ambivalent images

Bus Blur

A D.C. Metro Bus flies by in the night at the intersection of Q St. and Connecticut.

Meta: Yes, I know, a tripod would make a shot like this better, but I'm wondering if maybe a tripod would break the "rules" here. I mean, when you start going to all the trouble to haul a tripod out somewhere to set up a picture, aren't you trying too hard to call yourself an "amateur" or "snapshooter" anymore? I don't want to be trying too hard. I barely want to try.

Speaking of trying, though, and within this little meta-monologue, this daily-photo effort has been passed the 1/3 of a year mark — I've been doing it for more than four months. That's a lot of photos, and a few of them I do like, but a lot of them — too many, I fear — are filler photos, the best I could do on short notice. It's a little harder than I thought to have one good photo ready every day, especially when your daily activities just don't present much to take a good picture of. Also, the implicit limitation that I won't post pictures of people I know means a lot of the pictures I do take can't become candidates for posting. I didn't start out thinking I would never post a picture of someone I knew, but I've so far mostly resisted doing so because I know that, even though I don't care too much about putting all sorts of details of my life online, I know other people can be much more sensitive to that.

So 1/3 of the way through a year of posting a daily photo, it's harder than I thought, and takes more time than I thought. I still think it's worthwhile, though, because it gives me an excuse to take pictures of all kinds of things I might normally just pass by, and more important, it's meant I have my camera with me much more often so I experience fewer of those moments where you see something you'd really like to remember and think "Oh! I wish I had my camera!" So far, so good.

Oh, and one more thing: I'll take requests. Is there something in D.C. you'd like a picture of? Tell me what and where (via comments or email) and I'll see if I can find it and get a shot for you.

13th & Clifton

The view from 13th and Clifton NW, Washington D.C. I think. I meant to remember the cross street, but I could be confused. Anyway, I think this is one of the best views in the city. This shot doesn't show that at all, but trust me, if you're there, and if it's a clearer day than this was, you'll know what I mean. There are big apartment buildings at the top of this hill with balconies; I think that view would be a great thing to wake up to every day.

Connecticut Ave.

A view down Connecticut Ave. looking toward Dupont Circle from the Kalorama neighborhood. There aren't many places in D.C. that can give you any view of a distant horizon; I think somewhere around 13th and Q might be the best view in the city. I wonder if the limited vision provided by a low, flat city like D.C. has any affect on our nation's politics. Does limited vision in the physical world translate into limited imagination in the policy and problem-solving world?

Bluntwear

A t-shirt displayed prominently in the window of Claude Taylor Photography on Connecticut Avenue between Q and R streets in Dupont Circle. I've spoken with the proprietor before (I believe he's the brother of the photographer whose photographs are sold in the ship); he was a Clark supporter in the primaries. I wonder if the fact that he's selling this t-shirt means he's having trouble supporting Kerry, or if he's just trying to capitalize on anti-Shrub sentiment more generally.

I admit I've been one who has been reluctant to actively support Kerry. When Howard Dean said Kerry was Bush-lite, he was unfortunately not exactly wrong. However, he wasn't exactly right, either. Or maybe he was 100% correct then, but the context has changed. When we had other choices, Kerry was Bush-lite; now, Kerry looks like the anti-Bush. If you fight through the media meme that says "nobody knows who Kerry is or where he stands," you'll find that's just not true. He's a lifetime liberal who has occasionally flirted with radicalism (primarily when protesting Vietnam upon his return from there), but who has mostly played as safe as he could while still trying to advance a fairly standard, fairly old-school liberal agenda. Again, when compared to what I'd consider a real progressive agenda, Kerry's life work sadly comes up short. But I accept that now, in 2004, it's too much to ask for a progressive. Maybe next time. For now, Kerry is so much better than Bush it's not even funny.

All of this is to say: I'm really going to try to put away the "Bush sucks" shirts for a while (not that I actually own any, but figuratively speaking). I think everyone with whom that message is going to register has heard and taken heed. For the next few months, I think a better message, one that will do more to actually get Bush out of office, is a positive one. Instead of the negative "Bush sucks," I will, from now until November, try very hard to stay on a different message: Kerry's cool. Kerry protects the environment. Kerry has actually done things to help workers and the labor movement, and John Edwards will keep him honest on that score. Kerry actually thinks it's a problem that so many Americans have poor or no health care. No doubt about it: Kerry's better.

Really.

Recall the Mayor

A wall plastered with pictures of D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams. Apparently, some people don't like him too much, at least not as mayor. On their top five reasons to recall the mayor they claim he's dropped the ball on health care, education, homelessness, public safety, and democracy. It all sounds pretty bad, and I'm sure it is. Local politics is strange since D.C. is neither a city nor a state, but some strange mix of both, and Congress controls all the purse strings. The city could certainly do more in all the areas this group mentions, but I'm not sure how much control the mayor has over any of it.

Sunflower

A huge sunflower gazes at its own navel, as if exhausted after days spent holding its huge head proudly toward the sun. The thumbnail at right might give a better perspective of how this sunflower is bent over. I kept seeing it every morning last week when I walked the dog and it looked so huge and vibrant it just begged to have its picture taken. However, by the time I remembered my camera, it had passed its prime.

It just amazes me that a flower can be this big.

Chess Standoff

Elaborate chess pieces engaged in a heated contest. Leave it to law students to pounce on a mostly decorative chess board and immediately engage in an intense competition using strategies with names. Not me; I'm lucky to remember which way each piece is allowed to move, let alone proven strategies for where and when to move them.

Fuel Indicator

An electronic "fuel indicator" on the biggest, most deluxe deck grill I've ever seen. (Click thumbnail at right for a view of the full grill in full smoking glory.) One of my fellow interns was kind enough to invite all of us to his parents' house for lunch last week, and this is where he cooked for us. The house matched the grill well — it was beautiful, too.

We live in an urban apartment w/no deck, yard, or anything else that might allow us to grill out. Although I never did a lot of grilling when I had a house and a yard, knowing I could do it when I wanted to was nice. Add that to the list of reasons we're moving next month: We'll still live in an apartment, but it comes with a backyard (which we'll share w/the landlords upstairs). so grilling will definitely happen at some point.

How Many Licks?

Tootsie pop wrappers. I'd never paid any attention to the little figures on them before. Hello 1950s.

I still don't know how many licks it really takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. Do you know?

Another Pretzel

Another poster on a wall in the Adams Morgan/Mt. Pleasant neighborhood of D.C. This was one of many copies in the area, but I haven't seen it elsewhere. I'm guessing these are just really old, since the pretzel episode was over two and a half years ago now, but it's rare that multiple copies would hang around for so many years w/out being taken down, covered over, or just dissolving from the elements. Maybe this is just one more front in the struggle to ReDefeat Bush.

Define "Big"

A sign in front of a new Potbelly Sandwich Works location moving into the space at 1635 Connecticut Ave. I'm happy to see something moving in there; the space has been vacant since at least the time I moved to D.C. over a year ago.

This sign struck me as protesting a bit too much. While Potbelly may not be a "big chain" by chain restaurant standards it's big enough to afford a flashy banner proclaiming that fact. PSW appears to be privately owned and currently has 55 locations, with another eight "in the works." But whatever; I have to give them props for the anti-corporate sentiment, even if it is just a marketing ploy. I'm sure I'll be eating there sometime after the place opens. That's supposed to happen later this month, although it looks a long way from ready right now. We'll see.

Puppies!

Puppies at play at the office; a little take-down wrestling is all in a day's work for these kids. The office I'm working in this summer is one of those very cool offices that allow employees to bring their dogs to work. Of course, this little benefit is conditional; if your dog is a barker or a biter or will otherwise cause problems or somehow interfere with work, you'd better leave it at home. Apparently, there is an exception for puppies, because although they're distracting, they're too cute to banish. Here, a Schitzu (sp?) and a German Shephard/Pit Bull mix go at it for our lunchtime entertainment. It seems these kids will never get tired.

Speaking of puppies, someone was once working on launching a puppies-only cable channel, but I can't tell if it ever took off. Can you imagine? Nothing but puppies, 24/7. I don't know about you, but I can think of times when I'd really like watching a bit of that. You really can't remain depressed or negative in the presence of puppies; I just don't think it's possible. Of course, I'm not sure puppies on tv would have the same therapeutic effect as puppies in real life, but...

Making Noodles

A chef makes fresh noodles for the hungry patrons of Chinatown Express in downtown D.C. We tried out this restaurant the other night, both because it was recommended by the Washingtonian's Cheap Eats guide, and because it was close to our evening's destination, the E Street Cinema. The fresh noodle soup was great (probably even better on a cold winter afternoon) and the "Steamed Pork Bun" is every bit as yummy as the Washingtonian claims.

The Brickskeller

Two examples of the many fine beers available at The Brickskeller in Dupont Circle. The Brickskeller is a legend, bragging that it holds the Guinness World Record for "most varieties of beer commercially available." As you can see from the beer list, that's probably the truth. I was looking for one of my favorites, either Fat Tire from the New Belgian Brewing Company in Colorado, or any variation from Tucher, but alas, even the best-stocked bar in D.C. doesn't carry those. At a loss, I turned to our server for a suggestion and found the Youngs Oatmeal Stout to be the perfect complement to the Brickburger, and L. highly recommends the Lindemans Framboise (rasberry lambic).

In addition to good food and excellent beer, the Brickskeller features a cool, relaxed "ambiance" in the heart of D.C. Situated as it is in the garden-level basement of a hotel, the bar is rather dark and smoky, but that lends it a European atmosphere that fits well with its global selection of beers. (The aged entrance door at right gives some indication of this.) The Brickskeller is definitely a must-visit for anyone who likes good beer.

E Street Cinema

People hang out between shows at the E Street Cinema in downtown D.C. We saw The Corporation here last night.

You Can Eat

Restaurant sign in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of D.C. I wonder if business has improved since they abandoned that silly "all you can eat" idea and just began telling potential customers they could eat. Perhaps some people need such reassurances? ;-)

Cop Tech

A Panasonic Toughbook sits in a police cruiser, waiting for the next call or email. (This is an especially bad picture b/c I was taking it quickly on the sly while the cop was out of his cruiser—I didn't have time to make sure I got a good shot.) I believe this is a Toughbook 28, but I also saw other officers using the Toughbook 34 w/touchscreen.

The cool thing about these machines is that they're always online as the cops drive around, so whenever a call comes in, it comes to the computer in print form at the same time it comes over the radio. The big advantage I saw to this was it gave the cops the ability to study a suspect's description or confirm address details or whatever w/out the tedium and time required to talk over the radio. It also makes filing reports much easier since the cops are always with their computers and can type up reports whenever they have spare moments. Finally, cops get email all day long on their laptops, just as they would if they working an office job. I didn't see my cop send any email from his car, but he could have.

The computers also give the cops access to "wanted" posters so they can review the mug shots of the people they might be looking for. And of course cops can access all kinds of records (traffic records, arrest records, etc.) for people they stop or otherwise interact with. The cop I was riding with said this saves all kinds of time, allowing cops in the field to do nearly all the work the communications office used to do. He even called the computers "the best thing the department has done" in the 20-something years he's been on the force.

D.C. just passed a new law requiring drivers to use hands-free devices if they want to use their cell phones while driving. The idea is that people get distracted while playing w/cell phones and they should be focusing on the road. Well, if you want to talk about distraction, give drivers a computer! Many times I saw the cop I was riding along with swerving erratically, following too closely and having to stop abruptly to avoid accidents b/c he was focusing on his computer instead of the road and traffic around him. These things need hands-free devices, too! I'm surprised we haven't seen a lot of police cruisers in accidents yet. But police often drive very poorly, and perhaps one reason for that is that they're playing w/their computers instead of keeping their eyes on the road.

Left Behind Loaded

A heavily loaded bicycle sits propped against a fence along D.C.'s busy 16th Street in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood (near Harvard Ave.). Two things struck me about this bike: First, it's so heavily loaded—what could be in all those bags? Second, it's been sitting in this same spot, apparently untouched, for over a week.

That's right: I first saw this fairly unusual little vehicle sitting in exactly this spot as we headed out of town over a week ago. Then, a day or two ago I was in the same neighborhood and, whoop! there it is. Who would leave such a thing just sitting for a week? And on a very busy sidewalk and street, at that? What if those bags were stuffed full of explosives? Of course, people leave cars parked on the street for a week at a time and no one blinks twice or asks any questions, so perhaps we should allow the same thing with bikes. But still, isn't it a little surprising that something like this could remain basically untouched for a week on a busy street in a bustling city? I would think someone would at least decide to toss the bags off and steal the bike after they noticed the thing appeared to be abandoned. Is it just me, or does this seem strange?

Cabela's

Cabela's, Michigan's Number One Tourist Attraction (according to Cabela's). It also claims to be "The World's Foremost Outifitter," and probably the number one tourist attraction in the eight other states in which it has stores. In other words, its the Wal-Mart of hunting and fishing and camping gear, and therefore not to be missed. We stopped in search of Mackinac Island Fudge (that's pronounced Mack-in-aw Island to those not in the know), but alas, all they had was Cabela's Fudge, and that just wasn't going to cut it. No fudge for us, but I've now seen Michigan's Number One Tourist Attraction, and I'm sure I'm a better person for that.

Michigan Sunset

The sun sets over the lake in Michigan. Our vacation ended with a beautiful day, which we mostly spent fishing. This picture was taken as we headed back home at the end of the day, bringing a satisfying end to a wonderful vacation. Now it's back to life, back to reality, back to the here and now (to quote a pop song I don't really know).

Aveo

The Chevrolet Aveo we test drove. L's car has about 110,000 miles on it, and after the trouble we had getting to Michigan (which wasn't very serious, but still), we decided we'd take the entry model Chevy for a spin when we went to the dealer to pick up the new part. The Chevy Aveo is basically a revamped version of a Daewoo, but according to Motorway, it's a much better car than the Daewoo was. Perhaps that's true, and it did seem like a fine little car to drive. The price is right at $9995 to start, but the car has one huge drawback: As one of the smallest cars on the road in the U.S., this thing should get much better fuel economy! It's rated at 27 mpg city/32mpg highway—and that's with a manual transmission. As a measure of how bad that is consider that the old VW Beetles did almost that well 40 years ago.

Needless to say, we won't be buying an Aveo. We won't be buying anything, for that matter. However, if you're in the market, you might be interested in this list of cars with the best and worst gas mileage estimates. How cool is the Toyota Prius hybrid? It gets better mileage in town (60 mpg) than on the higway (51)! Annual fuel cost: $524. Compare that to the least efficient midsize, the Bentley Arnage, at an annual fuel cost of $2636. A more average midsize sedan costs about twice as much as the Prius to operate at around $1000/year for fuel.

Speaking of hybrids, welcome entry to the short list of more economical vehicles is the new Ford Escape Hybrid which is supposed to get around 35 mpg around town. That's not so much to brag about, but it's at least 10 mpg more than its gas-guzzling siblings, so at least it's a start.

Weather Station

An innovative Michigan weather station. In case you have difficulty reading the sign, it says:

If rock is wet ... raining. If rock is warm ... sunny. If rock is cold ... overcast. If rock is white ... snowing. If rock is swinging ... windy. If rock is bouncing ... earthquake. If rock is gone ... weather station closed today. This weather report is brought to you courtesy of Larry's Bait & Sport

A little Michigan humor for you, I guess, but I'm betting this weather station is pretty accurate.

Fishing

Fishing in the late afternoon: View from pole. We spent much of our time in Michigan fishing, though less than we might have if the weather had been warmer and less rainy. In all we caught more than 60 bluegills, which are fun little fish to catch when they're biting. They're also great to eat fried w/a little Fry Magic breading. We used wax worms for bait and managed to go out a couple of times when we could basically just drop the line in the water and pull out a fish. Other times, there was more patience involved, but we'd catch one every so often to keep it interesting. Plus, it's very relaxing and enjoyable to just float around on the lake. Why can't I be retired already?

In addition to bluegills, we also caught a couple of large mouth bass and a couple of crappies, all of which we threw back. We also fished a little for Northern Pike using big "sucker chubs" (large, fat minnows) as bait. and we did get two hits, but weren't able to set the hook and pull them in. Maybe next year.

Casino Chips

L. holds her stack of blackjack winnings at the Soaring Eagle Casino in north-central Michigan. As the chip indicates, the Soaring Eagle is owned and operated by the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan. It's a little taste of Vegas in middle of the country, complete with pinging, ringing, and dinging slots all over the place, a smoky and highly-airconditioned atmosphere, and a sunken gambling floor that makes it hard for players to tell whether it's day or night. A gambler's paradise, really, just so long as (to paraphrase Kenny Rogers) you know when to hold 'em, fold 'em, and walk away.

Lake Sunrise

The sun paints the sky as it rises over the lake in Michigan.

Jarts

Jarts (lawn darts) at rest. We played many hotly contested rounds of this game, but I invariably lost. These fun little toys are now banned in the U.S., which may explain why someone decided to steal four of the darts from the yard one night last week. I knew that they were illegal to buy, but is it really illegal to play Jarts? Game sets appear to be selling for over $100 on iOffer.com and also on eBay—"for display only". Crazy.

Low Coolant

Coolant leaks from a cracked aluminum tube in L's 1995 Chevrolet. Our departure to Michigan for a week of fun and relaxation was delayed when we popped the hood to check the oil and found this leak. The "Low Coolant" light on the dash had been on for a little while, so this was probably why. After spending the next five hours calling and driving around the D.C. area in search of Chevrolet Part #22596769 (the leaking tube), we finally just decided to forget about it and head out. The tube is only for overflow anyway, so it didn't seem like it would matter if it was leaking; that turned out to be the case. We made it fine.

The experience taught me again that if your engine temperature sensor is working fine (ours seemed to be) and if the engine temperature holds at normal with no problem, then a small coolant leak isn't a big deal. Of course, you want to fix such things eventually, but you don't have to park the car until you do so. I also learned something about the "Low Coolant" idiot light in the dash of this car: It's controlled by a simple float in the coolant reservoir, and if the coolant level gets low in that reservoir, the float will often get stuck on the bottom of the tank so that even when you have plenty of coolant, the "Low Coolant" light will stay on in the dash. Solution: Just give the coolant reservoir a few brisk taps to shake the float free and your "Low Coolant" light should turn off. This might not work with all cars, but it certainly works with this one. See, you learn something everyday...

Stuffed Patriotism

A lawn ornament Uncle Sam says "Happy Fourth of July!" And, of course, what would the Fourth be without fireworks? (click pic at right to enlarge) L. and I spent the holiday on her parents' boat—my first experience watching fireworks from the water. I highly recommend it. Sound carries well on the open water so the explosions are louder; plus, it's dark out there, so the exploding light seems brighter and more vivid. Previous to this my most memorable Fourth was watching the fireworks launched from a barge in the middle of the Charles River in downtown Boston after racing across the country for two days from Utah in a 15-passenger van so that we could see the spectacular show. Again, it was fireworks on the water, but that time I was on the shore.

I hope you all had a fine Fourth!

Stop Me

A sidewalk spray painting on 16th Street in D.C. near the corner of 16th and U St. Parades and marches sometimes take this route, so it could be related to something like that, or it could be just a random street "artist" practicing some free speech. I'm guessing it isn't strictly legal to paint a public sidewalk, but it can be fairly effective.

Panda Melon

Panda Melon, by Anthea Zeltzman. A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that this was my favorite panda so far in D.C.'s Pandamania exhibit, so I finally got a shot. You can see from the little shot at right (click to enlarge) that the slice of watermelon comes right from the panda's back. Clever.

I've got several other panda shots. I could make a separate "album" of pandas at some point, but there's really no need when we have the Interactive Panda Map. Definitely a cool guide to check out if you're going to wander around D.C. at all this summer.

Justice Breyer

Justice Breyer poses for photos with fawning fans after his keynote address at the 2004 American Constitution Society (ACS) Convention on June 18. Not such a great photo, but it was the best I could do in the midst of all those people wanting to shake his hand or take his picture. You know you're at a geeky law convention when a Supreme Court Justice gets treated like a rockstar.

Unfortunately it appears Judge Guido Calabresi's mention of Bush and Hitler in the same sentence upstaged Breyer's keynote, so there wasn't much in the news about it. Right now ai is the top result in a search for "Justice Breyer ACS" (w/out the quotes).

At right is a photo of Cass Sunstein who chaired a Saturday morning discussion on the 14th Amendment. (It's blurry b/c taken w/out flash to minimize disturbance during the discussion.) Sunstein's new book looks like it would be a good read.