Aaahhhh, Garbo. Nobody who has seen Anna Karenina or Ninotchka could avoid falling in love with her, as I most certainly did.
Here’s the reason for my infatuation with her. Apart from her astonishing beauty and sexy voice, she was someone after my own heart in that when she grew tired of her own celebrity and the whole Hollywood thing, she told everyone to take a hike and lived a life of her own, in seclusion.
My kinda gal.
This was actually an ad feature, but still:
Stuttgart, Germany?
Actually, yes. Of all the German cities I’ve visited — and that’s a lot — I was unexpectedly and pleasantly surprised by Stuttgart, Here’s why.
It’s quite pretty, being set in the midst of a series of ridges and hills — like Johannesburg — and it makes no bones about the fact that it is all about business — again, like Johannesburg.
But it’s also a nice place to visit: the food is varied and not expensive (at least, not when I was there. Tip: if you can find a place that caters to the after-school crowds, the deals are sensational: think 1-euro gyros and -pizza slices).
I remember asking the guy behind the counter in the above pic why they didn’t serve lamb gyros — highly unusual for a Turkish joint — and his response was: “German lamb is terrible.” (Schrecklich!)
Also, walking in the city itself is great fun, as there are several pedestrian-only streets and of course, there are the bars.
Close by, there are all sorts of interesting places, e.g. the Mercedes and Porsche factories and museums, for those who are that way inclined.
And unlike many Euro cities, renting a car is an excellent idea in Stuttgart for the simple reason that the Swabian countryside — Black Forest, y’all — is spectacular. (If you have the money — I didn’t — rent a Porsche Boxster.)
I wouldn’t go there in winter or even early spring, though: it’s pretty bleak. This was late April/early May, when I was there:
But the best part of going to Stuttgart is that even in summer it’s not a tourist-y city like Paris or even Munich.
I’d go back there tomorrow if I could.
Afterthought: like many German cities, Stuttgart was bombed all to hell during the slight disturbances of the early 1940s. But just a short trip up the autobahn from Stuttgart is Tübingen — which wasn’t — and it’s worth a couple of days all by itself.
The street food alone was voted “Best in Germany” by the kids — and they went to all the places I went to.
Reader Mike S. tells me he has taken out a bank loan to afford all the popcorn he’s going to need for this little shit-show:
Things are quickly heating up in Chicago. Nervous Democrats are wondering if the city might come under siege by swarms of pro-Palestinian protesters and/or if they will face riots by extremists – with the explicit goal of defeating Kamala Harris. Public estimates are that between 30,000 to 50,000 protesters are expected to enter the city.
A vast coalition comprising of more than 200 Palestinian, Marxist, anti-imperialist and progressive organizations have signed on to join the “March on the DNC 2024” which is planning marches and rallies between August 19 and 21.
Meanwhile, Chicago authorities have opened a defunct courthouse to streamline arrests and have cleared 30 additional courtrooms if there are mass arrests, according to NewsNation.
The city has postponed all criminal jury trials scheduled for next week and “criminal judges from other divisions of Cook County have been asked to clear their calendars in case they need to be called into action to help process those arrested,” according to the news channel.
Read the whole thing to get a full flavor of all the participants.
And I never ever thought I’d say this, but:
“Where’s Mayor Richard J. Daley when we really need him?”
Oh, and thanks, Mike; I’ll have a bowl of that popcorn, with extra butter please.
It seems as though some over-achieving Brit students won a prize:
Three girls from an inner-city sixth form are heading to the US after securing the A-level results needed for their £1million Ivy League scholarships.
The bright trio passed their admissions tests with flying colours meaning Harvard and Princeton offered to fund the entire cost of their four-year education – for close to £350k each.
However, the final step of getting onto their courses rested on their A-level results – making for an anxious few months for the Newham Collegiate Sixth Form (NCS) pupils.
Yesterday it was confirmed that all three teenagers scored the grades necessary to study in the US – meaning they can now start preparing for the big move.
And the names of these hardworking girls? Sally McKenzie, Julia Holbrooke and Heather Smith.
Nah, just kidding:
Tasneen Hossain, Feyisara Adeyemi, and Harmanpreet Garcha, all 18, were each awarded places at top universities in the States through a programme run by their East London school.
You see, this is where the whole affirmative action thing poisons the well. Yes I know, I have no doubt that these girls worked hard and got the results that enabled them to qualify.
But as any fule kno, the chances of Tasneen Hossain, Feyisara Adeyemi and Harmanpreet Garcha getting into an Ivy League university are going to be far better than if their names were Sally McKenzie, Julia Holbrooke and Heather Smith.
Because equity, you see, and Ivy Leagues are lousy with this foul pestilence. So there’s always going to be that little niggle of doubt about whether they actually merited the scholarships over, say Sally McKenzie, Julia Holbrooke and Heather Smith (the latter automatically disqualified in the admissions process because White Privilege, you see).
Sadly, the joke is going to be on these girls, because Ivy League degrees aren’t worth a quarter of what they used to be. As they will no doubt discover when they apply for any jobs outside academia.
From one of Mr. Free Market’s plutocrat buddies:
…a fool is born, goes the saying. And chances are that the first thing said fool will do is slap down $600 for a pair of… flip-flops?
I’m not kidding.
How the humble flip-flop became the shoe of the summer with unbelievable price tags to match
JHC.
I remember the wonderful little speech given by Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada, in which she schools ingenue Anne Hathaway about the importance of the color “cerise” and how great minds in the fashion industry planned its future appeal, years before it became “fashionable”. (Don’t bother looking it up; it’s dark- or cherry pink.)
I thought the speech was a great example of how easily people can be fooled into thinking that something of little value or consequence actually matters.
As an Olde Phartte of many summers, I can recall many stupid fashions — platform shoes, wide psychedelic neckties, wide lapels on suits, etc. etc.
But I never ever dreamed that fucking flip-flops — which should all be burned on a giant bonfire (along with their wearers*) — would become the new overpriced trend.
When I see F1’s Lewis Hamilton wearing a pair of Laboutin flip-flops in the pits, then I’ll know how far we’ve fallen.
Time for gin? I think so.
*Note: No snide references to Australians, the worst offenders in this footwear folly.