Good lord that Race to Dinner interview was amazing.
Also this is probably wrong to say, but Rao (of the race to dinner) people looks like she could be Greek or Italian. And it's really weird when she says "I was white for 45 years" and then talks about how she was white until she "racialized" herself. So... Can white ladies be transracial? Was she never a white lady, or has she been one all along? What the fuck are any of these fucking people talking about?
It was an amazing and maddening thing to watch. Thank you/go to hell for showing it to me 😂
A month or so ago, there was some debate about how shitty Chicago was or was not. I just got back from a three day conference there. Thanks for the tip on the architectural boat tour: it was awesome!
The big caveat is that I only spent time in the high rent districts around the riverwalk / Millennium Park and Whicker Park. I freaking loved it! Took the blue line from O'Hare to downtown. It was clean, calm, and quiet. That 40 minute ride was the extent of my time on CTA, but it was a far more pleasant public transit experience than I'm used to.
The architecture here is astounding. The I've never been to a city with a riverwalk like that. I was a shameless tourist walking around admiring the buildings and pointing "gee golly, isn't that neat". It's much more like NYC than any other city that I've been to... except cleaner. The river is actually crystal blue. I could see around 15 feet down or so in the lake. There were loads of people milling around, having a good time and enjoying the outdoor spaces. Pretty good food scene, but nothing on Philly.
The people were all exceptionally pleasant. The streets are clean and wide. There was a pretty decent police presence, though not many people that gave me any cause for alarm. Practically no littering, no homeless camps, and only a few people wandering around blasting music. There were a couple people who enjoyed driving loudly and recklessly, but FAR less than here in Philly.
Not impressed with the MCA though. Should have gone to Chicago Art Institute instead.
Anyway, big fan, glad I went, and would go again. I'm positive that my experience would be very different if I were in different neighborhoods. That said, in Philly, there's a pretty small section of Center City (our downtown) that's consistently pleasant the way Chicago's is. Chicago's consistently pleasant district seems to be much larger.
That video of Baum and Haider talking with the Race to Dinner creators about white supremacy is incredible! I just wish Meghan had thought to bring up the disparate impact of the recent homicide spike and the huge gap in the clearance rate for white versus black murder victims. I explore gun violence here at https://1000citiesproject.substack.com.
Speaking of problem beer ads, this one for Windhoek Lager, featuring Gerard Butler, was temporarily banned in South Africa for promoting "toxic masculinity":
That article on Punjabi truck drivers was excellent, indeed. Last fall, the LA Times also had a nice obituary of Didar Singh Bains, the self-made “Peach King” of California’s Central Valley.
I finally listened to the "A Special Place in Hell" episode with Race to Dinner co-founders Saira Rao and Regina Jackson. I highly recommend that everyone listen to this superb episode. Yes, it can be frustrating and maddening listening to it, but it's worth it in my humble opinion.
Lads, are we ever getting the replay of the Mother’s Day zoom?
Release the Mother’s Day tapes before some of us become Mothers Day Truthers™️ and storm whatever egg Moynihan lives on.
Good lord that Race to Dinner interview was amazing.
Also this is probably wrong to say, but Rao (of the race to dinner) people looks like she could be Greek or Italian. And it's really weird when she says "I was white for 45 years" and then talks about how she was white until she "racialized" herself. So... Can white ladies be transracial? Was she never a white lady, or has she been one all along? What the fuck are any of these fucking people talking about?
It was an amazing and maddening thing to watch. Thank you/go to hell for showing it to me 😂
The review of Chicago that no one asked for:
A month or so ago, there was some debate about how shitty Chicago was or was not. I just got back from a three day conference there. Thanks for the tip on the architectural boat tour: it was awesome!
The big caveat is that I only spent time in the high rent districts around the riverwalk / Millennium Park and Whicker Park. I freaking loved it! Took the blue line from O'Hare to downtown. It was clean, calm, and quiet. That 40 minute ride was the extent of my time on CTA, but it was a far more pleasant public transit experience than I'm used to.
The architecture here is astounding. The I've never been to a city with a riverwalk like that. I was a shameless tourist walking around admiring the buildings and pointing "gee golly, isn't that neat". It's much more like NYC than any other city that I've been to... except cleaner. The river is actually crystal blue. I could see around 15 feet down or so in the lake. There were loads of people milling around, having a good time and enjoying the outdoor spaces. Pretty good food scene, but nothing on Philly.
The people were all exceptionally pleasant. The streets are clean and wide. There was a pretty decent police presence, though not many people that gave me any cause for alarm. Practically no littering, no homeless camps, and only a few people wandering around blasting music. There were a couple people who enjoyed driving loudly and recklessly, but FAR less than here in Philly.
Not impressed with the MCA though. Should have gone to Chicago Art Institute instead.
Anyway, big fan, glad I went, and would go again. I'm positive that my experience would be very different if I were in different neighborhoods. That said, in Philly, there's a pretty small section of Center City (our downtown) that's consistently pleasant the way Chicago's is. Chicago's consistently pleasant district seems to be much larger.
RIP Martin Amis
NYT had some doozies this week so it was nice to see this respectful piece about Tim Scott and Black Republicans https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/21/us/politics/tim-scott-black-republicans.html
And the doozies for all the masochists:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/16/us/politics/transgender-care-detransitioners.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/17/nyregion/jordan-neely-killing-bystanders-nyc.html
That video of Baum and Haider talking with the Race to Dinner creators about white supremacy is incredible! I just wish Meghan had thought to bring up the disparate impact of the recent homicide spike and the huge gap in the clearance rate for white versus black murder victims. I explore gun violence here at https://1000citiesproject.substack.com.
Speaking of problem beer ads, this one for Windhoek Lager, featuring Gerard Butler, was temporarily banned in South Africa for promoting "toxic masculinity":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_ZQIGgES8w
And for any Iron Eagle fans out there, Windhoek's former pitchman was Louis Gossett Jr.:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWgyltVrov0
Uh oh, Martin Amis passed away.
Has MM written anything on Maddow yet? I heard him mention it but haven't seen anything.
Did Megyn allow you all to be called co-hosts? Haha. How long is kmele banned from her show?
This song helped me to survive my 20th.
That article on Punjabi truck drivers was excellent, indeed. Last fall, the LA Times also had a nice obituary of Didar Singh Bains, the self-made “Peach King” of California’s Central Valley.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-09-29/didar-singh-bains-the-peach-king-obit
A fuller account of Bains’ great American story is told in this article from 2017:
https://www.comstocksmag.com/longreads/american-dreams
I finally listened to the "A Special Place in Hell" episode with Race to Dinner co-founders Saira Rao and Regina Jackson. I highly recommend that everyone listen to this superb episode. Yes, it can be frustrating and maddening listening to it, but it's worth it in my humble opinion.
Congratulations to Kmele getting a shoutout in New York Times Magazine!
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/19/magazine/first-class-ethics.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur
Is it too salacious to still be attached to the theory that Murdoch kicked Tucker for the messianic shine he pulled out of Rupert's ex-fiance?