GooseTales

Memories

Memories.  They really are amazing little things. They can lift you up, right out of the place where you are and like a magical time machine, transport you into someplace else at some other time.  All it takes is a sight, a sound, or scent.  Sometimes they pick you up and take you back to the happier carefree days of youth, when you would swing on the swing set and listen to the sound of wind chimes.  That sound still brings me back to my time growing up when I would hear the wind rustle through them, making them sing from the porch, as I played without a care in the world.  It's not often as adults that we have the opportunity to live so free from the realities of the world around us, but memories have the power to free us.

Still, at times, the memories bring back thoughts that might better be forgotten.  Yesterday, I drove through a neighborhood that I used to see everyday, but now rarely.  I took the same route from my apartment that I took very nearly every day for over a year.  The memories didn't flood back over me until I made the left turn that took me away from the other places that I take the route too.  I could have gone this way dozens of times in the last four months to get here or there, but I avoided it.  Last night, I was sure that it would mean nothing to me.  I was wrong.

Seeing those familiar places... the market, the Starbucks, the Cold Stone, the Baskin Robbins, the McDonald's, the restaurant, the pizza place.  It all brought back a thousand memories.  They are powerful things; they break down the walls that you build inside of yourself and expose you to the raw emotion that you've moved past in your daily life.  They remind you of a time when all seemed right in the world and nothing could take you from what you were sure was your destiny.  They put you right back into that place and let you see just how wrong you were about things.  Of course, the memories are mostly happy: the late night walks to Starbucks holding hands, the walk back and forth on a warm day for the shared Apple Pie a la Mode (with Sinless Sweet Cream, of course), the stolen kiss waiting for the light to change.

Those places become forever a part of who you are and part of the fabric of your very being.  From now until I die, those places will always be associated with those times, those moments, those memories.  Though I have moved on and placed it behind me, I cannot deny that a song on the radio, a sight in the city, or the scent of a certain perfume brings me back to a time before.  Now, I just look out on the world and search out someone new to make more memories that will last a lifetime.

The Comcast DVR Ripoff

I have a Comcast DVR cable box.  My parents have Time-Warner and have never had a problem with their box, so I thought I'd get mine from the cable company and see how it works out.  I've had it for about 4 months and I have to say, it's a complete rip off.  It wouldn't be if it worked, but it doesn't.  Since I got it, I've have the following problems:

(1) Change the channels and the sound cuts out.
(2) Turn on the TV and the sound won't work.
(3) DVR Playback locks up and freezes the box.
(4) DVR will not allow you to change channels when it is recording something (it should be able to as it's dual-tuner).

Most frustrating about this and what ultimately led to a stream of explicatives tonight was not being able to playback 24.  I've spent over an hour and ten minutes trying to watch 40 minutes of TV.  I have to start the program over and fast forward through the point where it froze and then start playback.  Then, repeat.  As it is, I'm sure I missed important points, because I had to fast forward over them and I can't see the last five minutes or so of the episode.

I called Comcast tonight and complained.  I finally got through and talked to someone and was able to convince them to send someone out here to look at it.  There are a lot of sites complaining about the Comcast box online (Google "Comcast DVR Freezes").  It seems Comcast has to be aware that this is a massive problem and continues to sell the box and push it onto consumers who have no idea that the product is flawed to the point of being unusable.  This just looks like a class-action lawsuit waiting to happen.  I'm not a big fan of class actions, but in a case like this where Comcast has a monopoly (I can't get satellite in my apartment and no other cable provider services my area) it seems like this might be the perfect opportunity to send them a message about treating your customers right.

The service tech is supposed to be out here between 8 AM and 11 AM on Saturday.  We'll see if they show up and I'll update with a post about the resolution or lack there of based on my Internet research then.

Old Man Winter Roars

This has been a strange winter, alternating between pleasantly warm and frigidly cold in the nation's capital.  This morning it dipped down into the teens with a biting wind that was gusting upward of 20 mph.  Even with the wool coat, the Metro platform (which, of course, was experience a mighty delay) was unpleasantly cold.  Apparently, we've been into the teens three times in February 2006--compared to none in February 2005.  Global warming rears it's ugly head.  I guess it just goes to show that you can't beat Mother Nature (and Old Man Winter).

Wow, Groceries are Expensive!

So, just doing a little grocery shopping today.  12 Pack Frigo Cheesehead Light Cheesesticks are $4.29 on sale for $3.50 at Safeway this week.  Price back home: $2.89.  Coke products, 12 pack cans, normally $4.19(?), on sale 2/$7 at Safeway.  Price back home: $2.99 and usually on sale for $2.50. 

Now, I look at these price differences and I realize that life in DC is just more expensive than in other parts of the country (though obviously not all of it).  I can't help but wonder if a big part of the price difference on groceries is related to the presence of Wal-Mart grocery stores back home.  Wal-Mart carries a limited variety of products, but the products they do carry are cheap and the other grocery store almost always has their prices on those items set very close to the Wal-Mart price.  I don't think the local chain (like Wal-Mart) is unionized.  In contrast, all of the grocery stores in DC and the Maryland burbs (SuperFresh, Giant, Safeway) have a unionized workforce and don't have to compete against a grocery discounter like Wal-Mart for business.  Is it any wonder that the unions and Giant were the driving forces behind the Maryland legislator's decision to implement what The Post referred to as a "legislative mugging masquerading as an act of benevolent social engineering."  George Will referred to it as "Shoplifting as Governance."  If Wal-Mart makes the decision to stay out of the grocery market in the area, as seems likely, given Montgomery County's efforts to keep them out and Maryland's new law, it looks like the real losers will be those of us who have to buy groceries.

Metro Tales

The Post has a collection of stories from readers.  Some include a touching love story about a couple who live together now after riding on Metro together for sometime.  (An important note to the ladies: She finally talked to him.  Take a chance, you never know.)

I wish I had some interesting stories from Metro, but I can't really say I've seen anything as bizarre as the stories in the Post article.  Judging from the Missed Connections posted on Craigslist, it seems as Metro is the primary means for not finding love.  It's amazing the number of men and women who post on CL about having seen someone on the Metro and then are kicking themselves for not saying something.  Life is about taking chances, take yours, you might just find what you're looking for.

I've certainly run into people on the Metro.  I always find it interesting when I end up randomly in the same car with someone I know.  I've even had the unfortunate experience of running into an ex-girlfriend only weeks after a painful break-up.  That was an awkward four stops.  Best of luck to you in finding your Metro connections.

Tom Bridge over at Metroblogging DC shares his own Metro story.  Apparently, I'm the only one in DC with a boring Metro existence.

Public Health and Obesity as a Choice

So, yesterday morning, I went to the buy-the-pound deli/salad bar place in my building to grab breakfast.  I ordered an egg-white omelet with ham, onions, green peppers, and wheat toast without butter.  While I waited a few minutes for my breakfast to be made, I watched as people went and collected their breakfasts from the various options on the breakfast bars.

Is it any wonder so many Americans are obese or overweight?  Without fail, people selected the donuts and giant muffins that were located right next to all sorts of fresh fruit.  They selected scrambled eggs with sausage and cheese in them.  They went for the cheese omelets, fried potatoes, biscuits and gravy, bacon, and sausage.  Turkey sausage was available, but didn't look very popular.  Beyond that, as if the fried potatoes weren't bad enough, people were putting cheese sauce on top of them.  Heaping plates of 1,000+ calorie breakfasts were flying out the door.  In the three or four minutes I was there, I saw only one person (a thin woman) go for the fresh fruit or cottage cheese.  I saw at least 10 times that many (mostly not thin) hit up the bar for various high-fat, high-calorie breakfast foods.

I'll admit my breakfast isn't the greatest one in the world for you.  On top of what I picked up from the restaurant (?), I also had some 1% Cottage Cheese and FF low-calorie yogurt.  It probably was about 600 calories, but was well-rounded and high in protein.

I wonder how any lawyer could see what I saw and then somehow think that they are justified in suing McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and other companies for making Americans fat.  If people want to know why Americans are fat, they need only look in the mirror.

On a personal note, I am formerly obese and I know how hard it can be to lose weight, I tried for years before dropping over 125 lbs.  It was the best decision I ever made and I couldn't have done it without the support of those close to me.  I never blamed a single company for my being fat, it was always my fault and I knew it.  I was also the only one who could change that.

Scary Times for Recent NoVa Home Buyers

David Bernstein, a law prof at George Mason, cites a scary statistic for recent home buyers in Northern Virginia.  Apparently, home inventory (the number of homes currently on the market) has increased some 400% since this time last year.  He's got a chart showing what appears to be a huge bubble forming.  As demand has weakened in light of rising interest rates, home prices have slipped some 5-10% (according to Bernstein) since August.  With all of the adjustable rate mortgages out there, declining home values and rising interest rates could make a scary combination for those who bought recently. 

I'm hoping for a huge drop in the housing market myself in about 3 years, right after I finish law school.

They'd All Lose Their Jobs

It's a good thing that we don't do this here.  London's mayor, Ken Livingston, has been suspended for four weeks for damaging "the reputation of his office."  Now, I'll admit, what he said was pretty offensive.  He compared a Jewish newspaper report to a concentration camp guard.  However, if being "unnexessarily insensitive and offensive" to a reporter was grounds to be suspended in DC, I'm afraid all of our local and national politicians would be left to find new careers.

Readers of Eugene Volokh, a law prof at UCLA and First Amendment expert discuss.

Slobs of DC

So, two pictures that point out how disgusting some people in DC are.  One really tells this picture.  I don't know if you can tell what it is, but right there in a picture of the crosswalk on K-street is a chicken bone.  A chicken bone?  What the hell... are you just walking along and decide to throw one down?  Disgusting.

The other isn't so much disgusting as just sad.  Someone apparently felt the need to handshred something and then deposit it allover a freaking Metro car.  I mean, really people, can't you just wait until you're near a damn trash can?

Stop Spitting

I know there is such a thing as spit-shine shoes.  Please, keep your freaking spit to yourself.  I'm standing at a crosswalk today, waiting my turn to go and some guy jogs up next to me and hocks a big puddle of saliva just inches from my shoes.  Excuse me?  So, Mr. Jogging Man in the Yellow Jacket on K-Street around 1 PM today... STOP SPITTING.