The federal workforce and other animals

Is it lost on just about everyone else that the person nominated to head OPM (the federal government's Office of Personnel Management) currently manages the zoo? In his and the administration's defense, he's managed a number of other agencies and he's generally well-regarded-- this is not a heckova-job-brownie repeat-- but still-- one can't help but wonder what zoo-management qualifications would be transferable to what many people, my mother included, see as a whole different kind of zoo.

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I'm going to stay DC-centric for this post, although that's not fair because most of the federal workforce is actually outside of DC, in spite of what all the those-people-in-DC-just-don't-get-it haters say-- it's just ad hominem way of undermining anyone that disagrees with them or threatens their entrenched interests. But back to DC.

Does anyone else think the cherry blossoms are overrated? I cycled by them today and kind of enjoyed them on the way to work, but I always really enjoy riding past the Jefferson Memorial and tidal basin--it's beautiful no matter what. Then I cycled by them on my way home and decided that whatever pepto-bismal touch they add to the area is not worth the masses and masses of people blocking my bike path.

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My renter-to-be came by today with the lease. He remarked, in not so many words, that coming from the north, it's really a nice neighborhood. Which is really true. And really interesting from the perspective of perspective. Coming from the south, it's one block from the projects; coming from the north, it really is a nice neighborhood.