A Post-Obama World

Cats Delay Bill to Death

If you don't know Tommy Douglas, you should.

Today, health care legislation before the US Congress was watered-down once again. But just in case any "cats" were still worried, the vote was delayed until after the August recess.

Update: this video is even better:

They call us yanquis "North Americans" down this way. "Norteamericano" always sounded like Canadian to me. We yanks should have adopted Tommy Douglas as our own hero for our fight for health care as a human right.

We never grew one of our own.

Better Update:
If you don't understand the bill... don't feel bad.

Dig Bill Moyers and wise up.

Free Airfare to Buenos Aires!

"It's part of a Bloomberg administration program to keep the homeless out of the expensive shelter system, which costs $36,000 a year per family.

The city's Department of Homeless Services handles international travel.

City officials say there are no limits on where a family can be sent.

Families have been sent to 24 states and 5 continents."

Great Day for the Fair!

Videos above! Click anywhere.

Now that the cold snap seems to be over ...it's perfect weather to mill about Argentina's national version of a yanqui State Fair!

I just love it... as you might be able to tell. 'Course bein' an agricultural producer doesn't hurt my frame of mind at all. But the Yanq grew up less than 3 blocks from his state fairgrounds ...and for a city boy, it was a natchal born wonderment to see all the country people dolled-up in their best and to get a gander close-up at animules and weird machinery of giantesque proportions and no obvious purpose.

La Rural doesn't have any Midway ...but the food is as good if not better and has a couple of casual/fine dining opportunities that state fairs back in the old country aren't known for.

There's even a "foriegners room"! If you go, lemme know!

Dig it! I can't encourage you enough to catch the bus, subway, or train to Plaza Italia and groove to a piece of the agricultural soul of this great nation. Ends Friday.

Vamos a La Rural!

It's that time again! Let's go look at all the little animalitos ...and eat some, too!

What did the guy say to the Zen Buddhist Hot Dog Vendor...

..."make me one with everything."

Gonna Snow?

Man, it sure looks like it could. Just a little bit colder and... who knows.

Video

...this just in from Marta Motta, National Secretary for Democrats Abroad Argentina:

"The Reckoning follows International Criminal Court prosecutor, the Argentine judge Luis Moreno-Ocampo and his team for three years as he issues arrest warrants in Uganda, puts Congolese warlords on trial, shakes up the Colombian justice system and charges Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir with genocide in Darfur. Will the prosecutor succeed? Will justice prevail?"

You probably can't view it in Argentina without a "proxy." This is the one that I use.

Hmm... hmm...

We yanqs LOVE our convenience foods, of that there is no doubt. However, the "original" convenience food, after a century or more, doesn't exactly strike me in the same way as burgers'n'fries.

Frank at Sugar and Spice is letting us in on a little scoop: Campbell's is coming to our fair shores.

I think there is the chance of wide-spread adoption here; what's not to like? Cheap, satisfying and rather salty! Perfect for the local market.

If the argentinos goose it with a tetrapak or squeeze envelope like the local pasta sauces... somebody could get rich.

Ian Mount: Beef in Argentina

Buenos Aires' own Ian Mount reports on a subject close to the Yanq's heart: producing the beef that we all know and love.

Ian's piece on American Public Radio's Marketplace is only a few minutes but if I haven't been able to get through to you on this very important subject, I'm confident that Mount's fine audio piece will do the job.

Give it a listen here.

My wife and I are trying our very best to hold onto our cattle, unlike ALL our immediate neighbors who have had to "take the bull by the tail and face the situation" ...for their own survival.

Hats off, man! Good job.

The New Global Student

It's truly satisfying when good things happen to good people ...and the reviews filtering-in from allá regarding Maya Frost's new book are actually exciting.

I knew that Maya was working on this book for a long time ...and that impresses me even more; the timing of the release put this book in the vanguard of recession consciousness!

How'd she do that?

The number of parents willing to consider alternatives to the sudden sticker shock of today's 4 year institutions must be suddenly enormous. When that alternative is as attractive as what Maya describes, the book strikes me as a must-have for anyone with children reaching that age.

Although I've never been blessed ...I'm still fascinated at economic aspect of the subject.

The responsibility that parents feel ...and the responsibility they are trying to instill ...takes on a new aspect in what could be a long recession: student debt is crushing some of the US' brightest. A recent NYT article was most noteworthy for the more than 400 comments it generated, mostly from students describing the life-long hell they are facing in order pay the bill (more than one is pondering leaving the US permanently to escape the unpayable debt.)

Parents both with and without the means to pick-up the tab can't go wrong by adding Maya's book to their survival kit. Making sure that their kids are aware should be a cinch when it's presented as such an attractive and fulfilling alternative.

Buenos Aires Crapmongers

Looks like our ol' buddies, The Gang of 4, owners of baexpat dot org are up to their old tricks.

The Fox News of Buenos Aires forums has unleashed a bunch of their "fair and balanced" at the expat owner of a family cookie company, Frank Almeida of Sugar and Spice ...with all the reason and moderation that they're famous for.

If you know Frank, then you also know that you've met maybe the nicest expat that ever set foot on these shores. Stomping on him is a new, all-time low. I hope you'll write Frank and let him know how you feel.

I used to make a big deal in these pages about the scammers that run that site ...with their shill accounts, their Buenos Aires experts that secretly live 10,000km away, the rabid anti-Baires posters that they protect, the way the owners actually step-in to fan the flames if things calm down, the monthy dinner scam, and the wholesale banning of commenters that took issue with any of it.

It used to exist to drive traffic to something called indextar ...now I think it's worthwhile only for the owners to mine the last of the real estate trade from the expat community.

If you like that kind of stuff, have at it. But keep in mind that it's not particularly "Buenos Aires", "Expatriate" nor a "Group".

Robertson on "The Weight"

According to songwriter Robbie Robertson, "The Weight" was inspired by the films of Luis Buñuel, about which Robertson once said:

(Buñuel) did so many films on the impossibility of sainthood. People trying to be good in Viridiana and Nazarin, people trying to do their thing. In ‘The Weight’ it’s the same thing. People like Buñuel would make films that had these religious connotations to them but it wasn’t necessarily a religious meaning. In Buñuel there were these people trying to be good and it’s impossible to be good. In "The Weight" it was this very simple thing. Someone says, "Listen, would you do me this favour? When you get there will you say 'hello' to somebody or will you give somebody this or will you pick up one of these for me? Oh? You’re going to Nazareth, that’s where the Martin guitar factory is. Do me a favour when you’re there." This is what it’s all about. So the guy goes and one thing leads to another and it’s like "Holy Shit, what’s this turned into? I’ve only come here to say 'hello' for somebody and I’ve got myself in this incredible predicament." It was very Buñuelish to me at the time.^[4]

Only in this case, the traveler encounters the favor-asking people in Nazareth itself.

The Best in Argentina

When I look a little shaggy, which I certainly do from time to time, lemme assure you that it's only because I have not had time to go to my favorite barber in Argentina.

There are, of course, many great barbershops to be had here in the Paris of the Palmtrees ...but none so good as in the little peluquería in the town of Tapalqué.

Full disclosure: I'm a brushy-headed Polack. My hair is best described as "rebelde". If a barber cuts too much off, my head looks just like your shoebrush. If he's cool about it, I can get a great cut that makes me look human.

My buddy is a wizard with da skicissors.

Clear and Cold

Not a cloud in the sky ...man, that means it's gonna be cold down on the ranch.

That lil' snap of the night sky was taken by an 8 year old Sony with 4 megapixels ...no problem.

We froze our asses off! Our "barn cat", Bob, however, made all that ever so sweet.

Here's a foto of the outside of our living quarters ...with inadvertent flash ...showing the only possible light for miles around. Except for the lights from Olavarría and Azul. Two candles y nada más.

US budget deficit at $1 trillion

...from the Beeb

Slow News Day

Other than the Sotomayor hearings, the only game in town is Ian Kath's Your Story.

If you're in the mood (after lookin' at my above mug) for an hour of Yanqui Mike holdin'-forth in a Buenos Aires brewpub ...you can find it there.

Ian is a splendid Aussie and a welcome mate to any exiled beer drinker here! He has a fascinating site of podcasts that should keep you busy for a long time.

??s at Newsweek??

If you're quick ...you might see some doubt expressed regarding 4 paragraphs in an interesting article at newsweek.com entitled "The Rich are no longer Recession-proof" or "How the Mighty are Fallen."

Pages 2 and 3 have four paragraphs that are each led by two question marks (see screen capture here.)

Those four paragraphs are notable in that they seem to have been cut-and-pasted within the article and bear little stylistic similarity with the rest. I'm forced to wonder if something mischievous is happening at the Newsweek offices.

The paragraph that particularly caught my eye was this:

"??Similarly, the rich pay most of the taxes. In 2006, the richest 1 percent paid 28 percent of all federal taxes, estimates the CBO. The richest 10 percent (including the top 1 percent) paid 55 percent. The system is progressive—that is, the richer people get, the more of their income they pay in taxes. In 2006, the effective rate for the top 1 percent was 31 percent, reflecting all federal taxes. By contrast, the poorest fifth paid an effective rate of 4 percent. (State and local taxes are less progressive, because they rely more heavily on regressive sales taxes.)"

Take a look yourself and lemme know what you make of it. Maybe the author, Robert J. Samuelson (full disclosure: someone that lost my confidence years ago), added those paragraphs himself. Maybe the ??'s are editorial notes that made it into the web edition.

In any case, those "??" paragraphs reek of the efforts of Rush Limbaugh and others to paint a picture of the top 10% disgorging themselves of 55% their wealth ...each year. Wage-earners are susceptible to arguments such as that.

The concepts of "wealth" and "income" are hard to separate in the minds of those that can do little more than spend virtually every penny they are allowed to retain.

Samuelson's article, especially that above quote, does little to help 90% of US citizens understand how that 55% figure is probably quite fair...

...90% of US citizens comprise only 19% of the financial wealth of the United States.

University of California at Santa Cruz (2004)

Yep. 90% have just 19% of the wealth ...or, if you prefer, 10% hold 81% of the financial wealth of the "homeland of the middle-class" according to 2004 figures.

If you think that it is unfair for the holders of 81% of all US wealth to pay 55% of annual federal taxes...

...then I'd really like your opinion as to the fairness of the holders of 19% of US wealth to pay 45% of all federal taxes.

Anyway, aside from the deliberate confusing of the issue (accumulated wealth/annual income, wages vs.capital gains) within those four paragraphs ...I'd really like to know what those Newsweek ??s are all about!

¡Una Porción para Todos!

Long time reader, Fred in Baires, sent me a link to a tremendous article in today's NYT regarding Buenos Aires' special designation for bars and cafés most important to the city's famous character. The very best book on the subject is this one from Gabriela Kogan.

The article put me in mind of a book published by the city detailing the pizzerías that are worthy of being considered part of the national patrimony. An updated version was published last year.

¡Pizza! True lovers of pizza will find themselves close to nirvana in this town of more than 3000 joints known for their pie. And with recession-mentality becoming fashionable, it's time for me to dust-off my Pizza Map toward the many delights to be had in a good pizza safari ...for very few bucks. If you have an opinion (or two, or three) as to the best pizza in Buenos Aires Argentina, navegate your way thru our conveniently clickable map and please leave a comment!

The city's book, Pizzerías, is a gem. Even if you don't read Spanish you'll get all the names and addresses and phone numbers that will direct you to 43 of the best in town.

Being in alphabetical order by barrio, Almagro pops to the top. Long-time readers know my affection for that part of town and, lo and behold, my first love among the pizzas of Buenos Aires is #1 on the list: Tuñin.

Tuñin's roots go back to La Boca where the first pizza ever sold was dispensed by a good Genovese standing on a street corner behind what resembled a folding barstool. The article alludes to the neighborhood rivalry with the tremendous El Banchero (without mentioning names) by describing the sign inside the original Tuñin that claimed "¡Ojo! ¡El Rey de la Pizza!"

Here's a translation of the Tuñin article (lemme tell ya, their pizza is great!):

"The May 1931 issue of Aconcagua Magazine turned its attention to the Pizzería Tuñin saying, "in its dominions of La Boca, Tuñin, the king of fainá, exhibits to the pedestrian gluttony its already classic product." The article showed a photo of the interior of the shop with a hand painted sign with the following legend: "The Old-Fashioned Neapolitan Pizzaiuolo. Try the delicious Neapolitan Pizza. Take note: The King of Pizza!"

Tuñin's fame transcended La Boca and because of that opened some branches in other neighborhoods.

In 1941, Don Alfredo Specos opened "Tunin de la Boca" at Rivadavia 3902 at the corner of Castro Barros catacorner from a classic of the neighborhood and throughout the city, the confitería Las Violetas.

Presently, this is the only remaining Tunin. Its current owners have been in charge of the premises since 1955.

This pizzería in the neighborhood of Almagro figures prominently in the youthful memories of many students of the School of Ceramics and the Mariano Moreno National College, who through so many years formed part of their clientele. As well, the Colegio Pio IX whose 1967 graduating class expressed their gratitude to Tuñin for being a meeting place for over thirty years by issuing the pizzería its own diploma.

The comfortable locale has a handpainted molding by fileteado artist Luis Zorz that runs its entire perimeter. Over the entrance is a the emblem of San Lorenzo de Almagro by the same artist. A generally warm, friendly, and welcoming decor for a growing clientele.

Specifically in the field of pizza, José Luis Estévez, one of its owners, recommends among other specialties, the classic muzzarella with olives, accompanied by fainá; the Neapolitan (muzzarella, fresh sliced tomato, ham, olives and sweet peppers); and the cheese fugazza or La Española (muzzarella, red sausage slices, sweet peppers and olives).

Castro Barros, crossing Rivadavia, becomes Medrano. Almagro shows its pride in this exquisite corner."

Drinking Liberally Tonight

See you there!

Happy 9th of July

Libertad, libertad, libertad!

A Blessing and a Curse

I forget what happens on the fourth of July
Or when the rent is due
Dates and deadlines just float by
But I always remember you

What Columbus set out to discover
Isabel already knew
There'll be horizons and skylines
But I always remember you

If I could rearrange history
And give it to you as a gift
There would be one more movement
In Beethoven's fifth

Why, oh why, in a land of plenty
Some just have to make do
At the end of a breadline with just a penny
I'll always remember you.

Whole old world

"Immigrants come to the United States and take menial jobs so that their children have a chance at a better future, he told me. While the jobs they take are below their intrinsic capabilities, they’re focused on giving their children a better life, not personal job satisfaction. Second-generation children, seeing how hard their parents work to give them an opportunity, in turn work hard at school, where, he noted, they often focus on mathematics and science in pursuit of the economic returns promised by careers in engineering and medicine. Third-generation kids figure the economic return on effort expended is better for business and legal professionals and pursue those professions instead of technical ones. By the fourth generation, any immigration-related incentives to work hard are largely nonexistent."

Same paper, same day.

Whole new world

“These days, many South Koreans think they have the right to be white collar,” said Lee Byung-hee, senior economist at the Korea Labor Institute, a government-linked research organization based in Seoul. “But their expectations hit the dark reality of this economy, where people have no choice but to go into the blue-collar work force.”

Piggies are Doin' it for Themselves

Panic!

Bagelazo!

Ok. You're gonna need your bagels tomorrow.

Did you know that you can get REAL bagels in Baires?

Yep. Put in your order now and get 'em delivered to your door. My order's in ...and I can't wait!

We've talked about them in this space before ...and lemme tell ya, these are the real deal.

My own schedule is so f*&^!#-up that I'm hesitating putting in a regular order for every Saturday or Sunday or whatevah ...but what the hell, if I'm not here, the portero can eat them!

Anyhoo, they are so supreme (♪♫ lyrics I write of them ...I dream ...dream day and night of them ...and I scheme just for the sight of them♫♪) that you'll want them to be part of your regular fix.

After living in Buenos Aires Argentina as long as I have ...and remembering my first years of longing for a REAL bagel ...I feel that it is my CIVIC DUTY to support good people that want to go through the effort necessary to produce them.

Full disclosure: I am a baker and my first job was in a bagel bakery; try them, if you don't like them, you can throw stones at me.

My buddy, Frank at Sugar & Spice, is a fellow baker and he loves them as much as I do.

Taos Turner has waxed rhapsodic, too. If you don't know what these babies taste like, you are missin' out.

But don't try making bagels at home; it's too specialized and too much work for un departamento porteño.

When I dove into my first "Salmón Total", I was taken aback ...back to my roots. What a tremendous sensation. Although the amount of lox was not as ridiculously heavy as back in the old country, more important was the flavor and the intensity. Nothing less than satisfying.

I did have a complaint, however. My sandwich was wrapped and delivered with SUCH care, in the highest quality shrinkwrap ...that the tremendous bagel lost a little of its crunch. Not a biggie for us so far from NYC. They need to get some cheap deli bags ...for us that know. For porteños, they can give the careful packaging!

Not much of a complaint, eh?

Super. What a great addition to the community. Sometimes, the simplest of things are the things that make you feel SO VERY GOOD.

EL BAGELAZO came late to our influx of immigration. I hope that all of us will help them stay around during these tough economic times. They give us something so affordable and, in some cases, so necessary to maintaining those lovely tiny happinesses that are crucial to the little rewards we need to go about our our own daily struggles as well!

Keep 'em comin', Bagelazo!

100k cases of flu in Argentina

44 deaths reported.

Democrats Abroad and Puertas Abiertas cancel 4th of July celebrations.

Flu: 10k per Day in UK

By MARIA CHENG – 3 hours ago

Bourdain en Baires

I'm probably the only person here in Argentina that has not seen the No Reservations episode (here's a link to it... get it while you can) where Ant'ny comes to our fair burg to sample our burg's fare ...but I don't watch a lot of TV.

However! When my pitiful channel surfing does land on an episode of his... my television treaty with My Missus invokes the Anthony Bourdain Clause and all other viewing ceases ...a cease-fire is invoked, as well ...and quiet reigns for the duration.

Ok. Maybe you've seen the episode (or not... I'm not really sure that we have this particular season here on cable yet)...

...but just maybe I have something new for you!

This particular scene looks like it was cut from the episode ...but was good enough to make into something of a promo. Man, am I glad it was. This shows Tony in the venerable El Cuartito ...finding his love for Argentine empanadas. For the love of God, please, don't blame that indescribable commercial on me.

What struck me about the promo is that in something less than 4 minutes, Bourdain travels the length and breadth of my own experience with empanadas!

I love meat-pies of just about any description but, for some reason, I could not fall in love with empanadas here. I don't know why. Argentine empanadas are truly champions among that food group ...but for my first 2 years here, I avoided them as the most pedestrian and uninspiring food in town. Never could explain it to myself nor anyone else. Nowadays, empanadas are my backstop whenever I get bored with local food! Couldn't live without them.

I've always liked and admired Anthony Bourdain's approach and savvy and program. However, seeing him condense my 2 years of personal experience with a touchstone Argentine food ...into what couldn't have been more than 2 hours of shooting ...makes me admire him so very much more.

The guy's not just another talking food head.