John Kelly's Commons

Nature, Red in Tooth and Paw

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:05:25 -0500

I walked into a nature documentary while I was out with my dog this morning. I'd just bagged Charlie's poop and we were continuing on our perambulation when he bounded towards a squirrel. He doesn't actually chase squirrels much anymore--I think he decided that since he never catches them it's not worth the effort--but perhaps this one looked like a likely candidate for chasing. There was something of the victim about it. Just as he broke towards the squirrel a massive bird swooped down to grab it in its talons. But it missed. Charlie had saved the squirrel, for by running towards it he startled the squirrel towards the safety of a nearby tree. The hawk's talons closed around empty air. Or course Charlie was immediately surprised by the bird. He instantly forgot about the squirrel and barked at the hawk, which swooped up and landed on a high branch,

EXTRA! EXTRA! Snyder Feels 'Bad' for Fans

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:50:44 -0500

"Garbo Speaks" were the headlines when Greta Garbo appeared in her first talking picture. Now we have "Snyder Speaks." In a rare address to the press yesterday, the Redskins owner said that the team was "disappointed" and "embarrassed" by its 2-5 start. When asked what the fans must be feeling, Snyder said, “I see disappointment. It’s the same way I feel and I share their frustration. It’s hard. We’re going to try to put it together and get it going.” He apparently did not offer his thoughts on all the extraneous stuff that's going on this season, such as the sign ban. He stuck to his message: We feel bad. We're disappointed. Interestingly, while Snyder said he felt sorry for the fans, nowhere did he say he was sorry. Unless I missed it, there was no apology. Oh wait, he did say this: "And I think we have an opportunity

Photo Flashback: We're Here, We're Queer, Etc.

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:04:05 -0500

There is a file in the Washington Post photo archives marked "Homosexuals." Of course, I don't think we would label it that way these days. "Gays" or "Gay Rights" has a kinder ring to it. What sort of photos are in the files? For starters, this one, taken on Pennsylvania Avenue NW during a gay rights march on October 14, 1979: The photo was taken by Fred Sweets and the caption reads: A couple watches as the advocates of gay rights parade along the Avenue. Hmmm. "Parade" along the avenue? Do I detect a slight condescension there? I suppose it's better than "swish," but what's wrong with "march"? Also, I don't know if you can see it, but there's a crop mark on the right, just below "We don't need laws for us." The layout person probably cropped that out so the photo would fit better, though it lessens the

BritNews RoundUp: Naughty Co-Eds Edition

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:00:03 -0500

I'm an Oxford man myself so I can't say as I understand the way things work at the other university. The latest scandal to roil Britain's junior university is over co-eds posing suggestively for a student publication, or as the Sun puts it: "Cambridge girls in sexy pics row." The Telegraph is a little more restrained, though it doesn't miss the opportunity to include a photo (strictly PG-13, actually, and definitely SFW). The Daily Mail poses a question I think we've all asked ourselves: "What sort of man spends 15 years building an oil rig from matches in his front room?" David Reynolds of Southampton used 4 million matchsticks to create an exact replica of the Brent Bravo oil rig in the North Sea. It took him 15 years. "It's not my finest work," he told the Mail. "I was pretty happy with the drilling platform, but the rest's pretty

The Black Rooster to Crow Again

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:10:43 -0500

Jody Taylor has joined that select group of people who got to attend their own funeral. I last saw the owner of the Black Rooster Pub at a huge wake at his L Street NW establishment on Oct. 16. After more than 35 years the bar was set to close, victim of a lost lease and the expansion of the Peace Corps, with whom the pub shares a building. But Jody tells me the Rooster lives. With the help of D.C. Council member Jack Evans (and, I like to think, no small influence from this column), the bar is going to stay right where it is. "I was able to come to terms with the landlord," Jody explained in an e-mail to me. "We will be able to stay and will reopen after approximately two weeks. Good time to do a thorough cleaning, polishing and dusting." Don't dust it off

Photo Flashback, Trick or Treat Edition

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:00:54 -0500

Picked out your costume yet? I delved into The Post's photo archives to see what treasures were to be found. Maybe some of these ideas will inspire you. This photo has no caption information other than PHOTO BY ELLIS and the note that it was shot on Oct. 29, 1961. It was obviously a time when boys wanted to be cowboys and girls wanted to be...what is that? A clown? I love the way the boys are "kissing" her. It's the last thing they want to be doing but the photographer has told them to. The next two photos are from 1983 and were shot in Georgetown by Lucian Perkins. The caption info reads: Blinky from the game Pac-Man crosses M st. in Georgetown under the watchful eye of a policeman. I love how policemen always have "watchful eyes." Continuing the theme: The caption info read: Karen Lozano (left) and

Photo Flashback, Pigskin Edition

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:15:24 -0500

With the Eagles coming to Washington tonight to take out on the Redskins, I thought this photo from 1955 was appropriate: The caption on the Associated Press photo reads: EAGLES STOP GUGLIELMI Ralph Guglielmi (3), Washington back, juggles the ball as Jess Richardson, right, Philadelphia Eagles tackle, grabs him from behind after a short gain in the first quarter, Nov. 6, at Washington. Another Eagle, left, lunges toward the former Notre Dame star. How did Washington do that day at Griffith Stadium? The Skins won, 34-21. That season they would go 8-4, which wasn't good enough to take them to the playoffs.

BritNews RoundUp: Boyle'ing Over

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:23:51 -0500

Remember Susan Boyle, the frumpy Scottish spinster who took YouTube by storm with her moving performance on one of Britain's talent contest shows? She's dropped from the radar here in the States but she still attracts coverage in the U.K., where the Mirror newspaper was on hand to catch a "wardrobe malfunction" when she attended a soccer game. Frankly, it wasn't much of a wardrobe malfunction, as these things go. And for that I suppose we should be grateful. Remember earlier in the year ago when a Silver Spring man was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment for shining a laser pointer at a traffic helicopter that was hovering over his house early one morning? I thought it was overkill. Now I see something similar has happened in Britain. Sixty-three-year-old Torben Merriott was woken at 1 a.m. by what felt and sounded like an "earthquake" outside his bedroom window. It

Cowboys Fishing for Disgruntled Redskins Fans

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:15:18 -0500

Anybody notice this story in the paper today: In a remarkable bid to attract disillusioned Redskins fans, the Dallas Cowboys announced Tuesday that they are establishing a special relationship with Washington supporters that will allow fans of the Landover team to join the Texas franchise while preserving their liturgy and spiritual heritage, including fat men who wear dresses and pretend to be hogs. The worldwide Redskins fan base has been racked by 10 years of conflict over the interpretation of holy football scripture that has led to clashes over the West Coast offense, pricey free agents and stadium parking fees. The Cowboys’ plan “reflects a bold determination by Dallas to seize this moment and do what it can to reach out to those who share its stance on such ecclesiastical matters as strong offensive lines, play-calling in the red zone and, duh, actually winning football games,” said Harvey Cleats, dean

Photo Flashback: The Great Pumpkin

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:15:01 -0500

This picture, by Post photographer Harry Naltchayan, ran in the paper on Oct. 28, 2964 1964. Here was the caption: How to Face Halloween! Children of the Happy Hill School, McLean, Va., planted Halloween and harvested it yesterday. Under the supervision of their teacher, Mrs. Paul Dodd, the youngsters took a 68-pound pumpkin that they cultivated in a schoolyard garden and created a jack-o-lantern from it. All I know is, I wouldn't mess with Mrs. Paul Dodd. She looks entirely too into carving that pumpkin. (Cue manic "Psycho" strings.) Do you have a better caption? Post in the Comments section below.

BritNews RoundUp: Drag Queens' Revenge

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:30:35 -0500

Only enough time for a quick round-up this morning: Hopefully you didn't miss this story about the two "women" set upon by two men on a street in downtown Swansea, Wales. It turned out that the "women" were men in drag. In fact, they were cage fighters out for the night in "fancy dress" (British men do this a lot) and they quickly dispatched their assailants. It was all captured on CCTV. Wrote the Daily Mail: "The cage fighters were then seen teetering away in their high heels, stopping only to pick up a clutch bag they dropped during the melee." Turning to the bedroom: Jenny Chapman has been named Britain's loudest snorer. It's quite possible that if you've ever visited England you've heard her yourself. Her snore has been measured at 111 decibels, louder than a low-flying jet. In legal news: Tony Allen was fed up with speeding cars

Talking to the Crochet Kingpin

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:30:34 -0500

In my column on Monday I introduced readers to Dwayne Lawson-Brown. As I wrote in my lead: "There might be other break-dancing, poetry-slam-hosting, dreadlock-sporting, HIV- awareness-raising, crochet hook-wielding young men in Washington, but if there are, I don't know any." Dwayne will be my guest for my online chat today. You can see examples of his work--his crochet work anyway--by going to this Facebook page. Here's a taste: Join me at noon as we talk to Dwayne about any of his myriad interests: breakdancing, poetry slams, HIV prevention or crochet. Or chime in with anything else that's on your mind.

Radical Civility, Taiwanese Style

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:30:46 -0500

When I started my Radical Civility campaign last summer I didn't think about whether civility was an area of academic study. I love academics, but they tend to exist in a parallel universe, not in the real world. And the real world is where I ride the subway, see movies, eat at restaurants--all the places we encounter rude behavior. But it turns out there is quite a robust body of research on civility, especially how it relates to the functioning of society. Not long ago I received a paper from David Schak, a professor of Asian studies at Australia's Griffith University. Titled "The Development of Civility in Taiwan" and published in Pacific Affairs (Vol. 82, No. 3, Fall 2009), the paper provides a nice overview of what might be called "civility studies." Of course, when you think "Taiwan" you might not instantly think "civility." And Dr. Schak admits that right

Photo Flashback: Sinking to a New Low Edition

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:30:00 -0500

It's only recently that D.C. schools have had problems with their physical plants, right? Not exactly, if this photo that ran in the Star on Jan. 22, 1950, is any indication: It accompanied a story on the woeful amenities in the District's Hine Junior High School. Here's the original caption: The antique lavatory being used by (left to right) Connie Gonzaga, 726 I Street S.E.; Florence Soper, 726 Eleventh street S.E.; and Ann Wrightson, 509 B street S.E., is in the school basement. This is the only rest room for 335 girl students. Yes, newspapers back then used to print the home addresses of junior high school students they wrote about.

The Bridge With Kaleidoscope Eyes

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:30:57 -0500

I wrote a few weeks back about the renovation of the 14th Street Bridge. It's being resurfaced. But the unusual element of the rehab is the bridge tender's house, the hexagonal tower halfway across the span. It's being fitted with a massive kaleidoscope. Designer Mikyoung Kim sent me this photo of one of the units going into one of the tower's windows: The kaleidoscope should be finished, and the switch thrown for the first time, in about two weeks.