And a Chronological Detour to include Washington DC

I thought Washington was great. Sarah almost killed me after about 2 hours when I wouldn't stop quoting the West Wing. It's amazing how much in real life can be linked to WW. Even more so when you are actually in DC. Amazing!

I managed to escape unscathed to link everything back to Josh, CJ and the gang. So this was DC:

Library of Congress
Very large building. Many books. Nice bible.

Capitol Hill
Leo: We've got separation of powers, checks and balances, and Margaret, vetoing things and sending them back to the Hill.

It was a very nice building with a big dome and considerably more impressive than Australia's Parliament House. May have taken a ridiculous amount of photos from many different angles, with all sorts of lighting. They (being security) confiscated my sunscreen going in, which meant I had to go back and dig it out of the bin when I had completed my tour. Because you can't waste thigns like that. Grrr....

Archives - Declaration of Independance, Bill of Rights & the Constitution
More queues. Documents quite faded. Occurred to me that Australians may take their constitution more seriously if it was written in calligraphy and someone had bothered to make it a bit poetic.


4th of July Parade
You know what Americans have a lot of? Inflatable balloons. I could understand the reasoning behind the giant American eagle, the uncle Sam hat and even the Garfield dressed as a President. Do I know why there was a giant Hello Kitty balloon? I do not.

Additionally, I think Australia needs more marching bands. We really do. It's not a parade without 100s of kids sweating themselves to deaths in over-ornate band uniforms.

Nuseum
Josh: You're going to be reading a bit today about your secret plan to fight inflation.
Bartlet: I have a secret plan to fight inflation?
Josh: No.
Bartlet: Why am I going to be reading that I do?
Josh: It was suggested in the press room that you do.
Bartlet: By who?
Josh: By me.
Bartlet: You told the press I have a secret plan to fight inflation?
Josh: No, I did not. Let me be absolutely clear, I did not do that. Except, yes, I did that.

4th of July Fireworks
Fireworks around the Washington Monument. Cannon fire that made children cry. Jimmy Smits MCing the evening.

Crab Cakes at Eastern Market
BARTLET: "Toby, go with us to this radio thing."
TOBY: "Oh, god, really, sir?"
BARTLET: "There'll be crab puffs. New England crab puffs by the way. Made in New England."
SAM: "Actually, it's Alaskan crab."
TOBY: "Sam!"
BARTLET: "There's Alaskan crab in this White House?"
TOBY: "You would've have known the difference?"
BARTLET: "Have you tried them?"
SAM: "I... yes, reluctantly. I think it was clear in the way I ate the crab puffs that it was a gesture of protest."
BARTLET: "Were they good?"
SAM: "Extraordinarily good and they're going very fast."

Anyway, that's it. I liked Washington. If only Canberra was as cool as Washington.