September at the Sculpture Garden 

A Little Tour by Bike

After class everyday I try to get a little exercise - at least while the weather is decent. This usually means walking or biking both of which are a lot less expensive than the Gold's Gym across the street. And I don't even have to sign up for a year of automatic deductions from my bank account!

Today I biked across the river to downtown DC, had a salad at the Sculpture Garden, saw the Irving Penn exhibition at the National Art Gallery, did a little studying in the Haupt Garden behind the Smithsonian Castle and then went to hear Boubacar Traore (described as Mali's Elvis Presley) at the Kennedy Center on the way back to Virginia. The Kennedy Center has a free musical performance every day at 6 pm.

Now I've got to get back to studying.

Potomac Sunset 

Washington Monument 

Just Read

"I'm Coming to Take You to Lunch" by Simon Napier-Bell, the former manager of pop group "Wham!" and many others. Sure, I liked Wham! but the real reason I read the advance copy of this book is because Bell tells how he got Wham! to be the first Western pop music group allowed into China in the 80s. I also learned more than I really wanted to know about the music business. Nonetheless, it was a very good read. Mike, you might like the book. The book will be published in Jan 06.

Spy Tour #2

I took part in a "spy tour" near the Russian Embassy. The walking tour guide explained some of the interesting spy cases that have taken place in the area near the embassy and the National Cathedral. Some years ago a tunnel under the Russian Embassy was revealed by a US traitor but its exact whereabouts is unknown. Circumnavigating the huge embassy today we could only wonder how it had been built without the Russians knowing about it.

After the tour I walked down Massachusetts to Dupont Circle - passing the US Naval Observatory along the way. I remember spotting the large circle on a map of DC when I was about 10 and wondering what it was. Today I noticed it was heavily secured and wired and immaculately maintained. This can't just be an observatory I thought. Tonight I read that the Vice President's residence is on the grounds of the Naval Observatory. That explains a lot.

Tom Wolfe in White, Protestors in Pink

In DC this afternoon we had authors and protestors all over the place. The tourists didn't have a chance. The First Lady's National Book Festival covered the National Mall with tents featuring author speakers from Buzz Aldrin to Tom Wolfe. I listened to several but took the time to stand in line only to get my books autographed by Thomas Friedman and Buzz Aldrin. Both very friendly but Friedman actually seemed to enjoy signing hundreds of books. Tom Wolfe was in white of course, including white glasses. The Festival attendees were quite normal looking.

Normal is not how I'd describe most of the anti-war and pro-war protestors that also filled DC today. The anti-war protest swamped downtown DC and attracted quite a few counter protestors as well. There was no violence but a lot of shouting and plenty of bizarre fashions. I took a lot of photos because nothing I could write could convey the strange and extreme "styles" on both sides. Men painted head-to-toe in red, white and blue screaming at black-clad and metal-studded teenagers. Women dressed all in pink holding obscene signage. Not much love evident in the crowds - even among the pro-peace throngs. Neither side could have possibly been less persuasive if they'd tried.

I went back to the nice, quiet book fair and listened to more reasoned voices.

This Explains a Lot

After being in DC for a few months I think I've figured out why we have some of the problems we do. Two things I've observed; 1) 9 out of 10 pedestrians cross at intersections against the light (when they aren't supposed to) and 2) the police do nothing about it. The lessons? As long as you can get away with it - it's OK. Laws don't apply to me. No wonder we have such a problem with our political system and governance in general. When it comes to socially disfunctional behavior too many people in the DC area don't get it.

The result of this behavior by pedestrians is that drivers in DC never know when someone is going to walk into the street. Granted, many of the drivers actually try to hit the pedestrians, but it makes driving in DC an awful experience for those of us who prefer not to run over people.

I've not seen a situation like this in any other American metro area. The lack of respect for traffic laws here exceeds anything I've seen in North America.

Cyber-roaches

It's hard to get away from spam and other forms of intrusive advertising. Ad-Aware and Spybot have helped tremendously but a new form of unwanted advertising has come to my attention. Since I started this blog a bunch of jerks trying to push all kinds of stuff have started leaving "comments" in my blog saying things like, "hey, love your blog. Try my new blah,blah,blah." I have to take the time to delete their intrusions into my personal blog. These unwanted people just show up everywhere, like cockroaches.

Indian Zydeco and Marine 1, 2 & 3

When I have time to take a break from studying I enjoy the many free cultural events sponsored by the Smithsonian. On Friday I attended a performance by Shashank, a master of the Indian flute. His group's performance of south India classical music was fantastic. Today I attended another Indian performance, Sufi music from Rajasthan performed by Rangeela. This 8-member group almost didn't get their visas in time to arrive in the US for their performances. Rajastani music is lively and features an accordion-like instrument. If I shut my eyes I could imagine a Cajun Zydeco band gone Indian.

Just listening to the various forms of Indian music impresses upon me what a lively and fun-loving people the Indians are. What a great culture(s).

The president scared me today. I was riding my bike by the Washington Monument - on my way to the Smithsonian, when a huge Sikorsky VH-3D (Sea King) helicopter suddenly swooshed over - perhaps 50 feet overhead. It was closely followed by two other green and white helicopters. They passed to the west of the Washington Monument and on to the White House. Two landed and one returned the way it had come. I had read before that the president's helicopter s always fly with two other identical copters - so it's hard to tell which one the president is in.

No reasonable Expectation of Privacy

I have a new hobby. Spotting the many cameras hidden on the streets and public byways in the metro area. These are called closed circuit TV cameras or surveillance cameras. I became aware of them a couple of weeks ago when I overheard a museum security guard scaring a kid with them. "See that camera over there? We've got your picture now. Don't give me any trouble!" Sure enough, there was a camera hidden in a lamppost-like contraption in the Sculpture Garden. Then I began to look - they were all over the place! In the National Sculpture Garden alone I counted eight of them. You'd never notice them if you weren't looking for them.

Around the Capitol the cameras are hidden in antique-looking lampposts. There are cameras in posts all around the Federal Triangle and the FBI building must have 20 or so around it. The city police have their system of cameras, as does the National Park Police. DC is full of cameras. Everywhere you go in DC someone is watching you.

CSPAN Gotcha

Today was a study day but I did take a few minutes to watch the Judge Roberts hearing on CSPAN and couldn't help but notice that the Junior Senator from my state was doing a crossword puzzle while participating in the hearing. Lesson; don't let CSPAN put a camera over your shoulder.

Bike Jams

The heat of August is gone and biking around DC is feasible again. After class today I rode to Alexandria, Virginia and back - about 20 miles. I stopped at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria for a study break. The Mt. Vernon bike path along the Potomac River is almost as crowded as the George Washington Parkway that it parallels. Bikers and pedestrians do some fancy maneuvering to avoid each other.

On the way back north I came across a serious bike accident on the pathway. Three emergency vehicles were there and one biker was on a guerney. Blood was all over the path. Looked like two bikers collided with each other. The way some of the macho-driven bikers tear down the paved pathway they must think they are doing the Tour d'France.

Spooks in Georgetown

I took a guided walking "Spy Tour" of Georgetown today - visiting Alger Hiss' home, CIA director Colby's house, and cafe's where turncoat Americans were arrested while handing over secrets to foreign governments. The guide pointed out the homes of Martha Mitchell, Madeline Albright, John Kerry, JFK, etc etc. I've walked by these places before and had no idea of the history packed into these streets.

As I biked back across the Memorial Bridge between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington Cemetary today I again noticed the section of the bridge's stone railings that were replaced with perfect wooden copies. This is the spot where an Air Florida flight in 1982 crashed. I remember watching on TV at OSU.

From the Pentagon

On September 11, 2001 I watched a plume of smoke and fire rise above the Pentagon. Today, I went to see the place from whence the smoke had risen. Today, for the first time since 911 the Pentagon opened the impacted part of the building to the public - for one day.

The side of the Pentagon that was hit by the American Airlines Flight 77 jet has been completely rebuilt - except for one large scorched block that was left as a reminder. Inside, in part of the building that was destroyed, there's a non-denominational chapel and memorial. In the memorial room are the names of all the men, women and children that were killed - either in the Pentagon or on the hijacked plane that hit it. Fittingly, the names of the worthless zealots that hijacked the plane and murdered everyone else are not included.

I was in the Hart Senate office building next to the Capitol on the morning the jet slammed into the Pentagon. We were listening to Senator Don Nickles talk to our group when I noticed, from the large picture window overlooking the Washington Mall, the fire at the Pentagon across the Potomac River. Today, I walked around the Capitol and thought about the 184 innocent people killed at that instant four years ago tomorrow.

Life and Death in Shanghai and Washington

The neighbor downstairs died today. I came back to the apartment for lunch and found county police all over the building. A postal official was also participating for some reason. Two white, unmarked vans arrived and a body was wheeled out and placed in one of them. I don't know if foul play (why do we use the word "play" here) was involved or not.

In the afternoon I met with Mrs. Nien Cheng, the author of "Life and Death in Shanghai" the worldwide bestseller telling of her 6 years of solitary confinement during the Cultural Revolution in China. Mrs. Cheng is a spry, intelligent lady of 90 that has lived in DC for about 25 years, since getting out of China. If you've read the book you know what complete hell she suffered and how she perservered. The Red Guards murdered her daughter while Mrs. Cheng was in prison and the murderers have never been punished.

Lost Cities and Quiet on the Mall

Not much happened over the holiday. I spent the time studying and reading and biking. I had to get away from the TV news for awhile - I was getting disaster fatigue. Speaking of disaster, I read this interesting article about cities that have disappeared - the greatest loss being Alexandria (Eqypt) and its great library.

The weather in DC this past weekend was perfect - 80 degrees and clear. The Falun Gong was out on the DC Mall this weekend protesting the Chinese government's killing and torturing of their followers in China. Otherwise, it was quiet. Those of us who are fortunate enough not to be flooded out or being tortured should count our blessings - and help those other folks.

What I'm Reading Now

"Tintin in Tibet" and "A Sideways Look at Time"

Dogs

Although this is Labor Day weekend I spent today in language class - making up for a day I took off recently to travel home. Later in the day, walking near Dupont Circle, I came across a man with a Rastafarian hairstyle. No, that's not the least bit unusual in DC. It was his dog that caught my eye. It had a Rastafarian hairstyle also - dreadlocks and all.