To Everything, a Season
Spring Forward
Maybe it was seeing a chickadee on my brother's bird feeder the other morning. Or seeing the man across the street from my office putting used furniture on the sidewalk (instead of shoveling snow). Perhaps spying a pretty Harvard student in a bright colored dress.
In any case, Spring is here. Or, like the crocuses, trying very hard to push through the remnants of stubborn Winter.
This morning, I drove through axle-high puddles and by golf courses that looked like marshes. On the water and thin grass peeking thru the surface, ducks were patiently paddling, preening and nibbling.
The sky was bright blue this morning and tonight I see stars and planets.
Spring Back
I am listening to After by Steven Brill. It is a day-by-day account of the first year after the 9-11 terrorist attacks. He profiles the lives of various regular people--widows, brothers of fallen firemen, INS agents and top people in the Bush administration. You might think there would not be anything really new here, but there is to me---and I thought I followed this closely:
* the truly frightening aspects of John Ashcroft as attorney general. The man had no grasp of or great concern for the Bill of Rights. Nor did many members of his staff. His top aides did have nice cards on their desks for visitors that contained Christian messages.
* the depth of incompetence at the INS
* what appears to be the genuine concern, care and certain skill of Kenneth Fineberg, the man who oversaw the Victim's Compensation Fund
* the contrast between George W and Bill Clinton. W defines what it means to delegate decision-making.
Light
Does anyone have a free airplane ticket to Paris?
Maybe it was seeing a chickadee on my brother's bird feeder the other morning. Or seeing the man across the street from my office putting used furniture on the sidewalk (instead of shoveling snow). Perhaps spying a pretty Harvard student in a bright colored dress.
In any case, Spring is here. Or, like the crocuses, trying very hard to push through the remnants of stubborn Winter.
This morning, I drove through axle-high puddles and by golf courses that looked like marshes. On the water and thin grass peeking thru the surface, ducks were patiently paddling, preening and nibbling.
The sky was bright blue this morning and tonight I see stars and planets.
Spring Back
I am listening to After by Steven Brill. It is a day-by-day account of the first year after the 9-11 terrorist attacks. He profiles the lives of various regular people--widows, brothers of fallen firemen, INS agents and top people in the Bush administration. You might think there would not be anything really new here, but there is to me---and I thought I followed this closely:
* the truly frightening aspects of John Ashcroft as attorney general. The man had no grasp of or great concern for the Bill of Rights. Nor did many members of his staff. His top aides did have nice cards on their desks for visitors that contained Christian messages.
* the depth of incompetence at the INS
* what appears to be the genuine concern, care and certain skill of Kenneth Fineberg, the man who oversaw the Victim's Compensation Fund
* the contrast between George W and Bill Clinton. W defines what it means to delegate decision-making.
Light
Does anyone have a free airplane ticket to Paris?
posted by John Barth at
11:52 PM
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