FDR and wonderbread

duck (duck@hellskitchen.com)
Mon, 7 Jul 1997 11:04:32 -0400 (EDT)

I saw the new $52 million FDR memorial in DC this weekend (thank
you for the ride, Rohit "look ma, no hands" Khare). I've always been a fan
of simplicity - like the minimilistic and yet deeply moving Vietnam
Veterans Memorial that says so much with so little, or the 12 foot Einstein
statue in a little garden behind the NAS, or even the gargantuan Iwo Jima
memorial that i've seen a few hundred times and it still gives me
goosebumps (did you know it depicts 5 people raising the flag on Mt
Suribachi, but you can count 11 legs?). The FDR memorial is 1 part etched
quotes, 1 part statues, 5 parts waterfalls, and 10 parts brick. Peaceful,
great view of TJ and GW memorials across the tidal pool, but otherwise just
a brilliant example of bureaucracy and wasted taxpayer money that took 45
years to spend. Too bad, such a great president, such a shameful depiction
of his work.
After i saw the FDR, i went to Dupont Circle where a militaristic
young man was putting up a bread sculpture. Rather than recount his entire
effort, suffice to say it is directly relevant to the FDR memorial i had
just witnessed and really very entertaining and you can read all about it at:

While Rohit was exchanging BO with about 300,000 others out on the
mall, i watched the fireworks from a friend's apartment rooftop that
overlooks the Iwo memorial set against the background of DC. Really one of
the best views of the monument community that i've ever seen. The
fireworks were better than the last few years i'd been, and they even had
some that exploded into smiley faces. Did you see those, Ro? What will
they think of next?
Late that night we stumbled through downtown DC, where i relieved
myself on the Canadian embassy in honor of FoRK. While doing so, i thought
it appropriate to sing the FoRK anthem - but realized we don't have one.
So, i sang the national anthem and got through a verse and a half of the
Marine's Hymn (i really had to go).
So what say you - do we need an anthem? Ro says it has to be Weird
Al. If so, i nominate "Dare to be Stupid." Or how about Supertramp's
"Give A Little Bit?" (Please do not retaliate against me by suggesting
Weird Al's "I Want A New Duck."). No, Adam, no Debbie Gibson.

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duck

**************

"Hey! Amelia Earhardt!! Hands on the wheel!!!"

- an anonymous passenger, to Rohit "dances with medians" Khare