Today I shot photos with my friend Don. He majors in Fine Arts Photography. Don had a "pinhole body cap." It is like using a very small hole to take a photo with instead of a lens. I shot about 200 photos with it today. This is one of them from Henry's near 17th on U St.
I saw my friend Rick downtown. We decided to go get something to eat, both disappointed in our prospects to shoot anything exciting during this so-called World Bank and International Monetary Fund protest. It seems like they blocked the streets off for nothing. At the Ellipse Park in front of the White House we found few protestors but many tourists wondering why the White House was blocked off and barricaded by 80 U.S. Park Police.
Things Better Than Television
Later on, I met up with some friends to do things that are better than television. We went to see Jackie, the improv comedy troupe at District of Columbia Arts Council. After the show we headed back to one of the best joints in town, the Common Share. There is no cheaper beer or pool, and no better mix of blue collar in DC.
This is one of my friends Adam. I was over at his place earlier today. I said, "you look like a Gaul." He was cleaning his face and and talking to me at the same time.
This is a group of my friends from school, gathered to watch the 1st Presidential Debate of 2004. Kerry was the clear winner of the first debate, so decides this politicized group of well-educated, well-read, and well-drank students.
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.
