Books of America

Have always been surprised that when visiting people at their home, I don't see books. No, this obsevation is not about the people I visit. Go in a furniture store and ask for a bookshelf.   In the old country, where freedom of speech was scarce, displaying books was a must. Yes, it was for show, but also this was where some truth could be found. Here is an amusing discussion. Of course, one should start by buying a book. And maybe one should turn to books in this age of faked media.  

Blue or Green

             

Which is my favorite color? Don't know. It depends of the day. Sometimes, when I am recovering a password,  this questions comes up and I am embarrassed.   Is it the Green grass of home or the Deep blue sea? difficult to decide. Seems the preferred color is related to  one's personality. Every day I need to decide where I will have my bike  ride - by the Hudson or around Central Park. These days it is easy - Central Park where the aroma of the  linden trees is getting me drunk.                                                                                                                                  

Historic Times

What makes this period historic?  Not the numberof deaths, not the empty streets, but the changes that will follow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVlJYaoiIBY

20:20 2020

Rejecting eschatology.  This morning my wife had a bout of diarrhea.  Checked the internet where a site noted that diarrhea was associated with some covid cases. She got immediately dressed up and went to buy hair color.

WHO?

Staying home. It is a time of bonding or de-bonding with those close by ( or closed in the same apartment). I decided to spend time organizing old pics. Family pics. turns out that before Facebook people were sending pics around without date or name....By now I have no idea. Who???

There is this undated picture of this guy. A couple of them. Who is he? If you recognize oneself, holler.

Losing Liberties

Losing liberty ? Maybe. In fact the problem is  the size of the nose. And what is more important - the liberty to speak or to breathe? This pic is from November, way before the virus, on Brooklyn Bridge,  where for decades barriers have prevented people from jumping.

Deciding (who?)

I quote
Clemenceau, the French prime minister, said, “War is so important that one should not leave it to just the generals.” Then, during World War II, General De Gaulle commented, “War is too important to leave it to the politicians
And I think there is some truth on both...Specialists in some domain see everything thru their prism.  When given importance, they  try to take control of the mike. Some might get outsized importance. And the way to keep their hero status is to scare the audience. But then are politicians any more rational, better equipped to see all the other aspects. They are expected to represent the view of their constituents. Is this so? or They impose their own views on their constituents. And how do the constituents know about Covid-19? or the politicians? Or the specialists? As they say in chess playing a l'aveugle.
But in fact champions can do it.

Masks. Did not believe

I have a bad history with masks. At Ground Zero did not wear.  in the airDid not believe, but others suffered. Now, I would but it is confusing

covid times

Probably a first in twenty years. Cancelled my nytimes delivery (for a month).

They...THEY

They. It is always THEY who spread the virus.  THEY will harm you.
This older friend from Rotterdam was complaining how young people spread the virus.  They stay out, congregate, all these things... without regard of old people. And when I asked what he was doing...he was on his way to buy mustard at the supermarket.
But it is possible that young people might not care. So fine now, let the old people suffer. And later, the old people might respond by shoving the resilience....down the polls...

hate beyond

Some people still email me links to articles that politicize the response to COVID. Their hate of democrats, blinds them to where we stand now. So this link is to an article from a  historian, a Trump supporter. And I agree.

Thinking in COVID-19 Times

 Is  forehead part of the face?? How can  I think if I cannot touch my face?

At some risk, pass words

During this period, I imagine people my age, at some risk, update their wills.  I am busy preparing a lists of sites with proper passwords where I placed several ideas or bon mots. I know the morale of  La Fontaine of the farmer who made his sons till the land in search of a  treasure.

 De leur montrer avant sa mort
  Que le travail est un trésor .

My hope is they (they who?) will actually read some. Or keep for when they are older.

The irony of irony

Carlin on on immunity.

Break from life...

As my wife says. This restrictions let you take a break from life. ...And watch the Andy Griffith Show.

Looking for happiness

Two weeks ago, in the airport, I read an article about happiness. It enumerated the basic  elements.  According to the ancients. And surprisingly I matched all, except one -  having friends, strong social links.  So I wanted to actually quote from the article and note that I was already practicing social distancing....The COVID required barrier.
Thought I saved the article.  No. This is close, but does not talk about purpose. And self knowledge. So am spending my time in isolation searching on google  the elements of happiness. 

groucho for ever (or one hour)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VckmK-ZCpAU

Prince and pauper

Two exhibitions one at the Met, the other at the Mechanics' institute.

Locks

princely amusements

Bernie

Definitely like him. Approve of him. But as they whisper in my tribe: Hope messiah comes, but not in my lifetime.

stones, copy

Never let ....

From Maximilian's I wardrobe

 Never let your enemy see your back!  But in the museum....

Hope, oh, hope!

Four days days after, and still hoping...

Three offerings today

I wrote the previous post after watching an older youtube interview of Thiel.  And here today a confirmation

The three offerings

Peter Thiel sees society offering only  three choices: wear a burka, live under constant surveillance like in China or fight  against global warming.  Is this why he invested in Facebook?

Black ...day

Wonder when Ikea will start selling coffins to be assembled  byt he user.

One more last time

When I rode home yesterday, I thought it would be the last ride of the year. But it turned out I could ride today again.
It reminds me of a child joke:
The guy runs after a bus and as he catches, says "All done, go!". The conductor is annoyed:
"Why do you say ready, when it's not ready? I say ready when it's ready. GO! "

Daughter's impeachment

My daughter was a sub-mediocre student in eighth grade. Close to bottom.
She bribed with candies all the second and third graders and got elected school student president. This has been the best she ever...The school director refused to accept and  rejected the vote.
What was a parent to do??

tourism

You know a city by it's bookstores, you know a bookstore by it's poetry shelfs.

Stepping out

Brin and Page, thank you.
Twenty years ago I was spending a little fortune on antique engineering books. You put them on line and there went their worth. But you put so many other book online....and I thank you...

The Balkans

My building's doorman is Albanian. I talked with him repeatedly about Skanderbeg, a movie I liked when I was a kid. He told me that in every town in Albania there is a statue of Skanderbeg. Two days ago I asked him about the earthquake. No, it did not hit his family,  They are from Kosovo! The Balkans...complicated. 

London bridge or London tower?

Let us recapitulate;
1. the victims were young graduates working for prisoner rehabilitation.
2. the terrorist that stabbed was just released form prison on licence last year.
3. the hero who helped stop the attack was a murder convicted felon.
Is there any other business, but prison in London?

lying

I was exaggerating in my count for Thanksgiving. I had a  friend, but he did not care to share my food though....and today I took him to the vet, for a last stroll.

Omar Sharif

At 6 o'clock this morning my wife woke me up to the news that Omar Sharif had died. Was not very impressed, but my wife reminded me he used to be my idol. He never was, but someone in my family had remarked  I looked like him and I became the Omar Sharif of my family. In truth, it was just my mustache.
Later today I verified the news. Sharif died three years ago. So what about the wake-up call?  Just a memento mori..

Conversation

My wife asked why do billionaires marry beautiful women many decades younger. "At a certain age it does not matter how beautiful.  What do they see in them? One  should have a wife who can carry a  conversation!"  How was I supposed to carry this conversation?

Thanksgiving count

Family ??
Friends???
Today even okgoogle did not answer!

book shelving

I am arranging a small room to be my office. But there cannot be an office without a nice bookshelf. So, two days ago, I started to look online.  Big mistake. Since then, whenever I touch the internet, I get an ad for a bookshelf. But the interesting part is that  you cannot see any book on display in the ads. There are flowers, mirrors, photos, statuettes, trophies....

Alter or alternate

A friend just died. Not a real friend, a friend of a friend. A Facebook friend.. I don't know how to feel? We shared the same rare last name, We had almost the same age (me, older by one year) and were from the same city. We never met or even messaged on Facebook, but from time to time I was confused with him or asked if we were brothers.

Rotten

One cannot trust this president. I bought lots of avocados in advance of the border closing. Bad investment. They are rotting now. I feel like throwing one at...

Paradise

Three days ago at Parsenn on the lift started a conversation with a fellow skier. He was a Brit living in New Zealand. Told him how being with a group of immigrants in a Paris transit station I heard one asking - Do you know where Paradise is? New Zealand!

Censure

Towards the bridge. I was afraid this title would be misunderstood in today's atmosphere of offended sensibilities. It is not about immigrants, it is not about a bridge instead of a wall. Should I censure myself?  Should I excuse and explain?  It is a pic of stone people advancing towards a steel structure.

Headscarves

Upcoming landmark

One of the last gas stations in Manhattan

Proving intellect....

The US is planning to place tariffs on Chinese products because of past past Chinese intellectual theft. Asked about it a Chinese official replied. "Fake news" stealing Trump's intellectual.....

Me too, or Le Rouge et le Noir

never liked Catherine Deneuve and did not actually read " en direct" the statement she signed. Reports are that it criticized me (too). There is no doubt that  there are many women that were violated or mistreated, but what we have now is an elitist cultural hysteria (if I may use such word).. So I think Deneuve may have a point and I salute the  French  who signed.  Feminine is a word of French  Latin origin.
But I bow even deeper in front of Blanca Blanco who looked good in her  red dress and did not care for the political black.  Why would Ms White White (in translation from some Latin language ) wear black. I admire but would not dare to tell it in her face,

NO COLLUSION

It is time to get real. There was no collusion, that is there was no quid pro quo or anything like this. The Russians did not expect Trump to win. Nor did Trump. Putin helped Trump hoping  to get a weakened Hillary president. Everybody in the Trump clique was trying to position themselves for maximum deals and profits post (lost) election.  Why Russia? This is where money flows to few and the oligarchs  like to spend abroad...There was nothing else. There is nothing seriously immoral in trying to milk the corrupt, launder some dirty money...Just dirty reality.

Imagining man

Rodin and Michelangelo at the MET.  Naked heroes and only muscles, Where did they see this? What were they eating? 

             

Forecasting change

Forecasting the economy or the stock market is usually wrong. Not totally wrong but enough off the mark to be called wrong. And lots of money is poured into this research since there is a lot of money to be made. Now weather forecasting is not more precise. Improving, but still  not precise for longer than three or four days horizons...So why would climate change analyses and predictions be more accurate?  or believable...Because the economists make more money and expect huge immediate returns... while  the climate scientists....?

Abandon Statues

This used to be an eternal flame. Taking down statues? Neglect is working better!

NJ bank

 Sitting on a bench at  the farmers' market, my wife got high with the smell of spices and flowers being sold at the stand in front of us.
This is Weekhaven.

Now Who and Whom

Was invited to a party. Received an email; you should not talk politics and not mention Him. When you call him Him, you are already a subject in his realm. So I went to the Whitney. On the fifth floor found an  entire room  dedicated to Censorship Now! Whichever way the humor gets killed.