Monday, December 28, 2020
I think that one of the most divisive issues this country faces is the attitude towards law enforcement. The right sees the (usually) men in blue as the guardians of civilization, holding back anarchy; the left just sees red.
As progressives chant "Defund the police," closely-contested legislative seats fall to retrograde politicians preaching "law and order," an important reason that this year's anticipated Blue Wave turned into a Blue Mist. Note that I am not advocating conservative policy, but observing a conservative reality. On the other hand, let us take a few moments to look at this video recording of a traffic stop in the greater Dallas-Ft. Worth area involving a father and son, Hispanic local residents, driving to a relative's home in separate cars.
"What's wrong with this
picture?" While the physical injuries here are relatively slight, it
illustrates a standard of police conduct that the majority of the American
population is rarely exposed to, while far too familiar to the
"others" in our society. It's not George Floyd or Eric Garner,
incidents that, while notorious, are relatively rare; about 1,000 civilians are killed by police
annually under all circumstances. https://www.statista.com/
Rather, it is what happened to the Puentes, probably repeated countless times throughout the country every day, that weakens the social fabric and diminishes the oppressed and the oppressor. Law enforcement officers should have special standing in our communities, but employment standards, training and supervision must make them deserving of the distinction. Too often, this is not the case.
. . .
In
New York City's "annual ranking of baby names, . . . for the third
straight year, the winners remained unchanged: Liam and Emma." https://gothamist.com/
. . .
Good news for many is the decline in the median monthly rent in Manhattan from $3,509 in January 2020 to $2,776 in November 2020.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/
Tuesday, December 29, 2020
I went on a sort of a pilgrimage yesterday, motivated by the
obituary of Betty Campbell-Adams, who, with her late husband Lloyd, built a
successful baking business in Harlem, based on a delicious family
recipe for carrot cake. https://nyti.ms/
Lloyd's Carrot Cake is primarily sold to restaurants, but is
available on-line and at retail stores including Zabar's, 2245 Broadway, my
destination, where it is sold by the piece. https://www.
I have enjoyed the carrot cake before and felt that a tribute to its founder was in order. In fact, I got the last piece at Zabar's. I was lucky, because the bakery announced that it would be closed until January 11th. Lloyd's Carrot Cake has Kosher certification so each and every one of you, except the vegans (cream cheese frosting), should seek out a piece or two during the new year to show appreciation to your mouth and stomach.
. . .
Wouldn't you like to have a friend named Cassandra
Brooklyn? https://www.
Wednesday, December 30, 2020
Absolute Bagels, 2788 Broadway, between West 107th & West 108th Streets, often emerges at the top of the list of best bagels in the Holy Land. I had only had them once, when the lovely and talented Sharon C. brought them to a meeting. Today, however, after running an errand nearby, my young bride went into the store and bought 4 Everything bagels ($1.50 each) while I waited in the car.
Usually, I buy my bagels at Fairway Market, 2131 Broadway ($.89-1.29 each), because it is also a very good source of smoked fish and cream cheese; it offers mini-bagels, closer in size to classic bagels in contrast to the swollen creations now prevalent; it is a very short walk. A few times recently, responding to fits of guilt about my physical deterioration, I have walked one extra crosstown block to Zucker's Smoked Fish & Bagels, 273 Columbus Avenue, part of a local chain. To be clear, the distance between Fairway and Zucker's is 3/10 of a mile, 1,584 feet, not quite the same as falling out of bed. Not only did I benefit from the physical exercise, I got a very good bagel ($1.60 each).
Although the Absolute bagels were still hot when they got in the car, I didn't have one for a couple of hours. Then, I confirmed the opinion of others fressers -- these were superior bagels. Also, different. Much chewier than the usual bagel and, in the case of the Everything bagel, only one side was everything. The bottom of the bagel had almost no trace of poppy seeds, garlic, sesame seeds, salt or onion like a Nothing bagel. And yet, it was delicious. Of course, on any given Sunday, I will still be deterred from shopping at Absolute by the distance from home. You could drop some off, however, on your way downtown.
. . .
Tonight, I listened to the second session of "Big Stories of the Little Screen -- Israeli Television Through the Decades." I've learned that Israel had no television until 1966, because David Ben-Gurion, the preeminent founding father, feared corruption of the youth, and it only permitted black and white transmission until 1983 to avoid socioeconomic stratification, because of the higher cost of color television sets. Meanwhile, wily Israelis rigged antennae in the early days to get programs from Jordan and Egypt and defeated the mechanisms installed on color television sets to wash out the colors.
Most surprising, even shocking, to me was learning that the most popular show in Israel in the 1980s, running episodes a few months after they appeared on American television, was "Dynasty." Was the attraction of this display of vulgar capitalistic excess a response to the privation of the country's early decades under socialist influence? Or does bad taste not stop at the water's edge?
Thursday, December 31, 2020
My brother posed this question to me this morning, "What was the first thing our mother said when sitting down at a Chinese restaurant?" Answer below.
. . .
Here is a headline this morning: "Police Had Tip on Nashville Bomber, but Say They Could Not Act." Too bad he wasn't a Black guy walking in a white neighborhood.
. . .
To wrap up year end, you have a choice of reading material:
- If you want to laugh through your tears, read
"Dave Barry’s year in review: 2020 was a year of nonstop
awfulness." https://www.adn.com/opinions/
national-opinions/2020/12/27/ dave-barrys-year-in-review/
- If you just want to cry, read Lawrence Wright's great
reporting of "The Plague Year." https://www.newyorker.com/
magazine/2021/01/04/the- plague-year
Friday, January 1, 2021
In case you are not familiar with him, here is a performance by Dave Frishberg. https://www.youtube.com/watch?He is in poor health at present and, never having risen to the top of the charts, is in financial need. You may offer support through GoFundMe, https://gofund.me/3e5b976e. He deserves to have a happier and healthier New Year with the rest of us.
. . .
"Tell him to bring more mustard."
My father who considered himself a Chinese food expert would sit down and say in what he thought was an understandable Chinese accent: Bring me cockabally soup. Is this a real word?
ReplyDeleteMy parents never ate in a Chinese restaurant.
ReplyDeleteAnd what happened to Gilbert and Bonnie as first names?
I think Jon Cryer eliminated any desire to name a child Alan by his portrayal of Charlie Sheen’s brother Alan on the TV comedy “Two and a Half Men”
ReplyDelete