*These images are property of the motion picture studio responsible for the related Harry Potter film and/or the intrepid media organisation covering the terrorist insurrection and capitol siege of Jan 6, 2021. ##
Washington DC
Billionaires vs. 1/3 of 1%
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross dismissed the 800,000 federal workers threatened with the loss of a second paycheck this week, saying they represented a paltry "one third of a percent" of the U.S. GDP. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi_z8rjHA2M Hmmm.... Recent studies show there are about 540 billionaires --- people like Ross --- in the United States. As a nation of … Continue reading Billionaires vs. 1/3 of 1%
BAMF vs The Shutdown
This next episode from life at the Bureau of Government Intelligence and Execution---aka BOGIE---introduces the Bureau of Administration, Management, and Facilities. DC may shut its doors on the public workers who serve the Republic. But that can't stop the mofos in BAMF from installing new ones to protect its workers from America's next shooting rampage. Also … Continue reading BAMF vs The Shutdown
Essential Non-Essential
Shutdown 2018 continues unabated, and so do excerpts from life at the government's Bureau of Government Intelligence and Execution---better known as BOGIE. What happens when DC's 'Fed Buffet' closes its doors---and its payroll---on the public servants who work to prevent America's next tragedy? Furloughed, you say? Is this what you signed up for? "How do you arrive at … Continue reading Essential Non-Essential
Shutdown Chores
Week one of Government Shutdown 2018 comes to an end, bringing to mind the plot of Patchworks. So why not run a few excerpts from Chapter 12, in which DC's 'Fed Buffet' closes its doors---and its payroll---on a mix of kindly public servants who only wanted to prevent the next great American tragedy. Government intern … Continue reading Shutdown Chores
Posting from a New Home
After five years posting from DC, BenEastBooks moves on to Mumbai. Expect the same focus on craft and reviewing serious books by independent authors. Expect new writing invigorated by travel and adventure. Expect postings flavored with the exotic, the ancient, the extraordinary, and the very new. I welcome contributions, requests for reviews, and sensible observations. When … Continue reading Posting from a New Home
Early Monsoon
We always knew the monsoon would greet our arrival in Mumbai this Thursday. We never expected heavy rains to be part of our departure from DC. Yesterday the area received 4 inches of rain, equal to about 40 days of wet weather for this time of year for DC. July commonly sees 3.75". What better … Continue reading Early Monsoon
48 Stars for Memorial Day
Thousands of bikers will roar into DC this weekend, rolling thunder to commemorate the service and sacrifice of those who, for one reason and another, participated in the aggression we call the Vietnam War. Little notice will herald the sacrifice of those whose land was destroyed by that aggression, whose lives irrevocably changed—but anti-war thoughts … Continue reading 48 Stars for Memorial Day
All Steeple, No Church
Does this structure look like a steeple with no church? My son thought so. Driving to the Nation's capital on a beautiful spring morning, I pointed it out from the distant heights across the Potomac on the George Washington Parkway. This white symbol of the Republic can be seen for miles. The seven-year-old meant little … Continue reading All Steeple, No Church
The Little League Coach
The calendar tells us that it's spring. But last Monday, the night before the season's first Little League practice, snow squalls filled the sky. Over the weekend the manager gathered us on a beautiful day for pizza and whiffle ball. Then our second practice got scrubbed for snow, a Nor'easter that eventually dumped half a … Continue reading The Little League Coach
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