Shamrockfest 2018 Memories

Despite the mostly mild winter in the DMV, St. Patrick's Day 2018 had weather which mimicked the Emerald Isle as it was chilly, overcast with a touch of rain.  Still hearty partiers shook their fists at the sky and danced a jig at Shamrockfest, which was held on the grounds of RFK stadium.

Shamrockfest featured three stages.  The Electric Isle featured DJs spinning tunes under a big tent. DJ Clinton Matthews kicked things off at what became quite the popular venue. 

Watching DJ Clinton Matthews while wearing the green at Shamrockfest

The Shamrock Gold and Shamrock Green stages rotated with bands playing high energy rock with a touch of the Irish.  One had to marvel at the guitar playing prowess demonstrated by Reel Big Fish.  

Reel Big Fish performing at Shamrockfest

And it was craic to rock to Carbon Leaf.

Carbon Leaf playing at Shamrockfest 

Of course there was plenty of festival food and libations to enjoy, with plenty of Guinness and Jamison. 

Shamrockfest is said to be one of the largest outdoor St. Patrick Day festivals around.  People really try to dress to impress to show their Irish.   Some chose to sport some udderly crazy costumes (sic) to have a good time. 

Having an udderly good time at Shamrockfest 2018

Shamrockfest is produced by Red Frog Events.  In mid June, they will hold Firefly Music Festival in Dover, Delaware, which is a four day music extravaganza which will feature scores of bands, headlined by Eminem, the Arctic Monkeys and The Killers. 

Hope to see you at the Woodlands.

Perusing the Political Pumpkin Patch

The Jack-O'-Lantern is a Halloween tradition associated with the strange flickering lights over peat bogs thought to made by will-the-wisps or Jack-O'-Lanterns. To emulate this flickering light, the flesh of a pumpkin is scooped out and an image, which is usually comical or grotesque, is carved out on the gourd. 

Pumpkin carving can be traced to the mid-nineteenth century in American and the British Isles. But today, pumpkin carving is not confined to crudely hewn scary faces for Halloween. This allows folk artists with stencils to create all sorts of scary countenances and images from the political pumpkin patch. While most of these carvings depict faces, some renditions are more conceptual.

The President is often a subject for pumpkin portraits.

But a lame duck President like Barack Obama just may not be scary anymore. Or more likely, we have to live the nightmare not vex over it. 

Partisans may create Jack-O'-Lanterns to depict their favored party in a positive light.

Top contenders from the Presidential nomination often get the pumpkin carving treatment.  Former First Lady/Senator/Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-AR NY)  seems to be a favorite to depict for both supporters and detractors.  

Surprisingly, cursory searches could not find carvings of Hillary clad in more Halloween attire.

Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), the other leading contender in the Democrat primaries, also had many depictions in pumpkins.  

It took twelve hours for that folk artist to carve the pumpkin homage to Sanders. Many progressive Jack-O'-Lanterns may also  "Feel the Bern".

There was a curious quirk among Republican pumpkin carvings.  Logic would lead one to believe that the most popular candidates would be more likely to be popular carvings.  But it there is nary a carving to be found of current frontrunner Dr. Ben Carson.  

Could this be because the Seventh Day Adventist Church frowns on Halloween for occult associations?  Not very likely.  A more reasonable explanation is that Jack-O'-Lanterns traditionally depict comical or monstrous images.  Opponents may disagree with Dr. Carson but his characteristic soft spoken and thoughtful delivery makes it difficult to demonize.

On the other hand, there were plenty of Jack-O'-Lantern depictions of  strong second place challenger for the Republican Presidential nomination--Donald Trump. 

While this rendition of "The Donald" was colorful and employed multi-media, it only merited fifth place in the Oklahoma State Fair.  It would be a huuuuuge mistake to associate "The Donald" with anything but the best.  So a more traditional pumpkin carving is in order.

Although I suspect that stencils may be out there, it was hard to find carvings for Gov, Jeb! Bush (R-FL) or Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL). And the carving for Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) paled in comparison to his eminence during the GOP CNBC Debate.

By this time next year, as we will be in the culmination of the Election 2016 campaign cycle, there this little doubt that there will be many more adorned gourds in the political pumpkin patch 

As Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI 1st) has become speaker of the House, there was no need for the Boehner-O'-Lantern

Too many knives seemed to have spoiled the Jack-O'-Lantern.

Scenes from the Tea Party Patriots 5th Anniversary

Tea Party Patriot President Jenny Beth Martin at 5th Anniversary event [photo: BD Matt]

Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN 6th) thanks Tea Party Patriots at 5th Anniversary event

True the Vote' Founder Catherine Engelbrecht tells the Tea Party Patriots how her  good governance efforts 
to better ensure non fraudulent voting resulted into government harassment [photo credit: BD Matt]

             Talk Radio host and author Mark Levin  inspires the Tea Party Patriots with stories about the
Founding Fathers and Ronald Reagan at the TPP 5th Anniversary event [photo: BD Matt]

Rep. Steve King (R-IA 4th) lets loose against alleged Obama Administration abuses at the Tea Party

Patriots 5th Anniversary event  [photo: BD Matt]

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) shows  his Senate photo ID at the TPP 5th Anniversary  [photo:  BD Matt]

Rep Louie Gohmert (R-TX 1st) speaks at the Tea Party Patriots 5th Anniversary event [photo: BD Matt]

                 Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) recounts egregious examples of government waste  at the Tea Party

                 Patriots 5th Anniversary event [photo: BD Matt]

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) energizes the Tea Party Patriots 5th Anniversary event [photo: BD Matt]

Snapshots from the 2014 Blizzard Between the Beltways

The Nor'easter which hit the Eastern Seaboard dumped around 9 1/2 inches of snowfall overnight in the center of the District of Calamity (sic).  

2014 Beltway Blizzard informal snow measure

Weather reporters warn that an  afternoon snowfall may add several more inches of the fluffy white stuff.  But it may end up as freezing rain, which would strain above ground power lines and make driving even more hazardous.

2009 Snowsaumi satire 

This is the first major snowstorms in the Nation's Capital since the winter of 2009-2010 when the city was walloped with the Snowtsaumi of  16" (on a fall day no less),  Snowpocalypse in January with 28" and Snowmaggeddon of 20.5"  in February.  



So far, the 2014 snowstorm has not seemed as severe-- however this Beltway Blizzard has still claimed some casualties.  In trying to clear the wet heavy snow, two shovels snapped.  It is a good thing that there is still a spare.  

It may be impossible to buy, beg or steal another one in the near future. But then again there is so much to typical shovel in DC, what else is new?

The Federal and District governments were closed today.  If history holds any sway, the gears of government should be closed through Tuesday, including the observance of George Washington's Birthday (often mistakenly called "Presidents' Day"), though some may still supposedly "telecommute".  

One thing that is different from prior big snowstorms is that secondary streets were plowed half a day after the blizzard started.  Is it any coincidence that there is a Democrat Mayoral Primary in Washington D.C. on April 1st? 

Snapshots from the State of the Union

President Barack Obama gave his fifth State of the Union (SOTU) address to Congress.  The 6923 words spoken over 69 minutes formed an instructive word cloud.

2014 State of the Union Word Cloud (graphics: USA Today)

President Obam  wanted to emphasis work, newness and make Congress.  Note that the word cloud excluded common English words like "I".  But to be fair, Mr. Obama seems to have done a better job at being self referential  as unofficial Twitter total count: 50 "I"s, 11 "mys" and 8 "me"s.

When Vice President Joe Biden was not resting his eyes, he often had a demonic grin which would scare trick or treaters at Halloween. 

The President made plenty of acknowledgments during his State of the Union speech,  including prefunctory welcomes to the grandees gathered in the House Chamber, as well as eleven guests which the White House brought to focus on  Mr. Obama's stated priorities.  It is ironic that the Obama Administration made a big deal about having former pro basketball player Jayson Collins in the Presidential box, presumably because of his very public declaration of his sexual preferences last Spring.  

Jayson Collins sitting near Michelle Obama at 2014 State of the Union Address

Yet Collins did not even merit a shout out by name, only to be a prop for the Obama Administration's concern about homosexual rights as America participates in the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russian Federation.

To make his point about how there can be upward mobility in America from humble origins, President Obama stopped using composite parables and credited House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH 8th) with rising from being son of a bar keep.

Speaker Boehner's silent thumbs up seemed like a response which seemed reminiscent of his late night television appearances.  It is unclear if Mr. Boehner blushed due to his deep tan.

The State of the Union audience was less contrarian than when Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC 2nd) shouted "You lie" at Mr. Obama September, 2009 speech before a Joint Session of Congress.  Supreme Court Associate Justices Alito, Scalia and Thomas chose not to attend, but this is understandable considering how Mr. Obama attacked the High Court in 2010 during that State of the Union Speech. 

But this did not mean that there was an abundance of decorum for the State of the Union.   Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CN 2nd) stood up and pumped her fists in the air during prized passages of the speech. 

[C] Rep. Rosa DeLauro,  [front L] Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee [back C] Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz hardily cheering President Obama's 2014 State of the Union speech

But at least Rep. DeLauro's animated atta boys drew attention to some hideous coifs and outfits in the Chamber. 

President Obama used a more restrained tone in delivering his State of the Union speech, often opting for the emphatic horse whisper to underline his points.  However, Frank Luntz's focus panel thought that Mr. Obama's delivery lacked passion and credulity.  In fact, the Luntz group noted that Mr. Obama kept mispronouncing the proposed My-IRA program and then expected the audience to intuit the parameters of the policy.

There was a torrent of passion displayed at the end of President Obama's State of the Union address as he pointed to the Presidential box, where First Lady Michelle Obama was sitting besides 30 year old Army Sgt. 1st Class Cory Remsberg, a Ranger who served ten tours in Afghanistan who was severely injured by an IED in 2009. 

[Front row 2nd L] Army Ranger Cory Remsberg at the 2014 State of the Union address

Assuredly the alluvia of applause from the attendees was not for the First Lady's dress.

There were two other noteworthy events attached to this year's State of the Union speech.  One of the attendees of the speech was Will Robinson, invited by Rep. Vance McAllister (R-LA 5th).  Robinson was attired in what he would typically wear on Duck Dynasty, as seen shaking hands with Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI 1st).

Another noteworthy moment needs to be seen to be believed.   As part of the post State of the Union spin, Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY 11th) gave an interview to NY 1.  When the reporter went off script and asked about the Congressman's fundraising controversy, Grimm reacted harshly.  

At first, Rep. Grimm walked off the interview, then he reproached the reporter with threats which sounded like it was from the Sopranos.

Unusual Sniping on Capitol Hill

In the few days in which the Federal government has been shut down without a Budget or a Continuing Resolution, there has been a lot of verbal sniping among lawmakers and the President.  But when there was an emergency which threatened both the White House and the Congress, law enforcement kicked into action.

Capitol Police in protective mode after shooting near the US Capitol

This evocative photo is of the Capitol Hill Police reacting to an incident with a shooter where a dozen shots were fired.  The law enforcement officer was positioned to protect one of the chambers of Congress. 

The House and the Senate were both in session.  Both legislative bodies went into lock-down, with the lawmakers being barricaded in their respective chambers and staffers told to shelter in place for forty five minutes. 

Obama's Inconsiderate "Resolute-tions"

Much of the power of the Presidency resounds in projecting unarticulated messages through imagery, architecture  and history.  In the film The American President (1995), President Shepherd (Michael Douglas) told his chagrined lobbyist/love interest (Annette Benning):

You know that when the city planners sat down to design Washington, DC, their intention was to build a city that would intimidate and humble foreign heads of state... The White House has the single greatest home court advantage in the world. 

But it is not just the buildings nor the monuments of the Ellipse which speak volumes.  Sometimes even the furniture is fraught with meaning.

The desk which many Presidents have chosen to sit in the Oval Office as their work desk is known as the Resolute Desk.  The Resolute Desk is comprised of timbers taken from the HMS Resolute, a British exploration ship abandoned during the Belcher Expedition in the Arctic in 1855 but recovered by an American whaler and presented to Queen Victoria in 1856.

The British presented the large partners desk to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880.  The desk has twice been modified. President Franklin Roosevelt had the knee hole enlarged to accommodate his knee braces.  A door with a modified Presidential seal was intended for FDR but President Truman liked it so much that he kept the installation.

The President's desk projects a sense of style and authority.  The photo of President John F. Kennedy sitting at the Resolute desk as his son played with the door at the bottom of the desk is iconic.

President John F. Kennedy working at the Resolute Desk with his son  (1962)

That is why many have taken umbrage with President Obama's persistent inconsiderate "Resolute"-ness.  The Obama White House is deliberate about all photo/ops, particularly in the Oval Office. So when Mr. Obama is photographed speaking to House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH 8th) regarding a potential strike on Syria due to chemical weapons use, the President was not just stretching his legs.  

President Obama telephoning House Speaker John Boehner Aug. 31, 2013

But this is not the first time the President Obama has made a Resolute faux pas while conducting foreign policy.  Early in Mr. Obama's first term, the 44th President had both feet on the desk when telephonically chatting with Israeli Prime Minister  Binyamin Netanyahu in 2009. 

President Obama speaking to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in 2009

This photo stirred controversy in Israel since in that part of the world it is a sign of supreme disrespect to show the sole of one's shoe to another.

To be fair, President Obama is not the only commander-in-chief to treat the Resolute desk casually.  Early in the Presidency of George W. Bush, the 43rd President is being briefed by Chief of Staff Andy Card and Special Advisers Karen Hughes and Karl Rove with his feet on the Resolute.

President George W. Bush in the Oval Office.

On the one hand, President Ronald Reagan refused to enter the Oval Office without wearing a jacket as a sign of respect for the Office.  On the other hand, President George W. Bush was aghast at his predecessor President Bill J. Clinton being photographed wearing running shorts in the Oval Office.  Oh, if that were the only thing at which to be aghast during Clinton's tenure in the Oval Office.

The public should be mindful that these are just snapshots, but they certainly color the narrative.   For instance, after President Obama finished his talk with Speaker Boehner on Syria, he then announced that Congress would vote on the matter, but that the President felt that he still retained the authority to strike.  Afterwards, President Obama went out to golf.

So when President Obama makes his big speech about Syria on Tuesday, will the American public consider his manner and leadership resolute?  Or will they they think of the Vanity Fair article which dubbed Obama "The Lean Back President"  which reflects poorly as a leader seeking taking America to war?

Celebrating Capitol Chill

Ben & Jerry's Capitol Chill promo placard tilting slightly to the right [photo: GK Broeckel]

Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream  released "Capitol Chill" at an urban farm in NOMA, DC which is a mere 10 blocks from the Rotunda of the Capitol.  Capitol Chill is part of Ben and Jerry's City Churned campaign in which a local flavor is formulated  by incorporating random information (such as joggers on each side of the Mall or counting red or blue ties) as well as voting by the public to concoct the creamery creation. It kind of sounds like the crazy way that legislation is developed nowadays so it should fit right in to the District of Calamity (sic).

Washington's Capitol Chill flavor is chocolate ice cream (perfect for the so called "Chocolate City"") with divine chocolate corn-flake clusters, marshmallows and caramel swirls along with a Route 11 sweet potato chip.

Considering the weather on the afternoon of the City Churned roll out, Sweddy Balls might have been more apropos for the subtropical heat and humidity instead of Capitol Chill.  But it was best to experience the Capitol Chill flavor immediately as it was just a one day churn. But Ben and Jerry's Public Relations "Grand Poobah" Sean Greenwood pointed out that  the Elton John flavor was supposed to be a one day roll out yet it found its way unto the regular roster.


The Capitol Chill City Churned ice cream capped off a service project at the Walker Jones Farm.  This was the former site of Walker Jones Elementary School in Northwest DC, but for the last few years, it has served as an urban farm for the community.

Vine growing at Walker Jones Farm, NOMA, Washington, DC [photo: GK Broeckel]

The Ben and Jerry's inspired volunteers put in a few hours labor working the fields and harvesting onions. Sean Greenwood marveled at having a working farm so close to Capitol Hill.  The farm may not be agrarian for long, as it is part of the 80 acre $750 million NC1 public-private development project which has been developing since 2008.

One of the crops were trash can potatoes, which re-purposed a 50 gallon trash can into being a planter, which is a smart methodology for an urban farmer without lots of space but who wants freshly grown tubers.

Trash Can Potatoes at Walker Jones Farm, NOMA, Washington, DC [photo: GK Broeckel]

This Capitol Chill project by Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream harkens back to the company founders credo that business can be a source of progressive change.

While political animals may pursue different public policy goals, this Ben and Jerry's Capitol Chill project should be celebrated for minding the company mission to make great products, deliver solid profitability while working towards social change and improving the environment.