Those of you who have followed Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) recent ill-advised trip to Syria might be interested in a quick read of the Logan Act (USC Title 18, Part I, Chapter 45, §953).  The Act, passed in 1799, makes it a felony for any U.S. citizen to involve himself in foreign relations without the "authority of the United States"—meaning presidential authorization, since the President has constitutional authority over foreign affairs.  Pelosi clearly intended to affect our (and other nations') relations with terror-supporting Syria, and certainly did not have presidential blessing to do so.  She's unlikely to be prosecuted this time, but probably ought to avoid committing felonies in the future.

If you happen to live in the DC metro area or—God forbid—in the city itself, you've probably heard so much about the issue of DC congressional representation that you can hardly bear to hear any more.  In fact, the default license plate issued to DC citizens even has "Taxation Without Representation" emblazoned across the bottom as a poke at their lack of voting representation in Congress.  For those with a 7th grade understanding of constitutional law, I hear you can still choose to have your license plate made without the catch-phrase.

I drove up Mill Mountain after work late on a Thursday afternoon to stand beneath the Star and look at the city.  It had been a hot, sticky day—the kind where a few seconds in the open air left you longing for a nearby pool to dive into—but the view was worth the lingering discomfort.  Things were a bit cooler this high above the city anyway.  More real.  More honest.

Mill Mountain was a good place to get away.  It had a beautiful quiet about it in the late afternoon, especially on weekdays when the tourists were sparse.  I always enjoyed the blessed incongruity of the world's largest man-made illuminated star—though I could do without the mind-numbing neon buzz.