Mike O'Connell

You read it in The Washington Post. You read it in the Costco members magazine. You heard about it from @moconnelljr. The latest yuppie status. It’s not driving a Prius or drinking raw water.It’s chicken farming.

You know… chickens. Like, having chickens cooped up in your backyard. Literally cooped up in your yard. Or closet or whatever you can afford in the city.

According to the Post chicken men are ponying up big-city money for their hobby. Unlike farmers of yesterday or modern authentics, status farmers pamper their birds and don’t mind sharing what spend. Then put it on social media so everyone knows how hip you are.

Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to try to jump in on the next crazy fad.

It’s that time of year. The day when I start out feeling pretty smart, then end it feeling not so much. No, not for my NCAA Tournament bracket… it’s time for the online Jeopardy! contestant test!

Why do I subject myself to this?

Well, you never know.

It’s not to late to sign up.. head here and join me tonight in feeling silly.

The date March 2 means only one thing for me. This was the day, 12 years ago, that I lost my best friend for all eternity, Joe Sullivan, killed in an automobile accident at the age of 23. I’ve talked or written about this event a thousand times, and I’ve described how I’ve felt over the past dozen years just as many. I’ve often wondered (maybe you’ve wondered too) when I’d be able to say I’ve come to peace with it. Not over it, of course, for one could never be “over” such a thing… just at peace with it.

Nope. Never. I’m just as mad about it today as I was in 2006. More mad probably. I think of everything I would have told Joe or done with Joe. Ballgames, movies, life events. Nope. None of that. Missed every single one.

There’s a saying in the theatre that says the show must go on. Life goes on too. You know what else goes on? Silly ideas from politicians. I continue with this post, changing its macabre tone to a lighter one thinking this is what Joe would have wanted.

You are no doubt familiar with the controversy involving Delta Airlines and the State of Georgia. That the Georgia legislature would end its sweetheart with Delta if the airline stopped giving discount airfares to NRA members. (These things are never about politics or “gun rights” or anything like that… they’re about money.) Seems as though this has come to bear. Following public pressure upon Delta (and every single American business) to cut ties with the NRA or to stake out new, more anti-gun political stances (by the way I’m completely fine with this), the airline giant cut its affiliation with the NRA. What followed was the passing of a new tax measure ending the lucrative tax break Delta (and other airlines) were receiving from the state. (“Leveling the playing field” no doubt… ha!)

So with Delta at odds with the State of Georgia and faced with losing a big chunk of the estimated $38 million in yearly tax breaks airlines were once receiving, other states started chomping at the bit. My own governor, a certain Dr. Northam, tweeted at Delta (that’s how you do it these days): Hey @delta–Virginia is for lovers and airline hubs. You’re welcome here any time. Let me translate: We’ll give you some of our taxpayers’ money!!!

Come on, Doc. You don’t want to appear desperate.

With news like this, who needs fiction?

I’d love to talk to you about this one, Joe.

Talk around Washington these days centers on one question: Are the Wizards actually better off without John Wall?

It seems preposterous. Wall’s their best player. He’s an all-star. A Wall-star. The face of the franchise.

But he’s been out the past 12 games with an injured knee, during which time the Wiz are 9-3. That includes wins over Cleveland, OKC, and Toronto. (The Raptors, by the way, have the best record in the Eastern Conference.) One of those losses was an overtime loss to Boston, previous owners of the best record in the east. (I know, I know, it’s the Eastern Conference, but still.) The Wizards have found some February magic without their Wall-star, last night beating the Philadelphia 76ers, who’d come into the game winners of seven in a row. It would be a cliché to say they’re “playing like a team” without their star, but, well, yeah.

The Wizards have four of their next five games at home before a month-long final push to the playoffs. Sometime in there Wall is going to come back, and one hopes the magic is still there.

The phrase we’re using is “everybody eats.”

Grab a fork, John.

Wednesdays I usually like to write about politics. Here’s an oldie but a goody.

There’s a weekly paper in my community called the Loudoun Times-Mirror, usually good for a laugh or two. This past week there was a piece about tax breaks, etc. for “data centers” (and, presumably, other businesses), a favorite topic of mine.

Buddy Rizer, head of Loudoun County’s “economic development” office, trotted out the line of ultimate irony.

“You will not be competitive without this to somewhat level the playing field.”

Level the playing field?!

Ha!

The whole point is to make the playing field as unlevel as possible. Does the Russian Olympic team give its athletes steroids to “level the playing field”? Do any of us try to do anything in life to “level the playing field”?

Do something foolish, then spin it to something it’s not.

Two wrongs don’t make a right.