The Best Of DC Right Now

As our visit to Washington draws to a close we have delighted once again in familiar haunts and new discoveries. Here are some of the highlights:
--Dinner (or lunch) at Clyde's in Georgetown where you can enjoy everything from burgers and knackwurst to New York strip steak, pasta and select seafood. The salads are great too, as are the desserts.
--The National Gallery of Art on the Mall where we not only revelled in the spectacular Chester Dale Collection showcasing the very best from expressionism to modernism but also enjoyed the Meyerhoff Collection of modern art and the current photography installation (In The Darkroom) which presents select photographs from the beginnings of photography in the 1830s up until the advent of digital photography. You could easily spend a day at the National Gallery where you are well advised to soak up the sun in the lovely outdoor sculpture garden. And might we add that the National Gallery's connecting concourse between the East and West buildings is the best place to eat on the Mall.
--The National Portrait Gallery where we enjoyed a small but delightful collection of paintings, memorabilia and other installations built around the iconic image of Elvis Presley. You don't have to be a huge fan of Elvis to recognize the enduring power of The King.
--Old Ebbitt Grill just a half block from the White House where you will enjoy the best crabcakes and martinis anywhere. Old Ebbitt has remained true to its promise for more than 100 years: great American fare, superb libations, a rich, welcoming environment, flawless service, memorable desserts and popular prices. No wonder the crowds continue to flock to this legendary Washington eatery. Reservations are suggested.
--Washington's hottest new hotel: The W, just down the block from Old Ebbitt has the whole town abuzz. It's the latest reincarnation of the old Hotel Washington and it's not only ideally located but it's also hip, sensual, beautifully lit and invitingly tactile. This is a great place for people watching.
--A great new discovery, Cafe Asorti in Arlington -- perfect for dining or just for snacks or coffee and decadent pastry. Café Assorti offers a variety of lunch/dinner entries for $7 to $12. Various forms of dumplings, savory pastries, and crepes are specialties. Don't miss the Napolean cake.
BTW: During our stay in the DC area we took advantage of the great special overnight rates at the Virginian Suites (see photo) just over the Key Bridge in Arlington. The guest quarters in this very residential all-suite hotel have all been completely updated and every suite is bright, sleek, quiet, modern and attractive. The beds are wonderfully comfy and you'll get a walk in closet, a large desk, and full kitchen, sitting area and big, LG flat screen TVs as well. We booked on Travel Zoo and got a great deal.

Why I Won't Watch The Oscars

I won't be watching the annual Oscar telecast tonight and I suspect I won't be alone.
The audience for Hollywood's annual egofest has been falling for years and every gimmick that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences imposes in an attempt to spike the ratings seems to fail.
By the way, does Barabara Walters still do her annual pre-show interviews of Oscar contenders or somesuch? Well, if she does I won't be watching that either.
Walters had become a caricature of herself and she's now reduced to interviewing the likes of Lady Gaga. She should have retired ages ago.
Anyway, the Oscacast makes for an interminably long evening of celebrities reading from cue cards, bad commercials and over-extended movies clips from films you never wanted to see in the first place. Even the red carpet show beforehand has become a bore as the Hollywood crowd parades around with dozens of handlers and PR flacks in tow.
So few of today's stars exhibit the true presence and discipline of the predecessors. Now, everyone's either going into or coming out of rehab. Indeed, we know far too much about these supposed luminaries than we ever wanted to know.
There's no mystique to stardom anymore, no real allure.
And then there are this year's hosts: Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. Baldwin is just another bloated, bitchy, blotchy liberal bloviator. And, though Martin is admittedly talented, I have no interest in him whatsoever. He's a decent comedian and an OK actor who also tries to be an auteur. But as a "star," he just doesn't make it.
It must be a nightmare to handle all these people.
I feel sorry for anyone who works this show.
Now that the big studios and the powerful movie moguls are all gone there's no one to control this crowd.
The actors are in charge now and that means the inmates have truly taken over the asylum.
It's sorta like watching the 1950s classic "The Snake Pit."
But hey, the movie was better than this inflated story.
And most movies of the 30s, 40s, and 50s were better than the movies of today.
Which is just another reason why I'll skip the Oscarcast and probably watch Turner Classic Movies instead.
Hooray for Hollywood!

NASM Udvar-Hazy Center Dulles

With spring beckoning and warmer weather tempting us to travel, we decided to head on down to Washington for the weekend and see what interesting adventures we could find.

Our first stop was the National Air and Space Center -- but no, not the one on the Mall. Instead, we headed to the big, new Air and Space at Dulles Airport in Northern Virginia.

And all we can say is WOW!

This place is vast.

You'll see more aircraft and space hardware here than you've ever imagined. From the very earliedt days of flight right on into the jet age and the space era, it's all here!

Officially, The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM)'s annex. But to call this place an "annex" would be a joke. This is no anex. This is IT.

The Center was made possible by a US$65 million gift in October 1999 to the Smithsonian Institution by Steven F. Udvar-Hazy, an immigrant from Hungary and co-founder of the International Lease Finance Corporation.Construction of the Center, which was designed by HOK, required 15 years of preparation.

NASM has always had more artifacts than could be displayed at the main museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Most of the collection had been stored, unavailable to visitors, at the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility in Silver Hill, Prince George's County, Maryland.

Opened in December 2003, the Udvar-Hazy Center displays historic aviation and space artifacts, especially items too large for the National Air and Space Museum's building on the National Mall, including:
--the Enola Gay, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan
--the Space Shuttle Enterprise. The "Discovery" is expected to be added to the collection once the Space Shuttle fleet is retired.

--the Gemini VII capsule
--an SR-71 Blackbird (highlighted & filmed on-location in "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen". an Air France Concorde supersonic airliner
--a US Air Force Lockheed L049
--the Boeing 367-80 jet transport, which was the prototype for the Boeing 707
--a Redstone rocket.

Of course, our favorite was the historic Enola Gay.

We also liked the gleaming, silver Pan Am clipper and the Concorde supersonic aircraft.

While we toured this vast museum of aircraft we also enjoyed our visit to the mock control tower we you can view the surrounding countryside for miles. And since it was a clear day, we do mean miles!

And, let's not forget Amelia Earhart's flight suit and the scissors that were used to trim her locks before her final flight.

And here's the best part: the whole place is free!

Still, you will have to pay a hefty $15.00 parking fee.

But it's worth the drive and the fee (bring a carload) as this is an incredbible treat.

And if you think that you don't have to come here because you've already visited the Air and Space Museum on the Mall, you're wrong.

You can spend the whole day at NASM Dulles.

We did. And we had a great time!

Reid: 36,000 Jobs Lost 'Good'

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
on the Senate floor today, upon hearing that unemployment has reached 9.7%:

"Today is a big day
in American
because today
36,000 people lost their jobs
and that's really good."

Yo, Harry:
Try to tell that to one of the 36,000 who lost his or her job.

Flower Show Conquers World

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Philadelphia Flower Show takes a global view this year with the theme Passport to the World.
That's why the show is now called the Philadelphia International Flower Show.
Well, showcasing the entire world through flowers is a tall order, indeed.
But as these stunning photos demonstrate the nation's oldest, biggest and best flower show once again dazzles.
BTW: Thanks to the good folks at Flower Show sponsor PNC Bank for once again making our visit to the show possible.
Now, c'mon -- hurry on over. The show runs through Sunday at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Don't miss it!









From India to Italy and from Amsterdam to South Africa, this show is a total dazzler!

Paterson Resignation Likely

Leaders of the African-American and Latino communities (including Rev Al Sharpton) will meet at Sylvia's Restaurant in New York's Harlem tonight to discuss the possible resignation of New York Governor David Paterson.
Paterson has already announced that he will not seek election this year but many feel that the ethically-challenged Governor will not be able to serve out the remainder of his term and will be forced to resign.
As it is, members of the Governor's staff are rapidly fleeing the sinking ship.
Today communications director Peter Kauffmann resigned from his $175,000-a-year job, the third person in a week to bolt from the administration.
"As a former officer in the United States Navy, integrity and commitment to public service are values I take seriously," Kauffmann said in a statement.
"Unfortunately, as recent developments have come to light, I cannot in good conscience continue in my current position."
Paterson's now former criminal justice deputy secretary Denise O'Donnell also said in her resignation letter last week that she could not "in good conscience" continue serving Paterson.
Former state Police Superintendent Harry Corbitt, whose agency is also under investigation, retired Thursday.
And the news just gets worse for Democrats all over the country:
Married Democratic Rep. Eric Massa reportedly sexually harassed a male staffer. He announced yesterday that he will retire.
Also, Democrat Congressman Charlie Rangel announced yesterday that he would “temporarily” step down from his powerful post as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. The House ethics committee admonished Rangel last week for violating Congressional gift rules.
And in a story that never seems to end, The National Enquirer reports that former Democratic Vice President Candidate John Edwards will be indicted.
The list of Democrat misdeeds and scoundrels just goes on and on: Spitzer. Patrick Kennedy. Rangel. Edwards. Paterson. And those names barely scratch the surface.
Still, Obama, Pelosi, Reid and company keep talking about integrity and transparency and ethics as if none of this were happening.
It would be downright funny if it wasn't so sad.

Dinniman Promotes Compromise

Pennsylvania State Senator Andy Dinniman is a compromise builder.
He recognizes problems, seeks solutions and brings people together to try to solve problems and make things better.
Yes, President Obama (and a few others in Washington) could learn something from Pennsylvania's own Andy Dinniman.
And, BTW: Senator Dinniman has a damned good staff, too!

Jersey Super Bowl Gaining Momentum

The possibility that New Jersey will play host to Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014 gained traction over the weekend. On Friday, Arizona announced that they would no longer be applying to host the Super Bowl that year, leaving New Jersey, South Florida and Tampa as the remaining three finalists.
In conjunction, a Senate Resolution sponsored by New Jersey Senate Republican Leader Tom Kean encouraging the NFL to select New Jersey as the site of Super Bowl XLVIII is under consideration by the Senate Economic Growth Committee and is scheduled for a vote at their next hearing.
"These latest developments are very encouraging for football fans across the region who have yet to see a Super Bowl played in the Northeast," Kean stated. "With the opening of a new stadium, and the backdrop of New Jersey and New York City, Super Bowl XLVIII has the potential to be a very special game. I remain optimistic that the NFL will realize this unique opportunity and select the new Meadowlands Stadium (pictured above) as their venue to host the Super Bowl in 2014."
The winning bid is expected to be announced during the owners’ meetings in Dallas at the end of May.

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NJ, NY Would Pay Most Obamacare Tax

Concerned that New Jersey residents already receive the lowest rate of return of any state on tax dollars sent to Washington, New Jersey State Senators Tom Kean (R-21), Steven Oroho (R-24) and Joe Kyrillos (R-13) questioned the equity of a new plan by President Obama to levy a new tax on investment income that would be borne disproportionately by New Jersey residents.

To help fund his multi-trillion dollar healthcare proposal, the President’s new plan, released on February 22, calls for the addition of a 2.9% Medicare tax on certain income, including that derived from interest, dividends, annuities, royalties and rent. This new tax would apply to individuals earning more than $200,000 and $250,000 for married couples filing jointly.

“Year after year, New Jersey residents get less back from the federal government than the residents of any other state,” said Kean. “Now, President Obama wants New Jersey to bear the burden of paying for his healthcare proposal. Even worse, this tax is directed at the very people who would be most likely to create jobs for out of work New Jerseyans.”

Data from the Tax Foundation show that New Jersey receives back just 61 cents in federal spending for every tax dollar sent by state residents to the federal government, the lowest rate of return of any state. With a rank of 42 out of 50, New York doesn’t fare much better.

Following the release of the President’s plan, an analysis by the Manhattan Institute shows that the residents of New York and New Jersey would pay a whopping 25% of the total revenue generated by the new income tax. When Connecticut is factored in, the residents of the tri-state region would pay almost 1/3 of the total tax. New Jersey’s share is estimated to be up to 9% of the total.

“The people of New Jersey are already struggling with a 10% unemployment rate, the highest property taxes in the nation, and the flight of wealth to lower tax states,” said Oroho. “With state residents already suffering under a massive tax burden, the President’s new income tax amounts to another straw on the already broken camel’s back.”

The senators called on the state’s congressional delegation to take action on the new tax. “We are hopeful that our representatives in Congress will tell the President to remove this tax from his plan,” said Kyrillos. “It’s not equitable for one or two states to pay so much and get back so little, especially when we’re talking about paying for a multi-trillion dollar healthcare plan. Our congressmen should tell President Obama to go back to the drawing board.”