Philanthropy

There was a panel of individuals involved with non-profit work at the RAF today.  They discussed how companies are looking to incorporate programs that give money back to local communities or initiatives into their business models.  The panel members included William McGinly (President of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy), Aaron Sherinian (Vice President, Communications and Public Relations for the United Nations Foundation), Scott Sapperstein (Executive Director, Public Affairs, AT&T External & Legislative Affairs), and Kevin Webb (Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation).  In this digital media and social networking era it is easy for either negative or positive news about a company to spread like wildfire.  Emitting a positive image about giving money to scholarships, donating to healthcare, or improving the environment can increase consumer support for a company.  This, in turn, makes CEOs and stockholders interested in partaking in these efforts, creating a beneficial cycle.  I was able to bring up the Dozer scholarships that we have in Cambridge during the course of discussion, and maybe recruited some new donors?  I’ll be working on homework for the rest of the night, goodnight!

Aurora, CO

The horrible event that took place at a movie theater in Colorado on Friday has affected many individuals, families, and communities.  The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater family was not left unscathed as a 2008 graduate, John Larimer, lost his life.  The 27 year old had double-majored in Political Science and History, and was a member of the U.S. Tenth Fleet Cyber Command at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora.  As saddening as the events were on that day, it is always inspiring to watch the way people will come together to help one another rise above the suffering caused by evil such as this.  The hospital staffs, local law enforcement, members of the community, the media, and even politicians have demonstrated how caring and compassionate the vast majority of society really is.  We all mourn the suffering brought upon dozens of innocent individuals in the wake of some incoherent rage.  May mankind find a way to eliminate these acts of violence from the theater in Aurora, to the streets of Chicago, and around the world from Damascus to the Congo.  If that goal is never to be reached, then at least may we work together as well as the Aurora community has in its wake.

Silver Diner

I went to lunch with a friend from the Cato Institute at the Silver Diner near George Mason University in Virginia today.  I had a delicious plate of pancakes, ham, and scrambled eggs.  I spent most of the day at the RAF doing some homework and relaxing with the roommates.  Pete experienced Papa John's pizza for the first time tonight, and I'm honored to have shared that moment in his life with him.  I am going to jog to Harris Teeter in a moment to pick up some fresh blades for the shaver because I have to be looking sharp tomorrow for some modeling, or so I'm told.  It has been rainy and overcast all weekend here in D.C., which threw a kink into my plans for catching some rays today.  I would like to share some of the rain we've been having with the crops in Wisconsin!!

Comedy Show at RFD

On Saturday I was invited to go to a comedy show at RFD in Chinatown.  After jogging a couple of miles and doing an upper-body workout I joined a couple of people I had met at the Cato Institute and their friends for the performance.  The list of comedians included Chris Milner, Kat Timpf, Haywood Turnipseed, Jr., Stephen Nicks, Pat Coffey, Clay Miles, and hosted by Brad Ryan and Ralph Cooper.  The comedians were quite funny, and by the time we left my head hurt from laughing and smiling.  My favorites were Stephen Nicks, Kat Timpf, and Clay Miles.  A member of our party, Pete, had the same wristband that I wear from the Mises Institute, and I enjoyed debating some political philosophy with him.  Afterwards we stopped at Rocket Bar to play some darts before calling it a night. 

The W

Friday night I went out with a handful of friends to a rooftop bar at The Willard Hotel on Pennsylvania Ave.  It is really cool.  You can see the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, the Washington Monument, Capitol, the White House property, and many other prominent buildings along the National Mall from its prime location.  After peering out into the surroundings for awhile, we moved over to Cafe Citron to pick up a Latin vibe!  The place was absolutely packed, and the music just forces you to move your hips.  I suppose I don't need very much encouragement to begin with, but I really couldn't help myself that night.  We wrapped up the night at Madhatter's before heading home.  I met a number of new people, and, perhaps much to the chagrin of those around me, burned off quite a few calories!

Cafe Cozy Corner

This is a cafe a few blocks away from where I work that has absolutely delicious sandwiches, and I thought it worthy enough to have it's own blog post.  I have dined there three times now, including at lunch yesterday with one of the people I met from the Cato Institute on Wednesday night.  I love meeting new people!  Thursday night was largely uneventful, and Friday has had little to highlight thus far.  I would like to mention that I think my coworker, Patrick, is a very intelligent individual, and I thoroughly enjoy speaking with him.  I have been invited to go to a comedy show tomorrow night, but that is all I have tentatively planned for the weekend.  I do need to get some homework done though!  Happy Friday!!

Cato vs. Heritage

After work on Wednesday I went to the Cato Institute to listen to a debate between two members of Cato and two members of the Heritage Foundation.  The debate was between the political philosophies of libertarianism and conservatism, moderated by Tim Carney who regularly appears on MSNBC.  I thought the debate was well done, and covered topics that included defense spending, gay marriage, drug legalization, and others.  I may be slightly biased, but it seemed that the Cato Institute's team did a better job of presenting their case throughout the debate.  There was a reception afterwards where I was able to enjoy some free crackers, cheese, and beers...perfect!  I was also able to meet several individuals that I have either interacted with, or have spent time listening/reading about over the past several years, including; Jack Hunter, Jennifer Jones, and Alexander McCobin.  I was also able to meet a dozen or so people otherwise that work with organizations like Young Americans for Liberty, Students for Liberty, and the Cato Institute.  I managed to make a good enough impression on a couple fellow attendees to be invited with them to grab a couple of cold ones at the Sign of the Whale bar, how could I say no?  Had a great night out on the town.

HR 6018

"To authorize appropriations for the Department of State for fiscal year 2013, and for other purposes," so reads the opening of House Resolution 6018 that I watched pass as a member of the gallery last night.  My night class was not meeting this week so I was able to attend to the evening as I saw fit.  I decided to look up what the voting schedule was for the House and Senate, and discovered that the votes for the day had been pushed back until 6:30.  This left me just enough time to swing back to the RAF, and pick up my gallery passes.  There were a number of other people in the gallery, and it was interesting to hear the decibels rise as the members of the House made their way into the room.  What a noisy crowd!  The members place their vote by swiping a card into one of the scanners that exist on the back-side of their chairs, and select the green button for "Aye," red for "Nay," or yellow for "Present."  The bill passed by a wide margin, with only 30 or so of the present members voting against it.  I saw many familiar faces in the Chamber, but many of the elected officials were entirely new to me.  There was a second vote that followed, also passing easily.  Afterwards there was time for general speeches.  One member highlighted the life of a recently deceased constituent.  Another spoke in memory of a pair of pilots that crash landed on Osprey 10-years ago, and that were still blamed for the accident despite the Congressman's protest.  He was attempting to get the Marine Corps to issue a statement to the pilot and co-pilot's wives that their husbands were not at fault, citing the circumstances of the crash that caused the death of 17 soldiers.  I was the last person present in the gallery (E Pluribus Unum?) when the third speaker came to talk about the middle class, and I decided to move on for the evening.  You are not allowed to bring any cell phones, cameras, or really anything with you inside the gallery.  I couldn't even bring in my pad of paper and a pen to take notes on what I observed...that doesn't seem right.  I picked up some postcards on the way home, and enjoyed the rest of the evening reading and writing back at the RAF.

Armand's & Lobbying

Sunday and Monday were both pretty lazy days.  The highlight on Sunday was having some delicious pizza at Armand's Chicago Pizzeria with Pete and his friend that visited from home.  Why has nobody from Wisconsin come to visit out here yet?!?!?!  Monday we had a panel discussing their role as lobbyists for their respective organizations.  It was an interesting discussion, as lobbying is considered a four-letter word of sorts outside of the beltway.  The way they presented their occupations puts a softer image on it than what the general public perceives.  One of the panelists pointed how politicians are highly unlikely to read and research the topics that they are voting on enough to fully comprehend them, so lobbyists see themselves as educators in a sense; Jack Abramoff was just a bad egg.  I wasn't fully convinced, but I do see the purpose of their role, and as Richard pointed out in the question that he asked, they may be a necessary function in a pluralist system.  Just in case though, maybe the amount of dinners they can provide members of Congress ought to remain limited.

Turning 30

On Saturday I had a great workout at our fitness center here at the RAF, and took up an offer from one of my coworkers to go to her friend's 30th birthday party that night.  Sure, sounds great!  The party was over in Virginia, about a block away from the Courthouse stop on the Orange line.  I was the youngest attendee, and it was a lot of fun getting to know the dozen or so people that were there.  They all seemed interested to hear about what I was doing in D.C. and what my future plans are.  I mentioned how I would have to find something to do between now and when I am eligible to run for president, but I wasn't quite sure at the moment.  There was a brief discussion of politics that followed, and everybody seemed interested in the views I shared.  The general consensus was that I should go to graduate school...we'll see.  I picked up a few more contacts while we were at her very nice apartment, and then I experienced a new bar, Lola's Barracks, on 8th Street SE with the party.  D.C. is definitely an economy onto itself, the people come and go at a feverish pace, but the institutions remain.  As was evident with our grouping of individuals, and explained to me by the affable bartender.  I was granted a ride home from one of my newest acquaintances, and spent the rest of my waking hours philosophizing to Keenan in our living room.  I may have came up with the solutions to solve the world's problems last night, but I, unfortunately, didn't write any of it down.  Next time!

Truckeroo

Truckeroo is a monthly event that takes place at the Bullpen just outside of Nationals' Park, and it happened to land on this Friday the 13th!.  There are over 20 food trucks selling everything from empanadas, pizza, cupcakes, and more.  Live music was being performed by a very good jazz band (I would like to learn how to play the harmonica), cold beer was being served, and some great drinking games were being played.  I considered joining one of the games of cornhole, but figured it would unfair for an intramural champion to compete against the average joe. ;-)  Truth be told, the line was too long, so Keenan, Kristin, and myself went to the side of the grounds were the music was being played after eating some delicious empanadas.  We grabbed an open table, and were shortly joined by a group of people that were heavily intoxicated and about to leave.  To our benefit, they had two beers they were about to part with, Keenan and I obliged their request for us to drink them without protest.  We left around 10:00 and spent the remainder of the evening back at the RAF.

La Tasca

One of my coworkers, Jaime Laliberte (such a cool last name!), celebrated her 21st birthday on Thursday.  So about 10 of us from the office went to La Tasca, a bar and restaurant in Chinatown, to celebrate.  We sipped on sangria, and dined on a consortium of appetizers all paid for by our VP!  We need to have birthdays occur more often!!  There were a couple of other great friends back in Wisconsin that celebrated a birthday on July 12th, and I made sure to wish them a happy birthday as well.  I would recommend La Tasca, the food was great and the fruit in the sangria packed quite the punch!

Ford's Theater

I stopped at Ebenezer's cafe that is just a few blocks away from the RAF for a late lunch, and enjoyed their steak & cheese sandwich.  I made it back to the RAF and with only a couple of hours left in the work day, and I decided to not make the 35 minute walk in to the office.  Instead I got dressed in some athletic attire, laced up the kicks, and jogged over to Ford's Theater to check out the famous landmark of Lincoln's assassination.  There is a gift shop, museum, and the theater itself inside that is all free to enter.  I really enjoyed reading about the history that was shared in the museum, and it was a memorable experience to be standing just a few feet away from where Lincoln was fatally wounded.  After spending a little over a half hour walking around the building I exited to head over to the house that Lincoln was actually pronounced dead in across the street.  My timing was just a little late, as I had made it to the last open tour of the Theater, and the line into the house across the street was too long to make it into before they closed down operations for the evening.  What didn't have a line to wait through was Lincoln's Waffle Shop.  A delicious spicy half-smoke, french fries, and a gatorade made for a great dinner before I headed over to the sand volleyball courts for some more exercise.  I took a route that I had only partially walked before down Pennsylvania Avenue.  It took me through Freedom Plaza which is an open area that has numerous quotes engraved in it from leading figures in America's past.  I also saw a dance class taking place there once.  Next was Pershing's Plaza that is dedicated to John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, America's leading general in WWI.  There was an individual doing some tricks on a skateboard, and an individual filming him, despite the clearly presented sign that says no skateboarding.  I held off from making a citizen's arrest.  There is a statue of Pershing there, along with some engraved quotations, and a man made pond of sorts that is entirely overrun with algae.  The ducks don't seem to mind though, as there was a mother duck with six ducklings at her side swimming through the chartreuse-like waters.  I carried on to jog past the Washington Monument, down the Reflecting Pool, and past the Lincoln Memorial to the volleyball courts near the Potomac River.  I met some new people there, and was asked to join one of the teams that are in the Wednesday night league.  Went undefeated on the night, and walked home with Amy and Armando.  We caught the end of Red Dawn, featuring Patrick Swayze, at the outdoor NoMA theater just before making it back to the RAF.  I slept well after walking/running probably seven miles, and playing six games of volleyball.

Ron Johnson

After leaving Senator Kohl's office, I talked my fellow interns into stopping by Senator Ron Johnson's office while we were in the area.  Perhaps we could get that engaging discussion with a senator that had eluded us thus far.  The other three interns seemed like quite the liberal bunch, and were not all that intrigued to visit the 'Tea Party Republican,' but they decided is was a good idea nonetheless.  We successfully navigated through the underground tunnel that connects the two Senate office buildings, which has it's own underground train by the way, and found our way to Senator Johnson's office.  He, of course, was in a meeting and it was unlikely he would have time to come meet with us on such short notice.  After checking out his office, greeting some members of his staff, and picking up passes to view activity from the Senate and House galleries at our discretion we exited the premises.  We parted ways outside and I headed back to the RAF to decide my next move.

Herb Kohl

The Washington Center disappointed me on Wednesday.  I was notified at the end of the week last week that I, along with three other Wisconsinites interning this summer, would have a half hour to an hour to speak with Senator Kohl.  We were to have researched his committees, his voting record, his personal bio, etc., in order to have an informed and engaging discussion.  The interns showed up on time, our organizer for the event was late.  Upon entering his office, we realized that it wasn't an event that was set aside just for us, as it was made out to be, but a social event for constituents that regularly occurs at the office.  Which I think is really cool, but I was under the impression this was to be a very unique experience.  After moving past the initial frustration I engaged in some conversations with members of Kohl's staff.  For instance, I discussed with the member of his staff designated to defense research why Senator Kohl voted against the invasion of Iraq in 1990, but voted for it in our most recent escapade into the country.  Seeing as though the individual had only been on the staff for two years, he didn't quite know.  So, I went on to ask the staffer involved with legal affairs what the reasons were that Senator Kohl initially voted for the Patriot Act, but has subsequently voiced criticisms of the bill.  She suggested that at the time of its passing it was necessary to award the powers to the government, but the issues with civil liberties for Americans since than has been problematic for the Senator.  After indulging on a blueberry muffin, glazed doughnut, and orange juice I was able to meet the Senator, along with the others in attendance.  There was a group of six people that seemed to all be related, along with a few other individuals that came to meet good ol' Herb.  His presence did shift the attention in the room, obviously, but he doesn't do much to command the attention of an audience.  He came around to shake all of our hands, and then we moved into his office to take a photo.  I felt a bit imposing standing next to him, so I did my best to not stand entirely erect.  We stuck around for a while after the photo, and I made small talk with some more of his staff.  One individual was from Random Lake, and the other from Freedom, WI.  I never did get to ask my farm subsidy question...oh well.  The experience was nice, and had I been told to expect what indeed had occurred I would have been very enthused by the entire event.  Instead, however, I was left with a little bit of a bitter taste in my mouth despite the bagel with cream cheese that I scored on the way out.  I was determined not to be dismayed for the remainder of the day, so I set about finding a worthwhile engagement.

Substitute Teacher

My tasks at the office on Tuesday were centered around contacting the remaining campaigns I had left in the State of Ohio.  If I hadn't mentioned it earlier, I have played the role of office handyman and perform pretty much every task that requires some sort of physical effort.  Like replacing the office water jug for instance, or fixing a damaged cabinet.  I enjoy these tasks as they break up my day, and give me a little bit of a unique appreciation in the office...I think.  The professor for my class was absent on Tuesday as his responsibilities had taken him out of D.C. for a few days, so we had a different instructor for the evening by the name of Jocelyn.  We went through several topics from Reagan's Presidency onward, focusing on the numerous Budget Enforcement Acts that dominated the political discourse at several different moments in time.  The walk home was highlighted with rain, and an introduction to Phillip and Mya that are in the TWC program from Canada.  I've noticed that there are quite a few Canadians as part of TWC this semester.  My long day concluded with a bowl of cereal, and preparation for a meeting with Senator Herb Kohl in the morning.

Brian Lamb

The Chairman of C-SPAN, Brian Lamb, came to speak at the RAF this afternoon.  He is very easy on the ears, and involved us as an audience very well.  He kept asking members of the audience to answer various questions, including; who do you plan to vote for, what would you do about the deficit, what role does/should the media play, what have you learned here, what are you going to tell your best friend when you get back, etc.  I raised my hand probably a dozen times during the course of the lecture/conversation, but managed to not be selected once, maybe the red shirt and tie was the wrong look today?  I was freshly shaven anyways.  I managed to gain him as an audience afterwards, talked about how I had been in the C-SPAN office just a week earlier, that I am from Cambridge, WI, go to UW-Whitewater, etc.  He has interviewed every President from Nixon to Obama, which has to be absolutely amazing.  I asked him for some locations to visit while I am here that he would most highly recommend.  The three sites that he listed that I have yet to enter were Ford Theater, Lincoln Cottage, and Mt. Vernon.  I have three new destinations to make it to in the next couple of weeks, stay tuned for my reviews of them!

Movies in Chinatown

Keenan and I have been debating on how good the new Spider-man was going to be.  He was arguing that it was going to be great, I had my reservations.  It turns out he was right.  Pete, Keenan, and I went to the Regal Theater in Chinatown to catch the flick.  After watching it Pete suggested we watch Ted as well, no comment as to whether we theater hopped or not.  But, from what I have seen of the movie, it is hilarious! ;-)  When we left the theater Pete (who was looking incredibly dapper that day) headed home, whereas Keenan and I decided to eat at a Chinese restaurant.  I mean, we were in Chinatown after all.  The restaurant we stopped at was named, in English, New Big Wong...not sure if that has some sort of meaning to it.  I enjoyed their General Tso's Chicken, and had a fortune that read, "You are sociable and entertaining."  I did my best to not voice my disapproval.  While we were there Amy texted me asking to join her on a tour of the monuments at night.  I willingly accepted the offer, and accompanied her, and her visiting family members.  We checked out the White House, Washington Monument, and the WWII Memorial before heading home.  It was still incredibly warm out, and we were all sweating despite the late hour.  Another great day in D.C.

Basketball & Baseball

Saturday was a pretty action-packed day.  Keenan, Jon, and myself went over to the recreation center in our neighborhood to play some pick-up games of basketball.  It was a good workout, and after struggling through the first couple of games I finally started playing well.  I needed to start playing well at some point, because I was going to get booed off the court as the only white guy on the floor!  I've never been involved in any pick-up games that involved so much whining over fouls, that includes you Jon!!  Everybody fouls and then everybody complains.  I'm used to playing at Ripley where you aim not to foul, play tough D, and you call your own foul if you actually get hacked.  Seems to work so much better than the system we played underneath on Saturday.  After coming back Keenan and I headed over to Nationals Park to meet up with Pete and his friend that came into town to visit.  It was 106 degrees out that day, and people had their very young children at the game, ay yi yi.  We were able to bring in our own bottled water to the game, which was nice, and the Nats won 4-1 against the Rockies.  Keenan and I dined at Union Station on the way home, and I had a delicious chicken salad sandwich!  The night was spent back at the RAF, and it was mostly uneventful.  I say mostly because our room at one point was intruded upon by an un-welcomed guest.  If you are in interested in hearing that story, you'll have to ask me in person. ;-)

Thursday & Friday

The end of the work week was quite slow.  I was moving a little behind the pace I have previously set as a standard, and everybody else seemed to be as well.  There were a number of people out of the office for a long holiday, and I think the interns there should have as well.  After work on Thursday I went with Alejandra, one of my co-workers, to a hardware store to help her pick-up a lock for her bike, and to help her set it up.  I'm not sure if the design of the lock wasn't made for her bike, or if I was doing something wrong, but we couldn't get it to work just right.  She appreciated my help though, and it felt good to lend a hand.  The end of the work week had little to highlight, as temperatures were still quite hot, and the city as a whole was moving slower than normal.

Fourth of July

Happy Independence Day!  Keenan and I brought in the nation's birthday with a pair of cold beers at a bar on H Street.  We intentionally avoided the bar with British flags hanging outside of its front doors, those couldn't have been good for business that day.  Wednesday was a fun-filled day for me.  I jogged down to Constitution Avenue to watch the Independence Day Parade in the morning.  Appleton East's marching band performed in some patriotic garb, and they did very well.  They were the only Wisconsin band I have seen play between the Memorial Day and Independence Day parades.  After the parade wrapped up I jogged back home, and relaxed out of the sun back at the RAF for a little while.  In the afternoon I headed over to a friend's place a few blocks away, Jake is his name.  He had a few of his friends over, and we played some Beersbee, grilled burgers, and drank some Yuengling the rest of the day.  What more could a guy ask for?!  As the sun began setting I left to enjoy the fireworks that are set off by the Washington Monument.  I ended up watching them as I walked a block off of the National Mall, and they were quite beautiful (nothing compared to the show the Notstad's put on though).  Afterwards, I met up with some more friends at a bar downtown that had Pabst Blue Ribbon calling my name.  I would have to say that Independence Day was a nearly perfect day for me.

Mid-Term

This past Tuesday was my mid-term exam for the Federal Budget course I am taking.  It was seven pages long with fill in the blank, true/false, multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions.  I dominated the first half of the exam's possible points that had a myriad of different questions, but stumbled when I hit page six that was asking for some activities that typically take place on targeted dates.  I'm not sure if it was the heat that got to me on the walk in, or if I just didn't study the dates enough, but that part was a struggle to get through.  My grade ended up being in the B range, which I am okay with.

The Nuns on the Bus

...go shh, shh, shh...er, I digress.  In between my time at the Supreme Court, and dining at We, the Pizza today, I stopped by at what seemed like an impromptu press conference.  I stuck around to figure out what was happening exactly, began reading the signs people were holding, and listening to what was being discussed.  It was an odd consortium of Evangelicals, Democrats, labor movement supporters, and feminists all there to support a bus tour of Nuns that were about to come to speak in support of universal healthcare coverage.  Before the Nuns arrived there were a series of old labor movement songs that the crowd sang, and an introductory speech by a Muslim individual that tied in verses from the Quran that suggested agreement with the tenets of the present group.  Talk about a dynamic group of people.  The nuns came off the bus dressed in normal attire, I was expecting the fully covered habit outfits that are associated with their titles.  The crowd of maybe a couple hundred erupted as though they were rockstars upon their arrival.  I listened in for a little while longer, as the nuns suggested the Paul Ryan budget plan is immoral, and moved on to get out of the sun and fill my growling stomach.  There is always something going on around the Capitol during the weekdays.

C-SPAN

While I was working at the Campaigns and Elections conference a couple of weeks ago I befriended a JC Chamberlain, who is friends with the VP of Digital Media at C-SPAN, Barkley Kern.  Today I went on a personal, behind the scenes tour of C-SPAN's office on North Capitol Drive with Barkley.  I arrived  a little before 9:00 to meet with him.  After walking through some of the offices there we had a general chat introducing ourselves to each other, and a brief synopsis of what he does at C-SPAN.  Then we went on a tour through the rest of the facilities, and watched part of a live broadcast.  For anybody that was wondering, the image of the Capitol that is portrayed behind the broadcasts is real, not some green screen generated image.  C-SPAN's entire budget is around $60 million for the entire year, which I'm sure is drastically less than the other mass media channels.  I also recall Barkley mentioning how the New York Times' claim to, "All the news that's fit to print," is really just, "All the news that fits," as time and resources are limited.  Agreed.  After walking through all of their master control rooms, rooms filled with servers, and the multiple interview areas we headed back to his office to wrap up the meeting before his 10:30 meeting.  I was able to discuss with him some of my future plans, and the story behind the Dozer Scholarships.  I would like everyone in Cambridge to know that everyone I speak to is blown away by what we are able to accomplish for a community of our size, and there are a lot more people that know about our organization than before I came out here.  Keep it up!!  After concluding our meeting, I ventured over to the Capitol to walk around inside for a little bit, I opted to wait to take a tour at a later date, and wandered over to the Supreme Court instead.  There were several tables outside, mainly focused on the inhumane practice of capital punishment.  While inside I was able to read about the history of the construction of the Supreme Court building, I didn't realize that it wasn't constructed until 1935.  I was able to see the actual Courtroom, which is a pretty tightly constructed room, not very much distance between the Justices and the arguing attorneys.  I left to wander about the area just Southeast of the Capitol, and stopped at We, The Pizza restaurant for lunch.  I had the Notorious BBQ slice with an Orange Crush, and sat in the outside dining area with a Library of Congress visible in the distance.  I doubled back to the RAF to attend a lecture from a couple of individuals who have participated on multiple campaign staffs.  One of the individuals works at a company that helps non-profits, we exchanged contact information after the meeting, and I may be working with him on some future projects.  Keenan, Jon, and I went over to an outside basketball court this afternoon and ran it for a couple of hours.  Back at the RAF now to study for my mid-term tomorrow, wish me luck!

Red, Hot, and Blue

Saturday morning Pete and I headed over to Arlington, VA to get our haircuts at Willy's Barber Shop.  The damage from the storm on Friday caused one of the stops on the Red line to be down, and the trip along that section of track was horrid.  We would move forward for three seconds, hit the brakes (drift back because we were heading up hill), move forward, hit the brakes, move forward, hit the brakes.  I even felt a little sick after 10 minutes of such rocky movement.  The newspaper that was located next to me had an apropos title page for the moment.  It was the Washington City Paper, that had an image of a large pig constructed on top of a trailer that was made to argue against the proposed construction of a Metro line into Loudoun County in VA.  Very interesting article; http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/42920/planes-trains-and-conspiracy-theories/.  After finally making it to our stop, we walked over to Willy's that was also without power...but they still remember how to use scissors there!  Pete and I walked out with fresh fades, and headed over to Ray's Hell Burger for round two.  Ray's, of course, didn't have power either.  A family was walking up at the same time we were that said they were from Florida, and that they came all the way there to try Ray's.  I really hope there was more planned in there itinerary, but they did venture in to see the non-operating restaurant.  Pete and I headed back towards the Metro and stopped at the restaurant Red, Hot, and Blue where we were joined by Keenan (I also noticed the family stop in there a few minutes later).  We somehow managed to receive the worst service we have ever come across at a restaurant, featuring a forty-five minute wait before having our order taken, another 25 minutes or so before the food came, an overcharge on Keenan's ticket, an absence of silverware for the majority of our dinning time, and Pete went without his order of potato salad until just before we were going to leave.  Somehow the lady didn't offer us a discount, but she did float an apology our way.  The food was great though, and I have a feeling the service was an exception to the rule.  We stopped at Safeway to pick up some groceries on the way home, never want to do that on an empty stomach!  For a nightcap, Keenan had won a raffle for VIP status at Front Page on Dupont Circle, granting us drink specials and the opportunity to win a $100 bar tab if we had the largest party show up.  We were in second or third place the last time I looked, and considering we didn't get the word out until Friday night it wasn't too bad of a showing.  No word yet on whether we won or not. 

32nd Annual National Veterans Wheelchair Games

Friday brought about an entirely new experience for me.  A group of us rode on a bus to Richmond, VA to volunteer at the Wheelchair Games.  After waiting for the bus that arrived about an hour late Keenan, Pete, Kristin, Laura, and our fellow interns boarded to take the roughly two and a half hour trip.  We arrived at a convention center in the heart of Richmond, and boarded a shuttle to where the field events where taking place.  I volunteered in one of the throwing areas for shot put, discuss, javelin, and club throw.  We would help get the throwers positioned properly, either in their chairs or in some specially designed chairs to aid in motion and distance.  Then we would bring them whichever object they wished to throw, mark the spots, and then measure the distances to be recorded.  It felt great to help the competitors out, and you could tell it was a big deal for them.  I had previously contacted UW-Whitewater's wheelchair basketball coach, Jeremy "Opie" Lade, to see if he knew anybody that may be present at the event from UW-W.  He told me that a Harold Hack, Whitewater alum, would be there.  I did my best to try and track him down, but armed with only a name and none of his events transpiring on that day, it was a bit of a daunting task.  I was able to speak to a Carl that said he knew him, and that he believed Harold's basketball team may have made it to the Final Four.  Well, of course his team did, they have a Warhawk on the squad! I asked Carl to say hello for me when he sees him next, and I hope the message will make it Harold's way.  After helping set up the indoor slalom course, and trying out the basketball court (tough rim), I stopped at Penny Lane's Pub two blocks from the convention site with some new friends to enjoy a pint.  Allagash White was on tap, and copious amounts of British decor lined the walls of the inviting watering hole.  After one round we headed back to hop on the homeward bound bus.  The trip home was an hour longer than the trip there due to a couple of accidents along the highway that bottle-necked traffic for miles.  Pete managed to entertain us as he fought off sleep while listening to music on his headphones to drowned out our laughter.  We decided to just relax at home once we made it back, and a good decision it was as a swift, powerful storm rolled in seemingly unannounced.  The wind began whirling at very high speeds, and the rain poured for a brief time.  Trees were knocked down, power was out all around the area, and the Metro was damaged.  We were safe and sound in the RAF for the evening, but the damage did cause some logistical problems for our activities on Saturday.

Ron Paul!

Thursday will go down as one of one of my most remembered days.  Work was an average day, and I spent a portion of my time there listening to reports about the Supreme Court's healthcare ruling.  I think Obama faces a problem, despite the Supreme Court's approval of the legislation he heavily supported.  The opinion of the Court approved the measure on the grounds that it is within the authority of the federal government to enforce the purchasing of healthcare on the basis of taxation.  Obama argued that this legislation was not a tax at all.  I think the general public will view that as nothing more than semantics, but the Republicans may be able to piece together a campaign on the basis of 'lies' going forward to sway independents.  Really not sure how that will all play out just yet.  What's more important than that, however, is that I was able to meet the individual that sparked my heavy interest into government and politics to begin with, Ron Paul.  I stopped by at a conference at Microsoft's office on K Street after work for a little bit to catch up with some recent contacts, and to enjoy a free appetizer and cocktail.  I then headed over to the 51st Annual Congressional Baseball game at Nationals Park.  Ron Paul threw out the first pitch, donning a throwback Astros' jersey, to his son, Rand, that would have been called a strike.  Pretty good for a 76-year old!  After he walked off the field he was stopped by a large number of people for a photograph opportunity, autographs, and hand shakes.  I was able to say hello to his wife, Carol, as I waited while she passed by, and she said hello with a big smile.  He was eventually able to make his way to where I was standing, and I greeted him with a hand shake and a thank you.  I told him how I have been campaigning for him since 2007 in Wisconsin, and he said thank you very much.  The security guard nearby offered to take a photo of us for me, and Ron autographed my ticket to the game as well.  I didn't really think the night could go any better, until I was offered a free beer from Keenan's boss, and also had an opportunity for a second photo with the Congressman.  A moment of eudemonia.  The Democrats won the game, and I left the stadium with a new group of friends and a memory for a lifetime.

Healthcare Ruling

The Supreme Court has upheld the Affordable Healthcare for America Act, or ObamaCare, today.  I wasn't sure what the ruling was going to be, but looking at past decisions it seemed likely to me that it would be upheld.  The individual mandate seems un-Constitutional to me, but when it is classified as a tax, well, that's one power the federal government does posses.  I am, unfortunately, not up at the Supreme Court this morning, but I would like to stop by there later today to see if the crowds that are outside there now stick around.  Obama has added another arrow to his quiver, but will Republicans rally around Romney more now?  Are independents swayed by the decision??  We'll see how this plays out politically!  I was surprised that it was Chief Justice Roberts that was the swing vote, thought it would be Kennedy.  Time to get some work done!!

Night Two of Lasagna

Yesterday's highlight was dinner on the patio that featured a second helping of some splendid lasagna.  I spent the evening outside with Amy again, reading and surfing the internet.  My work day was typical, but I did ride the Circulator bus for the first time.  Alejandra was headed to Union Station so we rode the bus together on my way home.  It only costs a dollar to ride the bus, and it cycles through a handful of stops in the D.C. area.

Mid-Term Review

It was a nice day at the office yesterday.  I made a few calls into Connecticut to some campaigns I had touched base with a couple weeks ago, and had good conversations with a pair of campaign managers that will likely be getting back to me on the proposals I sent them.  I had a meeting in the morning with our VP to discuss what the plan is for this week, and I will be in heavy contact with county parties in Ohio the remainder of the week.  Night class centered around reviewing everything we had covered, and preparing for our mid-term next week that should be manageable if I dedicate a handful of hours to reading over my study guides.  Amy had made a dish of lasagna Monday night, and offered me a portion for dinner last night.  YUM!!  Spent the evening in conversation, and relaxed on a patio in the cool night air before heading to bed.

Capitol at Night

After working on some homework, and showing Pete how to play Call of Duty, I went for a jog up to the Capitol and the Supreme Court building this evening.  The run felt great, and it is nice to see the buildings glowing at night.  I took a break from my jog to walk around the area, and get a little bit of a stretch in.  The Supreme Court is going through some renovations right now, as there is scaffolding set up along the exterior of the building.  There is also a cameraman camping out there tonight, must be wanting a good spot for the ruling on the health care decision coming up!  The jog there and back is about two and a half miles, and it felt absolutely great running on this cool night.  Putting the final touches on a report now, and then headed to bed for the night.

Dr. Larry Korb

From the Book of Keenan, "On the seventh day we rested."  We really didn't do anything on Sunday, other than clean the apartment which was well over due.  Kristin made a family dinner for Pete, Keenan, and myself that included noodles, chicken, and bread that Pete put way too much butter on.  Pete and I were supposed to go get our haircut this morning, but he botched that one.  We had a guest speaker come to the RAF today, Dr. Larry Korb.  He is a current Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, and a Senior Adviser to the Center for Defense Information.  He has also served in many other capacities, including; being a Professor at Georgetown, a Senior Fellow on the Council on Foreign Relations, Assistant Secretary of Defense to Reagan, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and the American Enterprise Institute, and Vice President of the Raytheon Company.  I think he literally may have done everything.  I am pretty sure I heard him say he was in Iran merely a week ago, discussing American-Iranian relations on a national broadcast.  Unreal.  He talked to us about what he sees as the leading threats to America's position as the world's leading power.  The number one threat is the economy and the debt.  Number 2 - Not terrorism, which is merely a tactic, but specific extremist groups that are targeting American interests.  Number 3 - Failed states and rogue regimes which can be havens for extremists groups, and can cause disruptions in relations with countries and regions.  And number 4 - Rising powers like China and Brazil.  He talked about how we can't solve everything militarily, and embraced several tenets of the foreign policy I have supported since I started to pay attention in 2007.  How terrorism is a tactic, not a targeted enemy, and declaring war on it is like declaring war on...nothing or anything.  That the malice aimed towards America, right or wrong, is not based upon our freedoms but rather felt through our activities overseas.  And that we can't solve all of the problems in the world through the barrel of a gun.  If a Senior Fellow to the Council on Foreign Relations and former VP of Raytheon can agree with me on those points, there has to be some truth to them.  I really enjoyed his presentation, and attempted to get a question answered afterwards but we ran out of time.  I was going to ask him what his thoughts about cyber warfare are, and why he hadn't touched on it in his introduction.  I'll just have to ask him next time.

Ray's Hell Burger

Pete, Keenan, and myself headed over to the Rosslyn stop in Virginia on the Blue line to go to a burger spot called Ray's Hell Burger.  Absolutely delicious.  I ordered a pretty spicy burger with jalapeno's, wine marinated mushrooms, grilled onions, tomato, lettuce, and Ray's Hell Sauce with some 7-cheese mac 'n cheese.  On the way back we stopped to visit the Museum of Natural History that is part of the Smithsonian complex.  It's the one that A Night at the Museum is based off of, with dinosaurs, wooly mammoths, lions, tigers, and bears, OH MY!!  Very cool, and highly educational.  It is definitely the most highly visited museum by young children, as was evident on this day.  We hopped on the Red line at the Chinatown stop, and grabbed some groceries at Harris Teeter before making the final walk home.  Currently rapping the song Forever by Drake, Kanye, Lil' Wayne, and Eminem with them, and I'm about to own this verse!  Tonight is gonna be a good night!!

Camden Yards

The end of the work week came a little early as I left the office at 3:30 to double back to the RAF before I met Allison Wallace to ride on the MARC train to Baltimore from Union Station.  I haven't seen Allison for far too long, and it was awesome to be able to catch up with her.  She is working at a company in Virginia that provides cyber security solutions for a host of company's, most of which are defense contractors.  She was headed to the Camden stop to meet up with her boyfriend, who must be a pretty awesome guy, and I was headed to meet up with a guy I had befriended over political discussions online and his friends.  Yeah, I was going to meet someone I had met on the internet...that is kind of weird.  It was a great night though!  After I parted with Allison, I met up with Patrick and his friends to indulge in some Boh Beer at Pickles Pub just outside of the stadium.  Camden Yards has a beautiful baseball stadium, and it blends into the city with the large depot that is connected to it having the same brick facade on its exterior.  Very cool.  After the game we grabbed some grub at an ale house across the street, and I indulged in some Crab 'n Mac - a Baltimore classic, but I can't help but to think it has a Wisconsin influence.  Grabbed a ride back to the Greenbelt station on the Green line Metro track from Patrick, and made it home around 1:30.  Two new baseball stadiums visited in three days, nearly doubling my previous list of Miller Park, Wrigley Field, and Target Field.  Love it!

The Heat

It is incredibly warm today.  Not sure what the temperature is exactly, but I do know there was no way getting around sweating if you spent any amount of time outside.  My time at the office today consisted of contacting the people I interacted with at the conference the past few days, and putting together a list of campaigns that I have previously contacted that were interested in our services.  I also attended an online meeting about some Microsoft products dealing with customer relations.  I stopped at TWC Headquarters today to drop off a check during lunch, and I was leaving at the same time as two employees.  After I asked them where a good place to grab some grub would be, they invited me with to Chipotle.  We introduced ourselves, and it turns out one of them was my person of contact when I was applying to TWC, Kimberly.  It was nice to put a face to the name and voice I had previously been in contact with.  We enjoyed lunch together, and I hurried back to the office to finish out the day.  There was a guest speaker tonight dealing with Veterans issues, namely healthcare services during and after the time spent in the service.  The individual that spoke had been medically discharged after suffering from having several herniated disks in his back, and suffering stress fractures in his vertebrae.  I am back in my room now, watching Game 5 of the NBA Finals between The Heat and The Thunder.  Oh, and Amy just brought in Cookie Monster cupcakes to share with us!  Woohoo!!

Tuesday & Wednesday night

The Federal Budget class met on Tuesday night.  We reviewed what we have covered the past couple of weeks again, and then dove into an open discussion on what monetary value each of us would place on the various groups the discretionary budget consists of, including; defense, state, education, interior, etc.  It was a fun experience, and we ended up walking away with a budget that was about 7% lower than what the House proposal was for Fiscal Year 2013.  I'm pretty sure my class could get the budget balanced with one term in office, just saying.  The report I completed this past semester on the financing of higher education became a significant subject of conversation, and the class seemed very interested in the perspective I shared.  There was a new student in the class that night, but we also had two absences from previous attendees.  I really enjoyed the class, despite being tired and sweating from the heat wave that has swept in to the D.C. area the past few days.  Wednesday night was even warmer, and I spent the evening at the Nationals' game with Keenan and Pete.  We watched Strasburg put together a seven inning, ten strikeout, and two earned runs performance that ended in a 3-2 victory.  I also came across a t-shirt that reads, "BRYCE KNOWS," in reference to Bryce Harper...I have to get my hands on that shirt!!  I donned some Brewers swag, and actually received a couple of compliments through the duration of our time there.  The Metro will take you a block outside the stadium, which is quite convenient.  There is also a large open area that has food, beverages, and memorabilia for sale right outside the stadium, very cool.  16 fl. oz. cans are $8 in the stadium, in case anyone was wondering.  Two more very enjoyable nights!

Conferences & Cocktails

Busy, busy, busy.  On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I was at a Campaigns and Elections conference at the Marriott Hotel here in D.C.  I was kind of in my element there.  Spent the whole day conversing with political consultants, campaign managers, and other representatives of company's similar to my own.  I probably said at least hello to 80-90% of the 400 or so people that attended the event.  We were promoting our Campaign Cloud technology that is part of a unique platform we have with Microsoft.  I was able to do a decent job addressing questions or comments people had about our products, and was helped immensely by my colleague, Allison.  I handed out my pretty awesome business cards left and right, and was able to collect a number of contacts from other attendees.  I must have been doing something right, because there were a few people that told Allison and our boss that they should keep me around. :-)  A lady named Colleen was cold sitting at her table for the conference, and I offered my suit jacket to her both days.  She accurately recognized me as a Midwestern man, and I proudly shared my Wisconsin roots.  My favorite part of the conference may have been the continental breakfasts, lunch paid for by my office, and free cocktails in the evening!  I had to pinch myself a little bit when I realized what I all had access to for free!!  I had several political discussions with individuals that I came to know over the few days, they were all very stimulating, and I definitely held my own.  I'm pretty sure I even impacted a few minds during the process.  Some of the contacts I made there will likely play a role in my future if I every plan on running for any major political offices, or even as future job opportunities going forward.  We were also able to make some clients, and potential clients, for our company.  A current member of Congress in Maryland is going to be meeting with us shortly to setup an account, and there were several campaign managers that expressed deep interest and will likely become part of the organization in some form.  Also, I randomly crossed paths with former Congressman Bob Carr (if you've been following the blog that name may ring a bell!) and had a nice conversation with him while waiting in line for a sandwich from Potbelly's.  This city can be surprisingly small at times.  The conference concluded on Wednesday at noon, so we packed up our gear and headed back to the office.  The experience was both a personal success for me, and has helped our company grow.

Mimosas and Volleyball

After an entirely uneventful Saturday, I had a great day today.  Our neighbor brought over supplies for mimosa's around noon, and I enjoyed a couple before venturing out with the roommates and some friends.  We made plans to go to an indoor mini-golf course, but it wasn't going to be open until five today so our plans abruptly changed.  We dined at Union Station before heading to the sand volleyball courts by the Potomac River that I played at on Wednesday.  I went nearly undefeated again today, suffering only one defeat after playing for over three hours!  On the walk back home Marine One was landing on the South Lawn of the White House!  Very cool!!  I am back at the RAF now watching game three of the NBA Finals with Jon, Maegan, Pete, and Amy.  Keenan is absent for some reason...hmmm.  Time to work on an assignment I have due on Tuesday, enjoy the game, and get a good night's sleep before I go to a conference in Virginia in the morning.  Good night!!

Popeye's

On Friday, Rajan and I ate Popeye's chicken for lunch.  Which was another first for me.  The Ripin Chicken combo was scrumptious.  We ate our meal at the base of a monument dedicated to a general along with Katie who grabbed a meal from a sushi place.  While we were eating there was an apparent 'suspicious package' alert at one of the buildings down one of the roads that dispersed out from the circle we were located at.  There were tons of sirens, and do not cross tape set up along the road's perimeter.  I haven't been able to find a news link to the event, but it seemed like a pretty intense situation.  More importantly though, that buttered biscuit was absolutely delicious!!

Bow Tie

I found myself in a bit of a precarious situation at the office on Friday.  I am typically accompanied by two fellow men on my floor in the office, but they were out of the office traveling to a convention over the weekend.  This left me surrounded by five members of the opposite sex that seemed to be working as a collective unit to have some fun in the office at my expense.  I managed to tip-toe my way through the day unscathed though, I think.  After leaving work, I rode the Metro to the Sculpture Gardens to listen to some live jazz music, meet up with some friends, and try some sangria for the first time.  I made it to the Gardens, couldn't track down any of the members of my party, and opted to pass on spending $18.50 for a pitcher of the fruity wine.  $18.50?!?!  I did manage to interact with a few new people while I was there, including two people from Wisconsin that complimented me on the UW-Whitewater shirt I was donning.  The said congratulations on the National Championships, keep it up UWW!!  After enjoying the walk home, that included a pit stop to enjoy a six-inch Spicy Italian sub from Subway next to a fountain outside the D.C. Court of Appeals, I dressed up in formal clothing that included a bow tie for the very first time of my adult life.  I received a call over Skype from Karissa, along with my dad, stepmom, my little sister Emily, and my little brother Sam, and enjoyed a conversation with them as my party headed out the door.  After speaking with them for about 15 minutes, I ventured out to catch up with my crowd.  It turns out that wearing a bow tie is a great way to get some compliments throughout the night.  I even had the conductor of the Amtrak train compliment me on it as he passed by the Metro platform.  Our group of about 15 went out in Adams Morgan, which was a first for me, and it was a lot of fun.  Keenan and I made the walk back home together, so concluding another great night.

Night Class

After a pretty long day at the office on Thursday I went to my night class at the Hall of the States building just north of the Capitol.  We discussed further the process of budget making at the federal level, and highlighted the reconciliation process that we will undoubtedly hear more about whenever the budget is discussed over the airwaves.  I stuck around after class to speak with the professor about the memorabilia that hangs all about his office.  One of which is an autographed photo of Milwaukee Braves pitching great Warren Spahn.  He met him through a random encounter with a custodian that was high school classmates with Spahn.  A couple weeks after he met him, Spahn sent the autographed photo to him just out of courtesy.  Very cool.  After leaving the class, I walked to the front desk to say good evening to Officer Johnson who is a plump man that rests in his seated position as regularly as the chair he is upon, and who has as diverse a demeanor and facial expression as Tim Duncan.  Doing so caused me to come within a few feet of Fox News host Chris Wallace, and we both nodded towards each other before parting ways.  I enjoyed a conversation over the phone with both my mother and Ben Dayton on the walk home.  A successful day indeed.

Madeleine Albright

I forgot to mention that I was a couple of feet away from Madeleine Albright last night as I walked past The White House to play sand volleyball.  I would have introduced myself, but she was slipping through a security barricade before I could address her.  A guy came walking up behind me asking the officer why she was allowed to walk through.  The officer replied, "Dude, that's former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright."  To which he retorted, "Who?  Oh." and walked away.  I shook my head, and chuckled a little bit.

Sand Volleyball

The work day was relatively normal, and I was having success with some contacts that I made with legislative campaigns on the state level in Nebraska.  Fun fact:  Nebraska is the only state in the USA that has a unicameral legislature.  Meaning they only have one chamber, instead of the two that exist everywhere else.  Wisconsin has a State Assembly and a State Senate, for example, Nebraska just has a bunch of people that call themselves senators, and are not represented by party affiliation on the ballot.  After work I walked to the National Mall, and down to the Lincoln Memorial where I joined Amy and her friends, Armando and Giovanni, to play some sand volleyball!  We dominated the night, going undefeated against all who attempted to oppose our reign!!  The venture home was long, but seeing some of the memorials at night is a sight to behold, and it was absolutely beautiful out tonight.  Going to finish up some homework and hit the hay for the evening.

Hamilton's

My internship was similar to the past days, but it will be switched up a little bit the rest of the week where I will be working on more state and local races.  We also had a meeting that one of my fellow interns, Rajan, hosted, and I ended up being heavily involved in the presentation as I worked alongside him.  After I left my internship I realized that my night class had been shifted from tonight to Thursday night, making my evening discretionary.  I decided to walk to a bar and grille, Hamilton's, that has a Badgers flag waving in the front of it!  While I was there I enjoyed a conversation with the bartender, Dre, and met a young lady from Iowa named Meredith and her two friends.  I joined their party for a while before heading home to the RAF.  Sitting in the living room now with the best roommates in D.C. watching Game 1 of the NBA Finals.  Life is great.

JFK, Jr.

I attended a few presentations hosted by TWC on Monday.  The first speaker, Wendy Cumberland (President of the Junior League of Washington), was talking about volunteer work for non-profits, and she referenced a Curious George story a couple of times during her presentation.  I didn't take too much away from her presentation, but I'll keep participating in the non-profit work I do already.  The second meeting that I attended dealt with what you should, or should avoid, doing at your place of employment.  Jason Fenwick, Director, Business Advisory Group at Windsor, Wyeth & Ward, LLC, was the instructor and he talked about our ability to present ourselves, communicate with others, and how to sell our own personal brand.  I must have made a decent first impression when I stood up to introduce myself to the room, because he kept referring to me as 'JFK, Jr.' whenever he involved me in his dialogue.  He mentioned something about charisma.  I'll take it!  The third presentation dealt with how to negotiate your salary when you are about to agree to a position at a place of employment.  The overall presentation was lethargic and uncreative, but the websites that were shared to look up comparable incomes and benefits for whatever position you are applying for will be helpful later.  After the presentations I attended an interns appreciation event that allowed me to eat some free ice cream, and caused me to meet a Karen who not more than two minutes later had one two tickets to go to a DC United soccer game.  Being in the right place, at the right time, has me the holder of the second ticket!  I love this world.

NEWSeum

Sunday I went to the Newseum that is just north of the Capitol building with Robyn.  It is filled with the history of media in America, from the formation of the Republic up to the present day.  There is also the largest collection of pieces from the Berlin Wall anywhere outside of Germany.  It normally costs $20 to go into the museum, but we were able to enter for free because of their partnership with our internship program.  Woohoo!  It is a really cool museum, and I was able to attend a live broadcast of an interview between the CEO of Newseum, Jim Duff, and Ronald Reagan's Chief of Staff, Ken Duberstein.  Here is a YouTube link to the interview; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bxXnrSoLOI.  The focus of the interview was based on the 'Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall' speech that Reagan gave in Berlin on June 12, 1987, five months before the wall was taken down.  There was also a large gay pride festival going on outside, and we ventured through the various venders before heading back to the RAF, where I enjoyed a fantastic salmon dinner.

Lazy Saturday

I didn't do a whole lot on Saturday.  Dined at Union Station with Allison.  Stopped at another co-workers home briefly in the morning to say hello.  Was locked out of my apartment for a couple of hours.  Spent the evening at the RAF with the roommates, and watched several sporting events while working on some homework.

Thursday & Friday

On Thursday we hosted a live webinar at work that was broadcasted to people across the country via GoToMeeting.  It covered a bunch of the products and services we provide as a company, and I was able to learn a good amount from being a part of it.  On Friday the CEO of the company, Ravi Singh, called in to the office via Skype to meet the new interns.  He is an incredibly driven individual, and he has lived a very interesting life.  Search him online, or check out this website if you're interested; http://www.ravisingh.com/index.asp.  I recommend checking out his brief book on leadership, I believe it should be free to download from this page.  Both evenings were spent with friends from the RAF, and brought to conclusion another successful 48 hours in our nation's capital.

Moving Day

Wednesday's work day consisted of collecting more data, and follow-up calls and e-mails from the data I collected.  I was also an office hero of sorts because I was able to change the water jug when the first couple of people that tried couldn't figure it out, namely Patrick.  We also had a visit from an executive of Microsoft that helps keep us up to date with the newest innovations they are creating, and I will be attending a convention with him later this month.  Pretty cool!  After the work day was complete, Allison, my fellow Wisconsinite here in the office, asked if I would help her move her stuff into her new apartment.  A free beer was offered in return of services performed, how am I to say no to that!?!  Moving wasn't too bad, and we stopped at a place called RFD's afterwards.  I indulged in some versions of Sam Adams that I have never tried or even seen before, and had an engaging evening over a plate of fully loaded nachos before making my way back home.

Richard Nixon

Yesterday was a very long day.  Work was relatively the same as the previous days, and I spent most of the day working with Katie, Allison, and Patrick.  We had a group meeting with a couple of the managers of our various functions in the office that was informative, and I chimed in with a recommendation that was integrated into our spreadsheets.  Woohoo!  After work I headed straight to my Federal Budget course.  We discussed further the process that is followed in order to create the budget, and the impact that Richard Nixon's presidency had on establishing the practices we see today.  It was an interesting class, and the wheels in my head were still turning fast enough to be involved in several conversations throughout the class.  I walked home with some of my fellow classmates, Sam, Rachel, Audie, and Nicole.  We had seven of us in the classroom tonight, adding a Kevin and Jermaine that were not present last week.  The end of the night consisted of leftovers from my Dinner for 10, and watching the Heat lose game five to the Celtics.

Dinner for 10

Tonight I made a pasta dinner that fed 10 people, plus leftovers!  It's an excellent recipe that I learned from Ashley Schroeder, although I doubt I made it quite as well as she always does.  Everybody said they loved it, and we opened our door so the aroma permeated through the first floor of our building.  Several people commented as they walked past, and a lady named Audrie stopped in to see what I had all cooked.  A pretty proud moment.  Keenan baked some excellent garlic bread to add to the pasta, and Deanna's bottle of wine quickly disappeared.  After dinner I taught Keenan, Lindsey, and Deanna how to play Euchre, they all need a little bit of work after our first game played, but with a little bit more teaching I think I may have found some card playing partners.  Time to do some more reading for class tomorrow, watch the end of the Spurs vs. Thunder game five, and head to bed so I can get up early for my internship tomorrow.

Former Congressman Bob Carr

Milton Robert "Bob" Carr came to speak to the interns in the Political Leadership program here at TWC today.  He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan during the 80's and 90's.  He grew up in Janesville, and graduated from UW-Madison before doing post-graduate work at Michigan State.  His career outside of politics has been as a lawyer, and he currently works at Dow Lohnes here in D.C.  While he was attending UW-Madison there were protests going on about the Vietnam War, and I asked him about his memories of those after prefacing my question about where I come from.  He didn't share any exact specifics, but spoke about general police actions taken against the people around him.  He had interned with Gaylord Nelson, a former Senator from Wisconsin when he was in college.  He highlighted how our generation does more peer-to-peer work to solve problems, and government should look to crowdsourcing when available to more efficiently handle large programs; which is to outsource responsibilities to other groups of people (highlighting the handling of securities in the SEC).  It was nice to listen to him, and our group did a very nice job of asking follow-up questions.  I was able to shake his hand and speak with him afterwards about Wisconsin politics.  He is rooting for Tom Barrett in tomorrow's recall election, and classified him as a, "dear friend."  The political winds tell me that Walker is going to win re-election, but I didn't debate the matter with him.  Just thanked him for coming to speak, and moved on to other topics.  Rumor has it there is a place to go for free salsa dancing tonight...time to get my homework done so maybe I can learn some new moves!

Eastern Market & Space Museum

Today I rode the Metro over to the Eastern Market stop with Robyn to go to 'DC's Oldest Continually Operated Fresh Food Public Market.'  It was a lot of fun walking through the stands of fresh produce, arts and crafts, and other merchant stands present there.  There were tons of beautiful pieces of art and jewelry, interesting foods, and handcrafted furniture.  If anybody is interested in having me bring a piece back, send money!  I was wearing a Brewers' shirt, which prompted a young man named Alex to ask me if I am from WI.  Turns out he goes to UW-Madison, and we had a fun conversation about Tuesday nights at Wando's and other Madison activities.  I ordered a half-smoke from Darrell's Delicious Dogs, and added some of their *Parental Advisory Warning* 'Hot as Shit' hot sauce after the man selling the dog challenged me to it.  It was friggin hot.  I made it through it though, and moved on to pick up some gelato.  On the way back we stopped at the National Mall and went through the entire National Air and Space Museum.  'Hubble 3D' was being played in the IMAX theater within the building and we watched the 43 minute production narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio.  We headed home after that, and now I am back at the RAF.  I'll be working on some homework tonight, and attending some Washington Center programming during the day tomorrow.

The Setting Sun

I stopped at Union Station to get some food at their food court, Trattorio's Pizzeria won my business this time.  After I dined, I headed over to the Capital to watch the sun set from the Western steps.  It was beautiful to watch, with the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial visible in front of me and the Capital at my back.  I ignored my phone for a little while as I sat there in peace, but I eventually responded to a handful of new friends that were requesting my presence back at the RAF before they all wanted to head to a club called Ultra.  I jogged the mile or so home, dressed up nice, and went out with about 20 friends to this new place.  It was a lot of fun, with several stories in the building playing various types of music, flashing lights, billowing smoke, and a very fun environment altogether.  I met Ben, Tracy, Tina, Gabrielle (from Dallas), and Amy (from England).  I also noticed a shorter guy walking around with some big aviators on...did a double take...and realized in was Manny Pacquiao!  Keenan and I walked up to talk with him and shook his hand.  It was pretty cool.  After we left I rode the Metro home with Keenan and Deanna, and so concluded another awesome day in D.C.

Arlington

I slept in a little bit and relaxed at the RAF for part of the day on Saturday before going to the National Cemetery in Arlington.  It is a sight to behold.  I spent two hours wandering through the walkways that run through the various cemeteries within the complex.  I walked past the Women's Memorial, the Tomb of President Kennedy and family (that has a flame burning at it constantly), the Arlington House that was once the property of Robert E. Lee, the Old Amphitheater, and the Memorial Amphitheater before reaching the Tomb of the Unknowns to view the Changing of the Guard.  I noticed there was a group of older Veterans all wearing orange shirts there that said they were a group from Southeastern Indiana, and a few select members where to be involved in the Presenting of the Wreath service.  Brett Bondurant was one of those members.  He is a veteran of the War in Afghanistan that lost both of his legs from an IED.  He walked down the steps with his grandfather and two other Veterans, and it was an incredibly moving experience.  My eyes began to swell and water as the bugler played Taps while my right hand was placed over my chest.  The setting sun, the pristine surroundings, and the thanks being given to such a young soldier who had already given so much in front of the embodiment of all those that were lost over the course of our nation's history was enough to move the emotional senses of any proud American.  After the conclusion of the ceremony I moved along to view some more within the Cemetery.  Some of the other areas that I came across represented those lost at the Battle of the Bulge, the Rough Riders, and the Tomb of President Taft, amongst others.  By the time I made my way back around to the entrance/exit the gates were already being closed.  I stopped to look back, and it felt like I was the last person left behind the gates.  I made my way back to the Metro station to head back home to the RAF.

Here is a link to a local news source about the Changing of the Guard event I witnessed; http://www.eaglecountryonline.com/news.php?nID=3640

End of the Work Week

The office was pretty relaxed on Friday.  Justin had departed for a convention in Minnesota, and Allison left in the morning to go back to Wisconsin to watch a Brewers game and attend a wedding I believe.  She is from Cedarburg, and interned at ElectionMall last year before she was hired on as a full-time employee.  I dined alone at Pizzoli's Pizzeria for lunch, and, at Ghani's (not sure if he was the owner or just an employee) suggestion, I ordered the Steak & Cheese Deluxe sandwich.  Magnifico!  My work was similar to the past couple of days, collecting campaign information, and reaching out to them over the phone.  Left the office at six, and Katie asked if I would join her and a couple of friends at Buffalo Billiard's for their happy hour.  Sounds great!  We met up with a Deanna and Anthony that I have previously met at the RAF.  They had ordered some food and didn't want to eat it all, so I scored some free grub!  Came back to the RAF to change and meetup with the roommates and friends (and to make my first weekly post to D2L as part of my responsibilities to UW-W and Professor Johnson this summer) before following a crowd to some rooftop bars on U Street.  Totally cool!  It was really nice to sit outside and look out over the city.  However, I was once again confused by the numbers appearing next to the list of beers.  Is that a 9 and a dollar sign next to that Samuel Adam's Boston Lager?  Are they trying to bring back prohibition here?!  Maybe I'll just enjoy the scenery instead.  The night was a lot, lot, lot of fun, which seems to be the trend of every night out here!

Pumpers & Mitchell's?

Thursday night turned into another fun experience.  I had it suggested to me that I visit the Front Page restaurant/bar/club on DuPont Circle.  Keenan and I checked it out online, and it turns out that it is the place to be on Thursdays.  There is a free taco buffet line, and a happy hour that lasts from 4:00 until bar close!!  Two dollar Coronas is the featured drink, I'm not the biggest fan of la cerveza mas fina, but for a deal like that, mucho gusto!!  There is outside dining, then a nice bar area when you first walk in, followed by an interior dining area that leads you to another bar with big screen tv's and an elevated dance floor.  The two different environments reminded me of a Whitewater establishment.  Jon and Maegen came with us, and Jon challenged my capacity to introduce myself and hang out with some people at the bar.  Challenge accepted.  Introduced myself to an Amanda, Geena, and Katie, and had Keenan slide in with me.  I also introduced myself to the bartender named JC, good guy.  Had a great time conversing with them and watching the Thunder vs. Spurs game three the rest of the night before we headed home to the RAF.

First Call

Toasted PB&J for breakfast today, and a ride in on the Metro to work this morning.  Most of the day was spent gathering information about campaigns in Ohio, Nevada, and Alabama.  I also made my first call into some campaigns to discuss with them if they would like us to join their team.  I must have picked the wrong campaigns because I was only able to leave some voice mails, but it was a good experience anyways.  The VP of the company gave me two thumbs up when I asked her about working on developing a website for a very special event back in Cambridge (more on that later).  I went to lunch with Katie today at Potbelly's, num num num.  I didn't realize how big of a chain that company was, it is definitely much more than just the State Street location in Madison.  Made it back to the RAF around 6:30, and I have the evening up to my discretion for the first time in several days.  Not sure what I will do with it exactly, but I do know I need a good night's sleep.  I'll check in before the evening is out if anything interesting happens!

Dr. Strangelove

Day two at the office had air conditioning!  I opted to ride the Metro in to work today, and it took about 20 minutes to make it from the RAF to the office.  My time in the office today was centered around gathering contact information for candidates to the House of Representatives.  Katie, a fellow intern, and myself worked through candidates in California and Illinois for the most part today.  Gathering this information is the basic foundation necessary for the growth of the company.  The Vice-President of the company, Savina, has asked me to participate in a campaign and elections event that should be pretty interesting; http://www.cvent.com/events/the-art-of-political-campaigning/event-summary-49c3074cf0404d56b1f6cec239de6c9f.aspx.  I'll be the only intern that goes to the event.  Some co-workers suggested we go to Whole Foods for lunch.  I thought that a strange proposition, but I joined in on the trek.  Not doing that again.  There is a buffet of food that you select from to place into your own bowl, and pay by weight.  This is not economical for me.  I left the office with Katie and Raquel at 6, and we rode the Metro back home.  I had a meeting at 6:30 at the RAF for my Veterans Civic Engagement program, and we had a guest speaker from the Student Veterans of America organization by the name of Matthew Feger.  He talked about his organization, and I am interested in bringing interest about it back to UW-Whitewater after the summer.  The meeting lasted until about 8:30, making my day about 11 and a half hours long.  I wasn't quite ready to call it quits just yet though, because Dr. Strangelove was playing in the outside theater a block from the RAF.  I was joined by Kristin and Pete, and the film started at about 9:00.  I'm back in my room now.  Jon is ironing his shirt, Keenan is on his computer, Pete is lounging in the leather chair, and we are all watching game two of the Heat vs. Celtics series.  Time to watch the last couple of minutes!  Goodnight!!

Day 1 at the Office

I showed up to the internship fifteen minutes early today.  Yes, that's right, Bryce Noble Yates Chinault was actually early.  When the rest of the interns showed up around nine, we started to dive into what we will be doing over the course of our internship.  I think I will be spending a fair amount of my day on the phone regularly, which will be okay because the people I will be talking to will be campaign managers and staff.  I also get the impression that I may be doing some traveling with the company.  It was a bit rough in the office today because the air conditioning wasn't working and it was in the 90's today, but we all made it through the day.  They said that this was the first day they had had that problem, and the timing couldn't have been better with the office more packed than normal.  I introduced myself to the two ladies cleaning the office that were speaking in Spanish as I opted to help them move a couple of items with a little "Me llamo Bryce."  They both smiled in reaction and came over to shake my hand and respond in kind.  That was fun.  I won't be able to disclose all of what I do during the day, because we sign a confidentiality agreement of sorts that doesn't permit us to speak about the campaigns we are working on.  But, I will share what I can, and speak in general terms when I have to.  We had pizza served at lunch today, which made my day!  I also received my Blackberry and laptop that I will have for the duration of my internship, pretty sweet!!  I left the office around 5:40 to make sure I was on time for my class that started at 6:30.  My class is instructed by John Forkenbrock, who currently works for the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS), has taught courses for the Washington Center for several years, and previously instructed other college courses.  We will be dissecting the process of how the federal budget is originated, processed, and completed.  Or, as of late, not completed.  He seems like a very cordial and intelligent individual, and I look forward to learning from him throughout the duration of the course.  There are 11 students enrolled in the class, but only five of us showed up tonight...not sure what that means going forward, but we will definitely have as much engagement with the professor as we want during the course of the semester.  Class ended around 8:40 tonight.  The walk home involved a fair amount of rain, much to my chagrin considering I was transporting my new laptop, but I, and the laptop, made it back safe and sound to the RAF.  My mind is quite fatigued from the day, and I might have to share more details about what all occurred tomorrow.  ¡Buenos noches!

Hot Dogs & Mac and Cheese

Pete, Christen, and I made hot dogs and macaroni & cheese for dinner tonight.  We then went into an interesting coversation about food in general.  Christen's family would eat a rotation of meals every couple of weeks.  Like every other Monday was chicken, Tuesdays were for another specific food, or if they went to McDonald's they would order the same thing every time.  Needless to say, she was terribly perplexed when I put some of my mac & cheese in the hot dog bun, and when I cut up one of the hot dogs to put in my mac & cheese.  Maybe that's just a Wisconsin thing...then again, maybe I am a little weird.  Pete then pointed out that he loves to eat peanut butter and fluff on a toasted piece of bread.  Keenan had no idea what fluff meant, so Pete brought it out to show him.  With all of us coming from different states and different backgrounds there are all kinds of little phrases, actions, or habits that are deemed entirely normal by one individual, and seemingly as foreign as imaginable to the other.  I have ironed my clothes for tomorrow, and have my bag packed ready to go for the morning.  Time to watch the end of game 1 between the Heat & Celtics and call it a night.  Alarm goes off at 7:00 a.m.  Goodnight!

Memorial Day

The Memorial Day Parade was very nice.  I went with my roommate Pete and our friend Kristin.  We made it to Constitution Ave. two hours before the parade was set to start, and camped out in a prime location to see the parade under a great shade tree.  What we hadn't expected was for dozens of people to decide it was okay to stand half way in the road just to our right where the parade was coming from.  Really?  It was the only area that people where standing so close, and they were repeatedly asked to move back.  I felt bad for several individuals that were camped out next to us that were in wheelchairs, and had been there for nearly as long as we were, and may have been Veterans themselves.  We were told everyone was to be moved back when the parade began, but our nearest officer didn't seem to mind.  The parade itself was great though, with Veterans present from multiple wars, bands from across the country, Gary Sinise, Buzz Aldrin, some American Idol contestant, and Miss America all occupying floats honoring our troops.  I may not have enough time to really take in the Arlington National Cemetery today, so I think I will save that for next weekend when it likely will not be as heavily trafficked, and I can spend at least a couple of hours in the area.  Tomorrow I will be starting my internship at 9:00 in the morning, and I will also be attending my first class, The Federal Budget, from 6:30-9:30 in the evening.  Tomorrow equals a twelve and a half hour day for me, and I am looking forward to it!!

From Wisconsin

I had another very fun night with some recently made friends, and some brand new ones from last night.  I introduced myself to a woman named Erin who asked what I was doing out in D.C.  I explained my internship program to her, and stated that I am from Wisconsin.  Turns out she is too!  So I ended up meeting two of her friends (one was named Katie) from Wisconsin too, and enjoyed some time talking about the home state.  I also met a Nicole, and spent the evening with some previously made friends that are part of TWC.  There is going to be a parade up on Constitution Avenue here shortly, and I will be in attendance.  I also plan on heading over to Arlington National Cemetery to view the Changing of the Guard this afternoon.  I have been packing a lot in to my first few days here, and I have loved every minute of it.

A Blue Jay

I was able to be within a few feet of a Blue Jay the other day, and I forgot to mention it.  Made me think of home.  :-)

National Zoo & Memorial Concert

All of the roommates and myself went to the National Zoo today, along with Maegan, Jaronda, Kristy, Joanna, Katie, and another lady friend.  I was a little under impressed with the zoo if I may be so bold as to say.  It turns out that I really love animals, but I don't really enjoy zoos in general, and this one in particular.  My legs traveled quite the distance again today, and the cloudless 86 degree day made my body work a little extra today too.  After getting back to the RAF around 6:30, we all relaxed for about 45 minutes before we hiked it over to the Capital to watch an outside concert on the National Mall.  It turns out that they don't let you carry beer in, my Wisconsin roots were on full display for that episode.  So Keenan, Jaronda, and myself elected to sit along the pool on the backside of the concert.  This proved to be an excellent decision because the concert was evacuated shortly thereafter because of incoming inclement weather.  Daughtry and Trace Adkins were the only performers that were able to perform before it was cancelled.  This was the itinerary of the event; http://www.pbs.org/memorialdayconcert/concert/.

Good Morning

This morning has been relatively slow and laid back.  The roommates are planning on heading out shortly though to go to the National Zoo.  Pete says it is free to go to, and the Metro will take us right to it so it sounds like a great idea to me.  I am in need of getting my hands on a camera between now and then...

Rocket & Clyde's

After a long day, roughly six miles of walking yesterday, my roommate Keenan and I went out on the town with some new friends.  We were joined by Amy, Anna, David, Dianna, Hunter, Lindsey, and one other guy.  I found out about Rocket Bar that had a bunch of pool tables, dart boards, shuffle boards, and three bars inside.  We hopped on the Metro and managed to find it after I asked a young lady for specific directions.  They were selling $3 PBR's, which was as good as it was going to get on a Saturday night.  I met a Maggie that was celebrating her birthday with her friends, and a guy that pronounced his name like the word code.  I also introduced myself to a Chris from Germany.  Some members of our party wished to move on so we went on to further our adventure.  Stopped at a club called Cuba, but they wouldn't let us in based on a dress code.  Flip-flops don't work here?  After walking around for awhile, conversing with some local law enforcement (in a good way), and losing half of our party, Keenan, Amy, Anna, and myself went to Clyde's Bar & Grille to close out the night.  I had a blast meeting new people, and engaging in all sorts of conversation throughout the night.

A Monumental Tour

I left the RAF at 9:30 this morning to head to the Smithsonian, and wherever else my legs where about to carry me.  I was accompanied by Robyn, whom I met yesterday during our orientation.  The first stop after getting off of the Metro was the National Museum of American History.  It was very interesting, and the highlight had to be viewing the American flag that was the impetus behind the writing of Francis Scott Key's 'Star Spangled Banner.'  We passed through the National Sculpture Gardens, and the National Gallery of Art was the next building we entered.  With the recommendation of Kathy, a lady that informed us about our surroundings once we exited the Metro, we used our noses to guide our way through the winding halls to the cafe inside.  $21 for a buffet that doesn't even have steak on it?  Sorry Kathy, no thanks.  We promptly exited the premises, and ventured over to a restaurant called Capital Grille.  I found the steak I was looking for but it was $34, and I'm guessing the portion wasn't going to be to my liking.  I let the waiter know that we suddenly had an engagement to attend, and we exited with haste once more.  A fully-loaded hot dog and gatorade for $5 from a stand outside did just fine for lunch.  The Washington Monument was next on the list, or, as a bad joke I once heard suggests, is that building dedicated to Bill Clinton?  Then there was the World War II Memorial, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.  All of which are fantastic venues.  Next was perhaps my favorite memorial, that of Thomas Jefferson.  The statue inside is most impressive, and the breeze that passes through the openings on all sides makes it incredibly comfortable to stop and view the engraved quotes and impressive architecture.  We then doubled back around the Tidal Basin which, based upon its name, it would make sense as to why water was covering certain areas of the surrounding sidewalk.  This route was taken so that we could view the Korean War Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam War Memorial.  The Lincoln Memorial is terribly impressive, and silence falls upon all that pass the Vietnam War Memorial as if everyone is silently thanking every name that is engraved on its humbling walls.  We continued on to walk along the White House property, where Obama had left in a motorcade to head to Chicago only hours earlier (as my roommate Pete informed me afterwards).  After a pit stop to collect ourselves next to the General William Tecumseh Sherman Memorial, we walked to the nearest Metro station and headed home to the RAF.  The National Mall area is swarmed with people this Memorial Day Weekend.  There are tons of school groups wandering about, and an omnipresence of motorcyclists that all seem to be veterans of one war or another.  There are thousands of people coming into the city to remember those that have fallen, share the memories of lost friends and family, and to celebrate this moment of existence.  It is an honor to be able to spend this weekend in the nation's capital.

Smithsonian

Last night turned into just a relaxing evening at the RAF with my roommates.  I am about to leave to go see the Smithsonian for the first time, can't wait!!

Grocery Shopping

I went to the Harris Teeter grocery store that is about five blocks away for the first time today.  Keenan and Pete joined me in the endeavor, and we all agree that the prices are high here, which was to be expected.  Somebody else's food ended up in one of our bags, because the clerk had not given it to him because he didn't have his money with him, apparently, and another lady stepped in to bag our groceries.  So we thought we had scored some free grub, but it turns out he had eaten out of it beforehand, and we decided to toss the remnants.  Had a meeting about the Veterans Civic Engagement project I'll be working on in the upcoming weeks.  We will be attending a wheelchair basketball tournament in Richmond, VA at the end of June, along with a couple of other events that a handful of us will be volunteering at.  I thought I was going to be attending a small jazz festival on the National Mall this evening, but my roommates and I seemed to have conflicting reports on when/where and we managed to miss it.  Something tells me there is plenty else to do on a beautiful Friday night in D.C.  Time to go figure out what exactly that may be!

Press Conference

I forgot to mention yesterday that when I was walking by the Capital there was a press conference of sorts happening over gay marriage.  Here is a synopsis from MSNBC; http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/25/11878818-as-conservatives-rally-on-marriage-issue-fate-rests-with-high-court?lite

It seemed like I could have just walked up and asked a question myself had I wanted to, I elected to not test the theory.  It may have had something to do with the police officer armed with a fully automatic assault rifle standing across the walkway.  I did stop to listen for a little while before I moved along, and it was interesting to think that this is what people across the country will be reading or watching about and it was taking place right in front of me.  I am going to enjoy this city.

Orientation & Ben's Chili Bowl

Busy, busy day.  Woke up at 7 this morning, and was rewarded with hot water in the shower!  Dressed up in my grey suit and teal? colored shirt and tie that Karissa picked out for me, and it received many compliments throughout the day.  We had our orientation today that started at 9:00 at a very nice reception hall about five stops on the Metro away from my residence.  The highlight of the day thus far was a stop at Ben's Chili Bowl for lunch.  Then President-Elect Obama dined there, and it is full of images of the owner with figures like a young Denzel Washington, Tavis Smiley, and a painting with Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and other historical figures in the African-American community.  I ordered Bill Cosby's favorite, and it actually is his favorite, The Original Chili Half-Smoke.  I also attended a meeting about 'Power Greetings' where we went over the proper ways to introduce yourself professionally, and I signed up to be a part of the Veterans portion of our Civic Engagement part of my responsibilities to TWC (more on that later).

Lasagna

As I am certain that Tyler Luther is wondering, I indulged in some lasagna at Zuppa Fresca across the street from my residence for dinner this evening.  I dined alone which caused the plateful of food in front of me to vanish rather quickly, and I think it was noticed by my waitress and the nearby patrons.  We had an ice cream social at the RAF tonight, and I have been watching/talking basketball with my roommates as the Heat clinched their series against the Pacers.  We have a full schedule tomorrow, starting with a ride on the Metro to a convention about what to expect through the duration of the internship, and what will be expected of us from our course work.  I have my suit hanging up in the closet, with my shirt freshly ironed and ready to roll.  Washington isn't going to know what hit it when I step outside tomorrow!  Goodnight!!

An Early Visit

I decided to take a walk to where my internship is located, with a detour up to the National Mall to see all the buildings up there again.  Managed to find the office, and spent a half an hour or so getting to know some of my soon to be co-workers.  The people in the office all seem to be very friendly, and I think it will be a real pleasure to work there.  The CEO of the company has photos of him standing with politicians as ideologically diverse as George W. Bush and Al Franken on a wall in the office, which should make this experience all the more rewarding.  If you want to check out the company's website, you can find it here; http://www.electionmall.com/.  The walk took me 35 minutes to complete, so I think I will be travelling to and from work on foot regularly.