Why do teenagers do the wild and crazy things they do? Well, for a long time, parents, teachers, and others who have to deal with 13-to-19-year-olds on a regular basis have suggested, only half-jokingly, that it may be because teenagers are simply brain dead. No, not brain dead, answers new advances in neuroscience, but simply decidedly brain different.
In fact, with an eye of evolution, it may be those almost unfathomable actions summoned from the brain that actually allow teenagers to become successful adults. And those findings were the subject today of an NPR edition of Talk of the Nation radio show which aired live from the National Geographic auditorium. NPR host Neal Conan directed questions to David Dobbs, author of October's National Geographic magazine story "Beautiful Brains" and brain researchers Dr. Jay Geidd and B. J. Casey.
Dobbs says science now is able to show that the teenage brain is dominated by three tastes. "The teen brain is not broken," Dobbs said. "But teenagers are driven by a taste for risks, a taste for peers, and a taste for novelty."
The writer added that it may a reliance on those 3 areas that allow a teenager to leave the comfort and safety of his or her home and independently begin making a way in the world. Admitting that almost all teenagers, including his own, appear reckless and moody, it may these and similiar characteristics that actually help teens "negotiate their surroundings."
Dobbs says research has dismissed the often-held idea that teenagers act the way they do because the believe they are both invincible and invulnerable. "Teens know that they can die, but they perceive the rewards (of certain actions) outweigh the risks," Dobbs said.
Geidd says teens reliance on peer opinion, while not always the wisest course of action, makes scientific sense. "Teenagers realize this is the cohort you will live with as an adult," Geidd said. "It also shows the absolute importance of human connection."
The researcher also pointed out that advances in technology have complicated the maturity process. "(With the internet) we have had more advances (in available information) in the past 10 years than we did during the previous 570 years since Gutenberg (invented the printing press)," Geidd said. "You have these Stone Age tendencies intersecting with these modern marvels."
So, with brain functioning a scientific fact, what are the parents of teenagers to do? Geidd said that the key is instilling responsibility in young people for their actions. "It's a question of when to intervene and how to intervene," Dobbs added. .
All 3 panelists agreed that modeling and leading by example are the best ways to get teenagers to act responsibly. Carey cited an example from her own life. When her teenage son wanted to get a tattoo, Casey didn't rant and rave. Instead she told her son, "I'll go with you and I'll get the same tattoo." And did that work, she was asked? "Well, he didn't get the tattoo," she replied.
Travelers' Tip:
Obviously, one of the reasons to travel is to do things you haven't done before. Now, as both a journalist and an educator, I have had the opportunity to participate in radio programs, but I had never witnessed a live broadcast with a large studio audience. And with its multiple laptops, many monitors, and orchestrated applause breaks, it was an entertaining exercise. If you would like to hear the broadcast its entirety, you can click here.
When Jim Lehrer, then the co-anchor of the PBS' News Hour, first prepared for his initial time moderating a presidential debate, an experience he compares "to walking down the blade of a knife," he became anxiety-ridden, fixated on the pressures and potential terrors of the task.
"I whined and whined and whined," Lehrer said. "But my wife (Kate) said, and I'm paraphrasing here, Hey, hey. If it's that bad for you, think what it must be like for those 2 candidates - 1 bad move and they lose the presidency of the United States"
Lehrer, who went on to moderate 10 additional presidential or vice-presidential debates, appeared at the Politics and Prose bookstore tonight to discuss his new book Tension City: Inside the Presidential Debates from Kennedy-Nixon to Obama-McCain.
From a writing standpoint, one the more interesting stories of the night, told by Lehrer in his straight-forward, yet humorous style, was how the book came to receive its current title.
"The book was completed and all through the process, we had been calling it Moderator," Lehrer explained. "Then I got a call from my editor who said, 'Jim, they don't like the title."
When Lehrer pointed out that the book had always been called Moderator and questioned the last-minute change of heart, his editor responded, "Well, would you buy a book titled Moderator?"
Charged with coming up with the new title, Lehrer remembered a remark former President George H. R. Bush had used to describe the process of participating in a presidential debate - it was like working in "tension city."
Even though the debates come near the end of the grueling election campaign process and most voters
have already decided who to vote for, Lehrer said they still perform a vital function. "I believe, and you can cue the music in the background here, that the people are just as smart as I am. They can look at the 2 (or more) candidates side-by-side, hear what they say, and decide - do I want this guy to be president," Lehrer said.
Travelers' Tip:
If you are planning to attend an event that is expected to be crowded (or if you're not sure how crowded it will be) and you really want a seat, get there early. We did. We got seats and found that, with still a half-hour until Lehrer's book talk, every seat but the one directly in front of us was taken. For about 10 minutes, we were privy to a monologue from a sometimes vitrolic, sometimes teary-eyed woman who demanded the seat, which the gentleman next to it quietly said he was saving for his brother-in-law, for her husband, who she pointed out on at least 2 occasions, "was a veteran." Now while the etiquette of holding a seat at a crowded event can be debated, there is something to be said for the adage first come, first served. And then there is the you snooze, you lose maxim. And, while I am extremely grateful for all our veterans have done for this country, I'm not sure their benefits should include the guaranteed right to a chair at a book talk.
OK. Here is today's economic question - who is receiving more Google hits - Leonardo DiCaprio or John Maynard Keynes? Well, if you answered Mr. Keynes give yourself an A+ in economics. "For someone who has been dead for 65 years, John Maynard Keynes is certainly in the news," says award-winning author, former economics writer for the New York Times, and current professor at The Columbia Graduate School of Journalism Sylvia Nasar.
Keynes, an extremely (some might argue the most) influential economist of the 20th Century, looms large in Nasar's new book Grand Pursuit: The Story of Economic Genius, which begins in the London of Charles Dickens and follows the making of modern economics to India of the late 1970s.
So with the current fears that the American Dream is dead and economic Armageddon is upon us, what would Keynes, known for "radiating optimism when things look the bleakest," do about current conditions, Nasar, whose previous book A Beautiful Mind won the National Book Critics Award for Biography, was asked at her appearance at the Politics and Prose bookstore here in DC.
"I suspect he would go shopping," she said.
Nasar said her years as an economic correspondent and all her research for her new book, has lead her to believe that America will weather this current economic unraveling. "If what is happening now is a Category 1 (hurricane), then The Great Depression was a Category 5," Nasar said, noting that there was full recovery from that dark period.
But Nasar acknowledged that with so many out of work, with so many suffering, with fears so high, faith is difficult to come by. "With so many scared in the middle of the night, it's hard to believe that the nightmare will pass with the morning," she said.
Travelers' Tip:
One of he great things about traveling is you get to meet people who you would never otherwise encounter. So with Sylvia Nasar in front of me last night, I just had to ask her a question, a question which turned out to be the last one of the forum. "Your book is about economists. And our son is an Economics Professor. Now I don't understand what it is that he does. So here are my questions: a) will your book tell me exactly what it is that he does? and b) how come we will still pay when we go out somewhere?" Laughing and explaining that she was answering as the mother of 3 adult children, Nasar said "maybe yes to the first, but no to the second."
Physically, he was diminutive, standing only about 5 feet tall and weighing only 100 pounds. He was a hypochondriac who really did suffer from debilitating digestive diseases. But when it came to establishing America and creating its constitution, tiny James Madison truly did stand tall.
As part of its Constitution Day ceremonies, the National Archives hosted a presentation from eminent historian and senior editor for the National ReviewRichard Brookiser, who dramatically read the opening segment of his new book James Madison and then answered questions about Madison's life and legacy.
Brookhiser began by noting that Madison often becomes the forgotten Founding Father. To illustrate his point, he noted that while most of us in the audience would have pictures of Washington and Jefferson in our pockets, and some might even have a Franklin or two nestled somewhere, few would have a Madison since the 4th President had been relegated to fronting the $5.000 bill. "Not great product placement," Brookhiser quipped.
In his opening chapter, Brookhiser presents a 63-year-old president on a borrowed horse with 2 borrowed guns riding out on a sweltering August 1814 day toward the advancing British troops, which by nightfall, would have overrun Washington and sent the president into exile. "He was a man of words, not war," Brookhiser said. "He had never fired a gun in battle. But he had the moral courage to do what needed to be done."
Present at virtually every stage of the development of the United States and universally recognized as the father of the US Constitution, Madison also made another major contribution - he should be considered the father of the modern American political party system, Brookhiser contended. "Madison (who helped found the original Republicans who later transformed into the current Democratic party) realized that ideas needed to be translated into action, and that those actions could be rough and tumble," Brookhiser said
Following Brookhiser's scholarly talk, a talented and quite believable actress portraying Madison's wife, Dolley, hosted an ice cream social and spent time setting the record straight about her White House years, "My Jimmy," and the scandalous tales their enemies told about her husband and her.
Travelers' Tip:
As a post 9/11 traveler, you have to be prepared for increased security. Sometimes, the results can be interesting. Last night, we attended a talk at the National Archives and I passed through the scanner with no problem. However today, at the Archives, I sounded the alarm. The culprit - my belt, which just happened to be the same belt I was wearing the night before. Maybe you need tighter security for day events than you do at night.
When 88-year-old Dianna Kennedy first arrived in Mexico in 1957, she never envisioned she would become known as the Mexican Julia Childs, the person most credited internationally with bringing Mexican cuisine to the world and teaching generations of Americans and even Mexican cooks how to prepare and savor the delicious, subtle, varied tastes of her adopted land.
"Well, you have to like to eat and I like to eat," the fiesty, dynamic octogenarian says in her still distinctive, very proper British accent.
Last night, Kennedy was joined by DC chef legend Jose Andres as the pair delivered a wide-ranging, often funny, always informative discussion on Mexican food as part of the National Archives America Eats Series, much of which was centered around Kennedy's latest cookbook Oaxaca al Gusto: An Infinite Gastronomy
Mrs. Kennedy quickly established herself as a woman of distinct taste and distinct opinions. For example, she objected to The Washington Post calling her cookbooks "pop anthropology."
"You know," she told the capacity crowd at the McGowan Theater, "The Post reported that I was dead a few years ago. And they never apologized. I had to run around telling people I was still alive. They said I was dead and they've never even said they were sorry."
Andres said it was Kennedy's forthrightness, frankness, and integrity that made her such a treasure to the culinary world. To substantiate his point, Andres recalled an encounter at one of his restaurants. He said Kennedy contended that the chefs were using the wrong chilies. When asked why, Kennedy said they were dry. Andres said that the recipes called for dried chilies and Kennedy responded, "there are dry chilies and there are dry chilies and these are the wrong kind of dry."
In fact, chilies are very much on Kennedy's mind these days. She says she finds it unconscionable that Mexico is importing chilies from places like China when the country produces some of the most flavorful chilies in the world. Kennedy blames the young technocratic leaders who establish food policies for the problem, which is driving Mexican farmers away from the land, and, in many cases, away from the country itself. "Those young technocrats, they don't travel. They don't know anything," she said.
Throughout the evening, both Andres and Kennedy kept coming back to the concept that food is culture, food is history, food is central to a country's identity. "Some people say it's just food," Andres said. "But food is faces, is people, is legacy."
Travelers' Tip:
When you travel, you owe it to yourself to try the local food. You can get a Big Mac anywhere, but maybe only in Oaxaca can you sample those live protein-packed insects that scuttle around in your cheeks as you crunch down on them.
To Shakespeare purists, presenting Macbeth without the Bard's words would seem to be sacrilege. How could any Shakespeare play be silent? Well, tonight The Synetic Theater, which is being heralded as the nation's premier physical theater group (a claim I highly support), produced a performance that should silence such thinking.
Now, you rarely think of a play in mathematical terms, but, if you were, a simple review formula for Synetic's Macbeth now being performed at their Crystal City theater might look something like this ... movement + music + mime - words = a marvelous, magical Macbeth.
For anyone who isn't familiar with the story or has chosen to forget high school English all together, Macbeth involves some witches, a good man gone bad, a witchy wife, some knives, some killings, a ghost, a suicide, some more killings, an outed candle, some more killings and finally, a final killing which produces a severed head and a new king.
Now, it may seem ironic to be reviewing a play without words with words, but let me at least try, even if the old adage you've got to see it to believe definitely applies here.
Macbeth was the 1st of 3 Shakespeare plays in Synetic's (a combination play on the words synthesis and kinesthetic) Speak No More: The Silent Shakespeare Festival. In the playbook, Synetic Theater founder, CEO, and artistic director Paata Tsikurishvili addressed the silent Shakespeare problem thusly: "For me, Shakespeare's plays are written in a universal language. In fact, the text serves a basis for all our work: it provides us not only with the story, but with the incredible imagery, archetypes, and metaphor, all of which are heightened to create an immersive stage experience that we feel in our bones."
Well, Mr. Director, not only was your stellar cast's performance immersive, it was downright mesmerizing. In fact, I found so many hallucinatory highlights that I will borrow from the Bard and single out just 3 (you know, 3 witches ... 3 highlights).
the innovative, modernizing opening scene where 3 white-clad religious leaders (1 Catholic, 1 Jewish, 1 Muslim) pray and cradle a giant globe of the Earth until they are permanently dispatched (read that throat-slit) by 3 black-clad witches who emerge in smoke and darkness from under the stage. By the way, I am still trying to figure out how characters can slither like snakes while standing. Kudos to the choreographer.
the brilliant suggestion/seduction scene where Lady Macbeth (the director's wife, Irina, who also serves as company choreographer) convinces Macbeth (Irakli Kavsadze) to kill King Duncan and take his crown. Here was definitely a case of the eyes have it.
the juxtaposition of mimed comedy and violent action that vividly captured the swaying moods of Macbeth's oncoming madness in the Banquo's ghost banquet scene.
Finally, let me list 3 images from the Scottish play (and yes there were bagpipe tones in the superior soundtrack lest we forget that fact) that will remain with me for a long time:
the use of bullets to represent the points on the king's crown
the cigarette holder wielded by Lady Macbeth during the banquet scene
and, most chilling of all, the perverted, inverted downward thrust Zieg Heil-like hand signs used to pledge loyalty and fealty (however temporary) to the 3 kings.
This is a repeat performance staging of Macbeth. When it was originally presented, Synetic captured scads of Helen Hayes awards. And, based on opening night, if this version doesn't win additional accolades, then life truly may be "a tale told by idiot."
Travelers' Tip :
If you are reading this, get to DC to see a Synetic production. As far as Silent Shakespeare is concerned, Macbeth runs until Oct. 2. It will be followed by Othello from Oct. 19 to Nov. 6 and Romeo and Juliet from Nov. 25 until Dec. 23.
You aren't always lucky enough to meet your favorites in any field, but tonight we heard a book reading and talk by George Pelecanos, my favorite crime writer, who also wrote for HBO's heralded The Wire, which happens to be my favorite TV series of all-time.
Pelecanos, a DC native who uses the streets and seedier sites of the nation's capital as the setting for his best-selling novels, was appearing at The Politics and Prose Bookstore as part of a tour supporting his new novel The Cut, which features Spero Lucas, a young, just-returned-from-Iraq investigator as its protagonist.
Pelecanos said that he came up with ideas and settings for much of the novel in his bike rides around the city. His new characters, which include 2 teenage drug dealers and a social studies teacher at a real-life Washington high school, sprang from real-life encounters from research for previous works.
For about 30 minutes after his reading, Pelecanos answered questions about his books, the writing process, and particularly about using real-life DC as a basis for his works. He said the research he has undertaken for his writing has helped him form many of his social stands. For example, he is for the legalization of marijuana, noting that the jails are full of young people involved in possession and sale. "Now, I don't smoke weed, but I've ridden with a lot of officers on domestic calls and every time there was a strong smell of alcohol around," Pelecanos said. "Alcohol is legal, but I can tell you, you're not going to beat your wife up if you're smoking pot."
Pelecanos said he was grateful for the opportunity to have written with David Simon, Richard Price, Dennis Lehane and the other talented writers on The Wire. "I never went to writing school and I thought that what I did was instinctual. But I learned a lot from them; I learned there was a method to what I was doing. Of course, that being said, I did write the best episodes of The Wire," he said to hearty laughter from the standing-room only crowd.
Travelers' Tip:
When you travel, you never know when you are going to get an unexpected bonus and tonight I got 2. First, Pelecanos announced that he will have a new book out in January which is set in the 1972 DC Watergate summer. And, each of us who purchased a copy of The Cut, received a free copy of the short story "Chosen" which details the beginnings of Spero's unique family. And, for those of you who might be interested, I broke my ban on autographs and got Pelecanos to sign both copies.
There is huge lesson for the USA from the fall of the Roman Empire, according to legendary consumer activist Ralph Nader - a lesson best captured in the words of noted historian Edward Gibbons. "The Romans wanted freedom, but more than freedom they wanted security and they lost both," Gibbons wrote of Rome's destruction.
Nader, who last week wrote article published in USA Today concerning lessons from 9/11, was the anchor on a 4-member panel which discussed the deleterious and ongoing impacts of American decisions made after the 9/11 attacks in a session held today at the Busboys and Poets Bookstore. Joining Nader on the panel were:
Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powel
Bruce Fein, attorney and former executive editor of World Intelligence Review and
Mike German, a former FBI agent who is now policy counsel on National Security, Privacy, and Immigration at the ACLU
Although the 2-hour presentation was both bleak and chilling, Wilkerson did inject some humor in opening remarks when he noted that "when I was in the military, it never crossed my mind that I would be sitting on a podium with Ralph Nader." However, he felt it was his duty to speak out about his belief that America was in jeopardy for horrendous decisions being made by an elite handful in government.
"Where is it written that the American empire will not expire?" Wilkerson asked. "In fact, the signs are legion today that we will expire."
Wilkerson continued to detail a litany of wrong decisions made in the wake of 9/11. Using the false claim of Saddam Husein's Weapons of Mass Destructions and other examples, Wilkerson said the information presented to the military and other government leaders was "at best flawed, and, at worst, a complete lie. Everything that flowed from that was destructive to the United States." Wilkerson added that in his military leadership career he received "not one piece of credible info from the CIA."
Gen. Powell's former assistant said that unwarranted and unwise military actions were producing a huge drain on American taxpayers and further hastening the country's demise. "Bin Laden spent about $500,000 total for his operation, and we've spent more than $2 trillion trying to counter him."
Wilkerson said he is most fearful that a small band of wrong thinkers could propel America into a war with Iran, an action that has virtually no, if any, support in the military.
German said he had seen a dramatic dropping of essential American rights since 9/11. "Surveilance laws have been turned on their head and the weapons of war are now being used against the American people," German said. "The ratchet only turns in one direction. It's difficult to get rights back again."
The ACLU counselor said a shroud of secrecy surrounded unconstitutional moves undertaken by the Bush regime and, for the most part, continued by President Obama. "Even some Senators have said that there are secret and ongoing operations that if Americans knew about them they would be shocked, but they can't say anything because of national security claims," German said, contending that improperly classifying information as secret leaves workers (even workers as powerful as US Senators) fearful of losing their jobs or facing severe retaliation.
Fein, probably the most impassioned in his remarks, contended that "illegality in the executive branch is chronic, institutionalized, and recurrent."
"They are ignoring 200 years of legal framework," Fein said, adding that he feared even the threat of a 9/11 or worse attack could find America on the verge of despotism. "There are people in the executive branch that believe the Constitution is outmoded. You just need to trust us to keep you safe."
"These are violations that go to the substance of who we are as an American people," Fein said. "We are in a struggle for the soul of the United States."
Traveler's Tip:
If you travel, there is always a chance you will bump into someone who is famous. Most people, myself included, never really know what to say nwhen that happens. Today, before the panel discussion, I was sitting at the bar at Busboys and Poets with my wife, sipping an iced tea, when I felt someone bump into my elbow. I turned and was face-to-face with Mr. Nader. Since he was talking to someone else, I didn't say anything. However, after the talk, I saw him standing alone in the room and went up to him. He looked and said, "hey, what did you think? That went well ..." showing that even the most famous are human and need affirmation, too.
His small tent in the secret, arid Arab wasteland was sparse. True, he wore a military jacket over his robes, had a loaded AK-47 propped at his side, and unleashed a scathing verbal diatribe decrying the infidels of the West, most especially the United States. But he spoke his words of hate in a monotone. Despite the impassioned nature of his rhetoric, he remained calm and collected. There was much more cleric than killer commandant about him. In short, there was little evidence to believe in the late 1990s that Osama bin Laden and his handful of Al-Qaeda followers would ever be able to pull off a massive attack like 9-11, 2 veteran news correspondents who personally interviewed bin Laden told a standing-room only audience at The Newseum today.
In a wide-ranging, hour-long discussion, CNN National Security Analyst Peter Bergen and ABC News Correspondent John Miller, who were 2 of the only western correspondents to ever interview bin Laden, revealed details of those interviews and talked about their take on conditions in a post-bin Laden world.
"People who say bin-Laden's death means the end of terrorism are wrong," Miller, who interviewed bin-Laden in 1998 said. "But people who say his death is meaningless are also wrong."
Both correspondents said that America's focus on Al-Qaeda and recent killing of its spiritual leader have drastically weakened the organization's ability to mount significant attacks in the United States. "So much has changed since 9/11," Bergen said, noting that, for example, where the US then had about dozen agents sorting out terror signals that group numbers more than 2,000 today. "Or take the TSA. It may be a mixed blessing, but with the TSA, those box cutters wouldn't have gotten on board."
Both correspondents pointed out the difficulties in originally securing their interviews with bin Laden. First there was the substantial costs of such an operation. Then, at the time, America and American news organizations were more concerned with the the O.J. Simpson trial or the President Clinton/ Monica Lewinsky scandal than they were with an unknown bearded leader from a little-known part of the word.
And then there were the conditions imposed by the ultra-secret, always paranoid bin Laden and his followers. There were countless questions of intent. And more questions of motive. Locations were set and locations were moved. Guns were produced. And guns were fired. But Bergen said he believed there was never any real danger and the benefits to be gleaned from his 1997 interview far outweighed any risks."They (bin Laden and Al-Qaeda) wanted to get the story out and I didn't think they would do anything to jeopardize that," Bergen said. Miller concurred, but noted that not everyone was blase about the danger. "After the interview aired, I got a call from my mother. I thought she was going to say what a good job, but she said 'don't you ever go to Afghanistan and do something like that again.' "
Of course, one of the great questions for any leader of hate is how do you justify the taking of innocent lives in your struggle, no matter how right you believe your cause to be. Miller said he asked bin Laden that question and the Al-Qaeda leader, ever the master of manipulation and rationalization, matter of factly answered: "We learned from you. Did not the Americans kill women and children at Hiroshima and Nagasaki? We are simply doing what you taught us."
Travelers' Tip:
Although the special speakers program centered around the 10th anniversary of 9/11 has concluded, there is still much to learn about that day if you visit The Newseum. For example, there is a separate 9/11 exhibit with artifacts and news footage, as well as a section of the FBI exhibit that deals with the agency's handling of that day.
Tomorrow, on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, more than 90 Americans cartoonists will see cartoons they created dealing with their current thoughts and feelings concerning the impacts of that day published in newspapers around the country.
Today, at the Newseum, Jim Toomey, the creator of the cartoon "Sherman's Lagoon," spoke about how the first-of-its-kind project came to be.
Actually, Toomey's talk was divided into 3 parts. First, he briefly described the history of cartooning, which can actually be traced to story panels crafted onto ancient cave walls. From there, Toomey took the audience on a time trip from The Bayeux Tapestry to Guttenberg's invention of the printing press to Ben Franklin's chopped snake Join or Die image (often called the 1st American cartoon) to The Yellow Kid (the 1st newspaper comic strip) to Peanuts and Doonesbury.
Next, Toomey explained that his own cartoon career sprung from a combination of his early love of drawing and his abiding interest in the natural environment of the seas. "When I was about 11, I discovered sharks and they fascinated me," he said. "And then Jaws came out and that was it. I was probably the only person in the theater rooting for the shark"
In fact, the main character in Toomey's nationally-syndicated cartoon is a shark named Sherman. And to the delight of the youngsters (and the young at heart) Toomey used an Apple laptop to draw several sea creatures that were displayed on the monitors in the Knight Studio.
Toomey said the 9/11 project originated when officials at the King Syndicate discovered that the 10th anniversary of 9/11 would fall on a Sunday this year and suggested that cartoonists use that strip to commemorate that historic day. Toomey created a simple, yet powerful one-panel portrayal of the night-time New York City skyline with two towering beacons of lights. Toomey has his main character proclaim "Seems like yesterday," while his more philosopical turtle friend answers "I'll always seem like yesterday."
"At first, humor might not seem like the most appropriate response to 9/11," Toomey said. "But cartoons can be much more than just humor. They can convey the whole range of human emotions - anger, sadness, gratitude, hope."
Travelers' Tip:
If you visit The Newseum, make sure to stop in the facility's bathrooms. There, displayed on the walls, you will find humorous newspaper corrections collected by The Columbia Journalism Review.
With the 10th anniversary of 9/11 only 2 days away, we attended a spellbinding special program at the National Archives today where 3 noted authors of books about that terrorist attack provided inside details of both the heroism and the horror of that fateful September day.
Prompted by questions from Gordon Peterson, Emmy-award winning anchor of DC Channel 7 news, the 3-member panel led the audience on a chronological trip through the initial hours of 9/11.
Finally, Chief Business Correspondent for U. S. News and World Report Rick Newman, added vignettes from The Pentagon which he had unveiled in his co-authored book Firefight: Inside the Battle to Save the Pentagon.
Each of the authors singled out stories of incredible heroism on the part of ordinary people. Dwyer told of 2 NY transit workers, who, armed only with crowbars, led scores of trapped people to safety only to perish themselves when the tower collapsed. Newman recounted the actions of a 6'5'' Navy SEAL seal who, despite being injured, served as a human net to catch female workers jumping to safety from upper Pentagon floors. Newman read a passage from his book which said the SEAL, when he realized that one of the plunging women was extremely large, noted "man, this is going to suck." Spencer singled out the courageous action of an FAA official, who, on the very first day of his job and with no higher authority, called for the grounding of all American planes, an action which may have saved countless more lives since there is belief that additional terrorists may have been planning to commandeer other planes and strike other targets.
"He said I may not have a job tomorrow, but I am going to do this today," Spencer told the audience.
Travelers' Tip:
Even if you are going to see a particular event, always check to see what else of related interest might be at the site. For example, we learned today that 2 speeches, the one then-President George W. Bush delivered immediately after the attack and the one President Barack Obama delivered after the recent killing of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden, were on special display elsewhere in the Archives building.
Tonight, we headed to the National Archives to screen the documentary Lunch Line and then listen to an informative discussion of the history and the future of the American school lunch program.
Prompted by questions from moderator and James Beard award winning Washington Post food writer Tim Carman, the 3-member panel: Dan Glickman, a former U.S.Secretary of Agriculture and a 18-year Congressman from Kansas; film co-director Michael Graziano; and Director of Nutrition Policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest Margi Wooten detailed the trials and triumphs in trying to change the American school cuisine from french fries to fresh fruit.
This informative, yet highly entertaining documentary, the 1st part of which is kind of a Hoop Dreams for culinary students, definitely should be watched by anyone who has children in American public schools.
Travelers' Tip:
Speaking of lunch, if you do find yourself on the National Mall and you don't want to leave the area for a noontime meal, many of the museums have very decent offerings. According to food critics, the best Smithsonian lunch can be found at the Native American Museum, which features different authentic Native American meals daily.
When I retired from 25 years of teaching last June and moved to the DC area, I really had no plans to ever seriously work again. I considered myself fortunate; I had enjoyed 2 careers - newspapers and high school English teaching. But despite 37 years of employment, my attitude about work had always best been reflected by (and I am really going to reveal my age here) Dobie Gillis' beatnik buddy Maynard G. Krebs, who whenever there was the merest mention of the word work would yelp "WORK? WORK?? WORK???"
However, when my former Johns Hopkins University Talent Development associate Paul Smith learned I was moving to Crystal City, he asked if I would be interested in rejoining him as a consultant to DC's Dunbar High School, once one of the most prestigious Black high schools in the country, which had seen itself leveled by problems associated with urban poverty and city living.
... and Dunbar High School Now
Looking at Paul's out-of-the-blue offer as some kind of sign from god, karma, kismet, fate, or any other controlling beliefs out there, I told him I would be interested if the conditions (read that #1 time and #2 money) were right, and so, after a summer of negotiations, I found myself reporting to Dunbar today to begin yet another new school year.
Of course, this year will be much different than my 25-year stint at Bridgeton High School. While I will be a language arts/literacy coach (a position I held for 5 years at BHS) I will not be full-time. In fact, the favorable time element was the main reason I accepted the job. I am expected to work 8/9 hours a week, but I set my own schedule. I can work one full day, or 2 4-hour sessions, or 3 3-hour visits, or 4 2-hour takes. The choice is up to me and the task at hand. And I think even Maynard G. Krebs could dig that.
Travelers' Tip:
In traveling, or anything else in life, you can't ever say never.
Tonight, we attended the annual free Page to Stage Festival at The Kennedy Center to see preview scenes from the upcoming Synetic Theater performances of Macbeth, Othello, and Romeo and Juliet, all 3 of which we are planning to attend this Fall.
Prior to staging scenes from 3 Shakespeare classics which will comprise Synetic's Speak No More: The Silent Shakespeare Festival which begins with Macbeth on Sept. 14, members of the company demonstrated samples of dance warmups which they do daily, sometimes for as long as 4 hours at a stretch.
Afterwards, artistic director Paata Tsikurishvil, his wife and resident choreographer Irini, and members of the troupe, answered questions from the audience about performing in what is hailed as America's premiere physical theater. For the those who don't know exactly what physical theater is (and I was one of those until I arrived in Crystal City), it is a form of performance which uses no words, but instead employs drama, dance, movement, music, acrobatics, and mime to tell a story.
Today we attended the National Museum of American History's September 11: Remembrance Reflection, a very special, limited-run exhibit of about 50 everyday items recovered from the 3 sites attacked that fateful day.
Artifacts ranged from a squegee which was used by workers to free themselves from a stalled elevator at The World Trade Center to United Flight 93 airplane fragments recovered at a field in Shanksville, PA to a Pentagon map from the building's 1st floor to recent acquisitions from the. Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
In what was a first for Smithsonian museum, the objects were displayed on tables rather than bewhind glass to provide a moe intimate experience and the actual curators were on hand to personally answer questions.
Travelers' Tip:
Because of demand and the special nature of this exhibit, we had to stand in line for about and 90 minutes. Instead of complaining, you can use this time to find out about the people around you. For example, we learned that the California couple behind us was making their 1st trip to DC, and, he, like me, had been playing in classic rock bands since the 1960s. Not only do you learn, but the waiting time passes much faster.
The English Channel at Abbey Road on The River: Check out the go-go boots.
Today, we attended Abbey Road on the River, a 5-day celebration of the music, lives, and legends of The Beatles at the Gaylord National Resort at DC's National Harbor.
At this festival, the emphasis was on the music, as more than 100 bands performed during the festival. I gave the top Beatles band tribute to the young Abbey Road Live band, while my top performer award went to the Richmond band The English Channel, who, in addition to stellar performances of The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" and "I Am the Walrus," unleashed a captivating take on Queen's anthem "Bohemian Rhapsody."
Inside the convention center were a series of Beatle-themed programs. One highlight was provided by Fred Gretsch, the great-grandson of the founder of the Gretsch music company, who presented the tale of his family company and its ties to Beatle guitarist George Harrison.
Travelers' Tip:
The Beatles might have sung "all you need is love," but if you go to one of these festivals you better bring some cash. First, there is the issue of entrance. It cost $35 a person to attend from noon until 8 p.m. If you wanted to stay for the 8 until 2 a.m. performances, you had to shell out another $35. And that doesn't count the cost of souvenirs. While I did pick up (and then put back) a $20 event T-shirt, I passed on spending $395 at the Beatlesuits booth on either a replica of the suit The Beatles wore on their 1964 introduction to America performance on the Ed Sullivan Show or the one from their famed Shea Stadium concert. Instead, I opted to spend $10 at the DC Slices food truck for 2 pieces of Hawaiian pizza and, with apologies to Sgt. Pepper and the boys in the band, a Dr. Pepper.
Tonight, at its annual free Labor Day performance on the West Lawn of the Capitol, the National Symphony Orchestra featured the music of 3 DC musical legends - march king John Philip Sousa, jazz legend Duke Ellington, and go-go funk master Chuck Brown.
First, the NSO prodded the crowd's patriotic side with a series of Sousa's stirring marches, concluding with his most famous, "Stars and Stripes Forever."
Next, came a string of famous Ellington compositions including "Take the A Train" and "Satin Doll." Ellington's granddaughter, Mercedes, added personal vignettes about the tunes.
Finally, the NSO revealed its funky side by playing a mash-up of the classical Theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey combined with Brown's breakout hit "Fee l Like Bustin Loose" (which was sampled by Nelly for his hit "It's Hot in Here" and is the officials song for the Washington Nationals Baseball team).
Following the symphony performance, Brown, who just turned 75, and his band took the stage and kept the crowd bobbing and bouncing for another hour.
Travelers' Tip:
In today's post-9/11 world, if you're going to a crowded event, be sure to leave ample time to pass through security.
To cap off a full D, C. day, we joined about 200 of our neighbors tonight to view 2001: A Space Odyssey,the final film in this summer's Crystal City Outdoor Film Fest.
Each Monday since June, the free films have been shown at the the Bell Street quad site, an open space surrounded by high-rise office buildings, but this was the 1st Monday we had been able to attend. Residents with blankets and beach chairs, and many with snacks or even full home-prepared or store-bought dinners, converge on the quad before dusk to find a good viewing spot.
This is the 5th year for the festival, which each year features movies with a specific theme. This year's theme was By the Numbers. For the record, here is what we missed:
The Sixth Sense
District 9
Oceans 11
Apollo 11
16 Candles
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
50 First Dates
(500) Days of Summer
Now for the film that we did see. I first viewed 2001 in 1968 and while I recognized its superior visual artistry, I really didn't get the story line. I blamed the drugs. But my seeing the Stanley Kubrick's classic, which many critics believe fits solidly in to any list of the 10 most influential films of all-time, definitely drug-free for decades still leaves me clueless about exactly what Kubrick was really saying. As our master of ceremonies said at the conclusion of the film: "I hope you enjoyed our series. And I hope you'll be back next year. And if anyone out there can explain the ending,would you please come up here and see me."
Travelers' Tip:
Free outdoor film festivals like the one here at Crystal City are happening all over the country. They make a great, relaxing way to conclude a day of site seeing. Just remember to bring some popcorn.
Since we were in Georgetown, we decided to have lunch at Clyde's, the only D. C. restaurant that looms large in Price family lore.
In 1977, we visited Washington with 2 other Bridgeton couples, Bob and Marion Spence and Yosh and Karen Hanzawa. We brought our 4-year-old son Michael with us, and the Hanzawas were accompanied by their 6-year-old daughter, Kristin. Based on its strong reputation, we decided to have our Friday night dinner at Clyde's. And we are still joking about that dinner more than 30 years later since it took us more than 3 hours to be served. I don't remember all the details about that night, but I do recall our waiter coming back to our table after about 2 hours to tell us they hadn't prepared our order yet because they had run out of baked potatoes. I also vividly remember that when the hot dogs we had ordered for Michael and Kristin finally arrived, they remained uneaten since both kids had been sound asleep in their chairs for more than an hour.
So how did Clyde's fare on our revisit? Well, the wait was still a little long. (However, half an hour is a dramatic improvement over 3 hours). They still play good 60s music while you wait for your meal (Ironically, one of the choices today was "Hungry" by Paul Revere and the Raiders). But, most importantly of all, Clyde's still deserves its reputation for serving quality food at a reasonable price for D. C.
For the record, I had the backyard burger (a well-done barbeque-sauce-drenched burger topped with salt-and-pepper beef brisket, melted cheese, and cole slaw) and a side of southern green beans for $10.95. Judy had the crab cake sandwich and fries for $2 more.
Travelers Tip:
Even though I was fairly certain Clyde's was on M Street, I still used the Yelp app on my cell phone to confirm the location. For those of you who have Android or I phones, Yelp will point you to restaurants wherever you are. I use it constantly and highly recommend it.
This bookstore bridges Georgetown and George Washington
This past weekend, in a chance encounter after a documentary at The National Archives, we met Phillip Levy, the owner of an independent bookstore in Georgetown, and promised we would visit his store. Today, we made good on that promise.
Spying us, Levy seemed surprised that we had actually stopped by. "People say they'll do a lot of things, but they don't always do them," he said.
I jokingly told Levy that I had immortalized him and his Bridge Street Books store by detailing our initial encounter in this blog (see the Aug. 27 entry). "Immortalized, I don't think so," Levy said. "But we were in about 500 papers once. Guess who wrote the article?" When I unable to answer his query, Levy explained that noted columnist George Will, whose office is about 2 blocks from Bridge Street Books, once included the local book shop in an article he wrote about the closing of Scribner's Book in New York City. "He said we were like all good independent book stores, only more special," Levy said.
For the next hour, while Judy paged through Turn Left At Machu Picchu, I slowly perused the offerings on both floors. As expected, the selection reflected the left-leaning, liberal attitudes of its owner with strong sections on history, race, music, art, and poetry.
I had pledged to Judy that, when it came to purchasing, I would be judicious and I think I stayed true to that pledge, buying only 4 books for myself, 2 of which were deeply discounted. For the record, the books were:
Voodoo Histories: The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History by David Aaaronovitch
On History by Howard Zinn
The Trials of Lenny Bruce: The Fall and Rise of an American Icon by Ronald Collins andDavid Skover
Outlaw Journalist: The Life and Times of Hunter S. Thompson by William McKeen
Travelers' Tip:
While you can buy virtually any book online (thanks for that, Amazon) and the superstores of Barnes and Noble have extensive displays, I agree with George Will - there is still something very special about the personalized, eclectic offerings in small independent book stores. Visit them whenever you can. You never know what you will find.
In 1911 Hiram Bingham III, who some contend served as the inspiration for film hero Indiana Jones, journeyed to the high mountains of Peru to explore the fantastical ruins of Machu Picchu. Today, we traveled to the National Geographic Museum in D. C. to peruse a pictorial documentation of that journey.
Bingham, at the time a Yale University professor in his 30s, made 3 trips between 1911 and 1915 to clear the area and map and photograph the site, which is considered one of the world's great archeological wonders. In 1913, National Geographic magazine devoted an entire issue to black and white pictures of the Incan marvel. At the time, Bingham brought thousands of articles from the site, an act which caused great controversy as Yale University refused to return the findings to Peru for almost 100 years.
The exhibit was especially meaningful for us since we plan to explore Machu Picchu as a cornerstone of a South American excursion next February. We will be visiting Rio de Janeiro before cruising around Cape Horn to Santiago, Chile and then flying to Peru..
Travelers' Tip:
Of course, the museum has a gift shop filled with every National Geographic item imaginable. It is worth a visit if just to look at the roomful of colorful images.
The tower at Ronald Regan National Airport as seen from the Mount Vernon Trail
Tonight, in an exploring mood, we discovered that we can walk from our apartment door directly to the departure gates of Ronald Reagan National Airport in about 30 minutes.
For our daily exercise stroll, we decided to walk a portion of the Mt. Vernon Trail, a popular 18-mile exercise route which runs behind our apartment complex and links Theodore Roosevelt Island in D.C. with George Washington's home. Now while we had traversed the 5-mile northern section of the trail from Crystal City to the Roosevelt nature retreat, we had never headed south.
About a 1/2 mile onto the trail, we encountered a sign which said Reagan Airport and pointed left. "You want to try it?," Judy asked. "Why not," I replied.
So we took the trail branch, wound through the underground walkway that ran under the airport access road, followed the signs to Parking Garage C, headed up the elevator to the 2nd floor, and found ourselves a few steps from the moving walkway that would carry us to the wide corridors for the retail stores and secure monitored gates of the airport.
We decided to keep going. With more than 2/3 of the arriving and departing flights cancelled due to Hurricane Irene, the airport, or at least the part of the airport we could visit, was virtually deserted.
We did find that Reagan contains a 5 Guys, a California Tortilla, and a Potbelly's, which just happen to be my 3 favorite DC food chains. I also wondered what would happen to all the memorabilia, including date-marked T-shirts and posters, on sale for the planned unveiling and dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, which was postponed until sometime in September or October because of the impacts of Hurricane Irene.
Travelers' Tip:
Although we probably will never use it, it's environmentally nice to know that Reagan National has a secure bike area for those who would like to pedal their way to the airport.
We concluded our week-long focus on activities scheduled to coincide with the dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial by viewing "The March" at the National Archives McGowan Theater today.
The 33-minute documentary, directed by James Blue, uses actual footage from the times to capture the 1963 protest for jobs and freedom, which proved to be the most historic Civil Rights gathering of the 60s era and gave a setting for Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech.
In addition to the inspiring speech from Dr. King, the black and white film captured many images specific to the early 60s. For example, many of the extremely orderly crowd of more than 200,000 were dressed in attire befitting church attendance. In one shot, an on-duty National Parks officer was shown smoking a cigarette while Marian Anderson performed. The documentary also showed the large number of white clergy and young teenagers who marched and listened on that August day.
When the lights came on after the showing, a gentleman sitting in front of us, explaining that he had arrived a minute into the showing, asked if there had been any opening credits. "I was at the march," he said, a simple statement that launched a 15-minute back and forth discussion that ranged from the relative merits of John Sayles "The Return of the Secaucus 7" compared to "The Big Chill" to favorite free DC museums to lamentations about the loss of quality independent book stores nationwide.
As we learned, Philip Levy, who has operated Bridge Street Books in Georgetown for 31 years, said he was 18 at the time of the historic DC march. He and some friends sold posters (kind of a collage, he recalled) behind the Lincoln Memorial. "I couldn't see what was going on, but I heard everything," Levy said. He noted that his positioning did allow him to see actors Paul Newman and Marlon Brando and have a brief conversation with writer Norman Mailer, who was covering the event for Esquire magazine.
With my love of books, I obviously promised Levy that we would soon visit his Georgetown store. I warned him, however, to be prepared, as I had been known to spend hours in bookstores. "That's fine as long as you buy something," Levy said with a smile as we parted to find out what Hurricane Irene had in store for us and the DC area.
Traveler's Tip:
You do not have to stand in the long lines that can exist for regular Archive viewing to attend any showing at the McGowan Theater. Simply use the Special Events/Group entrance on Constitution Avenue. After being screened, you follow the signs to the theater. After your performance, you can tour the rest of the archives offerings without re-entry. I highly recommend checking out the gift shop which has some unique offerings including a T-shirt commemorating the almost surreal meeting between then-President Richard Nixon and Elvis Presley.
I attended my 1st major rock concert in 1966 with a triple-bill of The Blues Magoos, The Who, and Herman's Hermits (???). Since then I have enjoyed too many concerts to even begin to keep track of including double-digit shows from The Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. I've been to multi-band, multi-day extravaganzas like 1969's Atlantic City Pop, the 1970s Canadian Woodstock Strawberry Fields, the 2009 Bonaroo Festival and this summer's Dave Matthews Caravan in Atlantic City. But I would have to rate tonight's Martin Luther King Memorial Dedication performance at The Kennedy Center in the top tier of my extensive shows-I've-seen list.
Now while this was the 1st show I had ever attended at the main concert hall in The Kennedy Center and I was well aware of its impeccable acoustics, I don't think it was auditorium sound quality that drove the show up near the top of my listening charts (although obviously it didn't hurt). It was the incredible, and I do mean incredible, talent on display from these 3 virtual unknowns to most of the rock world.
First up was the soul-stirring, hand-clapping, foot-stomping gospel sounds of Maggie Ingram and the Ingramettes. Sister Maggie, at 81, gives a whole new meaning to the word spry and I am sure that she and her family singers could elicit at least one "Praise Jesus" from The Devil himself.
Next was the NYC acapella group Naturally 7. Now the term acapella does not do this group, who just finished a Mexican tour with Michael Buble, justice as somehow they use their voices to simulate the sounds of virtually ever instrument in the soul hip-hop word. I know it is a cliche, but this truly is one group you really do need to see to believe. And even then, like a great magician, you may still not have a clue as to how they do what they do. Before this week, I had never heard of Naturally 7 and now they rank a solid number 2 on my new music should-be-more-popular-than-they-are list, right behind Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and far ahead of number 3 Fitz and the Tantrums.
Finally, French harmonica virtuoso Frederic Yonnet closed the show. Now the harmonica is no stranger to modern music. There's blues greats like Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson. There's Motown's Stevie Wonder. And the harmonica played an essential part for 3 of the tops gods in the rock pantheon - Bob Dylan, John Lennon, and Mick Jagger. But if there is a better harmonica player in all the universe than Yonnet I would love to hear him or her. As one concert veteran muttered as he walked out of the show, "Stevie Wonder ... sheeeet ... that boy there (Yonnet), now that's the real deal."
Travelers' Tip:
If you attend a performance at The Kennedy Center, be sure to make some time to check out the many exhibits featuring the life and words of former President John F. Kennedy which are located throughout the venue.
We attended a special concert at the Walter E.Washington Convention Center tonight featuring artists spanning musical decades from 1960s Impressions to the 21st Century acapella sounds of Naturally 7, all performing songs with themes from the messages promulgated by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights era.
Fitting enough for the time period being explored, the 2-hour show was in the format of those old Motown reviews, where each artist had 2 songs to showcase their artistry with tunes chosen to commemorate the ideals espoused by Dr. King.
Among the many, many highlights of the night:
The Impressions (which featured 2 members who have been in the group for more than 50 years) doing their Civil Rights anthem "Keep on Pushing"
Naturally 7's stunning take on "What the World Needs Now (Is Love Sweet Love)"
Ray Chew, the former musical director of the Apollo Theater and current musical director of American Idol, leading the house band through a stirring instrumental of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On."
Eddie Levert's (former lead singer of the O'Jays) fully funkified, crowd raising double dose of "Give The People What They Want" and "Love Train."
Patti LaBelle's show-closing, extended, ethereal version of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," fortified by 3 changes of shoes and a string of held high notes that no human being should be able to reach.
In a word, the night was wow.
To check a Washington Post slide show of the concert click here.
Traveler's Tip:
If you attend an event at the Walter Washington Convention center be prepared to walk. The venue is massive.
Dunbar High School: Will Dave Price be working here one day or is an earthquake a sign of no way?
An afternoon that began with a friendly education-exploring lunch with a former colleague, then continued with an unexpected, impromptu tour of a historic Black section of D.C., finally climaxed today with a once-in-a-lifetime East Coast Earthquake, which shook and shocked Washington area residents and left several historic treasures with structural damage.
Here's my detailed where were you when the earthquake hit story.
When I first announced that I would be retiring from education and moving to Crystal City, Paul Smith, whom I had worked with as part of The Talent Development Program out of Johns Hopkins University, contacted me, asking if I would like to join him as a consultant to a whole school reform program he would be handling at Dunbar High School in D.C.
To be honest, I had mixed feelings about the project. One part of me simply wanted to enjoy my retirement. But another part was intrigued with being able to work with a problem-plagued, big city urban school like Dunbar. Paul and I stayed in touch through the summer, but were unable to get together because of my moving and travel schedule. Finally, with school starting, we were able to coordinate schedules and plan a lunch at The Big Bear Cafe, a counter culture establishment on First Street.
I traveled by Metro to the nearest station to the cafe, and, since I was really early, decided to walk to Dunbar to check it out before proceeding on to lunch. After passing through the school's metal detector, I was directed to the office. As I was explaining my purpose in visiting to a secretary, I was approached by a nattily dressed man (at least nattily dressed by my South Jersey school standards) who offered his hand and introduced himself as school principal Steven Jackson. Somehow, from reading about Jackson both online and in the Michelle Rhee biography The Bee Eater, I expected someone larger in statue. But it was clear from his demeanor that Jackson was definitely in charge of his building. In a friendly, yet forceful way, he wanted to know what this visitor was doing in Dunbar. I briefly explained my connection to Paul Smith, adding that I might be working here. Apparently satisfied with my explanation, he politely dismissed himself and returned to the open-door meeting his was having with 3 colleagues in his office.
After a brief discussion with the security guard manning the screening system, I left Dunbar and resumed walking the 4 remaining blocks to the Black Bear Cafe. There I was joined by Paul and we enjoyed an hour lunch with the time equally divided between catching up on the past couple of years and discussing the plans for Dunbar. Although we reached no definite conclusion about my involvement, I told Paul I was definitely interested and he promised to get back to me with a yes or no as soon as funding plans were finalized. (For those interested in financial aspects, I asked for $17.4 million a day and Paul was pretty convinced that might cause a stumbling block).
Paul left for a meeting at Dunbar and I decided to explore new areas of DC by walking up Florida Avenue to a different Metro station. After about 4 blocks, I stopped to look at restoration work on a brightly painted Victorian row home and suddenly was joined by Bill, who described himself as a sort of informal historian of the area. "That's pretty incredible, what they're doing," said Bill, who explained that he was born in DC and, after extensively traveling the US and turning 50 years old, he had come back to live here. I explained that I had just moved to DC and was trying to learn all I could about the area. "Oh, I could bore you for hours with that stuff," Bill said. And so Bill launched into a fascinating neighborhood history lesson.
"See that gate over there," Bill said. "That's LeDroit Park. It was a private guarded gated community back in the 1870s. No one who didn't live there could get in. The people got tired of having to walk around it and finally got it opened up. Then it became an exclusive area for Black residents. Jesse Jackson has a home at 4th and T. And Walter Washington, the first elected mayor has a home there, too."
Continuing our tour up the street, Bill pointed out work on 2 theaters. "That there is the Howard," he said, "Everybody played there. Duke Ellington, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder. And that one over there is the Dunbar."
And so, for the next 20 minutes, Bill regaled me with inside stories about the historic Shaw Neighborhood - Ben's Chili Bowl, Howard University, and the whole U Street Corridor. Finally, Bill said he was heading for lunch and prepared to duck into a local Ethiopian Eatery. I thanked him for all his information and told him I might continue my walk all the way back to the Capitol. "Hmm. I wouldn't do that. There's a few rough streets that way,"he said.
"Just cut down that road," he said, pointing to direction. "Turn left and you'll come to the Shaw-Howard Metro Station. That's a direct line to Crystal City."
On the Metro ride home, I had time to reflect on just how much fascinating hidden history there is in DC and how grateful I was to have outgoing, local "historians" like Bill around to clue me in.
Getting off the metro at my Crystal City stop, I decided to run an errand in the Crystal City Underground. And that's where I was when I encountered the great Eastern Earthquake (although I must admit, at the time, I had absolutely no idea what was happening).
As I was headed to the underground Rite-Aid, I experienced what I first believed was a large scale explosion, followed by shaking. At first, I thought given my proximity to the Metro, that a train had derailed. But when the shaking resumed, I quickly considered and dismissed the idea of a bomb. But any consideration of what exactly was happening was quickly replaced by 1 thought - I wanted to get out of that underground and out on the street. The next few seconds were a blur. I remember the startled face of a Vietnamese hairdresser as she exited her shop and stared at me quizzically as bottles of beauty products tumbled from the shelves behind her. I remember 2 well-dressed black women who kept pace with my brisk walk, all the while struggling to comprehend our circumstances. "Oh My God. What do you think it is? What's happening?," they cried. I remember 2 guys imploring me to forgo my hasty exit and join them under the archway of their store door.
Somehow, I restrained myself from running (maybe it was a false sense of Steve McQueen cool) and just kept up my brisk walk until I was able to jerk open the door to the street, where I joined thousands of Crystal City workers and lunch-goers who were already outside, trying to come to grips with the situation.
Obviously, my 1st thought was to get in contact with my wife Judy, who I had left back in our apartment about 4 hours ago. I dialed my home number on my cell and got - nothing. Looking around, I saw that everyone else had their cells out and intuited that the phone system must be over whelemed. So, still trying unsuccessfully to dial, I began the 4 and 1/2 block walk to our Crystal Plaza Apartment Complex.
On my walk, I found that my eavesdropping skills, honed during my 10 years as a reporter, came in handy. "Earthquake ... 5.9... all the way to North Carolina... did Bill and Julie get out? ... that's right an earthquake ... aren't there after shocks ... we'll just have to go back in later and get your purse ... I hope the kids are OK ... hey, hey get away from the windows ... no, we'll open back up, we're always open ... Well, I'm going over there, the bar looks open and I need a stiff drink ... where are the police and firemen? ... they'll let us know when we can go back in ... no I don't know if they'll let us go home"
I reached our apartment complex and found Judy outside with the rest of our neighbors who had been home at the time of the disturbance. And, of course, Judy had her own earthquake tale to tell. She had been ironing when she heard the apartment door shaking. "At first, I thought you had come home and couldn't get in the door," she said. But when the whole 7th floor apartment started swaying and several statues plummeted from the top of our 6-shelf bookcase, she quickly realized there was something more dramatic in play than a klutzy husband. "The TV was really rocking and I rushed to grab and steady it," she said. "Then I went out on the balcony to find out what was going on. The concierges were outside. They were really upset and hollered for all us to come down outside."
Finally, we were given the OK to re-enter our complex and we threw ourselves in front of the TV (which, thanks to Judy's quick action, was safe and still working - I knew there was a reason why I love that woman) to find out exactly how an earthquake had found its way to DC to shake up our afternoon and that of most of the Eastern seaboard.
Travelers Tip:
I guess this incident and its aftermath again proved that, despite all our technological advances, Nature still has mysterious forces we must always respect as we struggle to reckon with them.
