From Political Outcast “Obamacare” set up a Health Benefit Exchange Authority (HBX) Executive Board. The Chair of that board was sent a letter. It begins this way: As a group of small businesses and organizations representing small businesses based in the District of Columbia, we write to express our collective concerns about proposals under consideration that we believe will compound the uncertainties we face under federal health care reform. Those of us who may have had doubts about the health reform law ... Read More

Yesterday, Alejandra, Laura, Miranda, Silas and I went to Washington D.C. We wanted to give Alejandra a chance to see the White House and the Capitol, which she had asked to see. Her father suggested she would also like the Natural History Museum, too.           ... Read More

Flavio is in town for the Fancy Food Show in Washington D.C. to promote his fine cheeses from his Tumalo Farms.  We were so glad he decided to stop in to see us! Wonderful cheeses at Tumalo Farms, we know first hand!     ... Read More

  Well it seems that Occupy Wall Street is moving their protest at least closer to the mark, or at least got the right town. I have always felt that the White House would be a good place to air their complaints. What I don't understand is why they picked the Air and Space Museum? From The Post The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum on the Mall was abruptly closed Saturday afternoon after a “large group of protesters” tried to push past security ... Read More

I don't like to nitpick. I sure have fumbled over my own words a few times, or got facts wrong. But this blunder of Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter is a bit scary. At the dedication for the new Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial in Washington, D.C. on Friday, the civil rights leader’s daughter made an interesting mistake regarding Abraham Lincoln. According to her, Lincoln is best known for signing the Declaration of Independence. “But as I close, I close with the recognition that ... Read More

Freedom of the press. A thing of the past? The America I remember, the press had the right to report the news. In Obama's America, the press gets chased away. Today, during a gay rights protest near the White House, a typical place to hold protests in the past, Police chased reporters away. From Politico Police chased reporters away from the White House and closed Lafayette Park today in response to a gay rights protest in which several service members in full uniform handcuffed ... Read More

Wednesday, Miranda, Laura, and I took Silas and Cameron to the zoo in DC. The National Zoo in DC is a wonder,  I never get to see all I want in one visit. A gallery of all the photos taken of the extraordinary collection of animals is here » DC ZOO PHOTOS ... Read More

I am only one of many, a majority of people, who recognize that the health care system in the USA needs help, but are totally against the one Obama has ready for us. For those who still favor the idea, perhaps they should ask themselves, is it a good bill? If so, then why did it take so many sweetheart deals to get it pushed through this far, and that STILL might not be enough? Why can't this bill stand on ... Read More

Perhaps I am in the wrong business? From The Hill Despite his push to rein in special interests, President Barack Obama sparked a boom on K Street with major new proposals on healthcare, climate change and financial policies. Healthcare clients spent the most overall on lobbying at $544 million, which was roughly $60 million more than in 2008. But there were more lobbyists (3,405) on healthcare issues than on either energy (2,311) or financial legislation (2,654). Lobbyists earned an ... Read More

There seems to be an inconsistency in reporting how many people were at yesterday's protest. I hate when that happens! This country just can't COUNT! I've read thousands, tens of thousands, and   U.K. Newspaper said Two Million Demonstrators waved U.S. flags and held signs reading "Go Green Recycle Congress" and "I'm Not Your ATM." Men wore colonial costumes as they listened to speakers who warned of "judgment day" - Election Day 2010. Richard Brigle, 57, a Vietnam War veteran and former Teamster, came ... Read More

Recently, Miranda sent me a lovely postcard from Wisconsin, so I put it together with Petra's from Graceland and New Orleans. Also, I found an old one sent to me from Morocco and then I found one from the Mackinac Bridge, Niagara Falls, Washington D.C., and finally one from Baltimore. Barcelona, Spain 79 Sagrada Familia 13 Camp Nou 9 Montjuich 39 Barri Gotic 20 Sabadell, Spain 36 Vacarisses, Spain 5 Monsterrat, Spain 39 Sitges, Spain 4 Benasque, Spain 37 Lleida, Spain 19 Tarragona, Spain 11 Graus, Spain 16 Madrid, Spain 5 Ravenna, Italy 1 London, England 11 Holland 19 France 12 Australia 7 Iceland 2 New York 5 Niagara Falls, NY 12 Washington DC 8 Delaware 3 Maryland 20 Baltimore, Maryland 23 Ocean City, Maryland 11 Annapolis, Maryland 5 Pennsylvania 41 West Viriginia 28 Harpers Ferry, West Virginia 38 Wisconsin 1 Virginia 23 Michigan 5 Indiana 2 Tennessee 5 Illinois 10 Louisiana 1 Georgia 1 Ohio 6 Maine 3 California 3 Columbia, South America 2 Bolivia, South America 5 Morocco 1 596 ... Read More

John wanted to revisit the Zoo in D.C. Since it was a day when Laura babysits Cameron, we took him and Laura too! It took two tries to get in, but we finally made it. (D.C. itself is a zoo to drive and park in!) It was a chilly, rainy day and the zebras were...frisky. John gives Cameron a better look. John talks with a zoo volunteer about the Cheetahs. The lions were frisky too! In the butterfly section Laura had one on her finger. John gets a ... Read More

e·lit·ism or é·lit·ism  (ĭ-lē'tĭz'əm, ā-lē'-) n.   The belief that certain persons or members of certain classes or groups deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority, as in intellect, social status, or financial resources. The sense of entitlement enjoyed by such a group or class. Control, rule, or domination by such a group or class. Pelosi has always had issues with traveling from San Francisco to D.C., in spite of the greens wishing she wouldn't hire private jets, she persisted that she should. Lately ... Read More

My son's band, Embers for Ashes, was invited to the 930 Club, along with many other bands in the area, to play their music. This would put them in a venue where Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers has played, as well as Bob Dylan, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the Smashing Pumpkins just to name a few. Not even recovered from the flu, Miquel did very well under an exhausting day, but everyone thought the band did great.   The Fans... Close up of Miquel ... Read More

For some, news headlines must be very confusing. For those who didn't know their own minds, they could spend a lot of time going around in circles... TAKE BIRTH CONTROL....or...NOT? Yesterday, a large headline appeared next to Nanny Pelosi's image, where she insisted that part of the 800+ Billion stimulous package needed to be thrown at Family Planning, birth control, THAT, she was sure would help the economy. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi boldly defended a move to add birth control ... Read More

While people were basking in the glow of Obama's Inaugural address, claiming for his new era of responsibility, they could have STARTED by picking up their own TRASH! This is the Mall in Washington D.C. today. ... Read More

John and I went with Laura, Heather, Tom, Chris and Baby Cameron to Washington D.C. First leg of the journey was to hop on the metro, which seemed to excite Cameron. First stop was the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History... The museum's collections total over 125 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, and human cultural artifacts, making it the largest such museum anywhere. It is the second most popular of all of the Smithsonian museums and is also home to ... Read More

John is a docent at Perth Zoo , so it was only natural that we visit the National Zoo in Washington D.C. and we have plans to visit Maryland Zoo another day. The Smithsonian National Zoological Park, commonly known as the National Zoo and was founded in 1889. We visited the163 acre (0.7 km²) zoo arriving to a very full parking lot around 11:00 am. We didn't leave until 6:30, where John got to see a little of rush hour on ... Read More

      I believe this is basically for the start of school, but interesting news!     "The District of Columbia will offer its first 2007 Sales Tax Holiday beginning at 12:01 am Saturday, August 4 through midnight Sunday, August 12. The Sales Tax holiday grants an exemption from the 5.75 percent sales tax for school items, clothes, shoes, and accessory items. To qualify, each item must cost $100 or less." More information HERE   The next DC Sales Tax Holiday will be November 23 through December ... Read More

As we moved from the joyous place that makes up the blue water fountains, and crossed over back towards the Mall in Washington D.C., I heard yet another fountain in the distance. I suggested to all that we investigate. On a hot, humid, Washington D.C. day, it wasn't hard to persuade them to enter into the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden . The Sculpture Garden occupies 6.1 acres of the Mall. It has a central fountain which we later found ... Read More

The United States Navy Memorial at 7th Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Indiana Avenue in Washington, D.C. honors those who have served, and are currently serving, in the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and the Merchant Marine. The memorial is adjacent to the Archives-Navy Mem'l-Penn Quarter station and the National Archives building. Our first trip out to D.C., I became rather enamoured with a fountain spilling out blue water. This our second time, my two and their friends didn't hesitate to use it ... Read More

 "Way too much coffee.  But if it weren't for the coffee, I'd have no identifiable personality whatsoever."  ~David Letterman   After hours in the National Museum of History, everyone decided they wanted to go to Starbucks. Remembering seeing more than one last week, we set out to find them. Starbucks in D.C. can be quite impressive.... Miquel, the eternal doorman. A pose waiting for 2 vanilla bean frappuccino. Laura, enjoying a double chocolate chip frappuccino. Yum! Miquel and Erin enjoying Starbucks.   ... Read More

Not even a whole week after going to D.C., we decided to return. Having more of an understanding of how the metro works made a second visit easier. I took 500 photos this time! This time, we decided to visit the National Museum of Natural History. The main building on the National Mall contains 1.5 million square feet of space overall and 325,000 square feet of exhibition and public space; altogether the Museum is the size of 18 football fields, and houses ... Read More

Thanks to a certain Mr Jeff, I was persuaded to finally go into the big city of Washington D.C. and do it in a way that avoided the traffic and parking issues, and take the metro. Getting to the New Carrollton Metro station was the first issue, as for some reason I had two sets of directions from google, and I had to pick one. Once there,  I have to say, there was a lot of help in the purchase of ... Read More