Springtime in the District

Thank you Mark for some truly fantastic photos. I watch Washington Journal every day on C-SPAN and see the changing of the seasons thru their window. It overlooks the capital but it can't compare to this. I especially loved the kites!

For some reason Spring in Chicago seems more gray than this.

Nice shots, Mark. Thank you for sharing.

Top strategist in 2004 reelection campaign donounces Bush:

http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/ex-aide-details-a-loss-of-faith-in-the/20070331211809990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

Mark,

Is this about the best time of the year to be in Washington - weather-wise? I'd like to visit but I'd also like to see some congressional sessions. I don't want to come into town when it's so hot no one is there.

Jorge,

April is the perfect time to visit Washington. For the next two weeks, everything is in bloom. And Congress will return after Easter, if you are looking for some action at the Capitol. May is nice too. By June and July, summer sets in, and it's muggy. August, forget it. Fall is great too. October in particular. If you check with your congressional or Senate office beforehand, you can find out about a guided tour of the White House, if that suits you. The Smithsonians are free, and it's a great town for walking.

From AP:

CAMP DAVID, Md. -- President Bush on Saturday said Iran's capture of 15 British sailors and marines was "inexcusable" and called for Iran to "give back the hostages" immediately and unconditionally.

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Too bad. The prisoners probably had a shot at being released until Bush got involved.

bb,

How naive of you. Obviously the White House and Downing Street are coordinating their actions here. They're allies (and they have telephones after all) so they're going to work together on this... as evidenced by Bush simply repeating the British demands.

Anyway, we're celebrating spring here. Lighten up!

I agree with you bb, Bush and Juanito T Leo should shut their pie-holes,or Britain will never get their soliers back.

The cherry bloosoms in DC look great,I'll have to go check it out in person the next time there's a protest against the Republicans stupid war in Iraq there.

Great picture Mark. Can't we just enjoy Spring in this one and leave the name-calling and bashing to other threads?

And look!

McCain was right!

It's safe to take a stroll in Baghdad!

As long as you have 100 soldiers, 3 Blackhawks and 2 Apache gunships with you--oh, yeah, and a Kevlar vest:

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/01/mccain-iraq-stroll/

bb...You're right. When I first looked at the picture I thought McCain was leading the surge of the 30,000 troops. Then I realized he was just out for a stroll. Looks safe to me.

Isn't it funny to listen to John E. criticize McCain for walking around Baghdad (and there is evidence of actual progress, as McCain has said) and going to Iraq from the comfort of Mommy's basement? What tour are you on now, John E.? Remember, how you were being called up in January? Were you and G.I. Joe enlisted to fight Cobra in the basement?

Jorge,

I can tell you, year and year out, this is indeed the best time to be in Washington (with the possible exception of anytime Congress is not in session). The cherry blossoms are blooming and there were thousands of people checking them out yesterday. At some point in everyone's lives, they should take the pilgrimage to Washington to see the cherry blossoms (and other sights).

"with the possible exception of anytime Congress is not in session"

So, right now then? Or early January? Or summer? Or Fall, two weeks around Thanksgiving? Congress has already adjourned until after Easter. Our tax dollars at work.

Jeff,

You're right, it is going to be hard to beat the record attendance of the last GOP Congress. Those guys certainly had their eyes on the ball and really put in the overtime to keep this country safe and functioning effectively.

I can just picture Mark and Frank, skipping through the park! Eating ice cream, sitting having serious 'rap sessions', flying kites, being chased by dogs.

Ah, to be old, jaded, cynical reporters, and be in Washington, DC!

Lazy Day
(Spanky and Our Gang/1967,(inspired by Lincoln Park))

OK, picture Frank, Jill and Mark!

Blue Sky, sunshine, what a day to take a walk in the park.
Ice cream, daydream till the sky becomes a blanket of stars.
What a day for pick-in' daisies and lots of red balloons.
And what a day for hold in' hands and being with you.

Lazy Day, just right for lovin' away
Lazy Day, made for a stroll in the lane;
Baby, you and me (baby, you and me)
And the honey bee ('neath a shady tree)
Lazy Day, Lazy Day, Lazy Day for you and me.

Blue sky, sunshine, flowers bloomin', *children say-in' hello.

Row boats, bird notes, People smilin' everywhere that they go.
What a day to be together, and what a sky of blue
And what a day for think-in' right out loud I love you.
(Refrain)

What a day for pickin' daisies and lots of red balloons.
And what a day for thinkin' right out loud I love you.
Lazy Day, just right for lovin' away
Lazy Day, made for a stroll in the lane;
Lazy Day, just right for lovin' away

Lazy Day, made for a stroll in the lane.

Bryan, when will you guys learn that it's not a your side, my side thing? My contempt for Congress spending halfs its time out of session, shopping at special stores, and enjoying employee perks that dwarf the most generous corporation is not Democrat or Repubican. My disgust is aimed at ALL of them. Read "Parliament of Whorse" by P.J. O'Rourke and try to understand how they're different sides of the same coin. To think that your party is any better than the other when it comes to the built-in waste of the congressional system is just a simple lack of awareness.

bb and John E,

In case you haven't heard yet, Iran has announced that there will be no trial of the British sailors and they want to reach a diplomatic resolution. Negotiations are in the offing.

Wows, You guys really nailed that one!

Jeff is right. As long as you approach politics like a High School football game -- "HOORAY for our side YOUR SIDE SUCKS!" -- you will always be screwed, ALWAYS.

As long as that's the way it is, they don't have to be honest, they don't have to be efficient, they don't have to serve your best interests BEFORE theirs. It's divide and conquer and you're just playing along.

It's infuriating and ironic when you folks do that and then smuggly call your opposite numbers "sheep" and "robots".

Time to start thinking, people!

For all you real old people, or real young people;

The 'Spanky and our Gang' group I refer to was a late 60's rock group that was part of the mini 'Chicago Invasion' of the US pop charts, not the famous 'Our Gang' of the Depression era 1930's.

Spanky McFarlan (big girl!) and the others were a sweet little Chicago rock group that broke national along with 'The Ides of March', 'New Colony Six', 'Chicago', and 'The Buckinghams'.

Anybody remember any others?

'Pumpkins' don't count for the 60's!!

"Styx" came from my old 'hood (Roseland on the far south side) in the mid to late 60s, playing in bars and high school sock hops. They were originally called "The Tradewinds", then "TW4"

I never cared for them in the 70s, but they're a South Side Chicago band.

Soloist from Chicago: the late great Lou Rawls

When I was trying to sneak into Chicago Teacher's College dances to indulge in some underage drinking, I was always happy if TW4 was the band. They were great-covered all the popular music very well.
Leo T., did you hang out on the Ave? Go to the Landmark or the Jolly Inn?

Hey, I answered once I guess but my post got eaten.

Yes Cath, I hung out on The Ave, and the Landmark and Jolly Inn...as well as Pessavento's on 115th and Front St.

And there was a bar on 111th or 112th near Front or Cottage Grove... It had a White facade as I recall, there were alot of bikers there. I can't remember the name of the place. I'd hang there occasionally because they had music and people. Didn't care for bikers, but they never caused trouble.

When I was a kid we never went downtown to Fields at Xmas. It was always to the Ave., to see the decorations and lights and Santa at Gatley's.

LeoT, I worked at Gately's for awhile when I was in high school. It was my first job besides babysitting.

Cath,

It's a small world. I worked there too for a few months when I was a junior in HS (69-70).

This is interesting and kind of sad -- Several years ago I was in one of those architectural salvage stores, you know those places where you can buy old fixtures, moldings and nicknacks from old torn down buildings. There I saw pieces of the State Theater (110th & State.)

That was a classic old movie palace!

I'm two years older than you. I worked there from '68-'69.
I have often wondered what happened to those older maiden ladies that I worked with that rented rooms in the neighborhood or lived with married siblings. They made so little money. I made $1.36 an hour but I didn't get commission. I think they made a few cents more an hour. A few of them would practically knock me over to get to the customers which didn't bother me a bit.

Yeah, some of those people had been working there since the Depression. Gately nevered paid anybody big bucks, yet for some reason some people were very loyal to him. Maybe because the business was so big, and it was the economic anchor and lifeblood of the community when times were tough in the '30s. My grandfather worked there during the Depression as a carpenter/maintenance guy, and fed his family. And he stayed on till he retired in the late '50s.

If you don't mind my asking, where did you go to school?

I am kind of reluctant to answer that because of the bad behavior of our fellow bloggers. I will say that I am not from Roseland or Pullman so I didn't go to Fenger. Or Washington.

Understandable. You're SO right to be cautious.

I was just curious. I don't meet too many people from that neck of the woods.

Leo and Cat.

Get a room, kids!

(Just kidding. Great memories. It was a great time.)

C.Morris??

Great times, great neighborhood, great memories... ah to be young again and know what I know now!

C. Morris is my guess.

To know then what I Know now probably would have killed me.

Yeah, maybe. But I was pretty reckless for a while back then.

At least we're smarter now, and can avoid making the same stupid mistakes, right?

...NAH!