One of the essential qualities of your Newsletter is it goes in so many directions. One star reviews and dropping the word mendicant. Nice. Marianlea R, Tripadvisor review is one for the ages. Snow is so FRUSTRATING, it covers stuff and it is tough to drink. Why can't it just be water? The weird trash pile hurts to look at. It also makes me realize that parking is difficult in the neighborhood.
Thanks Mark! I've been so happy that so far subscribers seem happy to go with whatever I include every week—I don't feel like I need to dish out the same fare over and over and get stuck in rut. But your (now on hiatus) newsletter is very similar in that regard!
Tolstoy sure is eccentric (f-cked-up)! Most f-cked-up individuals are more alive than most people, so they explore more and expound more. The Tolstoys of the world become firebrands and iconoclasts; an electric eel set in a pond of catfish.
I think that question is best posed to those who have had the good/bad fortune to interact with me over 69 years. My motto has always been, "Love me or hate me, but don't ignore me." Catfish wish to be ignored and electric eels are hard to ignore.
Yay! It's funny I was thinking about it again this morning. I someone compiled all the strangest thing I've ever done I might come off just as weird as Tolstoy. Just not on such a grand scale...
These Tolstoy facts are wild. I had no idea. Perhaps Eric Adams should study Tolstoy in order to up his weirdness game. Although to be fair to the mayor, my accountant is no homeless so I can’t release my tax returns promptly is a pretty weird excuse. Finally, how could you pass on the camouflage boxers? I think we need a follow up on people who feel the need to camouflage their underwear. What are they hiding?
Hmm I wonder if these weird thought leader types are part of some Illuminati-like undercover circle going back to say, Diogenes that passes on esoteric instructions on maximizing quirk and eccentricity? As for the camouflage boxers, why would one want to disguise one's presence in the bedroom? This is creepy behavior that should not be enabled by the garment industry.
Re: "people who accomplish great things are often quite unpleasant, and just as often very odd..." There are certainly a number of musicians that could fit into this category, but I've always been fascinated by the Mamas and the Papas. They created such beautiful music... Meanwhile John was battling a heroin addiction, his wife Michelle was having an affair with Denny, which greatly upset Mama Cass (who was in love with Denny)... Love triangles upon love triangles, all while singing in beautiful four-part harmony.
Oh golly let's see. According to my Goodreads I started April 15 and finished April 27. So it was more like two weeks. Also, some people eat or watch a lot of TV or drink too much. I'm a stress reader.
Thank you, Anne! I imagine Tolstoy would have enjoyed an interview for cafe anne back in the day, and would fit well in the wonderful collection of characters profiled here.
Thanks Kyle! It's funny I was kind of concerned it wasn't a good fit for the newsletter and then I sort of landed on what you pointed out—one of the ongoing themes is people who do things THEIR WAY. I wonder what Tolstoy would be doing if he was being Tolstoy now?
I'm starting to have my doubts about Eric Adams. We don't need a hip, cutesy mayor. We need someone with brains able to do the hard work of running an important city.
No problem at all. During the slightly-embarrassing mayoral race, Eric Adams had a moderately embarrassing scandal about a residence in Fort Lee, New Jersey. This escalated into a very-embarrassing tour of a Brooklyn townhouse. By the end of this term, we'll bear witness to mythic, history-molding levels of embarrassment.
Love Eric Adams Watch but especially Tax Day Vengeance? Or whatever he thought he was doing to his former accountant.
The mayor even provided the press with the name of the now-homeless accountant, sort of outing him. Very strange!
One of the essential qualities of your Newsletter is it goes in so many directions. One star reviews and dropping the word mendicant. Nice. Marianlea R, Tripadvisor review is one for the ages. Snow is so FRUSTRATING, it covers stuff and it is tough to drink. Why can't it just be water? The weird trash pile hurts to look at. It also makes me realize that parking is difficult in the neighborhood.
Thanks Mark! I've been so happy that so far subscribers seem happy to go with whatever I include every week—I don't feel like I need to dish out the same fare over and over and get stuck in rut. But your (now on hiatus) newsletter is very similar in that regard!
the accountant, the reviews, the facts. all so fantastic. cattle exhibition 🤣
Thanks Jack! Someday we will have to collaborate on a NYC pizza special edition!
Those 1-star reviews crack me up. Imagine the nerve of those flowers, having bloomed already! And Tolstoy... hoo-daddy.
Yes I think the flowers comment was my favorite of them all!
Everyone needs a serf for "their health". Can mine be about 6'3" and 39 y.o.?
Check out serfsforhealth.com/cafeanne and I get a 10% referral fee!
I should have added that pronoun(He) serf be under 190#. Details, details.
Tolstoy sure is eccentric (f-cked-up)! Most f-cked-up individuals are more alive than most people, so they explore more and expound more. The Tolstoys of the world become firebrands and iconoclasts; an electric eel set in a pond of catfish.
Oh I love this idea that they are just more ALIVE. Are you an electric eel or a catfish? Always a good question for sure!
I think that question is best posed to those who have had the good/bad fortune to interact with me over 69 years. My motto has always been, "Love me or hate me, but don't ignore me." Catfish wish to be ignored and electric eels are hard to ignore.
Omg! I laughed out loud on some of the Tolstoy facts 🤣
Yay! It's funny I was thinking about it again this morning. I someone compiled all the strangest thing I've ever done I might come off just as weird as Tolstoy. Just not on such a grand scale...
These Tolstoy facts are wild. I had no idea. Perhaps Eric Adams should study Tolstoy in order to up his weirdness game. Although to be fair to the mayor, my accountant is no homeless so I can’t release my tax returns promptly is a pretty weird excuse. Finally, how could you pass on the camouflage boxers? I think we need a follow up on people who feel the need to camouflage their underwear. What are they hiding?
Hmm I wonder if these weird thought leader types are part of some Illuminati-like undercover circle going back to say, Diogenes that passes on esoteric instructions on maximizing quirk and eccentricity? As for the camouflage boxers, why would one want to disguise one's presence in the bedroom? This is creepy behavior that should not be enabled by the garment industry.
I think the boxers belong to the mayor! This goes deeper than anyone realizes.
Lol
Re: "people who accomplish great things are often quite unpleasant, and just as often very odd..." There are certainly a number of musicians that could fit into this category, but I've always been fascinated by the Mamas and the Papas. They created such beautiful music... Meanwhile John was battling a heroin addiction, his wife Michelle was having an affair with Denny, which greatly upset Mama Cass (who was in love with Denny)... Love triangles upon love triangles, all while singing in beautiful four-part harmony.
Wow yes another great example Emily. I often wonder if the artistic splendor is a result of, or in spite of, the madness.
Inside the biannual Tolstoy Family Reunion :
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/85918/inside-tolstoy-family-reunion
There are 400 direct descendants (300 currently alive). There are also 400 employees on the grounds.
Wow. Is this something you get in on with your 23andMe results?
How the heck did you read 550 pages in ONE WEEK? I pride myself on long reads, but a 750 took me over a year!
Oh golly let's see. According to my Goodreads I started April 15 and finished April 27. So it was more like two weeks. Also, some people eat or watch a lot of TV or drink too much. I'm a stress reader.
Eric Adams is a perfect fit for 2022. I can't imagine him as mayor in any other year.
As for LNT, "never meet your heroes."
Yes Mr. Adams is the man for times. And yeah, I kind of suspected this would happen with LNT because, well, ALWAYS.
Jasmines’s thoughts: “That Chekhov line about Tolstoy reminds me of the Buddha; we can all be mediocre now!”
Thank you, Anne! I imagine Tolstoy would have enjoyed an interview for cafe anne back in the day, and would fit well in the wonderful collection of characters profiled here.
Thanks Kyle! It's funny I was kind of concerned it wasn't a good fit for the newsletter and then I sort of landed on what you pointed out—one of the ongoing themes is people who do things THEIR WAY. I wonder what Tolstoy would be doing if he was being Tolstoy now?
I'm starting to have my doubts about Eric Adams. We don't need a hip, cutesy mayor. We need someone with brains able to do the hard work of running an important city.
Oh golly, I hope he can be both!
“What about Fort Lee?” was such a wonderful follow-up question. Great column.
Okay I’m kinda new to New York and I didn’t get the joke. Can you sadly explain it to me 😔
No problem at all. During the slightly-embarrassing mayoral race, Eric Adams had a moderately embarrassing scandal about a residence in Fort Lee, New Jersey. This escalated into a very-embarrassing tour of a Brooklyn townhouse. By the end of this term, we'll bear witness to mythic, history-molding levels of embarrassment.