This is a blimp that has been floating around DC the past day. It is part of an Army demonstration to political VIPs. I heard it is suppose to be some kind of forward observer, exactly like the dirigibles used between 100 and as recently as 50 years ago by the US Navy. A lot of residents called the Metropolitan Police Department to report a UFO when they saw the blimp brightly lit and flying low over the city early this morning. I hope I'm not the only one asking myself, "Why is our Army using blimps?!"
Me and some friends headed down to Buffalo Billiards in DuPont to kick-off dart season. For lack of better words, we darted through the downpour to get there. I won 1 out of 5 games, no longer my old record-breaking self. So, instead I heckled the pool players and argued that Plato was a jerk, something I am good at.
Today I had the audience of more and different kids than the students in the newspaper class. It was a last minute thing to talk to the photography instructor's class. I didn't have anything planned but did not want to disappoint the class. I did an overview of Chapter 14 in Beaumont Newhall's The History of Photography. The chapter deals with photojournalism, but not in the story-telling way you would think. It talks about the early methods used to publish etchings and photos. Finding a reasonable way to print photos in newspapers was a hard step for technology to overcome ... and it's still in progress. A couple of the kids were making farting noises on their arms, telling me it was time to move on.
Some days, like some people, I don't take a shower. Those are the days I never leave my house.
My friends Andrew and Maris had an extra ticket to the newly opened American Indian Museum. I went with them earlier today. We discovered they have only one gallery filled with contemporary Indian art that seems legitimate. The other displays included guns, swords, and paper currency.
Alcohol Party
I was invited to the birthday party of two nearly-friends, Audrey and Danielle. The party was everything but disappointing. A second night of gin & tonics. My head started to dehydrate just as we were leaving. Perfect timing.
I got off the elevator at my floor tonight, noticing for the 8th time the gin & tonic still in my hand from Rex's studio party. The culmination of great party-goers at a great location produced great photos. When the rum was gone I made my first gin & tonic ever. I am a natural. I was making myself, and others (whom I like to think were actually impressed with my mixing ability) gin & tonics all night. It was a sad thing to see the doors close after the party ... Rex is officially evicted.
Friend and professor Rex Weil handed me an invitation to his last studio party tomorrow, Sept., 24. He has invited all friends and artists to join him in celebrating his studio eviction from 16th St NW, 830pm to Midnight. If you need directions call me. (number at bottom of page) BYOB- unguaranteed amount of drinks and refreshments provided.
This was a geography class that met in the computer lab of the private high school I'm working at. At least it sounded like a geography class. I forget the name of this instructor, reason being everyday in the chow hall I met a few new teachers. Everyone I met so far, students and teachers, have been great. The school appears to be a great school well equipped with extra-curricular programs and sports activities.
I take the bus to the Metro train station. Then I take the train to the end of the line. Lori, an English teacher, picks me up and drives me to a high school. I help her teach the Newspaper Class. Although, because of our schedules I haven't got out there as much as I'd like to.
... and Mass Transit
I catch a ride on one of the school buses when the class is over. Pearl, the bus driver, drops me off back at the Metro train station. Then I ride the train back downtown. Sometimes I fall asleep and miss my stop by a station or two, like today.
I got a call from freelance writer Mike James today. We did a story together for ESPN Magazine and he called to tell me it is now on the news stands. I have photos in this issue's HANGTIME section. I am most happy because this means I will be getting paid soon.
This is my friend Antonio. He works in the photo lab in the lower level of the Corcoran Gallery. The lab he works in is the College's lab in the Gallery's basement. You can go there most days of the week and look in any of the lower-level windows and see students at work in the studios and labs. Unfortunately, Antonio might not get out of the lab until 5pm or later. It was after 5pm today when I took a few pictures of him that may be used in a McGraw-Hill textbook; a text for students whose second language is English.
There's always something to eat if you have bacon.
I signed a freelance contract with Getty Images today. To celebrate I went to a show at the Black Cat to drink beer and yell all night with some friends. By the time Lungfish, the main performance, came on the set I was no longer in the state of mind needed to judge music. I always have fun at the Black Cat.
I know there's a really good quote about knowing the state of the people of a country by the writing on the walls. I visited some foreign ports while I was in the Marine Corps. A lot of the time the locals would make big signs on the walls entering the city from the port, "Go Home Americans" and "@#* the U.S." Of course it seemed to us the very same people loved to service us, and take our money. Certain vendors would even come on the ship and sell us gold, watches, blankets and whatever. This made me ask myself, "Is there really anything wrong with our mayor" when I saw this display. A minute of internet research told me he was a respectable mayor. Maybe we should try an Athenian Democracy instead of this Democratic Republic we've been living in.
If you want to read the 7 ... now 8 strangest pages on the internet that have no real relationship other than that they contain the words washing windows in the rain, then google "washing windows in the rain."
Richard C. Holbrooke discussed ways to "end ethnic conflict, expand humanitarian access, and increase the role of the African Union," Tuesday afternoon at the Brookings Institution. He was part of a panel of speakers which also included Sen. Jon S. Corzine (D-NJ), and Brookings' Project on Internal Displacement Co-Directors Roberta Cohen and Francis M. Deng. I really wish my favorite activist Danny Glover could have made it. The down-to-earth Hollywood star was arrested less than two weeks ago for protesting in front of the Sudanese Embassy.
Now that I am teaching photojournalism two or three days a week at Sandy Springs Friends School outside of DC, I will be riding the bus from the school to the Metro train station. Pearl is my bus driver. She's not only the bus driver; she is the guardian on the ride home. Two teachers got on the bus to check off a list of students who should have been riding. Questions arose about missing students and soccer practice. The children kept talking. As soon as Pearl started asking question the students were quiet. "When two adults are on the bus asking questions you have to be quiet and listen," instructed Pearl. We pulled away from the school with the soccer kids accounted for, the bus remained quiet.
Today I invited some friends out to eat with my niece and mom. Our plans digressed from Italian to Greek to Chinese. Finally, we ended up at Young Chow's 312 Pennsylvania Ave SE. I always have a good time talking and eating, but it felt a little surreal with my mom and my friends at the same table. They got to know my mom a little and my mom got to know them. Casey Smith, my former professor, even told my mom I was a good student in his class. Becky talked about charismatic baby squirrels. I talked about nursing baby rabbits with an eye drop bottle. Andrew talked about the niceties of living in Capitol Hill. Maris, about France. My mom, about being in DC fifty years ago. We all walk away with only one burning question ... what is the difference between Orange and General Tso's Chicken?
I went to see an improv comedy act at the District of Columbia Arts Center on 18th NW, in Adams-Morgan. The troupe that played tonight was known as Jackie's Pronto; when I laughed beer came out of my nose. It was a unique experience because I had met a few of the players before but never knew they acted. Because I was introduced to them by my smart friend Matt I took them for strictly scholars. If you haven't taken in a show go now while it's inexpensive ... once they've broken a certain amount of legs (theatre talk for performing) expect to pay Broadway prices. Either that or they'll move to the crowded improv neighborhoods of Manhattan, where there's so many actors I forgot to laugh.
My niece Becky has been getting cabin fever in my apartment since she came up here from Florida with my mom to escape the hurricanes. She wanted to get out and go have a drink somewhere in DC. I took her to a few bars. First we walked down to the Xchange at 17th and G Sts NW. After there we stopped by my friend Don's in Washington Circle, Lulu's on 20th, and the Brickskeller at 22nd and P (over 1,000 beers available). I also took her to my new favorite joint in DC, the Big Hunt on Connecticut just south of DuPont ... this place has never been so friendly to me until recently (best hot wings). Finally, we stopped off at Kramer's Books to get a last drink and check our email at the bar. For your knowledge Kramer's is not the place to use the restrooms. They should have their Zagat rating revoked just for this reason ... great place though.
One of my friends, Mike was throwing the 'ol silver Frisbee around today.
My mom, niece, and me woke up early this morning because that's the best time to visit the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. If you're not there before 8am you miss the freedom of walking through the zoo with only morning joggers to compete with for a view. I took them to my favorite group of friends in the center of the zoo ... the Pandas, giraffes, and elephants. The zoo keepers suspect the female Panda is pregnant. We started some friendly conversation with one of the keepers and we were invited into the Panda House hours before it opened to get an up-close view of the male Chin. The elephants are very close to the Pandas. The nearly-3-year-old baby elephant Kandula might be more affectionate than a Panda. I took this picture while he was under behavioral observation by a zoo volunteer. Kandala is so special they even record how many times he poops.
This is my mom at the Women in Military Service to America Memorial. She is holding up a picture of herself taken fifty years ago outside the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) Barracks aboard Norfolk Naval Air Station, Va. A few years ago she donated to the memorial's construction and is a charter member, but this is the first time she has visited the memorial. She was in the Navy from 1952 to 1955. As a Sailor in the Navy's Military Air Transport Service she flew throughout the United States and Mediterranean Region in logistical support of the Korean War.
Today before I took my shower I was looking at my teeth in the mirror. Then I decided to take a picture of myself looking at my teeth. Then I realized I could take a picture of me yelling at myself.
I went to the National Building Museum with some friends today. The highlight for me was the museum building itself. There was also a neat exhibit on concrete, and another on historic ironworkers. One of the coolest things was translucent concrete.
Here is another piece of political graffiti. Its been on a construction site wall at 17th and K Streets NW for about 4 months now. For a paper poster it is standing up to the elements, well ... better than Florida. The hurricanes there have people evacuating every other week. My sister Patti and her family evacuated to Georgia with her horses. My mom and my oldest niece Becky are on their way here to visit me during the evacuation.
Friday mornings I have a History of Photography class. After class today I went into Swing's Coffee Shop, the place my friend Andrew runs. I practice shooting without looking through the viewfinder. It's harder to aim using a telephoto lens. I took this lucky shot "from the hip" with a 200mm ... Andrew trying to stay awake after the morning caffeine rush.
This is Mike at his apartment getting ready to watch President Bush speak to the Nation. We watched about 5 minutes of it, then went to play Frisbee in Washington Circle.
This is a photo I had to take of a "room with a radiator." It is for a Houghton Mifflin School's Grade 4 Science. I took shots of three different radiators. The most interesting one was mounted on a wall in an art studio in the top of the Corcoran Gallery.
