Before our class today Andy McMillan lined up this ladder with the Washington Monument. The fact that a man was climbing the ladder created a humorous picture. "Good Thinking," I said. Nikon also likes the way Andy thinks (even though he uses Canon equipment). He won a $10,000 scholarship from Nikon at a recent photo workshop called Barnstorm XVII. It was the first scholarship of its kind and there is a nice article about it at Photo District News Online.
I was taking photos at a press conference in the Capitol Building this morning. Senator Evan Bayh (D-Indiana) held the conference in support of a bill proposal that would increase the profitability of flu and other vaccine's production among domestic and Canadian pharmaceutical companies. Due to the recent shortage Sen. Bayh and others on the Hill have opted to pass on their "congressional" flu shot. The plan is essentially supposed to prevent vaccine shortages in the United States and decrease our reliance on foreign pharmaceutical companies. Sounds like politics to me. What I really wondered was if the senator from Indiana has been watching the Red Sox and Yankees the last few days.
I caught this Metro bus reflection in the glass shaft of the Glenmont Metro Station's broken elevator. The first year I lived in DC I was next door to the Waterfront Metro Station in Southwest. I thought the Metro train was better than San Francisco's Muni railway (A system which I admire). It wasn't long before I started noticing flaws. The first was that the elevators were always broken creating difficulties for people in wheelchairs among others. Because of the out-of-order elevators, special shuttles were provided from other stations, which created a hassle. The second major thing was the installation of the new money feeders on the buses that you can't put a penny in. And my third and most recent Metro pet peeve is the way bus after bus cruises down 16th St without stopping to pick anyone up during evening rush hour.
I didn't get on this train today, but the Boston Red Sox got on the train to New York ... after the fifth game of the play-off series. I'm not a big baseball fan but this is a classic rivalry that turn into an exciting race to the World Series. The Yankees won the first three games. Boston won the last two games by a single point each, both with extra innings; the two longest games in American League play-off history. Tonight's game was 5 hours and 20 minutes. Yesterday's game actually ended early this morning. Next year I look forward to taking the train to one of Washington DC's very own Major League "Senators" games.
This is Zack scraping a model railroad forest off the side of a gallery wall. He is taking his work down that was featured in the White Walls Gallery at the Corcoran. Listening to music accounts for a large part of Zack's inspiration to produce art.
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He said "stream of consciousness" exercises as well as his large tennis shoe collection have played a role in much of his recent art. Tomorrow another senior Fine Arts show will go up in its place.
Yet another birthday celebration tonight. Although I neglected to call both of my sisters and my great-niece on their recent birthdays I still find time to celebrate where my welcome wears thin. Happy birthday to all and to all a goodnight.
Tonight I checked at the front desk for a lens I'm suppose to be receiving in the mail. Instead I got a package from my dad's attorney who has just closed his estate after nearly four years. The parcel contained a bunch of business records and letters. I was looking at a letter from the East Fairfield Coal Company to my dad. My eye went straight to the only small talk, "How is your photography coming? I won Honorable Mention at the Canfield Fair for a landscape scene of swans." It was really strange because I thought they were writing to me. I guess they were I just received it a generation later.
Happy birthday, Maris. Darts.
It was funny, I watched the debates tonight and every time Bush opened his mouth he told me to "Vote for Kerry!" And when Kerry spoke I remembered that the United States will be safer with anyone but Bush.
Most nights I walk passed one of the Johns Hopkins buildings on 17th St NW and cut through the parking lot. Tonight I looked in on a class from the sidewalk. I also have one night class a week. I am currently working on my Honorary Doctorate; I'm taking it day by day ... no clear dates yet.
