Living in the Selfie Society

Within just a few years, the smartphone and its incipient selfie stick have created a billion amateur photographers vying for the perfect shot. They will travel the world for the perfect picture to post on the Internet, on Instagram or Facebook. They seek special moments once found only in wild dreams.

They consist of generations (Millennials and Gen Z) who chooses to spend money on travel and technology, instead of squirreling away savings for down-payment on a house, a car, or retirement. They fly low-cost airlines and stay in Air BnBs. Instead of retail therapy, try travel therapy: Washington Dulles Airport advertises flights to London as a cure for the “Quarter Life Crisis”.

The opportunity for a commoner to travel far from home is a recent phenomenon. Even in the 1980’s, The Preppy Handbook quipped about “The Tour”, typically a young American’s first transoceanic sojourn, with de rigeur visits to London, Paris and Rome. These were carried out by privileged college students of means, while their middle-class co-eds were busy working for tuition money. Childhood stays in Europe and the Far East were reserved for children of diplomats and military “brats”, a dated term in the post 9-11, continuous-contingency world. Just a decade ago, my community paper, DC’s Northwest Current, would publish columns on residents who went to “interesting” destinations, often on government business. How have times changed.

In Amsterdam, locals lament touristic behaviors such as drunk and disorderly conduct, and interference at the farmer’s market. The small Dutch city hosted 20 million visitors last year. In the search for “authenticity”, to include Air BnB homeshares, it appears that inconvenience is imposed on locals and their residential neighborhoods. Washington, DC’s Metrorail lampooned “Escalefters”, people, usually tourists, who stand on the left side of the escalator, impeding the flow of rush-hour commuters. Despite the neighborly complaints, one must acknowledge that cities were built to handle the masses.

The ecological call to “tread lightly” in sensitive destinations is too often forgotten in the pursuit of personal glory. One article in the New York Times recalls the incredible amount of gear left on the climb to Mount Everest, and of the lines and congestion which detract from what ought to be a spiritual moment. More recklessly, vainglorious adventurers attempt the climb with insufficient preparation, and Sherpa guides feel pressure to head out in sub-optimal conditions.

One way to view the travel-selfie phenomenon is the concept of self-assertion in an economically uncertain era. The 1930’s had movies on the “silver screen” to provide an outlet of escapism. Today, “getting away” for a moment (from student debt or stultifying employment) requires little more than an airplane ticket.

In DC? Enjoy cooler weather and track work...

In just a few minutes, the eastern branch of the DC Metro's Red Line will close for major overhaul. Having rode the line a few hours ago, nothing seems amiss on the trackbed. This is the trackkeepers' job; to intervene before the bottom falls out. From my engineering-dad's perspective, there will be a fascinating array of work-crews and equipment on the trackbed from 10pm tonight until 5am Tuesday morning. That's 79 hours of intensive care for the tracks that carry hundreds of trains a day.
Most people won't mind, though. They're out of town, far away from the DC Metro and its temporarily truncated service. If all goes well on the tracks this weekend, my Tuesday commute will be a bit better than before.

School's Fun

Today was my first full day of school since May. The transition wasn't too hard, as I'd spent plenty of hours this summer at the Abbey kicking around the soccerball. What took me back was my realization, on the Metro ride home, that I'd just spent sunrise to sunset at school. I ought to not have been; the administrators assured us 1st semester seniors that we'd have enough to do.

There is a good shot I missed out this season's issue of prime lockers (24 cubic feet) and settle for one half the size. I mean , there were about 18 Seniors eligible (i.e. currently play a sport and allege that a regular locker would not fit their sporting equipment)for the 22 units. I sense that the Juniors took a few of them nefariously. What I get now is a good selection of neighboring real estate.

(As a matter of micropolitical correctness,I'll add commentary on other subjects later).

In AP Biology, there was a sense that memories- from Freshman Biology- last: the teacher recalled JH, now a student gov't leader, machoing his lab partners on his ability to tolerate the stench before he himself got woozy on formaldehyde.

We participated in a great textbook issue. For the first time, the textbooks really feel like 20th century technology. In recent years, we have saved our backs with online editions for home use. However,many conceded that this is the year we should've transitioned to e-readers. In the Pub(lications Lab, two seniors were hashing out our class' eternal keepsake, the yearbook, and two other leavers were working on the glossy-paged periodicals we kindly critiqued award-winning literature. I received my first homework assignments of the year. As a matter of good policy, I made at least a token effort to complete the assignments before starting the weekend.

In IE (intro to engineering), I'm earning credit for what I do on my own: think of how to make things work. For the team portfolio (a semester-long lab report, in other words), I'll have to insert some calculations. I think the more tedious they look, the better it will be received by the PhD. Certain that the Doctor wouldn't approve of any idea we generated on day 1,I left good sketches in my notebook for closer to the first advisory grades. The details of these, and of many of my and my classmates' maligned and horrid ideas will remain sealed until presentation day in December.

Say it ain't so...

The editor of Greater Greater Washington pulled up a proposal for the future of the Washington Metro. The map came from the mid-'90's from a community politician. Most notably, "it envisioned a rich white person's subway", says the website's editor, noting the fact that the two new lines, the Beltway and a line from Annandale through the Northwest (and this politician's grounds) to Wheaton, which serves said demographic. Remember, these are demographics from 15 years ago.

This is in start contrast to the 'dreamer' maps of today, which focus on new lines to the 'underserved' esat side of town and mid-city. Of course, 15 years ago, a riot may have been around the corner...
Naturally, the 1968 riots caused many to flee the inner city, if not the city writ large. Development in the city, other than the construction of 'projects' for the displaced, was focused on downtown areas soon to be served by the multibillion dollar Metro. Most guys like Foulger and Pollin made their fortune in developing the northwestern suburbs, which yielded way to Washington's silicon valleys on the Dulles Corridor in Virginia and the I-270 Corridor in Maryland. Long story short, biotech and computer firms held more promise in the '80's and '90's than an arts district in a gritty neighborhood. If you build office space, will they move into the nieghborhood? No. 1992 riots. Put off hope of repopulating your inner city. And that was when this politician made the map.

Ranked by seriousness, it was only a practice activity for the consulting firm which probably drew it up pro bono.

The politician endorses big development projects but does not endorse the map.

Iron and Asphalt

The death knell of the streetcar sounded loudly after World War Two. What was the fifth largest industry, a mostly private-sector affair, was greatly reduced in less than 20 years. Luckily for DC, the man in charge of obliverating the streetcar system merely enclosed the tracks under asphalt, a fact that did not become apparent until Metro construction in the 1970's. Maybe the death knell is...streetscaping. DC's notoreiously bad streets are often languished for repairs. But on 11th street, a blessing may not have been all that good. Beside the heap of dirt laid mangled rail-like strips of metal, torn from the ground. That was it.
For a fact, the 47-year neglected track may not have been perfect, but some towns have found that the buried tracks sufficed for restored service.

Lost and Found

National Harbor- the environmentalist's nightmare- please arrive by car or limo, or cruise ship. But bowing to the county, limited-stop bus service was provided from Southern Avenue to the resort. For those who don't know the area, this is a lipspeak for the resort workers and mass transit advocates. So what I did not know was how 'rough' Southern Avenue was, or at least according to what I saw. Hoodlums staring gaped-mouth to the station manager's booth, then hurdling over a lowish gate to evade payment. Time constraints- it was almost dark outside- had us have the desire to take a $16 boat trip to our local ferry stop in Georgetown. But the last one left at 5:10pm. It was 7pm. But the time flew anyway, having fun in the glass elevators.


So on the way back home, along comes a train marked Yellow and Greenbelt. Silly train. We got on a train. As it headed deeper into the suburbs, the riders were more clean cut, and we happened across a young woman reading a book- a relieving sight.Suitland!? I didn't remember passing by there on the way to Southern Avenue. Then it hit. We were on the wrong train. From that platform at Southern Avenue, it turned out that the goofy mixuped sign did display where we wanted to go. I and Little Brother did not read the platform signs one bit. So, remembering the Dietrich Bonhoeffer quote about trains from my planner, "If you board the wrong train, it is useless to run along the corridor in the opposite direction". So in the 13-minute layover, we got to see train cars disconnected. A loud, subtle movement separated the cars. It was not that bad after all.

Wet Socks and Lots of Essays

It rained a lot on Wednesday. In fact, it was just so wet it was a downer. Not to mention it was just above the freezing mark- exactly. Terrible news for drivers- patches of black ice rather than a day to avoid all ice at home...in simple terms, a snow day would have been better for society. And then lots of essays that took me away for the past two days...

So then, after burning out, I took the 80 all the way home from school- it was a 1 hour 5 minute ordeal...it went fine until New York Avenue on North Capitol. Just a lot of red lights. So I arrived at 25+Virginia and sort of regretted it, until I found out about the Red Line- just a minor track dinky that broke camel's back...I do applaud Metro about how fast they do resolve these problems when they happen.

Blue skies for miles tomorrow, I think.

Here I am posting on random forums

"Is this even constitutional? While congress has full power over DC, I don't think that they have the authority to close roads in Virginia for this purpose. And anyway, Rich Joe wants to get from McLean to a party in Palisades. He normally would use Chain Bridge, but now he must use the American Legion, wasting let's say a gallon of fuel and lots of harm to the environment. PS-Metro is not an option for Rich Joe, yet.

But on the upside, Congress wanted a transit-oriented city by the early '70's. In the chance that forcing people out of their cars at the suburban stations and onto the one-day BRT and Metrorail works, we might have an utopia. However, it won't work for the long term. DC People are Americans at heart."

My Escalator!

I am happy to report that the central exit escalator at the Foggy Bottom Metro Station is now back in commission, as of 5pm, serving streetbound passengers with a smooth ride. For some reason, this specific escalator has drawn attention from the press from sources such as the Northwest Current to the Washington Post Express. Now will there be freezing rain as promised tomorrow, specifically in MoCo land? Some of us sure do. (That's Montgomery Co, MD- it doesn't pop up in the search engine)

So in the mild chilly rains this afternoon, I frosted my hands and dirtied my suit as I measured water levels. This lab better come out good for the toils of dedication:)

Pooks Hill Station

Grosvenor Station. Grosvenor. The least American metro station name after L'enfant Plaza. I got schooled on its pronunciation about a week or two ago. Is it gros-ve-nor, grovs-ner (as the conductors say it), it actually is Gro-venor, with the Norman French silent 's', according to a native. Since 1984, the name has been tripping everyone up. Pooks Hill, the name in the original plans, would have satisfied the American desire of easy. Then the station had Strathmore added to its name. Unlike such stations as Woodley Park/Zoo-Adams Morgan, or U Street/Cardozo/African-American Civil War Memorial Station, people actually use the new part of the name.

Well, that leads to what Little 'Borther' had me do yesterday. He had me ride the entire Metro system. We boarded at 2:10pm, took the Orange Line out to New Carollton, doubled back to the Blue to Largo, headed off to Green to Branch Ave, reversing towards Greenbelt. But, by then, it was 5:30pm, and Mommy called us to come back home for supper. On the Red Line from Fort Totten home, I asked whether he was still recording the train times, as it pulled into each station. "No, never again on Sunday". Indeed, we spent well over an hour waiting for trains, as it was Sunday. We put our farecards through the exit gate at just about 6pm.

Lots of Videos

By popular request, I started putting more mundane videos online to YouTube. But, then, after on a Metro ride home, a static ensemble of producers asked me to do "Animal noises", noticing that I was unable to do the oink of the pig. Along with that came some videos from our e-library that were never placed in a JangooVision episode, and the definite cancellation of the "Dari" series, it being an epic failure. So I had to craft the Animal oises film carefully so I would not be humiliated. Well, it has been relatively sucessful, being spread around Facebook and all- 62 views the first night.

"never give up"
-ipolomarco43

To see JangooVision and all the other e-films I produce, look up atticussawatzki on YouTube.

1 billion for Great Society

Money has been approved from congress for the Silver Line towards Dulles Airport- for the first segment to Tyson's Corner. This will provide easier access to the supermall there, and should spur development. Some groups even say that the area will become DC's skyscraper district. (I know it's Fairfax; Rosslyn is unsuitable because of the 300' height limit due to National Airport, and the feds probably don't want a building towering over the Pentagon, if located in Crystal City.

But will it be above or underground? It still has to be decided. Even if it were overhead, the cheaper alternative, the architectural drawings do make it look not like an eyesore.

The Green Slitherer

This describes the DC Metro's Green line as it weaves at high speeds under the most spectacular, and most violent view of the city (13 and Clifton Sts, NW, but don't step out of the car). Taking the Red Line to the OB is usually quickest, but today, Red Liners were stacked up at every signal. Therefore, it was Green Time. I can't believe I'm doing this is such little time, but Fort Totten- Lower platform is half on and half under the cliff. Train speeds up to a 65mph cruise to serve Petworth and Columbia Heights, cut and cover resumes south of Shaw in the 1991 section. Pass the lower level of Gallery Place, under the mall and poping up in the HUD area of L'enfant plaza, a '60's urban renewal area. At the south end of the station, a set of escalators lead to nowhere, perhaps a future entrance. Get on OB, lower level. Note the glass-paneled escalators.

Sorry for not having enought time!

Where's the Blogger?

Appetizer-
I snoozed until 8am, as we were going to go to the 9am mass this Sunday. After that, it was about 11:15am. Time to shop for 'stuff'. Tysons was too crowded- a diversion to Leesburg's strip malls, were we bought a bike, pillows, toaster, etc. How American. And what a view! From the Dulles Greenway, you can see planes land- large ones, larger than those at National Airport, and the mystery of which country the plane came from. Flight to National only come from the States or Canada, in general.

The Show-
I was at a John Williams (the movie soundtrack composer) concert at the Kennedy Center last night. It was part of the Marine Band 210th anniversary event. It was FREE admission- I actually did not know that I was going until Sunday morning; otherwise, I would have given a FYI in-blog notice. Awesome show, included some clips of Star Wars, ET, Harry Potter, and JAWS. I would have snapped a photo of the event if it was not prohibited- not only by the House, but by the Department of Defense. I don't remember seeing many illicit cameras out, either.

Monday-
Not much to talk about, got a group raise, but no more lunch hour pay. In all, we lose net $1.35, including travel fare (working only 3 hours means that we can get a blanket transfer that is still valid after work), but gain a precious hour of lunchtime. I still treasure that moment, grabbing a packaged meal to go, swiftly getting on the 32, and being home in 25 short minutes. Then there was the forgettable bike trip loop between the bridges (I-66 and Arlington Memorial), and the Walgreen's back-to-school-sale fiasco, and the pool.

Critanydisc?

Only through fsx (fantasy stock exchange) did I realize that oil prices are falling at a clippy pace.

More UNO (the card game:0) today- survived two elimination rounds as of now. It's the strategy that matters; Maybe I'll win tomorrow. I mean, if I'm no good at online wrestling, I have to be crafty at some little game- yes, I also do well in online poker.

The Doctor was at 2:00. Not more needs to be said here. I'm fine; there'll be more posts.

A 37- Limited ride was awesome as I headed up to AU for a violin lesson. Yes, silently roaring up the right lane of Mass. Avenue. As fast as self-driving.

Why am I writing in monotony?

Week 3- Really?

Monday, Week 3 of "work".
Weekday One of the new 30-series metrobus schedule.
It looked pretty good heading uphill to Tenleytown. Buses popping up at regular intervals, and the 37! Wow! Limited service downtown for the taking. The naturals of bus bunching and the punctuality of the new routes made the scheduling work, contrary to what I thought would happen, on account of treating the 31 as a separate line from the 32 and 36. Home, and Little Brother did his best- 14 years on play mode on Locomotion. Pool late in the evening after the storms, and home again, contemplating on the new square-shaped gallon milk jugs that Sam's Club now makes.
We're finalizing Jangoomag July. Look online soon!

Busywork

For work, today, I was sent to the Employment Service's H street office. To get the best deal on the ride (as Little Brother insisted), I used the 30 bus to transfer to the X2. Great idea, but it didn't really work: I ran at par with the bus for three blocks, sort of gave up, then picked up the pace. Boy, was I tired! Anson (A Little Brother's classmate from Pre-K) insists that I don't jaywalk to catch buses, and I kept that in mind as I went downtown in solitude. I made it, 7 blocks from the origin. Lafayette Square, the park in front of the White House, was the transfer point. No bu for a while. Fear: bus would get very crowded. Reality: It was only 'standing room only', not too bad for this route. What busywork. I knew that the item I was sent to collect, my debit card, was not there, yet I was sent there. I got back 2 hours after I started, on the Red Line after X2.

This afternoon- pool and storms.

Anson is fighting to keep his Wisconsin Avenue position as he was listed for transfer to 16th street.

Day 2

As I was saying, the route #30 has been in use for over 75 years. It is, therefore, an atrocity that the number will be discontinued. If this were a building that were 75, it would be let to survive, but psych nah. 30's basic functions of serving Wisconsin Avenue to downtown is being derelicted to the new 31 shuttle line. The same thing happened to routes 40 (now 42) and 50 (now 52, 53, and 54). Survivors are 70, 80, and 90, a surely dying breed, it seems to be.

Second day of work. That in the morning, and downtown to the convention center to listen to a charismatic speaker speak about how Nobody wants your child.
I'm totally tired out now. I'll type tomorrow's about my great soda adventure.

TBD

Yesterday, I saw it. WMATA finally put up signs for the new 37 express service, which has absolutely no use for me. M'kay.

Today was the first day of my first summer day. I never actually got my file completed; I was filling in for Little Brother, who is still frolicking in Italy. I was getting giddidy about leaving home at 9:00 for the 10:00 start time, so I left a little before. I immediately caught the 32 , and was brisked up to Tenleytown, where the job was located, in the Baptist church up there. I entered at around 9:30. There were about 25 people, so I was not exactly too early. My dad worked with this citywide job program in previous years, and said to expect low expectations. Anyway, most people were there by 10:00. I signed in, on Little BRother's name. I, after all, didn't have the chance to explain. During those lazy sit-around hours (from 10 to 1) of doing absolutely nothing and being paid for it, I was interrogated by one of my co-workers, as he called himself. "Have you ever done it with a lady?" No. "Why not?"; "Have you ever smoked weed?" No. And I was trying to act not-so-uppity. Unfortunately, I had to spill the beans about living near Georgetown. And they guessed that I went to private school, because of how I dressed. Primmed shirt and khakis and loafers. This particular young man even stated that "he should come to see Georgia Avenue and go buy some kicks (shoes)". I explained that I'm not into shoes, but he said "do it". Some people would love to hear this: I got a girl's cellphone number. OK. So I also changed my wallpaper.

As I languished in the pews, I had only my cellphone to entertain me (and the three girls and the aforementioned guy), and eventually, it was lunchtime. Pizza eaten in a hurry, so that I could sign out, in Little Brother's name, and reuse the transfer before it became invalid. I saw the signs. 31, 32, 36 on the red, white, and blue bus stop signs. Routes 30, 34, and 35 were soon going to become history. An old lady also noted this change to the bus driver; it's typical to have a schedule change on June 30. In the sake of preventing bus bunching.

Day 2

my bad. You can ride trolleys at the DC streetcar museum!
Anyway, time was limited again. I was put out to jog at 8:15, and then go food shopping. Adding breakfast, that took us to 10 am. Then an hour later, I had to prepare for going to lunch with mommy, and then fetch her special-order newspaper from one of the last authentic shops in Chinatown. That was after I traded coins at the Mint Shop. And then home, and soon afterward, daddy came home and took me for a walk. Then, Trader Joe's, and here.
9 am tomorrow- orthodontic appointment. Some major work to be done.

New Path-Cinco de Mayo

I challenge you to...set this blog as your homepage.

As I have recently found out, Metro has recently reorganized the 16-series (Columbia Pike Line) so that buses come every 7-1/2 minutes off-peak. Great news, because this is actually the most direct path from my house to Annandale and the Oriental grocery, Kam Sam. Trip planner never says so. Little brother still insists that 3A, which loops around and comes once an hour, is still better. Nope.

Delli-can-drive countdown: 8 days