National Mall a National Disgrace?

So there is an article in todays Examiner about DCs delegate to congress (non voting member of course) spoke about how the current state of the national mall is pitiful and needs $500 million in repairs and renovations.

As one who frequents the national mall on a somewhat regular basis for kickball amongst other things I have to say I couldn't agree more that the current state of the national mall is nothing short of embarrassing. I'm not sure it presents the best image of America to visitors both foreign and domestic when they see the torn up lawn that is mostly dirt holes with a few sparse patches of grass here and there, the cracked and uneven sidewalks, and the fetid reflecting pools that are just gigantic breeding grounds for mosquitoes and lined with pollen and trash. So there is no doubt, in my mind at least, that the national mall needs some serious sprucing up. However, I am fairly certain that it should not cost $500 million to re sod the grass, repave and fix the concrete sidewalks and to drain, clean and install proper reflecting pools that support good waterflow. That seems a little bit excessive for what should really be just a facelift. Of course, as with everything here in Washington, nothing is what it seems on the surface.

Looking more into the $500 million dollar proposal, it would appear that they don't just want a good scrubbing of the mall, they want to totally redo it. They want to add areas for restaurants, attractions and other such touristy type amenities that I personally believe at best are totally unnecessary and at worst contradictory to the very ideas of what the National Mall is supposed to be about. It is supposed to be a wide open, pastoral place in which to reflect on the country and to gather in the shadows of the great monuments. Not a place to grab lunch and catch a movie, it really would take away from the gravitas that a place like the National Mall is supposed to have.

So yes, lets clean the place up, in its current state it is an embarrassment to the city and the nation but lets just leave it at that, I really dont want to be playing my next game of kickball in the shadows of the Washington Monument, Capitol Building and the Golden Arches of McDonalds.

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Chinese Conspiracy

China, for a long time has a long history of human rights violations. It has a national policy of infanticide for families with More than one child. It sent us toys with lead in it. It sent us Pet food with poison. The museum exhibit "bodies" has been rumored to be made up of Chinese political prisoners. The overall blocking of Internet access and outside communication is well known. Being kidnapped by Chinese police in the dark of night and taken to secret prisons for speaking out about Chinese atrocities is well known. We all saw tanks rolling over students in Tianamen Square. Thanks to the Beastie Boys and Richard Gere, America cares about Tibet.
After The Olympic torch relays began, the world saw an unprecedented displays against the host country. I don't think I've seen any protest pictures or media from the Olympics in Nazi Germany. That tells you how fucked this situation is.
So the world was basically pissed off at China with no end in sight.So they decide to take the torch up Everest. They shut down the Tibetan side, and ask Nepal to shut down their side of the summit as well. Effectively ending the climbing season, which means no money for Sherpas, and Tibetans who make more of their income off of adventure tourism than anything else. Their video of the torch at the summit of Everest is suspect. Most electronic gear freezes and becomes ineffective; but they seem to have great actual video footage, hmm...
So through all the scandal, people are all about hating China.
Then they get hit with a 7.9 earthquake.For those of you who don't know the Richter scale: the Northridge earthquakes that devastated most of Los Angeles was only a 6-ish type of earthquake. 7.0 is usually considered "total destruction". 7.9 is probably "Apocalypse". Now we have people caring about China, and totally forgetting all their atrocities they have committed. The conversation now when it comes to China is about suffering and earthquake relief. Not anger and boycotting of the games.
I believe China turned its own WMDs against it's own people. Of course I'm talking about the Evil Communist Earthquake Machine. Also known as the "Red Dragon". China, desperate to turn attention away from aforementioned human rights abuses, has used a machine more evil than the BOMB on its own people. This effectively makes China able to show the world that they, unlike Burma, cares about its people and will do anything to give support and accept relief and aid from the outside world.
Well played China, Well played.

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I Love Making Fun of Him

As most people who know me are aware I have an intense dislike for Fox News and especially it's hack commentators like Sean Hannity and especially Bill O'Reilly. I'm sure most people have seen this since its been all over the web but in case you havent here is Bill O's meltdown from Inside Edition a bunch of years back. Quite funny, goes in the meltdown hall of fame.

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Stop sucking DC!

DC Sporting teams suck.
What's worse is DC fans who believe that each of their respective teams are going to win it all each and every season for each respective sport. What's worse than that? That those same fans are the ones who will call for coach's firings, roster changes, and who will overnight, change team allegiance to any given Baltimore team (unless of course said Baltimore team is sucking worse).
Redskins, Wizards, Capitals, and DC United all made it to the playoff tournaments for their respective leagues. Even Georgetown left the NCAA tournament rather early for being such a highly ranked team. All Blew it by making boneheaded mistakes and pretty much taking the day off in crucial situations. This seems to me to be Modus Operandi for DC Sports teams.
I am instantly reminded of Mother's Day at Nationals Park (which is looking for corporate sponsors... which means they'll rename it after some big business... Don't get me started).
Shawn Hill Goes deep into the Seventh inning, Aaron boone misses out on only a double to hit for cycle, no fielding errors, and except for some missed double plays by Ronnie Belliard at Second base, they played an overall excellent game against a Surging Florida Marlins team on a six game streak, for six innings. Problme is; baseball games last nine. So after a very refreshing Miller lite and seventh inning stretch Luis Ayala gets comes in in the eigth for the setup to dominating Jon Rauch. This is when i find out the this mid-reliever's record is 1-2... a mid reliever has a 1-2 record? This pretty much means at least twice this guy has been called in for either the setup or save, and he gave it up. After i come up with this realization, Florida ties the game with back-to-back homers to Centerfield, which means they pretty much hit the piss out of the ball.
I recall screaming for the Nats to stop sucking. no such relief is given.
After a verrry long inning, Rauch comes in to stop the bleeding, and the Nats cometo bat with the bottom of the line up. or at least 6,7,8... pretty much not the clutch hitters you need to come back on a one run defecit. With a man on base, our hopes get high that the tying run is on, and perhaps, superior manager Manny Acta will call in some MUCH needed experience at late game hitting by someone like Dmitri Young or hell, someone with a better batting average than .000
No such luck, and we pretty much give it up. Metaphor not to be lost, just as the last out is called, the skies open up for what is a two day rain storm. God is even sad that DC sucks at Sports so badly. We are now left with the DC Divas, and DC rollergirls as our last hopes for sporting victories. With this many sports teams, the odds of accidentally winning something should have happned by now.

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