This spring was the first spring in the past five years that I’ve failed to read “epitaph for a peach”, instead I’ve reading and grappling with the work of Kwame Anthony Appiah. Grappling makes it seem as though “Cosmopolitanism” or “The Ethics of Identity” are rough and heavy. They aren’t. I am, however, using them to measure our world, as I do with any interesting work.

My spring “peach” travels well. Perhaps, since I didn’t go anywhere this spring, I didn’t need a morning wake up book. It will be with me though over the next few mornings in the park.

GEN. PETER PACE, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: You know, we had more than 3,000 Americans murdered on 11 September, 2001, that the number who have died, sacrificed themselves, since that time is approaching that number.

Actual count was 3,456. Shows how much the Chairman pays attention to the forces at war.