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05 Jun 2011 00:59

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U.S.: The guy who designed DC’s Metro map preps for a redesign

  • A classic design gets a refresh: Nearly 40 years ago, graphic designer Lance Wyman designed a map that’s come to define a city. The result — a map of a fairly self-contained Metro system — has survived numerous station changes and many iterations to remain a truly useful piece of work. With upcoming changes to the Metro system that will make the map significantly more complicated, Wyman’s getting another chance to work on the design, which needs room for Dulles Airport, a new color and a ton of names that have gotten unwieldy over the years (see “U Street/African-American Civil War Memorial/Cardozo“). And people are clamoring for a redesign — seriously, check out this contest right here. If you’re wondering if the 73-year-old Wyman is getting nervous about all this, the answer is yes. This is his ’68 Comeback Special here. (photo by The Washington Post’s Jennifer S. Altman; see a gallery here) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Jan 2011 20:26

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Politics: Road rage: Angry DC residents could rename Pennsylvania Ave.

  • cause Despite decades of fighting, D.C. is no closer to true representation in Congress than they were when 73-year-old delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton was born.
  • reaction City officials want to rename part of the city’s most famous street – Pennsylvania Ave. – to something really embarrassing. Too bad Congress has to approve it. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Jun 2010 10:08

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U.S.: Hippie takeover: D.C.’s plastic bag tax, S.F.’s cell phone radiation law

  • 5¢ amount shoppers have to pay to get a plastic bag at any store in D.C.; yes, it’s annoying, but at least it’s encouraging people to use fabric bags instead source
  • $300 amount cell phone companies could soon pay in San Francisco for not posting information about cell phone radiation levels; this also sounds annoying source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Mar 2010 11:02

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U.S.: Gay marriage is now legal in D.C. It’s a good reason to celebrate!

  • I didn’t want to get married anywhere else. This is my city standing up for marriage equality.
  • D.C. resident Rocky Galloway • On his now-legal marriage to Reggie Stanley, his partner of six years. Gay marriage became legal today after the Supreme Court chose not to intervene in a last-ditch effort to stop it. We wonder what that means for the court case currently grinding through in California. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Dec 2009 21:40

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Politics: Let’s take a moment to ponder the D.C. gay marriage bill

  • I’m going to use the full power of the black church to kill this bill. I feel pity for those who voted for this because they have defied the will of God. We have warned them.
  • Rev. Anthony Evans of Mount Zion Baptist Church • On the bill in favor of gay marriage that passed today in the District. The bill passed the council today 11-2 (but needs a signature from Mayor Adrian Fenty that it’s bound to get). For those who don’t live in D.C., we’d like to point out a couple of things: D.C. has one of the largest (and strongest) gay communities in the country, and Congress has the right to block the law’s passage. A couple of loudmouths could bully Congress and convince them to take away a huge victory for the District’s gay community. To us, this says one thing: The District’s rights shouldn’t be controlled by Congress like this. It’s unfair, and it wouldn’t be an issue in Virgina or Maryland despite the fact that they’re less than 10 miles away. This disparity needs to be fixed so folks like Evans can’t take advantage of it. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

12 Nov 2009 21:29

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U.S.: Dear Catholic Church: Stop playing politics with social services

  • This is absolute crap. And unfair to D.C. Taking care of its large gay community, the District of Columbia’s is about to vote on a law that will recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. But the Catholic Church is trying to leverage its power over the city – providing thousands with services such as adoption and feeding the homeless – to try to stop the law. If the law passes, they say, they’ll stop providing these services. This is crap. It’s also not Christian. Churches should not play politics like this, because they’ll burn people who don’t deserve to get caught in the flames. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

10 Nov 2009 20:39

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U.S.: CONFIRMED: D.C. sniper executed. Twitter’s talking about it now.

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

15 Jul 2009 21:14

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U.S.: Never a dull moment in D.C.: Guy shot, killed near Capitol

  • Whew. Just another average day in the District. A block away from the Capitol, a dude gets stopped for a routine traffic stop. He flees in his getaway car of choice – a white Mercedes – and hits a cop in the process, injuring him. He then drives into a police cruiser, gets out, and is cornered by police, who tell him to put down his weapon. He doesn’t do it, and is shot and killed. Like we said. Just another average day in the District.source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

22 Jun 2009 21:20

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U.S.: Post-crash, why being a commuter in D.C. will suck tomorrow

  • As opposed to the automated computer controls the trains usually use, all trains will be operating in manual mode tomorrow. source
  • The crash happened on the Red Line, by far the busiest line and the main downtown line, ensuring that commutes will be a pain. source
  • Those who use Maryland’s MARC commuter rail lines will also be in trouble, as the Brunswick Line is suspended indefinitely. source
  • Sure, buses will be running to replace the trains, but Red Line trains hold up to 1,000 people. Your average Metro bus holds 50-60. source
  • And finally, the intangible. Anytime a major crash like this happens, fear sets in. Tensions flare. Careful tomorrow, guys. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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