Thoughts
I will not take the Black Lives Matter movement seriously until it addresses the alarming rate at which blacks kill blacks, and holds seminars on how to behave when approached by police.
I never objected to athletes kneeling in protest, but always thought it was stupid, especially given the money they earn.
Is there anything more absurd than celebrities lamenting white privilege? Politicians even more so.
NY governor Andrew Cuomo is threatening to arrest those NYC residents who defy social distancing, and to close down those areas where violations occur. Talk radio host Mark Simone suggested that congregants approached by cops say they’re out protesting, which should get them off the hook. Kudos.
A friend sent me an email about one of the latest targets of cancel culture — Penny Lane, the street made famous by the Beatles. Seems it may have been named after a slave trader. Thanks, Bags. Also on the same front, protesters in Portland, Oregon tore down a statue of Thomas Jefferson, and Philadelphia’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was defaced with “Committed GENOCIDE.” These folks must be without sin.
Another friend sent me a host of humorous stuff. Here’s the one I liked best: “If you’re paying $3 for a bottle of Smart Water, it isn’t working.” Thanks, Marie.
I’ve never understood what people see in Howard Stern, but that may simply reflect my frequent denseness when it comes to comedy. It took me years to appreciate the genius of Seinfeld. Whatever. I don’t believe Stern’s a racist but, after the way he criticized President Trump recently, I’m enjoying his blackface and N word scandal. Mark Simone says he’s working feverishly to have the 1993 video scrubbed from the internet. Karma, Kramer.
For the first time since mid March the floating book shop was back in action. Since it was unusually cool and cloudy most of the time, I set up the display right beside the car, even though it wasn’t in an ideal spot, Avenue Z at the corner of E. 13th. If it had been hot, I would have carried the stuff into the shade across the street. I put out only what I deemed the most marketable stuff, about one-third of the wares. No one complained, no one called the cops. The only drawbacks were in choosing to wear a mask, which I’d been avoiding except when patronizing a store, and not having room to properly display my own books. Only Killing, A Hitch in Twilight and Present and Past were visible. My thanks to the gentleman who purchased two books in Russian, and to the other who bought one in Russian and a work of non-fiction on Japan. Here’s the display:
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