This is another shot from the switching yard. I like the picture because of the colors, as well as the sun faded, rust belt patina. I find that it makes me oddly introspective about the bipolar patriotism I’ve been battling with of late. America is branding itself as a unilateral cowboy with little respect for the accuracy of our intelligence data, the opinions of the rest of the world, or the complexity of local socio-theo-political realities on the ground. I expect the bridges we’re merrily burning will be sorely missed in managing the revolution in technology, ecology, emerging economies, not to mention public health catastrophes, over the next 20 years. Hell, we can’t even hang onto our credibility as a thug. It’s hard to maintain your image as the world’s biggest badass when you can’t even handle one post-dictatorial democratic transition intelligently. Ok…I’ll climb off my soapbox now.