I spend most of the winter in Denver where the weather has been increadibly cold and snowy. In fact, for the months of December, January, and February it has snowed 1 in every 4 days. In the east, it has been mild and warm.
But as soon as I come to Washington, DC, the weather turns cold and snows and the weather in Denver is in the 60′s. Why can’t it just stay put?
I can’t wait to return to the warmth of the Denver area.
It is nice to see a media company allow the use of video that is produced by Congress or a Federal agency. This is a liberal copyright policy and is only fair to the American taxpayer because the American Taxpayer helps pay or has paid for this video. Read the news release… It does not include any video that C-Span has produced themselves.
In a statement from C-Span Executive Committee Chairman William J. Bresnan, CEO of Bresnan Communications said that the network’s directors enthusiastically endorsed the copyright policy liberalization. Bresnan said, “The cable industry created this network to allow citizens greater access to their government and this enhancement appropriately reflects the rapid changes in the online information world.”
A controversy erupted because House Speaker Nancy Pelosi used video from C-Span on her website and bloggers accused her of stealing video from C-Span.
But in my opinion the use of video of Congress or a Federal agency that appears on C-Span should be free to use by the citizens since they have helped fun this station and the cameras that are used in Congress. It is nice to see that C-Span agrees with that.
I am wondering if Neumann Homes is in trouble financially. They have stopped work in our neighborhood, even homes that they are building for someone and not on spec.
We even had a notice of a lien to be placed upon our house because they have failed to pay their contractors.
They have been working. According to a story in the Chicago Tribune, they have reworked their loans and now have $55 million in revolving credit.
It would be nice if they were going to finish our neighborhood, but I am not too optimistic, even with this new money. The new home market sucks and the number of homes on the market because of fraudulent or bad loans leading to foreclosure is crazy.
I just hope the market improves soon so that the remaining lots can be built out and the homes sold. It is just not helping our home value at this time.
You can read more about Neumann Homes trouble in the housing market in Michigan in the Detroit News. Link…
In Colorado we have implemented a law that makes all restaurants and bars smoke-free. But it is crazy when you travel and you don’t know the regulations, especially if you are a non-smoker.
One of the tough things about visiting the Washington, DC, area is that Virgina allows smoking in its restaurants and bars. Well, what do you expect from a state that has made a lot of money from growing tobacco.
But it is more than that. Smoking hurts the workers who must work in restaurants and bars, especially if they are not smokers. There has been scientific studies completed in Colorado that shows non-smokers who work in casinos, yes there are casinos in Colorado and they still allow people to smoke in them, test like they smoke two packs a day.
This is ridiculous. People who work in restaurants and bars should not be subjected to this. In fact, research shows that revenues will increase once smoking in bans.
There are currently 14 states that do not allow smoking, maybe Virginia should be the next.
Well I wanted to catch the Colorado Avalanche game and there is not too many opportunities in the Crystal City area to find a place to watch a game on satellite. Well Bailey’s Pub & Grill filled the need.
The manager was quite receptive and let me find a seat and then he placed the game on a television nearby so I could watch. Great!
Well I needed some dinner and the Tavern Burger (minus the sauteed onions) filled the need and the fries were good and crispy. The Boddingtons was well worth it (both pints). The cheesecake topped off the evening. A giant piece with strawberries. Nothing better.
The service was great. The only drawback is that it is kinda noisy with all the music playing, but it is good music. Just be prepared to speak loudly with your dining partners.
And the Avalanche won the game.
Read the reviews in the Washington Post. Link…
I am in Washington, DC, for business and I always enjoy the wonderful food that is available in restaurants here in the metro area.
One of the places that I enjoy to go is Siné Irish Pub located in the Pentagon Row area behind the Pentagon City Mall in Arlington.
Well I had to try the Reuben Sandwich. I always find those pretty good, but this one, while good, had some deficiencies. The taste was there and the kraut had some flavor but there was not a lot of sauce and the bread was dry. It came with fries and they were quite good. It all tasted great with a Guinness. (Everything tastes well with a Guinness.)
Why the sandwich was just average, the dessert was quite good. The Bread Pudding was quite good, especially served with caramel and ice cream.
The service was so-so, but I wouldn’t let this bother you. I have been to this place before and have had good meals and service. Other items that I have had that were good include the Fish & Chips and Shepard’s Pie, all with Guinness (What else to wash it all down.).
One thing that concerned me is the advertisement that they had up for St. Patrick’s Day coming up. It said come on in on St. Patrick’s Day and enjoy a nice cold Budweiser or Bud Light. What bunk. What is an Irish Pub promoting a bland, bad tasting American style beer on St. Patrick’s Day.
You can see a review in the Washington Post. Link…
Let’s hope they improve the Reuben Sandwich and the service gets back to where it was when it opened for an improved experience. But if you are ever neat the Pentagon City area, Siné Irish Pub is worth the try.
In a story covered by the East Bay Express, the San Francisco Chronicle last week included a special advertorial section that was written by freelance writers in India. I thought that I had heard it all.
First it began with companies off-shoring their customer service to India because the margins on their products got so bad here that they couldn’t afford to pay workers here. Now newspapers are off-shoring their writing to India.
We are truly in a global world, but you can’t tell me that the San Francisco Chronicle can’t find qualified writers here in the United States. Come on Chronicle, do some work and find some qualified writers here in this country. Only writers here can understand what your readers would be interested in reading and the correct way to reach those writers.
This is almost as bad as the Tribune Company reducing the size of the Los Angeles Times newsroom to raise profits for shareholders.
This is also discussed in The Goat, a blog for High Country News. Link….
