ambivalent images

Sunset On D.C.

The setting sun creates a silhouette along Connecticut Ave near the intersection of Columbia. This seemed a fitting farewell image to the city that was our home for three years. (We drove out of town yesterday, May 31, 2006.)

Even though I loved to complain about the place I know I will miss it. Thank you, D.C. for three great years!

Bridge Bison

One of the Bison statutes at one end of the Dunbarton Bridge on Q St. I think. I can't remember now. Is that right? Anyway, these bison are cool!

Georgetown Under Threat

Dark storm clouds hang low over M Street in Georgetown. My friends and I wandered up and down the street window shopping and people watching on the Memorial Day weekend.

Silence and Respect

A sign at the JFK Memorial in Arlington National Cemetary. It's a good reminder of why we have this holiday.

Chief Stones

Tombstones of Supreme Court Chief Justices Burger, Marshall, and Blackmun, all together at Arlington National Cemetery.

Rocks and Walls

A rock wall and archway over a small creek on the fringes of Rock Creek Park. L. and I discovered this last week on a walk between Massachusetts and Connecticut down in one of the nooks and crannies that border Rock Creek Park. This creek runs under and along side a narrow, winding road that leads to big, quiet houses that enjoy lots of shade. These homes are just minutes from downtown D.C., yet they're so quiet and tucked out of the way that they could be miles away in mountains or something. Pretty cool.

Carsharing

One of the new carshare signs springing up around the city. (At right is a blurry shot of the other side of the same sign.) These new signs mark places where you can pick up (or drop off) a Flexcar or Zipcar. The city has recently made many more prime parking spaces carshare-only spaces to encourage people to use these services and thereby reduce road and parking congestion. Seems like a good idea to me.

I also think these signs are just cool!

A Demuralized People

This is a bit more of the Adams Morgan mural posted yesterday. Funny, but true!

Mural Poker

Odd characters play some sort of table game in one corner of a large mural in Adams Morgan. The image at right shows the mural in its entirety. The mural is on a wall next to an alley near the corner of Calvert/18th and Columbia.

Bye Bye Bench?

A beautiful and comfy park bench in Kalorama Park. I took this picture on May 13, 2006 and posted a Flickr set about it
and the little notebook tucked underneath. Ten days later I was wandering past the same spot and the bench was gone! Click the thumbnail at right to see the empty space left by the bench's removal. I hope it's just been removed for some temporary reason—maintenance or something. Otherwise we may have to consider the possibility that someone broke it up and used “the wood to light a fire to smoke their crack.”

Rocket, Please!

A travel agency sign on U St. NW. I guess you can book trips there to travel by rocket. I haven't checked on the details b/c I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to afford it.

Adams Morgan Skyline

Rooftops on lower 18th St. NW. I know I'm going to really miss common D.C. area sights like this once we've moved away...

Dupont Choice

A construction sign and barrier on Connecticut Ave. just north of Dupont Circle.

Marge in Dupont

A stuffed Marge Simpson hangs in the window of Best Cellars in Dupont Circle.

Table Graffiti

Graffiti on a bar table at Cafe Deluxe. We went there again for brunch last weekend—big mistake. It was mother's day and the place was mobbed, even though we arrived only minutes after it opened. We ended up sitting at the bar where the tables have been covered by graffiti of the sort pictured here. I thought this list of ten things to do before you die was not bad, and I especially enjoyed the quotation from Lloyd Dobler.

Contemplating American Gothic

Looking down the hall at “American Gothic,” the famous Grant Woods painting, currently on exhibit at the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery. (Photography was not allowed inside the exhibit rooms themselves so this was the best I could do.) The gallery is just across what used to be Pennsylvania Ave. from the White House and Old Executive Office building and is currently showing a large amount of Grant Woods' work, including the customized door to his studio in Cedar Rapids, IA, pieces of furniture he made and designed, examples of work from different periods in his life, and, of course, “American Gothic.” It all shows that Woods was a very talented and accomplished almost “renaissance man” of an artist. The exhibit is definitely worth a stop if you're in the area before July 16th, 2006.

K & 20th?

Spring dusk in downtown D.C. near the corner of 20th and K, I think. It's definitely K st., and it's most likely 20th, but I can't remember for sure. Helpful of me, huh?

I've always found this building interesting w/all it's aluminum or stainless steel cladding around the windows. It's kind of pretty but also a little bunker-esque.

Dupont Fountain in Gray

The Dupont Circle fountain on a recent sort of overcast day.

Late Tulips

Bright pink tulips are still blooming brightly in some yards and gardens.

Sidewalk Storage

Trunks and other things on the sidewalk near the corner of 21st & K St. NW. This was late last week, but I had seen the same stuff in the same place a few days earlier. It was all locked up w/a length of chain, but not such that anyone who tried even a little couldn't take something. Who would leave this stuff here? Why do people leave it alone like that?

Of course, whoever left that stuff there is probably homeless and has no other place to put it. I've noticed caches of homeless stuff like this other places, too. Bus stops and park benches seem to be good places for people to deposit belongings for long periods. In recent weeks, the park at 20th and Pennsylvania has had one bench permanently occupied by a bunch of stuff underneath a tarp. The tarp is weighted down with rocks or something, and for at least a while there was a cardboard sign next to it saying something like “private, do not touch.” I guess such warnings are sort of respected b/c most people think there's probably nothing there worth taking. Perhaps most people also feel sorry for anyone who is in a position to have to leave their belongings on the sidewalk and don't want to kick those people when they're down by taking or molesting what may be their last possessions.

I also wonder if there's something about the trust, audacity, and plain strangeness of an act like this that makes people hesitate to mess with this stuff. I say that b/c when I was cycling through Europe I would regularly leave my bike in random places (like parks) while I wandered around a city or town. I would always lock it with a u-lock, but the lock was too small to lock it to anything, so generally I would just lock the wheel to the frame so the bike wouldn't roll. That obviously made the bike harder to move, but what about all my luggage that was strapped to it? I never secured that in any way. If someone had wanted to take it they would have needed only about 30 seconds to strip most of my stuff off my bike and be gone. Yet, that never happened. Why? Why did people leave my bike and my stuff alone? Like I said, maybe they just thought it wasn't worth their trouble, but I always wondered if maybe those people who might have otherwise been prone to take something that wasn't theirs just thought, “no, that person needs that stuff.”

Of course, there's one more possibility: People are generally good and don't want to steal from others or destroy their things. I think that has something to do with it, too.

Glazed

A Krispy Kreme doughnut glazer spins away inside the store at the corner of Dupont Circle and Connecticut Ave. The white stuff you see is mostly frosting and that's a conveyor belt of some sort. This this is always spinning but I don't think I've ever seen any doughnuts in the midst of being glazed so I can't say I really understand how it works.

Mourn : Honor VI

The regularly-updated display of the number of U.S. soldiers killed and wounded so far in Iraq. I wanted to update this one last time before I left the city. It's a reminder that I don't ever hear anyone say anything about, but if you drive down K St. NW in downtown DC it's pretty hard to miss. When will this tragedy end?

Previously in this series:

1. March 19, 2006
2. Dec. 25, 2005
3. Aug. 15, 2005
4. March 07, 2005
5. Dec. 18, 2004

I'm Stuck in Debt!

Marker grafitti at a bus stop near Calvert and Connecticut in Woodley Park. Sadly, this is all too true for me, and probably for many other Visa customers, as well.

Harsh!

The remains of a bike locked to a parking meter on Calvert St. NW in front of Open City. The frame is that of a Bianchi Pista, so this was once a pretty nice bike. I wonder how long it was locked there before someone started stripping it. And how long did the stripping take? Also, why didn't the stripper take the pedals? It doesn't look like they're anything special, but worth taking, I would think. I mean, if you're already going to the trouble of taking everything else...

Open City Camel

An animal cracker camel floats through the air (mysteriously!) at Open City in Woodley Park. L. and I went there for dinner a few weeks ago and just tried it for brunch last weekend. It's a lot like The Diner with a more Tryst-esque atmosphere. No surprise there—all three properties are part of the Tryst empire. Open City even uses the same coffee mugs and napkins as Tryst. The food at all three places is fine—nothing special, but you know it will be satisfying—and it's great to see a place like this in the Woodley Park area. I'm sure it's going to make a mint.

Daisy Daisy

Bright orange daisy's newly planted in a neighbor's yard. These were put in the ground in full bloom by a landscaping company just before the neighbor put his house on the market. They look terrific and have lasted a couple of weeks. I don't know if they helped sell the house, but I've definitely enjoyed seeing them.

Footie in the park

Players kick up some soccer dust at Walter Pierce Park. Every time I see this field I can't help but think back to just about a year ago when it was entirely fenced in b/c they'd planted grass or laid down sod (I can't remember which). The grass was green and thick over the entire field. Then they took down the fence and people started using the field and, well, the results are obvious. It's too bad it gets so dusty, but it's also great that a public space like this gets so much use. I walk by there all the time and almost always see people having a great time there. The lack of grass is a pretty small price to pay for that.

Hope Spray

A message on a brick wall in Walter Pierce Park in Adam's Morgan.

Tragic Possibility

Falun Gong protesters at the corner of Connecticut and Calvert last Thursday (April 20). The protest was sparked by the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to the U.S. Earlier in the day one protester was arrested and is being charged with “'knowingly and willfully intimidating, coercing, threatening or harassing … a foreign official performing his duties,' a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in prison and a fine of $5,000.” I'm glad the potential punishment isn't any larger (and I assume if convicted she'd be more likely to get probation/fine than jail), but I disagree with the charge in the first place. Supposedly her “intimidation” or “threats” were: “Your time is running out,” and “Anything you have done will come back to you in this life.” Does that sound criminal to you?

I just don't know what to make of Falun Gong, but I am convinced that China (whether officially or not) is executing prisoners and selling their organs without their prior permission. Combine that with the fact that China executes more people each year than any other country in the world and you have what looks like a serious problem. (China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. together account for 97% of global executions in 2005. Good company we're in, huh?) I just recently watched “Dirty Pretty Things,” which is about illegal immigrants in London selling their kidneys for fake passports (oh, but it's a love story, too!) so the subject has been much on my mind. The film reminded me that this sort of thing is probably going on today, right now, somewhere in D.C., and probably in many other places around the country and world. How have we come to this?

Royal Palace

The corner of Connecticut and Florida Aves. Does anyone have any clue what this place is? It seems too huge to just be a bar...

I've always thought the big building looming behind the Royal Palace was pretty cool. I bet you could get some great views from those balconies.

Moon through trees

Last week's full moon hangs low over a string of rowhouses in Adams Morgan. I just don't have the lens to capture stuff like this (and I couln't find a good view where I didn't have to compete w/a streetlight), but this moon was incredibly cool b/c of the lines of clouds surrounding it for the few minutes I was taking pics. By the time I got a clearer shot (no trees, no streetlights), the clouds had evaporated and it wasn't even worth it anymore.

21st & R

A sculpture at the corner of 21st and R St. NW.

Old and New

An old cathedral next to a new office building on 20th St. NW.

Small City Reflections

Building reflections merge into real buildings on 17th St. NW in downtown D.C. That was the goal, anyway; it's a little off.

Model D.C.

Looking NE from the Washington Monument. The dark sky and color saturation of this photo, as well as it's sort of odd scale, make it look less like a photo and more like a model to me. According to this tutorial, I probably should have blurred the edges and maybe tilted the photo a bit to give the full effect.

Overcast Monument

The Washington Monument before a darkening spring sky.

Natural Signs

Dark clouds move in over the White House—obviously a sign that even Mother Nature knows this administration is corrupt and has lost the support of the vast majority of Americans. Obviously.

But seriously, this sky was just crazy. Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny, spring day, but in the course of about an hour these clouds moved into half off the sky in a very menacing way. They threw everything into sharp contrast and made for some interesting shots which I'll be posting in the next day or two.

Something was also going on at the White House. If you look closely you can see the lawn is dotted with lines of people—not normally the case. The security thugs weren't allowing people up to the fence as usual; instead, we had to stay one barrier away. Fortress White House now has 4-5 rings of barriers around it so they can keep the perimeter as wide as they want on any given day. Land of free, home of brave.

Overcast Blooms

Cherry trees in bloom beneath a foreboding spring sky. This was this morning when I really thought we were going to get soaked. Not a drop of rain fell; instead, the sky just got really cool!

Please see my Flickr for the rest of the best of the Cherry Blossom views.

Bike Valet Parking

Valet parking for bicyclists attending the Cherry Blossom Festival. I'm sorry this is such a bad picture, but I just couldn't pass this up. Will I ever see such a thing again?

George Mason

A statue of George Mason, one of the least known “founding fathers” of the United States and namesake of George Mason University, which is having quite a run right now w/its basketball team.

This statue sits behind the Jefferson Memorial in the shadow of the 14th Street Bridge to Virginia.

The Presidents Call Box

Another of the historic call boxes in the Kalorama neighborhood of D.C. I didn't find this one as interesting, but it's colorful and someone else might like it, so here you go.

Click the thumbnail at right to enlarge and read a blurry bit of explanation about this callbox painting.

Women of Influence Call Box

A painting inside an old emergency call box in the Kalorama neighborhood. The call boxes were the 18th century's version of a 911 emergency system:

The boxes, typically cast-iron, approximately 4-foot-tall structures topped by a gas burner, were used by citizens and law-enforcement officials to report fires and crimes; upon activation, the boxes would transmit an alarm to the appropriate emergency office and flash a red signal-light. In the 1920s, the gas lamps were removed from many call-boxes and the alarms became electrically powered. With the advent of the 911 system 50 years later, the boxes became obsolete, and many were destroyed. But in Washington, D.C.—where, in 1926, the amount of functional boxes reached an all-time high of 12,371—hundreds remained standing, and preservationists became interested in the future of the sculptural structures. Now, a D.C. neighborhood group is campaigning to transform the unused, weather-beaten boxes into art-installation pieces.

If you click on the little thumbnail above right you should be able to read the text explaining the meaning of the painting in this particular call box. I thought it was interesting because it points out where Justice Sandra Day O'Connor lived in the neighborhood at some point.

Embassy of Iceland

The coat of arms outside the Embassy of Iceland in the Kalorama neighborhood.

Our New House Not

A big house for sale in the Kalorama neighborhood of DC. L. and I wandered over there on a walk the other day and couldn't believe what we found—a little enclave of huge houses like this,all w/finely manicured yards and big expensive cars in garages and driveways. Something like this located so close to downtown DC must cost a mint.

Honor, Mourn V

At the corner of 18th and K St. NW: The regularly-updated display of the number of U.S. soldiers killed and wounded so far in Iraq. The U.S. invasion of Iraq started three years ago and we've been at war there ever since. In the U.S. people expressed their displeasure at the war by marching in the streets.

Previously in this series:

1. Dec. 23, 2005
2. Aug. 15, 2005
3. March 07, 2005
4. Dec. 18, 2004
Posted by mowabb at 08:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

A Few Good Men rock wall

The distinctive rock wall across the street from the Airy View apartments. Just in case you didn't believe from the photo yesterday that the Airy View apartments appeared in “A Few Good Men,” I also took a shot of this wall. Compare it to the scene in the movie where the camera looks at Tom Cruise from the perspective of his buddy who is on the steps of the apartments. That's the wall!

Yeah, I know I'm the only one who thinks this is cool. I'm done now.

Oh, but thinking about this movie: How much is just about everyone in the Bush administration just like the Jack Nicholson character? Basically all they ever say is, “You can't handle the truth!”

A Few Good Men at Airy View

The Airy View apartments on 20th St. NW. I've wanted to take and post this picture for a long time because I pass by these apartments all the time and have always thought it was an interesting building. However, what really grabbed my attention was when I was watching “A Few Good Men” a while back (it's got some great trial scenes) when I saw the Airy View apartments on the screen! The small picture at right is a photo of the movie on pause; if you compare the two, I think you'll agree that the Airy View was used as a scene in the movie. This comes about a third of the way through the movie when the Tom Cruise character is getting ready to visit Guantanamo and he's walking with his colleague who is pushing a baby in a stroller as they talk about the case.

I know this is no big deal, but I think it's cool. It's not everyday you're watching a movie and suddenly see your own neighborhood on the screen.

Idiotarod DC

A crazy cart team heads off to the first stop in the DC Idiotarod. It seemed like a good time was had by all. Many more photos available here.

Awesome Photo Elsewhere: Sirius In Pines

Thinking of Glue?

A large popsicle-stick sculpture in the atrium at Connecticut and L St. NW. The sculpture is by Malcolm Halley and it's called “Thinking of You.” I thought a more appropriate name might have been “Thinking of Glue,” but then, that's probably why I'm not an artist.

D A D A

The DADA exhibit sign at the National Gallery of Art. It's a great show; highly recommended if you're around while it's here (until May 14). The Dadaists seemed to be having a great time attempting to create their own little revolution in art and culture and basically giving the finger to the status quo.

Brushstrokes

A closeup of Roy Lichtenstein's brushstrokes in “Painting with Statue of Liberty, 1983.” At right is the ID tag for the painting so you can get all the details.

I've long been a huge Lichtenstein fan. He was such a master of precision and satire. My main complaint is that he seemed unaware of or unconcerned with the politics of his work, going so far as to say:

“I paint my own pictures upside down or sideways. I often don't even remember what most of them are about. I obviously know in the beginning what I'm painting, and that it will be funny or ironic. But I try to suppress that while I'm doing them. The subjects aren't what hold my interest.”

Is it just me, or is this pretension at lack of pretense highly pretentious?

EBM II

A full view of Calder's “East Building Mobile” from the third floor of the National Gallery's East Building. I really love the light and color in this space.

Calder: East Building Mobile

Looking down on the mobile from the third floor balcony in the East Building of the National Gallery of Art. At right is the mobile as seen from the lowest floor. The last time I took pics at the National Gallery this mobile was out for cleaning and renovation and I had to settle for taking pictures of its miniature version. The real thing is incredible to see.

GW Quad

The quad at GW near dusk. I took this picture from the 4th floor of Lisner, which sits on the south side of the quad. The law school is to the east (see image at right). This is pretty easily the nicest part of the GW campus in terms of giving you any sense of a classic university campus.

c o r c o r a n

The cool banner outside the Corcoran Museum on 17th Street across from the White House Oval. As you drive up or down 17th Street you can read this banner at a distance; when you get too close like this, it starts to break up. Pretty cool, I think.

YAMS

YAMS: Yet Another Metro Shot. This one is the Woodley Park station again as seen from the turnstyle balcony above the platform.

Subway Reflection II

The view both inside and outside a metro car on the Blue Line headed downtown from Capital Heights. The metro can sometimes offer some pretty good reflection shots.

Urban Desolation

A gutted high-rise complex in NE DC across the street from the Capital Heights blue line metro station. I'm told this building and another not visible here were once housing for elderly residents, like a nursing home or something. For reasons I do not understand, the building is very slowly being demolished. Meanwhile,it makes the area look like the middle of a war zone or something.

Eagle Doors

The entryway to some government building across the street from the Executive Office Building. This has always struck me as kind of cool—such a large eagle. I've considered stopping by during the day and taking a picture from inside the doors but so far this is the best I've got.

Executive Chute

A big chute draining the Executive Office Building next to the West Wing of the White House. As far as I know, this chute and its surrounding scaffolding has been there since Bush took office. I assume it's there because the Executive branch has been shoveling out so much shit in the last few years it needs some way to get rid of it all lest it drown in its own B.S.

(Bad taste? Sorry, I couldn't help it.)

Heurich House Sink II

Another shot of a sink inside the Heurich House. At right is the sink in its entirety. I'll be posting more photos from the house in