Washington Biography Group at 25

A club of sorts without members that welcomes anyone, even without credentials. An interest in biography is enough, The group begun casually by former National Portrait Gallery head Marc Pachter has flourished for 25 years, meeting monthly, except in summer, in a stately wood-panelled  room loaned for the evening by Washington International School, a private high school on Macomb St. NW.
This model could be duplicated in any community where book lovers congregate. All that is required is a firm conviction  that books matter and anyone writing or thinking about memoir, biography or associated genres will profit from friendly group discussion of themes related to such an effort.
A newsletter produced by the titular leader or organizer goes out to as many as 500 people monthly - those who sign on to learn about meetings, celebrations, advice, article links, etc.
The only dues are voluntary and minimal for a token payment annually to the school for its use of a room. Parking is free.

Public Transportation Protocol: Update Required!

Yes a bad title, and, sadly, an outdated one. Who can imagine such a thing -  'rules' relating to behavior aboard all forms of public conveyances? In public life in general. Of course, there are guidelines - rules - published and ignored by paying customers about handicapped and seniors and no-food-or-drink, so on and on. Usually ignored under pressure and seldom  punished - when only  authorities feel it necessary to make an example.
I'm talking etiquette.  Old fashioned stuff relating to encounters between strangers in a close space. City space -  where a person's civic sense is key to helping a community survive. (Note: uptick in murders this year in D.C. How many are caused or instigated by paranoia often found in crowded conditions, public and private. I.E. road rage, domestic spats, etc.)
Take a moment in that rush hour Metro to bond rather than bite....strike up conversation, maybe 'small talk' rather than sneak looks at the infernal phone.
This sounds like something out of David Brooks' columns. He seems on the bandwagon of civility lately. It's not just the business of being stuck underground rump to rump with strangers during rush hour but behavior in all quarters of public life.
Civic sense a duty not a privilege....what hope otherwise in an increasingly dismaying world.
Some levity helps, too. In a recent Washington Post column by John Kelly he writes about people's favorite Washington experiences, a so-called bucket list.  Best of all is the woman in Virginia noting how she counts spending a free day at home while her house guests track frantically over the city trying to see every monument and museum in one day.
Kudos for common sense all around.

Walkable Or Not

One of the latest missions of the New York Times seems to be keeping readers - well, why not say the entire US population? - healthy by whatever means. To that end, it sponsors a web site called Walkscore.com listing 'most walkable' US cities as well as those to avoid if you are intent on footing it.
No surprise that New York City leads. Then San Francisco and Boston but fourth is - unusually tagged this way in my mind - Miami. Surely not the entire urban area of that spread out city?
Washington DC comes in at number 7, just ahead of Seattle.
 The criteria hangs on how easily a person can accomplish basic errands without access to wheels and a motor - bikes presumably are ok to use -  in American cities with a population of more than 300,000.

Too bad for Fort Worth, Raleigh, Nashville and Charlotte (which is at the bottom of the list), among  others dismissed as 'least walkable' and 'in need of a car.'