Michael Lewis and the “bureaucrats”

Who Is Government

At the end of each year, I list people whom I think were most heroic. In 2026, I will include Michael Lewis. 

I’ve been familiar with the author for years. Adam McKay directed the Oscar-winning film adaptation of The Big Short, which explored the impending 2008 subprime mortgage debacle and how some continued to game the system. The film was great, IMO.

At the October 6 book review for the Friends and Foundation of the Albany Public Library, the topic was Who Is Government: The Untold Story of Public Service, a 2025 non-fiction collection that “explores the essential, behind-the-scenes work of career federal employees,” edited by Lewis. The reviewer was Patrick Wildes, Director of the Albany Law Center.

From Penguin: “Michael Lewis invited his favorite writers, including Casey Cep, Dave Eggers, John Lanchester, Geraldine Brooks, Sarah Vowell, and W. Kamau Bell, to join him in writing about someone doing an interesting job for the government. The stories they found are unexpected, riveting, and inspiring, including a former coal miner devoted to making mine roofs less likely to collapse, saving thousands of lives; an IRS agent straight out of a crime thriller; and the manager who made the National Cemetery Administration the best-run organization, public or private, in the entire country. Each essay shines a spotlight on the essential behind-the-scenes work of exemplary federal employees.” 

Lewis’s most recent book is Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State, which “profiles federal workers targeted by [FOTUS] and his mega-donor Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).  CBS News Sunday Morning national correspondent Robert Costa talks with Lewis about why Americans may not understand the value of government workers, and with a former IRS attorney who says she was alarmed about a DOGE effort to acquire taxpayer information.”

From Amazon:

“Blockers. It wasn’t a compliment. In the new Washington, it was the worst thing you could be—especially if you worked in the federal government and wanted to keep your job. A Blocker was a holdover, an impediment, someone who didn’t get the message—and, most of all, someone who didn’t belong.

“Michael Lewis found six of them.

“Blockers is the story of people who believed they had a calling, who were convinced they were doing something the country couldn’t do without, and then discovered they were no longer wanted. One kept Americans’ most sensitive tax data out of the wrong hands, and another made sure that politicians and civil servants played by the rules. One figured out how to stop wildfires from destroying suburban neighborhoods; another helped uncover the mysteries of cystic fibrosis.

“There was also a security guard.”

In both books, Lewis recognizes the value of hard-working federal employees whose service, especially in the latter tome, has been unjustly denigrated.  As Dylan sang: “I pity the poor bureaucrat…”

Checking multiple sources

facts is facts

One of this librarian’s curses is that he ends up checking multiple sources of information. There’s a lot of misinformation, disinformation, and mythology out there. The process of vetting can be exhausting, and occasionally even I can miss a few.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary from 2022 to 2025, noted, in a political context, “facts and figures alone no longer carry the weight they once did. There was a time when people would absorb accurate information presented clearly through official channels, like the White House press briefing. They might disagree on what it meant, they might challenge certain points, but it wasn’t automatically treated as spin.

“Today, anyone can be a content creator, producing videos, podcasts and memes with subjective, sometimes bogus interpretations of the news. Many Americans now get their news only from outlets that confirm their political leanings. Social media algorithms clearly favor outrage and certainty, not accuracy.”

This brings me to America.gov, which the regime touts. “It uses SI to find and explain information from official government sources. SI can make mistakes, so check the sources included with each answer before making an important decision. To report a problem, select the feedback button below the answer and describe what was incorrect or out of date.” I am… wary.

Samuel Clemens

Of course, mis/disinformation is not a new phenomenon. Some of it is fairly innocuous. In Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Substack, he noted that “Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see” was attributed to Mark Twain (1835–1910), an American writer. “The Center for Mark Twain Studies, which has a section titled ‘The Apocryphal Twain,’ states, ‘The Occam’s Razor of Twain attribution is: If the aphorism in question indicates a sentimental, nostalgic, or otherwise optimistic attitude towards humanity, it probably didn’t come from Twain.” That site, which investigated the quote’s origin, says it appears to derive from an 1857 aphorism by New York writer Christian Nestell Bovee, although its wording evolved over time. It wasn’t attributed to Twain until decades after his death.” 

Some news coverage is unbalanced. I continue to find Ground News useful. FOTUS personally told an aide to use taxpayer money for TV ads praising him. But right-leaning media was less likely to pick up the story. You can find your own examples, I’m sure.

Librarians

The NYT has a great story. “We asked dozens of librarians about America’s libraries — what they provide, what they need to survive. This year, Americans are marking the 250th anniversary of the country’s founding. The nation’s librarians are celebrating a milestone too: the 150th birthday of the modern American library.”

One of many pull quotes that jumped out at me. “The misconception about libraries to me is that they feel irrelevant because we’re in a digital information age, but I would say they’re more relevant now than ever before because we’re conflating content with information and information with knowledge.”

I was on a panel about librarians, and specifically the documentary The Librarians in February 2026. So I REALLY try to be honest and correct.

Facts

Sure, I have biases. When late-night host Jimmy Kimmel “offered a deeply emotional reflection about Pope Leo XIV, describing him not simply as a religious leader, but as a voice of compassion and humanity in a world struggling with conflict, suffering, and division,” I could relate. 

But as someone said, “facts is facts,” and I don’t mean “alternative facts.” Real data brings real joy. When I watch the Inside JEOPARDY interviews, especially with the multi-game champions, they express the goodies in sharing accurate information. I definitely get that. 

Lydster: I had never made pancakes

baking powder, NOT baking soda!

Until recently, I had never made pancakes before. Okay, that’s not true; I’ve made them quite often over the years, but almost always with a mix, either Bisquick or Jiffy.  In my bachelor days, I might even make enough batter for two or three meals and put the leftovers in the fridge.

But one Monday morning, my daughter decided she wanted pancakes for breakfast, which, of course, meant that I would make them. I am the only unemployed person in the household. Moreover, she required that I use… a recipe?

Specifically, this one from AllRecipes.com. It wasn’t difficult, but it was a bit annoying.  It started with, “I found this pancake recipe in my Grandma’s recipe book. Judging from the weathered look of this recipe card, this was a family favorite.” Sure, why not?

Then we get the prep time and the ingredients. But then it lists “How to Store and Reheat Pancakes,” followed by “Can You Save Pancake Batter?” I just want to make the food. “Can You Freeze Pancakes?” I just got up, and I’m already falling asleep again.

“Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise.” Whatever. I will note the first comment.  “This recipe is one to hand down to your grandkids,” raves… “Fluffy and delicious. Haven’t bought a box of pancake mix in months! Just add a bit of vanilla and poof! Magic.” I’ve been adding vanilla for years, ever since it was suggested on a Bisquick box. 

What I really, really want

Finally, the Ingredients with the actual amounts! And the Directions! It was the daughter’s suggestion, even in my Bisquick days, to mix the dry ingredients before adding the liquid ones. Adding salt was new to me, and I was very parsimonious with its use. But I’ve been trying to avoid adding salt to my food for years.

Oh, I came across another AllRecipes page: What’s the Difference Between Dry and Liquid Measurements? I never liked those metal dry measuring cups, though I understand how effective they are. So in this experiment I DID use two sets of measuring cups. (Another item to put in the dishwasher? The horror!)

I always have to be alert to add baking POWDER rather than baking SODA. About 30 years ago, I used the POWDER, and it was VILE. My daughter said I could substitute cooking oil for butter. Nah, although I had always used vegetable oil.

The verdict was that my wife and daughter liked them. I thought they were fine. If I were making it again, I’d probably bump up the milk quantity from a cup to 1 1/4 cups.

Not incidentally, we almost ALWAYS use real maple syrup. Because.

Sunday Stealing Is for Adults Only

Would I Lie To You

Welcome to Sunday Stealing. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves!

Back in 2007, Sparky Duck at Philly Transplant took a crack at this meme aimed at those of us of a certain age. Now it’s your turn.

The Grown Up Meme, for Adults Only

1. Do you have a college degree?

Yes, a Bachelor of Arts from SUNY New Paltz (1977), and a Masters of Library Science from UAlbany (1992).

2. What was the amount of your last electric bill?

I want to say $235; it’s autopay and I’m too lazy to check.

3. Do you have life insurance?

Yes, which I took out some. My wife knows where the papers are, which is good.

4. Do you check your cholesterol on (at least) an annual basis?

Yes, just before my annual physical in October. My primary care physician is retiring at the end of 2026, alas. But I’m meeting my new one, who is also my wife’s PCP, in January. 

5. Have you ever attended a high school reunion?

Yes. Mine for my 10th, 35th, 50th, and 55th. The class before mine’s 20th. My sister Leslie’s 45th and 50th; I know a lot of the “kids” from her class because they are the youngr sibs of some of my classmates. 

6. Do you have a will or estate plan?

Yes, but only in the past decade or so, which was grossly irresponsible, given the fact that we had a minor child at the time.

I want my MTV

7. Do you remember when MTV played music videos?

Not only that, it shaped my musical tastes in the 1980s and early 1990s. In graduate school, I wrote a paper about how Michael Jackson made MTV what it was, and vice versa. From here: 

“The former president of CBS Records, Walter Yetnikoff, remembered with scorn that MTV would not play “Billie Jean”  or “Beat It” because it billed itself as a rock station.

“Looking back on that era, a 1991 Los Angeles Times article quoted MTV founder and then-CEO Robert Pittman as saying the channel’s format didn’t lend itself to other musical styles, including R&B and country. And Pittman accused his critics of attempting to impose their musical pluralism on the channel’s die-hard rock fans.

“Yetnikoff said he threatened to pull videos of his other artists unless MTV played Jackson’s videos.” Those other artists included Springsteen, Billy Joel, et al. 

I was a sucker for videos like “Would I Lie to You” by Eurythmics, “Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel, and a bunch of songs from the book 60 Songs That Explain the ’90s. And, of course, I Wanna Be A Lifeguard by Albany’s own Blotto; the video appeared on MTV’s very first day, August 1, 1981, but I didn’t get my MTV for another year, because my cable carrier nixed it. 

8. Is there a bottle of wine in your refrigerator?

No, but there’s a wine rack next to the refrigerator. Is there wine in it, or does it just have liquor? I’d have to go downstairs to see. 

9. Have you been divorced? 

Yes.

10. When you were 16, did you play music on vinyl, cassette, or CDs? 

Vinyl. And I still have most of them, except for the ones purloined in the Great LP Theft of 1972. 

Hot Country Singles and Tracks for 1996

Did I Shave My Legs For This?

What does Hot Country Singles and Tracks for 1996 mean? “On December 5, 1992, Billboard started compiling the Country singles chart strictly on the number of detections registered by each song,” based on airplay gathered by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems.

The result is fewer one-week #1s, which is a good thing in my mind.

My Maria – Brooks & Dunn, three weeks at #1

It Matters To Me – Faith Hill, three weeks at#1

No News – Lonestar, three weeks at #1

Time Marches On – Tracy Lawrence, three weeks at #1

Carried Away – George Strait, three weeks at #1. My GS album, Ten Strait Hits, predates this by five years.

Like The Rain – Clint Black, three weeks at #1

Little Bitty – Alan Jackson, three weeks at #1

(If you’re not in it for love) I’m Outta Here! –  Shania Twain, two weeks at #1

Bigger Than The Beatles – Joe Diffie, two weeks at #1. There’s a humorous  Fab Four reference in the last minute of the video.

You Can Feel Bad – Patti Loveless, two weeks at #1. My only Loveless album is 1991’s Up Against My Heart

You Win My Love – Shania Twain, two weeks at #1

Blue Clear Sky – George Strait, two weeks at #1

Daddy’s Money – Ricochet, two weeks at #1

She Never Lets It Go To Her Heart – Tim McGraw, two weeks at #1

So Much For Pretending – Bryan White, two weeks at #1

Believe Me Baby (I lied) – Trisha Yearwood, two weeks at #1

Strawberry Wine – Deana Carter, two weeks at #1. I own her 1996 debut album, Did I Shave My Legs For This?, which includes this song.

One Way Ticket (because I can) -LeAnn Rimes, two weeks at #1

The rest of the songs are number one for a single week

Rebecca Lynn – Brian White

Wild Angels – Martina McBride

I’ll Try – Alan Jackson

The Beaches of Cheyenne – Garth Brooks, which I own on the 1995 album Fresh Horses

To Be Loved By You – Wynonna

No One Needs To Know– Shania Twain

Don’t Let Me Get Started – Rhett Akins

Guys Do It All The Time – Mindy McCready. A tough life.

Living In A Moment – Ty Herndon

Lonely Too Long – Patty Loveless