Below is the Monument to the Second Army Division. It stands near the White House. It was originally set up in memory of WWI dead, but later added battles from WWII and Korea. I walked past this many times, but this is the first time I stopped to look closely.
I started at my normal office and then took the shuttle to HST and transferred to go to NFATC, where I talked to the group going to Iraq. I wonder how much my advice is worth. Things change so quickly in Iraq and our footprint is so different now. But I told them what I knew. I caught the shuttle back to HST in time just to miss the shuttle to SA44. Just as well. I wanted to go to the Wilson Center to see a speaker on worldwide water resources, so I walked over to the Ronald Reagan Building, where Wilson Center is located. It seems to me that water resources and environment will be big issues in the next few years. One of the things I like most about Washington is that there are so many opportunities to learn new things. I will write some notes about what I learned when I get a little more information and context.
Below is an exhibit re Woodrow Wilson at the Wilson Center. Wilson was our only president with a PhD. He valued study and the development of ideas. The Wilson Center for scholars is his living legacy. Scholars there share their ideas with each other and the public (like me). They also publish “The Wilson Quarterly”.
The Wilson Center is almost midway between State and SA 44, so after the lecture I walked back to my office. It was cold and I had to stay late to finish the day’s work, but I liked the lecture, the walk gave me time to think and I got some pictures.
Above is the inside atrium of the Ronald Reagan Building. Below workmen are putting up a profile of President Reagan.
Below is a statue of Simon Bolivar near the Mall and near the OAS.
Below is Nathan Hale. He scouted British positions for General Washington and was executed by the British after they captured him. They didn’t have the ACLU in those days. His last words were “I regret that I have but one life to give for my country.”
Below is salt on the street. It seem like when it snows in Washington, it rains salt. You can see how much this salt was not needed. They are too quick with the salt around here and the effort is not a virtue. All that salt eventually finds its way into the Potomac and then pollutes the Chesapeake Bay. The lecture I listened to on water made me notice this. The costs of doing these things is high, but environmental costs are hard to quantify, while people sliding on the streets are easy to see. Too bad. Many people claim to be concerned about the environment, but then they complain or sue when they are inconvenienced or slip on the pavement. The Chesapeake is worth a few bent fenders, maybe even some broken bones or at least the risk of these mishaps.
