Eastern Market, R.I.P.

Fire gutted part of the Eastern Market in D.C. today. I used to live about a 10 minute walk from the market, and on weekends I would sometimes stroll from my place at gentrification's edge to peruse the stalls. There were rarely any bargains, although seasonal fruit was sometimes a good deal. But the ambiance and shopping experience beat the local unSafeway hands down. I wonder how long it will take to be rebuilt, or what monstrosity will replace it.

Long Live the Queen

Today marks 25 years of Madonna with her April 24, 1982 release of "Everybody." Her latest is her greatest, although I still love me some of the classics.

Nigerian elections

The Nigerian presidential election was this past weekend, and sadly it was a disaster rife with corruption. I comment because it reminds me of Nigeria's first democratic elections held 8 years ago. At the time, I lived in Mamfé, the last town of consequence in Cameroon before crossing the Nigerian border.

I had a love/hate relationship with Mamfé; it was a shithole, but at the same time it was an amazing place to live because it was so remote from the rest of the world (Cameroon included). I fantasized about the elections on the other side of the border going horribly wrong, which would somehow cause Nigeria to invade its neighbor to the south and necessitate my evacuation by U.S. Marines sent in from Yaoundé. But that didn't happen.

Mamfé town center

New toy

I hope it rains this week. I can't wait to try out my new toy.

Sad, I know, but it was a cheap impulse purchase and my lawn needs it. I also have my eye on this baby but I decided to wait. I might rent one instead.

Earth Day, observed

Happy Earth Day! Today, I chopped down and uprooted two trash bags full of plants in preparation for the upcoming fence installation. I took two showers, used a bunch of electricity to clean my house, and used a bunch of gas to cook dinner. I also filled up my SUV and then drove a total of 60 miles taking someone to the airport and doing a bunch of errands.

Normally, my lifestyle is more environmentally friendly. For instance, because I park and ride the DART into downtown, I only fill up my gas-guzzler every other week. I also compost most of my yard waste and recycle about half my trash. I just found it amusing that instead of celebrating Earth Day with a trash clean-up or something along those lines, I killed a bunch of plants. But they were really weeds, so their carbon sequestration should be discounted.

Vast right-wing conspiracy

I'm relatively happy in my current job, but prior to getting this position I applied to work at the DOJ. I thought I had a chance, especially when the DOJ flew me to D.C. for an interview. I was studying abroad in Belém at the time, and the round-trip from the Amazon involved 6 flights, 30+ hours on planes, and 1 hurricane. And then the DOJ also paid for my hotel and gave me a per diem.

I wonder why the DOJ wasted the taxpayer's money, especially in light of this snipet from an article on AG Gonzales's testimony today before the Senate:

"The House committee on Wednesday also released a letter it said it had received anonymously from Justice Department employees in which they complain about a partisan bias they said exists in hiring law school students or young lawyers for summer internships or new jobs.

The letter says senior aides to Mr. Gonzales removed from consideration any candidates who “had interned for a Hill Democrat, clerked for a Democratic judge, worked for a ‘liberal’ cause or otherwise appeared to have ‘liberal’ leanings.”

Let's see...after college, I was in the Peace Corps. Then I worked for a Democratic House member for 2 years. During law school, I did not one, but TWO summer internships that were all about saving nature. One of them was in a foreign country and I didn't speak much English that summer. Do you think my resume might indicate that I have "liberal" leanings?

I would like to say that I am outraged and shocked, but I'm not. I expect politics to play some role in the hiring process, but I would like think that entry-level civil servants come from a variety of backgrounds and represent the political spectrum. I'm eligible to apply for the same job again and I have been thinking about it, but now I wonder whether I should even bother since the same administration will be in place.

At least now I can say that I didn't get the job because of a Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy and not because the other candidates had higher grades.

Bulk trash week

One of the weirder aspects of home ownership is that I have spent a lot of my free time doing chores I never knew existed.

For example, yesterday I spent two hours cleaning out my gutters. I scooped out twigs and rotting leaves, and I cleared three of the spouts that were completely clogged by shoving a hose down them and turning the hose on full blast. I found this to be strangely satisfying.

Also, I cleared out a huge amount of overgrown vines, dead trees, and weed/trees. In preparation for the new fence (that will be fabulous), I had to clear the vegetation that abuts the current fence. Most of what I removed was really crappy anyway and needed to go. I'm particularly proud that I cut down three dead small trees.

I don't think the bulk trash people are going to be very happy with me when they come by for this month's pickup. Even though I cleared a huge amount of crap, I haven't finished yet since there are still some vines that need to go.

Yoga flunkie no more

I started weekly yoga classes about two months ago. During the first class, when everyone else's leg was at a 90 degree angle and mine was at a 45 degree angle, the instructor pointed me out as a model of inflexibility and told the class, "look everyone, that is as far as he can go."

My flexibility has improved a little bit, and my forms are getting better. But I'm still not what one would call limber. Imagine my surprise this evening when, after doing a new pose, the instructor was amazed at my ankle flexibility and made me do the pose in front of everyone to show them how it should be done. I even remembered to tuck my butt in, and my thighs were picture-perfect and parallel to the floor.

Who knew that I was blessed with flexible ankles?

Reading, Writing, Arithmatic - and a little Jesus on the side

More legislation from the man who prevented the scourge of gay marriage from sweeping across Texas by making it super duper triple illegal:

"The House Public Education Committee was set late Tuesday to consider – but not vote on – a bill by Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, ordering high schools to offer history and literacy* courses on the Old and New Testaments. The courses would be elective."

"We're not going to preach the Bible, we're going to teach the Bible and how it affects all of our writings, documents and the formation of our government," Mr. Chisum said. "We're taking it as a document that has historical value."

*I'm thinking the reporter meant to write "history and literature courses," but you never know. Maybe people who elect representatives that favor thinly veiled legislative attempts to support state sponsorship of a particular religion do need literacy courses. Or, the source could be wrong. You choose.