Man Stops Traffic at 17th and K to Demand $200 Million
Morning Roundup: Goodbye, Abe Edition
Judge Throws Out WTU Suit Over Teacher Layoffs
Vegetate to Close at the End of the Month
D.C. Police Seek Suspect in Series of Bank Robberies
Good morning, Washington. It looks like the inch or so of snow that we're supposed to get this morning has just barely begun to start, conveniently saving itself for the peak of rush hour. It'll turn into rain by the afternoon. Sounds great, huh? Man, we sure do miss Fake Spring.
Fire Department Lawsuit Brewing: It seems that WASA's not the only city agency facing legal woes. WJLA reports that former fire investigators Greg Bowyer and Gerald Pennington are planning to sue the fire department, alleging that their attempts to blow the whistle on departmental failures produced inaction and then retribution. Unnamed sources say that other firefighters will stand with Bowyer and Pennington and call for Chief Dennis Rubin's ouster. It's obviously too early to say whether this will remain a well-hyped lawsuit or develop into a genuine departmental issue, but John Pekkanen's recent story about the city's E911 services certainly makes the latter seem possible.
Immigration Raid Spurs Controvery: The Post has a troubling story about a raid conducted by an ICE team that worked in Prince George's and Montgomery Counties. Accounts differ, but there are some indications that a high arrest quota prompted the team to drive to a nearby 7-11 and simply begin rounding up Hispanic men — including one who was en route to his son's chemotherapy appointment. Others contest this account, saying that the team arrived at the 7-11 by coincidence, and that the arrested men, some of whom proved to be legal residents, volunteered the fact that they were in the country illegally.
Briefly Noted: Vienna nurse arrested for sexual battery... Developmentally disabled Silver Spring boy missing... Circulator may be taking over one or two Metrobus routes... Dog park plans meet resistance... Alexandria begins to consider Potomac Yard Metro station... Graham reintroduces anti-loitering law... Maryland closes driving loopholes for humans, leaves them open for dogs...
Image posted to DCist Photos by Flickr user pjcoleman
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Graham said at today's Committee of the Whole meeting that he proposed similar anti-loitering legislation in July 2005 and in February 2007, and concerns were raised questions about infringing upon civil liberties. "I have wrestled with this issue for years," he said.
I'm falling in love with Jim Graham all over again! He keeps pulling the same legislation out his a$$ every couple years, knowing it'll be knocked down as unconstitution violation of free and peaceful assembly, just so he can say "Look Ward 1! I'm doing something!" And because people get sick of his horse$h!t and move to wards that are a little less loitery and stabby, you have a constant supply of gullible morons who buy into it. If only we could harness the perpetual-motion power of the Grahamstanding Self-fellating Circle Jerk legislation, we would be free from foreign oil dependence in months.
Love how they're "beginning to consider" a Metro at Potomac Yards, says Mister Engaged-to-be-Engaged.
"Hello, Immigration Officers. I'm a Latino man trying to make a life for himself, and am actually a legal resident of this country with proper documentation, but I'll go ahead and tell you, of my own free will, that I'm an illegal alien so that you can haul me in and my son, who is stricken with cancer, will miss his doctor's appointment."
This strike anyone else as just a little bit odd?
"After three fretful nights in jail, Guillen, who declined to discuss his immigration status on the advice of lawyers, was granted supervised humanitarian release by ICE"
He may or may not be here legally, he is declining to say.. which of course means he is here illegally.
Yeah, that makes sense...I didn't mean to presume that the guy whose kid has cancer was here legally, so that's my bad. But just the same...why would a) any group of illegal residents just volunteer their status as illegal to immigration officers (again, on the presumption that the officers did not ask for documentation, which, let's be real, if they're on a quota, they probably did), or b) those who are actually here legally say that they weren't?
He may or may not be here legally, he is declining to say.. which of course means he is here illegally.
Don't lawyers planning a lawsuit often advise their clients to say absolutely nothing relevant to the case?
Absolutely. But you think this guy was acting on the advice of a lawyer?????
But you think this guy was acting on the advice of a lawyer?????
The line "Guillen, who declined to discuss his immigration status on the advice of lawyers" makes me think it's at least possible.
The fire department needs to put this lawsuit past them and go back to doing what it does best: reading unfunny homo jokes at staff meetings.
And the real problem with the driving loophole is that it allows dogs to drive while "sexting." Do you know how distracting it is to get an SMS with a picture of beasts indulging in humanity? Really, dogs weren't meant to assume the missionary position, and for good reason. The Pope has reserved that position for a man and wife, not for Fido and Lucy. For as the Good Book says, "Thou shalt not lie down with an animal for it is confusion; neither shall you lick of its face after it's eaten its ca-ca, for you shall have dog breath that smells of Alpo and farts. This is an abomination in the sight of the Lord."
Peace,
+++JMJ+++
I have to say, I am completed insulted by the fire department. I will tell my story, largely because it is sad I never heard from the fire inspectors again. I think my story, and the countless others not told so often, will stand as evidence justifying how totally inept they are and deserving of a lawsuit they will be.
I woke up on Sunday morning two months ago to a fire alarm in my apartment. I opened my roommate's door to his room, and found him sleeping on a mattress . . . that was on fire. I had to call the DCFD two times (maybe three, my memory is slipping). I told them I had a burn victim and a fire still raging in our apartment. Even in the second call, they were asking me the address and I was yelling out of frustration and fear they would never come. Eventually, DCFD paramedics show up. They see the kid I dragged into the hallway of the apartment building. They then ask me how he got so burned. I then lose it, yelling at them about the fire. They then jog outside to see the smoke billowing out of his room's window. Finally, they called a fire truck to come put out the fire ten minutes later. Even though the paramedics confirmed with me my first floor apartment was unlocked (I unlocked it in front of them so they would be sure), the firefighters decided to get on ladders and smash every single window in the place, for a fire that was only contained to a single room in the house (I gave the paramedics a very detailed SITREP). The landlord said to me while I was standing there that they make a mess like this every time. I even heard the ass****s making jokes about how clean a job they did while I was right next to them after they had put out the fire.
To make things better, two fire inspectors interviewed me about the incident, and they could not believe the hassle I went through with the 911 operators. They were very concerned and assured me they looked into. They never talked to me again, but continued to talk to my roommate several times, who obviously does not remember much of the incident.
And to top it all off, this is the only coverage the fire received, from the DCFD "blog" (if you can call it that, what a joke):
http://www.dcfd.com/December2008.php
Scroll to "Medical Local Results In Rescue by Franklin Square Firefighters" for their take. Those paramedics claimed they saved my roommate's life. That is funny, because they were pretty clueless when they got there. They found my roommate outside our apartment in the hallway. They also dragged him away to assess him, never looking for me again. Since they took him to the hospital thereafter, I am not sure how they help evacuate other residents. They do sound pretty fucking awesome according to their account. I hope they get their commendations, since that is clearly what they were going for. I also hope the DCFD is sued and gets what they deserve.
Fuck you, DCFD.
Yikes. Anecdotes are not data, but my one experience with DCFD was pretty much the complete opposite. Somehow, corroding aerosol cans under the sink in the apartment above us resulted in an explosion powerful enough to blow out the sliding door to the balcony. I didn't make the 911 call, but they were on scene quick and were running in full gear, even after they knew the situation was not critical. The woman was in shock but unhurt. I think EMS ultimately convinced her to go to the hospital.
The only downside was that I had to call DCFD twice to get the incident report.
i miss Fake Spring, Fake Cheese, and Fake Breasts. DC needs more of all of them.
(ps - that photo reminds me of what i see when i wake up every morning.)
All the cool kids are wearing gold-plated skullcaps on their peckers nowdays. It's the new grillz.
Wait rounding up illegals?! Who is going to do all the stimulus work? Is there an US Citizen that knows how to dig a hole anymore?
Sure. Jim Graham keeps digging himself into a hole all the time.
Waitaminit! They're deporting Jim Graham? I didn't think Planet Weakkneed Political Timeserver allowed repatriation? I thought we broke off diplomatic relations after the last time Barry got voted out of office.
The Grahamstander is a Scottish-born citizen, but alas, he became a U.S. citizen so we're stuck with him...
I smell shenanagins. Graham probably got his fake-ass birth certificate from the same offshore holding company as President Osama Obama!
Sorry, that should have been IN ALL CAPS.
Maybe ICE was doing those men a favor and saving them from a life of Mountain Dew and Taquitos. Maybe. I mean did anyone else see that Diane Sawyer shit about Mountain Dew in Kentucky? It was nutso. Maybe they saw that on their 2 years in the future ICE TV. Or maybe this is just an egregious abuse of power.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=6863173&page=1
Thanks, Politburo, I hadn't had my bonechilling shudder of the day. Now I'm started of right.
How can you tell Mountain Dew mouth from Meth Mouth?
That part of Alexandria isn't shitty! You've got great beers at Rustico, killer cheesesteaks at Al's, friggin boutique cheeseries and butcher shops in Del Ray. Granted, it lacks the toney hipster cachet of Swampoodle, Terra Cotta, NoMa, SoLa, FaTiDo, Ca-Ca, Farttown, and Barstow, but it also lacks school kids loitering and shoplifting at the CVS and tranny hookers running for their lives from the Ward 8 Councilman wearing nothing but a lobster bib, boxer shorts, and a colostomy bag.
Point well taken, we shall ask Metro to leave that part off of the station (stop) name. By the way Bloomingdale is BloMi, maybe we should call this area PoYa? (Trust me, I tried to get Pol Pot in there.)
Speaking of which, why do MetroRail drivers say "Next Station Stop"? That sounds redundant.
The literal 'next station' might not be the 'next stop' (if you have express/limited service) and because a train may have to wait for a signal, the literal 'next stop' might not be the 'next station', hence the hybrid term station stop.
You're correct that it's redundant on Metro. They could use 'next station' since there are no expresses.
Those comments board on the WTOP story on the McLean Gardens dog park are pretty insane. You'd think the dog park would be the size of McLean Bible Megachurch, the way the people are hysterical about the loss of green, open space. Dogs, people, plants, and playgrounds can all live in perfect harmony like ebony, ivory, junk and punching.
As bad as that WTOP dog thread gets, it's only a matter of time before someone blames illegal aliens. Really, I've read threads on global warming where eventually some crackpot mentions illegal aliens. Best one so far: the thread on the 30 percent decline on female crabs in the Chesapeake Bay? Guess who's to blame for that one?
The roundup picture is quite phallic.
The dog park types are taking over the city...