Re-visiting big metros on the east coast

NYC and WDC. It is always fun to visit places that throb with humans representing the globe's variety.

NYC of course is five boroughs, the most vertically dense and popular being Manhattan. That it is an island is noteworthy and is sandwiched between two rivers, Hudson on the west and the East river.

Washington DC also happens to be straddled by two rivers - Potomac and Anacostia. And both cities are old establishments.

NYC has records going back to Dutch settlements in late 17th century versus the military architect L'Enfant asking President Washington to design the new capital for the Federal Republic in late 18th century.

Both cities have since grown dramatically in population and structures and their cultural diversity.

Below are views of the landscapes and skylines today.

Popular former President's get classy monuments in the District of Columbia to remember them by -

Obelisk standing 555 ft tall in honor of the first President

Jefferson's memorial is by the pond formed by the Potomac running south

NYC of course is the epicenter of all things America. From the Statue of Liberty that greets someone coming in by air or water (not many do that) it stands tall as a beacon of friendship and hope.

All of Manhattan glistens day and night providing a shock to the system even if you know its been there and having visited many times.

New spires keep getting added to allow more of our species to get a slice of the big apple.

A personal treat for me was to enjoy visiting some landmarks in the neighboring boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn.

Comments

A few good books

On an informal mission to read one book a week as long as the eyes allow for such ambition. Fiction or non is not important as long as it entertains and /or educates. To that end the past few weeks have brought a bounty in the form of some wonderful and then not so engaging literature. Among the notables are - Non fiction category: 1. Good arguments by Bo Seo (how to handle a dispute or debate the most efficient way possible) 2. Genesis by Eric Schmidt (and former US Secy of State Henry Kissinger, who recently passed) - how AI might affect our lives as we know it 3. One in a billion - Zarna Garg (an autobiographical look at an Indian born American woman with a bindi narrated in a standup format - yes it is at times cliched but still funny) Fiction: 1. Personal by Lee Child (a vigilante story with Jack Reacher the giant, nomad protagonist of Child's novels goes hunting for a sniper) 2. Ramayana unraveled by Ami Ganatra (she might disagree about it being a work of fiction but oh wel...

Back in DC

This time for a tech conference in the realm of what else? AI. But applied to an oft neglected space called Knowledge Management. The latter is a community of practice that focuses on analyzing, organizing and making available reams of data that have been gathered over time by various functions within an organization for anyone in the company to utilize. This function or process is ripe for applying AI agents (or agentic AI framework) and optimize for better outcomes. It was informative. More rewarding was getting acquainted with folks who practice this craft as well as learning of what they see in the corporate or public sectors. Since the venue was Washington DC it also afforded me the chance to take evening strolls albeit the weather was trying. With wind chill in the single digit it still is a glamorous place to perambulate through history absorbing what this country has been through since its founding days. I was able to visit the place Lincoln was killed along with his monument t...

Costa Rica

Our first foray into Central America. That elongated isthmus that forms the geographic boundary between two vast continents of North and South America. Specifically landing for NYE 2026 in San Jose, Costa Rica. Capital city for this region that does not have its own army, instead relying on its big bro the Estados Unidos to the north is a metropolis of approx. 500K people. Largely wilderness and with both a Pacific and Carribean/Atlantic coast the country is rich in bio diversity. In Spanish it means the rich coast so named by Columbus landing in early 16th century and being mesmerized by the local tribes sporting gold jewelry. Our stay included visiting the foothills of a large strato volcano called Arenal and enjoying the naturally heated thermal baths for a while. Lunching amidst lush forest and watching indigenous species of avian noise makers fly overhead. Toucans, some sort of pea hens, multiple song bird species completed the spectacle. Iguanas and a lonel...

Brown Motion

Search This Blog