Statues of limitations

I've decided to write a book about DC's statues. Why? Because I find it incredible that this city is peppered with generals that all but the most devoted students of American military history would not know. Do you know who General Scott is (pictured at right)? He has a pretty prominent place in DC - staring directly down 16th Street at the White House. People probably should know who General Winfield Scott is, you know, "Old Fuss and Feathers," Commander of the Army during the War of 1812, the guy who devised the Anaconda plan and all? But more than the average American is not going to remember this bit of history.

Or what about Admiral Farragut, for whom two Metro stations are named? What did he do? Yeah, he said "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" and ran the Navy in the Civil War, but does Joe Shmoe from Kansas know that?

I'm not belittling the accomplishments of these men. All I am saying is that I think it is an interesting part of Washington, DC. We have these headache circles with military men in the middle that a vast majority of America would not know, and I confess, I don't know many of them, either. What has struck me as odd for quite awhile now is that I can go to many European cities and know what the immortalized men did, but I don't know who the men are in the capital of my own country.

I often sit on the grass at McPherson Square to eat lunch, as it is the closest park to where I work. But I don't know who McPherson is. I have not seen any sort of guide to the statues, and that is why I am thinking about doing it. I've been busy snapping photos of the statues in the middle of the circles, even if people look at me like I'm crazy for doing it. I'm sure some people think I'm a very weird tourist. At first I felt strange about the stares, but I'm gradually getting used to it.

Of course, not all of the statues are of military guys. I am thrilled that a statue of Longfellow sits prominently at the intersection of Rhode Island and Connecticut, right between the White House and Dupont Circle. There are also statues of Gandi, Gibran, and Shevchenko, among others, people who were not known solely for their military exploits. And that begs the question - why are military figures so prominently displayed in Washington, DC? Is it more proof that this country is more about war than it is about democracy? It puts things into perspective. But then again, what country doesn't honor its warriors? It's a very primitive thing, this concept of military might. If it weren't for the existence of the EU, I think I would have given up on humanity. But -- that continent had been warring for thousands of years and finally decided it had had enough. That is what attracted me to EU studies in the first place and is the reason I wish I could get back into it, because working in the Middle East field can be so damn depressing. Right now, though, there is a tsunami of opportunities in that region of the world, and I guess I am poised to make a difference there, at least if I stick with my organization.

And yeah, I'm rambling. It's a blog! Digression and tangents are permitted on a blog, right? I'm definitely taking this thing in a new direction, and I'm getting closer to the path I want to take.
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Climbing up the walls

Smell the roses

Springtime in Washington is beautiful. Right now, the dogwood trees are out in full bloom and I can't help but to snap a ton of photos on a daily basis. I thought I'd post a few of them here to show how Washington is not as bad as my rant stated the other day. It sure is a gorgeous day today, though it could be about five degrees warmer for more comfort. The mercury is gradually rising, so in about an hour I will not be able

to contain my restless desire to be outside. I freed myself for several hours this week, spending time working outside, where not only did I get a lot of work done, but I also have a nice tan going on. If I worked for some corporation, I am sure my escapes would not be tolerated. But I don't, and after a week of going outside, I am feeling less like I am incarcerated and more like I have some control over

my life. It makes my productivity shoot through the roof, and the quality of my work goes up, too.

My point is this: whoever wrote the rules on how office life should be run was a moron. People are not machines. We've all been cursed with having to work to survive, but why not make the most of life at the same time? I actually enjoyed work this week because I was doing something I truly love - sitting in the sunshine, my eyes full of wonder at the color and light that surrounded me. The world is a pretty shitty place, but life is a beautiful thing. We just need to step back, take a deep breath, and appreciate the little things that make it all bearable every once in awhile.
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Nancy

Two televisions in a bar.

I can't believe I'm saying this

But I am glad Bush is using only his second veto ever on the troop withdrawal deadline. As much as I want this disaster to be over, there are so many problems with this that if our system of government wasn't driven by campaign funding, this bill would never have had a prayer. They could start by at least giving a decent timeline. Some people who are in Babylon right now have enlightened me to the real problems out there, and I'm still absorbing the situation, mulling over it, trying to figure out how what many said would happen has happened, and wondering what the solution is.

Whether Iraq was a good or horrible idea is a mute issue now. We need to solve the problems that are current. What happened in the past is history. We can clean up the mess, but it has to start with the diplomats, not the military.

I'm not going to write more about this, because 1) I don't know enough about how it really is because I haven't been there and 2) I don't really want to get involved in this issue here, because I just don't know. None of us that has not been there knows. But it is really on my mind. I'm thinking about a lot of stuff related to this these days.
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Suffocating

Washington is a strange town, a small town, especially when you consider that it pretty much controls the fate of the world.

I always wanted to live here. I've been here for four long years now, and I'm tired of it. I'd consider going to Iraq for a year just to get away. I'm not a small town person, but I'm afraid I don't have many places left to go. Although I guess smaller towns in other places with more energy might be more bearable.

I'm leaving once baseball season is over. It's suffocating me. Same damn people, same damn gibberish, same damn ideological garbage spewing from unthinking mouths. It doesn't matter what side of the political spectrum you're on. I feel like there is no real thought involved in anything - it's all just this stupid formula. You're supposed to say this, dress like that, wear your stupid little pin on your lapel and a red or blue tie, because anything else is not American pie. I feel trapped, incarcerated, a victim of some pre-conceived notion of history, as if it has already been written for the future.

You know what's funny? Most of the country would think of this place as the "big city." I'm running circles around here, smashing into glass doors like a stupid bird or something. Everyone here thinks they know how the world works. I may be a stupid kid in the grand scheme of things, but I know enough to know I don't know everything, that I don't know anything, really. I never claimed I knew everything here. Conversely, I've always said I'm trying to figure it all out. I wish the policy wonks would try, too.

On your mark!

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Support democracy in Egypt

Egyptians to Mubarak: ENOUGH!

MONDAY:

Another Referendum,

More Authoritarianism

RALLY against New Constitutional Constraints on Liberties in Egypt

Monday, March 26^th

11:00am-1:00pm

In front of Egyptian Embassy

3521 International Court, NW, Washington DC 20008

Egyptians against Mubarak(s)

http://norayounis.com/2007/03/22/200

nora.younis@gmail.com (315) 412-4928

All the Kings Horses

Why anyone would join the military after recent revelations about how our war wounded are treated is beyond me, especially after the Bob Woodruff special. Rarely do I plan an evening around television (unless it's a baseball game), but I made sure I was home to watch that night. It was a heartwrenching show, and you have to be soulless to not have felt some anger at the way the brain damaged kids were treated.

But really, does this surprise anyone? Soldiers aren't treated like people - they're mechanical entities that can be discarded when no longer useful. And they are - just ask anyone who has ever tried to deal with the VA.

Just look at this mammoth building and you can understand the bureaucratic nightmare that is involved in getting anything done. It's not equipped to handle the massive casualties from Iraq who are kept alive because of modern technology. One has to wonder how many armless, legless, or brain damaged troops would have died from their injuries had they suffered them during Vietnam. Without this technology, what would the death toll be for this mess in Iraq? Frankly, I think it would be better to die than to trust the VA to put my brain back together again.

American excess ruins many good things

Paddy's Day is usually one of my favorite days of the year, but this year, it was on a Saturday, which pretty much ruined it. Paddy's Day was always something to celebrate in my family on account of our Irish heritage. It became one of my favorite days after spending much time on the Emerald Isle (including two Paddy's Days), because the music and good times came to represent what I love about the place. However, it is not much fun anymore because of how much American excess has ruined it.

Now, I'm a big fan of beer - Guinness is my favorite - but I'm not a big fan of people who come out of their holes on days like Paddy's Day, New Years, or Halloween and get obnoxiously drunk, spill beer everywhere, elevate the decibel level exponentially, puke in the bathroom, etc. It's one thing to have a pint every few hours if you're going to start drinking at noon on these days. It's another to continuously drink all day long. This city can be lifeless for much of the year and suddenly people have to come out and ruin the good days with their drunken behavior. And it's far worse when it's on a Saturday and people who normally would be at work are imbibing from morning till night.

This country has a big problem. A recent study shows an increase in binge drinking and drug use in college - again. No wonder we continue to get dumber as a nation. When those who are supposed to be learning are beating their brains up with substance abuse, how the heck are they supposed to shape their minds to be the strong contributors to society that university graduates are supposed to be? Thing is, though, that this country doesn't really look at university as a place to acquire knowledge. Rather, it is a place where you can get a piece of paper that can get you a better job. Students don't take their studies seriously. Solution? Make it more difficult to get into college. Make good grades difficult to get. Make it easier to be expelled for alcohol and drug violations.

Anyway, back to Paddy's Day. I had to return some books to the library, which is next door to the best real (not chain) Irish pub in the District. (There aren't many Irish pubs in DC compared to other American cities.) I thought I'd stop in, have a pint, and catch some trad until I saw the $10 cover, which was more than the $7 pints inside, so if I wanted a pint, it would have cost $17! Plus the place was so packed, it wouldn't have been enjoyable. And it was only noon.

There's another Irish pub across the street, which was far less crowded, but I discovered that it, too, had a $10 cover, and they didn't even have music. When Paddy's Day is on a weekday, the covers didn't start until later in the afternoon. I can't imagine what the drunken crowds were like in the evening. I feel sorry for the cops, who were in full force yesterday.

I made it my mission to have a pint after the two failures, but first I stopped off at a coffee shop for some lunch and, of course, coffee. There was a green wearing, drunk college student passed out at a table. The manager had to call the cops on him, but fortunately for the guy, the manager was able to wake him up and called a cab for him before the cops arrived. The guy was passed out for about an hour.

At 2pm I stopped into Biddy Mulligan's on Dupont Circle, where there was no cover and I actually found one seat at the bar, watched the Ohio State game, had a few pints, and ate corned beef and cabbage. The staff was awesome - never had to wait for a pint - but as the gray day progressed, the crowd of people grew and became noticeably younger and drunker.

When it became difficult to walk through the bar, I knew it was time for me to leave. As I headed into the early evening daylight, I sighed at the thought that my Paddy's Day had already ended thanks to the culture of American excess.
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What do you think they sell here?

Got enough signs?

Clowns for Christ

Yeah, it's real.

A couple of thoughts on economic development in Washington, DC

Every time I walk down a street here in DC, I marvel at the rapid rate of development, for everywhere you look, a new building is going up somewhere. Towering cranes stretch to the sky while men in hard hats hammer, drill, and screw concrete, wood, and metal together like a real life Lego set. But as all of these structures are erected, I can't help but wonder what havoc they are wreaking on the lives of some people in the city.

The corporations who are building the things are worse than landlords, because although a person pays for the condo, he has little control over what is supposed to be his own property. He is told what type of curtains he can put in his windows. He is told what kind of handle he is allowed to have on his door. He has to pay condo fees, which are akin to paying rent to live on your own property! But that is just the endpoint of the corporation's evils bestowed upon society. It begins with clearing people out of affordable houses, knocking those houses down, and building atop where homes once were. The longer I live in DC, the further away from the city center I have to live, because all of these new condos are pricing me out.

Who benefits from all of this so-called development? Are the residents of DC making more money than they were before hypergentrification occurred? There are two very distinct sets of people who live in this city - the born-and-raised and the revolving-doors. Without looking up statistics, I would guess that life for the born-and-raised hasn't improved dramatically since DC's development boom began. Us revolving door types, those who move in, move out, and move in again, are the ones who benefit, I guess. We've been to college and are working in policy-related jobs, which will always be there regardless of the economic state of the city. We work a few years and decide to buy a condo, selling it for profit when DC starts to make us feel claustrophobic, then buying a new one the next time we move back to DC.

I'm not at that point yet, nor do I even want to buy a condo, but my some of my friends are starting to think about it, eying the massive new construction sites with hope. All I can wonder is who benefits? Do we get anything out of it, or is it just the corporation who reaps the rewards?

(Photos of construction site on corner of 14th and P St. NW)

Since I seem to have a perpetual case of writer's block...

I'll just post some photos of New York.