Gen. William Nelson sent out a detachment from near Louisa under Col. Joshua Sill while he started out from Prestonsburg with a larger force in an attempt to "turn or cut the Rebels off." Williams prepared for evacuation, hoping for time to reach Virginia, and sent out a cavalry force to meet Nelson about eight miles from Pikeville. The Rebel cavalry escaped, and Nelson continued on his way. Williams then met Nelson at a point northeast of Pikeville between Ivy Mountain and Ivy Creek. Waiting by a narrow bend in the road, the Rebels surprised the Yankees by firing upon their constricted ranks. A fight ensued, but neither side gained the edge. As the shooting ebbed, Williams's men felled trees across the road and burned bridges to slow Nelson's pursuing force. Night approached and rain began which, along with the obstructions, convinced Nelson's men to go into camp. In the meantime, Williams retreated into Virginia, stopping in Abingdon on the 9th. Sill's force arrived too late to be of use, but he did skirmish with the remnants of Williams's retreating force before he occupied Pikeville on the 9th. This bedraggled Confederate force retreated back into Virginia for succor. The Union forces consolidated their power in eastern Kentucky mountains.

A Funny List

2011-12-17T08:47:00.000-05:00

This is a pretty funny list that I received. It's called adult truths.

1 Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

2. Nothing bites more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind-of tired.

9. Bad decisions make good stories.

10. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

11. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

12. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

13. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

14.. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

15. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

16. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

17. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

18. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket or finding their cell phone - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.

Civil 150 — Battles in Missouri

2011-12-14T18:35:00.003-05:00

Battle of Springfield Oct. 25, 1861

Right in Ed and Jennifer's back yard.

This was a Union victory one of the very few in this area of Missouri:

In mid-November, after Frémont was sacked and replaced by Maj. Gen. Hunter, the Federals evacuated Springfield and withdrew to Sedalia and Rolla. Federal troops reoccupied Springfield in early 1862 and it was a Union stronghold from then on. This engagement at Springfield was the only Union victory in southwestern Missouri in 1861, and the Confederates had general control of the area.

To get a detailed description of the battle follow this link.

Battle of Belmont Nov. 7, 1861.

This shifted the area of operations away from the are around Springfield to the near the Illinois border. This sees the first major action of Ulysses S. Grant. He strikes from Cairo, IL into Missouri:

On November 6, 1861, Brig. Gen. Grant left Cairo, Illinois, by steamers in conjunction with two gunboats, to make a demonstration against Columbus, Kentucky. The next morning, Grant learned that Confederate troops had crossed the Mississippi River from Columbus to Belmont, Missouri, to intercept two detachments sent in pursuit of Brig. Gen. M. Jeff Thompson and, possibly, to reinforce Maj. Gen. Sterling Price’s force. He landed on the Missouri shore, out of the range of Confederate artillery at Columbus, and started marching the mile to Belmont. Fighting opened at 9:00 in the morning. The Federals routed the Confederates out of their Belmont cantonment and, lacking the means to haul things away, destroyed the Rebel supplies and equipment they found.

Meanwhile the scattered Confederate forces reorganized and received reinforcements from Columbus. Counterattacked, the Union force withdrew, re-embarked, and returned to Cairo. Grant did not accomplish much in this operation, but, at a time when little Union action occurred anywhere, many were heartened by any activity.

The Cat Application is In

2011-12-13T19:41:00.003-05:00

I have put in my application to the Washington Humane Society to be able to adopt a cat. Well in this case it would be cats.

I've decided it is time to have some friends in the house. I won't be getting them until I get back from Springfield. I went and looked at a couple I'd picked out on their website about a week ago.

I had some questions today and called. The person I talked to said I should put in my application now. That way when I'm ready to adopt all of that will be taken care of and I can just come in and pick out the cats I want.

I've taken a fancy to two guys. I went and met them today when I put in my application. They seemed very nice. I can't put a hold on them so I just have to hope no one takes a fancy to them until I come back. I think that might be a fairly good bet since they've been there for a couple of months.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Happy Tuesday

2011-12-13T06:25:00.000-05:00

A very funny cartoon with Lucy and Rerun.

Occupy DC

2011-12-10T07:55:00.002-05:00

On Wednesday Occupy DC staged a series of demonstrations around DC:

More than five dozen protesters upset about what they call corporate greed and the excessive influence of money in politics were arrested Wednesday after shutting down K Street, home to many of the city’s influential lobbying firms, in a mass demonstration that snarled mid-day traffic in the nation’s capital.

The arrests came as demonstrators from across the country converged on K Street for a march that included participants from Occupy Wall Street encampments as well as other groups — including unions— sympathetic to their message about income inequality. D.C. police had made 62 arrests by 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, said spokeswoman Gwendolyn Crump. Sixty-one of the arrests were for obstructing a public highway and an additional arrest was made for a misdemeanor assault on a police officer.

They've taken over McPherson Square which is across the street from my office. I walk past the park a couple times of day so I'm getting a bird's eye view of what's going on. They have been in the park since October. I have mixed emotions about their continued occupancy of the park.

To my thinking you get to have one protest a day. You get to disrupt traffic and people just once in the course of the day. On Wednesday, there were a whole series of protests that lasted from before noon until past rush hour. I hate to say it but the people these protest have the greatest impact on are the everyday working people trying to get to and from work.

They've been in the park since October. They essential take up just about the entire space. They prevent anyone else from using it. It's getting into winter so there won't be many people trying to use it. But come spring people will want to use. By then I think Occupy DC needs to be gone.

What they are protesting about is very important. Income inequality is only getting worse. The financial crisis brought on by the banks and the very rich is impacting just about everyone else but them. The problem is, that by continuing to demonstrate week after week, Occupy DC becomes the issue not the issue of income inequality.

Perry Parody

2011-12-09T20:03:00.002-05:00

Perry Parody.

Here are few of the parodies that have popped up on Perry's ad that he released a few days ago in Iowa.

Jesus Responds to Rick Perry's "Strong" Ad from DC Pierson

A New Take on the Hallelujah Chorus

2011-12-08T23:15:00.001-05:00

Yes, the internet can be a truly wonderful thing. This is a very creative rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus. Enjoy.

A Night at the Newseum

2011-12-07T19:49:00.003-05:00

An interesting night at the Newseum. Well actually it was only part of an evening. As it was described:

Members' Night with Artifacts "From the Vault"

As a special thank you for your support and to celebrate the holiday season, we’d like to welcome you to the Newseum for Members’ Night. Press Pass members are invited to an exclusive reception and program featuring the Newseum’s curatorial team and a few of their favorite artifacts from our extensive collection that are not now on display.

It was very interesting and the food well more on that later. They had the first mock up of Sports Illustrated that was shown to advertisers to get them to advertise in the first issue. A Currier and Ives print of the Battle of Gettysburg. The front page of a German paper with the Nuremberg verdict. Along with a host of other things. One in particular was a J. Fred Muggs doll in the original packaging. This was the chimpanzee that appeared on the Today show when it started.

A Night at the Newseum the Food

2011-12-07T19:30:00.003-05:00

I had dinner before I went to the reception. I thought they were only going to be serving wine and cheese. Not a big wine fan and I thought cheese wouldn't be enough of a dinner. I went to RFD by Gallery Place and had a great buffalo bacon cheese burger. Very very good.

Well the food at the reception was by Wolfgang Puck. It looked fantastic. The desserts were fantastic. I had a few of the cookies. They were amazing. In all a very enjoyable night.

It Might Snow Later Today — Time to Panic!!!!!!

2011-12-07T05:59:00.002-05:00

This from the Washington Post:

Remember our minor snow event back on Oct. 29? We’ve got a similar situation tonight with colder air moving in as precipitation prepares to exit. There’s potentially enough of an overlap to produce a light snow accumulation late tonight, mainly on grass and especially the further north and west you go from the District. Before then, this rather juicy storm system produces as much as 1-3” of rain through evening. A Flood Watch is in effect this afternoon through late tonight.

So there might be some snow but not very much. It is the number one topic of conversation on the morning radio show I listen to. Also coverage on the local news station when I tuned in for the weather.

It is always funny to me the complete and total panic that sets in when there is even the mention of snow. My guess is there will be a few flakes that fall but there'll be a whole lot of hand wringing before it's all over.

At the National Portrait Gallery, Part I

2011-12-06T20:35:00.000-05:00

Before heading over to the Newseum I stopped off at the National Portrait Gallery. Here are a few pictures of my visit. Andrew Carnegie. Thomas Edison. A Hirschfeld drawing of Beverly Sills. Mark Twain.

At the National Portrait Gallery, Part II

2011-12-06T20:27:00.004-05:00

Here are three important politicians from the mid 1800s. Daniel Webster, Henry Clay and John Calhoun.

At the National Portrait Gallery, Part III

2011-12-06T20:11:00.003-05:00

Some more from my quick visit to the National Portrait Gallery.

Tuesday Treat

2011-12-06T05:24:00.003-05:00

Happy Tuesday everyone. Another funny series from Peanuts.

BB&T Classic

2011-12-05T11:55:00.000-05:00

Stu and I went to the BB&T Classic at the Verizon Center on Sunday. It was GW against Virginia Commonwealth and Maryland against Notre Dame.

GW didn't do very well against VCU. The final score 75-60 didn't exactly reflect how close the game was. VCU was able to get off too many three point shots. In fact they had more points on 3-point baskets than GW had the whole first half:

“We were supposed to go under screens and we were helping too much,” GW Coach Mike Lonergan said. “We let [Bradford] Burgess get off to a great start, then we tried to change some things and three or four guys may have been on the same page, but a few guys would have a breakdown on every play. . . . We tried to trap a little, but the rotation was a little slow, which gave them more open threes.”

Maryland did better. They won against Norte Dame 78-71.

I forgot to bring my regular camera so these pictures were taken with my iPhone. I think they came out pretty well. As you can see there were not many people there. It did fill in a little for the second game.

Here's the GW pep band getting ready to play.

This young GW fan couldn't stand to watch the game at the end.

Stu and I mugging for the camera.

The White House on World AIDS Day

2011-12-05T05:51:00.002-05:00

This is how the White House looked on World AIDS day this past Friday. We've come a long way in fighting AIDS. But there is still along way to go. This day helps remember what's been accomplished and those we've lost to this terrible disease.

2Political Episode 66

2011-12-01T21:16:00.000-05:00

2PP066 - 29 November 2011

2Political Podcast Episode 66- is now available. You can listen to it or download it from the podcast site, 2political.com. You can leave comments there as well as download or listen to any episode (you can access the five most recent episodes from the list on the right side of my blog).

After Special Days, Jason talks about a movie he saw, which leads to brief talk about another movie, before we talk a bit about Thanksgiving.

After that, Arthur talks a bit about the recent New Zealand elections. That leads to a discussion of political public opinion polls. This morphs into a discussion of the Republican presidential campaign, so we use our brand-new 2Political Republican Frontrunner Prognosticator™ to work out who the current Republican frontrunner is. That, in turn, leads to a discussion of what's wrong with the Republican Party. It’s a barbed wire salad of interlocking topics.

Please leave a comment (anyone's welcome—agree or disagree!), or you can ring the 2Political Comment line on 206-350-3982.

Links for this episode:
The Hillary Moment – the latest delusional op ed piece from Caddell and Schoen
One and done – their delusion from exactly one year ago
Reminder: Try Not to Ride Metro on the Weekend – the blog post Jason mentioned
Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

Get 2Poltical Podcast for free on iTunes

Traditions and Remembrance

2011-11-30T21:05:00.000-05:00

The traditions that I have are around Christmas.

The first one is that the day after Thanksgiving until Jan. 1 or around that time all I listen to is Christmas music. The second tradition also deal with music. I play the Charlie Brown Christmas album everyday as I am heading out to work.

Peanuts also plays a part in the final tradition I have around Christmas and that is of course the parade of Peanuts ties. I wear a Peanuts tie to work every work day from the Monday after Thanksgiving until the day I head out for the holidays. This is year that's 17 days. Luckily I can wear a different Peanuts tie for each day and still have a couple to spare.

Here are a couple of pictures of me and my ties.

And now to the remembrance

Remembrance

2011-11-30T20:53:00.005-05:00

The remembrance is for my mom. She died eight years ago today.

I went to the National Gallery of Art. Went to the cafeteria which has the waterfall by it. I got some chocolate pudding and sat down and ate it in her honor. When I was growing up there were times when she would make chocolate pudding. She would place wax paper over the top of it so it wouldn't get a film on it. The big treat was to be able to lick the pudding off the wax paper.

After the pudding, I went and saw the Matisse cut outs. I also went by and saw a couple of her favorite paintings by Auguste Renoir.

I thought it was a great way for me to remember her and say I miss you.

Sleep Apnea

2011-11-28T11:17:00.000-05:00

My brother, Ed, has done a couple of stories for the Springfield News-Leader on sleep apnea.

The first one is called: Sleep apnea could explain fatigue — Condition has far-reaching consequences for daily life, life span

The second is: Truckers scrutinized for sleep apnea — Sleeping disorder is considered a company liability, driver says.

Both articles are very interesting. I never knew how much of a potential health hazard sleep apnea is. From the first story:

People with sleep apnea may have hundreds of these events through the night. After each apnea, their bodies are thrown from a deeper level of sleep to a shallower one, depriving them of the restorative sleep necessary for effective daily functioning.

And this rather startling consequence of the disorder:

Untreated, sleep apnea raises the risk of major health problems, including high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and stroke, Yarnell said. Furthermore, keeping one's airway open at night may extend life span by 10 years, he said, referencing a statement from Stanford University sleep specialist Dr. Nino Marcia.

So if you think you may have sleep apnea get yourself to a doctor so they can start treating it.

The Muppets

2011-11-27T17:47:00.003-05:00

As I said I saw this on Friday at Gallery Place. I was the 3:40 show. I was surprised by the number of people there. The theater was probably 3/4 full. There were around 200 people; there were probably a total of 10 kids in the audience. This is not to say the Muppets is not a kids movie but I think the vast majority of the audience for the movie will be adults remembering just how much fun the Muppets were/are.

Make no mistake about it this is a very funny movie. It is also a loving tribute to the Muppets and the joy and laughter they have brought to so many people. Jason Segel is almost single handily responsible for this. His love of everything Muppet comes through in the screen play he helped to write.

The basic story is that Gary (Jason Segel) Mary (Amy Adams) and Walter set out for a vacation in Los Angeles. One of the highlights is to see the Muppet Studios. The studio has fallen into disrepair. While on the tour, Walter over hears that the Muppet Theater is about to bought up by developer Tex Richman, played by Chris Cooper. There's oil underneath the theater and Richman is going to tear down the theater and drill for it.

Gary, Mary and Walter seek out Kermit to attempt to reunite the Muppets for one last show to raise a million dollars and save the theater. Sort of like an old Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney MGM movie. I mention that because Rooney has a cameo in the movie.

I won't give away the ending. But the journey to it is full of songs and smiles and a great deal of laughter. The movie is very much aware that well it is a movie. There are many asides to the audience. At one point Statler and Waldorf are talking and one says something to the effect of well that sounds like plot exposition for the audience. Another time when Gary, Mary and Walter fail to convince Kermit to find the other Muppets, Mary says this is going to be a short movie.

There is also the hysterical way in which the Muppets travel by map. I won't say anything more about it but it is very funny.

It was great to see the Muppets again on the big screen. What comes through from everyone of the human performers in the movie is the love and respect they have for the Muppets. And the shear joy of being in the movie.

I know I left with a smile on my face. You will too.

The Muppets are Back

2011-11-27T11:18:00.002-05:00

I went and saw The Muppets on Saturday afternoon. It was fantastic. I'll have more of a review in a latter post. But it is a must see.

Here's the final scene from the first Muppet movie appropriately called the Muppet Movie from 1979.

Civil War 150 — Three Battles on One Day

2011-11-25T07:48:00.003-05:00

October 21, 1861 was a busy day in the Civil War. There were three battles. The one closest to Washington had the greatest impact. But that impact was much more political than military.

Battle of Camp Wildcat, October 21, 1861. It took place in Laurel County, Kentucky which is south of the city of Lexington.

Link to site about the reenactment.

Here’s more information on the battle:

The Battle of Camp Wildcat (also known as Wildcat Mountain and Camp Wild Cat) was one of the early engagements of the American Civil War. It occurred October 21, 1861, in northern Laurel County, Kentucky during the campaign known as the Kentucky Confederate Offensive. The battle is considered one of the very first Union victories, and marked the second engagement of troops in the commonwealth of Kentucky.

Battle of Fredericktown, October 21, 1861. It took place in Madison County, Missouri in the town of Fredericktown. The town is about 90 miles directly south of St. Louis. Another battle fought in Missouri. This again points out how important Missouri was to both sides. It was another Union victory in the state.

Here’s a quick description of what happened:

Col. J.B. Plummer and Col. William P. Carlin, USA
Brig. Gen. M. Jeff Thompson, CSA

A Union brigade-equivalent (2,500-3,500) tangled with a much smaller group of Missouri State Guards.

Union losses are unknown; the Confederates lost a bit over 50.

Two Union columns, one under Col. J.B. Plummer and another under Col. William P. Carlin, advanced on Fredericktown to overtake Brig. Gen. M. Jeff Thompson and his men. On the morning of October 21, Thompson’s force left Fredericktown headed south.

About twelve miles out, Thompson left his supply train in a secure position and returned toward Fredericktown. He then learned that Union forces had occupied Fredericktown, so Thompson spent the morning trying to scout the enemy numbers and disposition. Unable to do so, around noon he attacked anyway. Plummer, with his force and a detachment of Col. William P. Carlin’s troops, met the Rebel forces outside town and a two-hour fight ensued. Overwhelming Union forces took their toll, and Thompson’s men retreated. Union cavalry pursued, chasing the Rebels but inflicting few further casualties.

Battle of Ball’s Bluff which took place on October 21, 1861.

This battle was unique because it had a sitting Senator as one of the commanders: Col. Edward Baker.

Here's what happened.

Baker was a Republican Senator from Oregon with limited military experience from the Mexican War. He commanded one of the three brigades in Stone’s division and is the only sitting U.S. Senator ever to die in battle. Evans commanded the Confederate brigade at Leesburg; Hunton and Featherston served under him, commanding the 8th Virginia and 17th Mississippi respectively. Baker, Hunton, and Featherston commanded on the field as neither Stone nor Evans were present at Ball’s Bluff. Stone remained at Edwards’ Ferry while Evans directed his forces from Fort Evans near Leesburg.

This minor Union defeat at the Battle of Ball’s Bluff had severe political ramifications in Washington. The death of Baker, the only U.S. Senator ever to be killed in battle, was particularly shocking, as was the disparity in casualties. As a result, a concerned Congress established the Congressional Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War, which would lead Union commanders to second-guess their decisions for the rest of the war.

It turned out this would be just one of the many things Congress pried into and caused Lincoln unending headaches during the course of the war.

Eastern Market

2011-11-22T05:30:00.003-05:00

On Sunday after my spinning class, I went to Eastern Market. It has been a long time since I've been there. It is always fun to wonder around and see what all the vendors have to offer. Here's a small sampling of what I saw.

More of Eastern Market

2011-11-22T05:20:00.003-05:00

Here are some shots in the main building at Eastern Market. This is where just about all of the food is.

Glass Blower at Eastern Market

2011-11-22T05:14:00.004-05:00

One of the artists at the flea market across from the main Eastern Market building was a glass blower. I watched him for awhile as he started his work on this piece of glass. It was really impressive to watch him work.

I'm in the iCloud

2011-11-20T22:52:00.003-05:00

At least I think I'm in the iCloud.

I wanted to set iCloud up so I could download the pictures I take on my iPhone to my home computer without having to connect the phone to the computer.

Turns out to do this I had to get the newest operating systems for my iMac. They no longer sell the operating system on a disc. You get to download it from the Apple Apps store.

I did that earlier this evening. It takes a while to download the 3.55 GB file. For awhile I wasn't sure it was even working correctly. Like I said it takes a little while to download the file. It took almost 3 hours to download the file.

Once that was completed it took another hour or so to install the new operating system. I also had to download the most recent version of iTunes. I think just about everything is up to date on my computer and everything should be working correctly.

I activated iCloud on my computer and my iPhone. Now I think if I've done this correctly when I connect to a Wifi network all my pictures and other info will go to the cloud. Now all I have to do is figure out how to access the cloud on my computer. But I'm going to do that tomorrow.

Reminder: Try Not to Ride Metro on the Weekend

2011-11-19T10:57:00.002-05:00

Today was a perfect reminder of why to avoid riding Metro on the weekends. This is when it becomes anything but a mass transit system. Every weekend most if not all of the lines have work being done on them. Here’s the work that is going on this weekend:

Metro will advance major track work on sections of the Blue, Yellow, Red and Orange lines this weekend.

Beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18, and continuing through system closing on Sunday, Nov. 20, buses will replace Metrorail trains on the Blue and Yellow lines between King Street and Pentagon City stations. Three stations -- Crystal City, National Airport and Braddock Road -- will be closed during this time, as Metro installs new rail ties, insulators, upgrades the surfaces underneath the rails and installs communications cables for improved cell phone service.

In addition to regular shuttle buses between Pentagon City and King Street, Metro will offer special express bus service between Metro Center and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport throughout the weekend for the benefit of airport travelers.

On the Red Line, Metro crews will continue work to stabilize a municipal water main and sewer line within Farragut North Station. The heavy construction effort requires that one Red Line track be taken out of service to create a safe work zone. Red Line trains will single track between Dupont Circle and Judiciary Square, with trains operating every 20 minutes through the affected section.

I set out to go to my gym to go to the 8:30 TRX class. I try and leave at 7:30. I'm running a little late. I try and walk quickly to the Metro. I get to the Metro and I have an 18 minute wait for the next train. I try and figure out how long people have been waiting. I estimate the point in time on the walk to the Metro when I can actually see the platform. I then figure out from that point on how long it takes to get on to the Metro platform. I think about 5 minutes. So at the very least people will wait 23 minutes for a train to arrive. I also figure that that is a conservative estimate. So much for waiting 20 minutes between trains.

Well finally a train arrives. I can still get to my class on time. I go to the first car in the train. I do this so I can be as close to the exit that my gym is near. The train pulls into Farragut North. On weekends one of the three exits from Farragut North is closed. It turns out because of the work on the platform the exit toward the front of the train is closed. The only exit in use is at K Street. This is in the middle of the platform. To top it off there is only one working escalator. Well actually the escalator has been shut off because people have to use it to walk up or down from the platform.

Now you would think that the train operator would have said while pulling into the station that only the K Street exit is open. But well this is Metro after all and we're only passengers so why should we receive any information on what's going on.

I go to the class. Have a good workout. I get ready to head out. I figure I'll walk to Metro Center and avoid all this mess.

Oh was I wrong. Metro Center is even more of a mess. They are single tracking trains at Metro Center. But there is little or no information available on what is going on. I will say there were several Metro people on the platform giving out information but they could only reach a limited number of people.

The electronic signs showed when a train would arrive. The problem was it didn't say which direction it was going in. Also the time continued to change. First a train would be arriving in 10 minutes. Then 13 minutes. Then 16 minutes. Turned out it wasn't that long.

The train arrives. The Metro employees on the platform say the direction the train is going in. That's great except for the fact the only people that can hear them are those directly around them. There is an announcement from the train operator which more people are able to hear. But how about before the train is coming into the station an PA announcement saying the direction the train is going in.

I finally got home. But it brought home to me why not to ride the Metro on the weekend.

Figuring out E-mail with the iPhone

2011-11-16T17:37:00.000-05:00

I’d thought that this would be a simple one but it didn’t turn out that way.

At first I couldn’t send any out going e-mails at all. I went down to a Verizon store and one of the people there helped me set up my e-mail.

All set right well not exactly. After a week, all of my in-coming messages were deleted except for the ones that were a week old or less. I had several years worth of messages. And they were all gone.

I looked through all sorts of settings on the iPhone to try and figure out how it might be causing this. I called up Earhlink my e-mail provider. They said I needed to check my iPhone and see that the settings were for incoming e-mail. I looked there. Under advanced settings there is a setting that says delete from server. The options are never, sever days or when removed from inbox. I’m pretty sure this was set to never. But I made sure that is what it was set on. I figure problem solved.

My e-mails continued to disappear. Another call to Earthlink. I was told I needed to check my POP account. And what is a POP account? Well here’s the definition:

A Post Office Protocol (POP) mail server.
A POP mail server (or simply “POP server”) is the most common form of incoming email server. Basically, the POP server is what receives the email and is almost always used with an SMTP server, which is the outgoing server.

The default setting for that was seven days. I can’t imagine why that would be the default but it was. I checked off of that. I think that did the trick because my e-mails are no longer disappearing.

I do have to say it would never have occurred to me that I needed to check in three different places to set my preferences on my in-coming mail.

In other iPhone news, I have a big think book that will tell me everything I need to know about the phone. Now to download endless apps.

As they say so many apps so little time.

Tuesday Treat

2011-11-15T05:36:00.003-05:00

Well it is a balmy Tuesday here in DC. It is in the mid 60s and it's 5:30 in the morning. It looks like one more day of this unusual weather and then it will get colder.

So here's a Tuesday Treat to from Peanuts to celebrate.

2Political Episode 65

2011-11-14T06:42:00.001-05:00

2PP065 - 10 November 2011

2Political Podcast Episode 65- is now available. You can listen to it or download it from the podcast site, 2political.com. You can leave comments there as well as download or listen to any episode (you can access the five most recent episodes from the list on the right side of my blog).

After being delayed by construction work on Arthur's house, we were finally able to record. Then problems with Arthur's other podcast site and a family wedding kept him from being able to edit this episode. We always get there eventually.

After Special Days, we talk about the results of last week's elections in the US. Arthur says the results were very good for Democrats and centre-left voters. The Republicans have demonstrated how disconnected from voters' wishes they have become. Democrats and Republicans have totally different worldviews, so much so, that one side or the other has to be in control in order to advance their agenda. We round out today's episode with a voicemail comment! No, really! That lets us comment some more.

Please leave a comment (anyone's welcome—agree or disagree!), or you can ring the 2Political Comment line on 206-350-3982.

Links for this episode:
National Sandwich Day
And more about Sandwich Day
Pumpkin Chunkin’ Championships – Delaware
Birth of Bahá'u'lláh
More than 50 LGBT candidates win elections across America
This Week in Gay – the podcast Brother Cinaedus mentioned
Check out Brother Cinaedus’ Audioboos!
Arthur’s blog, podcasts and videos can be accessed here.

Get 2Poltical Podcast for free on iTunes

Around DC on Saturday

2011-11-13T19:20:00.002-05:00

A couple more pictures from the camera on the iPhone.

I spotted these guys when I was walking up to DuPont Circle after my class at the gym. What a fun job to do. At least the sun was out.

The last picture is a very colorful tree near my house. The colors this fall have not been as vibrant as they usually are. But this tree really pops.

Rhode Island Row — Progresses

2011-11-12T18:51:00.006-05:00

Here are some shots of Rhode Island Row. I took these a couple of days ago when we had fog in the morning. This was also the first real use of the camera on my iPhone. I think they came out pretty well.

It looks they are on the final building phase of the project. The first two pictures show the are closest to Rhode Island Avenue. They've completed the parking part and are now building the residents.

The third pictures show the road leading to the Metro. You might notice that the stop lights are up. They are just flashing now to get people used to the fact that they are there. At least now people are almost stopping when driving in and out.

The fourth picture shows the side walk that they've opened up. So now you can actual walk on a sidewalk. They also added some landscaping too.

The last pictures show what the complex looks like from the Metro. Hopefully sometime by early spring there will be shops and restaurants open.

An Envelope of Whiskers

2011-11-10T16:53:00.002-05:00

I was doing a podcast with Art last night. While doing it I was looking for something in a filing cabinet. I reached way in back of the top drawer and pulled out a bunch of stuff. Included in that stuff (most of it was junk to be honest) was an envelope full of whiskers. They are of course Sam whiskers. I was very pleased to find this. I had thought I’d lost it.

Now this needs a little explanation. My mom used to say that if you found a whisker from your cat it was good luck. Many a time when I received a letter from her there would be a whisker taped to a piece of paper. I think I even still have some that she sent.

So I picked up the habit too. I think once or twice I sent her a whisker from Sam. After awhile I decided I would just collect them. At first I put them on top of my dresser but as I got more and more of them I needed a better place to put. Thus the reason for the envelope. I started this back when I was living in Foggy Bottom or maybe when I lived on 12th Street. So we are talking about a collection of whiskers that could be more than 10 years old.

I’ve been thinking a great deal about Sam lately. I always said Halloween was his unofficial birthday. This year he would have been 16. I miss having him around the house. But finding the whiskers has certainly brought a smile to my face.

A Trip to Monticello

2011-11-07T06:40:00.002-05:00

My friend Stu and I decided to take a trip to Monticello. We signed up for two tours. One was a behind the scenes tour of the house. The second was the actual house tour itself.

We started out early around 6:15 in the morning. We made pretty good time down there. We arrived a little after 9. Our first tour was at 10:30. We went up to the house and took a look around.

This is a very impressive site. We spent around 5 hours there and I think we could have stayed even longer. A great day.

The House

2011-11-07T06:36:00.003-05:00

You take a bus up to the main entrance to the house. The first picture gives you a glimpse of the house from the main walk. As you can tell the day started out rainy. It was cold too. Thankfully the worst of the rain took place while we were taking our two tours. Later in the morning it cleared and the sun came out. Turning into a perfect day.

The Grounds of the House

2011-11-07T06:30:00.004-05:00

The map gives you an idea of how large the grounds of the house are. The pictures are the gardens off to the side of the house.

Dependency Buildings

2011-11-07T06:23:00.002-05:00

This buildings were constructed under and to the side of the house. This way just about everything necessary to run the house was right near the house. There was even a cellar passage so people could go quickly from one side of the house to the other.

Behind the Scenes Tour

2011-11-07T06:13:00.003-05:00

Here's the description of the tour:

Have you always wanted to go upstairs at Monticello? These exclusive, daytime tours take you behind the scenes: to bedrooms once occupied by members of the Jefferson family on the second floor; to the iconic Dome Room on the third floor; and to the new, interactive "Crossroads" exhibition under the house. You'll see unique interior architectural features, learn about ongoing historic restoration efforts, and gain insight into what one of Jefferson's granddaughters called "the bustle and hurry" of life at Monticello.

It was indeed very cool. I will say this the stairs were very narrow and very steep. The reason was the Jefferson thought stairs were a waste of space.

One thing that was nice about it was you could take pictures.

Below are some shots of the Dome Room.

This picture gives an idea of just how tight the stairs were.

House Tour

2011-11-07T05:56:00.002-05:00

Our house tour was at noon. The weather started to get better then. The rain stopped and the clouds began to part.

In the house tour, you can't take any pictures. This is because some of the pieces in the first floor are from private collections.

We had a young and very enthusiastic tour guide. He was very good. He had a loud booming voice and you tell loved his job. Just like the first guy, he was more than willing to have people ask questions about any part of Jefferson's life. He was more than happy to talk about slavery or Sally Hemmings or whatever other subject that was brought up.

I asked him after the tour how he got started. He said it was strange for a guide to be so young since the vast majority were older. Many even retired. He said he was majoring in philosophy but a little bored with it and took up history. He said he got a summer internship during college at Monticello. After he graduated, it seemed the logical thing to do get a full time job.

He gave a great tour.

Jefferson Grave Site

2011-11-07T05:44:00.003-05:00

The sun came out and it warmed up. We decided to walk back to the Visitor Center. On the way we saw the Jefferson grave site. The grave site is still owned by the Jefferson family and is an active cemetery. It looked like someone had been recently buried.

It is interesting on his tombstone Jefferson put author of the Declaration of Independence, Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom and father of the University of Virginia. The fact he was president is never mentioned.

Moticello Visitor Center

2011-11-07T05:34:00.002-05:00

After the two tours of the house, we went back down to the Visitor Center. There we watched a film about Jefferson and went through a museum. It is very impressive.

In the museum one whole exhibit is devoted to the construction of the house. The last picture shows an early design of the house.

Occupy Charlottesville

2011-11-07T05:23:00.003-05:00

There is even an Occupy Charlottesville. They are in a park near the main downtown area actually a few blocks from Main Street. We went there to get lunch after Monticello.

Had lunch at a nice Italian restaraunt. Main Street is a pedestrian mall and we walked around after lunch. There was a wide variety of stores and places to eat. There was a movie theater, a theater that had concerts and another theater that put on plays.

Around 4:30 or so we decided to head back to DC.

It was a wonderful trip.

What Were They Thinking

2011-11-06T06:48:00.003-05:00

You have to wonder if people think about what they do sometimes. In this case if anyone uses their brain when putting out political fliers.

Below is what the Loudoun County’s GOP committee sent out in an e-mail.

It goes on:

The e-mail invites supporters to a Halloween parade. “LCRC members and Republican candidates: We are going to vanquish the zombies with clear thinking conservative principles and a truckload of Republican candy...It’s fun and a great way to represent our candidates to a ton of voters (and their kids) just before the election.”

Somehow none of the great brain trust that makes up the Loundon County Republicans thought it would be in poor taste to show President Obama with a bullet hole in his head ( guess the zombies got to them first and ate all of their brains).

At least their were Republicans at a higher level that had some common sense on this:

“The disgusting image used today on a mass e-mail has no place in our politics. Ever,’’ said Pat Mullins, chairman of the state party. “The Republican Party of Virginia condemns the image and its use in the strongest possible terms.”

Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) said through a spokesman that the e-mail is “shameful and offensive.’’

“He calls on those involved to apologize for their actions and to immediately ensure that such imagery is never used again,” McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin said. “The governor has long stressed the need for more civility and respect in our politics. An e-mail like this one undermines those goals, offends all Virginians and discredits our entire political process. It will not be tolerated.”

When called on this stupid stunt there was the following response:

Mark Sell, chairman of the Loudoun County Republican Committee, issued a statement that said:

“The Loudoun County Republican Committee yesterday sent an email to its members that represented a light-hearted attempt to inject satire humor into the Halloween holiday,’’ Sell wrote. Apparently, some individuals have interpreted an image of Barack Obama that appeared within the email as intending to portray the president as a victim of a violent crime. Nothing could be further from the truth, and we deeply and sincerely apologize to the president and anyone who viewed the image if that was the impression that was left. The LCRC deplores any effort to display, suggest or promote violence against the president or any other political figure.”

I love the "some individuals have interpreted an image of Barack Obama that appeared within the email as intending to portray the president as a victim of a violent crime." Gee, I'm so sorry but seems to me anyone would "interpret" a picture of anyone, morphed into a zombie or not, with a bullet hole in their head would be a victim of a crime.

This is the same BS we've been getting from established Republican organizations since Obama became president. The picture of Obama's face on a monkey comes to mind. Again the lame excuse of "oh I guess some people might be offended by it. But we certainly didn't mean to offend anyone or denigrate the president in any way." I think the only reason their is any sort of an apology is this came to light in the media. It is the some people might be offended by this. Instead the apology should be along the lines of wow we did a stupid thing. We thought it would go over as a joke but clearly it didn't.

I also love the comments on the story in the Post. Inevitable Republican apologists that say when Bush was president he got burned in effigy and called Hitler and all other sorts of names. I was so glad another comment post said the difference with Bush was the Loudoun County Democrats didn't say it. And it was roundly condemned by Democrats. There was never "well you can understand people feeling that way" as elected Republican politicians say on a regular basis.

Frankly I'm sick of this crap. The zombies here are the Loudoun County Republican officials who thought this was a good idea in the first place.

I have a new iPhone

2011-11-03T20:36:00.003-04:00

Yesterday my new iPhone 4S arrived. I had some problems getting it to work correctly.

I synced it through iTunes. About half way through the process (or at least I thought it was), I got an error message about not being able to access my Apple account. Wasn't sure exactly what to do. Decided to find a Verizon store and see if they could help me out.

Closest one was at Union Station. I drove down there. Turns out the phone had been set up and was working fine. Still not sure why I had the problem with the Apple ID.

Next thing was I tried to move all my contacts from my old phone to the new one. I down loaded the app that was supposed to do that. After setting it up, I was supposed to receive a code that I would enter and that would transfer all my contacts. The impression from the instructions was the code would pop up on a menu on the screen.

I receive a message with what I think is the code. I try and enter it. It was something like 640-2. Well the problem I had was I couldn't get the dash to work. In fact I couldn't get any punctuation marks to work at all. I tried many times but still couldn't get the thing to work.

I back out to the main screen. I notice that I have 4 text messages. It turns out these were the actual messages that had the code in it. I enter the code and my contacts are transferred. Yeah!

Next I try setting up my e-mail account. Turns out when I accessed iTunes all that information was transferred to the phone. I get my messages. Then I try and reply. Get an error message. I needed to enter a password. I enter my password where I think it should go. Still no luck. I decide be happy with getting the one thing to work and I go to bed.

This morning I get up and go to training. My trainer says once we're done he'll look at the phone and see if he can get it to work. We find another place to enter my password. I hope for the best. No luck.

I know there is a Verizon store near work. I take a little break and go there. The Verizon person is really nice. Says this should be easy to fix. He tries a couple of things and says well that should make it work. It doesn't. We are both puzzled by the fact that I can get messages but can't send them.

The Verizon guy decides to call Earthlink and find out what to do. I'm so very glad I took it to the store. Granted I could have called Earhtlink and probably could have been talked through the steps to fix this problem. But the Verizon guy knew exactly what he was doing and in a few minutes all was well.

Now I can really start to enjoy the phone and download all sorts of nonessential apps.

Update on Occupy DC

2011-11-02T17:42:00.004-04:00

I went through McPherson Square this morning. This is what Occupy DC looks like there.

There's been some question on exactly how many people there are:

The difficulty in counting the demonstrators is their fluid, amorphous nature. The two D.C. encampments, for example, are in busy public places downtown — McPherson Square and Freedom Plaza on Pennsylvania Avenue NW — where passersby regularly mingle with protestors. This makes sorting out protestor and bystander difficult, said Sgt. David Schlosser of the U.S. Park Police, which has jurisdiction over the two sites.

It does seem to me that the numbers at McPherson have gone up. At least there are more tents in the square now.

Read more here.

Happy Halloween, Again

2011-11-01T05:12:00.002-04:00

This is the last in the series from Peanuts on the Great Pumpkin.