Monday, July 1, 2019
While
the Democratic presidential candidates squabble over Medicare For All,
let us not forget that the Republicans long stood as the party of
Medicare For None. https://thinkprogress.org/. . .
The New York Times
instructs us that, even as the need for affordable housing for one or two-person
households increases, the market is answering with larger, more
expensive homes. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/
While "[t]he share of new homes with four or more bedrooms has doubled over 30 years," large households are decreasing and small ones are increasing.
. . .
While "[t]he share of new homes with four or more bedrooms has doubled over 30 years," large households are decreasing and small ones are increasing.
. . .
Our newspaper of record has also conveniently compiled a list of the 50 best memoirs of the last 50 years. https://www.nytimes.com/
It's a strong collection, including Barack Obama's Dreams From My Father. Will the 45th president eventually write My Father Was Born In Germany?
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
The U.S.'s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal has only seemed to have made Iran more dangerous, which the pact was intended to prevent in the first place. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/
His friend in the White House is apparently aiming to realize Bibi Netanyahu's dream of Iran as an existential threat to Israel.
The U.S.'s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal has only seemed to have made Iran more dangerous, which the pact was intended to prevent in the first place. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/
His friend in the White House is apparently aiming to realize Bibi Netanyahu's dream of Iran as an existential threat to Israel.
Wednesday, July 3, 2019
I
have always been more interested in 1787 than 1776, the creation of the
US Constitution over the Declaration of Independence, because the
Constitution continues to shape our institutions and policies, while the
Declaration remains purely aspirational, contending that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness." The Constitutional Convention drained these sentiments from the foundation of the new republic, accommodating slaveholders at almost every turn, inhibiting democracy to this day.
Beside the document itself, the Betsy Ross flag, red and white stripes and a blue square with 13 white stars in a circle, is the most notable symbol of the revolutionary period, emerging in 1777. Now, Nike has cancelled a new sneaker with this image, because "it could unintentionally offend and detract from the nation’s patriotic holiday.” It was observed that "the Betsy Ross flag had been co-opted by groups espousing racist ideologies."
So, we allow the bad guys to shape the public forum, corrupt our history and deny us choices right down to our feet. Are our progressive values so fragile that they wither in the face of junior grade Scheiße ausbreiten? We are engaged in a competition of ideas, almost as important as the athletic competitions Nike so heavily invests in. Woman up, Nike.
. . .
The New York Times sought 10 distinctive ice creams for this holiday.
The people doing the scooping were often as interesting and unusual as their flavors. They or their parents came from Iran, Cuba, Thailand, Trinidad, Syria, Philippines, Peru, India, Mexico, Pakistan, and the Dutch Antilles. The only "local" is Hawaiian. Not only do they share foreignness, none feature vanilla.
. . .
The Chinese restaurant that Michael Ratner and I were headed for was temporarily closed at lunchtime, so we went to the seventh and newest location of Tacombi, 377 Amsterdam Avenue, a casual Mexican joint, that replaced a pretentious dessert café. The only hangover from the previous, ill-conceived venture is too much floor space, making it a challenge to appear busy with even a semi-large crowd. Tacombi deserves a crowd, offering a simple menu of mostly modestly-priced food -- 4 entradas (appetizers or sides), 13 tacos (too Americanized to warrant italics), 4 quesadillas, and beverages, hard and soft.
We started with some good guacamole ($11.95), a large portion accompanied by excellent tortilla chips (cf. tacos supra). It was the most expensive item on the menu, pricey mainly because of its recent popularity like salted caramel confections and flatbreads. We then dug into 6 different tacos -- Al Pastor ($3.95, marinated Heritage pork), Pollo Yucateco ($3.95, marinated chicken),
Thursday, July 4, 2019
By coincidence, madam and I joined Diane and Irwin for dinner at Tri Dim Shanghai, 1378 Third Avenue, the original location of the new West Side branch at 467 Columbus Avenue that was closed to Michael and I yesterday. This Tri Dim is a "nice" Chinese restaurant, white tablecloths, waiters enrolled at NYU graduate school, and a full bar (which we availed ourselves of). Most importantly, the (sometimes overpriced) food is very good although located in a neighborhood that often puts decor over cuisine.
Irwin and I concentrated on BBQ spare ribs ($12), cold sesame noodles ($7), steamed shrimp dumplings (4 for $8), and shredded crispy duck wrapped in 4 pancakes with chive threads and hoisin sauce ($26). The women shared tri mushroom bok choy ($12) and fillet of sole in rice wine ($21); Diane also nibbled on curry prawns ($24). By the way, none of their food was immune from our intrusions.
"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." I thought that I'd throw that in for no reason.
Friday, July 5, 2019
My brother clarified the president's misstatement at yesterday's salute to Amerika. When he said that George Washington's Continental Army "took over the airports," he meant to say that it seized the radio stations.
. . .
Before the Internet, you would never be able to determine "the States With the Most (and Least) 'Seinfeld' Fans."
https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/these-are-the-states-with-the-most-and-least-seinfeld-fans.html/
Slicing and dicing data from Google, we now know that basically the Northeast is opposite the Old South in admiration for Jerry et alia. Most surprising was Utah's affinity for the show, with its 3 out of 4 faux-Gentiles inhabiting Manhattan's Upper West Side. While somewhat attenuated, I suggest you consider the Mormon belief that America's Indians were the ten lost tribes of Israel. https://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/places/related-articles/mormon-scripture-and-the-lost-tribes-of-israel
We all know that Manhattan Island was once populated by Indian tribes, now replaced to a large extent by Jews, creating a profound spiritual link to the Mormons.
closed to Michael and me, please
ReplyDeleteIt seems that the first thing to go is not my knees, but my grammar.
ReplyDelete