As in: Reading , Thoughts from the "L"

Two passages from Mark Monmonier's book that struck me today. First, a funny one:

A more personal example of creative cartography is Mount Richard, which in the early 1970s suddenly appeard on the continental divide on a county map prepared in Boulder, Colorado. Believed to be the work of Richard Ciacci, a draftsman in the public works department, Mount Richard was not discovered for two years. (5!)

The second passage struck a chord with me:

...using outside contractors for compilation or drafting requires a strong commitment to quality control buttressed by the bureaucrat's inherent fear of embarrassment. (43)

I think this passage strikes me because it highlights the difference between a bureaucrat and a good politician ("good" in the sense of being good at politicking, not in the sense of being good for the people). Both Clinton and W seem to be without any sense of embarrassment. Both know when they need to spin, but neither ever seems ashamed in the way the media and the public think they should be.

Posted by briley at January 21, 2005 8:17 AM