Apart from seeing a businessman borrowing his daughter’s Winnie the Pooh backpack today on the Metro, I’m not sure how many of us could publicly regress back into childhood at a moments notice. So it did warm my heart this morning when my inner child was revealed to me in a sign for the “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World” which will open July 12th at the Smithsonian’s ’s International Gallery. Given the description of the program, I’m hoping it will be better than the last lackluster 5-6 item exhibit last trotted out to fans a few years ago. It is an amalgamation from the “Jim Henson Legacy” exhibit as well as the Smithsonian’s traveling “show”, which should be the best of both worlds.

For those of you who are more transient residents to D.C., or visitors stopping in to say a hearty “hello” to the National Capital region, the global phenomenon known as The Muppets was started here at the University of Maryland through Henson’s first show, “Sam and Friends”, broadcast on WRC-TV in D.C. starting in 1954. Who knew Kermit was that old, right?! Besides the Muppet characters, Henson was an experimental filmmaker, collaborating with composer and electronic music pioneer, Raymond Scott (Henry Warnow) on several films. If you can’t get enough of Henson at this exhibit, swing by UMD for the bronze statue and garden or visit the library there for more collections (the online version is also a treasure trove).

Jim Henson Memorial

Originally uploaded by zhurnaly

For those of you who will need potable water, it is recommended that you boil your water (rolling boil) for over a minute before you use it (and for those who need cold water, don’t add ice cubes from your automatic ice maker, unless it’s got a filter on it, wait for it to reach room temperature or cool it in your fridge). Other methods for treating your water can also be achieved through typical backpackers methods such as a SteriPen or purification tablets (REI, HTO, or other outdoor store) for larger volumes.

This evening’s affair will star Justin Jones & The Driving Rain, but other concerts will follow from May 22 and June 5, 12, 19, 26 (and a reschedule from last week’s rained out performance on September 4). I’m sure it will be an interesting experiment for GTBID, who were also, if I remember, one of the first areas in downtown D.C. to offer free WiFi in the park a number of years ago. And you know they’re hip and with it, not just because they dress in gold and black, because they have a MySpace page!

So what you’re saying, is that, while folks who decide to at least exercise their right to be heard in a public forum, “non-commercially”, must do so at a whisper, but some “commercial” entity, blaring music and using a loudspeaker, can do so wherever and whenever they want in D.C.? Let’s take a glance at what 80dB’s really gets you. [Note: Contrary to the “quick facts” posted on Councilmemeber Wells’ site, and increase in decibels is not a simple “doubling” but a logarithmic scale increase… which is a much different mathematical consideration… so much for politicians fact checking before trying to enact laws.]

10dBA - Normal Breathing
20dBA - Mosquito or Rustling Leaves
30dBA - A Whisper
40dBA - A Bubbling Brook, or a Refrigerator
50dBA - Normal Conversation
60dBA - Laugher
70dBA - Vacuum Cleaner or Hairdryer
80dBA - City Traffic or a Garbage Disposal
90dBA - Motorcycle or Lawnmower

So, what they are proposing, is that you can protest in D.C., as long as we can’t hear you above the din of the traffic in D.C.. WTF?! Ice Cream trucks are louder than that… granted other cities are cracking down on those too. Granted, I always wanted the ice cream truck in my neighborhood to play “Helter Skelter” or come around like L.A.’s ice cream truck of satan.

D.C. readers, what’s your view on this… pleasant relief or curb to your Constitutional rights to be a pain in the ass?

DSC_5644.jpg — Originally uploaded by rev_bri

On the upside, Senegalese singer, Youssou N’Dour is performing at the World Bank in the atrium at 2pm. I’m not sure if it’s fully open to the public, but you can try, given that it’s supposed to raise awareness…it’d be dumb to restrict access.

So, D.C.’s in a tizzy with the Papal visit this week, and all the supposed traffic tie-ups it’s supposed to bring. This afternoon, a cadre of D.C. police and crowd control specialists (aka “barricade men”) lined Pennsylvania Avenue with aluminum corrals. Supposedly tomorrow will pale in snarly comparison with Thursday for the 10am Papal mass at the new National’s Stadium (are we ever gonna really name this correctly?). I’ve luckily got a nice vantage point for the procession, but I’m really in it to see which Popemobile he’ll be riding in (there are several variations, including several variations of Fiat’s…). I caught this peloton of D.C. police burning 1 inch rubber down the street this afternoon. If only all law enforcement was this eco-friendly… but I’d like to see them take the place of the USPS team some day in the Tour de France (which is also coming up soon too)

D.C. Police Police Peloton

Originally uploaded by webjedi

If there was a house band at the gates of hell, The Pogues would probably be who you’d hear playing…. and you’d like it! I have to say, I wasn’t a big Pogues fan, but I do have a musicological interest in the origins of modern music. To that avail, I had the pleasure of taking in the Pogues on Monday front row center at the 9:30 Club to a knock down drag out drunken musical joyfest which DC has yet to equal. If the opener, the macabre Urban Voodoo Machine didn’t get the place started, Shane and Co. put the place into over drive in a frenzied selection of 25 songs (albeit, the setlist was repeated from Sunday). While few of the members (Shane included) looked a bit worse for wear, they delivered what the audience so needed to hear. I was wondering if I’d leave with a boot impression to the chest or head, but the crowd was into it, and the fans, given the shows have been sold out for months, held true to their desire to see, what according to Q Magazine, is one of the “50 Bands to See Before You Die”… the entire evening did not disappoint. Lets hope they come ’round again for an encore or two!

Shaaaaaaane!

Originally uploaded by webjedi

If you missed the final Pogues show this evening at the 9:30 Club, their astounding gypsy-surf-punk-rock opener, The Urban Voodoo Machine is playing at The Red & The Black at 9pm tonight ($8). This was one high energy act, and everybody in the place got into it. So if you think the opener gets the 9:30 “a rockin’”, catch them in a more intimate venue this evening, its truly something to behold. Just let you mind go and the rest will follow!

The Urban Voodoo Machine

Originally uploaded by webjedi

It seems a bit pricey, at $85 a day, but you’ll pretty much learn from the best, while drinking some of the best beer brewed in America and eating some pretty tasty food. Learn something and try not to get schnockered! I’ve had the opportunity to hear many of these brewers speak at the Brickskeller before for tastings, and they are very entertaining, more so once you’ve satiated your gullet with hops and barley in a liquid suspension.