One Cheap Broad Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

From today's Daily Record:

ICC gets final green light, at lastConstruction of 18-mile, $2.4 Broad [sic] to begin in early ’07

The federal government has given final approval for the Inter-County Connector, paving the way for construction of the 18-mile highway to begin early next year, state officials announced yesterday....

The earlier that you learn that a cheap broad rarely stays cheap, the better.

One suspects that the editor meant to refer to a "$2.4 B[illion U.S.] road" rather than a $2.4 female. The same lesson that applies to cheap broads applies to "cheap" roads.

Good Crabbing - Score One for Deafhood Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

There are many deaf bloggers; I am not one of them. I have noted with interest the blog of Ridor aka Ricky Taylor, a student at an alumnus of Gallaudet University who has been active in the recent protests against incoming Gallaudet President Jane K. Fernandes, which protest has drawn the attention of local and national media.

I do not claim to understand fully the depth of emotion against the installation of a university president. Then again, I am 37 and have two children. I recall the protests at Princeton University regarding the SHARE office in 1990 with some nostalgic affection even today. Gallaudet occupies a place in Deaf culture comparable to no other university in the United States except possibly the military academies. (I note the capitalization of the word Deaf as a cultural reference.) The installation of the outgoing president Irving King Jordan in 1988 was the result of a massive protest movement known as "Deaf President Now"; amazingly, the world's only university for the deaf had no deaf president for its first hundred years or so of operation.

Ridor's site describes him as "arguably the most controversial deaf blogger in America." I have not examined the deaf blogosphere enough to know how strong his claim is, but he pulls no punches. One compelling post, Score One for Deafhood, led me to understand a little better the experiences that might lead deaf activists to take a hard stand (excerpted with permission):

Last week, a hearing friend of mine in Richmond was concerned about this deaf person being stranded outside of a small town about 50 miles south of Richmond. Apparently, he said that this deaf person is 23 and is not exactly literate but capable of talking in ASL and uses his voice. But he lived in a countryside at a small house with his parents who manipulated and denied him the chances to experience the world on his own.

I’m sure many of you heard this again, again and again all over the world. The tales where parents attempted to hide their deaf children out of shame, or just to keep them in a house so that the parents can use their deaf children’s SSIs for themselves.

Today, it was off to Emporia to meet this deaf person. Emporia is a sleepy town of 5,700 just above the state line of North Carolina. Based on my hearing friend’s directions, I was able to find the specific house. I was disheartened to learn that the house where this deaf person was virtually in a countryside and it was not a house but a trailer house. In fact, it is located about 8 miles southwest of Emporia.

Upon meeting “James”, not his real name, he was quite thrilled to see another deaf person. He seemed to be sane as we talked briefly about what he wanted. He talked about being 23 and he was stuck in this trailer home for 5 years. His parents are hearing. They won’t let him drive, work or do anything else. Basically, he was going insane … until he met Ryan online, who in turn, is a good friend of mine.

I was appalled to learn that he does not have any money to himself. No nothing. I quickly suspected that he probably has some kind of income from the government, which many of you knew as Social Supplemental Income but just that his parents has been stealing his money from day one. I asked him if he is aware that there are social services that can help him. He has no idea what the social services are all about.

It was quite difficult to explain things in details to him because he is not completely educated. He is what I’d classify as low functional person, also known as FOW (My friends coined that term and I liked it!) This is where I am firmly in support of SSIs, this was designed to help people like James to have something to start off.

So off to the Social Security Administration which is located about 50 miles north of Emporia, I drove and talked with him in the car. All the way to the SSA, he openly talked about his frustrations in the last 5 years, trying to beg his parents to let him go. It was such a disheartening tale. He explained that his mother has manipulated the doctors in believing that he’s mentally unfit to take care of himself.

At the Social Security Administration, my hunch was correct when we learned that James does have the SSI for the last 5 years. James was visibly upset about this — he signed, MOM GIVES ME ONLY $20 WEEKLY!! WHERE ALL MY MONEY??

I also learned that his mother got a doctor to certify that he is incapable of taking care of himself, physically and mentally, thus making her the “payee” of SSI for James.

It was no surprise to see his mother driving a brand-new SUV truck.

I attempted to persuade the officials to overrule the “payee” status so that James can start moving on with his life — Ryan intended to bring James to be his roommate in Richmond, about 70 miles north of Emporia. But in order to do that, he needs to have SSI to himself to start with. Something to start with. Somewhere to start with.

The officials said that the only doctors can waive that. I told them that it is impossible to do that in Emporia because James’ mother will bullshit anyone else in order to keep James at home away from the world.

But in order to get him to see a doctor outside of Emporia, he needs to move first. Which means what? He needs some money as well. But thanks to the experiences I learned when I used to work for an agency in New York, I firmly asked them to change the “Payee status” from his mother to … me!

It is legal and James approved the move. This is merely a strategy for me to take over until he sees the doctor to waive the payee status in Richmond — hopefully in the next few weeks. Ryan and I intend to pull him out of his parents’ trailer home and get him to settle down in his own bedroom in Richmond.

On the way back to the trailer home, you can see the hope and happiness on James’ face. He was relieved that someone is here to help him out with this torment of his.

He pointed at the massive house across the street from where his parents’ trailer home lived, THAT WHERE ELLIOTT SADLER LIVES!

I could not understand, he walked me to the convenience store across the road and pointed at the Coca-Cola machine box which has an image of NASCAR Driver with its signature: ELLIOTT SADLER #38.

I began to mutter, “Mother of irony,” at the sight of a massive home on left side, the trailer homes on the right side. Only in The South, man.

I told James to be strong for few days before Ryan and I will help him to move in his own place in Richmond. He was giddy about it. After 5 years of imprisonment, who can blame him for being so hopeful?

We parted and I drove down the road. Boom! Guess who was right behind me, trying to flag me off the road?

His mother.

I pulled off at the gas station. At first, she attempted to sign something that I had no business of being there in the first place — I quickly said, HE is 23, STOP BABYING HIM!

She attempted to outsmart me after realizing that I’m deaf. She said on the notepad, “I’m the manager of Value Store here in Emporia, my son is mentally ill. He is depressed for many years. He can’t get the job or move anywhere else. He must stay with me all the time. And he is fag.”

Trying to be smarter than I am? I shot back that I’m gay and I have two BA degrees and I had been all over the country and your son wants to move out. He is 23. Why do you think he is depressed? It is because he feels stuck in that tiny home for many years. Let him go!”

The mother said in fingerspelling: ME CANCER ME DIE ME DIE JAMES MUST STAY ME HOME MUST STAY HOME!

I then gestured that STOP BREASTFEEDING STOP BREASTFEEDING HE 23 HE 23 LET HIM GO LET HIM GO OR HE HATE YOU!

That shocked her a bit and said, HE WANT GO?

I had to be in control and nodded and insisted that she has to let his son go — sever the umblicial cord! Let him go and experience the world.

The mother hesitated and stared at me … then fingerspelled — YOU COME NEAR MY HOME, I CALL COPS!

I smiled, DO IT! I DARE YOU, DO IT! IT WILL MAKE YOUR SON HATE YOU MORE!

She hopped in her SUV and left. Perhaps, for the first time in her life, she realized that she may lose her son if she attempts to force her 23-years old son to stay at home.

Audism at its worst form, eh? Hearies would do anything just to get what they wanted, eh? Bah.

But this is a community service for me, one at a time — making sure that people like James knew that there are social services out there, ready to help him out.

And yes, I just got an email from James. Everything is still on for him to move out in few days.

For showing an exceptional level of balls to help out his fellow man, Ridor gets this week's Good Crabbing award.

Political Triangulation Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

The candidacy tactic of running towards the political center or developing "wedge issues" is known as "triangulation.". Right now, for example, Hillary Clinton has been insulting the work ethic of millions of young workers, upset that they come out and immediately want salaries of 50 to 75 thousand dollars (as opposed to her own daughter, who probably makes 150-200K at the McKinsey consulting firm in New York.). Clinton insulted that 30 million strong block of workers who vote less frequently to tap into the resentments and cultural conservatism of their homeowning .middle-class parents who do vote more frequently. By so doing, she gets to appear not as the ueber-liberal but as the candidate who was willing to insult millions of young workers, who tend to vote more liberally when they do vote.

I do not know whether and how miuch triangulation works. To me the insult was gratuitous and transparent. On the other hand., it might send a meta-message not about policy but about the messenger herself: "I am so much an electable candidate that I will take cheap shots in order to secure victory. I play dirty, therefore I am a player and the Real Deal."

Perhaps that meta message has as much effect on the base as on the "triangulees.". At this early, early campaign stage, it may serve to force other candidates into taking more conservative positions or tones, ot simply to intimidate them or discourage them from running against a well-funded chameleon/Mr. Fantastic-style shape changer.

Any thoughts?

"They Never Saw It Coming" Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

I never expected to come across this coin. Then again, the premise is that "they" - we - "never saw it coming."

I guess this means a future of "free" health care, expensive everything else, brutal taxes and excellent beer, eh?

Seriously, the talk seems to aim more towards a possible addition of new state out of separated Canadian provinces either in Atlantic Canada or the alienated West, with or without a secession by Quebec. Not particularly likely, I guess. Frankly, I would not mind us losing a few states (say 12 of them, south of the Potomac...?) but that is a rant for another day.

"Get In On It." Oh yeah. Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

Nine months and half a million dollars later, Baltimore has a new slogan.

Drumroll, please: "Baltimore - Get In On It."

The preposition-rich slogan is set to be announced next week as the centerpiece of Charm City's new effort to sell itself to tourists and visitors, according to sources familiar with the lengthy and secretive process.

"Get in on what?" asked Baltimore City Councilwoman Rochelle "Rikki" Spector, after repeating it aloud three times.

"I've seen some dumb ones in the past, but this is the dumbest," said former Mayor/former Gov./Comptroller William Donald Schaefer through his spokesman.

Sloganeering for a dying city, where industry and commerce are fleeing to the suburbs and to the higher-rent DC metro area? Half a million dollars for this?

When I see the slogan, I cannot help rearranging it in my mind to "Let's Get It On" or "Get Off On It," suggesting sex and drugs in a city that could do well to have less of both. How about "Get It On, In It?" "Get Off, In It!" "Get On It" "Get Gone." Get In On It?" A real estate or investment bubble?

It doesn't matter how you paint a pig, a pig it remains. Poor transit, drug addiction, severe taxes encouraging investment in the suburban ring. "Get in on it" will not affect any of these problems.

I just don't get it. Or in on it. What a wasteful, stupid load of bullshit.

UPDATE: Marketing consultant Strategic Name Development has a post concerning the serious business of getting in on it, mentioning the slogan's failure to impress us here at Crablaw.

Libertarians, Round 2 Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

There is a DailyKos diary about libertarian-leaning Democratic candidates for Congress in Florida and Utah. My kind of people.

Libertarians and Glibertarians? Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

Ryan Sager of Real Clear Politics wrote a pretty solid essay on the political challenges of herding libertarian cats into successful political activity. I think he is right on point describing the libertarian-leaning sector of the electorate as a whole as being about 9-20%, taken as a whole without regard to partisan affiliation. RCP is a conservative site (though one with a lot of solid non-partisan, non-ideological political metrics) so it is not surprising that its columnist would lump libertarians into the Republican/conservative coalition. Sager noted with dismay that those who believed that government should do less in general did not drop in their support for President Bush between 2000 and 2004, notwithstanding major ramp-ups in government economic and other intervention in the interim.

I think that libertarians have a more basic problem. Bloggers like Atrios have taken some strange pot shots of late at libertarians as a whole, calling them "glibertarians" and associating them perversely with the strange rants of Glenn Reynolds in favor of increased (!) government surveillance of cell phone use. As I noted in one bitter snark against Atrios' poor rhetoric, it is no more appropriate to associate libertarians as a whole with one pro-government police state mouthpiece than it is to associate 100 years of American "gliberal" thought with President Clinton's sexual escapades with a White House intern. But if small-"l" libertarians of whatever staunchness or moderation allow cheap shots without a response, the meta-message is that we are pussies like John Kerry after he failed to respond effectively to the infamous swiftboating.

I have made my break with more severe libertarian politics known on this site, and I am not carrying water for the federal LP (though I keep my state registration in the LPMD). But fair is fair. If Atrios wants to kick Glenn Reynolds in the ass, fine. I will join in a (verbal) beatdown of that tiresome statist windbag a la the beatdown of the fax machine in Office Space. And if Atrios wants to smack down true libertarian thought in good faith, have at it. May a thousand pot bongs flowers bloom. But don't associate 3-10 million small-"l" libertarian-leaning voters with that statist garbage just to look cute. My politics are not that far from Atrios'; I am a volunteer with Daily Kos's Las Vegas convention even though I cannot attend due to job and family considerations.

I even admire what Atrios has said about public transit and other issues. But "glibertarian" is a cheap shot.

Tech Update - Your computer is fine Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

I am expanding the link array as previously discussed, starting with 3x8 links. More to come.

Bush at 29 percent approval rating Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

Dance de limbo-o-h

How low can you go?

Logo Project Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

Okay, here's what I am thinking about layout. I want to get a wall of logo links into the header above. My logos are 60 by 60, and the header accommodates eight per row. I want to link to things that are interesting or new and have something to do with Maryland, law, social justice, freedom, good food and good times - Crablaw's general themes.

SO, I am interested in good ideas. Or maybe less useful ideas that might lead to useful ones. Ultimately I would not mind having a 4 or 5 x 8 array. I have not seen this done in a blog before and think it would make this blog a little more distinct. Lots of blogs have standard "blogrolls" in a sidebar for friendly (or non-friendly) links but I have not seen a button link with an icon, logo or what-have-you as a link. The only rule is that the logo must reflect its subject matter in someway, i.e. no cactus logo for a link to Maryland's Department of Natural Resources, as Maryland's natural resources do not include desert or desert flora.

Suggestions welcome from one and all. Let's make this a little fun.

"Won't you walk the walk of justice?" Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

I thought that the above-linked essay (titled "G-d says, Get off your tuckus and do justice") was very interesting and worthy of review. It poses an interesting contrast to the focus of many American religious leaders, from whose speeches one might gather that the Hebrew and Christian Bibles were collectively a 900-page essay on the sole topic of the evils of same-sex marriage. Its content is drawn from the sermon at an "action assembly" that a Daily Kos diarist attended in Ohio. Happy reading.

Worst President Ever? Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

Just when you thought it could get no worse, HUD secretary Alphonso Jackson openly admitted not only that he steered HUD contracts to Bush administration allies and away from a perfectly qualified contractor whose CEO was critical of bush, but did so with the SPECIFIC INTENT of making sure that the proceeds of such contracts would flow back into Republican campaign warchests.

This is beyond bag man "courtesies" and friends knowing friends - this is steering taxpayer money away from honest contractors into an increasingly apparently corrupt Republican machine, with no pretense to the contrary. It is apparently both illegal and commonplace, like more than one thing in this administration.

This days after Bush told a German newspaper that his best moment as President was the day he caught a 7.8 pound perch in his own pond in Crawford. Amazing on two levels. First, that Bush could not think of a great day in Washington, DC, you know, his day job? And second, that he caught a perch weighing about twice as much as the world record perch (about 4 pounds) and the first person he told about it was a German newspaper, presumably years later.

Oh yeah, his CIA heads are compromised in a poker/prostitution scandal with a convicted corrupt contractor. Gee, you think they might be a national security risk for blackmail?

One president has to be the worst ever, by definition. In my view, the worst president ever is not in the history books but on page one of the daily newspaper. Apparently the American people are leaning my way, with approval ratings for Bush at or below the low water mark of President Carter. Even Nixon was less unpopular by some measures.

If you were paid a million dollars to design and construct a political and administrative basket case worse than this administration, could you do it? Heckuva job, Bushie. I long for the days of Monica Lewinsky taking care of Bill Clinton's (ahem) needs. Clinton may have risked his marriage, but no cities drowned on his watch, no break-the-bank bullshit wars against the wrong thugs, no national security fiascos with prostitutes and defense contractors. We had a president who actually wanted to govern and who spoke fluent English, albeit with an Arkansas accent.

I could go on but in your mind and gut you know how far we have fallen.

Atty Gen'l Joe Curran to Retire Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

At age 74 and after 5 terms in office, Maryland Attorney General Joseph Curran announced that he will not be seeking another term in office but will serve out this current term.

Curran is known for his liberal politics and personal integrity by allies and opponents alike. He has achieved national recognition for his work particularly in consumer protection, tobacco litigation and gun violence.

He will be missed. The political implications of this open state-wide office remain to be seen.

Late night Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

I am doing a long night at my new project, taking a "brief" coffee break to blog.

My project has been going well with an (over)abundance of available billable hours to work. That is about as far as I can go in describing it. Oh yes, it is a fairly simple project, but one with a major, non-negotiable deadline. Hence the colleagues who are doing 90+ hours, replete with overtime time and a half.

I just found out that a former professional colleague is facing a serious medical challenge and is about to undergo surgery. He is a little less than a generation older than myself and in pretty good health overall. He and I got along pretty well and I feel sad and reflective upon hearing the news. As the proverb goes, may he go from strength to strength.

This weekend we got a family outing to the home of an old friend with whom I had lost touch and reconnected. His mother leased me a room in Annapolis when I first started out 11 years ago. It is a pleasure to know that friendships of long-lost friends can be renewed. Sam and Noah had a great time until Sam fell into the koi pond of my old friend, to my wife's fright and my embarrassment (Sam was shaken up but quickly recovered.)

The previous weekend (April 30) I enjoyed catching up with my old college roommate GT and loyal Crablaw ally and friend Craig as we convened to support the citizens of Darfur amid international efforts to protect them from ethnic cleansing. GT has been very passionate about this issue. It was gratifying to see so many communities represented on stage and in the politically and religiously diverse crowd, with many synagogues, Jewish youth organizations and churches sending T-shirted delegations. While rallies do not solve crises, they make it easier to push the issue higher in the priorities of Congressmen now running for reelection. With Bush's approval rating approaching the Hindenbergian level of 31%, Republicans in Congress may be looking for more opportunties to avoid the Zeppelin falling on their heads. Hence the rally's location near the foot of the Capitol. Anyway, a perfect day to see old friends, enjoy good weather and do a very small good deed.

I am not conventionally religious, but I see many of the moral and practical questions raised by traditional religious thought as worthwhile questions. It seems to me that it is a given that man should do right: if "right" and "good" exist, then right and good are almost by definition what we - we who can choose right and wrong - should be doing. Conversely, if there is anything that we should be doing, the terms "right" and "good" are the proper terms to describe that. If our choice is meaningful, i.e. if it matters, then we must recognize that all our choices, good and bad, endure iin some way, are written as it were in a book, and we will be called to account for these meaningful choices. To say less is to deny that our choices have meaning, and that either good or evil exist. Whether moral meaning exists at all is a tougher question, as are the infinite confounding questions of what is wrong or right in a given situation. But if good and evil choices exist at all, they exist for us.

When we reach our end of days, and we contemplate the good and evil that we have done, we would hope to see more assets than liabilities on the books. Some people fear punishment for evil deeds. Others look with horror at the fact that they have created evil, inflicted suffering, smashed justice through cruelty or tricks, oppressed others through deeds great and small.

The traditional Jewish view is that we are answerable for our actions but the specifics are a bit more speculative. Christianity has torn itself apart over millennia over disputes over faith versus works, justification by faith, the doctrine of the elect and purgatory, all being an elaboration of the clear doctrinal differences between those of the letter of James (which one might call pro-Judaic in its emphasis on proper conduct) and the Pauline, Augustianian and later Lutheran emphasis on the primacy of faith in specific Christian doctrines. My own prejudice swings in favor of the Jewish view, i.e. deed over creed. We cannot "believe" our way out of moral responsibility; belief will not get our moral debts paid.

At the end of our lives, if we are fortunate and have emphasized doing right, doing justice, enjoying the decent things in live like friendship, love and the wholesome pleasures of life, we can rest knowing that we lived a life well. Our books will show an asset balance, and we may sleep the sleep of the just.

A Devastating Critique of "Conservatism" Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

Conservatism (and liberalism) must be defined by its actions, and its effects, not by the rhetoric with which adherents paint rosy and fanciful pictures of themselves. On the front of actual actions, Bush is, indeed, following the footsteps of Reagan and Bush before him. His advisors are, with microscopic exception, culled fully from the most conservative of conservative ranks, and the policies resulting from those advisors -- both foreign and domestic -- fully reflect modern conservative government ideals, as they themselves defined and espoused them. Period.

If the "results" are not considered "conservative", then that does not negate the conservatism of the inputs. It just demonstrates that "conservatism" is, like the Trotskyite movement so admired by some of its top strategic thinkers, an unmitigated failure in actual practice. It is unsustainable. It exists only as a periodic brake on ongoing social and economic liberal progress -- its only historic goal -- and when conservatism actually arises, transcendent -- as in Reaganism or Bushism -- it rapidly stalls into, well, what we're currently seeing.

Put simply, a car with all brakes and no transmission isn't going to go anywhere, at least not under its own power.

One of my consistent themes about conservatives and Bush has been that it will be conservatives who finally [metaphorically] stick the shiv into Bush's heart, as they will be the ones in the political wilderness after Bush is long back in Texas, clearing brush as the Retired Decider.

As you my (several!) readers may have noted some six months ago, I am not an orthodox libertarian and would fairly call myself a liberal in many ways. On economics I am a conservative in the sense of Eisenhower; Eisenhower sponsored the Interstate Highway System and it has been a rousing success. Hard-nosed defense conservatives supported the Internet as a military tool (government did invent it, although Gore did not) and now it is doing wonders for economic efficiency and information management. Call me an "infrastructure conservative" on economics - mostly free market but with government support for programs that support systemic economic efficiency, such as roads, rail transit and internet connection. On non-economic social issues I am pretty liberal and have been for a long time.

My reasons for leaving the orthodox libertarian fold were analogous to the reasons identified in this devastating critique of actual conservative governance. Basically, these "conservatives" have consistently "betrayed" conservatism so much that one must consider such betrayal to be not a defect but a design feature of "conservative governance." Put baldly, conservatives know better than to believe in conservatism or to attempt to put it into practice.

This essay from a leading diarist at Daily Kos does an amazing, eloquent job of identifying the conservative betrayal of "conservative". Veri highly recommended.

Commander in Chief: Not in P.G..... Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

Davis was in Washington to promote a new report on how G-rated movies perpetuate gender stereotypes. The media were more interested in talking about her show's depiction last week of Prince George's County as a crime-ridden hotbed of racial unrest.

The program portrayed the city of Hyattsville as so dangerous that federal marshals had to be sent in to keep order. It also alluded to the dining preferences of the residents of Prince George's, a majority black county, by showing a restaurant featuring sweet potato pie, pork chops and chitterlings. Maryland politicians were still fuming this week, even after Davis and ABC issued an apology. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski put out a statement Monday saying the apology was "not enough."

"You have done a great disservice to a vibrant, diverse community," Mikulski said. She suggested the show have President Allen visit NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center or Bowie State University.

Hilarious. A white actress comes to town to talk about stereotyping in G-movies after her character on the show she starts in stereotypes falsely the wealthiest, most educated and most success-driven majority black jurisdiction of any size on the planet. Yes, I know it's just a damn fictional TV show, but she is sure wound up about other stereotyping in creative media, isn't she? Unbelievable.

Hyattsville is not a center for mega-crime, rioting or chitlins. It is not the wealthiest part of PG, it does have some crime problems but the town has a small police force to augment the county cops. PG County does have a crime problem generally but it is significantly safer than Baltimore or DC (except for car theft, in part due to the prosperity of the community and the availability of popular cars for the stealing.) Hyattsville's mini-downtown could use a facelift but there are some businesses doing fairly well. It is not on the Metro line and the MARC train whizzes by without stopping; the nearest stop is in nearby semi-secluded Riverdale. The Metro does go to "West Hyattsville" but that is a misnomer and the station is not really convenient to much of anything. The town has a courthouse and deserves some rail connection. If the Purple Line gets built, it will probably miss Hyattsville altogether and hit three stops east-west on College Park to the north. But Hyattsville and PG as a whole are relatively prosperous by U.S. standards and far better off than similar communities in Baltimore City to the north.

The last riot in PG County did not happen in majority-black Hyattsville but in College Park after a men's basketball Finall Four victory, with mostly white college students involved in the mayhem. PG County is one of the few examples of a suburban county becoming wealthier AND majority black at the same time. It has one of the largest concentrations of black professionals in the country. One client of mine from Chicago told me of how he worked to enable his son to attend Howard University not just for the school itself (though that would be more than enough reason) but for the nearby access to the highly educated, prosperous middle class Black community in the neighboring suburbs. Attorney and Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele is fairly typical demographically of Prince George's County, though his political party definitely is not. If you visit Lake Arbor, Mitchellville, Bowie, Upper Marlboro, Largo, Fort Washington, what you will see is manicured lawns and well-maintained cars in front of a lot of gorgeous houses. Lot of 6 figure incomes there.

Race riot in Prince George's County? Only if the Greenbelt Starbucks runs out of cream, then it's multiethnic standard yuppie bloodbath.

As for chitlins, well, I guess the best analogy I can make at the moment is to myself. I am a German-American, not "proud" of it per se but very much aware that my ancestors were not Choctaw or Iroquois but German (and other European ethnicities.) Germans eat some "German soul food" that I find nasty. Can I find stinky old sour beef and blood pudding? Yes. Will I eat that shit? Not on your life. Do I know any German-Americans who enjoy that mess? Damn few, essentially zero. What's the odds of me - a German American - eating that stuff on a Friday night? Zero. I will eat sauerkraut without pork and German bread, though, both of which gross out my wife (go figure.)

My general impression is that most Black Americans do not particularly enjoy much of the more exotic soul food recipes any more than I like blood pudding, but they may or may not go for less soul food, in a similar way that their Southern white neighbors might enjoy identical or similar dishes. Yes, some folks will sometimes enjoy fried intestines, both in Alabama and in Germany and perhaps occasionally in Prince George's County, I guess, but it's a joke with a tired punch line, not dining economics in PG County in any measurable way. Black Americans have been quite decent to me not making jokes about me and lederhosen, stupid-ass green hats, blood pudding, tripe, sour beef, hogshead cheese, etc. I will return the favor. But certainly someone who is making a tour about gender stereotyping ought to broaden her "professional white women" horizons and actually follow Senator Mikulski's advice, get her producers and directors to show this amazing community some respect, before she goes on the "PC-er than thou World Tour."

She is GEENA DAVIS, for heaven's sake. When G-d Almighty gets portrayed as a female in some future movie, Davis may get the role. She is not some no-clout 24 year-old throwaway bimbette. This county has almost a million people including a lot of her fans. If she won't do something about this, she should drop her self-appointed crusade against G-movie character casting.

(damn, no sauerkraut in the house...)

Make Me Wanna Holler Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

Via Atrios. This is a map of the streecar system of metropolitan Los Angeles owned and run by the Pacific Electric Railway, the supposedly anti-transit, car-dominated city, before the system was ripped to shreds and replaced with freeways.

Now we are "addicted to foreign oil," to quote President Bush, a former crack oil pusher himself. We are infamously car dependent for daily transit, with an underinvestment in the sorts of transit infrastructure that most industrialized countries - even spread-out countries like Australia - maintain for the benefit of their citizens and visitors. Baltimore's network was equally impressive. Other nations have maintained more of such networks, improving the quality of lives of millions of their respective citizens while promoting the economic vitality of urban cores. Other countries have Geneva and Paris with amazing local rail networks below or above ground, we have LA and Detroit, very large cities in which you either have a car for local transit or pretty much forget it (although LA, unlike Detroit, is improving in this respect.)

To quote Martin Gaye, make me wanna holler.

Dude, Where's Our Bus? Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

Check out this story from my fellow 1991 Princeton alum Josh Marshall, discussing the Shirlington Limousine Company, implicated in reports of a congressional bribery and prostitution scandal. More for the prurient fun and Schadenfreude than the substance, but read on....

According to an October 3rd, 2002 article in the Washington Post, the Bowie State Bulldogs were unfortunate enough to have their team buses provided by Shirlington. And for their trouble, while the team was eating dinner in Atlanta on a trip to play Morehouse, the team's buses were repossessed by ABC Financial Services as they sat in the parking lot.

As the Post put it, ABC called Bowie State Coach Henry Frazier III "on his cell phone while the team was eating to tell him the buses had been repossessed. Frazier said he thought it was a crank call, possibly by one of his players. But, when everyone went outside, the buses were nowhere to be found."

...

So let's put this all together. Shirlington limo's owner Chris Baker has a long criminal record. He's tight with Cunningham briber Brent Wilkes and reportedly provided the transportation services for the parties Wilkes used to sauce up members of Congress and various intel folks as well as get them set up with hookers. Only, aside from squiring Duke Cunningham around with his daily prostitutes, Shirlington seemed like a really screwed up company. They're getting their buses repossessed, their DOT authority to take people across state lines yanked, and pretty much sued right and left. If Shirlington had taxis and you flagged one down to drive you a few blocks, you might tell them you weren't willing to take the risk. But the Department of Homeland Security, which has various law enforcement and intelligence responsibilities (and if you remember some general thing with protecting the homeland) decides Shirlington is the company it wants providing transportation for its senior-most appointees, the folks who run the place.

To paraphrase Marshall, a heckuva job for a heckuva company. Certainly makes you feel secure about the Homeland, eh?

Personal Update on the Crab Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

I have enjoyed immensely the progress that the site's layout has made, not because it is stupendous but because I am a total amateur at this. Sort of like when you hear a dog speaking poorly, you admire the fact that the dog is speaking at all. Paint Shop Pro has been most helpful in this regard; some of the intuitive Microsoft menu functions are different with PSP and my lack of familiarity with that difference was a hindrance to me for a while.

There is a proverb, may you go from strength to strength. In a similar vein, I have gone from strong opportunity to strong opportunity. My prior project ended extremely successfully and I am pleased to be working on another document review project now. I am working with Hudson Legal on this project and am pleased with what I have seen of their professionalism under stress, including a short building fire on the first day of training. I cannot identify anything about my placement under my confidentiality agreement except that it is near Metro Center and will involve a lot of hours. Accordingly, if I am a bit slow to return phone calls or emails for the next 60 days, please don't take offense.

While I had an interest in working for congressional candidate Joe Sestak in SE Pennsylvania this month, this new project will make taking a full day off difficult in the face of family responsibilities and a busy schedule catching up with friends new and old over the next 2 months. Accordingly, I will make my trek to Philly later in the year.

KOSMOS: You Are Here - Science Essays Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

The Yearly Kos Convention has created a unique fundraising item: a book of essays about science, replete with gorgeous illustrations and penetrating analysis of scientific issues by Steven Darksyde and Mark Summer. I cannot wait to buy my own copy.

(Vanity disclosure: I am credited it in as legal counsel to the project.)

Even if you don't like liberal politics per se, if you respect science you will like this book. Check it out.

Technical Update Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

I am unable to update this site fully, due to technical issues with Blogger at the moment.  Please note now or in the near future, however, a number of new icons above and to the upper right.

No Lights - Dazzling Click HERE to Bring Up Full Post

Check out No Lights, whose author Tim Wenclawiak is in the business of high-end computer graphic arts and graciously extended us permission to use a cropped snowflake image from one of his works. Many thanks, No Lights!