Posts Tagged ‘obama’

Sitting for a Cause

A day late (but worth the wait), here’s our City Sitter of the week. Note: This was taken in those good ‘ole pre-Obama days, when we had lots of fun things to be angry about. Best we can do today is cry about a fly. How dare he?!?

Title: Sitting for a Cause
Photographer: Thom Haller
SIT-uation: Emily’s List T-Shirt, Indian blanket, and DC cap provide not-so-subtle clues about Sharon’s politics and interests. Despite the picnic atmosphere, we sit around preparing to march in response to the Bush regime’s foreign policies.

I’m always looking for a good excuse to visit the Newseum and coo over our Presi, so what better way to do both than to pay a visit to the FotObama exhibit. Located on the 6th floor (in the same view-rific room as Today’s Front Pages), you’ll see the top 100 winners and finalists, organized by level (amateurs and pros) and “time” of shot (campaign, election night, inauguration). The Best in Show went to Chris Carlson, for his shot of Obama being petted/embraced after he won the Democratic nomination, but my favorite shot was this one taken by amateur Val Proudkii:

Aside from the lovely juxtaposition (little white boy looking at Obama and tall black man looking at McCain), this photo captures how many of us experienced Obama’s ascent: not in his actual presence but via his image. Other favorites: Malia and Barack on a thriller ride at an Iowa amusement park and a group of exhausted teenagers after the inauguration. Plenty of emotional shots will have you living it all again.

Exhibit runs through September 7, 2009. Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. www.newseum.org

Welcome to Hell

Hot off an Obama/Biden visit, what better day to share my opinion of Virginia’s (now-presidential) burger joint:

If you’re not in the mood for chicken, Ray’s Hell Burger is the cheap-eats NOVA alternative for BIG, manly portions of food. Which is what you’ll find inside: a lot of men, eating huge, dripping, giant, unladylike burgers. What you won’t find are french fries or beer, two things we were craving the day of our visit. The root beer on tap was delicious as was the potato alternative (bagged chips), but—unlike Patten, who believes this to be the best burger in the area—I have no desire to return. The process of putting your mouth over a puffy bun filled with a 10 oz juicy patty and a slippery mound of grilled thick-cut red onions is painful and embarrassing. And while the beef (which is never frozen) and condiments (which yes, are fresh) make for a delicious bite, I can hardly enjoy the flavor because I have juices running down my chin, hands, wrists—a loose onion dangling out my mouth. This is not Carl’s Junior sexy. This is hell.

The Barack Stalk

Who else was distraught when they saw the photos of Obama in Ben’s Chili Bowl? I mean, I love going there on Saturday around noontime in the winter. I always sit at the table that he and Fenty occupied to nosh on their half-smokes. Why wasn’t I there this weekend to give up my seat for our new Presi? Such remorseful thoughts plague me, like when I hear about his family touring the Newseum or the Lincoln Monument. Missed chances. Hmph.

Thus I begin my proactive approach to meeting the new man. On Sunday, I hauled Lauren down 16th Street to take a look at Camp Hay Adams, a.k.a. Obama Temporary Home. We saw lots of Secret Service folks, but no O’s. More impressive were the temporary stands they’ve constructed in front of the White House. Here are some pics from the scene, sadly sans B:

Obamania in DC

Last week signaled a change for Americans. Not only did we elect the first African American president, we chose someone whose views on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are entirely different from our current leader’s. I won’t write a political essay here as to why I’m ecstatic about Obama being our next president, but I will show you how CHANGE is manifesting itself in D.C. Here are some photos from the past week:

Mural painted outside Marvin on 14th and U Streets. Monday, Nov. 3 at 12:07 p.m.

Revelers celebrating Obama’s win on election night outside the White House. “Yes we did!” and “O-BAM-A” were popular refrains. 1:32 a.m. on Nov. 5.

More revelers on 16th and I Street at 1:42 a.m. on Nov. 5. This was just one of many cars with people on top of it and folks hanging out the windows. It was like a parade all the way down 16th Street, from U street to Lafayette Park, which is directly north of the White House.

Sign reads “Building of the Inaugural Stands.” Once completed, this is supposed to be the best spot to see the inaugural parade on January 20, 2009. Too bad you have to be invited by the White House…

Monday, November 10 at 2:25 p.m.: People gathered outside the White House to catch a glimpse of Obama, who’s inside at the time meeting with the current president. Sadly, I was not one of the people who caught a glimpse, and I’m not sure anyone on this side of the gates saw anything that day.