Never Let Us Forget: Memorial Day at Arlington Cemetery

Welcome to this week's Friday Flashback. Each Friday in the Flashback will will offer a post about some part of the historic past and its relationship to DC. Sometimes, we will write the entry. Others times, we will showcase articles that 1st appeared in other online publications. But no matter who does the writing, you can trust that you will learn something important from the Flashback.

Since 1868, Arlington National Cemetery has been the focal point of national Memorial Day commemorations.

As the United States honors its fallen military heroes this weekend, you can here explore 8 surprising facts about one of the most sacred pieces of ground in America.

To continue reading this post, which 1st appeared in History in the Headlines, click here.

Unlucky Strike: The Science and Politics of Smoking

Keith Richard still smoking at 70

Despite almost universal opinion to the contrary, for Duke University professor John Staddon most of the facts provided to wage the war against smokers and smoking amount to nothing but an unsubstantiated smoke screen.

"Smoking is not lethal, it is risky," Staddon contends. "All these points (about smoking) have not been scientifically proven. Smoking is a private health problem, but a public policy disgrace."

The psychology professor believes that instead of universal bans on smoking, individual businesses such as bars and restaurants should be allowed to decide whether they want to be smoke-free or serve people who choose to smoke.

Staddon outlines his case in his most recent book Unlucky Strike: Private Health and the Science, Law, and Politics of Smoking.

When he recently appeared at the Cato Institute, Staddon offered his view. He said that despite claims to the contrary, science doesn't prove the dangers of smoking the way health and government officials maintain it does. "Their arguments are skewered by false information," Staddon charged.

The professor argued that actually:

• those who die from smoking tend to die close to retirement age.
• lifetime medical costs for smokers are less than for nonsmokers since "dying is very, very costly and it is (financially) much better to die of a heart attack than 20 years of dementia."
• and the reported risk to others is impossible to measure accurately.

"So maybe a short pleasurable life is preferable to a long one. The owner of the life should surely decide that," Staddon said. "Do we have the right to abridge the smoking rights of others? If they want to smoke these things and they are not harmful to others, why not let them smoke them?"

So then why does Staddon believe that smokers are over-taxed, dissed, and discriminated against in so many ways?

"It came from the frustration from the health establishment at the failing war on cancer," Stoddard maintains. "People said 'at least we can stop people from smoking".

Staddon said he is concerned about the continuing misinformation being circulated by anti-smoking proponents. "Even as smoking has gone down, the (reported) smoking deaths have gone up. What kind of sense does that make?"

"There is no limit to smoking alarmism," he added. "Now the are talking about (the dangers) of third-hand smoke. How on earth do they know? They don't know. It's just an act of faith, not science. And even e-cigarettes are being vilified as we speak."

Is Supreme Court for Big Business and Against the Worker?

Lee Saunders is convinced that a series of Supreme Court decisions is leading to an America where the wealthy and big business can control the political process, silencing the voices and votes of millions of American workers.

Saunders, the president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSME) which represents 1.6 million members, spoke recently at the Center for American Progress and delivered a strong attack against recent court decisions such as Citizens United that are concentrating political power in the hands of a wealthy few.

"Most people don't spend a lot of time thinking about the Supreme Court, but the court is making decisions that are leaving more and more families behind. The decisions are pushing the Supreme Court closer to Wall Street and business and further away from Main Street," Saunders said. "More and more billionaires will have the power to turn our democracy into a plutocracy."

The union leader expressed grave concern about the business-friendly court's upcoming decision in Harris v. Quinn, a case where it has been asked to decide if agency shop, which allows unions to take money from workers its bargains for even if those workers decline to join the union, is constitutional. That decision is expected next month.

"Now our right to represent these workers is under question," Saunders said."When the Supreme Court said corporations are people too they can hold more sway than the voices of actual people. The power of big money is trying to buy our democracy. We need an America that works for everyone."

Saunders said you can clearly see the pro-business side of the current John Roberts court even in its decisions of what cases it will hear. On average, the Court agrees to look at about 1 in every 100 cases submitted. However, Saunders said that the court agrees to take on 32% of cases backed by business organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce.

The union leader contended that the combined efforts of union workers is vital to combatting the power of the extremely wealthy, a task which is difficult even under the best of conditions. In an America where political power more and more means money, Saunders cited an important statistic in the inherent inequality in the funding field. In the 2012 election cycle, the two Koch brothers, the poster boys for the wealthy who are attempting to control American politics and government, spent $412 million of their own money. Union contributions totaled $153 million.

Unions are vital to continuing American success, Saunders contended. "When union density is bigger, the middle (class) becomes stronger. But now they are coming after us to reduce that density," he said.

But the struggle, while difficult given the court's rulings, is not over, Saunders said. "We have to go back to basics. We've got to organize. We've got to educate. We've got to get the power that comes with building a community."

"We all must be active and engaged in the battle because this truly is about the future of our nation," he added.

American Cool @National Portrait Gallery

Welcome to our 1st Monday Must-See post. On Mondays, we 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. 

Cultural concepts are always fuzzy, but that doesn’t make them useless. We may never know the exact beginning or end of Romanticism or the Gilded Age, or where lies the line between art and entertainment, or what distinguishes great talent from genius. But that doesn’t make those concepts hollow, just fluid and approximate.

A new entertaining and insightful exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery confronts one of the most dynamic and hard to define concepts in American cultural life — the cool. “American Cool” broaches its subject through photographs of people who helped define and embody the cool since before the idea had even taken definite form, to the current day when it is highly questionable if the “cool” is still meaningful. 

If you want to continue reading this article by Philip Kenicott which 1st appeared in The Washington Post, click here.

Smithsonian Picks The Best in Pictures

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 that initially appeared in one of those highly-readable blogs. Hope you enjoy and maybe we'll see you soon at the Smithsonian

The Smithsonian has announced the winners of our 11th Annual Photo Contest! 

These beautiful images were selected from over 50,000 entries submitted by photographers in 132 different countries.

Our photo editors selected seven winners -- a Grand Prize winner and a winner in each of the six categories: Natural World, Travel, People, Americana, Altered Images and Mobile. An eighth winner, the Readers' Choice winner, was selected by our readers in a month long vote here on this page. 

To view the winners which 1st appeared in Smithsonian.com, click here.

The Next Battle in DC Renaming: Harry Truman Union Station?

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

Two stipulations, right at the start: Senator Claire McCaskill, Democrat of Missouri, is far from being among the most objectionable members of the world’s greatest (way too) deliberative body. And bipartisanship, though overrated, should not be automatically regarded as a bad thing.

That said, McCaskill, with the support and co-sponsorship of the Republican Roy Blunt, her fellow Missouri senator, has come up with a regrettable idea. They have introduced a bill to saddle Union Station, Washington’s magnificent temple to the greatness of rail travel and food-court cuisine, with a new name. They want to call it the Harry S. Truman Union Station.

Their reasoning—McCaskill’s, anyway—is that there isn’t anything else labelled “Harry S. Truman” in Washington. (And please: no pedantic quibbling over whether it should be “Harry S Truman.”) That’s not strictly true. There’s the Truman balcony, which overlooks the South Lawn from the White House. But McCaskill and Blunt have a point. Surely President Truman, that great Missourian, deserves to have his name on something other than a home-improvement project.

To continue reading this post which 1st appeared in The New Yorker, click here.

DC Filled with Tourists, Tall Tales

Welcome to today's Flashback Friday. In Flashback Friday, we showcase a post that deals with days gone by or has appeared previously in The Prices Do DC. Here in DC, we are in the midst of a vistors' season that will last through the summer. But DC guide and author Robert Pohl has a word of caution for anyone who takes a DC tour - all of what you hear may not be exactly true.

Some DC tourists walk, some bus, some Segway.

For Robert Pohl, his latest book came from his job as a licensed DC tour guide who spends a lot of his time "chasing 8th graders around DC."

"I knew exactly how 8th graders operate - I was one of them once," Pohl says with a chuckle. "I had some great facts, but I needed something to make them more palatable."

So Pohl began mixing in stories about some of the capitol's most famous sites. For example, there was one he would tell about the Washington Monument. When it was first opened, elevators were new and considered dangerous. Only men were allowed to ride up to the top of the monument. The members of the fairer sex and their children had to struggle up the steps to get a view from the top.

"This was a perfect story. It brought the Washington Monument alive to the people," Pohl explained.

However there was a big problem - the story wasn't true, even though it had been told and repeated for decades. It was the DC version of an urban legend - a story that "exists somewhere in between horror stories, jokes, and morality tales," said Pohl, who appeared recently at Politics and Prose to discuss his new book Urban Legends & Historic Lore of Washington, DC.

In the book, Pohl used meticulous research to find the truth (and the falsehoods) behind more than 30 of the most-often repeated stories about historic DC. Take the idea that the word lobbyist was created in this city. The version of that tale goes like this: When he was president, Ulysses S. Grant would walk over to the Willard Hotel and sit in the lobby. There, people who wanted a favor from the president would present their case as he sat.  However, both parts of that tale appear untrue. First, in the 25 books of his memoir, Grant only mentioned the Willard 4 times, even though it is only down the street from the White House. In fact,  there is no proof that he spent evenings there. And there are mentions of the word lobbyist in 17th Century England, long before Grant took up residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Then there is the case of another great story involving a President, this time the massive chief executive William Howard Taft. In the various versions of this story, Taft got stuck in the White House bathtub prior to his inauguration and was only able to be freed with a pound of butter and the strength of 4 or more strong men. Good story, but again not true. First of all, Taft couldn't have been bathing in the White House prior to his swearing in. However, as there often is in such tales, there was a kernel of truth mixed in with fanciful elements. Taft, at more than 300 pounds, did have a special bathtub installed in the White House that was large enough to accommodate 4 normal-sized men.

But Pohl's research did not lead him to debunk all the questionable stories. For example, the Lincoln Memorial really is the only building struck by gunfire during World War II. However, it was shots from an errant machine gun, not anti-aircraft fire that damaged the building. Pohl found confirmation in several newspaper accounts from the time.

"This story stuck in people minds as if it were an urban legend," he noted.

Pohl said the urban legends he investigated shared many of the components from similar stories spread in other parts of America. "They tend to erupt, be localized, change over time, and have a moral" he said. "They are all good stories and we all like good stories. As human beings, we love patterns and we want to see patterns even when they may not exist."

Pohl did acknowledge there is one story that he loves so much that he refuses to look into it. That tale involves the Jefferson Memorial. At some point, officials were going to remove some of the famed Cherry Blossom trees that surround that memorial. A group of elderly civic-minded ladies, irate at that plan, decided to cling to the trees to save them. The local police chief was summoned. Realizing that "knocking old ladies on the noggin would't be good for anyone," the chief came up with a more subtle plan. He began plying the ladies with free coffee. Within half an hour, nature was calling and the protesters had to abandon their position for the nearest restrooms.

"At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it," Pohl said with a laugh.

Introducing Counter Culture in the Capital

President Obama at Ben's Chili Bowl.

It doesn't seem possible, but it has been almost 3 years since we left South Jersey and moved to Crystal City, just 3 Metro stops from Washington, DC.  Almost as soon as we arrived, I began writing The Prices Do DC blog.

The blog is designed to appeal to 4 groups of people:

• residents of the DC area
• people who are planning to visit DC
• people who had visited DC and really liked what they had found and/or
• readers who are interested in politics, history, and culture based in DC that had an impact in all of the country.

Over the intervening months, I continued to make content and design changes. Now, it is time for the most major change of all.

During upcoming weeks, I will be splitting The Prices Do DC into 4 blogs, all dealing with specific topics.

The 1st - Counter Culture in the Capital - is being introduced today.

The blog will provide a look at food and great dining spots in DC, with an emphasis on eateries that won't break your budget.

There will be all kinds of articles. For example, some posts will offer personal stories (Mother's Day and soft-shell crabs). Others will be openings of new eateries or eateries in new locations such as Shophouse Asian Kitchen (Chinatown) or Ben's Chili Bowl (Rosslyn). Still others will explore new kinds of food (montaditos) or news about food (Was pad thai actually stolen from the Chinese?).

But our food posts are only part of the story. There are also lists to help you narrow the bounty of DC food choices. These include:

• restaurants by Metro stop
• the 100 best restaurants in DC
• 40 dishes everyone in Washington should try and
• the Counter Culture best DC dining by specific food category or type

In addition, the blog will include stories from other sources on such topics as area chefs, area restaurants, and area food trends.

You can find sites that will discover and rate restaurants. You can even find sites that will tell you how and where to dine like Barack and Michelle Obama.

There are 3 basic ways to access Counter Culture in the Capital:

1. You can bookmark or favorite the site and check it periodically - Counter Culture in the Capital.
2. You can like the blog's Facebook page - Counter Culture on Facebook.
3. You can follow the blog on Pinterest - The Counter Culture Pinterest page.

Oh course, the best and most complete method for enjoying all that Counter Culture in the Capital has to offer is to follow it all 3 ways since each site offers features exclusive to that page. However, all posts will be available on all 3 sites.

We love DC. We like food. We like to dine out. This blog is our attempt to fuse all 3 of those interests. We hope you'll take a look and, if you like what you see, follow Counter Culture on a regular basis. But no matter what, we wish you good eating and happy dining. Ciao for now.

Cool Jazz as Cold War Diplomacy

American jazz ambassador Duke Ellington checks out Southeast Asian musicians.

When he was asked to describe the music he and his contemporaries were playing, famed pianist Thelonious Monk responded, "jazz is freedom. Think about that."

So with that definition in mind, it really isn't surprising that America decided to use jazz and its performers as cultural weapons in its idealogical Cold War against the former Soviet Union.

Recently, a panel was held at the National Archives to discuss the topic Jazz Diplomacy: Sending America's Music to the World. It was part of an ongoing series of programs to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Newport Jazz Festival.

"Since the beginning of jazz, music has been a prevalent symbol of freedom," said John Hasse, curator of American Music at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Louis Armstrong helped bring jazz (and democracy) to the world

According to Dr. Penny Von Eschen, professor of history and American culture at the University of Michigan, the use of jazz as a diplomatic tool was "accidental and improvised," much like jazz itself.

From the beginning of the Cold War between America and the Soviet Union, Russia pushed its artistic preeminence to demonstrate it offered the better way of life to the existing and emerging nations of the world.

"They (the Russians) said we were a nation of gadgets and automobiles and a people of no culture," Von Eschen said. "In essence, the US was reacting to this cultural warfare. But did the state department think of this?  No. This came out of the jazz world. Musicians said the Russians can't claim jazz."

However, the fact that many jazz musicians were African-American and blacks in the late 1940s and 1950s were treated as inferiors in the South and other parts of the country initially threatened any musical diplomacy plans. The tours began laced with contradictions, but eventually the music won out. Black jazz musicians gained popularity for their American music. Trumpeter Louis Armstrong  came to be known around the world as "The Ambassador of Democracy." Duke Ellington and his band performed in more than 65 countries.

"The musicians were bringing a very different message of democracy, of who counts, and what is democracy, and what is egalitarianism," Von Eschen noted.

Perhaps the biggest victory for jazz was delivered through The Voice of America shows aired by Willis Conover. Conover presented jazz programs for foreign listeners for more than 4 decades. In fact, while Voice of American language program transmissions were jammed in the Soviet Union, officials there allowed the music to play.

"It was a musical expression of the things happening in America," said current director of Voice of America David Ensor. "The Soviet Union had a hierarchal structure of music and jazz really upended that."

When questioned about playing American music produced by blacks, Conover had a quick reply. "Listening to skin instead of listening to music is irrational," he was reported as saying.

Ironically, the Voice from America propelled both Conover and jazz to new heights overseas, but not at home. "He was well-known the world over, but he wasn't known in the United States. In fact,  jazz is more popular today in many countries than it is here," Ensor explained.

David Killion, a former U.S. representative to UNESCO, said that although the Cold War is over, jazz is still serving a purpose around the world. "My message is that jazz diplomacy isn't history, it's contemporary," Killion said.

"Jazz diplomacy may have started in the United States, but it has been embraced by the world," he added. "In jazz, (as a player) you have to listen to what everyone else is playing, even if you don't agree with it. Jazz teaches us that this world is big enough to accommodate all of us."

Training an Eye on Union Station's Past, Present, and Future

Fascination withTrains span generations

What better way to take advantage of National Train Day than to take a special tour of historic Union Station here in DC.

Our tour would be conducted by 3 guides, all of whom are involved in both restoring the station and making it a practical transportation showplace for the 21st Century. Our guides were Rob Nieweg, a field director and attorney for the National Trust for Historic Preservation; David Tuchmann, vice president of Akridge development; and Thomas Taylor of the NOMA (North of Massachusetts) BID business group.

Here is what we learned about Union Station:

from Rob Niewig's perspective

Union Station interior

The station, which opened in 1907, was designed by early urban planner Daniel Burnham, who talked of "the city beautiful" and rose to prominence with his work on the 1893 Columbia Exposition in Chicago.

The name Union station comes from the fact that the then-new facility served both of DC's major railroads, the Pennsylvania Railroad and the B & O.

At the beginning of the 20th Century, the station provided the main gateway to the nation's capital. In the 96-foot tall, 200-feet long waiting room you could watch trains pull up into the station.

One of the most famous incidents at the train station occurred in 1953 when the brakes on a Pennsylvania Railroad train malfunctioned and it crashed into the station, jumped the passenger platform, and plunged through the floor of the passenger terminal into the basement of the station. Miraculously, no one was killed and only 43 people were injured.

Neiwig says many people have the wrong idea of preservation.

"It's about managing change, it's not about stopping change," he said.

The earthquake that struck the DC area in August, 2011 damaged much of the ceiling, and it is now being restored and strengthened.

Ornate statues based on Greek and Roman lore decorate both the inside and outside of the massive station. "Today, on one of the tours, I asked a young boy how old he thought the station was. He looked at some of those statues and said - a thousand years. And in a way, the little guy is right. The designers were trying to be symbolic with their idea of progress in railroading. This was the thing that the creators of the 1st Century were projecting. We want to keep some of that, but we want to make this a public place for its 2nd Century, too."

Learning on Train Day

from David Tuchmann's perspective
At its height of use during World War II, 200,000 people poured through Union Station every day. While the daily numbers aren't quite that great these days, an estimated 32 million people pass through the station annually. Almost 20 different types of transportation deposit and pick up people at the site.

"Really, this is kind of Washington's 4th airport," Tuchman says, citing the fact that Union Station is only behind Amtrak's New York station in number of passengers. It is also the most-used Metro stop in DC. More than 4,000 riders arrive and depart here from buses daily. "It all makes for an incredible transition for passengers," he said. "There's not enough space to move people on and off the trains comfortably."

Tuchmann has an image he likes to convey to point out the desperate need for modernization and expansion. He said that when 1 train arrives at the platform, it contains as many passengers as three 747 jet planes. "We're definitely overwhelmed at peak riding periods," he noted.

The 20-year expansion project envisioned will move out, over, and under the existing facility and its tracks.  "We need efficient systems to move people in and out," Tuchmann said.

from Thomas Taylor's perspective

View of NOMA today from the top of the station

Taylor, whose BID group is responsible for the growing development around the station,  said that many people believe that the Union Station area was never residential. They recall all the warehouses in the area, which became abandoned after trucks, not trains, became the preferred method of goods transportation.

"This area was once called Swampoodle. It was home to Irish immigrants, who as Catholics, weren't welcome in DC. They were displaced for the warehouses and now the warehouses are being displaced by new businesses and apartments," Taylor said.

Several businesses and government offices now call NOMA home, including Sirius XM, whose huge satellite dishes can be seen from the roof of the Unions Station parking garage. More than 4,000 residents now live in new construction near the station.

All three said the multi-year project is an attempt to bring together the past, the present, and the future.

But most of all a revamped, renovated Union Station has to work for the people who will be using the station and the surrounding sites. "75 years from now, if you are a Congressman, or a commuter, or a visitor, Union Station has to work for you. That's the standard we will be judged by," Tuchmann said.

It's Back to the 60s

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 that initially appeared in one of those highly-readable blogs. Hope you enjoy and maybe we'll see you soon at the Smithsonian

The Acid Test

Pop goes the 60s

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its opening to the public by showcasing a Ford Mustang made in 1964 and taking a look at the early 1960s from the aspects of culture, technology and science in two exhibition cases. 

The displays will be surrounded by newspaper headlines that will appear as floor graphics and set the stage for transporting visitors back to the year in which civil rights legislation passed, American casualties in Vietnam rose, the Beatles arrived and IBM announced its System 360, a mainframe computer-system family.

“The early 1960s found Americans caught between the optimism of a future where humankind could reach the moon and the pessimism brought about by President Kennedy’s assassination,” said John Gray, director of the museum. “Much like today, technological advances were changing American culture and life in complex ways. We help our visitors understand the complexities of the past; by learning about our rich history, we can be better prepared to move forward despite the difficulties or uncertainties the future may bring.”

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

This Definitely Isn't Your Dad's Wood Shop

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

Economists and policy wonks are increasingly predicting that manufacturing, from start-ups and creative entrepreneurs, will become an important part of urban economies.

If making things is going to become big business again in Washington, ground zero may be a shop class playground for adults that has just opened in Crystal City.  

To read more of this post which 1st appeared in The Washington Post, click here.

My Dad, a War, a Memorial, and Me

My Dad Alvin Owen Price

Yesterday was the 69th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. I wasn't alive for the original VE Day, but my Father, Alvin Owen Price, was.

My dad, like millions of men of his generation, was a soldier in World War II. He served in the European theater.

And, like most of his contemporaries, he didn't talk much about his war experiences. Over the years, I did learn some things. Never a fan of imposed authority, my dad spent much of his time rising in the Army ranks, only to be busted back down. He joked that he knew more about peeling potatoes on KP than firing his weapon on a battlefield. He was also convinced that the helmet the Army required him to wear made him go bald.

Actually, my dad didn't need to use his weapon much. He was assigned to guard German prisoners-of-war. Every so often, some of the prisoners were flown back to the United States for further questioning. My dad would accompany them. They would fly into an airport near Fort Dix, New Jersey. It was on one of these trips to New Jersey that my story sort of begins.

One of the soldiers in his unit, Joe Falls, was a native of South Jersey. He told my dad that there was a city named Bridgeton about an hour away from Fort Dix that was known for its parties. My dad, never one to miss a chance to party, said that sounded good. So he and Falls obtained a weekend pass and traveled to Bridgeton.

Arriving in town, my dad and his friend headed to the dance hall. This is how my dad described what happened next. They walked in. My dad saw a woman pouring punch. He turned to Joe Falls and said, "See that woman. That is the woman I am going to marry."

That woman was Mary Louise Ivins. She taught school and lived with her parents on a farm about 3 miles from Bridgeton.

Over the next couple of years, Alvin courted Louise. On May 9, 1945, the war in Europe ended. In 1946, my father was discharged from Fort Dix. Shortly thereafter, he married Mary Louise Ivins. In 1952, I was born. In 1972, my father died. Three years ago, after retiring, my wife and I left South Jersey and moved to Crystal City, just 3 Metro stops from DC.

And all of that brings us to yesterday, the 69th anniversary of the day the war my dad fought in ended.

One of the great things about living in the DC area is there is so much history here. So I decided to go to the World War II Memorial to pay tribute to all the men and women, but especially my father, who had fought for freedom.

The World War II Memorial

It wasn't my first visit. I'm sure it won't be my last. But it was my first visit on VE Day. I could have gone in the morning when there was a special ceremony honoring World War II veterans. But I wanted a more private, personal experience.

The chairs were still set up from the morning's ceremony, but they were empty now. Those vacant chairs served as a stark reminder that some day in the not-too-distant future there won't be any World War II veterans to fill them. When I was growing up, it seemed that every man I met had fought in that war. They had escaped death on the battlefield, but no amount of courage can keep you from death forever. Today, about 555 World War II veterans die every day. At that rate, you can see that it won't be long until they will all be gone.

For those of you who have never visited the World War II Memorial, if you put yourself in the right frame of mind, it can become hallowed ground.

The monument contains vertical markers of all the states and US territories that sent men and women to serve. I went first to the Texas marker. That was where my father was born, the son of Walter Lee and Zonie Mae Price. My dad's parents were farmers, but the driving winds of the 1930s blew their small farm and their Texas dreams away. So, like the Joad family in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, they loaded up their truck and headed west, eventually settling in Shelton, Washington. It was there that my dad enlisted.

I walked to the other side of the memorial to the Jersey marker. As I walked, I thought about the travels my dad made. From Texas to Washington state to Europe to New Jersey. I also thought about war - the cause for much of that movement. I never fought in a war. My son Michael never fought in a war. We both hope that neither of his children, Audrey or Owen, have to fight in a war. But my dad wasn't that fortunate. He did fight in a war. Unlike so many others, he survived. Surrounded by reminders of death, I thought about life. To be more specific, I thought about the what ifs that come with life. What if my dad hadn't survived the war? What if he hadn't been assigned to guard German prisoners and come to New Jersey? What if Joe Falls hadn't brought him to Bridgeton that night? What if Mary Louise Ivins had decided not to attend that dance?

But, of course, none of that mattered.  For all those things did happen. Lost in reverie, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning, I saw an older man in a veterans' cap. "Could you give something to help homeless veterans?" he asked. I looked in a my wallet. I had $9. I handed him a $5 bill. As sacrifices go, it wasn't much, certainly nothing compared to all of those made from 1941 to 1945. My dad would have given all $9. He was that way. His generation was that way. That is why they deserve the label the Greatest Generation.  Somehow, I believe they were made of sterner stuff.

It's hard to follow heroes. But heroes show us how to live in tough times. Eventually they die, but their deeds live on. When he was little, I told Michael about the grandfather he never met.  Both he and I will tell Audrey and Owen about their great-grandfather. I know they will both be interested, but Owen's interest might be a little stronger since this is where he gets his first name.

And since they are now 6-and-a-half and 5, the next time they come to DC, I will take them to the World War II Memorial and tell them about all the heroes of that time. For, no matter what your age, you can never have too many heroes. And it's the least I can do for a generation that gave so much.

O-My-God-Zilla: A Famed Monster Makes a Comeback

The original Godzilla (or Gojira)

Get prepared DC and the rest of America - Godzilla, that Japanese king of all monsters, is back. And this month, it will be a double attack.

First up was the return of the original monster over the past 4 days. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the movie's release, Rialto Pictures showed its new restoration of Honda Ishiro's uncut landmark 1954 film at the AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center in Silver Springs.

The original film was chopped and butchered before it screened in America under the title Godzilla: King of Monsters in 1956. Actor Raymond Burr was inserted in the American version as the protagonist and only one hour of the original 98-minute running time was used. All the Japanese speaking roles were dubbed over. The restored version, named Godzilla: The Japanese Original, delivers the complete version with no dubbing.

For those few who might not be familiar with the Godzilla tale, it is the story of a radiation-breathing prehistoric monster, awakened after millenia by hydrogen bomb testing. Impervious to repeated shelling by the Japanese army, Godzilla wreaks havoc on a helpless Tokyo.

At the time, the monster - actually named Gojira in Japanese - was a visual metaphor for the feared effects of a nuclear attack and the aftereffects of radiation. It had specific resonance with Japan since they had been the scene of 2 nuclear attacks just 9 years before the movie's release.

But the short run of the restored film just served as a prelude to the expected huge release of the remake of the original on May 16.  In that film, simply titled Godzilla, the famed monster is pitted against malevolent creatures, who bolstered by humanity's scientific arrogance, threaten the existence of all humankind.

To celebrate the release of the new Godzilla (one of our favorite monsters of all-time and the only monster to be the central figure in a song by Blue Oyster Cult), here are a series of fun articles featuring the central figure of so many 50s and 60s nightmares.

Japanese are upset with supersized, fat American Godzilla. (from Science Fiction.Com)

In crossover ad, Godzilla chows down on a Fiat (from The New York Daily News)

Here's what you all have been waiting for - Jawzilla: A Godzilla and Jaws trailer mashup. (from Indiewire)

Godzilla versus Smaug from The Hobbit: Who would win that dragon duel? (from The Wall Street Journal)

The ever increasing size of Godzilla and its implications for sexual selection and urine production. (from Deep Sea News)

Pop Art on Display @Smithsonian

Bold and brash, the new form of art dubbed pop art that exploded onto the art scene in the turbulent 1960s used images lifted directly from advertising, news reports, and highway signs.

Although initially dismissed, pop art proved to demonstrate sly commentary on consumerism, a fascination with glamour, and the superficiality of contemporary American mass culture.

And, of course, it challenged the then-prevailing assumptions about what should be.

Currently, Pop Art Prints is the subject of an exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, a show which will run until Aug. 31.

Of course, the 4 best-known practitioners of pop art - Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol, are represented in the exhibition, which draws on works from the museums extensive collection.

But there are several works by lesser-known artists that are important to check out including:

• Tobacco Rose (1965) by Mel Ramos

• Untitled (1966) by Jim Dine

• Love (1967) by Robert Indiana

A Prices Do DC Extra

Here are 2 more posts about the Pop Art Prints exhibit:

1. "Pop Art Prints: A Closer Look at James Rosenquist" (from Eye Level)
2. "Pop Art Prints proves that Pop artists weren't shallow" (from The Express)

Diego Rivera: Man at the Crossroads

Reproduction of one of 3 parts of Diego Rivera's Man at the Crossroads

By 1933, Diego Rivera was recognized as an influential Mexican artist with international prestige. John D. Rockefeller, the fabulously wealthy American businessman behind Standard Oil, was one of the world's richest men and looking to create a symbol that would establish his name for all the ages.

In some ways, it might seem inevitable that the paths of the 2 men would cross. But it was equally inevitable that any transaction between the activist artist and the rich tycoon would not end well.

The new exhibition at the Mexican Cultural Institute details the intriguing story behind Man at the Crossroads: Diego Rivera's Mural at the Rockefeller Center.

The exposition, on view until May 17, centers around the destroyed, never-unveiled mural by reconstructing its history with reproductions of letters, telegrams, contracts, documents, photographs, and both small and large sketches.

The story began when Rockefeller decided to have a "city within a city" constructed in downtown Manhattan that would become the commercial, cultural, economic, and financial center of the world. The project, started at the height of the Depression, was designed to give employment to 40,000 workers.

Part of the fresco

Rivera lobbied for a contract to supply art, and, surprisingly to many given his leftist leanings, was given permission to create a mural for the 70-story project which would be titled Man at the Crossroads.

The first battle occurred when Rivera decided he wanted to create a fresco instead of a mural painted on canvas, arguing that "nothing can take the place of fresco in mural painting because fresco is not a painted wall, but rather a painting that is a wall."

Representatives for Rockefeller conceded to Rivera's demands and the artist began 6 weeks of intensive work on the project.

However, project officials soon discovered that Rivera was depicting Communist leader V. I. Lenin in his work, an image that they believed was totally unacceptable to welcome Rockefeller whenever he arrived at his office.

Rivera was ordered to remove Lenin's image. However, the artist refused, saying "rather than mutilate the conception, I should prefer the physical destruction of the conception in its entirety, but conserving at least the integrity."

The decision not to include Rivera's work sparked a series of protests, rallies, and marches. It also provoked a cultural debate around the world about freedom of expression and the roles of both the artist and patron.

Protest ensued and Rivera himself spoke at several rallies.

On February 9, 1939, nine months after Rockefeller architects had covered up the work, Man at the Crossroads was destroyed. All that remains today are the preparatory drawings, sketches, and a few pictures taken of the work in progress, many of which appear in the current exhibition. This is the first visual attempt in the United States to fully explore the mural's unique history.

There's More to Whistler than His Mother

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 that initially appeared in one of those highly-readable blogs. Hope you enjoy and maybe we'll see you soon at the Smithsonian.

"Old Battlesea Bridge" by Whistler

WASHINGTON — There’s more to the painter James Abbott McNeill Whistler than his mother. There are boats, cities, bridges, kimonos and a city transforming into a new age.

All of these are on display at a new exhibit, “An American in London: Whistler and the Thames,” at the Arthur M. Sackler museum in Washington, D.C., through Aug. 17. The well-known painting of his mother is not included.

This rare exhibit has more than 90 works from museums in the United Kingdom, including Tate Britain, and U.S. museums, including pieces from the extensive collection at the Freer Gallery of Art.

To continue reading this post which 1st appeared in McClatchy DC,.click here.

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/05/02/226348/new-exhibit-on-whistler-goes-beyond.html#storylink=cpy

The Last Days of the Old Post Office Before Its "Trumping"

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

On the last day open to visitors at Washington’s Old Post Office Tower Wednesday, a pair of building workers were the first two people up a glass-walled elevator, way ahead of the tour groups and history buffs looking for their last chance to get an unencumbered view of the city. For one of the workers, it was his maiden voyage.

“It was nice. It was very interesting, because I learned more about the building in 30 minutes than I did in six years” working here, said Jamain Morgan, 34, who lives in Maryland. “Seeing a part of history that you didn’t know was there, that’ll definitely stay with me for a while.”

Hopefully so, because as of Thursday, things are about to change at the corner of 12th and Pennsylvania. Even though the quirky food court and souvenir shops have been closed since January, the last tenants of the building, including the National Park Service which managed the property, will now prepare for the dump trucks full of money that Donald Trump is bringing to town. He plans to renovate the facility into what his daughter once touted will be “the finest luxury hotel in the world.”

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

On Christianity and Capitalism and Cronyism

Despite contentions to the contrary, Christianity and capitalism are not incompatible. In fact, combined properly they might represent the best way to help the world's poor, a panel of authors who contributed to the new book For the Least of These: A Biblical Answer to Poverty contend.

The new book is the latest in a series by the Institute for Faith, Work, and Economics (IFWE), which cosponsored the panel presentation with the American Enterprise Institute (AEI).

Dr. Jay Richards, an analytic philosopher, intelligent design advocate, and author of the book Money, God, and Greed: Why Capitalism is the Solution and Not the Problem said that the purpose of For the Least of These is "integrating the truths of theology with the truths of economics."

"We are not going to learn everything from the Bible," Richards said. "There are certain intellectual insights we are morally obligated to learn from economics."

Rev. Art Lindsley, vice president of theological initiatives for IFWE, noted that "the Bible does command us to care for the least of these." However, he contended that that care should fall under the auspices of the church, not the state.

"We think as Christians that we are called to the consideration of poverty not only to help people survive, but to thrive," Lindsley said. The minister said the best way to assure that thriving is to combine Christian and capitalistic principles, rather than rely on charity and government handouts.

Dr. Ann Bradley, the vice president of economic initiatives at IFWE, pointed out that focusing on income inequality solutions can prove troublesome since "the way it is researched and measured is a complex thing."

"What if how we have been thinking about it is wrong?," she asked. For example, she pointed out that income inequality is far less in Afghanistan than it is in the United States. "But I don't think that knowing that is going to make you pack your bags and move to Afghanistan tomorrow," Bradley added.

"Income inequality can tell us some things, but it can't tell us everything," she said, noting that some might say anyone born in this age "has won the income lottery" since studies show that "life has really progressed for all people." In fact, some experts believe extreme poverty could be eliminated in the next few decades.

However, while she believes a combination of Christianity and capitalism is an answer to poverty reduction, she did offer a caveat.

"We have cronyism in government. The rich lobby for their own protection. Only the rich can lobby on K Street (the central home of wealthy lobbying firms in DC). And politicians are willing to listen to people with cash," Bradley said.

Peter Green, who wrote a chapter titled "Stop Helping Us: A Call to Compassionately Move Beyond Charity" said his years working in poor, under-developed countries had led him to 5 convictions.

1. If you talk only in economic, not personal, terms about poverty "we lose the debate before we say anything."
2. People talking to others about the problems with poverty need to "engage with the heart." Green talked about seeing mothers taking dirt and a small amount of flour, mixing it, drying it, and then baking it just so their children could have a little something to eat. "That's not OK in this world of plenty," he said.
3. Traditional ways of helping such as handouts with no concern about the lifestyle of those being helped often cause long-term harm. "In the wake of our good intentions, we leave a mess," Green said. "We create entitlements and dependency and leave the people with feelings of worthlessness and shame.
4. A job is better than a handout. Green says the organizations he works with try to deliver on that belief.
5. And finally, as good as that is, "a job is not enough." Green talked about a worker in Rwanda who his organization helped to establish a small business. However, when he returned, he saw the businessman's family and children were not benefitting from the new prosperity. The father was spending all his earnings on alcohol and prostitution and gambling. "Life is more than an accumulation of what we have," Green said.

"We don't want to end up empowering today's oppressed to become tomorrow's oppressors," Green concluded.

Biblical Tale Is Rooted in Ecology, Says Director of Noah

Scenes from Darren Aronofsky's telling of the tale of Noah.

For noted Hollywood director Darren Aronofsky, who describes himself as a not very religious Jew, the Biblical story of Noah has always been about humankind's relationship to ecology and the environment.

"To try to remove the ecological message from the story of Noah is harder than putting it in," Aronofsky, the director of the controversial spring hit movie Noah, says. "Noah is saving these animals."

Aronofsky, on the left, and co-writer Ari Handel

Aronofsky recently appeared on a panel program at the Center for American Progress (CAP) titled Noah and the Nexus of Faith and Environmentalism.

He was joined on the panel by:

• Ari Handel, the co-writer of the movie
• Danielle Baussan, the managing director of energy policy at CAP
• Michael Brunce, executive director of the Sierra Club and
• Jack Jenkins, a senior writer and researcher of faith and progressive policy at  CAP

Aronofsky said that he maintains a broad view of environmentalism. "I think violence of man against man is an environmental issue. War is an environmental issue. War destroys the planet," he said.

Responding to criticism that his film does not follow Scripture, Aronofsky pointed out that that wasn't the intention of the movie. 

"The mythical power of these early chapters is really inspiring," he said. "It's a question of what can we learn from them."

The director said he wanted to create a film that combined "the poetry of Genesis with the visuals of the movie screen."

"They are equally inspiring," he added. "They are not mutually exclusive. It makes for an incredibly beautiful way to look at what happened. We never questioned the text. We showed full respect for the text."

Aronofsky said he and his co-writer Handel faced many difficult choices in bringing the story to life. "Lots of questions came up. People have been wrestling with these questions for centuries.  For example, there is stewardship - does man have a moral responsibility to take care of the environment?" 

Brunce said the film, although set in early Biblical times, captured "the exact emotions and challenges" that environmental movement is facing today. "It (the destruction of the natural world) is a cause of great despair, but we have a greater awareness and a greater ability than ever to do something about it," he noted.

Baussan said the exposure of the issues raised in the film is a great way to focus more on the relationship between modern man and the environment. "Conversations around art can be a great way to do this," she said.

Aronofsky said that one of his goals was to restore the Noah tale to its original intent. "For a very long time, it has been turned into a children's story. But it was the first Apocalypse story. God had a question in his mind - does man have the right to continue. God is judging man," he said.

"I think I always related to the fact that I wouldn't have been good enough to get on the boat. For me, it was scary and traumatic," he added.