I’ve Got the Spirit and News of the Day

Sweating and breathing a bit heavier then normal this morning I came back into the house (which I forgot to lock up...ooops) after a surprise early morning weekday run. It seems that I caught a nasty case of the “Spirit” last night after taking in our latest Netflix offering, The Spirit of the Marathon on the DVD machine. For those of you who are too lazy to follow the link, the movie is a documentary following 5 runners as they train for the 2005 Chicago Marathon. I highly recommend adding it to your cue but again for those of you too lazy to even do that...just view the trailer below.

Ok so even though I’ve now run 15 marathons I can still be inspired and I went to sleep last night thinking that I have to go out and run in the morning (even though I need to run 20 additional miles tomorrow morning). Now that’s moving.

Onto news of the day. I saw this in the paper this morning and wanted to share. From the pages of the DC Examiner:
Laundering racket shut down in Florida
A 49-year-old Florida woman was charged with felony burglary after she repeatedly broke into a vacant home to use the washer and dryer, according to an arrest report.
Officers responding to a complaint found wet clothes in the washer and dryer and Mary Angela Southwick hiding in a closet.
The home’s owner, who lives out of state, asked that Southwick be required to reimburse her for the costs of water and electricity. – From staff and wire reports

The Hippo Truth, The Mayor Ain’t That Fast, and South Park’s GOP Following

The subtitle to this posting is “Everything I Need to Know I Learned Reading Yeas & Nays in the DC Examiner. Several items in today’s paper are screaming for my attention and I just can’t decide which comes first so I’ll go in the order which I read them.

The Hippo Truth
Former George Washington University president, Steven Joel Trachtenberg finally came clean on the giant bronze hippo sitting at the corner of 20th and G streets, NW in DC. The gist of it was that he was drunk and his wife wasn’t there to supervise so he bought this thing and had it shipped back to DC where he wasted the time and money of a major university (Bloggerman’s alma matter) fabricating a lie about how George and Martha Washington used to sit on the porch at Mt. Vernon and watch these “noble creatures” wallowing in the mud of the Potomac River.

Finally! We’ve been saying this ever since the late 1990’s when this “thing” was plopped down on campus along with an all out media blitz to try to convince us that it belonged. Nobody bought this crap but as we matriculated out of the university, the incoming classes were inducted and went around believing that if you rubbed the hippo’s nose it would bring you good luck. The only luck it would have brought you in an exam is if it fell on you so you couldn’t fail.

What I want to know is how much money was ultimately spent by the university to promote this damn thing? And furthermore will Trachtenberg pay that tab? This guy should rightly get the credit for turning around the school in the late 80’s and making it a top flight school heading into the 21st century but this is the kind of schemer that should permanently be on his record. Somewhere the Washington’s are rolling in their graves.

The Mayor Ain’t That Fast
So the honorable, Adrian Fenty, DC Mayor is running (along with your’s truly) the 33rd Marine Corps Marathon this Sunday. This year he also shared the pavement with me at the National Marathon in April and he ran a 3 hour and 40 minute race. I was behind him by a little over 20 min (4 hour 7 minutes). But since then I’ve shaved 7 min off of that time (Frederick Marathon) and I think I’m ready to get even closer. So your Honor, watch your back cause Bloggerman and his “Run, Beer, Repeat” team will be on your heels.

SP and the GOP
“You bastards, you killed Palin....err...Kenny!” That’s the cry coming from hard core conservative Republican’s per the latest Nielson study. Yep the great GOP goes gaga for Cartman, Kyle, Mr. Hankey and the rest of the South Park crew. Some people are surprised about this because of the show’s controversial content but I’m not in that group. Why would you be surprised that a bunch of bible-thumping, gun-toting, bigoted rednecks like a show that star a cast of bible-thumping, gun-toting, bigoted rednecks (albeit animated ones)? Sure they cross the line and kill little Kenny each episode (at least I think they still do, I haven’t watched in a while) but they also have tried to stop stem cell research, abortion clinics, and constantly bash gays. These are the planks of the GOP platform and those doing the elephant walk can be proud that they can see themselves in small cartoon children. It sure sounds like NAMBLA’s registration numbers and the names on Megan’s List are going to be increasing as of November 5.

Is it Getting Wamer In Here? and Campaign Love

Thanks to all those fine people who don’t believe in Global Warming I’ve had to suffer for the last few days as we here in DC enjoy our annual “2-3 Hot Days in the Middle of January.” The real challenge here is not the warmer then normal weather outside but what to do inside your office where the heat stays on regardless. I’ve taken to rolling up my sleeves and drinking more water then usual. Others use portable fans or wear clothes that you normal wouldn’t find in the Northeast in the middle of winter.

It is this last item that I want to address in today’s entry. There is nothing wrong with adjusting to the temperature by adjusting your clothing. I would never expect you to where a heavy top coat and wool ski hat when it’s going to be 70 degrees outside, but on the flip side there are things that should NEVER be worn to an office setting. It really doesn’t matter if it’s the winter, summer, spring, fall or other season that isn’t officially recognized by the group of scientists and TV weather personalities that decide these kind of things.

The biggest no-no are flip flops, sandals, or other footwear that is backless and attaches my sliding the toes through an open end of fabric. This morning on the escalator up from the Metro I observed a man wearing faded jeans, brown polo shirt, and ratty brown flip-flops. Did I miss the memo that there was a dress down Tuesday today? I don’t think so and I don’t think this guy should have been allowed into his office today. What kind of thoughts go through your head when your in the closest (where you should have stayed) getting dressed? “Hum, well it will be warmer then usual today. I should wear my flip flops with the grey suit. No wait. That doesn’t match at all…I’ll wear the ratty jeans and polo shirt. Yeah that’s the ticket. My boss will be so impressed that my outfit matches that he’s sure to give me that big raise and promotion!” Dumbass!

The DC Examiner today pointed out a great personal ad on Craigslist today. How appropriate that something like this was posted in this over-hyped, over-worked political season. Now if we can just find somebody for Bill while Hillary is out campaigning? Ladies, any volunteers?

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What is it about Republicans and Christianity?

Why does it always seem that members of the GOP feel the need to remind their constituents that Christianity is a major religion and many times impose the weight of the US Government in "endorsing" it? America is still without an "official religion" right? Just checking. I mean after reading this tidbit in today's Des Moins Register:

Rep. Steve King’s, R-Iowa, Christmas resolution — “recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith” — boasted 58 co-sponsors, and was set for a voice vote shortly afterward. But a roll call vote was demanded, which postponed the vote until the evening.

Why does Representative King feel the need to waist the people's time and money (he is one of those previously mentioned tax-payer financed salary drawers) with this dribble? Was he not sure that the entire free world is Christian (except for 1/2 who are Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Atheist, Pastafarian, and others)? Was he confused because his local Walmart had up Christmas decorations a few days before LABOR DAY? Or is it just that he's a giant sack of dog vomit? My money is on the later.

There were 9 "no" votes on the floor of the House last night (Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) (FL), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA), and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA).). My hats off to these Congressmen/Women (some of whom are Jewish...imagine that...there are people who aren't Christian!!!). They stood up for the American value of Freedom of Religion and not "An attack on Christianity" as Rep Dog Vomit (I mean King) said in a release on his website this morning.

So once again I ask you my loyal readers to get off your ass and write the Congressman as well as your own and tell him exactly what you think of him and his "Christian American Values".

Now with that out of the way this might shock you. I am 100% in agreement with Ralph Reed. For those of you who don't remember, Mr. Reed was the head of the "Christian Coalition" and an ever present advocate of those same "Christian Values" in Washington, DC for many years. But now he is quoted as saying in today's DC Examiner:

Ralph Reed: Religion questions are getting invasive

December 12, 3:47 AM

Guess Ralph Reed isn’t a fan of all the attention being given to Mitt Romney’s religion lately. The former head of the Christian Coalition recently had this to say to Religious News Service: “We have been conducting doctrinal frisks and theological GI-tract exams of our candidates and we have to remember that these candidates are not running for president of the seminary and they’re not running for pastor in chief. They’re running to be commander in chief at a time of global war on terrorism.”

Kudos to Mr. Reed for (unintentionally ??) pointing out that all this crap about the candidates' faith needs to stop. I don't care if Romney is Mormon. If he's the best candidate, then I'll vote for him (not going to happen). Or if Obama was Muslim and was the best candidate I'd vote for him. Hell I'd even vote for Clinton if I thought she was the best (and she's friggin Satan) but I just don't care about the candidate's religion and if you do and it affects your decision making process then you don't deserve to vote. If Congress had any guts they would ban any political campaigning in places of worship or any (even implied) influence of religious figures in their constituency's voting. The punishment for conviction would be loss of their tax exempt status or just death.

As somebody once said to a Christian protester outside of a movie, "If this geek is getting into Heaven, then I'll hang out in hell!"