Adam Gopnik from the Moth

I think I may have posted a link to the audio of this someplace in the past, but here is the video of Adam Gopnik's story from The Moth Radio Hour. He discusses instance messaging, and his relationship with his teenage son.

Other segments are available on The Moth YouTube Channel.

Gang & Abumrad

My last post had a picture of Jeanne Gang's Aqua building in Chicago, in recognition of her MacArthur Genius Award. The MacArthur Foundation has videos of this year's winners, so here are the videos for Gang and Jad Abumrad, two of my three favorite 2011 genius winners.

On Saturday night I am going to see the third one live, and in person, so maybe I will do another post after that.

Jeanne Gang - Genius

I did a post last year when the Aqua Building, in Chicago, was named Skyscraper of the Year. Well now the architect of the building, Jeanne Gang, has been named one of this year's MacArthur Genius Winners. You can listen to her on NPR earlier today Here

Here is a photograph I took of the Aqua a year or two ago.

Sen. Percy & the Georgetown Waterfront

Sen. Charles Percy died this morning, just days after the opening of the final section of the Georgetown Waterfront Park. Going back to the 1970's, Percy was one of the primary promoters of the creation of the park.

Percy was a Republican senator back in the day when the term liberal Republican was not an oxymoron. I also I remember him fondly, because I wrote a paper about him in college that I got an A on.

Here is a photo of the plaque honoring him in the park, as well as a photo I took of the fountain at dusk tonight.





Georgetown Waterfront Park - 2011

Anish Kapoor

Video from an Anish Kapoor exhibition. Kapoor created The Bean in Chicago's Millennium Park.

Georgetown Waterfront Park

Today was the opening of the last section of the Georgetown Water Front. This culminated efforts that started in the 1970's to turn the industrial waterfront on the Potomac RIver into a public park. The completion of the final section was delayed when tons of concrete rubble was found buried in the ground, and had to be removed and trucked off.

It was a somewhat sad occasion. Former Senator Charles Percy, who lives in Georgetown, was one of the longtime backers of development of the Park. Percy, now 91, was supposed to speak, but it was announced that he could not make it, because he is gravely ill in the hospital. His daughter, Sharon Percy Rockefeller, spoke in his place.

Here are some photographs that I took. The fountain is at the foot of Wisconsin Avenue.



Georgetown Waterfront Park - 9/13/11

Dumbarton Buffalo

This is one of four buffalo, sculptured by Alexander Phimister Proctor, residing on the ends of the Dumbarton Bridge that carries Q Street from Georgetown to Dupont Circle, and across Rock Creek Park. This is the one on the North West corner of the bridge.


Sculpture - 2011

United States Institute of Peace Building

Some photographs I took last week of the United States Institute of Peace Building, 2301 Constitution Avenue NW, D.C. A LEED-certified building, designed by Moshe Safdie Architects, it opened in March 2011.


United States Institute of Peace Building