I was walking home up 16th St NW when a pickup truck on Euclid St backed up to make it easier for me to pass the crosswalk. "It's okay," I said. I turned around to say thanks to the driver while I was walking by and saw an enlisted Department of Defense sticker in the window. That's when the conversation started with me and Glenn Johnson, the truck's owner and passenger-at-the-time ... and also Navy veteran who was shipmates with John Kerry in Vietnam. While he was telling me about the river he and Kerry boated on I asked, "How do you like Kerry." Johnson said, "I love Kerry. He's a real good man."
Bird Fights at Rawlings Park
I hung out in Rawlings Park today with Brandon, an artist I know. We decided to sit on the bench and feed the birds bagels ... we were not ready for the violence we were about to witness! Finches dive bombing ducks, pigeons pecking at finches, and ducks biting each other. "They are attacking each other! Our "everything" bagels have disrupted the Space/Bird Continuum!"
Archibald Willingham Butt Memorial
Archibald Willingham Butt was Theodore Roosevelt's Aide de Campe. I have never noticed this Memorial to Butt, even though it is right by the White House. Butt died on the infamous voyage of the Titanic luxury-liner ship. Just as I was bringing this fountain to my friend Brandon's attention ... the blood relatives of this American hero walked up, also witnessing this memorial for the first time! "Here it is. This is it," said Robert Butt, walking slightly ahead of his brother Alex and his daughter Chloe. Another happy coincidence.
This is actually not a picture of two birds kissing on the sidewalk, if you can believe that. It is a mother finch feeding her baby in front of the post office on Pennsylvania and 17th NW.
I know there's a movie (and I think it's a comedy) about air traffic controllers called Pushing Tin. I went with Bill Schumann, FAA Public Affairs, to take some shots of a working air traffic control tower at Dulles International Airport for a text book. I was happy with the photos I took in the approximate half-hour I had to shoot. One of the things I remembered while I was there ... air traffic controllers traditionally dress casually. I remember the air traffic controllers at Marine Corps Air Station New River, NC. The guys in the ATC tower usually worked in their skivvy shirt to be more comfortable. I remember the last Friday of every month they had the option to wear civilian clothes if they put $4 toward the unit's picnic.
I went to the National Zoo today. I am trying to get a photo that I promised an agency for a text book. They need a photo of two giraffes "necking," that is wrapping their necks around each other to test one anothers' strength. People sometimes mistake it for affection, which it might be when they are young. For adult giraffes, necking is doing battle. The photo I'm trying to take is for a college-level text from McGraw-Hill called Understanding Human Sexuality. Tuesday morning I will be through the Zoo's gates shortly after 6am. Jenny, one of the animal keepers at the zoo told me that the giraffes "neck" anytime they feel rambunctious. Hopefully they'll be a little more active in the coolness of the early morning.
Beginning in the late 60s every Fourth of July, people sometimes calling themselves hippies and yippies have gathered near the White House to protest the prohibition of Marijuana. They gather in Lafayette Park around noon to demonstrate and there for a variety of different reasons and causes all relating to the legalization of Marijuana. I heard that sometimes close to a thousand protestors show up. This year about 30 people showed up in the pouring rain, some with shirts from past rallies during the 80s. At 3pm the small crowd set off for the concert site. They didn't actually have the permit to march, but the application for the permit was present. They shouted protest chants like, "Bush is a Dope, Pot is an Herb!" It was hard to believe that this Mounted Park Police lead a parade of 30 people right down Constitution Ave. "Who's Road?!" "Our Road!" "Who's Rights?!" "Our Rights!" "Who's Horse?!" "Our Horse!"
The Latino/Western clothing store on Mt Pleasant St called El West, has recently started carrying metal, gas-powered, $600 accessories called "pocket-bikes." Pocket-bikes are one of the newest trends in personal mobility. They are currently unregulated by the Department of Transportation in the District. A recent City Paper article responded to the trend and spoke of upcoming city registrations and regulations for all low-powered cycles. I guess until that happens local dealers like El West are going to sell a whole lot of these pint-sized crotch rockets. As I walked up to the shop another happy customer zoomed off the sidewalk and down the street on his new purchase. I don't think I'd be comfortable riding one, but I like seeing these little motorcycles. They are reminiscent of the partial lawlessness of the old "Wild West."
These guys are replacing the lead water pipes on Kilbourne Pl NW in Mount Pleasant. The construction is a block up Kilbourne from where I live. The DC water authorities were still nice enough to give me a free Brita pitcher even though it wasn't my turn to receive one. Brita filters are suppose to filter out over 99 percent of lead from water. This feature is helpful in DC where all our water is leady.
Two weeks ago Goldie's Italian Pizza opened up on G St NW. His place was doing awesome business. Everyone in the neighborhood was a critic, with many good and bad reviews. Yesterday, a new Quizno's sandwich shop opened right next to Goldie's and the owner was outside at the door inviting people in for pizza. Some people thought that might be humiliating until I mentioned that Jimmy the owner of the successful Xchange Saloon invites his customers in from the door daily. I think Quizno's is the first time I've seen a door greeter on G St in a costume.
This is Rocky. He owns the barber shop in the bottom of the office building at 17th and G Sts NW. He is in the middle of remodeling the shop. He is one of the older residents of the block, complete with regular customers. I'm not a regular customer but I stop in and say "Hi" at least once a week. I cut my own hair. Buzz, buzz ... it's gone.
I went to the Watergate Safeway today. It's the supermarket in the bottom of the historic Watergate Hotel. I never ended up buying anything because the line was so long. I don't know how its frequent shoppers like Condi Rice and Ben Stein can stand waiting in those long lines.
