Saturday, September 24, 2022
If
you happen to pass by Palazzo di Gotthelf in the next few days, you are
likely to notice a warm glow coming from within. Fear not, it is not
from an overheated electrical appliance, but rather from the presence of
America’s Loveliest Nephrologist, visiting from the Left Coast.
. . .
A headline on the on-line version of The Forward reads
“Could the High Holidays be affecting the stock market?” Such a
question. Everybody knows that you sell on Rosh Hashanah and buy on Yom
Kippur.
Sunday, September 25, 2022
Today
is the 10th anniversary of the death of Mother Ruth Gotthelf, which was
two months shy of her 103rd birthday. It came about four hours before
the start of Yom Kippur, making funeral planning particularly
difficult. With the help of family and friends, the funeral and shiva
proceeded in an orderly fashion, with a healthy balance of sadness at
her loss and joy for all that she gave us over those many years.
. . .
In
"Love’s Labour's Lost," Shakespeare wrote “Beauty is bought by
judgement of the eye." Associate Justice Potter Stewart wrote "I know
it when I see it," regarding obscenity in Jacobellis v. Ohio, 378 U.S. 184 (1964).
Today, we seem to be more challenged in dealing with offensive speech rather than beauty or obscenity.
Some recent examples include two white guys in a “Multicultural
Communities of Excellence” space at Arizona State University, one with a
Did Not Vote for Biden T-shirt, the other a Police Lives Matter sticker
on his laptop (https://nyti.ms/3qkHO6V); a documentary film about former Guantánamo detainees made by a non-Muslim white woman (https://nyti.ms/3LFhRZq); a Twitter comment and a poster addressed to a German politician that read “Du bist so 1 Pimmel” (You are such a penis) (https://nyti.ms/
More general are the broadly-based attacks on school and
public libraries, usually in pursuit of "obscene and pornographic materials" (https://twitter.com/
The most difficult question in cases of this sort is how to evaluate the grievance. Rabbi Shemuel ben Nachmani said
"We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are." My own contribution, although not all encompassing, is “Hated speech is not necessarily hate speech.” And, there is always "Sticks and stones . . . "
. . .
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimates that 82% of people in the U.S. have been infected with Covid-19 at least once as of July 11th.
This
seems like a shockingly high number, although it is from an outfit that is
well-established and quite credible. Look around and see if that
estimate comports with your own observation.
Wednesday, September 28, 2022
I
ended 5782 with lunch at a new (to me) Chinese restaurant and I began
5783 with a new (to me) Chinese restaurant. Chili, 13 East 37th Street
(the name could apply to a Mexican, Thai, Indian restaurant as well), is
a relatively narrow, deep joint, with about 30 tables. Lighting is
supplied by crystal (?) chandeliers and faux Tiffany fixtures, but there
was little else to complain about. It was packed at lunchtime, but
service was prompt and efficient.
I
ordered Beef Pancake Wrap, a thin, crispy scallion pancake wrapped
around braised beef shank and hoisin sauce ($13), a tube about 6" long
and 1" diameter. I also had a large and tasty portion of Fried Rice
with Shredded Tea Smoked Duck ($15). I came away full and happy. Let's
see what the rest of the year brings.
Thursday, September 29, 2022
The husband of Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., filed for divorce Wednesday morning in a Georgia court. Swipe right.
Friday, September 30, 2022
Whatever happened to that guy? "As a freshman congressman in 2013, Ron DeSantis was unambiguous: A federal bailout for the New York region after Hurricane Sandy was an irresponsible boondoggle, a symbol of the ‘put it on the credit card mentality’ he had come to Washington to oppose."
No comments:
Post a Comment