The Way of the World

Ron Suskind's narrative follows individuals with roles both large and small on the world stage, so its part history and partly how people see the world. Although the review points out the revelation that the CIA manufactured a fake letter from Iraqi security chief Hubbush; the real point of the book is that our emphasis on secrecy has resulted in missed opportunities, and that more honest information sharing would be a very powerful tool in combating terrorism. That's the theme, but the story is full of very specific insights to the events and personailities that brought to Spring 2008 in Iraq. For a great summary of a good book, see Louis Baynard's review on Salon.com. Let me know if anyone wants to borrow it.

House for Sale

Carolyn and I can't wait to move into our new house; at least we won't be able to wait when the kitchen is done. Meanwhile, we still love our old house but are pretty anxious to sell or rent it and settle into just one. Know anyone who needs a house? Look at the rest of the pictures!

Having found a new house, I wanted to sell my house at 10600 Hockberry Way in Beltsville.

In Spring 2003 the Episcopal Church in Forestville needed the rectory back, so I started looking. Julie Tetrault helped me look at a lot of houses and we finally found this one. Carolyn and I both liked it and I bought it from Chris Ulmstott - a friend of friends - that summer.

I moved in here in November 2003, and Carolyn moved in sometime in 2006.

We posted an MLS listing with Long and Foster on July 25th and had a few open houses.

Terrapins vs. Blue Hens

College Park, MD - August 30, 2008.

The "Bourbon Street" tailgaters eased into the fall campaign at the University of Maryland (UMCP Terrapins football season opener against the University of Delaware Blue Hens. With champion organizer Brenda Sherer out for a Labor Day office move, the tailgate was successful despite the three-quarter strength output, mirroring the Terps rather weak 14-7 victory over the Blue Hens. Notable exceptions were Da'Rel Scott and Darrius Heyward-Bey.

The core strengths of the tailgating team were represented in blocking out our traditional location early; proudly flying the string of Maryland flags; establishing the core infrastructure of tents chairs and grills; and wide-ranging contributions. As a result, our tailgaters enjoyed a strong assortment of food, including pulled pork, chicken skewers, fajitas, sausage, and more, not even counting Carolyn's new Strawberry Patch cocktail, and all the chips, dips, and desserts. The hefty menu of entrees is a core value of these tailgaters.

We were later visted by surprise guests Greivis Vasquez and his Venezuala Basketball teammate to chat for a while. Bob Lovell, shown left with Vasquez, also attended his first Maryland football game and tailgate. While the team warmed up, Bob practiced throwing and catching, rested up, fueled up on hot dogs. Despite the heat and bright sun, Bob enjoyed both the game and the mascots. Ben and Dave, however, were left speachless when the Terps scored but the Flag crew ran clockwise spelling out T-E-R-P-S instead of S-P-R-E-T as they always had in the past.

A good time was had by all, but there was a bit missing. Brenda' s enthusiasm , direction, and full kitchen left even long time participants to think on their feet and practice long forgotten skills. Also missing was about a six-foot strip of land, usurped by the competing tailgate to our south. The formerly friendly competition became more aggressive as neighboring tailgaters sported matching "tailgate champion" t-shirts and prominently displayed their trophy. At least one Bourbon Street tailgater suspected it may have actually been junior high bowling trophy.

The Bourbon Street tailgaters - 2005 Champions - are preparing to step it up a notch, when they appear in full strength for the September 13th noon game against the University of California Golden Bears, and David Lovell brings in a few friendly bears to help celebrate his birthday.

More pictures from this tailgate on Picasa and Facebook.

Walking in New Orleans

Friday August 15th, 2008. As Carolyn and I set off Friday afternoon to fly Southwest to New Orleans, everything fell into place. Right on cue, Wife objected that we were starting out far too late and Husband, with an air of bewilderment, began to suggest that we could have left much later. As a team we quickly negotiated a strategy, and eased quickly through parking and security at BWI. (Hint: park on the 5th level of hourly parking, eat the $10 a day you can't get reimbursed for, and take a brisk walk directly across the ramp to Terminal A security, saving about half an hour). Turns out we were a little early and the flight was late, so we sampled a flight of local and white wines in the wine bar Vino Volo. Friday night we took a quick look around the French Quarter and retired.

Saturday 8/16. Had some work to do Saturday, but just as I finished it started raining, then a little harder and even harder. I took refuge in the Doubletree lobby and recognized the lounge where I once argued with Keith and Bob about whether I should be able to pour my own beer if the bartender was busy. After a cup of soup and some incredible spiced pickles, I put that argument to rest by sending a picture from my cell phone.


Dodging the rain drops I made it to the "Everything You Need" store for an umbrella and to Royal Blend Coffee & Tea House to meet Carolyn and a tour guide. Observing the old Spanish architecture in the French Quarter along the way, we made our way to the New Orleans Parish Saint Louis Cemetary No. 1. We learned all about why tombs are above ground, the use of tombs for multiple bodies, who owns and maintains tombs, and the history of specific sites. A scene from Easy Rider was filmed here so of course no else can now. Homer Plessy of Plessy vs. Ferguson is entombed here, as is Marie Laveau, Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, for whom people leave gifts and rum -- which never seams to sit out too long. Concluded the store at a Priestess Miriam's voodoo temple, where Ben concluded that voodoo is the superstition of the very poor about the power of stuff.



Returning to the hotel to dry off and get ready to go out, Ben observed aloud, and then to housekeeping, that our lovely view from the 34th floor was despoiled by dirty windows and is there anychance they could be cleaned? Saturday evening we had drinks at the Napoleon House, dined alfresco at Cafe Amelie, and made friends out on Bourbon Street. When we got home we found on our voice mail had an apology for the condition of the windows from the housekeeping manager, who hoped it hadn't ruined our stay.

Sunday, August 17. Before I had to go to work in the exhibit hall at the New Orleans Convention Center, Carolyn and I set of in search of brunch - one of my top four favorite meals. We found a gift for our friend Brenda Sherer on her birthday but no place open that we'd planned. Three years after Katrina, the guidebooks and local business are still trying to get in synch. We knew the Harrah's casino would have brunch, and sure enough they did, but we paid a lot for a pretty poor experience. But, I don't expect much from casino's and New Orleans is still trying to balance supply and demand, labor and customers. Please let me know when it all comes together again; then they can train business owners in PG County.



After a long day in the convention center, I had a snack with Virginia colleagues at Mulate's original cajun restaurant. Then the American Public Works Association (APWA) gathered for a get aquainted party at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, where I reunited with Carolyn and old colleagues, and made some new friends. It was a bit crowded but I really enjoyed the sea otters and mermaids (right). With no plan whatsover, we set off with our Pennsylvania friends, Pat and Sherri (above), and ended up having drinks in the lounge adjacent to Arnaud's. When we got home we found on our voice mail another apology for the condition of the windows from the housekeeping manager, who hoped it hadn't ruined our stay.

Monday August 18. Carolyn headed off for San Francisco, while I prepared for a meeting and a presentation. I had oysters as a snack at Swizzle Sticks. The transportation committee had dinner at Olivier's, where I ate creole rabbit and humble pie with Denise Saunders. Afterward Jon, Joe, Denise and I had beignets at Cafe du Monde, which Carolyn had visited earlier on her walkabouts. Later in the evening I met Tim Haynes and the Seskatchewan contingent at the Presidents reseption and the Canadian's reception, where we laughed at, and were amazed by, Olympic diving. When I got back to the hotel I found a letter of apology for the condition of the windows.

Tuesday August 17. More meetings blah blah, packed up the exhibit, and took in one more session. During lunch a got a new pair of sunglasses and lunch at Bon Tons. Had dinner with my own local chapter and more old colleagues at the Court of Two Sisters. Then off to see the wizard, stopping in for mere seconds at Bourbon Streets institutions both venerable an seedy: Jean Laffite's Old Absinthe Bar, Pat O'Brien's, Tropical Island for a Handgrenade, and anyplace else that struck me as entertaining. After listening to jazz at Fritzels, and live piano at Laffite's Blacksmith Shop, I closed the evening with a self-guided architectural tour of Bourbon, Esplanade, and Royal Streets.

Wednesday August 18. By the time I left for the airport on Wednesday, the hotel windows were still dirty but I had a $75 gift card, and that looked good to me!

For more pictures see Picasa or Facebook.

Supreme Court Opinion on Second Ammendment is Weak

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

The conclusion reached by the Supreme Court majority yesterday was probably inevitable, given the phrase "shall not be infringed", but the majority opinion is one of the worst written I have seen, and is contradictory.

On the one hand, Scalia indicates that the prefatory clause - the first two phrases which provide context - has no bearing on the for the concluding operative clause, rendering 13 words in the constitution completely irrelevant. However, he then goes on to inject a new context to support the right to bear arms, for self-defense in the home, which although reasonable is not mentioned anywhere in the bill of rights.

Scalia correctly points out that in "all six other provisions of the Constitution that mention 'the people,' the term unambiguously refers to all members of teh political community, not an unspecified subset." However, he thin goes on identify specific subsets of teh community that have a right to bear arms (law-abiding citizens defending their homes) and those who whould not (criminals, mentally-ill). Although this too sounds reasonable, the contradictions render the opinion debatable.

The majority then relies on a 'strict interpretation' to emphasize that the right "shall not be infringed." He then goes on to list the infringements that he beleives are still appropriate, including who gets this right, where it applies, and commercial transactions neccesary to exercise this right.

These inconsistencies suggest that this is not the best thought out opinion the Court has compiled. The air of personal opinion instead of logic is reinforced by other illogical arguments more appropriate to arguing the case than deciding it, such, "what is not debatable is that it is not the role of this Court to pronounce the Second Ammendment extinct." Although the modern context of DC law was part of the argument, the court was not asked to rule the ammendment 'extinct'. This is an extreme and argumentative position that does little to clarify messy middle that lower courts will need to sort out.

In the Washington Post article "Justices Reject D.C. Ban on Handgun Ownership", Robert Barnes correctly points out that "Stevens and especially Scalia made their points in caustic and dismissive language. Throughout his opinion, Scalia used terms such as 'frivilous' and 'absurdity' to describe his opponents legal reasoning." The 'opinions' of the Supreme Court ought to provide us with clear, impassionate, and logical guidance.

Both opinions discussed the historical contect of the ammendment, which sheds light on its meaning, but can never be relied upon to reach an absolute conclusion. Professor Mark Tushnelt of harvard correctly observes that both Scalia and Stevens wrote that "there's only one way to view what happened in 1791."

The legal crux of the conclusion, however, is consistent with most Supreme Court opinions, that the absolute prohibition of hand guns went too far. In many other cases the Court has ruled that the state cannot category deny one right to all people in order to protect another right, or people in general.

Ultimately, the opinion addressed only one part of the ammendment, and left room for infinitely more debate about the regulation of arms.

Okay So We're Buying a House

Okay, so we sprung this on ourselves too. We wanted a bigger house and agreed to moving someday, and looking at houses in general, and agreed in principal to some houses over others, and secured financing just in case, and since we're agreed made an offer that was accepted and omg we're buying a *!%^&* house!

The house is in Hyattsville on 43rd Street, an older neighvorhood but new construction. Its kind of a blank slate but we decided to we'd rather put money into improvements than repairs. See some pictures or a map.

We're closing on Friday July 11th.

Flowering of the Church at Old Trinity

Mothers day this year - May 11, 2008 - coincided with a traditiona called the flowering of the church. A news story from WBOC about the flowering at Old Trinity Episcopal Church in Church Creek, MD where Carolyn and I were married last year on April 8th 2007 <link>.