The Crandolin giveaway has ended.
Cassandra is the lucky winner (selected at random with the aid of Rafflecopter's 'select a random winner' button). A shiny new paperback copy of the novel will be winging its way to her soon.
New Business:
Barring a miracle or three, I will be among the 'nonessential' employees furloughed starting tomorrow.
The WaPo ran a story last week featuring civil service rookies (I think no one quoted in the piece was over the age of 30) wailing about how being labeled 'nonessential' made them question the value and purpose of their positions. This was of course seized upon by some activists as a sign that in fact what 'nonessential' employees do is not essential.
Baloney. I'll go further: Balderdash.
There are many things one could say about the current shenanigans on Capitol Hill -- and many people are saying them -- but the notion that the 'nonessential' label means that my job doesn't matter is frankly idiotic.
I would of course prefer not to be furloughed; I would also prefer the the full faith and credit of the United States not be threatened. If, as Ezra Klein over at Wonkblog suggests, a shutdown is what a certain faction needs to get their ya-yas out so they can deal with the debt ceiling like adults, well, so be it. I am not especially optimistic that it will work out as Klein suggests.
I am consoling myself with the thought that I have plenty of yardwork to do, and the weather is supposed to be lovely this week.
Violet is looking forward to having me at home so she can cuddle up and bat at the pages of my book or my yarn.
Robert Pinsky
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