For the first half of this week, I was at the seaside with my family.
On Tuesday, with the help of new friends from across the beach, we built a pyramid. It was as tall as my younger daughter, and surrounded by a complex of moats, watchtowers and crenellated walls that spread far over the sands. It set a paradigm for ocean-side construction with plastic tools, covering the waterfront of approaches from drip through carved to shell-dashed and bucket-molded.
By Wednesday morning it was gone, of course. For all its scale, breadth and ambition, our project lacked anything solid enough to stand the tests of time and tide. My daughters, Ozymandiai before their years, had stuffed koalas from the boardwalk ring toss to console them. I had nothing but sunken dreams.
By Wednesday morning it was gone, of course. For all its scale, breadth and ambition, our project lacked anything solid enough to stand the tests of time and tide. My daughters, Ozymandiai before their years, had stuffed koalas from the boardwalk ring toss to console them. I had nothing but sunken dreams.
The holiday means I missed out on following the Addis Financing for Development conference. Coverage from my CGD colleagues Rajesh here and Owen here.
Correction: A.G. Benson corrected my Greek (I had Ozymndiae). Matthew Rose suggested Oxymandianish, which I hope to see on Pg. 1 of the WSJ before long.
Charles Kenny 