Welcome to Counter Culture in the Capital

Today, we are officially unveiling our new blog Counter Culture in the Capital, our 1st spinoff from The Prices Do DC. It's a look at food and great dining in DC, with an emphasis on eateries that won't break your budget. 

The post below is an example of the type of thing you will find there. We hope you will check it out by clicking on the Counter Culture link here.

If you like what you see, you can make sure you get our food and dining posts by liking our Counter Culture in the Capital Facebook page. That's the best way to get all we have to offer. However, if you're not on Facebook, you can simply favorite or bookmark Counter Culture on your computer and check it periodically to find out all about DC food culture.

And, of course, you don't have to live in the DC area to find things of interest on the page. If you like food and you like to eat, this blog is for you. You'll also be ready to chow down properly the next time you or any of your friends visit Washington.

We really hope you'll become a regular reader of Counter Culture in the Capital. And whether you or don't, we wish you all Bon Appetite. 

from Counter Culture ... Crab Cakes, Competition & More

Even though it was Father's Day, Andrew Markert, the chef at Beuchert's Saloon, was relying on his mother's recipe for inspiration. Markert was 1 of 8 top DC-area chefs competing in the 9th annual DC Crab Cake Competition.

"I'm using mama's crab cake recipe," Markert said. "The mothers always do the cooking on Father's Day, right."

Markert was facing stiff competition. Also presenting their crab cake creations for tasting were:

• Mike Abt of Le Diplomate
• Matt Adler of Osteria Morini
• Sarah Biglan of Ris
• Tony Chittum of Iron Gate
• Chris Clime of Passion Fish
• Haidar Karoum of Doi Moi and
• Johnny Spero of Minibar

There would be 2 awards given at the competition, held at The Source by Wolfgang Puck. A group of judges would select the overall top crab cake. But all the attendees could vote for their favorite and that chef would win the People's Choice Award. 

So for 2 hours, more than 100 crab aficionados, who had paid $75 each to benefit educational programs at the American Institute of Wine and Food, moved from long table to table, enjoying the samples that the chefs were producing in front of their eyes. There was no limit to how many small crab cakes you could consume, so you were able to enjoy multiple taste tests at each station if you wanted.

But, of course, man (or woman) cannot live on crab alone.  You could also feast on clam chowder, Gordy's pickles, fresh vegetables, and bread. And then there were the oysters. Nothing serves as a better palette cleanser between crab bites than chilled oysters. And, like the crab cakes, they were also unlimited.

The Devine shucking siblings

So while most of the focus was rightly on the 8 chefs, I decided to hone in on the brother-sister team of Timothy and Bernadette Devine of Barren Island Oysters, based in Hooper's Island Md, who were shucking oyster after oyster at a table in the front of the restaurant.

Even if you weren't an oyster fan, you had to get a chuckle from their sign which proudly proclaimed "Ugly oysters [but] they've got great personalities."

Bernadette credited her brother with teaching her the art of shucking. This was actually an anniversary for the team. Their 1st public event had been at the 8th annual DC Crab Competition. Bernadette recalled her 1st heavy shucking day. "I shucked 300 oysters. I couldn't move my wrist the next day," she said. Bernadette said Timothy had taught her his method. "It's all in the wrist," she said. "You go in at an angle and you wiggle."

For his part, Tim said he came to his oyster operations indirectly. He, Bernadette, and their 5 other siblings grew up on the Chesapeake, taking advantage of everything you could do on the water. Eventually, after several years as a self-taught photographer in New York City, he returned to Maryland and began oystering 3 years ago.

Obviously, since I was in the presence of an oyster expert, I had to ask Tim what was the proper way to eat an oyster. "It's personal taste, but the 1st oyster, you have to eat naked. And by that I mean the oyster should be naked, not you," he said with a wide grin.

Finally, all the eating was over and it was time for The Source's executive chef and emcee Scott Drewno to announce the winners. The judges ruled that Haidar Karum had created the best crab cakes of the day.

However, Drewno announced that there would be crab cake history with the People's Choice Award. For the 1st time, 2 chefs had tied. First, he announced Sarah Biglan of Ris. Then he called Markert's name.

"We thought about having a crab off," Drewno said. "But we decided on a tie. The winner gets a case of wine. We're going to give 6 bottles to each."

After thanking all the participants for helping young developing chefs, Drewno had one final message.

"Everything today was all about local," he said. "Please keep supporting local."

See Hillary Sign. See Hillary Run?

If you live in the DC area you probably don't know Sue Kezurer Zuckerman, but if you knew Suzie like I know Suzie, you would know 3 things - she's my wife's college roommate, she and her husband Marc were visiting us in Crystal City last weekend, and she loves Hillary Clinton.

That's why you could find Sue, Marc, my wife Judy, and I walking to the Costco store in Pentagon City Saturday morning to stand in line to see Mrs. Clinton, who was scheduled to begin signing copies of her new book Hard Choices at 11 a.m.

Arriving at the Costco parking lot shortly after 9 a.m., it was apparent that this wouldn't be your normal book signing. There was the crowd. Lines of more than 700 people, many with a copy (or copies of) Hard Choices in hand, were already established alongside the entire western side of the store.

Then there was the bus in the parking lot. The red, white and blue bus with a big picture of Hillary on the back where you see her texting with the words Please Don't Text and Drive. On the side, the messages Ready for Hillary and Join the Movement were displayed in giant type. Outside the bus, dozens of people were stacking tables with "I'm Ready For Hillary" buttons and signs. Others were rolling up posters of Hillary to distribute to those who wanted them. Still others were huddled in small groups, getting further instructions for the day.

Does this look like a book bus to you?

Now authors don't travel in tour buses with entourages. Rock stars, sports teams, and political candidates do. And that's the thing. Very few people in the Costco crowd Saturday were there to see Hillary Clinton the author. They were there to see the Hillary Clinton whom almost everyone expects will gain the Democratic nomination in 2016 and try to become the first woman in American history to hold the office of President of the United States.

We were greeted by Megan Collins from Orange County, California, who is a sophomore in college here in the DC area. She offered us our "I'm Ready for Hillary" stickers (which as an old practicing journalist I declined) and explained the procedures for the day.

I asked Megan why she was working for the as-of-yet-not-declared candidate. "We're here to show Hillary today that we have a number of people supporting her if she decides to run. And we'll still be here for her in 2016."

Megan said that while she endorses Mrs. Clinton for her political views, she also has a more personal reason to join the "I'm Ready for Hillary" campaign. Both of her parents are big Bill and Hillary Clinton supporters. When she was 8 months old, Megan had her picture taken with Mrs. Clinton. Later, her mother said, "maybe you'll be working with her when you're older."

"And here I am," she said with a wide smile. "I think it's pretty revolutionary for a former First Lady to go out and make a name for herself. Not only is she a strong representative for the female community, she is a strong representative for America."

But, of course, not everyone is as admiring of Mrs. Clinton as Megan or my wife's roommate, Sue.

John Lipnicki

Take John Lipnicki of neighboring Vienna. The 69-year-old business owner was on the sidewalk next to the Costco, brandishing a large yellow, black, and red sign which attacked the former Secretary of State for Benghazi and claimed she had a legacy "written in blood from Arkansas to the White House."

"I'm here to let people know that there is another side to Hillary," Lipnicki said. "If she wants to be president, what she did or did not do will impact America for years to come. She's no leader. Where was she when we needed her as secretary of state?"

And Lipnicki was not alone in his opposition to Clinton. At the front entrance of the store, the Republican National Committee had unleashed it new anti-Clinton weapon - a volunteer NRC worker in an orange-and-white squirrel costume wearing a dark blue t-shirt with the slogan "Another Clinton in the White House NUTS" written in red and white letters on the front.

Other RNC volunteers were on hand to distribute literature accusing Clinton of numerous failings including, of course, Benghazi, and her most recent statements that she and Bill were "dead broke" when they left the White House. For his part, the squirrel remained silent, letting his T-shirt proclaim his message. He (or she) did pose for pictures so that message could spread from Costco via Facebook, Twitter, and other social media.

Meanwhile, back in line, people passed the time by chatting - not surprisingly - about politics, government, and the Clintons.

Laird White from Arlington told us why he was spending 2-and-a-half hours here on a sunny Saturday. "I'm looking forward to 2016 and I'm hoping that somebody competent stays in the White House," he said. White also said he had a suggestion he wanted to deliver to Mrs. Clinton. He believes he knows who should be her running mate - current senator and former Gov. Mark Warner from Virginia.  "If she does choose Warner, then I can take credit for the pick," he said with a laugh.

For her part, Suzie was having a hard time keeping her excitement in check. "What should I say her? Don't you think she's wonderful? She's so great."

Suddenly, she hit me on the shoulder. "Look, there's Bill Clinton. Right behind us."

Suzie and Bill Clinton?

I turned around. Obviously, it wasn't Bill Clinton, but for once Suzie was almost right. The man did resemble the former president. Especially at a quick glance. The Clinton look-alike turned out to be 59-year-old Rick Meidlinger from northern Virginia. He admitted this wasn't the first time he had turned heads at a Clinton book signing. A few years ago, when Bill Clinton had appeared at the same Costco to sign one of his own books, Meidlinger had attended.

"I was sitting on that loading dock over there and a woman came over and said, 'If I can't get a picture with him, I can get a picture with you.'" Then others did the same thing.

I spent the next hour or so talking to Meidlinger, who, although he wasn't the former president, did have a really interesting story behind his reason for getting Mrs. Clinton's signature. Autograph gathering was something he had started with his younger daughter, who had a passion for baseball that she developed while playing sandlot ball with the boys in her neighborhood. She played Little League with the boys; then continued on to pitch with them on the high school baseball team. She had thrown a perfect game and been featured in a section of Sports Illustrated. Later, she made the US Women's Baseball Team, but once it was decided that baseball wouldn't be an Olympic sport, she gave up actively participating in the game. But she and her Dad continued collecting autographs.

Finally, after noon, we entered the store. In order to see Mrs. Clinton you had to be a Costco member. Judy and I had bought a membership the day before for $55. But since we had only 2 cards, that meant that only Judy and Sue could continue through the line. When we had purchased our membership, I told Dave, one of the store managers, about my plans to blog about the event. He suggested that we not carry anything in to the signing, since it would have to be stored and checked. So Judy and Sue gave their pocketbooks and small beach chairs to Marc, who would hold them, while I wandered around the store trying to capture more details for this post.

I will let Judy describe what happened next:

Sue and I were given yellow wristbands after we showed our 2 Costco membership cards. We proceeded following the yellow arrows down the cement floor aisles blocked off for the signing. Store employees had constructed a giant wall using slats of water bottles for a base and slats of paper towels for height to secure the signing area.

Since we weren't carrying anything (not even a cell phone or a pre-purchased book), we were told to take a shortcut across 3 aisles of waiting Clinton fans, where we were scanned by Hillary's security and lead to the inner signing area.  

Sue meantime had asked me at least a dozen times if I was going to get her a book for Hillary to sign. I repeatedly assured her they would have books inside the maze that we could purchase and finally asked the security people just to assure her. 

Sue asked me what I was going to say Hillary and, after thinking about it, I said I would simply thank her for all she has done for us (women). 

As we rounded the final aisle, there she was, elevated on a platform, surrounded by hundreds of books and many members of her staff and security. 

The people ahead of us had cell phones and were taking pictures while in line. "Oh man," I said to Sue. "David will be upset that we don't have our phones to take a picture"  I turned around to Rick, our new friend and Bill Clinton look-alike, and asked him to take a few shots of Hillary signing books and then email them to us. He said he would. 

The line was moving very quickly, but Sue observed that Hillary was shaking hands with every person in line.

"Oh my God Judy, what am I going to say to her.  Doesn't she look beautiful? I mean really beautiful?" Sue blurted out, obviously awe-struck at finally seeing Hillary up close and personal. 

When it was our turn, three of us were herded up. Hillary shook all three of our hands and we were given a pre-signed book and led out the other side of the signing area. The entire process took less than 20 seconds.

I didn't get to say "thank you for all you have done," but we had gotten Sue to meet her political idol.

(photo from Politico)

Judy and Sue rejoined Marc and me. They described their signing adventure, brief as it was. We headed out of the store, with Sue clutching her book like a valued treasure. "Oh, this was the best thing. She was so gorgeous."

At the entrance, Sue saw the RNC squirrel for the first time. She read his (or her) T-shirt. Her eyes sparked. "That's not nice. He shouldn't be here." 

I understood Sue's point, her being a Hillary Clinton devotee and all that.  But she was wrong. The squirrel did belong, as did John Lipnicki and the others who joined him on the sign-waving protest line. They are as important to Democracy as Sue and Megan Collins and all the other Hillary supporters.

In America, we talk of the twin pillars of freedom and liberty. To me, that means choice. No one person or no one party has a monopoly on truth. We need vital debate to remain a vigorous nation. If, as expected, Hillary is the Democratic nominee, she can offer her vision of America. Her opponents can offer theirs. The people can then decide which one they want to follow. 

I only have one problem with that scenario. I believe in voting, but I really, really hope the choice never comes down to the squirrel or Sue. I mean one has "NUTS" on his (or her shirt) and the other is completely ... well, you know. One never speaks and the other is never quiet. One is weird looking, but kind of cute and the other is an orange squirrel. 

But then nobody ever said that book signing - or politics - is easy. 

Extra Extra Read All About It!
The Prices Do DC Offers Even More Hillary

• What it's like to ride on the Hillary Bus (when it's not broken down) (from The Washington Post)
• With a faint smell of canned chicken in the air, Hillary signs her new book. (from The Washington Post)
• On this Saturday in Costco, you could find Hillary Clinton, Sonia Sotomayor, and John Lewis (from Politico)
• The RNC chases Hillary with a giant orange squirrel (from The Daily Beast)
• 5 tests for Hillary's book tour (from Politico)

Ralph Fasanella @The American Art Museum

Welcome to this week's Monday Must-See post. On Mondays, The Prices Do DC will offer an entry about some current exhibit in DC you should see. Sometimes, we will write the post. Sometimes, it will be taken from another publication. But no matter who is the writer, we believe it will showcase an exhibit you shouldn't miss. 

“I didn’t paint my paintings to hang in some rich guy’s living room,” Ralph Fasanella once said.

There’s an irony to that nose-thumbing dismissal, seeing as it targets the very people whose wealth and generosity (and, it must be said, quirky taste) probably made possible Fasanella’s exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, where that quote runs across the top of one wall. Though the self-taught painter (1914-1997) labored in obscurity for 25 years before his 1972 “discovery” by New York magazine, one large Fasanella canvas — and there are several here — not long ago fetched $364,000 at Sotheby’s auction house.

Fasanella, who would have been 100 this September, is being feted with “Lest We Forget,” an exhibition whose title refers to a mantra of this lifelong lefty. That title — more of a rallying cry, really — is meant to honor the common laborers who teem by the hundreds, even thousands, in his dense, panoramic vistas of his native New York and other metropolises. (Several paintings depict a landmark 1912 strike by textile workers in Lawrence, Mass.)

To continue reading this post, which 1st appeared in The Washington Post, click here.

Oh, Say Do You See What They See?

DC's Smithsonian museums (there are 17 of them here in the city) are among America's most treasured and visited places. But the Smithsonian also publishes a series of some of the most interesting, fact-filled blogs appearing anywhere on the internet. Each Sunday, The Prices Do DC re-posts an entry about the Smithsonian, many of which appeared in 1 of the institution's blogs. Hope you enjoy and maybe we'll see you soon at the Smithsonian.

As national treasures go, it was a bargain: $405.90, paid to Mary Pickersgill of Baltimore, who fashioned it from red, blue and undyed wool, plus cotton for the 15 stars, to fly at the fortress guarding the city’s harbor. 

An enormous flag, 30 by 42 feet, it was intended as a bold statement to the British warships that were certain to come. And when, in September 1814, the young United States turned back the invaders in a spectacular battle witnessed by Francis Scott Key, he put his joy into a verse published first as “Defence of Fort M’Henry” and then, set to the tune of a British drinking song, immortalized as “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

The flag itself, enshrined since 2008 in a special chamber at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History following a $7 million restoration—and due to be celebrated yesterday with a nationwide singalong —remains a bold statement.

 But what is it saying now, 200 years later? We asked leading painters, musicians, poets and other artists to consider that question. You might be inspired by their responses, or provoked. But their artworks give proof that the anthem and the icon are as powerful as ever, symbols of an ever-expanding diversity of ideas about what it means to be an American.

To continue reading this post, which 1st appeared in Smithsonian.Com, click here.

Shark Girl Dives Deep to Show Her Love For Sharks

Each week in our Saturday Supplement, we re-post an entry of interest to both residents of the Washington area and visitors to DC that first appeared in another publication's website. Shark Girl (aka 20-year-old Madison Stewart) appeared last week at the Museum of Natural History here in DC as part of World Ocean Day to talk about her new documentary which will be airing Sunday on the Smithsonian Chanel.

Shark Girl with one of her precious creatures ...

... and Madison Stewart on the Musuem of Natural History stage last Sunday

Sharks have become the go-to monsters in movies and pop culture, whether it's Jaws, Jaws 2 or even Syfy's campy Sharknado. But they still remain fairly mysterious and terrifying beasts — a perception the self-dubbed "Shark Girl" is trying to change.

Madison Stewart, a 20-year-old Australian scuba diver who grew up swimming with sharks by the Great Barrier Reef, is a shark conservationist and star of the upcoming Smithsonian Channel documentary, Shark Girl. The documentary follows her efforts to raise awareness of shark fishing practices and their detrimental effects on both the coral reef's ecosystem as well as human health.

"I never chose conservation, I was enlightened to what was happening unfortunately by witnessing it myself," said Stewart in an interview with USA TODAY.

To continue reading this interview, click here.

CNN News Anchor Looks Back at Tiananmen Square

Shaw speaks at Newseum

Welcome to this week's Friday Flashback. Each Friday in the Flashback will will offer a post about some part of the past and its relationship to DC. Sometimes, we will write a new entry. Others times, we will showcase articles that previously appeared in The Prices Do DC or some other online publications. But no matter who does the writing, you can trust that you will learn something important from the Flashback. 

25 years ago, then-CNN anchorman Bernard Shaw was in Beijing, shaking in rage as the Chinese government ordered all networks to cease live broadcasting from Tiananmen Square, a massive community gathering place soon to become the site of a massacre in which as many as 2,000 protesters were gunned down by military troops.

"We came to cover a summit and we walked into a revolution," Shaw, now retired, told a studio audience of Inside Media at the Newseum last week.

In 1989, Shaw's network was less than a decade old and still trying to establish itself as the first 24-hour-a-day news network in broadcast history. As soon as it was announced that Chinese officials were going to host a parley with then-Soviet Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev, CNN knew it would have to broadcast that historic summit between the 2 Communist powers.

One of the most famous pictures from the 20th Century was taken in Tiananmen Square

But in the weeks leading up to the meeting, Chinese protesters, most of them college-age students, took to the streets of Beijing, demanding widespread political and economic reforms in China. At first, the Chinese officials ignored the protests, but they became so large that government hardliners felt they had to act.

"We watched these mushrooming protest demonstrations. There were more than a million people in the streets. We all knew this was going to explode in their faces," Shaw said.

But, of course, the Chinese government didn't want the world to see its action, so before it moved to quell the protesters, it ordered CNN to halt its broadcasting.

Shaw describes the moment that happened this way:

"I was on the 9th floor of the Great Wall Sheraton and I broke a cardinal rule of broadcasting. You never run; you don't want to go on the air out-of-breath. But I ran. Inwardly, I was seething. I had chills running up and down my back. They had blindsided the whole world. I'm a child of Democracy and as a journalist, I believe in truth. The rulers felt the protest was a threat to their power. After we went off the air, I was so enraged I went back to my room and cried."

At first, the convoys of tanks and troops dispatched to Beijing refused to enter the city. "There were all these people pleading with them 'don't do this. We are your bothers and sisters.'" Shaw said.

Protesters in Tiananmen Square before the bloody crackdown

However, different troops and commanders were dispatched and they did act brutally and bloodily. "These were not riot troops. These were trained combat troops. They would be attacking their fellow citizens. What training prepares you for that?" the veteran newsman said.

When silence in the street finally reigned, reports, never confirmed by the Chinese government, indicated that as many as 2,000 Chinese were killed in the action. "They still deny that it happened," Shaw said. "They still deny that anyone got killed in Tiananmen Square."

But, even though they couldn't broadcast live, CNN and reporters for other major news organizations still were able to tell their story through words and film which was smuggled out of the country,

Shaw said the Tiananmen coverage "meant a lot to our then struggling network."

In was also the beginning of what came to be called the CNN effect. Obviously, American officials had to comment immediately on what was being reported. "Now, government has to respond in real time and thoughtfully come up with a reaction," Shaw explained.

Obviously, much has changed in China in 25 years. As Shaw pointed out they didn't even have a stock exchange then and now they are one of the world's leading economic powers. But officials still maintain a stranglehold on communications in their country. But the newsman says that will change.

"The more China becomes involved in the global economy, the more it will have to be responsible to its citizens," he said. "Imagine trying to control a nation with 1 billion people. It's not going to happen. There will be more Tiananmen Squares. It will change over time. It won't happen overnight, but it's going to happen. It's inevitable."

"The people's voices are muffled and shut out right now, but there will come a time. And when the change does come, it will come mightily," Shaw added. "The old farts are dying off and I guess I just made sure that I will never get a visa to China again."

Shaw also said that China's new position in the world makes it vital for America to remain vigilant about Chinese actions.

"China was a 3rd world country and now it is a military threat to the United States and western  democracies around the world," he added. "This is why it is so serious."

Brazil's Dance with the Devil: Love of Soccer Battles Sports Greed

Today, activist sports writer Dave Zirin is in Brazil covering the biggest sports story in the world - soccer's World Cup. But 3 days ago, he was here in DC talking about his new book, Brazil's Dance with the Devil: The World Cup, the Olympics, and the Fight for Democracy with a standing-room only crowd of fellow social advocates at Busboys and Poets.

For more than a year, Brazilians, who as a nation consider soccer a veritable religion, have been protesting the staging of the World Cup by FIFA, the event's organizer, and a too-compliant government, claiming the combination is responsible for financial waste and corruption that is jeopardizing the country's educational, health, and housing services.

Dave Zirin signs books after his talk

"People are protesting soccer in Brazil. In Brazil, soccer is a religion. Imagine a protest in New York City against pizza," Zirin said. "Polls show that 55% of Brazil wants its team to lose. FIFA is as popular as FEMA was in New Orleans after Katrina."

Zirin, who has been covering the Olympics and World Cups for more than a decade, says "the waste and carnage" of such events is mind-boggling. For example, winter events have paid millions to fly snow to mountains. The cost of the recent corruption-filled Winter Olympics in Sochi has exceed $9 billion dollars.

The sports writer often quotes his friend, former Olympian and 1968 Mexico City protester John Carlos, who says the Olympics are only held every 4 years because "it takes them 4 years to count the money."

"It's not that there's no money, it's a question of who gets the money," Zirin said. That controversy is particularly acute in Brazil since the country will also be hosting the Olympics in 2 years.

Here are just some of the statistics for the 2014 World Cup. It is expected to cost more than $15 billion to put on. FIFA required that brand new stadiums be built, many with luxury boxes for only the richest fans. One stadium, constructed in the Amazon Rainforest, has not yet been completed and is rumored to be used as an outdoor prison center after the games are completed. More than 250,000 Brazilians have been displaced from their homes. The government has mobilized more troops for the event than America deployed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"This is all satire so dark that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert wouldn't have dared to cover it," Zirin said.

But many in Brazil have been striking back, taking to the streets and staging protest strikes. "They are saying we want FIFA quality wages, we want FIFA quality schools, we want FIFA quality hospitals," Zirin said.

The situation is heightened because of Brazil's long history with European colonialism, slavery, and racial and economic inequality.  "They do not want their soccer to become just another commodity for foreign consumption," Zirin said.

The sports writer maintains that Americans should be following the Brazilian happenings as the country's people take on authoritarian power, corporate greed, and political cronyism and corruption. "All that is what makes Brazil our story, too," Zirin maintains.

Zirin believes that the Brazilian actions may be the beginning of a world-wide movement to curb the excesses and abuses of giant sporting competitions. "I see a renaissance of revolution against these sports organizations that act like Mafia cartels for their own personal enrichment," Zirn said.

And while that may or may not be true, it is certain that with soccer's enormous popularity, the whole world will be watching what happens both on and off the field in Brazil for the next 4 weeks.

Documentarian Ken Burns Talks the Roosevelts - Teddy, Franklin, and Eleanor

Ken Burns (on right) talks history, film, and the Roosevelts

Most historians would agree that both Roosevelts - Teddy and Franklin - should be ranked in the top 10 White House presidents in American history. But, with the current relentless 24/7 news cycle and the shrill, political cacophony of social media, could either man be elected today?

To renowned director Ken Burns, who describes himself as a historian who uses film to tell his stories, the answer is a resounding no.

"I think Teddy would have been (emotionally) too hot. He would have had his Iowa Howard Dean moment and we never would have heard from him again. And I don't think a cripple confined to a wheelchair could get out of the Iowa caucuses. And that is a disastrous," Burns says.

The director offered concluding remarks this week at a seminar on Inequality Begins at Birth: Child Poverty in America, sponsored by the Century Foundation's Bernard L. Schwartz Rediscovering Government Initiative, the Roosevelt Institute, and the America Pediatric Association.

His remarks followed a viewing of selected clips from his latest documentary on Teddy, Franklin, and FDR's wife, Eleanor, which will be aired for 7 consecutive nights on PBS this September.

Burns said that all 3 of the Roosevelts had appeared individually in many of his previous documentaries, but now he wanted to tell the interconnected story of all 3 in his latest endeavor.

"These were great people, but they were imperfect in personal lives and they were imperfect in their political lives," Burns said, noting that it is the dualities of good and bad and success and failure in all of us that make for great story telling. ""Achilles was a great hero, but he had his heel and he had his hubris," Burns noted.

Burns thought that the greatest attribute of all 3 Roosevelts was their ability to connect to the common people, despite the fact that each had been born into great wealth. "They were to the manor born, but they were willing to go down. All 3 had a willingness to swim upstream and betray their class."

Not surprisingly, Burns said it is important for all of us to study history to gain perspective on our own times. "There really is nothing new under the sun," he said. "The idea of what is the role of government resonates in our times. "(Examining) history gives a chance to mitigate our own over-reactions and restore our confidence.

Soul of Our Nation Is at Stake, Says Sen. Cory Booker

Cory Booker and me: 2 Jersey boys
talk Springsteen and politics.

From his seat on Capitol Hill to his travels around the country, Sen. Cory Booker sees a series of struggles that is leaving "the soul of our nation in the balance."

"We are setting traps for our children that cost us all in the long run," Booker, who represents the state of New Jersey says. "As my father used to say 'it might be better to have been born in 1936 than it is to be born now'. We are falling backward. The question is not what the right answer is - but why are we not pursuing it?"

Booker was the keynote speaker today at a seminar on Inequality Begins at Birth: Child Poverty in America, sponsored by the Century Foundation's Bernard L. Schwartz Rediscovering Government Initiative, the Roosevelt Institute, and the America Pediatric Association.

As you would expect from the topic, Booker addressed the problems of the young poor, especially those he witnessed firsthand during his time as Mayor of Newark living by choice in public housing.

"New Jersey is still one of the most segregated states in the nation," Booker said. "70 percent of my (Newark) children are like my Dad, poor and being raised by a single mom. My father benefitted from a conspiracy of love. He had people there to make sure he did not fail. But today, we don't have the level of activity and engagement to break the cycle".

Booker said that early education must be improved and college must be made more affordable.  "You can't be a leader in the economy if you are a laggard in education," the senator said.

But some of his harshest criticisms were directed at the American criminal justice system and a failed War on Drugs that has devastated communities across the country.

"We have 4% of the world's population and 25% of its prisoners. Americans do not have a higher proclivity for criminal behavior than anywhere else. There are more blacks now under criminal supervision (prison, probation, parole, etc.) than all the slaves in 1850. Think about that," Booker said. "People are being sucked into the criminal justice system."

It is evident that the American justice system is racially biased, Booker pointed out. To dramatize that claim, he compared the treatment of a black youth in Camden (NJ) and a college student at Stanford University, the college where Booker received his college degree. "They're not raiding any fraternities at Stanford. And blacks and whites in America have no different rates of drug use,"Booker said.

The senator also pointed out that once released from incarceration, many people are forced to "go back into that underground economy" because they are banned from, or can't find, employment. He cited a statistic that 84% of the murder victims in Newark had been arrested 10 or more times in their lives.

"We need to empower people to be productive," Booker said. "Poor costs more. The amount we have to pay on the back end instead of investing in the front end is staggering. We are not acting in a fiscally prudent way."

As an example of such action, Booker pointed out that the same Congress that cut food stamps increased financial incentives to sugar manufacturers. "That means it's cheaper to get a Twinkie in Trenton than it is to get an apple."

Booker claimed reversing these situations "is the call of our country."

"Everywhere in this nation is sacred soil. There are no toss-away communities. There are no toss-away people," he said.

That daunting task will take "sacrifice, struggle, and work" the senator noted. "Change is never made in an instant. It takes timeless, indefatigable people to stay in the fight."

Masks and More @National Museum of African Art

Welcome to this week's Monday Must-See post. On Mondays, The Prices Do DC will offer an entry about some current exhibit in DC you should see. Sometimes, we will write the post. Sometimes, it will be taken from another publication. But no matter who is the writer, we believe it will showcase an exhibit you shouldn't miss. 

Dreams are the inspiration for much of the art in the National Museum of African Art’s latest exhibition. It certainly looks like a shadow realm. Illuminated by a twilit scheme meant to evoke late-afternoon sunshine filtered through a dense canopy of leaves, “Visions From the Forests” features mask after mask, many of which seem to have sprung from a restless mind. The whole show has the feel of a power nap: more stimulating than sleepy.

The hallucinatory implication of the title is not just a metaphor. In the tradition of the Dan people of West Africa’s upper Guinean rain forest, where this art comes from, the sandman is quite literally the maskmaker’s muse. For the Dan artist, as the wall text explains, a mask “is typically created after a dream in which someone encounters a forest or household spirit.” The mask, then, is imagination made flesh.

Of the 75 objects on display — which include silver jewelry, stone carvings, colorful fabrics and horns made of ivory — 33 are wooden masks carved by the Dan, the Vai, the Mende and other peoples of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Guinea. The most striking of these are several ­helmet-style masks that cover the entire head.

To continue reading this post, which 1st appeared in The Washington Post, click here.

Oh Say Can You See These Facts About the Star-Spangled Banner

DC's Smithsonian museums (there are 17 of them here in the city) are among America's most treasured and visited places. But the Smithsonian also publishes a series of some of the most interesting, fact-filled blogs appearing anywhere on the internet. Each Sunday, The Prices Do DC re-posts an entry about the Smithsonian, many of which appeared in 1 of the institution's blogs. Hope you enjoy and maybe we'll see you soon at the Smithsonian.

The Star-Spangled Banner is one of the most recognizable icons of the United States. 

Huge, vibrant, and rich in history, most Americans are familiar with the story of this particular flag: It's the one that flew over Fort McHenry the morning after the Battle of Baltimore during the War of 1812 and inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words that would one day become our national anthem. 

Although this flag has been around for 200 years now, there is more to this story that begs to be told. And with Flag Day and a special celebration set for the Smithsonian National Museum of American History this week, now is the perfect time to learn more.

To continue reading this post, which 1st appeared in the Oh Say Can You See blog, click h

For Summer in Washington, Don't Put Your Best Flip-Flop Forward

Each week in our Saturday Supplement, we re-post an entry of interest to both residents of the Washington area and visitors to DC that first appeared in another publication's website.

In July 2005, some members of the Northwestern University’s women’s lacrosse team wore flip-flops to meet President George W. Bush. The choice of footwear raised a stir in Washington and beyond. (David Bohrer/Associated Press)

Abra Belke shudders when she thinks about summer mornings in the Rayburn Building. “It sounds like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” said the former Capitol Hill staffer and lobbyist. “Interns and junior staffers are just clomping down the hall in their $5 Old Navy flip-flops.”

Flip-flops are a fashion don’t for Belke, who writes the Capitol Hill Styleblog. But those Hill aides aren’t the only ones flashing their toes. All across Washington, rising temperatures mean a switch to summer styles. And from shoulders to shoes, it’s a moment that tests what can and can’t be worn at work.

For some HR departments, the change of season — and the arrival of a new batch of interns — is an occasion to send friendly reminders about the dress code, which in this city can come with a level of detail befitting the Federal Register.

To continue reading this post, which 1st appeared in The Washington Post, click here.

Gay Pride: Out Is In

Welcome to this week's Friday Flashback. Each Friday in the Flashback will will offer a post about some part of the past and its relationship to DC. Sometimes, we will write a new entry. Others times, we will showcase articles that previously appeared in The Prices Do DC or some other online publications. But no matter who does the writing, you can trust that you will learn something important from the Flashback. 

This weekend, DC is celebrating Capital Pride. Here is a post from last year's celebration

Conflicts are part of human life. Some are relatively common, affecting most of us. But what if a conflict is more specific to exactly who you are? For example, you are a young gay man who loves bowling, but is not  exactly sure how well you fit into the masculine, beer-swilling aspects of that sport. Or a lesbian woman who wants to travel  to China, where such a lifestyle is illegal? Or a person born as a female who is absolutely certain she should become a he and live life as a man?

Well, for these and hundreds of other such issues, solutions could be found today at the booths that lined the Pennsylvania Avenue Street Festival, one of the largest events in this year's Capital Pride week-long celebration..

While many of the thousands of visitors at the festival were here for a good time and to celebrate with fellow members of the DC-area's large and growing gay community, others used the opportunity to find help for  questions and issues.

Adam Boenning at his bowling booth

Our want-to-be bowler could head to the booth of the Capital Area Rainbowling Association, where Adam Boenning was offering small, colorful Grab-An-Ass donkeys for a buck as a fundraiser, as well as information for anyone who wanted to bowl in a same-sex league.

"We have 10 leagues that bowl 7 nights a week in the DC-Maryland-Virginia area," Boenning explained. He said there are about 1,400 bowlers currently in the association leagues. And, in the area of athletics at the Street Festival, Boenning wasn't the only one talking same-sex sports. You could visit the booths of DC Strokes (rowers; coxswains needed), the Washington Renegades (rugby) and several others.

Our would-be China traveler could seek out Linda Kemp, the DC regional sales consultant for Olivia, a San Francisco-based travel company for lesbian women. Kemp said Olivia has provided travel for more than 200,000 women all over the world.

"There's a common denominator for our travelers - they feel free to be themselves," Kemp said.

Kemp said that while travel was the main concern of the firm, there was another goal - spreading the idea that lesbianism is not something to be feared.  "We're always out. People are afraid of what they don't know and they get to know us," she said. Kemp laughed as she related a story of one of the travels to Turkey. The group encountered a community  that had been particularly hit hard by economic devastation. There, poor local women lined up with home-made rugs, imploring the visitors to buy them. Which they did.  The next day the local headlines in Turkish read: Lesbians Help the Economy of Turkey.

At the DCATS (the DC Area Transmasculine Soicety) booth, Eli Strong was one of a trio of volunteers available to answer queries and provide information.

"We work with people who are born or assigned to be female at birth and feel that it is an incomplete or inaccurate description of who they are," Strong said. "We get together for social stuff, but we deal with problems, too."

One of the biggest problems facing transmasculines is health care. Providers don't always recognize their condition and refuse to pay for operations, testosterone, and other needed medical help.

Strong, who was born a woman and now is a male and legally married to a woman, said he knows all too well the problems people like himself face on a daily basis. When his wife suggested that they relocate to another area, Strong convinced her to change her mind. "DC is one of the leaders in the country when it comes to human rights," he said. "I told her we're not leaving DC for somewhere where I'll lose my rights."

Tales, Tidbits, and Tips

My new lesbian lunch crew: Caring and confident

I know you can't (and indeed never should) stereotype. But I am going to break my own rule here. As a group, the dozens of gays, lesbians, and transgenders I met and talked to at the Street Festival were among the most friendly, sensitive, and socially conscious people I have ever encountered. And I know the small rainbow bracelet one of the festival goers gave me to wear on my wrist wasn't the reason for their warmth. Take the group of 6 lunching lesbians from Virginia who took me under their wing. I sat down on a low wall with them as they ate. One of the younger members (whom I'll call Angel for reasons that shall soon be obvious) immediately began asking me how I was enjoying myself. In a voice filled with genuine concern for my well-being, she asked "Are you here with anybody," her tone and body language indicating that I was welcome to hang with her group if I weren't.

My wife: A DC Roller girl?

I told her I was waiting for my wife, whom I later found was  engaged in a just-as-friendly conversation with a member of the DC Roller Girls, the district's popular roller derby queens. "Hey," Angel told the others. "He and his wife are here for our support." We then launched into a conversation about the day (a lot of fun), the life of a southern lesbian (she said she had it much easier than her gay brother) and some of the issues in an America that still simply isn't as tolerant as it should be about same-sex relationships. One of the older women, wearing a "Girls Will Do Girls" T-shirt joined in. Suddenly, the whole group burst into laughter as they discovered one of their members eating a corn dog on a stick in a particularly sexy, but decidedly not lesbian, fashion.  "Hey we're lesbians. Do you know what that looks like? You're giving us a bad name. People are going to think we like men."  I joined in their laughter. In fact, laughter seemed to be one of the biggest parts of this pride day. Homosexuals of all ages and types smiled when the food vendors would shout "give me a big one" or "give me a long one" as cooks pulled another sausage from the smoking grills. They smiled even brighter and longer as they roamed the Festival, greeting and hugging old and new friends. It seemed fitting that this most accepting version of America was happening between the National Archives, where the most sacred documents of our founding are kept, and the Capitol, where the laws that should govern and protect us all are made. As I left my 6 new friends, the younger man's T-shirt of a couple holding hands as they strolled by summed up the entire day. "Out Is In," it read. That may not yet be true everywhere in America 365 days a year. But it was definitely true on this sunny Sunday June afternoon on a packed Pennsylvania Avenue.  Out really was in.

These Synetic Theater troupe members prove we can all get along.

How many times have you needed this?

If the Idea of Chewing on Insects Doesn't Bug You, Here's a Free DC Lunch You Would Have Enjoyed

The 2 young women, dressed in fashionable summer DC office attire, looked down at the red napkin being held in front of them. The napkin contained today's featured appetizers - Mexican spice mealworms, roasted mealworms, roasted crickets, and roasted locusts.

"How do they taste?" one of the women asked, making a face. "Are they yucky?"

"No, they are really crispy. And salty," the man replied before slipping a small handful of the insects into his mouth.

Such conversations were the order of the day yesterday on the outdoor dining patio of the Occidental Seafood and Grill on Pennsylvania Avenue, which was serving as the site of a 3-hour, pop-up Pestaurant offering a menu consisting entirely of cooked insects.

The event, which was titled "Pestaurant on Pennsey," was sponsored by Ehrlich, a DC-area pest control company. The 1st  Pestaurant event was held last year in London. This year the DC lunch at the Occidental was one of 12 locations around the globe that were offering insect dining.

Company officials said that one reason for the worldwide event was to try to make bugs and insects a little more appetizing to the general public. A 2013 report from the Unite Nations called consumer disgust "one of the largest barriers to the adoption of insects as viable sources of protein in many Western countries". It also named "insect farming" as a potential way to "address food and feed insecurity" across the world.

But the free fun afternoon lunch also had a more immediate social impact. Erlich donated $5 to DC Central Kitchen, an organization which feeds the homeless and the poor, for every person who sampled bugs from the 3 insect-laden tables.

On the savory table, the wait staff was serving roasted crickets, Mexican spice mealworms, roasted mealworms, buffalo worms, and roasted locusts. On the sweet table, the offerings included scorpion lollipops, chocolate ant rounds,  mealworm lollipops, ant candy, and ant and cricket lollipops.

Chef Rodney Scruggs

But, by far, the biggest culinary hit of the afternoon was the tasty grasshopper burgers created by Occidental executive chef Rodney Scruggs. He said his burgers were a combination of turkey, grasshopper, and a secret ingredient. "You always have to have a secret ingredient," he joked. He explained that the grasshoppers used in the burgers reminded him of dry mushrooms. "I could see them pairing well with a really old wine," Scruggs said. The chef explained that after much consultation dried grasshoppers were added to give the burger "a little extra crunch." He said that since grasshoppers are a staple south of the border, he topped his creation off with a special salsa.

As television, print, and online cameramen recorded the scene, Scruggs said the environmental and charitable focus of the event appealed to the restaurant. "It's for good causes, but it's playful, fun, and whimsical, too," he said. "It's really a win-win for everyone".

Extra, Extra, Read All About 
A Series of The Prices Do DC Bonus Posts

Chirping About a Cricket Contest 
I had intended just to come, eat a few bugs, and blog about it. But then I saw the sign.

"Next ... Cricket Eating Competition 1:15 p.m.," it said. "Your participation is a $20 donation to DC Central Kitchen. Win Prizes."

It really didn't take a lot of consideration. I had already downed a grasshopper burger and 2 big helpings of savory bugs, so I had no aversion to adding crickets to the list. I think DC Central Kitchen is one of the city's best charities, so that was attractive. And while I would be a newbie to the world of competitive cricket eating, I did have some experience in related fields. As a young reporter doing a 1st-person story, I had been the July 4th South Jersey watermelon seed spitting champion back in the 1980s for all of 2 hours until my record was broken.  And, since retiring to DC, I had blogged about the 2012 July 4th Z-Burger battle bash.

As I finished the last bites of a grasshopper burger, I told my wife to sign me up.

I took my seat at the table with about 20 other competitors. On my right was a legislative aide from Capitol Hill. On my left was a young Environmental Protection Agency worker.  Both gave me some pause for concern. I mean who knows more about bugging than the government. And the EPA deals all the time with environmental pests. But I actually thought my toughest competition might come from the recent graduate of the Culinary Institute of America who said he loved to compete in eating contests.

The head judge, who came all the way from England (or at least had a British accent) gave the directions. They seemed simple enough. We would each be handed 3 small cups of dried crickets. The winner would be the person who downed all 3 cups the quickest. If any crickets spilled on the table, you would have to consume those, too. You would have to raise your hand and then open your mouth to prove that all the insects had been completely swallowed. You couldn't drink anything while eating.

The judge asked if we were ready. We all nodded. "Alright begin," he said.

I learned quite a bit about cricket consuming in the next 3 minutes. First, there are almost as many ways of eating crickets in a cricket-eating competition as there are crickets. There is the dainty, grab one-by-one style. There is the 2-handed, 2-cup plunge. There is the dump-the-whole-cup down-at-once and then try to swallow method.

Then there are the faces of the contestants. They are interesting to say the least. They are also distracting. In fact, I became more interested in watching the faces than I did in eating. Or at least that is what I told myself. Actually, I realized after my 1st cup of crickets that I wasn't cut out for hard-core cricket chomping and chewing. I did manage to down a 2nd cup. But by that time, the winner had long finished and I was battling for a 2nd or 3rd place finish that I really didn't have the stomach for.

But even though I emerged beaten, I was not downhearted for long. A few steps away was the perfect cure for taking the sting out of a lost bug battle - I grabbed another of Chef Scruggs' really tasty grasshopper burgers. However not before having 2 glasses of water and a Coke. If nothing else, I now knew that cricket eating is the saltiest work this side of competitive salt-shaker downing.

Move Over President Obama, My Bug Eating Feats Just Steps from Your White House Make Fox News

Don't Think a Pestaurant Is a Serious Subject? Tell That to NPR

Be Prepared to Squirm: Here's a Photo Essay of a Buggy Day from DC Eater