What day are we on anyway?

Another day at the computer, pounding away at a self-imposed assignment. Hours pass and I do not notice. Outdoors, there is a transition from morning dark, to noon light and finally late afternoon dark, but I am oblivious. The only marker I have of the passage of time is in the traffic that I see outside the front window: from neighbors (in their night gear) picking up newspapers (why do people subscribe to the WStJ?), to obsessive yard pruners whacking away at the trees, to a child’s birthday party across the street, with the usual rush of cars dropping off eager attendees and, two hours later, the pick up flood, with parents walking their tired young ones back to the car, bending over them, asking “did you have a good time?” and the kids, wanting to kick the shins of the adults who ripped them out of a good game of “destroy everything in the house,” answering “uh-huh.”

Some people really do prefer to have the snowdrifts and short days and long nights...

For the rest of us, it's always a countdown toward spring.

So why would I choose to travel to the place pictured below in a couple of weeks, when I still have roses blooming in my back yard?

No answers today, just questions.

Madison, November 20 2004 

Warsaw, November 20 2004

Poland is asserting herself and she has the swing votes to make a difference

For the American reader, it’s a small issue really: whether the EU should incorporate a certain patent directive (read here, via FistfulofEuros). But the important thing is that when Poland said “no,” the directive fell short of the needed votes and had to be scrapped.

As I understand it, companies pushing for it suffered a lost opportunity to basically patent any and all computer software. Internet users and innovators who build on existing programming models were the beneficiaries. But what really tickled me was to see Poland championing the public interest. A statement to be proud of:

"The questionable compromise that the EU Council reached in May was the biggest threat ever to our economic growth, and to our freedom of communication," said Wladyslaw Majewski, president of the Internet Society of Poland. "The desire of the patent system and the patent departments of certain large corporations must never prevail over the interests of the economy and society at large."

Looking cool and feeling crappy

Oscar over at ColumnistManifesto analogizes cell phone patter to cigarette puffing. Both fill a void, both create an impression of connectedness. One is disgusting. The other is, a replacement for what medicine has forced us to reject.

But wait. Does anyone ever actually enjoy talking on a cell phone? I never really took to cigarettes and I don’t really take to cell phones either, but still, I did so want to love cigarettes (this is before studies labeled them as Certain Death, even in instances where the smoker is 100 feet removed from you). They were such great pauses in life – they transitioned you from one event to another, they let you take stock, to inhale not so much the smoke, but the moment…

Too bad they always made me feel so crappy. I was glad (some 30 years ago) when they went into disfavor. I was no longer torn between the love for the sport of it and the hatred for the physical effect.

But cell phones – who will take these instruments away from me and tell me they should be banished? Sure, I love them, indeed. There are people whom I would rarely talk to if it weren’t for the cell. But at the same time, I feel ill when it cackles and dies, when it rings at inopportune times, when I pass through areas where it seems just not to work.

Clearly I need a replacement. Should we reconsider chewing gun?

A peachy predicament for our man Tony

The Guardian is reporting (via Europhobia) that a motion has been put forth before the Parliament to impeach Tony Blair for his "gross misconduct" in Iraq. Chances of its success are small, but it is a strong statement, given that no such motion has been entertained in Britain for close to 200 years.

And if you are not a member of Parliament but would still like your voice heard on this, you are directed to an online petition (at impeachblair.org) where you can sign the following statement:

"I wish to see Tony Blair impeached and required to answer in the Court of Parliament that he repeatedly and substantively misled the people into the Iraq War of 2003 while choosing to remain in office when he is in clear violation of the traditional convention of ministerial resignation."

While the British are debating the propriety of impeachment based on misleading statements that led the country into armed conflict, we’re debating the propriety of not including more materials and evidence of the Lewinsky scandal in the “impeachment” exhibit of the Clinton Library.

I knew it: the reason airfares have gone up is because there’s too much junk food out there

As if there weren’t enough reasons to promote healthy eating and proper exercise, here’s another: staying with a sensible diet will reduce the cost of flying and cut back on fuel emissions.

From the IHT today:

[A] report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine … said that "an obesity epidemic" among Americans has had "unexpected consequences beyond direct health effects." Throughout the 1990s, the average weight of Americans increased by 10 pounds, or 4.5 kilograms, causing airlines to spend $275 million on an extra 350 million gallons of fuel just to carry the extra weight, the agency says. The extra fuel burned caused an estimated 3.8 [million] tons of carbon dioxide to be released into the air.

[UPDATE: The numbers are editorially corrected by me thanks to the very clever reader who did the math and determined that the IHT article had missed the word "million" in the transcription.]

Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé !

So scream today's headlines across France's vineyard-studded landscape.

Oh, the rituals to get us through the hefty, dark, dank months of winter! Let’s play! –say the French. It’s the 3rd Thursday of November. We are allowed to uncork the 2004 Baujolais vintage.

Over the years I have responded to the call. I mean, why not? The wine is so young, so damn fresh! So UNprofound. Simple. Playful. I go over to Steve’s on this Thursday and have the same conversation: so guys, which one has the best color, the nicest tones this year? And they whisper conspiratorily – this one! (I wonder how they know? You are not allowed to open it before this day… were they nipping at the bottle while I was brewing my café au lait in the morning?)

To play games and engage in frivolity! How appropriate. How utterly harmless. How French.

If it hadn’t been for my entry into the world of blogs…

...I cannot emphasize this enough:
Much about this day in my life would be different.
Much of my food intake would be different.
Much of my social life would be different.

For one thing, I would not have two blogger dinners in one week (one last night, one ahead).
What does this say about me? That I only eat with people who blog? That I only meet people who blog? That there is a shadowy, sinewy connection between the keyboard and a dinner plate so that blogging, eating and talking all inevitably converge to form a harmonious and agreeable experience?

Did I say harmonious convergence? Consider last night, when Althouse, Brito, Camic and Freese set out to chomp and chat and huddle in a booth at Griglia T. There was a bit of a muddle over the huddle as we had a Freese-near-no-show (only Brito threats of a Freese expulsion from the tight circle of Bascom Bloggers caused him to reconsider and make an appearance, albeit without a repentant attitude) and a delay in the start of the evening (Althouse hair was at issue, as was Camic's declining insider- status at Griglia T., which, together, resulted in almost no food for Freese who was in a hurry to leave -- he had a singing engagement elsewhere, and almost no booth for all of us).

And how amicable was the evening anyway? I would say that all generously partook of punching at each other over pasta. Such phrases as “Stop saying that!” “Shut up!” and “Don’t you know how to tell time?” were bandied about with abandon.

What do bloggers talk about? Well, I have the reputation of introducing steamy elements into any conversation, but I think it’s safe to say that the three donnas were well behaved until Freese left at which time we did, momentarily, focus our attention on the waiter. It was hot in the booth, wasn’t it, Brito?

As to the blogger dinner later this week? I’m aiming for tame. Really truly. Though I may be out of practice.

Since November 2nd, every morning I read something that attests to the growing rift between my home continent and my adopted country

Today is no exception. In the IHT alone, I read this (emph. my own):

PARIS Ensuring that relations with the United States and Britain will remain cool, President Jacques Chirac of France said in a televised interview Wednesday that the world was a more dangerous place because of the American-led invasion of Iraq … The unvarnished tone of Chirac's remarks surprised many people in normally discreet diplomatic corridors of Europe. … His strong words are likely to resonate with people in other European countries, particularly Germany, where frustration with American foreign policy runs high. … Chirac's disdain for the Bush administration was striking.

One could argue that Chirac is seeking to align Europe behind France and that anti-Bush statements are the easiest method of accomplishing this. How wonderful that we have given Chirac fodder for his political agenda! Bush, as the force behind a more unified Europe, in addition to the more unified (in their opposition to us) Islamic states... And who said the man doesn’t have international appeal?

And lest you think that it’s only the Europeans who are muddying the diplomatic waters, you can find ample evidence that we, too haven’t lost our edge in addressing the problems of those across the ocean. Why should we lift a finger to assist the Euro after all? They wanted a unified Europe, let them eat their baguettes! Read (also in the IHT) this:

LONDON U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow on Wednesday warned Europeans not to expect help from Washington in slowing the ascent of the euro, whose rise to a record against the dollar added pressure on a wobbly Continental economic recovery. … In a speech here, Snow appeared to rule out any prospect of coordinated intervention in the currency markets and suggested that Europe ought to address its own economic problems, rather than looking to Washington.

I am so glad we have a uniter and not a divider here at home.

It's better to give...

You can tell the holidays are around the corner by the quantity of paper in your mailbox and by the friendly email reminders from retailers with whom you do business.

And so here it is, a little note this morning from J.Crew, taking me aside and whispering, hey, between you and me, we know why you give presents. The subjeact line reads thus:

Give more, get more this holiday season!

Cuts to the chase, doesn't it?

What redeeming qualities does one find in someone who avoids the law by hiding out abroad, and then uses the law to file a claim of slander?

BBC is reporting that Polanski, who is living in France to avoid facing a sentence for a conviction for a child sex offense in the States, wants to appear on video in a law suit, filed on his behalf in Britain against Vanity Fair. The 71-year old Polish-born director sued the magazine for libel. He has been on the run since leaving the States in 1977. If he travels to Britain he may face extradition.

His lawyer states: This leaves the case in a mess and a situation where a defendant can get away with libel scot-free.

Get away scot-free? Nice argument, Mr. Polanski.

The important things in life

I was working out this morning at the gym, reading a FOOD magazine (crazy, I know), and I came across this question (see poll below). It hit me right there in the gut. Because I really do not know how I would, myself, answer it. Right now I'm thinking I need every point to get me through each day. I'm thinking -- maybe I would even give up eating altogether for two extra points. I could have used them, for example, last night at around midnight when the brain was working at reduced speed. But what about you? Be honest in your answer, please! I've never done a blog-poll, but I am supremely curious as to what my readers would say.

Extra extra: the Daily Show does…NOT scoop anything

Tom Brokaw is interviewed on the Daily Show tonight.
Tom Brokaw reveals that he was surprised by the popular vote.
Jon Stewart misses an opportunity. Brokaw is about to give his opinion on the candidates and Stewart cuts in to tell a lame joke. Dang!

Tom Brokaw mentions bloggers.

Tom Brokaw says to Stewart: You were absolutely right to say what you did (on Crossfire).

I would so rather Rather were leaving network news than Brokaw. Life is not fair.
And it is, I suppose, unfair that I love Stewart anyway, even if he did miss an opening for a Brokaw political revelation.

If it wasn't so funny, it would be scary: I am a New Yorker. At least to an extent.

Thanks to that screaming New Yorker in our building (TB), I found myself taking the "Are you a real New Yorker" quiz on the Time Out NY website (here).

I have only one comment: you indeed have NY in your blood (whether you've been there, lived there, rotted there, or bypassed it altogether) if you can check this one off:

[] You find this quiz hilariously funny for no good reason and you recommend it to all your friends.

I applaud Hardee’s for having the guts to market a silent killer to indulge our penchant for slow death

I’m so glad I had the news on tonight. I would not have otherwise known that corporate ingenuity would steer a company to create something that would pander to the most vile cravings harbored by man, woman and child.

Why else introduce the “monster thick-burger," with slabs of bacon, cheese and mayo, all worth a hefty 1420 calories (basically my needed daily intake if I am having a slow-moving day, or, as is reported here, enough calories to feed a family of three in many countries) and that’s before the soda and fries. One person commented that what we have is quintessential food porn. The SUV of burgers.

All we need now is to pack it up and ship it off to Europe (along with our SUVs). Maybe offer it as a food snack in high school cafeterias in France?

Make new friends ... keep the old ... one is silver ... other is gold

I could use a couple like that: friends that could be trusted to say "you are so cooooool, Nina! Yeah! you know those chumps who call you a lazy bum? What do they know? You want to stay in bed all day and skip class? Go for it! You want to kick ass and call your neighbors pigs? Yeah!" no matter what I did, they'd be there breaking champagne bottles over my chosen path, no matter what, no matter when. Mmmmmm... old friends. Friends that can be counted on to never question my superior knowledge of the world and my fanciful behavior. Gonzalez-type friends. Rice-type friends.

Half-listening to NBC news, I hear the usual about Condoleezza Rice’s nomination to the position of Secretary of State (all emphases in post are my own):

[She is] America’s face to the world. … Chosen to serve the president. …
She is charged with cleaning out the moderates … [She has] a chance to build on what [Bush has] already done…

And then on the Lehrer News hour I hear her shower GWB with praise. Did you know that under his leadership, "we have widen[ed] the circle of prosperity in every corner of the world" ?

Meanwhile, I read (here) this letter posted by her former colleague at Stanford back in 2002 (he received no response):

Dear Condi,
I'm 99.99% sure that my writing this letter will have no effect, but my conscience tells me to write it anyway. Danziger's cartoon has pushed me out of my lethargy. [His cartoon shows her banging on a grand piano, saying "War! War! War!"]

When I knew you at Stanford I had the greatest admiration for your abilities and good sense. (And I was disappointed that we never were able to get together to play four-hands music.) But now I cannot help but express to you my chagrin that the warm feelings I once had have basically evaporated. I hope you can pause to try to understand why this might be the case.

Fundamentally I don't see how the government of my country has done anything whatsoever to address and correct the root causes of international terrorism. Quite the contrary; every action I can see seems almost designed to have the opposite effect --- as if orchestrated to maximize the finances of those who make armaments, by maximizing the number of people who now hate me personally for actions that I do not personally condone.
...
And worst of all, I find that my leaders, including you, are calling for war against a sovereign nation that we suspect to be corrupt, thereby (even if our suspicions are correct) undermining all precedents against unilateral action by other countries who might in future decide that our own policies are wrong. If we peremptorily strike country X, why shouldn't country X have a right to do the same to us, and to our children and grandchildren in future years?

On my trips to Europe all I can do is hope that my friends there can help their governments try to make somebody in my own government act responsibly.

Sincerely,
Don Knuth

P.S. This is the second time in my life that I have written a letter to a U.S. government official. The first time was during the Vietnam war.

Now Knuth, notable and respected author that he is (eg. The Art of Computer Programming) -- he's no friend. He's more like my band of friends, ready to speak up whenever I misbehave. What fun is that??

My shoulders are sagging

I was a senior in high school in Poland in 1968, a mere 23 years after the end of World War II. The history teacher who taught us the Nuremberg Trials that year had her own personal accounts of the war to insert into the lesson. I wonder if I can express how it feels to have the following appear on the Net (via HS -- thank you), circulating now, 36 years later, to demonstrate historic parallels between then and now:

"Naturally, the common people don't want war, but after all, it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag people along whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and for exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country." Hermann Goering, Commander in Chief of the Luftwaffe (the second man in the Third Reich), at the Nuremberg Trials.

For better or for worse, my generation ofPoles has always lived in the shadow of the war. After all, it was a war that ransacked our families and destroyed more than 90% of the city where I was born. "Never Again," I heard it over and over again during my Warsaw years.

There was still rubble in the Warsaw of my childhood, but there were no war planes threatening our safety. My generation was taught to listen: we would be the keepers of history, we needed to hear what had happened moments before we were born. And we were good listeners. We remember it all: every last story, every last reason offered for the horror that swept over the European continent and especially Poland.

And so I really cannot emphasize enough how shaken we are -- we the keepers of history, because I think we did not properly recount that which was taught to us. We did not link the past into a future for our children. Instead, we became members of a voting public that did not hear us, but instead, through a democratic process, elected a leader who chose to go to war, without apology, without reconsideration, without remorse.

Coincidentally, also today, I received an email from another friend. She is reading William James (on the subject of the Spanish-American War) and finds that he has this to say:

"The deadliest enemies of nations are not their foreign foes; they always dwell within their borders. And from these internal enemies civilization is always in need of being saved. The nation blest above all nations is she in whom the civic genius of the people does the saving day by day, by acts without external picturesqueness; by speaking, writing, voting reasonably; by smiting corruption swiftly, by good temper between parties; by the people knowing true men when they see them, and by preferring them as leaders to rabid partisans or empty quacks. Such nations have no need of wars to save them."

Shake a few trees and out flies local talent

I went to eat dinner at Crescent City Grill with Chef O from l’Etoile and a bunch of summer L’Etoilers to celebrate the end of the most successful season ever (on a ripe summer Saturday, they would sell 1700 croissants and I may have lugged 1700 lbs of fruit, though the latter is probably only in my perception of things).

We chatted with the Crescent City chef afterwards and I have to put in a plug for the place. You can go there on a Monday and get a degustation menu (the chef serves you whatever he damn pleases) of many fantastic courses for a price that would make a New Yorker gawk in amazement. And the food is far from ho-hum boring or conventional. Forget good manners: run your finger through some of the sauces on your plate (or on the plate of your neighbor) and give it a good lick: sensational! The preparations are cool and creative. [You think that's just standard food talk? I don't think so. 99% of eateries around here are anything but creative. Tasty? Sure. Creative? Not so much] And, just to keep my favorite descriptors in place -- it's all so fresh and honest.

I also talked to someone (Gail) who has been paying her bills as a L’Etoile baker (yes, a familiar pattern), but who has recently opened a chocolate shop of her own – the realization of a life-long dream. You absolutely must visit her website and/or her small little retail outlet and buy the stuff now, before the limos from distant places pull up and beat you to it. Her chocolates are like no other chocolates you’ll find on this side of the Mississippi. Sophisticated and clever, the Ambrosius will (I am certain of this) eventually knock the socks off the other (Seattle-based) chocolatier of choice (Fran’s). Someone did you a favor lately? Send them a small box from GailAmbrosius.com You’ll be forever their hero.