Tell Congress No Bombing

Last Saturday, President Barack Obama announced he would ask Congress to authorize strategic bombing of targets in war-torn Syria because it is believed Syrian leaders used chemical weapons, specifically sarin gas, on their own people in a conflict which has claimed more than 100,000 lives.

Today, sign-carrying, shouting opponents of that move marched from the White House through the streets of DC to Capitol Hill in an effort to convince Congress to reject the President's request.

Congress is expected to begin debating the issue on Monday, and protesters vowed to return to Capital Hill then to force a no vote on any bombing, which they claim would be an unwarranted step toward yet another war in the Middle East.

Here is a photo recap of the day.

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Here are 9 questions you need answered about Syria from The Washington Post.

Over, Under, Next

Venus of the Rags - Michaelangelo Pistoletto

Before 1913, when artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque first incorporated commonplace, mass-produced images and found objects into their art, everyday materials were regarded as simple bric-a-brac, not items to use in creative works.

Since then, artists around the world have embraced the idea that art could be scavenged from fragments and detritus found in the everyday world. 

Recently, at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Gallery on the National Mall, an exhibition entitled Over, Under, Next, which featured more than 100 examples of collage and assemblage primarily drawn from the Hirshhorn’s collection, was on display.  The exhibition closed last Monday.

Among the materials found in the art were butterfly wings, glass shards, doll parts, crumpled automotive metal, jigsaw puzzle pieces, clothing, straight pins, furniture, sand, and brightly colored pill capsules.

Here is a sample of the art you would have found, some of which is still on display in permanent exhibits at the museum. 

This is a closeup of the objects ....

... that produced Monsters of Paradise, Times Two by Fred Tomasello

The Easter Bunny as art from handbags

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The Over Under Next exhibit may be gone, but you can view the next major exhibit headed to the Hirschhorn. That exhibition which will open on Oct.24  is entitled Damage Control: Art and Destruction Since 1950 and is the first in-depth exploration of the theme of destruction in international contemporary visual culture. The display will begin in the aftermath of World War II, under the looming fear of total annihilation in the atomic age, and will explore the continuing use that artists have made of destruction as part of the creative process—sometimes sinister, sometimes playful, often iconoclastic, and always challenging.

Synetic Readying Dorian Gray

If you have ever attended a Synetic Theater (or, as we like to call it, the world-class theater in our Crystal City basement) production, you have probably wondered what type of intensive exercise training would be required to prepare the troupe for such physically demanding dancing, fighting, and mime-like movements.

Well, at its annual appearance at the Kennedy Center's Page to Stage series, Synetic cast members presented a 10-minute demonstration of one of their intensive exercise routines. Of course, the session was greatly abbreviated. Exercise, training, and conditioning sessions can last from 1 to 6 hours a day depending upon the production.

Synetic also used their time on the Millennium Showcase stage to preview scenes from their upcoming production, The Picture of Dorian Gray, an original restaging of the classic Gothic Fautian-themed novel by Oscar Wilde.

The performance, which, based on the preview promises to be another in the long line of award-winning presentations, opens on Sept. 26 and will run until Nov. 3.

But back to those warm-up exercises for a minute. If you would like to experience a sample of the such intensity yourself, you can. Synetic offers exercise and training programs for the public. Just check out the group's web site.

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If you would like to see the entire one-hour performance by Synetic, you can by clicking here.

50 Fun Things to Do In DC This September

Looking for interesting things to do in DC this month. This guest post by Lauren Staehle of The DC Spotlight Newspaper offers 50 suggestions. Enjoy. And don't forget to thank the DC Spotlight Newspaper and Lauren if you had a great time at any of these events.

Lauren Staehle

News Writer for The DC Spotlight Newspaper

Calendar of Events 

September 1. Free Community Day at the National Museum for Women in the Arts. 1250 New York Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20005. Information: nmwa.org

September 1. Booth’s Escape Route, All Day Tour. The Smithsonian Associates; tour departs from 550 C Street SW. 8:00am. Information: si.edu

September 1. SPARKLE Queer Open Mic Night. Busboys and Poets. 8:00pm. 1025 5th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001. Information: busboysandpoets.com

September 1. Howard Gospel Brunch featuring the Harlem Gospel Choir. The Howard Theatre. 1:00pm. 620 T Street NW, Washington, DC, 20001. Information: thehowardtheatre.com

September 4. Create at the Corcoran Happy Hour: Textile Design: Shibori. The Corcoran Gallery of Art. 6:30-8:30pm. 500 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20006. Information: getinvolved.corcoran.org



September 4. James Bond: Fact Into Fiction (and Back). The International Spy Museum. 10:15am. 800 F Street NW, Washington, DC. Information: si.edu

September 5. Phillips After 5: Ellsworth Kelly’s Colors. The Phillips Collection. 5:00- 8:30pm. 1600 21st Street NW, Washington, DC. Information: phillipscollection.org

September 5-6. Civil War to Civil Rights: The Well Being of a Nation. The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. 3800 Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742. Information: claricesmithcenter.umd.edu

September 5-7. Godfrey. The DC Improv. 6:30pm. 1140 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036. Information: dcimprov.com



September 6. Rock and Roar: An Acoustic Performance by Marc Roberge and Richard On of O.A.R. The National Zoo. 7:00pm.3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008. Information: nationalzoo.si.edu

September 6. 2013 Pacific Miss Asian American Beauty Pageant Final Competition. Music Center at Strathmore. 7:30pm. 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, MD 20852. Information: Strathmore.org

September 6-October 20. Estelle Parsons in The Velocity of Autumn. The Kreeger Theater at Arena Stage. 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024. Information: arenastage.org

September 6. Alan Jackson. Merriweather Post Pavilion. 6:00pm. 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD. Information: merriweathermusic.com



September 7. Inside Media: America’s First Gentlemen. 2:30pm. The Newseum. 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20001. Information: newseum.org

September 7. Exploring the Sky. Rock Creek Park, Military Field. 9:00-10:00pm. 5200 Glover Road NW, Washington, DC 20015. Information: nps.gov/rocr

September 8. Steinway Series: VERGE Ensemble featuring Laurie Hudicek. The American Art Museum. 3:00-4:30pm. 8th and F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004. Information: si.edu



September 9. Mad Women Style: Janie Bryant on Fashion and Character. The Natural History Museum. 7:00pm. 10th andConstitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC. Information: si.edu

September 9. Blondie and X. 9:30 Club. 7:00pm. 815 V Street NW, Washington, DC. Information: 930.com

September 10. Fall Out Girl with Panic at the Disco. The Patriot Center. 7:00pm. 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax, VA 22030. Information: patriotcenter.com

September 10. Marc Anthony. The Filene Center at Wolf Trap. 8:00pm. 1645 Trap Road, Vienna, VA 22182. Information: wolftrap.org


September 10. Richard Youngs. The Black Cat. 8:00pm.1811 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009. Information: blackcatdc.com

September 11. Conservation Clinic: Lunder Conservation Center. The National Portrait Gallery. 9:00-11:00am. Eighth and F Street NW, Washington, DC. Information: npg.si.edu

September 11. Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: Strathmore Season Preview Concert. Music Center at Strathmore. 8:00pm. 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, MD 20852. Information: Strathmore.org

September 11. Muse with Cage the Elephant. Verizon Center. 7:00pm. 601 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004. Information: verizoncenter.com

September 12. Men Media Entrepreneurs Summit-Making New Ideas Happen. The National Press Club. 8:30am. 529 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20045. Information: press.org



September 12. The African Diaspora: Integrating Culture, Genomics and History. The African American History Museum. 8:00am-6:00pm. 1400 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004. Information: nmaahc.si.edu

September 12. Russell Brand. The Warner Theatre. 8:00pm. 513 13th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004. Information: warnertheatredc.com

September 12. Kate Girl. U Street Music Hall. 10:00pm. 1115 U Street NW, Washington, DC. Information: ustreetmusichall.com

September 13. Les Petits Chanteurs (The Little Singers) of Haiti. National Museum of African Art. 12:30-1:30pm. 950 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20560. Information: africa.si.edu

September 13. 11th Hour Poetry Slam Hosted by 2Deep the Poetess. Busboys and Poets. 11:00pm. 2021 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009. Information: busboysandpoets.com

September 13. HOB 20th Anniversary Presents Blue October- The Sway Tour. The Fillmore Silver Spring. 7:30pm. 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Information: fillmoresilverspring.com



September 13-14. The Black Cat 20th Anniversary Party. The Black Cat. 8:00pm. 1811 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009. Information: blackcatdc.com

September 13-October 22. Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex on the Flight of Birds. The National Air and Space Museum. 10:00am-5:30pm. Independence Avenue at 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20560. Information: airandspace.si.edu

September 14. Movie Premiere: Cybornetics: Urban Cyborg. Anacostia Arts Center. 8:00-10:00pm. 1231 Good Hope Road SE, Washington DC, 20020. Information: anacostiaartscenter.com

September 14. Central American Family Festival Day. The American Indian Museum. 10:00am-4:00pm. Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC. Information: si.edu

September 15. An Evening with Graham Nash. The Birchmere Music Hall. 7:30pm. 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 22305. Information: birchmere.com



September 16. Youth Lagoon. 9:30 Club. 7:00pm. 815 V Street NW, Washington, DC.Information: 930.com

September 16. The Art and Style of Graphic Novels: Panel Discussion. Politics and Prose. 7:00pm. 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20005. Information: politics-prose.com

September 18. Civil Rights Superheroine: A Special Evening with John Lewis (Members Only). The Newseum. 7:15pm. 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20001. Information: newseum.org

September 19. The Pet Shop Girls. Music Center at Strathmore. 8:00pm. 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, MD 20852. Information: Strathmore.org

September 19. Take 5! Jazz and the Civil Rights Movement. The American Art Museum: Kogod Courtyard. 5:00-7:00pm. 8th and F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004. Information: si.edu



September 20. Imagine Dragons. Merriweather Post Pavilion. 6:00pm. 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD. Information: merriweathermusic.com

September 23. An Evening with NATURALLY 7. The Black Cat. 8:00pm. 1811 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009. Information: blackcatdc.com

September 24. Alejandro Escovedo and Shelby Lynne. The Birchmere Music Hall. 7:30pm. 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 22305. Information: birchmere.com

September 25. Jack Johnson. DAR Constitution Hall. 7:30pm. 1776 D Street NW, Washington, DC 20006. Information: dar.org

September 25. Celebrity Chef Todd Gray Cookbook Dinner at The Fourth Estate. National Press Club’s 4th Estate Restaurant. 6:30pm. 529 14th St. NW, Washington, DC 20045. Information: press.org

September 27. Walk the Moon. 9:30 Club. 8:00pm. 815 V Street NW, Washington, DC. Information: 930.com.

September 27. Jimmy Cliff. The Howard Theatre. 8:00pm. 620 T Street NW, Washington, DC, 20001. Information: thehowardtheatre.com



September 27-29. Map the World: Music From 13th-15th Century Spain. The Folger Elizabethan Theatre. 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC, 20003. Information: folger.edu

September 27- October 27. The Laramie Project. Ford’s Theatre. 511 10th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004. Information: fordstheatre.org

September 28. Nicholas Sparks in Conversation with NBC Washington’s Angie Goff. 7:00pm. Sixth and I Historic Synagogue. 600 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20001. Information: sixthandi.org

September 28. On Freedom’s Trail Bus Tour. Anacostia Community Museum. 10:30am-2:00pm. 1901 Fort Place SE, Washington, DC. Information: anacostia.si.edu



September 28. Wolf Trap Fall Fest: The Barn Party. The Barns at Wolf Trap. 3:30pm. 1645 Trap Road, Vienna, VA 22182. Information: wolftrap.org

September 28. Laura Bananti. George Mason University Center for the Arts. 8:00pm. 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030. Information: cfa.gmu.edu

September 29. Fiesta Musical: Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. The National Zoo. 11:00 – 4:00pm. 3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008. Information: nationalzoo.si.edu

Syria Dilemma Sparks White House Protests

Just hours before President Barack Obama announced he would take his case for strategically bombing Syria for using chemical weapons against its own people to the U.S. Congress, supporters for and against that action engaged in a heated, flag-waving, slogan-shouting protest outside the White House.

Police on horseback were able to separate the two groups and both sides continued their rallies until late afternoon. The larger group, who opposed the bombing, contended that the United States would violate international law by such an action and that there is a grave risk of getting U.S. forces involved in yet another Middle East quagmire. Their opponents, mostly Syrian-Americans and a few Syrian nationals, loudly countered that the U..S. has a moral imperative to strike government targets in response for the chemical attacks, which left more than 1,000 dead, many of them children.

As the two sides squared off, other protesters staged a rally for Egyptian freedom in neighboring Lafayette Park. Even though they were there for a different purpose, a member of a group of young Egyptian-Americans from Brooklyn discussing the explosive situation in Syria succinctly summed up the dilemma facing President Obama: "If you bomb, innocents will die. If you don't bomb, innocents will die. It is a question of which innocents."

Here is a series of shots capturing the day's events.

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Here is some unedited video from the day of protests at The White House.