I tell you what, it snows and I just turn into this five year-old kid again. Some would prabably say that's a step in the right direction from the way I usually act like a two-year-old.
I came back from Philly around noon after having seen "Nerds" last night. They play was good by the way, very funny with its writting being done by the writters of Robot Chicken on Adult Swim. It was about the rise of Microsoft and Apple and how this group of nerds from a garrage-based inventing group grew up with the high speed growth of the personal computer era. It was a really good time.
Afterwhich we went to Tequila, which was an interesting restaurant. The lobby had murals all over depicting skeletons dressed in nice Victorian era clothing from the Mexican aristocracy. The paintings were meant to symbolize the greed and ruthlessness of the Mexican dictators of the late 1800's and the nobility that thrived off the oppression of the poor. It was interesting how the lobby depicted this righteous condemnation of tyranny and the inside of the restaurant, which was by the way owned and staffed by Mexicans, was elaborately guilded and displayed ornate wood trims on the ceiling and collumns dressed in fabric. The whole impression was a representation of romanesque life for first class citizens of 19th Century Mexico. I thought the ironies of the play "Nerds" equally present, yet translated to, this restaurant in which the wealthy were dining and if only they had the time or concern to seek it out they would have asked about the meaning of all the murals... and then wondered about the message of this place. I took it to mean that the restaurant owners and staff were directly calling to account the patrons to recognize their rights as people even though they are not as privilaged.
So... the snow fight! I got home from Union Station and it was already snowing from an hour before all the way down from Philly. The flakes were big, and were falling fast. There was no wind, it wasn't even really very cold. Thirty degrees is fine when your wearing long pants, sleeves, coat and gloves. Its the wind that makes it cold. No, it was very nice and peaceful, and the snow was already several inches deep. It made this wonderful crunching sound... imagine taking a styrofoam cup and cutting it laterally to make rings out of it. Now place them in between layers of cardboard. If you were to walk on that it would give you a good idea of what walking on snow sounds like. What it feels like is something different... like walking in tall Florida grass... when you are not really sure there is a ground under the grass... but just this grassiness that fades into earth somewhere you are not quite sure. Thats something of what walking on snow feel like.
After stopping to enjoy the snow a few times and taking some pictures I got back to the ASP dorms and met Dan and Kevin in the library just off the main entrance hallway. I threw my things down and sat with them for a while. Then, realizing I was hungry went down to the corner 7-11 to get a pizza. On the way back I threw snow balls at the library window to intice Kevin to come outside. He did not, but the girls on the second floor taunted from their living room window and I bombarded them with snow. SNOW IS SO MUCH FUN! After going back in I decided to make a snow man. Got a snow shovel (I actually had to think for a second what they are called) and pilled the base of the snow man up in a few minutes. Then I went down to our alley and rolled up the mid section. It really is easy when the snow is a certain way. When its almost like cotton-powder it rolls up very easy, grabbing all the snow as it compacts with every turn. Picked up this beach-ball-sized snow man stomach and walked it over to the base. Then I rolled a smaller head, and placed it on top. In all it took maybe 15 minutes.
People were walking bby while I was doing this. This is also not a very friendly neighborhood, in fact I would say DC has a pretty bad case of depression or sense of defeat. I dont know exactly what it is. I mean I can understand the how and why they have these feelings you can read on their faces, but specifically I don't know the city's history to explain why certain groups are the way they are. But even the people you would think might have a better outlook on life, do not. There is a great void here where Hope should sit. But I was in such a good mood with my snow man progress and the still falling snow that I was smiling at all the people walking by and they could see that I was genuinely having a good time. All 6ft 6 inches and 24 years of me - out there alone acting like a kid. One lady walked by and happily exclaimed to herself "He's making a snow man." Which made me happy. I got the impression (and it makes sense given the nature of people in this city) that no one had made a snow man in a long time in this area. I mean if you think about it, parents around here are adults like every other cynical workaholic, and wont stay outside with their kids long enough to make a snow man and get all wet from the snow. Sickness, cold, wetness, time, dog-walking, dinner-cooking, etc. all play into these kids not getting to build snow men. Even if they do they dont amount to much because you need mom or dad to help make the really big ones. So I wanted to make a really tall one, and I did, about 4 feet tall, much taller than the fence and bushes and I think it will make people who walk by happy. There is a small amount of joy, hopefully a lot that flows from that snow man, because I hope people will know how much fun went into making it.
And then as soon as I was done with the snow man people came out to see and then the snow ball fights began and there were a dozen college age students screaming and running around the sidewalk, throwing snow balls from the second story balcony, the sidewalk and the fourth floor roof. All at war with each other, and against their team mates. All free shots that were open were had, and snow rained down from the roof, sometimes in HUGE mounds that had been collected in small trash cans that made enormous thuds then they crashed into the sidewalk.
It was a rather fun day, and I am sad you poor Floridians missed it.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Friday, February 23, 2007
NW Quad
Woke up today later than I planned to, but a few extra hours of sleep is always nice. Got ready around 9 and got ready for some interview hunting by doing a little research on the organizations before going over to the NW quadrant of DC where most of their offices are. I met up with one of the program advisors to get an idea of what to ask in the interview since I need to incorporate these interviews into a paper that's due March 6.
So I set out about noon, walked over to the Senate office buildings to find a staff member in Sen. Jim Inhofe's (R-OK) office. He was the chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee before the Democrats won the Senate in November. Now Dianne Feinstein is chair and he is ranking member (which is polite language for second in line because your party isnt in control anymore). However, and this is a side note but an important one, Joe Liberman might consider joining the Republican party and that would change control of the Senate and really upset things. Anywho, this Inhofe guy is a huge anti-environmentalist guy. He doesnt believe in global warming, not saying I do completely either - I need to do more research, but its obvious that Inhofe has Big Oklahoma Oil in his pocket telling him how to think.
I thought it would be good to talk to someone in his office about it since he is on the committee, but I got refered to the committee offices since the guy in Inhofe's office really is just a liason to the committee and not "the guy" on the subject... all of them work in the committee offices. So I had to leave the Russell building and go next door to the Dirksen building for them, and got a business card and was told to come back on Monday. Apparently no one works when Congress is on recess, although I would think the staffers would be gearing up for the next round, especially on a Friday, but O well. So I went on to find Senator Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez and get something out of their staff members. Got names of who I need to see, and business cards, but no interviews. I was going to go to the House office buildings but decided against it since I need to get interviews from interest groups and federal agencies as well.
It was not about 1 pm so I headed over to Farragut North on the subway which is a nice business side of town. Stopped by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and was told the man I need to speak with was not in, and to come back Monday. Well, I know that going on Friday to get interviews is not the wisest thing to do but since it is my only day off in the week I had no other choice. You also probably figured out my paper I need to write about is on energy and the environment. So yes I am writing a paper on the subject of government incentives and mandates for the construction of "green" buildings, and I need to assess the viewpoints of differnt stakeholder groups. Hence the interviews.
So I go to the next group on the list, which is supposed to be next door but I see a not on the door that they moved one block south and three blocks west. Get over there and actually finally get to meet someone! YAY, i know right! So she isnt really an expert on the subject but offers to answer any questions to the best of her ability and get a guy who is an expert on their policies in New York on the phone. So it was sort of like an in person, and phone interview all in one. Tha interview went well and I think I got a good quote out of it, and some good stuff to paraphrase.
By the time I was done with that it was time to go to class, and so I called some people to figure out where class was today since today was one of those classes where we go out and meet with a group and they present to us. Today was the American Petroleum Institute. And if you think they had a lot of propaganda and things were really shady, try figuring out from their website what API stands for...
I didn't like the presentation, though it was VERY educational. For example I learned how grown men and women can lie outright to a group of 30 college students and 7 professors/staff and feel perfectly fine about it... and amazingly go to sleep at night. I need to follow up with the people who presented because there are some things I truely dont understand their reasoning. For example, one ssaid that if the US were completely self reliant on energy production we would still be affected by global prices of oil... ... ... ... really??? I mean, did he just say that? You know that don't make no sense right? I mean I'm sure someone can find some indirect way in which that affects our economy, but the cars we drive, even if some are still using gasoline, and we will certainly be using oil products for airplanes, but if the US is the provider to the US... how does a war or global prices of oil affect us if we're not importing it??? I REALLY need someone to explain that to me.
I can also understand the argument that we need to protect our current oil industries because they employ a lot of people. A lot of pension funds for state and federal employees have stock in oil and other energy companies. A lot of Americans are invested in oil, and they aren't just billion dollar CEOs. So we need our oil industries, but at the same time we need to dramatically get "green" industries up and running. All sorts of advantages are in this: job, a technological lead over asian countries begining to compete with Americas traditionally strong industries, and decreased pollution, whether ot not you think global warming exists - its good to cut back on pollution and increase efficiency. But these people presenting today didn't REALLY come out and say that. I think they hinted at it just to make us jump to the conclusion that they support it, but they really wanted to get access to the continental shelves around the continent to do deep sea drilling. They make it sound like we need to invest in this because oil is going to be the dominant energy source for the next 50 years and we all just need to learn that fact and anybody who wants to develope green industries has plenty of time to do so but dont interfere with Big Oil because its your best friend and you dont want to upset it. And all I had to say about the subject was sribbled on my note pad, "This presentation is bull shit."
SO, anyway, some of went afterwards to see if we could find anything interesting and we went to the National Geographic center and saw somw cool pictures of animals, and a nice display about Japanese gardens. We went to dinner ate a local sandwich maker that was really good. Apparently DC's best sandwhich joint cause a sign on the door said so. :-)
We went back to the National Geo center because there was a jazz group playing in an auditorium they had there. A lot of cool things like that here in DC. You would think this place we were at was a museum, and possibly they use the auditorium for other educational purposes but like any venue in a big city it has dual purposes. So we listened to some good jaz for about an hour and left to go back home and that brings me to this post.
Tomorrow is pancakes at the resident directors appartment, right outside my door across the hall. And in the afternoon I am going to Phillidelphia to see a play and then coming back home Sunday. I will give a full report Sunday. But now I am tired and am going to bed.
So I set out about noon, walked over to the Senate office buildings to find a staff member in Sen. Jim Inhofe's (R-OK) office. He was the chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee before the Democrats won the Senate in November. Now Dianne Feinstein is chair and he is ranking member (which is polite language for second in line because your party isnt in control anymore). However, and this is a side note but an important one, Joe Liberman might consider joining the Republican party and that would change control of the Senate and really upset things. Anywho, this Inhofe guy is a huge anti-environmentalist guy. He doesnt believe in global warming, not saying I do completely either - I need to do more research, but its obvious that Inhofe has Big Oklahoma Oil in his pocket telling him how to think.
I thought it would be good to talk to someone in his office about it since he is on the committee, but I got refered to the committee offices since the guy in Inhofe's office really is just a liason to the committee and not "the guy" on the subject... all of them work in the committee offices. So I had to leave the Russell building and go next door to the Dirksen building for them, and got a business card and was told to come back on Monday. Apparently no one works when Congress is on recess, although I would think the staffers would be gearing up for the next round, especially on a Friday, but O well. So I went on to find Senator Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez and get something out of their staff members. Got names of who I need to see, and business cards, but no interviews. I was going to go to the House office buildings but decided against it since I need to get interviews from interest groups and federal agencies as well.
It was not about 1 pm so I headed over to Farragut North on the subway which is a nice business side of town. Stopped by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and was told the man I need to speak with was not in, and to come back Monday. Well, I know that going on Friday to get interviews is not the wisest thing to do but since it is my only day off in the week I had no other choice. You also probably figured out my paper I need to write about is on energy and the environment. So yes I am writing a paper on the subject of government incentives and mandates for the construction of "green" buildings, and I need to assess the viewpoints of differnt stakeholder groups. Hence the interviews.
So I go to the next group on the list, which is supposed to be next door but I see a not on the door that they moved one block south and three blocks west. Get over there and actually finally get to meet someone! YAY, i know right! So she isnt really an expert on the subject but offers to answer any questions to the best of her ability and get a guy who is an expert on their policies in New York on the phone. So it was sort of like an in person, and phone interview all in one. Tha interview went well and I think I got a good quote out of it, and some good stuff to paraphrase.
By the time I was done with that it was time to go to class, and so I called some people to figure out where class was today since today was one of those classes where we go out and meet with a group and they present to us. Today was the American Petroleum Institute. And if you think they had a lot of propaganda and things were really shady, try figuring out from their website what API stands for...
I didn't like the presentation, though it was VERY educational. For example I learned how grown men and women can lie outright to a group of 30 college students and 7 professors/staff and feel perfectly fine about it... and amazingly go to sleep at night. I need to follow up with the people who presented because there are some things I truely dont understand their reasoning. For example, one ssaid that if the US were completely self reliant on energy production we would still be affected by global prices of oil... ... ... ... really??? I mean, did he just say that? You know that don't make no sense right? I mean I'm sure someone can find some indirect way in which that affects our economy, but the cars we drive, even if some are still using gasoline, and we will certainly be using oil products for airplanes, but if the US is the provider to the US... how does a war or global prices of oil affect us if we're not importing it??? I REALLY need someone to explain that to me.
I can also understand the argument that we need to protect our current oil industries because they employ a lot of people. A lot of pension funds for state and federal employees have stock in oil and other energy companies. A lot of Americans are invested in oil, and they aren't just billion dollar CEOs. So we need our oil industries, but at the same time we need to dramatically get "green" industries up and running. All sorts of advantages are in this: job, a technological lead over asian countries begining to compete with Americas traditionally strong industries, and decreased pollution, whether ot not you think global warming exists - its good to cut back on pollution and increase efficiency. But these people presenting today didn't REALLY come out and say that. I think they hinted at it just to make us jump to the conclusion that they support it, but they really wanted to get access to the continental shelves around the continent to do deep sea drilling. They make it sound like we need to invest in this because oil is going to be the dominant energy source for the next 50 years and we all just need to learn that fact and anybody who wants to develope green industries has plenty of time to do so but dont interfere with Big Oil because its your best friend and you dont want to upset it. And all I had to say about the subject was sribbled on my note pad, "This presentation is bull shit."
SO, anyway, some of went afterwards to see if we could find anything interesting and we went to the National Geographic center and saw somw cool pictures of animals, and a nice display about Japanese gardens. We went to dinner ate a local sandwich maker that was really good. Apparently DC's best sandwhich joint cause a sign on the door said so. :-)
We went back to the National Geo center because there was a jazz group playing in an auditorium they had there. A lot of cool things like that here in DC. You would think this place we were at was a museum, and possibly they use the auditorium for other educational purposes but like any venue in a big city it has dual purposes. So we listened to some good jaz for about an hour and left to go back home and that brings me to this post.
Tomorrow is pancakes at the resident directors appartment, right outside my door across the hall. And in the afternoon I am going to Phillidelphia to see a play and then coming back home Sunday. I will give a full report Sunday. But now I am tired and am going to bed.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
2-13 before work
Its snowing today, started just about an hour ago. I am going off to work in about 30 minutes and meeting up with a few guys after work for wings. This place called Hawk & Dove has a Tuesday deal with 12 wings for $1. Sounds like fun to me!
I just called Dad yesterday, he is doing well. Spoke to Jennifer a few days a go before the weekend, she is doing much better. Her boss is no longer her boss, which is god news, because that woman is a biatch. Jen is doing much better now that they are not working her to the bone.
Currently I am working on a paper about climate change and energy security. I need to get a third source that agrees with my first two so that I can continue with my topic. I don't know where to look. If anyone know of a consumer advocacy group that deals with "green" building projects, I would love to hear about it.
Also, atiently awaiting my stamps that I ordered DAYS ago. They have not arrived inthe mail yet and I need to send off three letters. One of which needs to be at PBA by this friday. I think I will take it to work so I can go to the post office just before going to Hawk & Dove.
Anywho, got to get going if I am going to get to work.
I just called Dad yesterday, he is doing well. Spoke to Jennifer a few days a go before the weekend, she is doing much better. Her boss is no longer her boss, which is god news, because that woman is a biatch. Jen is doing much better now that they are not working her to the bone.
Currently I am working on a paper about climate change and energy security. I need to get a third source that agrees with my first two so that I can continue with my topic. I don't know where to look. If anyone know of a consumer advocacy group that deals with "green" building projects, I would love to hear about it.
Also, atiently awaiting my stamps that I ordered DAYS ago. They have not arrived inthe mail yet and I need to send off three letters. One of which needs to be at PBA by this friday. I think I will take it to work so I can go to the post office just before going to Hawk & Dove.
Anywho, got to get going if I am going to get to work.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Mt. Vernon
Last Saturday I went to the home of George Washington, Mt. Vernon, with four friends from the ASO program. The property is amazing, and sits on a beautiful hill along the Potomac River.
As we saw the museum and his house, and some short length video about him, it was very interesting to know more about our first president who very well could have been our first king.
Pictures to come...
As we saw the museum and his house, and some short length video about him, it was very interesting to know more about our first president who very well could have been our first king.
Pictures to come...
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