I'm in a online travel guide

Having a Flickr page has finally paid off. One of my photos was selected to be in Shmap, an online travel guide. It's not Fodors, but it's a start. The photo that was included was a nightime photo of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building taken during the holiday season. Below is a Schmap widget. If you wait long enough, you will see my photo as it cycles through or just keep clicking the right arrow.

Random Thoughts of the Week

Here are my random thoughts of the week:

• As we march towards a cashless society, what will happen to begging? Will people give out pre-paid debit cards to those who beg on street corners? Maybe street begging will be eliminated altogether.

• You ever notice when people are waiting for a train in a Metro station and a train comes on the opposite side of the platform, people look over, secretly hoping that it could be their train. Do people think, "Maybe if I wish really hard it will be my train." It's never going to happen.

• Why does Congress feel the need to comment on something that happened almost 90 years ago? They don't have time to fix Medicare or Social Security or figure out a way out of Iraq, but they have enough time to discuss a non-binding resolution declaring the Armenian killings at the end of World War I a genocide. This also happened to anger Turkey, a key military ally. New party controlling Congress, but same old morons.

• Stranglehold is one of the coolest games I've played in a long time. It features Chow Yun Fat as the voice of the lead character and a wide array of action moves that will get you hooked. There are parts of the game where the action gets intense. If you have Playstation 3, Xbox 360, or a high-end PC, I recommend you go and grab this game.

• I bought My Bloody Valentine's Loveless album a few weeks ago and I'm really liking it. This classic album came out at the beginning of the alternative rock era, but doesn't sound like your typical alternative rock band. Over the years My Bloody Valentine influenced a number of bands, especially the Smashing Pumpkins. When you listen to this album, you'll know why. Absent in Loveless is the aggression you find in rock, instead the music can be considered beautiful. You can listen to it and contemplate things.

Arguing with Jon Mayer gets you nowhere

I came across this YouTube video of adult contemporary musician Jon Mayer arguing with Justin Long (he appeared in Dodgeball and the Apple commericals), of what appears to be during a night out. What are they arguing about? Why, Ron Paul of course. I guess it's better than arguing about where you can get the best blow in downtown L.A.



It's one of the arguments you see drunk people have at bar that doesn't go anywhere. They just repeat the same thing over and over again, thinking the other person didn't hear them. The other person did hear, it's just that they're drunk.

Out on the 'Digital' Tiles

My favorite band of all time, Led Zeppelin, will have their entire catalog made available for sale on iTunes on November 13, according to the New York Times. It's about friggin time. I am dumbfounded on why groups like the Beatles and Led Zeppelin refuse to participate in the digital musica revolution. It has been reported that the Beatles are going to have their catalog available on iTunes soon. The fact that all four Beatles' solo catalogs are now available on iTunes is a convincing sign.

By not having their songs available for purchase on music download services, bands like Led Zeppelin are losing out major revenue. By not providing a legal alternative, fans resort to illegal downloading of a band's songs. If a band refused to have their songs available digitally because they fear they would recieve less royalties, then that is being shortsighted. A band who provides their songs digitally for purchase will get their fans in the habit of buying songs through music download sites. Down the road, as legal music downloading becomes a bigger share of the market, bands can renegotiate their royalty payments.

Ron Paul at the Boulevard Woodgrill

After living in DC for about 4 years now, I get tired of the city sometimes. One thing I like about DC is the opportunity to see major political figures in person. Many times for free. I got another chance Thursday night at the Boulevard Woodgrill in Arlington. Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul was there to give a speech at a meeting of the Robert Taft Club. The group favors a non-interventionist foreign policy, something the Texas Congressman wholeheartedly agrees with.

It was a standing room only crowd. The crowd was a mix of hardcore supporters, capitol hill staffers, and policy wonks. You could put me in the interested observer category. I like Ron Paul alot more than the other Republican candidates, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to throw my support behind him. It's still early and I'm in a wait-and-see approach.

The main thrust of Ron Paul's speech called for a much lower worldwide troop presence and an end to America's military adventures. Most importantly, he called for bringing the troops home from Iraq as soon as reasonably possible. Unlike other presidential candidates, Ron Paul was against the Iraq War from the beginning, as he explained, for constitutional reasons.

I thought the Congressman was doing well until he began to incorporate one of his longtime signature issues, monetary policy, more specifically, returning to the gold standard into the speech. I haven't seen many Ron Paul appearances so I'm not sure if he only does this for certain targeted audiences. There are other issues he could address other than monetary policy in order to broaden his support.

Overall I thought Ron Paul is a good speaker, although a little long winded. The speech clocked in at about 45 minutes with another 10 minutes of questions. He used language that appealed to the average person and not just those who live inside the Beltway. Ron Paul reminds of a good-natured grandpa who likes to tell amusing anecdotes that contain a little life lesson. What I enjoyed about his speech was he balanced his small government principles with political reality. He explained that government programs like Medicare and Social Security can not just be eliminated tomorrow. This is a trait that many Libertarian Party candidates sorely lack.

Ron Paul noted near the end of his speech of how his message is catching on around the country. Many voters have become disenchanted with the other Republican presidential candidates. I think Ron Paul's presidential candidacy is just what the Republican Party needs right now.

Radio on the T

The people who run the T, as the subway is known in Boston, are introducing their own radio station that will broadcast in subway stations. The Boston Globe reports that the MBTA will debut "T-Radio", which will feature a mix of "news, weather, and entertainment."

I'm not sure having a radio station pumped through speakers inside T stations will improve the rider's experience. First off, we are not exactly a information starved society. A typical T rider has already listened to the radio on his or her commute there, brought a newspaper with them, or watched a morning news program while eating breakfast. If they are more of the technological savvy type, they likely got their news from their laptop, Blackberry or iPhone.

As a person who has ridden the T countless of times over the years, the trains can be very noisy at times. There's nothing like a Green Line train coming around the bend. I have heard the screeches of trains that would make your hair stand on end. I think adding more noise to T stations, even if it includes updates on da Sawx, is not worthwhile. The MBTA should look for ways to save money and hold fare increases in check rather than have their own radio station.

Get TV whenever you want it

You're a typical urban young professional who maintains a busy lifestyle but you still want to keep up with your favorite shows. What to do? Well, back in the old days of the 1980's, you had endure a time-consuming process of taping shows using a VCR. The thing was no one over 10 could understand how to tape a show.

Thanks to the Internet, you can now watch your favorite shows whenever you want and you don't have to resort to buying a Tivo. The blog Lifehacker provides some helpful, affordable options to get you to on-demand TV.

The curse of A-Rod continues...

On Monday night, the Yankees season ended in anti-climatic fashion. A team of aging players who barely put up a fight until it was too late. The Yankees' decision to keep players past their prime has now come back to haunt them. Spending your way out of bad personel decisions is not going to win you a championship. Bringing back a 45 year-old to save your pitching staff smacks of complete desperation. Steinbrenner is entering his senile stage and will have Torre's head on a platter within the week. Things are shaping up for a return to the 1980's for the Yankees. Some say it's wrong to take pleasure in another team's demise. I say hogwash. I enjoy dancing on the Yankees' grave and look forward to doing it again next year.