Signs Of A Fine Establishment, Pt. 38

Special Lowest-Common-Denominator Edition

(credit: JC & RC, 8 Nov 2006/Corydon, IN/Olympus SP-500)

The Persistence Of Memory, Or, Another Surrealist Experience In The Deep South

So they put on this international food fair thing a few Friday nights ago, down at Metro Park. Food and people from all over the world. This had the unfortunate effect of reminding me how much i miss being all over the world. But on the plus side, it was tasty.

Besides, there's still nothing quite like the sheer novelty of cross-cultural conversation. I never get tired of the way different countries have personalities all their own. As we ate our way around, it made me miss our international friends all the more. We talked to everyone. You'd never believe how much you miss when you just get your food and walk away.

The Peruvians made us sample their special beef heart kebabs. The Norwegians proudly showed us not only their six-toed dogs, but also the large Viking boat they row in local races. Normally i would have assumed this was a joke (the rowing; i could count the toes) but as this is North Florida, i had already noted them stalking around in their bathrobes and helmets after the maritime Christmas parade. They were very jolly, but people tended to stay out of their way.

The Venezuelans (attractive people all, doing their bit to further the legend) made us empanadas as good as any i've had. A Haitian cook gave us extra fried plantains when she found out i'd been to St. Marc. But i think my favorite tent of all was the Dominican Republic. It was dim and dusty, just palm fronds holding up the starlit dark. And there wasn't much food at all, because the Dominicans - as is only right for people who make music like that - were far too busy dancing.

Reminders can be strange. Most times, i know little times like that are what keep me going. But sometimes, i think they do more damage than they're worth.

Your Soul-Sucking Days Are Over, Amigo. Come And Get Me, You Undead--

Apparently Georgia is on fire again.

At least that's what the weather people said today. We suppose they would know. K looked out her office window yesterday and couldn't see the street below her. No one seems too alarmed. This time of year, other cities feature words like Sunny and Partly Cloudy in their daily Weather Channel summaries, but Jacksonville? We get "Smoke." Ordinarily, the only airborne haze around here hovers in seductive sultry clouds over the local barbecue places. Eau du Tasty Meat. Did we mention a new one just opened a block away? This may be trouble. We may have to try it three or five more times to be sure.

We (by which we mean I) are watching Bubba Ho-Tep, which we were able to procure from our local library. In this excellent film, an aged Elvis (Bruce Campbell, who is not old) and a man who believes he is JFK (Ossie Davis, who is black) battle an ancient Egyptian mummy who is trying to suck the souls of residents in their rural Texas nursing home. We don't watch much TV these days, but we think you should watch it. Everyone should watch it, really. Especially with the "Commentary By The King" enabled.

We may have to watch it again.

Hmm. Well, such are the hazards of life when our wife is away in Gainesville for the night. Sorry; did that sound odd? Anyhow, not much else to report. We drive to work. We work. We drive home. Sometimes we listen to the radio. Last month our drive time suffered a blow when Kool 100.7 went off the air. But happily, Movin' 100.7 has stood in to pick up the torch. That's "Rump Shaking, Earth Quaking, No Mistaking, The New Movin' One Hundred Point Seven," to you.

We think we'll leave you with that.

Hero

(image: nydailynews.com)

Liviu Librescu
1929--2007

Hero.

Why him?

Not because he survived the Holocaust only to be murdered sixty years later, an old Jewish man in a peaceful Virginia town.

Not because he endured the oppression of life under Communism and escaped to become an anonymous American science professor.

No, simply because he did what no one else did, yesterday at Virginia Tech. Like FDNY firefighters six years ago, when everyone else was fleeing from from the danger, he made a decision. He ran the other way.

A dozen or more people are breathing right now only because he ran to hold the door shut so they could escape out the window. I hesitate to ask, and none of us can judge, but how many more could have been saved if someone else in the crowds - anyone - had just tackled the shooter and piled on, during one of his many pauses to reload?

Self-preservation is an overwhelmingly natural instinct. Fear is a powerful, disabling force. But to me, the thing about yesterday's 33 dead is this: They all died. They all knew it was coming. The difference between him and the rest is this: He died doing something about it.

They were all victims, he and the others. But his name is Liviu Librescu, and he is a hero.


--UPDATE, 4/18/07: Mark Steyn's opinion

--UPDATE, 4/19/07: The Daily Gut weighs in

Travelzoo Temptation Of The Week: Guatemala From $88

Here we go. Three reasons to stop by Guatemala this spring:

(Livingston, Guatemala/24 Aug '02/Canon S110)

(Tikal, Guatemala/13 Aug '03/Canon S110)

(Tikal, Guatemala/13 Aug '03/Canon S110)

(middle of nowhere, Guatemala/24 Aug '02/Canon S110)

Yeah, okay, so that was four. Enough details. Get going.

For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Google

(fotosearch.com)

Didn't get to Japan this week? That's okay. Now you can experience the essence of cross-cultural communication in the comfort of your own home! No more wasted time memorizing vocabulary and conjugating verbs! We never liked verbs anyway. Here, try it yourself.

Step 1: Find mildly funny forgettable article
Step 2: Paste into Google Translator
Step 3: Paste results into Google Translator
Step 4: Congratulate self, eat more FunYuns

For your edification, the following example.

This weekend of plan?

But I who am called am what. It possesses proper plan. While using it is the person. Regardless it is not.

In the following question: That what which it has done will be done it is and it doesn't move from the thought of being superior greatly to Japan?

Now at first glance. The i am not two jumbo sacks of FunYuns or the complete DVD set of the American idol: Season 2 and with them themselves originally is bad as a plan of weekend.

I do not make happen by the speech of that kind of thing.

But Tokyo for the $399 being exactly better it agrees. As for us? It is good, it was understood.

The link does not continue long. But with one side, neither your chance is decided.

Travelzoo Temptation Of The Week: Tokyo for $399

(image: lonelyplanet.com)

Any plans this weekend?

But what am i saying. Of course you have plans. You're a busy person. Never mind.

On to the next question: Isn't traveling to Japan a much more excellent idea than what you were going to do?

Now look. I'm not saying two jumbo bags of FunYuns and the complete DVD set of American Idol: Season 2 are inherently bad as a weekend plan, in and of themselves.

I wouldn't offend you by saying something like that.

But let's just agree that Tokyo for $399 is better. Shall we? Okay, good.

That link won't last long. But then, neither will your chance.