Utopia in 91 Words
Posted: May 22, 2012 Filed under: Washington Leave a comment »An ample dose of good rough and tumble capitalism, with lots of safeguards against price-fixing, lots of creative destruction as new and improved technologies supplant the old . . . yes! . . . but all that tightly coupled with seriously progressive taxation, government investment in basic research and infrastructure, a “there but for the grace of God go I” safety net, and extensive — enlightened — regulation for a complicated world. (And a vibrant press constantly on the prowl for waste and corruption to root out; stupid or excessive regulation to revamp.) That’s my utopia.
Win or Lose Tonight, the Sentiment is the Same
Posted: May 9, 2012 Filed under: Photography, Sport, Washington Leave a comment »
Always Nice to Have Something to Look Forward to
Posted: May 2, 2012 Filed under: Concerts, Washington Leave a comment »Dream Theater is playing in DC in July.
#DC Nirvana
Posted: April 24, 2012 Filed under: Environment, Washington Leave a comment »
In 20 years, nearly everyone [in the District of Columbia] would get around by foot, bicycle, new streetcar lines, bus or Metro. Homes and apartment buildings would feature compost piles and adhere to more aggressive recycling standards. Roofs would be green, and the city government would monitor fossil fuel consumption. When residents [wanted] to eat, they wouldn’t have to walk more than a few blocks to find fresh fruits and vegetables. And if they [wanted] to catch their own food, residents would be able to wade into the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, throw out a line, and reel in a striped bass or white perch because waterways would be “swimmable and fishable.”
Always nice to have something to look forward to. To the list above, I’d like to add full voting rights and a Metro stop in Georgetown.
Electric Taxis
Posted: April 17, 2012 Filed under: Environment, Washington Leave a comment »I wish something like this would take place in D.C., but we’re still struggling with basics like installing credit card systems in our taxis. CleanTechnica:
Japan is getting its first fleet of electric taxis, as Nissan starts an experimental project to solve some of the problems that other EV taxi proponents have faced…The EV Taxi Share station is exactly what it sounds like. Nissan plans to install an extra spot for electric taxis to wait and recharge their batteries next to currently existing taxi stands.
Big Money
Posted: April 11, 2012 Filed under: Environment, Washington Leave a comment »In 2010, [American Petroleum Institute President Jack N. Gerard] directed $63 million, a third of API’s total budget, to an outside public relations firm, Edelman, for ad campaigns, according to API’s most recent tax return. So far this year, the API has bought at least $4.3 million in broadcast ads, largely in a handful of swing states, outspending all but a few super PACs and almost every trade group, according to figures compiled by Kantar Media/Campaign Media Analysis Group.
Much, perhaps most, of that advertising is done under names like “Energy Nation,” “Energy Citizens,” “EnergyTomorrow,” or “the People of America’s Oil and Natural Gas Industry.”
This #Haiku Goes Out to @sprinklesdc
Posted: April 4, 2012 Filed under: Consumer products, Washington Leave a comment »A haiku:
Banana cupcake
you so haunt my dreams each day
Sprinkles on M Street
