bloomingdale, you're finally getting a bar!

i haven't paid attention to the corner of 1st, t, and rhode island for a couple days, but check this out:
yep, that's a placard for a liquor license. a class c liquor license. a TAVERN! we are getting a bar, bloomingdale!


that first photo was in one of the doors on t street. this property, at 84-86 t street nw, has long been rumored to be home to a second location of heller's bakery of mount pleasant (whose donuts are quite good!) well, it looks like that's not the case now. a new, smallish window has been placed in the 1st street wall in the last few days, and that's home to the other placard.

i know it's hard to read, but here are the details:

• posted today (august 1, 2008)
• petition date: september 15, 2008
• hearing date: september 29, 2008
• name: baraki
• nature of operation: local tavern featuring standard american fare with occasional dj, occupancy limit is 99.
• hours of operation: sunday through thursday: 11 am - 2 am, friday and saturday: 11 am - 3 am
• hours of entertainment: sunday through thursday: 9 pm - 2 am, friday and saturday: 9 pm - 3 am

and the kicker: sidewalk café with 24 seats: every day 11 am to midnight!



so there you have it, bloomingdale. i always thought this would happen at 1822 1st street (the corner of 1st and seaton) before anywhere else in the neighborhood, but maybe that'll just have to be the home of a bar and restaurant, instead of a plain-old tavern like baraki.

international travel and the 4th amendment

i'm heading out of the country in a few days. i'll be gone for almost three weeks, spending on week in tunisia and nearly two weeks in italy. so, when i came across this article in the wapo today, i was intrigued and concerned.

Federal agents may take a traveler's laptop computer or other electronic device to an off-site location for an unspecified period of time without any suspicion of wrongdoing, as part of border search policies the Department of Homeland Security recently disclosed.

now, i'm no constitutional scholar, but here's the wording of the 4th amendment to the constitution:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

doesn't it seem pretty straightforward that taking your laptop without any suspicion of wrongdoing would be an unreasonable seizure of your effects? when the hell did i move to a third world dictatorship?

the truth is, i'm going to a country where they speak arabic and practice islam. i guarantee you that the TSA folk at dulles when i get back will have all kinds of fun questions for me. i'm looking forward to the trip, but potentially dreading coming back here.