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 Flickr, as well. The woodwork is incredibly awesome. And despite what I said yesterday, I do hope it gets preserved as a museum. It's one of those places that feels a bit like a time machine—walk into the house and you walk into the past.

Heurich House Sink I

An ornate antique sink inside the Heurich House in D.C. This is an old Victorian mansion in the Dupont area of the city. As DCist explains, Its current owners want to preserve it as a museum but are running short of funds.

We went during the $5 open house and I snapped a bunch of pictures. As we were leaving I noticed a little sign that said “no pictures.” Oops. But it's not like I was being the least bit secretive w/the camera so it didn't seem like they were caring too much about the no picture policy. At any rate, I was all in favor of helping to raise money to preserve the house until we wandered into one of the rooms where they were playing a video about its builder. The guy was a beer brewer, which is cool, but the video made jokes about what an ass he was to his workers, which is not cool. If the guy was such a jerk to work for, why should we preserve his stupid house? I mean, sure, it's gorgeous inside, but....

Ok, I understand that even if he was a jerk there are still good reasons to preserve the house. If you agree, visit the website and help out.

Rock Creek in Snow

Rock Creek last Sunday after our one big snowfalll of the season. Just four days later, about 99% of this snow is now gone.

White House Night

The White House a few nights ago. Your typical boring DC photo, yes, but someday fairly soon I won't be able to just wander down the street and snap a shot like this, so....

Tracks

Tire tracks in the early hours of DC's weekend snowstorm. DCist featured this photo on its weekend roundup last night.

Rock Creek Snow Tunnel

Last night's snow covered Rock Creek Park in white. I took a better shot of this scene a year ago, and here it is again last fall. I went out earlier this morning to get some shots of the 6 or more inches of snow we got last night, but nothing turned out too great. Ah well. You'll have to take my word for it: D.C. is a winter wonderland right now!

1700 Pennsylvania Ave.

Looking inside the entrance to 1700 Penn. Ave. at dusk. I just liked the color of the mural on the back wall.

Big Shot

Some VIP getting out of a big fat (bulletproof?) limo in front of the World Bank. When the person actually emerged it appeared to be a woman whom I did not recognize from this distance. About five minutes later I was at the corner of 17th and Pennsylvania and watched what appeared to be a Presidential motorcade zooming down Pennsylvania in the direction of the World Bank. It made me think perhaps the above was just an advance party of some kind.

At any rate, it's fascinating to me that anyone thinks he/she needs so much security. No wonder Bush is always trying to scare us witless—he's probably the most scared person on the planet.

WTO Wand

The half-moon hovers at the tip of the WTO's little spire. Humor me and pretend it looks like a magic wand with a glowing tip. Oh, and a big building hanging off of it. No? Nevermind....

This is the WTO building, isn't it? Or is it the World Bank or IMF? I always get them confused; they're all right next to each other so I can never remember...

Half-Mast Half-Moon

A half moon looks down at the Washington Monument surrounded by flags at half mast in honor of Corretta Scott King. it's kind of hard to tell it's a half moon, but trust me, it is. ;-)

Washington Auto Show I

The headlight on a shiny new Mini Cooper convertible. This was one of the many many shiny new cars on display at the Washington Convention Center last week as part of the Washington Auto Show. Just about every major auto manufacturer was represented, along with a good number of after-market accessories vendors. I was lucky enough to get in for free thanks to the kindness of some stranger who was walking buy the ticket sales line and decided to hand me a free ticket. “They didn't take it at the door,” the person said. Cool! So I saved $10 and I was pretty glad. The show was cool, but it probably wasn't worth $10. I mean, I didn't really see much that I can't see on the streets around here. I may be the only one that feels that way, though. Judging from the crowds, the show was a huge success.

Starry Starry Sight

The wall of shiny stars at the World War II Memorial looks down at its own reflection.

This is the last of the National Mall at Night series. It was great to hear that you enjoyed the pics! For or better or worse, ambivalent images will now return to its regular randomness.

Washington from WWII

The Washington Monument as seen from the new World War II Memorial. This is the penultimate shot of this early-morning National Mall series.

WWII Wyoming

The Wyoming wreath at the World War II Memorial at around 6 a.m. The Memorial includes one of these wreaths for every state. I shot the Wyoming wreath b/c I was born and mostly grew up there. This one is definitely not well-focused b/c I had to hand-hold the camera w/out flash in very low light.

Memorial Reflection

The Lincoln Memorial hovers over its mirror image in the reflecting pool on the National Mall. This is perhaps not as dramatic as the reflection of the Washington Monument, but it was taken just minutes later and so retains some of the same atmosphere. I also liked the photo at right in which the Lincoln Memorial turned out much darker but features lines I like in the foreground w/the sidewalk turning nicely toward the Memorial. Again, I think this would have been cooler if I was 5 steps to the right so the sidewalk would have lined up better with the Memorial, but again, no tripod at the time.

Speaking of the reflection of the Washington Monument, that photo climbed to top-40 on Flickr interestingness for yesterday, which was awesome to see. It has now fallen to around top-75, but it's still just nice to see that people like it.

Memorial Glow

The Lincoln Memorial is never dark. This is sort of a reverse silhouette, but it might have been better if everything but the Memorial was blacked out. This pic would also have been better if taken about five feet to the left so that you could actually see Lincoln between the pillars of the Memorial. That would have required a tripod, which I didn't have at the time.

Monumental Reflection

The Washington Monument in the early morning calm of the reflecting pool. Although this shot is, in many ways, a lot like yesterday's, I took this one right from the top edge of the reflecting pool in order to get the full reflection of the Monument. Again, the clouds in the sky make the shot worthwhile, adding great reflections in the pool.

Lincoln to Washington II

Another view of the Washington Monument from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. I liked the way the clouds were lit and the faint lines of the sidewalks in the foreground.

Lincoln Behind Bars

The statue of Lincoln surrounded by scaffolding. I assume they're just cleaning the statue or something, but I have no idea.

This is another in the ongoing series of 6 a.m. shots...

Lincoln to Washington

A view of the Washington Monument from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at about 6 a.m. on a misty morning.

Monument from Memorial

The Washington Monument as seen from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Slippery Conditions

A tiny little caution sign sits alongside the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on a wet and foggy morning. I had to take L. to the airport very early in the morning recently and on my way home I thought it seemed like a good time to take pictures on the mall b/c parking would be so plentiful and no one would be around. Those two things were true, so I got some interesting pictures. Not surprisingly, they are all very dark and some might not be as crisp as they should be; I took them w/out a tripod and w/out a flash but w/the camera always sitting on a fixed object. Anyway, I'll be posting a series of them over the next few days....

Wheelchair Parking

Technorati Tags: wheelchair

A wheelchair abandoned in the short-term parking structure at National Airport.

Gore at DAR

Al Gore calling the president to account at Constitution Hall yesterday in DC. For many much better pics, see Matthew Bradley's flickr set.

No TSA at DCA

Long lines form early on a Saturday morning at the entrance to the concourse at National Airport. The security screeners had not yet opened for business so people who arrived more than 45 minutes before the departure of their flight simply had to wait.

Use Other Side

Unknown work has recently closed one side of the Duke Ellington Bridge between Adams Morgan and Woodley Park. I still don't know what's up with the big black pipe that appeared on the bridge's sidewalk last year but I think it's got something to do with the current work.

Directing Traffic

A traffic cop at Connecticut and K St. What is up with these people? Why does DC insist on putting human beings in the middle of busy intersections when all they seem to do is copy what the traffic lights are already doing? What do they add, other than a terrific risk that they will be injured or killed? I just don't get it.

Oh, but what I do get is this absolutely stellar photoblog: Express Train. It's a daily shot from a NYC commuter. Awesome stuff. Plus, he's doing what I've often thought of doing but have always been too scared to do—he takes pictures of strangers w/out asking permission and he has business cards w/his URL to give to people who are interested in what he's up to. “To seek permission is to seek denial.” I've got to remember that. Wouldn't you like to see more pictures of people here? Yeah, me, too. I'd feel better about it if I had more professional looking photos like those at Express Train, but I might just try it anyway and see how it goes...

Moon Over Rock Creek

A full moon shines at dusk over Rock Creek Park. This was last month's full moon; I'm a little behind. I noticed last night's moon was quite bright and waxing toward full, I think. The weather around here has been so like spring lately I don't know what I'm going to do when it turns cold and icy again.

Radical Radio Tower

A police radio tower on Georgia Ave. This thing is not just your average communications tower. Someone put some obvious thought into its design so that it's almost beautiful. Unfortunately, even though it's about as cool looking as something like this can be, it still makes the neighbors mad. Note all the little prongs sticking off the edges of the tower toward the top. A local resident told me that it's common for ice to form on these things—sometimes a lot of ice. When the whether warms up, the ice comes crashing down in great big chunks that damage nearby property and put lives at risk. The police frequently have to close the streets next to this tower because of the risk posed by falling ice. The city apparently promised long ago to put electronic heaters on the tower so that ice couldn't form, but that hasn't happened in the 15-20 years that the tower has existed.

Mourn : Honor IV

The display of the number of U.S. soldiers killed and wounded in Iraq as of December 13, 2005. At right is a shot of a poster on top of the display that adds its own bit of commentary to the ever-rising numbers. Previously in this series:

1. August 15, 2005
2. March 07, 2005
4. December 18, 2004

Winter Courthouse Sky

Clouds streak the sky at dusk in front of the D.C. Superior Court.

Mystery Squares

Can you identify this very common D.C. area site? This is an easy one. Leave your guesses in the comments.

Wheelchair Lock

A wheelchair lock on the metro. I see wheelchairs on the metro all the time but I don't think I've ever seen these locks actually in use.

Early Morning Tryst

Looking across a mostly empty Tryst at about 7:30 a.m. on a Saturday or Sunday morning. This is a rather rare sight because by about 9:15 a.m. the place is packed and it seems to stay that way pretty much all day from there. Despite my initial reluctance to like Tryst b/c of its ultimate hipness, I sort of can't help liking it. It's a good place to relax and write or talk with friends, and the Chaipuccino is awesome. Of course, you have to find a seat before you can begin enjoying yourself, but if you're at the door the minute it opens in the early morning, you'll be fine.

Widespread Vandalism Should Be Expected

A large sticker on a newspaper box near the corner of Connecticut and R St. NW. Does this mean that Borf is back, or that someone else has appropriated his face for this sort of thing?

White Flint Mall Holidays

A giant wreath decorates the main entrance to the White Flint Mall on Rockville Pike in Rockville, Maryland.

Superior Court Christmas

Looking North from the top of the 4th floor escalators at D.C. Suprior Court.

NPR Headquarters

NPR headquarters at the corner of 7th and Mass Ave. NW. Every time I pass this building I can't help thinking about all the great radio personalities inside. Nina Totenberg, can I be your protege?

Rock Creek Parkway at Dusk

Looking down the bridge railing toward the Duke Ellington Bridge along Rock Creek Parkway. I thought this was kind of a neat shot the way all the curves are intersecting and whatnot, but I couldn't decide which one I liked better—this one or the vertical at right—so you get both. The park is now covered in a thin layer of snow, most of which will probably be gone by tomorrow, I'm guessing.

Pasta Mia Queue

Looking into Pasta Mia as we waited in line for it to open. Pasta Mia is an Italian restaurant in Adams Morgan that it somewhat notorious for having great food at a great price that's kind of hard to get. It's hard to get because the place doesn't ever open until 6:30 p.m., and it closes at 10:30, M-S. People are generally lined up by 6:00 p.m. or a little after. On the night we went, getting there so early wasn't really necessary; we did get there by a little after 6:00 and were the third party in line. We were seated immediately at 6:30, service was great, the food was awesome (huge portions; fresh ingredients, great spices), and by the time we left at something like 7:15 there were still tables available. Recommended, though, if you're in the area and hungry during those hours. Entrees generally cost around $10-15 and you'll have plenty to take home for a second meal.

Naked on A Cloud

The scultpture at the west end of the Calvert street bridge.

Canopy Construction

The escalator canopy under construction at the Woodley Park metro stop. (At right is a full view of the canopy.) I know Dupont South got one of these not long ago, and I noticed one at the Stadium/Armory stop on the Orange line the other day when I was visiting the jail. I'm not sure, but it looks like maybe WMATA has decided to cover all the escalators that were formerly exposed to the rain and snow. Sort of: The plans call for canopies almost everywhere, but why nothing for the Dupont North escalator? That one has one of the longest stretches of exposed escalator ride I can think of. That aside, perhaps these canopies will keep the escalators from breaking down so often.

Here's another idea to help prolong escalator life:It drives me nuts to see three escalators humming at most stations early mornings and late at night when almost no one is riding them! So I suggest that WMATA should install motion sensors at the top and bottom of each escalator. Then set the escalators to turn themselves off when no one is on them. That will save wear and tear and energy, and that will save WMATA money, and that's good for everyone, right?

Rock Creek Tunnel Fall

Rock Creek tunnel in fall as seen from the Duke Ellington Bridge. This is approximately the same view I shot last January when it was covered in snow. I also got a pic of the inside of the tunnel last February.

20th St. NW

Looking south down 20th St. NW from near P St. Nothing special; this is just one of the views I see every day on my way to school. For some reason, it caught my attention. Sometimes photos don't really capture what you hope they will.

Kennedy Center

Kennedy Center from Washington Harbor. Yeah, I know this is the picture everyone takes, but that's why I had to take it, too! This was a 1-second exposure.

I was in the area again last night and the moon was full in a cloudless sky but I just couldn't make myself stop and dig my camera out of my bag b/c the wind was blowing and it was so cold I knew my fingers would freeze in an instant. I guess it's time to toughen up for the cold weather....

Fountain at 3000 K St.

The fountain on the Geeorgetown waterfront at night. The above picture used a flash, the picture at the right was shot w/out a flash and with and exposure time of 1 second. I thought the timed exposure would be the better shot, but after seeing both shots i actually prefer the one w/the flash. Because it was so under-exposed, the picture above almost looks black and white w/just a little color burning in the middle, which I think is cool.

Flagged Moon

The nearly full moon illuminates the flags flapping in the breeze along the Potomac in Georgetown. I took a bunch of shots here w/my camera resting on a concrete pillar to stabilize it. I was playing with the manual exposure settings to see how much difference they made. This was at 1 second and it seems to have produced the best balance between brightness and clarity of detail (as you can see from the sharpness of the light pole).

This photo was pretty dark but when I imported it into iPhoto and hit the “enhance” button, this is what happened. I think iPhoto turned up the exposure and sharpness to brighten the image, but it also sort of blew it out and made it grainy so it almost looks like a painting or a cheap reproduction of a painting (b/c of the dot screen pattern). At least I think that's what it looks like. I could be crazy.

------------------------------------------------------------
Flash used: No
Focal length: 15.4mm (35mm equiv.: 78mm)
Exposure time: 1.000 s
Aperture: f/4.0
Exposure bias: 2.00

America Builds

The America Builds Habitat for Humanity project on the National Mall at about 6:15 a.m. More photos of the day available starting here and going forward (click “next”).

I worked on a shift that started at about 6:30 or 6:45 and worked until about 12:30 p.m. It was amazing! I'd never worked on a Habitat project before, so I was very happy to find it was such a great, friendly, communal experience. Everyone just showed up to work and everyone just wanted to get something good done. No one was getting paid (except for a few Habitat staffers), and the goal was not to make money for anyone but simply to help someone out. There were building materials everywhere. Who owned them? It didn't matter; they were there for us to use as we needed them. There were tools everywhere. Whose tools were they? It didn't matter; they were there for us to use as we needed them. Who does what? It doesn't matter; work where you're needed and do what you're good at. No competition, no selfishness, just cooperation and goodwill. It was a little like heaven.

Why can't our whole society work like this?

If you haven't ever volunteered for a project like this, I highly recommend it. I feel very lucky to have been able to take part. The experience makes me wonder yet again why I thought law school was such a good idea. If my goal was to do good things for needy people, instead of spending a gazillion dollars for a J.D., why didn't I just go to work for Habitat and become a full-time builder? The roads not taken....

20th and Mass

Waiting at the stoplight at 20th & Massachusetts Ave. NW.

Dupont Underground Mystery

One of the blocked entrances to the Dupont underground. These things are all around Dupont circle (I can think of three of them, at least), but I have no idea what they are. Are they just old Metro entrances? Or was there once something else under the circle? Anyone have any clue? Why are they still there?

Connecticut from Dupont

Looking up Connecticut Ave. from Dupont Circle.

Smoking Tryst

The scene at Tryst on a Saturday night as viewed through an ashtray.

Uptown Theater

The neon sign at the Uptown Theater in Cleveland Park. We were there a couple of weeks ago to see “Good Night and Good Luck.” Highly recommended.

Protest Is Patriotic

Protestors sit w/their hands cuffed in front of the White House as a plastic flag waves in the foreground. This was also from Wednesday night, as was the pic at right which shows the same view except totally obscured by the flag. Notice that the flag has turned the White House blood red. Ahem.

A comment on yesterday's pic led me to this account of someone who was at the protest, and the comments there led me to the blog of a self-described blue collar drummer and chef who seems to have a lot of hostility toward people who disagree with him.

Why so angry? I wonder. And then I realize that people like this are probably angry for reasons very similar to mine: They think that if those who disagree with them were in charge, more people would die and the world would be a much worse place overall. The thing is, we've been mostly living in their “we must respond with force” world for, oh, centuries, and guess what? It hasn't really worked so well. Why don't we give something else a try?

2000 Dead White House Protest

A reporter stands in front of the white house as protesters are arrested in the background on Pennsylvania Ave right in front of the White House. This was just last night at about 8 p.m. It was hard to tell how many people were participating, but it looked like 20-30. I heard the police give the final warning for the protesters to move and a few people got up and left, apparently deciding at the last minute that they didn't want to get arrested. The shot at right (click to enlarge) shows the people laying on the sidewalk in front of the White House; as soon as I took this shot I was forced by police to move across the street to the park.

Cindy Sheehan was one of the people arrested, although it's interesting that I can only find actual news coverage of this via the non-U.S. press. According to this pre-protest story in the WaPo, Sheehan is going to go back and do this again tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday. Maybe I should go join her....

Chinatown Gate II

The Chinatown Gate at 7th and H St. NW in downtown D.C. I took a similar picture about a year ago, but I thought this one at night was also worth posting. It's quite spectacular, really. I've learned it also looks great from the other side w/the added bonus of a more interesting skyline in the background. I've never had a camera w/me when I've noticed that view, but I will one of these days...

Full Moon Over U St.

The full moon rivals a streetlight near the corner of 18th and U St. NW.

Dusk On 18th St.

A semi-silhouette of the row of roofs near 18th St. and Florida Ave. NW.

P

The P in the Pepco on a manhole cover.

Calvert Clouds

Clouds moving over the Duke Ellington Bridge on Calvert St. NW. Somehow it seems the sky around here is usually more monochromatic than this—it's either a dull gray or a light blue. Here we had a day where the sky was doing all kinds of things and it reminded me of growing up on the high semi-desert of Wyoming where the sky can show you a million colors a day.

Row Houses

Two rowhouses that seemed picture-worthy at the time. I think my attention was drawn by the crazy vines on the building on the left, and by the gutted condition of the one on the right. Every time I see something like this (and a gutted rowhouse undergoing serious remodel is a common sight around DC) I can't help thinking how much it must suck to be the person next door to that gutted unit. Talk about construction noise!

Spiked Elephant

An elephant sculpture sitting in a private yard in the Adams Morgan neighborhood. This sits on one side of the yard and the sculpture at right is on the other. I must confess I don't understand either of these pieces. The elephant, I think, is a leftover from a year or two ago when DC was decorated with donkeys and elephants all over the place, but what message is this elephant sending? Is it saying that Republicans are spiky and unapproachable? And what about the jump rope knees? I mean, it's kind of cool that it's basically knees and hands and feet jumping rope, but is it just an experiment in casting or was it meant to mean more?

Underneath the Sidewalk

A view straight down beneath the sidewalk on 7th St. NW near the Gallery Place Metro Chinatown entrance. The sidewalks in downtown DC feature grates like this all over the place. I've always just assumed they are metro maintenance access points and/or have something to do w/ventilation for the metro. Usually if you look down into them you don't see much but trash; this one seemed to be lit up for some reason.

You're fascinated, I know.

Nickels & Dimes

Dime and nickel drug zips picked up from the streets of DC. Don't worry! I picked these up off the ground as trash—they were empty when I found them. They look like they contained something white, such as cocaine, but I'm told that just about any kind of drugs can come in little ziplocks like this. I find them fascinating because they're so small. Where can you even buy such tiny little bags? And how do you fill them with drugs? Very tiny spoons?

In many parts of DC if you walk along the sidewalk and stare at the ground it will only be a matter of time before you find bags like this or remnants of them. Apparently one of the crappier things the cops sometimes do is they'll watch an area where they know there is trash like this on the ground and when they see someone standing around there they'll go bust that person. When they find that the person has no drugs, they pick some of this trash off the ground and charge him w/possession or attempt or possession of paraphernalia or something like that. The victims of this are most commonly young black men. Hooray for the war on drugs.

Phillipines Embassy Old & New

The old Phillipines Embassy on Mass Ave. has definitely seen a better day. This is right next door to the big, new, impressive Australian Embassy and is obviously a sharp contrast. With it all boarded up and the sign rusting and paint peeling, the place doesn't make a very good impression. We thought this was the only embassy of the Phillipines, but then we turned and saw across the street the brand new embassy building, all shiny and impressive. My advice to the Phillipines embassy staff: Get that sign down off the old embassy! You don't want people to get the wrong idea, do you?

Kangaroo & Emu, Too

A statue/sign in front of the Australian Embassy on Mass Ave. I'd never realized the Australian Embassy was located there until I walked by the other day. DC is full of little (ok, eensy weensy) surprises like this.

Long, long ago, in what feels like a galaxy far far away, I had the luck to be able to spend a month in South Australia just hanging out and being a tourist. If only blogs had existed then! Instead of looking at the Australian Embassy you could be looking at my real pics of real kangaroos (like the one that was a few feet taller than me and kept pushing me w/its paw b/c it thought I had food—kind of scary, actually) and emu. I might have also been able to post a photo of the wallaby we set on fire, but probably not. Oh, don't worry, the wallaby was only burned a tiny bit and it was a complete accident I'm still very sorry about the whole thing.

The point is this: Compared to previous times in my life, the last year or two has been visually fairly boring, yet this is the time when I've been trying to post a daily photo. There's some form of Murphy's Law at work there, I think...

Gompers on Mass.

A monument to Samuel Gompers on Massachusetts Ave. in DC. Gompers was a founder and 38-year leader of the American Federation of Labor (the AFL in the AFL-CIO) starting in 1886. This monument is located in the middle of nowhere in terms of the average tourist's path through DC, which suggests it's not very important today. Yet, there it stands, 15 blocks or so from the National Mall, a testament to the importance of organized labor at one point in our history. What would Gompers say of the labor movement today?

Cellophane Man

A man made of clear plastic stands atop the crossing light at Mass Ave. and 17th St. I had to climb on top of some newspaper boxes to take this shot, but even so you probably can't tell that the man's arms are extended w/feathers. What this all means I'm not sure, but L. said she's seen several of these around town. We saw this one last Saturday and the next day when we walked by the same point it was gone.

It's pretty certain these little men are the work of Mark Jenkins, of Tape Men fame. He recently had a show at the Fraser Gallery in Georgetown and posted some photos here. He's also posed a couple of photos of these new tape men, which he may be calling “minutmen.” Here's one shot, and another. He's also got a link to a little video spot about some of his tape babies, a huge tape phone, and more. All very cool stuff! Thanks, Mark, for making our urban environment so much more fun and interesting.

Circle of Bikes

A piece of bike art hanging in the D.C. Convention Center. As you may be able to tell from the photo at right, this circle of bikes is joined by a circle of canoes, a circle of guitars, a circle of bar stools, and a cross of tennis rackets. A cool effect; the guitars are especially neat b/c of the repetition of the shapes and everything. Why this installation is appropriate for a convention center, I'm not sure, but, well, I'm all for public art regardless.

National Book Festival 2005

Visitors to the National Book Festival wander along the mall. Note the war protest sign in the middle of the photo. At right is a shot of the Smithsonian castle rising fantastically behind the book festival tents.

The mall was packed with both book-lovers and protestors, and many people who were there for both events. We listented to Neil Gaiman speak and at one point a group of protesters walked by outside the fiction tent banging their drums and chanting—and drowning Gaiman out. He paused and let them pass, then said something like, “That doesn't seem like a very good way to make friends. A lot of people who would probably agree w/them are just now thinking 'shut up!'” He was, I believe, correct. Time and place for everything, people.

Ask Us About Socialism!

An info table at the Adams Morgan festival a few weeks ago.

Republican Plans & Marching for Peace

A large billboard along 15th St. yesterday during the massive peach march and rally in front of the White House. The quote is attributed to Grover Norquist, "field marshall of the Bush plan."

The WaPo says there were anywhere from 150,000-300,000 people there. My own estimate was 200,000 because of this: When I was standing at the corner of 15th and Pennsylvania, I could see people wall-to-wall down 15th toward the Mall. That same line of people was packed shoulder-to-shoulder all along Pennsylvania Ave. in front of the White house, they turned right at 17th (I think that's the street), went one block, turned right again, and continued about 3 very long blocks, before turning right yet again on 14th street and back down toward the Mall. In other words, when I was standing at 15th and Penn. I could see a steady and unbroken line of people filling the wide downtown streets for 12-14 blocks or more, and that wasn't everyone by a long shot. Anyway, the WaPo has more coverage, some great photos, and this video. I have some more photos I'll post later but, well, the pros really do a better job than i do.

Phone Door

A battered door beside an equallly battered payphone in NE D.C. If both could tell stories, my oh my, what they would say!

NY Ave Sunset

A bit of DC skyline in semi-silhouette looking down NY Ave. I'm sorry, I do not know what church that is in the middle of the pic, but if you're trying to orient yourself as to where this is, the White House is about two blocks from here down NY Ave, which is the street angling away on the left.

Tall Skinny Things

Construction cranes dwarf a light pole near 12th and I St. NW. Cranes like this are all over the city. Must have something to do w/the real estate bubble in D.C.

Smoked Cut Goat

A sign at the loading docks of the D.C. Farmer's Market. I was really not aware that smoked cut goat was something that people might want to buuy. Ox tail I've heard of, and cow feet, sure; also beef tripe—not for me, generally, but I know some find it quite the delicacy. But smoked cut goat? Well, it's good to be reminded that there is much in this world I do not know.

North-East Liquor

North-East Liquor store has a pretty cool sign at 5th and Neal, NE. This is right across the street from the SE DC Farmer's Market, which is easy to access via the New York Ave. metro station, or if you're driving, it's just off New York to your right once you climb out of the Capitol Hill lowlands (if that makes sense)—just a little ways after you pass Florida Ave.

Pink Porch Tree

A bright pink tree decorates a porch on 5th St. NE not far from the New York Ave Metro station and Gallaudet University.

Chinatown Starbucks

The Chinatown Starbucks has signs in two languages, as do just about all of the businesses in the area.

7th St. NW

7th St. near G (I think) at dusk. The Chinatown gate and the north entrance to the Gallery Place metro stop are both just to the left of where I took this picture.

IBEW

The large logo outside the IBEW offices on 7th St. I think this is just about the coolest logo ever!

College Move In

Boxes lined H St. in front of the GW student union as students flooded into campus last week.

Bookstore Rush

The GW bookstore was packed last week as students returned to school. This picture sort of shows that, I think...

True Revolutionaries

A section of the bulletin-board kiosk thingy around the corner of 18th and Columbia in Adams Morgan. The caption below the ripped image of Che Guevara reads:

Let me say, at the risk of seeming ridiculous, that the true revolutionary is guided by great feelings of love.

A nice thought sitting next to the Young Democratic Socialists “capitalist lie” that the poor deserve to be poor. Did the YDS put up the Che, or was this just some coincidental synergy of, um, love?

Street Printer

A discarded inkjet printer atop a utility box at the corner of R and 19th.

Standpipe Sprinkler

Newish brass fittings adorn the exterior of a building along 20th near K St. Does this sort of thing replace the more traditional fire hydrant?

Borf Is Good For Your Lungs

Some marker graffiti left over from when Borf was on the loose—before he was arrested. As mentioned before, Google has lots to say about Borf, and Flickr has a Borf gallery with more than 150 photos.

Corner High Rise

Looking up from the sidewalk at a high-rise apartment building in Alexandria.

Scaffolding II

A complex matrix of scaffolding between an existing building and a new one that popped up on what I think is J street just off of Pennsylvania and 18th. I say “popped up” because it was only last winter that they started building (if I remember correctly) and it already looks nearly complete. Apparently this building is the future home of Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale, and Dorr, LLP (click small pic at right to see the sign). Would this be more evidence that law firms make a lot of money?

Scaffolding

Exterior scaffolding outside townhouses on 18th St.

18th Street NW

Some of the interesting architecture in the Dupont neighborhood (near 18th and S). I was trying to capture the series of peaks and spires and little details jutting into the air atop the line of houses. Scenes like this are available all around D.C, which is one of the things that makes it a neat city.

Pentagon City Mall

A large American flag hangs in the central atrium/courtyard thingy at the Pentagon City mall. We went shopping here w/friends from Colorado a few weeks ago after they arrived here but their luggage did not. I'd never been to this place before and found it much larger and generally nicer than I had imagined. It's metro-accessible, too, for those who need the mall fix but don't have the automobile that most malls require.

Mailbox Message

A message painted on a neighborhood mailbox. What could it possibly mean?

This reminds me: I miss BORF. When he was arrested a few weeks ago I couldn't believe the level of invective I saw about him. People were so glad he was arrested and so happy to think he would be going to jail. Call me whatever you like, but I enjoyed seeing his stuff around town. It was certainly of a higher quality than something like this (above), and while he didn't seem to have a highly coherent politics (at least not according to this “profile”), his stuff was generally on a different level than a lot of the random graffiti you commonly see. I know I wouldn't be too thrilled to see messages and stencils spray-painted on my car or something, but the only places I saw his stuff were on trash cans, electrical service boxes, sidewalks, and the backs of public street signs. Those items can all use some livening up if you ask me. It was public art with a message (albeit a confused one). What's wrong with that?

Leaky Hydrant

A D.C. fire hydrant leaking all over the sidewalk and street. This hydrant was this way for at least a week, maybe more. Was someone fooling around with it, or did it just spring a leak?

D.C. Convention Center Not

The old site of the D.C. Convention Center is now a big vacant lot. I know this is a boring picture but I'm still surprised by how different this area looks now compared to just a couple of months ago. It's much nicer now! I'm sure the city is going to put up some crappy condo/starbucks complex to fill this space and block the open space that it has now opened up, but for now this part of the city looks better than ever to me.

Commuting Beneath the Kennedy Center

Traffic backs up on the Rock Creek Parkway underneath the overhang of the Kennedy Center. The little pic at right (click to expand) shows the Kennedy Center overhang in the rearview mirror and that's Georgetown across the Potomac.

There are many reasons why I almost never drive to work but the drive home through traffic is certainly among them. I just can't navigate a city in traffic. I can't navigate a city by car, for that matter. I'm always taking the stupid wrong turn that sends me 20 minutes out of my way before I can make a correction, and in traffic the 20 doubles to 40 and you're talking serious nightmare. It's really much better to take the train.

Metrophant

A white elephant carries Metro maps on its back in front of the MLK Jr. Public Library near the Gallery Place Metro station.

Blues Brothers on Connecticut

The Blues Brothers jam in front of some kind of crazy store on Connecticut Ave. near the intersection with 18th Street.

Piano Sale

The strings of a baby grand for sale at the GW Music Department last week. I was walking to the library to return some books and saw this sign planted in the grass that read “Piano Sale,” with an arrow pointing to a nearby building. It's not everyday you see something like that (in fact, I don't remember seeing a piano sale ever before), so I followed the arrow to check it out. I also had a brief hope that maybe they were selling keyboards for cheap so I could pick one up. There's no way I could afford a real piano or have the space for it, but I've been wanting a keyboard to learn to play. So anyway, when I got downstairs I was told that the first two days of the sale were appointment-only (mostly for piano dealers, I think), but I could look around if I wanted. So look around I did. There were no keyboards, only full pianos—lots of uprights or consoles (I think that's what the little compact ones are called) and baby grands. In fact, there was a whole room of baby grands, as you can see from the picture at right. I never saw any prices—you had to have an appointment for that. But all the pianos looked brand new (even though they were used) so I'm sure they were going for a pretty penny.

8th and F

A view down 8th St. (I think) toward the National Gallery of Art (the dome at the end of the street, I think). Sorry, I should have paid more attention to where I was standing when I took this.

There are cranes everywhere in D.C.; this one is standing right next to another that didn't make it into the frame. I'm told there are more cranes here than in other cities but since I haven't visited any other cities for such a long time I can't really say. Oh, and check out that ugly building looming on the left side of the street—the FBI building is everywhere.

Patriot Pop?

Despite it's ridiculous name, a Patriot Pop is a perfect treat for a hot summer day on the National Mall. You might be able to get some freedom fries and freedom toast to go with it if you check in at one of the corporate vendors inside the Smithsonian museums. Which reminds me: Doesn't it seem just wrong that there's a McDonald's (among other things) inside the Smithsonian Air/Space Museum?

Monumental Views

The view from the Old Postal Tower looking down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capital Building. The first sinfully ugly building on the left is the FBI building, I think. At right is a view toward the Washington Monument; the ground around the monument is all torn up while workers install permanent barriers that are supposed to look like they've always been there are something like that.

At any rate, I do highly recommend a visit to the Old Postal Tower if you're visiting D.C. It's free, interesting, and the views are pretty spectacular.

Clockworks

The clock works atop the Old Post Office Tower. This is at the top on the viewing level. I'll have some pictures of the view itself soon, I promise.

Meanwhile, the picture at right is just sort of your standard no trespassing sign except for one thing: It's at the top of the Old Post Office tower on a little utility access door that leads—outside. That's right: If you open the door to which this sign is affixed you'll be faced with a sheer drop of several hundred feet straight down to the street. Given that, is it really necessary to tell people they can't hunt, fish, or trap there? I mean, not a lot of that goes on hundreds of feet in the air above a busy city street, does it? But just in case, that's all forbidden and violators will be prosecuted—probably by plunging straight to their deaths.

Old Post Office Bells

Bells in the Old Post Office bell tower as seen through a little window in the stairway leading up to the actual observation deck above the bells. The big wooden wheels with ropes around them are what actually activate the bells—the ringer stands a floor below in a room with about 8 ropes coming down through the ceiling and pulls the appropriate rope to ring the appropriate bell. I guess if you're talented you can make some real music.

I've been wanting to get to the top of this tower since I first learned about it and we finally made it a couple of weeks ago. And while the bells are cool, the best part is the view, which I'm saving for tomorrow.

National Archives (and duck ramp)

The imposing columns of the National Archives sit beneath an early summer blue and puffy cloud sky. Inside you can see the Declaration of Independence if Nicholas Cage hasn't stolen it. Across the street is an awesome sculpture garden and a fountain/pond that features a “duck ramp” to allow the ducks to move to and from the pond. (See photo at right.)

L. says this is where you can go ice skating in the winter. Very cool. I'll have to be sure and do that this winter!

Silhouette Squarehead

My squarehead silhouetted behind a block of semi-transparent concrete on display in the Liquid Stone exhibit at the National Building Museum. We visited the museum last weekend with Washburn of This Dark Qualm. He's an endlessly entertaining fellow and we hope he returns soon!

Pixelated Eagle

An eagle badge on the floor of the National Building Museum. This is made of tile with the image printed on the tiles somehow. It caught my attention because it looks so much like the super-pixelated graphics we used to print out in the 1980s on Imagewriters controlled by Apple IIe computers. If you ever used something like Print Shop in the 1980s, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Anyway, Happy Memorial Day, everyone.

National Building Museum

Inside the central hall of the National Building Museum. I highly recommend the Liquid Stone exhibit. Who knew concrete could be almost transparent?

Sidewalk Clock

A large clock on the sidewalk on Wisconsin Ave. NW near Military Road.

Storm Troopers, Dude!

Storm troopers guarding the line to see “Revenge of the Sith” recently at the Uptown in Cleveland Park. I believe they were paid to be there by some kind of promotional thing where you could enter a contest to win Star Wars replicas like a complete Darth Vader outfit or something. All I could think was: What could I get for something like that on ebay? I am clearly not a big enough fan.

Pig Can't Buy Us Love

The tail of a pink pig on the corner of Wisconsin and Western Ave. NW. (I think.) This is up at the Friendship Heights metro stop where I had to go shopping last weekend for “work clothes.” I don't understand these piggies, but they're popping up all over the place. They seem to be connected w/DC public schools somehow. I guess someone decided we just couldn't go a whole summer w/out some kind of giant painted animal decorating our streets. That's fine with me; I think they're fun.

Not Biking to Work Day

My view from the train in the rain on Bike to Work Day. I tried to muster the enthusiasm to ride in the rain yesterday morning, but I just couldn't do it. It was freaking pouring! And it was cold, to boot, and I don't really have anything like proper rain gear for those conditions, so I just rode the train. It made me sad, though. It's hard enough to get people to consider biking to work w/out having the one special day set aside for that purpose be a day of pouring rain. How many potential bike commuters woke up yesterday morning thinking they'd try this biking thing, then looked outside and said “See, that's why I don't bike to work!”?

Gilded Gilt

Chinatown Gate detail at sunset.

Classic Convertible

An older beetle all tricked out in the parking lot. When I lived in California several years ago I'd see old Beetles all the time. In fact, I think I was living there when the new Beetle first came to market. Since then, and since moving east it seems more and more unusual to see an older Beetle, and especially one that's in such great shape. This one looked like it had just driven off the new car lot sometime in the last few weeks. Super nice.

Colored Glass

Colored glass art at Glenn Echo Park's glass studio. In addition to the carousel, yurts, and puppet company, the park has this glass studio with a good sized workshop in the back and a small display space in the front. There are some excellent pieces on display (I really liked this one, for example)—all for sale. Something to keep in mind the next time you'd like to give someone a unique and beautiful gift. I noticed some neat little sushi sets (small plates w/chopsticks) for around $40.

Baseball Storm

Rain falls in sheets at RFK Stadium. This was the scene last night at the Nats v. Cubs game at around 8 p.m. The game was supposed to start at 7:05 but didn't really get underway until nearly 10 p.m. because of the storm. I didn't mind too much because the storm itself was so spectacular from the stands. We were in the nosebleed “cheap” seats which turned out to be perfect for the storm because we were under the top overhang and stayed dry except for the times that gusts blew the rain horizontally in at us. Check out the report of the storm at CapitalWeather.com for more on what an awesome show we had. I kept thinking to myself that it was like being on a soundstage where someone was simulating a storm—the rain was that torrential, the lightning that bright, and the thunder that loud, as if it was all being put on just for our pleasure in the stadium. Of course, it was also a little cold so it wasn't all pleasure. As soon as the wind died down I felt the temperature rise at least 10 degrees.

This was my first ever pro sporting event and while the storm was impressive, watching baseball from the nosebleed seats after 10 p.m. wasn't really so great. Judging by this one visit to the ball park, I would have to say that the most ardent fans of the sport are also ardent fans of beer, yelling loudly, and trying to start fights. Oh, and they pay dearly for all of this—beer is $6/bottle and peanuts are $4! I'm thinking they price the peanuts at $4 in the hopes that most people will just pay $5 and let the seller keep the change. I wonder how well that works out.

Hobbit House

The metalsmith's yurt at Glen Echo Park. If you click the pic at right and squint you can read some more info about the yurts, or you could just go here. I'm very intrigued about these buildings—especially the use of dirt and plants on the roof for insulation. Talk about getting a structure to blend in with its surroundings.

Is it just me, or does this look a lot like the home you'd expect Bilbo Baggins to live in?

Carousel Clown

A jester smiles down on the watching crowds from the top of the Glen Echo Park carousel.

Iris

One of a bunch of bright irises blooming in our landlord's garden. I know flowers are about the easiest shots to take b/c your subject just sits there posing perfectly for you, but I don't care. I love the colors and vividness of these and many other flower shots.

Fado Pub Quiz

The top of the scoreboard at the Fado pub quiz last night. If you look really close and squint and use your imagination, you can see that the fourth-listed team is “Pray on, Moron!” That was us. But more important: We came in third! I've played trivia at Fado a few times and usually my team has been competing for last place, not first. Admittedly, turnout last night was pretty light, but hey, we'll take what we can get. And what we got were two t-shirts (the pic at right is of the back of one of the shirts) and a $10 gift certificate. Kewl.

My hat's off to B. who pulled out Nastassja Kinski as the correct answer for some obscure question involving the musical “Cats.” Also to R. for knowing that the only country with a monochromatic flag is Libya, and to M. for figuring out that in literature the lover of “Something Mellors” (Oliver? William?) was Lady Chatterly.

Oh, for those who are not familiar: A number of bars have some sort of trivia game to bring in more traffic on nights that are usually slow (like Mondays). At Fado, you form a team and try to pick some sort of interesting and funny name—they give a prize for the “best” name, where “best” is defined by the whim of the person running the game. The “host” has a microphone and calls out questions (10 questions/round, 7 rounds), teams write down answers, scorecards get totaled, and the winner gets a prize. Meanwhile, the bar sells lots of food and drink to the people playing trivia. So it's fun and everyone wins.

No Dog Pooping

Another graphic message for dog owners in the DC metro area. This one was augmented by text (at right), in case you didn't fully understand the message from the picture alone. In fact, there were two of these text signs—one on either end of the flower bed in question, with the graphic in the middle. This gardner is pretty serious about communicating the no pooping message. I still prefer this more angular version of these signs, but I get the idea, either way.

Life Is Ephemeral

A sticker pasted on a street sign along Columbia Ave. NW. Note the bottom right corner says “BORF.” I don't know what this BORF thing is, but it sure knows how to get attention.

Oh, Happy Mother's Day! Please do not look up any big words today!

A Heart in Spring

A garage door covered with colorful graffiti and framed by a blooming tree.

Dusky Downtown

Looking down E street just after sundown from the corner of 8th St. This is part of the “urban landscape” of DC—low and relatively bland buildings. The short buildings can be excplained, I'm told, by the rules forbidding any building from being taller than the capital building, or something like that. The blandness? I dunno. Some buildings aren't so bland, but... Down the street on the left in the above picture you can see a building that looks like it has a gap in it near the top (that dark line). This is some gov't building and I'm sure this design was an attempt at creating architectural interest, but for me it failed miserably; it just makes the building look more ominous somehow. It's probably just me...

Big Bulb

A large light bulb sits ready to illuminate the base of a federal building. There's not much here to provide scale, but this bulb is about as big as a size-10 shoe. It's big. It's appropriate today b/c I'm looking for light at the end of this finals-studying tunnel...

Be Pep

A sticker on a neighborhood street sign gives some great advice for someone taking finals. I think. Is being pep anything like having pep?

Bubba Behind Glass

A cardboard Bill Clinton looks out over Calvert Street. This cardboard Bubba has been in this window for months and months, I think, as you can see from how faded it is. I have no idea what the point is, but I always find it a little amusing when I walk by.

Graf Wagon

A new Honda Element all decked out in city style. When I first saw this car I figured the paint must be water-washable or something, but on closer inspection, it looked pretty permanent. Who knows? I think it's cool, but I know I would never be brave enough to do something like this to a new car for fear I wouldn't be able to sell it if I needed to. The law student in me also wondered whether the bank that loaned money for this car might have some concern about this paint job. Of course, the car owner might have paid cash...

K Street Traffic

Traffic backs up bumper to bumper on K Street last week. I have no idea what was happening to create all this madness, but I was certainly glad I don't have to drive around D.C. every day.

Falling Up

Blossom Water

Cherry Blossoms Sun & Shadow

Cherry Blossom Tidal Basin

Magnolias

Office Space Metro

Black and Tan Salt Shaker

Profiteroles

Pastry shell filled with vanilla bean ice cream and topped with our own hot fudge and fresh whipped cream; dusted with cocoa powder and powdered sugar

Capitol Steps

• Embraceable Jew,
• I Like Big Cuts and I Cannot Lie,
• The Candidates' Debate,
• The Impossible Dean,
• Sunni and Cher,
• Detective Story,
• The Supremes,
• Help Rwanda,
• Ain't No Surplus, Now It's Gone,
• God Bless My S.U.V.

The Awakening

“The Awakening” is a five part cast aluminum sculpture created by J. Seward Johnson, Jr. for the 1980 International Sculpture Exhibition and Conference.  Placed in conjunction with the National Park Service, the “giant” is situated on the grounds of Haines Point and the banks of the Potomac River.

Flooding Hains Point

Urban Waterfall II

Corporate Coffee

Corporate Coffee

Cro-Cro-Crocuses

The Diner, Adams Morgan

Who is BORF?

Parked Car

Bare Branches

Custom Chainguard

Fadó St. Pat's

Pointing is Polite

Mackey's

GW Law Mailboxes

Each day since 30 June 2002, this page has displayed a different photograph of my dog, Oliver. The image is updated at midnight GMT, unless I’ve forgotten to put one up the night before, which does sometimes happen. A pedigreed Weimaraner, Oliver was born 30 July 2001 on a lavender farm in Le Vaucluse, Provence. He came to join us two months later. You’d like him. Also appearing regularly is Oliver’s little brother Hugo (same parents, different litter), who arrived on 12 April 2003.

The Octagon

The Octagon: Built in 1800 by Colonel John Tayloe, William Thornton—Architect. Occupied by President Madison after the burning of the White House in August of 1814. The Treaty of Ghent was ratified? (fuzzy) here on February ... (date obscured). Headquarters of the American Institute of Architects fromm 1898 to 1949. Now owned by the American Institute of Architects Foundation.

Book Sale

Streetcorner Tech

Harley Cops

Mourn : Honor II

Art Deco Address

Studio Theater

Death of Meyerhold

Not Free Parking

Farragut Square

Hubcap Detritus

Winter Spring Sunset

Gallery Place Station

Hearts for Sale

Topless Mini

Rock Creek Tunnel

River of Lights

Leak

Farragut North Friday

Dedicated to Art

The Smithsonian American Art Museum's Renwick Gallery collects, exhibits, studies, and preserves American crafts and decorative arts from the nineteenth to twenty-first centuries. Housed in a historic architectural landmark across the street from the White House, the Renwick features one-of-a-kind pieces created from clay, fiber, glass, metal, and wood.

White House Backyard

Reviewing Stand Deconstruction

Rolling Rock Bike

Snow Master

New Paper

Train Boarding

MoreSnow

GW Flat Panel

Construction Canisters

Snowy Vigil

Tunnel Snow

Digging Out

Showers 4 Dirty Peeps

Counter-Inaugural '05

Cold, Hard Truth

Lawbrary

SUV Ribbons

Green Spires

Rock Creek Parkway

Coffee & Burritos

Bug Eyes

Crossfire At GW

Mirror Mirror

White House, Protest, Cannon

Smart Trip

Chess

Good Jobs

K Street Both Ways

Where is Harry Potter?

Final Fall Flowers

Baseball Kerfuffle

Lost Express

Chinatown Gate

Metro Ball

Thanksgiving Cabbage

Rusty Pumpkin

Looking Up at DCA

Microfiche

Calvert & Connecticut

Gallery Place Cinema

Metro Center Station

Umbrella

Chris Baty

First Frost

Chaipuccino!

Enter Tryst

No riots Yet

Veteran's Day 2004

Neighborhood Colors

Facade

Building Museum Building

Mental Illness?

Doctor Doctor

VoteVoteVote

Train Approaching

Exit Enter

Shuttered Visions

Backhoe

GW Rah Rah!

Neal Stephenson

Crazy Truck

Power Tools

Street Closed

Aprirots

Uruguayan Embassy

Locked Rack

Urban Waterfall

Seed Pod

Sisu's View

Mail Chute

Cutler's company was the sole manufacturer of mail chutes and receiving boxes until 1904. During those 20 years, the company produced more than 1600 receiving boxes, and continued to produce them for several more years. This receiving box was constructed in 1920.

K & Conn

Connecticut Avenue Bridge

Gallery Place Options

Tennis Abaci

Teach Critical Thinking

Giraffes

Sprinkler Alarm

Dunk Tank

Where the Sidewalk Ends

The Left Bank

Sakharov

Ethiopian Feast

Humidors

Jefferson Memorial