American tidings

Some reflections on being in America:

• At breakfast in the Brooklyn Diner on 57th Street Bing Crosby is singing about "tidings of comfort and joy", while the headline in the New York Times states "Bush has widened authority of C.I.A. to kill terrorists". Some tidings, some joy.
• The Borders bookstore on Broadway states books are sorted "Alphabetical by Aurthor".