Plungefest 2011, January 29, 2011
On January 29, 2011, Special Olympics Maryland, the Maryland State Police, and a number of other organizations once again held a polar bear plunge at Sandy Point State Park near Annapolis, where people ran into the Chesapeake Bay to raise money for Special Olympics. This year, the event was called "Plungefest", and celebrated the 15th anniversary of the event.
Unlike the 2010 event, where the final plunge of the day was cancelled due to a snowstorm in progress during the event, dropping several inches of snow across the state, in 2011, the weather cooperated. While a significant snowstorm, complete with "thundersnow", did hit the state earlier in the week, causing treacherous road conditions and widespread power outages, by the time the weekend rolled around, the snowstorm had passed, the roads had been cleared, and most of the power outages had been eliminated, and the polar bear plunge event was run to its conclusion. However, the snowstorm did leave the beach covered with a layer of snow, reinforcing the point that this was indeed a winter event, and the water was cold. The nicer weather also meant that, unlike last year when the ongoing snowstorm forced me to stow my main camera, the Canon, and switch to "Duckie", my waterproof camera, I was able to photograph with the Canon, with better picture quality as a result.
The day consisted of three main events: the first plunge at 1:00 PM, a VIP plunge at 2:00 PM featuring Joe Flacco from the Baltimore Ravens, and then the second plunge at 3:00 PM. The biggest change to the event in 2011 was that the polar bear plunge was now an alcohol-free event. Previously, the event had contained a "beer tent", where people could purchase and consume adult beverages. This was eliminated in 2011 for safety reasons, as event organizers determined that cold-water swimming mixed with alcohol was a dangerous combination.
More at The Schumin Web:
www.schuminweb.com/photography/photo-2011/plungefest-2011/
More at The Schumin Web:
www.schuminweb.com/photography/photo-2011/plungefest-2011/
99 photos
Anti-War Anniversary March, March 19, 2011
On March 19, 2011, the eighth anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq, a number of anti-war groups organized a rally and march in the vicinity of the White House to advocate for the end of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and other potential fronts, such as Libya. The event concluded with a civil disobedience action, where several demonstrators were arrested.
More at The Schumin Web:
www.schuminweb.com/life-and-times/life-2011/white-house-q...
More at The Schumin Web:
www.schuminweb.com/life-and-times/life-2011/white-house-q...
24 photos
Bradley Manning rally, March 20, 2011
Demonstration outside Quantico Marine Corps Base in Prince William County, Virginia, where whistleblower Bradley Manning (now Chelsea Manning) was being held awaiting trial for alleged leaks of classified material to the operators of the Wikileaks website. The demonstration was held near the intersection of Jefferson Davis Highway (US 1), Joplin Road, and Fuller Road in Triangle, Virginia. As with other political demonstrations that I've attended in Virginia, there was a heavy police presence.
More at The Schumin Web:
www.schuminweb.com/life-and-times/life-2011/white-house-q...
More at The Schumin Web:
www.schuminweb.com/life-and-times/life-2011/white-house-q...
21 photos
Fraser Mansion, April 2, 2011
The Fraser Mansion is a building at the intersection of 20th and R Streets NW in Washington, DC's Dupont Circle neighborhood that, since its construction in 1890, has served as a private residence, a restaurant, a boarding house, and a religious center. The building currently houses the National Affairs office for the Church of Scientology. At the time that these photos were taken, the building was vacant, following the Founding Church of Scientology's relocation to a new facility nearby, and prior to the renovation of the building for office use.
More information about the Fraser Mansion:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraser_Mansion
21 photos
Space Shuttle Enterprise, April 22, 2011
The Space Shuttle Enterprise, which was on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, a branch of the Smithsonian Institution's Air and Space Museum until 2012, when it was replaced in the facility by the Space Shuttle Discovery.
Unlike the other shuttles, Enterprise was built as an atmospheric test article, and therefore not fitted for space travel, as the vehicle lacked main engines and a functioning heat shield. While there were plans to refit Enterprise to become spaceworthy, it was ultimately decided to utilize the body frame from static test article STA-099 to create Challenger.
More at The Schumin Web:
www.schuminweb.com/2011/04/23/go-for-main-engine-start-3-...
More at The Schumin Web:
www.schuminweb.com/2011/04/23/go-for-main-engine-start-3-...
4 photos
Afton Mountain, May 19, 2011
Afton Mountain, once the home of several lodging and hospitality businesses at the intersection of Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway, has declined greatly since the 1990s. Many of the buildings are now abandoned and in ruins, while one business, The Inn at Afton, remains.
More at The Schumin Web:
www.schuminweb.com/photography/afton-mountain-a-modern-ruin/
More at The Schumin Web:
www.schuminweb.com/photography/afton-mountain-a-modern-ruin/
40 photos
SlutWalk DC, August 13, 2011
SlutWalk is a movement that manifests itself as protest marches against explaining or otherwise excusing acts of sexual assault by making reference to a person's appearance. The movement began in Toronto after a Toronto Police officer suggested that "women should avoid dressing like sluts" if they wanted to remain safe.
In Washington DC, the event, called "SlutWalk DC", was held on August 13, 2011. The group met up under cloudy skies at Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House. The overarching message was that a person's body is solely their own, and that no one should be allowed to engage in sexual activity with another person if they do not have the other person's consent. The message of the group went further to indicate that consent for sexual activity is something that is expressed – never implied – and that nothing about how a person is dressed is automatic consent for sexual activity, and that rape is never the fault of the victim. The event took a sex-positive stand, but sex-positive only with expressed consent.
While the message of SlutWalk was serious, the mood, however, was light. People were smiling, and the signs were creative and colorful. The participants' attire ranged from plain to, in keeping with the idea that an outfit is not an invitation for sexual activity in and of itself, quite revealing.
More at The Schumin Web:
www.schuminweb.com/photography/photo-2011/slutwalk-dc/
More at The Schumin Web:
www.schuminweb.com/photography/photo-2011/slutwalk-dc/
27 photos
Silver Spring Zombie Walk, October 22, 2011
The Silver Spring Zombie Walk is an annual event held on a Saturday night before Halloween in downtown Silver Spring, Maryland. In the zombie walk, participants dress up as zombies or some other form of the undead, as zombie hunters, or similar, and walk, in character, through the streets along a designated march route.
For the 2011 event, zombies met up at the intersection of Georgia and Sligo Avenues, walked up Georgia Avenue to Ellsworth Drive, walked the block of Ellsworth through the "Downtown Silver Spring" development, and then walked around City Place Mall until reaching the AFI Silver Theatre on Colesville Road, where a horror movie would be shown.
More at The Schumin Web:
www.schuminweb.com/2011/10/26/braaaaaaaaaaains/
More at The Schumin Web:
www.schuminweb.com/2011/10/26/braaaaaaaaaaains/
28 photos
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Hell Gate Bridge
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Astoria Generating Station
