Politics, in DC and beyond

2006-09-22T12:00:00.000-05:00

This is an all too familiar scene when we look back at the genocide that took place in both Bosnia and Rwanda. Those times, we waited until a great deal innocent lives had been lost before we decided to get involved. We realized that had we acted sooner, many lives could have been saved. The rest of the world greatly regretted waiting as long as we did to take action in these two situations. However, once we did take action, we ended up saving countless lives with our intervention tactics. It would be a great shame if we didn't take what we learned from our past experiences and applied them here. Hopefully something will be done before more lives are lost.

2006-09-21T12:12:00.000-05:00

Every day it seems this crisis in Darfur is becoming more and more prominent in the public eye. The civil war, if you will, started over three years ago and was prompted by the Sudanese government with the help of Janjaweed militia. Since that time, over 200,000 people have been reportedly killed and over 2.5 million forced out of their homes into refugee camps. Once a person is in a camp, they are still not safe. Let me paint this gruesome picture of reality for you: throughout the day, hundreds and thousands of women and young girls are raped and beaten for most of the men are killed right away; there is no way for these people to acquire any food or drink so they are dying of starvation. The African Union force, barley armed with more than their bravery, have done their best to protect the people in these camps from the slaughtering of the militia. But these forces have been told, by they Sudanese government, to stop defending these helpless people. In turn, millions of unarmed people will be executed.

2006-09-20T18:41:00.000-05:00

With political tensions running high both at home and abroad and people still questioning the war in Iraq; its no wonder that we find ourselves leery to get involved elsewhere in the world. But with the situation in Darfur becoming what it has I don't see how we can stand by and watch more innocent people get killed by the thousands. A letter was written by Bob Dole and John McCain in hopes to get more people, both inside and out of the political word, involved in this tragedy.

2006-09-18T15:02:00.000-05:00

Could it be? An issue that trancends partisan squabbling? Well according to James Giguere there's at least one topic of discussion that has done that, you can read his comments here

2006-09-16T13:55:00.000-05:00

According to a Reuters article published earlier this week, officials in Montgomery county have decided to allow Verizon to proceed with their web-based television service. It appears that in return Verizon will drop their lawsuit against the county. Now that Verizon has gotten through the legal roadblock of the county not allowing them to move forward, assuming the county council approves their franchise agreement they are hoping to have service avaiable to the county by early next year.

2006-09-14T14:26:00.000-05:00

Montgomery County, Maryland and Verizon have settled their lawsuit by reaching a tentative 15-year agreement that would allow the telecom giant to provide its cable television service to county residents:

Verizon is a step closer to being able to offer cable television service in Montgomery county.

Verizon sued the county in June claiming its cable franchise system violates antitrust law as well as the First Amendment by allowing Comcast to have a virtual lock on the market.

Montgomery County said the suit was without merit but has now reached an agreement on a franchise that will authorize Verizon to offer its fiber-powered FiOS TV to county residents.

"FiOS TV will deliver more channels, superior quality and better value than Comcast's service in Montgomery County," said Bill Roberts, president of Verizon Maryland, in a statement.

The 15-year deal still has to be approved by the Montgomery County Council.

We’ll be watching to see how the Montgomery County Council proceeds.

2006-09-09T15:38:00.000-05:00

Because broadband has established itself as a household centerpiece, there is little doubt that it will continue to be the future of communication. However, there is one question I do find myself wondering is, how exactly will this transition come to full maturity? With telephone companies continuing to expand their foothold in the broadband arena of internet and voice, we can only assume the resistance they will face will only increase until some sort of law is implemented to either allow state and/or national franchise agreements or they allow the current controlling companies to strong-arm the newcomers out of competition. With no amicable end in sight it seems once again, it will be a commercial debate settled with political powers. If only things could be sorted out without going to the courts; wouldn't it be much more interesting if we just let them proverbially duke it out until they reach an agreement of their own.

2006-09-07T17:26:00.000-05:00

With yet another TV push, Verizon's FiOS TV has now become available to nearly 9,000 households in the FishHawk Ranch and surrounding areas. This brings the total number of households that have FiOS TV as an option to just over 1, 000, 000 and counting. This article also includes a fairly detailed report of where service packages prices begin as well as what they consist of.

2006-09-04T16:28:00.000-05:00

Driving home from work today, as I got on the interstate, after driving only a couple of miles I found that traffic had reached nearly a standstill. Assuming there had to be some kind of incedent on the roadways I spent the next thirty minutes listen for any kind of accident or delays on this road, only to find that things should be moving without any problems. After about 10-15 more minutes of things crawling along, I finally saw that up ahead on the shoulder; a single car was pulled over by a single police cruiser, now once we got past them traffic resumed to normal speed. Now my question is; why, when people see flashing light on the side of the road, do the feel the need to slow themselves to a maximum speed of 30 MPH? I understand slowing down some, or moving over, of some other form of respect for the situation. But is it really necessary to back up traffic for miles just because someone wants to gawk at another persons misfortune?

2006-09-01T09:02:00.000-05:00

Well it looks as though we have yet another state finally getting things in order to dash yet another cable monopoly. With California legislators looking to pass a franchise bill it seems as though more and more people are seeing that more choices and equal opportunities bode well for everybody.

2006-08-30T12:12:00.000-05:00

As I was driving home from work today I realized that I was beginning to reach that point in my gas tank where I'd need to start thinking about filling up, but as I was about to pull into my neighborhood I saw something that just about made me stop right there in the middle of the street. It was a gas station, but something was different...gas for under $2.70/gallon, could it really be? Now I realize that prices have been coming down, but the before today the lowest I'd seen around here was about $2.89. Well, needless to say, I filled up right then and there. After a little research I've found that gas prices have, on average for this area, come down a little more than 10 cents in the past week alone; in the past month its down nearly 35 cents, pretty amazing if you ask me. But, it does kind of make me wonder how long we've been padding oil executives' pockets. Either way this is a good thing for all of us unfortunate enough to a part of this disaster we call DC traffic.

2006-08-27T08:03:00.000-05:00

With costs of Verizon's Fiber Optic Assault on America reaching nearly $2000 per house there is no question they are hoping for positive results. Based on reactions by the cable 'superpowers' across the country; cutting prices, offering new deals and specials, adding various discounted bundles, they are only proving the point I've been making all along, competition equals consumer benefit. And you thought assaults were only bad things.

2006-08-24T18:27:00.000-05:00

In search of the "service" in customer service I decided to peruse reviews of this Verizon FiOS outbreak, to see if the consumer opinion supports the opinion of superiority that Verizon has put forth. After reading this review I found myself dreaming of the day my cable company goes the extra mile for me; I had a hard enough time getting them to run a new cable from my outlet to my cable box.

Now while I understand that no one is perfect, I also don't expect everyone to have perfectly ideal service. But one constant thread I found in their reviews was that even those people who tried it and hated it still commented on how even when one thing screwed up or another didn't work, they were on top of it working to fix it ASAP. No one says you've got to use one service over another, but don't we deserve the choice?

2006-08-21T11:37:00.000-05:00

With terrorist plots unraveling, unsolved murders, embryonic stem cell research, hurricanes and American foreign policy all being thrown about in the publics eye; sometimes we just need to just step back, out of America's corporate journalistic eye and look at things for ourselves. With the pace of life ever increasing as it is, it can be tough to sort things out for ourselves. With the political world spinning faster than ever watching how our political parties implode, explode and simply just erupt all around us without missing a beat, I wonder, is it all really functioning as effectively as it should? If we all worried so much about fixing ourselves, then we wouldn't have much need to correct others now would we.

This is America, Land of the Free and Home of the Brave. Lets keep it that way; lets not allow our own personal pettyness to cloud our vision of what we have. "Live Free or Die", its the New Hamshire state motto, that represents the sentiment on which the country was founded; but ask yourself this, would you really be willing to die for your freedom? I know we'd all like to say yes, but are most of us are probably not actually willing to make that great of a sacrifice. So for all those that have given up so much to give me my freedom, thank you. For the rest of, I can only hope that future generations will continue to uphold this great country; the place I call home, our United States of America.

2006-08-19T12:53:00.000-05:00

Knowing that Verizon is deadlock in redtape with Montgomery county, as well as others around the US, it kind of makes me wonder about what all the fuss is actually about. Is this really about people clammoring about how Verizon is forcing themselves somewhere they don't belong?

While it is good to see that some progress is being made, while slow it may be it is still getting somewhere. I still find it to be somewhat amusing that their defense for not allowing some kind of agreement is that it would be unfair to the consumers. Now how does that work? It could hurt the people by allowing them a choice? I'm not sure I follow the logic on that one. Personally speaking, I can't wait to be able to choose. I have no problem paying more, as long as its for a superior product. If Verizon is willing to step up to the challenge of proving itself as the better alternative, why shouldn't we let them. Lets make the decsion for ourselves, isn't that what America was based on? The freedom to choose.

Unfortunately, right now the only choice I have is either internet or no internet, and personally I'm not quite yet willing to do drop it so, until something else shows up for my cable or internet I suppose I'll have no choice but to just continue on paying my small fortune of bill every month and hope for the best.

2006-08-12T00:42:00.000-05:00

"The president of Verizon Pennsylvania Wednesday said proposed cable-choice legislation in Harrisburg would open up competition and streamline the cable franchise process, resulting in lower rates and better service.

"This franchise process was put into place decades ago and at that time cable companies were given a franchise in exchange for an effective monopoly -- there was no competition," said Verizon Pennsylvania President William B. Petersen. " z-wire.

Seriously, why is this so complicated? Couldn't we just let this legislation pass and free up some time and money to allow, perhaps...Better Service?

2006-08-09T21:17:00.000-05:00

A brief detour from my usual rants: In light of the fact that current conflict in the Middle East has not gotten any better, I thought it would be appropriate to share that my thoughts are with those who are suffering over there, and I offer my condolences to those who have lost loved ones and friends. I truly hope that justice is served quickly and that the innocent will be able to return to some sense of normalcy.

2006-08-07T10:19:00.000-05:00

In Montgomery County, MD they have resisted competition in the video market so brutally, Verizon is actually suing the county. But in Bowie, MD the welcome a new entrant into the market. The folks at HD Beat are happy:

Yet again most of the counties high-def lovers are 'bout to get jealous when we tell them that Verizon's fiber-optic TV service has moved into another community. The town of Bowie, Maryland just brook a bottle of bubbly on the side of Verizon's FiOS service as it launched this last week. This is of course the same service that brings your TV and Internet service to your home via fiber optics instead of copper. That whole area seems to be laden with FiOS as the surrounding cities already have the service.

2006-07-28T13:14:00.000-05:00

Is this current conflict in the Middle East going to result in another temporary peace solution, or will it nothing more than the fastest way to an excuse for an all war? We can only hope and pray it won't be the latter.

2006-07-26T12:16:00.000-05:00

Well it appears as though once again Montgomery County has not disappointed us with their continued belligerent attitude about allowing the fresh breeze of competition into their towns. With county officials filing papers stating that their current agreement provides competition and, "significant consumer protections". They are also alleging that Verizon is attempting to enter the county's market without complying with current regulations. But while county officials are putting up such an intense fight to keep Verizon out, who is really paying the price. Well I am inclined to agree with John Frantz, a Verizon vice president and associate general counsel, who says in a statement,

"The losers are Montgomery County citizens, who will continue to lose more than $725,000 a month in savings as a result of the county's intransigent position,”

That averages out to nearly $300 a month per household, I don't care you are, everyone could use an extra $300 a month. Why don’t we just cut the crap and put that money back into our families’ pockets where it belongs.

2006-07-23T17:15:00.000-05:00

At what point does a legitimate reaction become an overzealous crusade? Because that seems to be what has happened with Israel's response to Hezbollah's capture of Israeli soldiers along with their constant rocket bombardment of Israeli cities. Because, to be quite honest with you, I'm not quite sure, if they've gone to far, when that transition took place. When Israel first began their assault into Lebanon nearly every country voiced their support, saying that Israel had every right to defend themselves. But now everyone is wondering, "what now?” has their campaign gone too far because of the civilian casualty count? Its a war, like it or not innocent people die as a result. Once they started bombed public airports and roads, people started getting flashbacks of an Israeli occupation, but I am still stuck at the point of where they went too far. With all of these foreign governments saying they can, and should, defend themselves, but only to the point that society deems socially acceptable, but to what point is that? Is Israel using this as an open opportunity to strike out at an enemy that politics has held them back from? I have no doubt that it is. If you are given a chance to remove an immiant threat from you society do you not have only the right, but obligation to do so?

How much is too much? Have they done too much? What should our political position be on this one? If we flat out back Israel, then people will say we are supporting the killing off innocent life; but if we don't support a country's right to defend itself then does that make us any better than those attacking them. Is there actually a "right" decision to be made here?

If Cuba were to invade Florida and kidnap American citizens we would be in utter outrage; responding with the full force of American indignation, but because of the "who" and "where" that is involved with the current situation it has brought the whole world to its feet, holding its breath to see who does what.

So...what now?

2006-07-21T13:50:00.000-05:00

With things starting to heat up for this years elections, things are certainly going to get messy somewhere. Now with a constant bickering between political parties, have you ever wondered if they could get more useful things accomplished if, instead of spending 60% of their funding on talking about their opponent, they actually did something useful with it. Now while I understand that this is how "the game is played", but maybe its time we changed the rules to this game, put practicality before politics. It’s about time that our elected leaders remember how and why they got where they are today. They didn't get there because they spent the most money; they got there because people actually believed in them. Now maybe this might be old-fashioned and unrealistic, but I believe that there are still some good people out there, people who don't care about their name, about what people think of them; but people who actually are concerned with the quality of life in this great country of ours. Now lets remember that, this is our country, it is a country of the people not politicians. Lets remind our those we elected that we still have a voice. Now, let’s make ourselves heard!

2006-07-17T16:19:00.000-05:00

Well since people can never seem to really get along and agree on things, I figure today will be the day I change that with an old political trick.

WHY IS IT SO HOT?!?

See, it just happened; just about everyone can empathize with my sentiments about the heat, that’s because we're all going through it. While I'm sure some people aren't too keen on the idea of agreeing with someone who they've always been categorically opposed to; you do have to admit, it has been pretty toasty outside and thats a fact that no matter how much opinion you throw at it, will stay true.

So just remember this little illustration, regardless of creed country or political affiliation, you can always find some common ground...all you have to do is look

2006-07-14T20:11:00.000-05:00

I believe that I have found the solution to all the problems we're having here. Ok, first off we'll just get rid of the internet, I'm sure that everyone still enjoys actually getting a real letter once in a while. Secondly, lets just toss out our television sets, I'm sure if we all watched less TV we'd cut back on this "growing waistband of America" that people keep talking about. My third and final idea, we might as well just ditch out phone systems too, I mean who really talks on the phone anyways. So, if we do all of that then the disagreement between MC and Verizon, and similar problems around the country wouldn't really mean much anymore now would they. Now, who really thinks that’s all going to happen? I didn't think so. But seriously, what is the worst thing that could happen? Either Verizon could fail and things would go back to how they were, or they'd do well and the consumer would have a healthy market of choice to pick from. So why keep causing such a fuss, I'll sum it up in one word, money. Just think, if new inventions like Verizon's FiOS had been stifled throughout history we wouldn't be able to throw out our TV’s, because we wouldn't have them

2006-07-11T22:32:00.000-05:00

While all across the country states are finally realizing that competition is good for the consumer; New Jersey, Tampa and Long Island, have all approved state franchising agreements earlier this year, so why are there are still people trying to stall the rolling out of an open competition? With Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco vetoing a cable franchise reform bill that would have established a statewide standard for all providers, and Montgomory County still dragging their feet. It seems as though, that if they were truely working in the interest of the consumer, they would have seen similar bills going into effect, and working quite well, and realized that maybe this isn't such a bad thing. How long are they going to be allowed to continue with these shenanigans? Hopefully before my bill for basic cable goes above the $100 mark.

2006-07-09T16:42:00.000-05:00

Why is Montgomery County fighting so hard against approving a franchise agreement for Verizon? MediaPost Publications has reported,

"Verizon needs to show that FiOS is worthwhile to local officials--from an investment and consumer point of view. While its state-of-the-art fiber optic system is faster and offers more high-definition channels, some counties are balking that the service is not that much better than existing cable systems."

Verizon has proven, again and again, that they are willing to offer a superior, yet competative product; being approved in counties across the state, but now there are counties questioning if they can offer a better product? It's stupid, nothing but a shameless ploy to delay an agreement with Verizon.

2006-07-07T12:39:00.000-05:00

Don Libes has a very long post (it's actually an entire press release and more from Verizon) about the reasons why Verizon is suing Montgomery County, Maryland. It is difficult to know who is the good guy and who is the bad guy in all this. I mean, Montgomery County is notoriously corrupt, so it is difficult to believe anything the county says through its officials. Nevertheless, e-Week.com quotes Mont. Co.'s Marylin Praisner saying:

"Verizon just doesn't want to play by the same rules: They haven't submitted a franchise application," Praisner said, adding that when Verizon representatives appeared before her committee, she was told that the company would submit a franchise application, but so far that hasn't happened.

Praisner said that if Verizon didn't like the standard franchise agreement that other cable operators have signed, they could have red-lined the parts they didn't like, and submitted the changed version for negotiation, but she said the company hasn't done that, either.

"I don't think it's rocket science," Praisher said. "Verizon really doesn't want to play by those same rules. This is about a cable franchise; that's the arena in which they want to play."

But if Ms. Praisner is right and this really is all Verizon's fault, I need to ask: why did Anne Arundel County, Maryland just approve a franchise for Verizon under the same federal regulations and similar (if not identical) county cable franchising regulations? Unanimously!?

2006-07-04T12:15:00.000-05:00

It's the Fourth of July, Independence Day, so I'd like to take a moment to just remember everything that has gone into making this country what it is today, I'm also going to try and keep the political jargon to a minimum. Freedom, its something that most us, myself included, take for granted and as result it has become something that we expect rather than respect. Nobody owes us anything; other than those in our military who have fought and died for this country the liberties we use and(some) abuse everyday have just been dropped in our laps, but instead of being thankful for the things we've been giving, we just whine and complain about how we think we deserve better. If you don't like it here, leave! It is an honor to be a part of this great country and if we all, instead of complaining about what we don't like, did something to make it better, just imagine what could happen.

While we all run about amidst the commotion of this Fourth of July enjoying fireworks and barbecues, let us never forget the sacrifices that have been given by all of our soldiers, past and present, at home and abroad.

We Will Never Forget

2006-07-02T22:42:00.000-05:00

Across the country telephone companies have been pushing for franchising bills to be past, while in Montgomery County this process has stalled somewhat, there have been bills passed elsewhere around the nation. While they are not all exactly the same, they do however serve the same purpose, to let these companies compete with local television providers.

2006-06-27T19:08:00.000-05:00

Aparently this supersecret TAC(Telecommunications Advisory Committee) meeting that happened on June 21 was hardly anything more than smoke and mirrors, for nearly none of the rumored delgates from their respective companies showed. "This week's Telecomm Advisory Committee meeting was lightly attended. The Verizon representative rumored to be there wasn't. A rep from RCN (aka StarPower) was officially given time on the agenda - and didn't show. And the two humiliated Comcast reps from last month didn't return.", that is an excerpt from The Libes Libation, which can be found here, showing just how ill-attended this meeting actually was.

2006-06-24T13:34:00.000-05:00

How are we supposed to back something like a net neutrality bill when Congress has already ruled that the internet cannot belong to anyone? It is an impartial party, the only thing that laws for net neutrality would do is force everyone to move at the same pace instead of allowed those with the resources to branch out and move forward at an accelerated pace. It's hardly ever just a lone person that comes up with the next new "something" that usually comes out of some big companies R&D division, now there is a reason for that; they are able to afford the research and man hours to come up with it. Now all that these laws restricting the internet would accomplish would be to limit those companies' research to the same speed and effectiveness as someone who doesn't have a clue about anything sitting at home in their garage hoping to stumble upon the next great idea. Now tell me, when has life ever been entirely equal across the boards? There has always been someone with the upper hand; now you may call me crazy, but in a footrace, it seems to me that the guy with the advantage will usually produce the greatest results. Since new technologies never start out in the mainstream, why would we expect that to happen with the internet? There is always the elite few that grab hold of an idea, which then causes it to spead to the public. If we don't allow those few the opportunity to run with the idea, then it will never go mainstream, and in turn will hold back everyone from progressing forward.

2006-06-22T15:30:00.000-05:00

A free market is supposed to help ensure that all persons involved, regardless of size or affluence, are able to have a fair and equal opportunity to involve themselves and present an alternative to the current supplier. Now suppose that state localities only permitted those companies that would benefit those with their hands in the cookie jar. How is that free market and fair competition? While some people, who have chosen to remain nameless, say that none of this is for the public good, I say to that, how is it not? How are having more choices for such widely used products such as high-speed internet and cable television not in the public interest? Who do you think uses these products? Sounds like someone is afraid of having their yearly bonus cut into because they would have to offer prices comparable to the competition. Corperations aren't always the bad guys, but the little guy's aren't always good, so don't give me that crap about lack of substance. The point here is, that competition breeds more opportunities for the consumer; which usually translates into lower pricing. Now tell me how that isn't in public interest. Reaching a franchising agreement would not only allow the "big guys" room to branch out, but it would also make it affordable for the little guys to have a fighting chance. Nobody expects the little companies to compete on the same level as comcast or verizon, but while those companies have the millions to pay for the outrageous fees to put out their product smaller companies would have no choice but to just fold in their hand and give up. The only people that wouldn't benefit are the one's who are in control right now.

2006-06-19T14:46:00.000-05:00

There have been such vast and varied issues with "net neutrality" that amidst all of the hype and publicity, people have hastily joined sides and fought vehemently for something that they might not necessariliy stand for. People are so quick to assume the corperate giants are "the bad guys", sometimes we forget that the truth isn't always presented in an honest light. While sometimes we may make mistakes in our quick judgements, at least there are some times when we are afforded the opportunity to make our wrongs right. One such individual who hastily assumed these "net neturality" laws were a good thing was a collumnist for USATODAY, Andrew Kantor; who has just recently posted his acknowledgement that his hasty comments may have been made in error, this article is posted online at USATODAY.com. This just goes to show that just because you think something sounds like a good idea, it would be in your best interest to, in the words of Davey Crockett, "Be always sure you are right, then go ahead". This not only implies being sure of what you know, but also to not be afraid of actually taking the steps to accomplish what you know to be right.

2006-06-16T16:18:00.000-05:00

Here in America the basis of good business and a strong economy is competition. You always know that if you don't like what you're getting in one place you'll always be able to go get it somewhere else, and more than likely you'll find it cheaper too. So why is it that some companies feel that they should be allowed to corner the market on a certain product or service. With local companies having such a monopoly on the current market it's not wonder that they are fighting so hard to keep it in their corner. This is why it is even more important to allow companies such as Verizon an equal opportunity to offer a quality product without the fear of being penalized for trying to offer some competition in this stifled market.

Though there are many dissenting opinons on whether or not Verizon or any company should be approved for franchises or not, what it really comes down to is how could we not allow them every fair and equal oppotunity to offer a competative product.

Think of it this way, if there were only one gas station in your town and they were charging seventy-five cents more than any other gas station in the state the entire community would be up in arms. But you put just one cable company in an area and allow them to raise prices whenever and however they feel, we're supposed to just sit back and take it as part of life? Most people who oppose allowing Verizon into their community probably don't even know what they're opposing, they are just riding the back on the hype other people have created. Before I go jumping on some bandwagon I like to know what I'm dealing with, well yesterday Patrick Hynes was able to tour the Verizon Labs in Waltham and was able to hear and see firsthand what takes place behind the scenes, things most people don't even ever think about. You can read his article on the matter here.

2006-06-15T14:41:00.000-05:00

Have you ever thought about why most people don't own a car dealship, or how about their own food chain? Usually its because most of us don't have the standing capital to be able to afford such a risky and expensive venture; but how about something a little less extravagant. Lets think about the latest new technology, as soon as it comes out it costs you a fortune, but if you don't feel the compulsive need to "get it while it's hot"' just wait til the next new thing comes out and suddenly the older version is considered outdated. When that happens, just watch the price, we've all seen it happen, you wait and wait for the next model so you can purcahse the older one, finally you break, can't wait any more, pay full price and just days later its been updated and discounted. I suppose that's that lil thing called supply and demand, unfortunately the suppliers usually know we're demanding even better than we do. While all of this may sound like a corporate evil invading our lives, in reality it is this principal of being offered what we actually want as opposed to what we're told we want that allows our country to flurish as it has. Free speech, free market, everything is free, but we still complain...would you rather have every thought and word dictated to you? I didn't think so.

2006-06-07T00:15:00.000-05:00

I was thinking the other day, although I wouldn't recommend it for some people I personally enjoy it, that there are so many things in this life of ours that we take for granted. Specifically something as common as basic transportation, something as simple as getting into your car every morning and(for most people) not even thinking twice about whether or not its going to get you to where you're going. Or, for those of us fortunate enough to not have to drive into the city each day, we just hop onboard the Metro without ever doubting it'll get the job done. The reason this all sort of hit me was because I had to head into Boston the other day and after driving around there, even for as short of a time as I did, it nearly drove me crazy; now even though traffic in DC is probably one of the worst cities I've seen, at least our roads are mostly straight and flat. Compared to what I experenced, we've practically got it good here. Now I do know that there are people who'll think I'm crazy for saying this, but thats one thing we're still allowed to do here in the good 'ole USA, and thats speak our minds. Speaking of which, I'd just like to say thanks to all our veterans and current soldiers for allowing us to keep that right.

2006-06-01T08:47:00.000-05:00

Hello and welcome to an almost entirely beautiful day. It's nice to see we're finally having some nice summer temperatures, although I wouldn't complain if there was a little less rain around here, but on the other hand who am I to complain about the weather. I must say though, I'm almost suprised that people haven't tried to impeach Mother Nature, with all the trouble she'd caused I would have thought we'd blame her and try to vote in someone new; well for all I know some's working on that election already. Well enough weather chat, I've got to go run some errands so I'll expereince nature's full force in person; much different than just talking about it, but things usually end up playing out much different than they looked on paper.