Persian Building on K Street

View of Sphinx Club from bus on K Street NW

I've always wondered what this building is on K street NW in the 1300 block at Franklin Square with a Persian style facade. It has several arches and has an  ornate blue and grey design. So, as is my wont, I snapped a photo -- using my LG wireless feature phone of course -- while passing by on the bus on the way to work and determined to research what it was. After a bit of Google Mapping, this building turns out to be called The Almas Temple and is a building owned by the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, which seems to be some secular social society or club. Apparently, the building is referred to as The Sphinx Club and is made available for functions and has a Grand Ballroom. The website for this site says the ballroom is nearly 7,000 square and has Persian style carpeting, vaulted ceilings, a stage with a "butterfly staircase" flowing it. There is also a 2,300 square foot mezzanine for other or associated events. The space can be rented for weddings and such-like and they say it is wheelchair accessible, although I have my doubts.

Google This, Kim Kolchiak!

Well, if Kim Kolchiak can sing a song called "Google Me," then I can certainly post a photo taken in Google's DC office when I was visiting once, using the miracle of my cell phone camera.  I sort of like the fun decor and bright colors and the plant, but you do have to sign in electronically at the nice young receptionist's desk on some great long form that no one really takes the time to read but is probably some sort of non-disclosure thing. There's candy to eat too as well if you like as well as a screen on the wall which gives an electronic picture of where all the Google searches in the world are taking place -- beams of light of higher and lower density coming up from a map of the earth. It really does reveal where or where there isn't electricity on the planet (e.g., there's not that many people googling from the middle of Africa).  Then it sometimes switches to another view, showing all the keywords that people are searching on all across the world in all the different languages. I'd be real surprised to see my name being searched, that's for sure! But I bet Kim Kolchiak gets searched a lot and I wonder if Google likes her new cute song?  Someone told me that the most common things googled for are religious things, like people use Google to search for all kinds of things in the Bible, or when they start looking for God.  Now that's awesome!

Hostel Droid Does Apps

Well I couldn't resist snapping this word line-up at the corner of 11th and K streets where the International Hostel is located. They've put a brand new sign on the hostel building and on the old building adjacent they've hung another one of those giant fabric ads that says "Droid does apps" and which you see just about everywhere. We drove by the hostel and saw a horde of young people -- all very Euro looking with backpacks and guides and maps in hand -- perched on the steps and sidewalk in front of the hostel. The fabric ad is wrapped around the building and has the giant globe thing on one facade. I'm not sure what that's all about but I guess it's high techie and spacey and sells a lot of Motorola phones using Google apps on the Android wireless platform on the Verizon network, none of which you need to call to God. I also like the red convertible racing through the intersection too which my miraculous little LG cell phone with no apps -- a couple of widgets only! -- caught in the image of the hostel droid snapped while we were at the red light. I'm just amazed with technology these days.  For instance, 20 years ago who would have known what "droid does apps" means?  Does anyone not know what it's about? It's hard to believe how fast we accept all the new stuff. What a creative world we live in!