Panabasis - the Journal of the Janus Museum

November 2004 Archive

27 November - Cats and Rocks of Washington Grove

Cat Leroy enjoys a bit of post-Thanksgiving rock climbing in the Janus Museum's forest preserve.

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Friend of the Museum Kate I. showed off this festive candy turkey, made for her by her young friends Elly and Sam B. - the head and body are caramels, the beak is a candy corn, and the tail feathers are represented by a delicious Keebler Fudge Stripe cookie; presented on a Dove dark chocolate morsel.

We watched Jean Vigo's L'Atalante (1934) the other evening, which we liked all the better for its high cat content - always a plus around here. Above, the resident cats of the barge l'Atalante are entertained by the mate's gramophone. I wonder if Max and Maxine, our Museum Cats, would be amused by this wicked cool object?

Michel Simon with Cat

The mate, Père Jules, played by the wonderful Michel Simon, usually appears equipped with a cat or two.

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22 November - The Anniversary

Today's the anniversary of the day I came down with the mumps, oh many years ago. For some reason I've never been tempted to "keep the day as a festival", as Samuel Pepys did for the anniversary of the day he was operated on for a bladder stone the size of a tennis ball. In fact, the only reason I remember it is because, obviously, it's also the anniversary of the death of a Great Man.

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21 November - Final Foliage Report

Most of the leaves are down, now, but the Japanese maples scattered around town are providing our last flash of color for the season - this one over on First Avenue.

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20 November - Bach and Meatballs

Tanya Anisimova

Sorry for the delay in reporting the first of the season's Mousetrap Concerts, which was held on the 7th in Washington Grove's historic McCathran Hall; Tanya Anisimova, cello, performing Bach, Marais, Bloch, and her own beautiful improvisations. I was utterly transported during her performance of her own arrangement of the great Chaconne in D Minor from Bach's violin Partita No. 2. Fans of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin novels will recogize the piece that so moved and troubled Jack in The Ionian Mission:

Now when the fiddle sang at all it sang alone: but since Stephen's departure he had rarely been in a mood for music and in any case the partita that he was now engaged upon, one of the manuscript works that he had bought in London, grew more and more strange the deeper he went into it. The opening movements were full of technical difficulties and he doubted he would ever be able to do them anything like justice, but it was the great chaconne which followed that really disturbed him. On the face of it the statements made in the beginning were clear enough: their closely-argued variations, though complex, could certainly be followed with full acceptation, and they were not particularly hard to play; yet at one point, after a curiously insistent repetition of the second theme, the rhythm changed and with it the whole logic of the discourse. There was something dangerous about what followed, something not unlike the edge of madness or at least of a nightmare; and although Jack recognized that the whole sonata and particularly the chaconne was a most impressive composition he felt that if he were to go on playing it with all his heart it might lead him to very strange regions indeed.

From William H. Calvin's O'Brian page. Listening to Tanya's performance, I didn't quite reach the edge of madness, but I was certainly taken to a different place entirely, returning to McCathran Hall for the post-concert reception, which featured Friend of the Museum Alice Negin's famous meatballs. What I would like is that there should be a meatball distribution during the concerts - the idea of eating meatballs to the sound of Bach is too delightful for words - reminiscent of the Rev. Sydney Smith's vision of heaven - "eating pate de fois gras to the sound of trumpets".

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18 November - Another Episode of Cats of Washington Grove

See, I'm not obsessed by the security checkpoints, really I'm not. There's other stuff I can blog, like cats, and stuff. This is Kokomo, an nice older gentlecat over on Brown Street. I can think about other things, besides the checkpoints, for minutes on end. I'm fine, just fine.

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16 November - Hello Checkpoint, My Old Friend

Independence Avenue Checkpoint, Back Again

Remember the story just the other day about the DC Capitol Hill security checkpoints going away? Forget about it - just joking - a bit premature, so to speak. In other words, the checkpoints are back. Not due to any perceived increased threat level, according to a Capitol Police spokesperson interviewed on the local news. No, it's just to be random, and to keep the terrorists confused and annoyed. I took the picture above - knew I shouldn't, of course, but it is legal, after all, and it's not a suspicious activity if they don't see me doing it, right?

And in tonight's Giant Squid news...

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15 November

Don't take pictures of the White House - the situation could escalate, as photographer Bill Emory discovered recently. Via Metafilter, and thanks to Friend of the Museum Gibbons Burke for drawing my attention to it.

Following this earlier Giant Squid story, we report yet more Giant Squid-related news.

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13 November - Farewell to Checkpoints (For Now)

The Capitol Hill checkpoints have been removed, now that the alert level has been lowered from orange to yellow - of course, it's a mere coincedence that it happened in the week following Election Day. But I'm sure the Capitol Police officers are glad to be off the street, and I'm glad to be able to walk about downtown without being chased down and subjected to interrogations, as I may have mentioned here before. See, I even took pictures of where the checkpoint used to be. The little portable guard booth is still on the corner, though, and the officer inside did keep an eye on me, but nobody approached me to demand my ID or to ask difficult questions. It's nice to be able to take pictures again, of course, but I confess to a bit of a sense of loss - who is there now to take an interest in my photography?

Friend of the Museum Brian Nicklas proudly announces that the 1965 Mustang convertible that he and his brother Steve had beautifully restored has now been delivered. Have a look at before and after shots. The Museum staff are eagerly looking forward to joy-rides. Restoration by Classic Car Concepts of Lacey's Spring, Alabama.

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11 November - Armistice Day

We salute all of our vets on the 86th anniversary of the end of the Great War. There aren't many veterans of World War I left, of course. A Le Monde article cited by the excellent Rhine River says there are only 15 poilus - French veterans - still surviving. Gus is wearing his reproduction French kepi today in their honor:

Gus in Kepi

Here are a few WWI links from last year.

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9 November - More Cats of Washington Grove

Natasha, a very autumnal cat, demonstrates how not to be seen. Unlike other sites, cat blogging can occur on any day here, especially when I have nothing else to say.

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8 November

Here's the concession speech that Senator Kerry should've delivered, as composed by Adam Felber:

My fellow Americans, the people of this nation have spoken, and spoken with a clear voice. So I am here to offer my concession. [Boos, groans, rending of garments]

I concede that I overestimated the intelligence of the American people. Though the people disagree with the President on almost every issue, you saw fit to vote for him. I never saw that coming. That's really special. And I mean "special" in the sense that we use it to describe those kids who ride the short school bus and find ways to injure themselves while eating pudding with rubber spoons. That kind of special.

I concede that I misjudged the power of hate. That's pretty powerful stuff, and I didn't see it. So let me take a moment to congratulate the President's strategists: Putting the gay marriage amendments on the ballot in various swing states like Ohio... well, that was just genius. Genius. It got people, a certain kind of people, to the polls. The unprecedented number of folks who showed up and cited "moral values" as their biggest issue, those people changed history. The folks who consider same sex marriage a more important issue than war, or terrorism, or the economy... Who'd have thought the election would belong to them? Well, Karl Rove did. Gotta give it up to him for that. [Boos.] Now, now. Credit where it's due.

I concede that I put too much faith in America's youth. With 8 out of 10 of you opposing the President, with your friends and classmates dying daily in a war you disapprove of, with your future being mortgaged to pay for rich old peoples' tax breaks, you somehow managed to sit on your asses and watch the Cartoon Network while aging homophobic hillbillies carried the day. You voted with the exact same anemic percentage that you did in 2000. You suck. Seriously, y'do. [Cheers, applause] Thank you. Thank you very much...

Read the rest of it at Fanatical Apathy. Thanks to Friend of the Museum Rodger Kingston for bringing it to my attention.

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6 November

Had a very pleasant picnic on the banks of the beautiful Gunpowder River with the Norbeck-Wallingford sisters today. A crusty baguette, a soft brie with mushrooms - olives - an innocent young wine - and to finish, some leftover Halloween Almond Joys. Bliss.

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A Friend of the Museum, reading of yesterday's call from the Capitol Police, wondered if the call might also have served to recruit me as an agent provocateur. Well, of course it wasn't - not that I could admit it if it was - but it really wasn't. But I suppose such creatures still exist, only such a frenchified term for them would no longer be in use.

I propose that we now call them Liberty Provokers.

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5 November - A Call from the Police; Delayed Halloween Coverage

I just found a call on my answering machine from the Capitol Police, asking me to call them back. Of course, returning the call would be the polite thing to do, but I'm thinking of making a run for the border, instead. Would that be too terribly rude?

But I did return the call, and spoke with a Capitol Police sergeant, who was very nice. He was responding to a request from Senator Sarbanes based on my email to the senator. He asked me if I had any questions for him, and explained how, in the current security situation, officers are trained to interview anyone behaving suspiciously, which includes photography of not only security checkpoints but also the Capitol dome, and also the odd airship, since the Washington airspace is also part of their responsibility. He noticed that I had mentioned in my letter that the officers had been polite in each of my interrogations, and he thanked me very nicely for that. I mentioned that one of the officers had told me that if I was seen photographing, "it would go to a different level" - that I would be interviewed by "investigators". the sergeant apologized, saying that officers should not say such things, and that I wouldn't be interviewed by investigators. He said that he would tell the fellows not to say such things, and in future it may be reflected in their training that such things should not be said. It really was a very nice conversation, and I feel so much better.

Oh - someone's at the door. I wonder who it could b..

Finally, a little time to feature some Halloween documentation. Here's part of the terrifying display at the O'Connor's, always a must-see.

Tasteful Halloween Display

Great Oaks Cottage, home of Tubbs, featured a fine display of Halloweeniana.

Godzilla vs. Adirondack Chair

Also at Great Oaks, a clearly exhausted Godzilla, suffering from a slow leak, gamely attempts to menace an adirondack chair.

Martha Stewart in Chains

A young lady on the porch of the Historic Cottage, appearing as Martha Stewart. ~~Socks, appearing as himself, is in the background~~. UPDATE - whoops, it's Peaches, actually. Apologies to both cats.

Gus Dispenses Candy

Gus, the Museum's maintenance man, gave out candy from his Chinese surplus ammo belt.

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3 November

It's the Museum's Civil War era flag, now flying upside down; I think Gus did it. Don't know what'll happen when the Curator sees it - don't care, either.

It's a good day to meditate on the Stoics, especially Marcus Aurelius:

All existing things soon change, and they will be either reduced to vapor, if indeed all substance is one, or they will be dispersed.
Consider that men will do the same things even though you would burst with rage.
Do not be perturbed, for all things are according to the nature of the universal; and in a little time you will be nobody and nowhere, like Hadrian and Augustus...
Men exist for the sake of one another. Teach them then, or bear with them.
Constantly contemplate the whole of time and the whole of substance, and consider that all individual things as to substance are a seed of a fig, and as to time, the turning of a gimlet.
How ridiculous and what a stranger he is who is surprised at anything that happens in life.

But on the other hand... aaiieeeee...

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2 November -
Mounties, More Senatorial Action, Feline Fashions For Halloween

So I take a picture of a couple of mounted Capitol Police officers on their nice horses on the grounds of the Taft Carillon, not far from the Constitution Avenue checkpoint. The officers watch me - I smile winningly at them and say hello - they look at me kind of hard - I am photographing while bearded, after all - but they say hello back, and I walk on uninterrogated. It's just a photograph, after all, taken on a nice fall day with no questions asked - nice.

By the way, I got a nice letter from Senator Paul Sarbanes (Dem., MD) today, responding to my whinging about my various interrogations. Says he's contacted the Capitol Police and is urging "a careful review of the matter". Very similar to Senator Barbara Mikulski's response, in fact.

Maxine, one of our Museum Cats, on Halloween. What fun she had...

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1 November - Cats of Washington Grove, Continued; More Zeps

Natasha, one of the Circle Cats, looks quietly optimistic up in one of Washington Grove's mighty oaks. She only needed a bit of a helping hand to get down again.

I snagged this rare shot of two Zeppelin NTs at Friedrichshafen last week, via the Deutsche Zeppelin Reederei webcam. The zep on the right is a recent build sold to Japan, but prevented by Russian authorities from overflying Russia to its new home - read all about it here.

Will try to post some jolly Halloween shots tomorrow. Don't forget to vote.

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