May 28, 2008
Morning Roundup: Well, Executed Edition
Good morning, D.C. Virginia went ahead and executed convicted murderer Kevin Green last night, marking the first death penalty sentence carried out in the state in two years. Green was killed by lethal injection and pronounced dead at 10:05 p.m. Green's attorneys maintain that their client had the IQ of an 11-year-old child, but neither the U.S. Supreme Court nor Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine chose to intervene.
D.C. United Stadium Plan in Works: The Post reports that D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray and Council members Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) and Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) are close to finishing drafting legislation that would authorize Mayor Adrian Fenty to spend $150 million in public money to subsidize construction of a soccer stadium for D.C. United at Poplar Point. The legislation could well be introduced at the Council's Tuesday meeting next week, and while it's unclear how many Council members might support such a proposal, the team of Gray, Evans and Barry seems tailor made to gather at least enough votes to give the plan serious consideration.
Council to Remove Archaic Language from Marriage Laws: Every municipality has old or outdated language still on the books, but the D.C. Council appears poised to remove a few rather embarrassing examples from the city's marriage laws. The Council is moving to repeal provisions in District law that bar “lunatics,” “idiots” and people infected with syphilis from getting married, reports the Examiner. Originally the legislation would have required HIV testing, in addition to syphilis, as a prerequisite for obtaining a marriage license in the District, but neither provision made it into the final version.
Briefly Noted: Popular local pediatrician killed in car accident near Chicago ... Motorcyclist who died in crash is identified ... Virginia close to finishing mailing refunds for unconstitutional vehicle taxes ... Clerk fatally shot in Silver Spring 7-11.
Photo by johnny greengrass
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is it really a bad thing to bar idiots from doing a lot of things? i mean, i'm all for being PC and what not, but this world is damn well full of idiots, and i for one would like to curtail their numbers....
i think you pretty much need to be a lunatic or an idiot to get married don't you?
I can understand repealing the ban on marriage of those with syphilis...at least THAT can be treated with antibiotics. Until there's a proven medical cure for lunatics and idiots, though, I'm with IMGoph.
Not to be a scold, but keep in mind that in this context the phrase "idiot" is really just an old-fashioned way of saying mentally retarded.
Kinda makes jokes about it a bit less funny.
Oh, McGillicuddy, you sound exactly like my bf there. *sigh*
I feel the same way McGillicuddy, much to the chagrin of my dear old mum, my grandparents, cousins, aunts, and well, anyone else who thinks I need to be married. No $30K wedding for me suckas!
I don't think "idiocy" was confied to the mentally retarded. I'm pretty sure it was a catch-all phrase covering any form of mental illness, from manic depression and schizophrenia to retardation. Anyway, I'd have no problem with the Council banning “lunatics,” “idiots,” and people infected with syphilis from operating a motor vehicle. However, these selfsame "morons" should be encouraged to stuff squirrels down their pants for the purposes of gambling, so long as they pay the Homer tax.
But don't sell idiots short. Indeed, the contemporary idiot has come a long way from howling on the village wall. Nowadays a really blithering idiot can make anything up to ten thousand pounds a year - if he's the head of some big industrial combine. But of course, the more old-fashioned idiot still refuses to take money. He takes bits of string, wood, dead budgerigars, sparrows, anything, but it does make the cashier's job very difficult. But of course they're fools themselves, because the rate of interest over 10 years on a piece of moss or a dead vole is almost negligible.
Scold me, Reid. Scold me. Ooooh, yes. Do it again.
Flapjack's right. Singles shacked up together make out better than marrieds when it comes to finances. And you still get a place to put that morning wood, besides that gym sock, I mean.
Is it really a good idea to be spending another $150 million on another stadium? Granted that stadium could also be used for outdoor concerts (suck on that Nissan Pavillion!), but that assumes area residents would be happy with that idea.
And have the local supporters of this thought things through: they want the Poplar Point project so that part of Anacostia will get some development. But assuming it becomes popular Poplar Point, won't that increase everyone's property taxes and rents in that area, thus driving out some long term residents? How long will it take to hear cries of anguish about The Plan gentrifying yet another traditionally black neighborhood?
I wonder what the legal definition of lunatic would be for this standard? Are we talking Matthew Lesko crazy or crazy crazy here?
Today's morning roundup title is just ...cold.
"Not to be a scold, but keep in mind that in this context the phrase "idiot" is really just an old-fashioned way of saying mentally retarded.
Kinda makes jokes about it a bit less funny."
Yeah... Especially since the proposed legislation changes the word "idiot" to "retard."
I think the legal definition of "lunatic" should be derived from it's original application. That is:
Lunatic -lu·na·tic- noun: one who is affected with periodic insanity, dependent on the changes of the moon, thus causing them to cease walking while on the left hand side of the metro escalator, when emerging from the Metro system and being confronted with the moon. Other common afflictions of "lunatics" include irrational merging while driving one's horseless carriage on I-395, and paying $20 to visit the Newseum.
How ironic that it's the mentally retarded guy at McDonalds who is an exponentially better worker than the usual idiot behind the counter who can't even get my order straight, who can't make change without taking off his shoes, and acts like it's a burden to take my money. Meanwhile, the retarded guy takes my tray and wipes my table down and says stuff like "good morning" with a smile on his face.
The lunatic is on the grass, so it must be an outdoor wedding.
Forget marriage. How can we keep idiots from spending public economic development dollars on sports stadiums? We have four decades of data showing these are bad deals and merely welfare for rich team owners.
@bethesdaist: Thank you. I am now listening to Dark Side of the Moon for the first time in possibly years.
Au contraire. The lunatics are in my hall. The paper holds their folded faces to the floor, and every day, the paperboy brings more.
Also, everyone should pick up a copy of The Madcap Laughs/Barrett RIGHT NOW. Really gets em IN THE MOOD. For what, I'm not allowed to say because of the court order.
Who was that old punk band who did a song called "I know where Sid Barrett lives"? Anyone remember that?
Crap, I'm old, aren't I?
I think you mean Television Personalities, Bethesdaist.
i knew about the archaic definition of idiots, but i'm talking about the straight-up modern-day morons who deserve the term here...but hell, go ahead and scold me for being insensitive...
"How can we keep idiots from spending public economic development dollars on sports stadiums?"
Yech.
Do I really have to make this post?
The proposed soccer stadium is being financed by the EXTRA $20 MILLION that the city is scoring from fat cat large businesses (primarily) and taxes from Nats tickets and such.
This is above and beyond what is needed to pay for the Nats funding debt.
And the considerable majority of this would have to be spent whether there was a soccer stadium there or not, as the area is quite literally devoid of any infrastructure, what with being a freaking ovegrown weed lot that passes for a national parkland these days.
If anyone has a right to be pissed it's the fat cats that are paying for this.
The rest of us need to shut the fuck up and be grateful for our free shit (and the accompanying tens of millions in additional tax revenue from the apparently massive complex surrounding the stadium) from the rich.
Actually, I should rephrase.
It's my understanding that the proposed spending is for infrastructure for the ENTIRE parcel. The soccer stadium is a relatively small part of that parcel. None of the proposed funding goes directly to building of the stadium itself.
If that is the case, then this is simply another example of the city spending on infrastructure to create a new development on previously unusable land.
Except that fat cat big businesses are actually the ones paying for it.