False security

When I got in line, I saw a handbag open on the corner back table, contents spilled out, chair abandoned. A few moments later, security came by to ask if it belonged to any of us. No, it belonged to an older lady who was in the main room. She came in, relieved to find her bag, although it had been relieved of its cash. The shock was this was inside the polling booth for the District primary elections a couple of weeks ago. We were inside the secure area to have our voter registration checked and mark our ballots. Secure for what?

Truck Lunch

Gourmet grilled sausages and sandwich made of red velvet cake slices held together with a schmear of sweet cream cheese - good stuff for a lunch off a truck. The truck is a joint venture between Zola, the upscale restaurant next to the Spy Museum and DC Central Kitchen, the local soup kitchen, a few blocks away. The truck sits on the corner of 7th and F St NW, at the corner of the Smithsonian American Art/Portrait Collection. There are two goals, I think. First, to raise the level of street food in DC and also to create job opportunities for the cooks trained at DC Central Kitchen. On Sunday, I didn't see the truck, I hope it returns soon.

Lessons from Verdi

Now playing at the Washington National Opera, Un Ballo en Maschera. Lessons learned, which are mutually exclusive. (1) If you're going to pay the price of cheating on your partner, perhaps you should really cheat; downside, of course, is you would lose your tragic stature. (2) If you're angry, try not to kill anyone, because it's irreversible when you later regret your action; again, loss of tragic stature, but upside is the potential for romantic comedy. Rossini,anyone? (3) Witches' advice can't be trusted; corollary, witches' advice can't be trusted especially after you have insulted the witch. (4) Pages in chic grey suits can't be trusted, especially with your wardrobe secrets.

Conference central

A clutch of hotels near the zoo where the gibbons sing and the pandas frolic - the Marriott, the Omni, and the Hilton - are conference ground zero in DC. 7000 political scientists converged there to discuss the bases, the distribution, the exercise of power, in theory, in reality, in narrative, and in numbers. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the weather was beautiful. Blasts of fresh air and sun hit us as we concentrated on hard times in the world. This week it's us, next week it's the fly biologists, the following week its the economists, the boilermakers, and on and on.

A good day off

Crunchy shrimp toasts from Ping Pong. The Washington Ballet director creating a dance from a yawn and a dog walk. Banana pudding from Oya. An all-girl blues band singing - I don't wanna a cashmere coat, I don't wanna diamond mine, I just wanna man to love... City Dance running for the bus a la Paul Taylor, and elegantly baroque. Saffron fried rice balls from Bibiana. A good Arts on Foot, every September.