Big Wind
I thought I'd take a few minutes today during the Big Wind that has descended upon us in the Northeast - steady winds at about 30-40 MPH, with gusts into the 60s, for the last 24 hours - for something a little different. The wind is very noisy, stirs up the snow (both fallen and falling) like a blizzard, and it is now very cold. It goes without saying that there is absolutely no sign of wildlife - even the goats have taken shelter.
I spent some time during the past year trying to inform myself on what has been going on within our country by reading some of the "tell-all" books that various people have been writing:
What I will say here is that, with the exception of the Michael Lewis book, I don't feel very well informed at all. I think Sims, Wolff, and Woodward all did a good job with presenting their various experiences and perspectives, but aside from knowing more about the interpersonal relationships of elected officials, their families, and their staff, I'm not sure if I learned much of anything at all.
Michael Lewis, of "Moneyball" fame (and also "Liar's Poker", "The Undoing Project", "The Big Short", and several other successful books) had something much different to add to the melee. He posits that, with all of the attention and energy focused on these interpersonal relationships, our government infrastructure is suffering: the successful and experienced government workers who carry so much institutional memory and knowledge will leave for greener pastures, and critical programs will be neglected but their failure will remain unnoticed until it's too late. Essentially, we are sacrificing the long-term for the short-term. Lewis' book scared the crap out of me. I'm not so sure what to do about it myself, but I read that the Obamas have purchased the rights for a Netflix movie. I hope it's not too late for more of us to be scared so we can figure out how we can become part of the solution.
I spent some time during the past year trying to inform myself on what has been going on within our country by reading some of the "tell-all" books that various people have been writing:
Michael Lewis – The Fifth Risk
Cliff Sims - Team of Vipers: My 500 Extraordinary Days in
the Trump White House
Michael Wolff – Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House
Bob Woodward – Fear: Trump in the White House
What I will say here is that, with the exception of the Michael Lewis book, I don't feel very well informed at all. I think Sims, Wolff, and Woodward all did a good job with presenting their various experiences and perspectives, but aside from knowing more about the interpersonal relationships of elected officials, their families, and their staff, I'm not sure if I learned much of anything at all.
Michael Lewis, of "Moneyball" fame (and also "Liar's Poker", "The Undoing Project", "The Big Short", and several other successful books) had something much different to add to the melee. He posits that, with all of the attention and energy focused on these interpersonal relationships, our government infrastructure is suffering: the successful and experienced government workers who carry so much institutional memory and knowledge will leave for greener pastures, and critical programs will be neglected but their failure will remain unnoticed until it's too late. Essentially, we are sacrificing the long-term for the short-term. Lewis' book scared the crap out of me. I'm not so sure what to do about it myself, but I read that the Obamas have purchased the rights for a Netflix movie. I hope it's not too late for more of us to be scared so we can figure out how we can become part of the solution.
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