A Memorial for Martin, a Man of Hope and Peace

                                                         Today we joined thousands of other DC area residents and visitors to get a first public glimpse of the new Martin Luther King Jr Memorial, which will be officially dedicated by President Barack Obama and a host of other dignitaries this Sunday, a date which marks the 48th anniversary of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech delivered as part of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Initially, this first-day unveiling was only to be for DC residents, but that plan was scrapped when it became apparent that the limited-viewing would be impossible to enforce.

The image of Dr. King emerges from the Stone of Hope, which is 28' 6''high and stand forward of, and is detached from the Mountain of Despair, a massive gateway which represents the struggle faced in the pursuit of social justice and equality.  The series of quotations  chosen for the inscription walls which frame the Stone of Hope and the Mountain of Despair stress 4 of the primary messages espoused by Dr.King: democracy, justice, hope, and love.

Travelers' Tip:
If you visit the memorial, make sure to read each of the quotations from Dr. King.  They provide a powerful prompt to reflect on how far we have come as a nation and how far we have yet to go.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Jayson Werth: Booed by Phils and Nats fans alike

In 1962, my Dad took me to the old Connie Mack stadium to see my first Phillies game. Two years later, we went to the then-new Shea Stadium to see the then-new New York Mets play.  In the intervening decades since, I have been to Veterans Stadium, Citizen Bank Park, and about a dozen major league ballparks in cities other than Philadelphia, but I had never witnessed what we saw today until we made our first visit to the Washington Nationals ballpark - there the Phils fans not only outshouted and outrooted their Washington counterparts, they literally outnumbered them.

Now with the Phillies solidly in 1st place and Philadelphia only a couple of hours from DC, it wasn't surprising that Phils fans would come to the 3-game series, but the total number, which formed large seas of red around the stadium, was astounding.

Now for the game itself. The Phils sent their ace Roy Halladay to the mound. On the opposite side of the field, there was outfielder Jayson Werth, who assured his place in Phils fans' infamy when he left this year and signed with the Nationals. There were 4 home runs, 2 by the Phillies and 2 by the Nats.  There was an hour-and-a-half rain delay which forced Halladay from the mound. There was a dramatic go-ahead run for the Phils in the 8th inning and an even more dramatic game-tying home run in the 9th for the Nats which came with 2 outs and a 1 ball, 2-strike count on the hitter. And finally, there was a final (and not so wonderful) 1st for me as I joined the stunned Phils fans as  reliever Brad Lidge  allowed the winning run to score by hitting a batter with a pitch with the bases loaded.

Travelers' Tip:
There is a Metro stop right near the ballpark, but on this day of firsts, we decided to go on a limo bus trip sponsored by The Crystal City Sports Pub, a 3-story club that is a 2 blocks from our apartment, has more than 100 TVs for game day viewing, and has been listed by Sports Illustrated as one of the top 25 top sports bars in the country.  The bus dropped us off right by Home Plate Gate and picked us up at the same place. No fuss, no muss, no bother.  And, oh yeah, Phils fans outnumbered Nats fans on the bus, too.

Our Neighbor to the South in Pictures

It's the end of the world as they know it

It was a double-dose of Mexican art today, as we toured 2 separate exhibitions in DC at institutions charged with promoting the history, culture, and people south of our border.

First, we looked at the show Mexico Through the Lens of National Geographic at The Mexican Cultural Institute.  The exhibit pulls together, for the 1st time, a selection of 132 photographs of Mexico from the National Geographic Society's archives. Mexico has been featured more than 150 times in the magazine (more than any other country) and many of the photos came from special issues devoted to Mexico, one in 1916 and the other 50 years later.

One of the more interesting pictures featured a young boy smeared with mud who was being decorated with jaguar markings as preparations to perform a tribal rain dance. What made the photo so intriguing as that the unseen marker was creating the boy's jaguar spots with a Coke bottle.

The second exhibition, currently on display at The Art Museum of America, was entitled Mundos Posibles (Possible Worlds). Here Mexican photographers used their pictures to delve, not into the real world, but into created worlds of the minds including myth, science fiction, and the apocalypse.

Travelers' Tip:
If you visit the Mexican Cultural Institute make sure to closely check out the murals which decorated the walls and staircases. Originally, the Mexican government wanted famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera to handle the work,but he demurred, allowing one one of his best students to undertake the job.
If you visit 

The Revolution Starts Now: With Steve Earle

Steve Earle at The Birchmere

We made our first (but I guarantee it won't be our last) visit to The Birchmere tonight to see Steve Earle in concert with his band The Dukes (and Duchesses).

During the stellar 3-hour show, 2-set show with 2 encores, Earle featured songs from his latest 3 CDs, but old favorites like "Guitar Town" and "Copperhead Road" weren't forgotten. Earle's passion for liberal politics ("I'm not a Democrat, I'm way to left for that" Earle told the cheering crowd) and unceasing support for the poor and the working class was also on prominent display. An impassioned speech about the American benefits of immigration led into "City of Immigrants" while "Harlan Man" and its related  "The Mountain" were preceded by a powerful expounding of Earle's belief that unions and collective bargaining are cornerstones of this country.

Although the set list contained many highlights, my 3 favorites were:

• "Galway Girl" - especially appropriate since we had just returned from an Ireland visit
• "Feel Alright Tonight" - which was featured during the closing montage of the 2nd season of the HBO series The Wire
• "This City" - which was part of the soundtrack for the HBO series Treme.

Earle and his wife share a tender moment on stage

Right before ending the first set, Earle turned the stage over to his wife, Allison Moorer, who captured the crowd with her voice and closed with an impassioned reworked version of the Sam Cooke anthem of The Civil Rights Movement "A Change Is Going to Come."

Travelers' Tip:
If you go to The Birchmere, make sure you go early. The club provides dinner and long tables and there is no reserved seating.

Walking to The Island

Teddy welcomes visitors to his nationalpark

It was a 10-mile walk this morning, 5 miles on The Mount Vernon Trail from Crystal City to Theodore Roosevelt Island and the same (although somehow it seemed longer) trek back again.

We were accompanied by hundreds of fellow Washingtonians getting their serious Saturday morning exercise.  There were sprinters, and joggers, and marathoners.  There were young running married couples pushing their infants in specially designed baby strollers.  There were single bikers, biking pairs, tandem bikers, bike teams, and even a group-leading, highly-perched uni-cyclist, all shouting "on your left" as they streamed past us.

The 18-mile trail, one of the most popular exercise areas in all of D. C., winds from the Virginia estate of 1st President George Washington to the island preserve named in honor of Roosevelt, our 26th president. The trail is bounded by The George Washington Parkway on one side and the Potomac River and the sights of  DC on the other.

Roosevelt Island, where cars and even bicycles are banned, provides a quiet oasis in the middle of the bustle that is part of the nation's capital.  Besides a rustic relief station, the only other man-made object on the island is a 17-foot-tall statue of the nature-loving Roosevelt and 4 massive granite tablets bearing his words which rise from the wild overgrowth like remnants of a lost civilization.

For the most part, at least on our way to the island, we kept up a good walking pace. We did stop for a short time at Gravelly Point Park to watch and listen to jets, as, at much less than a football field over our heads, they cruised about one a minute to a whining touch down at Reagan National Airport.

We also stopped once for Judy to make a sneaker adjustment.  There, we were approached by an older, sweat-drenched, smiling Japanese woman, who expressed some concern about our walking method. "You've been out here a long time. You need water,. You get one of these," she said, pointing to the bottles and gadgets on a special runner's belt circling her waist. "You get it at the runner's store at the end of M Street in Georgetown just over the bridge." Completing her motherly advice before darting  off to continue her workout, she added. "I run marathons.  I ran my first one at 50. Now, I'm 60 and I have run 82 marathons. I know these things."

We were also cheered on by a half-dozen or so shout-outs prompted by the fact that Judy was wearing a bright orange and white Tennessee T-shirt.  "Go Vols," a group of 3 young female runners drawled as they passed us. "Tennessee number 1."

Travelers' Tip
If you do plan to walk any part of the trail take water and pay attention. There are some serious exercisers out there.

Tourist Guy, Osama bin Lousy, and Other Tales of Newslore

The Original Tourist Guy: Look Out!

It was a DC do-over as we headed back to The Mary Pickford Theater at The Library of Congress again today, this time hear a lecture on current folklore on the internet inspired by real news which a Pennsylvania professor has dubbed newslore.

Tourist Guy Round 2: Who You Gonna Call ...?

Newslore, according to Pennsylvania State University  journalism instructor Russel Frank who coined the term, takes multiple subversive forms, all of which circulate freely on the internet: jokes; urban legends; digitally altered photographs; mock news stories,  press releases, and interoffice memos; and  parodies of songs, advertisements, movies, and TV shows aimed at skewering politicians, celebrities, and business tycoons.

"Many recipients dismiss this material as mindless, tasteless nonsense created and disseminated by people with too much time on their hands," Frank, the author of the new book Newslore: Contemporary Folklore on the Internet. "But folklorists assume that when people invent, transmit, and retransmit some form of cultural expression that item must have something to tell about the culture that gave rise to it."

Frank said he has been examining newslore for 15 years, but that study intensified in the days immediately following the 9/11 attacks on The World Trade Center. For the first few days America adopted a solemn tone, but, soon, web accounts, with a much different tone, many focused on Osama bin Laden and terrorism, began making the web rounds.

Frank used the plethora of pictures featuring a character who has come to be known as 9/11 Tourist Guy as a classic example.  The initial photo captured a man posing on the deck of the world trade center, oblivious to the fact that a jet plane is headed directly at him.  Although many were taken in by the picture and mass emailed it to their friends, astute observes quickly compiled evidence that the image was fake.  Such as:

• the unsuspecting tourist was dressed for winter; Sept. 11 was warm
• the plane was coming from the wrong direction
• the plane depicted was not the type of jet that crashed into the towers
• the observation deck wasn't even open at the time of the attacks and
• there was the question of how the camera taking the picture would have survived the collapse of the building

 Tourist Guy at a deadly day in Dallas

However, even when the picture proved to be a hoax, Tourist Guy didn't die.  Photoshopped parodies of the faked original began circulating showing Tourist Guy being threatened by a subway car or a hot-air balloon or even the Stay-Puff Marshmellow Man from the film Ghostbusters.  In the final phase of the phenomenon, instead of disaster coming to him, Tourist Guy shows up at the disaster.  There he is on The Titanic.  There he is next to the fiery zeppelin. There he is in President Lincoln's Box at Ford's Theater.

Frank contends that newslore is worthy of serious academic study since it provides and accurate record of what people are really thinking and helps them handle the absurdity and often senseless horror that comes with living. "Jokes are one of the mechanisms we use to protect ourselves from the terrible things that can happen in the world," Frank said. "The jokes do more than express anxiety; they help us grapple with it."

The elevated Center Cafe at Union Station: may I suggest the grilled chicken panini

Traveler's Tip:
Since the one-hour lectures at the Library of Congress start at noon you will probably be hungry after. And while there are good restaurants nearby, it's worth the 20-minute walk to Union Station. There you can find a series of interesting eateries in the restored great hall.  Or you can opt for the massive food court that takes up the train station's entire basement.  Trust me, there's something there for just about anyone's taste or pocketbook.

From the Mountains of the Moon to Memories of Yoknapatawpha

Pop artists Andy Warhol gets in the space picture

It was a DC double-down today: a free art exhibit on space exploration for my wife, a free lecture on American author William Faulkner for me.

First, we headed to the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum for the exhibition NASA Art: 50 Years of Exploration which features famous and not so famous artists' renditions of the history of space travel from the early 60s to the latest and last voyages of the space shuttles.

The exhibit pieces, about 50 or so in number, ranged from the realism of Rockwell to the wildness of Nam June Paik. There was collage (Rauschenberg), photography (Liebowitz) and even music with video (The Kronos Quartet). Artists blended mythological soarers like Icarus and Daedalus with real life high flyers like Neil Armstrong to capture their view of mankind's continuing attempt to reach for the stars and beyond.

The exhibit was impressive, but easily manageable. We both liked it so much we went through a second time.

Our Best of Show - Martin Huffman's"Sunrise Suitup"

Our Creativity Counts Prize - Clayton Pond's "Strange Encounter for the First Time" where the space shuttle Enterprise meets the noted Starship Enterprise from the Star Trek series.

Returning to earth, we headed to the James Madison Building of The Library of Congress for a noon-time lecture entitled William Faulkner and the Ledgers of History.

For about an hour in the standing room only Mary Pickford Theater (and yes, we did stand) Emory University Professor Sally Woolf used details from her recent book to present a compelling case that Faulkner used a real-life antebellum Leek diary from the then owners of the McCarroll Place homestead in Holly Springs, Mississippi as a basis for many of the details in his novels and short stories.

After establishing that that Faulkner had visited the McCarroll home for years to hear old stories and take notes from the diary, Woolf says she is convinced that he appropriated much of what he found there for his fictional creations.

"The diary entries and the family stories that he found there definitely made their way into his novels," Woolf said. "Of course, when you're an artist, it's hard to say what parts come from experience and what parts come from imagination."

Woolf says that when she presents her Faulkner diary lectures to her students, they inevitably ask if the Nobel Prize winning author was a plagiarist. No, she  quickly answers. "Faulkner did draw some details, names, characters, and situations, but he made them something completely new," Woolf  said.

Travelers' Tip:
In this post 9/11 world make sure you allot arrival time for any government-sponsored event.  We were almost late for the Faulkner talk because we got hung up in the screening line for the library.

Hail to the Chief

I've always been a big proponent of unscripted moments. For example, in my world, you are never lost, you're just on the way to unplanned adventures.  And that philosophy, as frustrating as it is can be to my more focused friends, led last night to a chance encounter with the President of the United States.

Originally, we had planned to be at The Politics and Prose Bookstore at 7 p.m. to hear a book talk by Washington Post book critic Jonathan Yardley. Now, being new to the DC area, we are stlll learning our way around the city.  I hadn't done that much location research, but I knew that the shop, which we had never been to, was about a mile from the Van Ness Metro stop on Connecticut Avenue. And I had the store's address. Armed with that info, it couldn't be that hard, right?

So, after dinner, we walked the 4 blocks underground to our Crystal City Metro stop, swiped our Metro Smartrip cards, and boarded the Blue Line train, which would take us to the Metro Center where we would transfer to the Red Line for our bookstore stop.

While waiting for our transfer we had the first of our night's two unexpected incidents.  A middle-aged man, wearing a white shirt-sleeved shirt and matching hat, stumbled past us and plummeted off the platform right into the path of an oncoming train.  As awaiting passengers looked on in shock, the man, obviously stoned out of his mind, circled a bit before swaying off in a half-crouch toward the opposite platform.  In a few seconds, he reached his destination and several good Samaritans reached down to pull him up. The man, oblivious to both his surroundings and the unease he had caused, simply staggered off through the crowd.

We boarded our train without further incident and traveled to Van Ness. Exiting through the turnstiles, I had the feeling we should go right; my wife  was convinced we should go left.  Exiting the station, the descending numbers seemed to support my wife, so left we went.

We walked down Connecticut Avenue past scores of unique looking apartment complexes. We walked past a couple of blocks of really neat open-air restaurants and cafes.  But when we reached the Cleveland Park Metro station, even though the address numbers were still headed downward, I was pretty convinced we were going in the wrong direction.  And when we reached the National Zoo, I was sure we were.

When I pointed out my newly established certainty to my wife, she looked at me with that look of frustrated disgust that only she can muster and said "You can't look things up, can you? Next time, when we don't know where we're going, we're going to Mapquest."

Knowing she was right, I still had to respond.  "Hey, it's OK. I really didn't want to hear the booktalk that badly anyway (I did). We're exploring. We're having new adventures." But little did I know just how right those words would prove to be.

As we approached an intersection about 3 blocks later, we heard the sounds of a helicopter hovering over the trees. At the intersection, we saw that police had it blocked off in all directions . "I wonder if they are having a race?" my wife asked. When we joined the crowd of about 15 people, we saw a dozen police motorcycles and cars, lights flashing, coming toward us.  Then we noticed the big, black limousine in the middle, heard cheering on the other side of the street, and suddenly realized that President Barack Obama would be passing directly by us as he turned to head back to The White House..

And he did. We waved and he waved. We smiled and he smiled. We thumbed-up and he thumbed-up.  Of course, as I am apt to do, I kept my camera in my pocket the whole time.  But then, given the current state of my photography skills, I probably would have only captured the President's license plate anyway.

"Well, there's our DC moment for tonight," the young businessman to my left said. And he was right - it was a thrilling moment. OK, it wasn't like we had a half-hour sit-down with Mr. Obama, but we did see and wave to a president who was only a few feet away. An exciting DC moment.  And a moment that confirmed my theory - you're never really lost, you're just on the way to possible unplanned adventures.

But, before we turned in for night, I promised my wife that I would seek better directions next time. Now, in reality, I probably won't. Forget maps and Mapquest; I'll take those unplanned adventures any day.

Traveler's Tip:
If you are really, really drunk skip the Metro and take a cab. It might cost more but it's better than staggering off a platform into the path of an oncoming train.  Also, the next time you appear headed in the wrong direction, don't get upset - you might be on your way to meet the president.

The National Building Museum: It's a Seldom Seen DC Must-See

The Great Hall of Dancing Presidents

Some of the most enjoyable things in life are totally unscripted.  And that was the case today with our visit to the National Building Museum.

Here's how our unplanned visit happened.  We had decided to grab lunch in Chinatown and then head to the National Air and Space Museum to view an art exhibit there on space exploration. However, while strolling after lunch, we came upon a huge, striking brick building which we decided to check out. And 4-and-a-half hours and 2 docent-led tours later, filled with more details and facts about building than we knew we wanted to know, we were really glad we did.

The NMB, built in the 1880s by Civil War Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs, was orginially designed to house the U.S. Pension Bureau. After falling into disrepair, it was saved from the wrecking ball in the 1980s for its current use.  One of the most striking features of the brick building (at one time the largest such building in the world) is its massive Great Hall, which is the only place in DC besides the White House to house the presidential seal. That's because the hall has been the historic scene of 19 inaugural balls.  Grover Cleveland held the 1st ball inside the then-unfinished hall in 1885. In 2009, Barack Obama scheduled his Commander-in-Chief Ball there.  Oh, and by the way, if you would like to host your own event in the hall you can. All you need is $30,000 for 4 hours of rent.

The museum is currently home to several permanent and temporary exhibitions. Two of those, Lego Architecture: Towering Ambition and Designing Tomorrow: America's World's Fairs of the 1930s, are profiled in posts below.  The others are:
-- Walls Speak: The Narrative Art of (Art Deco Muralist) Hildreth Meiere (until Jan.2)
-- Investigating Where We Live (students' interpretations of 3 DC neighborhoods until May 28)
-- Cityscapes Revealed: Highlights from the Collection(long-term)
-- and Washington: City and Symbol (also long-term)

The museum also houses a building zone where youngsters 2 to 6 are introduced to the building arts through play and a museum store which The Washington Post heralds as "the best all-around shop in DC"

Travelers' Tip:
While you can view the exhibits on your own or with a self guided tour sheet, I recommend that you take 1 (or more) of the daily guided tours.  The docents are knowledgeable, the experience deepens your experience, and the cost is perfect - all tours are included in the $8 entrance fee.

The World of Tomorrow As Seen Today

The main exhibit at The National Building Museum is Designing Tomorrow: America's World's Fairs of the 1930s.

The exhibit is divided into 6 rooms, each capturing some aspect of the 6 world's fairs which were held from 1933 until 1939.  Of course, at the time America found itself immersed in a catastrophic economic crisis (sound familiar) and government officials and leaders of industry viewed the fairs as a way to wow, educate, and convince the general public that more and better goods would lead to a happier, healthier life.  The areas explored are:

• Welcome to the Fairs
• A Fair-Going Nation
• Building a Better Tomorrow
• Better Ways to Move
• Better Ways to Live
• Better Times
• Legacies of the Fairs

As someone who spent 50+ years of their life in the Southern New Jersey town of Bridgeton, once home to an Owens-Illinois plant that was the largest glass making factory in the world, I was particularly interested by the strong O-I presence at the NY World's Fair where Owens was pushing glass as a building product "strong enough for people who throw stones to live in."

One of the highlights of the exhibit, as it was at the NY Fair, is Electro, The Moto-man, a robot that walks, talks, and, in keeping with those times, even smokes a cigarette.  You can check out the 1939 reaction to Electro by viewing this YouTube clip.

As you stroll through the exhibit,  you are struck by how much the 1930s future does resemble our today. TV, in its infancy then, does appear in virtually every home, as do the dishwashers, vacuum cleaners and countless other household necessities that debuted during the decade of fairs.  Of course, you see changes too. For example, unlike 1930s fairgoers, we no longer dress up much to go out. And Electro would probably sip a lattte, not smoke a Lucky, today.  

Travelers' Tip:
If you can't get to DC to see the exhibit which closes Sept.5, you can still learn more about the times  through 2 best-sellers dealing with the 1939 NewYork World's Fair. For fiction fans, there is E. L. Doctorow's World's Fair: A Novel.  For those who want a factual account there is Twilight at the World of Tomorrow: Genius, Madness, Murder, and the 1939 World's Fair on the Brink of War by James Mauro, which, ironically, I just began reading the night before we visited the National Building Museum.

Little Legos for Large Buildings

Tall, taller, even taller

One of the featured exhibits at the National Building Museum is Legos Architecture: Towering Ambition which displays about a dozen of the world's most recognizable structures made entirely out of Legos. Included are the Empire State Building, The White House, and Frank Lloyd Wright's masterful Fallingwater, as well as more contemporary buildings from around the world.

Dominating the exhibit is Burj Khalifa, a Dubi architectural marvel which at 162 stories and 2,684 feet, is the largest edifice in the world.  The replica, which stands 17' 6" high and contains 450,300 legos, took 280 hours to design and 340 hours to build.

Obviously designed to demonstrate the creativity of Legos, the exhibit also promotes the idea of play as a forerunner to great building accomplishments. As Witold Rybczynski says in one of the messages displayed around the room: "We have all spent hours sprawled on the floor playing with toy blocks and built little houses with Lego bricks or some other construction toy.We have all been little architects." So just think: the next time you see your son or granddaughter making a mess with blocks on the living room floor don't get upset; you make be witnessing the birth of the next Frank Lloyd Wright.

Fallingwater Lego-style

Travelers' Tip:
If you visit, be prepared to stay a while. The exhibit includes a large area of Legos where budding builders can try out their skills.  Overheard from one grandmother: "Look at that. All he wants to do is play with those Legos.  We could have done that at home." And while that's true, you couldn't do it adjacent to all those fascinating structures for inspiration. You might also want to make sure your credit card is well stocked - all the structures are available in Legos sets for special purchase.  However, they are pricey, ranging from $25 for The Empire State Building to $100 for Fallingwater.  The exhibit is on display until Sept. 3

Life Can Be Grand

For Audrey old ways are good ...

It's better than 16 days in the British Isles. It's better than moving to an apartment in a perfect location next to DC. It's even better than retirement, as wonderful as that is.  And what is this great, marvelous thing you ask ... why it's a visit from your grandchildren.

Now having grandchildren is like any new-to-you experience; you really can't understand it until you try it, or, in the case of grandchildren, it tries you. Some say it's so wonderful because you can spoil your grandchildren and then send them home.  And while that's true, I don't think that view portrays the whole picture. Having grandchildren demonstrates the continuity of life and forces you to really think about the future, while, at the same time, allowing you to enjoy each current moment watching your grandkids grow.

... and Owen shows new ways are OK too.

And grow they do. Already, Audrey, at 3-and-a-half, and Owen, at 2, are showing their independence. Audrey is determined to wear only clothes that feature dark pink. Owen believes that any remote, computer, or other electronic device is his to personally reconfigure. And in the past few weeks, both have decided that eating mashed potatoes is a culinary no-no (although fried potatoes are still on their menu).

One of the most intriguing things about this grandparenting business is seeing how much raising young children has changed over the years. For example, in the 1970s we had no electronic devices for toddlers (a current offering that has allowed Owen to forge way ahead of Meemom in IPad handling) or onview-24-hour-a-day Dora the Explorers (through which Audrey has already learned to count from 1 to 10 in Spanish and speak and understand Ayuda me and a host of other Spanish phrases).  

But I'm also pleased that the joys of simple, creative play have not been forgotten. Audrey spent quite a bit of time on her visit playing with the same alphabet blocks and tiny figures that her father had played with at her age.  She also created her own vision of Oz with a plastic set of story characters (or at least she did after Grandpop hid the scary Wicked Witch in his pocket). And Owen giggled and laughed as he caught, dropped, and threw (sometimes backwards) the Gaelic nerf football we brought back for him from Ireland.

Ah, but no visit lasts forever. After 3 too-short days, Audrey and Owen had to head back to their Tennessee home. And while that's a negative for me, it could prove to be be a positive for you, depending on exactly how you feel about bloggers who devote space to the comings and goings of their grandkids. I promise no more grandparenting tales until we visit Knoxville in September.  Well, that is I promise no stories unless Owen poops in the potty.   Or Audrey decides to do something especially significant like wear a blue dress.

All We Are Saying Is ....

For the 1st time since the anti-war rallies of the late 60s and early 70s, I found myself on The Ellipse in DC yesterday participating in the national Save Our Schools (SOS) rally and march on the White House to end injustice in education.

According to organizers, the culminating event of a 4-day call to action was to express the organization's belief that:


As concerned citizens, we demand an end to the destructive policies and rhetoric that have eroded confidence in our public schools, demoralized teachers, and reduced the education of too many of our children to nothing more than test preparation. A well-educated society is essential to the future of the United States of America. Our students must have access to a fully funded, world-class public education system, and it is our responsibility to hold our government accountable for providing the means to achieve it."

Of course, there were speeches, stars, singing, signage, and swigging of bottled water to try to stave off the boiling July heat. In fact, as in all good rallies, the verbiage was as fiery as the temperatures. And while the following posts present the day in more detail, here, in no particular order, are a half-dozen  personally chosen high points::

--- Strong support from actor Matt Damon's to the 1,000s assembled

--- A pre-taped message of support from The Daily Show host Jon Stewart which was shown live at the rally on the stage's jumbotron.

--- A delivery by Slam Poet Taylor Mali of his powerful poem "What Teachers Make" Click here for a printed copy of the poem or below to see a previously recorded YouTube version.

--- Noted writer and advocate for education for the poor Jonathan Kozol calling Fox News "sociopaths" for their handling of educational issues and contending that Dr. Martin Luther King would be appalled by the shoddy education offered today in the inner-city and poor rural communities. Dr. King's dream did not call for "kids to pass a test" but for equal educational opportunity for all, Kozol reminded the crowd to thunderous applause.

--- A Houston school superintendent who said "I will not race to the top (a slogan of Arne Duncan and the White House's educational plan). Like the Good Samaritan, I will stop and help those who have fallen by the wayside."


--- Several speakers who transposed the normal mike check "test, test, test" into "no test, no test, no test."

This I'm a Fan of Public Education cooler provided by the Washington DC Teachers Union was greatly appreciated on a scorching July day.

So, after all the calls and all the responses, how did the event shape up with those of the 60s I attended? Well, first off, I am 59, not 19 and all that brings to perspective. At my age, I don't think I  could handle being maced in the DC streets as well as I did back in the day and I know I would miss my grandkids a whole lot more than I did my college classes if my protesting led to my arrest now.

But, most of all, it was greatly reassuring to know that while Congress and the Senate diddled and dathered and damned each other a few blocks down the street, I could still join a group of concerned Americans who, with both voices and feet, demonstrated that a moral message can still be delivered.  And that is an American civics lesson I hope we never forget.

Getting the News

Of course, I attended the Save Our Schools (SOS) rally and march to show my displeasure at the way American education is handled today, as well as to hear what others had to say on the subject which I believe is one of the most vital issues facing America today.

But since I also had spent 10 years of my life as a news reporter and editor in the the mid 70s and early 80s, I was also fascinated to get a close view of how the modern media operate at a large national event.

In some ways, little has changed since my reporting days - it still comes down to seeking out good sources, asking meaningful questions, and eliciting insightful responses. Overheard: a TV reporter talking to his cameraman "I think we've got some good stuff, but I think we need someone from Wisconsin. Hey, anybody here from Wisconsin?"

But there were several changes, most brought on by rapidly expanding technology.  First, while most print reporters were using those old reporter's notepads, cell phones and laptops were equally ubiquitous.

In fact, newspapers today have their stories on-line often many hours before they appear in print. This morning, I read the account of yesterday's rally in The Washington Post that I get delivered to my doorstep every morning.  However, last evening I read a 1st version Post story online and I just re-read an updated version seconds before typing this passage. Such things were impossible in my day and my initial impression is that each of the 3 very different accounts prompted much different reading responses.  You can check out the latest Post article by clicking here.

And in the continuing pressure of getting it first, several of the highlights of the main speakers,were available as tweets on line just moments after the words left the speaker's mouth. To see the transcript of such Tweet reporting for the remarks delivered by award-winning author and social critic Jonathan Kozol click here.

So what did I learn from my examination?

There's no question that with technology, news from anywhere, be it the DC Ellipse or the darkness of Darfur, can be reported much more quickly today.  And it's true that, armed with a cell phone, anyone can be a reporter today and have their reports online in a matter of minutes.  However, does all that speed and ease make for better reporting? I think we will leave that question for another day.

Matt Damon on DC Ellipse Creates Quite a Stir

The moment Matt Damon arrived backstage at the Save Our Schools (SOS) rally and march, he was a beseiged man.  Educators and fans wanted to snap a picture..  But the dozens of reporters and camera crews who surrounded the actor wanted to find out exactly why Damon, who appeared with a head shaven for his current role in a science fiction movie he is filming, was devoting this ungodly hot July Saturday day to supporting teachers and calling for an end to unjust educational practices.

And for more than an hour Damon, whose mother is a professor of education, patiently obliged, delivering monologue after monologue cogently defending quality teaching and decrying today's teach-to-the-test mentality.

"From the time I went to kindergarten through my senior year in high school, I went to public schools. I wouldn’t trade that education and experience for anything. I had incredible teachers.

"As I look at my life today, the things I value most about myself — my imagination, my love of acting, my passion for writing, my love of learning, my curiosity — all come from how I was parented and taught.

"And none of these qualities that I’ve just mentioned — none of these qualities that I prize so deeply, that have brought me so much joy, that have brought me so much professional success — none of these qualities that make me who I am ... can be tested."

To read a full copy of the Damon's remarks at the rally, click here.

Stop Savage Inequalities:Jonathan Kozol

While a live appearance by actor Matt Damon and a videotaped message from comedian John Stewart provided star power, I thought the most poignant voice of the DC Save Our Schools (SOS) rally came from noted writer Jonathan Kozol, long a critic of American education and one of the nation's most vocal voices on behalf of poor,underprivileged, under-served children.

Of course, I may be somewhat biased in my ratings since Kozol, along with the Dali Lama and civil rights attorney and co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center Morris Dees, form the central trinity of my living noted people I most admire list.


Kozol, speaking within view of the site where a National Memorial to slain Civil Rights Dr. Martin Luther King will be dedicated next month, said Dr. King would be appalled with the conditions in poor and urban American schools today.  Dr. King's dream did not call for higher test scores, but for an America where all children receive equal educational opportunities, he said. "What we have today is a perversion of his dream," Kozol told the crowd.

As did many of the day's speakers, Kozol attacked President Barack Obama for failing to get rid of the No Child Left Behind law, which critics contend has imposed unfair penalties on poor schools; narrowed curriculum to make test-taking, not knowledge and critical and creative thinking a prime purpose; led to more and more schools being labeled as failing; and now is encouraging the use of test results to determine good teaching.

"We had reason to believe from his campaign promises that Obama was going to reverse the damage this law has caused.  He has betrayed us," Kozol contended.

Kozol, a former teacher who spends much of his time in inner-city classrooms as research for his award-winning books, said he constantly witnesses marvelous teachers in classrooms around the country teaching in deploarble conditions brought on by horrible decisions by those in power.

"I was in California and I saw this marvelous history teacher teaching 42 kids. 42 kids. So I asked her right in front of the class 'How the hell does someone teach 42 kids' Well, I shouldn't have asked that question. She smiled, handed me a piece of chalk, and walked out of the classroom," Kozol said.

Kozol, making no attempt to keep the fire from his voice, said he found it morally repugnant that so many public educational decisions were being promulgated by politicians and rich business leaders who sent their own children to private schools where class size was 15 students or smaller.

"Fifteen in a class.  If  that is good for the kids of politicians, if that is good for the kids of businessmen, then it is good for the poorest child in America," he contended

Signs, Signs Everywhere There's Signs

Of course, no protest rally could be complete with a bevy of signs heralding the cause and attacking the opposition. And the Save Our Schools (SOS) rally and march to end injustice in education was no exception.

Here is a small sampling of some of the messages portrayed at the rally Saturday

In one unique feature, protestors created a graveyard with headstones capturing the deleterious effects the federal government's No Child Left Behind Act

We're Back

Well, we have returned from our 16-day sojourn in the British Isles. As expected it was a great trip. It also marked the first time we had ever visited Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. I won't bore you  with all the details here, but if you would like to know more, you can check out the postings on our travel blog - A Priceless Odyssey: Tales and Tidbits from Our Trips and Travels 

Oh Happy Day

What a great way to begin a 16-day trip to the British Isles. Just hours before we were to fly from Reagan National Airport to Shannon, Ireland, I received a letter from the State of New Jersey officially informing me that on July 7th the state Bureau of Retirements had approved my application for early retirement as a NJ teacher effective July 1.

So now, thanks to Mr. Alice Cooper, I have a new theme song: "No more pencils, no more school books, no more teacher's dirty looks.  School's out for Summer ... School's Out forever."



And by the way, speaking of time off, I won't be posting during our trip, but will resume entries when we return.  Until then, enjoy.  I know we will.

The Sounds of Philadelphia Heard in DC

The grounds may have been DC, but the sounds were pure Philly.

Tonight, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival held a concert to honor legendary song writers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, the City of Brotherly Love songwriting team credited with creating the Sound of Philadelphia. Gamble and Huff and the record label Philadelphia International have produced 170 gold and platinum records and their sound is one of the most identifiable from the 70s.

Two of the bands linked with Gamble and Huff performed many of the team's top hits.  First up was The Soul Survivors, who brought the crowd its feet with a medley of Gamble/Huff hits including "Cowboys to Girls," "Back Stabbers," and "Me and Mrs. Jones."  But the biggest stir was created by Survivors' set-closer their 1967 smash "Expressway to Your Love," also penned by Gamble and Huff.

The night's show closed with a stellar Gamble/Huff hit after hit set by Philly's Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. The highlights were a soulful "If You Don't Know Me By Now," and the 70s protest anthem "Wake Up Everybody," which the the group pointed out "has a message which is just as powerful today."

Coupled with the Phillies crushing of the Atlanta Braves, the concert capped a perfect Philly Sunday.

Hello Dalai

While I was in my old home in South Jersey helping celebrate my grandniece's 1st birthday (see post directly below) a man revered as a spiritual leader by millions was speaking outside The Capitol Building as part of his extended Washington stay.

In his only free public appearance as part of the Kalachakra for World Peace in DC, His Holiness the 14th Dali Lama of Tibet addressed a crowd of thousands concerning individual inner peace and its connection with the ability to create outer peace in world fraught with division, disunity, hatred, and violence.

Now while I am sure he was not troubled by my absence, I would like the Dali Lama to know that if it hadn't been for the importance of Kylie's special day, I would have been one of those thousands seated on the Capitol lawn to hear his words of wisdom. Now, thanks to the man-made miracle of YouTube, I still have the ability to see and listen to the day's talk.  And whether you agree with his thoughts or not, I think you must agree that taking about 80 minutes to ponder peace is a worthwhile endeavor.

They Say It's Your Birthday

Kylie Elizabeth Wulderk truly takes the cake.

We all say it - boy, how time flies. Well, no event captures that phenomenon better than a birthday, especially when that birthday symbolizes someone's first year of life. And today, we were back in Jersey to celebrate my grandniece Kylie's birthday number 1.

As I watched Kylie giggle and chatter as she appeared to enjoy the attention of all the family and friends who had gathered to help celebrate her special day, I couldn't help but consider ... What will Kylie's world be like?  Will it be better than the one now, or worse, or simply different? What will Kylie be like? Will she be a shaper or more one shaped by outside forces?

All that pondering led me back to a song my mother played so many times when I was young.  At first, I thought "Que Sera Sera," as sung by Doris Day, was just a bouncy pop song that my mother happened to like. But, as my own birthdays began to mount, I came to appreciate the richness embedded in its simple refrain: "Que sera  sera. Whatever will be will be.  The future's not ours to see. Que sera, sera."

And so, little Kylie, while your Uncle David has absolutely no idea what your future will hold, he is absolutely certain that it will come accompanied with much love. And maybe, to borrow from The Beatles (who, sorry Mom, were absolutely better musically than Doris Day) love really is all you need.

Rocking (and eating) Down the Highway

Maybe it's because my Dad and his people came from Texas. Or maybe it comes from watching too many hours of The Real McCoys and The Beverly Hillbillies on TV.  But, whatever the reason, I really like Cracker Barrel restaurants.

In fact, if I need to stop and eat on some long distance driving trip, there's a strong chance that location will feature a distinctive orange and brown logo, rocking chairs on the porch, and chicken and dumplings, cornbread, and three sides on its menu. Now I don't want to appear obsessive, but I find it comforting to know that on our frequent trips between our old South Jersey home and a our new DC area apartment, there is a Cracker Barrel just before the Delaware Memorial Bridge and another one almost exactly midway through the trip at Exit 80 on I-95. (And yes, I have eaten at both of them and no, never on the same trip).

Like so many good business ventures, the initial idea for the nostalgia-steeped project was actually the idea of one man - Dan Evins, who ran a petroleum firm in the South  In 1969, Evins opened the first Cracker Barrel,based on his desire to recreate the old country stores of his youth, in Lebanon, Tennessee. Today, there are more than 600 Cracker Barrels in 42 states.

But, despite my fondness for Cracker Barrels, I am not the number one fan I know.  That distinction would have to go to my old boss, former Bridgeton School Superintendent Vic Gilson. Vic likes Cracker Barrels so much he was determined to be the first person to eat at the Delaware Memorial Bridgeton location on the first day it opened for business. However, despite a really early start, Gilson found people all ready in line for the opening when he arrived.  Ever resourceful, Vic gobbled his breakfast, allowing him to be the first person to get a bill from the restaurant which he kept as a souvenir of the experience. Now that, my friends, is a sign of someone who values his  eating.

Get Up .... Get Up ...Get on the Scene

Fred Wesley leads his New JBs as they funk up The National Mall

Tonight it was Fred Wesley and the New JBs turn to funk up the National Mall.  Wesley, the former trombonist for both James Brown and Parliament Funkaldelic, led his incredibly tight 7-piece ensemble through a 90-minute show featuring sweeping soundscapes of funk, jazz, and even a 40s swing piece to pay tribute to how "we got here with this sound tonight."

While Wesley definitely learned from watching 2 of the greatest showmen in soul in Brown and George Clinton and the sound was hot all night, the special cooking really came with the last 2 songs "Breaking Bread with Mama" and "Pass the Peas."

The encore, a tribute to the venerable Brown, definitely made sure that everyone present was treated a funky good time. As James would have said, "hit me again, Fred."

What's New at The Newseum?

Today, we headed into DC to check out The Newseum, which the website Trip Advisor is heralding as DC's Number 1 attraction.

As a 10-veteran of newspapers, the relatively new Newseum, which we last visited 2 years ago, rivals The Smithsonian's Museum of History for my favorite DC spot.  I would never tire of returning to this place (and now I can come back again and again thanks to a 2-for-one Groupon Press Membership which allows unlimited museum access for 1 year) but obviously I like the exhibits I haven't seen the best.

An actual warning from post-Katrina New Orleans home.

Two were especially impressive.  The first was a reconstruction of Tim Russet's Meet The Press office. There is no question that Russet was a special newsman and a special person.

But the most riveting exhibit on this visit was contained in the series of rooms devoted to the destructive, heart-rending story of Hurricane Katrina as told through the words of the reporters who reported it and the cameramen who captured it in both still and moving pictures.

Ironically, as were finishing the hours spent at the Newseum, word of the Casey Anthony verdict broke and we joined dozens of other visitors to watch the surprising (many would say shocking) story unfold on the facility's incredibly large screen. Now, with the advent of the internet (witness this personal blog you are reading) and the rising costs of print, no one really knows what the next chapter will be in the story of newspapers. But I do know this - whether it is the natural destruction of a force like Katrina or the sorrowful human tragedy of tiny Kaylee Anthony - there will always be powerful news and there will always be a need to both report and digest it.

Oh Say Can You See

Several times during my 59-year South Jersey stay, I would skip the crowds and watch the July 4th fireworks from my front yard since all 3 houses I lived in since I was 12 were near the Bridgeton  Park where the city held its annual show.

Well, even though Judy and I had just moved to Crystal City, which is only 3 Metro stops away from The National Mall known for its July 4th fireworks display, we decided to avoid the massive crowds, skip the Capitol 4th show, and watch the festivities on PBS from the comfort of our living room.

However, as soon as Little Richard and the cast of the Broadway musical Million Dollar Quartet concluded their rock and roll show with their last notes and we heard the first of the fireworks explode, our reclusive resolve melted. "C'mon," my wife urged. "If we get outside, I bet we can see them." And so we rushed out onto Route 1, and, sure enough, a few blocks from our complex we found a tree break with a great unobstructed view of the show.

However, I don't think the 100,000+ jamming the Mall, or the thousands at roof top parties throughout the DC district, or Judy and I in our private spot had the neatest view.  Several times planes taking off from Reagan airport flew directly over The Washington Monument and I can only imagine how cool if must have been for those passengers to see the DC sky literally light up again and again and again.

Who'll Stop The Rain?

Nat Dove rolls those 88s on The National Mall

It was supposed to be The Funk Brothers Night on the National Mall.  The Motor City tent was packed. Members of the Funk Brothers, the sound behind every single Motown record from the 60s and early 70s, were taking the stage. But then, the director of the Motown City tent approached the microphone, saying "I never speak unless it is bad news.  There's a powerful thunderstorm approaching with up to 70 mile-per-hour winds. We've got 30 minutes to evacuate the mall.  Sorry about this, but safety has to come first. We'll be back tomorrow."

But even though The Funk Brothers performance was a washout, there had still been excellent music earlier.

Swamp Doggs sways the National Mall crowd.

While my wife traveled through the Columbian craft village portion of The Folklife Festival grounds, I caught part of a set by Nat Dove. Dove, a 72-year-old native Texas and renowned blues/boogie-barrel house pianist and singer, definitely had the crowd's toes tapping, heads swaying and bodies bouncing.

Dove's stellar show was reminiscent of that of another lesser known Southern soul artist Swamp Dogg, who I saw perform earlier in the week. Dogg, a"soul genius that time forgot" according to British music critics, kept the smoldering Soulsville tent mesmerized as he performed an extended 20-minute version of the Bee Gees' hit "I've Just Got to Get a Message to You," divorcing the song from its Australian pop roots and shaping it into a gospel, gumbo, get-down.  As his band intoned the chorus "I've just got to get a message to you, hold on, hold on" over and over and over, Dogg stolled through the crowd, grasping the hands of every single person in the tent.

The Stax Music Academy sings the legacy.

Following Dove was the Stax Music Academy, a talented group of youngsters who are being schooled to keep the Memphis Stax/Volt sound alive.  As the 4-piece band, 3-piece horn section, and 4 front vocalists ran through a repertoire of company hits from Rufus Thomas' "Walking the Dog" to The Barkays' "Soul Finger" to the Sam and Dave standout "Soul Man" it was difficult to internalize that these sounds were coming from a group whose ages ranged from 13 to 17.  The Academy was joined by Stax songwriter and recording artist William Bell to perform a series of his songs. "Aren't these kids something," Bell told the crowd. "This is what we mean by keeping the legacy alive."

Dancing in the Streets ... (I mean tent)

A Motown legend - Miss Martha Reeves at the National Mall

Tonight it was classic Motown's turn at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival as Martha Reeves and her band turned the Motor City Tent into giant 60s dance party.

The evening started with a half-hour sit-down  interview in which Reeves explained her relationship with fellow Motowner Diana Ross"Who? Let's just say that she has never changed" and explained that she was too busy to form close personal relationships with other Motown stars."It was pack, get on the bus, perform, come home, pack, get back on the bus perform, come home. That really was our life," Reeves said.

While the crowd enjoyed the insights into Reeves' life it was clear that they were there to hear her sing.  And she did not disappoint, performing a 90-minute hit-packed show.

Here are my 5 personal high points.
5. A cover of Marvin Gaye's classic "What's Going On."
4. A rousing rendition of "Jimmy Mack" which started with timed hand claps from the crowd.
3. "Nowhere to Run" (my personal Martha Reeves all-time favorite).
2.  "Heat Wave" which Reeves introduced by saying "Is it hot in here? Well it's going to get hotter."
1.  An extended show-closing version of "Dancing in the Streets" where Reeves directed the crowd through a host of 60s dances from the twist to the mashed potatoes to the funky chicken.

There's no question that Martha Reeves has talent - you can't have a 50-year music career without it. But Reeves, who will turn 70 this month, also exhibited another trait tonight - the lady definitely has class. Whether it was urging young people to stay in school so they could follow their dreams or thanking The Funk Brothers for "making all of us (singers at Motown) what we are," Martha showed a grounding in reality.  And, after finally seeing her perform, I have to agree with her own tongue-in-cheek question - Diana who?  To me, Martha Reeves is the true queen of Motown.