Lost Time.

Abrams and I got SUPER geeky scorebooks. The same one Peter Gammons uses. I have been keeping track of a LOT of statistics. And yes, the Nats really are that bad. I plan on making a statistical post, but do not have the energy this evening. I will report, however, that a guy sitting in front of me last Sunday said, "I mean, you can wear a seersucker suit, but if you just wear shorts, you are a douche."

I went to Philadelphia this past weekend. Visited Kate (she doesn't seem nervous!) and saw Richard Bishop on Friday night. Bishop was fine, but I really do love Johnny Brenda's as a venue. Also made the obligatory visit to the Mutter Museum and went by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where I was reminded that I should have been obsessed with Thomas Eakins for a long time now. Apart from the diversity of mediums and tone, I learned the story of his painting "The Agnew Clinic:" Eakins was commissioned by a group of students to paint the distinguished surgeon, Dr. David Agnew, on the eve of his retirement from teaching. Most artists would have only painted Dr. Agnew, as the initial commission intended, but Eakins was much more ambitious. He depicts Dr. Agnew guiding the mastectomy of a young woman with breast cancer, and convinced the surgeon's students to pose for the work, including portraits of each of them as well. This is even cooler because apparently "he was a huge fucking asshole."

I also went on a twilight walking tour of historic Philadelphia. I can not recommend this enough not because it is beautiful and INCREDIBLE THINGS happened there (both true), but because you might get Linda as a tour guide. Linda was wearing an amazing rainbow striped blazer with even more incredible shoulder pads. Linebacker shoulder pads. The interaction between the pads and the leather straps of her backpack was stunning. Absolutely stunning. Even better, Linda assumed knowledge and supplied very little history. For example the punchline to a joke: "...and we all know how Jackson felt about the distribution of wealth!" What Linda did have a lot to say about was the National Parks Service and their preservation decisions. She has some sort of axe to grind. Made it completely worth waiting an extra hour for the steak.
Work continues to be great- still working on WTO litigation quite a bit, which continues to be engaging. Also working on a larger research project for a guy who was co-lead on 16 of the 42 BITS that the US is party to; this is note worthy because he is so knowledgeable, but also because I think it is going to be very easy for me to turn it into a piece of substantial writing. Also got to go to the last meeting deciding what the United States position was going to be at the upcoming TBT triennial in Geneva. I kept my mouth shut.

Have also been trying to take advantage of being in DC a bit more. As most of you know, all of the Smithsonian museums are free, and open til 7:00. As I get off work at 5:30, I have a decent chunk of time to investigate such things. I quite enjoy looking at art in a suit, as it turns out. I love the Hirschhorn, but the highlight this week was the National Portrait Gallery. They have two wonderful exhibits right now; one on 20th Century self portraits, and another on Duchamp portraits. Found out that I like Hayward Oubre, and also that MacArthur was not our only pear-shaped hero.