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Questions if in the culture of all-marketing, all-the-time, there will be any lasting changes in the content and theme of advertisements after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States.

Discusses regulations which have been passed by some states in the United States which restrict streetlight glow to streets, and prevent light which obscures stars from glaring into the sky.

Compares the policy of United States President George W. Bush toward the relationship between church and state to that of former president Thomas Jefferson.

Presents the experiences of the author as a teacher in the suicide of one of his students, in light of a shooting at a school near San Diego, California.

Discusses the popularity of bird watching in the United States and offers the author's experiences with a bird watching trip to Cape May, New Jersey. How the Cape May peninsula's climate, habitat, and protected woodlands are a stopover on the migratory route for millions of birds; Information to be learned about bird behaviors, life cycles, and habitats, as well as environmental concerns.

Discusses the condition of prisons in the United States and the need for unincarcerated people to take interest in the plight of prisoners.

Reports on Cape May, New Jersey as the best area for bird watching because of its climate, geography and variety of bird species.

Focuses on the poor driving conditions in Boston, Massachusetts where the building project known as the Big Dig has brought cars in the city to a virtual standstill.

Offers the author's view of census data. Usefulness of census data; How the author balks at being counted, at being a statistic; Author's reaction to the United States 2000 Census and all the ramifications; Brief anecdote related to census forms in the 1970s.

Expresses the author's wonder at seeing a bird in flight. Mention of Gerard Manley Hopkins' poem `The Windhover'; Birdwatching in Central Park, New York City.

Highlights the Nantucket Antheneum on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts as a place to engage in good conversation. Brief description of the island; Poet and author Jane Brox reading her book, `Five Thousand Days Like This One,' in the Antheneum.

Discusses how megaplex movie theaters around the United States are attracting teenagers but with changing technology many viewers will be able to see movies at home. The disruption that the kids cause at the megaplex theaters; How digitized, desktop filmmaking will change the way movies are created; The creation of movie rooms at home.

Mentions several event where new historical evidence is likely to change how those events are viewed. The DNA evidence linking Thomas Jefferson to the children of a slave; The discovery of a private diary by a Mexican lieutenant present at the battle of the Alamo; Efforts of blacks in South Africa to rewrite their nation's history to include themselves; The problem of history written by the conquerors of a particular region.

Compares Utah and Massachusetts' handling of juvenile offenders. How although Utah is a overwhelmingly Republican state and Massachusetts a Democratic, both have the least restrictive alternative to incarceration for a minor; Utah's paternalistic approach; Massachusetts' shift of blame from the individual to the environment approach; Restorative justice as an alternative to sentencing juvenile offenders that is taking off in Canada; What restorative justice is.

Describes the canoe trip of Brad Knickerbocker and Bob Harbison down the Hanford Reach stretch of the Columbia River, Washington. Their travel through the Hanford Nuclear Reservation; Unique status of the area regarding environmental policy; Concerns about land-use and people-use policy; Expected increase in environmentally-displaced persons.

Discusses the implications of the first 16 words of the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the United States of America. Religious diversity that flourishes as the United States enters the 21st century; Freedom to worship as a unifying force in society.

Introduces articles dealing with communications issues; Cell-phone etiquette; Copyright law and its interplay with popular culture.

Describes Block Island off the coast of Rhode Island. Its size; Number of ponds on the fairly small island; Species of plants which live on the island; Birds including warblers, tanagers, catbirds, chickadees and peregrine falcons which stay on the island during their southern migration; Birdwatching on Block Island; Conservation efforts.

Reports about the ongoing battle between Congress and White House over education issues during 1995. Introduction of charter-school legislation and public schools run by private companies.