Mr. Smith Goes to Washington with 2,000,000 others

On Monday, we didn't have any inauguration-related events to attend. Instead, we observed Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and did a bit of sight-seeing in Washington.
In anticipation of inauguration, museums throughout Washington prepared for
history museums and prepared presidential-related exhibits to mark the occasion. Like most other tourists in town, we headed down to the Mall on Monday morning to check out some of those institutions.

All of American history in one museum

That's quite a task for anything to accomplish. So when you go to the National Museum of American History, you should lessen your expectations. I mean, it's only one building. They recently completed a renovation, and I don't think I've ever been there before.

The crowds were pretty intense, and the lines were pretty long. But if you go through the exhibit backwards, you won't run into many lines. That is how we approached the American Presidency exhibit. While the lines near the entrance were extensive, there was no wait at the exit.

The exhibit explored various aspects of the presidency, from the portrayal of presidents in film to the constitutional duties conferred upon the president. Obviously, I had to take this picture.



We also went through the exhibit about American at War, which gave a crash course on American military history. I thought it was very cool but gave extremely brief explanations on some of the most transformative events in American history (World War I, for example).


If it worked for Barack, it should work for us

Everywhere you look in DC, there is an advertisement supporting the ideas of hope and change. It's the same message that Obama used throughout his campaign to the White House. But these ads aren't coming from the Obama campaign. They're coming from Pepsi, Ikea, and SEIU.





Day of service

As one of her first acts as "Humanitarian-in-Chief," Michelle Obama declared yesterday a "national day of service." There were numerous volunteer opportunities throughout Washington. We didn't build homes with Joe Biden. Instead, we went to a massive volunteer fair in Rockville and helped make scarves and blankets with Montgomery Hospice. There were hundreds of people at the fair.

The Maryland Coalition Against Porn. The woman said that Maryland is one of four states where possession of child pornography is a misdemeanor. One of their goals is to support any business which does not support pornography. So, that means they're interested in supporting 99 percent of businesses in America. They taught us that pornography degrades children, not just child pornography but all pornography.

There were massive signs saying that there were peanuts on the premises because of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich operation on the other side of the room. There were a lot of signs, but that makes sense when you think about how many peanuts there were.

Danny was walking by a booth. The woman asked if he smoked. He didn't respond, but she gave him a pamphlet anyway. It was all in Korean. So, if you any Koreans in Montgomery County interested in quitting smoking, let me know. I have the organization for you.

Portrait Gallery

After volunteering, we went to the Portrait Gallery. I've been there before, but it's always a good time. I really enjoy the Presidential Gallery. Here are a few of the fun facts I picked up:

• Andrew Johnson's wife taught him to read.
• Calvin Coolidge's dad administered the oath of office to his son on their Vermont farm after Warren G. Harding's death.
• Phyllis Wheatley was the first black woman to financially support herself as a writer.
  

They closed the top level of the gallery for a party. I was a bit offended by this.

The most popular picture in the gallery was the Obama "Hope" picture. There was a very long line to get your picture taken with it, or you could just walk by and get a quick snap shot.