Hump Day Art -- A Matter of Taste

Today's Hump Day Art is a comparison of two artists whose works I saw at the Philadelphia Museum of Art last month -- Claude Monet and Cy Twombly. I think they strongly demonstrate that art is a matter of taste. These photos were taken with my iPhone, so the quality is not that great. The first three below are by Monet.

The Sheltered Path -- 1873 -- Oil on canvas

Bend in the Epte River near Giverny -- 1888 -- Oil on canvas

Marine View near Etretat -- 1882 -- Oil on canvas

The next two works by Cy Twombly are part of a work called "Fifty Days at Illiam." The complete set of 10 are wall-sized, and completed in 1977-1978. They are oil, oil crayon, and graphite on canvas.

I thought these works present an interesting contrast.

Wednesday, June 3rd is National Running Day!

Grab your blue sponge and your running shoes and get ready to run. Tomorrow is National Running Day! I will be running. How about you? The photo is of me running last year at the Air Force Marathon in Ohio. You might also recognize it from my banner. I'm hoping to be able to run the Baltimore Marathon this fall.

I usually run in the gym on the treadmill, but it seemed like such a nice day, I ran outside. I work near the Pentagon, so I ran to Pentagon City and took the George Washington Parkway Trail that borders Reagan National Airport. It is pretty cool running with giant planes coming in for a landing over your head. I headed up the Potomac River to the 14th Street Bridge and back. It was hotter and more humid than I realized and I overdid it a bit. I had to walk back the last half mile to cool down. I think I did about 5 miles all together.

Top 8 Things in this Morning's Express

The Express is a free newspaper I get at the subway stop, which is distributed by the Washington Post. I read it on my commute in to work. Here's what I found interesting in today's news:

* Jennifer Hudson is going to have a baby. She needed some good news after the hell she's been through. I hope it was good news for her. Congrats to her!

* Billy Bob Thornton's daughter is facing criminal charges in Florida after a year-old little girl that she was baby-sitting died. She is charged with child neglect causing harm or disability. I guess the sling blade doesn't fall far from the tree.

* In the TV listings, it said the two final episodes of According to Jim are on tonight. That show is still on? Who watches that?

* Bravo is searching for the Real Housewives of D.C. Where do I audition?

* Roger Federer rallied to win a 5-set match at the French Open. I haven't seen any of the Open this year. He beat Tommy Hass, who I never heard of. It said Andy Roddick lost also and he was cranky about it getting dark, but they wouldn't suspend the match. Damn that night blindness!

* A teenager was recaptured after escaping from a $46 million Maryland juvenile detention center the day after it opened. I guess they should have waited til they installed the locks.

* After reading the following headline, "Strict Rules Take Effect at Borders," I was worried it was going to be a big hassle to buy books now, but they didn't mean the bookstore, they were talking about our national borders. My bad.

* Last, but not least, Dick Cheney Monday said he thinks that people should be free to enter into any kind of union they wish. I recall he said something similar during the vice-presidential debate in 2000. Unfortunately, he did nothing to encourage this kind of activity during the 8 years he was in office. He did manage to start two wars and shoot a man in the face.

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #196

So far they've developed a deadly cat plague

and a new, delicious cheese.

The above is the cartoon for New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest for week #196. Let me know if you come up with a caption.

My Levi's Purchase

I mentioned previously that I was planning on making a Levi's purchase this weekend to support their support of marriage equality. I bought these Men's Regular Fit Light Stone Wash Jeans. I was going to get "Straight Fit" jeans, but that just didn't seem right. You can order stuff online here.

Clouds in the Sand

Upside Down Horseshoe Crab

This horseshoe crab washed up on the beach. Though they look like
crabs, they are actually descendents of spiders. That is according to
Wiki.

Rightside Up Horseshoe Crab

I flipped it over and it swam away. They are supposed to be able to
flip themselves over using their tail, but I thought I would ignore
the Prime Directive and help out.

Me on the Beach

Shane on the Beach

Fenwick Island Beach

We drove south and are at a state park at Fenwick Island, DE. The
beach isn't as crowded and is wider. That is Shane's knee in the
corner of the shot.

The Beach at Bethany Beach

I haven't been to Bethany Beach in a long time and it looks way
different. You can't see the shore from the boardwalk. They built
the dune way high, I suppose to prevent erosion. The beach is very
crowded and much more narrow.

Me in Bethany

Bethany Beach Sights

We made it to beach. We stopped to buy two umbrellas and beach chairs, had a quick slice of greasy pizza and are now sitting on the beach. Awesome sights!

Crossing the Bay Bridge

This is the bridge that crosses rhe Chesapeake Bay. You can't tell by
this shot, but it has been very trafficy. They closed the road just
ahead of us to allow a huge herd of motorcycles merge on the highway.

Last Minute Beach Day

Since it is such a beautiful day, we decided on a whim to have a beach
day. We are on our way to Delaware, and we should be there by 12:30
( depending on the traffic). It usually takes about 3 hours.

A Chuckle from Fail Blog

This was from http://www.failblog.org/. It made me laugh. "It's not Rocket Surgery" is my new favorite expression.

Support Levi's for Supporting Equality

My apologies to Bob at the I Should Be Laughing blog for stealing his post, but I thnk it is very important to support companies that support the gay community is such a bold way. I will be shopping and buying Levi's this weekend. Also, check out Bob's excellent blog. Below is his posting about Levi's.
----------------------------

Quality Never Goes Out of Style.

And neither does doing the right thing.

Levi's has launched a new ad campaign in more than twenty of it's company-owned stores from New York to San Francisco, with mannequins wearing Levi’s jeans and shirts fitted with White Knots, a symbol of solidarity with the same-sex marriage movement.

A Levi's spokesperson says "We always try to connect to the energy and events of our time. What’s the pioneering spirit of today? A lot of people are rallying around marriage equality and fighting for that and so many individuals within our company feel so strongly about it."

Levi's has always put the LGBT community out front, as it were. They have a long history of supporting LGBT rights, from taking ads out on LGBT television, to even signing onto an amicus brief last year challenging the validity of Prop 8.

What's even greater, is that Levi's started this new ad campaign in an instant. Within 24 hours of the California Supreme Court upholding Prop H8, Levi's was standing with us again.

Levi's, where equality never goes out of style.

Carol Leifer Debates Gay Marriage with a Macaroon

This is the brilliant Carol Leifer, who is on Larry King to debate some idiot minister about gay marriage. She is a great spokesperson for the gay community. She is smart, funny and likable. She should lead the charge.

Pacino in Talks to Play Dr. Death

Al Pacino may star in a new HBO movie about Dr. Jack Kevorkian, aka Dr. Death.

Dr. Kevorkian helped more than 150 terminally ill people commit suicide before being sent to jail in 1999 after a 60 Minutes story showed him helping someone die. He was released from prison in 2007. I think he is a real American hero that sacrificed himself for his values. How many of us can claim to have done that?

The HBO movie will be based on Between the Dying and the Dead: Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the Assisted Suicide Machine and the Battle to Legalize Euthanasia, by Neal Nicol. The movie is set to be directed by Barry Levinson.

HBO movies are getting quite a reputation as high-quality products. The recent Grey Gardens, starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange was excellent and that project can expect to get some awards come Emmy time.

Nats on Steroids?

There have been news reports that a steroids dealer in Florida has claimed to sell performance-enhancing drugs to one or a number of Nationals players (and to members of the Washington Capitols hockey team). It begs the question, if players for the Nats are on steroids, how bad would they be without them?

Right now, the Nats are by far the worse team in National baseball. So far this season they have won 13 games and lost 32. That means they have won fewer than 29 percent of their games so far. To give you some perspective, the next worse team is the Colorado Rockies. They have won 40 percent of their games. The Nats are more than 10 perentage points behind the second worse team.

I love that we now have baseball in DC, but how long will it last if this is the quality of a team they are overcharging to see?

Hump Day Art--Woman with a Pearl Necklace in a Loge

This is a new feature on Running With Blue Sponge called Hump Day Art, which will feature a piece of art each Wednesday. I’ve always wanted to learn more about art, and I figured this might be a good way to do that.

Today’s painting is an oil on canvas called “Woman with a Pearl Necklace in a Loge,” which was painted by Mary Cassatt in 1879. Cassatt was an American painter born in 1844 and died in 1926. She created a series of theater scenes in the late 1870s, displaying an interest in city nightlife shared by many of the Impressionists. This work, showing a woman (said to be her sister, Lydia) seated in front of a mirror with the balconies of the Paris Opera House reflected behind her, demonstrates the influence of Cassatt’s friend, Edgar Degas, particularly to the attention paid to the effects of the artificial lighting on the flesh tones.

I saw the painting in the European gallery of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The photo was taken with my iPhone.

My Email to President Obama

I have a comment and a response is requested. During the Presidential campaign, you stated you would work for equal legal rights for same-sex partners that married couples currently enjoy. You said you would stop Don't Ask, Don't Tell. I see no evidence of any action on either of these issues. There was no comment on California's court decision taking away the civil right of a minority of the population by a vote in a popular election. GLBT constituents are feeling let down and left out of this administration. I realize there are other issues facing the country that are a higher priority, but this administration has shown it can multi-task. We need some acknowledgment that these issues are important also. While we wait for some action, hundreds of qualified soldiers continue to be removed from our armed services simply because of their sexual orientation. The President has the power to stop these removals with a stroke of the pen. We want some leadership on these important issues.

When I pressed send, the page said it was unavailable at this time. Try again later. I will.

One Sane Voice on California High Court

These are the six California Supreme Court Justices that voted to uphold Proposition 8 that took away a civil right by banning same-sex marriage based on a popular vote.

There was one voice of reason among the seven: California Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno, was the only judge dissenting in today's 6-1 decision. His dissenting opinion was this:

In my view, the aim of Proposition 8 and all similar initiative measures that seek to alter the California Constitution to deny a fundamental right to a group that has historically been subject to discrimination on the basis of a suspect classification, violates the essence of the equal protection clause of the California Constitution and fundamentally alters its scope and meaning. Such a change cannot be accomplished through the initiative process by a simple amendment to our Constitution enacted by a bare majority of the voters; it must be accomplished, if at all, by a constitutional revision to modify the equal protection clause to protect some, rather than all, similarly situated persons. I would therefore hold that Proposition 8 is not a lawful amendment of the California Constitution.

Write to Justice Moreno and thank him for efforts. Also feel free to write the other six and let them know what you think of their judgement. I could only find a snail mail address, which is:

Supreme Court of California
350 McAllister Street
San Francisco, CA 94102-4797

The California Supreme Court Upholds Hate

It breaks my heart. California's Supreme Court upheld Prop 8 banning marriage between same-sex couples. I just do not understand how the court can justify people voting away the civil rights of a group of people. It is frustrating that with every step forward, there seems to be another step backward. I just have to keep reminding myself that things are getting better. Write to President Obama and your Senate and Congressional representatives and demand equal rights for same-sex couples. Tell them to push forward on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Demand your rights! Give money to support our cause. Do something today.

More of the Mothership from Close Encounters of the Third Kind

These are more shots from my iPhone of the mothership from Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  It was on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles International Airport (such a catchy name), part of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.  There was some interest in my earlier posting of this item.  Sorry the quality isn't any better, but the ship is inside a very reflective case, making it difficult to take pictures, and the iPhone camera isn't exactly high-resolution.  

The top photo with Shane pointing gives some perspective as to the ship's size.  Shane would not be happy if he knew I posted that photo of him though.  He is very particular about photo approval.  It isn't exactly flattering.  Luckily, he doesn't read this blog and will never know.  

You might notice a small CP3O (from Star Wars) located on the edge of the ship in the middle photo.  There is a list of all sorts of items to find, such as mailboxes and other items I don't remember.  The third shot loses much of its sci-fi effect by having a bathroom-like tile wall in the background. 

Walt from the blog, WCS, posted a funny comment on the earlier posting about having a strange urge to make a mountain out of his mashed potatoes.  Enjoy the French Open Walt!

The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest Week #195

But that doesn't explain the lipstick on your collar!

The above is the cartoon for New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest for week #195. Let me know if you come up with a caption.

Concorde

Here are various planes at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum,
including the Concorde, which I saw take off from Dulles airport years
ago.

Mothership from Close Encounters

This is the mothership used in the film Close Encounters of the Third
Kind on display at the Smithsonian with the space shuttle in the
background.

Lady Astronaut Pampers

A display at the Air and Space Museum. On the left is a fecal collection device and on the right is a ladies diaper.  Interestingly, all astronauts now usually wear commercial diapers.

The Space Shuttle Enterprise

This is me in front of the space shuttle prior to watching the
fictional Enterprise in Star Trek.

Smithsonian Air and Space Museum Near Dulles

We were going to see Star Trek in Imax, but it was sold out.  This is the Enola Gay, which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The museum was pretty cool. We later went to see Star Trek in Georgetown. It was so so. I'm not that into time travel plots.  

Nats Players during the National Anthem

We had awesome seats!

President Washington at the Nats Game

Mingling prior to the game.

Nats Celebrate Loss with Fireworks

The Os win in the 12th. We watched some fireworks on our walk home.

More George

George Will and a male companion stand between innings. It is still
tied 2-2 in the 10th.

George Washington Leans in to Win Presidents Race

Ryan Zimmerman just hit a 2-run homer to tie the game. Nats and Os
2-2 so far... Bottom of the 4th. That's George Will sitting behind
guy standing with the Nats Jersey.

At the Nats Game -- Preshow

Late Lunch

These frozen dinners never look as nice as the picture on the box.

The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #194

Is this a convenient time to discuss your life insurance needs?

The above is the cartoon for New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest for week #194. Let me know if you come up with a caption. Click on the link to enter your caption and share any suggestions you have here. 

Sign the Petition to Urge the President to Repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

The military is still discharging soldiers for being openly gay.

One of these soldiers is California's own Lt. Dan Choi, who is also an Arabic linguist. In March, Lt. Choi went on Rachel Maddow's show and spoke honestly about his sexual orientation. As a result, the Army sent him a letter of discharge on April 23. Lt. Choi is now fighting the discharge and fighting the discriminatory "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

I just signed a Courage Campaign petition to President Obama -- signed by more than 100,000 people --  urging him to do the right thing by stopping the discharge of Lt. Dan Choi and other LGBT soldiers, and asking President Obama to uphold his promise to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."  The Courage Campaign will deliver this petition to the president -- that's why it is important that as many people as possible speak out right now.

Will you join me in signing and urge your friends to do the same?:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/DontFireDan

Thanks!

Cleaning Up the Yard and Not Touring the Capitol

A corner of our backyard.

I was off work today and had planned to take a tour of the U.S. Capitol.  I have lived in the Washington, D.C. area for more than 20 years and have lived on Capitol Hill for more than 6 years and I have never been in the U.S. Capitol.  I almost went in once before.  We were in line to view Ronald Reagan when he was lying in state.  We thought, since we went at around 10 p.m., that the line wouldn't be too bad, but it was soon apparent that it was going to take hours and Reagan wasn't exactly my favorite president, so we bagged it after about 30 minutes.  

So, since I had a day off, I decided it would be fun to take a tour of the Capitol.  I went online and read that you can get a free ticket for a tour, so I promptly signed up.  My ticket was for 10:30 a.m. today.  I arrived at the Capitol Visitor Center at about 10:20 and as I got close to the door, the Capitol Policemen were telling everyone to leave the area.  They were clearing the area and everyone had to go across the street.  I waited around a while and it didn't look like anything was going to change, so I walked down past the Supreme Court building.  There was a bunch of crazies with red Jesus shirts protesting against "Homosexual Acts" and other ungodly things.  They try to give me some literature, but I kindly refused with an expert eye roll. 

I walked around Capitol Hill for a while and slowly made my way back home.  Obviously, I'm not meant to visit the Capitol.  

I spent the rest of morning cleaning up our backyard.  Shane's mom is coming on Thursday, so we have incentive to get some projects done around the house.  Though our backyard is tiny, it quickly fills with weeks, pine needles and pine cones.  I also did some pruning of a bush in the front of our house.  It was a beautiful day and it was nice being out.  We spent most of the weekend inside.  Shane got my cold from the previous week and it hit him hard.  He spent the weekend in bed or on the couch trying to get better.  I still am still not 100 percent myself.  I had quite a sneezing fit working out in the yard today.  We're hoping it is the swine flu, so we'll have immunity and survive when everyone is is dying this fall.  

Art I Could Get Into (Or Vice Versa)

I took this photo with my iPhone at the Philadelpia Museum of Art last week. The sculpture is called Princess X by Constantin Brâncuşi, a Romanian sculptor, and was done in 1915-1916. I don't know why, but for some reason it spoke to me.

The following is from Wikipedia:

In 1920, [Brâncuşi] developed a notorious reputation with the entry of "Princess X"[1] in the Salon. The phallic shape of the piece scandalized the Salon, and despite Brâncuşi's explanation that it was an anonymous portrait, removed it from the exhibition. "Princess X" was revealed to be Princess Marie Bonaparte, direct descendant of Napoleon Bonaparte. Brâncuşi represented or caricatured her life as a large gleaming bronze phallus. This phallus symbolizes the model's obsession with the penis and her lifelong quest to achieve vaginal orgasm, with the help of Sigmund Freud. Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, condemned orgasm by clitoral stimulation and praised vaginal orgasm with a penis as the superior and only legitimate type. His condemnation echoed the social mores of his era which condemned masturbation as both morally harmful and as a cause of mental disorders. Her search for the elusive vaginal orgasm led her to have two unsuccessful surgeries and numerous affairs throughout her life with wealthy and famous men.

When it Comes to American Idol, I'm a 14 Year Old Girl

Though I hate to admit it, I do watch American Idol and I have to say that I am rooting for Kris Allen over Adam Lambert. Kris did a nice version of this song, "Falling Slowly," from the movie Once several weeks back. I realize that Adam is likely on my team, but I prefer Kris. I'm such a teenage girl.

More DC Flowers

This is from my walk Sunday evening around my neighborhood.