Did you vote yet today? The few polling places I passed on my way into work this morning looked busy already. We both voted early, on Saturday, at Judiciary Square. The poll workers and volunteers were really friendly and energetic, and I’m sure they’re staying that way as the masses go though today.
The biggest question though, of course, paper or electronic ballot?? I went electronic. I know lots of people feel that paper is more reliable, but hey, I feel like my vote counted. It was neat to watch the little ticker tape print my choices as I went through, kind of like a supermarket receipt with a bar code and everything. So even though it’s technically electronic, there still seemed to be some tangible records as well.
There have been several local news pieces lately about the prospect of two 40-foot electronic signs that are slated to go in at 7th and G St. in the heart of Chinatown. I’m certainly not the first to comment on this topic, but each time I read more about it, I just get more and more laughs. WTOP even asks, Is DC getting its own Times Square?” oh the horror ! Please, people. We’re talking about more signage in Chinatown, not Georgetown. It’s ridiculous for residents to complain about this… did they not have their eyes open when they moved in and signed their leases? We’re talking about the touristy entertainment district of The District. Anyone who was wanting less than LCD screens and neon lights galore should have opted to live in… well… ANY other neighborhood in DC. There is even a ridiculous Stop the Billboard campaign, which opens with these words: “…unless we stop them, these huge, moving-picture billboards will make cherished parts of our beautiful city look more like Times Square.” Chinatown is a “cherished” part of our city??? Did they forget what it was like there 15 years ago? The National Mall is cherished, Rock Creek Park is cherished, and there are 50 other areas I would call cherished before I would think of Chinatown… which, by the way, I think it could stand to be more like Times Square.
Sushi Go Round (and round and round)
January 21st, 2010
A few weekends ago we stopped in to try Sushi Go Round at Gallery Place in Chinatown. The concept is pretty simple – you sit at a counter and sushi goes traveling right under your nose on a conveyor belt. You can grab whatever looks delicious or interesting to you, and you pay at the end based on a color-coded system for which plates you chose. You are also free to order off the regular menu. Genius! It’s like the conveyor belt joints on TV — hot dog eating champ, Takeru Kobayashi, uses them as part of his strict competitive eating regiment. If the champ does it, you know it has to be good.
The sushi was sufficient (not the best I’ve ever had, but certainly not the worst either), but it especially works if you’re in a hurry as we were, about to go see Avatar in 3D. I guess the best part is that it allows you to be a little adventurous with picking something based on the sight of it, whereas if you read it on a normal menu you might not be tempted to order it. This was okay for us, but if you are more of a “I like to know what sort of raw animal I’m going to ingest” sort of person you can just order from the menu. That really negates the whole point of eating sushi from a conveyor belt, though. As we were newbies to the Sushi-Go-Round experience, we did not pick the optimal spot at the bar to get first picks on the freshly prepared pieces. We would watch the chefs place new plates on the belt, then carefully keep track of our new plate as it made its way around the horseshoe belt, all the while giving the “stink eye” to any of the other diners who appeared to be interested in our coveted plate. If you go, take note of the direction the sushi belt is moving and get the seat closest to the chefs. It is all about strategy at Sushi-Go-Round.
next stop, Gallery Place/Chinatown
September 9th, 2009
You can never post too many metro pictures. That’s what I always say. It’s a little fuzzy, but I like how the people are standing/sitting and looking all bored and put-out. That’s the red line for you these days.
Sugarland and Keith Urban at Verizon Center
August 21st, 2009
Even though I have seen both of these acts perform on numerous occasions, I still get starstruck every single time. There is just something about country music concerts that always gets me. Last night we were lucky enough to enjoy free box seats to the show (just one of Matt’s job perks for having connections in the construction industry!) It was a really long set, and I don’t think anyone left disappointed.
I took this photo of Alexander Ovechkin at a Capitals NHL game earlier this season, but I’m posting it now in celebration of their big win last night. The Caps have 2 games left to play in the regular season, and they are now tied for first place in their division. Washington hasn’t had a good ice hockey team for plenty of seasons now, so this is exciting news for anyone in the area who even remotely follows hockey.
Out is the year of the pig (my year!) and in with the year of the rat. We didn’t make it to Chinatown for the celebration of the new year, because I had to watch LOST! So I decided to post a previous night shot from Chinatown taken with the Holga camera…
The photo above is one of the 3 that I submitted in hopes of getting selected to show at the exhibit. This shot is taken from an old Agfa Clack camera. The Clack is a ‘vintage’ camera that was made at the Agfa Camera-Werk AG in Munich some time in the 1950′s or early 60′s. It is a funny little rudimentary camera that shoots 6×9 medium format shots (unfortunatly, 8 shots to a roll is not terribly economical). Honestly, the “Clack” name is pretty money and I bought it for the novelty of the name but it has turned out to be a camera that is really enjoyable to shoot with. There is a “Click” version out there but I haven’t been able to put my hands on it just yet.
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This shot is a double exposure of the Chinatown Gateway Arch on H St. NW. My favorite parts of the shot are how the crosswalk that cuts diagonally across the rhythm of the windows, the metro pylon that is nestled in the corner of the shot, and the areas near the top of the shot where the terracotta roofs overlapped. I’m very happy with this shot, I think it captures the hectic energy that is around the Verizon Center/Chinatown on a busy night.
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I also submitted a shot from the Ellipse at Dumbarton Oaks that was also taken with the Clack. The third shot I submitted is a Holga night shot from the corner of 7th and F St. I made the decision to go with the medium format theme for my submissions this year, hopefully it pans out.
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We attended last year and it was really impressive to see just how much photographic talent DC has. So….wish me luck and I’d encourage everyone to attend and support the local photogs!
