The Elliptical Saloon

New front page – site down

Derek Jensen — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:10:30 +0000

I put a new snowy image on the front page of the site.

At this writing, the site is temporarily down. This is true of my other sites as well, so it seems to be a GoDaddy problem.

EDIT 30 minutes later… Everything seems back to normal now.

Filed under: domains, front page

I’ve deleted my Facebook account

Derek Jensen — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 17:57:28 +0000

I haven’t used my Facebook account to get to the Facebook White House Fanatics pages in a long time, largely because I really never liked Facebook. I’ve never used my account for anything else, and I’ve become annoyed recently at being contacted by

People I haven’t known for 30 years adding me as a friend
The way I’ve unintentionally authorized access to my Facebook account information when commenting on other Websites
The long history of Facebook privacy scandals (most recently the one in which founder Mark Zuckerberg’s own private photos were accessed)

If you get a message saying I’ve “defriended” you or deleted my account or whatever, rest assured it isn’t personal. I don’t hate you.

I just hate Facebook.

Filed under: blog, dementia

Turn of the century

Derek Jensen — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 04:54:02 +0000

I’ve added some new pictures from the early 1900s that I’ve just found. They enhance the TR and Taft era nicely.

I’ve also changed the front page, this time to a photo of the Clinton music room on the third floor that I first used over a year ago.

Filed under: Uncategorized

Front page – back to Monroe Room

Derek Jensen — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 21:50:08 +0000

I’ve switched the front page back to the 1960 Monroe Room, which I had planned for July before Betty Ford passed away.

Filed under: Uncategorized

So long, Betty Ford

Derek Jensen — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 02:31:00 +0000

CNN is reporting that Betty Ford has died at the age of 93. Gerald Ford died in ~~June 2009~~ December 2006, also at 93. Outspoken about women’s rights and breast cancer awareness, she was also inspirational for her personal struggle against substance abuse, which left a legacy in the form of the Betty Ford Center. Best wishes to the Ford family.

Filed under: Ford

New front page: Monroe Room, 1960

Derek Jensen — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 02:29:20 +0000

I’ve changed the front page to one of the Treaty Room back when it was the Monroe Room in 1960. I’ve always liked that decor.

Filed under: front page

An Historic Guide

Derek Jensen — Thu, 05 May 2011 02:02:53 +0000

I got an e-mail notice today that the new An Historic Guide is available, so I ordered mine. It’s been available for a little while, but I just got the notice.

I’m looking forward to official pics of the new Press Briefing Room and the walk-thru of the exterior, but I don’t think it will be all that amazing. I do recommend the White House History books tho. They’re wonderful.

Filed under: history, resources, Uncategorized, WHHA

New front page

Derek Jensen — Tue, 03 May 2011 01:08:27 +0000

I’ve changed the front page. A little cheeky, perhaps.

I’ve also changed the links on the right, since I took the mirror down months ago. And a couple of weeks ago I added a picture of the VP’s office, with new blue walls. Nice. Too bad we don’t get to see more.

Filed under: front page, West Wing

New front page

Derek Jensen — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 18:55:05 +0000

I’ve changed the front page to the 2007 Lincoln Bedroom.

Filed under: front page

New front page and fixes

Derek Jensen — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 03:15:31 +0000

President's Dining Room new carpet

I made some behind-the-scenes changes this weekend and broke most of the images, but they should all be fixed now.

I’ve also added a pic of the President’s Dining Room (a.k.a. Oval Office Dining Room), where the carpet has been changed again.

And I’ve changed the front page image to the Reagan Rose Garden that I used a couple of years ago.

Filed under: front page, West Wing

New front page and new photos

Derek Jensen — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 01:01:26 +0000

I’ve added several more new photos from the current White House and one of the Family Theater from the 1990s.

Filed under: East Wing, front page, Residence, West Wing

Ike third floor

Derek Jensen — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 05:43:30 +0000

I’ve uploaded a few more new images from the Kennedy library, this time from the third floor. It’s amazing to see these rooms in vivid color before the redecoration.

Filed under: renovations

1960-61 second floor and ground floor

Derek Jensen — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 03:44:37 +0000

I’ve added a dozen or so photos from the new Kennedy Library material to the site. They are focused around the second floor and ground floor of the residence in 1960—before the Kennedy renovation—and a few from 1961.

More to come!

Filed under: history, Residence

JFK photos released

Derek Jensen — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 18:34:42 +0000

Stephen M notes that the JFK Library has released 1000+ digitized photos of from the Kennedy administration, including many never-before-seen images. There are some great ones of the China and Vermeil rooms and some rooms upstairs and even on the third floor.

Search their digital archives.

And if you figure out how we can download the full-sized image, please post a comment here. These are public domain photos. American taxpayers paid for them. We should have them in their highest-quality form.

Filed under: history, Residence, West Wing

Happy new year!

Derek Jensen — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 07:10:23 +0000

I’ve changed to front page again, and I’ve added a few new photos from the White House Flickr feed from the last couple of months. I have some other things to get to as well.

Also, I got this note I’m not sure about. I missed the documentary in question….

Last month, I saw a PBS documentary about the role of the White House photographer, and it showed him, Pete Souza, in his office. The office is identified in the documentary as the former White House barbershop, with the only remnant of its former use being the mirror on the wall.

This contradicts the museum’s photos, which suggest that the Homeland Security Council office is in the former barbershop.

Filed under: front page, Residence, West Wing

New work coming

Derek Jensen — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 06:36:48 +0000

I’m not dead, just busy with work and devoting all greatly diminished spare time to my other websites. I do have new material I’m intending to post. Over the next couple of weeks, when I’m off for the holidays, I’ll be able to update the site substantially.

Filed under: Uncategorized

New front page: Halloween

Derek Jensen — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 06:00:34 +0000

I changed the front page to last year’s surreal Halloween moment on the north lawn. As always, you can find all the front pages ever on the Front Page gallery page.

Filed under: front page

New Oval Office and more

Derek Jensen — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 05:58:37 +0000

The White House posted a great new collection of photos on the official Flickr feed several days ago. They include not only interesting angles in the new Oval Office, but glimpses of the Dip Room, the state floor rooms, the Cabinet Room, and even the Oval Office Patio. I’ll be adding some of those to the site in the coming days.

Filed under: Oval Office, Residence, West Wing

Explore the White House

Derek Jensen — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 22:16:48 +0000

Just got a note from Tim Gilleand announcing the launch of his site ExploreTheWhiteHouse.com, a fantastic 3D model of the interior of the White House. It’s still in the early stages, but I hope you’ll join me in welcoming and congratulating Tim and his brothers on the work their doing. I look forward to see more of it!

The Elliptical Saloon

New front page – site down

I’ve deleted my Facebook account

Turn of the century

Front page – back to Monroe Room

So long, Betty Ford

New front page: Monroe Room, 1960

An Historic Guide

New front page

New front page

New front page and fixes

New front page and new photos

Ike third floor

1960-61 second floor and ground floor

JFK photos released

Happy new year!

New work coming

New front page: Halloween

New Oval Office and more

Explore the White House

New front page—new Oval Office