NM

Wow, I used the terminology of the cool kids, instead of typing not much, I wrote nm. Ooooo, now I will start to have to use ttfn or l33t or ;0) Or not. Not much to really say, I guess you can check out all the gay marriage talk at Washington Post or at CNN or BBCi or even better the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. I would like to say that I have the USCCB website bookmarked at work. It's a great resource, truely.

Last night I went to the swing dance at Lulu's to help MH get ready for his big week-end in NYC. Tom of Tom and Debra fame came up and gave MH and I some pointers. I really forgot how all dance instructors sell their classes at social dances and how much people who dont' know how to dance (ie MH) stick out. We did ok, made me realize how much I need to dance more. Maybe I will even spend more time on UMD's campus and take a ballroom class fall semester. My friends have been encouraging me...we'll see.
This week-end is the big move, woo-hoo.

A turk belongs in MD.

Or maybe not....

So, I wrote the not-so-quite open letter. Must decide whether or not to post it. Either way I say fuck with all the lying ass, there's no reason for me to deal. Someone can think as well of themselves as they would like to, my friend is blind to the truth and I don't give a fuck, but I will continue to mock. Endless hours of enjoyment. Something about DC or dancing tommorrow. Might get some swing in at Lulu's tonight. Hmmmm....

This was appropriate for me:

I'm Hello Kitty Water Fairy! made by: Jen



A Turk should take me to the beach with him.

You missed

Or at least baby G tells me that.

I was going to put this up a couple of weeks ago, but didn't have a good internet connection, so here it is now:

You are a classic; the quintessential New Yorker.
You are cultured and love to travel, though you
wouldn't move from New York in a million years.
Then again, you may just be a tourist, trying
to see all the sights in a single day.


Which New York City subway line are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

This today, tommorrow, something completely different

So, today I wrote that I would write about my supposed glamourous life. Something's irking me and I would like to write about that, maybe tommorrow I'll post an open letter. If I had the money I'd put it in a newspaper, but I don't and this is a lot cheaper. We'll see, maybe I'll get less irked. I also have to decide on how scathing to be. Truth does indeed hurt, but then again, you get more flies with honey.....hmmmmm. Can't decide.

So, this past week-end, my friend MH took me and my new roommate, Jessica, out to a Washington Freedom game. The tickets were free and I figured it would be good to support women professional sports and football in the US by actually attending a game sometime. We thought it would just be free tickets, but when we get there, we have to pick up the tickets from a special table and there they had a sign with all the events surrounding the game. Discovery Kids had sponsored the game and had a VIP section. I told my friends that we should go, but they were like, no it's for kids. I insisted we go for the free food. So, we went, there was free food and stuff to look at, and a place where I could get my picture with a man in a shark outfit and free beer, it was great. Changed my whole outlook on coming to stadiums. A lot of fun, even if there were about 100 screaming kids around. It couldn't detract. The game was good, and the Washington Freedom won. After the game, the players came up to the VIP club and MH and I got Mia Hamm's autograph. MH plans to sell his for money, I'll probably keep mine for baby G.

This is my summer of games. First ultimate, then a Freedom game, in a few weeks I got tickets to the sold out Orioels vs. the Yankess. I don't think I'm supposed to let people know I like the Yankess....for some reason they don't like them here. If you haven't gotten your game on, go out and do so.

A Turk in a speedo, t-hee.

The tax debate (con't) & doing my part

Today the Washington Post is hosting a live online discussion about the commuter tax debate. The person answering questions is the attorney for the petioners, so the responses will be a little slanted, but either way, some things he says are just true. Like, 41 states have a commuter tax and all 50 states are allowed to levy them. Why shouldn't the District have the same right? Here is are a couple of big questions answered:

Gambrills, Maryland: I think it's ridiculous to impose a commuter tax on suburban commuters. First of all, if we didn't work here in D.C. then D.C. wouldn't get all the revenue it already gets from food sales, etc. I can't tell you how much money my co-workers and me spend down here during the work week, but it's a substantial amount. Isn't it enough that we spend these large amounts down here while working? Now you want to penalize us for working down here. I personally think it will make many people think twice about their already-expensive and LONG commute into D.C.

Walter Smith: It is true that nonresidents contribute some amount of revenue to the District government through sales taxes they pay when they buy goods or services in the District. But that is also true of residents and tourists. And it is also true for nonresidents who are asked to pay nonresident taxes in the 41 states in the country that have a nonresident income tax. The truth is that the sales taxes that nonresidents pay to the District is not nearly enough to cover the cost to the District of the services the District government provides to those nonresidents.

Mt. Vernon, VA: What extraordinary "services" am I receiving from the DC government that aren't already being paid for by the taxes my company pays?

Walter Smith: The primary services that nonresidents receive from the District government concern transportation, public safety and security, and utilities. These three items constitute three of the largest budget amounts in the D.C. budget. And the amount the District expends in these areas are not covered by any amount of corporate income tax or property tax your employer may be paying to the District. Please remember also that any amount of nonresident income tax you would pay to the District would be credited against the amount of the income tax you pay in your home state. Please remember also that if the District could impose a nonresident income tax, the new revenues it would receive would benefit nonresidents in that the District would have more money to build better roads and bridges, afford better fire and police protection, have more efficient snowplows, etc.

It's a good discussion, check it out.

On to me: I have 12 bug bites on my body and it sucks. Bugs suck. Environmental structure, food chains, blah, blah, blah, we need to find a way to eradicate all the bugs in the world, or at least the bitey ones.

My glamourous life continues with a trip to a Washington Freedom game, thanks to MH from Williamsburg. I did my duty in many ways, I supported sports in DC, especially ones that are actually played in DC (damn you Redskins) and I supported women's pro football, oh, I also supported football in the US, and look, how good am I to actually call it football? This post is long enough, I'll post more about the free game and food and beer tommorrow.

Turks are hot.

Again with the republicans

Yesterday night, I took my new roommate, Jessica, out to her frist night out in Washington, DC. Jessica is the cousin of one of the skinheads and will take my room when I move out. We went out to Georgetown and met a bunch of Hill staffers and interns. Hmmm, no surprise considering that it's July in DC. One of the interns talked and talked about the new Visitor's Center that's being built and how her member of Congress really didn't like it and was very vocal about it. I think at one point she described him as, "cheap as shit." I really don't like change, I don't like to change things that don't look bad. I don't like the placement of the National WWII Memorial in the middle of the Mall and I see no reason to spend millions building a Visitor's Center to the Capitol. The intern's member of Congress didn't see a reason to spend all that money becuase it was redundant. Amazingly I agree with this republican. But I also have a problem with it in a more philosophical sense. Why put another layer of what will most likely be highly politized and spun tours and videos and presentation walls between the Members of Congress and their constituents? That was one thing I really liked about the Capitol. As Congress was in session, their constituents could be at that very moment lost in the bowels of the Capitol building. Now all of that is closed of to the public, somewhat understandable after 9/11, but then again, if they had good screening techniques, then they wouldn't have to worry about it. We live in a representative democracy, I don't see any reason why we should put up a Visitor's Center in front of the Capitol so people can learn about how Congress works. Why shouldn't they just go talk to their Congressman's staff or go see a session? Why go to a Visitor's Center when you've got the real thing yards away? Why should I have to spend millions of my tax dollars doing this, when the country is trillions in debt? Damn republicans.

I miss my Turk.

Off topic

Ok, so this has nothing to do with Washington, DC, ballroom dancing or blogging. Today I was wasting time, as many of us do at work, surfing the internet. I came across two great sites. The first is WWdN and the second is losers.org, I don't know if you've seen either site, but if you haven't, then you should. WWdN is great to see what an actor does after leaving the best gig of his career. The other thing, he's got his own obey will stuff. That's puck rock. I want my own obey myra stuff now. Someone should get on that, I'm looking at the people who know photoshop and Quark.
losers.org, well that's a great place to go to to link to some great sites. Hey they make fun of SCA, what could better? There's a great a link to that guy from the Triumph the Insult Comic Dog - Star Wars skit. Hours, upon hours of enjoyment.

Washington, DC online

I knew that you could tap into the MTA and VDOT cameras online to see real-time what's happening on the area highways, I didn't know that there was a webcam on National Mall. I will say that it doesn't surprise me. It's not the greatest picture and it's definately not as fun as webcams placed where you can actually see people, but it's ok, check it out. The picture is black and white and it's shows the Mall, facing east. So you can see the Lincoln Mem, the Washington Mon, the Capitol and the LoC. Wow, all from the comfort of your computer chair. The other thing about the page is that it has nice links to other regional webcams, the webcams on the beach. So, then you can be really jealous of all those who are out there enjoying the sun, sand and surf as you look at them through a computer screen. Bastards, they get to be a the beach, why can't I?

Blogging about blogs

Well an article on BBCi got me thinking about blogs. The other day I had to take a survey and it asked me how many times a month do you have to explain to someone what a blog is. Someone I know who is in college, uses a computer for research and email and everything else hadn't heard of blogs either. Whatever you want to call it, a weblog, blog, online journal or bjournal, it's the same thing. A dynamic webpage that someone can easily post whatever they want to post. Now even AOL is joining the trend and will include it in their software. Wow, even though blogs seem like they are so mainstream, there are many many people out there who have no idea what it is. That amazes me. I think everyone who blogs or reads blogs regularly thinks that everyone else must know about blogs. And that's where we get back to the very self-centered world that blogs are. A blogger thinks, well I know about blogs, everyone else must, just like they think that I care whether or not they had frosted flakes for breakfast this morning. Some blogs are interesting and not so self-centered/agrandizing as other blogs.....I really don't care what you did at the beach or what car you rode in, unless it's something really funny, which most of the time it's not. There are some great reader's comments on this article:

"Never managed to get past the first sentence of a 'blog'. Boring self indulgent drivel."
"The bloggers I am already aware of seem to have all the time in the world to sit and write their hubristic and self-opinionated garbage...."
"The problem with blogs like mine is that they aren't very interesting and people don't tend to care about other's people's private musings."

I don't know if I would go as far as one person quoted in the BBC article, that blogging is the democratisation of publishing. I think right now we're seeing the boom that comes with any new thing. When cars were being first manufactured there were dozens of different manufacters, now most cars seem to be made by four different international companies and their subsidiaries. Personal home pages used to be all the rage, then we realized that the information quickly got stale and it's a pain to constantly re-code a page and find new information to put up. Blogs allow people an easy way to change the look of their page and post new information, but how many people really want to read about what someone ate for breakfast and the cool car they got to ride in over the week-end? Like all rages, I think this too will die out.

Yes, I recognize the irony in me blogging about this.

Now to be self-centered. I was told today that I lead a glamourous lifestyle. I don't know what part of my life is glamourous. Is it chasing a frisbee while sweating from the heat or if it's waking up at 7am to strap a 40lbs tank to my back? I went to a phat pad this week-end and that was glamour and not something I do everyweek-end. We're talking Resevoir Rd/Georgetown/Mt. Vernon phat pad. I went to a party that was in a house that was easily a few million. Had a pool, catered food and many gay men. I even got to see a cock ring, a double at that. That was great. Now, I know someone has a lot of money when they can have their bathroom painted completely in trompe l'oeil with the illusion of wood paneling and protraits of dogs hanging on the wall. Yes, it would have been cheaper for them just to put wood panneling up and find portraits of dogs, but the effect of walking into a bathroom and realizing that it probably cost more than a year my college for them to have a trompe l'oeil mural painted on four walls of the bathroom. It's subtle, you don't realize it at first, then it's hits you in the face that the people who live here are loaded. Now that's money.

A grand re-opening

My freshman year of college, a friend from Model UN and I decided to take a ballroom dance class together. Yes, it's a little Asian girl-esque of me, but, I loved dancing. Also my freshman year of college I went to Glen Echo Park for the first time to dance in their weekly swing dances with live music in the Spanish Ballroom. I loved that location, the stage and live music the historic building that had seen swing back when it originated. It's got fabulous history behind it and it still goes on. This week-end Glen Echo will re-open two newly renovated building, the Spanish Ballroom and the Arcade. For the past year and a little while longer the weekly dances at Glen Echo have been held in the Bumper Car Pavillion. Not a bad place, but not the Spanish Ballroom. Although, even with all the renovations, they still haven't put in heating or coolling, so it will still be blazing hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter. If you can make it, I would seriously suggest discovering Glen Echo Park. There is so much more to do there, it's no longer a traditional amusement park, but a center for arts and dance that also has a 1920's carosel and Arcade. Well worth the drive.

So, the Philippine government has signed a cease-fire with the MILF. Macapagal Arroyo has declared that, "Peace is at hand." Now if they could only get rid of that pesky Abu Sayyaf.

The damn republicans again

The tax debate continues, just see the comments from yesterday, add your own.

This almost seems like a non-issue, it probably won't make it out of committee, but I thought I'd blog about it anway. So, Orrin Hatch wants to repeal DC's ban on handguns. Why a republican Senator from Utah cares whether or not a DC resident can or cannot carry a handgun is beyond me. We allow shotgun and riffles for homeowners. There are already about 100,000 legally registered guns in the District. There are only 600,000 residents in the District and that's including children, for some reason one shotgun or riffle for every six people seems like there's enough firearms in the District. Call me crazy, but remember that 600,000 includes children, so the ratio of 1:6 includes children. Shudder to think.
There are two great quotes from the Post article, the first comes from Hatch himself:
"Hatch said congressional repeal of the District laws was needed to enforce the constitutional right to bear arms."
Hmmm, I don't know why Hatch is so concerned over the District resident's constitutional right to bear arms, but not their constitional right to vote for an elected official to Congress. Jeez, the Constitution should not be unequally applied, either treat the District like a district and not allow it's residents to have all the rights afforded them under the constitution or treat them like full citizens and allow them all their rights.
The second quote comes from a director at a gun-control advocacy group:
"'If Senator Hatch really believes that people are safer when they are carrying handguns, then why doesn't he advocate lifting the ban on bringing weapons into the U.S. Capitol?' Nosanchuk said."
That's just great, I can see the gun toting republican senators and representatives now. I wonder if they would be for a concealed-carry law in the Capitol.

Tax debate, part II

Taxes really never go away. First off, in response to Phil's comment from yesterday, commuter taxes are legal in all 50 states, just not in the District due to a 1974 law that is a protects the revenue that the bordering states would loose if DC got a commuter tax. Guess who wanted that law, the representatives and senators of MD and VA, guess who doesn't have a representative in Congress, DC. Hmmm, how'd that happen. Many cities already have a commuter tax, Philadelphia found when they enacted a rather aggressive commuter tax, businesses moved away. The government and all the tourist attractions are stuck in DC. , which is the largest employers in the District anyway. If a commuter tax was really illegal, I think it would have been tested before now. A city has a right to levy an income commuter tax to those who work in it's borders. People who work across state lines have to pay taxes to the state that they work in, but not live in. Happens all the time and is perfectly legal.

The greatest quote came from a DC Council member's mouth on this debate:
"'The only argument [the suburbs] have is: 'We're greedy. We do not want to pay our fair share,' " Evans said. 'I'm appalled at the people in Virginia. They're living up to their reputation of being narrow-minded. When you think of people in Virginia, you think of them as backward, and they confirm it on something like this.'"
That's fabulous.

I don't think this got a lot of news time, but has many people heard of that 31 year old ex-marine that ran off with a 12 year old Brit? Well, she was found. I have no idea why, but for some reason if an american gets kidnapped by an american, it would have been all over the news here. But an ex-Marine takes a minor who is 19 years old his junior away and it's gets buried in the back pages of the world section. Either way, the girl was not all there in the head, and neither was her mother (from the BBC article):
"Earlier on Wednesday, Shevaun's mother said she was desperate to have her daughter back home - with Mr Studabaker if necessary.
Joanna Pennington said: "I understand that she's got feelings for him and he may have feelings for her.
"I'm actually quite relieved that he's still with her in a way, because he's obviously helping to look after her.
"As long as she comes back, she can even come back with him, I'm not bothered - I just want her back."

Yeah, the ex-Marine looked after her daughter so well he took the unattended minor against the parents will across two international borders.

Cardinal Law is in the buidling. If I really felt like being fired I guess I could ask him his views about this ex-Marine and if he should just be given a new post.

Washington DC tax

This past week when I went to New York, I encountered a very stiff sales tax that wasn't there a couple of months ago. My friends who live in the city said I can thank Bloomberg for the tax. Damn republicans. We were talking about that a work today and I brought up the impending lawsuit of which the Mayor's office and the DC City Council are plantiffs. It basically is testing the validity of a 1974 law that bans the District of Columbia from imposing a commuter tax. About 600,000 people live in the District, yet over a million work in it. Hmmmmm, makes sense to have a commuter tax. Of course, my co-woker, damn republian, sees no reason to have a commuter tax. It'll drive businesses out of the city and it would be unfair on the commuters, he says. Well, no, businesses are in the city to be close to the government, or if you're not a governmental contractor, chances are that you work with other companies who are governmental contractors. If you're in the city, you'll stay, you won't care so much about a 1-2% commuter tax. No matter what a commuter does, they use the city services, the roads, trash pick-up, police forces for all the federal government needs and events such as motorcades and July 4th, why shouldn't they have to pay? But no, the repulican says it's bad, he also thinks that there are only ten homeless people in all of DC and all they do is rotate street corners. I think he needs to leave the suburbia of Annapolis more, not everyone is white, independently wealthy and well-educated like he is. He's also against a representation in Congress for DC residents. He says that DC residents don't need a representative in Congress. Well, I guess some citizens are more equal than others and deserve to have a representive in Congress, or at least the damn republicans think so.

If taxes got you down, there are free things to do in DC too, and interns like to go there too....hmmm....

Back

Yesterday night I returned from a short week and week-end in NYC for the UNA-USA Model UN Summit and Leadership Conference, I think that conference title is needlessly long. Well, it was fabulous. Season and I presented and hopefully imparted pearls of wisdom on the participants, I met some great people in MUN and got to see some old friends, and best of all, gossip about all the old friends who were not there. In true MUN fashion, I got to watch a lot of little kiddie romances spring up and bloom all around me, that probably was the funniest part of the conference. I was able to get a little dancing in, no ballroom, but some salsa. Also, I was able to see old college friends, yay for Alanna and Chris. I'll have pictures up here.

Ok, so I'm obessed with the obey [insert name here, like giant] stickers and spray paintings and everything else. While walking around NYC I notice a proliferation of a red twig. I wonder what that's all about. I saw it all over the lower part of Manhattan. In Union Square, SoHo, NoHo, Chinatown, the thing was everywhere. I wonder what's the point of making an image, like obey giant or this red twig and putting it everywhere so people can see it, but not understand the signifigance of it. It's like in DC with 'Cool Disco Dan'. There are many many urban legends going around about 'Cool Disco Dan,' but I haven't heard one that's good enough to explain it. Why does someone take the time to spread their image if the point of it is lost? There's no context when it's on a lamppost.

I'll have to find a new title for the blog soon, I didn't want to say anything specific until everything was finalized, but I am moving at the end of the month. YAY! I found a townhouse in College Park and I get the whole first floor to myself. That makes my room as big as the living room. There is a sliding glass door out to the backyard from my room, a private bath, w/d in the house and cool girl roommates who are all in grad school. All for a very low price, better than what all of my friends are paying. It makes me happy, but now I'll have to pack and that's no fun, no fun at all.

Falling down

I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but I sure have, there seem to be a few townhouses that are collapsing around DC. More than I normally hear about. First it was a house near Logan/Thomas Circle where the third floor gave out and pancaked onto all the other floors. Now, it's gotten to Georgetown, where students pay around $3000 for a townhouse that will fall down around them and on everything they had. It's great to know that even though you pay a inflated price to live in an old and possibly run-down townhouse in Washington, DC it's not even structurally sound enough to stand on it's own.

Today I must find something that epitomizes Washington, DC. An intern? No, can't bring one of those in luggage. The Capitol or at least a fake plastic replica of it, no, not very useful. How many times does anyone really need a miniture boobs and phallic symbols? Disenfranchisement? I can tell them that they have no right to vote for Congressional representatives, but chances are they alreay choose not to vote. Hmmmm, this is quite the dillemma, one that I have to solve within the next 3 hours. I guess I'm heading of to Union Station to see what the vendors there can sell me for an outrageous price.

I'll be out of town for the next five days, so updating will be sporadic.

The week-end

I hope that everyone had a fun and eventful week-end. I sure did. I was able to do everything this week-end that defines a good ole American east coast July 4th. I watched the fireworks on the National Mall, I went to the beach and then I had a bbq, which thankfully was able to avoid the horrible weather that hit the other side of DC. I was kinda sad though, the Washington Post told me to "Watch for the novelty shells spelling out U.S.A." and there were no novelty shells spelling out USA. Oh, well, I guess the Post can't be accurate in all things. Something that is truly sad, a symbol of the nation died at National Zoo on July 4th. Irony.

I read about this somewhere else, has any one noticed the ads that appear on the top of blogspot and how they oddly reflect the writings of blog? Today my ads are for ballroom dancing and Washington, DC. Both fit me well. Makes me wonder what search engine they have running that matches the ads with the blog. Watch it now, the program will read what I am writing and assign me ads that have nothing to do with my blog just to prove me wrong.

American Capitalism

So, tomorrow is July 4th, what a better time to talk about good ole American Capitalism at work here in the nation's capital. There is an annual tradition right about this time every year in the district. It is a bicycle parade? No. Is it BBQs? No. Is it finding new and exciting ways to hide alcohol on the Mall? No. Although all those things happen, I"m talking about the fireworks stands that spring up overnight roadside in many, many locations around DC. Also, large banners appear outside stores hawking fireworks. How is this American Capitalism at work? Well, fireworks are pretty much illegal in DC. You can have those snaps and sparklers and coloured lights, but beyond it, "Firecrackers of any kind or description" are prohibited. But in the great American way, there's a demand for illegal fireworks, there will be a supply so someone can make some ill-gotten money. Today I was out buying some lunch and I passed by a banner that promoted Freedom Fireworks. So, as I was buying my freedom fries and eating my freedom toast during the war, post-war, I can now buy illegal freedom fireworks to celebrate. God Bless America.

Enjoy the 4th and extended week-end!

Worth a second post

This is worth a second post today. Go to Google and type in weapons of mass destruction, then click I'm feeling Lucky. It's just fabulous.

Dodged that bullet

Well, last night I went down to talk to my landlord/housemate to tell him that I am moving on out. Yes, it looks like I'm gone from the skinhead house to much better digs in College Park. If all things work out, I'll have a fabulous room. Well, while we were talking, he was telling me about the people that are going to move in at the end of the summer/early fall. It seems that one of his friends will be paroled in August and has been offered a room in the house. Yes, I said this guy would be paroled in August. What did he do? White collar crime? No. Some stint for drugs because of mandatory sentencing minimums? No. He stabbed somone outside a night club. Yes, stabbed. A violent felony that depending on how badly he stabbed the guy can carry attemped homicide charges with it. Whew, thank god it looks like I'm moving out. Because even if I didn't have a place lined up, I sure would move the heck out anyway. And I'd be looking at all of you for places to crash. I'll revert to my squatter days. I could live with four guys, three of them skinheads, one crazy and missing part of his head. I could live without a kitchen and a hole in the floor where the kitchen sink should be. I could even share a bathroom with two skinheads. Even though he's paid his debt to society, I won't live with an ex-con, especially one that admitted to and convicted for a violent crime. I don't think that's unreasonable.

Hopefully I'll dodge another bullet tonight and my ultimate game will be rained out. Do I not want to play? I do. But I don't want to have to go all the way to Sligo, silly northern Silver Spring again. I hate the traffic, the sprawl and the cost of gas there!

Being an unpaid worker

Well, it's that time of year, when DC is flooded by hopeful undergraduates and graduate students all looking to improve their education. No, it's not fall and school's starting, it's summer and all the interns have come to town. I got to interview a couple of those hopeful from the Washington Center. A couple we rejected becuase they just had too high of hopes. They wanted to come to DC for ten weeks and make a new marketing plan for a museum that they hadn't even heard of, much less new our normal visitor demographic and implement the plan. Yes, all in ten weeks. Well, they're eager if not realistic. As you can read many interns come to DC and are just grateful for the unpaid position they get. At least we were going to give ours a 'modest' (read:almost non-exisitant) stipend. I love our interns and administration assistants, don't get me wrong, but I hope that interns get real about their expectations when they come to DC. If you're going to work in a large Congressional office with twenty other interns, forget about doing substantive work every day, there's just not enough to go around and most of the time you are not there long enough. Make your copies, file your papers, be happy, pad your resume and go home and tell all your friends about what fun you had in Washington, DC. That's the one thing that you can definitely do in DC over the summer, enjoy the city. Don't spend all of your time working, you can do that anywhere.