prod & ponder

In a few hours I’m catching a flight out of BWI, home of the greatest parking garage known to humankind. Unfortunately, that involves flying on an airplane, which I have no particular love of. So I’m just dwelling on that kickass parking garage.

I’m going to be travelling for the next week, visiting family in Florida. I grew up in central florida, and I’ll have net access while away, so there’s the risk of blog missives about how much things change and yet stay the same, the blight of suburban sprawl, how Eisner sold Disney’s dream down the river, yada yada yada.

Photo-wise I was going to stuff my backpack full of camera gear and lenses, but I decided to pack light and go the purist route: one camera and one lens, and it’s a prime (30mm) lens at that. We’ll see how the minimalist experiment works out.

Oh yeah, now I remember, there was something about this also being a photo blog, or at least a blog with lots of pictures. Something like that.

So from today…

Bartlet lounging around the study. In my defense, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted kitty pictures. Also, I’m beginning to wonder about Bartlet and Information Leafblower’s Mr. Pink. Separated at birth?

And for my artsy urban shot from today…

It might take a moment for the images to appear. Amidst lots of tech work, Flickr has been misbehaving over the past couple of days.

I haven’t had much of interest to say over the past week, but others have…

James Marcinkowski, a former CIA case officer and a former prosecutor, made this stinging and spot-on remark about the Valerie Plame leak at an (unofficial) House Government Reform Committee meeting:

Before you shine up your American flag lapel pin and affix your patriotism to your sleeve, think about what the impact your actions will have on the security of the American people….Those who take pride in their political ability to divert the issue from the fundamental truth ought to be prepared to take their share of the responsibility for the continuing damage done to our national security. (*)

And then there were two good editorials in this Post this weekend:
Fixer-Upper Nation
Hunting Witches

I think Borf’s arrest has become a mandatory blogging topic, like the first snow of the year, Karl Rove, and the subject of not having anything interesting to write about but writing anyway.

So here’s my take:
I fall in the list of borf haters. Actually, there’s not much of substance to hate, so really it’s just an “annoyed by Borf’s visual litter” reaction. I dig public art, even (especially?) the illegal variety, but Borf’s stuff never struck me as anything other than zealous tagging. With a rare exception or two, most everything he did was a quick scrawl of his name or the same stencil, and repeating something endlessly doesn’t imbue it with superpowers or artistic merit in my book.

Frankly, if it wasn’t for the fact that he tended to do it in affluent and trendy places in DC (not surprising considering his background), I doubt the label of “art” would ever have been raised much.

Folks who hang out with me for any length of time are well aware of my scatological tendancy to make references to flinging poop at things I think are enormously stupid. So, amidst the growing evidence linking Rove to leaking the identity of a CIA operative for the sake of political retribution, you know I was enthralled by this perspective on The White House.

There are actually a whole slew of disasters you can wish upon a web page. Just go to www.netdisaster.com.

Yes, Wedding Crashers is hilarious. Yes, it’s the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time. Yes, go see it.

Yes, it doesn’t officially open till Friday. Yes, I saw it tonight at a special screening. Yes, a special screening with special people: Tony Kornheiser was in line in front of me, along with rumors of a Bush family member and the like, though I don’t think that makes sense with their current travels. Yes, I am a rock star.

And yes, I’m so totally trying to glom coolness from where I happened to be and who happened to also be there. Yes, that is pathetic. Yes, it’s not me being cool that got me in, it’s from having cool friends. Yes, they are rockstars. Yes, I’m calling them rockstars partly because of where they got me into. Yes, that too is pathetic. But yes, they’re very good eggs and great folk who I’d consider rockstars even without the cool perks. Yes, really.

Yes, there were burly security people at the door with metal detectors and no tolerance or humor about trying to bring in my digital camera or picture phone. Yes, that means no photos. Yes, it’s very surreal to watch a film while a security guy with nightvision goggles is standing at the front of the theater, scoping you and everyone else out.

Yes there’s a scene both lewd and hilarious enough to rival that scene in There’s Something About Mary. Yes, there’s wildly funny subtle stuff too. Yes, it’s set in DC and MD. Yes, the lead characters are mediators (Yes!). Yes, they really should have had a “mediators do it till everyone is satisfied” sticker show up somewhere.

So yes, go see it.

Yes, that’s the end of this.
Except yes, this was partially inspired by remembering the first book I read when I moved away for college as an undergrad: Fuck, Yes!: A Guide to the Happy Acceptance of Everything.

DCist is running a piece on the DC Democracy Tree. I think it’s a great story. How often do you see someone just spontaneously get up the gumption to create a public monument for what they believe in? I’m a little biased though. Mark Schaefer, the fellow who planted the tree (and now a chaplain at AU), lived just a few doors down back when I was living in Hamilton House apartments.

This was from the 4th of July fireworks in Rockville.

Earlier today I forwarded to the DC Flickr group a list of tips on shooting fireworks, the first of which was to scout out a good place to watch them from with an unobstructed view. Whoooops.

On the the civics theme (and basic civility), I hope this story about the alleged road rage and assault by the vice president for finance and operations at the Heritage Foundation continues to get covered. Considering all the moral posturing done by Heritage, people should know just what sort of folks they have working there. Yes it’s a cheap shot, but so is jumping out of your car and shoving bicyclists to the ground.

I stopped by Brookside Gardens and snapped a few shots. The bees were busy at work…