Say something nice about Washington DC

OH wait, only British people can fly.

There's a good Chinese restaurant, I think on M St? Maybe not on M St. It's near there. It's good.

Though actually, I consider D.C. and Maryland to be the South too.

Anyway, I like Union Station.

Maryland's Status During The American Civil War

The fact that the original Mason-Dixon Line ran along the Maryland/Pennsylvania border might lead one to think that Maryland was a Confederate state during the American Civil War. It wasn't - Maryland fought on the side of the Union. However, Maryland was a slave state and many Marylanders served in the Confederate army. I'm grateful to Amy Mayer who brought this point to my attention.

Susan Travis kindly sent me this information which further explains Maryland's position:

As a native of Maryland now living in Georgia, it is nice to have some backup arguments to my assertions that Maryland is, indeed, part of the South!

In regards to Maryland being or not being in the Confederacy during the Civil War, there are a couple of points which may be of interest to you. Maryland did remain a part of the Union, that is true. However, there were very strong Southern sympathies in Maryland during the War, and she probably would have seceded if she had been allowed to do so. If Maryland had seceded, the railroad lines into Washington, D.C., the Union's capital, would have been completely cut off, thus prohibiting messages and supplies from getting in and out of D.C. The Union troops actually placed cannon in Baltimore facing, not out to the harbour as might be expected, but rather on top of a hill (known as Federal Hill) facing into the city to keep the troops and citizens in line! As with any border state, troops were raised in Maryland for both the Union and Confederate sides. I hope this helps even further to clear up some of the confusion about Maryland's status during The Great Unpleasantness (as it is often referred to here in the South)!

Harris P. Murphy sent me a message expressing another view of Maryland's status during the American Civil War which demonstrates that passions still run deep on this question:

Having reviewed your site regarding the South and Maryland's place therein, I feel compelled to write and correct an inaccuracy. Maryland was not a "Union" state during the Civil War, as many revisionist historians would have us believe. It was a decidedly pro-Southern state that was held in the Union illegally, by force.
Her governor was under house arrest. The writ of habeas corpus was suspended, and those members of the legislature who would have voted to secede - a majority, see below - were jailed. Additionally, the occupying Federal forces had their guns trained on the city of Baltimore. Prior to being occupied, the citizens and the legislature provided clear indication of Maryland's stance with regard to both the state's Southern inclination and secession. In the presidential election preceding the war, Maryland's votes were almost identical to those of the other states of the upper South. See "A Southern Star For Maryland". Moreover, the full legislature's last resolution with regard to the issue of secession was to "cast her lot with that of her sister state of Virginia." In sum, Maryland was, is, and will always be a Southern State, despite the best efforts of the revisionist Yankees who seek now, as then, to occupy her.

This site has lots of great photos of DC, of the neighborhoods and such, not the usual tourist sights.
dc photos: "The US government is shut down and schools are closed -- but the beer must get through."

Rhode Island, incidentally, now offers special Mr. Potato Head plates. what a weird state it is.

http://www.nbc4.com/news/17204642/detail.html
Commuter's Bike Considered Too 'Ugly' At Union Station

The temperature has dropped like 15 degrees from where it was earlier today