Monday, January 28, 2008

Berkely to treat Military recruitment stations like Porn establishments

Apparently with no other pressing concerns one of the initiatives that will be on the ballot this fall in Berkeley is requiring public hearings and special licenses in order for recruitment stations to be set up, and certain criteria(distance to public places, schools, churches) must be met.

One of the city council members commented that she would support action to remove the existing recruitment station in Berkeley.

No word yet as to what the Status of the National Guard would be in the event of a massive Earthquake.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

More Metro rants

As someone who takes the entirety of the Orange line (from the Vienna stop to the New Carrolton stop) to work each day, I have a love-hate relationship with the DC Metro Rail. Love because it's better than traffic, and cheaper when gas is factored in(I'd rather put a bullet in my head then try to drive to work in Maryland everyday).

Hate because, well, the people.

90% of the folks on the train are well behaved and courteous, it's the 10% that are problematic. The 10% that stop and stand still on the left side of escalators despite that everyone else before her(and it seems to always be a her, or an old man) were using the left hand lane as the PASSING lane.

The 10% that are from some craptastic town in PG County, are 12 years old, and seem to think that the appropriate behavior is to screen and yell like retards. Fortunately, they don't stay on long in the afternoon.

And finally, the assholes who decide to YELL INTO THEIR FUCKING PHONES while on the train. Maybe Verizon shouldn't have installed those repeaters.

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Having said all that, Metro is great, which is why I looked forward to the proposed expansion all the way past Reston to the Dulles airport. Frankly, we need more rail in this area, not less. And then the FTA went and threw a wrench in it. Hopefully the FTA gets off their ass and helps provides the funds, becuade if they think only Virginians are going to be using the expansion, they are smoking some serious crack.