Via the fabulous Jon Carroll, I have learned of UX, and their civilization-maintenance program, known as the Untergunther. The UX is a group of people in Paris who do things like setting up a movie theatre and bistro under the Seine, or sneak into public buildings and fix things. Read the article. I’ll wait.

Isn’t that fabulous? And so very French. Vive le Resistance! Réparez l’horloge! I’m having such fun imagining people breaking in to fix things. The clock over the arch at the Children’s Zoo in Central Park was broken for decades–what fun to think of a highly trained cadre of stealth clockmakers, arriving in the night to take care of the things the municipality hasn’t/can’t/won’t do itself, rather like the Cobbler’s Elves.  So think: what are some projects the Municipal Elves could take on in your town?

In other news: you all know that I am deeply interested in, and a big supporter of, our beleaguered, underfunded public schools. So when I learned that some schools are considering phasing out the past tense, I was concerned, both as a parent and a writer. What we need, I think, is the equivalent of all those musicians who get together to hold hugely popular concerts for music in public schools. Many of my fellow Brains play music; I could dig out my dulcimer. We could save the Past! Or we can just turn the page.