Steve Kelman on Politics, Culture, and Life, 6.23.2022
Steve Kelman, Harvard Kennedy School prof, moderate Dem, pro free speech/anti cancel culture, pro tax rich, pro-Israel. Research improving gov performance, China interest. Blog reprints Facebook posts
N-95 mask on plane to Sweden
The person sitting next to me on the plane going to New York on my way to Sweden wore an N-95 mask. Makes me feel like a safety slacker with my surgical mask! (NB: she is Taiwanese)
Hotel personnel who don’t speak Swedish at Swedish hotel
Some of the staff answering customer requests over the telephone at the Sheraton here in Stockholm speak no Swedish.
No masks in Stockholm
Hardly a single person anywhere in Stockholm is wearing a mask, including on the subway.
Gunning for RINO’s
A Republican senatorial candidate in Missouri has issued a TV campaign ad showing him toting a huge rifle together with a swat team going into homes searching for "RINO's." Cry for our democracy.
”Exhausted” by covid restrictions?
I am curious whether or to what extent people feel "exhausted" by covid restrictions. I saw this statement again in an article in the Times. Speaking just for myself, I do not feel exhausted by these restrictions. They are to me just part of life given a serious illness out there. I worry that "exhausted" produces unsafe behavior including not wearing masks indoors. I wonder whether Facebook friends feel "exhausted" with covid restrictions.
Investing in bobbleheads
Business Week reports in an article on toys for adults that a group including the former CEO of Disney invested $263 million in a maker of bobbleheads for adults.
No paper newspapers in airline business class lounge
The business class American Airlines lounge at JFK in transit to Stockholm, has no newspapers. A real bummer, worse than before the pandemic. The next question is whether my hotel at Stockholm has hard copy newspapers, in the past I have often gotten 5 newspapers a day. Two Swedish morning papers, two Swedish afternoon papers, and the Financial Times! Check here for later updates!
Editorial in once-great English-language Hong Kong paper
Another toadying editorial in South China morning post on the 25th anniversary of Hong-Kong's return to China. Emphasizes Xi's love for Hong-Kong, this article could have been written by People's Daily. Very very sad. Their journalists must be embarrassed.