So, as much as I've been derided by my friends for buying a Dell handheld and a Dell laptop (both which run *gasp* Microsoft), I now have a tick mark in my column....
Mike H. (German last name withheld to protect the guilty) just went out and bought an iPod Shuffle. Wait, he actually bought....TWO! (one for his wife, too- smart move, dude).
Anyway, I'm happy he's seen the light. Join us, it's inevitable....
DcD
Wow! We're all blessed, but this guy sure has been through the ringer...
ESPN.com- Indians Pitcher Hit in Head
Danny has sent you an article from The Washington Times.
Danny's comments:
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A WIN FOR BIG GOVERNMENT
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Cities may now seize homes and businesses and hand them over to private developers to raise tax revenue. That's what the Supreme Court decided yesterday in Kelo v. New London, a 5-4 ruling that strips Connecticut homeowner Susette Kelo and several others of their homes and land. By siding with New London, the court drastically expands traditional eminent-domain powers beyond highways and fighting urban blight. This is a resounding defeat for ordinary landowners and a threat to property rights. Homeowners now own their homes only if the government wants them to.
From the start, Kelo v. New London was "Robin Hood" in reverse, pitting a constellation of business and government interests including the unelected New London Development Corporation, drug giant Pfizer, private developers and the seven-member city council against a handful of residents in New London's Fort Trumbull neighborhood. Fort Trumbull, modest but unblighted, is where the old U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center stands. City officials sought to lure Pfizer there to build a $300 million research facility with the understanding that the surrounding parcels of land could be developed into an upscale complex of residences along with a marina, hotel and conference center. When Miss Kelo and others refused to sell, the case went to the courts. A year ago it landed in the Connecticut Supreme Court, which sided with New London in a 4-3 ruling.
The novel element in this case is New London's rationale, which avoids traditional public-use and blight-reduction arguments and relies on a naked revenue-and-jobs-enhancement logic. The city argues that because Pfizer can pay more taxes, and because it can provide more jobs, it will make better use of the Ft. Trumbull properties than the ordinary people who currently own them.
This stands the Fifth Amendment's takings clause on its head. Interpretations of that clause ("Nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation") have varied, but it's a novelty for the Supreme Court to condone the government's forcible transfer of private property from a party that hasn't broken the law to another private party so that city coffers can be filled with additional revenue. This is a far cry from railroad and highway building -- traditionally seen as legitimate reasons for use of eminent-domain powers.
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor put it well in her dissent: "Any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private party." The founders cannot have intended this, she wrote in apparent frustration, quoting James Madison: "[T]hat alone is a just government which impartially secures to every man, whatever is his own." Justice Clarence Thomas agreed. "No compensation is possible for the subjective value of these lands to the individuals displaced and the indignity inflicted by uprooting them from their homes," he wrote.
The dissenters were careful to point out that wealthy developers are now likely to exploit the precedent at the expense of the poor and those without political influence. "Allowing the government to take property solely for public purposes is bad enough, but extending the concept of public purpose to encompass any economically beneficial goal guarantees that these losses will fall disproportionately on poor communities," Justice Thomas wrote. "Those communities are not only systematically less likely to put their lands to the highest and best social use, but are also the least politically powerful."
Most disturbingly, the majority was comfortable with New London's argument. "The city has carefully formulated an economic development [plan] that it believes will provide appreciable benefits to the community, including -- but not limited to -- new jobs and increased tax revenue," Justice John Paul Stevens wrote in the majority opinion joined by Justices Anthony Kennedy, David Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer.
This decision will prompt glee among developers, lobbyists and big-government enthusiasts. A wave of property seizures may well take place in its wake. Cities may now take land from ordinary people and hand it to preferred customers to build shopping malls, hotels or other richly taxable properties. The only thing cities will have to do to justify their actions will be to argue that revenues and tonier neighborhoods will result. So much for property rights.
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This article was mailed from The Washington Times (http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20050623-084200-4178r.htm)
For more great articles, visit us at http://www.washingtontimes.com
Copyright (c) 2005 News World Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
I don't think the previous Snapfish Link worked.
Try this.... Click the link below. If you haven't created a Snapfish account, create a new account. Then, click on the link below again, and it should take you to the pictures...
Niagara Pics
If it doesn't work, e-mail me, and I'll send you an invite directly.
DcD
I like reading about myself. Well, I should clarify. I like reading articles for which I was interviewed to see 1) how well I spoke and 2) how fairly the reporter did his job.
So, if you'd like to see an example of 1) me speaking well and 2) a reporter doing a good job, check this out: =)
1st Page and
2nd Page
Article title: "County Supervisor Taps Teleconferencing"
Ain't I purrrdy??
DcD
So, I've been rather skeptical when Leah kept asking for picutres to put up on the Snapfish site. But, now that I took over 100 pictures on our trip to Niagara Falls, I decided it was time to give the service a try.
Crazily enough, I just zipped 108 pictures and uploaded them with one touch of a button. Amazing.
I'm hoping this link remains permanent, but try it out to see the pictures: Niagara Pics
More later,
DcD
Since my last post (only two months ago, mind you), I've been to Atlanta, Niagara Falls, and a Maroon 5 concert.
Atlanta was to visit my folks and investigate a possible investment opportunity.
Niagara Falls was a trip with my in-laws, my mum-in-law's parents, and my in-laws' best friends. Also along was my bro-in-law and his girlfriend. Eleven of us in total. We all actually fit in our house, and had a great time in Niagara Falls (three days there is long enough, it's kinda touristy after a while).
Maroon 5 just kicked. I've not been to many concerts (secular, especially) in my wee lifetime, but I know enough to know this was good. They were pumped, the crowd was excited without being too crazy, and the music was great. As with pretty much all live events, the additional gigs thrown into each song are well worth the effort of driving up to Columbia, MD.
Finally, on an interesting note, a house across the street from us just sold for $40,000 more than we paid for ours only 5 months ago. EQUITY, BABY!
I'll throw up some pics from Niagara soon.
DcD
So, we joined about 20 of our friends, including thousands of our not-so-closest-friends, at the Cherry Blossom Festival this past Sunday. Here is a link to some of the best pictures (there are two pages of pictures).
Cherry Blossom Festival '05
DcD
I never thought I'd say this, but I'm rooting for West Virginia. After watching them manhandle Wake in Double OT (Wake was lucky to even make it to either OT period), I'm hoping they take Texas Tech.
Final Word- How can you not root for a team with players named Pittsnogle and Herber.
DcD
This could be very good for the nation....more thoughts when I'm not swamped with work and feeling better....
51-49 Senate Vote Backs Arctic Oil Drilling (washingtonpost.com)
May it be many years before we are faced with this dilemma.
Schools chosen for sex course in Montgomery - The Washington Times: Metropolitan - March 05, 2005
Read the article on the front page- "Give and Go Campaign"
No wonder students these days don't exhibit any desire for excellence.
FCFT
A basic tenet of logic is:
If A, then B.Putting this into practice:
A.
Therefore, B.
This really only matters to people who live in NoVA, because the exit names/numbers won't mean a hill of beans to anyone else.
Nonetheless, good news about the Greenway and expanding lanes, new exits, etc. The one I'm particlularly interested in is the exclusive ramp/entrance to Dulles Airport. Now, it may only take us 7 minutes, as opposed to 10, to get to IAD. ;-)
Dulles Greenway news item
Also see this for a graphic, in case you are a visual learner....
DcD
No comment, just a link.
Loudoun Housing Limits Reversed (washingtonpost.com)
DcD
So, drastic measures were called for the last time I wrote about our kitty (exact words: "It's war, kitty.").
Maybe war is a little harsh. How about- the cold shoulder. =)
We reverted back to our previous policy of animals in our bedroom- ain't happenin'. Thus, we took an old rug, put it under the door, shut the door, and ABRACADABRA!! (spelling?)
If she scratches, she scratches an old useless rug. She can't get to the sacred quilts, and she doesn't wake us up. Success- for one night, at least.
DcD
Thanks to Dad for passing along this article...
John Piper- "Tsunami and Repentance"
DcD
Jerry Rice was released by the Seattle Seahawks today. The Redskins need receivers- especially veterans who can catch the blasted ball on a simple out pattern. Daniel Snyder (owner) has a lot of money and has done crazier things in the past. I smell a possible marriage in the works...
DcD
...when you have a silly little cat running around?
Our sweet and wonderful Dido (yes, named after the Queen of Carthage [check out Virgil's Aeneid] and the British pop singer, but I digress) is still adjusting to us moving houses. At our previous residence, she got the message that she wasn't allowed in our bedroom while we slept, and thankfully she stopped clawing at the door after a couple of nights of inattention from her caretakers.
Now that we moved, we must have felt sorry for her. Or maybe we felt a greater attachment to our carpet (that happens when you actually own the carpet). Nonetheless, we now let her in our bedroom at night.
Which is all well and good- until about 5 or 6 in the morning. She has taken up sleeping in our walk-in closet, which I think is the cutest thing in the world. But once she awakens, she knows how to get us out of bed- start scratching at Angela's prized quilts (handmade by her grandmother and in the corner of our room).
Great ire can be spewed at 6am when one's delicate possessions are ostensibly being ripped to shreds. Thankfully, no harm as of yet.
This morning we decided to just lock her out of our room- so she started tearing up the carpet. It's war, kitty....
DcD
For once this Winter, the snow finally came during the middle of the week. Ergo- schools closed, gov't "open" but employees on unscheduled leave.
Short story- I'm not working today. =) I do have to use my annual leave, since the government is technically still open. But there's no real point in going in on a day like today. I'll check e-mail and voicemail from home, clean up any major messes that occur in our District, and enjoy staying in my PJs.
DcD
Loudoun County (my home County and employer) is home to MCI, formerly known as Worldcom (which was formerly known as MCI- don't ask...).
Anyway, after bankruptcy, a few name changes, and a declining market- they are being bought out by Verizon.
This could be big news for Loudoun County, which is often seen as the little brother of Fairfax County, which is the up and coming stud compared the the venerable District of Columbia. Verizon has said that it wants a new home for its corporate offices. It now appears to be buying MCI, with a large, rolling campus just 5 minutes from Dulles International Airport. What better than Verizon to relocate to MCI's campus, even adding on to its current building space....
MCI and its employee base are critical to Loudoun County. It's time for us to step up from being the little brother left on the doorstep to becoming the premier corporate destination in the DC area.
Verizon Announces MCI Acquisition (washingtonpost.com)
Whoooaaa- Step aside Mapquest and Yahoo. Google has outmastered the masters of another genre- maps! Randomly search, drag the map, have fun! The best part- searching for businesses near a location. i.e., "j crew near ashburn, va" turns up all the J Crew stores near me (as well as the Leesburg Airport, not sure why...it's called "beta," eh?). Very helpful info and hours of countless fun.
Google Maps
The title says it all.
Eat this, smart growth-ers! You can deny the truth, but you can't run away from it!
Rule, Suburbia (washingtonpost.com)
Although we are just hearing the beginning of the steroid issue in baseball, Thomas Boswell puts Canseco's "book" into a very appropriate perspective....
Canseco Is Easy to Read, Hard to Believe (washingtonpost.com)
Schools Official Assails 'Gay Lifestyle' (washingtonpost.com)
Note the last paragraph which states:
Lynn Terhar, president of the Fairfax County Council of PTAs, said that she's satisfied with the way sexual orientation is handled in the schools and that she hasn't heard concerns from parents. "In my personal opinion, his comments strike me as those coming from a religious point of view," Terhar said. "I don't believe there is any place for that in the Fairfax County school system."(emphasis added)
Intolerance, anyone?
So a conversation the other day with my wife went something like this....
Me: "Oh, we should stop by Kohl's and see if they're having a sale." (We had been discussing how my Mom just e-mailed and said she had bought me a sweater and a pair of pants- 80% off- she NEVER does anything like that, so it was kinda off-the-wall...)
Lovely Wife: "That would be good, because I need some jeans. But, Kohl's only sells Levi's and [some other company]. I don't want to buy those."
Me: "Why not?"
Sweet Wife: "Because they're big supporters of pornography and stuff like that." (3 minute diatribe about all the bad things these companies support)
Me: "So I guess you should sell your iPod, huh?"
Unsuspecting Wife: "Why is that?"
Me: "Because Apple supports a lot of homosexual agendas and Al Gore is on the Board of Directors!!"
Indignant Wife: "UGH! You didn't have to tell me that! Why is HE on the Board?"
Me: "He loves Apples and-- [sarcastically] he created the Internet!
Adorable Wife with momentary look of confusion: "I thought Bill Gates did that??!!"
Alas, I laughed really hard, and after shopping at Target and Costco, we forgot to even go to Kohl's.
DcD
Further proof that the Orioles are NOT Washington's team. The entire ordeal over the 'Nats coming to town was front page for days (seemed like weeks). The O's get Sammy Sosa, and you can barely find an article on it. Granted, Sosa isn't what he used to be (see article), but he's Sammy, for Pete's sake.
Bottom of the Barrel Yields Big Bat for O's (washingtonpost.com)
p.s.- I'm still mad Loudoun didn't get the team. We'd live 10 minutes from the stadium....
Apple's new "cool gadget" is called the iPod Shuffle. Meant for those with wallets on the Atkins diet, this MP3 player is uber-cool. Basically the size of a pack of Doublemint, it holds either 120 or 240 songs (depending on if you shell out $99 or $149).
The unique part of Apple's "Flash-based" player, which sets it apart from the dull, drab, and otherwise lemming-like world of your typical small MP3 player, is that what you listen to is left up to chance (or Providence, if that is your theology, but we'll save that for another time).
You plug in your iShuffle, load up your choice of songs (or let it randomly choose the songs for you that will fit on your size player), and off you go. And NOW here comes the cool part (if you haven't already fainted from super-wicked coolness already)...
Flip the setting for shuffle- and off you go. Absolutely no idea what song you will hear next, or after that, or heck- even what songs you have loaded up! There is no display, no feedback to tell you what songs you have on there. For the faint of heart, you can CHOOSE what songs to put on there, and you can CHOOSE to play them in order- but isn't it so paradoxical for him with free-will to be SO predictable?
So, as Apple says, Give chance a chance. Plop down a mere $99 and let the gods of the MP3 world fill your heart with merry songs- randomly.
DcD
Coming to the day of closing, we had heard conflicting reports of how long it would take. 30 minutes. 2 hours. 4 HOURS!!??
I was slightly concerned, as our closing was set at 4pm, and I had a meeting at 6pm I really needed to attend. So off to the title company we go...
...and before we know it, we own a house!! Yep, 30 minutes, baby! Everything went fine, and as the agent selling us the house explained the loan documents: "You pay, you stay; you don't, you won't!!" Easy enough for me....
Now to move in- more to come.
DcD
