Adams Morgan Blog

Eastern Market. Wish we had something like this in our neighborhood. 

Fireworks for sale, North Capitol Street, NW 

Washington DC, Gallery Place, Nov. 8, 2014 by Patrick Thibodeau

Supreme Court, February 25, 2016 Photo by Patrick Thibodeau Progress on reducing CO2 emissions , already in the ditch thanks to President Trump, will be paved over as a result of Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation. This court will be nothing more than an adjunct of right wing special interest, and that means denial and obstruction on climate change-related legislation. How might this court rule if lawmakers eventually adopt a carbon tax? Or impose restrictions on land use to preserve CO2 absorbing trees and plant life? How might this court rule on efforts to save the oceans? The court will likely favor short-term profit making over the survival of mankind. Kavanaugh’s legal philosophy is reflected by The Federalist Society, which recommended him to the president. The Desmog Blog, in an exhaustive analysis on the Federalist Society’s climate change view, notes, in part, that this group “regularly hosted talks by individuals who oppose the mainstream consensus on man-made climat...

NYC Penn Station area Major cities, including NYC and DC, have adopted Vision Zero programs. The goal of this program is to eliminate all pedestrian and bicycle accidents through infrastructure improvements and enforcement. But the effort is running into inertia. People debate about what is statistically possible. This sets the Vision Zero goal up for frustration. The argument that Vision Zero is impossible to achieve muddies the limits of government resolve to make the investment. These same cities also have emission reduction goals as a separate endeavor. But Vision Zero and emission reductions are one and the same. We are looking at a scenario of a 7 degree fahrenheit increase by 2100. Life will truly be miserable if not impossible for many. By recognizing that we are heading, very quickly, into a catastrophe then building a robust bicycling infrastructure, investing further in mass transit, becomes far more urgent. Recently, a memorial ride was held for a man who w...

National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, Four-Sided Pyramid by Sol LeWitt It's hard to put the testimony by Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford to rest.  It feels like a moment that's going to take a very long time to process. This hearing speaks to the permanence of trauma and guilt and regret -- that some things never really go away. They are never really resolved. They are permanent and they shape us.  The hearing forced, perhaps, many to deal with their own history. To review their own mistakes and the ruin they delivered on others, while reminding the victims of the still rawness of the pain.  The sculpture, above, by Sol LeWitt tells of these many sides. It's located in the National Gallery Sculpture Garden, very close to the U.S. Capitol hearing room.  The Four-Sided Pyramid changes with the seasons, the time of day, and the angle of view. People see what they want in it. In the summer, when this area is gree...

Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe

We need something like this in DC 

Map shows planned security checkpoints at the National Zoo. The Smithsonian intends to put security checkpoints around the National Zoo, similar to what is now in place at its various museums. The plan is drawing complaints from people who see it as a major change in the zoo's integration with the neighborhood. Many local residents walk through the zoo, which is fully integrated with the Woodley and Cleveland Park and Adams Morgan neighborhoods. This easy access will be missed and has been one of the charms of the park. This plan won't impact the Adams Mill entrance, it appears. The zoo is largely a place for families and we can't pretend the world isn't changing.

I was in Chicago recently and was staying in Rosemont, one stop south of O'Hare and traveling into the Loop for a conference. (Downtown hotels either booked or too expensive). Actually, enjoyed this. It turned out to be a good decision. Hotels were half the price in Rosemont, and it gave me a chance to ride the Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line into the city. I did that for several days and felt like a local resident. There's not a lot of difference in the experience from using Metro. I bought the CTA's reloadable "Ventra" card, which expires "11/37" or roughly 20 years from now. Easy to use system. NY-style turnstiles. You pay one fare, $2.50, for the trip. You can buy a paper pass or spend $5 on the Ventra card. Rosemont had a Dunkin Donuts both inside the turnstiles and outside. You could order at the outside Dunkin Donuts and pick up your coffee and donut inside. They don't allow food consumption on the train, but I don't know if that...

Dupont Circle, looking North. Photo, April, 2014.  The District is planning to build a deck over Connecticut Avenue at Dupont Circle. It will be between Dupont Circle and Q Street. This will improve the area, but it may be disruptive to riders of the 42 bus. What's missing is the exact plan. The District may create what's called "An Oasis" or "Promenade." This will keep the service lanes and some level of vehicle access. It may leave the 42 route unchanged. There is a petition drive in the District championed by Greater Greater Washington to eliminate the service lanes and use the deck-over to create a pedestrian-only space. If this proposal wins -- dubbed a piazza -- it will mean relocating 42 bus stops. GGW acknowledges that "closing the service lanes entirely would require changes such as rerouting the 42 bus to surrounding streets or using the underpass rather than going through Dupont Circle." The piazza concept is championed a...

A few years ago, before the most recent events, this school bus was on the back of a flat-bed tow truck. It was parked at Gallery Place near the McDonalds. There was no sign explaining it. The bus appeared as if it had been hit multiple times by gunfire. I assumed it was art destined for some show. I took a photo. A 2013 story in the Washington Post explained it. . The story: " Bullet-riddle school bus debuts in D.C. as a rolling art exhibit ." After the recent events in Texas, and before that Parkland, this art exhibit almost seems as telling as it is chilling. These shootings, as most have observed, are now routine. The children expect them. They also expect nothing from our elected leaders in response. Change is coming.