Immigrant Workers Repair White House Driveway

When I got back from the holidays I noticed that they had put a fence up around the White House. I thought it might have something to do with the Iowa Polls. No reason. Then I thought it might have something to do with the State of the Union Address. Today, an honestly nice Secret Service guy said it was just road work. Well of course there's going to be a facade to the whole operation. Road-worker "guests" from Bush's Immigrant Worker Plan.

I had my second class of the semester today, Video Art for the Visual Artist. Another winner.

Ever Feel Like Crap? ...

This Dead-headed Woodpecker was the first picture I took today. It looks mighty beautiful for a dead bird. And boring. However, what was not boring was my first Action/Sports Photography class tonight. Our professor shoots sports for the Washington Times. It was the best first day of any class I can remember. There are some very interesting techniques in sports photography. I learned a lot in just the first class. And I don't even care about the sports aspect, just the action. Sad thing is, after the email I recieved from my advisor today, I might be forced to drop the rest of the semester (Like this woodpecker dropped out of the sky) because of the personal problems I'll have linked with being treated unfairly and like crap.

My computer has been on the blink. I haven't been able to run Photoshop for almost 2 months. My Instant Messanger went down a couple days ago. And my internet has been acting funny so I haven't been able to check my email the past couple days. Today, my first day of classes this semester, I checked my email. Yesterday, (aka the day before the first day of the semester) the Chair of Photography sent me an email. He was asking me to drop my studio lighting class ... after I have not only invested the $20,000 a semester to go to school, but also the recent Ebay purchase of over $1000 in studio lighting equipment specifically for the class! Upsetting. Very upsetting. It would just be starting off on the wrong foot. I'd have to take a semester off and think about how serious this learning institution actually was towards my education.

_Eerie Beverage_

Didn't do much today. One of those days that feels negative as far as accomplishments. Usually I do something to satisfy my feelings of achievement. Who knows?

The Secret of Life? ... It's there in the smoke. This is an aluminium pitcher of dry ice and hot water. Great for parties.

-=A Representative of the Human Race=-

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The first time I became interested in Martin Luther King was the first year I noticed I occasionally got my birthday off from school because of him. Now I'm an adult and I still haven't read a biography of him yet. However, on Martin Luther King Day there is a compassion in my heart for a great leader.

I imagine the household on my block that keeps a picture of Dr. King on their porch year-round also feel some compassion for him. The Catholic Church should make him a saint.


(A Representative of Another Kingdom)

Took a ride to the mall. My friend Andrew bought a venus fly trap. The girl at the plant shop said if the plant doesn't catch enough flies you can feed it pieces of beef or chicken every couple weeks.

}} Tunnel Under the Graveyard {{

This is a tunnel in Rock Creek Park by the National Zoo. The Smithsonian Institute started buying land for the zoo in the 1880s. Around 1920 they purchased an African American cemetery that this tunnel now bores through. Supposedly the bodies were removed before the last $1000 was paid for the land. (It's more fun to imagine some remains remain.)

[I bet there are a lot of people who like walking through cemeteries at night. It's like going to see a scary movie only cheaper. Or you could watch a scary movie and then walk through the cemetery. Cheap fun.]

)) No Secrets Here ((

I convinced some friends to go see the new Hobbit movie (aka Troll Movie). Seeing it doesn't make anyone a geek. Awesome movie, but I was just as happy to see the forces of good conquor evil as I was to urinate after 3 hours. After the movie I stopped by the Blue Room to see my buddy Solomon spin hip tracks. Watched all the people from Virginia dance around. A blind guy stepped on my foot and I made a joke. The usual.

[I got my new jacket in the mail today, a present from my Mom and brother. To a pedestrian a jacket is similar to a car.]

--->Thanks, Now I'm 26<---

I had a great birthday. It was a get together at Haydee's, a South American eatery in Mt. Pleasant. I drank ginger ale. I am still recovering from the night before. My friend Andrew (pictured below) quoted me saying, "Drinking last night was like my birthday ... it brought me closer to death."

After I left Haydee's a few of my friend's stopped by. I used them to try out my new studio lighting. Shortly after that they got bored and made me plug in the television.

~ One of Those Nights ~

I really didn't expect this. My stomach is still uneasy. I decided to celebrate my birthday a little early. When I woke up this afternoon I noticed that I had taken over 100 photos and I remember taking about 10. This is a picture I don't remember taking of Peabody working the tap at the Xchange on G street.

I guess I should have taken Yanis more seriously when he mentioned I had finished nearly an entire bottle of Vanila Stoli.

Caffine: Not My Cup of Tea

I put together some lighting equipment today. I bought it from Steve Kaeser Backgrounds and Accessories in Ventura, CA. Of course one of the light's barndoors is broke. I called them and they're sending a new one. Scanned the internet for jobs. Is it easy to find a job on the internet? Planning to put a portfolio link up soon.

Went to the Diner in Adams-Morgan with Solomon to get a hamburger. I really wanted to get a coffee, that's what you drink in a diner. Late caffine throws my sleep off .

[Watched Solomon take the trash out, and I watched some High-Definition Comedy Central on his HDTV. The District put salt all over the streets and sidewalks, they're expecting a couple inches of snow by morning.]

Men of Adventure Enjoy a Close Shave

This is the Schick Quattro. A four-bladed shaver. I am looking forward to using it. It's a big step for me though, jumping from two straight to four blades. I have no three-blade experience whatsoever.


Product Review: I imagined the four-bladed Schick Quattro would glide smoothly across my face. It didn't have any less drag than the two-bladed shavers I normally use. I was thinking I had been bamboozled out of my money ... until I rinsed it off. Because their are so many blades this shaver was much easier to rinse than most*. I also noticed that, as Schick claims on the box it took me less time to shave. Then I looked closer in the mirror, I shaved my face off!
*over 50 percent

Spanish Band Plays Tunos

These are members of Tuna de Derecho, tunos musicians from Valladolid, Spain. Their trip from Spain was funded by the University of Pittsburgh's Spanish Department. In their three days not performing at Pitt they have gone from Toronto to Washington, D.C. Peter, a guitarist said that college students in 16th century Spain had very little money and played instruments at local taverns hoping for soup. He said the word tunos is someway derived from a Spanish word that means soupist.

[Worked on my humorous account of San Francisco as a tourist. I'm trying to keep it exciting too. Maybe I can sell it along with some photos for soup. Stopped into the Penn Ave Pour House, formerly the Pittsburgh Pour House, and soon to formerly be the Penn Ave Pour House next week when it turns into something completely different than a Pittsburgh bar.]

St. Meridian

Meridian Park, near 16th and Crescent Pl NW, Washington, D.C.

St. Smithsonian

The National Mall in front of Smithsonian Castle, Washington, D.C.