Many years ago at a time which I presume was an era of higher than normal immigration into the United States by people from India, there were many cab drivers in New York City who hailed from the subcontinent. I’ve always felt that the pulse of immigration trends are often felt most clearly in the cab driving population. I’m wondering how Uber and Lyft have changed that, but I’ll bet not too much. It’s tricky…
Few words manage to embody more stages in life than the word “trippin’”. I grew up in the 1960s and came of age in the 1970s. The early 60s for me were about returning to the United States from Latin America, where I functioned under the watchful eye of a German governess with strong ties to Latin America (not sure what that history might have entailed in the post-WWII era) and with the name of…
Every morning, our routine is that Kim and I sit across from each other in the living room between 6:30 – 8:30am. The time is never exactly the same, but the venue is consistent and the activity is pretty much the same. Everybody has their morning time and this is ours. It is a very pleasant time for both of us. Kim spends her time reading the news on her iPhone and doing her full…
The bagel has a rich and complex history that spans centuries and multiple countries. While its exact origins are debated, bagels are believed to have emerged in Jewish communities in Poland, though they have connections to earlier ring-shaped breads from other cultures. Some food historians trace the bagel’s ancestry back to the Arabic world. The earliest known mention of a boiled-then-baked ring-shaped bread can be found in a 13th-century Syrian cookbook, where they were referred…
There is an old expression about the perfect and the good that states that “Perfect is the enemy of good” or in its original French form, “Le mieux est l’ennemi du bien.” This is attributed to Voltaire and his famous quote has an interesting origin and meaning. He actually attributed this saying to “a wise Italian” in his moral poem “La Bégueule” (1772), where he wrote: “Dans ses écrits, un sage Italien Dit que le…
Ablutions are ritual washing or cleansing practices, typically performed as part of religious ceremonies or personal hygiene routines. The term comes from the Latin word “ablutio,” meaning “a washing away.” The purpose of ablutions generally relates to spiritual purification, preparing oneself for prayer or worship, or marking transitions between states of ritual purity and impurity. In modern usage, “ablutions” can also refer more generally to the act of washing oneself, particularly in British English. When…
Back in 2015 we all went to Italy and I rented a villa in the northern outskirts of Rome. Having spent my formative high school years in Rome, it seemed like a fun thing to do that summer since my youngest son Thomas was studying in Rome for the summer. We did what we had done a number of times and at other locations, which was to rent a large villa that could accommodate 15…
As most of you already know, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck south of Julian, a quaint alpine town on the border of the Anza Borrego desert and the apple pie capital of the west, on Monday. It was the strongest earthquake to hit San Diego County since 2010. I bought our hilltop in early 2012. The history of San Diego Earthquakes is more significant than I realized, dating back centuries, though it experiences fewer major…
While we were rounding Cape Hirn last month, Viking showed the movie Master and Commander, starring Russel Crowe as the captain of a British Naval vessel who is chasing a Spanish galleon through the Southern Ocean waters, trying to capture its prize trade booty before peace got declared back home between their two nations. The concept of rushing to justify larceny rather than anticipating peace was somehow portrayed as noble and manly in an era…
Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” is one of the most iconic songs in popular culture, often associated with a carefree, beach-focused lifestyle. The song itself has its own cultural impact that has been substantial and multi-faceted. It defines the “Island Escapism” Lifestyle, crystallizing a specific American fantasy – escaping the rat race for a laid-back tropical paradise where worries melt away with frozen drinks and ocean breezes. In keeping with yesterday’s story, it is, perhaps, the best…