Internet connection slow/ awful - picture of the day will return hopefully in Richmond Virginia tomorrow

Monday picture of the Day

Was a tough choice. Travelled down from Baltimore to Washington. The Mount Vernon area of Baltimore has been gentrified very nicely and looked very good. Train to Washington DC and then had to sit till about 3 before the new room was ready. Then strolled up to Dupont Circle which is supposed to be an area for young professional. There was a nice park with a fountain in the middle of the large roundabout. After having sat and read for a bit a protest started to form and I have to say possibly the worst organised and located protest I have seen. If you have a microphone don't stand next to the fountain surrounded by traffic as no-one can hear a word you say. It also was unclear what was being protested for a while added to a large amount of milling around.

A first I thought it was equal rights for LGB, then Palestine-Israel questions and turns out they want stronger penalties for people who commit hate crimes after a shooting occurred in a centre for Jewish gay men. As I think that murder is murder and the it doesn't matter who the victim so I took this photo of the milling that was occurring.

North East American fashion

This year the trend seems to be halter neck dresses to the ground with a small tattoo on the shoulder and strappy sandals slightly higher than is really appropriate for the situation. For the men shorts and tee-shirts (so no change there). Now is the time to get ahead!!

Things I might never understand about the US

Things that strike me as odd when traveling in the US

• Turning on red traffic lights - 1 day someone won't stop


• Jogging (good for you) next to 4 lanes of traffic (not good for you)


• Starbucks is my office - businessmen with laptops and mobiles holding their meetings in coffee shops.


• The number of people who live in apartments (think Friends style)


• Bringing main course before I have finished the starter or cheque before I finish the meal


• Relaxing in a chair at the front of your house next to four lanes of traffic.


• Plug sockets in the base of lamps - if i want to charge something I have to have the light on which is tough during the night


• Adverts for serious medical conditions including Viagra on TV. Have you got erectile dysfunction?
• Beer. Beautifully produced (not Bud or that stuff) and then chilled to reduce all flavour. What they do to Newcastle Broen Ale is enough to make Geordies weep.

Sunday picture of the day

Baltimore has a poor reputation from The Wire but you can sense that they are trying to change that and part of that is the sculpture (part of a series) bringing art to the region. One exam question was "There is no point improving a city until you have changed the people. Discuss" so it will be up to the residents to connect with music, art and culture to improve there city. Before you worry as with most US cities some of the suburbs are the most dangerous and tourists are generally left alone.

Saturday Picture of the Day

This is a quote by Jackie Robinson or Jackie who as most of you are saying. He was the first black player to play baseball at the top level. He was not the best at that time (although he was good) but he was one of the most tolerant because even after the ban was dropped his live was not sweetness and life but he took the abuse and did not react. It made me think about who might have been the first black player to play football or rugby. I know that Paul Ince was the first black player to captain England football team.

This is the question. Is not knowing better or worse. It is great that Jackie Robinson is remember but wouldn't it be better if society was at a place where these things weren't really noticed or taking into account. After all if black players weren't banned and playing in a segregated league in the first place then there would be no need for a Jackie Robinson figure.

Maybe it is just that there is a much larger ethnic population in the US (79% white) than in the UK (93% white).

The quote says
"A life is not important except in it's impact on others lives" and there is a sense of irony that this is located in new York (Citifiled Rotunda) where people pay very little attention to those around them, the only city where people standing taking photos in the centre of 4 lanes of traffic get angry with the cars.

It took a while but I worked out how it happens
1. You wait for people to finishing walking past except it never happens
2. You then push in front as you have lost patience
3. You then realise that by being selfish things get done quicker
4. When you see a rule/ law you then ignore it as you are selfish
5. Eventually you stop caring about the people around you

9 mobiles ringing in a three hour show proves me right.

National Comedy Theatre

This group of comedians are absolutely brilliant and I felt so sorry for them as they only had an audience of about 30. They take a selection of ideas and weave a wonderful web of comedy or not. Sometimes the attempts to manufacture comedy is as funny as what they say. With improv you also have a bit more leeway with the comedians. If a stand up works on his act and then is rubbish he has nowhere to go but a improv troupe are working on the spot so if it falls flat you are a bit more sympathetic.