lovehockey

My promise of a last post is shot to smithereens.  Sorry.

Josh, as much as I wonder how Hawkeye got good stuff out of that still, "America does not have a singular claim to "freedom," and the state of being free does not rely on gun ownership or the possibility thereof"...

America is free beyond belief.  Imagine so many other places in the world.   As for gun ownership, I can assure you that there are people you know who own firearms but you don't know it.

Look, there are millions of responsible firearm owners out there who are obeying the law.  Why penalize them?

P.S. America may not have a singular claim to freedom, but it's right near #1.

My mom loves Yaz.  So when I stood in front of his statue at Fenway not long ago, I wished she was there with me as she had been to Fenway when she was in her 20s (alas, I told her I was going the day before I went to Fenway for a game, and she was half a continent away).

This is going to be my last post in this thread.

This is a free society, right?  If so, why should the innocent be punished for the actions of another?  Alas, the actions of the other may be for all sorts of reasons, some of which we cannot fathom.

Freedom is not perfect. It does not perfectly protect us from everything, including violence done to some by others.  It does, however, provide us with the single greatest advantage of any people on Earth:  We are free to become nearly anything.  We often forget how privileged we are to live in the United States of America.

To force freedom out of our culture in some misguided attempt at enforced fairness... That requires the destruction of the most basic premise upon which this republic was founded and the American Revolution was fought.

Plus there are tens of thousands of stories of people who used firearms in self-defense; in many cases the gun wasn't fired.

I have no problem with advocating responsible firearm ownership.  As I've said before, I don't own a gun and won't until I have proper training.  That being said, there is a place for laws to prevent firearm ownership for those who should not have them for certain reasons.

But to say that a freedom granted by the Constitution and exercised responsibly by so many people in this country because the laws on the books aren't rightly enforced is something I cannot support.

Our system of justice is predicated upon the presumption of innocence.  No one can be deprived of any right unless first convicted of a crime.

If you'd like to strip guns, you'll have to change the entire legal foundation of America.

I condemn what happened today in Roanoke.  That being said, there are tens of millions of responsible gun owners in this country, including many in this area and some who are dear to me.  Two of them I would trust with my life.  Don't paint a broad brush.  There are plenty of gun laws in existence.  Enforce them.

P.S. I have shot everything from a .22 rifle to a .50 machine gun.  I have respect for their firepower.  Do I own one personally?  No.  I know that I need training before I could responsibly own one.  Note the difference.  Yes, there are people who get them by legal means who will use them for harm.  They are in the vast minority.  If the vast majority are doing the right thing, why take that away from them?

The response will be, "Because people use guns for hideous crimes."  I'll point you to John Lott's book, "More Guns, Less Crime".

One of the best explanations I've heard of the 2nd Amendment was that it was established to protect the 1st Amendment.

I apologize if I've overstepped the standards of this board.

It appears that another outpost of this franchise will soon open at 6151 Richmond Highway in Alexandria, Fairfax County, in the space that used to house a restaurant called Las Vegas (which was Mexican/Salvadoran).

The outpost mentioned in my post above opened this past Monday.

Thanks for the suggestions!  I'm going next weekend.

The steamed dumplings were the surprise hit for me. I mean, I loved the duck, but I knew that was going to be good. But the dumplings had such a gentle bite, weren't overly heavy and were loaded with sauce and tasty filling. Good meal, overall.

Now I need to get some steamed dumplings...

We came, we saw, we ate.  Two whole ducks and a bunch of other dishes.  I think everyone went home with leftovers.  I know I did.

And because of the varied company there were dishes I'd never seen before and I've been going there for quite a while (you get in a rut and...).

Good company, good place to frequent.  pekingduck.com

I'll be the visibly disabled person!

Who knows good dining, because good dining knows no boundaries.

So, if someone may need to loiter around Fenway after a ballgame, just to use up some time, any suggestions?

If Papelbon can be a well-behaved closer, I'm all for it.  Storen got screwed, but he's a trouper and I hope he flourishes in his new role.

Alas, Storen had a horrible inning and lost the game last night.

If Papelbon can be a well-behaved closer, I'm all for it.  Storen got screwed, but he's a trouper and I hope he flourishes in his new role.

Hunting Creek Steak.  Not DC, but worth it.

Since a post of mine is the cause of this, I'm in. 

I've visited this place many times but I've never had the Peking Duck. 

Last night I got takeout and decided to finally try the Peking Duck.  I got the half duck since it was just for me.  I'll preface this by saying that I don't recall ever having had Peking Duck before, so I have no others to compare it to.  That being said:  Waiting this long, which includes years before the quoted post, was dumb.  Next time, even if it's just me, I'll order a whole duck and be happy for more than the 2 meals that I got out of the half.

I have fond memories of watching the menopause episode online at a hotel in suburban St. Louis, first with my mom, and again with her and my sister, and all of us laughing hysterically.

Unless I don't know what I'm talking about, the JOBS banners are on the Chamber of Commerce building.

Having known what I posted before, Pete's screwed.

Perhaps the dining thread order should be DC, Baltimore, then Philly/NYC or NYC/Philly?

One advantage Bangkok 54 has is a full bar.  If you are taking someone out to dinner who needs a cocktail, and you've convinced them to go to a Thai restaurant, go here over Thai Square.

(This may read awful, but I sometimes have to find restaurants for someone who likes a cocktail as part of dinner, so I'm aware of this stuff.)

Scherzer pitches a complete game 1-hitter and sets a new club record with 16 strikeouts (the previous record was 14) in a 4-0 win against the Brewers.  Only hit was a pop-up single just into the outfield that Rendon couldn't quite reach.  One walk.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

LtC John McCrae, physician, WWI.  Canadian.  I remember as a little lovehockey reciting this with my class for WWI vets.  And when I was in university attending the Remembrance Day ceremony that still had WWI vets.  (November 11, which is Memorial Day and Veterans Day wrapped into one in Canada.)

We live in freedom because of those who will voluntarily stand to defend it for us.

Looking at the Virginia Biscuit Company menu, I notice that they have Williamsburg Winery Two-Shilling Red and James River Sauvingnon Blanc for $9.  A bottle of the former is $7.90 plus tax at the ABC store.

Addendum:  Not that a large markup on booze at a sporting venue is a shocking phenomenon.

Note that lovehockey is recommending Market Lunch for breakfast (get the blueberry pancakes).

The French Toast is wonderful too.

How much time do you have?

Pick your Smithsonian museums wisely.

That being said, Arlington Cemetery.  For something unique, the Franciscan Monastery.  The Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Fireworks on the 4th?  You can sneak in on the Mall late if you aren't carrying anything, but you can perhaps sneak in at the last minute around the Marine Corps Memorial.  Otherwise, the top parking deck for Terminal C at National Airport.

Market Lunch at Eastern Market.  July 4 is a Saturday, and it will be slammed.  Get there before 8:30 a.m.

Congressional Cemetery.

Anderson House, home of the Society of the Cincinnati.

The George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria (I'll admit, I left more confused about Masonry than when I went in, but a great view).

The grotto on the Capitol grounds, west front, Senate side.

The Botanic Garden on the West Front of the Capitol.

The Old Soldiers' Home / Lincoln Summer House.

The Marine Corps Memorial (aka. Iwo Jima Memorial).

If you can, the 9/11 Memorial (now open 365 days a year) at the Pentagon.