Language Arts

Monday, October 14, 2019

Last night began the 8-day Jewish harvest festival, Sukkot, likely a carryover from earlier, pre-Hebraic celebrations.  On Pitkin Avenue, it was an excuse for two more days off from school, with only a vague awareness of some deeper meaning.  These days, I have learned a bit more about the holiday and have not been entirely pleased with the additional information. 

A key part of Sukkot observance is the fetishizing of the etrog, a citrus fruit, otherwise so obscure that Jelly Belly does not use it as a flavor.  Religious Jews do more than admire the etrog as fruit of the earth, part of God's bounty.  They go to great lengths to acquire a perfect etrog, free of blemish, asymmetry or any flaw, the ideal work of the Creator. 
https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/25/business/the-once-a-year-search-for-the-perfect-citron.html

This rankles me, because Jews, if anyone, are well aware of the imperfections of the world.  And, even if you wish to honor the work of the Creator, recognize that the imperfect are as much the Big One's product as the perfect.  In fact, the Big One seems to produce the imperfect in far greater volume, which is a good reason to pay attention.
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If you are thinking of investing in real estate instead of fruit, consider the recent history of appreciation in home values.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/10/realestate/home-equity-winners.html

In this period 2012 to the present, there has been some phenomenal growth figures, Tacoma, Washington, 1,453%; Greeley, Colorado, 1,067%.  I am somewhat dubious, however.  Where were these properties in 2008, their value supported by the lying, cheating and stealing in the the real estate market that almost destroyed the world's economy?
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If you are into breathing, you might be concerned about air quality wherever you choose to settle down.  The New York Times has done a great job graphically illustrating the role of vehicle emissions in polluting the air.  https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/10/10/climate/driving-emissions-map.html

"Even as the United States has reduced carbon dioxide emissions from its electric grid, largely by switching from coal power to less-polluting natural gas, emissions from transportation have remained stubbornly high."  People like to drive and the more people the more air pollution.  Therefore, New York seems to be the worst polluter.  However, the critical role of rapid transit locally brings down our per capita poisoning noticeably.  But, don't breathe easy even for a moment.  "The Trump administration is expected to finalize a rollback of efficiency standards for passenger vehicles this month, a move that could significantly increase future emissions from America’s cars and trucks."

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Money talks or maybe its sings.  Many major companies have hear the seductive tones of the vast Chinese market and rush to comfort the Chinese regime even as it vigorously represses tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents.   https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/11/technology/china-apple-minefield.htm

While the National Basketball Association tries to dodge the bullets ricocheting from the comments of some of its players and staff about basic civil liberties in Hong Kong, other uber-capitalists have pasted themselves to the floor of the Forbidden City in abject surrender.  If they were around at the time, would Apple, Nike, Marriott, Zara and Delta have resisted an economic carrot waved by Hitler?

Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Forget red state/blue state; Russia/Ukraine; seashore/mountains.  We now have a way of focusing on real rivalries.  New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders; Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants; Dallas Cowboys vs. Anybody.   https://knowrivalry.com/

This website surveyed over 10,000 sports fans, seeking the range and depth of their passions.  What I particularly appreciate is the recognition of the two sides of the fan loyalty coin.  The survey includes: "Schadenfreude - How much joy do fans take in the misfortune of the rival team?"

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

I better get my hearing checked.  I don't doubt that the calls to Boycott, Divest and Sanction Turkey for its murderous campaign against the Kurds are ringing loud and clear, coast-to-coast, from one bastion of ethnic studies to another.  I just haven't heard them.
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Over the years, I made fumbling attempts to learn several foreign languages, with no success.  I never even made an organized attempt to learn Spanish, maybe because of or maybe in spite of its widespread use in the United States.  In any case, when I heard ¡malecon!, I thought it was a taunt, even an insult.  Instead, it is a busy Dominican restaurant at 764 Amsterdam Avenue.  Its front window held dozens of chickens on rotisseries and that's what drew me in.

I had half a chicken (medium-small), with a huge mound of mashed potatoes ($13.50).  The skin was mahogany brown, but did not taste of any spices, as I usually expect from a Latino/Latina/Latinx chicken.  A small tray on each table held hot sauce, steak sauce, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, if you wanted to goose up the chicken, so to speak.  Service was very good; the background music at the right decibel level; the seating comfortable.  Bueno but not muy bueno.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Paul Hecht, Thespian-At-Large, has sent me this cartographic exercise. 

 

It's well worth pulling out your magnifying glass to see the connection between women and places throughout the Holy Land.  There are some empty spots, especially in East New York, my home turf.  We need to assign Esther Malka Goldenberg to the Euclid Avenue station of the A train.  She was, after all, a pillar of the community, operating a grocery store one block south and one block west of the subway station, while serving as the matriarchal center of gravity for numerous relatives up and down our family tree. 

Friday, October 18, 2019

Sometimes you want to stand out and sometimes you want to blend in.  Take a look at the most popular Netflix movies and series to determine how close you are to the cultural norm. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/17/business/media/netflix-top-ten-movies-tv-shows.html

 

Have you even heard of all of them before deciding to skip them?

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Paul Hecht, Canadian-In-Exile, informs me, and thereby you, that today is Persons Day in Canada.  https://cfc-swc.gc.ca/commemoration/whm-mhf/persons-personne-en.html

"It marks the day in 1929 when the historic decision to include women in the legal definition of 'persons' was handed down by Canada’s highest court of appeal."  So, Happy Person.

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Almost two weeks ago, madam and I had the pleasure of eating a lot of good Indian food together with "cousins" Eli and Hana Gothelf, something rare around their home in Israel.  Today, with my bride on the road to Massachusetts, I took Eli and Hana to eat more food that is hard to get in Israel, good pastrami and corned beef.  Our natural destination was Pastrami Queen, 1125 Lexington Avenue, tiny, crowded, bustling and usually delicious.  And, so it was this afternoon.  Unfortunately, I am as unfamiliar with Hebrew as I am with Spanish, yet I think that some some superlatives were uttered at the table by my dear companions.