Get Smart

I have no faith in the competency of our national government when DC alone can't seem to get its act together.

My old Metro SmarTrip card deactivated, and I needed to get a new one. That ridiculous process itself was annoying and inconvenient, but once I left the station with receipts and pamphlets in hand, I figured the rest would be cake.

Yeah, stale cake with nasty frosting.

My receipt says to "hold this receipt until you receive your fare adjustment in the mail." Did you get anything in the mail? Neither did I.

So I just called the SmartTrip Helpline, and after a 20 minute wait, I found out my money (close to $300) had "expired." Seems if you don't go to collect the balance from the fare machine within 30 days, the Metro people are more than happy to absorb your cash.

And here I was waiting for the fare adjustment in the mail as instructed on the OFFICIAL METRO RECEIPT handed to me - in person - at the Metro station.

Allegedly, Metro's now resubmitting my information, and the money will be back for pick-up Wednesday after 5pm.

Talk about being taken for a ride.

Um...yeah

Rumor has it Blake Lewis is coming back to AI tonight.

Now would be a most excellent time to remind you I bought his CD, and - once again - I am sorry about that.

Do you mind? Does it matter?

I wondered out loud why Cindy McCain never spoke much out on the campaign trail and was informed that she had suffered a stroke in the not so distant past and still suffers some short-term memory loss. It's no secret, but you don't hear much about it.

Case in point: Take a gander at what's blatently missing from this imperfect bio piece on the possible future first lady.

I am not sure how much this matters. Here's one opinion that question's McCain's sympathy for his wife.

I'd argue differently. I'd bet Cindy supports her husband's go-again at the White House, but I also have some questions about her ability to serve as the nation's First Lady. I suspect there are a whole lot of diplomatic formalities and hostess duties that require some measure of memory. Is there a chance her disability could be misinterpreted as indifference or ignorance in a state setting?

It may seem minor on first glance, but if I thought she was just cold and impersonal standing behind her husband on the stump, I worry a little I may not be the only one.

The Indelible Stain

I've said over and over and over again that I'm not partial to one particular presidential candidate (Biden aside) at this stage in the race, but my signif is an Obama supporter and we talk about the Democratic primary contest a lot.

He brought up an interesting thought last night that I'm going to float here.

If Hillary Clinton wins the Democratic nomination, how long before Monica Lewinsky's front page news all over again? How long before a Swift Boat-esque 527 produces an ad turning the follow spot back on Bill's bad behavior?

It would be horrible form for Obama to throw that card now, but it's a predictable play from the Republican camp come the general.

Does that make Clinton less electable? Is this a factor to be considered by the DNC should the candidacy come down to superdelegate choice? Could her husband's past destroy her future and put a democratic White House win in jeopardy?

Brace Yourself

Did you know your teeth move over the years? I had no idea. I figured you do the braces thing as a teen, wear the requisite ego-killing headgear, and then you're all set. Turns out if you're lucky, you get to revisit the humiliation as an adult.

I exaggerate for effect, but I went in for a regular cleaning and - as a bonus - the dentist fashioned me a lower retainer to keep my teeth in place as is. It's a clear mold and not half as repulsive as the old school flesh-colored palate and wire combo we all so lovingly remember, and I only have to wear it at night. But it's still a retainer, and my signif has already started in on the teasing.

He wants to know if I will thit nextht to him at lunch and play with him at retheth.

Song and Dance

So last week we were watching the boys sing on Idol, and my signif and I were torn on whether we thought David Hernandez was gay. Seems we have our answer:

The 24-year-old finalist from Glendale, Ariz., once worked as a stripper at Dick's Cabaret, appearing fully nude and performing lap dances for the club's "mostly male" clientele, club manager Gordy Bryan said Monday.

I thought Hernandez was talented, but I don't see how Idol can allow him to continue since they disqualified Frenchie Davis back in 2003 for topless photos online.

If they have a morality clause or behavioral standard, then it's got to apply across the board. I'm still baffled as to why they let Antonella Barba continue last year. The only answer I can come up with is that they knew she couldn't win, and therefore, her online indiscretion ultimately wouldn't matter.

World's Worst Blogger

It'd be tough to argue Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad isn't batsh*t crazy - what with the whole Holocaust "myth" and denial of homosexuals things.

However, there are times he addresses President Bush and US foreign policy that I don't think he's altogether wrong.

That's not to say I think he's altogether right - and his blog still sucks - but I do think he's shown a moment or two of clarity when it's come to calling out our current government's bad behavior.