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Post by mez on Oct 6, 2013 0:37:27 GMT
It is all the more amazing for me to see this because there are many memorials and monuments that I didn't even know existed. I agree. I visited several years ago and thought I had seen/done the majority of what I wanted to. Your posts have proved me wrong.
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Post by htmb on Oct 6, 2013 13:00:25 GMT
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Post by htmb on Oct 6, 2013 13:21:14 GMT
As I was standing in the park I could see that the police in the street were very tense and high alert. Many scanned the crowd constantly and I could see my camera getting some attention when I deployed its long lens. Clearly something was going on more involved than the government shutdown.
I finally learned from a woman sitting on a bench that there had been a shooting on Capitol Hill. Apparently, all this had started unfolding while I was just leaving lunch. According to what I know at this moment, based on news reports, a woman drove up to the check point on the opposite side of the a White House from where I was standing, had said something to police, and then had tried turning around. She then drove away at a high rate of speed, running red lights, and heading towards the Capitol. This took her past the Canadian Embassy and the Newseum. Once she reached the Capitol area, still driving erratically, she was stopped by police, before again attempting to flee by driving along the side of the Capitol building at a high rate of speed. In fact, it's estimated she drove up to 85 mph in an area where 20 is the typical speed limit, and many pedestrians and cars were in the area. During all of this she struck a couple of police cars and injured at least one police officer.
As you've also heard, the woman was eventually shot and killed. There is some belief that she was suffering from mental problems, as she had been prescribed, but no longer taking, medication for a serious mental illness. It has also been reported that her boyfriend had made a police report several months ago, stating the woman was delusional and believed the President had her Stamford, Connecticut home bugged. It's all very bizarre. Her family had no idea she had driven to DC, and knew of no reason for her to be there.
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Post by htmb on Oct 6, 2013 13:40:47 GMT
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Post by tod2 on Oct 6, 2013 14:20:55 GMT
Another great set of photos htmb! Brings back memories of my trip to Washington and my tour through the Whitehouse.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 6, 2013 16:16:28 GMT
Having just been told in Brazil that I "notice the strangest things," I feel the need to say that I am a bit surprised by how young and small a lot of the trees are in the area of the White House. Perhaps the ravages of Dutch elm disease?
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Post by mossie on Oct 6, 2013 16:25:24 GMT
Many thanks to our reporter on the spot. And also for some wonderful photos, showing a side to America that I did not realise was there. Forgive me, but my only experience of America has been Las Vegas, which I think may not have been as representative of the country as I thought Some excellent monuments, public buildings and public spaces here.
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Post by htmb on Oct 6, 2013 19:53:18 GMT
Thanks all. I have more pictures to post of DC area places new to me, so will work on getting them in order.
Mossie, I've never been to Las Vegas, but think it's a shame that's your only experience of the U.S.
I must say that, for a very busy city, Washington, DC is a really great place to be. I've been out and about in the Georgetown and Navy Yard areas, and it's wonderful to see all the people having fun on a very warm weekend. Many are wearing shorts while biking, playing sports, and just enjoying an unusually warm October weekend.
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Post by htmb on Oct 6, 2013 21:11:19 GMT
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Post by htmb on Oct 6, 2013 21:18:56 GMT
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Post by htmb on Oct 7, 2013 0:45:17 GMT
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Post by htmb on Oct 7, 2013 1:11:18 GMT
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Post by htmb on Oct 7, 2013 1:40:20 GMT
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Post by htmb on Oct 7, 2013 2:45:03 GMT
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Post by htmb on Oct 7, 2013 3:19:22 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 7, 2013 5:31:34 GMT
It's nice to see all of these "ordinary" views of D.C. life since as you know all we ever see on the media are journalists standing in front of an identifiable monument, often to tell us something grim.
I flew in and out of Washington National airport just once, and it really does look like you are going to crash into the Washington Monument when you are on the plane.
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Post by htmb on Oct 7, 2013 22:20:24 GMT
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Post by htmb on Oct 7, 2013 22:41:34 GMT
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Post by htmb on Oct 8, 2013 19:39:51 GMT
I've heard reports of very low ridership on the metro buses. Five individuals this morning on a route to the Pentagon Metro Station, a major hub, when it's typically standing room only.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2013 20:17:38 GMT
Strikes and such throw all bets off on transportation issues. One time I flew into London from Los Angeles due to a big strike in the Paris airports, which cancelled almost all flights, including the Air France flight that I was planning to take. So I ended up on Virgin Atlantic to London (yay! They upgraded me to business class and I still have very fond memories of their mango chicken.). Once I was in London, I had no idea if I could possible get to Paris by air, but I went to the first airline which claimed to have a flight there. Not only did they accept my staff non-revenue ticket but there was a grand total of maybe 5 passengers on the plane -- and they still served us a meal on this 50 minute flight! I have since discovered that when the media tell the world that "everything" is cancelled, it is not true but everybody believes the announcement, which is great for us nonbelievers.
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Post by htmb on Oct 8, 2013 20:27:50 GMT
Just to be a bit clearer, the majority of the bus and metro riders going to and from Washington, DC work for the Federal government. People aren't taking public transportation because they are Federal workers on leave. I actually got an auto-email reply today from a government worker. The message said he was not allowed to check his work email due to the government shutdown.
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Post by htmb on Oct 16, 2013 19:14:40 GMT
It seems an agreement has been reached and a vote could end the Federal government shutdown within a few hours.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2013 19:26:19 GMT
My morning paper titled the subject "New Episode of '24' Without Jack Bauer."
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Post by htmb on Oct 16, 2013 19:58:45 GMT
Not something I've ever watched so the reference isn't something I can relate to without looking it up.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 16, 2013 20:18:12 GMT
I've heard reports of very low ridership on the metro buses. Five individuals this morning on a route to the Pentagon Metro Station, a major hub, when it's typically standing room only. Just quoting that particular post because it's emblematic of the remarkable topicality of this excellent thread. I've gone through this several times, enjoying the great pictures and text, but also gloating. Yep, we can all smugly enjoy the fact that an anyporter is setting before the world a more complete picture of this weird moment in history than any other I've seen on the net.
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Post by htmb on Oct 16, 2013 20:26:26 GMT
You are too kind, Bixa. I meant to mention before something that was in my local paper a couple of days ago, but have been too steamed to write about it clearly. According to the report, Cruz and Palin, along with several other Tea Party idiots politicians showed up at the WWII Memorial and made a big deal about moving aside barricades so our WWII veterans to go into the area. However, as you can see from my pictures, and as told to me by the policeman posted at the memorial, veterans have been let into the memorial area, beyond the barricades, since just after the shutdown began. Even the young veteran I spoke with at the airport told me their Honor Flight group had been allowed to venture beyond the barricades.
GRANDSTANDING. Tea partiers need to find better ways to spend their time.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2013 21:18:22 GMT
Frankly, I was not wondering about tourist sites. I was wondering if my mother was going to receive her pension and what I would be telling the French authorities (who get 85% of it for the nursing home) if it didn't arrive.
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Post by questa on Oct 16, 2013 22:32:43 GMT
,
This is why I really believe an exhibition of these photos should be mounted. If not a physical one, at least a critically edited on line one..
Something good has to come out of this lose/lose situation.
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Post by htmb on Oct 16, 2013 22:50:36 GMT
Frankly, I was not wondering about tourist sites. I was wondering if my mother was going to receive her pension and what I would be telling the French authorities (who get 85% of it for the nursing home) if it didn't arrive. This situation, and the hundreds of thousands of examples like it, are certainly most important. The empty monuments are only symbols of how the shutdown has affected many. One NASA employee pointed out that government workers who have been off the job, and who were not allowed to work in any way, shape, or form, now will be reporting to work with a backlog of duties to perform.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2013 23:02:27 GMT
Speaking of NASA, I presume that even the ISS was affected.
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