Here at the corner of K St. and Connecticut NW scooter people risk their lives several times a day. But I really like the idea that people are zooming around on these things that don't even have to have an inspection. You don't even need a license or insurance! It would be cool if more people had them. There are a few people who give scooter people everywhere a bad name ... and since I don't have a scooter I'm not one of them.
I finally finished the last chapter of Technopoly by Neil Postman today. It's a great book ... now I start skimming The Age Of Spiritual Machines by Ray Kurzweil. Great books about how technology changed civilization and the way modern people think. Postman is very witty in his writing. He jokes about the ironic issues of civilization and uses epiphanies as their punch lines. In Postman's book he says that painting is nearly three times as old as writing. That means a picture was worth a thousand words long before their were even words!
I thought I might take some pictures of people working at night. I saw a group of construction workers waiting for a lift up the side of a building around 20th and K Streets NW. I walked over to them and asked one guy if he was working the night shift. "From 9 to 5 in the morning," he replied. The I said, pointing at the elevator, "I bet that's kind of scary going up in that?" "Yeah, it is."
Less-Than Skeletal Elevator
Marvin and Jose are brick masons that work the night shift. They work the night shift because of the high traffic of K St. At night it's less likely that pedestrians will be hit by falling bricks.
This is All Souls Unitarian Church and tonight's full Moon. All Souls is one of three churches and a Masonic Temple that stands near the intersections of 16th St and Columbia Rd NW. Of all the grand structures at the corner this may be the oldest. Founded as the First Unitarian Church in 1821 it celebrated its first ceremony June 9, 1822 under the Rev. Robert Little. The bell use to be sounded for a variety of reasons including a local fire alarm. However, in 1859 the bell was sounded publicly for the last time mourning the hanging of abolitionist John Brown.
My friend and webmaster Jen and I went to Chu's Cafe, a chinese place on Prospect St in Georgetown specializing in "healthy Chinese food." We went there after Jen helped me put my portfolio up on this site. The portions are small, but cheap. And it is probably the best Chinese food you're going to get in the District. This is a picture of the ginger tea that comes in big glass mugs. It's very tastey but the floating ginger pieces get annoying.
Dan poses for a picture near the White House on 17th St NW. He is an artist who graduated from the Corcoran. He's also the manager of an online football team.
Tonight's Forcast: Dark
It's been raining for a few days now. It's still getting dark at night.
John Sack was a great and creative writer. He had a personal style of storytelling that was truely unique. I had the pleasure of meeting him while he was covering the activities of an old unit of mine in the North Arabian Sea. He later met up with us in Kandahar. I had a lot of time to talk to him on the ship and in Kandahar. When he got back to the states his health suddenly declined. This past holiday season I had the chance to visit him several times while I was in San Francisco. I am greatful that he had the time to spend with me and considered me a friend. Towards the end he told me he was in a lot of pain and would welcome death ... I know he's in a much more comfortable place now. And pieces of him will live on in everyone lucky enough to have met him. {obituary}
This is a freight train crossing the trestle from Washington, D.C. to Alexandria, Va. I took this picture earlier today from the Yellow Line Metro. I was on my way back from National Airport seeing off my friends Karl and James. They are headed back to the sun of Florida.
The Famed 42 Route
This is the 42 bus. It starts in Mount Pleasant, goes through Adams-Morgan and Dupont, and straight through the majority of downtown. This is the bus I ride most often.
Been riding the Metro trains around a lot lately. There's something about this time of year ... I ride the Metro more often during the changing seasons. This guy in the picture got off at the same stop I did, Eastern Market. He walked over to the area by the Marine Barracks on 8th and I Sts SE. It use to be a seedy neighborhood, now there's a new Starbucks.
Looking Through Metro Center
On the way home I panned this shot of the other metro headed in the opposite direction. I grabbed a transfer from the subway and used it on the bus. Usually the bus guy charges you 35 cents with a subway transfer. He let me go with just the transfer. Lucky because I didn't have any change.
