Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Election foolishness (isn't it always?) and more...

With all the election brouhaha, it's easy to forget that the employees of the company contracted to run the county bus service (known simply as The Bus) went on strike yesterday, according to the Washington Examiner. A brave move, I say, in these recessionary times, but, unlike many workers, they're in a union, so they have a bit more protection than other workers. Somewhat. The bad thing is that the possibility wasn't publicized ahead of time, so people using The Bus to get around the county (to polling places, perhaps?) are in a bind, and unsure which lines are not running.

Of course, polling places and the county courthouse aren't the only places The Bus runs near; there's also a stop near the outskirts of this place, where I got some early junk in the trunk:

pumpkin from Clagett Farm in car trunkThat's right--pumpkin in mid-September, from Clagett Farm. (It was a gift from an acquaintance whose truck I was helping unload.)

However, the true junk around here doesn't emanate from the farm; it comes from the politicians. I'm not talking about their posturing on various issues (or the lack thereof), or the annoying robo-calls. No, they've added another level of nuisance to the campaign season this time around.

Once upon a time, almost all election signs looked like this (my favorite campaign sign this season):
High Sheriff campaign signNow, we have lots of campaign signs pumped up on steroids, blocking views of the street, traffic, etc.:
giant Michael Jackson campaign sign
giant Dereck Davis campaign sign
giant Sam Dean campaign sign Ugh. Go away. This could, and should, become a campaign issue. After all, what happened to the "Gorgeous Prince George's" initiative?

Friday, September 10, 2010

Friday funny--on encouragement...

Sometimes, you need a little nudge, or even a push, to do what you know you can do. Of course, this is an extreme--since when did a labrador retriever need encouragement to get in the water?

Safety first...

Great Hall at Union Station Washington DC
A recent community women's meeting had a guest speaker, Lisa Adams-Williams, a detective with the DC Police's Sexual Assault Unit. Ms. Adams-Williams spoke on how to avoid being assaulted, as well as what to do if it happens to you.

She gave much of the usual spiel about being careful in parking garages, with the additional caveat to be careful about parking near the driver's side of a van, as people have been snatched away from that side of such a vehicle.

The most surprising information (perhaps it shouldn't be) was her caution that the restrooms in Union Station are the most likely places for sexual assault attempts in DC, so to be careful to accompany children to the restrooms there, whenever possible, to avoid problems. (And to be careful there yourself.)

You probably already know that if you are assaulted, that you don't shower or change your clothing, etc., until after you report it to the authorities. She also mentioned that you should first report the crime to the police, then go to a hospital or clinic.

Of course, you need to report the crime where it occurred (what happens in DC stays in DC)--if the crime happens in DC, then report it to the DC Police. If you're attacked in Arlington, report it to the Arlington County Police, etc.

All in all, a helpful chat, and hope to speak with her again.