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An online journal is an opportunity to see what someone is thinking about at a given point in time. As such, welcome to my mind. This is my life - the world as seen through my eyes, and interpreted with my mind. There's always something going on in my life. It doesn't matter where I am - at home, in Washington DC, otherwise out and about, or at work. Something's happening. And I can share my thoughts and feelings about it with you. After all, what's the point of life if you can't share it with someone?
So what's the story here?
Looks like there's more than just Breda 3290 and 3291 as a mismatched set in Metro's 3000 series of rail cars. Look at this:
This is Breda 3193 paired with Breda 3218, which I rode from Metro Center to Glenmont this evening. I had previously spotted this odd pair of rehabs last week in Brentwood Yard while on my way to work, but kind of half-dismissed it, thinking that it wasn't a mismatched pair, since I had to have been looking at two cab ends next to each other, but this photo proves my suspicions. 3193 and 3218 are a pair, as these are the blind ends pictured here.
Normally, you see, Metro car married pairs are numbered sequentially, with the even number as the lower of the pair. Thus if I'm on Breda 2008, for instance, I know that Breda 2009 is permanently attached to it on the non-cab end. Anything else would be non-standard.
And the reason this is so puzzling is because all the equipment that is supposed to be mismatched is accounted for. The NTSB report on the 2004 Woodley Park-Zoo accident accounts for every rail car up to that time that is no longer in revenue service:
Source: NTSB
This accounts for the 1982 Federal Triangle derailment, which took 1028-1029 out of revenue service. 1028 later became the feeler car, which is currently sitting at Brentwood. This accounts for the 1996 Shady Grove collision, which took 3190-3191 and 3252-3253 out of revenue service. 3191 and 3252 actually collided with each other and were retired, while 3190 and 3253 became 3290-3291 and returned to revenue service. Then 1076-1077 was pulled from revenue service following 1077's destruction at Woodley Park-Zoo in 2004. 4018-4019, the pair that was hit, was quickly repaired and returned to revenue service. I had 4019 this past May 6, in fact, on the way home from work. Then the 2007 Mt. Vernon Square derailment, not listed on this chart, involved CAF cars, specifically 5152-5153.
So that's what we definitely know regarding out-of-service cars and cars without mates. One of the numbers comes close, but not quite, as 3193 is the odd-numbered car in the set. 3191 was one of the accident cars in 1996 - not 3193. So we can toss out the idea of repairing ten-year-old accident damage during rehab. Likewise I can toss out the theory that 3290-3291 went to rehab and came back with their original numbers. Then 3218 doesn't even come close to coinciding with anything I've got.
Then my transit log shows that since I started logging in August 2005, I rode 3193 on August 31 and November 16, 2005 in its original configuration. I have no records at all of riding 3192. Then my records show that I rode 3218 on April 8 and October 23, 2006 in original configuration, and on June 26, 2007 post-rehab. And I have no records of having ridden 3219.
So with all the information I have in my collection of train-geek type documentation on my computer, I've got nothing. So the question consists of multiple parts. First of all, why are Bredas 3193 and 3218 paired together? When did this unusual pairing happen? And lastly, what happened to Bredas 3192 and 3218, and when? That's really strange, and I don't have an answer. And I want one, too...
Web site: Photo of a WMATA Rohr train from the 70's. Note the interior roll signs.
Song: Lurleen Lumpkin's "Bagged Me a Homer" song from The Simpsons.
Quote: Yeah, if you know why this pair is so brazenly mismatched, let me know. That's just odd...
Posted: 2008-07-02 23:45:56
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"What do you know that I don't?"
Well, the Sable's in the shop at Lindsay Ford in Wheaton, after I had it towed there late last night. That was not a fun experience last night, but the tow guy was really helpful, meeting me at Glenmont, among other things, making it far easier.
So first thing in the morning, as I'm tying my shoes to go out, I got a call from the folks at Lindsay. They want to know what to do with the remote. I said I just need to get it programmed again, since it quit working when I had the battery replaced back in December. Okay. Pretty straightforward.
Then at around a quarter to two, I got a call from Lindsay's sales department, as a gentleman was looking to see if I was interested in something a little newer. My exact response: "What do you know that I don't?" Once I watched him start doing some major back-pedaling, I realized what he was up to, as service just casually gave my name to sales to try to drum up some new-car business. I nicely told him off, and that unless there's something he knows about my car that I don't, I'm keeping the one I got, thank you very much. And more back-pedaling, and he made sure to give his name again before he said goodbye.
The nerve of these people. I was honestly offended that the sales department called me like that. Maybe if the car was a complete basket case and repairs would cost more than the car was worth, that's another story. Then I would expect the call to come from the service department, and get an offer to transfer me to sales. But that was not the case, and sales was digging for leads. And as it turned out, the service department had not even completely looked at the blasted thing when Mr. Plaid Pants decided to call me. Since about 15 minutes after sales called me, service called to tell me that they looked at the air conditioner, and it would require a complete replacement and a flushing and all this other stuff, and they could do it for a mere $1,900. And they hadn't even looked at all the other things on my list of grievances yet. That's all they've told me so far.
Needless to say, I told them no on the air conditioning, since I wanted to see how it all came together before I decide on any repairs. I want the whole picture, thank you very much. And of course, I told the salesman to go "F" off, in a polite and professional way, i.e. not in such a coarse way. After all, I got this call at work.
I told my father about the $1,900 in repairs that they wanted to do to my air-conditioning alone, and he wasted no time in saying, "No way," and that there was no way it should cost that much. Needless to say, I can't wait to see what else these people are going to try and milk out of all of this. Should be amusing, since I'm getting the feeling that they're out to screw me. I can't wait to see a detailed, itemized estimate of exactly what they want to do and for how much. Like I said, should be amusing...
Web site: Totally unrelated, but this is an article from The Huffington Post about Will Smith starting up a private school based on instructional methods called "Study Technology" by L. Ron Hubbard. HMMM. I WONDER WHY THAT NAME SOUNDS FAMILIAR. Next thing you know, the people at this school will be handing out copies of Dianetics to all these kids, and creating little junior Scilons. Trying to indoctrinate them into the cult early, eh?
Song: ...nothing...
Quote: So follow me in this wild ride with the Schumin vs. the sleazy car guys. Let's see what happens next...
Posted: 2008-07-01 14:22:21
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Ford: "Fix Or Repair Daily"? "Found On Road Dead"?
The Sable's not feeling well right now.
The little check engine light came on when I took it out on Tuesday, and now today, I had such a time trying to get it going today that I determined that if I ended up taking it out, I couldn't guarantee that the car would be able to make it back under its own power. So that scraps my weekend plans. I had to run a bunch of errands, and they're not getting done now. I was also going to go to a coworker's housewarming party in Shaw today, and sadly, that's not happening now, either.
So here's what happened. I went down to fire up the car to go out, and it started up. I put it in reverse. I move a few inches, and the car stalls. Start up again. Reverse. A few inches, and dead. I eventually did manage to start the car and get it moving, so I ran it once around the parking lot to test. As soon as I got to the exit of my complex, which is up a slight incline, the car died again. I had to wave someone around me there, since the Sable was "Found On Road Dead". Well, almost on the road. So I managed to get it back into a parking space, and raised the hood to take a look. Here's what I saw:
What is this red junk all over my battery? That's just disturbing looking. So I called Dad, since he's quite the car guy, and really knows his stuff. I also sent him that photo via Email, since that's the only obvious thing I noticed that was wrong. We went through so much - looked at this and that and the other, discussed the extent of the red stuff (only on the battery and nowhere else), and so on and so forth.
On the first call, Dad suggested I clean up the red stuff on the top of the battery, start the car, and let it sit for ten minutes, but be there to monitor it and see if more red stuff showed up. So I went in, cleaned everything up, opened up all the windows and the driver's side door, sat down in there, and fired it up. The car ran fine until I turned the steering wheel slightly. And then it stalled. Greeeeeeat. Started it up again, and finished out the ten minutes. No red stuff. Good, I guess?
So I got back on the phone with Dad. He guided me through a few belts, and a few different fluid reservoirs and dipsticks. Everything looked okay. Dad said that it looked like I would need to take the car in for repairs. Lovely. And since it was the engine light, and since I don't have any mechanic that I trust (the Firestone guys were kind of incompetent on the fog lights during the inspection), we both determined that it would probably be best to take it to a Ford dealership to get it fixed.
Now on taking it to Ford, there are pluses and minuses to these things. On one hand, they can almost definitely fix it, since a Mercury Sable is of course a Ford product. Plus while it's in, I can get them to reprogram my remote and fix that little hinge problem. On the downside, while they will use genuine Ford parts to fix it, I will have to pay genuine Ford money to get that. That's money that the "cheap bastard" in me doesn't want to have to spend, but I still need a car out here, since the Y is not reliable enough to totally depend on, and the 51 only runs during weekday rush periods.
So now I have to find a Ford dealer and take the car there.
Web site: Q&A on other people's Sable problems
Song: Theme to The Randi Rhodes Show, which I'm listening to right now.
Quote: Lovely... I didn't want to have to pay for all this.
Posted: 2008-06-28 19:24:05
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Does anyone know a good ophthalmologist in the DC area?
Does anyone know a good ophthalmologist in the DC area? It's that time again, as it's been three years since the last time my glasses were updated. And I'm not about to go to Augusta Eye Associates again, for reasons of distance. However, if you are in the Staunton/Waynesboro/Augusta County area, I highly recommend these folks. I would always see Dr. Patel.
So now I'm wondering what people think. I live in the Silver Spring/Wheaton area in Maryland, and I work in Dupont Circle. And I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations. I've found a few names while doing some research, and I'm wondering if any of the names you all hopefully will give me match what I found and turn up good recommendations, or absolutely-positively-hell-no recommendations. And no, I'm not giving out my list in order to not box myself in, in case I missed anyone.
And lastly, I am only referring to ophthalmologists - doctors with MD's. I am not looking to go to an optometrist (doctors with OD's). So what do people think? Let me know...
Web site: The last time I got new glasses...
Song: I think the song from Today's Special would be appropriate: "My glasses make me feel so fine, feel so fine, 'cause they are mine! My glasses make me feel so fine, I really like my glasses!"
Quote: So send me your doctors!
Posted: 2008-06-28 10:52:18
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Let's all say, "Go, team, go!"
I think that would be appropriate. Food & Water Watch, where I work, has a team for a summer volleyball tournament on the Mall. And on my way home, I ran into them on the Metro heading towards their first game. So here's everyone on Breda 4058 this evening...
In that last picture, everyone else wanted to make sure I was in there, too, so there I am, even though I'm not on the volleyball team. Doesn't everyone look great in their volleyball team t-shirts? I don't know how they did yet, but we'll find out tomorrow.
Meanwhile, look for a game or two on Schumin Web before it's all said and done...
Web site: By the way, Breda 4058, where we had this impromptu rush-hour photo session, is also where, back in 2005, I was offloaded for mechanical problems. Memories, memories, memories...
Song: Still listening to Deep Breakfast - now we're down to "Pastorale" on the album.
Quote: Pretty cool, no?
Posted: 2008-06-25 21:27:44
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If the name of the development consists of the name of the station that the development is next to, and then they show a photo of the wrong station in their advertisement, what does that say about them?
Anyone who's been through Fort Totten station on Metro's Red Line has probably seen Fort Totten Station, the development of cheaply-built (they're built of wood, not concrete) alleged luxury apartments contributing to the gentrification of DC. I go by them twice a day every day on my way to and from the office.
And the company that operates the development also runs advertisements in the Express. And they made a big boo-boo in their ad here. Let me show you what I'm talking about from today's Express:
Photo: June 25, 2008 edition of Express, page 8
Is this Fort Totten station? No. Is this station on a line that goes to Fort Totten? No. Is this station of the same basic style so we can at least just pretend it's Fort Totten? No. This is Clarendon, boys and girls. And Clarendon is on the Orange Line. You probably can't read it in this photo, but "Clarendon" is easily read on a wall plaque on the Vienna side in the back of the shot. And the train has "ORANGE" in the door sign. They say, "Living thisclose to three Metro lines," in their ad, and they didn't even pick one of the three (out of five total) that goes there.
See, Fort Totten station looks like this:
 
Fort Totten is an above-ground transfer station, as you can see.
And additionally, the photo in the ad isn't even a recent photo. Based on the items in the photo, it looks like it was taken in 2001 or earlier. The reason you can tell is not due to the presence or non-presence of PIDS screens, or even the train. Yes, that is a Breda 2000-series or 3000-series train prior to rehab, but some 3000's lasted into this year before going in for rehab. Then as for PIDS, it appears that the photo was shot either at or in front of the location of the PIDS screens, so they would be either behind the camera entirely, or out of frame. The kicker is the waste receptacles on the platform (look along the walls). Metro removed all of their existing trash cans and newspaper bins from within fare control in the period immediately following 9/11. New bomb-containment trash cans didn't start appearing within fare control until 2005, and they are (A) large, (B) freestanding, and (C) have a lid.
This whole thing reminds me of another glaring mistake in an advertisement in Express from back in 2005. This one was again for housing, this time around Wheaton station, likely The Glen, managed by Bozzuto. What is wrong with this picture?
Photo: April 27, 2005 issue of Express (my photo of the ad in question)
First of all, that's an awful photoshop job on the pylon. Even Metro, which couldn't stick to a bus schedule if its life depended on it, can get the writing to look the same on the different sides of the pylon. Here, "Wheaton" is far bigger and longer on the right side than on the left. And the real pylons say "Station" on them as well. But notice the rings around the neck of that pylon? Do they look blue and orange to you? Wheaton is about as Red Line as you can get. Any redder and you'd be at Glenmont. Blue and Orange don't go anywhere near Wheaton.
I guess the moral of this story is, if you're going to lie in the first place, and try to pass off one station as another, please at least try to make it look like the station you want us to think we're looking at. It says a lot about a company that doesn't pay attention to details when trying to pitch itself to potential customers...
Web site: Fort Totten Station, whose advertisers can't even pick a decent stand-in for the real Fort Totten station.
Song: "Celestial Soda Pop" by Ray Lynch
Quote: You know, this whole attention-to-detail thing isn't just for advertising products or services. You've heard the old saying that employers throw your resume away if they see a spelling error or typo? It cuts both ways there. When I was looking at job advertisements, I wouldn't give so much as the time of day for an organization where the advertisements had typos or spelling errors. After all, do you really want to work for an organization that won't even bother to check its copy before it sends it out? I'd be pulling the rest of my hair out, I'd say.
Posted: 2008-06-25 19:36:26
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So this will be an interesting summer, I'd say...
I'm looking at what's coming down the pike for this summer, and I can tell right now that this is going to be a great summer. First of all, look at Schumin Web! It's all refreshed for the summer as we've gone "square" with this new background. No more fades here as it's been for nearly four years. The color gradient is gone, and we've moved on to a pattern. Hopefully this will make things look a little more festive.
And then I'm going to be busy in July, with two Anon events - July 12 and July 19. By then I ought to have something really cool figured out for a costume, since here's the thing - the "black bloc" look doesn't seem to work at Anonymous events. When I hang out with the anarchists, yes - black bloc is the style. For Anonymous, it's more like a masquerade ball, since many people really get into the dress of the event, and dress in wild outfits while including the all important mask (don't want to get fair gamed, after all - or R2-45'd for that matter). And as I learned on June 14, the Guy Fawkes mask is too warm for the summer. However, we must admit - I had fun at Operation Sea Arrrgh with my Guy Fawkes mask and all:
Photo: Tenshirisu on Flickr
As you can tell, I was having fun, dancing to the Numa Numa song in this photo. But yeah, a plastic mask is too warm for the summer.
Then after all the Anon stuff, Katie's coming! She arrives on the Amtrak Cardinal on Tuesday the 22nd, and will be around until Friday the 25th. We're going to have so much fun, just like we always do, spending a day in DC, and a day outside DC. And I still need to figure out what the outside-DC day will be like. And then on Friday, we're taking the Sable back down, and then I get to see my parents in Stuarts Draft, because it's about time I came to see them on their turf.
And then in August? VACATION! I'm going to Virginia Beach the last week of August, and I'm excited. It's been three years since the last time I really took a get-out-of-town vacation, and so I'd say I'm due for one. 2006's "vacation" involved two DC trips but not much else, and 2007 didn't have a formal vacation at all, what with the move to DC and everything. And this time around, I have all sorts of fancy new camera equipment. I have the Kodak which takes exposures twice as long as Big Mavica could - good for sunrises - and then I have the waterproof "Duckie" camera, where who knows - I might even be able to take some shots in the water this time. This will be so fun...
Web site: The East Coast Price is Right - turns out that Mom was looking at this today. I see that now, and I think, look at that hair.
Song: Träumerei
Quote: So this is going to be a fun summer! I'm looking forward to it.
Posted: 2008-06-24 22:48:32
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Did you ever think that milk would one day be cheaper than gasoline?
Did you ever think that milk would one day be cheaper than gasoline? Take a look...
Milk is $4.09 per gallon at the CVS store in Aspen Hill. I can get it in the upper 3's at Shoppers. That just blows my mind, as the various gas stations along Georgia Avenue are either meeting or beating that price. Then if you go into Washington DC, they're beating it - soundly.
We really need to make some serious progress on sustainable alternative fuels - and soon.
Web site: CBS news story: "Milk Now Rivals Gas Price Per Gallon"
Song: Risk Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" song, as I found a video of a college basketball game being Rickrolled. And it's also a jab at Scientology, as the mascot's holding up a sign for Xenu.net...
Quote: Meanwhile, a quick shameless plug: Take a look at Year 2007, the newest addition to Life and Times!
Posted: 2008-06-22 00:38:55
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Mom, Sis, and I had a great time...
I always enjoy when my sister comes back from Chicago. This time, she took a week and went to Stuarts Draft. However, as my own schedule precluded going down to Stuarts Draft, which meant that we didn't get to have a the-four-of-us kind of moment this time around, I still did get to see her. Mom and Sis spent Thursday and Friday in DC with me, so the fun was still had.
First off, Mom and Sis met me Thursday afternoon at the office. Mom knows where my office building is, and so after stashing the car at Wheaton Plaza, she and Sis rode on down to Dupont Circle and met up with me in my office.
Getting back to Wheaton, they got to see how much I had done my restaurant homework for them. See, Mom was displeased in her earlier visits about how little I knew about the restaurant scene where I lived. I could tell you everything about places in Pentagon City and Dupont Circle, but nothing right in the immediate area where I actually live. After all, if I'm going to eat near where I live, I'll just save the money and nuke something at home. But I found a restaurant for us to go to, and in Wheaton, no less. It's called Umbertos, and it's a family-owned restaurant located in this cluster of hispanic-run businesses in between Georgia Avenue and the Wheaton Plaza shopping mall. If you're ever in Wheaton, I highly recommend it.
Then Friday, we headed to Georgetown. Yes, that Georgetown. So after an unexpected shopping trip at the JCPenney in Wheaton Plaza (Mom and Sis seem to be unable to turn down a sale on clothes), we took Metro down to Rosslyn, and then from there, walked over the Key Bridge to Georgetown. Sis's big thing in Georgetown was seeing the Exorcist steps. And here they are:
I also took a look at the gas prices at the Exxon station next door:
That's really gotta hurt right there, at $4.18 per gallon. At this rate, we'll see five bucks a gallon before the end of the summer. Here's hoping that the oil bubble bursts soon...
Otherwise, though, we had a wonderful time in Georgetown, and I don't think either one of them was prepared for exactly how long Georgetown is. After all, you enter Georgetown via the Key Bridge at roughly 35th Street, Georgetown lasts until 29th Street, and it's still another six blocks to Foggy Bottom-GWU station, at 23rd Street.
Meanwhile, remember that sunburn I got last Sunday? While Mom and Sis were around, it started to ooze. Lovely. Just what I needed. Mom was curious, looked, and told me that yes, it was starting to ooze from both shoulder blades. According to Mom, who's seen worse sunburns on me, I got a second-degree burn in a couple of spots. But we both agreed, the oozing is a good thing. It means that things are really starting to heal, and in fact, the burn has been a lot better since the oozing started (and finished, too, by the way). But with the oozing going on, and all the stuff from that getting on the back of my shirt, I had to change shirts before going to dinner.
Then we worked dinner as something to do on their way out. We parked my car at Wheaton Plaza, then we all rode down to Metro 29 in Arlington. I first went there with Jeff and Isis, and now I got to take the family. We met up with Sis's friend Anne from Virginia Tech (thus we had two people with the same name - Ann and Anne), and we enjoyed ourselves. As with Umberto's in Wheaton, if you're ever in Arlington, I highly recommend Metro 29.
Then after dinner, Mom and Sis dropped me off at West Falls Church station, where I took Metro back to Wheaton and then drove the rest of the way home, and then Mom and Sis went back to Stuarts Draft.
So all in all, we had fun. It's too bad Sis couldn't stay longer, but I know how schedules work sometimes.
Web site: About the Exorcist Steps in Georgetown...
Song: We're no strangers to love/You know the rules and so do I/A full commitment's what I'm thinking of/You wouldn't get this from any other guy/I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling/Gotta make you understand...
Quote: Speaking of stuff, the building in Rosslyn that's being demolished next to Rosslyn Center appears to be down to the curtain wall and the frame. I expect it will disappear soon...
Posted: 2008-06-15 22:24:54
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When trains derail...
Hopefully, the events that transpired on Metro today are not an indicator as to what there is in store for this summer. Especially since I ride the Red Line, which seems to have more than its fair share of delays sometimes. But this time, the accident was on the Orange Line. So all of us on the Red Line can feel smug for a brief moment because it happened on someone else's line for a change.
What happened was that a Vienna-bound Orange Line train derailed about 1,000 feet outside Court House station. Because of where the interlockings are located, this screwed up Orange Line service from Clarendon to Foggy Bottom-GWU, since trains had to be single-tracked around the incident. Blue Line service was mostly unaffected, because the derailment occurred on the K Route, which is an Orange-only route from Vienna to Rosslyn. I say "mostly" because some of the single-tracking spilled over onto the C Route, which runs from Metro Center to Huntington via Arlington Cemetery, which Blue Line trains use.
Thankfully, no one was injured in the derailment. As my father once said, there's nothing money can't fix. All they did was bash up some hardware. I was surprised to find out that the train was a 2000-series car - a Breda rehab - rather than what I would have expected, which was a CAF. CAF cars have a plethora of problems, and have been involved in multiple yard derailments, as well as being involved in the Mt. Vernon Square derailment last year. But no, it was a rehab. Go figure. No word on what the car number was, but Metro says that the consist was #905, and it was the third car of six.
What amuses me, however, is the fact that The Washington Post refers to the car involved this way: "The 2000 series car is one of the older model rail cars." That's only half true anymore. Yes, the car body dates from 1982, when Metro received its first order of Bredas. However, the 2000's went to Hornell, New York for rehabilitation in 2003-2004, and came back all shiny and new. They completely restructured the car body, put new systems in, and replaced the interior. So the cars are mostly newer than the CAF cars due to the rehab, which entered service in 2001-2004.
So I'll be interested to see what they figure out about the cause. There's no interlocking there, so we can rule out a switch problem, so we'll have to see. When it comes to Metro, as with many other things in life, the simplest explanation is usually the right one. I'll also be interested to find out the identity of the accident car. I hope it's not 2008, which I had my photo taken on twice - once prior to rehab, and once after.
Web site: "Orange Line Train Derails in Va., Creating Delays" from The Washington Post
Song: I'm listening to Randi Rhodes right now, since I didn't get to on the way home from work, owing to the fact that I inadventently left my iPod at the office. Oops.
Quote: Two Metro press releases for you: First, Orange Line Train Derails with Passengers on Board, and second, Orange Line trains single-tracking into Tuesday, 30-minute delays expected.
Posted: 2008-06-09 22:11:08
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I am soooooooooo sunburned.
I went to Splashdown Waterpark on Sunday to beat the heat. And at that I was successful. I spent five hours in their Lazy River, and I didn't give a moment's thought to how hot of a day it was. I'd guess I put a lot of miles on one of their inner tubes, and had a great time doing absoluely nothing but lounging around in the water. But oh, let me tell you... I am so sunburned.
Of course, it's not like I didn't put sunscreen on. I did. But I think it was part a poor initial application of the sunscreen, plus the fact that I didn't reapply at all over the course of the day. The reason I believe I put the sunscreen on poorly is because it was such a hot day. I drove down to Manassas with the A/C on, but then once I got out in the heat, I started sweating. And that made the sunscreen quite difficult to apply. Then of course, I knew I would get a sunburn on part of my back - there was a section that I couldn't reach, and so I figured that would get burned, and took that into account.
But I didn't expect what I got - burned on my face, both arms all the way up, my entire back, my shoulders, and part of my legs. There's also a line on my arm where I had the keys to the rental locker. And I got the classic swimsuit tan - burned except for the area that the suit was covering. I knew I should have thought better about wearing that thong (kidding!). But seriously, I am burned. And it hurts like hell. I need to go get some Solarcaine and some aloe and go to town on it.
Was the sunburn worth it? It might hurt a bit, but you know, I had a great time, so, yeah, it was worth it. At least it's not like the burn I got on my head when we protested the Nazis. That time, I got cooked so well that it was oozing something. Nothing's oozing this time. But the burned area is a lot bigger. But it was still worthwhile. Ah, yeah.
Hopefully it will be mostly better by Thursday, because that's the day my mother and sister show up. My sister is back from Chicago for a week, and we're going to have a great Thursday and Friday in DC. And I'm being a wonderful host, agreeing to suffer through being dragged through all these little designer clothing boutiques, because that's what she wants to do. I much prefer going through Georgetown with a rowdy black bloc, but for my sister, we'll shop. I'll find the chair in these stores where the men sit looking miserable and park myself there. Seriously, in Chicago at the Talbots store on the Magnificent Mile, there was a cluster of chairs in the corner where all the men were sitting, and all of them looked absolutely miserable. Poor men.
Web site: Unrelated, but just a really cool video from 2004. They're imploding Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.
Song: "Minnie the Moocher" as sung by Cab Calloway
Quote: "Don't touch me!" - me to a coworker about touching my burned shoulder.
Posted: 2008-06-09 15:06:53
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"You are one cheap bastard."
Yes, I will quote Zach, one of my coworkers at Food & Water Watch, when he said to me, "You are one cheap bastard." I'll take it as a compliment, since frugality is important when one is single and living on one's own. I say it's being frugal, but Zach, both parents, Sis, and a host of others, would be more inclined to quote the Car Talk guys and say, "Oh, you mean your cheapskatism?" This was after I explained how I'm loath to run the air conditioning unless I absolutely HAVE TO (like today, where it got up to 100 degrees).
Otherwise, though, Friday was fun. After work, a bunch of us went down to the Sala Thai restaurant just west of Dupont Circle for dinner in order to celebrate with Meg, one of our coworkers who recently took a position with Greenpeace. I had this wonderful vegetarian dish that had eggplant and mushroom in it among other vegetables in a spicy sauce, with rice on the side. Really tasty. Very hot, too. And we had such a wonderful time.
I have to say - I love my FWW coworkers. I could never go out socially with Wal-Mart people in a group like that.
And then after dinner, we headed into the land of Metro, and Marianne got a photo of everyone on the train:
So here we are on Breda 4065. Left to right, you have Meg, Lisa, me, Sascha, and Christina. We're a fun bunch. And then photo #2...
Here, this is Meg's cousin, and Meg. Fun bunch. We'll miss Meg terribly, but I'm sure she's going to do wonderful things for Greenpeace.
And yes, I am still "one cheap bastard", which is definitely a good thing with gas having risen over the $4.00 mark and not showing any signs of giving up...
Web site: Unrelated but funny: A commercial for "Rooooohrrrr Energy Drink". A friend of mine is in this, as the guy who's been awake for 47 days.
Song: "*dingding* Doors opening! Step back to allow customers to exit. When boarding, please move to the center from the car." One of my coworkers was amazed about how well I could imitate that door voice.
Quote: And by the way, I'm all settled back in on my computer again, having given it a bit of an overhaul. Now that I wiped the factory configuration out, it runs SO much better...
Posted: 2008-06-07 15:16:28
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What are you talking about? Coffee's supposed to taste like sludge!
It's funny... at work, the coffee drinkers have for the most part gone into two camps. There are the ones who would happily make it so strong that the spoon stands up, and those who like weak coffee.
I'm part of the "sludge" crowd. There is a dedicated group of us who gets to the Bunn-O-Matic in the morning and make strong coffee. Some people describe it as being like castor oil. I prefer the term "sludge", myself. And if anyone asks why I like the coffee like sludge, I just smile. And not just a regular smile, either. It's that kind of smile that's so much so that it works muscles all down your neck and on your chest. The I've-had-too-much-caffeine smile. I love it.
Of course, I always cut myself off at noon. No more coffee past noon, which paves the way for a nap on Metro some evenings. Yesterday after work, I really must have been pooped - I fell asleep before Brookland-CUA, and next thing I knew, it was Glenmont. Usually, if I fall asleep on Metro, I briefly wake up around Fort Totten or Takoma, and then also around Forest Glen or Wheaton. Usually if it's Wheaton, I end up staying awake to Glenmont, because I don't see any point of nodding off again, being so close.
Meanwhile, after work today, I took a quick detour to the Founding Church of Scientology. Turns out that Anonymous was having a "flash raid" outside of there, and so I swung by. Being something I only found out about on my lunch hour today, I was unprepared. I would have at least brought a bandanna, after all. But when I got there, there were about four people, and they all knew me. Two were wearing V for Vendetta masks, one in sunglasses, and another had no mask at all like me. But we had a good time. We demonstrated against Scientology (even if I could only stay for fifteen minutes), and I got to tell them about my pirate costume for the upcoming Scientology protest called "Operation Fleet Week", and also the serious costume I'm working on for Anonymous, in order to truly move beyond a modified version of black bloc for Anonymous demos. Erin from work will never recognize me in this. I can almost guarantee it.
I really should keep a Guy Fawkes mask in my office at work, considering Scientology's so close to my office building. Plus, since Scientology owns the Embassy Building on the same block as my office, you never know when Anonymous might flash-raid right next to my office. That might be fun.
So there you go.
Web site: Wikipedia on Anonymous
Song: Rickroll'd!
Quote: Yes, coffee's supposed to taste like sludge.
Posted: 2008-06-05 22:50:15
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So, yeah, here's what happened with Transit...
So as I mentioned in my earlier Journal entry, I had a run-in with Metro Transit Police while on my way in to see Matthew Tilley. So here's the story.
As you know, I'm a bit of a railfan, and I'm interested in many of the technical aspects of the system. In this case, I was photographing out the back of the train, as I'd done numerous times in the past. I've done this on the C, D, E, F, G, J, K, and L routes, and published the results on Transit Center (which will be back, I promise!). For the non-rail buff, those route letters mean I've photographed just about everywhere on the system except for the Red Line. So, coming in, I figured, what the heck, I might as well start a railfan trip off right, and get photos of the B Route, which I'd not done before.
So I'm at the bulkhead door of Alstom 6075, and I'm doing fine. I started photographing at the Silver Spring portal (too dark in the tunnels), and I was having a blast, if I do say so myself, even photographing the non-WMATA work trains laying gravel on the adjacent CSX tracks. So at Rhode Island Avenue, two Transit Police officers come on board. "Sir, could you please come with us?" Yes, me. I'm like, okay... Turns out that someone had reported my activity, and they were checking things out. They didn't know who reported it, but okay. I'm guessing a WMATA employee did, since the officers mentioned that they were told I'd been using a tripod, and the average WMATA rider doesn't even know that a regulation exists governing tripods. I do. I know that the use of tripods, monopods, etc. is prohibited on Metro. That's why I left mine at home, despite that I could get some really great shots of the underground stations that way.
What's funny is that right up front, they admitted they didn't have any real reason to stop me, except that someone called it into them and they had to check it out. And they gave me the "since 9/11" mumbo jumbo as well, and how photographing the railroad raises some eyebrows, and that WMATA doesn't take kindly to photographing the railroad (vs. the stations) because they're considered "no trespassing" areas (meaning that if I wandered in there outside of a train, I would be considered to be trespassing). I, however, was on a train. However, if WMATA would give me the keys to a Breda and the full run of the system all to myself, I wouldn't complain.
However, anytime someone plays the 9/11 card with me about photography, that's when I stop listening. See, if you play the 9/11 card, it really means you have no real reason to stop me, so shoo. Get lost and go find some real crime to deal with. Reminds me of a certain hall director I once had who shall remain nameless who was quick to play the race card on just about anything, which indicated to me whenever she did so that she had no real argument.
Of course, if anyone ever did try to take me into court for this, I think I could probably find a lawyer specializing in civil liberties cases who would happily take the case pro bono. After all, in the United States, anything in plain view from a public area can be photographed for the most part. And one can argue that the train is a public area, as anyone can ride, and therefore, excluding areas covered by other laws, such as that part of the Metro that is on Pentagon property, I'm fine.
So okay, sure. Still, we've established that I've done nothing wrong, and that Metro has more than its fair share of employees who are jackasses (which we knew already). And I will also admit that the two Transit officers were nothing but polite and professional, and they finished up in time for me to catch Breda 4047 for the rest of the trip to Metro Center.
And I'll show you the photos just as soon as I get my computer back in order. Plus, Matthew and I had a great railfan trip, which included more off-the-back-of-the-train photography.
Web site: The Photographer’s Right: A Downloadable Flyer Explaining Your Rights When Stopped or Confronted for Photography
Song: "In the Metro" by the Capitol Steps
Quote: BTW, speaking of photography problems, here's an interesting news story sent to me by my friend Josh Baugher. This is about photographing at Union Station in DC. Watch the security guard in this clip. Just as the Amtrak spokesman is telling the news crew that photography is permitted in the Amtrak sections of Union Station, here comes Mr. Security Guard telling them to shut down. When questioned, he can't even cite what he's enforcing. Idiot. I hope his family is ashamed of him. Related to this, there's this from BoingBoing, and this from DCist.
Posted: 2008-06-05 21:42:16
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And so for those wondering how my birthday went...
My birthday weekend went quite well, thank you. I spent my actual birthday at home, where I wrote a Wikipedia article about October Rebellion. Yes, that October Rebellion. I had a great time writing that article, though it's not often that I'll sit down and write a new article from scratch and go hunting for reliable sources and such.
Then the next day, Mom and Dad came to visit - just for the day. We went to downtown Silver Spring, where we had a birthday lunch at Austin Grill, a restaurant that serves Mexican food. As we were coming in, rain appeared to be imminent, and yet some people still wanted to be seated outside, and stayed outside, even as the rain started coming down. There was a very small overhang that these people ate under, and I presume they stayed dry for the most part.
At the restaurant, Mom committed what would be considered a major sin if you like to stay in the good graces of your companions. She told the server that it was my birthday. Now I admit that she didn't mean to let that out in front of the waitstaff. It slipped out unintentionally. But you know how it is... if you say "birthday" to a server, next thing you know, you have ALL of them marching in clapping, and singing happy birthday to you. Once we realized Mom's error, we flagged the server again about the birthday thing, and good news - Austin Grill doesn't sing. Very good.
But all in all, it was a great time, as we had great conversations, and the people outside stayed out there until it finally got to be too much for them and they came in. Then when we were done, we paid and headed out. In the pouring rain. We went over to DSW Shoe Warehouse, where we just looked, and likewise over at Borders Books. Not bad. And then we returned home.
That evening, however, after Mom and Dad had left, I started feeling really bad. I first felt it in my feet, as they started feeling kind of light. Then I started running a temperature, and feeling kind of tired. Uh-oh. I hoped I wasn't coming down with something. But there was no congestion, and no sore throat, which usually comes with a cold. I suspected food poisoning, meaning that something I ate, possibly at Austin Grill, was undercooked or otherwise didn't agree.
However, in the morning, I felt great. That confirmed it was likely food poisoning, since those bouts are intense, and then go away as quickly as they came. It worked out, though, since I was going railfanning with Matthew Tilley on Sunday.
The plan was to go railfanning on Metro, meeting at Rosslyn, and then going down to Franconia-Springfield, around to Huntington, up to L'Enfant Plaza, out to Largo, and then back around to New Carrollton before parting company at Metro Center. We were also supposed to meet up with Matthew's "friend" Keon, but Keon stood Matthew up! I don't know what you think, but that's just rude.
Coming in, I had a quick run-in with Transit Police at Rhode Island Avenue (I'll talk about this in detail later), and then went right into Rosslyn. Once Matthew and I got together, we had a blast. We had lunch midway through, going to Sbarro at Crystal City. It was awesome, and that "agreed".
And then I'm also in the process of redoing my computer, which explains my lack of postings lately. I'm all disarrayed right now, but we'll get going again - not to worry. All this pain in the butt in dealing with Vista makes me all the more certain that my next computer is going to be a Mac.
Web site: This is the song that, when you hear it, it makes you want to shoot someone. "Happy happy birthday, we're so glad you came..."
Song: Rickroll - I had to go past the Founding Church of Scientology near Dupont Circle while on an errand for work today, and so I started thinking about that song...
Quote: So, yeah, 27 is interesting so far...
Posted: 2008-06-04 14:07:54
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