All about the "dream" part of that speech

SOME THINGS WE THINK WE THINK:



* Our trip to Washington on Saturday for the commemoration of the 1963 March on Washington was stirring, interesting, and in some ways exhausting, both physically and emotionally.


* Things we learned: we had no idea that the "dream" portion of MLK's speech was a spur-of-the-moment suggestion from singer Mahalia Jackson, who was standing behind King. That's according to a nice piece in the Chicago Tribune. It's here:

* "Tell them about the dream, Martin," she told him in mid speech, and that he did. It was not part of the original text.

* Changing subjects, we have said this before, and we'll say it again, there is no better news organization in the country, perhaps the world, than the NY Times.

* Just today, we learned some fascinating things from the Sunday edition: the Atlantic coast of south Florida is literally running out of sand. There's no more sand to pump out of the ocean, really. They've pumped all the sand they can from there over the years, and now there is no more.

* Ask not for whom that bell tolls elsewhere.

* We also learned some really interesting things about the French struggle to get back on top in the European economy and the contradictions in the national character that make that a real challenge.

* And we learned of the enormous, huge, very damned big influence ESPN has over college football.

* It's not your father's sport anymore.

* Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone is always worth your time. He's a writer who reduces the complex to the understandable. In the current edition of the magazine he takes on the monster of college loan debt. Be afraid, be very afraid.

* Trains are great. We took Amtrak to Washington and back. Painless, comfortable, affordable. Of course, that's east coast talking. It's not much of an option in the rest of the country.

* By which we mean, shame on national policies that always put cars ahead of a better way to go.

* We shed a small tear to know that our beloved Pittsburgh Steelers are 0-3 in the pre season. Of course, the pre season games don't count. But still.......

* Speaking of Pittsburgh, we talk routinely with people who have visited that very nice city for the first time, and they are stunned to see a modern, thriving city. Where the hell have they been?

* Speaking of "where the hell?" questions, how come it feels so much like autumn here now? That just ain't right.

* Gotta run. The garden awaits.
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