As someone who used to work for a lobbying firm, I found the following exchange in today's excellent WaPo Political Chat with Dana Milbank amusing. He's actually channeling God, Pat Robertson style:

Silver Spring, Md.: In the midst of discussions of Abramoff's hat, and a fair bit of rhetoric about getting rid of all the lobbyists, I would like to point out that many lobbyists do play a significant role in our system. For example, the average citizen does not read the bills, or have much in the way of access to go over the details of them with staffers, etc.

Dana Milbank: Thank you for that excellent point, Mr. Scanlon. I am glad that you have not lost computer privileges.

On a less humorous note, lobbying itself is a strange world. Ideally, the government would be perfectly able to promote its own interests in such a way that benefited all those affected. But too often, people on the sidelines don't realize what is going on. And that's even before the GOP leadership decided to have plenty of three in the morning votes that are held open for hours while arms are twisted.

In a perfect world, the government would represent the utilitarian nature of the people: doing the most good for the greatest number of people. It would simultaneously hold dear the liberal tradition of not violating the rights of the minority in the name of the majority.

Yet lobbyists exist to remind their clients that their needs are the most important. Even lobbying for good people means that other deserving folks are shut out. If new bridges are needed in Virginia and West Virginia, and through expert lobbying only Virginia gets the funds for the bridge, that's a sad pay-off for the people in West Virginia.

What should happen, in the perfect lobbyist-free world, is that the government should act in the interests of the people. Senators and Representatives should have ample time to read bills and determine how their constituents would have them vote. That, after all, is the entire purpose of a representative democracy. (No, I'm not going to get into the classic poli-sci debate over how representation should work.) Simple majorities should carry the day, and pork should be banished forever. The Executive branch departments would provide useful information to the people so that they could make the best use of the government programs available to them.

Until that day comes, though, I hope Abramoff's sleaziness will primarily hurt the lobbyists for industries I don't support, like coal companies.

Yes, once again, it's that time of the year when my venerable alma-mater hits me up for funds. Let's look at what I've given in the past:

• 2006: $1.00
• 2005: $0.00
• 2004: $1.00
• 2003: $1.00
• 2002: $0.00
• 2001: $1.00
• 2000: $1.00

Nice, eh?

Now check out the overall rankings. Here's the relevant info: in the years for 2006 and 2005, the class of 2000 managed to have 12% and 9% participation, amassing a total of around $3,950.52 for '06 and $7,616.52 for '05.

Those are the lowest number of any class, from 2007 all the way back until the class of 1932. That's right: we're the stingiest alumni class of any at Williams with more than 12 people alive in it.

At first, of course, during the early years away from the purple bubble, I'm sure many thought that our giving would increase after we'd been out of school. But now it's clear for all to see, simply because the classes from '01 to '07 regularly out perform us.

Does anyone want to venture a guess as to why double-naughts are the class who gives the least to our eph brethren?

DC is going smokefree within a year.

I personally agree that the transition should be during summertime, but six months is pretty short notice. Maybe the irate bar owners can get DC to push back closing time a few hours as "compensation". That would be a win-win situation for people like me.

As a lifelong 'canes fan, I was delighted to see FSU lose the Orange Bowl by a missed attempt to put it through the uprights. I was less delighted to have to grind it out until past one in the morning with Heidi and her nittany lion friends to see such an outcome. I was especially less delighted to discover that in Ballston, Sean and I were unable to snag a cab for a lengthy chunk of time.

I'm much happier to live in the district.

I'm extremely happy with my job.

The radio wars are once again kicking off, with one station coming online and another biting the dust. I expect I'll like WaPo radio more than WTOP, which isn't terribly informative. My favorite newsradio station has to be C-SPAN radio, but I suppose the presence of WAPO radio (that does, of course, have to be the call-sign they get, right? Dwight, can you help me out on how callsigns are distributed?) would easily become a contender.

Can you imagine Dana Milbank with a radio show? Or Walter Pincus? Or an hour with Joel Achenbach? The possibilities are not endless, but they are interesting.

Okay, I'm finally back from my week of being off. Presents were opened, gifts were exchanged, and much merriment was made.

What's happened in the interim?

• The WaPo now has free sixty-day access to their archives. Take that NYT-lovers! The Post is, nicely, keeping pace with the state of technology to offer people more content, not less.

• Dupont Circle was named the "13th Worst Public Space in the World". This is idiotic, especially when you consider that the area in front of the red barn is listed as #10. As if anyone from DC would actually congregate in front of the Education Department.

• I had a great time on New Years Eve with Jenna and Pell and Heidi, despite the absence of perennial NYE fan favorites Meat and Loaf.

• Many, many black-eyed peas were consumed. I may experience a luck-overdose later this year as a result.

So that's my story. Any tales from you guys?