I did a Mr Miyagi-style squash of this mosquito between my thumb and index finger. On my thumb is an imprint (top), the body stuck to my finer (below). Normally I wouldn’t be so excited to post death-related material but these buggers are brutal in NE DC and leave me looking like a leper at times with red marks all over. Funny they were nowhere to be seen in Adams Morgan.

Had my first Guinness in years, however, in the form of ice cream. Was as good as I remember it. I have a new theory that Rhode Island Ave is the key to everything interesting in Washington, DC. Including this ice cream shop, which is located in MD.

Finally got a shot of these bikes. There’s 2 types of police motorcycles in dc: the normal ones, Harleys or something that have lots of lights and probably a good sound system and then these ones, that look like they were inherited from Cuba.

Usually artist’s renderings of the future are abnormally happy, artificial, perfect little worlds. The In Towner, some DC neighborhood rag, has renderings that are also happy and artificial but fortunately not quite perfect:

This one I like because, while the happy people and 2-D school bus fit my idea of an artist’s rendering, the still-missing letters on the Marie Reed Community Center do not. Very realistic. Very cool.

This one’s a bit more subtle (makes me excited for the next In Towner – what will they hide next?!). Pylons and related municipal junk are ever-present, regardless of whether or not there’s construction going on. I love that it’ll be there in the future too.

One of the big questions religious people, philosophers and neuroscientists wrestle with is whether animals are capable of conscious thought – the ability to reflect on their actions, make choices, and remember the what/when/where of an experience.

Well, consider the problem solved – I saw this dog in the Logan Circle neighborhood of Washington DC carrying not one but TWO empty plastic water bottles. No matter how you look at (s)he clearly is more concerned about our environment than most humans, more conscious than us. Either she was really thirsty, and drank two bottles worth and was bringing them home to recycle them. Or she found them as litter and was thoughtful enough to take them home to recycle. Or she was moderately thirsty and drank one and found the other. If she had opposable digits and could walk upright I’m sure she’d be carrying more. If we spoke the same language I would have asked her if she’d carry more if she could but, alas…

This baffled me momentarily. I figured all things frozen are bound to be pretty darn quiescent but I was thinking about it wrong – it’s how they get to become frozen – in a “quiescent” fashion vs. an “overrun” fashion.”

Went to see a movie yesterday and noticed these reviews of Slumdog Millionaire and The Wrestler. They’re pretty long reviews so it’s nice that they PUT THE IMPORTANT PARTS IN LARGE BOLD FONT SO YOU CAN SKIP THE REST.

IT’S TRUE – NO BULL. I mean, this s*%t was SERIOUS. HIT ME HARD. I was FLOORED. I POOPED MY PANTS.

The nice thing is that the people at AMC Loews put these 2 reviews side by side so you could compare them and see that the writer couldn’t compose 2 reviews of different movies without using the same uncommon adjectives to describe both.

The Diner is a restaurant in DC that’s pretty cool/normal. They got a new sign though that makes me think maybe they’re becoming less cool: crazy fancy? (It’s not crazy fancy at all. What the heck are they talking about?)

America is cool again. The Diner jumps aboard.

I love the AM Briggs logo. There’s something about it’s simplicity and style combined with the fact that it’s public signage that says “two dozen cows inside, hanging upside-down by hooks” that creates that kind of conflict inside that good art can do.