RJ Marquette

08:57 pm: Prince George's police raid mayor's house...
This story just gets worse and worse.  Police were tracking a drug shipment that was destined for the town of Berwyn Heights, MD, in Prince George's County.  They tracked it to the destination - which happened to be the mayor's house, where he, his wife, and his mother live - got a warrant, then went in SWAT-style after someone took the package inside the house.

During the raid, the police shot and killed both of the black Labs the family owned.  They then questioned the residents for hours in the house.

Then the problems begin:
1.  The worst part:  The mayor and his family are innocent.  The scheme was that the package would be left on the porch, then an accomplice would pick it up, and the mayor's family wouldn't be the wiser.  Think for a moment about how easy that is to do, because most people are at work when UPS drops by, so you'd send a package that doesn't require a signature, UPS drops it off at an innocent victim's house, then your accomplice wanders by a bit later and snags it.  The resident of the house would never know...unless you happen to be there and receive the package yourself, in which case you get implicated in the scheme and possibly raided moments later...

2.  The warrant the police had was apparently NOT a "no-knock" warrant.  In other words, they didn't have a warrant to go breaking down the door like that.  They had a warrant to knock on the door peacefully and search the premises.  I wonder, if someone in the house had been guilty of drug running or whatever, would they get off because the warrant was executed improperly?

3.  The police claimed that the mayor's mother's scream when she saw people approaching the house with guns was enough for them to think someone might be destroying evidence and justified their use of force in that situation.  Err, yeah, except that they were obviously already planning to use the SWAT on them (she screamed because she saw them approaching the house!) so that explanation seems a bit weak.

It's hard not to be angry at the injustice of it.  And it's even harder not to be angry at the sloppy police work here.  They did catch the guys involved in the scheme, fortunately.

Today the police chief declared the mayor and his family innocent but explicitly did not express regret at the error.  That takes heart - a cold, steel heart.  That link contains links to other Washington Post articles on the raid.  They're worth reading.  And it's scary to think that this could happen to just about anyone.

Tags: police

07:24 am: 35 Years for Jealous Killing
Well, it's over, at least as best it can be.  The murderer of my friend Carrie's fiancee will be in jail for 35 years.  This article gives an overview of the events.  35 years hardly seems like enough for the murder of another person - especially someone who did absolutely nothing wrong, but on the other hand, John will be in his 70s when he gets out, and I'll be thinking about retiring from work, so it is quite a long time.  (In Virginia, the jury recommends a sentence - they could've selected anything between 20 years and life; the death penalty only applies in cases where there is more than one violent crime - and the judge can't go above what the jury recommends.  In this case the jury recommended 35 years, so the judge sentenced John to the most he could.)

Tags: murder, trail

11:31 am: How big is a 10-alarm fire?
This article explains it.  It's not a simple calculation (for example, a 2 alarm fire doesn't mean there are twice as many fire trucks as a 1 alarm fire, or anything like that).  Basically a bigger number means it's a bigger fire, and that's about it.

This came up because of a 9 alarm fire in Ocean City over the weekend.  The link above was given by someone in the comments in response to another reader that wondered what a 9 alarm fire was.

01:49 pm: Weapons of mass destruction?
I thought the term "weapons of mass destruction" referred to weapons that could kill a lot of people and/or cause a lot of damage.  The classic example being nuclear weapons.

But now, they can also be simple car bombs, too.  No nuclear or biological components.  Sure it would've killed people that happened to be within 15 or 20 feet of it when it went off but to call this a weapon of mass destruction seems alarmist.

There are plenty of other scary things in that story, too - such as the fact that they missed the bomb the first time they searched the vehicle.

02:52 pm: Why you should always do things when you can...
Here's an example of why you should always do things when you have the chance. 

Arson fire in Kane causes $1 million in damage, severely burns two locomotives once used for Kinzua Bridge State Park tourist trips

The issue for me is that when I was at Clarion, I was reasonably close to the Knox & Kane Railroad -- when the Kinzua Viaduct was open and carrying trains -- and always meant to get up there and see it...but I never got around to it.  Now the Kinzua Viaduct lies in ruins at the bottom of the valley due to a tornado in 2003, and the engines and rolling stock have been damaged, possibly destroyed, in a fire.

The departure point of the railroad was less than 30 miles from Clarion.  I'm kicking myself for not taking the opportunity when I had it.

Tags: history, tourism, trains, travel

07:08 pm: NJ Gov wants to merge small towns...
Okay, I'm finding all kinds of crazy things to post lately.

This one is stunning.  The governor of NJ wants small towns to merge together to continue to receive aid.  His claim is that the small towns are wasteful and inefficient, so he wants to cut off state aid to those towns.

It sounds like something that would come out of the Soviet Union...  The towns may be inefficient, but ... c'mon, this is America.  Let people live the way they want to live!

01:03 pm: Easter is here...
And that means the peeps are back!

If you're not familiar with this, last year, the Post held a contest of dioramas using Marshmallow Peeps.  Last year's entries (linked from that page) showed some amazing artistry, and this year is great, too.

From this year's entries, I'm a big fan of "Peep Set Me Up" and "The Apeepening Leaves Haines Point" and "Peepbusters!"

Tags: peeps

08:07 pm: Navigation GPS units
Wow, two entries in one day.  Aren't you lucky.

Here's an article about people blindly following their GPS units and getting into trouble.

First, I want to say that I am certain these errors are relatively rare.  The 'locals' that have to deal with the results of the errors probably are skeptical, but I'm sure there are millions of miles being driven under the guide of units like this that are being covered without incidents like this.

Also, for humor value, the last paragraph of the article is great.  I love the Christine reference (especially since I like that movie and book).

But on to the main point:  people ask me why I don't get one for trips in the camper.  My biggest problem is simply that I wouldn't trust it.

Let me explain the situation:  when I'm driving the camper, backing up is not fun, and it has a rather large turning radius.  And this is just a small motorhome - it's essentially a Ford extended passenger van.  But, usually, I'm towing a car while I'm driving it - and with that, I simply can't back up.  The car and tow dolly sort of "accordion" together.  It's hard to describe, but basically the back of the car goes one way, then the front wheels go the other, then the pan the front wheels are on tries to go the first way, then the hitch goes the other.  It turns out that it's easier for the rig to pivot where it can instead of pushing the rear wheels of the car backwards.  To turn the rig around in a tight space, I would have to unload the car, unhitch the dolly, turn everything around, hook the dolly back up, then reload the car.  Definitely not something I want to do, because it's a procedure that would probably take 15 minutes.

So, when I'm planning a trip, especially in the camper, I start by plotting the route on Google Maps or AAA's map.  Both have a feature that let me easily adjust the routes it selects.  Then, I examine the route on the map and using Google Earth.  I spend time searching for directions to the campground on their website or on Woodalls.  I do all of this so that I can be sure I can get there on the first try.

With a GPS unit, I wouldn't trust it:  I would want to see the entire route on the unit, turn by turn, in advance so that I could verify the route it's giving me is what I want.  I believe some units offer that feature, so that's good.  But I'd still spend all the prep time ensuring the route is good, so how much help would the GPS unit really be?  Also, it seems to me the biggest advantage of a GPS unit is that you can use it to detour around problems - but if I haven't checked that route, I'm not going to trust it.

Some units have options like "No U-turns" and "Truck".  The no U-turns thing sounds good to me.  The truck thing made sense at first, but then I remembered that I'm not driving a truck.  My camper isn't as tall as a truck, nor as heavy.  There are places I can go without a problem that a truck can't.  I can use roads like the George Washington Parkway or Baltimore-Washington Parkway legally - and the truck option would (should) exclude those.  In particular the BW Parkway is a frequent first "main road" of my travels.

Having said all this, I do have a handheld GPS unit of the type hikers and geocachers would use.  It works really well, and the Google Earth Blog led me to this site that allows me to convert placemarks on the Google Earth map to waypoints in the GPS unit - so I could have my current GPS display the distance to upcoming turns very easily.  (I already travel with it on, usually displaying my current speed and distance traveled.)   I'm going to test that feature out on my first trip in a couple weeks, even though I know exactly where I'm going and how to get there.

Tags: driving, gps

07:48 pm: Scary drivers in the quest for high MPG
This article is about a guy that gets incredible gas mileage out of conventionally powered cars by doing things like taking turns at 50 mph, coasting to a stop instead of braking, and shutting off his engine while at speed.

But he lost any credibility he had with me when I saw this line:

He uses the Accord for a hellacious two-hour commute...

I wonder how much fuel he'd save by moving closer to work.  Probably a lot more than he's saving with that style of driving.  And if he were closer to work, public transportation or even walking might be feasible, thereby saving even more gas!  I checked, and the power plant mentioned is in the Chicago area, which has a decent mass transit system as well as ample commuter rail (though I do not know how well the area of the plant is served).

In case you're wondering:  turning off your engine while at speed is not a good idea.  The article mentions why, but I'll highlight them.

1. You lose your power steering.  Yes, you can still steer the car but it'll be harder, and it can be a surprise if you're not ready for it.  A couple months ago I was driving a car that stalled as I was getting on to an on-ramp.  Since my attention was focused on the road, the first clue I had that something was wrong was that the steering wheel was much harder to turn (a split second later I saw the warning lights).  Fortunately I got the car restarted quickly enough that the car behind me probably didn't know why I slowed down, but I did swerve when the steering wheel got harder to turn unexpectedly.  Also, if you turn the key too far you'll lock the steering wheel, and you won't be able to turn at all.
2. You lose your braking after a pump or two.  Enough said.
3. What if it doesn't restart?  Then you'll just look silly... and you'll be stuck in the middle of traffic with a dead car - not exactly a good place to be standing around, plus you'll be putting others at risk too.

Tags: driving, idiocy, mileage

09:48 pm: Trial over...
Well, my friend Carrie can now rest easier since the guy that murdered her fiance got 35 years. I won't go into the details; her blog has plenty. But it's definitely a relief.

Tags: trial

08:00 pm: Lebanon Bologna woes continue...
A couple weeks ago I ordered more Lebanon Bologna at the deli counter. "How do you want this sliced?", they asked. "Thick," I replied, as that is how Lebanon Bologna should always be sliced. I ordered a pound.

It came out to eleven slices. A full pound. Each slice was therefore just under an ounce and a half.

I no longer request any specific slice size at the deli counter. I just take what they give me and be happy with it.

Tags: deli

02:10 pm: The Deaf Deli Clerk
Here's another grocery store story, but this one is funny. This happened to me last night at the deli counter:

Me: "I'd like half a pound of yellow American cheese."
Her: "A pound?"
Me: "Half a pound."
Her: "A pound?"
Me: "Half."
Her: "Okay."
She hands me the bag of cheese after finishing slicing and bagging it. Only then do I notice it's white cheese, not yellow.
Her: "What else?"
Me: "A pound of Seltzer's Lebanon Bologna."
Her: "What?"
Me: "Seltzer's Lebanon Bologna."
Her: "Do you mean Lebanon Bologna?"
Me: "Yes."
Her: "Most people don't say the brand name."
Me: "Oh."
Her: "Half a pound?"
Me: "A pound."
Her: "Half?"
Me: "Pound."
Her: "How do you want that sliced?"
Me: "Thick." (Lebanon Bologna should always be sliced thick. I don't know why deli counters ask.)
Her: "Thin?"
Me: "Thick."
Her: "Thin." ... "Is this thin enough?"
Me: "A little thicker, please."
Her: "Well, you did say you wanted it thin!"

I collect the bologna and leave the counter... then break out laughing later.

This morning, I pulled the bologna out of the fridge to make my lunch, and it's Boar's Head brand, not Seltzers. I had to laugh some more.

It was like something out of a Saturday Night Live sketch.

Tags: bologna, deli, grocery, lebanon

07:47 am: Random blast from the past...

At my college graduation, we had the guy from Adelphia Cable speak and he received an honorary Doctor of Public Services degree.

Oops.

I don't remember much about what he said, so hopefully I won't end up like he did...

Tags: adelphia, college, graduation, humor, rigas

04:51 pm: Census 2010
The official web site is up!

Tags: census

08:55 am: Would you believe...
Would you believe that Get Smart is finally out on DVD?

I've been waiting years for this.

Tags: tv dvd

10:24 pm: Safeway incident...
I just got back from Safeway, where there was a bit of an incident at the register... I thought it was going to get really ugly for a moment, too.

It started when some English Muffins appeared in the bag of the guy ahead of me. I don't know where they came from; my guess is that they were in the previous order and accidentally got mixed into his. Your typical supermarket screw-up, in other words. It happens.

The cashier had already started ringing my order through when the guy discovered the English Muffins and that he'd been charged for them. He requested a refund, but the cashier responded that she'd already started my order, and he'd have to go to the customer service counter (we happened to be at one of the registers near this counter, too - it was all of 15 feet away, and not busy). This wasn't acceptable to the guy - "I must get home!"

She repeated that since she'd already started my order, she couldn't do his refund. He said, "Well, cancel it. You're not finished with me yet!" When she refused to cancel my order, he actually threw the box of English Muffins in the way of the scanner. She moved them aside and called a manager on the phone, told him she was getting help for him, then started working on my order again.

This pissed the guy off even further, so he took one of his bags and put it on the scanner so that she couldn't scan anything. "You're not finished with my order yet! Cancel his order and GIVE ME MY REFUND!" By this time a couple bag boys had wandered over in support of their coworker. The woman in line behind me said, "How much are they? I'll pay for them."

The manager showed up, and the cashier ran off, scared, so I explained the situation, and the manager repeated the cashier's statement: "She's already started this order, so you'll have to go to the customer service counter." The guy started complaining some more, and the manager called over to the counter and said, "Hey, refund this guy his $3.59." The woman at the customer service counter started doing just that.

But the guy STILL believed that he'd get better service at the register. After a moment they were able to convince him to walk the 15 feet to the customer service counter and pick up his money. He finally left, counting his $3.59 or whatever.

I told the manager that the cashier didn't deserve the treatment she'd gotten - sure, she could've been more polite the first time, but I don't think it would've mattered. There was no reason for his tone or rudeness.

People can be really nasty.

Current Location: Home

Current Mood: sympathetic

Tags: customerservice, rudepeople

1 comment | Leave a comment

09:14 am: Marshall Football assistant coach
This is a pretty moving article about an assistant coach at Marshall that wasn't on the plane that crashed in 1970, killing many of his fellow coaches and 35 members of the team.

Soul survivor.

10:57 am: Queensryche still rocks...of course!
Well, last night, I saw Queensryche play at the 9:30 Club in DC. This is a great venue, as long as you don't mind standing. Geoff Tate commented that he loves playing there...but of course he might say that about all the venues.

The show was absolutely amazing. Those guys can still rock, and Geoff Tate isn't afraid to pour on the power. At one point, I had the feeling that if the band stopped playing, the crowd would simply continue the concert without even realizing it.

The show consisted of three parts:
--Mindcrime
--Mindcrime II
--Encore, where they played "The Whisper" and "Empire"

The Mindcrime I portion was very much like the tour of it they did in 2004 (which I saw in Myrtle Beach, SC). A few modifications here and there, but for the most part it was the same show. Even still, I jumped when Mary...well, if you've seen either concert, you know (hint, it's different than the original Livecrime - hopefully they'll do a good DVD of the show).

Pamela Moore did an incredible job of reprising her role of Mary...in fact, I think she may have actually done better this time than in Livecrime. Also, I noticed they had her singing backup through many of the songs, instead of just showing up to do Mary's parts, then disappearing.

The Mindcrime II portion clarified a lot of the ambiguities in the album. See the Wikipedia article on Mindcrime II for an plot summary that covers those details - if you don't mind the spoiler. My initial impression of the album was that it was good, but not as good as the original Mindcrime. But now that I've seen the concert, I realize the second album is at least as good as the original - I was so busy trying to figure out the story that I was missing the incredible music.

What can I say about their performance of "The Whisper" and "Empire"? They were every bit as powerful and amazing as they've been in every other Queensryche concert. When Tate's microphone malfunctioned for a bit in the middle of "The Whisper", no one cared - the momentum simply carried us right through it.

This concert makes one Queensyche show for each of the last four years:
--2003 - Tribe tour - 9:30 Club
--2004 - An evening with Queensryche, including Mindcrime I
--2005 - opening for the Priest (though Q's performance here wasn't as good as they are solo)
--2006 - Mindcrime II

Bush supporters: Bush was portrayed in a less-than-glamorous light, though only briefly. Fair warning!

Tags: concert, music, queensryche

09:43 pm: Along the lines of uzbradistan's recent comments on the media, I picked this gem out of the local ABC news website:

"The daughter and son-in-law of an 86-year-old woman who died after eating bagged spinach say they have no doubt the spinach caused her death."

Yes, but what does the autopsy say?

Reporting that the family thinks it was death by spinach is useless - if you read the article (linked above) it doesn't  give much other information.  And if later the coroner does decide it was, say, natural causes, it just makes the family look stupid (of course, that would require the news to follow up on something, which is never a sure thing).

Tags: news

10:16 am: Snakes in an office...
We moved to our new office today. About 20 minutes ago, a snake dropped out of the ceiling, right next to a branch chief that happened to be standing there. Fortunately a guy that's a caver happened to be nearby - he grabbed a pair of gloves that someone had left and carried the snake outside. Great omen for the new office!