In the wonderful wisdom that is the D.C. Council taking their lead from the President in trying to *hush* dissent in the Capitol, preliminary approval was given to quiet noisy demonstrations within the city. As WTOP reports, that the measure is aimed at getting demonstrators away from residential neighborhoods and limit “non-commercial public speech” to 80 dB at a distance of 50 feet. The initial ordinance was proposed by Tommy Wells (Ward 6) and supported by Mary Cheh, Kwame Brown and David Catania in 2007, but was now just voted upon for enactment.

So what you’re saying, is that, while folks who decide to at least exercise their right to be heard in a public forum, “non-commercially”, must do so at a whisper, but some “commercial” entity, blaring music and using a loudspeaker, can do so wherever and whenever they want in D.C.? Let’s take a glance at what 80dB’s really gets you. [Note: Contrary to the "quick facts" posted on Councilmemeber Wells' site, and increase in decibels is not a simple "doubling" but a logarithmic scale increase... which is a much different mathematical consideration... so much for politicians fact checking before trying to enact laws.]

10dBA - Normal Breathing
20dBA - Mosquito or Rustling Leaves
30dBA - A Whisper
40dBA - A Bubbling Brook, or a Refrigerator
50dBA - Normal Conversation
60dBA - Laugher
70dBA - Vacuum Cleaner or Hairdryer
80dBA - City Traffic or a Garbage Disposal
90dBA - Motorcycle or Lawnmower

So, what they are proposing, is that you can protest in D.C., as long as we can’t hear you above the din of the traffic in D.C.. WTF?! Ice Cream trucks are louder than that… granted other cities are cracking down on those too. Granted, I always wanted the ice cream truck in my neighborhood to play “Helter Skelter” or come around like L.A.’s ice cream truck of satan.

D.C. readers, what’s your view on this… pleasant relief or curb to your Constitutional rights to be a pain in the ass?

DSC_5644.jpg — Originally uploaded by rev_bri

Well, were you car free on your morning commute? Did you pass Tommy Wells (Ward 6) Car Free Challenge? I know I did, I ran into work at my new job.

As I ran, I wondered how they came about naming today “CarFree DC Day”. Might they have read my “Good Idea: Car-free DC” post, itself a copy of a Craigslist ad?

Probably not, since they have a whole usage model around car + free that is way more complicated that I could ever be:

• Carfree (adj.): Refers to “World Carfree Day”
• CarFree (n.): Refers to “CarFree DC”
• Car-free (adj.): Describing a car free way of being
• Car free (n. + adj.): To be free of cars

Sheesh, they make it so complex I just wanna drive away.

With 75% of the precincts counted, Adrian Fenty is a clear winner tonight. 54% of votes tabulated so far ended up in his camp, some 22% more than Linda Cropp. Mr. Fenty has given his victory speech, and Mrs. Cropp her concession. The final vote is in November, but it looks as though Adrian Fenty has the mayorship all sewn up. No results are available via the DC Board of Elections Website, which is an awful shame, since my podunk county in Northern California can even do that. Perhaps that’s something that Mr. Fenty can get to work on?

In his victory speech, Mr. Fenty has made it very clear that he supports full voting rights for the District and will make that a significant part of his platform as Mayor of DC, something I whole-heartedly support, so long as we can make sure that we don’t end up with a Senator Marion Barry.

According to News Channel 8 (which I had to watch streaming instead of on my satellite system, thanks DirecTV), Mary Cheh has Ward 3 sewn up, Phil Mendelsohn will repeat as At-Large Councilman, Tommy Wells will take the Ward 6 seat. Eleanor Holmes Norton will repeat as DC’s (largely useless) Delegate to Congress. More as the text slowly slides by.

Update 10:38p

Fenty would be the first DC native to take the mayorship, which is pretty incredible.

Vincent Gray has a 16% lead on Kathy Patterson for Council Chair.

Where are the hotdogs?!

Originally uploaded by tbridge.

Every once in a while I get this craving.

You know the one I’m talking about. You stare out the window on a gorgeous day, and dream of grabbing a half-smoke from the hotdog vendor on the corner, with extra onions and mustard.

Sitting on a park bench, enjoying the creature comfort of smoked sausage and tangy brown mustard with the bite of the onion.

Sadly, I’m at home waiting on the Wells Fargo Wagon’s modern descendent to deliver my replacement TiVo and some new business cards, so popping into the city is a no-go. Going to Safeway, though, for a package of Hebrew Nationals, though, that I can handle.

Except there weren’t any. I could have had a ton of different sausage types, but not one hotdog. How the hell does this happen? Dammit, now I really want a half-smoke.

It is getting colder and pretty soon we will be in the throes of another D.C. winter. In between watching people abandon their cars and rush to the supermarket for bread, milk, and toilet paper, I like to go ice-skating at local outdoor rinks. There is a handful in the area and they are starting to open up for the 2005-06 season.

While the popular National Sculpture Garden ice rink does not open for a few weeks, other rinks are schedule to open the first week in November. Outdooriceskating.com has information about rinks in Pentagon Row in Arlington; Reston Town Center; and Glen Burnie, Md. In College Park, Herbert Wells Ice Rink is already open. There are also rinks in Bethesda, Kentlands, and Columbia, but I could not find sites for them.

If you prefer to skate indoors, check out these rinks:

DISTRICT
Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena

VIRGINIA
Fairfax Ice Arena
Mount Vernon Ice Arena

MARYLAND
Maryland Rinks - marylandiceskating.com