IP: Washington Diary #1

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

We are sitting in our apartment watching the snow fall [ the Government is 
closed]. DC is expecting 8 inches or so. Earlier in the week it also snowed 
and I was impressed by the rapid cleanup. This was right after the surprise 
dusting that stopped everything. They seem to learn at least.

This is the first time I have lived in a city as opposed to suburbia and it 
is neat. I take the Metro subway to work and we walk to Georgetown to shop 
and eat out. Our car sits in the basement of our apartment house. We can 
take the Metro to several major shopping centers and downtown with no train 
change. NEAT!!

Our apartment is an efficiency with a decent kitchen and very comfortable. 
We will move to a one bedroom when they become available. The Pennsylvania 
House is a very very central location -- two blocks to Georgetown; two 
to  the Metro ...

The FCC, 1/2 hour apartment to office via the Metro, is a neat place. Many 
very talented people. Rather heavily biased by lawyers and economists but 
with a significant number of   people who are techno-savy . I have yet to 
make the rounds of the Commissioners but expect to this week and next.

Life is a lot of meetings and meeting people -- all so far worthwhile.

As to computing. At our apartment I have a second line set up for data but 
am now using a Metrocom/ricochet wireless modem. Works like a charm from 
here with a strong signal and good data rate. At the FCC I am fighting the 
existence of a firewall which seems to block smtp and pop3 and even though 
I have a ssh setup, I have not managed to find out who at the FCC can tell 
me how to use that through their firewall (it does not work out of the box).

I expect to focus the diary on the DC scene with a techno slant but this 
first one is more personal. As a reminder I have attached our various 
address data. If you are in DC let me know.

Dave



Cellular: +1 215 327 8756


Work:

David J. Farber
Chief Technologist
Federal Communications Commission
445 12 th St SW
Washington, DC 20554

Tel: +1 (202) 418-2046
Fax: +1 (202) 418-1918
Email: DFARBER () fcc gov

Apartment:

Dave and GG Farber
Pennsylvania House
Apt. 617
2424 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20037

Tel: +1 (202) 973-8887
Fax: +1 800 339 7069
Email: dave () farber net or farber () cis upenn edu