Nature Boy

When I was a kid and I went to the supermarket with my mom, I remember always seeing the "Andy Boy Broccoli" in the produce aisle. 

Of course, I was always curious why Broccoli was called Andy Boy--what boy or any kid for that matter likes to eat broccoli???

And like most things in life, there really wasn't a good answer except that this company, "Andy Boy" grows and distributes it. 

Anyway, I was always a nature boy feeling most at home and at peace in the countryside. 

I love being in nature, surrounded by G-d's amazing beauty, and at one with the universe and with G-d.  

In building all our great cities, buildings, and structures, aside from the crowding, pollution, crime and traffic that we have consequently, we have also lost something elementary to our lives with the absence of real nature. 

A park is not a forest.  A pond is not a river.  A plant is a not a lush valley.  A garden is not a farm.  A hill is not a mountain range.  A pet is not a teeming ecosystem of diverse life.  

The city is man made and fake, but nature is from G-d and real. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Nature Boy

D.C. Living

I can't believe this home is in Washington, D.C.

More like Florida.

All we need is a palm tree or two.

Plus a little pool in the back. 

And we're good! ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

D.C. Living

Around The Corner

Thought this was a better design for a corner on a building. 

While I still don't really like the plain cinderblock underneath...harsh, boring. 

The colorful, Jenga-type pieces stacked interestingly on each side makes a nice inviting presentation. 

So I guess you would say this is an acceptable way to cut corners. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Around The Corner

@Rockville Hometown Holidays Festival

@Rockville Hometown Holidays Festival

Israel - Day 2 - Tel Aviv Downtown

(Source Photos: Andy Blumenthal)

Israel - Day 2 - Tel Aviv Downtown

Nimbyism By All

So I learned a new word this week:

Nimby, which stands for:

Not 
In 
My 
Back
Yard

It refers to people who object to and don't want something unpleasant or dangerous in their neighborhood. 

Prisons
Homeless Shelters
Garbage Dumps
Radioactive Waste Sites
Oil and Gas Pipelines
Noisy Railroads
Polluting Factories
Adult Entertainment
etc. 

Yes, society as a whole apparently wants or needs these things, but the individuals just want to see it someplace (anyplace) else. 

People want the benefits, but don't want the costs and risks associated with these things near them. 

The problem is when everyone feels this way then you are left either choosing somewhere despite the nimbyism protests or you have to locate them in remote places that are not always functional, fair or efficient for society. 

Perhaps this is where incentives or compensation comes in for people to get in order to "put up" with the placement of things in their backyard that they rather not have there. 

Is that what it means that nimbyism aside, "everyone has their price"?

(Source Photo: here with attribution to creative2/usa)

Nimbyism By All

Beautiful Israel Architecture

Just wanted to share some of the beautiful architecture from Israel. 

Side by side...

The old and the new.

The proud and the natural.

The strong and the spiritual. 

Obviously, I've only had a chance to see a very little bit.

But everywhere just seems marvelous.

So much achieved, and still such great potential. 

A people who survived the genocidal Holocaust and faced down the devil himself, with G-d's help have rebuilt their ancient homeland.

Miracles everywhere, I can attest to it with my own eyes and soul. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Beautiful Israel Architecture

A Beauty In The Downtown

I took this photo in downtown Washington, D.C.

Right between the limbs of this tree trunk was this amazing yellow flower almost popping up out of nowhere. 

It was like "Here I am, enjoy me!"

The more nature we put back into our cities the nicer and friendlier they are. 

Nature sooths man's inner beast--and we definitely need more of that. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

A Beauty In The Downtown

Tree Transplant

Getting a little tree transplant in cold, grey Washington, D.C. today. 

Sadly, the new trees, without any leaves, look more dead than alive. 

Sort of funny (-sad) how we pour infinite amounts of concrete and build up our cities, until there is little to no natural green spaces anymore (unless you get yourself to the neighborhood park or run on weekends to the burbs). 

We call in the tree transplant folks to line that narrow stip around our sidewalks with a few trees and we call it a day.

Urban sprawl is leaving us with stoic concrete and steel, but very little natural warmth and beauty. 

A few sad looking sapplings can't make up for the lush forests and living landscape that we're destroying. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Tree Transplant

New York?

This is not the New York I remember (dirty, crowded, dangerous--ugh!). 

My daughter went on a Shabbaton to the Big Apple.

They put her up in an amazing multi-million apartment overlooking Central Park. 

The contrast between the city and the nature-y park is stark and stunning. 

I guess the have and have nots are alive and well in NY. 

But wow, this would be nice to wake up to in the morning. ;-)

(Source Photo: Michelle Blumenthal)

New York?

WATERgate

These were pictures of some water sculptures that I took at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. 

The waterfalls remind me more of the landscaping around Floridian high-rises or the water flumes at Walt Disney parks than of what you normally see around town, here. 

I liked these aesthetically and think we generally need more integration of nature and art into our urban (and often sterile) environment.

A little more green, a little more clean, and a lot little less crime and congestion--and don't forget a decent climate--those were some of the things that I look for in attractive places to live and to work. 

While no place is perfect, having grown up on the upper west side in Manhattan and then Riverdale (in the Bronx) and now in the D.C. area, let's just say that there are differences all around us. ;-)

Then again, as my father always taught me, you can live anywhere--if you have your health, family, and a good job. 

He's right, a place is just a place--and it's the people and love between them that makes it great. 

So water sculptures aside, give me a real home, and that's the best place in the world that I want to be.

(Source photos: Andy Blumenthal)

WATERgate

Not A Cloud In The Sky

I thought this picture was sort of humorous. 

This lady is walking down the street with this big green umbrella, but there is NOT a cloud in the sky. 

In fact, you can see in the upper right that it is a beautiful and clear sunny day. 

Also, where she is walking, it is clearly shady and cool--so the umbrella is not needed as a sun screen either. 

From a technology annoyance perspective, it is long past time to invent something more creative than a cheap, crappy umbrella--like from Charlie Chaplin and The Umbrella--to protect us from elements. 

Someone, please come up with a push-button protective bubble that envelops us--clear for visibility, of course--and keeps us dry and temperate. 

A beautiful, futuristic clear dome over the city would be nice too, but probably cost prohibitive and not as adjustable for each indiividual and their respective needs. 

Hopefully, someday soon. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Not A Cloud In The Sky

Power To The People

From potholes to garbage, broken street lights to vandalism...we want to get our community problems resolved.

There is a good-looking application called "SeeClickFix" for connecting people and government to point out problems and get them fixed, fast.

It works with iPhone, Droids, and Blackberries; integrates with Facebook and Twitter; and has dashboard reporting and alerts, as well as emails notifications to provide acknowledgements and status updates on issues.

Built on the Open311 model, which provides APIs to existing internal systems and processes, so citizens report non-emergency issues to government based on standardized, open-access, and interoperable systems.

Open 311 describes how it works:

"Using a mobile device or a computer, someone can enter information (ideally with a photo) about a problem...This report is then routed to the relevant authority to address...this information is available for anyone to see and...contribute more information...By making the information public, it provides transparency and accountability for those responsible for the problem."

According to an article, iCitizen, in Fast Company (December 2010-January 2011), reported problems from citizen's smartphones or computers can even be routed straight to dashboard computers on public works trucks, "meaning a click in the morning can lead to a repair in the afternoon."

Ok, this may still be more vision than reality at this time, but it is a noble vision, indeed!

This is an evolution from 311 phones systems in many cities which are one way communications from individuals calling into government call centers and then waiting, waiting, waiting to see if the problem gets resolved to instead applications like SeeClickFix as a highly visible cloud solution where many people can openly exchange information over the Internet on public issues--providing more information, even potentially rating and ranking them (i.e. helping set public priorities for allocating limited public resources to community problems).

This can even be coupled with suggestion platforms such as IdeaScale for crowd-sourced citizen input into urban planning and community health, safety, and livability issues.

As part of its Apps for Democracy contest, DC awarded a prize and grant for the development of FIxMyCityDC, a web-based application for submitting service requests, checking status by interactive maps, along with the option of the user getting a call when the problem is resolved.

This is huge progress from the prior endlessly annoying call centers and their Interactive Voice Response Units that previously took callers through a maze of pre-recorded numeric options that more-often than not ended in the users abandoning the call and service requests going unfilled.

This is a far better model of information sharing, collaboration and transparency to solve real everyday problems in our communities, and a great example of the power of e-Government.

Power To The People