Welcome to the my Web site, v. XII. The blog is typically published Monday - Saturday. My primary topics tend to be the Nats, Penn State (esp. football), BeltwayLand, transportation, media, photos and more. The rest of the site gets updated as warranted and is noted on the blog.
Alexandria snow photos from this past weekend - William World News
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Alexandria snow photos from this past weekend
ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The first snow of the season is always an exciting one. I took some photographs from around my complex. I've even got our still growing green tomatoes covered in snow. Sadly, our red one didn't really get any snow on it. I almost posted about it last week, but just got too busy.
Philadelphia's thumb drive skyscraper - William World News
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Philadelphia's thumb drive skyscraper
PHILADELPHIA -- Back in 2007, I shared my disappointment with the Comcast Center, a new skyscraper in the city of brotherly love. At 976 feet, it raised the roof, so to speak, on the Philly skyline. Prior to the Comcast Center's construction, the skyline was nearly symmetrical and featured 1 Liberty Place, an elegant modern building with a climatic spire, as its centerpiece.
I am still not too fond of the Comcast Center, it sticks out like a sore thumb or actually, like a USB thumb drive. However, from the south end of 30th Street station it actually fits in pretty well.
# posted by Fritz :
Friday, August 07, 2009 9:58:00 PM
But the Beltway is actually running east-west there and is part of I-495. Where are the control cities?
# posted by WFY :
Saturday, August 08, 2009 9:24:00 AM
Post a CommentThe Wilson Bridge trail is wonderful - William World News
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
The Wilson Bridge trail is wonderful
LOOKING WEST -- Foreground: Pedestrian signal for the drawspan. Background: Overlook and Wilson Bridge Trail
OVER THE POTOMAC RIVER -- Last Saturday, the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge trail opened and on Monday, I bicycled on it for the first time. I thoroughly enjoyed my it, the trail is a triumph for several reasons.
The trail, located on the northern bridge span (which actually carries I-95/495 SOUTH/WEST also known as the Capital Beltway's Outer Loop), is a comfortable 12 feet wide and enclosed by attractive fences on either side. The height of the fence on the river side is such that I can still see out, but not feel like it is too low. On the highway side, the fence is slightly lower, but reasonable. The grade of the trail, while steeper than the highway portion of the bridge on the Virginia approach, is barely noticeable. The pavement, concrete, is perfect, but that is too be expected.
By itself, the trail is great, but the inclusion of information signs about local history and ecology and landscaping on each shore make it more than a non-motorized transportation corridor -- it is a linear park. There are also three overlooks on the span that provide more information signs, some mounted binoculars/telescopes and benches and northern views of Alexandria and Washington D.C. The magnification on some of the telescopes are stunning, so much so that I if I lived along the Alexandria waterfront, I might keep the blinds closed.
On the Virginia side, the trail begins at the Washington Street deck which essentially a large overpass, that the Beltway travels under, with park like features. Additional trails to US 1 and the Mount Vernon Trail are adjacent connect here. Embedded compass-like wayfinders provide riders/walkers with guidance to these points.
On the Maryland side, the trail corkscrews on either side of the overpass spanning Capital Beltway (I-95/495). It looks steeper than it feels and is aesthetically pleasing. The overpass also includes a great deal of information about Prince George's County's early history as well as some ecological information. The trail diverts from the Beltway in direction of a trail to Oxon Hill Road and National Harbor. Upon entering the National Harbor property the pavement ends, something that will hopefully be rectified soon. There are unpaved trails all the way down to the completed National Harbor area that are annoying but were not a deal-breaker for me.
Even though it was a Monday, there were a fair amount of cyclists and pedestrians on the bridge. I chatted with a few, including a Park Police officer, about the project and the consensus was that this was an extremely well done project. There were lots of smiling cyclists on it. The only drawback seemed to be the lack of connections to other trails on the Maryland side, something that will have to be addressed by National Harbor and PG County. However, the biggest and hardest piece of the project is now complete and hopefully the connections will arrive soon. The stakeholders of the project, the Federal Highway Administration, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the State of Maryland, the city of Alexandria and Prince George's County deserve a lot of praise for this latest and perhaps greatest addition to the area's trail network.
The bike trail on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge is actually along the inner loop and not the outer loop. Thus you are looking at the City of Washington and not away from it.
# posted by Anonymous :
Monday, February 08, 2010 12:20:00 PM
Post a CommentA final look at Penn State's elms? - William World News
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
A final look at Penn State's elms?
UNIVERSITY PARK, Penna. -- As reported previously, elm yellows has invaded Penn State's elm population and there is little hope for survival. I wanted to make sure I got a few photographs while I was up there last weekend since I don't know how many other chances I will get before they are all gone.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Happy 2009 to you and yours. We got Will to celebrate a little on New Year's Eve, but an adult sized "Happy New Year" sash with flaky paint on it made for a messy little boy. Thankfully, we were about to bathe him anyway.
Union Station centennial photos - William World News
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Union Station centennial photos
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- This past weekend, Union Station celebrated its first century by displaying old locomotives and trains on the Gate B platform. Locomotives and cars from the Pennsylvania, Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O), Baltimore & Ohio (B&O), Southern and Atlantic Coast Line railroads were featured. Some of the cars allowed visitors too. The locomotive I really wanted to see, a New York Central 20th Century Limited Hudson was not featured because the were all regrettably scrapped.
The lighting, nothing more than work lights that you might use to paint your bathroom, left something to be desired. I used low light and night-time settings to get my shots. As always, the photos are SOOC (straight out of camera). Hopefully, they will find a reason to do this again in the future and have a little better lighting.
A final visit to Yankee Stadium - William World News
Sunday, August 17, 2008
A final visit to Yankee Stadium
THE BRONX -- Erica and I took her parents to their first game at Yankee Stadium. It was my fourth and final visit, the first being 20 years ago. Like that day, the Yankees played the Royals, but this time they won. It took 13 innings and heroics of CF Brett Gardner to win it after an exciting and frustrating day of Yankees baseball. Thankfully, it was a beautiful late summer day and we were sitting in shade, so the nearly five hour long game just flew by.
The Bronx Bombers stranded about ten runners, including leaving the bases loaded at least twice. Were it not for several Kansas City errors, the Yanks might have been shutout. The day also featured the awkward experience of cheering for a pitcher that lacked the character to even play for Peter Angelo$. To his credit, Sidney Ponson pitched a pretty good game.
We were not able to get in the Monument Park line before the game, so I still have not been there :(. I will have to settle for the new Monument Park across the street someday.
I will have several posts about our trip over the next few days.
It looks as if you were only a few sections over from my girlfriend and I. We sat in Tier 14. Great game! My g/f was pretty bored by the end, but she was a trooper.
# posted by A :
Monday, August 18, 2008 11:05:00 AM
My wife and her mother sat in 14 for a while, then moved over to 5 where we were.
# posted by WFY :
Monday, August 18, 2008 11:22:00 AM
Post a CommentFour Mile Run Trail extension update - William World News
Friday, August 15, 2008
Four Mile Run Trail extension update
ARLINGTON, Va. -- The other day I snapped a few shots of the new bikeway that will eliminate the gap in the Four Mile Run Trail. Most of the new trail will be on a viaduct that is built into the existing wall. There is not yet any indication on how it will be connected to the existing Four Mile Run Trail or W&OD Trail, but I'm sure they will work something out, even if it is just signs directing cyclists from the two trails. This will sure beat going over I-395 on the existing pedestrian bridge and having to ride along several Alexandria streets to get to the eastern section of the trail.
It looks to be in pretty good shape now with a completion expected in March 2009.
They were just moments in time, gone and forgotten, except that photographers from the Black Star Agency were there to catch them on film, and now they're on display in an exhibit of 330 photographs at the Canadian Embassy.
Founded in New York in 1935, Black Star was one of the great photography agencies of the golden age of photojournalism, supplying many of the classic black-and-white images seen by millions of people in Life, Look, the Saturday Evening Post and other magazines now long gone. Some anonymous philanthropist bought Black Star's collection of 291,049 photos and donated them to Canada's Ryerson University, which lent this tasty sampling to the embassy, where they will be displayed until Aug. 29.
Nature's first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf's a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay.
- Robert Frost
I went outside for a little bit yesterday to try and capture some spring green.
I have now seen a win and a loss at Nationals Park - William World News
Sunday, April 13, 2008
I have now seen a win and a loss at Nationals Park
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- My dad treated several of us to the Nats vs. Braves game. It was his first visit to Nationals Park. Though the game was delayed for an hour by a rain delay we still had a good time. The poor performance of the home nine in all areas of the game did not diminish our good time either, nor did the precocious kid from Richmond who was rooting for the Braves -- I gave as good as I got. My father said, "I need to go to more ballgames with you."
A few other things:
I still haven't heard "Bustin' Loose" at Nationals Park yet. :(
Sweet Caroline was not played!
"Heart" would have been quite appropriate.
I had two half-smokes, all the way. SOOOOOOOO good. The lines still need more efficiency though.
Once again, Metro worked well.
John Lannan had a rough outing, but he also had some defensive mistakes behind him.
Jason Bergmann failed to cover home plate -- my dad wondered if Bergmann knew he had to field too. The young thrower was sent down to Columbus for re-education.
Pitching coach Randy St. Claire has his hands full.
The clock was way off.
Replays are on the HD screen now.
Can't anybody play this here game?!
I love the new ballpark and in about two years, when the neighborhood grows around it, I think more people will too.
I was happy to see replays on the scoreboard, but... they never show replays on anything useful. Their effort to avoid "controversy" makes the whole o9peration useless. We want to see the close plays! (And the errors, like yesterday's fielding attempt by Kearns.) Sometimes I feel like that replay system is run by Communist China.
# posted by dl004d :
Sunday, April 13, 2008 2:03:00 PM
Or the Big11Ten.
# posted by WFY :
Sunday, April 13, 2008 5:23:00 PM
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Since I am a "special friend" of the Newseum, I was able to get free preview tickets to the new museum. Erica, Fritz, dl004d (another media stuides major -- I'm not alone!) and Grand Marnier came along as well. Back when the Newseum was in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, Va., I went to original Newseum, which closed in late 2001/early 2002, several times over the years. In fact, when I worked in Rosslyn I parked in a garage at the old Newseum.
The beginning starts of our visit was a little awkward.. Newseum guides recommended we start on the lower level, past the Berlin Wall and into the "holding center" to wait for the next showing of the 4D movie. Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as it sounds. Several panels of the wall and a death tower are on display. The wall is not much more than a giant Jersey barrier with graffiti on one side, the barbed wire is all missing.
After moving on into the holding center, 4D glasses (stylish!) are given out and a video about "getting it right" is played. The 4D movie about the power of the media in America is quite good, both for the technology and the message. It is also unintentionally funny in the beginning.
From there, we took the elevator to the sixth floor. They have an outdoor observation area that details the history of Pennsylvania Ave. and provides excellent views. The view of the Capitol building would be absolutely perfect, but for the fact there are maple leaf flags all over the adjacent building, an embassy, across the corner. It is a harsh reminder of Canadian domination on American life. The sixth floor also includes digital versions of today's newspapers.
Moving down to the fifth floor we checked out the history gallery. Newspapers in clear display drawers are heavily featured as well as other artifacts from news gathering. This area is significantly bigger than the previous Newseum -- you could spend all day right there. One disappointment though - the FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD Daily News was not featured. How can you skip that if you are having a gallery of famous newspaper fronts? I skipped the books gallery - next time I'll check it out. I recall there being an exhibit about Edward R. Murrow on that floor as well.
The fourth floor features a 9/11 exhibit with a TV antenna from the World Trade Center, a time line of events and newspaper front pages. Photography is prohibited, which was fine with me. Having felt my office building shake when the Pentagon was attacked, I don't need to have reminders of that day. Also on the fourth floor was an exhibit on the First Amendment, which was quite interesting. We were reminded that burping is not covered by the First Amendment.
The third floor featured the Journalists Memorial and (if I recall correctly) the bombed out remains of Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles Datsun. He was killed in the 1970s while investigating mafia. World news is also explored on this floor. I found the color-coded Press Freedom map of most interest.
Since being "On TV" was not of any interest to me, the third floor was skipped. You can do a newscast there with assorted backdrops. It did not seem very well organized.
The second floor is the Hall of News with a large screen featuring still photographs of major news events and a ticker that uses mixed-case letters instead of all capitals, which pleased dl004d. A satellite and news helicopter hang at this level.
Interactivity is a big part of the Newseum experience. There are touchscreen monitors all over the place. There is a downside to this though, the touch screens provide many opportunities to see bad news like the Challenger explosion or several different assassinations. It gets to be a bit much.
Despite spending over four hours in the Newseum, we really just skimmed it. It would probably take several days to see everything there. Also, we stopped by "The Food Section" a cafeteria with Wolfgang Puck food. The prices were high, but the quality was fairly good. On that level there is the first satellite news truck as well as a small exhibit on comics.
Overall, all were quite pleased with the new Newseum. I am sure I will go back sometime, but at $20 admission, it will probably be a while. Even at that price though, the Newseum is a good value if you can devote a day to spending in it.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Yesterday, instead of blogging at dawn, I was down around the Tidal Basin taking photographs. I had never gotten up to see the Cherry Blossoms that early and I was glad that I did, despite the chill.
Later in the day, I went the Newseum for an early-bird preview. I'll have more to say about that in the middle of the week.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- As much as I like winter ( even though it wasn't much of a winter), I'm ready for spring. Seeing Erica's inaugural crocuses come up is certainly a welcome sight.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On the final full day of its tenure at Hains Point, East Potomac Park, I visited The Awakening, a famous sculpture by J. Seward Johnson. After over 27 years in this location, the sculpture is being moved to the National Harbor development in Prince George's County, Md.
Hains Point won't be the same without The Awakening. I visited or pedaled by it many times. It will be very odd, if not unsettling, to see that part of Hains Point empty the next time I bike through there. At least it isn't going far, though I wonder if we'll have to pay to park at National Harbor to see it when it is installed there.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- On Sunday, I was going to take photographs of my dirty car when I noticed a hawk several yards in front of me attacking a squirrel. The two went at it for about three minutes before the hawk pinned the squirrel down and suffocated it.
My brother, who arrived in the parking lot not long after I did, thinks it was a red tail hawk, a.k.a. chicken hawk.
The hawk wound up dragging the squirrel around for a while. I got bored and went out to complete the original task. Later, when I was in the parking lot again, the squirrel was in the grass, but the hawk had left.
That was easily the closest I had ever gotten to a big raptor. It isn't the only wild life around our complex either -- we've seen a doe and her fawn several times between Van Dorn Street and I-395.
...has lots of models and costumes from the entire saga. The "science" of Star Wars galaxy is explained and compared with contemporary science from this galaxy. In some ways, we are not far off from things in the Star Wars universe, but sadly lightsaber technology remains elusive. Also, the Millennium Falcon is worth doing too. Sadly, we were not allowed to take any photos inside the Falcon.
The Inkypreview is critical of the "science" part of the exhibit which is a reasonable assessment, but not many people are there for the science anyway.
Both Erica and I really enjoyed the exhibit, more so than the one the Smithsonian had in the late 1990s. Since Philly is less than three hours up I-95 from D.C. so you can make a day-trip out of the visit. If you want to make a weekend out of it gophila.com has a package.
I recommend buying tickets in advance though to avoid the lines, particularly for the Falcon simulator which is a separate admission.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- I wonder if the Nationals would have still have gone with the curly W cap insignia. Walgreen's had a presence here then. It has been pointed out several times that the W's look very similar. Comparing them side by side, they don't look that much alike though, do they?
By the way, I love the curly W and hope it is always the Nats primary cap logo.
Jamey Turner and his glass harp - William World News
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Jamey Turner and his glass harp
ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- For as long as I have been going to Old Town, Jamey Turner has been setting up his glass harp and performing. Somewhere there is a photo of my brother and I "helping" him when we were kids. I think the NE corner of The Strand & King Street is his usual location.
The music he makes is beautiful; I am glad he makes the more world a more wonderful place.
I believe I saw him performing once with you and Senior Fritz. When you asked him if he knew any fight songs, didn't he play "Hail to the Victor?" Or maybe it was the ND fight song.....Either way, maybe you can teach him Fight on State?
# posted by TMBC :
Tuesday, February 05, 2008 1:17:00 PM
I love this guy. He's one of the best things about an afternoon in Old Town Alexandria on a summer day.
# posted by kristen23 :
Tuesday, February 05, 2008 1:18:00 PM
Post a CommentLibrary of Congress discovers flickr - William World News
Monday, January 21, 2008
Library of Congress discovers flickr
The Library of Congress has opened up a flickraccount and has already uploaded 3,100 photos. Good move LOC.
Nearly three weeks after the fact, over 600 photographs and a couple dozen blog posts later, I'm going to "say goodbye" to the city by the bay. We had a great trip out there and thank David for hosting us.
Muir Woods and the Bohemian Grove - William World News
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Muir Woods and the Bohemian Grove
MILL VALLEY, Calif. -- On day 3 of our San Francisco trip, David drove us out to Muir Woods National Monument. We went for a short hike through the redwoods and comprehended their enormous size. They are big and the woods were dark and damp. I think going there on a sunny day would be a waste of good weather, because I don't think much sunlight can penetrate those tree canopies.
We also joked around with each other and got asked by two separate people if we were going to game, meaning the women's volleyball national championship featuring Penn State. We weren't and even turned down a ticket. Yes, I was wearing my Penn State hockey jersey.
Of interest to me was the plaque about the Bohemian Grove. I wasn't surprised to learn that it started there and even less surprised that it was moved to private land elsewhere. In case you are not familiar with the Bohemian Grove, it is a gathering of some of the most powerful men in the country. They get together to drink, dress in drag and perform creepy ancient rituals. In essence, the Bohemian Grove is the world's most powerful sausage party.
These are the types of things one learns in political economy courses.
SAN FRANCISCO -- We stopped by Coit Tower, which may or may not be the world's largest concrete fire hose nozzle, on our second day of the trip. We took a cab, driven by an American oddly enough, up Telegraph Hill and took in the excellent views. After we had enough of the parking lot, we went into the tower, looked at the frescoes with a strong labor theme and paid our admission for the elevator ride to the top. Once there we took in the even better views and took a lot of photographs.
SAN FRANCISCO -- In all but about two cities, a bridge like the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge would be the signature crossing. The towers have an attractive design with x-shaped trusses. The cables are lit up at night too. Even more impressive is that the Bay Bridge is really two consecutive suspension bridges end-to-end with a brief tunnel through an island followed by another bridge on the opposite side. As spectacular as that all is it can only be considered the second best bridge in San Francisco.
David drove us to Yerba Buena Island/Treasure Island on our way out of town for some views of the San Francisco skyline (and blurry photos, sadly), so we were on the western portion of the bridge. Aside from the death defying on-and-off ramps, we enjoyed the ride.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Over the years I've seen images of the television tower atop Mt. Sutro and always liked it. However, from all of those images from TV and movies and probably Flight Simulator 4, I thought the tower was monochromatic, perhaps even the same color as the Golden Gate Bridge. While I was disappointed to learn that it wasn't Golden Gate red, I still enjoy the stately presence of this unique, three-sided antenna(s).
There is a great write-up about the tower on the aptly named Web site, Mount Sutro.
Sutro Tower is a 297.8 meter (977 foot) self-supporting steel structure designed to withstand seismic activity—there is a huge foundation with about 6.8 million kilograms (15 million pounds) of concrete in the ground and the tower weighs about 1.7 million kilograms (3.7 million pounds); the actual center of gravity is below ground—which is shared by at least ten television stations and four FM radio stations.
Breaking ground in 1971 and completed in 1972, Sutro Tower began transmitting on 04 July 1973 to the residents of the bay area. Sutro Tower’s base is 254.2 meters (834 feet) above sea level and the total height of the tower above sea level is 552 meters (1811 feet). Sutro Tower is powered by two separate 12.5 kilovolt, high voltage lines from Pacific Gas and Electric.
Golden Gate Bridge: An incredible American achievement - William World News
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Golden Gate Bridge: An incredible American achievement
SAN FRANCISCO -- I really don't think I can say much about the Golden Gate Bridge that hasn't already been said. I just wish I had been closer on Thursday when we had a great sunset.
SAN FRANCISCO -- On the final day of the trip, we jumped on the MUNI and headed in the direction of Golden Gate Park which is actually several miles south of the Golden Gate. After a short walk through the park, we entered the Conservatory of Flowers which was he first of its kind when it opened in 1879. We enjoyed our time there, spending about an hour. Adult admission was $5 each.
We then headed in the direction of the Japanese Tea Garden. Along the way we saw this statue of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza (he's on Quixote's left) looking up at Miguel Cervantes.
When we arrived at the Tea Garden, the sun had come out. We wandered around for about an hour taking many photographs of the garden. I'm partial to Japanese gardens and this one was quite beautiful. We also sat down and had tea which came to $8.67 for the two of us. Admission to the Tea Garden was $4 each.
I learned from the Web site that the fortune cookie was invented by Makoto Hagiwara, one of the original landscape designers of the Tea Garden.
SAN FRANCISCO -- For several years now, I have been intrigued by the liquor absinthe. The "green fairy" got a bad rap about a century ago that it is now only overcoming. Absinthe has been only been legal in a few states including New Jersey, New York and California in recent years, though dl004d recently said "the four government-approved absinthe blends will be legal in all states starting Dec. 21." That's great, but I wasn't about to wait another few days that I did not have to -- I read in the article, "Absinthe flows again, more stylish than ever," in USA Today that San Francisco's own Absinthe Brasserie & Bar would be selling the real thing before Dec. 21.
David and I sampled Lucid after our meal. We both elected to have with a a sugar cube and cold water, rather than any elaborate cocktail. We carefully poured the water over the cube before sampling it. I found the taste surprising, it was much subtler than I expected. The hints of licorice were just that; I was pleased. It was tasty and kind of fun, but at $13 a pop, I would not be terribly inclined to do it too often. Also, in case you were wondering, I didn't see music or hear colors.
For dinner, I ordered Grilled Estancia NY Strip steak, fries, mustard glaze, pistou butter. I wasn't crazy about the pistou butter, but the steak was excellent. Erica enjoyed Braised beef cheeks, smashed potatoes, baby turnips, baby carrots, English peas. Dave said the pork confit, braised red cabbage, Serrano ham, crispy mustard spätzle hit the spot. I recommend dining there, even if you are not interested in absinthe.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Our final day in San Francisco was quite busy with a trip to Golden Gate Park, Ocean Beach, Seal Rock, the Golden Gate Bridge, Yerba Buena Island and a few other places.
California has worn me quite thin - William World News
California has worn me quite thin
We are back after a whirlwind 3½ days in San Francisco. We had a great trip and thank our friend David for hosting us and showing us around.
Photographs from the final day of the trip are currently being uploaded to flickr. I'll have the set/slideshow up shortly. I have a lot to share about the trip too.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Day three was action packed! I started off the day by running around the Mission taking photos of Mission Dolores and Mt. Sutro. After brunch at a nearby diner, we were treated to a tour of Muir Woods and the Golden Gate Bridge by our host, David. We finished the evening off at Absinthe Brassarie and Bar. [flickr set: San Francisco -- Day 3 or slideshow]
SAN FRANCISCO -- We were out and about on day two of our trip, visiting Coit Tower, the sea lions at Pier 39, Chinatown and City Lights. [flickr set: San Francisco -- Day 2 or slideshow]
Over the last few weeks, Erica and I saw a couple of exhibits at D.C. museums.
Edward Hopper - National Gallery of Art. Other than Nighthawks, I was familiar with Hopper's work. Three recurring themes come to mind when thinking back on the exhibition; "empty" New York, New England in sun and shadow and isolated people, particularly women in their bedrooms looking out the window. I enjoyed his paintings.
Be advised that on weekends, the exhibit is quite crowded; expect to wait in line. We skipped the movie narrated by Steve Martin. The exhibit runs until January 21, 2008. Despite Jim Moran's efforts to charge admission to the Smithsonian, the exhibit is free.
Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990-2005 -- Corcoran Gallery of Art Leibovitz takes excellent portraits of famous people. Sometimes they even have their clothes on. I think I was most impressed by her Saravejo photographs though. There are also a few landscape photographs which segue into...
Ansel Adams -- Corcoran Gallery of Art Adams probably did more for the cause of National Parks than anyone since Theodore Roosevelt. His Yosemite photos are stunning in sharp, black and white. However, my favorite photo was of a New Mexican town as the moon climbed into the sky.
The Adams exhibit runs until January 27, 2008. The Leibovitz exhibit goes until January 13, 2008. Admission for both exhibits is $14. We took advantage of the later closing time (9 p.m.) on Thursdays and avoided the crowds.
I enjoyed Hopper too. But you didn't go see the Snapshots exhibit in the West building?! That was a great one.
# posted by DCSportsChick :
Wednesday, December 12, 2007 1:57:00 PM
We'll have to make sure we see that exhibit before the end of the year when it closes.
# posted by WFY :
Wednesday, December 12, 2007 2:04:00 PM
Post a CommentFour Mile Run Trail groundbreaking - William World News
Monday, October 22, 2007
Four Mile Run Trail groundbreaking
ARLINGTON, Va. -- On Saturday morning, I rode my bicycle over to the Four Mile Run Trail groundbreaking ceremony for the missing link in the trail. Some details from the Arlington County press release:
The planned route will eliminate nearly a mile of on-street riding and difficult road crossings, offering a safer, more direct path along Four Mile Run for walkers, runners and cyclists.
"The new Four Mile Run trail connection will offer bike commuters a quicker, safer route. It provides those riding for recreation with more trail options. Bicycle commuting takes cars off the road, which reduces harmful greenhouse gas emissions," said Arlington County Board Chairman Paul Ferguson. "It is also a great way to get exercise."
Several public officials spoke, including Alexandria mayor William D. Euille and Jim Moran, U.S. Representative for the eighth district. BikeArlington, Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority and the League of American Bicyclists also had representatives in attendance. The League of American Bicyclists presented Arlington County with a Silver Level Bicycle Friendly Community award. Handouts with press releases, maps as well as Hershey kisses and bike bells were provided.
I am really looking forward to Four Mile Run Trail being made contiguous (Moran's second favorite word; he said earmark more, though this was funded by the county, not the feds) to the Washington & Old Dominion Trail. Unfortunately, the trail isn't scheduled to open until 2009. [flickr set: Four Mile Run Trail extension groundbreaking]
HAMILTON, N.J. -- Several years ago, an aunt told us about Grounds for Sculpture, a large sculpture garden on the site of the New Jersey State Fairgrounds near Trenton that J. Seward Johnson (who sculpted The Awakening) developed. We had hoped to go there last spring, but buying a house took precedence. Since we knew we would be in Jersey this month, we made plans to finally visit it. [flickr set: Grounds for Sculpture]
Both Erica and I were pleased with the experience. The grounds have over 200 sculptures representing several different media and styles. Of note are several of Johnson's Beyond the Frame series of sculptures interpreted from famous paintings, notably Manet's Luncheon on the Grass (Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe). Other sculptures are less literal and more abstract. There are also peacocks walking around.
I wish we had more time to spend there then we did as the visit could take most of the day, particularly if eating at either of the restaurants on the premises. We didn't do that this time, but we are inclined to go back another time. When we do, I'm also going to make sure that I have enough memory for my camera because I got very low.
Getting to the Grounds is pretty easy and about three hours from Washington. Take I-95 north to I-295 north in Delaware. Follow I-295 north about 70 miles to exit 65B, Sloan Ave. Follow the signs for Grounds for Sculpture or better yet, follow the sculptures along the side of the roads, a nice touch. Admission is $10 for adults.
I doubt anybody calls it Motown - William World News
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
I doubt anybody calls it Motown
MORRISTOWN, N.J. -- On the second day of our Jersey trip, Erica and I left from our hotel in Edison at the southern end of I-287 and proceeded north (and west, then northeast, not in the at order) to my original hometown, Morristown. It had been several years since I had driven through there and since I hadn't turned 2 when we left, I had no memories of it. [flickr set: Morristown, my original hometown]
Like many Jersey towns, a square of green is at the center of Morristown. This one was established nearly 300 years ago. It is a lovely park like setting with mature trees, grass, benches, a fountain and statues of George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Marquis de Lafayette. Morristown and the surrounding area were important locations during the Revolutionary War. Perhaps we'll return sometime and check out Washington's Headquarters and Jockey Hollow. A trip to Speedwell would probably be worthwhile too.
Back to the green -- in addition to being a pleasant park, the streets that line it are full of churches, stores and other buildings, many having been there prior to World War II. Essentially, the downtown core is strong and charming. It is no wonder that one side of the green has luxury condos going up. I wouldn't be surprised if they were controversial, but I believe they will be popular. The NJ Transit train station is only a few blocks away from the green, making modern Morristown a new urbanist's dream of SmartGrowth.
While we were in Morristown, we also took a drive into Morris Twp. to see the first house I lived in. It looked good. The drive up Mt. Kemble was fun too, though I cannot imagine it in the snow and ice.
I forgot to swing by the hospital I was born at for a photo though. Next time!
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Three seasons of Nationals baseball at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium came to an end yesterday in an exciting 5-3 victory before a lively season high crowd of over 40,000. The pagentry was high, but so was the excitement on the field. Austin Kearns knocked in the first Nats run in the first inning. Starter Joel Hanrahan made it to the fifth before giving up the tying run. Six more Nationals pitchers appeared in the game with Luis Ayala getting the final win in stadium history.
The Nats lineup took back the lead in the fifth with D'Angelo Jimenez reaching third on a double and an error. Kearns knocked Jimenez in to tie the game. After Antonio Alfonseca, who leads the league in fingers, walked Tony Batista, Geoff Geary came in to face C Jesus Flores, plucking him on the arm to force in a run. Ryan Church killed the rally with a 6-4-3 double play.
In the eighth, the Nats added two runs on RBI by Robert Fick and Brian Schneider who pinch hit. Ryan Zimmerman scored on Fick's single, having singled himself in his final RFK at bat. The runs provided a cushion for Chad Cordero's ninth inning. As is tradition, Cordero allowed several baserunners and a run, but closed the deal to save the win, his 36th this season and 61st at RFK, for one last BANG ZOOM and curly w at 2400 East Capital Street.
Teddy made an appearance in today's Reliable Source (The Post). He went to the wrong ballpark for the President's Race. So much for the "Teddy winning at the last game" theory.
This afternoon, my father Bill treated Erica and me to see his alma mater play in the nation's capital for the first time ever. Yale defeated Georgetown to go 1-0 on the season. The Hoyas fell to 0-3. Recap from yalebulldogs.com | Flickr set
Yale started off well with two touchdown drives in the first quarter with the wind at their back. The offense was led by Mike McLeod, a running back who compensates for a lack of speed with excellent vision. He found holes and made the right cut with incredible accuracy. He would score all four Bulldogs touchdowns and finish with 157 yards.
Georgetown scored in the second quarter with the wind behind them and were driving for a score at the end of the half. Georgetown had the ball inside the five with under ten seconds to go. Offsetting penalties brough the clock down to six. On the next play, Georgetown threw an incompletion and the officials sounded the final gun. The Hoyas head coach was furious that the clock had not stopped sooner and the half was over. Judging by the scoreboard clock, I think the Hoyas had good reason to be upset.
The second half opened with Yale threatening, but not scoring. Georgetown again drove deep into Yale territory, but turned the ball over on downs after being stopped inside the 1 yard line.
Yale went up 21-7 before yielding another Georgetown touchdown. Mcleod would score for the fourth and final time to put Yale up for good at 28-14, but Georgetown stormed back with less than 2 minutes to play. An interception deep into Yale territory put the game away.
We had a good time seeing the Elis play the Hoyas. It was the second time I had been on the campus to see a sporting event; the first being the Lady Lions triumph in December 2006...Multi-Sport Field is a half finished venue with bigger bleachers on the visiting side than the home side...Yale had more fans in to the crowd than Georgetown...We sat near the family of WR Chris Denny-Brian and the Abare twins, Larry and Bobby...Sophomore TE John Sheffield was dominant with 8 catches for 115 yards...Hoya QB Matt Bassuener is probably as blue as his Georgetown jersey after all the hits he took yesterday...yesterday's game occurred exactly six years after a Yale at Towson game we had tickets to was cancelled due to the 9/11 attacks...Yale won for the first time in front of me since 1993. The last time I saw them play, in 2001, they lost The Game...Yale's overall record in games I have been at rises to 2-4. They Elis lost to William & Mary (in Norfolk's Oyster Bowl) in 1983, lost to Navy in Annapolis in the mid 80s, lost to Harvard for the Ivy League title at The Bowl in 1987 (so cold), beat Harvard in 1993 at the Bowl, lost to Harvard 2001 at The Bowl...Yale begins its Ivy League title defense next weekend against Cornell at The Bowl.
"The white seats are for the balls I hit up there. The yellow ones are for all the times I struck out." - William World News
Monday, August 06, 2007
"The white seats are for the balls I hit up there. The yellow ones are for all the times I struck out."
On Saturday, Erica and I went to the Frank Howard Maker's Mark appearance at Pearson's in Glover Park [Flickr Photoset]. We had a great time listening to Hondo's stories about his playing days, taking some photographs and getting a few things signed. Some recollections:
Howard was extremely fond of Ted Williams. When Williams came to D.C. to manage the Senators he convinced Howard to take a strike and despite some skepticsm, it worked incredibly well. Howard's walks increased by nearly doubled in 1969 and were up even more in 1970.
Playing winter ball in latin America "was like going to college again" because he got to experience another culture, eat different food and learn another language. He also indicated how much he respected Latin American ballplayers.
Howard hit into a triple play in his final MLB at-bat -- a sign his time was up.
Somebody had Howard sign a photo of one of the white seats which I thought was brilliant.
I wish I had brought some of the Yankees yearbooks I have from the late sixties when he was a "Visiting Star" as well as the early 1990s when he was a coach with the Bronx Bombers.
The Maker's rep told us about a cocktail made with Diet Peach Snapple, Maker's and one other ingrediant. We can't remember what it is though.
Washington is a good town for whiskey sales.
Kentucky is no longer the top state for Maker's sales.
I thought it was great that the Marker's bottles were being dipped in blue wax at the store and picked one up. I wish they had smaller bottles available so I could keep one as a souviner. I'm not going to buy 1.5 L and not open it...
We ran into MissChatter, who shot video of the event.
Screech's Best Friend from Nats320 also introduced himself. He was sporting a vintage Howard "9" jersey.
I wound up with a signed ROY photo, a signed Jim Beam ball and a signed bottle of Maker's.
Thanks to Joe at Nationals Powerfor making this event known to the Natmosphere. Also, an even bigger thanks to Erica for enthusiastically delaying previous plans so we could attend this event.
The Kwik-E-Mart is real... D'oh! - William World News
Monday, July 16, 2007
The Kwik-E-Mart is real... D'oh!
BLADENSBURG, Md. -- ON Saturday, I made my maiden voyage to the town of Bladensburg, Md. to shop at "Kwik-E-Mart" (Flickr stream). Fritz (nee MC Hamme) came along with me. In anticiption of the The Simpsons Movie in a few weeks, Fox and 7-Eleven join forces to re-branded 11 locations nationwide to look like Springfield's leading convenience store.
I bought a six pack of Buzz cola, 2 boxes of Krusty O's (one is a wedding present for my brother, I wasn't going to stiff him), a blue (vanilla) Squishee and a pink donut. The total came to over $15. I don't think anything was marked up.
The parking lot and store were full of losers people with cameras. They are probably making a fortune from this promotion.
Prior to Saturday, I had probably consumed no more than two Slurpees ever and the last one would have been during Reagan's presidency -- probably his first term. After having about half of my blue Squishee, I remembered why.
Sprinkles are overrated on donuts.
I haven't tried a Buzz cola yet -- I may do it today. I'll let you know how it tastes.
There wasn't any Duff for sale or Col. Kwik-E-Mart's Real Kentucky Bourbon proving Marc Fisher is right about Maryland being a nanny state.
I missed Jasper in the freezer.
I have no idea why Bladensburg was chosen as the D.C. area location instead of someplace in the District, NoVa, or Montgomery County. At least we got one though, unlike other deserving metropolises like Boston and Philadelphia. I guess this makes up for not getting Moonites in the District.
The specific location is 4199 Kenilworth Avenue (the right side of MD 201 NORTH) not far north of Annapolis Road (MD 450)
Even a corporation owned by someone as repugnant as Rupert Murdoch can do something right occasionally.
There were five guys with custom Honda's parked side by side who asked Fritz to take their photograph. I don't get the whole customizing car thing, but it seemed to make them happy.
Note: Most of the photos in the Flickr stream are actually in focus.
Caps jersey/draft party notes, photos - William World News
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Caps jersey/draft party notes, photos
ARLINGTON, Va. -- Yesterday evening I went to the Washington Capitals Draft Day Party and uniform unveiling at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Ballston. I had a great time and want to thank DC Sports Chick and 1/2 Asian Man for hooking me up with Red Rink seats so I could see the actual unveiling rather than watch it on a screen. I will post my thoughts on the uniform on Monday.
A few notes:
It was good to see some familiar faces like and lots of red, white and blue.
Lots of bloggers got credentials. One, from a blog not specifically known for Capitals (or sports coverage other than ballpark whining), was apparently acting very odd.
I didn't seek credentials, not really my thing.
Glad to see that Dan Steinberg made it. Go Hillbillies!
The Carolina style pulled pork in the buffet line was really good. Nobody asked me for money for it either.
The TV turnout looked fairly decent.
The Caps didn't make the whole thing too cheesy.
I exceeded the weight limit for the moon bounce :(
The curtain dropped all over the players modeling the new uniform system.
Several people were getting tattoos of the new logo. One guy was getting it on his neck.
Broomball: 15 minutes of domination - William World News
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Broomball: 15 minutes of domination
Last night the Metro Washington D.C. Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association crushed the local Temple West Pitt chapter in broomball. Final score 6-0 Penn State.
We got off to a good start and before long it was raining goals on Pitt. It was our first blowout victory over them in three tries. We now lead the series, 2-1.
My co-worker Fred was kind enough to stick around and take some photos of the game.
For the record, my two game goal streak came to an end, though I did get an assist on the first goal.
Finally, a decent snowstorm (for a while at least) - William World News
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Finally, a decent snowstorm (for a while at least)
The "light snow & sleet, turning to rain" forecasted today has turned out to be a 3½ of snow instead, our highest total of the season. I am not complaining though, if it is going to be cold out, it might as well be snowy. Erica, Fritz and I took advantage of it by building a snowman in Grace Murray Hooper Park, also known as the front yard of our building.
Now that the big thaw in underway, I thought I would mention my lastest flickr set. On Saturday I was out running around with my camera photographing the frozen Potomac.
While I don't doubt there are cold days ahead, the ice on the river probably is not going to last much longer. I'll miss it.
Yesterday, I went skiing the Poconos with my friend Wiley. I'll write about the skiing after I get photos from my disposable camera (I'm not taking a digital one on the slopes) developed.
On the ride up from Wiley's in York, we drove up I-81 past the campus that we both started our college careers, Penn State Hazelton Hazleton, aka "the old school."
The ride was the closest I had been to Hazleton (the homeland of Run Up The Score!) in nearly ten years. My time there was interesting, but ultimately a culture shock for the locals as much as it was for me. The professors were pretty good, but the overall academic climate was lacking and the dominant ideology of the region was bad, a fact I may have pointed out once or twice. Still, I had some pretty good memories and am still friends with people (like Wiley) I met there.
I created a Flickr set of photos of the ride through the region. Enjoy.
So I don't have to worry that photos of brown Lego chairs are eating up all my bandwidth - William World News
Thursday, December 14, 2006
So I don't have to worry that photos of brown Lego chairs are eating up all my bandwidth
This Christmas I asked my family for a one-year membership to Flickr. That would be great because it would mean that I would have unlimited bandwidth to post photos and organize them in sets. Recently, Flickr set up a page where you can "give the gift of Flickr."
# posted by C. Yurasko :
Thursday, December 14, 2006 3:28:00 PM
Its in the DNA
# posted by WFY :
Thursday, December 14, 2006 9:16:00 PM
Post a CommentHomecoming 2006 photos - William World News
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Homecoming 2006 photos
After yesterday's game (as lousy a win as you can get) Erica and tailgated and then walked around campus for a change. We usually miss the opprutunity to get much time on campus and downtown, but since it was a noon kickoff, we were able to do it. I took a number of photos yesterday and put them in my flickr stream. Enjoy!
I have spent a little bit of time over the last day or so updating my photos page. It is blog powered, so it is easy to manage. Most of the new entries are posts with one or two photos, though a couple of galleries (Redskins vs. Steelers from August and Broomball from last month) went up too.
I don't think I want to bother setting up RSS for the photos, but if you want to be in the loop, drop me a line I can set up Blogger to email you when more posts are made.
Also, I have a flickr stream set up. I use this for my non-personal photography -- that is photos of places, things, events, etc. My personal photos will stay on yurasko.net/.com.
On our second attempt, Erica and I were able to see Butterstick! Everybody's favorite panda lived up to his billing, even though he mostly slept on a branch. Mamastick was out too, chowing down on some tasty bamboo. We even saw Papastick, who was pacing around his portion of the habitat. Here are the photos from my flickr account.
Blogger was not letting me log in last night, so I did not get to post the gallery. Now that Blogger is working (Comcast is only so-so), here is the 33 photo gallery of my trip to the Nats first game. This is a popup gallery.
NO NATS TV MAKES WILLIAM SOMETHING SOMETHING
Broadcasts Are a Work In Progress - The Post Tony Tavares expects some some fairly quick announcements. He might be right, but I would expect those announcements to be bad.
snow, mass hysteria, dogsandcatslivingtogether, Alexandria, Virginia
Facebook | 
Del.icio.us | 
Digg | 
Technorati | 
Blinklist | 
Furl | 
Newsvine | 
Reddit it!
