I’m spending most of this month and last looking over the Hudson River, from Jersey City to New York. It’s a good vantage point to be an observer of global interactions and politics. It is from here that I have read most of the books I have reviewed so far for Zócalo Public Square.
Three of those books have been about American foreign policy in the Middle East. To be sure, the three were very different in style and content, but in so many ways they all underscore the simple need for context. It is a desperate need in these days of information overload and soundbite news. While the foreign policy histories and opinions in the books that I reviewed are essential for thinking about monumental existential issues like national security, the act of consistently reading books is a reminder to take more time to think about, well, everything. Sometimes it’s best that life move at the speed of books.
Here are some excerpts and links in case you’re interested. Read more on Life at the Speed of Books…
As I continue freelancing and working on projects while I spend time with my family, I am also job hunting. Apparently, so is my close-to-retirement father.
Thanks, Dad, for pointing this out to me. If as many people are excited about Barack Obama’s new job as it seems they are, this might be the best opportunity ever. Not to mention that the inital application is exceedingly simple. I hope for my dad’s sake that they’re looking for an engineer who designs water systems for a cabinet position. I wonder what kind of boss Barack Obama would be – I’ve already had the best boss ever, but I won’t discourage my dad from working with Mr. President-Elect until I know more.
Read more on best boss ever?…
Posted in United States | Also tagged jobs, white house |
When I lived in Singapore I watched the presidential debates and conventions online. I used to sit in our living room, lounging on the rattan sofa in my Thai fishing pants, and enjoying the wifi generously shared by the fellows downstairs. Sometimes on the Sundays that I stayed in town I would sit there for hours, unaware of time going by, taking in my Americanness and trying to stay connected to home once in a while.
Read more on Election day pre-game…
