The Journal of the Janus Museum http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/main.htm A quiet evening in the Circle, sitting on the bench with Cat Natasha, who is in a meditative mood - the bird song - the fireflies - the scent of mimosa in the air, wafted on a gentle breeze... carried away, a hand enters from stage left... http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/june09.htm#29june



It's that time of year when the Museum's maintenance man, Gus Norbeck, refurbishes an old french flintlock musket from the collection preparatory to the civic celebration on July 4. He then tests the musket by firing a small charge in the pan, looking to achieve a flash in the pan... http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/june09.htm#28june

Apparently also available along with the hot dogs, ice cold drinks and Sponge Bob pops on this DC snack truck are weddings, though the price for weddings isn't posted... http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/june09.htm#26june

If I had been a bit quicker on the uptake, I would actually have bought all of the octopus-related ex votos> offered on eBay over the years. See, I was shocked to realize that this is the seventh cephalopodesque ex voto featured here... http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/june09.htm#12june

In Flann O'Brien's The Third Policeman, bicycles suddenly disappear in an odd, sinister way. We're having the opposite problem around here... http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/june09.htm#7june2

Excellent scrapple reference in yesterday's Richard's Poor Almanac by Friend of the Museum Richard Thompson; it's on recent restaurant closings hereabouts... http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/june09.htm#7june

Another noir-ish moment down at the gazebo in Wallingford Park: Natasha plays "Maxine", a reckless brittle tough moll with an unexpectedly vulnerable side and a bit of a hairball problem, as she peers out at a brute uncaring world from behind the bars of the big house... http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/may09.htm#31may2

Always an impressive sight for Museum visitors, a column of cats comes into view for the ceremonial march past following the evening's catwalk... http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/may09.htm#31may

I love the splendid expression of bravery and quiet confidence on the face of this paracat from a Cirque Mexicain poster... http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/may09.htm#30may2

It seems that there might be an entire class, or genus, of Mexican miracles that depends on strategically placed sleeping dogs, as evidenced by the ex voto illustrated above... http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/may09.htm#30may

I mentioned a while back that our maintenance man Gus tends to leave patches of the Janus Museum's lawn unmowed out of brute uncaring sloth. Not so, he claims, it's his prairie restoration project, a very green and beautiful thing to do... http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/may09.htm#23may2

Very pleased to pass on the news that the National Air and Space Museum has started a blog, AirSpace. I especially liked a post on an obscure photographic genre to be found in the Museum's Archives Division... http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/may09.htm#23may Here is an absolutely riveting video of the 'Let's Pizza', the magnificent vending machine that makes delicious fresh pizza from scratch before one's very eyes, mentioned here back in March. http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/may09.htm#22may2

Thinking still on the subject of Folksong Day - May 14th - it suddenly came on me that the events of the tragic ballad Willie Moore took place on May 10th... http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/may09.htm#22may

Just because the Spanish Influenza was laying low huge great numbers of people in 1918 didn't mean a chap could't look sharp - all it took was a snappy boater and an edgy custom flu mask, as this snap from the State Library of New South Wales clearly demonstrates... http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/may09.htm#15may

This is just pathetic - no sooner had word leaked out about our excellent deal with a Korean distiller - we're selling our azalea blossoms for dugyeonju - azalea wine - than we were hit by azalea rustlers... http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/may09.htm#2may

Here's some good news, for a change - our business office has negotiated with a major Korean distiller, and has sold them the blossoms of the famous Janus Museum azaleas for dugyeonju, the potent Korean azalea wine... http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/may09.htm#1may2

Very sad to report that The Kathleen Ewing Gallery, DC's essential photo gallery, is closing after thirty-three years... http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/ma9.htm#1may

Tragically, we continue to experience system disruptions - maybe it wasn't such a clever idea to place our IT department under Maintenance Services, which resulted in putting Gus, our maintenance man, in charge of the Museum's network. The result, of course, is total chaos... http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/apr09.htm#26apr

We're now in the second week of our tragic server disaster, but at least we still have Cat/Daff Season to serve as balm to our troubled spirits - I can feel my blood pressure decline as I contemplate the cats and the daffs... http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/apr09.htm#12apr

Happy birthday to one of the Fellows of the Janus Museum, Ed McDevitt. Ed's particular areas of study are... http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/apr09.htm#5apr

Leroy poses gracefully behind a daff patch as Cat/Daff season continues. http://janusmuseum.org/panabasis/apr09.htm#4apr