Better Fit

When I lived in Denver, a place I describe as somewhere that "takes its recreation very seriously," any dinner party included someone who had run a marathon.

In other words, Denver is very fit. and fun. Ppl work into order to play.

DC is somewhere that "takes work very seriously," which is a phrase that doesn't need to be in quotes, I suppose. Compared with Denver, where ppl talk a lot about bike components, running schedules, and quality of snow, here in DC the conversation is usually about policy, government, and policy. and law. and work, jobs, work. I love it, actually.

However, I have been amazed these last 9 months at the outpouring of athletics I witness at any given moment in Arlington and DC. Runners, bikers & kayakers are ubiquitous. every block. I have reasoned that maybe because there are more ppl here, it means that I see more ppl running. I think about this often because it makes me feel lazy often.

Today - the mystery is revealed. I assumed that the mountain maniacs in Denver were more fit. I did not consider DC a "fit" city. I was wrong. DC may not take recreation very seriously, but like everything else, its denizens are overachievers in this category, as well.

Sorry Denver, DC is ***#1*** on the "Top 10 Fittest Cities" list. Denver is #3. http://wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1685394. Total surprise.


DC is a better fit for me right now...in more ways than I thought before. I enjoyed a classic run from my house to the Lincoln today, along the Potomac and up the stairs by the Memorial Bridge. I'm looking forward to more Eastern adventures this summer.

Mid-Atlantic Kayak Festival

Yesterday I went to the Mid-Atlantic Kayak Festival on Chesapeake Bay, near Annapolis. Let the kayaking season begin! The festival featured free demo-boating, a crab feast, free beer, bluegrass music -- and of course the beautiful Bay, accessed via this summer camp on a peninsula.


I learned that I had no idea how to shell a crab. I'm trying, Maryland! With some guidance, I learned to use the mallet - and how not to use the mallet.

Bluegrass musicians.

Embassy Day - EU

Last weekend was an Open House celebration at the European Union Embassies. The day offered a glimpse inside the embassies - along with free food, drinks, bus between sites, music, and dancing. It was like Epcot in DC, only a little more authentic. A fun day.

Flamenco dancers in at the Spanish embassy.

Irish embassy

Bulgarian embassy, below.

Ship-Breaking

I recently attended the Goldman Prize Awards, also known as the Environmental Nobel. The award is given to one grassroots environmental hero from each continent.

All of the winners are inspiring - including the North American woman who fights against the destruction of land, water, and life during the mountaintop removal mining that takes place in West Virginia.

I particularly enjoyed the learning about the work of Rizwana Hasan, a female attorney in Bangladesh, who works to reduce the impact of the environmentally-devastating ship breaking industry.

Last year in Int'l World Trade Law, I wrote about the toxic harm to the people who break down electronic waste (e-waste) from the computer industry. Having been land-locked my whole life, I hadn't thought about the toxic harm to the people who break down retired ships - and how this business is exported to developing countries with less stringent environmental laws.

Rizwana is one of two female attorneys who won the Goldman Prize this year. I was moved by the power of the law as the means (& only means) to fight environmental exploitation in each winner's case (most of the 7).

In the short video about Rizwana's work, I smiled when I saw the dozens of binders she had on her bookshelf labeled "ship-breaking." She is now the leading attorney on ship-breaking law. What a specific but important way to practice law.

Rizwana Hasan and workers in the ship-breaking industry.

Bangladesh is one of only a few countries in the world with a thriving ship breaking industry. Decommissioned ships from around the world are sent to Bangladesh and dismantled by hand on the beaches by unskilled workers who are often paid less than one dollar per day. Coveted for their valuable steel and other scrap metals, aging vessels are sold to ship breaking yards and taken apart piece by piece with torches and other small tools, resulting in toxic contamination of the coastal waters and serious health hazards for the 20,000 workers. The ships, laden with asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), lead, arsenic and other substances, leach toxic chemicals into the environment. Ecosystems have been heavily polluted and hundreds of workers have been maimed or killed in the process, as they dismantle the ships with little or no protective equipment.

History is Pretty

It's common knowledge in Virginia that you can't drive 20 miles without running into a battlefield. An Historic Battlefield. I haven't been that eager to tour Petersburg, Fredericksburg and all the other battle-burgs.

Now that I've visited Gettysburg, PA, however, I might give the Virginia sites a try. It was beautiful! The photos above and below are from a lookout tower. The picture doesn't really capture the view we had at dusk on a clear day.

We visited Harper's Ferry National Park earlier in the day. I thought that was going to be the "pretty park" and Gettysburg was going to be the "let's learn history park," but it turned out that Gettysburg was even more beautiful. Too bad about the battle part. But also good. The freedom part.

Google Earth Flyover - Seattle

a program that works with nonprofits to further conservation goals by using technology. I've been trying to connect with them lately. I enjoy the legal/legislative side of conservation, but it's also not a bad day when I'm flying around the West, from my desk, all in a day's work.

Top photo is my real flyover, last summer.