Monday, July 27, 2020 "18 of the 50 largest U.S. [real estate] markets have
reached or even surpassed January [2020] levels of market activity." https://nyti.ms/3eSW6U9
That seems remarkable considering how difficult it must be to visit available properties and make a decision in these weird days. Almost as remarkable are those cities that have proved most resilient, including New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, while Chicago and Atlanta join a group of smaller cities whose real estate market has weakened through the year. I am encouraged by this report because it refutes, at least for now, the prattle that the coronavirus is emptying our big cities.
. . .
If you are considering bailing out of one of America's big cities, somewhere in Scandinavia and the array of social services broadly available might be your destination. Before you go, however, regard the proliferation of nasty crime stories that have emerged over the years from northern Europe. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/24/books/review/nordic-noir-guide.html
While they may be fiction, they may reflect deep-seated passions only partially contained under thick turtleneck sweaters.
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
I just finished reading The Expats, a spy novel by Chris Pavone. It is set in Western Europe and contains this intriguing sentence: "Luxembourg is a place where a great steak au poivre is half the price of awful Chinese food." Is that true? Can anyone tell me? This may well influence my future travel plans, that is if I have a future and if it contains travel plans.
. . .
Here's a headline that I find very scary, "Study: Blood test for Alzheimer's detects signs 20 years before memory, thinking falter." You get to sit around for the next 20 years anticipating a vegetative state. While you are waiting, you might consider this puzzle.
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
I completed my good deed this morning by addressing 30 postcards to Florida voters who may have lost their registration. The message simply asked them to confirm their status at an indicated site. The effort was sponsored by Reclaim Our Vote, which could use your help, too. https://actionnetwork.org/forms/reclaim-our-vote-signup
Besides the feeling that I may have single-handedly saved American democracy, I saw that my handwriting really stinks. Because I grew up a lefty in a right-handed household, I never mastered cursive writing or almost any task requiring manual dexterity. So, I resorted to crude printing at an early age, without displaying any improvement over time.
. . .
Getting out the vote is not the only area where our country needs improvement. Thanks to Humanitarian-on-Wheels Jeffrey Heller, I learned some information that reflects very badly on our way of life, a way of life undeservedly adorned with superlatives. Our rate of infant mortality trails over 50 other countries, including Latvia, Greece, Cuba, Poland and Italy. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/infant-mortality-rate-by-country
We are 34th in the world in life expectancy, behind, among others, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands even with their predilection to murder. https://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/
Thursday, July 30, 2020
"Because he can," is the answer to a scatalogical question. It traditionally addressed the behavior of a dog, but now we should realize that it is appropriately applied to our sitting president. While the dog might be interrupted by human intervention, it appears that no force, human or otherwise, can deter the narcissistic authoritarianism of the incumbent.
The extent of his attack on American democracy in order to satisfy his need for self-pleasure may be gauged by this headline: "Trump Floats Whether to ‘Delay the Election,’ Something He Cannot Legally Do." So far, the usual chorus of sycophants has been unwilling to pipe up in support of this proposed exercise in monomania. "Republican leaders in Congress, who often claim not to have seen Mr. Trump’s outlandish statements and tweets and who infrequently challenge him in public, promptly and vocally condemned any notion that the election would be moved."
Might the coronavirus weaken the body's immune system, but stiffen the spine?
. . .
I think that the challenge of reopening our schools is enormous. Kids staying home will force parents to stay home more often than not. The tools for remote learning, as with so many goods in our society, are far from evenly distributed. Remote learning at its best does not approach the best classroom. Gathering children and adults together in one space invites contagion. School is more than the classroom; for many children, it provides food and healthcare; for most, it provides unstated lessons in socialization and acculturation.
Children are a very large part of the equation here, 50.8 million students in public schools (https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=372), but not the only part. Public schools employ 3.2 million teachers (https://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/education-statistics/index.html), who, given their age range, are likely to encompass a significant collection of medical issues. "On Tuesday, the nation’s second-largest teachers’ union raised the stakes dramatically by authorizing its state and local chapters to strike if their districts do not take sufficient precautions — such as requiring masks and updating ventilation systems — before reopening classrooms." https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/29/us/teacher-union-school-reopening-coronavirus.html
Here's a description of the hodge-podge that New York City is passing off as its plan to reopen public schools, a plan guaranteed to satisfy no one. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/08/nyregion/nyc-schools-reopening-plan.html?campaign_id=154&emc=edit_cb_20200731&instance_id=20891&nl=coronavirus-briefing®i_id=599756&segment_id=34954&te=1&user_id=1353d3a345e55ff509b5cbb17ed36984
Colleges present another set of problems and, since they did not close as quickly and consistently as elementary and secondary schools, have already encountered many of them. "More Than 6,600 Coronavirus Cases Have Been Linked to U.S. Colleges." https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/28/us/covid-19-colleges-universities.html
One extremely scrupulous friend had his college course reassigned when he asked for an accommodation based on his heart condition. "I am fighting for the principle of the ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act]. My request for a medical accommodation is reasonable in light of the doctor's letter and that many courses are already being taught on Zoom. The university says that freshmen heavy classes (which mine is) must be in-person." He had a hearing this morning and a decision is pending.
. . .
Corporate executives do not seem to be indecisive in dealing with the pandemic. "When the pandemic prompted companies to furlough or lay off thousands of employees, some chief executives decided to show solidarity by forgoing some of their pay. But it turns out that their sacrifice was minimal." https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/29/business/economy/ceo-pay-pandemic-layoffs.html
Mammas, don't let your babies grow up to be anything but CEOs.
Friday, July 31, 2020
As we learn that staff members of the Philadelphia Phillies, players on the St. Louis Cardinals and more than half of the baseball players on the Miami Marlins have tested positive for Covid-19, the cry is heard throughout the land -- Don't Play Ball.
. . .
Here's a brief, but evocative essay about Chinatown today. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/video-dept/how-the-coronavirus-has-changed-chinatowns-restaurant-business?utm_source=onsite-share&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=onsite-share&utm_brand=the-new-yorker
It's like hearing that a dear friend is ill, but you are unable to get to her bedside.
That seems remarkable considering how difficult it must be to visit available properties and make a decision in these weird days. Almost as remarkable are those cities that have proved most resilient, including New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, while Chicago and Atlanta join a group of smaller cities whose real estate market has weakened through the year. I am encouraged by this report because it refutes, at least for now, the prattle that the coronavirus is emptying our big cities.
. . .
If you are considering bailing out of one of America's big cities, somewhere in Scandinavia and the array of social services broadly available might be your destination. Before you go, however, regard the proliferation of nasty crime stories that have emerged over the years from northern Europe. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/24/books/review/nordic-noir-guide.html
While they may be fiction, they may reflect deep-seated passions only partially contained under thick turtleneck sweaters.
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
I just finished reading The Expats, a spy novel by Chris Pavone. It is set in Western Europe and contains this intriguing sentence: "Luxembourg is a place where a great steak au poivre is half the price of awful Chinese food." Is that true? Can anyone tell me? This may well influence my future travel plans, that is if I have a future and if it contains travel plans.
. . .
Here's a headline that I find very scary, "Study: Blood test for Alzheimer's detects signs 20 years before memory, thinking falter." You get to sit around for the next 20 years anticipating a vegetative state. While you are waiting, you might consider this puzzle.
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
I completed my good deed this morning by addressing 30 postcards to Florida voters who may have lost their registration. The message simply asked them to confirm their status at an indicated site. The effort was sponsored by Reclaim Our Vote, which could use your help, too. https://actionnetwork.org/forms/reclaim-our-vote-signup
Besides the feeling that I may have single-handedly saved American democracy, I saw that my handwriting really stinks. Because I grew up a lefty in a right-handed household, I never mastered cursive writing or almost any task requiring manual dexterity. So, I resorted to crude printing at an early age, without displaying any improvement over time.
. . .
Getting out the vote is not the only area where our country needs improvement. Thanks to Humanitarian-on-Wheels Jeffrey Heller, I learned some information that reflects very badly on our way of life, a way of life undeservedly adorned with superlatives. Our rate of infant mortality trails over 50 other countries, including Latvia, Greece, Cuba, Poland and Italy. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/infant-mortality-rate-by-country
We are 34th in the world in life expectancy, behind, among others, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands even with their predilection to murder. https://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/
Thursday, July 30, 2020
"Because he can," is the answer to a scatalogical question. It traditionally addressed the behavior of a dog, but now we should realize that it is appropriately applied to our sitting president. While the dog might be interrupted by human intervention, it appears that no force, human or otherwise, can deter the narcissistic authoritarianism of the incumbent.
The extent of his attack on American democracy in order to satisfy his need for self-pleasure may be gauged by this headline: "Trump Floats Whether to ‘Delay the Election,’ Something He Cannot Legally Do." So far, the usual chorus of sycophants has been unwilling to pipe up in support of this proposed exercise in monomania. "Republican leaders in Congress, who often claim not to have seen Mr. Trump’s outlandish statements and tweets and who infrequently challenge him in public, promptly and vocally condemned any notion that the election would be moved."
Might the coronavirus weaken the body's immune system, but stiffen the spine?
. . .
I think that the challenge of reopening our schools is enormous. Kids staying home will force parents to stay home more often than not. The tools for remote learning, as with so many goods in our society, are far from evenly distributed. Remote learning at its best does not approach the best classroom. Gathering children and adults together in one space invites contagion. School is more than the classroom; for many children, it provides food and healthcare; for most, it provides unstated lessons in socialization and acculturation.
Children are a very large part of the equation here, 50.8 million students in public schools (https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=372), but not the only part. Public schools employ 3.2 million teachers (https://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/education-statistics/index.html), who, given their age range, are likely to encompass a significant collection of medical issues. "On Tuesday, the nation’s second-largest teachers’ union raised the stakes dramatically by authorizing its state and local chapters to strike if their districts do not take sufficient precautions — such as requiring masks and updating ventilation systems — before reopening classrooms." https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/29/us/teacher-union-school-reopening-coronavirus.html
Here's a description of the hodge-podge that New York City is passing off as its plan to reopen public schools, a plan guaranteed to satisfy no one. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/08/nyregion/nyc-schools-reopening-plan.html?campaign_id=154&emc=edit_cb_20200731&instance_id=20891&nl=coronavirus-briefing®i_id=599756&segment_id=34954&te=1&user_id=1353d3a345e55ff509b5cbb17ed36984
Colleges present another set of problems and, since they did not close as quickly and consistently as elementary and secondary schools, have already encountered many of them. "More Than 6,600 Coronavirus Cases Have Been Linked to U.S. Colleges." https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/28/us/covid-19-colleges-universities.html
One extremely scrupulous friend had his college course reassigned when he asked for an accommodation based on his heart condition. "I am fighting for the principle of the ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act]. My request for a medical accommodation is reasonable in light of the doctor's letter and that many courses are already being taught on Zoom. The university says that freshmen heavy classes (which mine is) must be in-person." He had a hearing this morning and a decision is pending.
. . .
Corporate executives do not seem to be indecisive in dealing with the pandemic. "When the pandemic prompted companies to furlough or lay off thousands of employees, some chief executives decided to show solidarity by forgoing some of their pay. But it turns out that their sacrifice was minimal." https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/29/business/economy/ceo-pay-pandemic-layoffs.html
Mammas, don't let your babies grow up to be anything but CEOs.
Friday, July 31, 2020
As we learn that staff members of the Philadelphia Phillies, players on the St. Louis Cardinals and more than half of the baseball players on the Miami Marlins have tested positive for Covid-19, the cry is heard throughout the land -- Don't Play Ball.
. . .
Here's a brief, but evocative essay about Chinatown today. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/video-dept/how-the-coronavirus-has-changed-chinatowns-restaurant-business?utm_source=onsite-share&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=onsite-share&utm_brand=the-new-yorker
It's like hearing that a dear friend is ill, but you are unable to get to her bedside.
OMG! Is there really a camel?? I can't find the camel...
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