so that's why metro is crowded ...

Washington Post:

The U.S. Census Bureau acknowledged yesterday that it had underestimated the number of people living in Washington and revised its data to reflect the largest increase in the city's population since 1950.

The decision ... immediately adds more than 31,000 people to Washington's official population, increasing it to 582,049.

The addition of 31,528 people "makes up for all the losses of the 1990s and is equivalent to the loss in the 1980s as well."

When the 2000 census information began to come out, everyone was quick to notice that DC's population was still declining - almost forty years after the riots, more than 50 years after the beginning of the decline. So, I expect to see retractions from each of them.

DC is a vital city and - who knew - it has enormous potential for growth.

The revision marks the most significant increase in the city's population since it peaked in 1950 at 802,178.

Frankly, I can't imagine more than 200,000 more people in DC, but it's good to know it's possible. Good thing Metro is debuting those new "open seating plan" cars (in funky retro colors, no less).

Sorry, I got nothing.

These are funny ...

Radar Love

It's easy to become addicted to radar when you live in Washington, DC.

It's a beautiful day and, ooh, look, there are tiny birds singing in the golden trees under the bright smiling sun.

Then, suddenly, the black cloud of death appears on the horizon and thunder makes love to lightening, resulting in thousands of hail babies.

As Wikipedia explains, RADAR was invented by Gary Burghoff, who played Radar on the long-running television show M*A*S*H (Please note M*A*S*H's use of the * long before N*Sync).

Anyway, radar works by combining the opinions of hundreds of thousands of observers on the ground who constantly call the weather service and say "ooh, blue." or "argh! red!" Then the weather service creates a map with those colors. The observers are known as Doppler Effects.

Also, for some reason, Wikipedia mentions that "Al Franken is SATAN Al Franken is SATAN Al Franken is SATAN," but I still haven't figured out how that applies to radar, unless Franken is a doppler effect.

For fun radar, that loops and such, try this website. First look up your city's weather forecast, and then click on the radar picture on the lower right hand side of the page. Fun for sure!

BUG!

uhhghhhhh... uggg! Bug!

Bugs remind me of Dick Cheney. I like to read about what they do and problems they cause, and even what to do to stop them, but I don't like meeting them in person.

But, like Dick Cheney, they'll survive a nuclear holocaust, so you better get used to them.

The well titled website "Whats That Bug?" will do just that. They identify all sorts of bugs from pictures people send in.

I've placed a picture of a Anisocelis flavolineata here, but he prefers to be called Flavo for short. You wont be seeing Flavo next to your old Christmas decorations in the basement unless you store your Christmas decorations in Panama.

Want more information? Try BugGuide.net, which will give you much more information. A fairly regular visitor to my fine home is the common (in the best sense of the word) House Centipede.

I hate these things - they burst out from seemingly nowhere and they run like the wind! But Bug Guide can relieve you of bug-phobia. House Centipedes aren't so scary when you know their formal name is Scutigera Coleoptrata.I'm going to call the next one I see little "Coleo." Like,

"Oh, little Coleo, why did you just scare the shit out of me?" and

"Oh, little Coleo, I'm sorry I smooshed you with a New Yorker, but I have company coming over."

Maybe I should hold off on all the killing; BugGuide serves up the straight dope on these little assassins:

Predatory on other arthropods, including cockroach nymphs, flies, moths, bedbugs, crickets, silverfish, earwigs, and small spiders. In short, they'll eat many things you'd probably much rather not have in your home.

Way to go little Coleo, you can stay. Dick Cheney on the other hand ...

guhbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

New Air Conditioner!

mmmmmmmmmmm....


*teeth chatter*

... and don't call me Shirley

There are some things that can't be refuted.

Taxes are going to go up.

Prices are going to go up.

and the 'Airplane' (Airplane and Airplane II: The Sequel) movies are some of the funniest movies on the planet. My sister brought this up while I was visiting her in Los Angeles this past week, and she's absolutely correct. She saw the first movie and was amazed at the number of jokes per square inch of film.

Quite frankly, if you don't think the Airplane movies are some of the funniest movies of all time, I'm sure we'll never get along. You can keep your 'American Cooter Pie" and "What About the Spooge on Mary?" and "Napoleon Annoyingmite." I'll keep Airplane.

If you have a chance to see either movie, do yourself a favor and see it unedited. The network and even basic cable versions cut out waaaaay too many dirty jokes. And when it comes down to it, isn't that what's truly important in life?

My TiVo recorded Airplane II: The Sequel (it knows me too well), and I haven't laughed so hard in ages. Thank you IMDB for the quotes:

Striker: Quick, you must get everybody into the lounge.
Testa: But we don't have a lounge...
Striker: That's not important right now.

Mr. Hammen: And how about the time we hopped in the family car and drove all the way to Woodstock?
Mrs. Hammen: Oh, that was a time. You got hold of that bad acid and didn't come down for two weeks, you kept telling everyone that you were Jesus Christ and then you jumped off a roof 'cause you thought you could fly!
Mr. Hammen: What a bummer.
Mrs. Hammen: No shit.

Controller #3: Get me Steve McCroskey!
Controller #2: Are you kidding? Ever since Reagan fired the air traffic controllers, he's been completely senile!
Controller #3: Yeah, but what about McCroskey?
Controller #2: About the same as Reagan.

It's much better if you can hear the quotes. Hear them here.

It's even better if you watch the movie. Buy it here.