Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Keeping Tabs: Sriracha Sauce and the Curse O' Les Boulez

Adams Morgan Public Art: Three rather uninspiring works of art are finalist for permanent installation at the corner of 18th and Columbia Rds NW. DC Commission on Arts and Humanities is set to choose one of the three entries by next month (PDF of the proposals). The winning proposal will be installed this upcoming winter. The location is the new large sidewalk bulb-out created by recent streetscaping in front of BB&T bank and Adams Mill. If we must choose one, I'd prefer the second proposal, "Sunflowers." Its the only one by a DC artist. This, the most bearable of the three, consists of 18 foot tall stainless steel sunflowers with stained glass colored accompanying butterflies. Yes, 18 feet tall and 14 feet wide. This thing is huge. But much better than other other two entries. And local.

No 2009 Screen of the Green: I was waiting for this story to be retracted, but it looks final. HBO, the former sponsors of the yearly free movie fest on the Mall has called it quits. They couldn't find a suitable cosponsor. For nine years, we've been able to saunter down to the National Mall on a few warm afternoons during the lazy DC summer and watch some great films on a huge screen set up among the Smithsonian and other government buildings. One of the best free cultural downtown events along with Jazz in the Garden at National Gallery of Art. Hopefully that tradition sticks around a little longer.

Les Boulez: In what columnist Micheal Wilbon might call the Curse O' Les Boulez, the Washington Wizards got pretty much what they deserved last night at the NBA Draft Lottery. This was not the draft ceremony itself, but an actual lottery to determine the order of the June 25 draft. The Wizards (Les Boulez is a reference to a previous team name; the Bullets) were at statistical odds for the second draft slot. They even had a 17.8% chance to nab the first pick. Alas the lottery placed them in the 5th slot. We won't be getting wunderkind Blake Griffin. I'm going to go ahead and suggest choosing Eric Maynor of my alma mater, VCU. Not considered a top 10 pick, but I like the guy. Los Angeles Clippers took the number one spot and will likely choose Griffin, considered the best college player available in the draft.

Sriracha Sauce: Gets it's due. By way of the New York Times.